February 16
Fastest retail eye exam with visual field test in US . .
Pretty much what the title says. Need to have an eye exam, don't wanna deal with a formal opthalmologist appointment.. anyone know of a brick and mortar retail type clinic that will do this on short notice? Anywhere from va to ma more or less near the coast (or philly/dc), including nyc, would be fine and id consider a detour from my usual travels to go to some known place for this. Sounds easy to find but I've called 15 places and getting kind of bored of the hobby. Tried looking at websites etc, but then when i called they don't really do it or do it once every two months. So, metafilter, do you know first hand a specific optometry shop near you that does this? Might seem silly, but .. for reasons, it would be a help!
Excursions and activities in Cabo san Lucas
I am traveling this summer via cruise from L.A. to Mexico, Ensanada and Cabo san Lucas. I'm going with Royal Caribbean, and they have excursion packages you can add on while in these places--hiking, snorkeling, etc. Is it worth making reservations with the cruise line OR wait and once ashore, find local excursion companies? I am thinking the latter could be cheaper and less crowded with fellow cruisemates. [more inside]
Selling a fabric stash
Paging the craft/quilt MeFites! I have booked a stall at a DeStash market and want to get rid of a large quantity of my mothers fabric stash. My question is do to with how to price the fabric. A lot of overwhelmed panicking follows... [more inside]
How Can I Do My Bit?
I would like to begin doing something more practical and effective to help deal with the political, social, and/or environmental issues that face us than posting on social media and writing essays for my blog, but am having trouble identifying what that something should be, given certain parameters I detail inside. Suggestions? [more inside]
Can the price of a new house be too low?
I'm looking at a house that's listed at $50,000 and have a mortgage preapproval for 50,000. I know this is often around the lowest amount that mortgage lenders will consider. If I make an offer for 40,000 and it's accepted, could that difference be a reason for the mortgage not to be finalized?
Under-sink Water Filters - What are the Best Ones to Filter out Lead?
We recently had our water tested by our town, and the results came back indicating the presence of lead. Not a lot, but who wants ANY lead in their water? We can't afford a big filter for the entire house, so we've decided an under-sink filter would best serve our needs. I'm looking for recommendations from folks who have purchased filtration systems for the home. We are researching the best under-sink water filters, ones that I can (hopefully) install myself.
How to find someone to shovel snow in Toronto?
We had a huge snowfall here. My elderly parents who live across town need someone to shovel their walk. What are ways to find someone? (I understand demand is very high right now, happy to pay a price that reflects this fact)
Help with Notes app on old Macbook?
hello, I hope someone can help me with some advice for backing up Notes on my old (2013) Macbook? The issue: I have Notes app notes on "My Mac," and Notes app notes on iCloud, and they are different. I'd like to have the notes on My Mac back up to iCloud. I don't care about preserving the existing iCloud notes at all. How do I make this change? (Normally, I would just try a few things, and usually I can get the results I want, but I'm very worried about losing my existing My Mac notes! They have some irreplaceable info, so I want to be very careful!) Thank you!
Car fuel door problem.
Hi everyone;
I have a 2009 Hyundai Sonata GLS.
The button that I press to open doesn't work. There is no noise when I press the button,but the trunk button works great.
Has anyone had this problem? If so,how was it fixed? Easy fix?
Thanks :)
Mandela's beer with Nietsche
With the popular resurgence of Canadian patriotism, the "I am Canadian" beer commercial has come back again. However, I remember it a bit differently than everyone seems to describe it. Is this just another example of the Mandela effect? [more inside]
Who does this singer sound like?
Today I heard Baptized in Blacklight by Kenna. I've never heard of them, but the singer's voice is so familiar. Who does he remind me of? Help scratch my brain itch!
February 15
Very large recent crowd scenes
What are the most recent films with the largest real (not computer generated) crowd scenes? [more inside]
ELI5: the entropy of carbon capture
According to my understanding of thermodynamics, if you get X joules of useful energy from burning a ton of coal, then the amount of energy you'd need to capture the resulting CO2 is more than X, making the whole exercise worse than useless. So how does carbon capture work? [more inside]
Establishing a non-USA bank account
If the US follows in the footsteps of other authoritarian countries, it may not be possible to flee and still access funds in US banks. What countries and banks can accounts be established that will be safe from the USA? 70's spy novels had Swiss banks, is this still true? And what do I have to watch out for in moving the funds? Thinking $50K for now.
Does this smoke alarm even exist?
In the inspection for our house, the inspector said that to be up to new local code, we need smoke (and CO) detectors that are BOTH: a. interconnected and b. have a 10-year sealed battery. Does anybody actually make these? [more inside]
Affordable rent in exchange for some dog care
I, retired librarian, have a large-ish house in a college town, with a studio wing that I’ve rented out some years. I also have 3 mid-size dogs that come and go from house to fenced yard. The dogs make it hard for me to take even short trips because of the cost of kenneling the 3; this is a rural area and overnight dog sitting isn’t yet really a thing here. I may also need to be across the country for several months, if an old friend’s illness enters a terminal phase. [more inside]
Work hole of my making
I'm probably not being super upfront with my leadership and burying how bad we're doing in status reports with the client. They know there are issues, ie. (Yellow, missed deadline by a week or two), not red (Missing deadlines by a month). I really need to tell and come to jesus and tell my leadership and be super upfront. What is my script? How do I prepare for this when it's going to make me look super bad for not being upfront? Is there anyway I can couch this to be so not so bad? [more inside]
Design me some information
Let’s say you are not especially analytical but you are expected to master a complicated decision flow anyway. Fortunately, someone you trust has volunteered to put the decision flow into a series of diagrams, flowcharts, or another design pattern of your choice. Which examples of information design would you point to as having been very helpful to you in the past? [more inside]
Tangles of voices
Seeking vocal music recommendations (small ensemble, solo, and choir). [more inside]
I have every symptom of colon cancer except weight loss
...and my doctor didn't seem very concerned. Details below: [more inside]
Yellow peas mush. What to do?
I have several pounds of over-cooked yellow peas. They're mush consistency. What should I do with them? [more inside]
Can you explain the political emails again? (U.S.)
So, I really have two basic questions with more specific detail inside: 1. what does the party mostly spend this money on, and 2. do the big names on these emails write or approve the emails? [more inside]
Decommissioned military bases in mid-Atlantic US?
I grew up as the child of a U.S. Air Force officer. He just died. I would like to walk around an air force base like the ones I grew up around and be sad. But I haven't had the proper ID in decades. What is the next best thing in the northeast U.S.? Are there decommissioned bases that haven't changed too much and are open to the public? I'm in Philadelphia. [more inside]
Online bookstores STILL not owned by Amazon that sell to non-US customer
This is surprisingly difficult to figure out. Several of the non-Amazon bookstore lists I found online do not include a publication date so I'm not confident the info is up-to-date - since Amazon seems to be in the habit of buying off companies. [more inside]
February 14
Where can we download Jam WiFi app (sans malware)?
Long story short my GF deleted the Jam WiFi app from her Android phone thinking she could reinstall it later. However, it turns out that Jam discontinued support for their wifi products, so the app is no longer available from the usual app stores. Is there a SAFE place from which she can download the app without also downloading malware/adware into her phone? Or are her Jam Wifi speakers pretty much just paperweights now?
How do I job search without getting totally overwhelmed?
I'm ready to start looking for a new job, but all my old job search anxieties are re-surfacing. How can I job search while maintaining my sanity, without becoming an overly anxious mess? [more inside]
Help me troubleshoot Find My Phone
Something's going on with my elderly mom's iPhone's Find My Phone settings—I set it up so I can track her location, and then a few months later it somehow turns off the permission. When I'm with her physically I set it up again, and then the same thing happens a few months later. My mom swears she didn't change any settings, and she indeed does want me to be able to track her. I'm not with her now; how can I troubleshoot this from afar? [more inside]
Antibiotic -induced insomnia
I’m on cefdinir and having insomnia that not even my arsenal of sleep meds can touch. I have to use this particular antibiotic. [more inside]
Who dat?
While signing executive orders, there is a man who hands them to the President and then takes them back after they are signed. Who is that person and what is their job title? [more inside]
Different thing... different languages
When two different objects have the same name in a language e.g. straw for animals and a straw to drink out of, it's a homonym (or in this case homograph). How is it that other languages also use different words for the same pairs? For example in French, paille and paille meaning drinking straw and dried grass too.
Cheap way to get from London to Paris?
My wife and I are in Europe for six weeks. England at the moment. We want to go to Paris. I’m a bit stunned at the cost to get to Paris by bus, train, or plane. Wondering if there’s some alternative way of which I’m unaware. Car share? Drive away cars? Standby tickets? Any Mefites headed that way? We return to Canada March 24 but are otherwise totally flexible for dates. Any ideas? Thanks!
Electrolyte Powder that doesn't break the bank?
I like powdered electrolyte drinks that you pour into your water to basically turn it into gatorade (like Liquid IV), but they cost what seems to me to be an absurd amount of money for what is basically a few kinds of salt with fancy marketing. Is there a generic bulk version of these that any of you can recommend? [more inside]
Can I continue a PC build without a CPU cooler for now?
I am building my first PC tower in more than 20 years. The AIO cooler I bought is a huge PITA to install and I think I'd prefer to get something more basic. Basic cooler won't come till Monday. Can I continue my build and complete it without the cooler just for now? My case has built-in fans. [more inside]
Change file names to numbers on SD card.
Hi everyone;
I have many Old Time Radio shows on a micro SD card in my cell.
I want to change the name of the file to a number.
Because I have many,I want a way to do this all at once,instead of me having to rename every file name to a number.
Is there a simple program that will do this?
I am using a Chromebook.
Thank you :)
February 13
How to privately rename text threads in Google Messages
How to rename a text thread where only I can see the name (in Google Messages)??? [more inside]
Custom Jeep question
Where can I find more information about this custom Jeep? It was in the Super Bowl Haagen Dazs commercial.
GarageBand 101
I want to learn how to use GarageBand on my Macbook so I can record basic drum/guitar/bass rock songs on my own. I'm assuming some kind of YouTube tutorial is the best way to go. But there are so many! [more inside]
Glaucoma, Uveitis, Laser Iridotomy advice
I'm seeking advice about some eye conditions. I'll briefly define them, in case it jogs an anecdote. Narrow Angles: when the eyeball's internal drainage area is small, increasing the risk of blockage, aka Angle Closure Glaucoma: a vision threatening emergency where a fluid blockage increases eye pressure. One preventative strategy is Laser Iridotomy: burning a small hole in the iris to create a new permanent drainage channel inside the eye. But this may trigger Uveitis, a persistent internal eye inflammation that may have an autoimmune or genetic component. If you know anything about this topic, I have questions! [more inside]
Broad question about broadforks
I'm hoping to field some opinions about broadforks from people who have spent more time using them than I have. [more inside]
How Do I Pick Up Narcotic Meds After Surgery?
I live alone and am planning to get laparoscopic hernia surgery next month. I live a small block from the hospital and a small block from my supermarket pharmacy. The hospital says they should be able to help me out with someone to walk me home, but they do not have a pharmacy on-site. So how do I pick up narcotic meds from my supermarket pharmacy: do I just have to go stand in line, 2hrs after surgery? I've never done this before: is that do-able?
Cd's to fall asleep to
I'm looking for music(on CD) to play as I fall asleep. [more inside]
What is this word game?
I lost all my open tabs -- ugh, gutted -- and one thing I can't find again is a particular word game that I might have read about here...or maybe not, but can you help me find it again? It might be from the UK? [more inside]
How to rid my compost bin of its flying insects? Or are they okay?
So we have a covered compost bin in the corner of the yard. We're careful not to put any bones or greasy food remnants into it (and now the city wants that stuff in their green, yard waste bin anyway). Yet like every composting experiment I've undertaken, removing the lid means a face-full of flying insects escaping. Nothing I see in the compost literature ever addresses this. Not to worry, their larvae are processing the compost? Or does this mean something's amiss with my composting mixture? [more inside]
Sunday
I'm looking for poetic/metaphorical ways to refer to the day of the week Sunday. Like 'a day of rest'. Preferably not overtly religious like 'the day of the Lord'.
Character name pronunciation in D.H. Lawrence
Just started reading D.H. Lawrence's Sons and Lovers and wondered... how is the family’s last name pronounced? [more inside]
YANMD Should I have a heart ablation for SVTs?
I've had SVT (SupraVentricular Tachycardia) episodes for many years, well managed with Valsalva Maneuver, hydration, heart rate app. But I had an unusually severe and painful episode last spring, so just completed a fresh cardiac workup.
For anyone recently diagnosed, this is the least exciting heart condition you can have. [more inside]
Looking for a good oral HSV doc in Southern California
My partner has had persistent oral herpes for over a year at this point, and persistent difficulty getting doctors appointments through her Obamacare/Covered California insurance. She is thinking about going out of network and is seeking recommendations. Some additional questions below the fold. [more inside]
Bro do you even yield?
What is your High Yield Savings Account and do you like it? I need to move some savings into a HYSA and I have analysis paralysis for some reason. [more inside]
Postcard Ledges/Rails
I have a lot of postcard-type items I would like to display on a rotating basis. I've seen ledges that people simply rest photos or postcards on and that seems ideal. Not sure if I'm looking for the wrong search terms or just impatient, but it feels like I'm not seeing what i want. Google fu this all you want for me. All I need are reasonably priced, shallow wooden ledges/rails with a lip to hold postcards. What can you find? [more inside]
How do I deal with grief that intertwines with my sports fandom?
One of my closest friends passed away last month. I’ve found lots of help, from friends and family as well as literature, in dealing with grief. However, one aspect has been unexpectedly difficult to navigate, namely our shared sports fandom, and not having him around to celebrate or complain, depending on our team’s fortunes. Have you ever been in a similar situation? [more inside]
Hmm, "shakes," you don't know what you're gettin.
"He shook his shoulders" - what gesture is this? [more inside]
Help matching edited photos to their originals (Mac)
I have a folder of photos directly off a digital camera. I want to match them to another folder of edited photos with different file names. [more inside]
February 12
Financial safety in the age of Musk
So, now that not only does Musk have access to data of people across the USA, but he's also seized money from New York, what are prudent steps to take to keep money safe these days?
Apple 2FA on non existing device
As asked in this previous question, I'm trying to set up my mother's iDevices. It keeps asking me to enter the Passcode for a device that doesn't exist. [more inside]
How to pick up a friendship post- uneven job loss situation?
My organization went through a very tough 2023-24. At the end of 2024, several of my colleagues lost their jobs, while my job and a few others went to part-time. It was very stressful and we had a long period (four months or so) in which we all knew how our jobs were ending - or not. [more inside]
How much should I pay this lad?
20-year old neighbor has zero work experience and is almost old enough to work with a local special-needs nonprofit to get subsidized work doing restaurant, landscaping, etc. work. He thinks he may have ADHD or similar condition; his Dad is going to get him tested soon. [more inside]
Protect PC Build in Progress from Cat Hair
I am building a new PC this weekend for the first time in a decade. It'll probably take me a few days to get it done, so I need a way to protect the exposed components and case when I'm not working on it because I have a curious cat and a LOT of cat hair floating about. Would a large clean towel (or towels) draped loosely over everything enough?
YYZ Pearson - storm impact for tomorrow morning
I am flying out of Toronto Pearson Airport tomorrow morning at 9am, and am trying to guess the impact of the impending snow storm with respect to it causing my flight to be delayed or cancelled [more inside]
Can I get treatment for ADHD-like symptoms with a bipolar diagnosis?
I'm diagnosed as bipolar, and I also have a lot of ADHD-like symptoms, like inattention and executive dysfunction. I've read both that these can be symptoms of bipolar, and that ADHD and bipolar can be comorbid. [more inside]
How to export/back up pinterest links?
Pinterest has become a swamp of genAI pins and horrific AI based automoderation, and I want out. But I have 400 recipes on a pinterest board and I want to get a list of those links exported from my board. [more inside]