Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with entertainment

Things to do in Salt Lake?

moira — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 13:42:14 -0800

Things to do in Salt Lake that don't involve excessive freezing outside or eating out, and allow for chit-chat? Non-location-specific ideas work, too. Bonus points if it would appeal to a bored 20ish-year-old.

I know it's only November.

bent back tulips — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:40:31 -0800

What are your favourite Christmas TV episodes? This year leading up to Christmas I want to watch a load of Christmas specials or Christmas episodes of TV shows. The problem is, I can't think of that many! I know there must be lots that I'm not thinking of, but that's where you come in.

Ones that have come to mind for me so far: Studio 60, The Office and (of course!) A Charlie Brown Christmas. Are there any favourite Christmas episodes that you remember fondly? Or ones that you bring out every year at this time? What would be good for me to watch to get me in the Christmas mood? They could be heartwarming, hilarious or melancholy, all accepted. Fire away!

take me to your leader

Potomac Avenue — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 08:25:29 -0800

What are the good independent music/arts/entertainment/hipster websites in your city? Is there a site in your large- to medium-sized city that fits these criteria:
* not affiliated with a print version (Onion, city paper, etc)
* not affiliated with a network in other cities of some kind like Gothamist or Yahoo
* not in NYC or Los Angeles for various complex reasons
* are totally awesome

and that you might turn to for most of the things listed below:

1. music and concert reviews
2. entertainment calender and preview of events
3. movie, tv, food or theater reviews
4. obnoxiously fashionable photographs of shows, dance-parties and events
5. other quirky articles about local goings-on
6. discussion of other current topics on the web or in the world of pop culture

I'm asking because I work for one like this in DC and want to find out if we're all alone or if there are sister sites out there in places like Minneapolis, etc, with which we can communicate. So if you've heard of one but never used it I'd appreciate the tip even if yr not sure of its quality. I have read this thread, but there aren't many choices in there which fit the criteria.

Thank you.

My new thinking technique is unstoppable!

infinitewindow — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:21:01 -0800

Recuperating from a head injury. How can I entertain myself with brain damage as a motif? Lots of stress going on right now in life, and to make matters worse I hit my head last night pretty bad. Right now I'm in the hospital under observation, and I have internet access to keep me entertained. When I get home for a day or two of bed rest, I will have no direct Internet access. I will have access to a PS3 with the Playstation Store.

Can you suggest interesting and not-stressful things to watch, read or listen to that

a. don't cost money
b. don't involve direct PC-type computer use
c. involve head or brain injuries in some way?

I have been promised a trip to the local public library, so books, audio or otherwise, are good ideas. You can check out my personal library from the LibraryThing link in my profile if you want to be a hella good AskMe citizen. Blindsight would be a great answer because the protagonist had part of his brain taken out in childhood (and because it's a kickass novel). This essay would be a bad answer because it would totally stress me out even more.

Health/Diet Podcasts

gocubbies — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 14:49:42 -0800

What is your favorite health/diet podcast?

Podcast Preferences

gocubbies — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 14:20:37 -0800

Trying to expand my podcast play list. Can you recommend podcasts that might compliment my current favorites? My favorite podcasts are as follows: The Adam Carolla Podcast, The Dave Ramsey Show, The Moth, NPR Fresh Air, and The Tech Guy - Leo Laporte. What else would you recommend?

Dry humor and a little scientific fun, anyone?

lizbunny — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:18:14 -0800

My lab experiments leave me with about a kilogram of dry ice left over every day, and it just evaporates overnight in the freezer. Seems a downright shame to waste all that potential fun... what are the most entertaining, novel uses for dry ice that you can think of?

What Counts to Nielsen When Nielsen Counts?

saulgoodman — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 06:44:47 -0800

Do Nielsen Ratings account for TV viewership in public venues, such as bars, restaurants, waiting rooms, etc., and if so, how are these viewership counts tallied and weighted? I would think keeping track of performance royalties, etc., would require Nielsen or at least some performance rights entity to track viewership in public venues like this. Any information about how reported viewership outside of personal households might impact Nielsen Ratings, if at all, would be appreciated. Additional links to statistical breakdowns or other data points would be welcomed, too.

A simple "No" is also fine, say, if the two kinds of viewership are tracked separately.

Help me load out my new travel machine.

damiano99 — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:20:14 -0800

I just got a HP Mini 2140 HD. Other than the standard productivity software, can anyone who has this or something similar recommend decent software that will run well on it? Games, entertainment, editing (video/audio) and whatnot accepted. It's going to be a strictly "travel-only" machine so I don't have to haul my 17" laptop all over when I'm overseas for weeks at a time. I've already got Skype, VLC and the typical Office stuff on, but any other suggestions or anecdotes from current owners would be great. Thanks!

Btw, it's the XP version with 2gigs of Ram and the 160gig drive and the 1366x768 screen.

Only music can prevent this heartbreak.

invisible ink — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 19:18:45 -0800

I need songs that, amongst other things, advise a woman not to get involved with a married man. Thanks in advance:-)

How to become an Expert at Not Being an Expert?

canijusa — Wed, 06 May 2009 21:10:13 -0800

How to self-market with Diversity (not necessarily ethnocentric) as my key point-of-difference, twisting a liability into an asset, within an industry that almost exclusively values Specialization? I love my freelance work in the Beauty/Fashion/Entertainment industry, which similar to many fields, is very compartmentalized; it's rare to find examples of frequent successful mobility (think Theatre vs. Film vs. Fashion vs. Music). Even though we commonly have experience in most aspects, when it comes down to what pays the bills, jobs and referrals follow a family-tree system and we end up semi-pigeon-holed, making it hard to move between specialties (due to trends, innovations and networking).

I tend to be bored with routines and never aggressively pursued a path, simply because I wasn't sure which one I liked more. Luckily, because of this, I have current and ongoing experience in multiple facets of my field, work regularly, teach advanced classes to peers and am fairly respected in my industry because of my range. Unluckily, I face periodic criticism that my body of work is segmented.

In addition to my skill diversity, and my upbringing (mixed-culture hippie home), I have a social-service background (anti-discrimination and civil rights), in which my heart is deeply rooted. Speak to me for more than 5 minutes and you'll see I'm incredibly passionate about the topic beyond the politically-correct rhetoric. As my two passions are seemingly in direct opposition though, it's honestly never occurred to me that the two aspects could even co-exist, let alone flirt and get married. I generally prepared myself for the day I'd have to secede from my current field to rejoin the other.

Some possible challenges:
-Most people value Expert over Generalized skills for obvious and practical reasons, and because my industry is incredibly trend and image-conscious with a short attention span (and I'll say it...snobby and superficial), my concept will not be accepted easily without a very "slick" hook and package. Unfortunately my field is rampant with novices who obtain jobs simply because they are eye-candy and have a pretty website.
-I'd really like to have a thoughtful, holistic marketing plan, and my inner snob also wants it to be fun, approachable and stylish with the seductive whiff of elitism that my crowd tends to be aroused by.
-Due to the potential sensitivity and yawn-factor of "Diversity Issues," how do I incorporate the idea in a fresh, modern, positive, relatable way that avoids any smug moralistic pitfalls or triteness?
-In light of current changes in government and the resurgence of the topic, how can I ensure credibility, relevance and longevity beyond what will likely lead to "buzzword buzzkill," like happened to Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action? Or is it even possible? I don't want to be swallowed up when the topic gets beaten to death or trivialized as just another marketing fad (a la "green").

Additional Info:
-I've written a book on the near horizon that combines my loves; it will likely be in the Health/Beauty/ChicLit categories, tongue-in-cheek, bawdy, peppered with anecdotes and (not so) hidden political messages.
-In researching and writing the book, I've been following trends and forecasting, all of which lead me to hope that clever marketing is possible...that people are open to the idea more than in the past.
-So far, I have found nothing in existence with the same hybrid, there's only one other book even slightly close to my perspective and everything else is very segregated and/or too political to appeal to a larger audience. Time is of the essence for me to be a leader in this niche.

Essentially, I need to become an Expert in Not Being an Expert. I think. That's what you are for.....thank you in advance for your thoughts.

Help us add music to our video show!

MeetCleaverTheatre — Fri, 01 May 2009 08:41:22 -0800

Where can we get our hands on some music videos for use in a non-profit college-style media show? Hi Gang, We've been knocking around the idea of creating free, online/closed-campus variety show and were wondering if anyone knew of any sources for music videos to use as fillers and for band promotion?
We have already put out feelers to the indie/no-label scene and asked for submissions, so we're wondering if there is some company or entity out there that can send us small bundles of signed bands and/or big label acts. Ephemera or interview footage of bands, celebrities and other things of interest to the college demographic is a plus.
Back in the halcyon days of DJ-ing, I remember the station getting boat loads of demos and tapes from a variety of sources.... is there a visual media source we should look into? Do we need to seek membership with one of the large music entities to legally acquire/promote these things (ASCAP, BMI etc.)?
This is still in the pre-pro phase, so we can ditch it if it turns out to be a huge hassle or if there may be legal repercussions.

Thanks for your advice and input!

How to discover new books, movies or other media you're prone to like?

kissan — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:40:44 -0800

Are there similar sites such as last.fm and the likes for other media types? I'm thinking sites which can recommend e.g. books and movies based on what I've recently read or watched. I'd prefer non-commercial sites, thus eliminating amazon.com and sites which recommend other titles based on what other users also bought together with a selected book/movie. Thanks.

The where, the what and the how of getting hitched in Vegas, when you have friends coming from overseas.

metalheart — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 20:30:10 -0800

(Several questions in one. Sorry.) We're getting hitched in Vegas, and friends are traveling from overseas. Help us plan out some basic wedding stuff (like location, wedding bands, etc.), as well as how to make our friends' stay enjoyable. Okay, so this one might be a doozy.

The Australian and I are getting hitched in Vegas, then going to live in the Summerlin area. A few of our friends from various places overseas are going to come to the wedding, which means a lot to us. We're trying to make things very accommodating for those traveling far, and we're looking for some information regarding that, as well as just basic wedding ideas.

Okay, to the nitty-gritty...

1. Where's a good, non-chapel place to get married in October? Bonus points for somewhere pretty and outdoors.
We looked through the plethora of previous questions like this, but most of them resulted in chapel answers for obvious Vegas reasons. We aren't religious, though, and we don't want to have the wedding in a chapel. Our group will be small. 15-25, I imagine.

2. I need a wedding dress lulz.
I don't believe in spending an arm and a leg on something that's only going to be used once. Pretty and simple and appropriate for the October weather. I'm happy to look into fairly unknown designers. I wanted this dress, but I narrowly missed out on it. I may yet get her to design something for me, but I am open to suggestions.

3. Where's a good place--online or off--to get wedding bands?

4. Where should we have an after-wedding dinner?
Saw a similar question on MeFi, but the answers were a bit too casual for us, mainly because part of my family is prudish, fundamentalist Christians, so I'm already pushing the envelope with a Vegas wedding here. Doesn't have to be hugely expensive or anything, just no slot machines by the table or barely-contained ta tas coming to take your order.

5. It's a long way off yet, but anyone know of entertaining things to do or events that will be going on in the weeks surrounding the 28th of October, 2009?
We have a few friends flying to us from Norway, as well as Australia. Big and expensive trip, clearly. We want to make sure they have more than just us to see, so ideas of where they could go with us would be great. :) Any big conventions or events would be welcome. Most of us are geeks and artists.

Thanks, guys!

Looking for a comedy webisode series

mtphoto — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 16:06:25 -0800

I'm looking for well-produced comedy webisode series. "Dorm Life" is a prime example of a series I like. Mockumentary suggestions are appreciated. YouTube channel suggestions are also good, but I'd prefer a series with some polish.

Columbo Legal Guide

brownbat — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 01:22:09 -0800

I'm trying to re-find an entertaining episode guide for Columbo that discusses the final disposition of all the cases. I'm looking for a Columbo episode guide that explains how many cases were dismissed for violations of the rights of the criminal, or for lack of evidence. I saw it online once, but Google has so far been no help.

Cosy times wanted!

dance — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 01:32:44 -0800

Different ways to watch movies aside from unplugging and moving a rather large iMac around the house? My partner and I like to watch downloaded movies, series and DVDs from time to time. At the moment we either sit rather uncomfortably in front of the iMac in the office, or we unplug it and sit it on a chair in the bedroom, for example. Often the external hard disk comes along for the ride too. This is impractical and by the time everything is powered up with cables strewn everywhere, my partner at least is quite cross and it doesn't feel cosy and nothing like a home cinema. It was actually easier when we just had an iBook between us.

What solutions are out there that would allow us to watch more easily on a screen that we could position in the living room, but would still allow for the possibility of watching downloaded films and DVDs. We're not so into the TV.

I saw this on Thinkgeek, but it may well be overkill. What about buying a mid-size TV and neatly running a HDMI cable to it from the iMac? Any suggestions, ideas or anecdotes welcomed!

What to do in Orlando, FL?

thekiltedwonder — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 16:30:33 -0800

What to do in Orlando, besides the obvious? My SO and I are driving down to Orlando tomorrow to visit my SO's friend. We're visiting my family in Tallahassee & her friend recently moved to Melbourne from Germany so we're splitting the difference & meeting in Orlando. We're looking for suggestions for things to occupy us for the day. We've ruled out going to any of the parks, since they are too expensive for my SO's friend. Any suggestions for free (or really cheap) things to do in Orlando?

We already know where we are going to eat, so we do not need any food related advice. We have cars but don't really plan to drive anywhere too far from Orlando, as our drive down there will be 3 hours long.

In addition, we need suggestions for things to do during the day as we will be leaving Orlando around 6PM.

Too old to make it in TV writing?

lunasol — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 12:30:22 -0800

I want to write for TV. I'm 31. Is this impossible? After 6 years working on political campaigns, it's time for a career change. During this post-campaign period of unemployment, I have been writing A LOT (something I used to do almost compulsively), remembering how much I love it, and thinking about trying to write for TV.

I've been reading up: blogs (Jane Epsenson, Lee Goldberg and Lisa Klink have been particularly helpful), the TV Writer.com forums, other questions here on the green. I've started working on spec scripts for some of my favorite series.

I've read in more than one place that one shouldn't even think about moving to LA and pursuing this if you're over 30. However, this seems to be mostly for sitcoms or other comedy writing - I'm mostly interested in dramas.

I know there are a bunch of Mefites out there who write for TV - what say you? I definitely understand that this would involve several years, at least, working in the trenches. I know that my first career won't help me get a job in this industry, but I do think the skills and lessons I learned on campaigns (discretion, negotiation, the importance of working your way up) would help me once I got that first entry level job.

Also, I definitely understand that there will always be naysayers out there, and if I really have the talent and passion I should just go for it anyway, but I do want to go into it with open eyes, understanding the odds.

Who will send me TV listings like the ones in TV Guide?

reenum — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 08:42:50 -0800

I want an e-mail or RSS update that tells me all the shows I want to watch that day and give me a brief synopsis of said episode. Is there anything like this out there? Back in the late 1990's, I had an Excite account. At the time, I could select my favorite shows, and on the My Excite page, I could see a short synopsis for that night's episode. They had this for reruns too, so I could figure which reruns I wanted to watch. Ditto for talk shows.

I have this feature on DISH Network, but I want it in my inbox for easier processing.

I'm currently subscribed to crapimissedit, which e-mails my inbox whenever a new show is on for one of my favorites. It does half, but not the whole job. I like that the site notifies me when a new show is on, but I'm not happy that I can't get a synopsis or info on repeats.

I also have an account with Zap2it.com, but find it too unwieldy, plus no e-mail or RSS updates.

Are there any websites where I can have an RSS update or e-mail sent to me that lists my favorite shows that day and gives a brief synopsis of them?

I just watched 5 hours of TV. That's what I did yesterday, too.

AquaAmber — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 17:55:04 -0800

ISO ideas for projects to do on business travel - portable, long-term, skill-building, relatively inexpensive things to do with my evenings. I find myself in a new job that requires quite a bit of travel (up to 2 weeks out of the month, normally a bit less). While normally fairly adept at entertaining myself, I'm striking out here. I have no access to a car and won't get reimbursed for "sightseeing" taxi trips. I will also frequently be in a shoddy neighborhood and it won't be safe for me to walk around at night. I do have internet access.

The question is: what projects are portable enough for me to take from place to place?

I've already considered knitting but I've always seen that as more of a television accompaniment. I don't need any more suggestions on things to do online - that's everywhere. I want something tangible. I've tried calligraphy, for instance. What else?

Crescent Fresh Party

Juliet Banana — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 14:28:48 -0800

I want to have a Sock Puppet Party and a Grilled Cheese Party that will have people tripping out, throwing up, and talking about it for years to come. I need all your tips on how to throw the sickest shindigs of all time. Sock puppets and grilled cheese? What do those have to do with each other?

Actually, they're two separate parties. The Grilled Cheese Party is this Saturday, and I'm looking for last minute suggestions to perfect the planning I've already begun. After the clean-up, I will being planning for The Sock Puppet Party, which will likely take place a month from now. I want ideas for it now because it's likely going to require a lot of shopping and planning, and because I'm really excited about it.

THE GRILLED CHEESE PARTY: We're going to have a line of borrowed George Foreman grills and panini presses hot and ready to go, a fridge full of beer, and ingredients ready for assembly.

Here's the cheeses: Cheddar, Colby, classic Kraft Singles, Brie, Dill Jack, Chicken Soup Cheese, Salami Cheese, Monterey Jack, probably some I've forgotten. Any recommendations?

The breads: baguette, sliced white, italian, rustic multi-grain. Any suggestions?

The add-ons: tomatos, bacon, pickles, caramelized onions, sauteed mushrooms. I would like more ideas, but please, no meat. We've already got bacon, and I want this to focus on the grilled cheese instead of denigrating into a panini party.

We're going to be drinking Kennebunkport wheat beer on it's sole virtue of being 33 cents a bottle, but I'd like to pick up a low-mid range wine because, you know, wine and cheese. I have no idea what type of wine to get, though. Red, right?

I'm thinking of setting up a "photobooth" with a white backdrop and some spray-painted grilled cheese posters where my friends can pose with their grilled cheese sandwiches, but I'm stuck on how to make this more brill with little time and money. I did make matching handmade grilled cheese sandwich t-shirts for myself and the birthday boy, however.

THE SOCK PUPPET PARTY: Inspired by Sifl & Olly. We're going to have a table set up where people can create their own sock puppet, and the rule is, you may not drink unless you have a sock puppet on your hand. I want it to be a whole party of people mingling with a beer in one hand and a sock over the other, switching back and forth between their normal voices and goofy voices, having whole conversations between their hands.

I suspect this is going to be more of a crazy party than the Grilly Chee. We're going to have a DJ playing and people dancing. We'll have more time to get flyers out, so more people will come. And, not to make this question all "should have been asked anonymously," but we're thinking of inviting our friends Lucy and Molly, and hence would like the whole thing to be as much of a trip as possible.

DECOR/AMBIANCE: We're going to have Sifl & Olly playing the whole time, of course, though it might be drowned out by the DJ. I'm making myself a CRESCENT FRESH t-shirt. I have a weird memory that some (Cartoon Network?) cartoon used to be interrupted by sock-puppet shorts called Puppet Pals or something like that; can anyone ID this and locate some internet-accessible recordings? Any other sock puppet shows? I'm thinking of having posterboard sock puppet drawings peeking over the couches and countertops, like there's some huge human hunkered back there. I want more ideas; I want the whole house to be some crazy mind-blowing PeeWee's Playhouse.

THE PUPPETS: Ok, so, what do you make sock puppets out of? Where do you buy cheap, bulk socks, preferably in multiple colors? Where are the best places to get the taxidermy-esque eyes they use in Sifl and Olly? What draws best and dries fastest on fabric (I'm thinking fabric paint markers)? Pleae suggest all manner of odds and ends; I'm probably going to have a shopping spree in Hobby Lobby / Joann's Fabrics and I want to have some guidance. If you have any tips on how to make, say, a tiny top hat, or other props, please hook it up. There is no way for me to have too many suggestions here.

THE GLUE: How do we affix items to the socks? Every fabric glue I have ever used takes forever to dry and sucks; we need something quick enough that people will be able to wear their puppets immediately. I'm thinking hot glue is the best bet; how safe is it? I figure if a child can use it, a drunk person can, right? I might not be the best judge of this; I've been known to use my extremely sharp and extremely hot stencil hot knife (think a soldering iron with an X-acto blade on it) while in a not-altogether-sober state.

EXTRA BACKROUND: These will be house parties. Yeah, you can come, if you live in Columbus and mefimail me. The crowd is twenty-somethings, not chachi, not frat-like. Lots of art school kids. If you wanted to get a lot of really dirty looks, you could describe us as scene kids and/or hipsters. There are funds available, though not unlimited, and with our powers combined we can pull off pretty much anything arts&crafts wise. This is not my first time taking a themed party's theme way, way too far.

If you were stranded in Oxford, OH, what would you do?

waxboy — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 14:55:15 -0800

I have a chance to spend a day or two in Oxford, OH, home of Miami University. What is there to do? I live in Cleveland, and my band just booked an April 30th, Thursday night gig in this town. I'll be staying overnight and have all day Friday and potentially the rest of the weekend to see the sights, probably on bicycle. I've never been there, and I don't know anyone who has, so I'm wondering if there's anything worth checking out while I have the chance. Things like restaurants, other concert venues, cultural gems like museums, or even neat architecture, parks, natural wonders, unique stores, etc would be great. Anything south of Columbus that I could hit on the way home would also be good. Hell, while I'm at it, if you live here and would be willing to let four musicians crash at your place for a night or two let me know.

Avantgarde Operatics in London

0bvious — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 02:11:48 -0800

Avantgarde London: I want to take my girlfriend out to a biggish music/sound performance/event. I want it to be avantgarde, unexpected and unique - the kind of night that would send most music lovers screaming into the distance. I am thinking maybe opera, but I know NOTHING about it. And, as I said, I want avantgarde opera in London. Where do I start? My girlfriend is an experimental performance poet. She likes it weird. It's her birthday (soon). Can you help?

Some small entertainments for Disneyland queues?

carsonb — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 14:55:43 -0800

What should I bring in my backpack to keep my 2 friends and I entertained in the ride queues at Disneyland? We're going on Superbowl Sunday, so I don't expect the lines to be all that bad, but it would be nice to have a few entertainments along that I could whip out to help pass the time if/when we do get stuck. I'm really only going to have some snacks and water in the backpack besides, but don't feel like lugging around a huge load, so any suggestions for compact, enthralling entertainments good for 3 persons would be appreciated.

I always carry a deck of cards in the pack.