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

Taps

buriedpaul — Fri, 16 May 2008 13:35:19 -0800

I'm looking for information about a basketball game we used to play at summer camp a hundred years ago called Taps. Here's how we used to play: one person would take foul shots. He'd get a point if he scored a basket. The other person would stand under the basket. If the shooter missed, he'd try to jump and -- while in the air -- "tap" the ball in. He had three tries to score a basket this way; if he tapped the ball in he'd get two points. If the shooter missed three shots in a row or the other guy tapped the ball in, they'd switch places. We played either to 11 or to 21, and, to win, the shooter, after scoring the required number of points, had to hit a final shot from the top of the key.

Until recently, when I saw some kids playing it in Brooklyn, I thought it was unique to the camp. They were playing it a little differently, so I'm curious if the game's regional and, if the rules vary, I'm interested to hear about the game's different forms. (Note: it's not this game, but it's similar, sort of. Also, these kids are great.)

Cheap device for song lyric display?

rhys — Fri, 16 May 2008 10:58:18 -0800

I'm looking to use some kind of tablet device, pocket pc, or possibly even e-book reader to display lyrics and chords for me while playing guitar. Criteria: cheap, readable, hackable, in that order. Budget - cheaper is better, $100 is ok, for $200 it should be stellar.

It needs to be able to display text files, and that's about it. It would be great if the screen was big enough to display a whole page, but I usually condense lyrics and chords, so it's not essential.

It would also be great if I could hook up some kind of device to scroll up and down and change songs. Could be a keyboard input, whatever.

I figure that you hardware hacker types must know something about discontinued devices that can be had on eBay. Thanks!

Zoom Zoom

zoomorphic — Fri, 16 May 2008 08:32:03 -0800

Please help me find some safe, beginner-ish bike routes that start out in Williamsburg/Greenpoint, Brooklyn. So, I just got this totally cute bike. It's not going to scale any mountains, but it's a trusty 50s relic with a sturdy frame and nice tires. I haven't ridden a bike since I was ten. Until last week, I've been a full-time pedestrian oblivious to the joys and terrors of co-existing with cars on the road. I'm looking for some fun bike routes that will get my muscles and brain accustomed to long distance rides so I can slowly work my way up to speeding up steep inclines without passing out, preferably on low-key, scenic Brooklyn roads where I won't get doorsed or pancaked. I'm starting out near here. And if there are any roads I should avoid for the time being, please let me know!

Where can we find a large selection of triathlon wetsuits in New York City?

rdn — Fri, 16 May 2008 04:49:18 -0800

Where can we try on lots of triathlon wetsuits in New York City? On Saturday? We're looking for a women's triathlon wetsuit in New York City -- and have one day to do it (Saturday). Any recommendations of stores (in any borough) that may have a wide selection in stock? (It's hard to tell based on a Google search which stores carry a decent stock.) Thanks for any suggestions!

Which Bike gets the new crankset?

Rafaelloello — Thu, 15 May 2008 19:33:58 -0800

MTBFilter: Which of my two bikes should get the new LX Hollowtech II Crankset I just bought and should I use an XTR Rear derailler on my commuter? In follow-up to my question last month I took action on some of the great advice given.

Here's the dilemma:

1. I bought a bunch of stuff to convert my Commuter ('94 LX 7 speed cassette) to XT level 8 speed.

2. I also bought a brand "new" bike, a pristine 2001 GF Hoo Koo E Koo Disc
which will be my new trail bike. This bike is practically bike shop new and has never seen a mile of off-road riding. This is going to be my new off-road rig.

Included in the stuff I bought for my commuter is an FC-M542 Hollowtech Crankset and bottom bracket. Now I'm wondering if it might not be a better choice to take the practically new Bontrager Sport off the GF to use on the commuter and beef up the off-road bike with the new Hollowtech II crankset?

I also bought a used XTR RD-M950 for the commuter to replace the '94 LX rear that has served me so well(the '94 LX has aluminum Carmichael pullies). I've heard/read that the '94 7 speed LX also works for 8 speed. Would leaving the '94 LX on the commuter with the new 8 speed cassette be more prudent than sending an(albeit used) XTR out in the rain?

Oh one more, please. I've read that "facing" your bottom bracket shell is important with these new external bearing cranksets. Is that something I really have to go to a bike shop for or can I just sand the paint off the edge of the bottom bracket shell with a block of wood and some sand paper?

Thanks in advance for your help in bringing my bike knowledge into the 21st century.

How do I know who's going to pitch?

OilPull — Thu, 15 May 2008 07:25:17 -0800

fantasybaseballfilter: First season of fantasy baseball after years of fantasy football, and I'm having a hard a time figuring out when individual pitchers are scheduled to pitch. My head-to-head league requires a minimum of 30 innings to be pitched by my fantasy pitching staff each week, and I have to shuffle players in and out of the rotation to meet that requirement, but it's easy (for me at least) to mess this up.

Is there an easy resource out there listing teams, their rotations and who is scheduled next? Combing through individual team web pages and game reports to manage 8-9 pitchers is time consuming.

I'm not interested in paid subscription services. Any help is appreciated.

Where should i sell my cards?

donbing — Thu, 15 May 2008 02:55:08 -0800

Whats the best way to get my home designed cards for sale in shops? Hi, I am a young student who's been designing gift cards succesfully for friends and family. I am now interested in seeking advice as to how to get my cards into shops. Can anybody help?

Peanut / Crackerjack schedule

bargex — Wed, 14 May 2008 23:31:01 -0800

I want to buy tickets to a Yankee's / A's game in Oakland, but only if Chien Ming Wang is pitching. How/when can I find out when he's pitching, and how far ahead should I buy tickets? I'm trying to buy tickets for some friends visiting town who are fans of Chien Ming. How can I make sure to get tickets for them?

Possible follow up - any good ticket brokers in the SF/Oakland area who could do this for me?

Origami paper in jewel tone colors?

lemonade — Wed, 14 May 2008 09:25:22 -0800

Where can I buy origami paper in colors which are more 'jewel tones' than the usual 'primary' colors? I received this book as a gift a couple of years ago, and it comes with a package of origami paper in really beautiful colors. There was a deep teal, and a ruby red, and a deep blue... I'd like to find more paper like this, instead of the very bright primary colors which are usually sold. Thanks!

Cuban cigars in Toronto

bread-eater — Tue, 13 May 2008 20:59:02 -0800

Good (friendly, knowledgeable & good selection) cigar stores in Toronto? Also: Cuban cigars I'd like to get a few Cuban cigars for my friend before I return to the U.S. from Toronto. I'm totally clueless about cigars. (I've smoked 2 in my life.) What Cuban cigars are good bang-for-buck? I don't want to be spending too much on it. I'll just get 2-6 of them. What price should I expect to pay for decent ones? I live in Markham but will be in downtown Toronto for some time tomorrow. Any suggestions for stores that are friendly to newbies like me? Thanks!

Mickey Mantle Baseball Card

america4 — Tue, 13 May 2008 20:49:25 -0800

I'd like to purchase an authentic Mickey Mantle baseball card from the 50s...long story which i won't go into, but know nothing about them, just want one. Reputable sources? Should I be looking for something particular...???? Price range to be expected?

It's called a skyride 'cause it rides thru the sky.

GarageWine — Tue, 13 May 2008 14:04:20 -0800

Know of any gondola skyrides? I'm trying to produce a list of gondola skyrides. But first some ground rules:

1. Must be gondola -- no chair lifts or t-bars.

2. Must be accessible to the general public (e.g., not inside an amusement park).

3. Must currently be in business.

Bonus points for anything involving water.

Extra bonus points for anything involving waterfalls.

(Note: I already know about the Spokane Skyride.)

Thanks for the help!

Guy-Friendly Messenger-Style Camera/Laptop Bag?

sjuhawk31 — Tue, 13 May 2008 13:07:41 -0800

BagFilter: Looking for a camera bag for my DSLR that will also hold my smallish (13.3-inch) laptop if I need it to. Really, really prefer a messenger bag style. Also, I'm a guy. Would really love to invest in a camera bag to carry around my small collection of DSLR equipment. Ideally, would like to carry camera with one lens, an extra lens, and a small flash.

I'd really like it to have a compartment for my shiny Macbook, so I could bring that along when I need to. And, because it's not terribly easy to grab things from a backpack, I'd like a messenger bag.

Gumming up the works is the fact that I'm a guy, and not to sound too vain, but I don't want this bulky messenger bag to look girly.

Am I getting too specific to actually find something? What do you recommend?

Simple music machine for kids?

progosk — Tue, 13 May 2008 09:17:15 -0800

Our kids, 5 and 7, haven't singled in on any specific instrument yet (nor, perhaps, will they ever), but they do love listening to, humming/singing, and dancing to all kinds of music, and playing the various "minor" instruments we've got. We're thinking about buying some sort of simple music machine/synth to have in the house for them play around with. Any recommendations?

I ain't puttin no wax on and I sure as hell ain't takin' no wax off.

longbaugh — Tue, 13 May 2008 08:49:44 -0800

Experienced in Martial Arts? I am looking to begin training Krav Maga/KAPAP (with some BJJ thrown in) and some Kali/Escrima (with some JKD thrown in) in the very near future and was wondering if our resident Mefite Artists had any positive/negative experiences with any of them. I've done some looking into the instructors themselves and checked the paper trails to ensure it's no mcdojo and in turn I have checked their teacher's credentials. The JKD/Kali/Escrima/FMA goes via Inosanto so no problems there - the KAPAP is via Major (Res) Avi Nardia and David Arama. The BJJ is via Royce Gracie and there is also some generic Muay Thai & boxing et al in the mix.

I've trained some in the past but not such a diverse bunch of styles. This is primarily for fitness and not for self-defence (I try not to hang out in places where I'd need to use skills such as these). I am not interested in competition fighting either. I am looking for effectiveness however. Even if I've no intention of using anything I think it's important that if you're going to train you do it right, otherwise I'd just do some Tae Bo...

If you've any experience with any of the above in any circumstance then please throw in your tuppence (that's 2c to you colonials) and let me know.

TIA

How Low Can You Go ?

pickingoutathermos — Mon, 12 May 2008 20:55:22 -0800

What are some examples of high quality yet dirt cheap guitar brands/models (ex. Rondo)? I just discovered Rondo's Agile and SX line's of well reviewed guitars and basses. Any other brands like this ?

Help me push this hobby even further into the pathology zone.

sneakin — Mon, 12 May 2008 13:22:11 -0800

What's a good magazine subscription for a 30-something guy who is really into watches and pens? My brother is young, hip dude who is super into (obsessed with, really) collecting and repairing and tinkering with old, antique and collectible watches and pens/ink. What are some cool publications for a collector like him? I'm especially interested in anything slightly less popular and a bit more off the beaten path (that he's less likely to have already stumbled upon).

I'm sure I can just google around for titles but I was hoping for feedback about quality of specific publications.

If only it were as simple as changing the oil

EatTheWeak — Mon, 12 May 2008 06:41:38 -0800

I could use some help loosening up for my return to cycling. After a very long interval away from bicycles, I am returning to two-wheeled transport for both fitness and commuting. I was hoping some veteran Mefite cyclists might recommend a few stretches for the hips, legs and lower back. I'm feeling a lot of tension through these areas, and am hoping to learn some stretches ideal for loosening these regions up.

Where can I watch Eurovision in Bergen, Norway?

Del Chimney — Mon, 12 May 2008 06:12:44 -0800

Where can a Brit who happens to be in Bergen, Norway on Saturday 24th May watch the Eurovision Song Contest? I know that the good people of Norway take the whole thing about as seriously as those of us in the UK (i.e. not at all) but since I am going to be there on Eurovision night I can't pass up the opportunity to see first hand how it all goes down in another part of Europe. It won't be the same without Wogan but I'm sure that his Norwegian counterpart will more than suffice.

What are my chances of finding a bar that will be showing it? Any suggestions for a venue? If so, how could I enhance my evening by ingratiating myself with any interested locals?

Pottery in NYC?

kookaburra — Sun, 11 May 2008 14:40:21 -0800

Does anyone know of any cheap-ish pottery classes in NYC for the summer? I'm a beginner, but I would be fine with some kind of open studio deal as well. I'll be living in Williamsburg and working in Harlem, so extra points if it's located near either of those two places.

SportBrain: Stuck in phone-jack land. Alternatives?

trokair — Sat, 10 May 2008 17:09:40 -0800

Are there any alternatives to the SportBrain 'connected pedometer' device? The idea behind the SportBrain is cool (tracking fitness stats online), but the fact that it relies on a landline phone jack for connectivity purposes is not (I use my mobile exclusively). Are there any similar devices that upload via a PC connection or via WiFi?

Me no Leica

WPW — Sat, 10 May 2008 15:27:37 -0800

What is causing the horizonal lines on pictures taken by my digital camera? See picture here - that's a picture of a white wall in my flat, and as you can see there are faint horizontal lines across it. The camera is a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX30 and has so far given me six months of trouble-free service. The lines started showing up last week. The camera has not suffered any extreme heat or shocks. The lines are still showing up with a clean memory card and a fully charged battery.

I am a total amateur and it is entirely possible I have changed a setting by accident - no obvious error messages are appearing, but there is a red camera-shaped icon in the top left-hand corner of the viewfinder that might indicate trouble of some sort. Or it might not.

Anyway, it's vexing. If anyone can help I'd appreciate it. The camera is within warranty so it can be returned to Panasonic if necessary.

Online TV Stations in Original Language

fantasticninety — Sat, 10 May 2008 11:29:57 -0800

Can you help me find TV stations online for soccer (football)? I am an absolute soccer (football) addict. Are there television stations online that provide good enough feeds that you can watch live soccer on them? I'm willing to pay money for the feeds. Ideally, this would be the Italian Serie A league, but the French Ligue 1 and the German league would also be of interest. I'd much prefer them in their original language.

Also, for the European Soccer Championship, maybe a TV station is going to air all the games?

Thanks for your help!

I want to learn to soar in Phoenix!

Alterscape — Sat, 10 May 2008 08:46:49 -0800

So I want to learn to fly sailplanes. Any advice, recommendations for soaring instruction in driving range of Phoenix, AZ? Google finds me a bunch of sailports and organizations in the area, but I'd rather get some opinions before I give anyone my money. In terms of my experience level and what I'm looking for -- never soared before, but I grew up around private aviation. I'd like to get my soaring rating both because the skillset and challenge involved seem bloody awesome, and because I've heard that it instills discipline that will be useful if/when I have the time and money to pursue a powered rating. With that in mind, can anyone recommend a training organization? A specific instructor would be great, too.

Help me eat well at Nationals Stadium!

gaspode — Fri, 09 May 2008 12:14:06 -0800

We are going to a Washington Nationals ballgame on Sunday. What good food is there in the new stadium? Which bars have decent beer? Thanks, folks.