Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with dark

Where can I take a vacation for epic stargazing?

BuddhaInABucket — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 15:31:32 -0800

Where can I go for the awesomest stargazing possible? I randomly had the idea to take a vacation for the purpose of going stargazing. I understand that I'm asking for something contradictory, but what are the darkest places on earth that are not extremely difficult to get to? I want to see the milky way like our ancestors saw it before electricity. I've only ever seen the milky way in the sky once, in 1989, and when I visited the same spot in 2003, there wasn't a star in the sky (outer Tehran, for those curious).

Are there tours that cater to this desire? I'm based in Southern California and would prefer to stay in the western hemisphere if possible, but don't let that stop you from making your other suggestions.

What else sounds like the Quake soundtrack?

Black Spring — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 13:24:57 -0800

I'm looking for music similar to the Quake 1 soundtrack. I enjoyed Quake's threatening, ambient soundtrack of bestial breathing, eerie heartbeats, distant screams, blasts of wind, weird dronings...
What other music sounds similar?
So far I've found Lustmord and Sun O))), and I'd like some more suggestions. This stuff really helps me concentrate!

Laugh lines are not funny.

pseudostrabismus — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 22:51:31 -0800

I'd like your real-life testimonials for wrinkle treatments that actually work. Bonus points if your skin is brownish. I'm in my 20s and starting to get naso-labial folds, or laugh lines, from my nose to my mouth. Ack. Right now they're pretty faint, and kind of look like the ones in this photo. Close to my nose there's a shallow fold about 1/2 an inch long, and the rest of the way down to my mouth it's like a slight darkening of my skin in the shape of my future wrinkle. Waah, what do I do? Right now I use a powder compact to tone down the darker colour, but it gets kind of cakey. Liquid foundation is even worse- it creases.

I have about the same skin tone as the person in this photo. Olive-brown with yellow undertones, with slightly darker patches around my eyes and mouth. So I'm particularly seeking melanin-friendly remedies.

Oh, and I scar easy, plus I'm a cheapskate, so no plastic surgery and no weird injections. But creams, masks, scrubs, you know, topical stuff like that- fire away!

So SAD. Illuminate me.

desuetude — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 14:42:27 -0800

I've been aware of a tendency toward winter blues for many years, but this winter is really kicking my ass already. I think I'm ready to look into a little treatment, and I'd like some advice. Yep, I've read all of the previous AskMes on this. Has anyone found getting a "real" diagnosis of SAD from their doctor to be particularly helpful? (Or particularly unhelpful?) I get that the tendency is to say that of course one should see a doctor if one thinks one has a medical condition, but I am not suffering from severe depression, I'm not looking for an SSRI prescription, or even a therapist. Really, I'm quite certain that this is just Not Enough Light = Cranky and Exhausted.

I'm pretty sure that some light therapy will do the trick. I do wonder if insurance might partially cover the cost of a light-box? Anyone have any experience with this? It was mentioned in previous threads w/out follow-up.

Getting outside for more light and fresh air would be great...except that the resultant pain from my Raynaud's makes that prospect a bit...depressing.

Sorry to say that I can't go someplace warm for a few weeks, though man oh man, I wish I could.

Anything else to consider adding to my treatment regimen?

Shot in the dark about "Shot in the Dark"

sandra_s — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 07:13:13 -0800

Where are all of these covers of Henry Mancini's "Shot in the Dark" coming from, and where can I get them? One of my favorite pieces of music is Henry Mancini's "Shot in the Dark".

Over the past month I have heard no fewer than 5 different covers/versions of it. Among others, one was swing, one was more metal, one was very jazzy, one was almost a dance mix.

Unfortunately, I only heard them when I was in a store or restaurant, so I dont know who did them because there wasn't a DJ saying "that was the BlahBlahs with their cover of "Shot in the dark"

Now that I know that they are out there, can anyone point me in the direction of where I can purchase any and all covers/versions of it?

I've found a few live performances on youtube, but I'm looking for actual recordings I can purchase.

Thanks!

Dark skies in western Washington

0xFCAF — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 21:39:01 -0800

Where can I find some truly dark skies in western Washington state? My fondest childhood memory is sitting out on my relatives' farm in who-knows-where-South Dakota, staring up at a surrealistically bright Milky Way. These days I live in the Seattle area and it's a pretty rare sight to see more than a few stars.

But I now have 9 days of vacation, a week of what appears to be good weather, and a willingness to drive 6+ hours to get to a good place to see the night sky as I remember it (or something close). What are some actual locations (i.e. names, places, parks, whatever) with great stargazing? I'm also willing to do a strenuous hike if that's needed - pretty much anything is in. Bonus points if I can camp out in a bivy sack in said location.

Pre-emptive: The Dark Sky Finder applet is next to worthless - without roads or any other information about how to get there, all it really does it tell me that it's bright where I am (which I already knew).

Andreana Weiner: recent-ish pictures plz?

Quarter Pincher — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 11:43:57 -0800

Can you find me some more recent pictures of Andreana Weiner, an American actress, other than from the ST:TNG s07e07 "Dark Page" with which co-stars a young Kirsten Dunst? Perhaps someone has Adams Family Values or Red Dragon and could take screenshots? Thanks!

dark chocolate gift ideas

null terminated — Tue, 24 Oct 2006 17:27:35 -0800

A special lady in my life has an insatiable lust for all things dark chocolate. What outrageous dark chocolate related present can I get for her? If Hershey's 5lb Milk Chocolate bar came in dark, I'd get that. Crazy suggestions are welcome. Also she's far away, so I can't, for example, pump chocolate through her window with a concrete truck.

Effects of solar eclipse spanning decades?

Sevenupcan — Sat, 07 Oct 2006 12:49:00 -0800

Any ideas on the effects of a prolonged solar eclipse, say 10-30 years? We are trying to theorise the possible effects a prolonged solar eclipse would have on the world if it spanned several decades: ie the biological/organic changes that may occur, as well as any immediate effects it may have to human society.

A few ideas/thoughts we had were.

- 'How quickly would the earths natural energy resources deplete without the aid of the sun?'
- 'Would this create an acceleration in certain organic forms evolving/adapting at an increased rate in order to survive?'
- 'How would this initially effect the human biological clock, ie the adjustment from night and day to one constant state.'
- 'Also what would the world look like when the eclipse was over?'
- 'Looking at the current state of quickly using up fossil fuels, if this eclipse was to occur what would be the alternatives for creating new energy sources? ie solar panels dont work with the sun'
- 'Would this bring on an ice age?'

Thank you for your time.

Scared of the Dark

cornflake — Fri, 14 Jul 2006 05:39:08 -0800

Two part question. I'm afraid of the dark. When I go to sleep I either leave the TV going, or the door open and a nearby light on. If I don't do this then I lie in the dark and watch shadows move, I'm on edge, and I lay awake for hours. This would be fine if I was 8, but I'm nearly 30. Am I the only adult in the world with this phobia? I'm planning to travel soon and will be staying in places that don't have a regular electricity supply, so I'll need to be comfortable in the dark.

Catseyes

twine42 — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 11:07:09 -0800

How quickly do other animals react to changes in light, and why are we so slow by comparison? If our cat is running about like a nutcase, and I turn off the lights, she can aparently still see where she's going. She doesn't run into anything or stop dead, yet I can't see a damned thing for a few minutes, and it's about 15 minutes until I can see really clearly.

Why is it that cats can switch so quickly from light sight to night sight? It's obviously not just a case of pupils dilating. And why have we aparently evolved to be so completely crap in the dark? What other animals are as good as cats or as crap as humans?

Do children see darkness as "blacker" than adults?

bugbread — Sun, 09 Apr 2006 07:05:59 -0800

Do children see darkness as "blacker" than adults? When I was a child, I noticed that in supposed "pitch darkness", I actually saw a large number of really small red, blue, green, and other colored points (somewhat like if you look at a low res digital camera photo of darkness). As an adult, it seems that there are more of these points than there used to be.

I can think of 3 possible likely interpretations:
1) Adult eyes, for some reason, do in fact see more of these dots.
2) It varies from person to person
3) It's my imagination that the number has increased.

Which is it? And, if #1 or #2, why is it?

Why Does Burned Coffee Rule?

ParisParamus — Fri, 10 Mar 2006 21:06:39 -0800

Why does (what is the psychology of) Starbucks thrive(ing) selling coffee that, it would seem, most people find less than ideal? From speaking with a friends, family, and collegues, I can't recall anyone saying that they actually love Starbucks' coffee. Perhaps I travel in an atypical "coffee circle," but I wonder.

Specifically, why does Starbucks insist on selling medium-to-dark roast coffee exclusively, when, I suspect, most Americans would prefer a good light roast brew (or, why not sell both; dark roast does make sense for frappuccinos, etc.).

Is it that Starbucks has concluded that, given that most people put milk in their coffee, that "burned coffee" (what many call it) is, overall the best compromise?

Is it that people don't really go to Starbucks for the coffee but the ambiance and/or pastry?

Is it that dark coffee, psychologically, has a status/appeal BECAUSE most people don't actually like it? Something else?

trying to remember a childrens book i once read

butterball — Thu, 20 Oct 2005 17:30:55 -0800

Does anyone remember a childrens book about a place where its dark all the time except for one day a year when the sun comes out? In the story the little gets locked in a closet by other kids on the one day of sun? thanks!

Can you help me find these paintings?

nTeleKy — Wed, 06 Jul 2005 14:01:40 -0800

I'm trying to find some artwork that I believe was posted to the front page a while back. The best description I can give is that it was paintings of various animals (mostly bunnies and bears) in odd situations including, but not limited to self-mutilation. I've been scouring my links and I can't find these anywhere, although I've seen them twice before. They're rather dark in color and content, relatively traditional painting style (acrylic or oil?) but with a cartoonish look. I seem to remember a bunny cutting off one of its limbs and a self-portrait(?) of the artist smoking a cigarette in a bear-suit in particular. There was a site that I believe belonged to the artist with a gallery. Anyone?

Bats ... they were like bats

5MeoCMP — Sun, 15 May 2005 23:22:59 -0800

Trying to remember the name(s) of a series of books I read, ooh, 10-15 years ago (ouch). Scifi/fantasy genre, female author. Susan something? Anyhoo, there were these big fortresses, and it was completely dark inside and all the people hid inside them while the big flappy things ruled the land outside. Your typical three-volume fallen from grace to rise again with the strength of our courage and sweat of our brows kind of thing, but (with a precious few moments) set entirely in these dark fortresses. Honestly, I've Googled, I've asked my brother and sister (they read these books too), I even asked my Mum, and she should remember since it was one of those books that got blue shampoo spilled on it when we went on one of those interminable family holidays during which I learned to play ping-pong really well.

Ahem. I seem to be a little off track here.

However, if anyone can tickle my memory, I'd be most grateful. It's been driving me crazy that I can remember almost all the books I read except for these (and maybe there's a good reason for that, but I'd like to know).

Blacklight and Beemers

twine42 — Fri, 01 Apr 2005 15:31:31 -0800

A while ago, BMW started playing with UV / blacklight bulbs in its cars. What happened? [possibly UK-centric question] the idea was a great one, so I assume they went ahead with it, yet i've never seen a car with blacklight obviously showing. Were they released in the UK? My google searches come up blank.

I'm guessing there was a legal problem with them (being nearly blue) yet every 12 year old has suddenly put blue lights all over his SR Nova, so is it worth trying? Where does one get hold of bright UV lamps at car voltages?

Dark Castle

ORthey — Fri, 25 Feb 2005 19:09:29 -0800

Did anyone used to play Dark Castle on the old Macs? I spent a lot of my childhood playing it... and I'm thirsting for more. Now I have a PC - does anyone know of a way for me to find it online? Or elsewhere?

Question number 14188

signal — Wed, 19 Jan 2005 10:41:21 -0800

Not-Lame Country Music: I understand that some Alice in Chains, Nirvana, etc. , songs have a strong "country" flavor, deep guitars, slow vocals, tons of mood, while still rocking. I know nothing about country music, and most of what I've heard doesn't do it for me. What dark, slow and moody Country music would you recommend?

Question number 3851

fvw — Fri, 12 Dec 2003 16:00:12 -0800

Why do porous objects (wood, textile, hair, etc) appear darker when wet then when dry? A googling gave me this ("surface reflection and refraction"), but that doesn't sound entirely reasonable, as it merely talks of light being scattered, but the light in question is already diffuse. This also gives some suggestions, but nothing conclusive. Any chem/physics MeFiers know this?