Somewhat related: Most sushi restaurants in the US (over 9,000) get their raw fish from True World Group, established by original members of the Reverend Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church cult.

For those of you living in the Bay Area, that includes Berkeley's Kirala, Alameda's Angelfish, and Oakland's Tachibana Sushi Bar and Grill.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by junesix at 1:57 PM on July 31, 2008

Frankly, I have a hard time believing the Cuil VP of Engineering would say something to the effect that they have a larger absolute index than Google. Especially, when you consider she had already sold search technology to Google and exited as recently as 2006. The language of the AP article seems suspect - so far it's the only source for the "3 times the size of Google's index" citation I could find. An extraordinary claim like that would likely be quoted verbatim and not inserted... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by junesix at 9:00 AM on July 28, 2008

The powder-blue uniform shirt had been worn by officers since the Police Department's inception. Riley changed the uniform after Hurricane Katrina to all-black uniforms.
[...]
Riley, in what some in the Police Department call a move to boost morale, recently announced that the department would revert to powder-blue shirts, probably by the first of the year.

Wow, so an officer who had served for 33 years in the powder blue... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by junesix at 5:31 PM on July 17, 2008

I really wish NYT would put more than the post title and one line in the RSS feed.
posted to MetaFilter by junesix at 5:19 PM on July 11, 2008

13 > Medinat Weimar is not a realistic movement, but rather one that seeks to agitate and provoke by taking anti-Semitic, neo-liberal, nationalistic, Zionist arguments to their unreasonable conclusions illustrating their inner logic and absurdity.

Oh right, this is really going to help the cause of issues that are already lacking in peaceful and logical ideas and solutions.
posted to MetaFilter by junesix at 1:26 PM on July 8, 2008

There's no room for competition, innovation is stifled...
What competition do you speak of? Between hospitals? Between doctors? Between manufacturers? If you think manufacturers are spurred on to compete and innovate under the private healthcare system, you're wrong. HMOs are absolute shit to deal with and nearly impossible to navigate. My firm gets paid huge amounts of money by medical manufacturers and startups just to figure out where they can sell their... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by junesix at 5:01 PM on July 2, 2008

juffburdges: Not sure why that was directed at me. I'm all for a hybrid system (single payer without restrictions on additional private care). In fact, I think that's as close to ideal as well.

spicynuts: Fair enough. So here's my take on Massachusetts.

I applaud Massachusetts for experimenting with a new system and getting the state involved with offering affordable coverage. But I don't think what they've done is going to help one bit.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by junesix at 10:21 PM on July 2, 2008

...and Prince Charles for some reason

Article about it in the IHT.
---
So how did she line up Prince Charles?

He met the first criterion. "I'm fond of him, as far as I can be for someone I don't know well," she said. "I wouldn't have wanted a painting from someone I didn't like."

There was an encounter in 2004 during which she mentioned that if he were... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by junesix at 4:25 PM on June 27, 2008

"The problem is compounded by the quality of so called specialist games degree courses; 95% of video gaming degrees are simply not fit for purpose."

As usual, the way the article was written is inaccurate. The quote is that 95% of the specialist video game degrees are not fit for the industry, not 95% of courses. And that's nothing new - most multidisciplinary, specialist degrees at universities are not up to the same level as single-major... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by junesix at 11:00 AM on June 24, 2008

How does this correlate to amount of sexytime, please?
More sex, less sleep, longer life. Simple. Was this PI really that oblivious? From the study: "Reported sleep had to be less than 3.5 hours among women (as occurred among only 0.1%) or less than 4.5 hours among men (0.7% of men) for the added risk associated with short sleep to exceed 15%." Chart of the hazard ratios here. In other words, the individuals with the lowest hazard ratios had between 4-7... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by junesix at 6:21 PM on June 12, 2008

This photo of his supposed setup doesn't seem all that elaborate. Watch the 3-part documentary - I think it shows a lot of the scenes that result in the images.
posted to MetaFilter by junesix at 5:57 PM on June 12, 2008

At least it's another beer brewer that's making the offer. It could be worse - a brand conglomerate like Unilever, Proctor & Gamble, Nestle, or Kraft. That said - Bud sucks anyways.
posted to MetaFilter by junesix at 5:44 PM on June 12, 2008

3-D representation of the human body: Sounds sexy but absolutely useless. This makes as much sense as those startups who think that replacing a text-based search engine with a 3-D browser spinning cube of search listings would be an improvement. Last I checked the problem with the healthcare system wasn't that doctors couldn't visualize ailments in 3-D.
posted to MetaFilter by junesix at 5:40 PM on May 20, 2008

It makes Gmail look like a standard vBulletin or Invision forum theme.
posted to MetaFilter by junesix at 3:32 PM on May 7, 2008

moonmilk, that's in relation to acute coronary syndromes. The authors of that JAMA study were studying the impact and necessity of blood transfusions when given to stable patients during routine heart surgeries.

For critical care/ER, there is absolutely zero doubt that transfusions are necessary.
posted to MetaFilter by junesix at 4:12 PM on April 29, 2008

Insurer payout to Mazda for scrapped cars > (Income from selling cars and car parts - Costs of storing and selling, logistics, potential lawsuits)
posted to MetaFilter by junesix at 3:58 PM on April 29, 2008

And you can also use it to cut rails of blow
Ideally the center part would have a rectangular piece you could punch out and roll up to form a short straw.
posted to MetaFilter by junesix at 4:09 PM on April 24, 2008

It's one thing to forego actions that may save lives. It's something else to actively murder people.
posted to MetaFilter by junesix at 8:59 AM on April 24, 2008

WTF - this is a BS news headline.

At this point the research consists of a mathematical model into which the researchers inserted the known impact of various pollutants on the molecules carrying the scent.
So a few guys built a model that show pollutants could affect flower scents and the writer turned that into "Flowers Are Losing Their Smell." Then the rest of the article describes a completely unrelated study that concluded... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by junesix at 4:46 PM on April 18, 2008

And I'm curious who actually decides to use anything but Google for genuine research.
You assume everyone searches from the address bar or search toolbar which isn't the case. A large portion of Internet users set portals as their homepage. In terms of portals, Yahoo has everyone beat by a larger margin. So for all the "casual" users out there who don't discriminate on where their search results are coming from, they're going to default to the search... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by junesix at 4:26 PM on April 18, 2008

Using "8" for an American middle name is rather odd. The number itself isn't lucky, it's the fact that when pronounced in Mandarin/Cantonese, it sounds like the word for fortune/prosperity in Chinese (the fat in gung hay fat choy said during Chinese New Year). In English, the pronunciation of "8" is, of course, completely different. It makes sense as part of her Chinese name but inserted into "Jennifer Lee" it loses all... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by junesix at 4:14 PM on April 18, 2008

If you'd like to see what it's like to go on a multi-trillion dollar shopping spree, here's a little tool to let you have a taste of what's it like.
posted to MetaFilter by junesix at 3:37 PM on April 16, 2008

I've wanted this for a long time. There's been plenty of times I've wanted to upload short video clips from trips - friends soaring off ski jumps, neat cooking demos in foreign restaurants and street vendors, short screencasts - and wanted it inline with the photos in a Flickr photo set.
posted to MetaFilter by junesix at 10:24 PM on April 8, 2008

krautland: Don't be let down yet. I wouldn't be surprised if they expand video to everyone in a month or two. Storage is so dirt cheap it's not worth charging for anymore. But Yahoo has had hiccups the last few times they launched new products, namely the unanticipated surge of traffic brought down whole sites. So I bet they're just starting out with the pro users to gauge usage of the video feature. Could you imagine if Yahoo had flipped the switch for everyone on the same day and half of their... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by junesix at 8:35 AM on April 9, 2008

Afroblanco: You can't just lop zeros off currency - all the zeros are still there on the paper. Now you could print new currency but unless there's faith/confidence in the value of the new currency, it would be just as worthless.

Now one way to give a currency value is for the government to peg it against something that has tangible worth, like say a loaf of bread or an ear of corn. That's what above commenters were referring to by... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by junesix at 4:17 PM on April 7, 2008

It's going to be a lot of fun watching how these former celebrities view their newfound Internet fame. Chuck Norris seemed to find a lot of humor in the Chuck Norris Facts. The original YTMND concept never took off enough to rope in Sean Connery but I don't think he'd be the type to respond to an Internet meme anyways.

I also have to admit, I quite enjoy the song and also let it play on the background plus a few repeats. Am I banned from all future meetups?... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by junesix at 8:30 PM on March 25, 2008

...on [whispers] The Daily Show
Isn't that enough to show that she's being sarcastic? She's obviously doing that shtick where you make sarcastic remarks about Friend B to Friend A but in a feigned whisper loud enough so that Friend B can hear you. C'mon, hello! She's a comedian whose trademark is biting sarcasm. In that interview, she's tossing some humor into almost every answer. What's different about this one?
posted to MetaFilter by junesix at 10:01 AM on March 25, 2008

Some nice typefaces but I can't see a professional corporation using many of them, especially the hardwritten script typefaces.

Presidencia is quite lovely and of course, everything by H&FJ is best-in-class.

shmegegge: I think this topic came up in another thread. I think typography/typesetting is one of those things that people appreciate when it's done well but most people can't say why. It's a nuanced feeling that's hard to describe unless... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by junesix at 5:02 PM on March 20, 2008

Oh, and I agree that at some level, the devotion to picking the right typeface for a project is masturbatory. It's rare to come across a client that cares even 5% of what the graphic designer cares in selecting type. But I think that's a general rule for every aspect of any professional services business. It's our job to internally make a fuss about it because that's what we're being paid to do - clients just want the best end product. Sausage factory - ya know?
posted to MetaFilter by junesix at 5:12 PM on March 20, 2008

Oh my; that HTFC website is certainly hard on the eyes...
Quick! Name as many relics of 90's web design as you can in 60 seconds from that page.

I'll start. #1 animated globe GIF...
posted to MetaFilter by junesix at 4:29 PM on March 20, 2008

I used to get my Chinese BBQ pork (cha xiu) from a butcher in Oakland. On the board the butcher wrote the prices per pound in Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, ...) and Chinese numerals. The price written in Chinese numerals was $1 cheaper per pound. Horribly un-PC but I thought it was hilarious for how ridiculous it was.

restaurants that have a separate Chinese-only menu apart from the regular menu
I'm Chinese and I like... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by junesix at 1:28 PM on March 20, 2008

I assume that along with this manufacturer, there's a whole section of the defense industry that deals solely with the "it doesn't shoot fast enough" problem that doesn't actually exist except to give certain Rambo-types massive hard-ons.
posted to MetaFilter by junesix at 11:12 AM on March 10, 2008

Symbian market share in Japan - 61+%
Symbian market share China - 68+%

Wow, this is a pointless figure because the iPhone isn't for sale in Japan or China yet. In Europe, it's only sold in 3 markets. Geez, it's like you're comparing sales of In-n-Out hamburgers to McDonald's worldwide gross.

You're sorely mistaken about its popularity in China because people often ask friends to buy iPhones for them when visiting... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by junesix at 10:57 AM on March 7, 2008

Green Eyed Monster: From a clothing style perspective, it looks like a way to add a layer of color or pattern that comes out from underneath the primary layer without adding bulk or a full layer of clothing. For women who like wearing short shirts or jackets, it covers the area that would normally be exposed below the shirt and above the skirt/dress/pants.

In the West, most people, especially men, don't heavily mix and match colors, patterns, and textures. That's... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by junesix at 7:45 AM on February 28, 2008

I'm a big fan of babies tasting lemons for the first time.
posted to MetaFilter by junesix at 3:08 PM on February 20, 2008

There isn't a salt course but rather for foie gras courses, a trio of salts is presented alongside. Depending on what they have, it can be French sea salt, Japanese seaweed-flavored sea salt, Hawaiian volcanic soil salt, or 40 million year old Jurassic salt mined from Montana. Yes, it's all rather ridiculous.

And looking at the 14 courses, I'd still have to say French Laundry's courses are much less "out there." Most are still very grounded in traditional... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by junesix at 9:35 PM on February 13, 2008

From the Schwa 14-course menu:
9. Braised beef tripe mixed with a brioche puree to create a panzanella (bread salad)

See I have issues with courses like this. It's stomach mixed with a puree of bread to create a "bread salad." Interesting and entertaining but after you've got the joke, what's there the second time around if it doesn't taste all that great? Panzanella is good because there's actual bread texture. Puree it and... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by junesix at 9:43 PM on February 13, 2008

Well sea salt does have larger crystals like kosher salt. But I haven't been able to taste much of a difference between kosher salt and the exotic sea salts, at least not enough to warrant the tremendous premium.

I have a rich friend who never cooked and ate out every meal with his girlfriend. To keep up appearances, he still managed to stock his pantry like a professional kitchen. One time I went to visit and he decided to make some pasta out of the blue. I watched... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by junesix at 3:29 AM on February 14, 2008

No question Wrap Delight is better than Saigon Sandwich.

I'm having trouble digesting this assertion so tomorrow morning, I'm waking up early to get a banh mi from Wrap Delight before heading to work. Actually I'll pick up sandwiches from both places and do a taste test with my colleagues in the office.
posted to MetaFilter by junesix at 10:48 PM on February 12, 2008

My Canon 5200mm f/14 lens beats your Canon 1200mm f/5.6 lens.

"For focusing this mounted or fixed lens on an extremely distant object, two aiming telescopes are set on the side of the lens barrel, and the entire lens is placed on a rigid stand which rotates smoothly."

I was all ready to custom order it from Canon but then noticed it wasn't L glass so I decided to pass and wait until Canon releases the 5200mm f/14L... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by junesix at 7:54 PM on February 7, 2008

doh!
posted to MetaFilter by junesix at 7:55 PM on February 7, 2008

Of course, the real question on everyone's mind is if it produces a pleasing bokeh.
posted to MetaFilter by junesix at 8:06 PM on February 7, 2008

I wonder how annoyed other nationalities/ethnic groups who celebrate the lunar new year get pissed off seeing it only called Chinese New Year.

The trick is to "brand" your nationality's Lunar New Year like the Vietnamese have done with Tết. So here in San Francisco we have New Year, Chinese New Year, and Tết.
posted to MetaFilter by junesix at 8:03 PM on February 7, 2008

I can only imagine there's a defense budget calculator like this one except the Bush Administration's version only has 1 slider with no labels and Bush drags it back and forth until there's a graph that looks pretty enough for him.
posted to MetaFilter by junesix at 3:19 PM on February 5, 2008

kids treat them like rock stars when they they find out they work at Pixar...
When I heard from an ex-coworker that he had started working at Pixar, I couldn't contain myself and started gushing about how much I love Pixar's films, asking him about the work environment, asking about his coworkers, if he had met Brad Bird and/or John Lasseter, how he was going to decorate his work space, etc. etc.

I'm hoping to find some time this year... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by junesix at 9:18 AM on January 26, 2008

Tom Perkin's Maltese Falcon is the one to top. Simply beautiful.
posted to MetaFilter by junesix at 4:24 PM on January 23, 2008

cecilkorik: That's exactly what was designed into the Maltese Falcon. A 289-ft sailing yacht with fully adjustable masts and retractable sails controlled from this gamer's wet dream command center.

The genius — and risk — of the DynaRig is its use of freestanding masts that rotate to adjust sail trim and tack the boat. There are practically no external ropes or wires, no traditional rigging of any sort to brace the spars or control the nearly 26,000 square feet... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by junesix at 12:11 AM on January 24, 2008

Clicking on that Galactic Girl image sends you to the huge 7016x4961 wallpaper image. Thanks jjwiseman!
posted to MetaFilter by junesix at 4:33 PM on January 23, 2008

This looks great.

As pointed out above, it looks like the RSS feeds for the neighborhoods, districts, and zip codes are still missing. Odd that Adrian decided on RSS feeds at the individual block level before providing RSS feeds for neighborhoods. Until geocoding becomes more widespread, there just isn't enough block-level info available yet to make a RSS feed worthwhile.

I'd also love to see some type of hierarchical dashboard in the future so... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by junesix at 4:15 PM on January 23, 2008

clevershark: Yep, there's a lot of money in textbooks. But I think you overestimate how much professors get as a % of the textbook's price. With the few exceptions of authors of "The Standard Textbook" in a subject, publishers have the upper hand when setting author royalties. It's typically around 10-12%. So for a $150 printed textbook, that's $15-$18 to the professor. I have a hard time imagining an e-book publisher couldn't get it done for $80, pay out higher per-unit royalties to... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by junesix at 11:26 AM on January 9, 2008