Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with quirky

Suggest books that push the envelope of "self-help"?

tomboko — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 19:23:40 -0800

Can you suggest books that push the envelope of "self-help"? I record books for a library-owned radio station for the blind and visually impaired. One of our genres is Self-Help. We have no shortage of the usual sort of self-help book - I've been asked to come up with something a little wider-ranging or quirky. It must be non-fiction, and it can't be religious. Other than this, the genre can be interpreted pretty liberally.

For example, three "quirky self-help" books I have already recorded for the station -

Miss Manners' Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Behavior by Judith Martin
Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott

These are self-help books we* have already done in the past year:

Apples are Square (Thinking Differently about Leadership) by Susan and Thomas Kuczmarski
Musicophilia (Tales of Music and the Brain) by Oliver Sacks
Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat? by Peter Walsh
A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle
Human, The Science Behind What Makes Us Unique by Michael S. Gazzaniga
The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner
The Canon by Natalie Angier
Happy Without Being Perfect by Alice D. Domar and Alice Lesch Kelly
A Promise to Ourselves by Alec Baldwin
60 Seconds & You're Hired! by Robin Ryan
How We Decide by Jonah Lehrer
Man vs. Weather by Dennis DiClaudio
Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely
How Successful People Think by John Maxwell
The Power of Four by Joseph M. Marshall III
What Would Google Do? by Jeff Jarvis
Be The Hero by Noah Blumenthal
A Long Bright Future by Laura L. Carstensen

*I didn't record any of these. Our station has many volunteer readers. I sort of specialize in 'quirky.'

Help me come up with quirky ideas for improbable porn flicks!

Sully — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:00:15 -0800

I am thinking of making some quirky, amateur porn that straddles the borderline between porn and art. My first flick is going to be a half-hour of this naked girl giving herself hickeys all over her body - wherever her mouth can reach. Help me brainstorm other ideas for porn you always wanted to see, but was never available. Outlandish porn that should be made, but would never be economically viable. Improbable porn that wouldn't necessarily get you off, but is sexy to know it exists.

What is the coolest and quirkiest event you've ever attended or heard of?

Sully — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:02:05 -0800

What is the coolest and quirkiest event you've ever attended or heard of? I'm kind of fascinated by quirky events, having thrown a few myself. Something else I like to do is change things up - try throwing another kind of event just to see what happens. But now I'm kind of at a loss for my next one, and thought I would query the hive mind for events that make you go, "Wow - I went to this insanely neat event the other night..." to your friends. I'm just trying to brainstorm a bunch of concepts and hoping you all can help me.

Anything from something like the Burning Man, or the Fake Prom, or to this event my friend throws, called Pindemonium. She has a button making machine, and for a small fee, she'll make ten of your buttons. Then, at Pindemonium, everyone who submitted a button gets their ten, then go on a mad trading session with all the other submitters. People who didn't submit anything can buy a random assortment and trade up for buttons they want.

This guy in Toronto does a "Awkward Show and Tell" night, with various themes. Like the last one was "exes and sex toys". Another friend of mine does this hipster lecture series where he gets people to give 15 minutes lectures on something they are passionate about, but which is not their expertise. So say, a stock broker who knows everything about 15th century bookbinding, or something like that.

I'm looking for stuff that is really unique, or has a twist to it. A karaoke bar isn't that interesting to me, but a karaoke bar where the words are projected in a language not native to the singer, is.

Thanks in advance!

More Quirk and Less Cork

Admiral Haddock — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 10:12:31 -0800

Looking for off the beaten track destinations/activities in Sonoma/Napa (and/or Monterey). My GF and I will be in Northern California from October 9 until the 18th. We will surely spend a day or so in SF, and the last couple of days will be in Berkeley for a wedding. The rest is up for grabs. We will have a car.

Broadly speaking, we know we are more "Sonoma people" than "Napa people." All the same, while we lurve a tasty wine, neither of us is an oenophile and we don't intend to go crazy with wineries--though if someone can recommend a really didactic tasting, that would be great.

Instead, we'd love to hear about any hidden gems that the real Napa crowd may avoid: the great taco stand; the pretty good used bookstore; the spice shop where the CIA kids go to get interesting stuff on the cheap; the guy who sells his kind-of-odd-but-also-charming drawings in the park; the museum of spoons, etc.

Our inclination is to make it a leisurely trip, rather than driving all the time. Can you recommend a central staging area? We're happy with getting a cheap room at a Marriott somewhere and splurging on meals/activities. Is it worth it to try to squeeze in Monterey, or would those in the know just dally in Sonoma?

Anything we can't miss? We like art/culture/food, taking photographs and having hijinks. A great hike and picnic would be awesome, but we're city mice and a 15-mile excursion is likely not on our shortlist of things to do this trip.

(Feel free to MeFi mail me your hidden gems... we will be reverent and promise not to spoil them and we shan't tell a soul! It will be our little secret.)

Help Me Make Old New England New.

MasonDixon — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 19:38:40 -0800

Obscure New England? I've seen the best, what about the rest? What quirky, "second tier," and out of the way places have I missed? My SO and I have been all over New England, we've seen the big stuff, especially the major stuff along the coasts. So . . .

What quirky, unique, oddball, hidden gems or secretly awesome places have we not been to?

What seldom visited state parks, by-way diners, unusual attractions, great picnic spots, attractions from an earlier age and things only-the-locals-would-know can you suggest?

Romantic yes, but also ironic.

pseudostrabismus — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 20:32:56 -0800

Please suggest self-aware romantic comedies. (Rather lengthy explanation sheepishly included.) Here is a list of things I like in a movie, with examples. The basic genre is "smart romantic comedy", but there is a specific list of attributes I'm focussed on.

1. Can you suggest more movies that fit into this genre?
2. Can you succinctly name this genre?

PLOT
The major conflict is realistic & interpersonal (no chainsaws, no sharks, no murders).
The stakes are not "life v. death", they are more like "fulflling, challenging love v. boredom & loneliness" (eg, Annie Hall)
The plot is logical and simple, although it can be quirky.
The plot is possible- it could happen to almost anyone in the audience.

TONE
The tone is irreverent, ironic, and modern (although I'm very interested in classic movies that fit this genre, too).
The music is important and carefully chosen, and maybe even performed live by a character at some point (the final duet in Juno).
The locations are romanticized (Paris in Amelie, the record shop in High Fidelity, the quarry in Garden State)
I like quirky, but we don't need to go overboard (Garden State goes overboard: Juno is pushing it in a few scenes).

CHARACTERS
The characters are charming, detailed, funny, self-aware, and ironic.
Females are smart, funny, and genuinely equal matches for males. Men are not slacker cads who resent growing up, and women are not shallow bridezillas (eg, not like Knocked Up).
Not everyone is the same race, sexual orientation, social class, etc., and yet these differences are not a big deal and don't drive the plot.
There is a sense of friendly competition and fraternity between the characters, especially the lead couple (Pam & Jim in The Office).
The characters enliven their days by playing games with themselves, or indulge in small, private ceremonies (Amelie skips stones; Cusack makes lists in High Fidelity).
The characters have a high reference level- they are up to date without seeming too trendy or topical (Woody Allen knows his McLuhan in Annie Hall, Tina Fey in 30-Rock).
There are comedic "bits", plum roles, and/or killer scenes that may be somewhat tangential to the main action but add a lot to the tone. (Jack Black in High Fidelity, the orgasm scene in When Harry Met Sally.)
The romance is quirky- people give each other Pepto Bismol and comic books, not roses and chocolate.
The characters tend to be a little dry, cynical, or self-conscious, but there are parts where we see their genuine sweetness and love.

SWEET ENDING
At the climax, the audience reaches a soft, open, innocent emotional state where they smile a lot and cry a little at the same time. A big, swelling, satisfying feeling (Amelie when the music swells as they ride the scooter through Paris, Wall-E when he & Eve hold hands).

AWARENESS OF VIEWER
** I'm interested in movies that only fit the above criteria- but, major bonus points if you can suggest films with the following trait as well:

The main characters are occasionally aware of the viewer and look or speak directly to camera at times.
(as occurs in The Office, Annie Hall, High Fidelity, Amelie.)

That's about it, I guess.
So, how to pithily describe this genre?
What movies should I rent in order to research it?
I also welcome general comments about the genre if you think my list of its traits is flawed or incomplete,
and resources for learning more about how best to write this specific type of movie.

Thanks for your help!

I'm tired of supporting WalFart.

RunawayOctober — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 10:09:34 -0800

Help me find more Mom-and-Pop shops in AZ. I'm looking for quirky shops just full of weird stuff - preferably craft supplies, home decor, clothing or second-hand stuff. Not looking for:
-Big-boxes
-Corporate

Definitely looking for:
-Kid friendly
-As close to Gilbert as possible
-Fabrics! Craft Supplies! (Especially designer cottons)
-The place you would go to find that gift for that one friend who's just so strange that you can't shop for them at the mall or WalFart.
-Second-hand or eco-friendly an absolute plus!

A new way to look at the world...

reenum — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 08:23:42 -0800

Looking for books that talk about aspects of society or culture in new and interesting ways. I loved Freakonomics, I love the work of Malcolm Gladwell, but I'm not really sure how books in this vein are categorized.

What I like most about the above are the new and interesting way they look at sometimes mundane subjects or are able to find connections between seemingly unrelated topics.

Any suggestions on similar types of books from the hive mind?

Thanks!

Delving into the realm of the quirky through books

reenum — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 08:52:39 -0800

I'm looking for books with quirky storylines or quirky characters doing strange things. I really enjoy reading books whose premises or characters are off the wall. Some recent favorites:
Petroleum Man by Stanley Crawford
Towing Jehovah by James Morrow
Gilligan's Wake by Tom Carson
Honey Don't by Tim Sandlin
A Short History of Tractors In Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka
Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy O'Toole
The Undeground Man by Mick Jackson
Villa Incognito by Tom Robbins
The Life of Pi by Yann Martel

It really doesn't matter if it's fiction or nonfiction. I just want to read about outlandish situations or people. Bonus points if the book is funny.

Thanks all!

Help us with our NextFlix!

dogmom — Sun, 20 May 2007 16:24:59 -0800

Please help me find some good small town/quirky character movies I'm watching "The Englishman Who Went Up A Hill But Came Down A Mountain" as I type this. Dogdad and I started talking about other movies in the same vein, and we came up with "Waking Ned Devine" "Mystery, Alaska" "Mumford" and, of course, "Local Hero"

Can the Hive help us add to the list?

Wireless devices as informational art

cosmicbandito — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 09:18:54 -0800

What non-computer wireless devices are available for displaying information? I already know about Ambient Devices and Nabaztag. What else is out there? I'm looking for 802.11 devices I can put on my home network that are quirky and maybe even beautiful, but still serve some information function. Key features should include an open API like Nabaztag, 802.11 (not ambient's pager network thing), and preferably no subscription service required.

Direct me to the weird and quirky of Highway 1.

kmtiszen — Fri, 24 Nov 2006 11:36:54 -0800

What are some quriky/oddball sites along Highway 1 from Los Angeles to San Francisco? I'm going to be taking a two day drive up Highway 1 in early December and I've pretty much covered the "normal" things to do. But I'm sure there are tons of quirky alternative things to do and see along the lines of Roadside America and Weird US. I'm already aware of things like the Madonna Inn, Nit Wit Ridge and Bubblegum Alley in SLO. Any other good ones out there?

Your new favorite question all year

SassHat — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 20:12:08 -0800

Bizarre and completely NSFW porn-related question - where did these videos come from? A friend sent me links to a couple of quirky 80s pron music videos. I think they are quite possibly the best thing to happen to porn since Al Gore invented the internets.

The links are (NSFW*Porn, duh*NSFW*)here and here(NSFW*Porn, duh*NSFW*).

For those who can't watch right now, they're music videos - one is "Tunnel of Love" by Dire Straits, the other "When the Night Comes" by Joe Cocker. Both videos are uploaded by the same user "El Chupacabra."

The video that goes alongside the songs are mashups (?) of some strange 80s porn, possibly foreign. The lighting and scenery along with weird little storylines make these videos super cool, IMO.

The problem is I want to know where they came from? Preliminary searching seems to come up with nothing. The user info is just the name "Chupacabra" and I admit I'm a bit hesitant to google "Chupacabra + Porn."

I was kinda hoping the ol' MeFi Bloodhound Gang might be up for some detective work? Any ideas?

Stop the car, Dad!

crosten — Mon, 24 Apr 2006 08:24:39 -0800

What quirky/marginally unsafe/weird/fun/"too good to be true" places do you remember from your childhood (and that might still exist now)? This is sort of hard to describe so here's some links to the types of places I am talking about:

Camden Park
The Tilden Park steam trains
Santa's Land, North Carolina
The Cabazon Dinos
Olentangy Indian Caverns
South of the Border

Links, if you please, would be nice. Memories good, too. I am familiar with books/sites like Roadside America. Just looking for others.

Quirky travel possibilities in northeast/mid-Atlantic?

shivohum — Wed, 15 Mar 2006 08:21:52 -0800

What would be the coolest, weirdest, quirkiest places to visit in the northeast/mid-Atlantic? Could be towns, museums, roadside attractions, etc... bonuses for areas that might take more than an hour or two to absorb. Thanks.

A quirky night's sleep

skylar — Fri, 14 Oct 2005 06:26:32 -0800

What are the quirkiest hotels/ B&Bs/ inns in the UK? I would have thought there would be websites galore listing all the quirky, strange, unusual, unique, crazy hotels in Britain. But - probably due to the number of hotels and hotel sites fighting for Google ranking - a good hour of searching is yet to dig up much of value. Perhaps the human touch is required, which is why I'm turning to the denizens of AskMeFi.

I'm looking for lots of examples of weird and beautiful hotels in the UK. Hostelries like Miller's, Portmeirion, Stratton's, Hundred House and Cley Mill. Can be cheap or expensive. Romantic or not. The main thing is being memorably kooky or different.

Bonus points for them being near London, Buckinghamshire or Warwickshire - but that's not a pre-requisite.