TV as RADAR.
posted to MetaFilter by odinsdream at 6:36 PM on December 4, 2007 (17 comments)

Sarah Elizabeth Witt struggles to convey a word game [direct to quicktime] that caused her doctor to diagnose her as obsessive-compulsive.

"When I hear a word that starts with the letter U, I immediately gain access to the letter Y!"
posted to MetaFilter by odinsdream at 8:32 AM on November 24, 2005 (16 comments)

Jim Loy's Mathematics Page is (among other things) a collection of interesting theorems (like Napoleon's Triangle theorem), thoughtful discussions of both simple and complex math, and geometric constructions (my personal favorite); the latter of which contains surprisingly-complex discussions on the trisection of angles, or the drawing of regular pentagons.

Similarly enthralling are the pages on Billiards (and the physics of), Astronomy (and the savants of), and Physics (and the Phlogiston Theory of), all of which are rife with illustrations and diagrams. See the homepage for much more.

If you like your geometric constructions big, try Zef Damen's Crop Circle Reconstructions.
posted to MetaFilter by odinsdream at 10:39 AM on September 14, 2005 (8 comments)

Hey! Good news! (pdf) The FCC recently issued notices that broadcasters must disclose the source of Video News Releases, or VNR's, which, if you haven't already heard, "... are essentially prepackaged news stories, that may use actors to play reporters and include suggested scripts to introduce the stories."

From the notice: "... listeners and viewers are entitled to know who seeks to persuade them with the programming offered over broadcast stations and cable systems." The GAO has issued cautionary notices about VNR's before as a response to complaints that several government agencies were walking fine lines with their "news" productions.
posted to MetaFilter by odinsdream at 12:30 PM on April 14, 2005 (10 comments)

More than a third of students surveyed think the First Amendment to the Constitution goes "too far in the rights it guarantees." Reported here.
posted to MetaFilter by odinsdream at 9:07 AM on January 31, 2005 (67 comments)

The city of Salinas, CA has decided to address budget concerns by cutting a number of services*. Most surprising, though, is the decision to raise ~$7Mil. (or 2, depending on the PDF) by closing all of the libraries* (hey, at least they're not burning novels) in a town whose population is mostly Hispanic.
Reminds me of that bumper sticker: "Welcome to America: Learn English."
Which begs the question; Where?

*pdf; 5% fewer calories than leading brands.
posted to MetaFilter by odinsdream at 12:05 PM on December 27, 2004 (57 comments)

Investigative journalist Gary Webb found dead of an apparent suicide. Webb is known for his Dark Alliance series, linking the CIA to drug trafficking. As you can imagine, not everyone responded well to his work, especially his employer. An interview with Webb can be found here.

Gary Webb: I look like an idiot up here with all these mikes, the CIA agents are probably behind one or the other... [laughter from the audience]. - Jan 16, 1999
posted to MetaFilter by odinsdream at 8:59 AM on December 13, 2004 (45 comments)