Seal (without insulating) sill plate?
I've got a crawlspace in a 1940 home that is reasonably warm and dry, but I want to seal against airflow and spiders. Is it crazy not to insulate as well? Everything I've found talks about sealing AND...
View Article"Hacks" filter: white-collar office work
What are your tips for being the kind of person who thrives and is well-liked in an office environment? Apologies if this has been covered previously; in my search I couldn't quite find an exact match....
View ArticleAre fan heaters (almost) 100% efficient?
So, most electrical heaters are extremely close to 100% efficient in terms of converting electrical power into heat. But is this true of fan heaters as well? In other words, how much energy goes into...
View ArticleShort commute, studio apartment living tips for the middle-aged woman?
What life hacks should I consider for studio apartment living with almost-no-commute to work? I have spent most of my adult life living in the burbs, but next month I'm moving into a 515 sq ft studio...
View ArticleEfficient pie-making for a large crowd
I will be making individual pastries for 180 people. What tricks can I use to streamline the process, and what is the most efficient workflow? My recipe involves sauteeing mushrooms, adding ricotta and...
View ArticleGrowth of User Efficiency Over Time
We recently measured user efficiency with a few custom web-based search tools. So that we can level set performance against our existing tools, with which the users have significantly more experience,...
View ArticleHow do I know if I have too much work or if I'm incompetent?
My job consumes most every waking hour of my life, and--though I generally enjoy what I do--causes me immense amounts of stress. I want better balance, but I'm having trouble parsing whether this...
View ArticleHow to embed exercise into one's lifestyle?
I try to latch exercise into my day so that it seamlessly fits in. I'm looking for more ways to do this. Examples include: working close enough to home so walking is easier. Other examples include: -...
View ArticleSyncing to the cloud in a developing country
Wondering if anyone has any advice on the best way to design an app that efficiently sends data to an online DB in a country where folks conserve their data carefully on 10 MB/day SIM cards....
View ArticleUpgrade part or whole of gas hot water system?
We have a gas boiler and an indirect water heater. Boiler seems to date to 2002, and water heater from 2001. Water heater has a leak in the port for the aquastat, and we were told it needs to be...
View ArticleHints and tips for teachers?
I'm an experienced teacher and am about to move schools. What things have made you a better, more efficient teacher? For example: One thing that made my life easier is creating rubrics for all the...
View ArticleHelp me find podcast episode about jobs that can't be more efficient.
I'm looking for a specific episode of a podcast which contained a comment about how certain industries - medicine and education - for example, can't always be made more efficient or productive. I...
View Article90 days to...
What can I accomplish in 90 days in Japan, with a car, without my baby, during the hours of 8 am to 7 pm? I am all over the place inside, help me focus! I have been given a gift, that is at least how I...
View ArticleSending an idea to a car manufacturer
I have a way of increasing increasing the range of vehicle (ICE or electric) by 5% or so. I'm only interested in the idea going to Nissan or Tesla (with preference for the latter). How would I go about...
View ArticleSeeking tips for increasing productivity and saving time in daily life
The question title pretty much says it all (how's that for efficiency!), but more details below. I'd like to get a lot more done in my life than I do, and getting some good tips for increasing...
View ArticleChoose two: good, cheap, or fast.
How do I become a faster graphic designer? I've been the in-house visual designer for a small marketing team for about three years. I am largely self-taught, but I can handle a lot of various kinds of...
View ArticleResource for choosing the right sump pump?
We need a sump pump for a crawl space that gets a puddle. I want to be able to select one that's not too noisy, that's energy efficient, and that will only pump if water gets to within a few inches of...
View ArticleThere must be a better way! Please help me be efficient at work!
At my job, I have many slips that I must fill out every day, with the following information: student name, teacher name, class period, and the next day’s date. The information changes daily, as I do...
View ArticleThe physics of maple sap reduction
We use a wood stove for heat. We tap a single maple tree for fun. Before boiling the sap down in the kitchen, we passively reduce it most of the way in a pot on the wood stove. I'm wondering whether it...
View ArticleBring me your most-loved shortcuts for unloveable Microsoft and Google!
I'm planning a Shortcuts Fest for my team, where we share our fave little workarounds - like SHIFT + F3 for changing case, CTRL + L to go to the Chrome address bar. With 2020 being 2020, I've learned a...
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