4 Tablespoons cake flour
4 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons cocoa
1 Egg
3 Tablespoons milk
3 Tablespoons oil
1 Mug

Err, those proportions seem a bit off. Here's what goes in my family's version of that Depression-era favourite Wacky Cake. Dead easy way to make a moist, rich cake that isn't sickly sweet and sticky while using only the pan you mix and bake it in.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by maudlin at 10:17 AM on July 21, 2008

airways, I'm having the same problem with every single link when using IE 6, FF 2.0 with NoScript enabled, and FF 2.0 with NoScript turned off.

No, I shall not email mail them the BLUE INFO and jump through hoops ("Try another ISP"?? WTF??) to see their site. What they hell do they have on their server that they have such a rickety, paranoid setup?
posted to MetaFilter by maudlin at 1:18 PM on July 7, 2008

destro, I copied and pasted into IE and FF. Still didn't work. Maybe they just hate Torontonians.

The content sounds good, though. *presses face against the glass*
posted to MetaFilter by maudlin at 2:30 PM on July 7, 2008

Dimitri's really let himself go, hasn't he?
posted to MetaFilter by maudlin at 8:16 AM on July 4, 2008

An obvious Photoshop, such as the one they made showing the reporter's head stuck onto a poodle's body, is one thing -- a juvenile, lame thing, but recognizable for what it is. But those two images were on the edge of plausible (being nudged towards the uncanny valley with the ugly stick, I guess), so yeah, they were deceptive. Why am I not surprised? But I think the Times' take is right: don't sue, just mock.

(I first heard the saying as "Arguing with an engineer... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by maudlin at 8:35 AM on July 3, 2008

Sys Rq, the milk bags when laid flat can take up otherwise wasted space (like the space under my meat storage bin), or you can get organizers to stack the bags efficiently.
posted to MetaFilter by maudlin at 1:35 PM on June 30, 2008

This kept running though my head as I read the story. I mean, the Dvorak on her video is inspiring and all, but it doesn't quite fit.
posted to MetaFilter by maudlin at 3:26 AM on June 24, 2008

The FPP includes more than a link to the trailer. The link to the documentary's site has clickable pictures linking to commentaries from the documentary. (On preview: as flapjax at midnite already noted.) In addition, this CBC site describes the bombing, the trial, and the inquiry in detail.

And if you can't wait a month for the DVD, I'm sure the documentary will show up somewhere soon.
posted to MetaFilter by maudlin at 8:21 AM on June 22, 2008

Pretty cool, but it lacks the human touch. When I lived in co-op student housing, I caught my mice by sitting vewwwwy quietly on the kitchen floor next to an empty, open box of Shredded Wheat. I'd put a few shreds of cereal inside the box, wait, wait, wait ... then close the box and take the adorable, boing-boinging, frantic little varmint outside -- where it would eventually find there way in again. Hey, it beat writing essays.

Later on, I moved off-campus and got a... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by maudlin at 11:28 AM on June 20, 2008

Once in awhile we have to holler "Drake, spit the deer out,"

I'm getting Sylvester, Tweety and Granny flashbacks now.
posted to MetaFilter by maudlin at 1:54 PM on June 15, 2008

Obama loosened up a bit after a while but still ... yeah, academic.

Clinton was actually endearing in all her tightassedness. I liked her a lot more when she was being gawky and real this year.
posted to MetaFilter by maudlin at 6:29 PM on June 13, 2008

I always thought it was sheep who were supposed to wear wellies. (Link safe for work, I swear.) But I'm sure there's all sort of Rule 34 awesomeness awaiting the intersection of the furries and the shoe fetishists.

But, yeah, adorably cute. Aww! *explodes*
posted to MetaFilter by maudlin at 11:19 AM on June 11, 2008

Anyway, where is my remake of The Starlost?

Chuckles, you are a sick, sick man.

(OK, if Battleship Galactica could come back as something decent, there's hope for The Starlost, too. I just wouldn't bet the farm on it.)
posted to MetaFilter by maudlin at 10:01 AM on June 3, 2008

(Ack! BattleSTAR Galactica!)

God is punishing me for procrastinating ...
posted to MetaFilter by maudlin at 11:04 AM on June 3, 2008

Somewhere, Neal Stephenson just felt a thrill going up his leg.
posted to MetaFilter by maudlin at 4:55 PM on June 2, 2008

This post is two days old and ihopeyourheadfallsoff.com is STILL available? Slackers.
posted to MetaFilter by maudlin at 9:22 AM on June 2, 2008

85%, between excellent and exceptional, but I had to replay most of the excerpts several times. (I know that I clicked on one of the wrong answers by mistake, so maybe that balanced out). Still, this is pretty interesting, as I'm a visual/kinetic thinker, and have a lousy aural memory, but love music.
posted to MetaFilter by maudlin at 7:17 PM on June 1, 2008

And, considering that [Pope Pius X] died in the modern era, it's entirely possible that he was buried in a sealed coffin that would prevent other invaders from getting in. It's still a bit unusual, but hardly miraculous.

I read in Mitford's The American Way of Death that sealed coffins don't do much to preserve bodies. In fact, the anaerobic environment should actually hasten decomposition. Mark Harris' Grave Matters makes the same... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by maudlin at 10:26 AM on May 30, 2008

Theo was impressive, but every time he started pedalling like mad, it reminded me of this.

And thanks, naysayers, for dashing my dreams of Wile E. in the Tour. I so wanted to see him in the mountain stages.
posted to MetaFilter by maudlin at 7:27 AM on May 28, 2008

All you guys looking for a perfect shave: assuming that pain and expense weren't issues, would you ever consider laser hair removal on your face and neck? Or would you want to keep the option of getting all bristly and manly if and when you really wanted to?
posted to MetaFilter by maudlin at 6:44 PM on May 25, 2008

You shave with a fixie? Isn't that like using the world's biggest epilady? And wouldn't a derailleur really offer you a wider variety of options: baby smooth; 5 o'clock shadow (Flintstone); 5 o'clock shadow (Nixon); Miami Vice; George Michael; etc.?
posted to MetaFilter by maudlin at 7:53 PM on May 25, 2008

You can't make me not love this to this day: Lucas with the Lid Off (directed by Michel Gondry in 1994)
posted to MetaFilter by maudlin at 5:34 PM on May 24, 2008

Those are just stunningly beautiful. I've been clearing my house of crap, but I'm going to buy my first print copy of National Geographic in years just because I need to see those in full, properly printed colour.
posted to MetaFilter by maudlin at 5:02 PM on May 19, 2008

And according to the video dobbs linked to above, they are those combos of glorious colours because of the toxic stuff they eat (including each other). They say to the rest of the ocean, "If you eat me, you will die."

Ooh -- wallpaper!
posted to MetaFilter by maudlin at 5:11 PM on May 19, 2008

And then there's the Dutch and their favourite trick for you-EYE-nuls: putting a fly sticker at an optimal location. Apparently it reduces splashback and keeps the area clean for a longer time. So if you give a man something fun to aim at, everybody's happy. (No real flies were harmed during this act of micturition.)
posted to MetaFilter by maudlin at 11:37 AM on May 19, 2008

And before Phase 4, there was Leiningen.

Nighty night!
posted to MetaFilter by maudlin at 7:16 PM on May 16, 2008

I brought some Maudite down to the States a few years ago and converted some friends. Damned fine beer.

Some friends of mine once made mead with whatever they could find in their cupboards, which included peanut butter and strawberry jam. They bottled the resulting concoction (which they made palatable at the party by offering chunks of dry ice to kill much of the taste) and called it Wild Squirrel. The label featured a drawing of a tiny, distraught, puff-cheeked... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by maudlin at 9:36 AM on May 16, 2008

That's it. I'm going on Atkins.

Seriously, that's beautiful and outstandingly creepy work. And just you wait. Somebody in Brooklyn is going to make a Sourdough-and-Merlot Jesus any day now.
posted to MetaFilter by maudlin at 5:48 PM on May 15, 2008

We had to eat the species in order to save it.
posted to MetaFilter by maudlin at 3:42 PM on May 11, 2008

Sweet! Here's some audio. (The Redd and White Stripes version is even lovelier, if you can find it.)

Macaque-and-pigeon and frog-and-mouse work for me. Thank goodness we didn't get frog-and-scorpion, because we all know how that one ends.
posted to MetaFilter by maudlin at 6:00 PM on May 7, 2008

It looks as if everyone there was having a great time, so that's wonderful. Weddings are for those who are at them, so I'm glad all of Amy's friends and family pulled off this massive surprise. But I stopped watching after the dad chimed in (which was endearing, mind you), because I kind of knew where it was going but it didn't mean much to me as entertainment. I'm just not a showtunes kind of gal. But I'm pretty sure Amy's friends and family don't care one way or another what you or I think.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by maudlin at 4:46 PM on May 4, 2008

I obviously got a defective birth certificate from Québec because this wee little Flash test states that I'm 12 years younger than that document claims. But this rigorous, iron-clad, absolutely scientific and deeply truthful test also says that I'm living to 87.5. *checks RSP value* So, anyone got any good cat kibble recipes?

Seriously, this is pretty weakass, and I can see how some people here are getting fetal ages. I tried it a second time,... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by maudlin at 11:02 AM on May 4, 2008

A pile of awesome Beatles covers linked here.
posted to MetaFilter by maudlin at 8:25 PM on April 29, 2008

There's a BBC show called Eataholics that follows adults who severely limit their diets. Some of these people can't eat any kind of fruit or vegetable, or can eat only canned pasta, or chips, or pureed food. If they try to eat anything outside of their severely self-limited choices, they gag and cry and appear deeply stressed out. Some picky eaters don't simply grow out of it, apparently, but have to go on British reality shows and get gently but firmly badgered by a nutritionist and a therapist... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by maudlin at 9:06 PM on April 26, 2008

Your favourite soundtrack sucks.
posted to MetaFilter by maudlin at 1:08 PM on April 25, 2008

I still don't understand why the "No" buttons were necessary. If wearing a "Yes" button means that people have permission to ask you if they can touch your breasts (and to potentially be rejected, I guess), and if lack of a button is a default "No", what's the logical point of offering a "No" button as well? (Don't make me try a Venn diagram here, folks.)

Maybe the point of the "No" button was really to identify the... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by maudlin at 6:49 AM on April 23, 2008

Yeah. It would have really ruled if he been playing fire games with Adam and Jamie, too.
posted to MetaFilter by maudlin at 7:00 AM on April 19, 2008

This is perfect. I'm teaching today and was describing how some image formats can oversimplify an original, using Warhol's portraits as an example. I wasn't sure if anyone in the class even knew who Warhol was, but now I can demonstrate with one of our course files and this app.
posted to MetaFilter by maudlin at 11:44 AM on April 14, 2008

also: Mark E. Smith's dad wants his orange juice (Yes, I'm totally milking that joke forever)
posted to MetaFilter by maudlin at 11:33 AM on April 14, 2008

I have no idea how effective that first Canadian PSA set in the restaurant kitchen is. I do know that it was horrifying to watch even once when it was playing here (I think it's stopped now), and that I dove for the remote every time that cheerful, doomed young woman started speaking on camera and blaming herself again every time afterwards.

I've talked with a couple of people who remember the scalding liquid in the pot as oil rather than water. It's as if the oil on the... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by maudlin at 4:23 AM on April 14, 2008

Yeah, I've worked as a waitress in a couple of different restaurants. We were either lucky or especially well-trained, but I can't remember any horrific accidents, including mishaps with the bigass table saw used to split the chickens. I have wiped out on my share of slick kitchen floors while carrying 5 full plates of hot food, but wound up with nothing worse than bruises and a tetanus shot.

But people do lift big, heavy pots of water on and off the stove. Even small... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by maudlin at 4:53 AM on April 14, 2008

(Sorry, bandsaw, not table saw. Swiss Chalet chickens aren't that tough.)
posted to MetaFilter by maudlin at 4:55 AM on April 14, 2008

The SNL word association sketch with Richard Pryor is here. Works in Canada, at least.
posted to MetaFilter by maudlin at 10:54 AM on April 10, 2008

Poor rtha. Here. I'll act it out for you.

[smug sleepy look]

[smug sleepy look, listing slightly to port]

BONK!

[human giggle offscreen]

[bounce back up]

[affronted look]

And in a perfect world, the video would loop right back to

[smug sleepy look]
posted to MetaFilter by maudlin at 9:02 AM on April 9, 2008

Hey, loquacious, I'll be your contact if you'll be mine. My motives are the purest, I swear.
posted to MetaFilter by maudlin at 10:10 AM on April 9, 2008

loquacious: not a cold, hard bastard after all.

But Unicorn on the cob is just pure evil. I can't ever unsee those pictures. Ever.
posted to MetaFilter by maudlin at 11:28 AM on April 9, 2008

Mutant, this would make a neat post to your own blog, but as an FPP, it's all over the place. The old Summers controversy is your first link, then inside we have references to Gray and De Beauvoir, plus a scattering of links about snoring, darts, decisions and stock markets. Maybe you meant to structure the post with interesting stuff related to the investment issue, but it hasn't quite worked.

I'm not trying to crap in this thread, and I hope no one else comes along to... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by maudlin at 7:42 AM on April 9, 2008

Thanks, Mutant. But as you can see from the comments so far, hardly anyone has started seriously discussing the research on investment. What information on the web, a click away, would support and flesh out anything presented in that paper, or, conversely, argue against its conclusions?

There's nothing wrong with a single-link FPP if that link is strong. Since economic and psych theory can be a little dry for many, I agree with your decision to bring in something to make... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by maudlin at 8:26 AM on April 9, 2008

Oh, wow. I just loved that. But I followed the link before reading more inside, and as I watched, I wondered how old he could be now -- 80? 85? 90? Odds were he had died years ago. Then I came back here and found he's turning 100 and still creating, and that really made my day.

And if you found the credits too hard to read, that song was "Nola" by Felix Arndt. Another version. And what the hell -- Liberace's version.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by maudlin at 10:44 AM on April 8, 2008

Yeah, that one got me, too. but the crane, for some reason, leaves me quite calm (as I curse out the idiots, calmly.)

We obviously need more Mohawks in this thread.
posted to MetaFilter by maudlin at 10:34 AM on April 7, 2008