Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with hot

The ice is going to break!!! (in Christopher Walken voice)

cazoo — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 12:00:58 -0800

Ice Skating in NYC. Recommendations please? I am looking for an ice skating rink in NYC for a date. I'm trying to find one that is fun and not so crowded and you know...romantic and shit. So there are a few options I know of, Rockefeller Center, Central Park, and Bryant Park. I'm looking for an outdoor rink so Chelsea Piers is out of the question. How about the one at the Museum of Natural History? Is the one in Prospect Park any good? I'm not discounting Brooklyn. (I am a native, therefore surprise surprise, I have not been to any of these places.)

Also, this is important, which one has good hot chocolate nearby?

Is there a track set without batteries or winding?

rahnefan — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 11:58:23 -0800

Is there a track set for Hot Wheels that doesn't require batteries or winding or special cars? My kids have gotten really into Hot Wheels. Seems I remember having had a track set on which my brother and I used to race our normal, unmotorized cars by using some sort of lever-controlled action (meant to resemble a gear shifter?), and none of it required batteries or winding or special cars if I recall correctly. Kinda like slinging a plane from an aircraft carrier only it's a car, and is meant to stay on the track rather than fly.

I checked hotwheels.com and found it entirely unhelpful. They have one of the trick sets but those don't loop, they just set off a series of actions. Trick tracks I am not interested in. I'm looking for something continuous, possibly with a loop. Their "starter set" is motorized, which I find disappointing.

Did I invent this memory and if not, is there nothing like that available now? It can be made by anyone if a standard diecast car will fit the track.

Ice Ice Ipod, too cold? Too cold?

arniec — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 08:15:32 -0800

How bad is it for me to leave my iPod classic in the car all the time? I live in the Midwest where in the coldest parts of winter temperatures average about 17 degrees F (although they can and do drop below zero regularly) and our highs in the hottest months average in the mid 80s though we do have our post 100 degree days.

I park my car outdoors in the sunshine during the day, indoors in a standard garage during the night. In the garage items like bottled water and soda rarely freeze, but have on a few occasions. (Likewise soda stupidly left in the trunk of my car has frozen and left me some burst cans full of slush).

Given all of this, how bad is it for my iPod to be left in the car at all times? My iPod is a hard drive based iPod classic that I only use in my car. My dock for the iPod is in my glove box and it's somewhat inconvenient to remove from the car regularly, and I only take the iPod with me when I want to update the music.

But I am a computer guy and part of me knows that it's unsafe to use devices that have been in the cold, and that I should worry about condensation as the item warms up, etc, etc, etc. Of course, that being said, condensation is also likely to form as I take it from warm buildings to cold outdoors to a cold but rapidly heating car, right?

If the problem is specific to the hard drive would I be better off getting an iPod Nano or something not hard drive based? Or is the problem to the electronics?

Thanks in advance for settling this issue between my wife and I (she is constantly taking it out of the car, and thus constantly leaving me music-less as I don't expect to go to the car and my iPod to be missing)

How can a guy dress more sexy?

oxit — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 10:19:46 -0800

How can a guy dress more sexy? Being a guy I have a good understanding how women can dress more sexy, but for myself I have little clue. How do I dress more sexy for the opposite gender?

I have a decent wardrobe of things that I bought specifically for their looks and I do actively combine them so that they fit together and I supposedly look good. Still I wouldn't say it or I ever look sexy or hot.

If this is a stupid question, because (1) I already do look sexy, or (2) I have to behave sexy instead or (3) ... feel free to let me know, also.

[Background: Central Europe, 30-ish, average sporty, fashionable, and outgoing, healthy BMI]

My desk gets really hot.

Damn That Television — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 08:21:57 -0800

Thermodynamics-filter. I own a large metal desk that I keep pushed up against my window. Underneath my desk top (clearance of a few inches) is my furnace. Whenever I turn the furnace on, the desk top heats up very quickly. I do not want to move my desk if at all possible. (great view). Could I make a heat shield for the underside?

Water Heater/Oil Burner Question

jimmyjimjim — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:09:25 -0800

How can I determine how much hot water my upstairs neighbors are using? I rent a house with a totally separate apartment up on the top floor. When I moved in, my landlord told me the upstairs has its own hot water, so I'd need to take care of the entire oil burner bill myself. Then my oil burner failed...and, very interestingly, they didn't have hot water upstairs! So my landlord offered to contribute $20/month toward my oil bill to compensate for the upstairs hot water use (note...they have electric heat and no washer or dryer or dishwasher upstairs).

Problem is....there's a certain sound when the neighbors use hot water. And sometimes I notice that sound continuing for hours and hours. I have no idea what's up with that, but I'm wondering if they're using a lot more than $20 worth/month.

Is there any way to measure/track their hot water use versus my own, without installing expensive/fancy equipment? I don't need it exact, I just want to know if the $20 is going anywhere near to taking care of their share of the bill. I do have access to the oil burner/water heater.

DIY hot tub

boby — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 13:20:48 -0800

Can a hot tub/ soaking tub be made from one of these? I was interested in a portable Softub for my yard but thought a DIY plan might be a lot less expensive. Using the Rubbermaid tank with the Softub filter/heater would seem to work.

The burning, it burns.

Mitheral — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 19:00:24 -0800

My Thai Dragon Chili pepper plant is huge with I'm estimating at least a hundred peppers. Please recommend culinary uses for these peppers. This is my first year growing hot peppers and the bounty is starting to look a bit overwhelming compared to what I'm used to with bell peppers. There have got to be well over a hundred Thai Dragon peppers (75K-100K scoville units) on my plant. I'll be getting a similar harvest off my Kung Pao (at a slightly more reasonable 6-12K scoville units). Once I've used a few for chili I'm going to have a good size bucket left over.

I like things a little warm (say a three on Earl's chili rating for their old Kung Pao Chicken dish for those who that means anything).

Any suggestions for uses in cooking or even better specific recipes would be great. Especially if they include tomatoes, runner beans or rutabagas.

What bands should I check out at the Electric Picnic?

Grinder — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 09:58:59 -0800

What bands should I check out at the Electric Picnic? I'm going to the Electric Picnic soon. I don't know many of the bands that are playing, and although I've been checking them out via emusic, MySpace and YouTube, there's a long list and I'm hoping the hive mind can help shorten the process.

I tend to like music with a bit of an edge or quirkiness, but have very wide-ranging tastes: lots of punk/metal/indie/industrial, but also folk and country, some dance and a little bit of hiphop/rap. I tend not to like much mainstream pop and much prefer something with amplified electric guitars. Are there any bands, particularly less well-known ones, at the EP that might fit into that very vague description?

If it helps, the bands that I will be going to see are: Explosions in the Sky, Dinosaur Jr, Flaming Lips, Magnolia Electric Co, Seasick Steve and Rodrigo y Gabriela.

Thanks!

Sweating the small stuff, the big stuff and everything in between

Cat Pie Hurts — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 05:53:22 -0800

Sweat management: help keep me from drowning during an interview. I have an interview this afternoon. It's slated to be one of the hottest days to date - mid 90s. I was asked by the recruiter to wear a full suit and tie to the interview (I think it's overkill, considering the very casual nature of the company, but what do I know). While my suit is very lightweight, it's still a body oven. Combine these factors with the fact that I am bug guy who is a rather sweaty individual in general, and you get a very, very damp interviewee.

Some other things to include: I keep my head shaved, so the fountain flows straight down. I picked up an undershirt that claims to have superior wicking capabilities so hopefully my trunk will avoid the heat-reflection induced torso-water extraction caused by the dress shirt.

Here's what I'm planning on:

driving to the interview rather than taking the train (expensive parking is worth it. My experiences on the T tell me that the AC works 50% of the time at best)

I'm bringing a cloth with me for the sopping.

I picked up a chemical icepack that I'll keep in my bag for quick application to my wrists. I looked for ice wristbands, but couldn't find any such creature.

My everpresent bottle of water will be at my side.

Does anyone have other tips to help me stay dry(ish)?

Let me finish this by saying: I'm looking for things to increase my comfort level, not the interviewer's. This is supposed to be a heavily technical interview, so I just want to be able to focus on the work and not the drip, drip, drip. I really don't care what the interviewer may think; it's going to be freaking hot and if the interviewer has an issue with my cooldown methods, then I don't want to work for them anyway (ok, ok. I suppose I can accept no naked time :()

*bonus question! I'm considering bringing my courier bag in to the interview with me as it will be holding my water, ice pack, dry cloths and various other things. Anyone see a problem? It's a Bag of Holding, so it could only score points, right?

(No) Bake Sale

Dr. Wu — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 08:05:23 -0800

I need to bake something, but it's hot (and getting hotter) and humid, and I don't want to raise the temperature in here any further. Any suggestions for no-bake (or toaster-oven?) treats? As part of our volunteer commitment to our CSA, my lovely fiancée promised to make some baked goods for their biweekly bake sale, which takes place this afternoon. However, she is overworked and never got around to baking last evening, and won't be home in time to make anything in time for the sale.

So I need to bake ... something. Could be anything, as we didn't promise to bring any item in particular. Cookies, brownies, whatever.

But, yeah, it's hot and I don't want it any hotter in here. Do you know any good no-bake recipes that produce something bake-sale friendly? Whatever I make must be apportioned into individual-size units, as cookies or brownies would be. A cake that could be sliced would work, too.

The toaster oven doesn't make things too warm in here, so I'm open to toaster-oven-specific recipes, too. Microwave is an option, as well.

We have a reasonably well-stocked kitchen, and I'm a pretty good cook. (She's the better baker, but I can manage.) Any ideas?

Thanks!

Hot or not?

lukemeister — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 22:14:07 -0800

What was the hottest official temperature measured in San Antonio, Texas each year since the 1950s? Today San Antonio had its 45th day of 100+ degree weather this year. I remember years in the 1970s when SA had no 100 degree days at all, but a friend doesn't believe it.

Would hanging a wet sheet somewhere in the room help?

halogen — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 18:01:26 -0800

Another West Coast heat wave question. Beside eating ice cream and drinking ouzo straight from the freezer, what are some good ways to cool down? I'm in Seattle, and temperatures this week are likely to reach 102°F/39°C. This is the first time I've lived in a home without A/C, and since I don't have a place of work yet to go chill or a lot of money to spend on outside activities, I'm mostly stuck in a hot apartment. Even the building pool is unpleasantly warm to swim in, and the ice cream machine is failing me because it's so hot and humid! The library is nice and cool, but it closes at 6pm, and since the outside of our apartment is mostly made of windows and faces the north and the west, late afternoons and evenings are almost unbearable despite the blinds. Showers are nice, but the "cold" tap water is tepid at best these days.

So, hive mind, what are your secret yet brilliant ways to cool down?

Should a hot water pump be this noisy?

damn dirty ape — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 11:33:22 -0800

Should a hot water pump be this noisy? I just moved into a new space and noticed a loud noise coming from the utility closet. There's a black pump mounted on top of the water heater making this noise. It runs for a few minutes at a time after I use the hot water for a bit. Im guessing this is the recirculation pump.

This thing is loud. Several times louder than the main HVAC fan. More than Im comfortable with. Is this normal with a pump like this? Ive lived with water heaters in the unit before but dont recall ever having this problem. Thanks.

Uke can be mine

cazoo — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 16:31:54 -0800

Help me find contemporary 20s & 30s hot jazz music that incorporates ukulele music. I've been recently turned on to The Sweet Hollywaiians and am looking for bands that play a similar style of music.

I am aware of R. Crumb and his Cheap Suit Serenaders. Them and the Hollywaiians incorporate some Hawaiian music into their sound. Pandora doesn't bring much of anything up when I search there. Also, and I could be mistaken, but it also sounds like Gypsy jazz also in their sound. Who else sounds like this? Thanks.

Foam top mattress way too hot

Majorita — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:09:45 -0800

How can I make my foam-topped mattress less hot? It was fine in the winter, but now I find myself sweltering in bed. I hate it. Just now at 6 pm: Sitting on my sofa? Not sweating. Lying immobile in bed? Sweating.

I already sleep with my feet sticking out from under the sheets but it's still too hot. I use high thread count, cotton sheets. Would a wool mattress pad help? Maybe a featherbed between me and the mattress? I searched the archives and found this thread which mentions a wool mattress pad. This Google search result suggested using a poly mattress pad, but I'm currently using one and it's not much help.

I'd like something that I can launder regularly because I don't have access to a clothesline or any other way of airing it out/exposing it to direct sunlight.

Where to buy unlined linen or other lightweight jacket online?

planetkyoto — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:53:25 -0800

Where can I buy an unlined or lightweight men's linen jacket or similar like this for very hot, humid Kyoto summer? Must be worn with white dress shirt, tie and black pants. Degree of difficulty: 46L/XL and shipping to Japan. It only has to be worn twice a week, only until I get into the building, then I can take it off. I've been wearing three light-colored sportcoats, but they are 48L and I'm tired of looking baggy, and I'm already too big for Japan without extra fabric snapping in the breeze.

I would get two of those GAP ones at that crazy price and dye one dark if they shipped to Japan, or if our GAP carried them. I don't know where to look on ebay/Amazon, everything looks fishy. Could I just wear a breezy linen vest over my white shirt? That would seem dressy enough to me, but where would I get it? Something else? Budget is up to USD$150 or 200.

Pants are always black, shirt is always white, usually red tie. Is normal linen beige color OK or do I need a dark jacket/vest? Talk down to me, because I'm fashion sense-impaired.

Clothing for hot & humid climates.

mairuzu — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 08:28:31 -0800

I'm going to be spending three weeks at my inlaws in Japan over summer where it will be super hot and humid day and night - simply stepping outside makes me sweat. Any recommendations for clothing that will make it a bit more comfortable and bearable? What types of material are best? any specific brands / items (preferably from the cheaper end of the spectrum)

Hot Oil for My Hair?

bluefly — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 09:56:23 -0800

Do hot oil treatments for hair work? Are they good for curly/frizzy fairly thick hair? Will they make my hair silky smooth? Or do they do nothing? I have ok hair. It is, I feel, intrinsically a bit dry and frizzy. I counteract this by alternating between an array of hair products (Redken curl creme, Aveda BeCurly, BedHead Curls Rock, and some others) depending on what's available at the stores where I am. I recently met an Indian lady who swears by hot oil treatments. She says women from her region have been using oil in their hair for centuries, and it makes your hair soft and shiny and more manageable.

Is this true? And if so, what are good treatments to buy? If I decide to DIY, how would I go about doing it?

Hot Yoga Advice

roxie5 — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 08:46:47 -0800

How can I not feel light-headed in Hot Yoga class? I went to my first Hot Yoga class last week, and will be going to my second tonight. Last week, I had to leave to get some air (I thought I was going to get sick, but didn't) for about 10 minutes half way through the 90 minute session.

I was fine on the floor, but every time I had to lift my arms above my head in a standing pose, I felt light-headed. No one else seemed to have a problem. What can I do to improve my chances of making it through the whole class tonight?

I've read conflicting articles online.... some say eat beforehand and others say don't. I know I should be drinking more water, and I'm doing that today. Anything else? Is this class dangerous for me?

Thanks for any tips and advice.

How does one get accustomed to spicy food?

beukeboom — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 19:22:36 -0800

How does one get accustomed to spicy food? My girlfriend (over)reacts to food that has any sort of discernible spicy/hot taste. What are ways to get her to tolerate and eventually enjoy truly hot food?

Electricians! Craftspeople! Help me build a box that gets hot!

segatakai — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 08:53:02 -0800

I'm looking for any suggestions as I'm trying to make a new, improved version of a box my professor built by hand 30 years ago, which has two stainless steel surfaces which get hot. His box is bigger than I need and not as spiffy as I'd like. I want to make a box. The box should be approximately 14 x 20 inches; the depth is as small as is safely possible (presumably no less than 4 inches, but the smaller the better). The box is made with a wooden frame, and stainless steel sheeting on the two large sides, attached presumably by screws. The box will stand upright on its smallest surface. Inside the box is (are) something to heat up the air inside of the box, and the stainless steel surfaces, so the outside surface can reach approximately 50 degrees Celsius/120 degrees Fahrenheit (less than 40/100 would make the box next to useless, and more than 60/140 is too hot). The surface should reach this temperature within 30 minutes of being plugged in/turned on, more preferably 10 or 15. The stainless steel surface should be as evenly heated as possible, with no/limited hot or cool spots. On the side of the box is a dial/dimmer which allows the temperature of the surfaces to be controlled. The box plugs into a regular outlet. The box does not explode or burn or hurt the people who are using it or near it. The box can be made by someone with very basic but not special electrical knowledge from parts available in-store or online. The cost of building the box (not including the stainless steel) does not exceed $100, or at a stretch, $200.
- What are the things (thing) inside the box that produce the heat? Are they light bulbs? Heating elements? Ceramic "bulbs"? Aquarium heaters?
- How is the temperature controlled? I'm gong to have to put a thermometer in there, right?
- What keeps the heat even across the surface of the box? Insulation? the nature of the thing producing the heat? some other material placed on the inside of the stainless steel sheets?
-What keeps the box from blowing up or burning?
In case it matters, the box will be used for drying sheets of handmade paper.
Any thoughts/suggestions will be very much appreciated!!

Shelf stable homemade condiments

sharksandwich — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 18:40:58 -0800

Homemade condiment preservation without canning. I've made ketchup, hot sauce, and worcestershire sauce in the past. All the recipes say to store the finished product in the refrigerator and use within a relatively short time. Worcestershire seems to be the longest lasting at about 8 months. I understand since there are no preservatives the condiments keep best refrigerated. My question is: Is there any simple way to make hot sauces or worcestershire shelf stable (not needing refrigeration) without adding a pharmacy of chemicals or without canning the condiments? I'd like to give them as gifts and not kill my few friends.

Hot water = condensation?

slepore09 — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 20:23:27 -0800

Why when you pour hot water into a mug, water appears below your mug?

How can A and B be connected if there's nothing to connect them?

pokeedog — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 17:58:21 -0800

When our pool equipment runs, it triggers the sound of a leaky pipe in a wall adjacent to our hot water heater. By triggering the valve on the hot water heater when the water to the house is off, I can stop the noise. How can I fix this? This is a very odd situation. So here's the detail:
1. House is slab foundation.
2. Pool equipment is outside kind of far from the hot water heater. No house plumbing connects to the pool equipment. The only common link between the pool equipment and rest of the house workings I can find is electricity, via a fuse box.
3. When the pool equipment goes on, it triggers the sound of a leaky pipe in the wall where the hot water heater is adjacent to. Minimal water appears on the floor after several hours on the hot water heater side of the wall, but no other water indicates any kind of leak.
4. If you turn off the water to the house at the street, the sound in the wall stops.
5. If you fiddle with the pressure release valve on the hot water heater while the water to the house is off, you stop the noise in the wall. Pool equipment must be off.
6. If you fiddle with the pressure release valve on the hot water heater while the water to the house is on, the noise doesn't stop.

We've had a plumber out, it's driving us a little crazy. These two things just don't seem connected. Am I grasping at straws? What other things should I check? It seems to coincidental to me, since the water system of the house isn't connected to the pool equipment.