Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with box

Stupid Littermaid!

wordsmith — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 09:14:51 -0800

My Littermaid cat poop box broke. Again. Are there any decent alternatives? Seems like lots of people have problems with these breaking. When they work, they're awesome, but this is the second unit I've purchased in two years.

My question: are there any decent alternatives (that are still automatic) to the Littermaid?

A Box Set Box for My Blank DVD Cases?

sjuhawk31 — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 07:17:56 -0800

Do-it-yourselfers: I'm trying to make my own DVD box set. The part that's missing is the box. To save space on my DVD shelf, I'm trying to get rid of the bulk from some of my TV-on-DVD sets. Specifically...ok, I'll admit it, my full-series collection of "Friends." Those ten seasons take up a ton of room on my shelf. I'm hoping to use 20 dual slimcases or 10 4-in-1 standard-sized cases to consolidate. It would make for a nice box set, except for the fact that I don't have a box to keep the stuff in.

Does anyone know of blank DVD box set boxes? I'd especially like one for the 20 slim cases, since 10 standard-sized cases could stand on their own on the shelf.

Is goon (box wine) made from fish eggs?

Black_Umbrella — Fri, 16 May 2008 03:15:53 -0800

Does goon (box wine) actually contain fish eggs? I have been in Australia for a while now and everyone has been telling me that goon (box wine) is made of fish eggs.

What is the truth to this? My current goon says that fish, eggs and dairy products are used in the production of it. I have heard from some sources that is used as a "finishing agent", what ever that means.

Can some one shed some light on fish eggs and goon?

Lady seeks stylish portable sewing box

exceptinsects — Thu, 08 May 2008 21:52:53 -0800

Help me find an excellent sewing box. I'm looking for something portable (bonus points for a handle), fairly large, that doesn't look like it belongs to somebody's grandma (e.g. flowery, cushiony, wicker-y, or with little bears on it).

Modern is preferable to old fashionedy, but either way there should be lots of little drawers and things. Ideally there might be some way of also storing fabric scraps and whatnot.

Something like a tackle box might be okay, but it would be nice if it looked more like something you could have in your living room.

I've tried searching ebay and crafty sites, but keep running into the grandma problem.

Looking for a (very specific) document storage box

Ritchie — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 21:35:01 -0800

I'm looking for a very specific kind of document storage box. I'm looking for a particular kind of document storage box, an example of which I once possessed.

It was sized to store documents of roughly A4 dimensions, with a depth of about 5cm, and constructed from very stiff cardboard. It had a hinged lid, which could be held closed by a couple of elastic loops pulled over the corners. Its size and shape meant it could be stacked horizontally or stored upright on a bookshelf.

Inside there was a large spring-clip mounted on one side that kept the papers inside from shifting around by pressing them to the floor of the box. The one I used to have was used to store loose correspondence and some slender manuals.

I never knew the origin of the box I used to have - it came, and left, with the job.

I was certain that University Products would have the kind of boxes I was after, but they're not quite right. I've googled around a bit, but the search terms I'm using seem to bring the wrong results. They're probably manufactured for a particular industry, but I can't identify which one.

I know I can get document storage boxes from any stationer - the kind with the removable lid that is designed to be stacked on a shelf - but I'd much prefer one similar to the one I used to have.

Any takers? Bonus points if the supplier is in Australia!

We have boxes.

hototogisu — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 11:48:32 -0800

East Bay, Californiafilter: so, we have these cardboard boxes. We need them to go away forever. Like, 450 15"x15"x10" and 390 26"x15"x7" boxes. They live in a storage facility in Oakland.

We need to get rid of them and preferably make some money off of our ancient box-buying folly in the process. We have limited transportation, so if your proposed box-wanting agents would actually come and get them, even better!

Any ideas? A creative reuse center that will schlep them for us? Other non-profits that haven't yet made that first big step towards owning their own end-times cardboard supply? A disgraced moving company that can't go through routine channels for their boxes? What do you know?

Inside my heart-logoed box

norm — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 15:05:20 -0800

What was that wooden slide-top box that I had, and where can I get another one? When I was in college, I had a slide-top wooden box that was only big enough to put a few coins in it. I bought it for cheap at a museum shop in Charlotte, NC. It was a perfect little container for very small objects. Unfortunately, mine got lost a few years back, but now I would like another-- it would be the perfect sized container for small fishhooks for when I go trout fishing. The only other clue I can think of, besides "slide top wooden box", is that it had a small heart logo on the back of it. My google-fu is failing me.

Cham-pahn-ya In A Box

sparkletone — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 20:01:19 -0800

Can I get champagne in a box? If yes, where? If not, why not?

Can I legallly be denied access to my fuse box?

pikaboy202 — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 16:02:38 -0800

MA filter: Must I have fuse box access if I rent an apartment? I live on the 2nd floor of a 2 floor house. The landlord lives downstairs and has complete access to the fuse box. I, on the other hand, cannot access the fuse box. This makes for very frustrating times when the fuse blows (often) in my apartment and I have to ask the landlord to reset the fuse. It's worse when the landlord is off at work and not home to reset the fuse because then I have to wait hours for my power to come back on.

In Massachusetts (Milton), must a tenant have access of their own fuse box legally? If this is the case, where can I get a copy of this regulation so I can show my landlord and get him to either give me access to the fuse box or install one in my apartment?

a PO Box for those who dont like the glare of the sun

photodegas — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 09:21:33 -0800

I would like to know if one can open a "P.O. Box" at one of the MailBoxes Etc. places or places like it without showing ID? If so, where can one do this in the DC/VA area? I need to open a box, but I would like to keep it on the DL. No, I am not doing anything wrong or illegal, but I would like to keep UncleSam and his goons out of my life.

Smelly cat it IS your fault!

missjamielynn — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 18:41:36 -0800

How can I get my 4-month-old kitten to stop laying with poop? I recently adopted a 4-month-old kitten who is wonderful except for one thing: he LOVES hanging out in the litter box. Even when he's not doing his business, he really likes playing with his waste. Sometimes he'll use the litter box as a hiding space from my other cat, sometimes he'll hang out in it when my other cat is doing his thing, and sometimes he'll just lay down after a movement.

I find it difficult to train him because I don't ever want to reprimand him for going in the box. Is there anything I can do to stop this behavior? I don't want my sweet kitten to be a smelly cat.

Address in one postal district, PO Box in another?

sparrows — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 04:53:18 -0800

Can I get a PO Box without proof of an address that's *in that post office's district*? (I want a regular USPS PO Box; private mailbox services are way more expensive.)

I'm moving soon, to a place several miles away (several post office districts away) in the same NYC borough, and for personal security reasons I want to have no connection in anyone's records between my new physical address and my PO Box address.

The application at the USPS page about this is ambiguous but suggests you do need to prove your address. First it says you just need two pieces of ID, one with photo -- but then it has a box for the initials of the USPS employee who "verified physical address."

It also doesn't specify whether the physical address has to be in the same postal district as the post office where you want a PO Box. On that page it says, "Choose a location close to work or home—whatever fits your needs." But that could mean you can choose any location, OR it could mean that the location can be by your work if you can prove your work address.

ID documents I could show them:
- U.S. passport
- social security card
- credit cards
- proof of my *current* address (utility bills, tax returns, etc.).

There are related AskMes but they don't answer the specific question of where the address you have documentation of has to be located in the same PO district as the PO Box.

Which Orange Box to Buy for a PS3/Mac User

Doctor Suarez — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 18:54:57 -0800

Which Way to Go on Valve's Orange Box: the PS3, or Apple Boot Camp. A Two-Part Question. I have both a new, powerful Mac and a PS3. I'm salivating over Valve's Orange Box (containing all Half Life 2 content, Portal, and Team Fortress 2.)

Now the trick is, in which format would I purchase the game?

The PS3 version would cost around $60, and while I hear it's a serviceable port, it's supposedly not the best.

The PC version would be $35, but I'd have to finally get a copy of Windows that can recognize all four cores on my Mac Pro. So it'll actually be MORE expensive, but I imagine a better overall experience. Also, this would not be the only use I'll ever have for Boot Camp, just the impetus to start.

So, the main question: Which way would you recommend I go?

Follow up: If Boot Camp, what's the best OS to get for a 4-core system, assuming gaming is the only use.

New Box, HELP

raildr — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 10:17:36 -0800

New computer build, how to decide What I need is an updated box, currently running a dual processor Intel, 700mhz, 1 gig, XP Pro. I plan on getting a new box, dual core (AMD or Intel), ghosting my 40 gig hd and doing a repair install of XP to keep all my programs. I am NOT a gamer. I do use photo shop, etc. I have looked at ARS's site and the boxes don't seem to fit what i want.
I do use 2 monitors, both analog (crt 19", lcd 19", but would consider a new flat panel.
Computer types and all, give it your best shot, cheaper wins!

Text box

Ollie — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 12:50:24 -0800

How do I make the outside text flow around a text box in Microsoft Word? Right now the text box is sitting on top of the text it's supposed to accompany. I know this is a waste of a question, but I'm in a rush and need to do this today.

Mr. Bento you're a bloodthirsty foe, but your chicken is delicious!

indiebass — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 11:34:21 -0800

I bit the bullet and bought a Mr. Bento lunch box and it is awesome. Now what? I purchased Mr. Bento for a few reasons:

a) to save some money instead of buying lunches and Lean Cuisines (which is what I currently do) which has recently become more important

b) to eat healthier foods because I'm trying to shed a bunch of lbs, and what I'm doing now is OK but I think I could do better (plus, frozen foods have a TON of sodium), and

c) to help regulate portion size, because even when I eat healthy I do tend to have a lot of it, which is (let's face it) counterproductive, and I feel like only so much can fit into the bento compartments which means what doesn't fit doesn't come for lunch.

So now I'm looking to stock the kitchen with the things I'll need to make delicious and nutritious bento lunches. I have brown rice, natch, and Mirin but what else do I need to pick up? I got a jar of Giardiniara yesterday, which are italian pickled veggies (I understand pickled veggies are a common bento course) so I'm not necessarily looking to make traditional Japanese bento food every day, but I do love it so I certainly will be making some, learning how to along the way. The only requirements will be that it is, more or less, "healthy" and that it isn't overly complex to make. (I understand that's one of the Raisons d'être of the bento). I'm less interested in making everything 'cute', which seems to be the focus of a lot of the bento websites I've seen. I'm more concerned with the food itself than the aesthetics.

So, hive mind: you've never failed me before. Can you help me make a startup shopping list for my Mr. Bento lunch adventure?

Can I influence how Amazon ships to me?

lorimer — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 00:07:52 -0800

There seems to be no pattern at all re. whether Amazon ships to me via UPS or USPS. Since USPS is much, much more convenient for me, is there any way to influence this in the future? I'm talking about items sold by Amazon itself, the ones eligible for Free Super Saver Shipping, so this is not an Amazon vs. third parties issue.

Googling seems to just show other people confused by this issue. There is an AskMe question sort of about this but that person needed a way to get UPS not to ask for a signature, since she was never at home daytimes.

I have the opposite problem, I am always home during the day because I work overnight and need to sleep daytimes. Therefore the UPS delivery guys wake me up. But USPS just leaves a note in my mailbox, and I get the box at the post office at my convenience.

(There is no way UPS could leave a box outside my apartment, it would get stolen. I don't have another person in the building I'd trust to accept a package who's home daytimes.)

i need litter box training.

kidsleepy — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 13:55:20 -0800

how to train a human to use a litter box? i did it! i've adopted a kitten from a rescue shelter, and i'm picking him up tomorrow. the only part i'm apprehensive about is the litter box. this will be my first indoor cat, and while there are bazillions of resources on how to train the cat to use a litter box, I can't seem to find simple instructions for me! i feel maybe this is a dumb question, but in the interest of little rudy mancke junior (pictures to come, i promise!), i need basic, "talk to me like a five year old," litter box training.

how often do i need to scoop? how often do i need to completely empty it and wash it? can i flush the litter? if not, do i just put it in a garbage can? where does the filter go? do i even need a filter? is a liner really necessary?

any other litter box tips/tricks/recommendations welcome!

A reverse Slingbox?

yellowbkpk — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 09:41:38 -0800

Is there a set-top box that performs the opposite of a Slingbox? I have a Ubuntu server at home with a TV tuner in it. I am using VLC to stream the TV tuner to my machine in another city over the internet. I change the channel by logging in via SSH and issuing a "tune" command (that uses ivtv-tune to set the frequency). This works great for when I am sitting in front of the computer, but I'd like to be able to be a vegetable on the couch in front of the television and use a remote control to change the channel on a set top box and watch it through the television.

Is there a set top box that is less complicated, power hungry, and noisy than a complete computer that will a) allow me to run VLC, b) display VLC's output in full screen on the television, and c) issue SSH commands with the push of buttons on a remote control?

New cable box?

Aanidaani — Tue, 15 May 2007 19:13:59 -0800

I subscribe to Comcast digital cable and I'm interested in getting some HD programming for my HDTV: the problem is that my cable box is not capable of supporting HD. I would like to get a new box that can transmit an HD signal to my TV, but I don't want to rent one. Can anyone tell me where to find out which boxes are supported and where best to buy one? I've tried to find information on Comcast's website, but I'm having some difficulty. It seems that they want me to rent their cable box, but I figure it will be cheaper in the long run for me to buy my own. If it helps, I live in Colorado Springs, area code 80920, and Comcast just moved into the area. My old box from Adelphia still works fine, but as mentioned, it doesn't support HD. Any ideas on which one I should buy and where to get it? Thanks!

My cable box is haunted.

spec80 — Fri, 11 May 2007 08:23:01 -0800

Cable box filter: Why does my cable box turn off by itself?? Sometimes when I come home from work or from a weekend away, I go to check my Tivo all excited to see shows that I missed. But then, when I go to access the show, it's a blank screen!

House? ANTM? The Office? Ace of Cakes? Mythbusters (yes I tivo mythbusters) Where arest thou??

At first, I had no idea what was going on. On the phone, my brother told me the cable box might be off. I went to check it, he was right. This has happened about 5 times over the past year. I don't live with anyone at the moment, I don't have any pets. Nothing in my apartment can physically turn off the cable box.

I usually wouldn't be worried about this, but I am going on vacation for the next 2 weeks and I'm going to be missing Bob Barker's last Price is Right and the season finale of America's Next Top Model. I know I can eventually get them on the internet, but I really want them on my Tivo at my convenience.

I have Time Warner cable. I live in an apartment building.

I have been on hold with Time Warner for the past 20 minutes. *shakes fist*

The Various Workings of a Cube-Shaped Gallery

0bvious — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 18:14:20 -0800

Imagine a cube-shaped building, with ten cube-shaped rooms along each side (10 rooms long, 10 high & 10 deep). Each cubular room has 4 walls, 1 ceiling and 1 floor. Each of the 6 interior surfaces in all 1000 cubular rooms is decorated with a different piece of art. The rooms can be moved around the building, as if it were an enormous Rubik's cube, but they can also be spun on their axes, so all 6 walls of all 1000 cubes is capable of touching all the others (if the cube is so arranged). How many combinations of art within the 'Cube Gallery' are possible? If you can run me through the workings of the maths I would be extra grateful. Also, what technical words/phrases/language are useful/interesting in expressing this concept? To restipulate the numbers:

- A cube gallery with 10 cube rooms along each side (10x10x10)

- Each cube room has 6 pieces of art on its interior surfaces

- All the cube rooms are capable of being rotated into every possible variation (ceilings becoming walls becoming floors etc.)

Thanks in advance!

Gorgeous, useless thing.

gursky — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 17:44:48 -0800

Crafty MeFites: What can I do with a sturdy wooden box? Recently, I came across a wooden box (with four cups and saucers inside) at a Goodwill store. For the $2 it cost, I couldn't leave the box in the store. It's a sturdy, light wood (oak?) box with a lid that slides in/out. It is about the size of a standard shoe box, maybe a little wider. The top, or lid, has some French writing on it and a logo.

When I purchased it, I was hoping to use it for something crafty. Sadly, it has been sitting in a corner for weeks, untouched. I've googled for crafty ideas, but I'm only finding sites with wooden boxes for sale, or the 'brilliant' idea to store stuff in them.

What should I do with it? Can I make it into some kind of gift for someone? I don't really want to cover over the French writing or logo because it adds character, but I guess I could paint it.

What would you do with a durable wooden box?

Bonus: The dishes are free to craft & play with too!

Ring Box Recommendation

buddha9090 — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 12:38:14 -0800

Recommendations for a nice, unique, ring box I am looking for a nice ring box that I can have delivered to me (in the U.S.) within the next week. I like stuff like this, but am not married to wood boxes. The problem with getting one custom made is that I am short on time.

Google turns up a lot of results that are pretty generic, so I was wondering if anybody had any recommendations.

Clear plastic donation box in the Perth metro area?

krisjohn — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 20:43:12 -0800

Perth (Australia) Filter: Anyone know where I can purchase a perspex/lucite/acrylic, clear, lockable donation box in the Perth metro area? Size would be suitable for putting on a small table. Would need to accept notes as well as coins. I only want one.