They've been showing commercials for this on HBO or Showtime (can't remember which), neither of whom advertise anything other than their own programming. I assumed it was a promo for an upcoming movie or series.
posted to MetaFilter by mudpuppie at 5:22 PM on July 24, 2008

Fools, money, easily parted.
posted to MetaFilter by mudpuppie at 1:47 PM on July 21, 2008

That's not Kenny Loggins, that's Katrina and the Waves, and it hurts.

Still, I'm happy that we live in an age where the computer literate five-year-olds of the world have easy access to LSD. It makes me feel better about our future.
posted to MetaFilter by mudpuppie at 3:44 PM on July 18, 2008

Crap, now I'll have to go across the street.
posted to MetaFilter by mudpuppie at 2:50 PM on July 18, 2008

I get one of these kids on my doorstep every couple of months. (They come to my town so often that the city government regularly runs a warning on the city access channel.)

Same here, although I get them at least once a month. (Keep meaning to post a No Solicitors sign....)

They're getting more aggressive. Of the last three who came to my door: The first two argued with me when I said I wasn't interested. Actually, what I... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by mudpuppie at 1:34 PM on July 18, 2008

Echoing yath and Big_B.

It's been three weeks since the smoke descended here; we've had one or two clear days since then. I, too, looked directly at the sun yesterday evening, mostly because I could. The light on the ground has been orange. Shadows are otherworldly. The moon last night was burnt orange. (Which almost made me want to say "Hook 'em," but not quite.)

I've stayed inside for the past couple days, but... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by mudpuppie at 12:50 PM on July 11, 2008

Wow.

I love Tom and Ray. Tom had an office next to mine when I worked for a Boston nonprofit. I recognized his presence mostly through the inevitable cloud of cigar smoke, as well as the laugh -- which permeated the walls as well as the smoke did.

That show, though, was truly awful.

Tom and Ray could do an awesome show. They don't need to be reduced to animated schtick. They're entertaining enough on their own.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by mudpuppie at 8:59 PM on July 9, 2008

I was really hopeful about this, but the first recipe I looked up (for injera) calls for buckwheat pancake mix, at which point I went from hopeful to skeptical and snobby and slightly off-put.

Still worth a wary browse, though.
posted to MetaFilter by mudpuppie at 12:26 PM on July 9, 2008

I should clarify. The background/cultural info is really fascinating. And the recipes are probably great for approximating general flavors in a particular culture's dish. But it's really hard to find good, authentic recipes for African dishes, and these doen't seem to be all that authentic, judging from the pancake mix metric. But it's still a really neat site!
posted to MetaFilter by mudpuppie at 12:29 PM on July 9, 2008

After reading some more, my favorite is the second Kenyan recipe, Steak and Irio. It calls for canned peas, canned corn, instant mashed potatoes, and onion soup mix.

Turns out my mom was cooking Kenyan for my entire childhood, and I never knew it.
posted to MetaFilter by mudpuppie at 12:41 PM on July 9, 2008

Bob to the rescue! Teff.
posted to MetaFilter by mudpuppie at 12:45 PM on July 9, 2008

Injera

In a glass bowl, mix teff flour with water until it's the consistency of a thin pancake batter. Add about a half teaspoon of salt. Cover with a towel and let sit overnight, unrefrigerated. Bubbles should form, indicating that it's fermenting. It should smell slightly sour, like sourdough starter, but should not smell bad or 'off'.

Heat a large nonstick pan or nonstick electric skillet. Ladle in batter and cook until the top is... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by mudpuppie at 12:55 PM on July 9, 2008

No need to go to San Jose. Rainbow Grocery has teff in their bulk section.
posted to MetaFilter by mudpuppie at 3:48 PM on July 9, 2008

My folks live on a hill overlooking the flatlands outside of Ft. Worth. When I was home two years ago -- nothing. When I went back last December, the number of rigs going up was incredible. They're everywhere.

It's not really a boon for the average suburbanite, like your FW Weekly link says. Most folks around there don't have mineral rights. My parents don't. My dad is pissed that he can't cash in.
posted to MetaFilter by mudpuppie at 1:42 PM on June 18, 2008

Interesting. My parents bought their lot 35 years ago. I wonder if people in newer developments have mineral rights more often than the older folks.
posted to MetaFilter by mudpuppie at 1:54 PM on June 18, 2008

Huh. I've been following their story.

We studied the DoB in my very first women's studies class in college. Learning about them sent me scurrying to the university library to surreptitiously read all of the books in THAT section of the 5th floor stacks. I'd sneak them off the shelf and into a carrel. When I was done for the day, I'd make sure no one was around when I abandoned the gay books, lest any (strangers) ever see that it was me (small town closet case!) who was... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by mudpuppie at 7:05 PM on June 16, 2008

A better slavery lesson than one I got in 8th grade.

Hell, *my* 8th grade teacher actually told us that black people really were better suited to working in hot conditions, with little food or water, all day long -- since that's how they do it in Africa anyway.

Goooooooo Texas!
posted to MetaFilter by mudpuppie at 11:25 AM on June 16, 2008

Ah, I recognize the name of one of the women. Strott made news in Boston a few years back for breaking the prom ceiling, too ... boys had no idea they were dealing with a professional ball buster.

Ball busting? She fought for her right to take a female date to her prom. Then she complained when a group of guys posted an explicit video of her to a university Intranet, which was accessible by almost 4,000 students and faculty. And she's a ball-buster??... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by mudpuppie at 12:27 PM on June 12, 2008

Peter H:

Calling her a ball-buster was a compliment.

Your complimentary definition of ball-buster, then, is apparently different from the commonly assumed definition, as in "A dominating woman, one who destroys the self-confidence of a man." There were better words for what you meant. This one plays in to the whole he-said-she-said undercurrent inherent in any story like this. You say you were trying to be... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by mudpuppie at 1:42 PM on June 12, 2008

That comment positively oozes respect.

aw quit with the euphemisms.

(And you should also check the definition of 'euphemism.')
posted to MetaFilter by mudpuppie at 1:44 PM on June 12, 2008

There's creepiness but no actual evil here.

I think you're basically right.

But.

Intent and effect are totally different things. While the dumbass boys may have had no ill intent, the possible effect that the distribution could have on the girls' future can't be ignored. Batmonkey said it best half a page up:

While this would have been wrong *before* YouTube, etc.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by mudpuppie at 3:13 PM on June 12, 2008

IANAL either. However, from working as a reporter, I know that in order to record a telephone conversation in Mass, you must have the consent of all parties involved in the conversation.

Isn't it reasonable to assume that the same would be true for recording a sex act?

(If it's not, it should be.)
posted to MetaFilter by mudpuppie at 3:48 PM on June 12, 2008

Mudpuppie—That's a state law...

Exactly, KlangKlangston! It's the law in the state where this went down. It seems to me that if you have to have 100% consent to record a phone conversation, the same rule should be applicable (and more so!) for the recording of people getting it on.

[I was responding to the comment preceding mine, by the way, but forgot to quote the relevant bit of it: IANAL but I don't believe... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by mudpuppie at 4:40 PM on June 12, 2008

Is Guest B right to expect privacy?

After you walk in through a closed bathroom door? Absofuckinglutely.
posted to MetaFilter by mudpuppie at 5:04 PM on June 12, 2008

What I am arguing is that it is illegal if there is not consent.

I guess we're in agreement then, JakeEXTREME, because what I'm arguing is that distribution *should* be illegal if there's not consent, but I have no clue about whether it is.

I was trying to suggest that "I" saw the door closed, but heard no noise/saw no light inside, and the door was unlocked.

I think... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by mudpuppie at 5:45 PM on June 12, 2008

Totally. That "guidance" "counselor" needs to review her job description.
posted to MetaFilter by mudpuppie at 5:35 PM on June 12, 2008

Should have closed the OH DAMN.
posted to MetaFilter by mudpuppie at 1:56 PM on June 12, 2008

In Austin, late 1860s, before Congress Avenue was paved, there were deep gullies on either side of the street from where rainwater ran down to the river. They were so deep that there were footbridges from the street to the wooden sidewalks.

This began to be a problem when horses and wagons started falling into the gullies, sometimes injuring or killing the horses. It was also a convenient place for merchants to sweep their trash (there was no municipal trash pickup in... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by mudpuppie at 2:59 PM on June 7, 2008

Also, again, it seems clear from the excerpt that he realized the error of his ways *after* he left the position. It seems to me that the book is an extended apology (at least that's the tone of the NBC excerpt)

That's my perception as well, although a lot of that might be how all of the articles about the book are coming across. Haven't read it, myself. Probably won't.

Here's what's interesting to me, though. The book will... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by mudpuppie at 2:04 PM on May 28, 2008

It's a streetlight.
posted to MetaFilter by mudpuppie at 12:20 PM on May 22, 2008

I actually used to live in a co-op with this guy, eight or nine years ago. Definitely a unique character. Funny to see his site linked here.

I didn't live with him, thankfully. But I know someone who worked with him in Austin, and I know the editor of a certain alt-weekly with which he corresponds regularly. They both contend that he's a PITA.

It's really interesting, actually, how activists with good (or bad) causes are... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by mudpuppie at 9:02 PM on May 20, 2008

Yeah. Uh, I was trying to disregard the second-hand info I have on him, and was trying to give him some props. I'm totally okay if those props get busted or debunked or whatever. Won't bother me a bit. 'Cause what I really wanted to say was "OMG, THAT NUTJOB??"

But I don't really have empirical evidence. I only have some really wacked out stories from people who know him. And really, I'm comfortable with that.
posted to MetaFilter by mudpuppie at 10:32 PM on May 20, 2008

Tags: Sexy Whore Prostitute Boobs Culo 08 Barack Clinton Election Hillary News Obama Real Realnews Virginia West

???
posted to MetaFilter by mudpuppie at 1:49 PM on May 16, 2008

This is awful. Being prohibited from marrying the person I love has always protected me from the harping "When are you going to get married? When are you going to get married?" of my mother.

Thanks a LOT, justices.
posted to MetaFilter by mudpuppie at 1:03 PM on May 15, 2008

It's possible that my enjoyment of that was hampered by the fact that a) I'm not 13 and b) not a 13-year-old boy.

But mostly, I think it was just really, really, objectively lame.
posted to MetaFilter by mudpuppie at 3:35 PM on May 13, 2008

That was a phenomenal read. Thanks very much. Took me an hour from start to finish, but it was well worth it.

The navigation was annoying, yes, but fuck it. It was worth *that* too.
posted to MetaFilter by mudpuppie at 3:29 PM on May 6, 2008

It isn't something anyone likes to talk about at parties, but black men do commit a disproportionate amount of violent crimes, including rape. The author does an admirable job of dealing with that sensibly without giving in to racism.

Wow, I didn't get that from the article at ALL.

When I first started reading, I was really curious about how she was going to work the race thing in. (She mentioned an afro and Kool cigarettes... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by mudpuppie at 6:34 PM on May 6, 2008

The difference between consensual sex and sexual assault is blurry...

No. It's not.
posted to MetaFilter by mudpuppie at 11:54 AM on May 7, 2008

That was a great read. Thanks.

A couple points I really identified with:

I notice who is around, and where I am, and what the energy feels like -- before I touch her in public. It's a tiny amount of attention, most often, but it's there....

I am still alert in public settings and default-cautious with strangers around revelation of my sexual orientation, no matter how much self-esteem I possess. Every time I... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by mudpuppie at 11:33 AM on May 6, 2008

So is self-editing more important than being an effective teacher?

Sounds like yours is one of the unfortunate cases where being an effective teacher requires self-editing. Not a good teacher -- an effective one. I.e., one who can effectively communicate the required message to the specific group of kids in front of you.
posted to MetaFilter by mudpuppie at 1:07 PM on May 6, 2008

Does the swirly shiny thing, in the room beyond the cannon, ever do anything other than take you back to the magic book?
posted to MetaFilter by mudpuppie at 3:02 PM on May 2, 2008

Damn swirly shiny thing.
posted to MetaFilter by mudpuppie at 3:08 PM on May 2, 2008

HAHAHA I'M CHEATING!!

How are you even supposed to figure this stuff OUT?
posted to MetaFilter by mudpuppie at 3:50 PM on May 2, 2008

I've decided that getting through the timed maze is simply not possible. I can get pink and purple, or blue and almost pink, but that's about it.
posted to MetaFilter by mudpuppie at 6:38 PM on May 2, 2008

I got through the fuse maze, finally. But there is apparently some stairway maze now? I found the correct vortex and everything. All the cheats say i should look for room 7 and complete the stairway maze. But it is missing. I think my computer is broken.
posted to MetaFilter by mudpuppie at 10:33 PM on May 2, 2008

Hold on a minute ... I live in Vancouver -> where the hell is Bryant Park?

It's on the low end of your radio dial.
posted to MetaFilter by mudpuppie at 4:25 PM on April 16, 2008

Do other countries have pledges of allegiance?

Texas does.
posted to MetaFilter by mudpuppie at 2:09 PM on April 15, 2008

I just can't believe that the scandal scoopers referred to them as "musically inclined." That right there blows their credibility, in my mind.
posted to MetaFilter by mudpuppie at 4:00 PM on April 14, 2008

I'm as opposed to hate-mongering as the next person. And I believe that the primary purpose of (or at least the primary effect of) the Klan -- despite their tortured claims to the contrary -- is hate-mongering.

That said, my opinion of them was been slightly skewed for the past 15 years or so ago.

Back in the '90s, my boss, editor of a liberal political magazine in Austin (which is probably enough info to figure out the name of the mag), went to... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by mudpuppie at 3:55 PM on April 13, 2008

That said, my opinion of them was has been slightly skewed for the past 15 years or so ago.

I is gud editor.


posted to MetaFilter by mudpuppie at 3:56 PM on April 13, 2008