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Enjoy Old Age: A Practical Guide, by BF Skinner
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the Real Dan at 7:33 PM on January 20, 2025

Home Depot will do it for you. Here's one, the smallest complete kit they offer:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/MAAX-Mediterranean-III-32-in-L-x-32-in-W-x-70-in-H-Corner-Shower-Stall-Kit-in-White-105605000129104/302756916
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the Real Dan at 10:52 AM on January 19, 2025

Find a bootmaker, and get something bespoke designed for your foot.
For the durability and service life that will likely result, the price is well amortized.
It's not as unusual or as difficult as you might imagine.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the Real Dan at 6:43 PM on January 18, 2025

I don't upgrade Windows versions on computers. When a Windows version finally drops out of security support, I upgrade the computer: happens about once every ten years. My Dell XPS will run Windows 11, but I'm not going to do that to myself: I find driver support gets .. vague .. for major OS upgrades, particularly graphics drivers.

I've been laptops-only, Dell and Apple, for about ten years, running them clamshelled with big monitors and external keyboards and mice… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the Real Dan at 8:51 AM on January 11, 2025

Out it goes. Hope you didn't get any on you. Practice good hygiene.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the Real Dan at 5:29 PM on January 10, 2025

As part of a paella.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the Real Dan at 9:47 AM on January 2, 2025

Chicken tortilla soup. Add your tortilla chips and cheese after you defrost and heat, of course.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the Real Dan at 1:05 PM on December 29, 2024

Andrew Alden
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the Real Dan at 10:16 AM on December 26, 2024

One problem with human reports might be "GPS data from the Andamans are scarce because most of the region is off-limits to visitors and especially to foreigners.", from the third article.

https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/official20041226005853450_30/executive

Good early section on seismology on this article:

https://www.usgs.… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the Real Dan at 10:12 AM on December 26, 2024

An electric immersion heater, to keep the water hot.

Very available, apparently safe. I would not use it in a non-GFCI outlet, however, or I would arrange a bucket-and-pump isolator.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the Real Dan at 10:48 AM on December 25, 2024

Perhaps place a Spring Tension Curtain Rod in the top of the window, and then fill the windows with festoons of small xmas lights. They hang a particular way, so there will be a lot of arrangement to do.

Lights on a building during the long nights around the winter solstice are about as nondenominational as you can get, and I find small intensely colored lights very appealing.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the Real Dan at 10:40 AM on November 30, 2024

"In 1999, AFCIs became a requirement in the National Electrical Code .."

If your house was built before 1999, it likely does not have Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters.
If it is built afterwards, it might.

You don't have to bring your house up to the latest code: once inspected, you get to keep it that way until you try to make changes to it again, but telling an Insurance Company that you have detected arc faults seems like… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the Real Dan at 12:54 PM on November 21, 2024

Your well pump may have a controller on it that prevents the well pump from being destroyed if the well runs out of water. The controller (one very common brand is Pumpsaver) has configurable triggers (like when the pump uses too much power), which will turn off the well pump and prevent it from coming on for a configurable delay (often 60 or 90 minutes).

The "wait about 30 minutes" made me suspect that your well is having trouble and that you might be waiting… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the Real Dan at 2:55 PM on November 18, 2024

That huge pile is habitat for rodents of all sorts, both above and below ground. Your municipality might frown on it.

I discard woody (thumb diameter and greater) all the time, between 300 and 900 gallons a week, though the green waste trash pickup for my residence. Did 2100 gallons over the span of a month from the enormous blowdown and breakage of a eucalyptus grove after a big windstorm .. this spring.

I use use long-handled loppers to cut… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the Real Dan at 1:10 PM on November 10, 2024

I would get a battery operated carbon monoxide detector for the room the "gas stove" is in, to detect malfunction. Otherwise it's not comparable to a gas cooktop, which dumps its combustion gasses right where you are using it and presumably breathing.

Do you have a smoke detector in the same room?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the Real Dan at 7:57 AM on October 30, 2024

I've bought resmed nose pillows over the counter at CVS Pharmacy.
Surprised me: no prescription check or anything.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the Real Dan at 10:39 PM on October 19, 2024

Get a third opinion, and hope that it agrees with one or the other that you already have in hand.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the Real Dan at 12:06 AM on September 16, 2024

Long, long leash purpose made for it (woven cotten, about 30 feet long), choke chain; treats.
Play out leash, call, wait, correct, reward.
Repeat.
Very repetitive and boring, over and over.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the Real Dan at 8:08 PM on September 2, 2024

Very unlikely: I opine it is something else.

From your viewpoint, you can't tell a "negative pressure" room from a night spent at a slightly higher elevation than the room is actually at, unless you were in some kind of iron lung, where your head was outside the room and your body was inside the room with a nice gasket around your neck. Or the other way.

"Negative pressure rooms should be designed in healthcare for a minimum CFM… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the Real Dan at 9:50 PM on August 20, 2024

Building code issue, I think. Won't pass inspection.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the Real Dan at 9:28 PM on August 14, 2024

Join an organized club of people with similar vehicles, and hang out with them.
They'll help you, for they have suffered and they have learned,
and hence you need not suffer so much.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the Real Dan at 10:49 PM on August 9, 2024

Altoid Smalls: sorbitol/magnesium stearate free; very minty and small, sugarfree, Don't leave them in a hot car.

Fisherman's Friends: Menthol/eucalyptol/capsaicin; ridiculously strong menthol, very hard, physically durable, also sugarfree.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the Real Dan at 4:24 PM on August 8, 2024

A grilled cheese and red chili sandwich.
Roast it to peel the tough skin off of it, slide it lengthwise, seed and stem it, and use it in a grilled cheese sandwich.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the Real Dan at 2:39 PM on August 3, 2024

It was legal because the literal embodiment of law, the judge and the prosecutors, did it.

"On May 11, 1972, the panel dismissed some contempt charges against the lawyers, and reversed all of the other contempt convictions for retrial with a different judge. ...
On November 21, 1972, all of the criminal convictions were reversed by the panel. The majority opinion of the court unanimously found several errors by Judge Hoffman and censured Judge Hoffman… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the Real Dan at 2:05 PM on July 27, 2024

Is the south facing window the major source of gain in the summer and loss in the winter? If yes, is the south-facing window dual or triple glazed? Low-E? If not, consider it, perhaps for all the windows. Windows are almost R-1.

Replace the blackout shades on the south-facing window with foil lined cellular blackout shades, with appropriate window-edge side-tracks to seal air against the window. We do this with an RV with single-glazed windows, and it makes an enormous… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the Real Dan at 7:09 PM on July 22, 2024

Count pieces for each puzzle, and set aside the puzzles that have the correct count.
Set aside the puzzles that have too many pieces.
In good light:
Lay out the stray pieces.
For each of the remaining puzzles, lay them out with all pieces visible, and just eyeball the heck out of the stray pieces for clues, and use more than just the color of the piece: size, condition of the piece, backing tint, moist odor, tongue adhesion, etc, all will matter.… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the Real Dan at 6:47 PM on June 19, 2024

https://www.yamibuy.com/en/p/senna-herbal-constipation-lozenges-relieve-constipation-200-capsules/3030133171

https://www.yamibuy.com/en/p/yamamoto-kanpo-senna-teabags-48pcs/3030172401

Both appear to contain sennasides, a stimulating laxative. These appear to be Japanese brands.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the Real Dan at 10:52 AM on May 26, 2024

Dish washing detergent in water, a tablespoon or two per gallon. They drown very quickly once they are wetted and kept wet.

They don't like it at all, and you have to be ready for them to come storming out of the ground as soon as you start applying it. Keep applying it.

You want to get a gallon or 4 into the nest asap, and the wet them above ground with coarse spray. It suffocates earthworms and termites as well.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the Real Dan at 3:21 PM on May 18, 2024

There is a setting that you can use for iPad Pros that is intended to prolong total battery life by maintaining charge at 80%, rather than 100%. You can read about it here:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/118418
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the Real Dan at 10:38 AM on May 18, 2024

First Come First Serve on BLM land is full of uncertainty: some sites are very popular and most are not.

Memorial Day coincides with a big spike in traffic in campsites that lasts all summer, so FCFS has more competition. You should have several targets for any evening, and start moving early enough to arrive before sunset: setting up camp in the dark is tedious, as is parking an RV.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the Real Dan at 2:44 PM on May 16, 2024

1) Multiple possible causes for this one. Does your house have a water pressure regulator at or near the the water service entrance to the house? If so, look to it as the cause. They are usually serviceable.

Does your house have a check valve, to prevent backflow into the supply? This is less likely, but if you house has one of these, check it as well: there are regimes of water supply restriction above the check valve that can cause the this pressure pulsing as well.… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the Real Dan at 8:00 PM on January 16, 2024

"..one way to determine if lights are flickering disruptively is to take a slow-mo video of the room."

This is a way to detect a flicker detectable in slow-motion video, but more work is required to discover if it is disruptive to human perception.

If you know the frame rate of the camera then you can extract the flicker rate of the light, but more than just flicker rate affects perception. See flicker fusion threshold
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the Real Dan at 8:12 PM on January 8, 2024

Unless it's bespoke, the manufacturer or model is usually stamped at the base of the largest blade, nearest a bolster.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the Real Dan at 10:13 AM on December 30, 2023

A spreadsheet and a cloud document account, with the aid of some volunteers for data entry/checkout/checkin would not be the worst way to start.

Your first job, as the new volunteer, is to find place(s) to store it. Free is best, perhaps some other parent. The fewer places you use, the easier it will be to disburse and return, but a volunteer or N volunteers at designated times could manage dispersed storage.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the Real Dan at 10:09 AM on November 5, 2023

Petroglyph National Monument, for sure. Never a wasted moment there. Dress for weather.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the Real Dan at 6:41 PM on October 30, 2023

Rogue Moon, by Algis Budrys
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the Real Dan at 6:32 PM on October 30, 2023

It comes down to how bright and how long, and I suppose how many lamps. These are some ballpark estimates with available items:

A 12 volt 12 watt LED bulb with a regular screw base can be good for about 900 lumens, about the same as a 60 watt tungsten bulb. You could do it with 7 count group 27 lead acid batteries, 100 amp hours apiece.

A 12 volt 2 watt LED bulb, same base, 250ish lumens, 25 watt tungsten equivalent could run on just one of… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the Real Dan at 6:51 PM on October 20, 2023

Yes, I've received it and yes it is compulsory:
https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/about/acs-and-census.html
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the Real Dan at 2:12 PM on September 29, 2023

What fingersandtoes said, but don't use tape. Use hide glue, in dots or strips. Tape is terrible stuff after only a few years. And don't use cheap paper, if you can avoid it.

Only write on one side of your travel journal pages.

Or, copy it out by hand into your "real" journal.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the Real Dan at 4:10 PM on September 21, 2023

> .. air hunger, palpitations, tachycardia and chest pain...

Obtain a fingertip pulse oximeter to see if you can correlate the feeling of air hunger with a reduced SpO2 level, like below 95%.

If you cannot correlate low SpO2 with your feelings of air hunger, you might consider a self-diagnosis of those symptoms as a panic attack, perhaps associated with your feelings that unaddressed cardiac damage is not being properly diagnosed and… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the Real Dan at 1:00 PM on September 10, 2023

Visit some power pylons, of equivalent height and voltage, and see how you like the way they sound. The corona noise from high voltage power transmission is considerable, and if you were to live near a new one you might consider it a taking.
Likewise, a person living near a new lattice-steel tower might not consider them an improvement in the view.
I can't remember the last time I heard of a buried power line failure where I live, but a lattice tower collapsed near… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the Real Dan at 1:35 PM on September 6, 2023

A bad thermostat that allows large temperature excursions could do it.
Leave the oven thermometer in the oven and see if the temperature is relatively steady or if it shows wide variation.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the Real Dan at 7:56 PM on August 23, 2023

Snack Attack, by Godley and Creme
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the Real Dan at 9:20 AM on August 20, 2023

Okay, now that the Check Engine light is on, you can get or borrow an ODB II reader and see what your car is complaining about, and it very well might have something to do with why it won't move.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the Real Dan at 3:28 PM on August 19, 2023

Here is a weather report prepared by professionals employed by the US Government, for Newbury Park, CA. In my opinion, it will give you the best prediction of what to expect, and makes suggestions about how to prepare for those conditions.

https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=34.1888&lon=-118.9403

Read the 3 links in the red zone at the top of the page, under "Hazardous Weather Conditions".
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the Real Dan at 3:18 PM on August 19, 2023

The Atomic Museum on Flamingo Road, dedicated to nuclear weapon testing, contains things you can't see anywhere else.
The High Roller Observation Wheel, the second tallest in the world, is a very good ride at sunset or in late afternoon, when the desert and the city are in raking light.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the Real Dan at 7:03 PM on August 13, 2023

Find a book that teaches lutherie, and see what it says.
Talk to a luthier, and see what they say: maybe get an estimate.
See how you feel about it after that.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the Real Dan at 5:59 PM on August 7, 2023

Energy blend, as they are called. Yogurt, fruit, ice, frozen orange juice concentrate, honey, often seen here as first breakfast.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the Real Dan at 4:34 PM on July 30, 2023

Did you get a retinal field test (white background, wiggling patches of contrast that you register detection with a button press)?

Did you optometrist mention a posterior vitreous detachment, which is not a detached retina? The increase in floaters and the "cloud like" one matches a relatively normal manifestation. PVD generally happens after the age of 60.

Had you been seeing any white, streaky flashes at the periphery of your vision… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the Real Dan at 3:14 PM on July 28, 2023

The burning fervor of faith, nearly invisible from outside, until witnessed or encountered somehow.

It's a strangely metaphorical thing to say, in reference to hydrogen. Evelyn de Morgan infused her art with her spirituality, and this might be an example of this outside of the art.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the Real Dan at 12:36 PM on June 27, 2023