Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with ideas

The Best Way to Get Work Done

CollectiveMind — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 08:58:42 -0800

I have some ideas I want to bring to fruition. Is it best to focus on each one at a time until I either complete it or go as far as I can go with it? Or is it better to schedule my time so I work on each of them a little each day and move them all forward at once?

Help me celebrate Eid and make it fun

tavegyl — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 04:42:11 -0800

Help a misanthropic lapsed Muslim celebrate Eid in London! Looking for ideas from all cultures and none, on manufacturing a better holiday than the traditional one I usually dread. Back in Pakistan, my family celebrated both Eids in much the same way: waking up early for the Eid prayer, followed by sheer khurma for breakfast. New clothes, a day spent visiting family and friends, with us kids hoping we'd get cash presents. Family lunch at my grandmother's. Then more visiting. That was the plan; actually we usually spent the entire day quarrelling and hating our extended families.

Now I live in London married to an Englishman and we can celebrate Eid as we wish. And I would like to insist on a fun twice-yearly celebration, full of new traditions, partly so that I can hold on to some of my own culture in a sea of British celebrations.

However, I'm stumped for what to do. All I can come up with is an Eid dinner for myself, my boy and a few close friends. This makes it basically a glorified dinner party, with resonance only for me. Metafilter, help me with your suggestions!

- If you celebrate or know people who celebrate Eid, how do you do it? What are the fun parts? Any special traditions, like cracking eggs on Greek Easter? If you don't celebrate Eid, any fun little customs I could steal, which wouldn't have other resonances for my English partner?

- No prayer/ mosque related suggestions please, it's not my style.

- Minimal sentimentality, maximum fun is my goal. So Thanksgiving style counting of blessings would not work here.

- In lieu of killing a goat, I've decided to make it a custom to decide as a family which charity we're going to support, and then making an equivalent donation on Eid. Still open to other charity-related suggestions, though.

- In Pakistan we get three days off to celebrate Eid. In the UK, not so much. Bonus points for suggestions on how to celebrate when it's still an ordinary working day, without postponing it to the nearest weekend.

For those unfamiliar with Eid, these are two important Muslim holidays. One Eid comes at the end of the month of fasting, Ramazan. The second, which is this weekend, commemorates Abraham's non-sacrifice of his son, Ismail in Muslim tradition. This Eid is the one where you slaughter animals and donate their meat to charity. Because the Islamic calender is lunar, the two Eids occur at different times of the year, about two months apart

Innovative Book Designs

0bvious — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 04:37:46 -0800

Innovative Books: I am looking to compile a list of the most innovative uses of the book format. Books that break the mould in their layout and design, perhaps books that use online systems to extend their content value or push their form into new places. I am most interested in narrative and theory, but any book that is interesting (artist books etc.) would be really appreciated. I have a few examples, in order of publication, to set the ball rolling:

Compendium for literates : a system of writing by Karl Gerstner - A book about book form in an innovative form. Beautiful and still fresh

Dictionary of the Khazars: a lexicon novel in 100,000 words by Pavic - a 'dictionary novel' "written in two versions, male and female, which are identical save for seventeen crucial lines"

A Humument: A Treated Victorian Novel by Tom Philips - an artist who has used one particular edition of one particular book as a space for his work for many years

The Selected Works of T. S. Spivet by Reif Larson - extended use of footnote, side-note and illustration to give the narrative dimension

I would love any ideas you have!

Need Ideas for Tween Fortune Teller

moonlitpines — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 08:11:14 -0800

My co-worker is hosting a Halloween-birthday party for her tween daughter and friends. Her daughter has decided she'd like to tell fortunes at her party and we're trying to come up with some cool, funny tween-friendly fortunes. Any ideas would be welcome.

Seeking your ideas for fun and interesting hobbies and skills.

tomble — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 21:40:49 -0800

I feel like I'm in a bit of a rut! I'm looking for a number of new projects, skills, and interesting things that I can learn or work on. I'm planning on trying out something new every week, dedicating a number of hours to learning new things, embarking on interesting projects and otherwise doing things I wouldn't normally do. I love hands on tasks, making things, cooking and unusual skills. I'm not interested in anything like performance art.

All suggestions welcomed

So far my list includes :

Learning to tie a range of different knots.
Building a solar food dehydrator
How to start a fire without matches or a lighter
Juggling
Make an article of clothing from scratch
Making cheese
Build a kinetic sculpture for my back yard
Build a crystal set radio
Learning how to whistle
Using templates and a pressure washer to clean the path outside my house, leaving decorative patterns of unwashed concrete.
Writing a song.
Learning to solder properly and making an electronic something.

So, any ideas welcomed!

Need Halloween costume ideas involving a mustache!

no bueno — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 17:39:06 -0800

Anyone have any good ideas for a Halloween costume involving a mustache? I'm growing a mustache all month so I figured I might as well incorporate it into my costume. So far I've come up with Rafael Palmeiro on Levitra or a Reno 911/Supertroopers character. I'm about 6'2 210 with dark blond hair if that matters for your ideas. Any and all suggestions are welcome. I'm not shy

Great destinations, routes and experiences in and around Toronto.

maudlin — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:54:55 -0800

I want to go to there, but I need your advice on where "there" is. Starting point: Toronto. Range: any land within 100 km (60-ish miles) of High Park, but I can go further for something really special. Means of transport: my trusty steed. Time frame: now until November-ish. I'm looking for great routes or awesome destinations, urban, rural or suburban, like the best roti in Scarborough, a tiny potter's studio somewhere in Peel, or a gorgeous path by some body of water that isn't Lake Ontario. I want to go somewhere to do something neat, like picking apples or riding horses. And this is not Torontofilter or bikefilter. I'm looking for creative ideas from anyone, anywhere. If you're from the GTA or any place within reach, what places, routes and experiences would you recommend? For example:

- A great view or nearly-secret thing that few other people know about. I never got around to the secret swing, and I regret it.
- The best [meal / farmer's market] in [area of your choice].
- Galleries are an obvious choice for me, but beyond that, is there, say, a raku studio nearby that gives demos or classes?
- Some place I should go to with my camera or sketchpad, or else.
- Where is a movie or tv show being filmed right now? I don't care about star-stalking, but am curious about the ebb and flow of work on site.

If you're not from around here, what kind of place or experience do you have in your neck of the woods that I should try to find locally?

Restrictions: very few.

- These have to be day trips, thus my soft limit of 100 km (200 km round trip). However, if need be, I can justify taking a train partway to get to someplace great and back in one day.
- I favour free or cheap over expensive, but can justify spending some money on an awesome experience.
- I can carry a fair amount on my bike, but there are limits, so I don't think I'll be furniture shopping any time soon.

Otherwise, suggest away!

UK spook house suggestions

skylar — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 08:27:20 -0800

I'm in the UK and, for Halloween, will be putting together what the Americans might call a "spook house". I'm looking for suggestions on great effects / props / installations to create truly classy, creepy illusions such as the ones described here - but I'm struggling to find other similar sites. Secondly I'm seeking ideas for smaller scale sideshows or games - anything icky that a small group of people can watch or participate in around a table. What have you seen or done that I could re-create this Halloween?

Help us choose a costume!

skjønn — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 18:25:06 -0800

What would be an amazing halloween costume idea for a couple that consists of: one white tall slender female with long blonde hair and one white tall brunette bearded slender boy? Fictional characters or real life people. Ideas that have been considered and discarded:

-Alice in Wonderland and Mad Hatter
-Jesus and Mary Magdalene

Also, costumes should not involve wigs.

Bonus physical traits- Girl has very large eyes, boy is sometimes told he resembles john lennon. (John and Yoko costume unfeasible because of Yoko's black hair)/

Thank you so much hivemind!

This time, I ain't going dressed in toilet paper.

embrangled — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 05:03:02 -0800

I'm doing Halloween for the first time since I was a kid! Help me think of a costume that's a) smoking hot and b) clever and/or ironic. I've never done Halloween as an adult, and I have no idea what to wear. We'll be going out clubbing, so I'd like to look attractive as well as convincingly in-costume. I'll be with a bunch of cynical smart-arses, so irony and pop-cultural references are very welcome.

I'm female, white, mid-20s and shaped like an hourglass (think classic 1950s silhouette with a small waist but "healthy" thighs). I can sew and I have plenty of thrift and vintage stores at my disposal. I'm open to ideas from any era or genre. Hope me, hive mind!

What to do at a joint bachelor/bachelorette party?

tacoma1 — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 17:34:12 -0800

What activities or games would be good for a joint bachelor/ bachelorette party? My friends and I are taking two of our friends, an engaged couple, to the beach for a joint bachelor/bachelorette party. We'll be there for about three days and have rented two houses. We're all in our mid-20s to mid-30 and most of us know each other fairly well (there are some people who don't.) We're trying to come up with fun ideas--activites, games, whatever--that will make the purpose of the weekend clear, in addition to just hanging out and doing regular beach things.

So far we've thought of some sort of scavenger hunt, poker, karaoke...

Any ideas?

Gift for a woman I barely know?

Phire — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 07:48:31 -0800

I need help coming up with a gift idea for a 40-50 year old woman that I don't know very well at all. My dad and I will be visiting Chicago for a few days in the near future, and we'll be staying with a friend of his. They were pretty close about ten years ago when both our families lived in the same city, but now we live about a thousand miles apart and they very rarely see each other.

Last time he stayed with this family a few years ago he brought a gift that was more oriented towards the dad, whom he knows better. This time he'd like to bring a gift that the hostess can really appreciate. I've been tasked with finding such a gift.

The only things I know about her is that she's not religious, that she has a daughter who is around 21-year-old, and that she works as a technician at a Big Pharma company. What can we bring in the price range of $60-80 CAD that would be appropriate as a thank-you gift? We're in Ottawa, but bringing the usual maple syrup and whatnot would feel kind of tacky.

Tell me about creativity as an external anima, please.

Cantdosleepy — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 03:33:59 -0800

Looking for information about creativity as an external force or spirit (or manna or anything even vaguely similar). Things like the Greek Muses, from any cultures. I've the hatchling of a plan for a story that involves a creativity-inducing environment, and am looking for background reading / idea-spawning stuff.*

If you can think of any rituals people perform in other cultures to commune with creative spirits, the names of any sprites or nymphs or kami involved in this, any great speeches by poets declaring opiates to contain idea-giving properties, any of that would be gold.

Famous arguments to the contrary would also be appreciated. I'm not looking for a discussion about the merits of this worldview, particularly (although if you want to hash it out a little in this thread don't let me stop you) but am more interested in historical proponents of both sides. This thread about conceptual blending, for example, was gold. If a moustachioued Edwardian had said something pithy about something similar, even better.

Looking to spend some time filling my brain with this stuff and seeing if anything useful comes out.

(*What's that you say? Using external materials to induce creativity? Good spot, but not exactly what I mean. I'm after external anima-type things that people think they can commune with.)

"Oooh, look, an exotic native woman!" "Buzz off."

divabat — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 10:55:09 -0800

What are some good travel guide websites that aren't so Western-centric and don't treat other countries like exotic sights to gawk at? I just rediscovered Matador after randomly signing up for it years ago, and while it looks really promising, it does have a really strong colonial "we are American tourists off to see the exotic isles and be really awesome Americans saving the world" vibe around it. It's something I've noticed with travel companies in Australia too - I was at STA Travel's promo for gap years and to me it felt like the rest of the world was there for their entertainment, or that they were humble foreigners trying to civilize the savages with their volunteer jobs, or something.

Being Malaysian, and being used to being made exotic, that sort of vibe never really sat right with me. I've been travelling since I was a baby, I _love_ to travel, and I love volunteering wherever I can (I was on a world tour that was part performance part community work - best time ever). But I don't click with the party-hard, white-kid-saving-the-world-by-teaching-English, befriend-other-backpackers type lifestyle that groups like Matador and STA Travel tend to espouse.

Are there any other good websites and resources for travel that have a different view on things? I'm after more how-to sort of stuff, like the best organisations doing X or the most interesting things about Y in Z country, or how to pack for a trip (as opposed to personal stories of travel). I'm 23, so something geared for youth is great, but again I'm not much of a club-hopper type. Anything that can take account of currencies that don't really translate well overseas (Europe for Really Cheap!) would be great.

Thanks!

LARP-making 101

divabat — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 10:36:50 -0800

How do you organise, structure, and run a LARP - particularly one that's a little bit unusual? I'm quite inspired by White Elephant Burlesque, which is part burlesque troupe part LARP. They have a storyline, with characters, and they perform in character.

I would like to do something similar (and they've given me their blessing) - I have a storyline that could work quite well. How do I get it going?

1. The storyline I have in mind has some set characters, and a basic plot, though there is always room for innovation and deviation. How strict should the plot be? How about the characterisations?

2. Do I assign characters to players? Do I cast for certain people to play certain parts?

3. I don't imagine my story will involve a lot of combat or any other points-gathering activity; however, having quests and challenges for the characters sounds interesting (the overall story quest I had in mind centers around the identity of a spirit and their murderer). What are some creative ways of incorporating quests into a LARP like this?

4. From what I can envision, this is something that would likely be played over time - and sometimes online - and many of the players would either be burlesque/performer types that are new to gaming, or people that like to RP but may be new to performing. I'm not out for stage talent here, just a bit of fun. How can I best organise people's time and have them get along with as little conflict as possible?

Any other resources on running and structuring a LARP, or any other related game style that can help (as I write this I realise this has shades of murder mysteries) would be helpful too.

How can I hang my photographs?

wild like kudzu — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 08:49:45 -0800

So I really like to take pictures, but I'm bored with framing them. What other cool ideas for mounting or backing large high quality printed photographs are there? I've heard of people pouring some sort of shalaque over a photograph on wood, but I don't really know how to do it. Anybody got any ideas?

Ideas for "non-lame" activities for a wedding reception?

lifeless — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:02:13 -0800

Me and the fiancée are getting married on August 1st. The plans for the ceremony are set in stone at this point, but we're still partially in the planning stages for the reception. From the beginning, we've worked hard to avoid the usual wedding clichés. Right now, though, we've got a bit of a planner's block going on. That's why we turn to you for ideas and insights. Googling "wedding reception activities ideas" etc. produces umpteen jillion results, many of which I intend to read and some of which are no doubt useful, but I've got a hunch that AskMeFi has some real pearls to share.

What unusual, unique, inventive or particularly memorable wedding reception activities have you seen, taken part in or arranged yourself that you and (your/other) guests really liked? The one thing that we're looking for is "non-lameness". This is subjective, but I won't define it further. Take a crack at it :-). The activities may be performances by a small number of people or something that everyone present can participate in, or anything in between - as long as you found it cool or clever or funny or engaging etc.

Some details that might be useful: about 100 people will attend, almost adults-only, just a few kids present. Significant age groups: 24-30 (our friends), around 40 (my cousins), 50-70 (biased towards 50-55; family, relatives, family friends). Live instrumental music by a professional duo. Several friends with musical abilities as guests. Current focus on appealing to young and "young-minded" audiences, although trying not to offend or (unnecessarily) confuse the older folks.

At last, I will be able to drink in America.

sarahj — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:43:51 -0800

How can I throw an epic 21st birthday party? I'm turning 21 soon. I just recently moved into a house with a bunch of my friends on our campus and I'd like to throw a party. What can I do to show the people a good time? A great punch recipe? Crazy decorations? A weird theme? My housemates have pretty mainstream taste (in terms of pop music, college frat parties, etc) but I'd also be inviting another group of friends who have more offbeat taste (obscure music, artsy films and stuff) - I'd definitely want my party to be more "offbeat"!

I think I could probably get around 20-30 people I know (friends, neighbors, acquaintances) to show up for sure (most likely not all at the same time) but there would probably be more if people bring friends and friends-of-friends and such. I'm willing to spend about $100-$200 max myself on booze and miscellaneous party items, but I'd rather have it go pretty far rather than, say, renting a huge foam machine or getting a DJ or something. Cheap beer will most likely be bought for college-style drinking games, and some nicer beer or champagne for close friends. I'm just not sure what else to do! Is there anything anyone's had/done at a birthday (or other!) party that made you say "wow, sweet!"? What can I do to make my party awesome (with a touch of strange)?

I'm looking for a website where someone is living out their dreams.

bprater — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:25:09 -0800

Do you know of any websites that showcase a person who is actively documenting themselves as they live out their dreams? For instance, do you follow anyone who has sold everything, put everything they need in a backpack and is (or has) been backpacking in Europe? I'm looking for any websites along these lines, especially ones that you really find inspirational.

I'm planning on doing something similar this fall, buying an RV, packing up my stuff and heading out to start crossing items off my bucket list. I'm looking for the best ways I can present my adventure so that I can really connect with readers. I want to inspire others to think about their lives.

Looking for a website where users can get together, share/critique new ideas, and volunteer to collaborate on new projects.

Muffpub — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 07:28:54 -0800

Are there any sites out there for organizing people to work on collaborative projects or new ideas? I can't find anything on AskMe about collaboration that doesn't involve specialized tech-related projects or collaborative office software. Am I missing something? If there's something out there on the internet that can do this I'd love to be a part of it. For example, "Write for my blog," "contribute to my map of the area," perhaps even more cerebral stuff like "critique the new political system I invented!" If there's a fun, useful wiki/crowdsourcing type space where people can get together, brainstorm, and work together, I want to find it.

I'd like to emphasize that I'm looking for something as open-ended as possible. Ubuntu Brainstorm would be a wonderful idea if it weren't limited to Ubuntu. Think that, but for the whole internet! Where is it?

(The history behind this question: This MeTa thread I posted last week ended up morphing into a discussion on the existential nature of MeFi Projects and the possibility of a collaborative space on Metafilter, but an important precondition to that discussion was whether or not sites like this already are out there on the internet. If you don't know of any other site on the internet like this but think it may be a cool idea to propose that we do it right here on MeTa, say so, but please remember that AskMe is not for talking about Metafilter.)

Apologies if this is impossibly open-ended or chatfilter.

25 and TRYING to COOK

designbyme — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 15:48:54 -0800

I'm 25 and starting to cook - What? Where do I get it? Why? I'm 25 and me and my roommate are just starting to cook on our own. Our add water and microwave days of college are over. Plus we like to have friends over sometimes, and ordering a pizza makes for a lame dinner party.

Basically this just feels like something we should be doing, it's fun to try new things and in general, it saves money!

Some things I always liked growing up:

• Big Mac 'N Cheese fan
• Anything with Cool Whip...
• Mom makes this breaded chicken that got baked...
• Love salads, been trying to broaden my horizon in terms of dressing

I also always struggle with whether to buy the brand names or the store labels. Does it make a difference?!?! What do you guys buy and why?

Anyway.... I'd love to hear your ideas. I'd love some new easy recipes, but I'm really curious about the art of grocery shopping too. Discount store? Upscale store?

Thanks in advance!! If your ideas are really good, I'll have you all over for dinner. ;)

Your challenge, should you choose to acecpt it....

jasbet07 — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 14:15:32 -0800

Help me come up with some fun/outrageous birthday relay race stations... Since many of you were a great help this time last year, I thought I'd tap in to your collective genius again...

I'm planning a relay race around Prospect Park for my partner's bday - she's an avid runner (mostly over the past year) and as a result she's encouraged me and a number of our other friends to get off our butts and start running too - so I thought no better way to celebrate her and her bday than with a "race" of sorts - t-shirts will, of course, be created.

The thought is that we'd have 4-6 stations along the loop of the park and each station will have an activity somehow related to her that they have to complete before moving on to the next station. In the end all will have completed the activities and a 3.2ish mile run - then off to the bar.

So, here's some general info about her to help with any ideas - but generic, fun ideas that could be customized are also welcomed...

She is...
turning 32
a graphic designer who works in advertising and does logo design freelance
she's got a few tattoos
wears funky glasses
plays trumpet
throws pottery
born and raised in New England
loves running, softball and rugby
has a terrible sweet tooth
loves sci fi (battlestar is the favorite) and historical fiction.

I guess that's a good start. We are looking for things that can be done on the cheap, take a little effort, and can be documented in some way.

Some of the potential ideas we've come up with so far are:

buying cheap play glasses and having people decorate a new fashion forward pair for her,

creating puzzles from some photos of her (I think snapfish does this) and having people complete them,

Creating a short quiz about her and requiring some form of shot (jello perhaps) for wrong answers

Anyway, any ideas really appreciated!

Do you get ideas in the shower?

metajc — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 09:52:14 -0800

One thing: Why is it I come up with all these ideas in the shower. What about the shower make it easier to focus? How can I replicate the shower without having to take a shower? If I can't replicate the shower: Is there a good (water proof?) erasable marker for making notes on the shower wall? Or is that all just crazy?

Help me entertain my boyfriend while he's across the ocean.

DulcineaX — Sun, 31 May 2009 16:21:20 -0800

My boyfriend will be in Ireland for 3 weeks. He's taking my laptop, and I'd like to record some short videos for him. Help me think of some ideas! Well, besides the obvious.

My darling boyfriend is going to Sligo, Ireland for a study tour with his college from June 5 to 26. He'll be studying Irish literature and history, especially Keats. He'll also be taking my laptop with him, and I'd recording 21 silly little videos for him - one to watch each day. But, I'm running out of ideas!

These are the ideas I've come up with so far:
- general "hi, welcome to ireland!"
- strip show (obvious)
- poem reading (not sure what poem yet, though)
- guest appearance by his little sister (who thinks the world of him)
- guest appearance by our cat and dog
- sock puppet show

A little background:
Craig and I have been together for 9 years. We started dating very young (16 and 18, I'm the older one) and we still each think the other is just the cat's pajamas. This is the longest time we'll have ever been apart, and it's his first time travelling by himself (we've travelled together and with our families/friends, though). He also has pretty bad social anxiety, so we're both a little bit nervous - but very excited. We're complete nerds (we play Dungeons and Dragons and World of Warcraft, religiously followed Battletar Galactica, and have 4 floor to ceiling bookshelves full of books in our 600sq ft apartment) although I'm somewhat nerdier than him. He's a total literature geek, an amazing writer, an obsessive Red Sox fan, a video game junkie, very much an introvert, and we both have the very dark/off-beat sense of humor common to people in their mid-20's (ie Arrested Development, early Simpsons...terribly wrong jokes are hilarious).

I apologize for the length, I probably didn't need to write a novel in order to ask for video ideas, but I wanted to include some extra info just in case. I'd really appreciate any other inspiration. Thank you mefites!

Should I start a photo retouching business?

markcmyers — Wed, 27 May 2009 06:16:55 -0800

Should I start a photo retouching business? My wife asked me to take a head shot of her with my digital camera. She wasn't happy with the result. I said, "I'll bet someone on the Web does quickie retouching for 20 bucks." But Google turned up no such service. Should I start one? And how would you market it?