Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with model

Smart women

pulled_levers — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 09:00:17 -0800

I'm interested in being inspired by smart women. What are your recommendations for blogs or autobiographies of strong-willed, independent and successful women? For most of my life (with the exception of my mother) I have looked up to the accomplishments of men. The vast majority of blogs that I have followed in the past have also been male-dominated.

As a result, a part of me has been long convinced of the idea that men are smarter than women. And my reasoning behind this is due to my belief that because women are so strongly influenced by their emotions and the need to find a long term mate that they devote the majority of their energy to attracting that mate (for ex: picking up the fashion magazine instead of the newspaper)

I know that this isn't correct for all women--I have encountered many strong and smart women but this bias still remains. As a young woman myself, I'd like to look for successful & note-worthy women to not only help change my perspective, but to also act as my role models.

I'm open to any suggestions, but I would prefer blogs or books by women who are either in their 20s or 30s (and are still alive) that address current events, politics, business, or art.

Thanks!

Name That Model

ThePinkSuperhero — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 18:35:43 -0800

What's the name of the grey-haired lady who models in the Lands' End catalog? She wears her hair in a chin-length bob. I can scan a page of the catalog, if that will help.

The time machine in back to the future was just a DeLorean covered in __. What's the word for _?

bartleby — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:41:51 -0800

Prompted by the success of a previous post, I have another special effects question. Is there a term of art for the stuff like extra model kit parts and other doodads glued to a model to give it a sense of scale and complexity? Most often seen in sci-fi stuff.

Think the Death Star: if it was just a smooth ball, it would have looked kind of silly and would have given no sense of proportion or scale. But spend a month gluing _______ to it, and now it seems like a giant space station. Or the opening of the original Star Wars, that long pan over a Star Destroyer? That was one long shot of ___________ that made it seem huge, when it was really just a 6-foot scale model.

Or the time machine from Back to the Future. Rather than design something from scratch, why not just take a stock DeLorean and cover it in _________ ? See, now it looks like a time travelling car.

Is there an industry term for _________ ?

I want to say "cruft", but that's bloated or unnecessary computer code. Another word? Better one?

Where in North/Central London did I see a model of London?

metaBugs — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 06:48:19 -0800

Where in London, UK did I see a "model village"-style map of the city centre? In a building near Bloomsbury, it was pretty big (something like 2x3m) and at ground level just inside a private building's glass front wall. It was astonishingly detailed, with all the buildings in a few square miles of central London represented as scale models. I saw this fantastic map/model of central London late one night. Unfortunately I saw it while walking away after an evening at the pub, so my memories of the place are frustratingly vague. Here's what I can remember:

I was walking away from ULU (here; Gower Street, near Russel Square / Euston Square Tube) and heading (very) roughly southwest. I was following a friend and I don't know those roads well, so it's possible we took an indirect route. We saw it after walking for about 5 minutes.

The map was at floor level in the entrance/reception of an office building. It was placed to be looked down on from the reception or from the pavement through the reception's glass front wall.

The base was roughly 3x2 meters and flat. Part of the Thames was represented, presumably painted on.

The area covered was something like Westminster - Mile End (West-East) and King's Cross - Southwark (North - South). I remember thinking that it roughly covered the City (as opposed to the city).

All the buildings in that area were modeled, with the streets I could identify tallying with my mental map of the city. I think -- but can't swear -- that the vast majority of buildings were plain white boxes, with larger buildings and landmarks (bridges, Wetminster Palace, etc) represented in more detail and colour.

It wasn't a new feature: the friend I was walking with (who has since left the country and is uncontactable at the moment) was surprised that I hadn't seen it before. It can't be too famous though, as the other people I've asked have never heard of it.

Have you seen this model/map near Bloomsbury? Do you know of any businesses nearby (architects? cartographers?) that are likely to have such a display in their window?

Model Building

pulled_levers — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 17:00:00 -0800

First time building a landscape model on taskboard. Tips and advice? I have to build a landscape model for a class of mine using taskboard and other small objects that can pass as monochromatic miniatures of real life structures/nature such as water, stones, etc.

We have free range on what we want to use (toothpicks, cardboard, etc.) and I would like to lean towards the cheaper, yet still durable and presentable side of things. My design includes a mosaic fountain, planters, trees, a stage, and a lawn.

Do you have any tips/warnings (as in, you shouldn't do so-and-so) about model building? Thanks in advance!

(Also, I am planning to use a glue gun to stick everything together).

What do we need to know for our first model rocket launch?

Doofus Magoo — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 06:22:26 -0800

What do we need to know for our first model rocket launch? My seven-year old son, six-year old daughter and I will be making our first model rocket launch this Saturday (using an Estes taser launch kit). We've seen this question, but I had a few specific questions about what to expect when we go out, and would like to know if there's anything else we should know. We're aiming to do maybe 8-10 launches.

We're pretty familiar with safety regulations, and have a great open field lined up at which we'll be conducting the launches. Here are my specific questions, but if anyone else has anything we should know going into this, please feel free to chime in:

1) This rocket is rated for up to Class C engines. I'd like to start with some smaller engines (1/2A, A) if possible -- how do we secure them inside the rocket? Wrap tape around them? Does it need to be a tight, secure fit, or a loose fit like the parachute?

2) What should we have in our "launch kit?" We have scissors, a model knife, glue, safety goggles, a fire extinguisher, extra batteries, and duct tape. Anything else we might need to reduce contingencies that might cut our day short?

3) Do we need to buy extra igniters, or are the ones that come with the engines sufficient?

4) In the (hopefully very unlikely) event a fire extinguisher is needed, will a standard class A/B/C extinguisher do the trick, or do we need a class D?

Make Me a Model

god particle — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 09:19:46 -0800

Where can I send someone a design of a 3D object and have them put it together for me? There's a mask/helmet that I'm designing that I want to create. I could make it myself out of cardboard or thick poster board and a hot glue gun, but the results probably wouldn't be that great and I don't have time to construct it on my own. So preferably I'd like to outsource the work to someone else. I'm not sure how cheap something like this would cost; my design isn't very elaborate so I think it should be relatively simple to assemble. Are there any companies that do this sort of thing? I'm located in Philadelphia if there are any local/nearby businesses that do this sort of thing.

Help my son become a model

IndigoSkye — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 20:15:10 -0800

We just saw the proofs for our 6-year old son's head shots. We've signed up with an agency in town that doesn't charge a fee and only makes money when our son gets a gig. What else can we do to help our son launch his modeling / acting career? Ever since he was an infant everyone has told us to put our son in modeling or acting. We were told by those who have their own kids who did modeling or were in the industry themselves that he has the perfect temperament and was damn cute to boot. But we waited until we knew it was something he wanted to do. It's clear now he wants to be a performer.

So we went and found a reputable agency and got some great head shots. We've started to take him to some commercial shoots (but without compensation, so there's no pressure) to get him accustomed to whats involved in being a model. If at any time he wants to quit, we quit. We're not going to push him, or do the pageant thing, but we want to be as supportive as possible. We hope to use any money he makes from modeling to build his college fund and start him in acting classes outside of school.

What's next? Are there important websites we should list his head shots on? Precautions we should take?

Inked in my memory

alice ayres — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 12:28:53 -0800

Please help me find this magazine advertisement or tattoo/model. In the October 1997 issue of Teen or YM magazine with Jared Leto on the cover, there was a Calvin Klein advertisement that featured a model with a unique rose tattoo. The small tattoo was located on her shoulder or on her arm off right off her shoulder, and it was of a rose. The head/petals of the rose looked like an @ symbol. It was not the AOL rose tho ( @--->---). The stem was not like a typical thorny rose stem, and I believe a snake/serpent was wrapped around that part.

I don't recall any distinguishing characteristics about the model, but she was white.

Other things to note:
1) I am very certain about the issue, but as time passes, I am less certain about which magazine.
2) I have searched the online CK ads archive, but I think it is not complete. The ad was not in black and white, and it was not a celebrity model ad either. The feel of the ad was like this one, but I remember something about a purplish, reddish hue in the background like this one.
3) She wasn't standing, but I think she might have been laying in some contrived pose on water or a branch.
4) I have called the YM and Teen back issue departments, but they do not do back issues that far.

I'm crossing my fingers that someone, somewhere loves this model, Calvin Klein, Jared Leto, tattoos, or old teen magazines, and can help me identify this tattoo.

Why is Plastic Model Breaking, How Best to Replace Parts

rahnefan — Tue, 19 May 2009 10:38:54 -0800

Do unassembled plastic model kits become brittle or warped over time? Is there a preferable medium for building replacement parts? I'm assembling MPC's The Strange Changing Vampire (1970s) and pieces are breaking. I think it is styrene. One piece just didn't fit; I tried heating with a hair dryer (ineffective) and hot water (ruined the piece). I can replace it but the ones that broke are moving parts, essential to the function of the model. How-Not-Tu-Do-Torial in progress.

Pull the strings!

creasy boy — Mon, 18 May 2009 09:33:47 -0800

I'm looking for a free or very cheap 3-d model of the shoulder joint. Online or for real. I fucked up my shoulder and I've been doing a lot of reading but I just can't really put a good picture of how all the parts work and move. I'm terrible at spatial thinking and I just can't really get anything useful out of 2-d diagrams and descriptions. Googling I found software and real plastic models for sale, but I'm not really gonna drop hundreds on something and then have this weird plastic thing sitting around the apartment. Is there a way I can poke and prod virtually? ...Or, if you know of a spectacular text description that would enlighten me where others have failed, I'd appreciate that too. I'm just interested in seeing how the scapula and other shits move around when you move your arm in different directions, and what tendons go where.

Changes between 2008 Ford Mustang and 2009 Ford Mustang?

John Kenneth Fisher — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 18:27:13 -0800

2008 Ford Mustang v. 2009 Ford Mustang. Isn't there.. a... changelog somewhere? So I'm trying to decide between paying 21k for a build-to-order V6 2009 Mustang, with all the fancy stuff I want, and 16k for a roughly equivalent 2008 model that lacks some of the shinies.

However, besides rough listings, I can't seem to find a good list of what has changed. Clearly they are essentially the same car, but I have to think there are numerous little tweaks in the sense of "brakes work .2% better" and "doorhandle moved slightly forward" type.

I made those examples up.

Is there such a list?

Dancing about Architecture: Songs about art?

The Whelk — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 20:54:29 -0800

Dancing about Architecture: Songs about art/artists? I've got to create a mix about visual artists, art, and ect and I have no idea where to start. I've got "Andy Warhol" by David Bowie that's it. Any recommendations for songs about art and artists? Bonus Points for songs about painters. Extra-Super-Bonus points for songs about the model-artist relationship.

A (3D) Model Education

PaulingL — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 11:03:32 -0800

ChemistryFilter: How can I use a molecular model that was given to me to learn about the wonders of chemistry? I was given a molecular model set for Christmas.

Basically, I have a strong interest in chemistry/biochemistry, and hope that I can go through some exercises with this set to learn more about chemistry.

Any ideas?

I would love to be able to become better at "picturing" certain molecules, bonds, etc.

My chemistry knowledge is quite basic so I have a lot to learn. Even small things have helped thus far. For example, I made a model of ethyl alcohol and it really put into perspective just as to why some atoms are terminal and why some aren't.

Thanks!

Job Opportunity Gut Check

thinkpiece — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 16:37:38 -0800

What questions should I ask myself in order to decide if I should take a new job in this economic environment? It's basically giant corporation vs. boutique consultancy. I have a stable middle-management job in a large corporation which, although while not exactly exciting, is secure and gives me a certain degree of responsibility and creative control in an area I'm not particularly interested in. The salary, benefits and growth opportunities are all average to good. The soulless bureaucracy, fizzled initiatives, office politics and general no-fun atmosphere leave my entrepreneurial, adventurous side cold. I've been there 18 months, like my boss, feel appreciated. I have recently been approached by a well-established, boutique UK consulting firm committed to building out the NY office. Their core competencies are much more closely aligned with mine, they seem to be on the move, they are well connected and have a dynamic client list with several projects on deck that would immediately fall into my area. Not to mention, more money, more freedom, better title, great events and projects, travel.

My question is: now that we have gone to the next level in discussions, what kinds of economy-related questions should I be asking about their business model? It's obviously a tough climate for strategy consultants -- I want to ask cogent, meaningful questions in order to surface their thinking about the economy and to find out what they're doing to stay strong during this recession.

How do I ask my friends to model for me?

sondrialiac — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 20:27:20 -0800

How do I ask my friends to model for me without being a creepy creepster? I have friends who would be interesting to photograph. How do I ask them to do this without being creepy? What about my other friends that I don't want to photograph? Will this cause resentment in my overlapping social circles?

I like everyone on the gender spectrum and am not monogamous, so I can't rely on that to keep the creep factor in check.

Also, can I get them to take off their clothes? Is that inappropriate for a platonic friend?

I am not a pro photographer nor do I have any artistic training, it's just an ongoing interest of mine.

My boyfriend, the secret photographer

Anonymous — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 06:03:26 -0800

Discovered my boyfriend has been secretly (occasionally) photographing naked models going back for years. I confronted, he came clean. Why am I still upset? (poss NSFW) (Apologies for the length, it turns out I'm another of those self-obsessed people who posts reams in relationship questions.)

Well, I guess I deserved the shock I got when I was poking around on his computer. (I know, shame on me, I have told him and apologised for this.) I found several folders of photos documenting photo sessions lasting 1 or 2 hours with scantily clad, topless or naked women. I did not find very many sessions (about half a dozen) but the dates went back to four years ago, a year after we started dating.

It was obviously his photography: these sessions seemed to mostly take place at his parents' house, which he visits as a base for 1-day business trips in his home town every fortnight. Two recent sessions were in our new house which we moved into in August. The photos were at first taken with his camera, then with my (better) camera which he borrowed. Most of the photos were just poses of the women in various states of undress (occasionally fully clothed), in different rooms etc. Some were very explicit, eg. shots of one naked woman eating half a strawberry then dribbling the juice over her (close-up) vagina. There is no suggestion of any kind of sexual contact with the women, nor do I believe this to be true.

We have been together for five years, since I was 18, and have lived together for three. We are a close couple and spend most of our time together. This is compounded by the fact that neither of us are very outgoing and we don't have much of a social network. We spend a lot of weekends at home together. He probably has more close friends than I do, but pretty much 100% of them are online-only friends. He works from home as well, so doesn't have any workmates either. I know this is sometimes frustrating for him and he'd like to have more contact with people.

I was quite shocked when I first found the photos - partly because of the subject matter, but the real punch to the gut was that he had kept this completely from me, for years, and I never suspected anything. I don't want to be the nagging girlfriend who lays down the law and stops him from doing the few things he wants to do. I also feel guilty for his lack of social network because he hasn't been very happy since moving away from his home town, and somewhat blames me for dragging him away from there (first for university, then for my work). He has his own internet business which is fairly easy to run from whatever location, but 90% of his clients are still in his home town (2.5 hours away) and he hasn't found any local ones.

I tried to sort out how I felt and concluded that it wasn't the subject matter but the secrecy that bothered me. (Btw, I also found some porn on his computer that I didn't know about. Don't care.) When he came home I gently confronted him. He seemed quite unruffled (not the reaction I was expecting) and explained that he's always had an interest in that kind of thing, but has always kept it quite discreet because of not wanting it to intrude at all on his professional life. He said that it was a weird thing to bring up when we first started dating (and it would have been, with me having been quite a naive 18 year old) and then the longer he left it the weirder it would have seemed to bring it up. I get that. He also said that he's used to compartmentalising his life, and that with us living "on top of each other" a lot of the time he kind of liked having some part of his life that he didn't have to share, that he had control over, and that everybody didn't know about.

He also said he assumed I wouldn't be bothered by the subject matter because we both have fairly liberal attitudes when it comes to sex, and that I probably recognised that there's a professional boundary in photography, ie. thinking of the subject as an artistic object rather than a naked woman in front of you. He explained that he knows these models from an online photography network he frequents. Some of them are paid, some of them do it for fun.

He agreed, after I asked, that in future he would tell me about it whenever he does this, and that if it did bother me that it would be no great loss to stop doing it. I told him it was okay as long as I know about it, but now I'm not sure if it is.

Right now I feel deeply weirded out, but that it's my problem and I'll get over it. The thing is that the more I reflect on it the more uncomfortable and prudish I feel. I dislike the fact that my boyfriend has been interacting at all with (half-)naked women while he or I am away, even though intellectually I think he's separated it in his mind from thoughts of me, and it's not a sexual situation for him. I am getting all insecure over whether he would prefer it if I looked like they do. I feel that this isn't a big deal for him, and therefore it shouldn't be for me either.

So how much am I obsessing? (Quite a lot, given the length of this post.) Does this have any larger implications for our relationship, or how he thinks of me? Am I being irrational? How much upset is justified, and how much due to the sheltered world I live in (which I therefore should get over)?

Throwaway email: boyfriend.secret.photographer@googlemail.com

Where can I find a fake burrito?

niles — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 17:42:57 -0800

I need a fake Chipotle burrito. Unfortunately it doesn't look like there's a big market for plush Mexican food toys. Where can I find (or make) one? I was almost hoping Chipotle would have something along the lines of Culvers' Team Scoopie plush ice cream figures, but no such luck. Is there any sort of "fake food" store? If not, I'm perfectly happy making something myself - though it can't just be a roll of tin foil, as this will need to be able to be unwrapped.

Thanks for any ideas!

She was a model dinosaur. truly a credit.

nihlton — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 16:58:00 -0800

where can i find super high quality, anatomically accurate 3D models of dinosaur skeletons? I want some models for an art project, but the only ones I can find are cartoonish or just plain inaccurate.

with the rise of rapid prototyping, I have to imaging that models have been made to replace the costly shipping of scientific replicas between colleges/institutes.

is there a repository out there someplace?

free is good, but Id also be willing to pay.

I am specifically looking for a trex but really, any i could get my hands on would be awesome.

Up, up and... oh the humanity!

RokkitNite — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 07:53:07 -0800

How can I make a totally awesome mini hot air balloon that doesn't crash and burn? Okay. The two previous launch attempts died in fiery balls. Phoenix 1 was, admittedly, a rush-job - a fairly small plastic bag attached to a crossbeam made from two disposable chopsticks lined with birthday candles, with a basket made from a coke bottle lid hanging by thread from the bottom. The plastic bag immediately sucked inward, crumpled and burned, then it all caught alight and was reduced to a gnarled lump of smouldering plastic. You'll be relieved to hear that the tiny pilot rolled free at the last minute, and escaped without injury.

Phoenix 2 was more elaborate - a papier-maché balloon, with a burner hanging underneath, made from the wire from a champagne bottle with a strip of a methylated spirit soaked J-cloth wrapped round the bottom, the pilot suspended via a small wire harness beneath this. Tragically, we underestimated the height of the flames from the burner, the balloon caught fire, and the entire thing fell in on itself. This time, the tiny pilot was not so lucky. We retrieved his charred remains, but he is now a flattened clot of rubber, permanently fused with his wire harness.

So it's becoming clear I'm useless at aeronautical engineering. I need help. What's the best way to create a mini hot air balloon strong enough to lift a small, mangled pilot about the size and weight of three beer bottle caps? I'm thinking a flame-powered design rather than inflating a bin liner with a hair dryer, which I've found several examples of on the net, but which feels to me like cheating. Bear in mind that financial resources for this project are limited, as is the skill of the ground crew. Have any Mefites successfully launched a model balloon?

Any help or suggestions will be gratefully received!

What's the best way to create a 3D model from the "average" shape of real-world objects?

itchi23 — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 10:57:17 -0800

I'm beginning a project where I need to construct a 3D model based off the "average" shape (I'm not sure that's exactly the proper term) of a number of similar real-world objects, and I'm not sure on the best workflow or process. Example: I have 25 bananas and I want to create a 3D model based off the average shape of all these bananas. There are a few options I've explored, and I'm trying get some advice on the best route to pursue before I'm up to my neck in "data" and find that there's a more efficient way.
- One option is to make 3D models of each object, then find a way to construct an average 3D model based off the source models. I don't have much 3D modeling software experience, so I'm not sure if this is even possible using the software my university has license to (Cinema 4D and Maya.) I am planning to use photo-modeling software (where you construct 3D models from a series of calibrated photos) to create the models, so...
- Another option would be to create an average image for each angle required by the photo-modeling software, but I'm unclear on how to do this. I've seen some imaging research done that constructs an average image based off two source images, but I don't know if this research allows for multiple (maybe...20?) input sources. Also, I've only seen this research while surfing my rss feeds, and I don't know if I saved the article, so I don't have a www to refer to.
- Alternately, instead of using this imaging research, I thought of using image-morphing in After Effects (I know - cheezy 90's movie effects...) to find a mid-point between two images. I'd output that mid-point, run the morph on another two images, output that mid-point morph, and then run a morph on the two previous output images...and repeat the process.
This last option seems most plausible process, but it also seems to be the most time-consuming as well. Are there any options I might not be thinking of? Is there a process that seems most efficient/time-saving than another? Does anyone have experience doing something remotely similar to this? :) Thanks meta.mind!

What type of Larivee is this?

eightball — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 11:27:22 -0800

Does anyone know exactly what model Larrivee this guitar is? Notice there's no pick guard. I couldn't find anything exactly like this on Larrivee's website. Is it just a L-03E without the pick guard?

Learning how to model the processes of a medium-sized business

yoz420 — Fri, 09 May 2008 02:41:24 -0800

A friend has recently been offered a position that will involve modelling the company processes in her company. She has a good knowledge of the business but needs to learn to formalize this knowledge into proper business process models. Where can she start a crash course on the formal approaches to modelling and creating diagrams of the processes used in this company of about 100 employees? There is a lot of information on the web about this, but it's difficult to separate out the noise from good information. I am looking for recommendations of insightful websites or good introductory books that you have found useful in the past, as well as any advice based on your own experience of doing this sort of thing.

Andrea Dromm

feelinggood — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 12:57:20 -0800

Does anyone know what Andrea Dromm is doing now, or what she has been doing since 1967? She was the young blonde American girl in The Russians Are Coming! who falls in love with the Russian sailor at the beach house. There's nothing current on Google.

Photos->3D Models?

five fresh fish — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 17:40:53 -0800

Photographs → 3D Model of Landscape? I've seen software demos of 3D information extrapolated from photographs — so how can I use this tech to map my house-on-a-hillside into a relatively accurate Sketchup 3D model? Problem being, I'm unaware of any software I can purchase, nor sites where I can submit photos and receive back models.

It'd be a jillion times easier than doing a traditional survey.