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

Fun with Sword-Carrying Mice

not that girl — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 16:10:33 -0800

Point me to resources for a beginning Game Master, Mouse Guard specific if possible. My family got the Mouse Guard RPG for Xmas. I played D&D extensively back in the day, but have never run a game, and that will be my role. I am reading through the book and things are very clear, and yet I feel uncertain about how to translate what I'm reading into effective game play. I really want to use this game to show my kids how much fun RPGs can be, so it's important I not be too bad at this. I'd like play to proceed relatively smoothly.

Anyone have any links to resources for beginning GMs that really break it down? Links to "how to GM for Mouse Guard"? Things that really lay it out for the novice?

Your own anecdotes and tips, what-I-wish-I'd-known stories, and so on would be welcome as well.

This feels like a vague question but that just reflects my lack of clarity about how to put the theory into practice.

How do I be in a band?

largecorp — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 14:50:19 -0800

I love music and over the past few years have taught myself to be pretty good as a ukulele player. I'd love to get involved with a band--old-time jazz, dixieland stuff--and really learn how to make music with others. But all I know is how to play by myself. I don't know how bands work in the slightest, nor how to find others who are better than me but willing to let me "play along." How do I get started getting started? Thanks!

Napa tips?

drpynchon — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 14:38:58 -0800

Help me plan my romantic trip to Napa Valley. So I managed to book several days in wine country and I was hoping for any advice on making the best of our time there on a couple's getaway. We'll be there this week Monday-Thursday. Our main interests are of course food and drink, but we are hardly wine experts and I was hoping for tips on how best to sample what Napa has to offer. We will be in downtown Napa and we will have a car, though I'd definitely prefer to avoid its use if we'll be drinking wine. Is the wine train a bad idea? Are there any other fun things or interesting sights you'd recommend in the area?

For bonus points, I'd like to take the scenic coastal drive up to there from Los Angeles on the way in (I-5 coming back I guess). I'm willing to invest a whole day (starting early) for this, so if anyone has a good idea for stopping points (don't say San Francisco) or a route that won't run longer than about 10-12 hours I'd really appreciate it. Also let me know if PCH is just a bad idea to begin with.

Which games allow you to play on XBL with multiple local participants?

kuperman — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 17:31:27 -0800

Which Xbox 360 games allow you to connect and play multiplayer online with one Live account, but with multiple local participants playing split-screen? For example, Halo 3 has this feature. Do any other games have this feature - or even allow you to connect and play with two valid Live accounts?

CAD files for polyhedral dice

Bonzai — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 11:41:16 -0800

Does anyone know where I can find some CAD files of polyhedral dice? I would prefer if the little numbers where already etched into them if possible. Any 3d format would work if I can convert them.

A hike on X-mas morning in or near Los Angeles?

drjimmy11 — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 10:24:46 -0800

A hike on X-mas morning in or near Los Angeles? Since I have no big plans, I'm thinking about getting out and going hiking tomorrow morning. Doesn't have to be a huge all-day thing, I wouldn't mind being back by the Lakers game at 2pm actually.

I'm just wondering if the local parks like Runyon Canyon that are (I think) closeable will be closed. Also just generally looking for suggestions of fun, nearby trails that would make a good solo Christmas day hike. (I know about most of the hiking websites and books, just wondering if anyone has any specific ideas to throw at me.)

Thanks!

Shouldering the burden of wearing armor...

GJSchaller — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 09:33:13 -0800

Looking for ideas to add shoulder padding & support under leather LARP armor. I have a leather breastplate that is held up by shoulder straps about 2" wide, which bear all of the weight of the armor. I have a belt for it, but due to the design, the armor doesn't rest on my hips well, keeping the weight mostly on my shoulders. You can see a pic here (Warning, extreme geekery involved.)

Ideally, I'm looking for a modern set of sports gear shoulder pads to slip under the armor, on my shoulders, to help distribute the weight and ease it a bit. I took a look at Modell's website for football pads, but even the light ones for QBs & Kickers are too large, and cover the chest as well as the shoulders.

The other trick is to keep it low-profile enough that I can slip a mantle or large shirt over it, so the appearance of (fantasy) medieval armor isn't ruined. I have a vision of a back harness with shoulder pads on it from somewhere, but I don't remember where I saw it.

Thank you!

How to entertain parents you don't get along with?

thegreatcokeolympics — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 10:29:58 -0800

Activities to do in San Francisco for mellow people... My parents and I will be visiting SF for christmas and staying a few days after. This is the first time in a while we are spending time together due to the inevitable drama and negativity that comes when we get together. I really want this trip to go well! I need some suggestions for activities that will keep us preoccupied (so we don't have the chance to argue or complain), but not annoy us, and by us, I mean my mother. This means nothing too loud or that has that "young person" vibe. I'm 28 and my parents are in their mid 50s, so I'm aiming for something age neutral.

I ask for suggestions because I seem to either find young person hot spots or family oriented spots (which inevitably means directed at kids), but nothing in between. Please point me in the right direction!

Also, nothing too expensive.

Thanks in advance for your help!

What are your favorite two-player Virtual Console/WiiWare games?

coraline — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 01:47:28 -0800

[WiiFilter] What are your favorite two-player Virtual Console/WiiWare games? Looking to find some fun two-player games for me and my boyfriend to play. I haven't been in the Wii Store for a while and am a little overwhelmed by all of the choices.

Of VC/WiiWare multiplayer games, I currently have and enjoy Dr. Mario, Bomberman '93, Bubble Bobble and Super Smash Bros - this also gives you an idea of what kind of games I like. (Also really love Mario Kart Wii, but of course that is not in this category). My boyfriend also likes shooter and strategy games, and I would also love some larger adventure type games which are fun to play together, so I guess it's all over the place. But since the Wii Shop games are so cheap, I'm open to trying out almost any game which has a great two-player mode.

Not VC/WW, but Wii-related question: I'm thinking about buying one of the Boom Blox games, but should I go for the original one or Boom Blox Smash Party?

please help me harden my resin

donabean — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:05:04 -0800

Help! I'm making a craft resin beltbuckle for an xmas present-and I have done the first layer which hardened just fine over the photo in the mold-but the second layer is still unhardened at the 40 hour mark-its not totally liquid-but sticky to the touch. Is there any way to make this harden-I'm heating it under a heat lamp-but any crafty people got a sure fire solution? I don't have time to start over.

Be vewy, vewy quiet...

arm426 — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 16:39:16 -0800

So, I want to go hunting. However, I have no idea what I'm doing and I live in Manhattan... In the past year or so, me and a few friends have developed the urge to go hunting in some form. Considering we live in NYC, what are some good local spots to go hunting?

Things to consider:
- We'll need a guide or someone to teach us how to hunt
- We'll need guns / ammo / camouflage / etc.
- We'd like to be able to eat / use whatever we hunt
- We'd like to have the option to stay at a cabin or lodge near where we hunt for a night
- We'd like the probability that we at least see something to shoot at to be as high as possible

So, where do I go? What do I hunt? Do you have any other tips for a first time hunter? What are some other questions that I should be asking (and, ideally, what are the answers to these questions)?

There is nothing half so much worth doing as mucking about in boats.

wilful — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 17:36:24 -0800

Would a catamaran or a dinghy be better? I want to get a small (14' approx) boat to sail. Cheap, easy to tow, limited maintenance, not high performance or complex, suitable for an adult and one or two children, or two bigger kids.

Fundamentally, should I go a cat (like a hobie 14, or a maricat), or a dinghy such as a Mirror or 125? I'll probably mostly sail on lakes with pretty choppy, intermittent winds, only a bit of bay sailing.

I think a dinghy would probably be better, in terms of stability and load carrying.

I'd ask for recommendations for specific makes, but chances are the boats you know aren't available in Australia, unless they're internationally well-known, and also my current awareness of makes and models is low.

Cheap fun activities to do in Malden, MA (Boston) this week

bbyboi — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 17:05:03 -0800

I am traveling to Boston (Malden, MA - to be precise) this week and will be there for a about 2 1/2 days. What would be fun but not too expensive activities for two people (1guy/1girl) without a car in this weather? I have read many of the previous posts on Boston travel on askme but I will be in Malden instead of Boston and wouldn't have a car and am dependent on public transportation. I'm looking for activities I could do where we don't have to travel too far away as I don't know how it would be traveling via public transportation if it snows most of the time.

After going through the previous threads, I have thought of museums, watching some movie, ice skating, visiting the mall, any Christmas related event, duck tour?, etc am open to anything which sounds like fun and specific things as recommended by the hivemind.

(I might be able to book a zipcar for a few hours though but not for too long. No animal related activities please.)

Thanks!

How to make a heavy bag last

GleepGlop — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 13:39:40 -0800

How does one avoid getting tears / rips in a heavy (punching) bag? I work at a gym where we provide a heavy bag (usually leather) and they never seem to last very long. They always get torn open near the top 3rd of the bag. I don't know if it is the way it is being hung, the stuffing settling to the bottom, or how it is being hit (kicking with shoes?). Anyone know of any guides on how to take care of heavy bags and what to do and what not to do?

Snow! Sledding?

teragram — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 07:12:24 -0800

Where should we go sledding in Boston/Cambridge/Somerville? Over the cooking bacon, tera-dude just asked "hey, do your metafilter friends know where we should go sledding today?"

So, metafilter friends: we live in Cambridge/Somerville, MA: where is the best place to go sledding for two adults and a dalmatian? Thanks!

Wii group games?

Anonymous — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 14:40:18 -0800

Buying a Wii game for my parents. They have the sports and resort games, I'd like it to be something that multiple people can play, ideally at a party, as that's when they use it the most. Great group Wii games?

Help him adaptto finger amputation

shylady — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 10:41:12 -0800

My wonderful great uncle had to have his right index finger amputated at the middle knuckle a year or so ago. He is 92 years old, lives alone, and has coped with loneliness (since the loss of his beloved wife 8 years ago) by keeping himself busy with construction related hobbies and cooking. I found out that he is really suffering from the loss of his normal pincer grasp. He specifically mentioned trouble using a hammer and nails. What can I do to make his life/hobbies easier, other than suggest a thumb and middle finger pincer grasp? Are there any products or tools you can recommend?

Looking for a place to meet people in Madison

kjackelen05 — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 21:20:18 -0800

Where are good places to go alone in Madison during the weekends? I'm a 22-year-old guy and I just moved to Madison, WI a few months ago. What are some good, low-key places I can go on the weekends where I might meet people my age? Obviously State Street is full of bars, but that's really not my scene. I'm looking for places where I won't feel out of place showing up alone, and I'm not opposed to bringing my laptop or a book to keep me company if I don't make any friends. Any suggestions?

Six guys, probably more genres

chrisinseoul — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:28:30 -0800

Repertoire building filter: need ideas to build up a new group of barbershop / jazz / folk / acapella / contemporary style. We are six guys looking to form a quartet. Yes, I know. A quartet is FOUR. Read more below. We are six guys - all able singers part of a choir to sing Messiah, from high tenor / countertenor to low bass. I used to sing in a barbershop quartet for a couple years, and there's been some interest in starting a new group of some kind. Call it a quartet with two tagalongs or 'buy four, get two free' - or just a group if you like.

The initial brainstorming has gone well - but most acapella / barbershop groups sing the same few dozen of so songs. I want to break out of any one genre, ideally going from something like Frank Sinatra to the Music Man to Freebird (there's GOT to be a vocal arrangement for that somewhere?) to Black Balloon.

The only requirements are that we need sheet music and needs to work with all men's voices.

Here's the question: what songs would you LOVE to hear a male group perform live? Genre doesn't matter, although the ones we've brainstormed all fit into the barbershop, acapella, contemporary, traditional / spiritual, folk genres.

you'd think this would have been invented by now

jak68 — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 12:45:57 -0800

does anyone make "plastic" or "non-marring" screwdrivers? For delicate crafts work? I need a non-marring screwdriver, I'm imagining one made out of plastic (both in phillips and flathead, in various sizes). Does anyone make these, for maybe the arts and crafts industry? Even just plastic screwdriver bits that can maybe fit into a regular screwdriver multi-bit handle.
Googling has not brought me fu. Wondering if anyone has come across anything like this.
thanks

Italian actor/singer pretending to sing in English filter???

beccaj — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:33:14 -0800

This song is rocking! What other music/songs do you think I would like?? ( I think I love the upbeat feel and those horns!)

I know I can't say internet "addiction" but...

DerangedGoblin — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 14:10:32 -0800

What am I supposed to do with my time? I use the internet enough that it negatively affects my life, but I don't know what to do instead.

When I cut down on internet, I end up doing nothing. I have no menu of hobbies or things I'd rather be doing, and I think that's from being online so much. It ends up being internet or nothing.

I'm partly asking for suggestions, but also for a way to find out how to figure out what to do for myself, and I'm fully aware of the apparent contradiction there.

Starting my first Model Railroad layout

drezdn — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:05:25 -0800

Advice and tips for starting my first HO model train layout? I'm planning on starting the bench work for my first model train layout soon. It could take years for me to finish, but I'm willing to work on it a little at a time. I already have the basic location in mind for my design (the railyards in Milwaukee's Miller Valley, currently Canadian Pacific owned, it used to be home to the Milwaukee Road shops).

What I'm looking for is just general advice on starting out/things you wish you would have known when you started with model trains.

In addition:

1) I like electronics projects, and was wondering if there are any good resources on electronics projects for model railroading.

2) Good plans for layouts that can be stored easy or foldup (or could be covered easily)

What to do when it's really cold?

leahwrenn — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 12:24:32 -0800

Cool things to do when it's 40 below? Moved to Fairbanks Alaska. It's cold here. Are there interesting things I can do that take advantage of lots of access to really cold temperatures?

Ideally, this would be kitchen-sciency stuff that doesn't actually require me to spend a lot of time in the cold, like the you-tube videos of taking hot water outside and turning it into ice fog. Or, if you fill up a balloon with water and put it outside it turns into an ice sphere, good for using in holiday punch.

Snowboard shop in Denver

Sturdy — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 11:27:21 -0800

Recommend a good snowboard shop in Denver ? I'm flying into DIA and have a few days for a little road trip to Steamboat. I'm after my first board, maybe a Bataleon or Lib Tech. Would it be cheaper to buy in Steamboat or pickup on the way ? I may even pop into Boulder, if there are some good shops there. Thanks !