Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with problem

Does line by line scientific calculations software exist?

stepheno — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:26:39 -0800

Is there any computer based replacement for doing numerical engineering problems by hand? As a Chemical Engineering undergraduate, I frequently have to hand up hard, long assignments.

A common problem for me is, having reached the end of calculations, realising a minor mistake at the start and having to write out everything again (since it's important to hand up a neat, clear report in general). It'd be nice to do the calculations on computer, before writing it out.

I've tried using Excel, but it's just not relationally smart enough. Here's what I'd like:

A linear workflow, just as you have on paper. Unknowns become knowns slowly and equations are repeated.

For everything to be related, i.e. should a constant change, all calculations follow suit.

Any recommendations on software that does this would be great, as would suggestions of applications that solve my problem in a different way that I'd expect.

I hate being a slave to tv, help me get my DVR back.

NoraCharles — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:10:39 -0800

How do I go about figuring out what is causing my cable (or power) troubles and hopefully fix it? (sorry for the length, I just want to provide as much information about the problem and symptoms in the hope that someone can help me)

I have Comcast with the DVR. I was watching tv one night and the box just turned off. It came back on and showed 8888 and reset all the channel information. I could still get to my DVR and the shows I'd recorded, but when I couldn't get to On Demand later on, I called Comcast and reported error "4" (which is what the screen told me to do.) I told her what happened and she sent a signal, but that didn't help. I unplugged for five minutes, plugged it back in, that didn't help. I have digital cable in the bedroom (with no DVR) and that was working fine, no interruptions, the channel guide was fine.
So we set up a service call because I couldn't get to On Demand and the channel guide wasn't loading, but I could still watch tv.

So later over the weekend, it popped off, flashed to 8888 and reset all the channels and the guide again a few more times. Then sometime Sunday, I lost the ability to access my recorded programs. Then by Monday, I lost all onscreen guides and functions altogether, the only thing I could do was change channels and the volume. The time was frozen at 12:00. I only mention that because in retrospect, it was like it was slowly dying, bit by bit, it wasn't like everything stopped working at once, I don't know if this matters or not.

But like I said, I could still watch all my channels - I didn't know what they were or what was on, but I could watch. I did still occasionally get the power off, 8888 problem.

The Comcast guy finally shows up today and swapped out the box. Everything seemed fine at first. Then it flashed off, came back on with 8888 and all the channels were reset. He told me that the problem must be electrical and not in the cable or with the box because something was interrupting the power and causing it to reset.

We then tried unplugging it from the surge protector and plugging the box directly into the wall, same error. Then we got an extension cord and tried another outlet across the room, same error. He had originally used the old DVR power cord and put in a new one. Same error. He told me the new box could be fried already.

He was also there to install Comcast phone service, so we took a break and did that. When we were done, we tried one last thing with the box- unplugging all the other stuff hooked up to it: a DVD player and a switcher box I had that is hooked up to a dustcovered Playstation and a VCR. All we had was the tv plugged into the box (power cord and cable) and the box plugged into an extension cord to an outlet across the room. IT WORKED!!!! I could get to On Demand and the guide was still loading, but I could see channel call letters, that channel 65 was Comedy Central, etc. He said the guide would take a while to load. I signed the paperwork and he left.

About 10 minutes after he left it happened again.

:sigh: I'm fried.

My landlord is away for the weekend, so I can't call him up and ask about the electrical in the outlet until Sunday night. I've never had problems before and everything else that was plugged into that surge protector still worked fine.

So I have several questions....

-Is it possible the new box is fried and I should just go to Comcast tomorrow and exchange it?
-I really don't want to fry another one of their boxes (if it is) so is there any other way I can figure out what is causing the problem so it doesn't happen again?
-What would my landlord look for to be wrong? Would we have to call an electrician?
-Could it be another piece of equipment that was hooked up to it that is causing the problem? Can anyone recommend a method of testing things out?

Thanks in advance!

R Kelly is trapped in my trunk!

zerobyproxy — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:23:27 -0800

I cannot unlock the trunk on my car! I have a 2004 Honda Accord. This morning, I put some stuff in the trunk and, in closing it, must have forced the locking mechanism to mis-align. I have used the latch (inside the car), the key fob, and the key in the lock itself. None work. I tried lifting the trunk while pressing the fob. I tried sitting on the trunk while pressing the fob. Nothing.

My backseat lowers, so I got my stuff out of the trunk and was able to watch the locking mechanism move when I pressed the fob. I just don't know what I should be looking for or trying when I crawl into the trunk to try to fix it.

Any ideas of where to start?

worn-out phrases and longing gazes won't get you where you want to go, no...

aquafortis — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 20:17:22 -0800

I sent a mushy, gushy, soul-ripping, erotically explicit love letter via overseas Express Mail--to a slightly wrong address. "Attempted Delivery Notice": should I hope it comes back and edit it, or should I plunge ahead and make sure it gets there? Oh damn. What do I do?

I went to a music festival overseas and made lingering, loving, orgasmic eye contact across a crowded concert hall six nights in a row with someone I haven't seen in thirteen years. When I first saw them smiling down at me, I swooned and almost fell down (seriously now, swooning?) but when we locked eyes outside the hall, I ran like a rabbit. INTP dumbass!

I decided the most appropriate (?) thing to do was spill it by writing a mushy, gushy, soul-ripping, erotically explicit confessional love letter detailing my true feelings then and now. And I mean SPILL IT in the grand manner. Creepy neuraesthenic style; no plate of beans too large or small to overthink. We're talking complete emotional disembowelment in five pages of 11-point Garamond. Nothing to lose, right?

I got the address wrong.

I'm almost certain the "wrong address" office people know where to send the pink delivery slip, which is what they've probably already done-- it wasn't refused as "no such name", after all. Should I call their mail room tomorrow morning to see what happened--or should I hold my breath, hope the five days expire, get my letter back, and edit the holy living hell out of it?

I wish I hadn't sent it at all--but it took so much out of me to put together, part of me says screw it. The clock is ticking and I don't even know if the person in question went on vacation.

Bleagh. Can I throw up now?

How to manage my debt and life as a whole

thegreatcokeolympics — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 12:34:41 -0800

How do I get my life on track with high debt and a chronic medical condition? So i'm 26 years old and have been completely on my own since i was 18. I come from a working class family who lives in a small dying town with no jobs. I knew if I was going to make something of my life in any way, I had to get out of there. Being so young and inexperienced, it's not like I could get a well paying job to support myself. And it's not like my family had any money to give me.
So 5 years ago, I took out many many loans and used that money to move myself across the country to " the big (and expensive) city" to attend college and hopefully start a new life there.

I also used the student loan money to pay for everything I would need to live on (mainly rent because the dorms were more expensive than studio apts, food, and school supplies) and even then it still wasn't enough, so I also worked full time in addition to going to school full time, just to make ends meet.

On top of this, to make matters more complicated, I also have a chronic medical condition. I have had it mildly since I was 10, but never had it addressed, or even diagnosed as to what it was, since my family lacked health insurance.

It was still fairly mild even when I moved here, but through the years got much more serious and I am now in constant daily pain and have some serious breathing issues. I tried to get health insurance on my own, but no plan would cover me due to the pre-existing condition. So I had no choice but to pay out of pocket for all medical expenses. Of course I had no out of pocket money to spare, so I used credit cards to pay all my medical bills.

And I never had enough credit to pay for anything medical that would truly diagnose me, so I resorted to many expensive pain management treatments only to be left with my condition progressively getting worse.

Now flash to present day, 5 years later, and I am $60,000 in debt from school, $10,000 from credit card debt. The job market is scarce and no one is hiring on staff. I've been taking very low pay freelance gigs which don't even amount to half of my expenses.

Currently, my bare minimum expenses amount to $1150 per month.

One of them being a health plan I pay 400 a month for after puting myself on a long waiting list for a government health plan that teams with private insurers to give coverage to high risk people. With this plan I was also able to finally get the tests I needed to diagnose me, only to discover (upon confirmation of 6 different doctor opinions to be sure) that I need a surgery that will cost a minimum of $30,000 depending on where I get it done, while knowing full well my insurance plan will most likely not cover because it is not a common surgery, though results are typically favorable.

I also pay 400 a month to see a physical therapist who I have been seeing for a year and a half and is the only source of pain relief I have found to help me (Insurance only covers 25% of 12 sessions a year, which I have already maxed out) Then pay 300 a month for my credit cards and 50 for my cell phone. And every 3 months, pay 150 forbearance fee for my student loans. That is it.

I had to leave my apartment and move in with a friend who is letting me stay there rent free until I figure something out. They are also fortunate enough to make a decent living and have been loaning me money to help pay my bills, eat their food, and use their computer. If anything, they've almost become my surrogate parent and it makes me feel like shit for puting them in that position, but I simply don't know what else to do.

I would get a second job anywhere I could find, but not only have those jobs even been hard to come by, but my health simply won't allow it at this point. I am extremely distressed, depressed, and hopeless. The biggest issues of all is the health and everything else seems to stem from it to make all the other problems worse. I don't know how much more bare minimum I can get in terms of cutting my budget when I'm already miserable and in so much pain.

I have considered going on disability, but I don't know if I would count since I still have been able to work, so long as the work isn't strenuous and I don't have to be on my feet all day.

I've considered welfare and bankruptcy but I'm not too sure how they work or if I would have to give up making enough money to pay for everything I need just to qualify. Or if bankruptcy will just ruin my credit enough to never be able to rent again.

I want to be responsible and make the best choice that will benefit me in the long run, but I don't know what that is or where to go. I really need some advice or clarity on this, so anything anyone has to say, please I'd love to hear it. Thank you.

Why is my 1994 Jetta sputtering and shutting off on startup?

*lostatsea* — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 07:57:20 -0800

My 1994 Jetta is sputtering and shutting off on startup. What could the problem be? I started up my 1994 Jetta this morning and it started, sputtered a bit, and then died. It did this about 6 times before running OK. What could be the problem?

Also, not sure if this could be related, but my temperature light has recently started blinking when the car is started. I assume that it is broken because there is no way the car could be overheated on startup.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Andrew

Why can't I download torrents?

ACF — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:52:24 -0800

Although I have downloaded torrents successfully before, I can't get my current system to work. Everything proceeds fine until the actual download - which is stuck at 0.0%. I'm trying to download torrents from demonoid and openoffice.org and using Bit Torrent for Mac (I'm running osx 10.5.7). The problem seems to be that, according to Bit Torrent, there are "0 peers" for my torrents. Though when I check demonoid, there are plenty of seeders. Even stranger, in a previous test, I did get Open Office to start downloading, but canceled it because Bit Torrent reported a 13+ hour download time. I've optimized the download/upload speed settings in Bit Torrent. I've tried switching to Vuze. What could be going on?

How to unfxor a Verizon ENV2 cell phone?

de void — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 11:26:39 -0800

What demon has possessed my girlfriend's Verizon ENV2 (AKA LG VX9011) and reduced it to a mostly deaf and mute state? How do we exorcise this malevolent presence? GF carried her phone and a laptop in a large tote bag while traveling this weekend. When she next used it after taking it out of the tote bag, she found she was unable to hear anything when making calls and callers were unable to hear her. We suspect that the laptop jostled into the cell phone and pressed lots of keys and set the phone into whatever "condition" it is in now.

So, here's the current condition:

- Her phone displays, both inside and outside, are fine. All keys/buttons seem to work normally.

- She can make and receive calls, but hears absolutely nothing when either the front or internal speakers (not even rings), and call recipients hear nothing from her phone.

- If she goes into ring settings and asks the phone to play a ringtone, the display will show the ringtone playing, but nothing is audible from the speakers.

- The "speaker" button on the inside of the phone, which normally turns the speakerphone on and off, now does nothing. However, the phone is recognizing that it is being pressed, because the display will light up if it is pressed.

- If she uses the alarm clock function in her phone, the alarm will activate and the alarm *IS AUDIBLE* from the phone, using any ringtone she chooses. So there is apparently nothing wrong with the speakers themselves.

We've navigated through the phone's "Setting" menu tree several times and can't find anything that seems relevant. Verizon tech support via phone call hasn't been able to help us either (the techs just seem to be following a canned flowchart, not applying critical thinking).

We're thinking now that we'll try a "hard reset" on the phone, if we can find a code to do so.

Any other ideas mefites?

Powerbook: No Logo

DiscourseMarker — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 09:41:28 -0800

Powerbook G4 won't boot up. I hear the chime, get a gray screen, but NO apple logo or spinning wheel. This is a circa- late 2003 1.25GHz PB running OS 10.5. something. Yesterday, my husband was trying to open some Word 2008 docs he had saved on this laptop. Word would not open, it just kept bouncing in the dock, and we could not get it to force quit, so he did a forced shut down of the computer. Ever since then I cannot get the computer to boot past the gray screen.

I have tried resetting the PRAM, but it still sticks at the gray screen, same with resetting the PMU and trying a safe boot. It never progresses to the Apple Logo, just stays on the gray screen. When I pressed my ear to the keyboard I heard a few clicks from the HD after trying to start up, but now there's no sound.

Any suggestions?

Mysterious Kindle Krapouts -- Help?

Harvey Jerkwater — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:43:40 -0800

My Kindle ebook reader crashes and requires resetting during my commute home. Any ideas why? Here's the situation: I have a first-generation Kindle, and it's been reliable. However, three times in the last week, it's required that I crack open the back panel and push the reset button to unfreeze it. What makes this weird is that it happens under the same conditions.

I work in downtown Washington, DC, near the "Metro Center" train station. I'll read my Kindle as I head for the Metro, and all is well. When I get underground and to the platform itself, the Kindle's frozen. This doesn't happen on the way to work in the morning -- only in the evening. It doesn't happen in my office, or at home. It's only when I go in the Metro Center station, in the evening.

To save on battery power, I leave the wireless dingus switched off. But I wonder: is the Kindle receiving some signal or electromagnetic interference that causes it to lock up? Can that happen? Any ideas as to why the lockup happens only during the evening and not in the morning? It's happened three times in the last few days, so something is definitely up.

I have three theories: (1) the Kindle is locking up for generic reasons, and the "strange" timing will prove to be coincidental; (2) a powerful EM source that's active in the evening near the Metro Center station is making my machine hiccup, possibly through the wireless device; and (3) evil spirits haunt my machine.

What is wrong with my audio?

kaspen — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 23:24:43 -0800

Sound trouble on Acer Aspire One netbook: Was working perctly, suddenly it's unlistenably lagging/stuttering. I tried updating the drivers, to no avail. Running XP. Googling turns up nothing, any ideas hive mind?

(The effect sounds like a certain horrendous glitch remixing style, I briefly thought it was a deliberate effect of the music I was listening to.)

SHOULD I USE A FURMINATOR ON A DOG [LAB] THAT SWIMS IN COLD WATER?

edaphon — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 14:25:29 -0800

Doesn't the underfur removed by a Furminator serve as insulation, waterproofing, and buoyancy for a dog, especially a water dog like a Lab? She never wants to get out of the water and I'm afraid she'll get too cold.

Is there anything else I can do? If not, help me let it go.

Anonymous — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:34:41 -0800

Is there any further action I can take to recoup the financial loss and and deal with the emotional frustration resulting from my university's swine-flu-panic decision to cancel a much-anticipated field research opportunity? For over a year, my fellow grad students and I had been planning for a month-long field research opportunity in [foreign country]. For several of us, it was part of our motivation to attend this university – research opportunities in our field for non-PhD grad students are rare, and this is a small and amazing program to benefit a community in need. The summer research has been going on successfully for several years now. Our professor works unbelievably hard to arrange this...it takes an amazing amount of coordination and resources to make it all come together.

A few days after swine flu was initially announced in the media (late April) – and almost two months before our research was to begin, this June – I received notice from our professor that our trip had been canceled by a [certain office at the university in charge of assessing risk]. Upon hearing this, we all made many attempts to salvage the situation on many fronts, to no avail. Because swine flu is no longer a major threat, the tickets are booked through online travel companies, and the flights are international, none of us are able to reschedule or refund our tickets. Even with insurance, which I bought at booking. We also can't afford to take a "forced vacation" (ie. taking our flights and spending a month playing in [foreign country]). For me, this is $600 of sunk cost. Additionally, this research would have provided us with a summer opportunity to earn a necessary 3 units towards our graduation. Without it, many of us must spend an extra unplanned semester at our university, including the cost of tuition, books, and time spent. And of course, not to mention missing out on the experience of a lifetime, which can't really be compensated for any other way.

Two weeks after the decision, I contacted the person at the university office that made the cancellation, and sent them a very professional yet personal email explaining how this negatively impacted us students, and that we are unable to resolve things. He ignored all that, and replied with a generic response and blamed the State Dept. for the decision. This prompted me to send a follow-up email, calmly expressing my frustration with his manner of communication, lack of concern, and the financial cost and emotional distress his/their decision has left us with. He remains unconcerned, and frankly, somewhat hostile with his minimal replies. This all has left me feeling bitter, disillusioned, and now angry.

My flight leaves this Friday, without me on it. As it approaches, I feel increasingly helpless and frustrated. I cannot seem to let this go. Especially if there is something more I could do to resolve the financial or emotional aspects of this unfortunate situation.

Are there any things I can do, big or small that will:
a) Make me/us feel better.
b) Get the university to acknowledge us and/or take some positive action, however small, to help us out and/or prevent their lame handling of a situation from happening again. I do not wish to start controversy or create problems however.
c) Help recoup the $600 airline cost – even if it has nothing to do with the airline, flight insurance or booking agency. I've tried calling all places, several times. There is no getting the money back. I can however dump an extra $200 + additional cost of airfare to take a flight I don't need anymore to a place I don't want to go to (and can't afford to go to) in the next six months, if I so wish.
d) Help me just let it all go, if that's where I really should be focusing my energy.

The positives from all of this are helping somewhat...I do get to do some important things and attend some events that otherwise wouldn't get to (since I would have been out of the country). However, I keep thinking about the lack of concern by the school and missing out on this amazing experience. What can I do?

Help me get my leechblock back!

altolinguistic — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 07:04:13 -0800

Firefox add-ons have stopped working - help! Details: two PCs, one desktop, one laptop, both running XP Pro, and Firefox 3.0.10 with the following add-ons installed (on the laptop; the desktop has fewer, but the same problem has arisen):

Adblock Plus (NOT working)
Athens Toolbar (UK academic: working fine)
AVG Safe Search (?)
British English Dictionary (?)
Chatzilla (?)
Dictionnaire HunSpell en Francais (?)
Greasemonkey 0.8.20090123.1 (?)
Java Quick Starter (?)
Leechblock (NOT working)
PC Sync 2 Synchronisation Extension (Nokia phone related - no idea if working or not)
RealPlayer Browser Record Plugin (greyed out with "Not compatible with Firefox 3.0.10" comment: I don't need it, and can't uninstall it as far as I can see).

Those with (?) next to them, I either don't use, don't know what they are or don't care if they are working or not.

Leechblock and Adblock Plus, though, are essential to my working life, and I'd love to be able to use them again. I seem to recall that NoScript (which I don't have installed on the laptop, but I do on the desktop) isn't working either. By "not working" I mean that in the Add-ons menu they appear to be installed and operational - there is a "disable" button by each one - but none of my Leechblocked sites are blocked, and I see all the ads that used to be hidden from me.

I've searched around but can't filter through the information to get to the relevant parts. Can anyone help?

Burned motherboard power connector - what to replace?

GuyZero — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 19:27:26 -0800

The power connect for my motherboard is partially burned! Should I replace the plug, the whole PSU or the entire motherboard? So a week or so ago the computer wouldn't boot. After wiggling all the connectors I noticed the 4-pin power plug from the PSU to the mobo was a little blackened. Odd, but reseating it worked. Now it's very blackened and I'm unsure of the extent of the damage to the mobo & connector there. This is a HP desktop system with a 400W PSU and an ASUS mobo. The easiest solution is simply to pull the components and build a new system but I'd rather find a cheap, cheerful & reliable solution, emphasis on the cheap. Opinions on whether to replace just the connector, the whole PSU and whether the mobo is likely damaged as well (I probably won't find out until I replace the PSU)

Can anyone diagnose by car problem?

WickedPissah — Sun, 31 May 2009 13:24:11 -0800

What the heck is wrong with my car? And no, you are not my mechanic. Alright so I have an automatic 2004 Subaru Legacy sedan. Just had some work done to it but a new problem just started to pop up. I should point out I first noticed this just before I had the work done, so it is not related. But if it helps I had some oil leaking onto one of the spark plugs causing hesitation.

I am asking in the hopes of softening the blow when I do have it looked at this week.

So when I am at a stop light or sign and I hit the accelerator hard there is a rumble/vibration right under my seats, maybe a little further back. It can be felt and heard. If I accelerate very slowly this does not happen. No problems turning wheel, no noises while turning so hoping it is not the differential. It only happens in the above situation. I do notice that when I am at highway speeds that there is an occasional rumble but much higher frequency.

Possibly related. There has been a rattling of what sounds like a heat shield when I am driving. I have looked under the car to find the culprit but don't see anything noticeably loose. The sound also seems to be coming from the center of the car, under the driver seat, center console. Think there is a cat converter under there.

So any suggestions? I have been looking online and the only possibility I came across was something to do with the drive shaft or drive shaft bearing if I remember correctly. Does that make sense?

I am really really really hoping it is not my transmission. Really. I don't notice any slipping when driving or other transmission red flags. For what it is worth.

What causes inconsistent water flow from my kitchen sink?

boby — Sun, 24 May 2009 03:47:56 -0800

What causes inconsistent water flow from my kitchen sink? When turning on my Delta single lever kitchen faucet it makes a bumping noise and the water comes out very slowly at first increasing to normal flow after about 30 seconds. Other times there's no bump and the water flows normally.

How to fix laptop keyboard keys that fell off?

macsigler — Wed, 20 May 2009 13:21:29 -0800

How to fix laptop keyboard keys that fell off? I have a Dell XPS M1710 laptop, and some of the keyboard keys have popped out of their spot. I have tried to reattach the plastic retainers on the keys to their spot on the keyboard, but inevitably they never latch on like they used to, and in fact some are now broken or lost. Is there a secret to getting them to pop on, or is there an alternative, i.e. mini-springs and superglue, etc.? I'm willing to try most reasonable ideas. Thanks in advance!

Help me develop topics for a high school course on problem solving.

etc. — Tue, 12 May 2009 14:29:00 -0800

Help me develop topics for a high school course on problem solving. I am a high school teacher (previously) with hopes of creating a problem-solving course. I've not found good materials online for a course like the one I am conceiving, nor have I taken one of this sort (except for a small-group excercise I participated in in 5th grade), but here's what I have in mind:

1) Break students into groups of 4 or 5 students of mixed ability (my school has a fairly broad range of students, but they are mostly centered at a bit below grade-level expectations).

2) Assign a problem that is fairly specific though also fairly open ended.

3) Then, my role as teacher is to guide the groups over the course of, say, 2 to 3 weeks toward a creative, collaborative and somewhat viable answer by asking students to refine and challenge their own group work. Meanwhile, I will provide materials (mainly related readings) that guide students to these viable answers.

4) Ultimately, students will present their findings/solutions to a panel (probably a group of teachers and students, though maybe invited experts).

5) Move on to next problem...

I've wanted to post this question for a while, but didn't quite have my head wrapped around a good sample topic, but now that I think I have one, let me show you what I mean:

Problem: Devise a one-time, one-way communique to be transmitted to an extraterrestrial intelligence.

I would then pass out markers and paper and ask students to put together their message, which would probably consist of a paragraph written in English saying, "Hi. We're from Earth and we would love to meet you. When you get here we'll take you to McDonalds. Love, Earthlings."

We would then critique our messages and begin the formal study of the problem and look at related readings:

--Aliens won't understand our writing (readings on hieroglyphics, the Rosetta Stone and/or cryptography)
--How has this problem been approached before? (Pioneer, Voyager, Arecibo)
--Problems associated with previous attempts (like this)

In other words, assign a tough problem that requires creative solutions to which a constructivist, pursuit-based approach is manageable for the teacher. With the alien message example above, I could provide lots of support materials and be a gadfly to students while letting students invent their own solutions.

What I don't want are things like the you-are-stuck-on-an-island-with-these-20-things-now-rank-them-in-order-of-importance-and-we'll-see how-well-you-did-against-a-predefined-correct-answer sort. And I want the project to have lots of paths and dead ends (which I think the alien message does). Another idea I was considering was a nuclear war scenario in which groups are given, say, $2000 to stock a bomb shelter--what do you buy?--but I'm afraid I would have trouble finding useful resources for my gadfly-ing, and I don't feel like the answer is open ended enough (you know: "water, food, guns, two-way radio, etc.").

I am also interested in a problem-solving framework that we would study at the beginning of the term and use throughout, though there are some AskMes on similar topics, but what I really want here is your good idea of a problem and links to a bunch of related readings that would provide the basis for student inquiry, like the example above.

How to prevent Outlook 2007 & Live Messenger from resetting username and password?

thomasck — Sun, 10 May 2009 01:07:49 -0800

Hi this problem occurs on my wife's PC where her Outlook 2007 (Gmail) & Live Messenger (Version 2009) password settings occasionally get 'reset'. It happens maybe once a month. How do I prevent this from happening? My wife saves her username and passwords to Outlook and Live Messenger so that she doesn't have to type them each time she turns on her PC. Normally when she opens up Outlook, it will start downloading emails. Same as Live Messenger. When she opens the program, it just logins automatically.

But on rare occasion when she turned on her PC, her username and password is no longer 'saved' - Live Messenger. As for Outlook, her passwords are gone, meaning she has to type them in again. Both problems happen at the same time.

I just want to know what could be causing Outlook to forget the 'passwords' and Live Messenger to completely delete her login info (both username and password). I have tried scanning her PC for viruses using Kaspersky online scan and Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, but didn't pick up anything. Her PC is currently running a live subscription of Norton Internet Security 2009.

PC details:
Microsoft Windows Vista SP1
Intel Core 2 Duo E6300
4gb RAM

sansa e280 problem

markcmyers — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:23:50 -0800

Sansa e280 problem. Corrupted files. When I turn it on, logo wipes on, holds a few seconds, fades to white, repeats endlessly. Following forum directions for reformatting, I remove battery, slide switch to Hold, connect to computer. Purple ring lights up, screen displays Shutting Down message, e280 shuts down. Alternately, I slide switch off Hold, but then it loops as described in third sentence. Sandisk tech support isn't responding. Any ideas?

What's wrong with Gmail?

setanor — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 10:46:52 -0800

What's going on with Gmail? For the past couple days, I've been having problems logging into Gmail, particularly after a browser crash. The progress bar will only load half way, and then loading will stop. When this happened yesterday, I could only get back in after about 8 hours. I thought maybe this was a local problem, but I've been searching around a bit and it seems like a number of people have been having problems accessing Gmail over the past couple days in rather idiosyncratic ways. Anyone experiencing this too, and anyone know what might be going on?

Tools for Diagnosing unviewable Joomla website in IE?

franklen — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 05:20:41 -0800

Having problems viewing my Joomla built website in IE. Works fine in Firefox. The Website is at www.alchemicalnursery.org Are there any tools for diagnosing this? Or does anyone have any knowledge of what the problem might be.

I seem to have stepped on some people's toes pretty hard-- how do I fix this?

Anonymous — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 14:01:00 -0800

I seem to have stepped on some people's toes pretty hard-- how do I fix this? I'm currently looking for a job.

I answered a staffing agency's ad for an "Entry Level Operational Position", went to an interview where she said "Looks good. You are exactly what we're looking for. Let me set up the interview with our client, client X"

I follow up a few more times that week, no response.
The next week, I call and email, and eventually get an emailed response saying "Our client has pulled their order". No problem, it's a nasty economy, I certainly understand.

Thinking about it more, I realize that I'm particularly interested in the industry, and am in a position (personally) where I could take the job for a while and not need to get paid. So I send an email to the staffing woman outlining-- "Hey, I understand times are tough-- I'd be very interested and eager to take the position as an "internship"-- basically doing the job, understanding that I didn't get pay/benefits, etc for the first three months, then they're at liberty to hire/fire me."

I follow up once or twice more in the next week, and 14 days after her response of "I'll check it out", get an email saying "I'm sorry, but the client believes you are overqualified"

Now, I can communicate well, and know the basics (think: readers digest version) of the industry... but with no experience and only a university education, don't know how things really work, so I am a bit confused. (Also- I also wonder: "Wait. Are they not filling the position, or am I overqualified?" (because the way I'd go about following up is very different, depending on the situation.))
In my followups, I ask "Hey, who could I sit down in front of that actually works in Company X?", knowing that a cursory conversation with an operator show that I'm not overqualified for anything except basic-typing.

No response, so I talk to a professor. He works in the industry and refers me to a friend who works in Company X, who I call. The man at Company X talks to me, says "Well, times are tough, but we do have an opening for a file clerk-- you're overqualified, but sure, if you're really that eager to work, let me give you the phone number of the lady to talk to." I talk to her, she asks for a resume, I send it.

A few minutes later, I get a response from the staffing agency-- a pretty perturbed "You will not be allowed to work for them unless you go through us". I immediately think "Woah! Oh hell, I just stepped on someones toes" --- for the first time connecting the position which "the client decided not to fill", and the open filing clerk position.

I think "Oh man. Certainly didn't mean to step on anyone's toes-- of course, I'll go through the staffing place if that's the job--- but wait, this isn't the job I interviewed for."

So I addressed an email to everyone. The two people at Company X, the staffing lady, and blind copied my prof. (I didn't want his friend to call him saying "what the hell is going on with this kid?" and the prof not know the story)

I wrote a mea culpa and apologized for procedural mistakes that I'd made--- explained it just as I did here, (though with correct grammer, slightly more formal than an ask mefi question... ... the petty part of me wants to send back the pissed email to the staffing woman correcting things like "you were not suppose to contact" and "you will not be consider for employment").

So I sent this explanation "I took an interview. Offered to do the job without pay, in the course of confusion as to no-response-followed-by-"you're overqualified" talked to my prof who gave me name Y who told me about job Z... etc"

Not three minutes later, I got a very angry phone call asking "How dare you contact these people again?"

Arguments about freedom of speech aside (the last email wasn't soliciting a job, just offering an explanation ... and looking through the papers I signed at my staffing interview-- nothing in them says I can't contact them either-- they're all EEO/Drug/SexualHarassment forms), how do I smooth the waters here?

I'm not looking to circumvent the process, just tryin' to get a job using all available resources--- and trying to sit down and talk to a real person. (Emails are too easy to disregard--- and I know that I make a much better impression in person than on paper)

Help me fix my wife's laptop

gene_machine — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 06:06:19 -0800

What has caused a sudden failure of my wife's laptop? I bought my wife a laptop on eBay for her birthday, and I now feel responsible for managing its failure.

It's a Toshiba Satellite Pro M10. It initially failed to boot, with an "IDE #0" error, so I figured that it was having trouble finding the hard drive. Booting into Ubuntu from CD worked fine, so I opened up the HDD cover, reseated it, and then...nothing. It now refuses even to power up, either from battery alone or from mains power. The orange power LED is now blinking, which leads me to believe that it's a power/mother-board problem.

My wife assures me that the laptop has not received any harsh treatment (ie. it hasn't been dropped or subject to spillage).

Has anyone experienced this before, and, if so, what was the recommended repair route? I'm happy with opening up desktops and fiddling around, but laptops are a whole different ballgame. If it's going to be sent off for repair, how much would a reasonable charge be (I am in the UK).