Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with grand

Getting tape residue off windows, and holding broken ones up?

nmaster64 — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:40:39 -0800

Best way to get duct tape residue off windows, and how to hold broken car windows up? My gf's car is in some real crap shape. I'd love to surprise her one day and clean it up, specifically her windows. Her front driver and back passenger windows don't work and have to be held up. She's been using duct tape for over a year to do it, we still just can't quite afford the fix.

After a year of reapplying duct tape on a regular basis, the windows are covered in baked-on adhesive, it's actual a bit of a safety concern too. What's the best way to get that stuff off and clean them up nice and clear?

And is there a stronger non-permanent solution for holding the windows up? Even w/ tons of duct tape they fall over time or at a big bump. I don't mind the tape solution, I just wish it would hold better and for longer so we didn't have to reapply it every other week.

It's a 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix if that helps. Also, I am completely allergic to working on cars for the record.

Cheap overnight housing in Grand Marais August 7?

rawredmeat — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 07:21:13 -0800

Affordable place to crash in Grand Marais, MN? I'll be up there on August 7 in between trips to the Boundary Waters, and need a cheap place for me and my packs to stay the night... I'm going on 2 Boundary Waters trips starting next week, and have a night in between them that I need to stay overnight in or around Grand Marais. Looking for anywhere cheap ($75 or less). Any recommendations from past visitors?

I hope I take after HER side of the family

doift — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:53:59 -0800

Help me think of a kickass gift for my grandmother's 100th (!!!) birthday. Tomorrow I am flying out for my grandma's 100th birthday. Two big parties are planned, dozens of relatives attending, it's a big deal. I want to bring her a little something, but it's very very hard to shop for a centenarian.

About Grandma: She's in amazing shape, all things considered. Her memory gives her trouble, and she walks with a cane with some difficulty, but she's still just about as bright and chipper as ever. She finally moved in with my parents last year, so she doesn't need any household stuff. She likes to read, history is a favorite genre, so a good book is an option. She lives in a relatively small town, and I live in Brooklyn, so something particular to NYC might be nice. She already has DOZENS of smelly soaps and lotions and things of that nature that she never uses. She doesn't watch a lot of TV or movies beyond the news because she has a hard time following along. She loves chocolate, so if all else fails I'll get her some really fancy chocolate, but I suspect that's going to be the fallback gift for a lot of my relatives, too. We expect her to be around for a while longer, but it doesn't hurt if it's something that she can use in the near future, if only because she'll probably forget about it otherwise.

She's not expecting anything, and something big would probably make her uncomfortable, but it would be a nice gesture to give her something.

GRAND JURY YO!

madmamasmith — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 22:37:53 -0800

Do all misdemeanor cases get to bypass the grand jury? Is there such a thing as a federal misdemeanor? I know FEDERAL capital offenses must go before a grand jury and each STATE handles this differently, ie NY both sides and a judge, no grand jury. But I am confused on this process...help, test tommorrow!!

Will it be difficult to buy Grand Theft Auto IV in stores on its release date?

poppo — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 10:25:55 -0800

Will it be difficult to buy Grand Theft Auto IV in stores on its release date? Will it be hard to get in stores on the first day of its release? Will there be lines? What about a week later?

I know you can also pre-order from any number of online sites, but it seems never to be guaranteed that they ship it to you on Day 1.

For Xbox360 if it matters.

What's the name of that American Competition TV show...?

russ9595 — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 17:56:49 -0800

What's the name of that American TV show where a woman draped the American flag into a stunning dress without cutting it, and did the photo shoot inside Grand Central Station? I think it was some kind of photographers competition.

Did I Ruin my Jeep's battery by adding oil?!

hoborg — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 16:30:22 -0800

Jeep Repair: I have a 97 Grand Cherokee (actually, the badge reads "Cheeroke" for undetermined reasons). I performed some recent seemingly-unrelated maintainence./ Why isn't it starting?! I was doing some routing cleaning and maintenance yesterday when I found that the oil level wasn't even appearing on the dipstick. Not at all comfortable/familiar and yet suspicious of cars, I decided to put a little bit in at a time to see if I could get it to register on the dipstick. The Vehicle Information System is supposed to read when your oil level is low, but hasn't piped up. So I took a chance. After about 1/4 quart (cup?), the oil began to register on the dipstick, well below the "Add" section. I kept adding it in slowly, checking often to avoid putting too much in, which is specifically warned against on the dipstick. I put the entire quart in, drove it around the block and parked it where I could get enough light to repair the liftgate, which had stopped working (apparently pretty common). Some scraped knuckles later, I successfully jimmied the hatch open and could now remove the interior rear panel to actually fix the problem of the lock, but by this time the sun had gone down and so I put everything inside the car and closed the hatch, sure that I would be able to get it open now that I have the rear panel off.
Today I went out to finish the job, and lo and behold. The car won't start! The diagnostic readout said Error 12, which means that the battery has been disconnected sometime within the last 50 startups. Ok, so maybe it's a battery problem, I thought, but the lights were coming on (though dim). Did removing the rear panel, which as far as I could see had NO electrical connections drain my battery? Did adding (too much?) oil?
I got a jump start later this evening - the hood light lit up quite a lot more after I attached the cables, which is a good sign. The engine wouldn't start as I turned the key, except when I was giving gas, and as SOON as I stopped pushing the pedal, the engine stopped completely. If I turn the key with no jumpstart assistance, I get a rat-a-tat-tat machine-gunny sort of sound and also bupkis.
So, not being a car person, I'm throwing myself upon the askMe altar: Can someone help or point me to a good place to ask a newbie?

What to see in George Town, Grand Cayman and Cozumel

wilburn — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 21:38:29 -0800

What should I see in George Town, Grand Cayman and how can I reliably get from Cozumel to Tulum? Taking a Western Caribbean cruise with my family (3 teens) in a couple weeks and two of the ports are George Town and Cozumel.

I'm not familiar at all with George Town. Can anyone suggest interesting things to do/see. We'd prefer an activity that gets us away from tourists and souvenir stands and more in contact with the local culture. Of course, we'd also consider any must-see natural attractions.

Also, is there an inexpensive but reliable way to get from Cozumel to Tulum and back? Excursions through the cruise run about $85 (yes, it's a nice bus, but I have a hard time being on a group's schedule and stopping for long "breaks" at more souvenir stores). Other suggestions for Cozumel would be appreciated as well.

Thanks for your help.

Local or Express?

2bucksplus — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 06:36:42 -0800

Help me optimize my daily New York City Subway commute! A good question for those who love transportation puzzles: Every business day, I travel from Union Square to Grand Central at 8:30AM and return at 5:30PM via the 4,5 or 6 train. These trains depart from opposite sites of the same platform. Given the frequency of the trains, and their comparative speeds (and the fact that the local stops along the way), am I better off:

1. Always getting on the first train that arrives, be it local (6) or express (4,5)
2. Always getting on the first express train that arrives, even if that means not getting on a local train (4,5)
3. Some other answer?

Why?

Now, say I just miss an express train (i.e. see it depart the station), am I better off:

1a. Getting on the next train to arrive, be it local or express (4,5 or 6)
2a. Getting on the next express train to arrive even if that means skipping a local train (4,5)
3a. Some other option?

Why?

I am assuming in this question that I always can board any train, but if I estimate that the express trains are too crowded 10% of the time, and the local trains are never too crowded, does that change your answer?

Arizona, Las Vegas & Utah Sightseen

WizKid — Fri, 11 May 2007 07:25:30 -0800

Road trip Kansas -> Grand Canyon -> Las Vegas -> Utah -> Colorado -> Kansas (May 21'st - 27'th). We need recommendation and advice with accommodation, attractions, any things else. Thank you everyone for your input to my earlier post. As per your suggestions we have decided to drop LA from our itinerary. Anyway I compiled this post to be a complete post (including details from my last post), so you don't have to go back and see it)

Four International college students (over 21) from Kansas plans to go on a road trip Kansas -> Grand Canyon -> Las Vegas -> Utah -> Colorado -> Kansas (May 21'st - 27'th). We need recommendation and advice with accommodation, attractions, any things else.

What we have
- Mazda prodigy 1993
- 2 Drivers
- GPS Unit
- AAA membership
- Sprint Mobile Phone
- 2 or more Digital Cameras
- Laptop

itinerary
- Leaving Kansas on 21'st (5AM) and arriving in Grand Canyon around (4PM)
- Spending 22'nd sight seen in Grand Canyon (and Arizona)
- Leaving Grand Canyon on 23'rd (around 7AM) and arrive at Las Vegas around 2PM
- Spend the 23'rd night at Las Vegas
- Leaving Las Vegas on 24'th (around 8AM) and arriving at Utah around 1PM and look around
- Spend the 25'th and 26'th in Utah
- Leaving Utah on 26'th (around 1PM) and arriving at Denver, Colorado around 11PM
- Leave Colorado on 27'th (around 7AM) and head back to Kansas

1) Please give your comments about the itinerary. It's adjustable as long as the max is 7 days.

2) we are on a budget. so we need to find cheap accommodation.

3) Please let us know things to see in Grand Canyon, Utah (Specially in Utah we would like to see a Dinosaurs Cave or a museum) and Las Vegas (what are the place in Las Vegas we should see)

4) Tips about the attractions? (I read a review about the sky walk been a total rip-off) Any more tips like this? Where can I find coupons for attractions, meals and hotels?

5) In Utah what National Parks and where in it should we visit?

6) What are the scenic drives and en routes that we should take?

7) Places to eat?

8) We will be traveling in a Mazda prodigy 1993. Any car care tips for a long trip? what should we take with us?

10) Any general tips and trick that will be useful for us.

Thanks you all for reading this long post

Grand CaymanFilter

bhance — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 10:38:21 -0800

CaymanFilter: Looking for MeFite input on a trip to Grand Cayman ... I'm tagging along with students headed to Grand Cayman in mid-March, and I'll be left to my own devices while they are in class. I've devoured all the info I can find online, and am now looking for off-the-beaten-path, day-trip-ish, local-color type input from any MeFites beyond "snorkel, scuba, and visit Hell".

California Criminal Grand Jury Selection Process

trixare4kids — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 22:46:49 -0800

California Criminal Grand Jury Selection Process: Can anyone tell me what the prosecutor and judge are looking for as they question and choose who in the pool is selected to serve? The questionnaire asked if you've previously served on a jury and, if so, if you were foreperson. Does having already served on a jury and/or been jury foreperson help or hinder? I'm wondering if they were looking for certain backgrounds, personality traits, experience, etc.

Rim to Rim at the Grand Canyon?

ph00dz — Thu, 08 Jun 2006 18:49:56 -0800

What's it like to run/hike from rim to rim in the Grand Canyon, all in one day? I'm in pretty good shape and I live in Arizona, so I figure that I'll run from one side of the Grand Canyon to the other. Might as well, considering it's close by and I've always wanted to try it. I have all the requisite gear -- a camelbak 'n' all that good stuff, as well as a wife who will pick me up on the other side of the run.

I figure it'll be about 20-24 miles... which is well within my running range.

With all that said, I guess I'm just curious to hear from other folks who might've done it. When's the best time of year to go? What trails did you take? Did you go South to North... or vice versa? Was it more brutal than you expected? Is it a horrible idea to do it alone? (And if it is, how the heck can I find other folks who want to do this?)

Is there anything else that I should keep in mind?

inconsequential lyric quest

quin — Tue, 14 Feb 2006 22:47:42 -0800

Lyrics to a couple of Grand Theft Audio songs. So i found an old CD of a band that i liked. Problem is i am lyric obsessed. i have 2 questions; in the song "We luv You" do they say "We wanna wreck the town with the infidel rokkit" or "We wanna get down, we're in for a rockin' " and in "Stoopid Ass" the lyric sheets i have found said "Do you think you can beat me...No", Where i hear "Do you think you can beat me, Do you think you can break me, no!"

Totally inconsequential, but i'd love to know the truth.

/Hoping someone knows the lead singer or something.

Grand Vitara Jingle

BarePaw — Thu, 05 Jan 2006 10:25:22 -0800

What is the jingle on the Suzuki Grand Vitara "Basejump" Commercial? It has been previously asked who the actress was. A link to a video of the commercial was provided. Can anybody name the song? Thanks.

heading SE for Thanksgiving

banjomensch — Fri, 19 Aug 2005 12:02:44 -0800

Normally we venture up into the Yosemite foothills for Thanksgiving week, but the cabins are horrifically high in rents. So we're thinking either Flagstaff or vicinity instead since The Kid (now 24) has never seen the Grand Canyon, and should. Tips, opinions, places to stay, things to do? Oh yeah, two dogs will be accompanying. We'll be driving from LA area, hence the SE direction of travel....

Grand camping?

foraneagle2 — Thu, 18 Aug 2005 17:21:22 -0800

Where should I camp out at the Grand Canyon? Three of us (21 year old males) are roadtripping from the west coast to east coast next week and we're looking to stay one night near the Canyon. We'll have two small tents and enjoy adventure. All advice is appreciated.

I wish to have an Adventure. I'd like suggestions.

-harlequin- — Mon, 27 Jun 2005 04:05:44 -0800

I would like to have a Crazy (or Grand) Adventure, but it seems good adventures are harder to find than in the movies. Anyone know or can think of any good ideas? Difficulty: I'm aiming for a LOW likelihood of getting killed/arrested/maimed/sued, but a HIGH likelihood of Amazing Tales I can bore people with 50 years from now. A grand expedition and/or something totally half-assed. I guess movies are the best common language here so for half-assed plans, things like "Without a Paddle" or "The Motorcycle Diaries". For grand adventure, think "Indiana Jones", etc.

Location: I don't want to restrict things, so let's say anywhere in this world (or any other :-), but it would be a lot more doable a lot sooner for me the closer it is to Seattle. I have relatives in New Zealand, so stuff close to that end of the planet works better too.

I'm in my late 20's, fairly fit, healthy, have some basic survival skills, but I would take some time to learn the appropriate skills before tackling whatever incredibly stupid (or grand) undertaking(s) I settle on.

Money is currently a limiting factor, but don't let it limit your suggestions. (Something that involves significant investment in equipment, travel, or help, isn't impossible, just not possible in the near-term. There is no rush.) I don't expect to ever break out of the working/middle-class income range though, so ideas involving things like airships are unlikely to ever be feasible. :-)

I have some stout volunteers. (Indeed - stout enough to volunteer for an unknown adventure). So something we can tackle as a team is a plus.

Length: a few days to a few weeks in the field. (Time spent preparing beforehand can take as long as necessary).

Some adventure ideas that I'm already aware of, and not particularly interested in. (They all seem to be a bit of stretch to be described as An Adventure)

- The $1M reward for finding the Tasmanian Tiger. (reason: It's a race, and there is no way I could bootstrap my tracking skills to the level of those who have already spent years searching. And I wouldn't want to spend years on it. It also seems highly likely to prove fruitless).

- The hunt for the treaure trove of narcotics hidden underwater off the coast of Australia by a drug smuggler who is now dead. (reason: don't want to tangle with the drug trade. Underwater searches are costly. Not my forte)

- The hunt for a broken arrow ditched in a bay in the 50's. (reason: Everything will inevitably come down to "What the Airforce says, goes". Something where a small group can achieve something independantly would be better)

You might say that rejecting things like these is being picky, but I think while (mostly) noble endeviours, they're all a little sub-standard compared to the Hollywood-exagerated concept of adventure. So call me unrealistic instead :-)
Now that I think about it, I like mapping, so going and mapping unknown terratory as part of it would appeal to me, but the only unknown terratory I can think of is very very deep caves and undersea. I'm not so interested in re-mapping an area just so I can pretend to be mapping something :)

I thinking something that involves wilderness in some way is likely to be better than something urban. And... that's about it.

Focus the raw power of your pent-up creative energies on this problem. Melt it like butter in a blast furnace.
Much obliged.

piece together a movie for me

randomstriker — Sat, 30 Apr 2005 15:17:05 -0800

Grand Canyon is on TV right now. It's one of those perennial reruns I enjoy enough to try to watch, but not enough to stick with it -- I always end up flippin' channels when a commercial comes on. So as a result, over the years, I've caught bits and pieces of it but never seen it from beginning to end. One story arc confuses me: did Mack (Kevin Kline) sleep with his yummy secretary? Did it happen on screen or was it just alluded to? What is the chronology of events between Mack and said delectable secretary?