July 13
Hemp ban almost here & I have no dispensary, no alternative available
I have no dispensary access where I live no medical or adult-use program at all and for years I've relied on a specific hemp-derived Delta-9 vape formulation from one supplier to manage arthritis and inflammation, and to actually sleep through the night. A federal law taking effect November 12 is going to redefine what legally counts as hemp, and my supplier says they honestly don't know if they'll still be able to make this formulation once it kicks in. Anyone else dealing with this — is there a version of this industry that survives the new rules, and what's your plan B if the thing that's worked for you disappears? [more inside]
How to escape work-related burnout?
I'm a programmer with a CS degree in a work situation where I'm now expected to use AI for coding, and not just that but be an expert in using those tools. This expectation has come somewhat suddenly for me. Additionally, there are consistently patterns of what I'd consider unreasonable deadlines, and it has begun to spiral into stress as I feel like I'm suddenly incompetent at something I was very competent at, and the stress makes it hard for me to think, which leads to more stress and the wheels are starting to come off. [more inside]
So if I'm breaking old patterns...do I let the ball drop now?
Had previous issues with being the pursuer in new romances and I've met someone new, but don't want to repeat old problems. [more inside]
What's a good small business website solution?
I've set up a small business and need to make a website for it, but have no tech expertise whatsoever. [more inside]
Can't get out of dark mode on Chrome
I'm on a MacBook Pro OS Monterey (12.7.6). All of my regularly visited websites are showing up dark today for no discernible reason. I went into Chrome settings and made sure Light Mode was chosen. I then went to my computer preferences and made sure Light was chosen there, too. I've restarted. Nothing's working. [more inside]
I'll get right on it...
Inshallah, mañana, and Real Soon Now (RSN) can all be used contextually to mean "Yeah, that's not likely to happen." I'm looking for similar indirect words and phrases, ideally from other cultures. Anyone?
Suggestions for minimal-walking activities in Brooklyn/Queens?
Seeking advice on Brooklyn & Queens activities to do by car, due to one party member having mobility limitations. I fear this is a bad question - I have never before dared to bring a car into NYC and I understand it's best explored not-by-car - but I also know that people living there do have cars, so, like, it must be possible to do something by car??? [more inside]
July 12
Going thru vacation withdrawal
I just spent six days traveling through Nevada and San Francisco, ending with Yosemite. The frequency of random encounters with strange things was pleasantly high. Now I want to get back in the car, but life won't let me. How can I make my home town feel strange, exciting and new? Difficulty level: Orem, Utah. [more inside]
Ubud for the overwhelmed?
En route to Ubud and looking for recommendations from my favorite internet people. [more inside]
What's the difference between Uber and Lyft, and which is best?
Hello, I am shortly visiting Boston and New York on vacation. This is probably a stupid question, but lots of directions and travel guidance say "take Uber or Lyft" or similar. Here in the UK we only have Uber... so how do I know which service to use in any given circumstance? and what are the differences between them? Many thanks!
Music for Places That Are Similar to Airports
I really like Music For Airports to relax or fall asleep to. In my limited experience, minimalist/ambient/new age/drone music doesn't really scratch the same itch — not even other stuff of Eno's that I've trued. Details within about the qualities I like. I'm curious what other music comes to mind when you think of those qualities, even if it doesn't have 100% of them. [more inside]
Tea sandwich ideas
What are some delicious tea sandwich recipes/ingredients? [more inside]
How do you turn a vast digital photo library into physical photo albums?
I have 60,500 photos in my Apple Photos library and I want to turn them into physical photo albums — real prints, real books on a shelf. If you’ve done this, I’d love to hear your system: how you weed, what printing service you trust, what albums you use, and how you keep it going. More inside. [more inside]
How to approach people at parties
I'm looking to build more friends and community and potential dating partners, and I'm really having a hard time making connections at parties. [more inside]
July 11
Avoiding the rain in Tokyo and Sapporo
I am heading to Japan next week (yay!), spending time in Tokyo and Sapporo. But the weather looks pretty rough (boo); high heat and lots of rain. What are your favorite ways to escape the weather in Tokyo and Sapporo? [more inside]
Fraudulent email (not) from bank
I am so angry with myself. I received an email this morning reminding me to activate my new debit card. I had not received a debit card, so that was already curious, but there has been mail theft in my area so was concerned the card was stolen (this happened before, many years ago, in another state). I signed into my account and all was fine, until... [more inside]
Eating in the Netherlands
I’ll be traveling to the Netherlands in September. I’ll spend time in Amsterdam, Leiden, Dordrecht, Kaatscheuvel, Eindhoven, Nijmegen, Arnhem, Utrecht and Groningen.
I’d love to hear your recommendations for places to eat, especially places with vegetarian or vegan options.
Getting an unwilling broker to disgorge inheritance
My father left behind a portfolio of individual stocks with a sleazeball small-time stock broker (not one of the Big Firms). Some are in an IRA and others are not. Help me get the portfolio away from this guy? [more inside]
Career involving assisting women in difficult situations?
I have a friend who is trying to figure out next steps after years of being a stay-at-home mom, and I want to see if any folks could give some suggestions/direction. She likes the idea of doing something that allows her to be a comforting presence for women during sometimes difficult situations. More details under the fold... [more inside]
Overwhelmed by mother’s deterioration and don’t know where to start
My mother, whose mental health has never been great, had a massive decompensation event a few months ago leading to involuntary commitment. Since discharge a few weeks ago she has continued to deteriorate, with a semi voluntary stint back in inpatient which just ended, and we don’t know how to keep her safe anymore without almost constant supervision. Where do I even start? Six months ago she was essentially functional. [more inside]
How do I make the most of two years on long-term disability?
Follow up to "Asking for autism accommodations in the workplace effectively". I have been denied an accommodation after nearly a year of back-and-forth with HR. Instead, I was put on a leave of absence. I will be able to take two years of long-term disability, but then I'm out on my own. What do I do to maximize this time? [more inside]
July 10
Informal Education
In the past, I asked this question about the history of informal education but now I just want to know every form of informal education out there past or present. There are museums, there are plays, there is TV, there are libraries, what else is in the present? What was in the past? [more inside]
Is Metal Slinger by Rachel Schneider sad/bleak?
In other words, am I likely to enjoy it based on the criteria in my previous question. [more inside]
Horizontal hobbies
My friend has moderate to severe ME which means they have to spend a lot of time lying down resting. They have expressed that a lot of hobbies are difficult for them to do lying down so we are looking for ideas of activities that can be done either fully or mostly horizontal. [more inside]
How do I raise the head of my bed?
Because I am having GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease) I need to elevate the head of my bed. How should I best do this?
AirBnB host mistakenly opened up calendar, now wants me to cancel?
I went to make an AirBnb reservation 5 months in advance. The host messaged back, saying they only accept reservations 3 months in advance, and that the calendar had been marked available by mistake. But now they want me to cancel? [more inside]
July 9
Red light masks
I would like a red light mask and I am overwhelmed by the choices. Please help! [more inside]
Can I Fix my Mercedes GLA 2021 Camera Issue Myself?
If not I will have to take it to the dealer which sucks. A lot. More inside. [more inside]
Accurate temperature 3 feet deep, on the cheap.
I'm building a little bluetooth device that will tell me the current temperature 3' deep in my pool. For calibration I need to know what the actual temperature is. [more inside]
BookRecFilter: Your recommendations for sf/f with excellent descriptions
On behalf of a relative: can you recommend books with good descriptive text? SF/F strongly preferred. A bit more inside. [more inside]
Soft Cell-The Art of Falling Apart Super Deluxe 6-CD box: yay or nay?
I already have the original on CD, but I saw this box set for a decent price (around $80) was wondering if the remixes/live/demo/instrumental/etc. tracks make this worth picking up. The vintage live and demo tracks make this tempting, but I'm just a bit wary of (relatively) 'modern' remixes of vintage tracks.
Recording a phone call in the REV app
At the request of a client, I am using REV to transcribe a phone interview. The subject can only do the interview over the phone. Is there a way I can use the REV app to record a phone call? This is for a publication and the subject is aware that I will be recording our conversation. [more inside]
Are you a materials engineer? Tell me about that.
Are you a materials engineer? Tell me about that. Looking for first-hand accounts of materials engineers and what they do/who they do it for/what their days are like for my kid. [more inside]
What should I look for when buying an old house?
The house is over 100 years old. Kind of beat up. Have not been in yet. I will get an inspection, then if interested, go through w/ a G.C. and top-to-bottom get their take on heating, roofing, renovation costs, etc.
I will need to add the renovation costs to the purchase price.
Have filed a FOIL at Town Hall for any violations, etc. Could there be asbestos? How should I present the accumulated data to the seller, to strengthen my hand?
What about the property? It is not in a flood zone.
July 8
health anxiety relief
Curious what has worked for others who have intense health anxiety that is resistant to most coping mechanisms (detailed inside). [more inside]
Where can I find credible information on non-surgical graceful ageing?
Please share resources for credible information on non-surgical procedures for graceful ageing such as neuromodulators, various lasers, broad-band light, microneedling, facials, etc. By credible I mean not from a nurse who does the procedures or sells the products but ideally a study or research. If there are terms better to search (gentle ageing? skin health?) that could help too.
My health insurance on the marketplace may be invalid
I have health insurance through Get Covered Illinois with Blue Cross Blue Shield. I believe I made an error that has resulted in me receiving benefits for which I do not qualify. What are my next steps? Details inside. [more inside]
Where can I go (other than here) for interesting reading?
I seem to have fallen into some bad online hygiene and mostly interact with just a handful of sites. I’m curious about blogs, newsletters, communities, whatever that are worth regularly visiting and reading. I’d rather not prematurely limit the scope of responses. [more inside]
I hate autocomplete
Pages [the word processing application, version 14.5] on my Mac has recently started autocompleting what it thinks I should be writing. This is HORRIBLE. How do I turn it off?
Decipher this: Yiddish/Hebrew handwriting
I have two old family photos - this one and this other - that traveled from former Poland (now Belarus). Unfortunately, no living family members can read the (Yiddish?) handwriting on it. Anyone able to help decipher?
Costco Car Keys Express
An acquaintance expressed security concerns over having smart keys made by Costco saying that they would not give anyone access to their fob other than the dealer. "It is very easy for them to copy it and sell it down the road"
Is this a legitimate concern?
July 7
I want to copy files from my mac to my samsung phone
I used to be able to do this using the Android File Transfer app, which is no longer supported. Now when I try to search solutions, it's all either outdated, telling me how to do it on Windows, or trying to sell me an app (or all three of those things). [more inside]
$20 SAIT
Have (US) cops at any time collected speeding fines or bond in lieu on the side of the road? Looking for legal payments and not some sort of bribe. Any examples from movies/TV? Personal anecdote? Government documentation. I'm not looking for examples of the rampant Civil Forfeiture seizures but rather a fine assessed for speeding or some other traffic infraction. [more inside]
how to attach USB adapter to cable
I just got this USB-C to USB-micro adapter https://imgur.com/a/vqCUhAv and am able to attach it to the cable via loop knot as shown in their image. However, I'm convinced it will not stay attached or will slide off if I don't constantly pay attention to it. What knot should I be using? Or should I try adding a drop of glue?
I happen to have some Aleene's Fabric Fusion Glue and Aleene's The Ultimate Glue, both unopened and about 5 years old. I also have some opened Gorilla Super Glue Gel that is 2 years old.
The cable is braided nylon typical USB-C cable. TIA
Internet connexion problem
I have broadband through Toob. A friend is staying with me; she can connect to my Toob fine on her mobile and one of her laptops, but the other laptop does not show the relevant network, so she cannot connect to it. [more inside]
Ri...
My iPhone isn't letting calls through. If I'm lucky, I'll hear a half a ring (at most). Sometimes it kicks the call to voicemail. Other times, it just seems to block the call. I need people to be able to reach me, for both work and personal reasons. How do I do that, especially when they're calling from unknown numbers? [more inside]
Help with publishing a self-help book
I wrote a first draft of a philosophical self-help book. The manuscript is about 23,000 words; part memoir, part philosophy, part psychotherapy. My goal is to publish it. I have experience of writing and publishing academic books, but no clear idea about the next steps in this case. I think i am looking for an experienced editor who could evaluate the viability of the book (developmental editor?) and i am looking for a publisher who might be interested. The book is concerned with adult children and parents relationship. [more inside]
July 6
Solo Travel in Norway -- recommendations outside Oslo
I'm going to find myself in Oslo for work this summer, and am thinking about tacking a late-August vacation on afterwards. I've traveled internationally a lot, and it seems like the solo trips that I most enjoy are the ones where there's something both new-to-me and unique to the place I'm visiting. So, I'm looking for suggestions, the more specific the better! Tell me about a trail you found spectacular, the cafe that became your morning routine, that neighborhood you got blissfully lost in. [more inside]
Specific drum-centric Pitchfork-reviewed album from 2010s
I'm trying to find an album that was almost entirely drums/percussion, and was pretty experimental -- it was reviewed on Pitchfork sometime in the 2010s, and maybe had a connection with Chicago? [more inside]
Dentist recommendation in Portland, OR
Help me find a good, affordable, locally owned dentist practice in PDX. Bonus points for being located in NE, being queer-informed/aware, and for having a female dentist, but none of that is required. Not being owned by private equity is required!!
A trove of creative inspo
Lurzer's Archive magazine was a showcase for some of the world's best advertising (primarily print). As a creative director and agency lead, I found them to be an essential catalyst for ideas to steal... I mean to be inspired by. [more inside]
Name three crowd-pleasing beers
I don’t really care for beer, but would like to have a few on hand for guests. Let’s say I buy 6 beers, 2 each of a certain type/brand/varietal (see, I don’t even know the beer lingo). What would those three types of beer be? An IPA, a lager, what else? NB: my friends don’t seem to care for really dark beers like Guinness in my limited observations. [more inside]
Question for the humanities grad school types
In the short story I'm writing, I have a character who wants to curry favor with his high-profile history PhD advisor, to an obnoxious degree. This is not the story's main character, but the main character's nemesis. Is it plausible to have the nemesis very clearly tailor what he writes about so that it appeals to/flatters the advisor's preferences? What else might he do, to a degree that it makes others roll their eyes?
Budget for a Creative Grant
I haven't gotten it yet, but we need to turn everything in ahead. It is HUGE! (The grant is $10,000). [more inside]
Why don't you make like a tree and leaf?
Plant people, I'm looking for a plant that 1) would be a reasonable thing to have as an indoor potted houseplant, that 2) you could give as a cutting to a friend, and 3) has a name (either most common name or a quaint historic name also fine) that implies a threat, menace, suffering, torment, or similar dire portent. [more inside]
Back when people offered body parts to RBG
When Ruth Bader Ginsburg was in poor health her last couple of years, I saw a lot of social media posts where people, famous and not, offered her parts of their own bodies. I'd love to find an aggregated list of these posts (authorship unimportant for my purposes) . Think it was mostly a Twitter thing. Can anyone help?
What can I buy for an accomplished paper quiller?
I have a friend who enjoys paper quilling* and has been pursuing the craft for some years. She's already got a bunch of books on the subject and plenty of the basic materials and tools. I'd like to buy her a quilling-appropriate present as a thank you for some recent hospitality. Anyone out there know about this hobby and have suggestions to offer? Thank you. [more inside]
DIY Film Studies
After watching The Story of Film, I'm looking to dive deeper into more classic and arthouse movies. What I'd like to do is watch a full length film and then immediately afterwards either watch a substantial lecture (or less ideally, listen to a podcast) about that particular movie, in order to help provide context and insight. More details below. [more inside]
Can't activate new phone
I purchased a used iPhone 11 Pro Max in good condition. I moved my sim from my old iPhone Xs Max which was working fine. However, the new phone is stuck on No Network or searching for the network. [more inside]
How to leave Gaza
I have been donating to a college student in Gaza for the past year or more. The situation there has not improved for him and he wants to leave but is essentially trapped and has no idea how to get out. Please share any information you have on the easiest, best, safest, and/or most realistic plan for him to leave and/or any organizations that might help him. If he can't leave, he may not survive. Thanks for any help you can offer.
