If you were travelling the world, what geek tools (software & Hardware) would you take to help on your trip?
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posted by thelost
on Jul 22, 2009 -
16 answers
I'm a twenty-something American guy who has been considering an extended trip to Australia, ever since I visited for a few weeks in 2008. Last night I decided to be bold and finally applied for a
Work and Holiday Visa (Subclass 462). I woke up and found the visa approval email in my inbox. Talk about fast!
Excellent... so now what? How do I pause my established life and go on an adventure? How do I let people know, especially at work? I have a fair amount of stuff tying me down at home, but I think I need to leave in a few months or it's never going to happen.
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posted by anonymous
on Jul 11, 2009 -
6 answers
Daily Planner Question: need a two-page-per-day, "classic" (5 1/2 x 8 1/2) size. Have used DayTimer and Franklin (Covey) alternately for years. Standard packages from both either have extraneous materials that I don't need renewed each year or force me to order a base package that is insufficient and supplement it with specific things a la carte, driving up the price. Details inside. Suggestions?
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posted by skypieces
on Jun 19, 2009 -
6 answers
Travelling in India; I'm in Bangalore for a 2 week business trip, on Friday I have 1 week vacation. Part of me would like to see what I can during that time, but I'm also realizing (a) I've become a lazy traveller used to car rentals & Expedia, (b) getting to places here can take a long time. I'm becoming disenchanted because the do-able-ness of planning travel to multiple locations in such a short time seems hard, and I also have relatively heavy luggage & then there's also heat/ rain issues at this time of the year. Am I overthinking a plate of beans?
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posted by forallmankind
on Jun 14, 2009 -
5 answers
My wife is a meeting planner, but is getting sick of it, what other careers can she pursue with those skills?
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posted by UMDirector
on Jun 2, 2009 -
12 answers
How am I supposed to make financial projections for a business plan when I don't even know how much money I'd earn in a month?
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posted by divabat
on May 19, 2009 -
11 answers
How do we plan a high school reunion without having to put large amounts of our own money into the budget?
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posted by bristolcat
on May 12, 2009 -
10 answers
I am pretty miserable and aware my lifestyle needs to change. I think I have a good sense of what is causing this, and I can list for you the things I want more of in my life but cannot get over some sort of bizarre mental blocks about loosening up and the feeling that if I do it will ruin my and my husband’s lives. How can I cure my addiction to stability and what concrete things do you think I should do to get out of this rut?
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posted by anonymous
on May 8, 2009 -
14 answers
Urban Planning/Theory Filter: I am looking for writings, preferably available online, about the relationships of adjacent neighborhoods over time.
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posted by mirepoix
on Apr 27, 2009 -
5 answers
Experimental and radical urban planning: Where are the interesting multidisciplinary graduate programs in the U.S.?
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posted by lunalaguna
on Apr 22, 2009 -
4 answers
Please help me get organized. I have read far to many books and blogs about personal productivity and organization. I have tried practically every computer-based and web 2.0 application. I've tried GTD, Franklin-Covey, and my own home-brewed ideas, and while I seem to be able to take something good from them all, I can't seem to find a cohesive way of being and staying organized. I'm considering ditching some of the high-tech stuff for something simpler (paper), and I need some advice.
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posted by 4ster
on Apr 19, 2009 -
15 answers
I have some long term degenerative eye problems that may result in blindness over the next 10-20 years. What are some fields in which I could prosper despite this potential handicap?
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posted by anonymous
on Apr 16, 2009 -
7 answers
I'm looking for mottos, slogans, or quotes that are short enough to be easily remembered, that are meant to spur someone to take
action towards their goals, and/or that warn against overthinking and overplanning and staying in your head – in other words, that laud the merits of action over thought. I've already thought of "just do it" (which is the precise sentiment I'm looking for), but it is
so overplayed that it doesn't have much meaning any longer. Any sentiment of any length is appreciated, but ideally it would be something that easily sticks in your mind.
posted by WCityMike
on Apr 3, 2009 -
81 answers
How do I get the most out of a meeting with a financial advisor I don't particularly trust?
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posted by LN
on Mar 19, 2009 -
10 answers
This year I started doing a circus traineeship and learning burlesque, which is awesome. In a week I have to go back to Malaysia for a few months while my new Australian visa is processed. What can I do in the meantime in the middle of nowhere?
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posted by divabat
on Mar 18, 2009 -
9 answers
I have four mutual funds in my IRA account - a Total Market index fund, a Small-cap index fund, an International stock index fund, and a Bond index fund, and I'm trying to figure out how to allocate my assets between them.
I've read a little bit about "Modern Portfolio Theory" and the "Efficient Frontier", but I'm struggling to understand some of the math.
So, is there a simple way I can test whether a particular allocation is on the efficient frontier? Or, see all the possible allocations on the efficient frontier and choose between them? How do I figure this out?
Ideally, I'd love to see a simple enough formula that, given the mean and standard deviation (and maybe correlation matrix), of my four funds, would tell me what allocation is on the efficient frontier. Or, some type of online tool, or an Excel spreadsheet or something.
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posted by stuehler
on Feb 17, 2009 -
10 answers
Help me come up with a five year plan or dissuade me from making one in the first place.
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posted by anonymous
on Feb 8, 2009 -
12 answers
I have a task where I have a bunch of streets that I need to drive on, (but not all streets like StreetView) and I would like to know how is the best method to accomplish this while limiting the amount of extra un-needed driving?
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posted by farmersckn
on Jan 14, 2009 -
8 answers
Are there techniques or methods to determine how a city will grow and in what direction it will grow?
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posted by reenum
on Jan 12, 2009 -
11 answers
Seeking help in facilitating a group discussion about the future of a nonprofit organization.
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posted by Framer
on Jan 7, 2009 -
8 answers
Looking for an organizational planning calendar -- ability to emphasize/de-emphasize certain events, filter by category, and share amongst colleagues. Suggestions?
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posted by chefscotticus
on Nov 3, 2008 -
3 answers
Help me with this Urban Planning problem. I live in your typical bedroom community on the perimeter of a large metropolitan area. We have about 30,000 residents and a lot going for us in terms of community and location. We're going to get hooked up on the regions new commuter rail system, but it's on the far side of the community and I don't see it getting much use without a feeder system of some kind. Our regional mass transit system sucks otherwise; so we're on our own to develop an intra-community system that will keep our community vibrant, green, and support commuter rail.
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posted by IndigoSkye
on Aug 22, 2008 -
14 answers
Office manager for a small not-for-profit WLTM time and headache-saving way of keeping track of staff working hours and vacation time for loving LTR.
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posted by Acarpous
on Aug 11, 2008 -
3 answers
Looking to do a part-time urban planning masters degree or a certificate in the DC area. I'm looking at going back to school part-time (I currently work in the federal government in transportation), and I would like people's thoughts on area schools and their programs (Catholic vs UMaryland, etcetera).
Does anyone have positive or negative experiences (especially as a parttime student?), or can recommend any other area schools?
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posted by anonymous
on Jul 24, 2008 -
6 answers
What are the best graduate schools for environmental planning, with a focus on community involvement? I am specifically interested in community involvement in watershed health, and sustainable stormwater issues.
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posted by Delfena
on Jul 9, 2008 -
10 answers
What are your favorite, efficient, menu-planning sequences that use a limited set of ingredients in several different ways?
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posted by Miko
on Jun 2, 2008 -
25 answers
Is there software or a website that supports working with nice-looking, chunky, color-coded blocks to build a plan? Kind of like Microsoft Project for aesthetically attuned kindergarteners?
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posted by daisyace
on May 21, 2008 -
3 answers
I am throwing my first birthday party ever, for my pre-teen niece. Needless to say, I'm completely out of touch when it comes to kids' birthday parties (having not attended any since the 1980s) and don't know what's considered typical and usual. Please share your experiences and advice.
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posted by parilous
on May 6, 2008 -
20 answers
There is a war going on in the library. This conflict is between students who seek solitary silent study and those who seek to study or work on projects in groups. An individual student's allegiance to a faction can change from day to day based on their current course load. Because the Grouparians have the advantage of numbers, they tend to win out over the Solitarites. Surely the latter group needs a fortress all their own?
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posted by robocop is bleeding
on May 1, 2008 -
42 answers
Has anyone used an automated tool for moving (to a new house) - for example, like the Move Planner at moving.com? Your experience?
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posted by WestCoaster
on Apr 2, 2008 -
0 answers
Turning 24 in Disney World... what should we do there? I'll be there in 2 weeks for 4 days and need some ideas to make sure the SO and I are adequately entertained. So I need your suggestions for the Can't Miss things in and around Disney World. Please, help me plan my vacation!
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posted by CAnneDC
on Mar 28, 2008 -
19 answers
How should I select a financial planner? Should I find a fee-only or commission-based planner? $150-$200/hour seems like a lot of money to me.
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posted by mshields
on Mar 18, 2008 -
9 answers
I am turning 40 this month and the only thing that I have been certain of all my life is my desire to have a child. For a bunch of reasons,mainly poor planning, I have no way to make this dream happen any time soon (financial reasons, no partner, etc.). I'd like to look into freezing my eggs so that a couple of years from now I might still be able to make my dreams come true. Does anyone have experience with this? What is the cost? Is it a complicated procedure? Whatever information you might share would be very much appreciated!
posted by anonymous
on Feb 29, 2008 -
5 answers
Why are there certain intersections in Manhattan that do not have "Walk/Don't Walk" signs?
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posted by nomad73
on Feb 22, 2008 -
7 answers
My crappy car was deemed totaled and I'm going to accept the payout and finance a new used car. I'd also like to move into an apartment soon. Step by step, how do I wrangle this plan into fruition?
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posted by cowbellemoo
on Feb 15, 2008 -
11 answers
Toronto money filter: Two full-time students, recently common-law (under the
CRA definition) looking for financial planner recommendations.
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posted by gavia
on Feb 7, 2008 -
4 answers
Are there any books that take a Freakonomics like approach to explaining and analyzing urban sprawl?
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posted by stedman15
on Feb 6, 2008 -
14 answers
It's time for yet another round of "What is the best project management software!" Come meet the final contestants. Particularly if you have used Microsoft Project or Open Workbench.
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posted by salvia
on Jan 8, 2008 -
2 answers
It’s almost the New Year! There’s a lot I want to accomplish in 2008, but I find New Year’s Resolutions to be kinda lame, plus I always end up forgetting them by February. I’d like some sort of substitute that will get me excited about self-improvement right away and still keep me going strong for months/years to come. Ritual value is nice, but more importantly, it has to
work. [more inside]
posted by Metroid Baby
on Dec 14, 2007 -
16 answers
