Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with plans

What do you use your cell phone for?

Decimask — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 15:10:52 -0800

What do you use your cell phone for? Odd question, I know. Some short background:

I got my first cell about 3 years ago--a super-basic cell with the minimum number of bells and whistles I could find. I have yet to pay a dime on ringtones, games or wallpapers. What I've come to realise is that:

A camera would have been handy

Making calender entries without a QWERTY keyboard sucks

Now I'm planning on moving to a plan of some kind. But I'm seeing features on some phones and wondering: What the hell would I ever need that for?

So, like it says on the front page, what are you using your cell phone for?

Pound a nail, win a prize!

razdrez — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:31:38 -0800

I want to create some authentic carnival games at home so I can practice my stuffed animal gathering skills with some friends. Does anyone know of plans for such games, or info on the type of materials used, etc.? Here's one I found for the bottle/ring pickup game. Any others like this? I'm mainly interested in the basket toss, but unfortunately the name of that game is also a cheerleading move, and I'm swamped in GO Team!

Looking for the right hedge for privacy.

TheDude — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:46:26 -0800

Botany Filter: Looking for a a 6-8 ft tall hedge to give my yard some privacy. Examples of what I like and don't like inside. My yard is at a higher level than the street so passing cars have a pretty clear view of my back porch and yard.

From the sidewalk side there is a 6ft wall, measured from the inside it is more like 5ft, which slopes up to the house level. I'd like to plant some hedges along the inside of the wall to give me some privacy from passing motorists and pedestrians.

Some caveats:
- The area is under partial shade and only gets direct sun for 1-2 hours a day
- Has to survive the Los Angeles climate
- Drought tolerant plants would probably be best
- I prefer 'casual' hedges to rigid square ones
- Something that flowers and looks/smells nice is a bonus
- It can't be poisonous (I have a dog)
- Evergreen is preferred

Here are a few examples of what I don't like:
- Google Map Pic 1
- Google Map Pic 2

Here are a few examples of what I do like:
- Google Map Pic 3
- Google Map Pic 4

Bonus points if you can also recommend a good vine that will cover and hang over a block wall, similar to this.

Much thanks in advance!

Phone services for people who don't use phones a lot...

JoannaC — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 22:01:44 -0800

(Toronto) Looking for cheapest way to configure my phone services now that I am free of an overly expensive contract. I don't make a lot of phone calls, but want to call one person long-distance and be able to talk for awhile... I have no landline, nor do I want one, and don't make a lot of phone calls. I was on a Telus cellphone plan that was $25 but costing me $45 once they added on all their charges. I am now done with Telus and got a Koodo phone. It has unlimited evenings and weekends, but not many minutes during the day. This is fine---the only local person who really ever calls me is my mother since most people I know are more Facebook/email types. But I can't call long distance on it, although I can receive such calls incoming.

I have a sister in California and I want to talk to her more. It's not fair to expect her to always call me just because I'm too cheap to get a landline, and I am tired of not being able to talk to her unless I wait around for her to call me. My internet provider has $9.99 a month VOIP phones. I was thinking of getting one. Is $9.99 a month just to talk to one person a lot though? Would I be better adding some other option to the cell phone? Or is there some kind of computer-based solution which would work here? Our IT person at work mentioned Skype to me but I don't know how that works if I have that and she only has the landline? And he also thought the VOIP phone was a was a waste of money. I also heard that it can be tricky to set up if you have wireless internet with a firewall.

Can anyone advise me on the best plan or combination of plans? VOIP phone, skype, something else? To recap:

- I don't make a ton of phone calls
- I have the second-cheapest Koodo plan right now and that's it
- Limited daytime minutes, unlimited evenings/weekends
- It works for me, but I want to add on something to call my sister long distance

Thanks for any advice.

What's the best way to find plans for building an office desk from scratch?

carlodio — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 07:27:02 -0800

I'm a tall, skinny software developer, (6'5"/196cm) who cannot find a desk even remotely what I need/want in terms of style, quality, and size. I am going to have a carpenter build me a desk. Google has found me nothing. Do you have a desk you love? What makes you love it? Are you a tall person who finds they need keyboard/mouse at exactly the right height? How did you solve this? Do you have plans you love or a desk design you can recommend? i am quite particular about desk height as i have long arms and if the desk is too high it causes overuse/carpal tunnel-y problems.

My office is a 100+ year old building in Buenos Aires, Argentina so I'm not looking for ikea-style semi desposability, more big-old-oak durability. There is no 'office depot' but that's not the style or quality i'm looking for anyway...

What's the best way to find (I'm willing to pay) a set of desk plans that I can give to a carpenter to have a desk built from scratch? Alternatively, If I draw my own, what do I need to provide?

Any and all thoughts about how to tackle this problem are welcome... help make my 10 hours a day more enjoyable!

Otis Again

cloeburner — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 23:31:03 -0800

How to make a theatrical version of the Star Trek doors that can be operated by one person using only one rope. Must be able to both open and close. A link to a diagram or a drawn diagram will most assuredly hit the spot. We can mount pulleys and eyelets and whatever else necessary to the ceiling, wall and/or ground. Simplest plan is most desired. Here's an example of the type of door we desire.

Thanks for assistance and ideas.

Wood Futon Frame Plans

gzimmer — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 14:59:14 -0800

Looking for plans to build a futon frame out of wood. I bought a crappy used futon and paid to much. Unsurprisingly, after heavy use as a bed, there were too many points of failure for me to continue to "repair" it. I'm rather attached to the mattress though, since it's fairly comfortable (and the only thing keeping me from sleeping on the floor ATM).

I'm living with several people who have built their own lofts for their beds, so I'm not completely new to "carpentry", but the only plans I've found online have been rather unnecessarily complex and made for experienced woodworkers with far more tools than at my disposal.

Can anyone direct me to some straightfoward, barebones, stupid easy futon plans?

Is there a fair prepaid cell phone plan on the market?

tangyraspberry — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 09:50:28 -0800

Can anyone suggest a good prepaid cell phone plan? I find I need a cell phone only once every couple of weeks but don't want to get tied down to an annual contract.

Ask me out, please.

Anonymous — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 12:54:25 -0800

I'm looking for ways to inspire my spouse to ask me out. I do all of the social planning in my relationship. This is OK most of the time. I began doing this from the start. I kind of made it my job and spouse followed along.

Now, after fifteen years of being together, I am longing for him to take the initiative and plan something. Even asking me to the movies would be nice. He used to ask me to the movies a lot more often, but sometimes I would say no. The reasons I said no were everything from exhaustion to not wanting to see another action flick.

It seems like he is not interested in doing much. I think if I didn't make plans or do the suggestion, we wouldn't do much. We don't do much as it is. We do go to the occasional movie and dinner out. Maybe once a month if we are lucky, usually a lot less. The last thing he planned was seeing a pro basketball game. I would like something more romantic. I have suggested several times that we get should have a little weekend getaway but he is not that receptive. He has been to places with his friends without me. To Las Vegas and golf trips and such. We have children, but we are not at a loss for babysitters. Both sets on in-laws are in town.

I want him to ask me out. I have told him how I feel, but I can only say it so much. Is this a marriage rut? I'm beginning to feel afraid that he doesn't want to spend that much time with me, although we do get along quite well at home and we always enjoy ourselves when we do go out.

Sometimes I feel too needy and it's making me feel uncomfortable. In the course of one day I can be searching for a bed and breakfast and concert tickets. . All the while asking him if he would like to do this or that, because I am dying to go someplace, just the two of us, even if it is an evening out. His only question is how much is it going to cost when it comes to concerts or hotels. He'll say something like, yeah, we could do something like that. But it's never concrete.

What can a person do to let her partner know that I need more attention and invitations to go places. If he initiates the plans he is always more enthusiastic, but how do I get him to initiate more? Is this possible? Any ideas, advice, or insight is much appreciated.

help for the technologically callenged, please

raztaj — Tue, 20 May 2008 13:58:27 -0800

Please help me find a cell phone plan. (Please make it not be with Verizon) I've been on a family plan for a very long time. I'm looking to part ways, from being on my father's bill, and from dealing with incompetent Verizon employees. I'm up for a new phone/contract, so it seems like a good time to make a change.

If you have any suggests for plans, I'd be most appreciative. This is, in some ways, very new for me.

Here are my needs:
- I don't use my phone all that much for calls. 450mins a month with free evenings/weekends is fine.
- Unlimited texting would be good.
- e-mail and web access are turning into must (I do not have this now, but am finding it something I need)

Phone musts:
- PDA with calendar, notes, general PDA-like stuff, *without* a Windows interface (Treo 755 is nice)
- Not a fan of the blackberry. I can't get used to its design with the roller ball thing.

I can do a one year contract, and if possible, a plan that would let me do month-to-month after that. In a little bit over a year, I'm not sure where I'll be - I might be working abroad. I might join the peace corps. I'm not sure yet.

Clearly I'm technologically retarded and have been spoiled by being on someone else's bill for a long time, but I'm looking to change this.

This is very jumbled, but if anyone has some thoughts on direction based on some of this criteria, I'd be very appreciate. Thank you.

What Could I Do With My 2009?

divabat — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 05:03:03 -0800

This year's my final year of my degree. My psychologist asked me if I had any plans for next year. My original plan fell apart, so now I don't really have anything. Hmm. What could I look into? So I didn't get shortlisted for the Danish KaosPilots. Ouch. I'm still sad about it, but I've had two weeks to brood about it and it's time to move on.

Since I had been so single-mindedly focused on that one goal for the past six months, I didn't really consider Plans B, C, and so on. (I did consider that it would be a possibility, but I didn't spend too much time on it.) I had been pretty worn out from all that preparation and planning, so I'm taking at least this month off from anything along the lines of "my future" and just do random things for a while. If something strikes me as interesting, I'd apply for it, but I won't devote much time or energy on it.

I do still have to think about next year though. This is my final year; I'm finishing off all my required subjects this sem and have 4 electives free next semester. Deciding what to do after university isn't really a clear-cut process, as there are a few complex factors that need to be considered.

While I don't think I'm quite ready to devote my entire life to one pursuit (like I did before), and I don't want to commit to something just yet, I'd like to explore my options and just take a look at what seems interesting.

I'm interested in young people, non-traditional education, culture, community work, and making a difference. What could I do? What could I explore?

Some ideas:

1. Apply for the KaosPilots in Rotterdam (The Netherlands) - it starts roughly around the same time as the Denmark school, but they seem a lot more excited about potentially having me (though I don't want to get my heart broken again!!)

2. Do a Masters or a Grad Dip in something - some courses that look interesting and are more the kind of stuff I'm interested in are the Non-Profit/Philantrophy stream in QUT's Business programs (though I'm ineligible because they're part-time); International Comparative Education and Policy, Organization, and Leadership Studies in Stanford; Arts in Youth and Community Development in Columbia College Chicago; SIT Graduate Programs; Humane Education. Possibly also education in general, social work, or counselling. I'd rather it be more experiential and real-world as I'm sick of academic writing and learn best by doing, but I'm not sure how to search out this information.

3. Get a job in Australia. The main problem here is visas - to be eligible for the 18-month bridging visa, my job has to pay me at least $40,000/year - next to impossible for entry level, especially in the creative industries/community services which are underfunded. The other option is to be sponsored by a company, but they need to have a lot of resources to prove that I'm better than any Australian candidate, and most of the companies that would otherwise be an excellent fit just can't afford to do so.

4. Get a job in Malaysia. No visa issues, but prospects are pretty low as there aren't as many opportunities.

5. Take some of my ideas and make them real (so this would also involve research on funding, project management, how I'll survive while I plan out my project...)

6. Apply for my dream job at UWP, if it's available

7. Take up the partial scholarship from The Scholar Ship and travel for a sem - might need to reapply though. Alternatively, travel on similar programs (though funding would be an issue)

8. Take up BrainStore's traineeship offer - 3 months in Switzerland. It's actually meant for this August but I could defer it.

9. Apply for a fellowship to something - I've applied to a couple that don't require much travel (and pay expenses if I have to). Sauve Scholars would be COOL. I'm not sure where to search for these though - most of the ones I find require you to already have a project in mind, but I want to find a project I can get involved with.

10. Stay at home, mooch off the parents. While desirable by my parents (who sometimes have Empty Nest Syndrome) I would be bored very quickly.

11. Travel, though this would eat up money mainly in visa fees (damn Bangladesh passport).

12. Do a second degree in something, or a random course that's more for fun than anything else

13. Try to be famous for...something.

As I've said before, I'm most interested in exploring possibilities than anything else, so feel free to toss me any suggestions - schools, programs, people, countries (particularly those not picky with visas), companies, visa advice, etc. Most of the best/most interesting ones tend to be US-specific, so anything that allows internationals would be best (e.g. an international City Year or Peace Corps).

If nothing else, just looking at all the ideas would get me a little more excited about life and lift me out from my dumps!

Thank you!

Where can I find free chicken coop plans?

aqueousdan — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 13:29:12 -0800

Can anyone point me out some free plans for a small chicken coop? I would like to make one which would house less than 6 chickens. Apart from that anything goes! The more interesting the better!

How do you stick to your long-term goals?

schroedinger — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 07:14:55 -0800

How do you maintain sight of your long-term goals? I chronically sacrifice long-term success for short-term gains and it's not working out for me. You know the tale of the Grasshopper and the Ant? Yeah, I'm the grasshopper. As soon as I make a resolution to, say, do my homework, eat more healthfully, stick to a budget, etc, within five minutes I've broken it. I can make all kinds of beautiful plans but I fall woefully short at implementation. On a day-to-day basis I just don't make the visceral connection that all the little breaks I give myself now create a big pile of crap in the long-term--though when it comes around to bite me in the ass it is all too clear.

I've tried to-do lists. I've tried GTD. I have ADHD, and have tried medication and therapy. I put little post-it notes everywhere. I can get the system to work for a few days--even a few weeks--and then I slack off or something comes up that breaks my concentration and it's all over. I think the problem comes at making the transition from the "good" behavior going from a temporary fix to incorporating it into my life.

I'm living like I'm five and there are no consequences, though they hit me again and again. It's gotta stop. What tricks do you use to activate your willpower and implement long-term change so you can ultimately realize your goals?

help me plan the ultimate 'me' office/work space!

stormygrey — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 18:09:43 -0800

Constructing a floor to ceiling desk/bookcase/close/organizer thing, but I don't have a good idea and need some help. My office is renovating and i got hold of lots of great solid wood paneling. Have you seen the shot of the hallway in House? That is it. It is all solid wood that is 1 inch thick. I have about 12 pieces of 25 inch square pieces, 4 25 inch by 50 inch pieces, and one piece that is 10 feet long. The room in question is 11 x 11, with only one unadultrated wall.

One wall has a window in the middle, one has a door at the outer edge, and one has a small built in bookcase that is in the corner next to the door.

so what am I looking for, well for one a shift key that works, but other than that, some good inspiration galleries, first hand experiences, and perhaps some free software that will help me plan this all out. Actually, we have a deck and a shed in our future, so buying software as long as it is relatively useable would be fine too.

thanks!

what to do, what to do?

mustcatchmooseandsquirrel — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 20:53:38 -0800

Should we move and, if so, where? Boyfriend and I live together in Lawrence, KS. After this semester, we could both be completely done with college. This prompts us to ponder what we should do with our lives. We already have tentative plans to go to France in October 2008 (plans which cannot be moved forward because it is a program that does not start earlier). Right now, we are considering the following options for the months of January through September:

1. Staying in Lawrence, being done with school, lounging around, and working to save money for France.

Pros: No moving, no changing addresses, no finding new job for Boyfriend.
Cons: Bored of Lawrence, student loans kicking in, finding a new job for me since my current job is a cushy on-campus job that goes away when I graduate.

2. Staying in Lawrence, taking an extra semester, working, same as now.

Pros: No moving, no changing addresses, no finding new jobs, no student loans starting, fun classes.
Cons: Bored of Lawrence, disinterest toward prospect of more schooling.

3. Moving to Portland or Asheville or Chicago or [other] and finding a job/internship through idealist.com or something.

Pros: New! Fun! Exciting! No more Kansas!
Cons: Moving costs so much money and is complicated (especially for only nine months), jobs might not be forthcoming, savings would be depleted.

4. WWOOFing somewhere.

Pros: Fun! New! Exciting! No more Kansas! No need to find new apartment, no need to find new real job.
Cons: No address, no income, more difficult in the winter.

5. Something else that we have not thought of.

So, is it worth it to move for just nine months? (Conversely, is it worth it to stay in a place that you want to leave for nine months?) Tell us what to do and we'll do it. We've never been to Portland or Asheville but they seem like our style. Which other cities to consider? Which might be the easiest to move to if we move? Should we do something zany like move to Iceland?

To sum up -- what should we do with our lives (for the next nine months) and how should we do it?

Keeping my cell number alive for 2 years

sdis — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 22:11:47 -0800

CellPhoneFilter: What's the cheapest/best way for me to keep my US cell phone number while I'm gone abroad for 2 years? I'm moving to Austria for two years, but would like to keep my US cell number (Mostly so I can add a voicemail message with my current contact info, and so I can use it occasionally when I'm visiting home).

My T-Mobile contract expires next month, and I was planning on switching it to T-Mobile Prepaid. Seems like if I purchase 1000 minutes for $100, then those minutes will expire after one year, and I can get smaller increments of minutes after that with the same 1-year expiration.

Advantage: Relatively easy, don't need to get a new SIM card.
Disadvantage: 1000 minutes may go to waste the first year (aka minute expiration is irritating)
Net expense: $100 + whatever minutes I need the second year. ~$0.10/minute for the first year.

Are there other options I should consider? Can I move my cell number to a SkypeIn account or something snazzy like that? (Not that having a prepaid cell in the US when I visit is such a bad idea)

Tired of fishing from the bank

Hugh2d2 — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 05:52:44 -0800

I want to build a small fishing boat. Suggestions for (free) boat building plans?

Cell Phone Plans for Gmail App

muckster — Tue, 26 Dec 2006 13:35:12 -0800

Cell phone confusion: I need a good family plan with support for the Gmail java app. Been researching new phones/plans and I'm terminally confused. Here's what I'd like:

- a family plan with 2 lines and middling minutes
- a camera phone that takes ok pictures and will let me send to flickr
- a plan & phone that can handle the Gmail java app

I've been looking at the cell phone finder thingy to narrow down plans, and any of the ~$59 family plans seem ok. Mrs. Muckster seems to be especially fond of the RAZR. So far, so good.

What's confusing the hell out of me is Gmail. Sounds like most phones (with a data plan?) can get to m.gmail.com, but apparently, the java application is a lot nicer. Google has a list of supported phones, and I asked on their newsgroup, but the answers have only been confusing me further. BREW? MIDP2? Argh!

Ideally, I'd get the Verizon RAZR, but it doesn't sound like Gmail will work. I'm also confused about the data plans--do they all add another $20x2 to the bill? Do I need those even to get to m.gmail.com?

I'd love it if somebody could steer me right because it's giving me a headache.

Thank you AskMe!

School needs centralized site for lesson plans

bronxteacher — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 09:00:03 -0800

I'd like to develop a searchable (by tags) database of leson plans for the 20 odd teachers at my school. Any ideas? The plan would be for teachers to be able to email their lesson plans (perhaps with the tags in the subject heading?) to a site, which would automatically catalog them. A teacher could then go a central location (ie, a website) where they could search for lesson plans based on keywords, like "outline", or "geometry". I wouldn't mind putting in the legwork, adding tags, if necessary, but the more automated the whole system is, the more likely it'll be adopted by the teachers here.

Oh yeah, one last thing. I'd like it to be free! If that's not possible, the cheaper the better.

Cheapest/Best Portable Net plan for Xbox Live?

vanoakenfold — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 15:48:07 -0800

Barring signal strength for a location or normal lag issues, what which plan is cheapest for portable Internet (Clearw're, Xanadoo, etc) service that I can laglessly play Xbox Live with? There's different plans for different speeds -- what speed, other than blindly choosing the highest, would be sufficient? Anyone have any experience with these providers (preferably Xanadoo for non-contract options) who play XBL?

What's the 411 on 529s?

GernBlandston — Thu, 02 Feb 2006 08:54:06 -0800

I'm looking to setup some 529 plans for my young kids to save for college. My state's plan doesn't have any extra tax benefits so I'm looking elsewhere. Jane Bryant Quinn likes Utah's plan because the costs are low. I've been using savingforcollege.com for information, but there are a lot of choices, and I'm not sure of all the ramifications of each. I'm looking for any thoughts regarding 529s and the States with the best plans. I'm from Massachusetts.

How do I port over three cell phone numbers to another carrier?

huy_le — Mon, 07 Nov 2005 20:08:04 -0800

Cell Phone Porting, Family Plans - help me port over three numbers... I've been doing quite a bit of research about cell phone porting, but can't find anything about doing an entire family's numbers. My account has three accounts on an old At&t (now alltel) wireless line and I want to port all three numbers over to a new carrier (T-Moble or Cingular). However, all the cell phones deals via amazon.com or wirefly are pretty much individual lines.

Do I have to order three seperate phones and three different plans and combine them?

Do I have to just do one number and then talk to the customer service to do the other two?

Thanks in advance!

Treehouse Help

bradth27 — Tue, 16 Mar 2004 11:07:30 -0800

I need help with a treehouse! (more inside) At my last residence, I built a rather large treehouse for my son. At the time, I simply braced, bolted, screwed, and nailed directly into the tree. After a few years, no real harm seemed to have come to the tree. When we moved for want of a larger house, the treehouse stayed behind…
So at our new home, I am now planning a rather HUGE project, involving a multilevel treehouse with a deck and a spiral staircase for my son. According to my scratched out plans, the house will be composed of approximately 800 square feet of living space, – with electricity and plumbing, no less. (I can’t WAIT to start this!) The bottom floor will be approximately 10 feet from the ground.
Have any of you ever built a treehouse of this scale? I know there are lots of places on the internet that describe the “how to” section of the project.. I am capable of that on my own. My question is this – I’m not really happy about bolting or screwing into the tree too much. I have looked on the internet for possible alternatives, but nothing really strikes my fancy. Also, I am not wanting to brace from the ground all that much, in order to make it a “treehouse,” not a playhouse…. So, if any of you have built something for the kiddos up in the trees, what did you do to secure your project and cause the least amount of possible damage to the trees themselves? Or, even if you have not, what kind of creative design elements can you give?