Recently Resolved Ask MetaFilter Questions

Tell Me Your Favorite ***** of the Day Websites

ALeaflikeStructure — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 11:43:38 -0800

I regularly check several websites that post interesting information daily, including NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day, Wikipedia Article of the Day, and the Linda Hall Library's Scientist of the Day. (I also check the OED's Word of the Day, but even though I have no trouble accessing the website, I cannot post the link.) I'm sure there are more. Please share your favorites with me.

mechanic inspection in Seattle

blnkfrnk — Sun, 31 May 2026 05:26:11 -0800

I'm buying a used car in the Seattle-Tacoma area. Where's a good mechanic for an inspection?

What should I do with a free day in Paris?

chives — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 13:13:20 -0800

This Friday I'll be at a loose end near Notre Dame. I plan to attend mass at 12pm and visit the Shakespeare and Company English language bookshop nearby. What else would you do? Can you recommend affordable and especially good options for lunch, interesting little shops, other and lesser known nearby historical buildings, or anything else within walking (or a very small amount of metro stops) that would be a nice way to spend a solo afternoon in Paris?

How hard is it to join X (previously Twitter) safely? More inside.

forthright — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 10:24:58 -0800

A friend from Church has asked me to join X so we can coordinate on events, etc. But as I started looking into the details it seemed to be a much bigger "ask" than I realized. Unfortunately I tend to be a "people pleaser" (I wish I weren't).See below the line for more. I did a Google search "What is the safest way to join x (previously Twitter)?" But it seemed like you need to only use X from a browser, not from the app. Disable location association to photos, etc. Hide my calendar, avoid any reference to other email accounts or phone numbers. Use an authenticator app like Authy or Google Authenticator. Save the recovery codes somewhere safe to avoid lockout. And I can't join Twitter in the sense that if I do in November I will be swept into X (?) anyway. It seems like this social network was designed from the ground up to be a leaky sieve.

Where to fill my tires with air in Los Angeles?

swheatie — Thu, 28 May 2026 18:02:31 -0800

I'm in Eagle Rock for ten days, staying at my friends' house while they're away. I'm driving their electric KIA, which is telling me that one of its tires is low. I live in New York and don't have a car, and I don't think I've ever filled a tire and have no idea what I'm doing. I thought gas stations had air pumps but I went to two today and didn't see one. Is there someplace to go where it's easy to do this?

How often do you wash your car?

rhonzo — Thu, 21 May 2026 08:12:50 -0800

Is it like going to a dentist to get your teeth cleaned? Is it a good practice? Or is optional?
This is a six year old car, well maintained. The climate is southern, no snow, no road salt, but near the ocean.

Growing up, I remember helping my aunt wash her car. But it was not something I saw people doing.

When I met my husband, he treated car washing like an oil change, a part of how you maintain a car. I enjoy car washes quite a bit.

But now I am poorer and kind of see it as a luxury. I have a hand held vac that I can use on my own to clean the interior. I guess I could wash it in my driveway?

So, how often do you wash your car and do you ever do it at home?

thanks!

Is there a way to read a book on Paperwhite with no links to notes?

bookworm4125 — Mon, 25 May 2026 14:58:57 -0800

I'm reading "hated by all the right people" and it is chock full of links to research notes that I do not want to see. I tried looking it up but I can't figure out how to ask my question without results being about removing parts that other readers have highlighted. There are tons of sections of the book that are underlined, which is visually distracting, but moreso frustrating bc I keep accidentally tapping them and then I get taken to the research notes at the end of the book. Any way to turn this feature off?

How much meat and cheese?

Art_Pot — Sun, 24 May 2026 05:48:24 -0800

If you're making your own meat and cheese plate for a meal, what do you put on it and how much meat and cheese for a full meal? In hot weather I like making meat and cheese trays to snack from for lunch or dinner, but I'm still hungry afterwards. I figure this means I'm not putting enough out and I end up eating more carbs (chips, crackers etc) to fill up.

For example, today's was a container of spicy cheese cubes, 5 or 6 slices of thin salami, cherries, and bagel chips. Now I'm still hungry, so I continued to eat the bagel chips and cashews since they were next to me.

Too much chicken breast, what to do?

Bella Donna — Sat, 23 May 2026 11:21:25 -0800

I accidentally bought nearly 4 pounds of boneless chicken breast thinking it was boneless thighs instead. Because I am not wealthy and because I don't like to cook stuff I don't like that much (or in general), this was a painful mistake. So tell me: What is the easiest thing for me to make with all this chicken? Must be something that freezes well. Simple, fast, easy, tasty after being frozen. The holy grail of recipes, yes, that is what I want. What have you got for me?

What is this hol(e)y thing?

kitten kaboodle — Fri, 22 May 2026 17:33:08 -0800

I found this thing when I was clearing out some cupboards and I have no idea what it is. It was with some stuff for wine, but also near some stuff for a hot water bottle. It's neoprene, blue on the top side and black on the underside. There is a Velcro tab at the top that I assume sticks to any place on the face, and it looks like there are some spots where the fabric might have been pulled by the Velcro. I'm most inclined to think it's for the hot water bottle because neoprene is insulating, but I can't figure out how or why you'd use something so thin that wouldn't exactly insulate a whole flat, wide bottle. I do not remember ever buying it, but that's not saying much.

How does ground insoluble fiber work?

ASCII Costanza head — Thu, 21 May 2026 03:19:30 -0800

Insoluble fiber supplements that are ground to the point that a mixture with water is clear: do they function the same as fiber sources like corn pericarp? I'm on my first day of low residue colonoscopy prep & I realized I didn't buy cows' milk to go with the corn flakes from the allowed list. I figured it's the first day so I indulged in some oat milk.

[first day of 4 low residue, then 1 liquid, then evening before & early morning-of prep solution]

It has me wondering about the distinction between low fiber and low residue. Even corn flakes have some fiber. Does the processing that oats go through to make milk affect their efficacy as a fiber supplement and does it reduce the residue in the colon vs. rolled and steel cut oats?

Is there a 'guide to household cleaners from first principles'?

ftrtts — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 03:40:31 -0800

Everyone has their favourite cleaning products. Some people make their own using vinegar, ammonia, isopropyl alcohol, water, bleach, soaps, etc. Then you have spot cleaning with things like baking soda, sodium percarbonate, hydrogen peroxide, barkeeper's friend, citric or oxalic acid. Also, I have a friend who swears by oxi bleach over bleach. The question remains- why? Is there a comprehensive resource that helps me build a cleaning closet from first principles -or close enough- that covers the 95% most common surfaces and situations?

Why does my partner do retail therapy after we fight?

Calcifer — Mon, 18 May 2026 19:33:41 -0800

The day after we fight (usually an endless late-night discussion of something we disagree on, and one of us or both might get offended), my partner often buys an expensive piece of gear ($1,000+) on my card without talking to me. It's happened a few times, enough that I'm not that surprised anymore, but I'm still not sure what to say. Have you experienced a pattern like this? If you do this, why do you do it? Or if a partner does, why do you think they do? More context, in case it's useful: This is not the same partner from my previous question long ago—entirely unrelated. In this relationship, we're both nonbinary, but my partner presents and is more socialized as a man, and I'm a few years older and present and am more socialized as a woman. So some power dynamics are at play, which we discussed early on before getting too involved, but probably should check in on more often. This is not a sugar mama relationship, but I am currently supporting us while we build our respective creative businesses (they can use the equipment they buy in their work), which I imagine is probably related to whatever is going on here.

Also, I understand that for many people, that level of purchase would break the bank and would be an unthinkable betrayal. To contextualize it, for me, at this point in my life, it's not going to necessarily break the bank, but it still does make me blink, and depending on when it occurs, it can stress me out. It's not something I plan on happening—I don't require that my partner always ask me before spending money on my card, but I've never had anyone just spend that much without saying anything before. Neither of us grew up with a lot of money, and the ability to just buy things like that is newer to us both.

We both have a lot of anxiety, though about different things (which tends to balance out in a good way—we can often reassure each other). At times, we argue forever like we're in debate club. One or both of us just won't let whatever it is go. A previous partner of mine used to get extremely angry at me and lash out in traumatizing ways when I would argue the way my current partner does with me, so I try to be a safer person than that. My partner kind of reminds me of myself in these arguments, and this kind of rhetorical sparring reminds me of the way dogs or cats wrestle together and chase each other. I think we both kind of like arguing, and I appreciate that we can keep up with each other in an argument. That said, it's happening more frequently lately, and it can become a bit much when it's late at night, we both have things to do the next day, and neither of us can let it go. This sometimes devolves into bickering about differing rhetorical styles. Then there are these purchases that have started happening.

We've been together a few years and we don't live together. I've been looking for a place we can move into together eventually (which I would own). But a lot is going on in the world and that search has slowed. We're each stressed out by not having enough space in our respective homes. When the arguments happen, we're usually in each other's physical presence, and the buying of things happens when we're in separate places the next day.

Initial thoughts include: Perhaps this is a way my partner is lashing out, or daring me to say something? Perhaps they're buying whatever it is now in case I get fed up and dump them? Perhaps it's a way of asserting power in a situation where they feel like they have less? It kind of feels like I'm being baited and taking the bait would somehow confirm something for them or fulfill a pattern, so I've deliberately resisted making some big confrontational scene about it. I'm aware that I have more power in the situation overall. I'm also aware I could just ask them about it. But I'm curious if anyone has ideas about what's going on here.

Need a microphone for a 'what woke me up at 3am?' app

dws — Tue, 19 May 2026 10:46:57 -0800

For a project that includes monitoring ambient sound levels and picking out noises to record, I need a USB microphone that is omnidirectional and doesn't filter out background noise. I.e., "good enough for people around a table to join in a Zoom, but picks up too much of the room and that bird outside the open window." Laptop mics are too feeble. Podcast mics are too directional, and tend to filter heavily. A field recording mic might work, but I don't have one those within reach to test. A USB version of the mic in my Pixel phone would work, but I've had no luck finding that.

Does this sound like a microphone you've had experience with?

What is this week's meal prep? Please share a recipe

runsrealgood — Sat, 16 May 2026 08:47:50 -0800

Looking for a recipe for a meal to make up to 4-6 servings and freeze.I tend to make soups and stews, mac & cheese, lasagne. Any variations on those are swell, but quite happy to try a new thing. Skills: not clueless but sufficiently low-skill that I avoid new things (I will eat but rarely try to make)

Kitchen: sufficient for most needs. I have an Instant Pot (smallish) and massive electric roaster plus standard things otherwise

Thank you!

Can you recommend a basic inexpensive point-and-shoot camera?

Winnie the Proust — Sun, 10 May 2026 18:34:19 -0800

Camper Proust is not allowed to bring a phone to camp, but they are allowed to bring a digital camera. Can you recommend a basic point-and-shoot camera in the $100 price range? It seems like the selling point of most point-and-shoot cameras is "better than your smartphone" because otherwise, why would you bother? In our case, we are bothering because smart phones aren't allowed. We just need something reliable that shoots clear pictures, has a decent lens with some zoom, and can hold a lot of photos on a memory card. Bonus points if it recharges over USB rather than using alkaline batteries. Video is not a significant use-case.

When I look for name-brand cameras, everything is $350 or more (because it's "better than a smart phone"). There are a gazillion cameras for about $70 ("great for vlogging!") but they are all from companies I've never heard of and will probably never hear of again. Is there a way to buy something for a hundred dollars or so that won't be a piece of junk?

What is the crowd chanting during Trump's arrival in China

hermanubis — Wed, 13 May 2026 09:26:22 -0800

At 1:23 of this youtube video a greeting crowd chants something as Trump and the Chinese delegation pass. Can you translate this to English?

How do I get into my Bluesky account?

bryon — Fri, 08 May 2026 17:40:29 -0800

Whenever I try to access my Bluesky account, I get a page that tells me they want my birthdate added for security. So I click the blue "Add your birthdate" button. Then a red button pops up that says: "Error: NetworkError when attempting to fetch resource." I've sent an e-mail to Bluesky about this but have received no response. How do I make fetch happen and get into my account?

French press grounds behavior

working_objects — Mon, 11 May 2026 17:30:41 -0800

I use a coarse grind of a dark roast for cold brew, in a French press. Works pretty well. I accidentally discovered a characteristic of the grounds when I need to push down the piston which I'm curious about--more below the fold. Normally, I put the ground coffee in, then add water and stir it enough to integrate the water with the grounds, then I fill it up to the fill line. It then sits for ~8 hours. When I do that, the piston is fairly challenging to push down--it goes, but I have to go slowly with a good amount of steady pressure.

But! If I add water to the grounds, and leave them alone for a few hours, they initially float atop the water. Over time, they soak in the water, to the point where they're almost completely submerged, and then I fill it to the top.

When I do it that way, the piston is very easy to push all the way down the following morning. What accounts for that difference? In both cases, the grounds end up completely submerged for at least 8 hours.

Health insurance question #2

bookworm4125 — Sat, 09 May 2026 17:06:04 -0800

Despite people giving negative feedback about Healthnet, my job is keeping our insurance exactly the same this year and I just got a bill I'd like help with/feedback on. On March 9 2026 I went to a dermatologist I've been seeing for several years. In the past year-2 years they were bought by a bigger group (Schweiger Dermatology). I went to ask her about better facewash, facial moisturizer, and facial sunscreen options because my skin has been a bit irritated/dry/itchy. She gave me a list of OTC ones (been using Vani-cream stuff and v happy with it yay) and diagnosed me w/ psoriasis around the outside corners of my nose (I ordered an RX cream she sent in but it was kind of irritating so unsure if she made the right diagnosis but whatever about that). We probably chatted about all of this for 7-10 min. She asked if I had anything else and I remembered I had a wart on my hand. She looked at it, diagnosed it as such (billing code says benign lesion). It wasn't itchy or painful or anything else, just kinda annoying. She froze it off which took maybe 30-45 seconds? and put a bandaid on it.

Thanks for reading that very very long paragraph.

I just now received the bill (not sure why I received it so long after the visit but ok whatever). Apparently they charge FOUR HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS for an established patient visit that lasts 30-39 minutes that requires a moderate level of medical decision-making. I guess my mistake that I did not know this...wish I had set a timer or something. This sounds outrageous to me. The adjusted rate with Healthnet along with what Healthnet will pay leaves me paying $55 --I honestly don't remember if this is on top of a copay I paid in-office or in lieu but I'll call on Monday.

Then the charge for destruction of anywhere from 1-14 benign lesions with "cryosurgery" is $420, I am left paying $57.29.

To be honest now that I am analyzing the statement properly I guess $112.29 for the visit and wart-freezing is reasonable compared to if I had no insurance (then it'd be $870 out of pocket) to pay for the PA's expertise and the cryo thing but if I look at it from the standpoint of something that took maybe 12 minutes total it seems so expensive.

I fear this has devolved into chatfilter but is there anything to be done other than go on Kaiser which I am reluctant to do b/c of some specialists I see and love?

Is this just the way it is these days with commercial health insurance in America?