@GitEmSteveDave_woot!sOffSoHard: I hope you're kidding man. If you're not, then I guess I'll inform you that the signs in baseball do not involve ASL. They are generally a series of essentially random movements made by the third base coach, until he makes the motion that is the "indicator", which is followed by the motion or touch that is the "sign," which tells the batter and any runners what they should do (hit and run, take, bunt, steal, etc.)
@iamskew001: Yes, it involves hand signals, which someone who knows ASL would be very good at picking up, while someone who lip reads, wouldn't. They are also made by people OTHER than the third base coach, like the catcher, which is the most important one, actually, so you can decode what pitch is coming.
It's like the concept used in the cork center variations for bowling balls I suppose -- my ball that I used for my HS bowling team (I can hear you laughing) was off center right because I was left handed and with the littlest effort it would break into a nice curve.
@BergenCountyJC can edit his name?: Did I ever tell you my idea for a sport which was a cross of miniature golf and bowling? It involves ramps and drop offs that emerge in other lanes. It looks amazing...in my mind!
I swear by Patagonia jackets. I have been wearing their jackets for skiing since I can remember. The quality is top notch, and the warmth is excellent.
$150 might seems steep, but compared to other coats it actually very, very affordable. A comparable Northface or Columbia jacket will land you in the $300-400 range. #outdoorgeekgiftguide
@macpatrik: Patagonia post-adoption of Goretex, anyway. Their Storm2No or whatever it was called sucked.
I like patagucci for casual clothes and fleece (and their underwear is awesome). Mountain Hardwear has some good kit. But, for jackets, Arc'teryx is *the* brand.
TNF (which used to be a real brand) and Columbia (which was never a real brand) are strictly for suburbanites who ski once a year.
@AmphetamineCrown: I still have a lightweight windproof Mountain Hardwear pullover from like 8 years ago, that I wear about every other day, and still looks and wears like it's near new.
Heh, "patagucci", heh. And I went in a TNF store the other day. Not so much. #outdoorgeekgiftguide
@macpatrik: I don't find everyone who wears patagonia pretentious. The people who seem to work in their stores, yes, but I know plenty of normal people who wear the stuff. My reference to gucci was pricing related. Target can sell you a fleece for $2, but patagonia is gonna charge you $60. I realize they have to build factories that preserve all the dandelions in the vicinity and double as shelters for stray cats and dogs and will only harvest cotton under a full moon under the protection of Hesta after dancing in celebration of the cotton plant to be picked, but that kinda sensitivity to Gaia costs bucks. #outdoorgeekgiftguide
@AmphetamineCrown: I partially agreed with your sentiments on TNF. While the consumer-grade crap they've been churning out lately is worthless in the back-country, they used to make quality jackets. I had a Kichatna jacket for around 15 years before the gore-tex started to delaminate. I brought it into my local store to see if it could be fixed. They shipped it back to TNF for me for free and when it was determined that it was FUBAR, they gave me a store credit for $500 (everything they sell has a no questions asked life time warranty). I was able to get a new gore-tex xcr jacket, pants and a nalgene flask with it. So, yeah, I probably won't replace them with TNF when they wear out in 5 years, but that's 20+ years of dry, breathable protection.
For those that don't remember it, the Kichatna was the original "Gorton's fisherman"-yellow jacket that seems to be coming back in style these days: #outdoorgeekgiftguide
@Brian Lam: Don't get me wrong. I like their stuff. I actually like most of their eco-friendly policies. But reading their catalog gets a little... holier than thou. And, it does come at a cost.
I also have found, over the years, that patagonia excels at insulating layers, but they have never been good at hard shells (the soft shell thing never did it for me). I'll happily shell out the bucks for patagonia boxers, capilene, R2, and fleece. But when it comes to what is on the outside, I'll take my money to Arcteryx or Marmot.
I liked Animal Chin's story about the Kichatna, but I'll go one better. I still own a Marmot Red Fox jacket -- probably the first commercial gore tex shell made -- and it still looks like it came off the rack. I bought it in 1980. (Wearing it sounds like you are crumpling a potato chip bag, but at least you were dry). #outdoorgeekgiftguide
@weatherman: yup. I love mine. Great pictures and the battery life is about 2x some of it's competitors. I took it on a 6-night backpacking trip. Not carrying tons of extra batteries is important. #outdoorgeekgiftguide
How about a good ole-fashioned multitool? Good for geeks be they housecats or Ranger Rick.
Also, telescopes (for astronomy, not spying). I try to keep my outdoor excursions to nighttime because sunlight makes me sparkle. And by sparkle, I mean radically pisses me off.
And forget about Wii Fit; go with dumbbells and chin-up bars. I've taken to watching TV guido-style, meaning I use my dumbbells while watching shitty television.
Finally, you don't have to get an entire set of clubs. A nice iron or putter is always welcome.
So there you go. You can go relatively cheap (dumbbells), midrange (a good Leatherman), possibly pricey (golf clubs), or "Here's a birthday/holiday/anniversary present all rolled into one" (the telescope).
@OMG! Ponies!: I thought Guido style exercising was making kissy faces at yourself in the mirror while telling yourself how sexy you are and standing under tanning lights.
Wholeheartedly agree with a multitool though, just don't skimp on one, get a decent one. #outdoorgeekgiftguide
@OMG! Ponies!: Multitool recommendation: the Leatherman Skeletool CX. Covers the basics, lightweight, and durable. Oh, and the 25 year (!) warranty is rather choice. #outdoorgeekgiftguide
@KidSix: I always like the originals (sadly since discontinued), but have found the Crunch to be quite handy (vice grips in a Leatherman) #outdoorgeekgiftguide
@Signore Pinko-Panko!: Agreed. I've written songs for my Sansa Clip and even took it to meet my mother, I adore it so. They're not wrong though, Clips are cheap.
@Signore Pinko-Panko!: I'm listening to my 2 gig one right now. I have a bad habit of swinging around at work and yanking myMP3 player across the room by my ear buds. It's awesome to be able to clip it to me and not suffer from flying music player syndrome. Definitely NOT crappy!
Oh, and with the Woot-off going on today, there are bound to be Sansas of various sorts for cheap. #outdoorgeekgiftguide
@Fractal the Meek: You may be being a little cheeky, what with introducing it to your mother, but I actually have taken mine 'round in a I'd-like-you-to-meet-someone-special sort of way...
To be fair the Amazon breast archery thing was probably less about sport and more about warfare. Sort of a different kettle of fish.
Great article though. True fairness in competition is pretty impossible though. The best they can do is categorize people into very roughly equal groups and have them compete amongst themselves.
The carbon fibre legs are an incredible piece of technology though. The sensation of running on them is pretty hard to imagine and one I've always been oddly curious about. #oscarpistorius
Until today, there are no evidences that amazons cut their breast of in order of improving bow proficiency. Hell, there are no evidences that amazons ever existed in first place.
Edited by SewerShark: LOOK BEHIND YOU, A THREE HEADED MONKEY!!! at 11/13/09 5:48 AM
SewerShark: LOOK BEHIND YOU, A THREE HEADED MONKEY!!! was starred
SewerShark: LOOK BEHIND YOU, A THREE HEADED MONKEY!!! was unstarred
@daemonoid: Breast reduction is different than "cut your breast off". Lots of girls who have back pains reduce their breast.
And what I meant is that you should not use a myth to prove you point of view. #oscarpistorius
Amazons are a part of Greek mythology. They supposedly prevented the growth of the right breast by cauterizing it while young. The author had the side mixed up, but it is most assuredly a true part of the mythology.
@Furiosa:
The word Amazon is of unknown origin, however a folk etymology popped up which explained the word as being a deriviative of the preface "a-", meaning "without", followed by "mazos", meaning "breast". This folk etymology was supported by the folktale that Amazons cut off one breast to facilitate archery. However, this is most likely a story designed to discourage women from taking up archery. This speculation is supported by even the most casual observation of modern day female archers who are more than capable of using the bow with all breasts intact.
Source: [www.whoosh.org]
The image that says with most people is that of single-breasted women. Sounds like a shocker doesn't it? But a recent survey indicated that single-breasted women with a quiver of arrows slung on their shoulders epitomize the women warriors of the Amazon. According to myth, the Amazons were an all-female society of fierce warriors who supposedly lived in the area north of the Black Sea about 700 years before the fifth century BC. Supposedly they cut off one breast to make shooting a bow and arrow easier. But this has never been proved even in the myths. The word Amazon itself has some connotation with breasts.
Source: [www.buzzle.com]#oscarpistorius
@Ayleron: In what point exactly you disagree? From what I readied on the article, the Dahomey Amazons were a military regiment, not an all female tribe. And it does not say anything about cutting out one breast, which is, basically, the point here.
Edited by SewerShark: LOOK BEHIND YOU, A THREE HEADED MONKEY!!! at 11/13/09 10:44 AM
SewerShark: LOOK BEHIND YOU, A THREE HEADED MONKEY!!! was starred
SewerShark: LOOK BEHIND YOU, A THREE HEADED MONKEY!!! was unstarred
@SewerShark: Yeah, you're right. They were probably thinking about the ones that cut off a breast to assure super fast shipping and the lowest prices online. #oscarpistorius
One area this has been discussed for years is wheelchair competitors in marathons. They are routinely held back from starting because organizers don't want the symbolism of a wheelchair 'unfairly' crossing the finish line first.
The compromise seems pretty simple: if you willing to amputate limbs to increase athletic performance, there should be no restrictions to your competing. The frustrations one would encounter using a wheelchair everywhere else in the world should be seen a sacrifice far exceeding the proverbial getting up early in the morning to work out. Those 'fortunate' enough to be born without limbs (and in wheelchair racing having lower extremities is a disadvantage having to with weight and chair design) would be the same as a basketball player fortunate enough to be born tall. Or with exceptionally acute vision. Wade Boggs' hitting skills were mostly attributed to that fact.
The cultural exclusion is fascinating -- these athletes are seen less than normal and more than human simultaneously. #oscarpistorius
Either we need to go back to naked sports (original olympics) or allow every technology and enhancement the athletes are willing to endure. #oscarpistorius
@Philip Han: Well I was being facetious about naked sports, but every aspect of the modern athlete is engineered why limit what they are allowed to do to their bodies? Especially the statement that was made about Pistorius and his prosthetic, why allow athletes to wear highly developed running shoes how are they different? #oscarpistorius
My initial response here was that its not so much that a prosthesis gives an advantage or not its that it becomes an apples to oranges comparison between the competitors. Tiger's eye after LASIK is still easily comparable to mine. Comparing a carbon-fiber Cheetah Leg to calf and foot is tough. There are so many differences in terms of how force is transferred, durability, nervous system feedback, etc.
That said, I'd like to consider Lance Armstrong for a moment. Comparing him to, well pretty much any other human, when it comes to cycling is apples to oranges. His heart, lungs, and pretty much all the rest of him are physiologically amazing and optimal for his sport. So if saying a prosthesis makes you so distinctive that you can't legitimately be compared to your peers, why isn't that true of Lance. #oscarpistorius
11/18/09
Does your bullpen stink? You can pay a lot of money for some good pitching or you can buy some lumber and build the giant wall in left field.
Are you stuck with a shallow outfield? That's okay. Just let plants grow all over the wall and call anything that gets caught in there a double.
And who needs to be nice to the visiting team? Put crappy water fountains in their dugouts.
And while your at it, put a lip-reader in the bleachers with a pair of binoculars and a walkie-talkie to steal the other teams signs.
Thank goodness there's no cheating going on anymore.
11/18/09
@OMG! Ponies!: Why do you need a lip reader to read hand signs? Shouldn't you get someone who understands ASL?
11/18/09
11/18/09
11/18/09
11/18/09
11/18/09
11/18/09
11/18/09
11/17/09
$150 might seems steep, but compared to other coats it actually very, very affordable. A comparable Northface or Columbia jacket will land you in the $300-400 range. #outdoorgeekgiftguide
11/17/09
I like patagucci for casual clothes and fleece (and their underwear is awesome). Mountain Hardwear has some good kit. But, for jackets, Arc'teryx is *the* brand.
TNF (which used to be a real brand) and Columbia (which was never a real brand) are strictly for suburbanites who ski once a year.
11/17/09
Heh, "patagucci", heh. And I went in a TNF store the other day. Not so much. #outdoorgeekgiftguide
11/17/09
11/17/09
11/17/09
@AmphetamineCrown: I partially agreed with your sentiments on TNF. While the consumer-grade crap they've been churning out lately is worthless in the back-country, they used to make quality jackets. I had a Kichatna jacket for around 15 years before the gore-tex started to delaminate. I brought it into my local store to see if it could be fixed. They shipped it back to TNF for me for free and when it was determined that it was FUBAR, they gave me a store credit for $500 (everything they sell has a no questions asked life time warranty). I was able to get a new gore-tex xcr jacket, pants and a nalgene flask with it. So, yeah, I probably won't replace them with TNF when they wear out in 5 years, but that's 20+ years of dry, breathable protection.
For those that don't remember it, the Kichatna was the original "Gorton's fisherman"-yellow jacket that seems to be coming back in style these days: #outdoorgeekgiftguide
11/17/09
11/18/09
I also have found, over the years, that patagonia excels at insulating layers, but they have never been good at hard shells (the soft shell thing never did it for me). I'll happily shell out the bucks for patagonia boxers, capilene, R2, and fleece. But when it comes to what is on the outside, I'll take my money to Arcteryx or Marmot.
I liked Animal Chin's story about the Kichatna, but I'll go one better. I still own a Marmot Red Fox jacket -- probably the first commercial gore tex shell made -- and it still looks like it came off the rack. I bought it in 1980. (Wearing it sounds like you are crumpling a potato chip bag, but at least you were dry). #outdoorgeekgiftguide
11/17/09
11/17/09
11/17/09
Also, telescopes (for astronomy, not spying). I try to keep my outdoor excursions to nighttime because sunlight makes me sparkle. And by sparkle, I mean radically pisses me off.
And forget about Wii Fit; go with dumbbells and chin-up bars. I've taken to watching TV guido-style, meaning I use my dumbbells while watching shitty television.
Finally, you don't have to get an entire set of clubs. A nice iron or putter is always welcome.
So there you go. You can go relatively cheap (dumbbells), midrange (a good Leatherman), possibly pricey (golf clubs), or "Here's a birthday/holiday/anniversary present all rolled into one" (the telescope).
11/17/09
Wholeheartedly agree with a multitool though, just don't skimp on one, get a decent one. #outdoorgeekgiftguide
11/17/09
11/17/09
11/17/09
@KidSix: Go simple and well built. This guy ([atwoodknives.blogspot.com]) micromanufactures some awesome tools. #outdoorgeekgiftguide
11/17/09
11/17/09
11/17/09
Oh, and with the Woot-off going on today, there are bound to be Sansas of various sorts for cheap. #outdoorgeekgiftguide
11/17/09
I wonder if I should admit that? #outdoorgeekgiftguide
11/17/09
11/17/09
11/13/09
Great article though. True fairness in competition is pretty impossible though. The best they can do is categorize people into very roughly equal groups and have them compete amongst themselves.
The carbon fibre legs are an incredible piece of technology though. The sensation of running on them is pretty hard to imagine and one I've always been oddly curious about. #oscarpistorius
11/13/09
11/13/09
Simona Halep an up and coming tennis star with DD breasts had a reduction so that she could play with less interference:
[www.theregister.co.uk] #oscarpistorius
11/13/09
And what I meant is that you should not use a myth to prove you point of view. #oscarpistorius
11/13/09
Amazons are a part of Greek mythology. They supposedly prevented the growth of the right breast by cauterizing it while young. The author had the side mixed up, but it is most assuredly a true part of the mythology.
11/13/09
The word Amazon is of unknown origin, however a folk etymology popped up which explained the word as being a deriviative of the preface "a-", meaning "without", followed by "mazos", meaning "breast". This folk etymology was supported by the folktale that Amazons cut off one breast to facilitate archery. However, this is most likely a story designed to discourage women from taking up archery. This speculation is supported by even the most casual observation of modern day female archers who are more than capable of using the bow with all breasts intact.
Source: [www.whoosh.org]
The image that says with most people is that of single-breasted women. Sounds like a shocker doesn't it? But a recent survey indicated that single-breasted women with a quiver of arrows slung on their shoulders epitomize the women warriors of the Amazon. According to myth, the Amazons were an all-female society of fierce warriors who supposedly lived in the area north of the Black Sea about 700 years before the fifth century BC. Supposedly they cut off one breast to make shooting a bow and arrow easier. But this has never been proved even in the myths. The word Amazon itself has some connotation with breasts.
Source: [www.buzzle.com] #oscarpistorius
11/13/09
I'll politely disagree with you second claim. [en.wikipedia.org] #oscarpistorius
11/13/09
I think you are reading about the wrong amazons.
11/13/09
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11/12/09
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11/13/09
(See her TED presentation if you don't know what I'm talking about.) #oscarpistorius
11/12/09
The compromise seems pretty simple: if you willing to amputate limbs to increase athletic performance, there should be no restrictions to your competing. The frustrations one would encounter using a wheelchair everywhere else in the world should be seen a sacrifice far exceeding the proverbial getting up early in the morning to work out. Those 'fortunate' enough to be born without limbs (and in wheelchair racing having lower extremities is a disadvantage having to with weight and chair design) would be the same as a basketball player fortunate enough to be born tall. Or with exceptionally acute vision. Wade Boggs' hitting skills were mostly attributed to that fact.
The cultural exclusion is fascinating -- these athletes are seen less than normal and more than human simultaneously. #oscarpistorius
11/12/09
Thank you. #oscarpistorius
11/12/09
11/12/09
Imagine how bad that would hurt?
And how it would affect the scores of divers... #oscarpistorius
11/12/09
11/12/09
That said, I'd like to consider Lance Armstrong for a moment. Comparing him to, well pretty much any other human, when it comes to cycling is apples to oranges. His heart, lungs, and pretty much all the rest of him are physiologically amazing and optimal for his sport. So if saying a prosthesis makes you so distinctive that you can't legitimately be compared to your peers, why isn't that true of Lance. #oscarpistorius
11/12/09
11/12/09