ID this historic movie/TV show with a stabbing at a party
My wife has a very clear recollection of the following scene from a movie or TV show, but we can't figure out where it's from. The scene takes place at a 18th- or 19th-century fancy-dress party. A fop...
View Article"Floating" grand jeté videos
Are there any good videos of "floating" grand jetés on YouTube (or other online streaming video sites)? I'm teaching an introductory physics class, and as part of our discussion of center of mass I'd...
View ArticleSan Francisco geographical oddity
If you search Google Maps for "San Francisco", it shows tiny corners of Angel Island and Alameda Island as lying within city limits. Is this accurate? If so, how did the city/county boundary lines get...
View ArticleChart showing estimated reserves of elements
Some years ago (about 4–6 years, if I had to guess), I came across an infographic that showed various estimates for the reserves of various elements/ores that are known to exist. So, for example, we...
View ArticleYA novel involving immortality via drowning
In the early to mid-90s, I read a YA novel about a girl (?) from the present day who discovers the existence of two immortal characters (one good, one not so good). The most distinct thing I remember...
View ArticlePink-collar problems
Posting for my wife: I was recently hired as a nanny by a lovely family. Our initial arrangement was for four days per week; but over the past month or more, due to the kids' illnesses and other...
View ArticleBakery recommendations near DePaul University
My cousin is a first-year student at DePaul University in Chicago; I'm 99% sure he lives on or near the Lincoln Park campus. I would like to get him a gift certificate for a local bakery (or other...
View ArticleRoll-your-own podcast downloading
I'm looking for a piece of software that will monitor a webpage, scan it for URLs of a particular form, and whenever a new such URL is posted, download the MP3 file that this URL points to. In an ideal...
View ArticleCan an American married to a Canadian work temporarily in Canada?
I'm a professor at a US institution. I have dual citizenship in both the US and Canada. My wife is a US citizen only. I am considering taking a one-semester sabbatical at an institution in Canada; we...
View ArticleWeird Facebook translation question
Facebook decided that a comment "wag wag wag wag wag wag wag wag wag" should be translated as "do not do not do not do not do". Is there actually a language where this is a semi-valid translation? Or...
View ArticleWhat ducks are these?
Are these ducks escaped domestic ducks of some kind, or are they a weird species of wild duck that I'm unfamiliar with? These two showed up on a pond near where I work (Waterloo, ON, Canada) last week,...
View ArticleSource of quote about agnosticism
There's a line I sometimes use when I'm asked about a topic and I don't have a decisive opinion on the answer: "On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays I believe that [Option A]; on Tuesdays, Thursdays,...
View Article© Apple Inc. 2007
I have a last-gen iPod Classic that is still going strong after all these years. I still use iTunes to download & sync podcasts; the device doesn't have any wireless connectivity. Apple recently...
View ArticleClassic shareware game ID
A couple of half-remembered sound effects from a shareware game (or possibly two separate games) from the late '90s popped into my head the other day, and I can't place them. One sound effect was the...
View ArticleHow should I use pears frozen w/ sugar?
Back in the fall, a friend gave us about 10 pounds of pears from their tree, which had given them a bumper crop. Not knowing what to do with 10 pounds of pears immediately, we consulted the internet,...
View ArticleMuseum ID from "The Americans"
In "Immersion" (S5E8) of "The Americans", the FBI agents meet with a Soviet source in a museum. Where was this scene shot? (Description of the scene inside.) The museum appears to be in an older...
View ArticleTV criticism podcasts
I used to regularly listen to and enjoy a couple of TV criticism podcasts: Alan Sepinwall's podcasts with Dan Feinberg and (later) Brian Grubb, as well as the Mo Ryan/Ryan McGee podcast. However,...
View ArticleHow should I substitute unsweetened coconut for sweetened coconut?
I'm planning to make a Cook's Illustrated recipe for macaroons. The recipe calls for both sweetened and unsweetened coconut, but I was unable to find sweetened coconut in the store. How much additional...
View ArticleWhat are the animals on this toddler puzzle?
A friend of mine has this animal alphabet puzzle for her toddler. What on earth are the animals for U and X supposed to be? I’ve been able to find this puzzle on sale under the name “Peekaboo Buddies...
View ArticleHow to spend an afternoon in the middle of New York State?
My wife and I occasionally need to drive between eastern Connecticut and southwestern Ontario to visit family. We usually break the drive up into two short days, and it's fun to have a half-day...
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