Hi, thanks in advance for helpful comments, suggestions, recommendations. I am looking to begin an improvement project on a single fam home the day after tomorrow in Arlington, TX. So, of course I waited to the last minute before deciding to seek alternate options to Home Depot and Lowes (the only big box home improvement stores in the area). That's all I need, Mefites! I will have to go get the materials from Southwest Arlington TX, so preferably
posted by rxbert
on Mar 21, 2013 -
1 answer
Help us figure out how to cover up or replace this god awful kitchen floor. We just purchased a farmhouse that was renovated in the mid 50s. The mudroom and kitchen have 9" asphalt tiles that are all coming up (so not level), and on top of that, the prior owner used these rooms as a kennel for his incontinent daschund.
[more inside]
posted by checkitnice
on Feb 16, 2013 -
20 answers
Lets say you have 30 minutes a day for the next six months, and at the end of the six month period you have the vague goal of being an extra awesome, turned-up-to-eleven version of yourself. What types of things do you focus on? What skills/behaviours/changes to your life do you take on to achieve that goal? Big or small changes, it doesn't matter.
posted by PuppetMcSockerson
on Jan 28, 2013 -
23 answers
Based on this
thread, touch typing has changed people's lives. I have been watching my fingers type for more than forty years, so I may not be able to make the change, but I'm willing to put forth a good effort. What software-based training program is likely to be effective to help an adult fast finger-typist become a fast(er?) touch typist?
posted by cameradv
on Dec 27, 2012 -
25 answers
I'm looking for a water detection system with a wireless alarm.
[more inside]
posted by shew
on Dec 25, 2012 -
3 answers
The ASA physical status classification system is used by anaesthesiologists, surgeons and epidemiologists the world over. It has a major flaw - it makes no odds whether index patients have 1 or 5 systemic diseases: only the leading/worst is counted. This has the advantage of simplicity but is potentially misleading and should be done better in the 21st century. Numbercrunchers with a biomedical background needed ...
[more inside]
posted by kairab
on Nov 9, 2012 -
4 answers
How can I improve myself when it's difficult to find better people to be around and when being around better people doesn't really seem to help?
[more inside]
posted by gadha
on Oct 21, 2012 -
10 answers
I need to paint my previously painted cement block porch while putting in the least money, time, and effort. What can be painted over a chipped paint job without it chipping again?
[more inside]
posted by paperclip2000
on Jun 11, 2012 -
5 answers
Is there anything out there to help me improve my balance, something that starts off easy, since even attempting to balance on one foot almost always results in me falling and/or getting rug burns?
[more inside]
posted by Sucht
on Apr 11, 2012 -
22 answers
I realized I'm a turd recently. How do I stop being such a self-involved, small-minded teenage asshole? Techniques, media, a stern talking to--I'd appreciate anything that might give me some perspective.
[more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Oct 23, 2011 -
32 answers
What is the proper way to replace rotted siding and fascia (looking for someone to enumerate the layers and materials) so that the house is well sealed and weather protected?
[more inside]
posted by hanoixan
on Sep 4, 2011 -
3 answers
Suggestions for ultra-practical upgrades to this life? I received a ~$5,000 windfall with some hefty strings attached, the main of which is that I must spend it within 60 days. Another kicker: whatever money I don't use before the deadline goes to a cause I'm ethically opposed to. I'm a single mom who, right now, would rather buy makes-life-easier/peace-of-mind type things, not silk sheets or espresso makers.
[more inside]
posted by Yoshimi Battles
on Jun 20, 2011 -
76 answers
I've spent decades working on the same personal flaws, and despite clear goals and clever attack strategies, nothing ever seems to stick. Is it even possible to permanently "fix" specific aspects of one's character or personality? If so, how? and how long does it take?
[more inside]
posted by gallusgallus
on May 16, 2011 -
27 answers
What's the best bang for my buck when it comes to improving my Scrabble game in a very limited time period?
[more inside]
posted by lollusc
on Apr 8, 2011 -
14 answers
Simple question: Where do I got to find short( 8'-20') lengths of SCH 80 steel pipe in nyc?
posted by edbles
on Mar 24, 2011 -
10 answers
No good deed goes unpunished: Gave my lovely little Greenwich Village basement art studio to someone for a few months. I got it back in the most atrocious shape...with my beautiful plaster walls completely hacked to bits from him incompetently drilling screw after useless screw into my wall, taking huge chunks of plaster out, and making occasional giant gouges with long anchoring screws (and even incomprehensibly applying adhesive spray insulation to glue wood boards to the wall. *sob*) The wall is about 11x9 feet. How much should I expect to pay to get this fixed? I'm handy, but know nothing about plaster and feel gutted about letting someone treat this super-old plaster wall so badly.
[more inside]
posted by thegreatfleecircus
on Feb 22, 2011 -
20 answers
You know those people whom you admire - those people who are confident, smart, funny, humble, kind and a gazillion other qualities besides? Those people who have had a lifetime of experience and are sagely, and take troubles in their stride calmly. Those people who have fortitude and courage. Those people whom others wish to emulate. I want to know how I can be like them.
[more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Feb 14, 2011 -
34 answers
I am a big fan of consistency- the rewards that can be reaped by simply doing something often over a long period of time are like slow motion magic. Please tell me about some of the things that you do for a few minutes a day to reap mega rewards in the future.
[more inside]
posted by palacewalls
on Jan 27, 2011 -
32 answers
I used to think that reading was noble in and of itself. Now I realize that I use it as an escape. I use it to avoid doing other things. Important things. It's like a vice, but it's READING! How can that be bad?
[more inside]
posted by peripatetic007
on Jan 12, 2011 -
31 answers
After comparing the first few strips from
Questionable Content to the most recent ones, I'd like to find others examples of dramatic improvements over time in people's drawing/drafting/cartooning/CGI skills. I'm looking for inspiration as well as some insight into how such improvement was achieved in a given case, if possible.
posted by Busoni
on Dec 18, 2010 -
25 answers
We've decided to move. We currently live in Omaha, NE and are considering moving to Cedar Rapids, IA, where I grew up, because greatschools.org indicates that the schools there kick ass compared to Omaha and vicinity. (Our kids are 3 and 1, so we've got time, but you know... no time like the present.) We're still a little conflicted about whether to go to CR or not, but I'll save that question for next week.
This week's question IS: what should we do to our house to get it ready to sell?
[more inside]
posted by wwartorff
on Nov 10, 2010 -
14 answers
"I loved that place. They really knew how to communicate with their employees." Have you ever thought this or said this?
[more inside]
posted by hecho de la basura
on Oct 28, 2010 -
5 answers
What are the potential problems, if any, of venting a portable A/C unit into a closet or attic?
[more inside]
posted by wordsmith
on Aug 13, 2010 -
14 answers
Is there something like Toastmasters for writing, specifically the functional, everyday kind?
[more inside]
posted by cosmic.osmo
on Mar 19, 2010 -
3 answers
I really want to paint my bathroom. I have never done any sort of DIY or home project before. Is this going to be harder than I think it is? Where do I even start?
[more inside]
posted by JoannaC
on Mar 18, 2010 -
8 answers
I'm looking to buy a spaceheater for my girlfriend's apartment. Anyone have any recommendations on ones that won't burn the place down?
[more inside]
posted by decrescendo
on Feb 18, 2010 -
19 answers
I can't do therapy. There must be other people who can't do therapy. What do these people do, when they get together, to fix their problems? What DIY, collaborative options are on the table, and how do I find them?
[more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Jul 11, 2009 -
32 answers
Help me help him . . . be a better boyfriend. Specifically, looking for book recommendations to help him understand his 'role' as boyfriend.
[more inside]
posted by lblair
on Apr 12, 2009 -
59 answers
Is 40% off a kitchen renovation to be used in training videos and advertisements too good to be true? I'm looking to the hive to help me ask smart questions that will suss out a scam.
[more inside]
posted by butterstick
on Mar 16, 2009 -
17 answers
Anyone found an energy efficient and cost effective CFL track lighting system? LED possibly?
[more inside]
posted by jeffmac
on Mar 15, 2009 -
5 answers
My apartment has a ceiling sprinkler system and one of the heads that has descended slightly from the ceiling. Should i worry that the sprinkler head will go off?
[more inside]
posted by slhpatterson
on Jan 29, 2009 -
9 answers
how do I become smarter in making the best decision when facing a new situation for the first time?
[more inside]
posted by thomasck
on Jan 4, 2009 -
17 answers
How can I improve the quality / listenability of my speaking voice? (for podcasts, namely, but in general works too)
[more inside]
posted by NikitaNikita
on Oct 10, 2008 -
7 answers
Mrs Baggers and I have just bought a house, and one of the rooms has walls covered with this ugly, bumpy stucco like stuff (photo
here). What's the best option for getting rid of it? Should we sand it down or try and cover it over?
posted by baggers
on Aug 19, 2008 -
20 answers
Can you recommend a wholesaler to buy laminate flooring from in Southern California?
[more inside]
posted by KimikoPi
on Jun 15, 2008 -
1 answer
What set of power tools can I assemble that will allow me to build things out of wood and will store in a closet?
[more inside]
posted by Foam Pants
on Jan 22, 2008 -
23 answers