Ask MetaFilter questions in the sports, hobbies, & recreation category

what is this Fabolous song?

tunestunes — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 20:52:44 -0800

what is this Fabolous song? the clip i put up is way slower than the actual song but you should be able to get the idea. what do you everybody think?

What was this toy...?

twine42 — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 04:46:02 -0800

Name-that-toy filter. Difficulty : probably sold in the 60s or 70s in the UK... Does anyone have any idea what this could be?

Each block like that was a 'house' in the minds of my brother and me.

The houses stacked on top of each other to make tower blocks, and they came in strips 1, 2 or 4 houses long. There were smaller houses which fitted into the groove on the top of the awful drawing above. There were also roofs which were the same theory, but no height to the 'walls'.

All the houses were white, and all the roofs were pillar-box red.

Each house was probably 40mm to a side, and were made out of the same sort of plastic (and the same sort of thickness) as Lego bricks.

But they definitely weren't any kind of lego. They're completely hollow in the middle.

Does anyone else remember them?

Arctic winter photography + the aurora

elisynn — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:02:02 -0800

I'm heading up to the Yukon for three days this December, and I'm pretty excited. I'm interested in getting some nice Arctic winter photographs, especially of the aurora. Any tips for getting some good shots? I currently have a Canon G10 and a decent tripod, but not much else in terms of equipment. I'm trying to figure out what else I might need. Some sites say I should purchase a cable release, and other sites say I should have several spare batteries on hand, in case my first one freezes. I'd like to keep costs low, however, so if something's not going to be essential, I don't think I'd want to get it. I'm also worried as to whether my camera will even function in the Arctic winter.

Anyone have any tips, either equipment wise, or just general picture taking techniques for harsh winter conditions? I might be able to borrow a DSLR just for those three days, but that's far from guaranteed. Thanks!

Looking for some fun things to do in Kansas City tomorrow evening (Wednesday Nov 25th).

ISeemToBeAVerb — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:02:52 -0800

I'm from out of town (Chicago), but I met a girl here in KC the other day and we've decided to go out tomorrow evening. We're both artsy types with a fondness for adventure and off-the-beaten-path entertainment. I know I could easily defer to her for suggestions, but I'd like to have a few ideas to throw out. I'm up for anything really. It doesn't have to be a proper event or anything- someplace cool to wander around or explore is fine too. Just toss it all out there!! Food suggestions are good too (she's vegetarian). Thanks!!

I'm in need of a (new) hobby!

cofie — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:10:47 -0800

How do I go about getting back into hobbies, or finding new ones (suggest some)? I'm slowly lost a few of my hobbies - stores close, friends move on, interests wane and change. I've recently finished uni, and I'm just having a break until I start full-time work next year.

What I'm after is something (or more than one something) to get me out of the house and doing things that are quite different from my usual routine. Stuff I can start now and keep going even when I have less time due to work.

Some background: I'm a web developer, both as my job and my past-time. I have a large collection of Magic The Gathering cards, I cycle (although I don't want to cycle competitively), I used to (and want to) play sports - volleyball, touch, indoor soccer. I'm interested in creative pursuits but have never really given any a good go.

I have some ideas, but what I'm really after is brand new ideas or some discussion of how best to get into something, and stay with it.

Shooting Range near NYC

2bucksplus — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:00:59 -0800

I'm looking for a gun range near New York City. I'm looking for a gun range within about an hour of New York City and accessible by public transportation (train, bus, subway).

I need to rent a gun, buy bullets and handle any paperwork in one visit or over the phone prior to arrival. I have fired a rifle before, my companion has not. We are in no way licensed to handle firearms.

Westside Pistol & Rifle Range is the most obvious choice, but we don't mind traveling to find something better.

Catching el clasico soccer game in DC?

uk_giffo — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:50:59 -0800

Where in Washington DC will I be able to watch el clasico (Barcelona v Real Madrid) this Sunday afternoon at 1pm? I don't have cable so I want to get out to a good bar or cafe to watch the soccer game. Can any locals recommend somewhere? Anywhere metro-accessible I suppose, but the more central or NW the better. The Washington Redskins and a ton of other American football teams are playing at exactly the same time so I don't think I'll have much luck seeing it at the traditional sports bars.

As a cheeky bonus question (sorry!), are there any useful DC-centric general forums? I'm looking for an online space where I'll be able to ask these kinds of local questions and others. The forums I've found seem to lean quite heavily towards discussing politics on the hill (understably so).

I'm tired of being tired!

The Winsome Parker Lewis — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 08:53:03 -0800

What are some easy ways to get more energy and motivation? Lifestyle-specific details inside. I wake up at 4:45 every weekday morning and snooze until 5:15. Originally I did this because I thought I could trick myself into thinking I was sleeping in, but now I think maybe it's just a bad habit. I leave at 6:00am and commute two hours to work, work from 8:00 to 5:00, and commute two hours home, arriving at 7:00pm. By the time I get home, I'm exhausted and have just enough energy to make dinner, eat, and go to bed at 10:00. Every weekday it's the same.

When the weekend comes, I tell myself that I finally have some free time I can use to live a little, but I end up sleeping in instead, fooling around doing nothing in particular on the computer, and not getting out of the house.

Fortunately my wonderful fiancee makes sure I don't neglect her or my responsibilities, and she tries to keep me moving. But I just don't feel the self-motivation from within that I had once upon a time, and I miss that. I want to pursue hobbies in my spare time, but I feel like I have no spare time. I want to get back in shape. I want to start (and finish) projects. I want to recultivate old friendships and have company over for games and dinners and movies. I want to try new things and have adventures, like I used to do. I feel like I'm stuck in a rut.

How do I stop feeling exhausted all the time? The good news is, I'm moving much closer to work soon, which ought to help a lot. Apart from that, I'm looking for energy and motivation hacks. Any special habits I can form, or foods I can eat, or stretches I can do? Time is at a premium right now, and since I'm saving up for marriage and a honeymoon in May, so is money. Help me find some vigor to tackle my schedule and get the most out of life again!

Where can I find a soap bubble blowing pipe that looks like a realistic wooden smoking pipe?

leptin — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:03:52 -0800

Where can I find a soap bubble blowing pipe that looks like a realistic wooden smoking pipe? All the ones I see online are made of brightly colored plastic. Alternatively, is it possible to modify a real smoking pipe for blowing soap bubbles? Thank you very much for your help!

To The Moon Alice, and BEYOND!!!

snsranch — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:15:48 -0800

Any suggestions for a high powered telescope that is t-ring compatible (for DSLR) AND is tough and light enough for backpacking and camping? I'm thinking 40 lbs max. I've been searching around but the terminology is so varied it's tough to nail down. I'm looking here at Oceanside Photo and Telescope, but I don't even know where to start. Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescopes? Corrected Dall-Kirkham (CDK) Telescopes?

Please hope me, and thanks in advance!

Happy stargazing!

A silkscreen a day...

elder18 — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:01:07 -0800

What is one creative thing you do each day? I'm looking to get the creative juices flowing, and once they are, I want to keep the momentum going.

So, MeFites, what do you do each day to stay creative? Other than being terrible at drawing, I'm open to pretty much anything. We don't have a ton of crafting apparatuses, but I could be persuaded to buy.

Thanks!

How old is too old to climb on?

dantodd — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:41:12 -0800

I've always thought that rock climbing soft gear had a life of 10 years. Others are now telling me that is doesn't age if looked after properly. Is there a definitive answer? I used to do a lot of sport climbing and have heaps of gear. I want to restart after 10+ years off. I have some rope that is around 12 years old, but used only one and some static line around the same age that was used a little bit more. Is it safe to use? What about my slings and dog bones? All my old gear has been stored in a dry dark place.

FWIW, I've bought a new harness and static line to do some solo top-roping.

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!

A Spurious Coin

GodricVT — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:06:26 -0800

Numismatists: what is this coin/token thingy? It was found inside the wall of a late 18th/early 19th century rowhouse in the Seton Hill neighborhood of Baltimore.

The left side is the right side, and the right side is the wrong side.

anderjen — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:59:49 -0800

[Possible Pipe Dream Filter] I used to ride horses competitively, and recently am longing to hang out with horses again. I'm not looking to compete, nor do I want to take lessons or go on guided trail rides, since I already know how to ride. I just want to get back into riding for the fun of it. What are my options, if any? My mom and I used to own multiple horses and I competed in saddle seat equitation for several years. However, that was a dozen years ago (I'm now 28) and I'm out of touch with the riding community in my area. I don't know anyone who might let me ride theirs, and I don't have the means to purchase, lease, or board a horse of my own.

I know my way around stables, tack, grooming, etc. and am confident that I could ease back into it quickly, but I don't know how to make this happen. Would my best bet be to look for opportunites to work in a stable, in exchange for riding time? Other ideas?

I'm in the Twin Cities area—St. Paul, to be exact. Thanks!

It is time once more to take up the dice

selfnoise — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:27:28 -0800

Looking for a pen and paper RPG, science fiction, certain other specifications required. Some friends and I just got back into playing pen and paper RPGs recently as adults. We've been playing D&D but I have to admit I don't really care for the system or for standard fantasy settings. Since I'm the one who wants to do something different I figure I should volunteer to GM it. So I'm looking for a science fiction themed game with the following:

-Easy to just buy a single book (or set of books for player/GM) and play.
-Fast-paced rules, easy to learn.
-More of a casual action-y game than something with "deep" role playing... I don't think the group is up for that.
-Not D20.
-If I could buy a PDF, that would be double fantastic.

I'm pretty open to themes/worlds; post-apocalyptic, space opera, cyberpunk, whatever. I tend to prefer something that has closer to real-world equipment (rather than Star Wars science fantasy stuff) but I'm flexible on that.

I haven't been interested in these games in a long time and I'm having trouble finding good resources online... and I don't really know that there are any local game shops that really sell anything beyond D&D. So suggestions for either specific games or pointers to resources are much appreciated. Thanks!

PS. Just to be totally clear, I am talking about pen-and-paper games, NOT computer games.

Something to watch while exercising?

Admira — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:59:22 -0800

Looking for good video blogs to watch while riding my exercise bike ... especially any indie game review video blogs! My flatmate has a great exercise bike that is positioned such that I can't get comfortable playing my PSP while I'm on it. The CD rack right next to the bike makes a great laptop stand, so I was watching Australian MasterChef episodes on it while sweating away. I'm not really interested in the Celebrity version of the show, so I was hoping for a weekly video blog/review or something similar.

I remember seeing a great indie review video blog that I bookmarked, right before my laptop failed. But I'll take any recommendations, food, music, tv shows etc.

Thanks!

PS not sure if video "blog" is the right term...

PPS If you make a bideo blog or whatever, feel free to share, don't be shy!

First wedding anniversary paper/origami gift ideas?

saileyn — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:41:42 -0800

My husband and I will be celebrating our first (paper) wedding anniversary this Friday. We're really short on funds, so I'm thinking of folding him something with origami and writing our vows or a poem on the unfolded paper... Any suggestions on what to fold? I'm toying with the idea of using a rose pattern but was wondering if anyone knew of any symbolism for first anniversaries/marriage/love and had origami patterns to match.

It's been a while since I've done anything with origami, a few years ago I started making paper roses, but I have no idea what the pattern was (I did find it online and had it as a PDF, but it's long since gone). I don't think it was the Kawasaki pattern, but was something extremely similar and possibly a touch easier. For those who've folded roses before, do you have a favorite pattern or one that you would recommend? I have plenty of time (until, Friday) and patience...

Or if anyone has any other inexpensive/last minute paper gift ideas, aside from writing him a nice poem/letter/story (I've done those things many times before, and also for our wedding, so I'm looking for something new) I'd love to hear them.

Thanks for reading, and I look forward to your suggestions :)

I know I've left this a bit late, I'd originally planned to get our vows letter-pressed and framed, but we've had a lot on our plates these last few weeks, and our anniversary was the last thing on our minds..

If she loves Yo!Ville, will she love the Sims?

chndrcks — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 13:41:27 -0800

My wife loves YoVille, farm town, farmville, etc. on facebook - will she love the Sims (2 or 3) for Christmas? She loves all these games on facebook where you build a house/farm/etc. Design and decoration are important, as is getting new items to place in said house or farm. When we used to play MMORPGs, she spent a lot of time on character creation and choosing outfits.

I was thinking about getting her the Sims 2 for Christmas - does that sound like a good match? Sims 2 is a little more in our Christmas price range, but I'd be willing to go to Sims 3 if it's significantly better. On the other hand, a lot of the reviewers on Amazon seemed to prefer Sims 2. I haven't played either, so I'm not sure.

Thanks for your suggestions.

Which video game classics did I miss the last three years?

wolfr — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:05:31 -0800

I intend to make this weekend a gaming weekend. I haven't played video games in a long time. At least not as seriously as I used to. Do you have any suggestions? I have a brand new iMac and an Xbox 360. I do not have a copy of Windows on my Mac yet but could theoretically use Boot Camp to install Windows XP on a partition of the hard drive. So don't feel limited to Mac only games svp.

In the past my favorite games have been Baldurs Gate II, Arcanum, Battlefield 1942, Deus Ex and Tony Hawk II.

I was addicted to World of a Warcraft for a while. I like stories and character progression. I like games with original themes (e.g. Psychonauts).

It seems like the only games I've played the last year or two years have been: Grand Theft Auto IV, Bioshock, Fallout 3, Skate, Soul Calibur IV. All on the Xbox. All of them very casually, although I did end up finishing all except Bioshock (which was good, but not relaxing, with all the dark rooms and scary things).

I am downloading the free 2 week trial of Eve Online right now, but I'd rather not get crazy about an MMORPG anymore. While my time in the World of Warcraft was wonderful, the whole game remains a slot machine with a nice interface.

No racing and sports please with the exception of snowboard/skateboard.

Who has suggestions for me?

Does Etsy take orders?

steeb2er — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:31:59 -0800

I have a picture of a quilt that was auctioned off, I'd like to have it made. Is there a way to request an item on Etsy? Click for pic, on Photobucket (I've asked the auctioneers who originally made the quilt, so I can go straight to the source. Haven't gotten an answer yet. My first choice would be to give my money / kudos to the original creator of the quilt.)

Help me plan to build a boat

Fiasco da Gama — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:29:40 -0800

Help me think about and plan boat building. For many years I've been troubled by the odd and inexplicable ambition to build, launch, and sail my own wooden trailable yacht. A smallish one, one that could be lifted out of the water by a few people and stored in a backyard, yet big enough to carry one or two people and dinner and sleeping bags.

I'd like to do it for the satisfaction of building almost as much as for the concrete object.

I have joined a Club on Sydney Harbour a bus ride away from where I live and I am taking beginner's sailing classes. They're excellent, and I think I'm learning—but I'm almost entirely ignorant about how one would go about budgeting for, planning out, buying materials for, constructing, testing and sailing one's own boat.

My wood- and metalworking experience is that of faffing about with my high school's clapped out drills in year 9 of high school (although I did get high marks in it). I am a 29 year old white-collar university-educated bureaucrat, though for various reasons my job security is at best marginal. I live in a rented two bedroom flat without even a verandah let alone a garage or shed for constructing things. I have in the past taken on very long-term projects and completed them, but they've been mainly intellectual not concrete in nature, and I'm stumped as to where even to start. I'm happy to read lots of books. I just don't know what they are.

I'm in no hurry, and the timeframe I have in mind is "before I die". Help this cut-price Noah: what would be the first step towards boatbuilding?

Self- Improvement Books

thewestinggame — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:26:00 -0800

Book recommendation filter: Can you point me to a book about purity of self/ respect for self/ self improvement through interactions with nature? Possibly with discussions on eating healthily/ exercising and/or with emphasis on gaining clarity of thought. No traditional transcendentalist writers, and please nothing steeped in Christianity.

Memoirs, instructional books, biographies, or anything, really, are all okay!

Where can I find speherical bags that will help me turn my trash into toys?

cross_impact — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:45:27 -0800

Where can I find bags of various sizes that: are spherical or ball-shaped when full of stuff are made of durable outdoor-hardy material and close with velcro or a drawstring or some other kid-safe closure mechanism Bonus: Bags of other useful shapes like kid furniture, that can be filled and closed You see, I want to make balls out of trash... We throw away a lot of junk mail, paper, etc since we don't have recycling in our community. I was wanting to find a way to collect that trash in a way that would make a useful outdoor play toy for my kids using paper and other relatively soft, dry trash as "stuffing."

Every year at Christmas, I save all the wrapping paper and make a huge ball of it with masking tape to hold it together. The kids love playing with it before we throw the whole mess away. I was looking for something made of durable reuseable material I could use in this capacity and then keep and not throw away. A trash bag that converts into a ball. I had my eye on making one of those giant earth balls out of out recycled newspapers from a month or so. Or even something the size of a soccer ball would work.

My search for a commercial version of this has been fruitless. Commissioning a prototype from a craftsman or seamstress undermines my goal of a cheap alternative to an expensive item while reusing what would otherwise go into the bins. Any leads?

How do TV dance pros get their partners ready each week?

philosophygeek — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:37:59 -0800

What do pro dancers do to get their celebrity amateurs so good, so quickly? In shows like Dancing with the Stars, the pro dancers manage to get their amateurs to perform at a pretty respectable level, given that many of them have no previous dance experience and they're learning a new style each week. The same is true, to a lesser extent, for So You Think You Can Dance: although the choreographers are working with talented dancers, the dancers are often learning a brand new style, and yet they perform it incredibly well in just a week.

How do the pros in these situations manage to bring up their dancers to such a high level so quickly? Obviously, part of it is spending 6+ hours a day on the routine, but even so, those are grueling days, and I don't know how the pros keep their ams mentally sharp over that long of a practice session. So how do they do it?