Lunch has become my most hated meal and I've started to avoid it. How can I enjoy lunch? How can I make a decent lunch for myself? As a kid I got out of packing a lunch by going home for lunch. As an adult I used to go out for lunch, when I worked close to restaurants. However, now I work too far from decent restaurants, so I really need to start bringing my own lunch at work.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by modesty.blaise at 8:11 PM on November 27, 2015 (26 comments)

Forensic Pseudoscience

This past April, the FBI made an admission that was nothing short of catastrophic for the field of forensic science. In an unprecedented display of repentance, the Bureau announced that, for years, the hair analysis testimony it had used to investigate criminal suspects was severely and hopelessly flawed.

posted to MetaFilter by the man of twists and turns at 5:29 PM on November 26, 2015 (46 comments)

Do you knit? Did you have absolutely no experience with knitting before you started? Do you remember how you learned? Knitters of MeFi, please share your wisdom!
posted to Ask MetaFilter by bookmammal at 6:42 PM on November 25, 2015 (30 comments)

"Thanksgiving weekend in the United States is a four-day festival of overindulgence: Giant meals, giant balloons representing pop-culture favorites, giant savings at the big box store on Friday morning. As we did in 2013, The A.V. Club aims to contribute to this tradition of extreme consumption with a guide to some TV shows worth tasting, snacking on, or straight-up devouring this weekend."
posted to MetaFilter by valkane at 3:19 AM on November 25, 2015 (57 comments)

10 ways to map Northern Virginia. 12 ways to map the midwest. Which states are in "The South?"
posted to MetaFilter by schmod at 2:19 PM on November 24, 2015 (86 comments)

I have built a working miniature replica of the patriarchy in my mind. I would like very much to bust it up or burn it down. But I am afraid I don’t know how. Though I do have some ideas.

Claire Vaye Watkins On Pandering. [cached version]
posted to MetaFilter by palegirl at 3:35 PM on November 23, 2015 (140 comments)

Like many people, I've accumulated a stash of documents that are important to me and my family in some way (deeds, birth certificates, marriage certificate, passports) and some are difficult/impossible to replace (immigration paperwork, ancestral information). Right now they all sit in a plastic Tupperware box on the bottom shelf of an IKEA bookshelf. I was thinking that maybe they should be a little better secured. Is a safety deposit box the right answer or a safe? I'm having a hard time choosing.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by fireoyster at 10:44 AM on November 23, 2015 (16 comments)

It's deep in fall and it's dark and gray in the Northern Hemisphere. Remember this post? Let's do it again. Bring the awesome!
posted to MetaTalk by plinth at 10:08 AM on November 22, 2015 (187 comments)

November 20, 2015 is the seventeenth annual International Transgender Day of Rememberance and ends Transgender Awareness Week.
posted to MetaFilter by ladyriffraff at 2:12 PM on November 20, 2015 (26 comments)

Nebulae run through a tilt-shift filter come out looking tiny and adorable and precious.
posted to MetaFilter by nebulawindphone at 2:48 PM on November 21, 2015 (24 comments)

In preparation for police raids tonight in Brussels, Belgian authorities asked journalists not to tweet using #brusselslockdown. The response has been a hundred thousand photos of cats.
posted to MetaFilter by nickrussell at 3:11 PM on November 22, 2015 (115 comments)

Donald Trump isn't funny anymore. Currently leading the polls in part due to a reaction to the Paris attacks that saw him inciting hatred against Muslim Americans with defamatory lies, Trump has eased off calls for a database of Muslims in favor of a new target, Black Americans, retweeting fake crime statistics provided by neo-nazis and supporting the beating of black protestors at his rallies. Let’s be clear, millions of Americans love Trump and are perfectly fine with him advancing racist lies. writes activist Shaun King, It’s ugly, but this, ladies and gentlemen, is America. 2015.
posted to MetaFilter by Artw at 9:54 AM on November 23, 2015 (762 comments)

I have a habit of muting my phone, dumping it into my bag, and forgetting that the phone has been silenced. I also spend a lot of time at the computer or using a tablet, so if I could just have the phone send me email, I'd know I had a call. I have an iPhone 6 with service from Verizon.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by AMyNameIs at 6:21 AM on November 21, 2015 (15 comments)

Over the years, gay rodeos have become a centrally welcoming space for LGBTQ people in rural areas and an important place for people of all genders to compete in events which have been historically divided strongly along gender lines (such as bull riding and barrel racing). They've come a long way from their origins as a means of raising money for charity. But the people who participate in gay rodeos are aging and attendence is declining, raising questions about the future of gay rodeo. A new documentary shines a spotlight on this important piece of LGBTQ history.
posted to MetaFilter by sciatrix at 8:23 AM on November 18, 2015 (11 comments)

The 'Empire' Strikes Back: A Posttranssexual Manifesto Trans media theorist Sandy Stone's 1987 essay on transsexual women and radical feminism, written in response to TERF works of the time, was a foundational text for transgender studies, located within a particular cultural moment but calling for a new discourse of transsexual and transgender womanhood beyond the gender binary.
posted to MetaFilter by thetortoise at 5:35 PM on November 15, 2015 (4 comments)

In early November 1990, George Michael released the VHS documentary GEORGE MICHÆL, the fourth release in support of his floundering second solo album Listen Without Prejudice Vol.1.
posted to MetaFilter by hippybear at 3:16 PM on November 15, 2015 (39 comments)

Of the many concerns unearthed by the protests at two major universities this week, the velocity at which we now move from racial recrimination to self-righteous backlash is possibly the most revealing. The unrest that occurred at the University of Missouri and at Yale University, two outwardly dissimilar institutions, shared themes of racial obtuseness, arthritic institutional responses to it, and the feeling, among students of color, that they are tenants rather than stakeholders in their universities. That these issues have now been subsumed in a debate over political correctness and free speech on campus—important but largely separate subjects—is proof of the self-serving deflection to which we should be accustomed at this point.
posted to MetaFilter by Artw at 6:44 AM on November 12, 2015 (142 comments)

Neil Strauss, author of the The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists, says he has grown up. He talked with the CBC (and The Guardian, and GQ) about his new book, The Truth: An Uncomfortable Book About Relationships.
posted to MetaFilter by clawsoon at 8:24 AM on November 12, 2015 (126 comments)

"The number of people living in poverty in Portland’s suburbs shot up almost 100 percent between 2000 and 2011, according to the Brookings Institute. If the North’s poor black residents are driven to the same poverty in less desirable areas, then the Portland Boheme for middle-class whites has been purchased at a price of cultural disruption and displacement, even violence. And while immigration to cozier, comfortable climes, and gentrification and attendant displacement are not new phenomena, I find that people flocking Portland-ward rarely wish to accept their own culpability or complicity in this story—there is a desire on behalf of most newcomers to think of themselves as socially progressive and so properly enlightened, as if being anti-racist or super-considerate and well-meaning, responsible even, somehow makes this process of ‘urban renewal’ consequence-less and clean. It is not." Michael Copperman, La Boheme Portlandia.
posted to MetaFilter by everybody had matching towels at 1:23 PM on November 12, 2015 (73 comments)

America's Poorest White Town: Abandoned by Coal, Swallowed by Drugs. The first in a series of dispatches from America's poorest towns by the Guardian.
posted to MetaFilter by Atreides at 11:42 AM on November 13, 2015 (43 comments)

I routinely give a large seasonal gift to my employee, a brilliant young woman who recently got married and also scored a wedding gift from me. She and her new husband love making things, from cocktails to meals. I bought her an excellent Zojirushi fuzzy logic rice cooker last year, and a Vitamix blender as the wedding gift. They use both all the time and seem thrilled. So, what next?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by bearwife at 1:18 PM on November 12, 2015 (49 comments)

Where do English majors go to learn key principles behind deriving mathematically sound meaning from data? I worked for years as a digital editor. Now I'm a "content strategist," which means I'm responsible for proving my new strategy increases reader engagement via different metrics like UVs, shares, attention time, average story finish rate, etc. I'm very familiar with platforms like Google Analytics and Chartbeat. But I want to learn how to see patterns in them there numbers, and I NEED to make sure my insights are mathematically accurate. How can I most efficiently do that without getting a brain transplant? (Example below.)
posted to Ask MetaFilter by jessca84 at 11:14 AM on November 12, 2015 (13 comments)

I need an app to easily track various things in my life that can be captured as numbers. I'm sure the app I'm looking for exists, but I just don't know how to search for it.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by tempythethird at 6:14 AM on November 12, 2015 (11 comments)

For Christmas, I'd like to get my dad, who is a soft blanket superfan, a blanket that retains its softness for as along as possible.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by palindromic at 2:08 PM on November 10, 2015 (13 comments)

What is currently the best value in durable, comfortable, heavyweight, wool-blend hiking socks?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 6:30 AM on November 8, 2015 (20 comments)

Lost at sea: the man who vanished for 14 months by Jonathan Franklin. Salvador Alvarenga is a fisherman who fishes off the Pacific coast of Mexico. In November 2012 his boat was carried out into the Pacific by a storm. He survived until he drifted ashore in the Marshall Islands, over ten thousand kilometers from where he'd left shore.
posted to MetaFilter by Kattullus at 2:21 PM on November 7, 2015 (14 comments)

I host parties sometimes and would like to play a mix that my guests will love dancing to. I am looking for an app/service that plays DJ-mixed music similar to what I often hear in dance clubs, i.e.: (1) A mix mainly of pop, hip-hop, R&B, dance, and EDM; (2) Many chart-toppers & crowd pleasers; (3) Mostly recent songs but maybe some old ones too; (4) Song transitions are professionally done (mixed into each other to keep the energy level high, and match in BPM)
posted to Ask MetaFilter by ElEmigrante at 11:35 AM on November 7, 2015 (9 comments)

Mormon Church makes same-sex couples apostates, excludes children from blessings and baptism
More details in the Salt Lake Tribune.

Mormon Church Bleeding Members Over Gay Marriage
posted to MetaFilter by andoatnp at 8:33 AM on November 6, 2015 (220 comments)

"In a closed-door meeting Thursday night, Yale University’s apologized to a large group of minority students for the school’s failure to make them feel safe on campus."
posted to MetaFilter by roomthreeseventeen at 12:25 PM on November 6, 2015 (121 comments)

My very politically conservative boss is outspoken about her political beliefs and frequently spouts off about issues on which my opinion is the opposite (I’m very politically liberal). Her remarks tend to skirt (but not exactly cross) the line of what’s overtly offensive. I don’t want to jeopardize my working relationship with her, but I need some help and advice on how to cope with this situation, especially with the next presidential election coming up (I’m in the USA).
posted to Ask MetaFilter by pupstocks at 9:29 PM on November 5, 2015 (25 comments)

For six and three-quarters seasons, no contestant had ever made it to Mount Midoriyama, the insanely difficult Stage Four of American Ninja Warrior, the grueling ultimate-obstacle-course reality show, despite the incentive of a $1 million prize for doing so. Then, in season seven, not one but two people completed the entire course, with TV cameraman Geoff Britten completing the course first, then Isaac Caldiero, a "professional nomad," beating Britten's time. Since the rules of the show state that only the fastest competitor to beat Mount Midoriyama gets the prize money, Caldiero got the million dollars and Britten got nothing - but he seems to be okay with it.
posted to MetaFilter by mightygodking at 9:23 AM on November 6, 2015 (66 comments)

The Decay of Twitter. At some point early last year, the standard knock against Twitter—which had long ceased to be “I don’t want to know what someone’s eating for lunch”—became “I don’t want everyone to see what I have to say.”
posted to MetaFilter by mecran01 at 5:39 AM on November 3, 2015 (201 comments)

I have recently realized that I engage in pain-numbing activities instead of joy-bringing activities in my spare time. I feel like I've totally lost my childlike ability to play--to do something simply because it brings me joy. I have no hobbies and no real non-work-related interests. I'd really like to discover what brings me joy, but I have no idea where to start. How did you discover what form of play is best for you?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by suncages at 3:15 PM on November 3, 2015 (17 comments)

My parents are in their early 80's. The time has come for them to sell their house and move to an assisted living type environment. This needs to happen sooner than later. If you have gone through this process what do you wish you had known before you started visiting places? What questions do we ask? What type of financial set-ups have you encountered?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Coffee Bean at 12:18 PM on November 3, 2015 (14 comments)

The U.S. Department of Education announced yesterday that an Illinois school district is violating the rights of a transgender student by refusing to allow her the unrestricted use of a girls' locker room. This statement comes one week after the Department of Justice filed a brief supporting Gavin Grimm, a high school student in Virginia who has been denied access to the boy's bathrooms.
posted to MetaFilter by roomthreeseventeen at 11:04 AM on November 3, 2015 (50 comments)

"When the monsters of your childhood become faded old people with the fight gone out of them, what do you do? How do you find a way to relate? Do you forgive and try to find a way to interact with who they are now or do you hold onto the tight little ball of yourself you've been protecting all this time?" How do I tell my dysfunctional folks I'm not spending the holidays with them this year?
posted to MetaFilter by divined by radio at 11:43 AM on November 3, 2015 (92 comments)

CBS has picked up a new live action Star Trek tv series, to be produced by Alex Kurtzman. It will premiere on CBS before moving to CBS's digital platform, CBS All Access.
posted to MetaFilter by DirtyOldTown at 8:28 AM on November 2, 2015 (480 comments)

Here I will seek to establish that Jar Jar Binks, far from being simply the bumbling idiot he portrays himself as, is in fact a highly skilled force user in terms of martial ability and mind control. Furthermore, I assert that he was not, as many people assume, just an unwitting political tool manipulated by Palpatine-- rather, he and Palpatine were likely in collaboration from the very beginning, and it's entirely possible that Palpatine was a subordinate underling to Binks throughout both trilogies. And finally, given the above, I will conclude with an argument as to why I believe it is not only possible, but plausible that Jar Jar will make a profound impact on the upcoming movies, and what his role may be.
posted to MetaFilter by josher71 at 6:33 PM on November 1, 2015 (102 comments)

"Now in its 10th year, the annual CGAP Photo Contest aims to demonstrate the ways financial inclusion can help poor people transition out of poverty and lead more financially secure lives." Note, it's worth reading the "Why it’s Relevant to Financial Inclusion" paragraph for each photo. (CGAP (The Consultive Group to Assist the Poor) "...is a global partnership of 34 leading organizations that seek to advance financial inclusion. CGA..")
posted to MetaFilter by HuronBob at 6:44 AM on November 1, 2015 (4 comments)

The business of selling second-hand books on Amazon for one cent.
posted to MetaFilter by fearfulsymmetry at 8:13 AM on November 1, 2015 (30 comments)

Does "human trafficking" mean "modern-day slavery," as President Obama says? No, "the word is a way to target marginalized groups like immigrants and sex workers in the name of a (confused or cynical) humanitarianism."
posted to MetaFilter by John Cohen at 8:19 AM on November 1, 2015 (69 comments)

The Associated Press uncovered about 1,000 officers who lost their badges in a six-year period for rape, sodomy and other sexual assault. Warning: the link contains descriptions of some of these events.
posted to MetaFilter by nolnacs at 8:12 AM on November 1, 2015 (51 comments)

Cheap coffee is one of America's most unsung comfort foods. It's as warming and familiar as a homemade lasagna or a 6-hour stew. It tastes of midnight diners and Tom Waits songs; ice cream and cigarettes with a dash of Swiss Miss. It makes me remember the best cup of coffee I ever had. Even though there was never just one best cup: there were hundreds. [SLSeriousEats]
posted to MetaFilter by papayaninja at 2:30 PM on October 31, 2015 (187 comments)

The Sad Fading Away of the Refugee Crisis Story
posted to MetaFilter by the man of twists and turns at 6:37 PM on October 31, 2015 (39 comments)

Tripping On Good Vibrations : Cultural Commodification and Tibetan Singing Bowls
posted to MetaFilter by marijn at 2:24 AM on November 1, 2015 (29 comments)

Friends call Constable Collins Rain Man or Yoda or simply The Oracle. But to Scotland Yard, London’s metropolitan police force, he is known as a “super recognizer.” He has a special gift of facial recall powers that enables him to match even low-quality and partial imagery to a face he has seen before, on the street or in a database and possibly years earlier.[slNYT]
posted to MetaFilter by ellieBOA at 1:45 AM on October 30, 2015 (30 comments)

I'm interested in stories in which a character returns to his or her hometown or old neighborhood after a long absence.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Area Man at 2:44 AM on October 30, 2015 (64 comments)

BBC: "If you're white, male and poor enough to qualify for a free meal at school then you face the toughest challenge when starting out in life. That's what the Equality and Human Right Commission (EHRC) has said in "the most comprehensive review ever carried out on progress towards greater equality in Britain"."
posted to MetaFilter by marienbad at 3:00 AM on October 30, 2015 (79 comments)

How to Spot Manipulation - PsychCentral
How to Pick Up on Manipulative Behavior - Basic guide from WikiHow
Are You Being Manipulated? Keys to Hidden Aggression - Good Therapy.org
Psychological Manipulation Resources - Band Back Together
Eight Ways to Spot Emotional Manipulation - cassiopaea.com
Subtly Controlling Behavior - Abuse and Relationships
posted to MetaFilter by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 9:48 AM on October 29, 2015 (85 comments)

I'm approaching my 50th birthday, and I'm thinking of buying myself a gaming console, such as an Xbox One or Sony PlayStation. I'm not a gamer (at all), and I'm looking for some advice.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by alex1965 at 10:20 AM on October 29, 2015 (39 comments)