This weekend, I saw a green renovation show that used a large amount of gravel in the basement to hold heat gathered from a solar-collecting area in the roof. My dad, a builder, says this method doesn't work well. Help me understand if someone has devised a "better mousetrap" or if this is just something that has never worked and is being done for greenwashing on TV... [more inside]
posted by bitter-girl.com on Apr 14, 2009 - 14 answers

What are some web apps I can use to track and record various aspects of my life? [more inside]
posted by jmoneystl on Jan 12, 2009 - 18 answers

Can you recommend some good mystery novels for me to read? The last mystery novels I read that I really liked were the Hilary Tamar series by Sarah Caudwell. I liked those because they were fairly light and not gory. But I especially liked them because the dialogue/narration was sharp, witty, and wry. What are some other mystery writers who write like this? [more inside]
posted by bluefly on Jul 25, 2008 - 33 answers

Seeking luxurious eco-lodge anywhere on the islands of Hawaii. My wife and I are considering spending a week on a kind of working vacation (we're finishing a book) to Hawaii. We've only been once before, for a conference in Honolulu. [more inside]
posted by dbarefoot on Jun 2, 2008 - 7 answers

Where can I find funding sources to start an Eco farm/Artist collective? [more inside]
posted by JackarypQQ on Apr 1, 2008 - 10 answers

The org I work for has 1000 coffee mugs we can't use. What can we do with them to keep them out of a landfill? [more inside]
posted by nomad73 on Dec 12, 2007 - 32 answers

I'm looking for websites that will lead me to free things to do/see/eat/get specifically in Washington, DC. What sites do you know of and or search techniques I can use? [more inside]
posted by brokekid on Feb 4, 2007 - 6 answers