Displaying post 1 to 50 of 121
What's the best light bulb option these days? I need to replace the bulbs in my bathroom (9, 40 watt bulbs currently). Lights are typically on for about 20 minutes a day. Occasional they'll be on and off quickly. There are no windows. I want to be environmentally conscious, but price does factor in at some level.
posted to Ask Metafilter by willnot
at 2:19 PM on July 22, 2008
(10 comments)
Can you help me view and print background colors in Word? I'm trying to reproduce a form that has a purple background. This form will be completed on screen, but may also be printed. For reasons that we won't go into, it has to be in Word. I'm having trouble getting a purple background that shows up when viewing it on the screen and also when printing. Is there a way to get both?
posted to Ask Metafilter by willnot
at 11:03 AM on July 8, 2008
(6 comments)
Can you explain Structured Notes to me? Somebody suggested these as an investment vehicle that minimizes risk while magnifying the potential for gain. That's the kind of talk that makes my BS meter go off, and searching online produces a bunch of investo-speak that's probably clear if your a finance person but seems designed to muddy the waters of understanding for everybody else. Using non technical language, can you tell me what they are, what/who they're good for and what/who they are wrong for?
posted to Ask Metafilter by willnot
at 7:37 AM on January 23, 2008
(4 comments)
We'd like to build an application that can send text messages to people on various cell services. Think something like how twitter works where they give you their cell number, and then you can send messages to them. We've found an easy way to do it via e-mail if you know the service that the person is on, but I have to think there's a better way to handle this. The problem is I'm not sure what keywords to be searching on to find helpful information. Can you point me towards a breakdown of how to set something like this up or help me figure out what keywords I need to find it myself?
posted to Ask Metafilter by willnot
at 11:12 AM on December 11, 2007
(7 comments)
Can you help me understand the power of Facebook or other similar social networking platforms? I think I understand it at some level, but I feel like I must be missing something, so please tell me how you use these systems, and why they're better than other more traditional communication tools.
posted to Ask Metafilter by willnot
at 8:27 AM on November 14, 2007
(47 comments)
Where can I find a Car Stereo Installation Guide for a 1999 Mitsubishi Mirage?
posted to Ask Metafilter by willnot
at 10:52 AM on October 5, 2007
(8 comments)
Roughly, how much should it cost to rebuild a manual 5-speed transmission and replace the clutch in a 1999 Saturn SC2? The car has 104,000 miles on it, and is in Los Angeles, CA if that matters at all.
posted to Ask Metafilter by willnot
at 3:38 PM on September 10, 2007
(8 comments)
Is anybody doing anything in Portland before the
big party tomorrow? I've been traveling the western states with my camera looking for interesting sites to see, and I will be driving from Seattle where my parents are to Portland tomorrow. I'm just not sure if it's worth getting to town before 7 or not.
posted to MetaTalk by willnot
at 7:06 PM on July 13, 2007
(22 comments)
What is that white foamy stuff I saw dripping off all the leaves in a forest in Northern California and then again on some of the plants around Whistler, Canada? My first thought was bird droppings, but it seems a little too insubstantial for that. A few people thought maybe it was sap or pollen. Does anybody know for sure?
posted to Ask Metafilter by willnot
at 7:06 AM on July 12, 2007
(9 comments)
I'm preparing for a road trip that will take me up the California Coast, Oregon Coast, Washington (Seattle) and into Canada at least as far North as Whistler. Can you provide specific recommendations on where to stop? What motels should I stay at? What's interesting to see/do/photograph?
posted to Ask Metafilter by willnot
at 10:19 AM on June 14, 2007
(23 comments)
What would be my best source for HD content and the best PVR to capture that content? I just purchased a new HDTV. I have a Direct TV Tivo box that is only standard def. I figure as long as I have an HDTV though, I should try to get the most out of it. It seems my options are Direct TV with their HD PVR, a Direct TV HD receiver and an HD TiVo or MythTV set up, cable and one of their PVRs or cable and a Tivo or MythTV set up.
posted to Ask Metafilter by willnot
at 11:02 AM on April 27, 2007
(10 comments)
Is there anyplace that has a good television buyers guide? I'm familiar with
AVS Forum which seems like a good resource once you've narrowed it down to some choices, but I'm still a ways away from that point. I've also read some CNET articles which seem to suffer from the same kind of tunnel vision as I saw on AVS Forum, but of course it's possible I just didn't find the right article.
posted to Ask Metafilter by willnot
at 8:52 AM on April 17, 2007
(8 comments)
What kind of tripod mount ring do I need for a Canon EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS USM Telephoto Zoom Lens? I bought a used lens, but it's missing the tripod collar mount ring. It looks like Canon makes a few different mount rings, and I can't figure out which one I need for this particular lens. Does anybody know? Even better, if you know where I can get one on the cheap. If there's an off-brand solution out there, I don't care who makes it as long as it fits my lens and works well.
posted to Ask Metafilter by willnot
at 2:32 PM on April 2, 2007
(8 comments)
What is the easiest/best way create a secure tunnel or VPN connection back to my home network to act as a relay for private interneting? Is it possible to do this using just a router that would be on anyway so I don't have to have a computer running all the time just to act as a relay?
posted to Ask Metafilter by willnot
at 7:36 AM on March 19, 2007
(10 comments)
Where should I go (near Los Angeles) and what should I do, to make a nice photograph of the full moon when it rises on Saturday, March 3rd? I'm thinking someplace in the desert, but I'm open to driving a bit of a ways.
posted to Ask Metafilter by willnot
at 11:25 AM on February 22, 2007
(15 comments)
If you've been to Barcelona and if you've seen the movie Auberge espagnole, L', would you say that the movie does a good job of depicting what the city is like?
posted to Ask Metafilter by willnot
at 11:38 PM on December 12, 2006
(16 comments)
I have some vacation time coming up, but I never really know where I want to go or what I want to do. I know that I like artistic cities. I know that I'll be spending a lot of time taking photos. I know that I want something exotic enough that I'll have some good stories, but modern enough that I can enjoy modern conveniences. Where would you go if you were me?
posted to Ask Metafilter by willnot
at 8:01 AM on November 28, 2006
(25 comments)
What is the best format/document choice for printing out structured and stylized data that is being fed out of a database? HTML/CSS is too restrictive in terms of formatting, text overflow, and it isn't easy to change. PDF creates documents that are too large. One developer suggested RTF. Is there a alternate/better/best choice that we should look at?
posted to Ask Metafilter by willnot
at 10:31 AM on November 14, 2006
(7 comments)
Is there a way to convert a .PST file created by Outlook 2001 for the Mac into a .PST file that can be read by Outlook 2003 on the PC?
posted to Ask Metafilter by willnot
at 9:48 AM on October 10, 2006
(4 comments)
The hinge on my 2 + year old PowerBook is broken. Is it worth sending it out to be repaired (and does anybody have a recommendation for a reputable company to do the repair), or should I just buy a new one?
posted to Ask Metafilter by willnot
at 7:19 AM on September 28, 2006
(9 comments)
Can you recommend a good class in the Los Angeles area or on the web that would bring somebody who has done some programming in the past up to speed on Microsoft's .Net?
posted to Ask Metafilter by willnot
at 9:58 AM on August 28, 2006
(2 comments)
Memory Foam Mattress Toppers - assuming the density, thickness and size are all the same is there any difference from brand to brand? Also, I've heard they can trap heat. Do they get uncomfortably warm, or are there other things I should think about before purchasing?
posted to Ask Metafilter by willnot
at 11:50 AM on August 7, 2006
(11 comments)
How do electric meters work? How do they measure the amount of charge you used? I suspect they must know the amount of charge that enters the home, and then they have some way to measure the amount of charge that leaves the house, but I'm really not sure.
posted to Ask Metafilter by willnot
at 1:22 PM on July 3, 2006
(18 comments)
I have some vacation time coming up. Rather than one big trip, I'm thinking about taking 2 or 3 short little road trips (3 to 5 days each). Los Angeles is my starting point. Photography is my main activity. Where should I go, and where should I stay when I get there?
posted to Ask Metafilter by willnot
at 9:42 AM on May 4, 2006
(9 comments)
OK - Lucas has pretty much ruined Star Wars for me. Still, lightsabers are freaking kewl with a capital K, and true to its title, this one is quite probably
The Best Home Made Lightsaber Duel Ever.
Man, I wish I was a Jedi!
posted to MetaFilter by willnot
at 3:22 PM on April 26, 2006
(97 comments)
A coworker is interested in broadening her general knowledge with an emphasis in History and Science. So, she's looking for a site she can set to be her home page where she can get bite sized chunks of interesting information (like 5 to 15 minutes at a time). Any suggestions?
posted to Ask Metafilter by willnot
at 8:11 AM on April 4, 2006
(11 comments)
Will over-the-counter anti-diuretics interfere with whatever my body is trying to do to fight off the nasty I ingested while down in Mexico?
posted to Ask Metafilter by willnot
at 11:04 PM on February 21, 2006
(12 comments)
Friendly Dinner is an introduction/dining club for people who are interested in meeting new friends and sampling some of the incredible food that Los Angeles has to offer. Essentially, we plan open dinner parties at great restaurants, where diners have an opportunity to meet new and interesting people and enjoy a fun and social evening.
posted to Projects by willnot
at 6:55 AM on February 1, 2006
My DirectTV with TiVo receiver died tonight. The HD actuator (I'm guessing from the sounds of it) had been clicking for a few weeks, and I'd been getting intermittent read/write errors. Tonight after a power outage, it's stuck on the powering up screen. Should I:
1. Get a New One
2. Try a new hard drive (or some other potential fix)
3. Get the PVR that DirectTV is starting to push
4. Switch to Comcast cable and get one of their PVRs
posted to Ask Metafilter by willnot
at 11:56 PM on January 23, 2006
(12 comments)
Can you use mail() in PHP without creating an unsecure, open mail relay boon to spammers everywhere? I keep trying to read
This Page, and I think I understand it, but I'm not sure.
posted to Ask Metafilter by willnot
at 4:30 PM on December 28, 2005
(9 comments)
Can anybody provide a referral to a lawyer and/or an accountant with experience advising small businesses (internet based) in the start-up phase?
I'm located in Los Angeles in the South Bay area.
posted to Ask Metafilter by willnot
at 9:24 AM on December 13, 2005
(2 comments)
Can you provide a referral to a lawyer and/or an accountant with experience advising small businesses (internet based) in the start-up phase? I'm located in Los Angeles in the South Bay area.
posted to Ask Metafilter by willnot
at 8:55 PM on December 1, 2005
(1 comment)
Please help me get my head around multidimensional arrays in PHP.
posted to Ask Metafilter by willnot
at 8:31 AM on November 23, 2005
(20 comments)
In PHP, is there a way for a page to determine where it is in a site's directory structure? I'm new to PHP, and I want to create an include that will contain my global navigation. The problem I'm having is that I can't figure out how to do that with relative URLs since the include could be written to a page in any of several directory levels. I'm sure this is a solved problem, there's probably even a built in function, but danged if I can find it. So 1, How do I have PHP build my relative URLs based on where they come up in a site's directory path? And 2, where do I go in the future to find this kind of stuff out for myself?
posted to Ask Metafilter by willnot
at 7:33 AM on November 4, 2005
(21 comments)
I want to learn PHP and MySQL. I just installed both onto my Mac OS 10.4.2 machine to serve as a sort of testing ground. I also downloaded CocoaMySQL. It's asking for a host, user and password. I assume the host is localhost. However, I can't figure out how to create a user. Can anybody help with that? Also, what would you recommend as the best learning resources for somebody who can get around HTML and CSS, but has very little programming experience?
posted to Ask Metafilter by willnot
at 8:32 PM on September 30, 2005
(8 comments)
Does anybody have any experience with online even management systems and or e-commerce shopping carts?
posted to Ask Metafilter by willnot
at 2:00 PM on September 20, 2005
(2 comments)
What are some really good franchise opportunities for somebody looking to start a business? Any tips about what to look for and what to be sure to avoid?
posted to Ask Metafilter by willnot
at 8:04 AM on September 8, 2005
(13 comments)
We're looking to automate a batch process that can be pointed at a directory of image files. Those files will need to be inserted one by one into an InDesign template appropriate text changed in the file based on a CSV file, and then have the resulting document saved as an EPS file based on the original image file name.
posted to Ask Metafilter by willnot
at 12:29 PM on August 16, 2005
(1 comment)
We're looking for project tracking/resource management software for a small marketing department. What do you use, or what do you know of that's good? Alternately, what might we want to be sure to avoid?
posted to Ask Metafilter by willnot
at 10:17 AM on August 1, 2005
(4 comments)
In
The O Factor (Slate), Field Maloney asks if Owen Wilson was the key to the Wes Anderson phenomenon.
posted to MetaFilter by willnot
at 2:38 PM on July 26, 2005
(77 comments)
OK, the movie, The Wedding Crashers, doesn't look all that interesting to me, but I gotta say that the
Crash the Trailer viral ad that they whipped up is Awesome! You upload pictures of yourself or whomever, and they superimpose the pictures onto the faces of the stars of the movie. Very clever, or at least kind of fun for a second.
posted to MetaFilter by willnot
at 6:07 PM on July 7, 2005
(18 comments)
I eat out a lot. I go to the same restaurants a lot. I want to branch out and try some new places. First, what are some restaurants in Los Angeles that provide good value (not necessarily the cheapest, expensive is fine too, but you should get what you pay for in terms of food quality and ambiance). Second, is there an on-line resource that tracks this kind of thing so that I could easily figure out what's cool/hot/good/whatever in LA dining?
posted to Ask Metafilter by willnot
at 8:39 AM on June 20, 2005
(22 comments)
Can anybody tell me anything at all about an artist named J.L. Smith?
posted to Ask Metafilter by willnot
at 7:40 AM on June 13, 2005
(6 comments)
Why is Darth Vader called Lord Fener in Italy? Does Darth Vadar means something in Italian or was there some other reason to change that?
posted to Ask Metafilter by willnot
at 5:37 PM on May 10, 2005
(7 comments)
Recently, when I turn on my shower in the morning, the water runs clear for a few minutes, then a spurt of black inky water comes out for anywhere from two to 10 seconds, then it starts running clear again. I haven't noticed this with any of my other faucets/water sources. What might be causing that black water (I assume something's collecting in the pipes somewhere) and is it something I should be worried about? As a side note, my hard, hard water does seem to eat through my plumbing like it was made of spun sugar.
posted to Ask Metafilter by willnot
at 10:25 AM on April 28, 2005
(2 comments)
Can you help me get the most out of my upcoming trip to New York City, Italy, Greece and Zurich, Switzerland?
posted to Ask Metafilter by willnot
at 7:53 AM on April 21, 2005
(11 comments)
I'm going to be traveling from the US to Italy and Greece. Do I need a voltage converter or just a plug adapter to power my PowerBook and Minolta battery charger?
posted to Ask Metafilter by willnot
at 7:46 AM on April 14, 2005
(8 comments)
SleepyGeek has a
fun tool that creates montages from Google image search results.
posted to MetaFilter by willnot
at 10:48 PM on April 10, 2005
(6 comments)
Designers: our marketing/communications department has had a Communication Arts subscription for a while now. The past few issues seem to have taken it into a new editorial direction. Much less inspiring stuff there. Is there some hot new contender that we should look at subscribing to instead? We'd probably only get just one.
posted to Ask Metafilter by willnot
at 10:53 AM on March 23, 2005
(9 comments)
