Displaying comments 1 to 50 of 193
MeFi post:
I think I like Natalie Portman more now.
I suppose we have been overdue for another Natalie Portman Sucks post. I think it's ironic that since hustleritas like Paris Hilton and Britney Spears are practically taboo on this site, in their absence we wind up heaping more scorn on people like Natalie who don't really deserve it -- she's so much better than them that she's at least worthy of being hated here.
You people.
posted to MetaFilter by [NOT HERMITOSIS-IST]
at 10:45 PM on July 24, 2008
MeFi post:
The Taco Bell Dana Carvey Show
Watched Roxanne again lately? I have. It made me wonder whether the chemistry of Earth's atmosphere had seriously measurably changed since I was younger, preventing us from being so easily charmed. Has NOT held up well.
posted to MetaFilter by [NOT HERMITOSIS-IST]
at 8:14 AM on July 20, 2008
MeFi post:
A Man-Eating Machine
Though it seems impossibly long, I found myself savoring every second of this video, all the way to Jones' gobbling noises at the very end. Say what you will about her, I'm glad she found a video director who really understands her.
The song is growing on me more than I thought it would-- but then maybe that's because my brain is paralyzed in fear.
posted to MetaFilter by [NOT HERMITOSIS-IST]
at 7:08 PM on July 15, 2008
Grace Jones is still alive?
I admit, even from the video it's hard to tell...
posted to MetaFilter by [NOT HERMITOSIS-IST]
at 9:08 PM on July 15, 2008
MeFi post:
China's plan to tame Tibet
I remember the huge push to make NYC the destination of the Olympics- all the hype in the media, the big plans from the city government, the signs and posters literally EVERYWHERE, even co-opting this art installation in Union Square and turning it temproarily into a "countdown to the Olympics Committee decision."
All I could think about was what a disaster it would be, how miserable we would all be as the city scrambled to make good on all those... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by [NOT HERMITOSIS-IST]
at 1:39 PM on July 13, 2008
RIP Peter Norman
"Thanks for watching White Moments in Black History -- Tune in next week for an interview with Jesse Jackson's garbage man, and a peek at the recently unearthed journals of the little boy who taught Frederick Douglass how to read!"
Norman's role in that iconic image ought to be downplayed; it has nothing to do with him, his country, or his ethnicity. That he consequences he... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by [NOT HERMITOSIS-IST]
at 3:12 PM on July 13, 2008
ZachsMind, I'm not downplaying his decisions or his actions, but the remembrance of them in any significant way. What Smith and Carlos did deserves the attention; Norman was just doing what (I hope) most people would have done in that situation by participating supportively. You even say yourself that what led to his ostracizing were his comments about Australia, not the US, a fact that separates him yet another degree from the American context of this protest.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by [NOT HERMITOSIS-IST]
at 7:52 AM on July 14, 2008
MeFi post:
'The Politics of Fear'
Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning.
Funny, I don't see Barry Blitt on that list.
posted to MetaFilter by [NOT HERMITOSIS-IST]
at 6:58 PM on July 13, 2008
As someone with all the necessary equipment to get and appreciate the joke, I am still having to look too long and hard at this cartoon to put it together. I agree, From Bklyn-- Blitt didn't pull this one off. At a certain point one's intention is irrelevant; this image will be cherished by detractors of the Obamas for far longer than it will be by their fans.
posted to MetaFilter by [NOT HERMITOSIS-IST]
at 7:10 PM on July 13, 2008
It is patently false that she has always received the short end of the stick.
That merely puts her in a better position to help those that have, not a worse position from which to judge.
posted to MetaFilter by [NOT HERMITOSIS-IST]
at 9:59 PM on July 13, 2008
Uh, as of 2004, both Black and Asian-American women have higher personal incomes than White American women.
You're reading that wrong. The study may omit zero-income stay-at-home moms, but all it demonstrates is that when you're married to a white man, there is less pressure on you to shoulder an equal share of the economic burden. The black male/female incomes are separated by a gulf of $4000. The white male/female, $14,000.
posted to MetaFilter by [NOT HERMITOSIS-IST]
at 6:30 AM on July 14, 2008
MeFi post:
WII? NO. EEG? LOL!
This sounds like it would be cool to play for a while, but will probably lead to the mental and physical ruination of future generations.
I can't even muster that much excitement for the technology, I just imagine doughy children with twitchy faces refusing to leave a world in which they can move mountains.
posted to MetaFilter by [NOT HERMITOSIS-IST]
at 4:19 PM on July 13, 2008
MeFi post:
Neuroses of the Rich and Famous
I would imagine that if the therapy doesn't cost a substantial amount, they are less likely to respect its value and see it as something that less-well-off people do. Because that is how they've grown used to assessing almost everything.
Also, it makes sense that it would take a lot of study to determine what sort of techniques are useful for treating the super-rich, just like with the super-poor. So while I am just as alienated by rich people as the next guy, I don't... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by [NOT HERMITOSIS-IST]
at 12:17 PM on July 9, 2008
MeFi post:
Jezebelism
Why are there still so many women out there who rely on pulling out as a form of contraception? Several women I'm close to have told me that they consistently rely on it, and when I sputter and mention that goes against everything they even teach in a goddam 7th grade health class, let alone not protecting against STD's, they just look at me with a sort of pitying bewilderment. Also, it seems like many girls I know question their ability to conceive at all, citing long periods of unprotected... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by [NOT HERMITOSIS-IST]
at 10:08 PM on July 6, 2008
MeFi post:
Capturing Fireworks
...Like every other element of creative pursuit, must be fundamentally understood -- not just blindly followed -- so you can decide when to break them, and why, to create something new."
Having cultivated some real technical skill is basically what allows true artistic experimentation to occur at all. Without, you're just one of a hundred chimps on a hundred typewriters who occasionally forms a complete sentence purely by accident.
posted to MetaFilter by [NOT HERMITOSIS-IST]
at 10:49 AM on July 4, 2008
MeFi post:
Soft Science
I like the microbes because they (Sort of) resemble what they're supposed to be. Without getting to heft them to feel the difference in mass, these are just different shaped beanbags with funny faces that are otherwise mostly the same.
posted to MetaFilter by [NOT HERMITOSIS-IST]
at 3:01 PM on June 30, 2008
MeFi post:
You get the Leary you deserve.
Before the haters arrive, I'd like to say that I find Leary's work incredibly useful and his optimism to be infectious. The Game of Life was the first book of his I came across, and it was a huge inspiration to me. And a huge reminder to not take myself too seriously.
People maligned him then out of fear or inflexibility, and they malign him now unfairly through hindsight. The truth is that at the time, experts in many fields were all discovering... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by [NOT HERMITOSIS-IST]
at 6:06 PM on June 26, 2008
MeFi post:
New York City's High Line
Traveling along the high line on foot before it was converted is one of my favorite-- and strangest-- memories in this city. Sneaking through Port Authority backlots, crawling through weeds, discovering weird sculptures and ruins under the moonlight, electing to scramble down to the roof of a convenience store to keep from having to walk back the whole way. It was unreal. I'm excited for the development and have even participated in fundraising for it, but I haven't gone back to check out... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by [NOT HERMITOSIS-IST]
at 11:37 AM on June 25, 2008
MeFi post:
Should we be very afraid?
Video of live theatre is one of the worst ways by which you can possibly evaluate it. Especially opera. 90% of what's powerful convincing, or moving about a theatrical performance doesn't survive the transfer. That's because every atom of effort mustered by the designers and performers is focused on the live audience's experience.
It really bothers me that shows feel such pressure to put these promos on their websites, I think it does a real injustice to what they're... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by [NOT HERMITOSIS-IST]
at 10:18 AM on June 25, 2008
MeFi post:
Barry and Stuart
After all the comments, I was expecting to enjoy this a lot less. Maybe I worked too hard today, but this was just my speed.
posted to MetaFilter by [NOT HERMITOSIS-IST]
at 7:46 PM on June 24, 2008
MeFi post:
Beasts!
BTW, the gif that's flashing on his home page is a beautiful (ugly) thing.
posted to MetaFilter by [NOT HERMITOSIS-IST]
at 11:08 AM on June 24, 2008
You people. I guess I may as well give everyone what they came for:
breast breast breast breast breast breast breast breast breast breast
breast breast breast breast breast breast breast breast breast breast
breast breast breast breast breast breast breast breast breast breast
breast breast breast breast breast breast breast breast breast breast
breast breast breast breast breast breast breast breast breast... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by [NOT HERMITOSIS-IST]
at 4:48 PM on June 24, 2008
MeFi post:
urban prankster
In the US they would be staged or he would get shot/arrested
Not really. The element of surprise works wonders in public places, leaving most people just shaking their heads. Most people fantasize about a violent or legal comeuppance afterward (like everyone is doing here) but in the moment, it's just a blip that barely registers before it's over.
After this many pranks, I'm betting he HAS gotten in fights occasionally, but... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by [NOT HERMITOSIS-IST]
at 12:23 PM on June 24, 2008
MeFi post:
It may not be art, but I know what I like.
Hey, thanks nanojath! I was debating whether to go ahead and mention the interview myself-- it's worth being a little self-linky to help save what might be one of the most interesting American horror movies in quite a while.
I usually avoid criticizing Ebert because he's one of those people for whom a vast and adoring public is practically already holding a candlelight vigil. He may be very knowledgeable about film, but I disagree with so much of what he says and the... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by [NOT HERMITOSIS-IST]
at 10:44 PM on June 23, 2008
MeFi post:
Photographing gay weddings: a moral quandry?
Otherwise, you're proving all those conservative assholes right when they scream "homo agenda!"
We gay people are especially dangerous because unlike Christians, we don't have a doctrine of forgiveness and enemy-loving at the base of our movement. So be nice to us, or else we'll deliberately walk down the street in hotpants and espadrilles, knowing full well that beating us up will count as a hate crime and carry a potentially heavier sentence.
posted to MetaFilter by [NOT HERMITOSIS-IST]
at 7:43 AM on June 20, 2008
Christians are sure allergic to being marginalized and persecuted, considering that their religion fetishizes martyrdom. Christ didn't howl for equal rights from the cross, you know; he saw trivialization and humiliation as the inevitable result of being a loving, godly person in a world full of miserable humans. Adopting a truly Christian doctrine ought to be a radical and beautiful act, and chipping away at that doctrine in order to rationalize one's need for a long, comfortable life is a... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by [NOT HERMITOSIS-IST]
at 2:08 PM on June 20, 2008
Christ died for our SINS.
So surely losing one's business and being sued into poverty for practicing discrimination ain't no thing.
posted to MetaFilter by [NOT HERMITOSIS-IST]
at 2:13 PM on June 20, 2008
MeFi post:
That's funny, he never has a second cup at home!
It was a bad idea to fake it because of the happily family image they're desperately trying to promote, but lying about it and acting defensive has really given people something latch onto.
Some people just weren't made for politics any larger than city-level. They just can't grasp the media image issues that are (unfortunately) a complete dealbreaker for most voters. They seem to struggle and drown in the same water that other (often lesser) politicians swim in easily.
posted to MetaFilter by [NOT HERMITOSIS-IST]
at 12:28 PM on June 20, 2008
MeFi post:
Spoiler Alert.
I interviewed Betty Buckley about her role in the movie, and she and I were in similar positions of being morbidly curious to see how it turned out.
Today I wrote to her to tell her my reaction to the film-- that it wasn't what I'd expected but that I thought her performance was incredible. (It was! I've been muttering "I see you eyein' my lemon-drink!" at people all week!)
She wrote back and said she'd gone to see it twice, and had... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by [NOT HERMITOSIS-IST]
at 8:32 PM on June 17, 2008
