April 27, 2012

Not the Wilhelm Scream

What Did The Rebel Yell Sound Like? (video): 'From the early 1900's through the 1940's, Civil War veterans were filmed, recorded and interviewed at reunions, parades, and other patriotic events where, as the century advanced, they came increasingly to seem like ambulatory trophies from some distant age of heroes.'
posted by the man of twists and turns at 11:45 PM PST - 50 comments

#HarperHistory

On Thursday, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper was asked in the House of Commons whether he intended to keep Canadian troops in Afghanistan beyond 2014. Harper tried to deflect criticism from New Democratic Party leader Thomas Mulcair by saying that "Unlike the NDP, we are not going to ideologically have a position regardless of circumstances. The leader of the NDP, in 1939, did not even want to support war against Hitler." Members of the NDP were quick to reply that the NDP did not oppose Hitler in 1939 because the NDP was formed in 1961. [more inside]
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 10:41 PM PST - 48 comments

Holi Hi-Def

We have covered Holi, the Hindu festival of colours, on Metafilter before. But we have not yet done it in slow-mo HD [SLV]. [more inside]
posted by Popular Ethics at 9:01 PM PST - 10 comments

Sudan and South Sudan on the brink of war

Gwynne Dyer article today on Sudan/South Sudan situation. South Sudan just got independence last July.
posted by Listener at 8:40 PM PST - 9 comments

Yogi Bear

"It’s a polar bear doing a hand stand in the water." From the blog: The Kid Should See This, which was linked previously.
posted by vidur at 7:56 PM PST - 13 comments

Weightless

A short dance movie, about defying gravity.
posted by frimble at 7:51 PM PST - 7 comments

National anthem on an electric violin made out of a bat

If you were watching the Orioles-A's game from Camden Yards tonight, you saw a guy playing the National Anthem on an electric violin made out of a baseball bat. This is how that looks and sounds. This is the guy talking about and showing off his Louisville Slugger violin. And this is the Washington Post profile of Glenn Donnellan, a violinist with the National Symphony Orchestra and the maker and player of the world's only electric baseball bat violin.
posted by escabeche at 6:00 PM PST - 15 comments

Hanging judged

"Nooses spotted at Cal State San Bernardino" An art project garners attention and sparks debate, as reported in the San Bernardino Sun today:
A trio of nooses spotted Friday at Cal State San Bernardino drew some attention on the serene campus, and it wasn't all positive.
[more inside]
posted by Celsius1414 at 5:42 PM PST - 42 comments

Carl Wilson - "God Only Knows" (intimate setting)

Carl Wilson - "God Only Knows" (intimate setting) -slyt
posted by gfrobe at 5:41 PM PST - 32 comments

Hey, hey, make your move already!

A message from Flat Eric & William Fichtner: French electronic music maker Mr. Oizo has released his Stade 3 EP for free* on his website. [more inside]
posted by filthy light thief at 4:23 PM PST - 9 comments

One's man garbage (bin) is another man's art...

The Trashcam project - garbage bins converted to pinhole cameras.
posted by You Should See the Other Guy at 4:05 PM PST - 4 comments

Discobolus and The Thinker

Study shows those who think analytically are less likely to be religious: Why are some people more religious than others? It may come down to whether they rely more heavily on an analytical or intuitive thinking process, at least according to a new study [abstract; supplementary materials] performed at the University of British Columbia and published in the journal “Science.” [more inside]
posted by troll at 3:23 PM PST - 135 comments

Enterprise Lands at JFK

Front-row window seat to Space Shuttle Enterprise landing at JFK.
posted by brownpau at 3:10 PM PST - 30 comments

Restoring Stanley Kramer's "It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World"

What you see here is a prime example of what happens to film that is neglected and improperly stored. This is an original reel from It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World that is now untouchable. The film has turned acidic, sporting the strongest and most foul vinegar-like odor I have ever smelled. In fact, Robert Harris told me a story of how his contact lenses were singed by the fumes the film produced, causing temporary retinal damage to his eye. [more inside]
posted by Trurl at 3:09 PM PST - 38 comments

The Big House

Hailed as a Billionaire by a compliant media, Craig Whyte then bought Glasgow Rangers, one of the world's oldest soccer teams, for a Pound. A Blog started, doubting the media spin. The BBC started to raise doubts. Rangers fans protested outside the BBC. When Rangers then went bust, they were somewhat surprised. George Galloway Laughs, Fans Sing, and Officials are Threatened. The journo who claimed Whyte to be a Billionaire is made "Scottish Journalist of the Year" by a former chief judge.
posted by sgt.serenity at 2:57 PM PST - 15 comments

Te vagy a Blade, Blade Driver

You know what crossbows don't shoot? Buzzsaw blades. OH WAIT. [more inside]
posted by griphus at 1:56 PM PST - 45 comments

Not At Home

Hungarian mid-wife, Dr Ágnes Géreb, is headed for jail after nearly 18 months of house arrest, for 'neglient malpractice'. This follows her sentence being increased after an unsuccessful appeal. The Royal College of Midwives has called for her release and the BBC's Central European correspondant Nick Thorpe, whose five children were delivered by Dr Géreb, has written extensively on the case. More information is available at http://www.freeagnesgereb.com/.
posted by vac2003 at 1:43 PM PST - 38 comments

Much Ado About Nothing

Physicist Lawrence Krauss wrote a book titled A Universe from Nothing. Philosopher David Albert wrote a rather scathing review. In a later interview with The Atlantic, Krauss suggested that philosophers feel threatened by science "because science progresses and philosophy doesn't." Philosopher Massimo Pigliucci weighed in on Krauss' comments, and Krauss non-apologized to philosophers who may have been offended. Evolutionary biologist Jerry Coyne reflects on the controversy.
posted by Jonathan Livengood at 1:33 PM PST - 84 comments

All-female tribute bands

Sure, they got a gimmick: they rock! The top all-female tribute bands.
posted by Ardiril at 12:52 PM PST - 68 comments

President Obama cracks down on for-profit recruiting of veterans.

Today, President Obama signed an executive order which places stricter disclosure requirements on recruiters for for-profit schools looking to recruit veterans and soldiers. The move comes amid growing concern among state and federal legislators that for-profit educational institutions are doing more harm than good and are employing predatory recruiting practices especially on veterans who are exiting the military and looking to improve their education through the Post-9/11 GI Bill. [more inside]
posted by Scientist at 12:28 PM PST - 55 comments

The rich past of a dynamic sport

Dr. Jake's Bowling History Blog is packed with hundreds of images from bowling's past, including famous bowlers, bowling advertisements, old Chicago bowling centers, matchbook covers and other bowling arcana. More: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
posted by slogger at 12:10 PM PST - 1 comments

Secret Life in a Micro Empire

Like underwater microscopic creatures? The Secret Life of Plankton is a fascinating, fish-narrated (sort of) TED-talk video you might be interested in. Want something a little less educational with a lot more style? Then Micro Empire could be just your thing.
posted by quin at 11:00 AM PST - 4 comments

La Caita, as always, from the Heart

La Caita - Calle del Aire

via Rashomon, sorta. [more inside]
posted by y2karl at 10:21 AM PST - 12 comments

Sexy Baby

Sexy Baby is a documentary by Jill Bauer and Ronna Gradus (AV Club interview) about "sexiness in the cyber age" that follows the stories of an ex-porn star, a 22-year-old teacher saving up for labiaplasty and a 12 year-old girl. Trailer (probably NSFW)
posted by bytewrite at 10:02 AM PST - 127 comments

Network Awesome

Network Awesome mines the resources of YouTube to bring you treasures vast and plentiful, packaged and gift-wrapped in an easier-to-watch format. Since it launched in January 2011, it's expanded a bit with a corollary animated GIF site and an online magazine. (previously; 2) [more inside]
posted by mrgrimm at 9:53 AM PST - 4 comments

check one two, check one two

A trip through the microphone's early days — from invention to old-school broadcasting. Enjoy these historic photos of a time when recorded and amplified audio were a novelty, rather than a necessity of everyday life: Birth of the Microphone: How Sound Became Signal.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 9:40 AM PST - 10 comments

More Universities Should Shut Down Their Computer Science Programs

More Universities Should Shut Down Their Computer Science Programs
posted by thisisdrew at 9:28 AM PST - 142 comments

Zerg Rush

Zerg Rush (more)
posted by Artw at 9:09 AM PST - 46 comments

Paris is a huge home-sick peasant

This month marks the 125th anniversary of the birth of Hope Mirrlees. She is best remembered for her fantasy novel Lud-in-the-Mist, but had earlier written a 600 line poem, published by her friend, Virginia Woolf, called Paris. [more inside]
posted by tigrefacile at 9:07 AM PST - 6 comments

No quarters needed - the graphics already have more than 8 bits!

Battle for Asciion [Flash] is an old school shoot 'em up in the vein of R-Type and Gradius, with an additional nod to ROFLcopter. Viewable in your choice of black-and-green, black-and-amber or black-and-white displays, along with a Textshot™ function for preserving those 1337 moments.
posted by Smart Dalek at 8:59 AM PST - 8 comments

Feiro Reborn

Buying a car with babysitting money Kathryn, at age 12, decided that she wanted a Pontiac Fiero for her 16th birthday. After convincing her parents, she bought it and has been restoring it from the ground up, including upholstery, motor rebuilding, welding, and more.
posted by plinth at 8:36 AM PST - 58 comments

Selection of Stories

A couple years ago, we had our Choice of Dragons and of Broadsides. Since then, the authors have released Choice of the Vampire, in which your newly made vampire (potentially a Lestat type, but just as likely a Creole watchmaker or an illiterate backwoodsman) navigates the 19th Century American South; the fantasy diptych Choice of Romances and Choice of Intrigues, in which your initial choices determine the gender normativity of the game world as well as the temperament of your hero; and, most recently, Choice of Zombies, a fleet game that concentrates on action, relationships, and high-stakes decisions.
posted by Iridic at 8:05 AM PST - 13 comments

Is Beauty Boring?

18-year-old, Florence Colgate, has been blessed with what has been deemed the most naturally beautiful face in England. Florence, @flo245 on twitter, is the winner of a contest, beating out 8,000 other contestants, for having a nearly perfectly symmetrical face, based on ratio figures that were collected by researchers. [more inside]
posted by hubs at 7:56 AM PST - 134 comments

The kindly face of movie piracy

At 92, Bandit to Hollywood but Hero to Soldiers (SLNYT) - not the typical face you'd expect to see when you hear that somebody has distributed something like 300,000 bootleg DVDs.
posted by antifuse at 6:39 AM PST - 47 comments

"You are a feminist icon, sir."

"Some critics have said in response to this that if the Catholic church's insurance does not cover Sandra Fluke's birth control, it shouldn't cover Cardinal Dolan's Viagra. Oh, no, no, no, that's called celibacy plus. That's how the pros do it. Because chastity is one thing, but it shows true commitment to uphold your vows when you are sporting a crook you could hang a miter on. Oh, wow, see you at mass on Sunday, sir? I hope he doesn't become Pope. I'm a Catholic, it's okay. I go to confession, it will be fine. "
- Stephen Colbert, speaking at the TIME 100 Gala, in front of Roman Catholic Archbishop of New York, Cardinal Timothy Dolan [more inside]
posted by oneswellfoop at 3:32 AM PST - 84 comments

Just on six days and six nights

143 hours and four ink pens. [via mefi projects]. Sometimes talent needs a wider audience.
posted by adamvasco at 12:08 AM PST - 29 comments

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