I am looking for BSL or ASL signs for the spells used in the Harry Potter books.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by apex_ at 11:29 AM on May 16, 2019

Do you consider yourself agender/nonbinary/genderqueer? How did you know? I'm not sure if I fall into one of those categories, or if I just hate gender roles, or if it matters.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the sockening at 7:02 PM on May 1, 2019 (39 comments)

I'm a programmer (and long-ago scientist) looking into software engineering best practices. As a field of scientific study, it seems... well, let's say, lean. But, I'm an outsider coming into a conversation already in progress. What resources are there to catch up on what's going on in the field?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by cowcowgrasstree at 9:24 AM on April 25, 2019 (16 comments)

I'm a big fan of the book Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment. A friend and I were discussing attachment theory and relationships, and he's more likely to consume YouTube videos and podcasts than read a book, so I'd like to find some excellent video and audio resources (but not the audio book) for him on attachment theory and attachment styles in adults and how they can impact our intimate relationships.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by bluedaisy at 1:21 PM on April 24, 2019 (5 comments)

I'm teaching a summer graduate school class on emerging technologies for education. I'm planning on having students not only use, read about, and discuss each technology, but also try their hands at making with the tech. Which AI project or package would be best?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by doctornemo at 5:35 AM on April 12, 2019 (10 comments)

"The original pokerap is a travesty" — Brian David Gilbert, Unraveled LIVE. (previously) (even more previously)
posted to MetaFilter by Memo at 12:10 PM on April 7, 2019 (25 comments)

Any resources/ books on the subject? Is it possible to even make one when your life is chaotic and uncertain?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by fantasticness at 9:49 AM on March 23, 2019 (11 comments)

Psychologists have defined a "light triad" of personality traits. The team led by Scott Barry Kaufman has investigated what exemplifies the best of humanity, as opposed to the worst of humanity that is captured by the "dark triad" (psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and narcissism). The three traits that constitute the "light triad" are Kantianism (“treating people as ends unto themselves, not as mere means to an end”); Humanism (“valuing the dignity and worth of each individual”); and Faith in Humanity (“believing in the fundamental goodness of humans”).
posted to MetaFilter by Cash4Lead at 8:36 AM on March 22, 2019 (60 comments)

From creating board games from scratch, to building music instruments using pencils, what are some fun relatively inexpensive hobbies that are even more niche/unknown/unexplored? Bonus points if the hobby has available literature on it.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by SkinsOfCoconut at 5:02 PM on March 17, 2019 (7 comments)

The estate of Prince Rogers Nelson, aka Prince, aka The Artist Formerly Known As Prince, aka [hollow circle above downward arrow crossed with a curlicued horn-shaped symbol and then a short bar] has collaborated with GIPHY to produce an official archive of GIFs drawn from (nearly) all his music videos.
posted to MetaFilter by The Pluto Gangsta at 9:29 AM on March 5, 2019 (27 comments)

Hi all, I know there are some gamers in here so I was hoping y'all could help this non-gamer out with picking a new game. I actually went most of my life not enjoying playing computer games at all but fell in love with Stardew Valley. I loved that at any time, I could choose to do something zen (fishing), productive (farming), or exciting (mining). I also loved that it was co-op but we weren't forced to be together or cooperate all the time. Are there any similar games out there?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by massofintuition at 6:30 PM on February 22, 2019 (15 comments)

What motivates people to do anything at all, beyond the necessities of life like eating, drinking, and sleeping? Why does a person read a book, or paint a picture, or call a friend, or buy something on an infomercial, or go to a protest? I'm interested in a very broad perspective on this question, so anything from personal anecdotes, to self-help books, to studies on the effectiveness of advertising, and to treatises on propaganda are all welcome answers.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by J.K. Seazer at 7:17 PM on February 17, 2019 (26 comments)

Tall, skinny, thoroughly assless woman seeks leggings and pants that won't slither down and fall off.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by nebulawindphone at 8:47 AM on February 13, 2019 (12 comments)

Basically what it says on the tin; a few snowflakes inside.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by coffeeand at 12:07 PM on January 29, 2019 (15 comments)

I volunteer for a very nice organization which has a less-than-ideal gender question on its intake form. I'm sure they're trying to be inclusive and plan to write them a friendly email suggesting other options. I'd like feedback on my suggestion, other possibilities and recommendations for resources to link.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Frowner at 6:24 AM on January 4, 2019 (18 comments)

Looking to be more intentional this coming year, and while I've never been one for journaling I'd like to start by doing some very simple reflection. I think having a punch list of questions to reflect on and (optionally) do some simple journaling on would be helpful. Do you have a set of these questions? Or a simple process for reviewing your goals and personal vision/mission and sticking to them?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by sciencemandan at 7:27 AM on December 31, 2018 (21 comments)

I'm a cis lady who is newly realizing she's queer and also really into butch women and nonbinary masculine-of-center people. I feel weird about this and don't want to act like or be a fetishist or objectify people. Would love to hear especially from queer people on this one.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the sockening at 2:07 PM on December 13, 2018 (18 comments)

I seem to be teetering on the edge of getting somewhere with my writing, but I'm not there yet. How can I learn to get a handle on pacing and characterization in my novels and short stories?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by PhoBWanKenobi at 11:58 AM on December 8, 2010 (17 comments)

I DID IT! I FINALLY CAUGHT A HERITAGE UNIT! (UP 5009) is a rail enthusiast video that inspired responses culminating in the Double Trainbow (caution: horns / screams).
posted to MetaFilter by stbalbach at 1:46 PM on August 2, 2012 (73 comments)

What's a good habit (act of courtesy or kindness) that you picked up from someone else?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by pleasebekind at 10:59 PM on November 28, 2018 (87 comments)

I've made a few pots of, to me anyway, passable miso soup using some basic, I think, ingredients. Can you provide tips/tricks/ideas/mistakes to avoid that will make good into great with minimal addition of marginal effort? I'm fine with things that defy traditional.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by RolandOfEld at 11:36 AM on November 28, 2018 (15 comments)

What's the best order to change my identity documents and gender marker? (Difficulty level: I live in Oregon where changing legal name/gender and state ID is super easy, but my birth certificate is from a state where I need to have gender affirmation surgery first. Details inside.)
posted to Ask MetaFilter by The demon that lives in the air at 2:15 PM on November 7, 2018 (5 comments)

I'm actively planning to do something terrifying (to me; probs not super scary to 99% of people, and quite safe and physically painless in reality). How do you actually make yourself do the scary thing in the moment?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by wellred at 7:14 AM on November 5, 2018 (34 comments)

When I was young, I loved computing to the point I made it my career. And then came expectations, money, ambition and ruined it. I'm trying to get back into the joy of doing my work for itself, I could use some advice on how to approach this.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Anonymous at 2:58 PM on October 18, 2018 (7 comments)

I would like to explore a side of myself that I never got to experience in high school and college. I want to be a punk in glittery shoes, with blue hair and black clothes. How should I get started?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by 3491again at 7:51 PM on October 12, 2018 (18 comments)

Did your family (or someone you know) go through steep financial changes? Such as being from a middle-class lifestyle and ending up on welfare or going from being poor to being rich? How did your family manage the transition?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by huskerdont at 6:45 AM on October 4, 2018 (18 comments)

I keep track of a bunch of media for songwriting purposes. YouTube videos, full songs or audio samples (mp3s), visual art, lyrics - full or fragments, poems, quotes. Does there exist a Pinterest-like tool where I can assemble them all in a grid and sort by various criteria, create new boards, etc? Does Evernote do this?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by 4midori at 7:17 AM on September 19, 2018 (3 comments)

It need not be new, and I'm genre-agnostic on this one, but it needs to be something that makes you want to dance (or run - gym music is fine too). Some very minor further comments inside.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Frowner at 12:55 PM on September 17, 2018 (25 comments)

Into the Breach [YouTube] [Launch Trailer] “Into the Breach is a turn-based strategy game, along the lines of the Advance Wars series, where players control futuristic mechs fighting off an invasion of giant, bug-like alien monsters. It’s basically Pacific Rim crossed with XCOM, and it’s from the creators of the addictive spaceship simulator FTL: Faster Than Light. If any of those words sound appealing to you, you’re going to like Into the Breach a lot. The game takes place in a future on the brink of disaster. Much of humanity has been decimated by the kaiju invasion, with isolated pockets of survivors strewn across four different islands. You control a team of three mechs traveling to different districts across the islands, clearing them of bugs before moving on to the next.” [via: The Verge]
posted to MetaFilter by Fizz at 4:10 PM on February 26, 2018 (43 comments)

I play the shark game (previously). After you get 1000 octillion of something, it stops telling you how much you have and just says "lots." I've had "lots" in many columns for over two years now, but I would like to know how much that actually is. It's obviously keeping track. Can i see these numbers somehow by viewing page source or some tool that lets me see the code or...?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by If only I had a penguin... at 7:29 PM on August 29, 2018 (9 comments)

When I was 14 years old and an aspiring writer, my best friend was a 28-year-old drag queen and performance artist named Stephen Varble.
posted to MetaFilter by terooot at 10:57 AM on August 27, 2018 (10 comments)

My partner and I have the whole month of September off from work. Woohoo! Because of Zika and visa issues, we're going to stay in USA & Canada. We have both been lucky to have been sightseeing tourists at a bunch of major cities and national parks. So, for this break we're looking for something different. Do you have any recommendations for events, conventions, or retreats happening next month?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by tinymegalo at 3:46 PM on August 21, 2018 (9 comments)

I'm getting ready to teach my first-ever class (grad-school level) and want it to be a safe zone for my students. Since this wasn't really a thing when I was going through school, I could use some practical advice on achieving that goal.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Anonymous at 10:50 AM on August 16, 2018 (21 comments)

Did you struggle for years with a particular problem, only to suddenly find a solution that made the problem essentially go away? Tell me about it!
posted to Ask MetaFilter by peacheater at 9:37 AM on August 13, 2018 (35 comments)

This is (probably) a question about GIS software.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Leon at 6:33 AM on August 11, 2018 (9 comments)

I want to learn to give small, casual gift to friends. Specifically I have a new friend who's love language appears to be gift. He gives me old books he's read, small sweets, etc. I have never learned to do this. Please advise.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Kalmya at 4:13 AM on August 12, 2018 (15 comments)

A 4 song E.P. written and recorded between June and July 2018. A continuation of an ongoing art project exploring the ephemerality, fragmentation and invisibility of being trans and queer.
posted to MetaFilter Projects by nikaspark at 5:00 PM on July 24, 2018 (2 comments)

I've set up a website that formalizes our family's approach to splitting up chores: each person privately distributes a set number of "points" among the chores, and then we look for the allocation where the person with the most work does the least. (I.e., minimize the maximum.)
posted to MetaFilter Projects by cogitron at 11:02 AM on August 8, 2018 (5 comments)

Hello MeFites. I have a lot of clothes that are a bit big for me. I'd like to learn how to take things in properly. I'm looking for beginner resources but something more advanced than just being told to sew things up both sides. Can you recommend blogs or youtube channels?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by stellathon at 6:09 PM on August 10, 2018 (3 comments)

The unimaginability of sexual or romantic desire between women that gives intimacy its alibi works in tandem with that other thing: the way in which we all grow up knowing not just that women can be used, but how to use them. We internalize both. We learn—we all learn—that we can lean on women in ways that we can’t lean on men, and, at the same time, that that leaning, the bodily closeness of it, is elevated, more pure, more innocent for its lack of want. We’re all complicit, and we’re all suffering.

But some of us do want, too. -- Sadie Graham: how our cultural obsession with platonic 'girlfriends' sidelines queer women
posted to MetaFilter by MartinWisse at 11:44 AM on August 7, 2018 (83 comments)

Open source rover plans from JPL.
posted to MetaFilter by curious nu at 4:40 PM on July 31, 2018 (3 comments)

I enjoy listening to http://listen.hatnote.com/ as background music. The page will not play on my work internet, probably because of some background javascript or something. I would like to record this webpage for a long chunk at home (5-8 hours) and upload to youtube. Can you please advise me a simple workflow with a single, free tool to record the screen and audio from Hatnote? I've uploaded youtubes before, but any advice about uploading a multiple-hour video to youtube would also be appreciated.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by rebent at 5:45 AM on July 31, 2018 (11 comments)

I am a gal (69) who "met" a great far-away guy online "dating". We shared a 7-month FB messenger and voice companionship: several times weekly, often all day long. Trajectory was fuzzy but we grew a deep warm connection. He just died suddenly. Close friends support me here but I'm flattened. Connection and any potential gone. How do I mourn/grieve a man I never met, whose friends/family don't know me and vice versa? (Other than FB.) Please respond if this resonates.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Mayree at 1:32 PM on July 30, 2018 (8 comments)

Smashing Nazism Through Tolkienist Thematics with Feminazgul - Astral Noize I think it’s fair to identify with either side of the conflict in Lord Of The Rings, in some ways. I’ve long held that the orcs should become the proletarian analogy they were born to be and overthrow Saruman and Sauron. But the Feminazgul, in particular… what do the Nazgul do besides find men who have power (the ring) and take that power away from them? Sure, the regular Nazgul then give it back to Sauron, but hey, since I’m making this shit up, the Feminazgul can do whatever they want. So yeah… in short, Feminazgul hunt men who hold power.
posted to MetaFilter by CrystalDave at 10:50 AM on July 24, 2018 (14 comments)

When I was a kid, I thought that if I knew everything, I could do anything. So I read the encyclopedia. The whole thing. When I was 6. It's all lost to the sands of time, now, and I want it back. How do I learn everything?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by The Almighty Mommy Goddess at 12:01 PM on January 4, 2018 (20 comments)

When falling in love or developing an infatuation for someone you're dating, how is it possible to maintain your personal power?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by winterportage at 10:14 AM on July 12, 2018 (17 comments)

Echoey guitars and sparse vocals, a cross between Mazzy Star and Nick Drake. This song is what I was crying about on the tube after Pride in London.
posted to MeFi Music by nikaspark at 10:44 PM on July 9, 2018 (3 comments)

Recently read There There by Tommy Orange and LOVED it. I now want to read more Native American voices - old, contemporary, fiction, poetry, non fiction. Anything. PS: I’m familiar with Louise Erdrich and Sherman Alexie. I have Zitkála-Šá’s American Indian Stories on my kindle waiting to be read.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by dostoevskygirl at 4:42 PM on July 7, 2018 (28 comments)

What book(s) can you read over and over and over again?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by mymbleth at 12:53 PM on March 21, 2016 (160 comments)

I love SFF, but I'm terrible at keeping up with new releases and authors. Which monthly magazines should I be reading?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by lesser weasel at 7:12 PM on July 5, 2018 (9 comments)