Looking for tips on how to do Hawaii affordably. My GF and I would like to go for about 5-7 days and if we can keep air, lodging and car rental to $1000 each we'd be happy. We realize that may not be possible. Since many aspects of a trip to Hawaii seem to be more expensive than other sunny getaways we're researching any ways to keep costs lower.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by fx3000 at 11:03 AM on March 2, 2014 (19 comments)

Looking for examples of well-written or well-respected Alternate History fiction, in the vein of Michael Chabon's The Yiddish Policeman's Union.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Sara C. at 12:45 PM on February 14, 2014 (59 comments)

Tell me how a web startup like Pinterest or Kickstarter happens. I'm most emphatically not starting a web company of my own, but I'm in the industry and am curious just what exactly goes into making a recognizable and successful site like that.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by relucent at 12:24 PM on February 21, 2012 (18 comments)

There are about a zillion books on starting a new business, being a manager, etc. My base assumption is that they're all lame, and the few I've flipped through didn't make a good impression. Any thoughts?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by jragon at 2:49 PM on February 3, 2013 (10 comments)

I have a couple thousand dollars and a decent amount of free time, with no idea where to allocate my time and money. Where do I begin?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by walka at 6:39 PM on September 17, 2013 (12 comments)

Are there any good books on how to best visually appreciate art? More inside...
posted to Ask MetaFilter by xammerboy at 7:52 PM on January 22, 2014 (9 comments)

We (the royal we) have been watching Wild China recently. It's a 6 part nature documentary that's also a bit of a travelogue. What we like about it--they go to a place not usually covered by Public TV nature docs and mix in explorations of the human culture there as well as geographic and biological subjects. What else is like this? What should we watch next?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Potomac Avenue at 9:47 AM on January 16, 2014 (5 comments)

I'm looking for traditional brands that are associated with quality products, like Pendleton wool blankets.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Curiosity Delay at 8:27 AM on June 17, 2013 (47 comments)

Recommended progressive piano studies for adult beginners. which are interesting but easy, eg Bartok’s Mikrokosmos. I have been learning how to play piano for a couple of months, practicing around an hour a day. Until recently I have been resigned to playing kids method books, grade 1 ABRSM pieces, scale books and adult all in one tuition books which are too heavy on folk tunes and blues for my liking. But then I stumbled upon Bartok’s Mikrokosmos, which is a set of progressive studies, from complete beginner up. The studies are interesting, melodic, discordant, emotional, jazzy. Perfect. I am hungry more just like it. Is there such a thing as a contemporary set of progressive of studies for complete beginners, which are melodically interesting. Or am I cutting corners?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by choppyes at 4:20 PM on July 8, 2012 (6 comments)

Next month, I will be travelling to Las Vegas. For the very first time in my life. I have a whole bunch of Vegas-newbie questions. I’d like to ask you for your help.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by jason's_planet at 4:11 PM on February 27, 2013 (27 comments)

If Doom and Nethack lived in Estonia and had a baby, it'd be named Teleglitch, a recently released pixelated action roguelike that will completely murder you if you're not very careful about how you explore its procedurally-generated corridors, fighting off former coworkers, crafting spare parts into new stuff and hunting for ammo and food and clues as to what the hell went so terribly wrong at the Militech R&D facility on Medusa 1-C. The game has a 4-level demo (Windows and Linux, Mac too apparently) which will probably kick your ass plenty all by itself.
posted to MetaFilter by cortex at 1:47 PM on February 26, 2013 (56 comments)

My son is now 15 months old, and I would like for him to have the best possible mathematics education. What should I be doing now and what sort of long-term plan should I have in order to help him both to learn and to love mathematics? (He doesn't have to be a mathematician when he grows up, but really knowing mathematics is non-negotiable.)
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Jonathan Livengood at 7:45 PM on January 17, 2013 (48 comments)

I'm finishing up The Guns of August, by Barbara Tuchman, and while it's a really good read, it does what it says, and covers the beginning of the war. I'm interested in other books on WW1. What do you recommend? I'd like to read both a good, solid overview of the whole war, then maybe later read more in-depth books on certain parts or phases of the war.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Ghidorah at 7:06 PM on January 12, 2013 (23 comments)

I'm adding dumbells to my elliptical and I'm looking for a reasonable home workout routine that I can use as a guideline.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by WinnipegDragon at 11:27 AM on January 8, 2013 (14 comments)

The Hundred Best Lists of All Time compiled and ordered by The New Yorker. All with links*, includes one-time**, revisable*** and regularly updated lists****, as well as some collections not in list format*****, lists in name only ****** and truly dubious entries*******.
posted to MetaFilter by oneswellfoop at 12:52 PM on December 27, 2012 (22 comments)

I am in Seattle. I'd like to learn French, to the point where I could (in 6 months, say) carry on a rough conversation with someone in Québec or France. I have knowledge of a few words but would essentially be starting from scratch. With which group/center/school should I take classes, but most importantly: why? (In other words, what would make that class better than those offered through alternatives?)
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Blazecock Pileon at 5:53 PM on December 25, 2012 (9 comments)

Twitter, Ticketmaster, Google, Facebook how do their architecture and infrastructure work. Looking for a book/site which explains how these tech services may be assembled. Obviously not looking for the secret sauce or anything. Just wanting to understand the bigger picture of how large scale technology work and come together. Not looking to understand the code aspect or nitty gritty details of how each component works. Just broad understanding is what I am looking for. I am a UI engineer looking to get more background on middleware and backend systems. Please recommend any sources/sites/blogs/books to help me gain decent insight.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by gadget_gal at 2:14 PM on December 19, 2012 (8 comments)

If you like watching other people work, you are going to love the YouTube channels of Myfordboy, Keith Fenner and Tubal Cain.
posted to MetaFilter by DU at 7:44 AM on December 12, 2012 (11 comments)

What's life like aboard a nuclear submarine? For starters, here's over eight hours of C-SPAN 2, as they took their cameras aboard the USS Wyoming SSBN back in 2000, co-hosted by Rear Admiral Malcolm Fages and writer Robert Holzer.
posted to MetaFilter by cthuljew at 5:04 AM on December 7, 2012 (23 comments)

Please recommend podcasts about accounting, economics, or finance. A Canadian focus would be a bonus but not a necessity.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by sockpup at 6:57 PM on November 30, 2012 (7 comments)

In 2003, only two colleges charged more than $40,000 a year for tuition, fees, room, and board. Six years later more than two hundred colleges charged that amount. What happened between 2003 and 2009 was the start of the recession. By driving down endowments and giving tax-starved states a reason to cut back their support for higher education, the recession put new pressure on colleges and universities to raise their price. When our current period of slow economic growth will end is anybody’s guess, but even when it does end, colleges and universities will certainly not be rolling back their prices. These days, it is not just the economic climate in which our colleges and universities find themselves that determines what they charge and how they operate; it is their increasing corporatization. If corporatization meant only that colleges and universities were finding ways to be less wasteful, it would be a welcome turn of events. But an altogether different process is going on

posted to MetaFilter by the man of twists and turns at 1:28 PM on November 14, 2012 (69 comments)

Are there good programs out there that will help me stay fit without getting bored when I'm not participating in a team sport or working towards a specific goal? I'm willing to pay a small amount or make investments in equipment, but ideally the monthly cost should be less than a gym membership.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by croutonsupafreak at 12:35 PM on November 9, 2012 (17 comments)

Does anyone know of any good documentary films about Seattle history? I'm interested in its founding up to the 90s. Not looking for stuff about grunge. Would love it if there were something in a Ken Burns, but I don't expect miracles. Thanks!
posted to Ask MetaFilter by letstrythis at 10:13 PM on November 2, 2012 (9 comments)

For about three years, the A.V. Club ran Sawbuck Gamer, a regular column reviewing the week's most notable free and cheap games across all platforms, from web games to handhelds to console downloadables. It's a treasure trove of content, especially since more literary sister site The Gameological Society took the helm, and it's publicized great desktop projects like the luscious platformer Frogatto (previously), feature-rich Super Mario Bros. X (previously), the evocative faux-web Digital: A Love Story (previously), interactive fiction gem Rover's Day Off, and the hyperkinetic RunMan: Race Around the World (previously). But if you're in the mood for something more immediate, why not start with a list of all the original column's free A-rated online titles?
posted to MetaFilter by Rhaomi at 9:24 AM on October 24, 2012 (20 comments)

What are the actual good, worthwhile, non-ironic, non-self-referential horror films of the last ten years?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Artw at 10:37 AM on October 4, 2012 (63 comments)

Babby formed. Help me arm myself with knowledge.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Kitty Stardust at 8:23 AM on September 14, 2012 (29 comments)

Sorting Out Sorting
posted to MetaFilter by Ad hominem at 6:17 AM on July 28, 2012 (22 comments)

Golf. Just got some clubs and looking for advice on how to start work on my game. My normal drive starts off as a hook but ends up slicing waaaay to the left (as you can see, I'm left handed) but grrrreat distance. Advice on drive? Putting and short iron shots I have gotten a real feel for but the long shots elude me. Short on taking lessons (I abhor authority when it is physically present) how to improive my game?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Dagobert at 7:37 AM on December 29, 2003 (2 comments)

Back in the first half of the eighties, when the Soviet leadership was old, dementing and increasingly paranoid and president Reagan spoke of a winnable nuclear war and set in motion the Star Wars project to make it so, the nuclear holocaust was on many people's minds. It not only featured frequently in popular culture, but several films were made as explicit warnings of what a nuclear war would really be like. Of these movies, Threads (1984) was the most realistic and scary. The full movie is now available on Youtube for your "enjoyment". Warning: not very nice, sort of depressing.
posted to MetaFilter by MartinWisse at 12:12 AM on July 17, 2012 (164 comments)

I'd like to learn about data science. Things like predictive modelling, regression and classification and so on. What would be good books or online courses to start with?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by gwynp at 6:18 AM on June 8, 2012 (9 comments)

What is the single most valuable piece of advice you received when you were in the process of buying your first home?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hecho de la basura at 7:20 AM on December 12, 2007 (67 comments)

I know I'd like to buy my first house in the next five years. Help me learn as much as possible before I get to the point where I'm ready to do it!
posted to Ask MetaFilter by lovableiago at 1:28 PM on June 28, 2011 (19 comments)

Is there anything comparable in quality to, but cheaper than, Brooks Brothers shirts? I usually buy the no-iron, slim-fit BB shirts, but I'm trying not to drop too much cash, as I need to replace all my shirts (WTF deodorant stains?!). I don't like the ginormous blousey shirts that typically pass for men's dress shirts, so recommendations for something along the lines of BB's slim-line shirts, qualitatively comparable but cheap enough that I'd switch brands would be appreciated.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by the sobsister at 6:42 PM on May 8, 2012 (32 comments)

Hey Mefites, I would like you to scare the crap out of me with your horror novel recommendations! I really enjoyed House of Leaves and A Good and Happy Child. I'm looking for books like that.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Ziggy500 at 7:48 AM on April 23, 2012 (18 comments)

I'm looking for a journal I've seen that is a series of random and strange questions that you answer.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by danielle the bee at 7:49 PM on April 19, 2012 (3 comments)

I video our kids on their birthday while I ask them random questions. I am looking for more questions to ask them and record (on paper or video). Questions like "will you get married?", "What do you want to be when you grow up?", "what was the best day of your life so far?".
posted to Ask MetaFilter by beccaj at 7:27 AM on March 23, 2012 (21 comments)

I would like to find some high quality Mad Men analysis. Is it out there?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by crapples at 3:31 PM on March 19, 2012 (26 comments)

Can you help us find some some new one and two-night getaway locations in the Pacific Northwest?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by karizma at 11:36 AM on March 8, 2012 (21 comments)

Help me find some riveting long-form journalism to read! I love thoughtful, explanatory, intelligent, slightly investigative single-topic pieces of writing. Can you help me find more? What are your all-time favorite pieces of long-form journalism?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by firstbest at 1:03 PM on February 14, 2012 (37 comments)

What's a JavaScript Closure? Ever wonder about some of JavaScript's more advanced and esoteric features? Nathan Whitehead's interactive tutorial explains and walks through each of these concepts one step at a time. At the end of each lesson, you are encouraged to write short snippets of code demonstrating the concepts that you just learned, which are then automatically checked for errors and verified.

Perhaps you're new to JavaScript, or programming in general; CodeAcademy offers similar interactive tutorials that will teach you the basics, and hold your hand along the way. Perhaps you'd rather learn at a more even pace; CodeAcademy's CodeYear will introduce you to one new concept every week throughout 2012.
posted to MetaFilter by schmod at 9:43 AM on January 20, 2012 (42 comments)

Dumb cheap downloadable Mac fun
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Gilbert at 12:42 PM on December 31, 2011 (12 comments)

Gamasutra's Top 10 Indie Games of 2011
posted to MetaFilter by OverlappingElvis at 10:07 AM on December 16, 2011 (19 comments)

I've had enough of all of my Shure in-ear isolating earbuds dying on one side. My right bud died suddenly, and this is the third pair in a row. I've had this pair for less than 6 months. Could you recommend a durable pair of isolating/noise cancelling earbuds/headphones with a few requirements?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by flibbertigibbet at 10:21 AM on November 28, 2011 (32 comments)

A spot to help me Spotify? New to Spotify, and just don't have time to build my own playlists. I also would like to be turned on to new music, so finding playlists would be really helpful. I have tried to search on Spotify itself but cant find anything except for the 123 top lists. And the streaming by choosing a genre is good but I'm wondering where else to go. (also after listening to spotify all day at work, the genre streaming seems to repeat, much like satellite radio). I googled a few sites for playlists but they are meh - either hard to search, or filter - or just bad, so thought I'd ask the hive. thanks ps. i did read the archives for related, and looked up mentioned sites but still querying you
posted to Ask MetaFilter by dublin at 5:40 PM on December 4, 2011 (9 comments)

Disappointed by the new, real time FPS direction of X-COM? Tired of waiting for Xenonauts? If you want your Laser Squad style squad based tactical action right now why not try Xenosquad?
posted to MetaFilter by Artw at 10:29 AM on October 29, 2011 (35 comments)

Recommend me awesome turn-based RPGs I can play on my Mac!
posted to Ask MetaFilter by lovedbymarylane at 7:07 AM on October 14, 2011 (18 comments)

Fantasy world Glorantha was created in 1978 as a deep setting for board and role -playing games. King of Dragon Pass is a 1999 PC game, also set in Glorantha, where you manage a tribe of bronze age poets, cow-herds, squabblers and warriors. It is being re-released for iOS tomorrow.
posted to MetaFilter by Sebmojo at 8:16 PM on September 6, 2011 (80 comments)

I need to learn more about making effective diagrams to communicate complex design ideas to coworkers. What are your resources for information design for representing systems, rather than raw data/statistics?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by subject_verb_remainder at 1:22 PM on August 26, 2011 (12 comments)

Color Scheme Designer 3 allows a user to create harmonious color schemes using their choice of one of six customizable combinations from the color wheel. There is an option to show what a given scheme would look like to users with various types of colorblindness. The resulting scheme can be exported in several formats including HTML+CSS and Photoshop ACO, and a given scheme can even be shared as a link.
posted to MetaFilter by ob1quixote at 12:13 AM on August 26, 2011 (18 comments)

I'm having trouble choosing which font(s) to use -- for example, for a flyer or poster. I don't have a graphic design background or much experience with it, but sometimes I have to design simple pieces for my job. Are there any introductory online resources that can help me learn more so that no one will point and laugh when they see a flyer I made? I'll be looking at this thread and this thread, too. My main fear is that I'll put something together and someone will point and laugh and say, "Oh no, you used THAT font?"
posted to Ask MetaFilter by trillian at 10:13 AM on July 30, 2011 (17 comments)