I was asked in France what's the first chapter book an American child reads on his or her own, and I didn't know whether there is one such book. Do you know of one or have any idea of the most likely titles?
posted to Ask Metafilter by sevenstars at 7:50 AM on July 23, 2008 (51 comments)

SetPaintingFilter. When I was in college theatre, our sets were never finished until our company technical director walked the set, paint brush in hand, adding texture to the platforms with what seemed to be a very ordered splatter pattern. He'd do this alone, the night before we opened. The textures didn't take away from the set, but added depth. So what was he doing? I've seen the phrase "splatter wash," but can see no details on the method, the mix for the paint, anything.
posted to Ask Metafilter by grabbingsand at 11:13 AM on June 16, 2008 (7 comments)

I used to be obese. I have lost about 80 pounds out of my goal of 100 lost, and am struggling to lose the rest. My body, even though I am in my mid 20s, is now a complete mess. I am covered in stretch marks from head to toe. I’m hardly exaggerating. They start at my shoulders and don’t let up until my calves. I have big hanging flaps of skin and fat under my arms. Some bits of stretch marks and loose skin on my tummy, hips, thighs, and rear. I look like I had a baby or four. My breasts sag and are also covered in stretch marks. I’m aware that I’ll likely only ever look normal by plastic surgery, but what I am looking for is how to improve my body as much as I can through accessible methods until I can begin to afford surgery (or better, avoid it). I’ve tried searching Google and here, but I can’t seem to find the right information. Lots of questions/background inside.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Anonymous at 7:29 AM on June 12, 2008 (34 comments)

Help me find some excellent summer dresses for everyday wear. Specifics inside.
posted to Ask Metafilter by robinpME at 3:35 PM on June 11, 2008 (21 comments)

I've been elected treasurer of a small nonprofit. I'd like some advice about best practices for creating a budget and tracking our finances, and also about other responsibilities I should be aware of.
posted to Ask Metafilter by croutonsupafreak at 6:05 PM on June 3, 2008 (7 comments)

I love beans! I want a few simple recipes for bean salads that will keep a few days in the fridge, and that I can take to work for lunch during the week. The simpler the better - short prep time, few ingredients.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Koko at 7:55 AM on May 20, 2008 (18 comments)

What should a well-stocked medicine cabinet contain?
posted to Ask Metafilter by somanyamys at 12:38 PM on May 19, 2008 (30 comments)

I want to start composting, but I'm clueless: what do I need to know?
posted to Ask Metafilter by davidriley at 11:01 AM on May 16, 2008 (24 comments)

In 2006 in the Fitzwilliam Museum three enormous porcelain vases from seventeenth or eighteenth century China were smashed by a museum visitor who fell down the stairs. This presentation "follows the vases' progress from scattered fragments to their redisplay in the Fitzwilliam Museum. The site includes slideshows, film clips of the conservation process and a timelapse of one of the vases under reconstruction".
posted to MetaFilter by paduasoy at 11:13 AM on May 5, 2008 (20 comments)

Looking for your experiences with open-source accounting software. I am helping co-found a non-profit organization and need software that is free (if possible), easy to use for non-accountants, and preferably open-source. Someone recommended OSAS (Open Systems Accounting Software) and gnucash. Has anyone used these or any other programs they would recommend or not recommend?
posted to Ask Metafilter by franklen at 7:57 PM on April 22, 2008 (3 comments)

How do I get email notification of changes/additions/deletions to a Google Calendar?
posted to Ask Metafilter by arathorn at 2:32 PM on March 10, 2008 (4 comments)

I have a website where I upload all of my photos and license them as public domain. Each photo is individually listed as public domain, each has a link to it's Creative Commons "license" as a work in the public domain, and the site is rather obviously all about photos in the public domain. The problem - Large companies are taking my photos and, without editing them, putting their copyright on them. Is this evil, and how nasty should I be about it?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Ragma at 10:25 AM on February 27, 2008 (28 comments)

I would like to read books by more MeFi writers. I have therefore made a list of who they are and their books.
posted to MetaTalk by paduasoy at 5:03 AM on February 23, 2008 (102 comments)

What is the first book you remember loving?
posted to Ask Metafilter by easy_being_green at 11:42 AM on February 18, 2008 (146 comments)

How might I find more information about this Obama poster, seen under the Ballard Bridge in Seattle?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Slarty Bartfast at 8:32 AM on February 16, 2008 (15 comments)

What are the best products, techniques, shapes, and ideas for a first-timer grooming the female pubic area?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Anonymous at 5:13 PM on March 20, 2006 (21 comments)

I'd like to put together a nice photo montage (put together from digital stills) with dubbing and/or background music. I'm looking for a freeware program that'll deliver a professional look and will allow me to save in the more popular formats, to eventually upload to YouTube and others. I'd rather it be a downloadable program and not work online. Can you help me find a good app?
posted to Ask Metafilter by watercarrier at 2:02 PM on December 23, 2007 (6 comments)

Can you recommend a good, cheap and/or free tool for storyboarding a stage production I'm about to direct?
posted to Ask Metafilter by bovious at 8:47 AM on December 17, 2007 (4 comments)

Which cruciferous vegetables should I eat?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Kwantsar at 3:59 PM on December 7, 2007 (34 comments)

I need to convert a PowerPoint slideshow into a video file that can then be uploaded to YouTube. Is there any freeware (NOT shareware/trial) program that can help me convert a PowerPoint slideshow to AVI/MPEG/MOV? Don't care how complicated or how many steps involved; just need to not have to pay for it.
posted to Ask Metafilter by XQUZYPHYR at 4:46 PM on December 5, 2007 (5 comments)

The Daily Coyote: "Charlie came into my life when he was just ten days old, orphaned after both his parents were killed. He lives with me and a tomcat in a one-room log cabin in Wyoming."
posted to MetaFilter by fandango_matt at 9:13 AM on December 1, 2007 (54 comments)

Besides the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Online Privacy Alliance, what groups, if any, protect or lobby for the concept of privacy or anonymity in the United States, and how involved are they?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brian B. at 12:37 PM on November 11, 2007 (10 comments)

"Who's got a good ghost story?"
posted to Ask Metafilter by greytape at 5:45 AM on September 24, 2007 (12 comments)

We're in the market for something like the Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV-4. Anyone with experience of the 2007 remake of the CR-V?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rain Man at 8:20 PM on August 29, 2007 (26 comments)

GenealogyFilter: I need a scanning strategy and general advice for family photos.
posted to Ask Metafilter by RavinDave at 5:05 PM on August 11, 2007 (5 comments)

Beautyfilter: How do I make my naturally pale skin look milky smooth?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Brittanie at 3:14 AM on July 5, 2007 (25 comments)

I am building a website for a nonprofit and they want to have a volunteer sign-up form on their site where the input can easily be turned into an e-mail list.
posted to Ask Metafilter by JuliaKM at 11:49 AM on April 22, 2006 (6 comments)

Looking for a barcode scanner (>$100; usb, wireless or firewire) to import books into delicious library on mac 10.3.9. Must be plug and play (no cuecat).
posted to Ask Metafilter by jchinique at 9:42 AM on June 14, 2007 (16 comments)

How secure is your password? If you're like some people, it's probably not secure enough. When did you last change yours?
posted to MetaFilter by chuckdarwin at 6:45 AM on June 13, 2007 (66 comments)

This might make you smile.
posted to MetaFilter by brittney at 7:50 AM on June 12, 2007 (138 comments)

So I have this car. It's not my car; I'm just keeping it for a friend. In my driveway. Empty. It's been here for about five months. Today, it started honking its horn at me. Not continuously. Just once in a while. Is the car lonely? Or is there some more rational explanation?
posted to Ask Metafilter by ook at 4:54 PM on January 8, 2007 (23 comments)

I would like to be closer to my dad.
posted to Ask Metafilter by thehmsbeagle at 10:31 AM on January 2, 2007 (17 comments)

"Have yourself a merry little Christmas. It may be your last." "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" has had several rewrites since Hugh Martin wrote the original lyrics for 1944's Meet Me in St. Louis. Judy Garland thought the song was "awfully dark" and Martin rewrote the lyrics for her performance in the movie. The penultimate line was "Until then, we'll have to muddle through somehow." Frank Sinatra called Martin in 1957 and said, "The name of my album is A Jolly Christmas. Do you think you could jolly up that line for me?' Sinatra's version, with its peppier lyrics, became a holiday standard. [more inside]
posted to MetaFilter by kirkaracha at 6:56 AM on December 21, 2006 (32 comments)

Recommendations for a hearty ovo-lacto vegetarian traditional-themed Thanksgiving entree that will knock the socks off my boyfriend's hardcore Italian, meat-lovin' family? No Tofurkeys or vegetarian lasagnas, please. Details inside.
posted to Ask Metafilter by schroedinger at 4:56 PM on November 13, 2006 (39 comments)

I have a long time friend (25+ years) who has a spouse I absolutely cannot stand. The spouse is a bore to end all bores. The problem is, since marrying the person (10 years ago), I have not once seen the person without the spouse. I dislike the spouse so much that I now avoid the friend. Advice?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Manhasset at 9:55 AM on October 29, 2006 (37 comments)

Some people call it a poll-tax: "The House yesterday passed legislation that would require voters to show a valid photo identification in federal elections over the overwhelming objections of Democrats who compared the bill to segregation-era measures aimed at disenfranchising Southern blacks." [previously]
posted to MetaFilter by chunking express at 8:33 AM on September 21, 2006 (192 comments)

My baby is six weeks old. Increasingly, I have the feeling she's not very fond of me, which isn't unexpected since I'm coming to realize that I don't really love her either.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Anonymous at 11:47 AM on August 19, 2006 (53 comments)

What activities should I plan for the week of my parents' 50th wedding anniversary? I'm looking for ideas for how to celebrate their anniversary that will involve the whole family, and really make this a memorable experience.
posted to Ask Metafilter by mabelstreet at 11:46 AM on August 4, 2006 (11 comments)

Does anyone have a recipe for a Mango Vanilla Mojito?
posted to Ask Metafilter by aaronh at 2:15 PM on July 4, 2006 (10 comments)

Do you have a good way of storing your bags, totes and/or purses?
posted to Ask Metafilter by moonshine at 9:14 PM on June 28, 2006 (24 comments)

How do current feminists connect with the issues raised by the Second Wave? Feminist bloggers respond to Carol Hanisch, author of the 1970 essay The Personal Is Political [pdf]. In her new introduction, she writes, "But they belittled us no end for trying to bring our so-called 'personal problems' into the public arena... Our demands that men share the housework and childcare were likewise deemed a personal problem between a woman and her individual man. The opposition claimed if women would just 'stand up for themselves' and take more responsibility for their own lives, they wouldn't need to have an independent movement for women’s liberation." In response, the 17th Carnival of Feminists includes posts addressing how the internet can be a consciousness-raising medium, why we blame individual women for making "bad" decisions rather than blaming a system that forces them to choose, whether women should shut up and go with the flow as Democrats marginalize us in order to win elections, and what "the personal is political" might actually mean. (Many many many other great posts linked from Bitch|Lab on other feminist topics, too.)
posted to MetaFilter by occhiblu at 1:08 PM on June 24, 2006 (133 comments)

The new lies about women's health (image slightly NSFW) according to Glamour. More on why every egg is sacred to the Bush administration. [via Wired's Sex Drive Daily]
posted to MetaFilter by boost ventilator at 6:43 PM on June 3, 2006 (90 comments)

I need some very basic groupware. It has to have file-sharing, calendar and discussion-board. It should be able to run on a java or php enabled server. Open source or free solutions are preferred.
posted to Ask Metafilter by FidelDonson at 6:27 AM on May 31, 2006 (5 comments)

A rat just swam up into my toilet. Can I flush it back down?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Felicity Rilke at 5:21 PM on May 22, 2006 (51 comments)