Ask MetaFilter

I'm an oil painter and intend to paint the illustrations from the Rider-Waite tarot deck to sell directly to potential clients. I'm uncertain if there are copyright or trademark limitations to redistributing portrayals of these images. Please inform me (if any) appropriate channels and formalities to venture to avoid any legal repercussions in the future.
posted by dea at 5:47 AM - 5 answers

I’m trying to unpack the bits of my upbringing that occured in a convent school. You know, morning prayers, Sunday mass, and a whole lot of guilt. [more inside]
posted by antihistameme at 7:08 AM - 14 answers

I'm pretty sure nothing else like it exists, but if it does I feel like MetaFilter people are my best bet to find it! [more inside]
posted by Eyelash at 6:24 PM - 29 answers

What were the live shows called that used to play between movies in the silent/early sound era?
posted by pxe2000 at 3:12 PM - 8 answers

I would like to print, frame and hang some digital photos that I have taken (DSLR and iPhone). I would like to have 5 photos printed larger than 8"x10" and 5-10 photos printed between 4"x6" and 8"x10". What are the best practices for preparing and printing digital photos (cost effectively)? [more inside]
posted by bruinfan at 9:20 AM - 6 answers

I have a book group. Members have some pretty specific preferences and are unfortunately well-read. I'm looking for lesser known classics that meet certain criteria: [more inside]
posted by Frowner at 8:04 AM - 66 answers

I'm a noob interested in making kinky 3D animated shorts where people transform into other people and things. I'm trying to find out which program would be best for this and I'm having trouble getting straight answers. CGI snowflakes within. [more inside]
posted by Ursula Hitler at 5:07 PM - 14 answers

Can you help me find the extruded aluminum do-it-yourself art frame kits I used to be able to buy in brick-and-mortar stores? [more inside]
posted by sandra_s at 7:32 AM - 7 answers

Can anyone provide a timeline of why all of rap-kind is dissing him? If there’s dunking to be done I want in on it.
posted by orrnyereg at 5:12 AM - 23 answers

I’ve been on a campy movie kick (see also: FanFare). I’m realizing that I tend to prefer movies with women in leading roles - although I suspect it’s not about gender and is more about relational perspective. Anyway, favorites include Heathers, But I’m A Cheerleader, Saved, and Earth Girls are Easy. Mars Attacks! was pretty good too. I would very much appreciate your recommendations.
posted by bunderful at 7:13 PM - 39 answers

I'm about 2/3 of the way through the first episode of Fallout (no prior knowledge about the games) and the story is interesting, but it's unbelievably violent. Is this a "brutal inception of the hero", or is it like this the whole way through? I can handle some violence but the story has to be the main thing. For reference, I enjoyed the Last of Us but thought the final rampage was stupid, and I would have enjoyed something like Game of Thrones way more *without* the HBO sex and gore corporate mandate. Is this show just for gun-totin' bros? Thanks!
posted by caviar2d2 at 10:37 AM - 14 answers

I use jog.fm to find new songs based on BPM to add to my running mix, but the website is annoying to use on a good day, and recently seems to be out of commission. What other websites serve the same function? [more inside]
posted by tentacle at 4:38 PM - 2 answers

I went to a concert of graduating students at a well-respected music school and sometimes I thought I heard notes that sounded a little off-key or just muddled in some way. I wasn't sure if it might have just been the acoustics of where I was sitting--I would have assumed that someone graduating from a school this would have the basics down. But wonder if I'm making an incorrect assumption here. Would you expect there to be a big difference in the sound produced by a concert violinist and a young graduate?
posted by Jon44 at 11:59 AM - 20 answers

Sometimes the state of the world gets me down. I'd like help imagining a better future that we can work towards. Does anyone know of any good near- future or present fiction that imagines that we did things differently and better? Bonus points for Indigenous, Black, or People of Colour authors.
posted by My Kryptonite is Worry at 4:14 PM - 20 answers

I'm looking for stories where one or more significant characters are some kind of builder(s): a plumber, a carpenter, a pile driver, an engineer specializing in building construction, a general contractor, etc. Bonus points for stories that center autistic, neurodivergent, queer, and/or disabled characters, as well as women and BIPOC builders. [more inside]
posted by cnidaria at 12:40 PM - 22 answers

Does anyone know commentators with a similar tone, approach, style etc. to Bloomberg’s Matt Levine? Not looking for additional folks covering his topic area, but rather writers who have a similar vibe writing in other areas. [more inside]
posted by dredge at 10:02 AM - 10 answers

If you consider yourself an activist, what media do you consume to inform your opinion? For example, I am generally very involved in local, state and federal (in the US) politics, and I read newspapers that cover those issues to inform my opinion. I don't though typically watch movies or use social media (even first person accounts). I never listen to the radio and rarely listen to podcasts. My question isn't about judging that choice, I'm just curious what others use. [more inside]
posted by Toddles at 8:26 AM - 12 answers

My parents always bought each other books for Christmas/birthdays, and after several years of mom buying dad a book about baseball (could be about its history, a collection of newspaper columns, etc) it turned into a running joke where dad would open each present asking “Is this my baseball book?” Mom died a few years ago so I’m reviving the tradition. What are some of the best books that have been written about baseball in the last five years?
posted by skycrashesdown at 4:51 PM - 10 answers

I am looking for examples of songs that follow a very specific structure: the lyrics are made up of three separate but thematically related vignettes, with the refrain explicitly articulating the conceptual message that the vignettes illustrate. [more inside]
posted by virve at 6:38 PM - 52 answers

I saw a post from a Facebook group about women artists, and I loved the images. I looked up the artist's name, learned a few things about her, but now I can't remember her name at all. [more inside]
posted by gladly at 6:52 PM - 3 answers