I'm going to have two weeks' holiday time in September and I'd like to spend some of it volunteering on some kind of useful project. What should I do? [more inside]
posted by neilb449 at 12:20 PM - 3 answers

I'm a 31 yo male in the US, have a work from home job with a stable legitimate US company and can basically work from any where I can find an internet connection. I would love to learn spanish. [more inside]
posted by anonop around Spain at 12:15 PM - 6 answers

My parents are leaving from the US on a trip to Europe, entirely within EU Schengen Area countries. They've been requested to bring ginseng and beef/pork jerky by family. I don't think the jerky is admissible, but what about the ginseng? Port of entry will be Amsterdam Schiphol. [more inside]
posted by andrewesque at 8:54 AM - 4 answers

I would like to take some photographs of spiral staircases. I’m looking to capture the basic construction of the object from its components, rather than any particular aesthetic beauty. Simpler would be better, and emphasizing the engineering over the architecture. If possible, I would prefer to take my photographs at a quiet time in a public building walkable from the loop in Chicago. Do you have any suggestions?
posted by Fiery Jack around Chicago, IL at 11:27 PM - 1 answers

I'm trying to get to Umbria, Italy during the first couple of weeks of October, but I hate layovers. [more inside]
posted by RobotVoodooPower around Frankfurt, Germany at 5:49 PM - 3 answers

I'm having overheating trouble with a 2001 PT Cruiser recently given to me by my father-in-law. [more inside]
posted by gerryblog at 10:40 AM - 10 answers

You are about to be rear-ended. Is it better to open the door? [more inside]
posted by krautland at 5:17 AM - 26 answers

I currently have a Samsung Guru E1081T. It is a very simple phone, and I can use it in Australia and Europe. However, it does not work in the USA. What is the simplest phone that uses SIM cards that I can use in all three places? No smartphones please; battery life is the paramount consideration. I don't care about features, apart from phone and texting.
posted by Philosopher Dirtbike at 3:53 AM - 5 answers

I paid off my car in December, and haven't been around. I'm now back home with the car in California, and I have the car title from the bank/company. The title says I have to notify the DMV within 10 days or something like that, but I'm obviously wayyy past that time frame now. What do I do? Google searches equally tell me to (a) transfer to my name and my name only, asap, removing the bank/company as lienholder, and (b) don't bother until I sell the car. Argh!! Which one is it? Help me, so I don't have to wait at the DMV ... and be told that I don't need to be there after all!
posted by Xere at 3:57 PM - 12 answers

My fiancee and I will be honeymooning in Morocco for 12 days in late September-early October of this year. We like food, walking around interesting, beautiful neighborhoods, markets, camping/hiking/climbing/trekking and so on. I think we are going to enjoy ourselves no matter what, but we can't decide if we should try and see Fez and Marrakech [more inside]
posted by SpicyMustard around Morocco at 2:57 PM - 5 answers

My boyfriend and I have decided to take advantage of some sequester-related time off from work around Memorial Day to visit the last three states that he has never seen. We're planning to devote a full day to each state. We've talked with friends and consulted the interwebs to get ideas, but want to make sure we don't miss any hidden gems. So, if you could only do one thing in each of these states, what would it be? [more inside]
posted by C'est la D.C. at 10:48 AM - 16 answers

I need a good breakfast spot in Vancouver for Saturday morning. [more inside]
posted by pdb around Vancouver, BC at 6:49 AM - 10 answers

Heading to Cleveland in Early June to see the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and then on to Niagara Falls. Help me plan my vacation. [more inside]
posted by Lizlemondrop around Cleveland, OH at 6:16 AM - 18 answers

My girlfriend and I have our great AZ/NM road trip this month, and we'll be looping around and through the Navajo nation on our way to the Chaco Canyon UNESCO site. What should we know, what should we make side-trips for, and where can we get a good bowl of lamb stew? [more inside]
posted by ormondsacker at 4:11 PM - 20 answers

I've been offered my dream job! But between it and me is my worst nightmare--a terrible 1hr+ commute in LA traffic. A commute like this is a deal breaker for me, but at the same time, this position is a career-maker and I really want to figure out how to make it work. Does anyone have suggestions, tricks, or creative ideas to make my commute better? Specifics and details below. [more inside]
posted by brenton around Los Angeles, CA at 12:50 PM - 70 answers

My 1998 Volvo S70 has been making an audible whirring/grinding noise when driving and braking. It's intermittent (though lately, it's been happening daily), unable to replicate reliably, occurs when driving at slower speeds (less than 35 mph), and occurs multiple times within the first 15 minutes or so of turning the car on and driving. No dashboard lights have shown up and the mechanic can't replicate the problem or figure out what's happening. What's going on? (additional details inside) [more inside]
posted by lea724 at 9:19 AM - 6 answers

My wife is traveling to New York City for work this weekend, so we're making a family trip out of it (including a 5 and 1 year-old). Their first time - yay! Unfortunately, we're flying into LaGuardia and the person organizing her travel just changed the hotel reservation to the Sheraton Lincoln Harbor in Weehawken. We've only visited NYC a handful of times, but enough to know that's a difficult jaunt with no direct route. Getting a car service is an option, but it's almost $200 and we'd like to find more frugal option using public transportation if at all possible. Is our best bet an airport bus to the Port Authority, then transfer to something going into Weehawken (bus or bus/ferry combo)?
posted by brozek around New York, NY at 6:28 AM - 16 answers

Has anyone ever successfully booked travel on Indonesia's Lion Air? They seem to require an Indonesian credit card, which I decidedly do not have. Suggestions on how to get around this? Bonus question! Why would an airline restrict its clientele to one country?
posted by mrfuga0 at 1:00 AM - 10 answers

I have the first week of June to travel, now in need of suggestions as to a place that might fit my strange requirements. [more inside]
posted by tooloudinhere at 8:37 PM - 9 answers

My brother left for Rome, Italy on Monday to do a summer job for a lab there and we (his friends and family) still haven't had any contact from him. I'm worried that something might have happened to him and his wife and kids are worried sick. Is there any good routes to trying to find him in case he's been in an accident? I don't have the name of the lab he's working for or I'd just call them :(
posted by Ikazuchi around Rome, Italy at 4:19 PM - 20 answers