We have two (okay, four) window air conditioners. How can we best use them to cool our house? [more inside]
posted on Jul 5, 2008 - 8 answers

Why does a lack of sleep make me markedly more efficient the next day? [more inside]
posted on May 28, 2008 - 20 answers

I want to be better at making to do lists. [more inside]
posted on May 8, 2008 - 16 answers

Please help me with oganization of daily tasks at home and at work. [more inside]
posted on May 8, 2008 - 10 answers

I sometimes want something I send to reach the recipient as quickly as possible, but I don't care to pay for priority service. How can I find out what the quickest local US mail dropoff would be? [more inside]
posted on Feb 3, 2008 - 5 answers

For database usage, is it better to store data in XML or serialized format? In particular, PHP serialization. [more inside]
posted on Jan 18, 2008 - 10 answers

how to explain the lack of... uhm work... at work? [more inside]
posted on Nov 20, 2007 - 14 answers

I've got the skills and knowledge, mostly, but I'd like to get a better workflow with PHP/MySQL development. [more inside]
posted on Oct 11, 2007 - 15 answers

What can I do, from the big changes on down to the minutae, to make a difference? I want a more environmentally conscious lifestyle! [more inside]
posted on Jun 13, 2007 - 33 answers

SpeculativeUsedLaptopFilter: If I wanted a laptop that was relatively, in order of necessity, cheap, fast, running an OS with an efficient but possibly low-tech GUI, and light, what might my optimal setup be, in both hardware and software? [more inside]
posted on Apr 20, 2007 - 16 answers

What's a reasonable amount of time for me to schedule for a written university assignment, including library research, online journal search, draft and actual writing, to get a better than pass mark? [more inside]
posted on Apr 19, 2007 - 16 answers

What are the most energy-efficient microprocessors currently available in mass-market PCs/laptops? [more inside]
posted on Apr 12, 2007 - 5 answers

What form of energy is used to heat a Wal-Mart, Home Depot or Costo store, and how much does it cost per month in the winter? [more inside]
posted on Apr 8, 2007 - 12 answers

Does leaving a pizza stone in the oven make the oven more or less efficient? [more inside]
posted on Mar 23, 2007 - 15 answers

Does drafting a truck theoretically lower the truck's mileage? [more inside]
posted on Mar 10, 2007 - 19 answers

What is the most efficient kitchen device for stirring a powder into a glass/cup of liquid? [more inside]
posted on Jan 10, 2007 - 42 answers

Is there an ideal or recommended proportion of management vs. staff salaries? I work at a non-profit, and management salaries are about 40% of total salaries. This seems high to me. [more inside]
posted on Dec 6, 2006 - 3 answers

When your [furnace/water heater/sauna/time machine] burns natural gas, should you feed it hot or cold air? [more inside]
posted on Aug 20, 2006 - 8 answers

My old electric hot water service has sprung a leak, and I'm researching replacement options. Is there anything greener and more cost-effective available to this Australian than off-peak electric? [more inside]
posted on Aug 7, 2006 - 11 answers

What is more fuel efficient? Driving with your window(s) down, or with the air conditioner on? [more inside]
posted on Jul 14, 2006 - 23 answers

I am trying to manage my time a little better, and I would like a way to automatically track what I do on my Mac - how many minutes daily I spend in various applications, along with, possibly, a breakdown of documents and web pages by time, as well. I don't want to enter anything manually, or use this for billing or anything similar. Does anyone know of such an application (especially one that is inexpensive or free - many of the programs that do this are aimed at business and billing, and quite costly.) Other suggestions on how to accomplish this are also welcome.
posted on Jul 11, 2006 - 8 answers

Should I buy a window / portable air conditioner for my home office? [more inside]
posted on May 14, 2006 - 18 answers

I'm in a dorm in MA and my space is tight. I'm not going to need my long underwear (along with any other items) until Winter. Should I buy some Space Bags? How about a cheap, small, vacuum cleaner to go with it?
posted on May 6, 2006 - 8 answers

Why do firefighters slide down a pole? Wouldn't it be easier to just have them wait on the same floor as the fire trucks? [more inside]
posted on Feb 27, 2006 - 22 answers

How do your organize all your little stuff (ipods, wires, knick knacks, doojobbies, etc.)? [more inside]
posted on Dec 5, 2005 - 12 answers

Help me break up with my mouse. [more inside]
posted on Nov 27, 2005 - 28 answers

Give me your best fast but healthy and tasty recipes. Cheapness is of secondary conern only. [more inside]
posted on Nov 5, 2005 - 33 answers

What is the fuel efficiency of an airplane? How does this compare to other vehicles, both in terms of quantity of fuel consumed and quantity of pollution created (since some fuels, I assume, create different amounts of pollution per unit volume)? I've looked around and can't find any more than some vague generalizations (mostly from airplane manufacturers). [more inside]
posted on Oct 18, 2005 - 17 answers

Are Daikin mini-split air conditioners really more efficient? I live in Puerto Rico where most houses are cement and central air is pretty much out of the questions. Average temperature is 92F. [more inside]
posted on Sep 25, 2005 - 1 answers

How energy (in)efficient is my gas fireplace? [more inside]
posted on Sep 19, 2005 - 4 answers

MefiEngineers: Shouldn't there be a simpler solution to hybrid vehicles? [more inside]
posted on Sep 12, 2005 - 20 answers

Are there any Federal tax credits or financial incentives (aside from the savings of minimizing fillup frequency) for buying a fuel efficient vehicle? [more inside]
posted on Aug 26, 2005 - 9 answers

Windows-E. Windows-R, Windows-M, Windows-L, they're all great. But, how do I start creating my own shortcuts? [more inside]
posted on Jun 29, 2005 - 14 answers

I'd really like to see what tricks of the trade you guys have to make sure your car is getting the most mileage it possibly can. [more inside]
posted on May 29, 2005 - 38 answers

Q for the webserver admin folks out there. I have a few web pages which are dead (old, retired, moved, etc). As a courtesy to some folks who were still linking to them (some dynamically generated javascript) I just left the files in place, but made them into tiny text files, preventing 404s and hanging pages. The question: which is better for the server (cheaper, less intensive) in this case? Serve up a tiny (or blank) text file - or - just delete the files and return 404s to all requests? [more inside]
posted on Apr 27, 2005 - 6 answers

For the IT/Corporate savy.....
What ways has your company made use of technology to improve the bottom line? One of my charges as IT Manager is to find ways to use technology to make the company more profitable. What have you found that worked well in your situation. We are a small/medium sized company that are basically manufactures reps for shelving/folders/imaging/fileroom management. What can I offer my sales force to make them more efficient?
posted on Dec 19, 2004 - 13 answers

Is there anything wrong with moving my refrigerator right next to my stove? Gas stove, small kitchen, empty space between the stove and fridge. Will pushing them together affect the performance of either one? Mostly I just don't want proximity to the the stove to make the refrigerator work harder.
posted on Sep 6, 2004 - 12 answers

When I'm doing something really mentally taxing, like working on a difficult programming task or doing a really really tough crossword puzzle, I sometimes reach mental overload. I'm sure most of you have this. It makes me sleepy and sometimes a bit dizzy, and if I try to work more, I comprehend less and less. At this point, I generally need to do something else for a while. If I come back to the taxing work the next day, everything is fine. Probably, I can come back to it on the same day, an hour or so later. I CAN'T come back to it five minutes later. I'm interested in tactics that let me return to the mental workout as-soon-as possible. When I quit working, what sort of activity should I do to recharge? How long should I do it? Is there anything I should ingest? Is it better to quit before absolute mental burnout occurs? Are there any studies about this?
posted on Jul 17, 2004 - 11 answers

Is there a formula for figuring out the most efficient pattern to mow a lawn? Something that takes into account obstacles and elevation changes.
posted on Apr 15, 2004 - 6 answers