Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with ice

Books about Russian hockey?

GalaxieFiveHundred — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 09:22:37 -0800

Are there any decent books (in English) about Russian or European hockey? I guess French could work too, in a pinch, but it'd be far from ideal. Russian, though, is right out.

Thanks!

Where Can I find a copy of the last 3 matches of Nagano 98 Ice Hockey with the Czech Republic?

Bacillus — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 02:39:14 -0800

Does anyone know where I can find copies of the last three ice hockey matches of Nagano 98 winter Olympics with the Czech Republic? preferably on DVD or other digital format.

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?

Sleeping on meth?

drleary — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:51:09 -0800

Thinking about old times just now... I used to do a *LOT* of meth (I've been clean for about 5-6 years now, and I knew this guy who could snort a line and an hour later, go take a nap.) How is this possible?

Good Winter Clothes for Toddlers

puritycontrol — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 08:15:10 -0800

Please recommend good winter clothing for 1-year-olds, especially super warm coats. We're talking months and months of ice and snow here. It's our first midwest winter and we'd love recommendations on coats and clothes to get our 1-year-old boys (well, they turn 1 in a couple of weeks). Online or stores in the Aurora, IL area. Thanks in advance!

Does electronic stability control help out in winter driving conditions?

puritycontrol — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 07:57:13 -0800

Will I need electronic stability control for winter driving? Please help this California native and recent Texas resident decide on a car to buy before my first "real" winter in northern Illinois begins. Having been lucky enough to spend my life so far in the warmer areas of the country that don't believe in seasons, we've just moved to the DeKalb area and I'm faced with the daunting prospect of driving in snowy and icy conditions. I've been told that roads are generally quick to be plowed/iced when the snow falls, so I'm wondering if stability and/or traction control are realistically going to add that much benefit during winter if I stick to paved, well-traveled roads and highways (and drive carefully). Sites I've seen on the internet say that both are must-haves, but I'm more interested in your real world experiences with winter driving.

In case you're curious, we're looking to replace our '95 Accord V-6 with a pre-owned 2005-2007 Accord (I've gone this route because of brand loyalty, gas mileage, and budgetary reasons). From what I've gathered, only the trims with a V-6 from these years come equipped with stability control (and NOT traction control). 2008+ Accords come with stability and traction standard on all trims, although they are a bit outside of our budget range. I've also played with the idea of getting a newer CR-V, but again, it's skirting the limits of our budget. The car will be used primarily to get me to and from work; we have an Odyssey to haul the family around in. Other car suggestions are welcome.

Does she not want to go home?

tylerfulltilt — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 11:32:52 -0800

[Spoilers for Song of Ice and Fire books] Why is that Arya Stark... In a clash of kings, When Arya is at harrenhall and Roose Bolton takes over the Place from Vargo Hoat, why doesn't Arya reveal herself to him and ask him to take her home? She couldn't have known that Roose was gonna betray her brother. She should have known that Roose was her brother's man, right?

This has been bugging me

Icemaker repair question.

odinsdream — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 06:55:15 -0800

I can't repair our icemaker because nothing seems to be wrong with it, with the glaring exception that it does not make any ice. Until recently our icemaker would make shards of ice-chips and fling them across the freezer, but it has stopped doing even that now. It doesn't appear to fill or move at all.

I've gone through this troubleshooting guide. We have a "modular" unit which is almost identical to the photos in that guide. Every component passes the tests with the exception of the water inlet valve which I cannot find on the back of our fridge.

Is the water inlet valve inside the fridge wall? If so, is this a user-serviceable part? It looks like I'd have to disassemble a large section of the back of the fridge if I wanted to get to anything in there. I would prefer to avoid doing this.

Is there any reason to think that even though the icemaker passed all the diagnostic tests that it could still be malfunctioning? I'm hesitant to buy a new icemaker if the problem is really external to it.

Nice ice device advice

ignignokt — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 18:30:20 -0800

I demand to know what the #1 ice cube tray is. I miss my old refrigerator's ice dispenser, but the past is the past, and now I have a refrigerator without such a luxury. So, I get my ice by filling the ice cube trays with water and busting them out when I need them.

The problem with the busting is that a lot of the cubes are stubborn, and grappling with the tray to get them out is annoying. I'd like an ice cube tray that makes it easy to access my ice.

I remember my parents having a tray with a lever that made it easy to get the ice out, but that kind of tray seems to have fallen out of favor, and silicone trays seem to be the modern standard for easy-to-use ice cube trays. I guess the silicon makes them more flexible, but without having checked them out, I'm not sure how much of the hassle it eliminates.

Maybe something else entirely is the best way to go?

Why is there (almost) always one icecube that just won't come out of the icecube tray?

stinkycheese — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 06:46:52 -0800

Why is there almost always one icecube that just won't come out of the icecube tray? The answer is not confirmation bias. I have used a plastic icecube tray for decades, and this is a strange phenomenon I have noticed.

NiNja (No Income No Job) Love

Anonymous — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:12:44 -0800

How do I get through this rough patch in my relationship OR do I DTMFA? 3 years into this, my, what a strange rut we've gotten into. **The main question: How do I get through this rough patch in my relationship or do I DTMFA?**

Me: I'm a late 20's very privileged White male working on my PhD, and I help with the family real estate business. I've had some setbacks on my dissertation, much to the chagrin of my girlfriend. I live at home with parents, and I was, up until recently happy to help out with the biz. I'm finding that my parents have no appreciation for what I do-- and that's tough but I can bargain in my mind that it is justified work for my being able to live at home for free. With two major projects recently finished, I am ready to try to get a job in my field-- the best one I can without having my PhD done, at least. I have a reputation as a sort of lazy guy, I don't really study, I have an excellent memory, etc. At this point though, I see the importance of buckling down, and I'm doing my best to find work in my field.

She: Same age, Asian female, and an employed doctor. She also lives at home, and is already out-earning her parents. Her mother is really strict, probably borderline, and hates our being in a relationship. Her dad and brother (who used to be a good friend of mine, we're at least civil now) are both epic doormats. She had said before that she wants to get our relationship stuff "figured out" by the end of this year. Basically, she wants to figure out about marriage. Her mother is a tyrant that she fears, and she isn't honest with her about spending time with me. Recently, she has stopped putting out. Wow, that sucks.

Something happened lately, (maybe within the last 3 weeks) I'm not sure what exactly, but she really has come down hard on me. All of a sudden, I'm not progressing fast enough, etc. I asked her today if she still has faith in me and she says that she doesn't. Ouch. I asked her what that meant, and she said that she knows she can be "pressure-y" and that maybe she needs to step back and let me do what I need to do. I don't know that she's planning on breaking up with me, I think she wants to sort of give me a chance to make good on "my" goals. Also, she's breaking into tears a lot with me. She's not a real crier usually.

I feel like all of the love got sucked out of the relationship. She seems distant, and no longer like a partner or a friend or anything. We've been together 3 years, and I'm finding myself not wanting to hang out with her. It's like she's trying to make me into this Ken doll that will suit her. While it may have some of the same goals, her pressure is like the antithesis to the support that anyone would want in a relationship.

So, it all sounds pretty terrible, I know. We've been together for three years, and I love her, and I'm just not sure where it can go from here. I'm scared about facing the real world, I'm getting no support from her or my family (I'm in therapy, luckily). I don't think I could marry my little Ice Princess as she is now, but I don't know that that is what she will always be. "DTMFA" is a valid vote, and I'm even more interested in any insights in how to fix things or advice about riding things out or whatever other observations/reflections you might have! Simple or elaborate! Thanks.

Throwaway Mail: LoveNinja@rocketmail.com

Bible desert ice?

Baby_Balrog — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 18:33:02 -0800

What's the bible verse that tells how to make ice in the desert? I swear it was something other than Exodus 16:14 but I could be wrong. I thought it mentioned a damp depression or something.

(I'm familiar with evaporative cooling and how ice in the desert can be made - looking for the bible verse about it.)

Why won't my sprained ankle heal?

snoogles — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 11:56:38 -0800

Why does my sprained ankle still hurt after over a month of rest? I tripped while on a run on Dec 19th. Nothing hurt, so I just kept going. I ran the next 2 days, but by the thursday my ankle hurt enough that I decided to stay off it for a while.

There was (and still is) no swelling. I iced, rested, and elevated it for about 2 weeks. I talked to a physiotherapist friend who played around with it and told me it looked like a minor sprain. She lended me a brace that I wore for the week that I was staying with her.

Now it's been over a month and I still can't run. I can feel it slightly when I'm walking or going down stairs, but not enough that it interferes with daily movement.

What should I do? Is there any chance that there's anything more serious going on? Should I just be patient and wait? If so, how much longer? If I go see a doctor, are they going to do anything but prescribe anti-inflammatories and tell me to rest?

I'm not in my home country, so going to the doctor could potentially get expensive, as a sprain doesn't really qualify as an "emergency". A break might...

I just want to start running again!

Ice falling from buildings?

Ponderance — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 19:20:59 -0800

Ice falling from tall buildings filter. Help me lay to rest a question that has plagued my wife. We live in Chicago, with lots of tall buildings. Ice falls off of the buildings from time to time and about once a year, some poor bastard gets mushed. Where in terms of physics and I suppose statistics would be the safest place to walk down the sidewalk: as close to the building as possible? The middle of the sidewalk? The far edge? Does it depend on building height?

I ran over some ice and my car ecksploded!

veol — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 23:48:23 -0800

Need some car help! It snowed. The snow eventually turned into ice. Snow and ice piled up on the roads. I drove over the snow and ice. Now, some part of my car broke and its hanging from underneath the car, and when I drive, it is getting dragged around. What to do? More details and pictures inside. My car is a 2008 Honda Civic Coupe. I got the car in February of 2008.

So here's the gist of the story:
I live in Vancouver, and we have had a particularly cold and snow-filled winter this season. If I recall correctly, there was about 60cm of snow this December. Eventually, it rained, and then a lot of the snow turned into ice. I went around during the holidays to see my family, and a lot of places that I had to go had poorly shoveled roads and driveways. At one point, there was this road that had big chunks of ice/snow in the middle of the road, and, like the genius that I am, drove over it, probably scraping and scratching the underside of my car.

And then it got worse. I drove to Vancouver from Surrey on January 4th, and it snowed again. I went to pick up my girlfriend, and thinking that I was driving over fresh snow, drove over chunks of ice.

I don't really know when it happened, but when I drove out the next day, I heard a bad sound, as if something was being dragged by my car. Looking under the car, I discovered a large piece of broken plastic that was still attached to the car.

Here are the pictures that I took:

From the front
From the back

The damage is located at the rear-left side of the vehicle. It looks to me as if its just a plastic cover for something, but I am hoping for a second opinion.

I have since roped it up and I am planning on taking it in for service.

In summary, my questions are:

1 - Is this an important/expensive part?

2 - Is the damage serious enough that I should not be driving?

3 - Is it a good idea to tie it up with some rope and drive (which I am planning on doing)?

Any comments/suggestions are appreciated!

Small Ice vs. Big Ice

fedward — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 12:04:17 -0800

Craft bartenders say that big ice melts more slowly than small ice. How is this possible? Treating the cocktail as a closed system, if you include an equal mass of ice, and the starting and ending temperatures are the same, wouldn't the same amount of heat be transferred into the ice, resulting in an equal quantity of melt? Is it possible within the constraints of the average kitchen to have a large enough mass of ice with a cold enough starting temperature, such that the ratio of surface area to cocktail affects the total ice melt in the drink? If you take that sufficiently large mass of ice and break it into smaller pieces, will more of it melt before the drink reaches its final temperature? Wouldn't the increased surface area actually reduce total melt, despite what the cocktailians say?

For your math, you can start with several assumptions:

Starting temperature of the liquid ingredients is room temperature of 20° C (68° F). Starting temperature of the ice is -15° C (5° F), presumed to be within range for a home freezer.

Call it a closed system, assume a perfect vessel with no specific heat of its own, and ignore (for now) the transfer of heat from the air, the drinker's hands, etc.

For the purpose of this discussion, leave aside the aesthetics of shaking and stirring, and just assume that the cocktail and the ice are well enough exposed to each other to cool the drink to the freezing point.

Again for the purpose of this discussion, use an 80mm sphere as the largest practical mass of ice. (It's expensive, but it's attainable at home so we'll go with it).

For the cocktail, use:

50ml Tequila
25ml Cointreau
25ml lime juice

I wouldn't know how to calculate the specific heat of this, but I'm sure someone here will.

For extra credit, address the issue of outside heat from the environment, the hands, etc. Once the drink has been properly cooled, does large ice melt more slowly than an equal mass of small ice over the 30 minutes to one hour a drink might be nursed?

For extra extra credit, find me a credible explanation of the current science on how ice melts. I get that enthalpy of fusion explains where the energy goes on a system level, but how does it work at the surface of the ice in my drink? Does the energy from my drink only go into the molecules of ice it contacts directly, or does some of that energy go below the surface of the ice? If it goes below the surface, does it get spread out across the entire mass?

[sidebar]
I have an understanding from a high school science class that ice doesn't go through its phase change until its entire mass has reached the melting point. There are three possibilities here:

This is completely true, and there is no large enough mass of ice such that the core temperature is lower than the temperature at the surface when the surface has reached its melting point.

This was believed to be true when I took high school science, but has since been disproved (see also).

This was known even then to be untrue, but was used as a convenience for the sorts of calculations that happen in a high school science class.

Anybody?
[/sidebar]

Examples of fire and water/ice as religious symbols?

CitrusFreak12 — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 15:59:46 -0800

I’m looking for examples of fire, water, and/or ice being used as religious symbols or in religious practice in some way shape or form. Help? I’m not looking for one religion that uses all three, per se, just any example of any of the three being used. They can be historical or current, either will do.

I’d prefer to know the basic details (who uses the symbol, in what religion, what does is symbolize, when is it used, why is it used, how it came to be used, where, etc), but if you don’t know them that’s ok, as long as I have enough information to use to find more.

I’d appreciate any and all details and information you can offer. If you know of any resources that may be helpful, by all means let me know (preferably books and preferably those that aren’t too obscure or hard to find and are likely to be at a public or academic library).

I was interested in the comparisons between fire and ice as religious symbols. Thus far I've only been able to find one example of ice being used as such, so I suppose it isn’t as widespread as I thought. So I moved onto the next best thing: Water, which is probably a lot more popular as a religious symbol (it’s pretty much everywhere people are). And since both are rather important to survival, I think it'd be interesting to see which one has more widespread use in religious contexts.

Thanks!

Are there differences between car ice scrapers?

wukkuan — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 12:03:14 -0800

Are there differences between car ice scrapers? The winter is fast approaching. I've already had to scrape frost off my car windows a couple of times. I am curious to know if anyone has found any ice scrapers which seem to be significantly better than others?

I live in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Snow isn't much of a problem, and ice isn't too common, but in the dead of winter there will be frost on my window almost every day. That is my prime target, frost.

Large Ice Cubes?

aladfar — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 11:50:04 -0800

My favorite bars use large blocks of ice in their cocktails - much bigger than what can be obtained with a standard freezer tray. How can I make these myself? Is there such a thing as an extra large ice cube tray? I've also considered freezing water in a bread pan and then cutting it down to size somehow, but this would be rather laborious. A tray that allows for significantly larger cubes would be much better. Unfortunately, Google and Amazon searches haven't led me to such a product.

I really don't like the soft focus effect

chrisbucks — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 21:50:07 -0800

I'm going to be taking photos this weekend in an artificial ski field, (mixture of cold and warm environments), the people facilitating the event have said that last time they had someone shoot at a similar event their lenses fogged up when moving between the snow and the heated cafe. How can I prevent this? I'm going to be shooting in what is essentially a huge refrigerator (SnowPlanet), which also has a heated cafe/other facilities, also the outdoor temp will likely be between 15 and 20 degrees. The people I'm dealing with said they had someone else taking photos for them in the past and their lenses fogged up when they moved between the cold and warm areas.

I'm using a 400d + a variety of lenses. Has any one else worked in a similar environment, or have any ideas of how to prevent any condensation within or on the lens?

Bonus question: Is the low temperature likely to shorten battery life significantly?

If Oscar the Grouch could do it, so can we.

Miko — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 07:42:50 -0800

Chirstmastime ice skating at Rockefeller Center: Pro tips? My mom has had a lifelong wish to skate at the Rockefeller Center ice rink under the big Christmas Tree at Christmastime. I'd like this to be the year we do it. However, I have never seen the rink without an enormous long line of would-be skaters spending most of the day waiting. I don't want to plan what is supposed to be a delightful magical experience only to end up in a long, exhausting wait on concrete steps.

So I decided I'd start my research now.

Is there a day of week or time of day at which the line will be shorter?
How long can the wait be? I've read that the rink can hold 150 skaters at a time.
Is there any advantage to bringing your own skates?
Other than an engagement on ice, is there any way to get a pass to bypass the line?
Does the whole skating party have to wait on line, or can one person placehold while others wander the plaza?

Any other ideas for making this a smooth experience would be most welcome. We're flexible as to time and day, just wanting to be sure to skate when the tree and decorations are up. Thank you!

Would-be Paletera

Ambrosia Voyeur — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 00:18:11 -0800

I want to make popsicles. Actually, quiero hacer paletas. I can NOT find paleta molds. Help?? Good popsicle, ice pop, paleta molds, without this "drip guard" horseshit that makes it a freaking trial to eat the last 8% of your popsicle. Popsicle eating must not feel like a trial. Drip guards? If your kid can't finish their popsicle in a timely manner, your kid shouldn't be allowed to eat popsicles.

The amazon reviews for this style are abyssmal.

Preferably large and rectangular.

You're as cold as ice

zerobyproxy — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 07:17:19 -0800

Is it cheaper to buy or make 10 pounds of ice cubes? Here are the factors: I am in Chicago, fresh water is cheap, electricity not as cheap, I have a standard refrigerator. I started thinking about the value of my time in making the (ever depleted) ice bin.

Thoughts?

Help me remember this movie...

smoothvirus — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 11:45:54 -0800

I'm trying to remember what the title of this movie was. I think it was made in the 1960's or 1970's in the U.S. I remember watching it on TV on the Sunday Matinee show in the 1980's. The plot involved this millionaire who wanted to attack the Soviet Union, he had a small force which was to attack Russia by driving trucks across the polar ice cap. All I can remember was that in the end of the film his plan is thwarted by the Soviets, who send planes to bomb the ice, and the trucks sink to the bottom of the ocean. Any ideas?

Ice Ice Baby.

mrhaydel — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 07:08:05 -0800

Where can I find some good, quality shaved ice in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area? As summer is more or less already here, I've come to the notion that the only summer treat that will satisfy me is shaved ice.

And I'm not talking about that piddly "snow cone" (read: crushed ice) stuff like you'd get outside of a Home Depot for free (if I wanted that I could buy the $30 machine from Walmart). No, I mean shaved ice so smooth it's like fresh fallen snow drenched in delectable syrupy goodness.

I suppose my standards are pretty high, being weaned on Williams Plum St Sno Balls in New Orleans. However, it seems tough to really find a choice shaved ice stand because they typically don't advertise, and are often in places one wouldn't normally look.

So, do any of the Metroplex MeFites have any suggestions as to where I can go to make it through the summer?