For the past year I've been trying to bike down every street in St Louis. In the beginning this was easy and wide-open and fun. The middle has been less so. Now, sitting at ≈65% completion
[map: zoomable | 1.5mb png | GPX] my current approach has become overwhelming and
tedious, and is no longer working; I need to get way smarter about this. How would a programmer, a mathematician, or a GIS/transit specialist approach this endgame, and what tools/software would he/she use?
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posted by jjjjjjjijjjjjjj
on Jun 13, 2013 -
10 answers
I love cooking, I do! But I really only love cooking for others. Come the weekend, I'll happily slave over brining meats that end in elaborate 120-step preparations. I have made food from the French Laundry cookbook that basically tripled my grocery bill. I love it.
But Monday through Friday, when its me and my tummy, I could kind of care less. I live a few miles from the nearest grocery and so I'm car-less, which means if I don't buy for the week, I don't buy at all. I'm also stupidly busy which means that a lot of the time I'm either paying way too much for lousy chain food or eating gummi worms for lunch.
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posted by GilloD
on May 30, 2013 -
17 answers
I hired a month-by-month financial adviser last year after my divorce to help me get things in order. The guy I worked with left the company last year on May 13. He called me yesterday, 366 days after he left from his new gig wanting me to be his client again. (non-compete plus 1)
That's when things got weird.
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posted by bricksNmortar
on May 15, 2013 -
8 answers
I travel on a semi-regular basis and would like to become a better traveler, both in terms of trip planning and packing/unpacking/repacking. If you travel frequently, how do you do it? How can I up my game?
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posted by kat518
on Apr 22, 2013 -
25 answers
My main squeeze is moving in! Our finances are starting to be a little more comingled and I'm looking for the best, healthiest way to start having a regular "money check-in" as part of our new life together. He is on board with this. How do we structure the conversation? Is there a sample agenda? Do we make it a date night? Help, please.
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posted by amoeba
on Mar 26, 2013 -
12 answers
So, I'm trying to get some opinions here:
My fiance and I have been engaged for 4 months and are in our mid-20s. We are both in school (undergrad for him, grad for me), but due to my income, we wanted to wait one more year, so that it would be financially better for us (e.g., paying tuition, etc). We are both interested in having children, however, something has come up for me health-wise (ulcerative colitis) that would make it less safe (because of medications) to have a baby later on, compared with now. Here are my questions for you:
1) Would you have a baby before marriage? What would be the reasons?
2) Has anyone actively planned this before? How did it work out?
I know some would say suck it up and push up the wedding, but it would save us a good 20K or so.
posted by queenba
on Mar 16, 2013 -
49 answers
Suppose that I have a website that has frequent traffic. This traffic is consistant and predictable. How do I begin monetizing it by selling ad space? Where would I get in touch with these mythical people who would pay to have their ads displayed on my website? Is it customary to get paid per click or per view? Are there different rates depending on the readership?
Educate me, Metafilter!
posted by wolfdreams01
on Mar 15, 2013 -
6 answers
My husband is driving me up the wall. He has always shown a reluctance to make a plan for anything, but I love planning stuff (trips, etc) so it's never come to be a huge issue. Except for now.
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posted by checkitnice
on Mar 13, 2013 -
47 answers
So I got accepted to my doctoral program (vet med - yay!). Before it begins in August, how can I best use my time between now and then? Looking mainly for non-obvious stuff (work, save money, sleep, etc). Any other general tips for surviving the program would be gladly accepted.
posted by Ufez Jones
on Mar 1, 2013 -
8 answers
In New York, and many other cities, developers can build bigger buildings than would otherwise be allowed, as long as they provide amenities such as parks, schools, affordable housing, etc. I want to show students how this works by providing a photo or drawing of a real building, annotated to show how much of the height is due to these bonuses.
For example, a drawing of a 50 story building, where the first 30 floors are unannotated, but then 30-35 are labeled "plaza," 35-40 "affordable housing units," 40-45 "subway entrance" and so on. I want it to be from a real building, and clear enough to show via a projector. I'm surprised this doesn't already exist, but I've done plenty of searching and can't find it.
posted by lenore
on Feb 20, 2013 -
7 answers
I'm desperately trying to become an adult (finally!), but I can't wrap my head around 'classic' budgeting software. Suggestions and tips to find what I really need?
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posted by hanov3r
on Feb 14, 2013 -
28 answers
I would like to hear about the little things that really stood out and details you still remember to this day from conferences or conventions in any field.
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posted by nathaole
on Feb 12, 2013 -
26 answers
My friends are all prepping for careers, and I'm wondering how I'll balance mine with the many things I want to do that are (probably) mutually exclusive. Looking for insight.
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posted by Urban Winter
on Jan 27, 2013 -
10 answers
My office delivers projects - about thirty a year, about four months each, give or take a few weeks if they go well. They're always late, but when planning the next project, we use the same optimistic assumptions. I think reference class forecasting (RCF) could help. Any pointers for (or links to a crash course in) using RCF to turn a spreadsheet full of historical start / end dates and milestones into more accurate forecasts? Or is this something best left to a math geek?
posted by obiwanwasabi
on Jan 26, 2013 -
1 answer
If you keep a diary or other secret papers, do you have a plan for what happens to it if something happens to you?
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posted by dawkins_7
on Jan 5, 2013 -
25 answers
Looking for activity ideas for a singles night in a small restaurant. What doesn't make you cringe?
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posted by ceiba
on Dec 17, 2012 -
14 answers
in my mind i envision a website where you put your departing airport and the site pulls together current last-minutes deals to all sorts of destinations
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posted by allthingsconsidered
on Dec 9, 2012 -
5 answers
Help me add new dishes to the menu. Difficult level: kosher-style, pescaphobic, non-dairy, mushroom hater.
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posted by bq
on Nov 27, 2012 -
17 answers
I was asked to consider teaching for a couple of days at a university here in the UK which is great. But I have zero experience in creating lessons plans. I have found some useful free-to-use lesson plans online that I am tailoring but I can't seem to get an indication of what I should provide to the university department leaders in advance. Should I only send the lesson plan and readings? Should I omit readings from what I send my future bosses? Help me make a proposal map so I can sort it all out for the future! It's a media studies department FWIW.
posted by parmanparman
on Nov 3, 2012 -
3 answers
Help two budget wedding dorks make the most of appointments, touring venues, etc. What questions do we need to ask in person? How do we get it all done in a weekend? Can we get discounts on entry fees for looking at all these places?
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posted by nakedmolerats
on Oct 10, 2012 -
6 answers
I am taking a trip to Salem (MA) this weekend with several friends. The general goal is to have lunch together and see some of the cheesy haunted house attractions. What else should we see while we are there? Are there any non-cheesy attractions that are simply too good to be missed?
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posted by wolfdreams01
on Oct 8, 2012 -
15 answers
What's that movie? filter: I'm looking for the title of a classic movie where a couple plans a wedding and it makes everyone unhappy.
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posted by petiteviolette
on Oct 5, 2012 -
2 answers
I've somehow been tasked with organizing a family reunion for my HUGE family. There could be up to 75 people there if everyone comes with spouses/SOs and kids. I plan large events for work and have done travel events like this (bachelorette parties, ski weekends) for smaller groups, but this is a real challenge for a group this large. Advice?
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posted by deliciae
on Oct 4, 2012 -
6 answers
Tell me your recipes that get much easier with a little bit of advance planning! I like cold-brew coffee and
this recipe for hash browns, not just because they're tasty, but because they're less work than regular coffee or hash browns, as long as I remember to do a tiny bit of preparation the night before. What else is like that? (If you have some non-food tips that fit the theme, that's good too...)
posted by moonmilk
on Oct 2, 2012 -
19 answers
Launching a freelance career, starting a training program and planning a wedding. Please help me get organized before my life spins out of control.
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posted by ladybird
on Oct 2, 2012 -
3 answers
How do you set yourself up for maximum success when starting a creative project that requires consistent production? Or: I have to create multiple radio pieces a week! How do I best prepare myself to get out there and make them?
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posted by elephantsvanish
on Sep 10, 2012 -
3 answers
What are some good MA programs in Urban planning in the US? With emphasis on working from the architectural side on large scale developments, particularly in relation to tourism.
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posted by pynchonesque
on Aug 19, 2012 -
5 answers
So I'm thinking it's a bad idea to include a chapter by
Jonah Lehrer in my college's first-year experience course, given that it would be placed right after our discussion on academic dishonesty. Can you help me think of a replacement?
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posted by bizzyb
on Aug 6, 2012 -
11 answers
I'm a young person with no debt and a pile of money to invest. The catch: I'm not real confident about the long-term health of the US economy.
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posted by anonymous
on Jul 24, 2012 -
25 answers
Help me find a wedding planning website. Tried 'theknot.com' and I can't get past how disorganized & visually chaotic it is.
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posted by luciddream928
on Jul 16, 2012 -
11 answers
I have a lot of autonomy in my job, along with a lot of responsibility. How can I get better at organizing my working patterns so that I get everything done, without always worrying that I should be working on some other task instead? Looking for recommendations for tactics, mindsets, books, apps, or whatever's worked for you.
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posted by Catseye
on Jun 13, 2012 -
6 answers
I'm in okay shape, but fitness and athleticism don't come naturally to me at all. Gyms are weird and stressful. Any advice on the best way to think about and develop a good workout routine?
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posted by whymog
on May 21, 2012 -
19 answers
How do really good and thorough event planners find dates with the fewest conflicts? I am in San Francisco, planning music events, and would love to find a comprehensive calendar including major festivals, concerts, bridge closures, naked marathons, sporting events, etc. Failing a comprehensive calendar, what main Bay Area calendar resources would you use?
posted by purplefiber
on May 12, 2012 -
6 answers
I'm looking to make the jump from the public sector to perhaps a career in urban planning. Can you share your experience with me?
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posted by timpanogos
on May 7, 2012 -
5 answers
Help me plan a 10-year anniversary party (to be on par with a wedding reception) for my boyfriend and myself. Specifically, what might our guests expect from the evening?
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posted by youngergirl44
on Apr 26, 2012 -
13 answers
My job is contract based, and tends to lead me around the world. How does one plan for retirement with such a job?
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posted by TrinsicWS
on Apr 26, 2012 -
6 answers
Tools for visualizing the interim steps of long-term goals, when there's no established model for the long term goal? Longer description inside.
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posted by Cool Papa Bell
on Apr 20, 2012 -
6 answers
I'm planning a trip to Paris from Boston for my family (wife, 3 girls 13, 11, 9) sometime over the summer. I don't know what I'm doing.
How do I find the least expensive flights?
Are there tricks to knowing when to leave and return? e.g. are there travel days that get better rates; leave on a Wednesday and return on Monday for cheapest flights?
What's the minimum number of days we should stay to make it worth the trip? I was thinking 5-6 days.
Is July better than August in Paris?
Do you have a favorite place to stay while in Paris? hotel? b&b? youth hostel?
Thank you!
posted by GernBlandston
on Apr 20, 2012 -
21 answers
Maternity leave: did you space yours out over a year (if your place of employment offers that option)? How did it go? Did you regret not taking it all up front, or were there real hidden benefits?
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posted by tristeza
on Apr 11, 2012 -
18 answers
