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Makeup and mutinies

The Mineral Makeup Mutiny was founded to encourage consumers to buy indie self-made mineral cosmetics, instead of overpriced makeup that were repackaging wholesale micas from companies such as TKB Trading, or publishing contradicting ingredients lists and sending Cease-and-Desist Letters to unfavourable reviews. Miss K of Aromaleigh, founder of the Mutiny (and former seller of repackaged wholesale hues, which she's discontinuing in favour of original colours), demonstrates how mineral eyeshadows are made.
posted to MetaFilter by divabat at 2:55 PM on November 7, 2009 (33 comments)

Putting a 14-year-old in a "lie detector" - what did you expect would happen?

Sydney radio station 2dayFM earned the ire and backlash of the Australian public - rape counsellors, Australian media, and Community Services ministers - after an on-air stunt by morning crew Kyle and Jackie O went horribly wrong. During their regular "lie detector" segment, a 14-year-old girl was interrogated by the hosts and her mother over her sexual history, against her will, and revealed that she had been raped at 12 on air (warning: possibly triggering audio clip embedded in news article).
posted to MetaFilter by divabat at 2:54 AM on July 29, 2009 (131 comments)

Yasmin Ahmad (1958 - 2009)

Acclaimed Malaysian film and advertising director Yasmin Ahmad has passed away at 11:52pm Saturday night at the age of 51, after collapsing from a stroke at a media presentation the day before. She leaves behind a legacy of film that captures the modern multicultural spirit of Malaysia, winning international festival awards and local hearts while at the mercy of conservative censors.
posted to MetaFilter by divabat at 11:22 AM on July 25, 2009 (9 comments)

wetness ... pours onto my paper out of my pen

Suheir Hammad, a Palestinian-American poet and activist now based in New York, writes about being a Muslim immigrant and also a woman challenging conventions. Spotted by Russell Simmons for Def Poetry Jam, she has performed pieces about love in the time of war, exoticising beauty, and a touching ode to her father, among many others. Suheir has just produced and released her first feature film Salt of This Sea, up for the Cannes Films Festival and possibly an Oscar, and recently performed in Ramallah for the 2009 Palestinian Festival of Literature.
posted to MetaFilter by divabat at 9:32 AM on July 7, 2009 (5 comments)

Operation Pancake

An expose of non-vegan ingredients in pancakes at LA Vegan Thai inspired the QuarryGirl.Com writers to conduct their own extremely thorough investigation of LA vegan restaurants, testing their meals for traces of casein, egg, and shellfish. Over $1000 and a chain of interviews up to Taiwan later, they find that half the restaurants aren't as vegan as they claim, with half registering Positive or High and one registering Overload. Some restaurants vowed to conduct their own tests or requested further assistance; one banned them from the establishment.
posted to MetaFilter by divabat at 1:03 AM on July 5, 2009 (260 comments)

Awards can't save forests.

Awards can't feed the hungry. (via, with supporting links)
posted to MetaFilter by divabat at 7:25 PM on June 21, 2009 (17 comments)

My prince has come - and gone

Fallen Princesses : Dina Goldstein explores what life might have been like for Rapunzel, Snow White, and others after happily-ever-after. (via)
posted to MetaFilter by divabat at 4:18 AM on June 14, 2009 (24 comments)

U know me, and I know u, OMFGWTFBBQ

LOL together, right now, OMG.
posted to MetaFilter by divabat at 4:16 PM on June 10, 2009 (53 comments)

So put your good dress on

We Are Smug is the side project of former Savage Garden frontman turned electropop showman Darren Hayes and collaborator and fellow electronic musician Robert Conley. Hayes and Conley had been working on this project secretly for about two years before releasing it online for free on Hayes's birthday. There are no current plans to tour or sell this album, aside from the free download, but there are already official music videos. (Warning: last link potentially triggering.)
posted to MetaFilter by divabat at 11:31 PM on May 17, 2009 (14 comments)

Renewing the economics of theatre

The recession has hit the theatre world (and the arts scene in general) very hard - but some argue that theatre practitioners aren't doing themselves any favours when seeking funding. The main question insufficiently addressed is "who is the funding for?" - hint: it's not about you. Approaching theatre as a product isn't working, not when MFA acting programs don't often allow its graduates to earn enough to earn back their debt. So now the question is: how can the economics of theatre be changed?
posted to MetaFilter by divabat at 5:11 PM on March 29, 2009 (60 comments)

What if...

The Signtific Lab invites people to develop cutting-edge ideas through experiments of imagination and discussion. Experiment One: what would happen if outer space becomes as accessible as the Web today?
posted to MetaFilter by divabat at 9:03 PM on February 18, 2009 (12 comments)

Liberal Arts 2.0

"What are the new liberal arts?", asks SnarkMarket, inspired by Jason Kottke's tagline and Edge. The blog post has turned into a pitch for a new collaborative book, with spirited discussions and over 100 suggestions including photography, design, relationships, mythology, intuitive thinking, synthesis, knowledge mastery, search, archiving, play, and home economics.
posted to MetaFilter by divabat at 3:44 PM on February 4, 2009 (44 comments)

Polyvorous

Polyvore is a website that lets you mix and match online images to make fashion sets and collages. While it has received favour from Web 2.0 pundits, fashion bloggers, and major craft blogs, it has also drawn massive ire from artists that claim copyright infringement and use of personal photos. The anti-Polyvore pressure mainly comes from Etsy sellers, with some support from artists on DeviantArt, Red Buddle, and independent artists - all coming together on Flickr. We Heart It and Ffffound! are also seen as suspect. While Polyvore tries to assuage copyright fears, amidst growing pressure to shut down, many of Polyvore's current users are counter-petitioning for the site to stay.
posted to MetaFilter by divabat at 1:42 AM on January 10, 2009 (16 comments)

"Let's go to Africa and elope!" "Okay!"

Two German kids attempt to head to Africa and elope, bringing one's sister with them. They're five and six.
posted to MetaFilter by divabat at 11:43 PM on January 6, 2009 (58 comments)

Spontaneous rebellion alone is not sufficient.

The Revolutionary Pleasure of Thinking for Yourself
posted to MetaFilter by divabat at 12:52 PM on January 3, 2009 (30 comments)

English as a Shouted Language

"Conquer English to Make China Stronger!" is the philosophy of Li Yang, founder of the Crazy English school (and style) of language, described by some as "English as a Shouted Language" for its main method of shouting English words in public to overcome shyness. Li Yang has achieved Elvis-like popularity in China, not just through his public lectures but also through the sales of books, media, teaching materials, and a memoir titled "I am Crazy, I Succeed". Li Yang's unorthodox methods - which include encouraging students to "lose face" and cope with embarrassment on the way to success - have earned him fame and fortune, including headlining the 5th Beijing Foreign Language Festival and being the main English teacher for China's Olympic volunteers. Li Yang's secret to success: "... to have them continuously paying—that’s the conclusion I’ve reached."
posted to MetaFilter by divabat at 10:10 PM on December 31, 2008 (10 comments)

Don't be micro-bored

Ever spend a few moments during the day idly mucking about with your cellphone? You're part of a new trend known as micro-boredom - which now presents "a significant opportunity for a publisher to exploit readership and advertising consumption". Get away from the bombardment of advertising and find some sacred space, or just turn off the phone.
posted to MetaFilter by divabat at 6:13 PM on December 30, 2008 (30 comments)

Almost Homeless

Ex-Director of Operations of Sababa Toys Paul Nawrocki lost his job after the parent company filed for bankruptcy. Posting, faxing, and emailing thousand of copies of his resumes (including through LinkedIn) did not get him anywhere, so he's resorted to standing at a Manhattan street corner wearing a sandwich board saying "Almost Homeless". Business blogger Barry Ritholtz blogged about Nawrocki, which led to a Businessweek interview describing his difficulty affording his wife's medical needs or even the cost of relocation. He's been noticed by an executive recruiting firm, and a job-hunting website was made in his honour. Will his Depression-era tactic bring him luck in this recession? (Via MetaChat)
posted to MetaFilter by divabat at 11:57 PM on December 7, 2008 (59 comments)

Don't go to business school(?)

Business writer Seth Godin tell readers to forgo the MBA and spend six months in his company. While potential applicants have made use of social networking to show their enthusiasm, others think it's a bad idea. Great opportunity or massive scam?
posted to MetaFilter by divabat at 8:39 PM on December 4, 2008 (42 comments)

Social Networking, Mobile Phones, and Crisis Communication

Can social networking be used to effect positive social change? Ushahidi (meaning "testimony" in Swahili) is one such project that harnesses mobile technology to empower local citizens to report on crucial and crisis situations in their area.
posted to MetaFilter by divabat at 11:12 PM on November 28, 2008 (19 comments)

Direct Postage

What happens if you post a letter using coins instead of stamps?
posted to MetaFilter by divabat at 2:29 AM on November 12, 2008 (49 comments)

Flying the flag upside down - evil!

Frustrated with recent political developments, Malaysian blogger Kickdefella started an online protest of posting the Malaysian flag upside down on his blog, reflecting the use of an upside down flag as a sign of distress. Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi decries the move as 'evil'. More information at Global Voices Advocacy.
posted to MetaFilter by divabat at 2:17 PM on August 20, 2008 (22 comments)

This is an intense love story.

How have you been burned by love?
posted to MetaFilter by divabat at 3:25 PM on July 28, 2008 (41 comments)

15 Mistakes Designers Make

15 awful mistakes made by designers in the music and apparel industries - such as not charging enough, ignoring typography, and unprofessional behaviour.
posted to MetaFilter by divabat at 4:23 AM on July 25, 2008 (24 comments)

Anything you want, for $2

Webcomic artist D.J. Coffman offers to draw anything you want for $2 apiece.
posted to MetaFilter by divabat at 5:45 PM on July 23, 2008 (42 comments)

Embroidered household goods

Framce Trombly creates household goods such as garden hoses, extension cords, and receipts out of cloth and thread.
posted to MetaFilter by divabat at 10:07 PM on July 14, 2008 (7 comments)

Floating university moored

The Scholar Ship , an international floating university stewarded by top universities in Morocco, the United Kingdom, China, Australia, Mexico, USA, and Ghana, have temporarily suspended all voyages due to lack of funds - mainly caused by the withdrawal of main sponsor and initiator Royal Caribbean International. The program ran two voyages in 2007 and 2008 before shutdown. Alumni and prospective students on Facebook and Ning are busily sourcing options to revive the organization, while Semester at Sea is offering spaces to students who were accepted for the now-cancelled voyages.
posted to MetaFilter by divabat at 9:07 PM on June 14, 2008 (9 comments)

Rethinking Literacy

The Dark Side of Literacy - Indian education reform organization Shikshantar, who aims to encourage concepts of "Swaraj", or self-rule in local education, argues that current education and literacy models do not take into account local cultures and languages and gives too much credit to the Western alphabet. They also argue that there are many serious flaws in what they describe as UNESCO's campaign of "McEducation For All".
posted to MetaFilter by divabat at 4:49 PM on June 13, 2008 (46 comments)

Sparkle sparkle

Starshine - catch the stars with your comet by clicking on the centres of gravity at the right times. Short, relaxing, charming Flash game.
posted to MetaFilter by divabat at 6:33 PM on June 11, 2008 (17 comments)

No glove boning for me.

NYT asks: What's your recipe deal breaker? Deep frying? Requiring a helper? Standing overnight? Lifehacker readers chime in with the recipes that stop them cold.
posted to MetaFilter by divabat at 5:30 AM on June 10, 2008 (139 comments)

share your neuroses.

Are you neurotic?
posted to MetaFilter by divabat at 3:29 AM on June 6, 2008 (74 comments)

We are weird. And somewhat echoey.

KnowHow2Go wants you to take on the tough classes - such as Biology, Foreign Languages, and Algebra II - to prepare yourself for college.
posted to MetaFilter by divabat at 3:01 PM on May 26, 2008 (31 comments)

Imagine It!

Teams of student entrepreneurs around the world had six days to add value to a stack of Post-It notes as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week. The results are documented in Imagine It!, which aims to promote creative thinking.
posted to MetaFilter by divabat at 3:00 PM on May 7, 2008 (20 comments)

Oxford Muse

Oxford Muse - "a foundation to stimulate courage and invention in personal, professional and cultural life". Browse the self-potraits (autobiographies), participate in projects, go universal, or just learn what the Muse is.
posted to MetaFilter by divabat at 2:07 AM on May 6, 2008 (5 comments)

Overblown, conceptually thin, with nothing to say

Rick Poynor asks - isn't it time we demanded more from design conferences?
posted to MetaFilter by divabat at 4:38 PM on April 18, 2008 (6 comments)

Bloggers in Parliament

This year's elections in Malaysia are historic due to the major wins by the Opposition/People's Front and the National Front's loss of 5 states and the 2/3 majority in parliament (one they've held since 1969) (comparisons). Two of the newly elected Members of Parliament are bloggers Tony Pua and Jeff Ooi; another blogger, Elizabeth Wong, has won a seat in the state assembly of the now-Opposition-run Selangor. This is significant, as Malaysian bloggers had been under attack by the government. (last link YouTube video in Malay with subtitles).
posted to MetaFilter by divabat at 8:50 PM on March 9, 2008 (16 comments)

Room in a Box

Moving houses but don't want to buy bulky furniture? Get a Casulo.
posted to MetaFilter by divabat at 3:10 PM on February 13, 2008 (13 comments)

Advice To Sink In Slowly

Use your library. Make more GIF files. Trust the process. Make art - it's good for your heart. from advice to sink in slowly.
posted to MetaFilter by divabat at 12:03 AM on January 24, 2008 (8 comments)

Better World Books

Better World Books - Recently recognized by Fast Company as one of the best for-profit social enterprises of 2008, they offer a wide selection of new and used books with free shipping in the US and less than $3 shipping elsewhere. A portion of the profits go to fund literacy organizations such as Room to Read and WorldFund, and their shipping is carbon-neutral. The only thing missing is the ability to import Amazon wishlists.
posted to MetaFilter by divabat at 2:50 AM on January 16, 2008 (18 comments)

“I’ve been told the oil companies might try to assassinate me.”

64-year-old Frank Pringle has figured out a way to extract oil and natural gas out of nearly anything.
posted to MetaFilter by divabat at 3:06 AM on January 11, 2008 (66 comments)

Osocio

Osocio is a blog that covers some of the best social marketing and non-profit advertising worldwide - whether it be through a careers fair, a "beauty" ad, or even through sex education.
posted to MetaFilter by divabat at 1:57 AM on December 4, 2007 (9 comments)

60 elements remain.

How many HTML elements can you name in five minutes?
posted to MetaFilter by divabat at 5:06 PM on November 28, 2007 (68 comments)

U.S. Public Service Academy

U.S. Public Service Academy : A proposal by two Teach for America alum to provide fully-funded top-notch undergraduate education in public service in the style of military academies, but with a mandatory 5-year local/state/federal service work requirement. A bill for this school was put into Congress by Senators Hillary Clinton and Arlen Specter.
posted to MetaFilter by divabat at 10:38 PM on November 24, 2007 (54 comments)

Buy Handmade

I pledge to buy handmade this holiday season, and request that others do the same for me. Why? Better gifting experience, better ethics, better for the environment.
posted to MetaFilter by divabat at 3:53 PM on November 23, 2007 (95 comments)

Learn New Words, Give Free Rice

Give ten grains of rice for each word you get right. It builds up very quickly.
posted to MetaFilter by divabat at 4:55 PM on October 17, 2007 (131 comments)

KaosPilots

The KaosPilots, deemed "the world's most adventurous alternative business school", teaches social entrepreneurship and leadership through real-life situations.
posted to MetaFilter by divabat at 12:20 AM on October 7, 2007 (4 comments)

What year is this?

On December 8th, pretend to be a time traveller.
posted to MetaFilter by divabat at 2:44 PM on September 27, 2007 (49 comments)

"I can only assess your mutual knowledge in a subjective context."

Applications for UK visas are being denied for ridiculous reasons, says an independent monitor report. Among the reasons: never having been on holiday before, "failing to complete pivotal areas of Section 6", and "plan[ning] a holiday for no particular purpose other than sightseeing. BBC readers contribute their stories - from potential bridesmaids being told that they were only going to marry English men like their sister was doing, to not having good enough German.
posted to MetaFilter by divabat at 1:11 AM on June 21, 2007 (61 comments)

Malaysia, Politics, and Bloggers

An Indonesian TV crew was invited to Malaysia for their Visit Malaysia Year 2007 campaign but encountered many problems. They write up about it - and start a flurry of comments and controversy across the Malaysian government about blogging. [more inside]
posted to MetaFilter by divabat at 3:31 PM on April 6, 2007 (14 comments)

Mona Lisa in MS Paint

People have drawn river landscapes (1, 2) in MS Paint, but how about the Mona Lisa?
posted to MetaFilter by divabat at 4:44 AM on April 4, 2007 (13 comments)

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