September 2

Would you buy a pepsi blue pantyliner from this man? How about if he takes off his shirt? [more inside]
posted by Forktine at 6:26 AM - 55 comments

A Widow's Journey [MP3]. "In 1989, Appapillai Amirthalingam - the most prominent political figure of the Tamil community - was assassinated at his home in the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo. Twenty years on, the Tamil Tigers have been defeated by the military. Appapillai's wife and son travel back to their homeland in search of his legacy in an attempt to understand what the future holds for Sri Lanka's Tamil people."
posted by chunking express at 6:06 AM - 3 comments

World's first 'tree cathedral' takes root in Italy The remarkable work designed by Italian environment artist Giuliano Mauri [Italian Wikipedia link], who died last year, has been completed after months of work and presented as one of the initiatives marking the International Year of Biodiversity.
posted by aqsakal at 4:01 AM - 22 comments

Charles Darwin, famous for his work On The Origin of Species, was also a secret terraformer.

More here.
posted by Biru at 3:09 AM - 13 comments

Innocence Project co-founder Barry Scheck gave an interview today describing the complexities of DNA evidence and why it is so pivotal in many appeals. What we hear referred to as "DNA evidence" can really mean any number of things: a restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis that focuses on enzyme restriction sites; using a polymerase chain reaction to amplify a segment of DNA; or a short tandem repeat analysis, looking at small segments of repeated DNA in an individual's genome. These tests, he believes, must be done whenever possible-- because more and more, they are proving people innocent. [more inside]
posted by karminai at 12:31 AM - 8 comments


Best of You Tube.
posted by From Bklyn at 12:22 AM - 14 comments

September 1



Donovan madness: Andy's Love Concert* and Aliens From Spaceship Earth** [more inside]
posted by item at 7:20 PM - 12 comments


Spheremetrical (Here With You) — from the Last Heist EP by Impactist, a directing duo with a diverse background in film production, design, animation, music, and the fine arts.
posted by netbros at 5:30 PM - 1 comment

50 Painted Nail Designs [via: buzzfeed] A selection of painted nail designs, ranging from the artistic to geeky.
posted by Fizz at 4:37 PM - 30 comments

Snippets of poetry from the Imperium; a sample folk tale from the Oral History; brief biographies of over a dozen Duncan Idahos; two differing approaches to Paul Muad'Dib himself and to his son Leto II; Fremen recipes; Fremen history; secrets of the Bene Gesserit; the songs of Gurney Halleck -- these are just some of the treasures found when an earthmover fell into the God Emperor's no-room at Dar-es-Balat. Out of print for more than two decades, disavowed by Frank Herbert's estate, and highly sought-after by fans, the legendary Dune Encyclopedia is now available online as a fully illustrated and searchable PDF [direct link]. [more inside]
posted by Rhaomi at 4:30 PM - 46 comments

"The thing is, he doesn’t eat and he doesn’t talk. Or rather, he can’t eat and he can’t talk. He hasn’t for four years, ever since cancer took his lower jaw, and three attempts to rebuild his face and his voice failed." Roger Ebert is publishing a cookbook: The Pot and How To Use It. Previously.
posted by hippybear at 3:58 PM - 30 comments

Ye cannae change the laws of physics. Or can you? (Single link Economist article)
posted by bearwife at 12:53 PM - 67 comments

BLADE RUNNER revisited >3.6 gigapixels - An experimental film in tribute to Ridley Scott's Blade Runner (SLVimeo)
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 12:27 PM - 33 comments


Sleazefest: The Movie [rather nsfw] is a documentary of the first Sleazefest, a two day festival of bands, barbecue, b-movies and beer that took place in August of 1994 at Local 506 in Chapel Hill, NC. The festival was extended to three days and became an annual event for the next decade. [more inside]
posted by Potomac Avenue at 11:01 AM - 2 comments

Though her nomination was a joke, instigated by a group of men hoping to inhibit the local activities of the Women's Christian Temperance Union by embarrassing female voters, Susanna Madora "Dora" Kinsey Salter surprised the pranksters by winning two-thirds of the vote in the mayoral election of 1887 in tiny Argonia, Kansas, becoming not only America's first female mayor, but also earning the distinction of being the first woman elected to any political office in the United States. Her official notice of election read: Madam, You are hereby notified that at an election held in the city of Argonia on Monday April 4/87, for the purpose of electing city officers, you were duly elected to the office of Mayor of said city. You will take due notice thereof and govern yourself accordingly. Though she only served one term and had no further political ambitions, she became a hero of the early women's suffrage movement. [more inside]
posted by amyms at 10:45 AM - 26 comments

Oliver Sacks is surviving cancer of the eye, ocular melanoma. In his latest book, The Mind’s Eye, he "tells the stories of people who are able to navigate the world and communicate with others despite losing what many of us consider indispensable senses and abilities." In the interview, Sacks talks about his diagnosis, the after-effects of his radiation treatment (which include hallucinations that resolve themselves into words if he "smokes a little pot"), his apprenticeships with poets W.H. Auden and Thom Gunn, and the importance of science writing in an age when the authority of science is being undermined by religious zealots. Via MeFi's own, Steve Silberman, digaman. [more inside]
posted by nickyskye at 10:18 AM - 35 comments

The Mongoliad. Previous, MeFi discussed new publishing formats, like the Shadow Unit web series. Now Neil Stephenson (And others) has debuted his own project, the casually hyped Mongoliad. The authors' intent seems to be an experiment with format, publishing to handheld devices, payment schemes, and the entire concept of intellectual property.
posted by Stagger Lee at 10:12 AM - 17 comments

Global warming skeptic Bjørn Lomborg changes position, saying global warming is "undoubtedly one of the chief concerns facing the world today" and "a challenge humanity must confront." He says in a new book forthcoming this year that governments should levy a tax on carbon and spend billions annually on research for new technologies. I suppose it's hard to ignore when 10 of 10 key indicators show the world is warming, and Lomberg is not the first prominent skeptic to change position. [more inside]
posted by stbalbach at 9:33 AM - 34 comments

This is how a band gets promoted and why much of the music industry might still stand in the future. Florence and the machine has been discussed earlier on MeFi but this story highlights how a fan with good contacts can make a difference. Now, with a Youtube channel, a shot at getting a Video Music Award and a way to present their music to the US audience, they may be poised for a new breakthrough.
posted by TNLNYC at 8:10 AM - 54 comments

I Think We're Alone Now, the 2008 documentary about two people who stalk the '80s pop star Tiffany, is finally available on DVD (NetFlix). Since the film, Jeff Turner (who has Asperger Syndrome) has also been restraining-ordered for his romantic overtures toward Alyssa Milano. (Turner gives his side of that story here.) [more inside]
posted by hermitosis at 7:55 AM - 49 comments

Google's Earth by William Gibson.
posted by xowie at 6:20 AM - 90 comments

Skunk-apes are more than just Bigfoot's stinky southern cousins. They have their own Research Headquarters, beach movie, and "investment-quality" commemorative coins. Oh, and Skunktoberfest. (Sadly, Mefi's own Skunkape remains a mysterious mystery.)
posted by JoanArkham at 5:51 AM - 13 comments

The Obama presidential campaign was an innovation in American politics and American design. For the first time, a candidate used art and design to bring together the American people—capturing their voices in a visual way. The Design Director of the Obama campaign, Scott Thomas, has collaborated with artists and designers to create Designing Obama, a chronicle of the art from the historic campaign. Funded via Kickstarter, they have created a book and an iPad app. You can download the book in PDF format for free.
posted by sveskemus at 4:59 AM - 57 comments

Photographer Corrine Day has died. She is probably best known for nurturing the early career of Kate Moss [nsfw]. [more inside]
posted by Megami at 3:03 AM - 24 comments


Artist Georgia Sagri says she wasn't there and maybe performer Ann Liv Young wasn't either. [both links nsfw] [more inside]
posted by artof.mulata at 12:08 AM - 69 comments

August 31


Time to get laid. Yep, we've seen Kate Micucci before, but, the addition of William H. Macy makes this all worthwhile. (DLYT which I've promised not to ever do again but, what the hell!) How did I miss this movie?
posted by HuronBob at 9:54 PM - 28 comments

Tin Soldiers. Lead Soldiers. Plastic Army Men. But if you like your toy soldiers not so harmful to the environment and a little more do-it-yourself, you can get paper soldiers. Here are some Print-fantry soldiers you can download for free. [more inside]
posted by marxchivist at 8:40 PM - 20 comments

Much-mourned shelter magazine Domino has a new online home for its archives. Stories will be added on an ongoing basis.
posted by lalex at 8:34 PM - 8 comments

Fidel Castro takes blame for persecution of Cuban gays. 'Fidel Castro has said that he is ultimately responsible for the persecution suffered by homosexuals in Cuba after the revolution of 1959.' 'The former Cuban president told La Jornada the persecution of gays, who were rounded up at the time as supposed counterrevolutionaries and placed in forced labor camps, was a "great injustice" that arose from the island's history of discrimination against homosexuals. He said he was not prejudiced against gays, but "if anyone is responsible (for the persecution), it's me." "I'm not going to place the blame on others," he said.' But 'there is a Castro who is fighting to introduce radical changes in Cuba.' [more inside]
posted by VikingSword at 5:25 PM - 114 comments

São Paulo, Brazil. With a population upwards of 11 million people and a population density of more than 7,000 people per square kilometre, it is a pretty crowded place. But on July 2, 2010 during the second half of the Brazil-Netherlands World Cup quarterfinal, the streets were completely deserted.
posted by salishsea at 4:17 PM - 34 comments


Lots of people remember the Cray-1A. And how could you not, it was a supercomputer with built-in seats. But Chris Fenton has done more than just reminisce, he he built his own 1/10 scale Cray-1A. It's not just a model, it actually runs Cray software. The only problem is there doesn't seem to be much Cray software on the net, so if you have some let him know.
posted by tommasz at 12:52 PM - 66 comments

Alan Jacobs laments the Hobbesian reality that is modern Internet discourse in his article "The Online State of Nature" at Big Questions Online.
A now-famous cartoon on the xkcd “webcomics” site shows a stick figure typing away at his computer keyboard as a voice from outside the frame says, “Are you coming to bed?” The figure replies: “I can’t. This is important. . . . Someone is wrong on the Internet.” I have thought a lot about why people get so hostile online, and I have come to believe it is primarily because we live in a society with a hypertrophied sense of justice and an atrophied sense of humility and charity, to put the matter in terms of the classic virtues.
posted by ob1quixote at 12:15 PM - 83 comments

Laurent Fignon, French cycling champion, two-time winner (1983-84) of the Tour de France, has died of cancer at 50. [more inside]
posted by toodleydoodley at 11:07 AM - 35 comments


The CERN Choir sings about the Higgs Boson in the Particle Physics Song (slyt).
posted by Lutoslawski at 10:29 AM - 11 comments

According to a new study [abstract] by doctors at Boston University and the VA Medical Center, repetitive head trauma suffered by athletes is linked to the motor neuron disease CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy), which may have been previously misdiagnosed as ALS, a.k.a. Lou Gehrig's Disease. This result may explain the extreme prevalence of ALS-like symptoms among former athletes and people in the military and suggests that Gehrig himself may not have suffered from Lou Gehrig's Disease. [more inside]
posted by albrecht at 9:54 AM - 39 comments

A New Look for the Oval Office Obama makes his mark on the First Office. It is a different look than the office of George W. Bush and the presidents before him. And yes, the rug is gone (previously).
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 9:13 AM - 166 comments

Shinya Kimura likes motorcycles. (A short film about a custom motorcycle engineer.)
posted by dobbs at 9:07 AM - 9 comments

The Creator's Project unleashes The Eclectic Method’s (previously) latest video, Super Mario Mashup onto the world with a bonus genre-exploding montage and Q&A trying to put it all together.
posted by The Whelk at 9:00 AM - 8 comments


"Why TB you ask. The house I grew up in, from 1961 to the 1974, faced the grounds of the Municipal Tuberculosis Sanitarium. There was a fence around the property and it was patrolled by security guards daily. That was all I knew." Via.
posted by bibliogrrl at 8:08 AM - 9 comments

"Freedom" by Jonthan Franzen: is one of the most hyped, most anticipated literary novel in years and it goes on sale today. Jonathan Franzen's new book Freedom is being hailed as "The Tolstoy of the Internet Era" [slate]. "The novel of the century" [guardian]. "a novel that turns out to be both a compelling biography of a dysfunctional family and an indelible portrait of our times." [nytimes] "Jonathan Franzen: one of America's greatest living novelists?" [telegraph] Jonathan Franzen is best known for his award winning book The Corrections [nytimes]. Maybe you're wondering why his name is familiar, [Oprah Book Club sticker incident].
posted by Fizz at 7:56 AM - 146 comments

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