July 3, 2014

The 1812 Overture and fireworks, as American as ... waitaminute

Every Fourth of July, Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture is heard all over the United States, timed to the burst of fireworks. How did this Russian composition, celebrating the Russian victory over the French in that War of 1812 (not the war between England and the US), become a staple of the United States' Independence Day celebrations? We can thank the Boston Pops. [more inside]
posted by filthy light thief at 11:11 PM PST - 29 comments

Olympian, war hero, Louis Zamperini passes away at age 97

Louis Zamperini [previously], subject of Laura Hillenbrand's popular biography Unbroken, died on July 2 at age 97 (link to NYTimes obit). A movie of Unbroken, with a screenplay by the Coen Brothers and directed by Angelina Jolie, is set for a Christmas release. Zamperini was an Olympic distance runner who survived weeks at sea in the Pacific and a Japanese prisoner of war camp after being shot down while serving in WWII. [more inside]
posted by MoonOrb at 10:12 PM PST - 5 comments

Star Trek: The Next Generation's Night Crew

2:22 min of extreme silliness from Robot Chicken, voiced by Chris Pine and tweeted by the Captain himself: there is no justification for this except to paaaaarty!
posted by viggorlijah at 8:54 PM PST - 20 comments

Costco: "It's a water-cooler conversation company."

Costco Wholesale, or just 'Costco', is a membership warehouse store and the second largest retailer in the United States. Here are some notable blogs, fan communities, articles and commentary (mostly U.S.-centric). [more inside]
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 8:12 PM PST - 176 comments

At some point you give up and admit that it's really a squirrel feeder

Most backyard bird enthusiasts have felt the frustration of fuzzy-tailed thieves filching from their feeders. But for some, just watching the gymnastics squirrels go through to get to the goods is gratification enough.
posted by Jacqueline at 7:12 PM PST - 41 comments

A Canadian perspective on the Memphis Crisis Intervention Team model

The Walrus magazine looks into Toronto police shootings of the mentally ill and the Memphis Crisis Intervention Team model:

Memphis, one-quarter of Toronto’s size but with a homicide rate nine times higher, has developed a progressive approach to de-escalate high-tension confrontations, improve police attitudes toward those suffering from mental illness, and divert them from the criminal justice system. The Memphis Crisis Intervention Team model centres on dispatching specially trained beat cops to emergency calls as quickly as possible, and giving them the authority to take charge of the scene. That approach triggered a revolution in policing that has now been emulated in 2,700 jurisdictions across the US, including large urban centres such as Chicago and Los Angeles. A handful of Canadian cities, among them Hamilton and Vancouver, have also adopted the CIT model. While the TPS has not, senior officials claim that all of its 5,500 uniformed officers receive some training in how to handle mental illness, which makes the recent proliferation of shootings that much more perplexing.
posted by porn in the woods at 7:11 PM PST - 11 comments

Sky rockets in flight, afternoon delight

Daylight Firework Compilation from around the world, a very different display. If rain or hurricanes are putting a damper on your Independence Day pyrotechnics, check out Sergio Paolelli, Festival San Trifone - Adelfia 2013 for a spectacular 25 minute daylight show with a breathtaking finale. Also from Adelfia 2013, a grounds-eye view of the wild Batteria Sanseverese.
posted by madamjujujive at 6:48 PM PST - 13 comments

"Clarence" Creator fired from Cartoon Network after Harassment

Skyler Page has been fired from Cartoon Network. The Clarence creator and voice of the title character has been fired for groping a co-worker on the show. The news broke yesterday from Maré Odomo (her work previously on the blue), and Emily Partridge came out shortly after as the person Odomo was talking about. And Partridge had been talking about an unnamed incident since June 29th. This morning, it was rumored that Page had been fired from Cartoon Network and banned from the premises, and later today, Cartoon Brew confirmed that this was the case. Pen Ward, creator of Adventure Time -- which Page had worked on prior to Clarence -- met with Partridge and the two talked about how to set up an online safe place for women in her situation. [more inside]
posted by Rev. Syung Myung Me at 5:16 PM PST - 45 comments

For the winner in all of us

10 tricks to appear smart during meetings " Like everyone, appearing smart during meetings is my top priority. Sometimes this can be difficult if you start daydreaming about your next vacation, your next nap, or bacon. When this happens, it’s good to have some fallback tricks to fall back on."
posted by mooselini at 5:05 PM PST - 84 comments

"There are specific instructions when Isaac Hayes comes on."

Wattstax [SLYT] is a 1973 documentary film about the 1972 Wattstax music festival, held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to commemorate the seventh anniversary of the Watts riots. Featuring performances by Isaac Hayes, Albert King, Rufus and Carla Thomas, The Staple Singers, The Emotions, The Bar-Kays, and other greats of soul, R&B, and gospel, Wattstax also incorporates relatively unknown comic Richard Pryor's musings on life for black Americans in 1972, "man-and-woman-on-the-street" interviews, and audience footage. [NSFW] [more inside]
posted by Room 641-A at 5:03 PM PST - 23 comments

Storytelling in worlds of swords & sorcery

After two years of public playtest and discussion, the fifth edition of Dungeons & Dragons makes its debut today. The Basic Rules are now available as a free PDF. [more inside]
posted by graymouser at 3:55 PM PST - 120 comments

Left on your own in the jail of your mind

Electric shocks preferable to being left alone with your own thoughts, study suggests
posted by prize bull octorok at 3:26 PM PST - 58 comments

None of the many men I spoke to had mentioned her name.

"At one point, Whitney Wolfe was promoted as Tinder’s “inventor” and co-founder in fashion magazines like Harper’s Bazaar. She named the app, and her marketing savvy was often cited as the reason it found an audience among young women. Her role in the company was widely touted as an exception to male-dominated startup culture. According to the lawsuit, [Justin] Mateen told Wolfe, who was 24 years old at the time, that “he was taking away her ‘Co-Founder’ title because having a young female co-founder ‘makes the company seem like a joke’ and ‘devalues’ the company.” Mateen had also been designated a co-founder of the company despite joining after the fact, and argued that Wolfe’s title undermined him." Tinder Co-founder files sexual harassment lawsuit. [more inside]
posted by emptythought at 3:24 PM PST - 94 comments

"Maybe I’ll start a fly and broke tumblr or something."

Fat-Booty Butch Buys A Suit On A Budget.
I’m a brown dyke living in the Bronx, working 40 hours a week at an non-profit arts center. I’m finally with it enough to pay all my bills on time, if at all. I’ve got a roof over my head and some change in my savings account. I’m not complaining. It’s been worse for me but fuck, just having a job feels like a blessing sometimes. Living in this city makes it feel like I’m scraping by with every penny just to live. My play money is tight and I don’t know how to sew. I wear clothes until they’ve given up on life and I’m not ashamed. I often wonder how regular people buy new clothes all the time. Clothes in the hood and at super-low discount shops never seem to last very long. Fancy clothes cost so much, like why isn’t everyone just running around in cloth diapers? What is someone like me supposed to do when they need to look good in real life?
[more inside]
posted by Lexica at 3:14 PM PST - 26 comments

Fresh Air or Times Square?

Where do the smartest people move? A new report finds that higher intelligence is linked with rural-to-city migration, and with city-to-suburb movement.
posted by pearlybob at 2:34 PM PST - 17 comments

Not just decorative bikini armor

A props and armor designer for film, Samantha Swords takes her work seriously. Very seriously. In February of 2013 she won the Harcourt Park World Invitational Longsword Competition . There appears to be a growing interest in competitive european sword fighting in the US.
posted by korej at 2:08 PM PST - 16 comments

Shit just got real.

What is Bayhem? [previously from Tony Zhou]
posted by brundlefly at 2:08 PM PST - 13 comments

The amazing teeny tiny books by the Brontes

The amazing teeny tiny books by the Brontes. In 1829-30, Charlotte Bronte was 13 and her brother Branwell Brontë 12. Creating fantasy worlds they called Angria and Glass Town, the siblings made teeny tiny books.
posted by sweetkid at 1:57 PM PST - 13 comments

Having babies...with science

Evidence Based Birth is a blog with articles by Rebecca Dekker, a PhD nurse and faculty member at the University of Kentucky, summarizing the best medical evidence for childbirth practices. To start, check out the table summarizing the state of US maternity care to see the differences between current standard childbirth practices and evidence based care. The topics page lists the currently available articles. [more inside]
posted by medusa at 12:50 PM PST - 40 comments

Robben was robbed.

Who won the World Cup of Arm-Folding?
posted by DynamiteToast at 12:27 PM PST - 36 comments

A Living Sea of Spaghetti

Nat Geo Snake Dens of Manitoba (video 3:43) Every year, thousands of snakes gather at the Narcisse Snake Dens in Manitoba, Canada. It's billed as the largest gathering of snakes anywhere in the world. Manitoba’s climate and geology make it the perfect place for red-sided garter snakes to live and mate. It has become a tourist attraction, but it’s not for the faint of heart.
posted by srboisvert at 12:12 PM PST - 35 comments

Like QWOP, but more evil

What has four arms, four legs, a tiny mustache, and a penchant for painting? Double Hitler.
posted by backseatpilot at 11:40 AM PST - 12 comments

The strange stories behind our most famous gifs

Okay, so you've watched a lot of funny or strange animated gifs. But do you know what's behind the gifs?
posted by MartinWisse at 11:40 AM PST - 17 comments

To make a call the writer had to travel 18 miles

A visit to George Orwell's house on the remote Scottish island of Jura.
posted by Chrysostom at 11:32 AM PST - 15 comments

You have 0 gunk

Because today is effectively Friday afternoon for those of us in the U.S., here is Space Lich Omega, an "incremental RPG" inspired by previous MeFite favorite Candy Box. [more inside]
posted by jbickers at 11:13 AM PST - 95 comments

NSA: Linux Journal an 'extremist forum'

Use Linux or Tor? Search for information about online privacy? The NSA is keeping an eye on you [more inside]
posted by ryanshepard at 10:26 AM PST - 56 comments

I'm leaving my body to science, not medical but physics

Let's Talk About Science is a blog devoted to discussing the world of science and technology communication with clear, beginner-friendly language, written and compiled by nanoscientist/physicist Jessamyn Fairfield and science educator ErinDubitably. [more inside]
posted by divined by radio at 10:16 AM PST - 4 comments

Older lay-dees!

…and if that’s the reason that you don’t love me then maybe that’s not love. Older ladies having a ball: Complete with dirndls and lederhosen and yodeling in the meadow. Not to mention dancing chickens and swimsuits and ballgowns. (SLYT)
posted by evilmomlady at 9:47 AM PST - 7 comments

If you build it, they will come

Building Bigger Roads Actually Makes Traffic Worse [more inside]
posted by the man of twists and turns at 9:35 AM PST - 59 comments

we are all the same inside

what burger king's proud whopper tells us about marketing to LGBT consumers
posted by and they trembled before her fury at 9:30 AM PST - 44 comments

Pants and Trousers, Breeches and Pantaloons, Jodhpurs and Slacks, Oh My!

With the recent discovery of the world's oldest known trousers in China, it may be time to look at the history of that two legged garment invented in response to a specific need: to make travel by horseback far more comfortable. [more inside]
posted by julen at 9:12 AM PST - 15 comments

Cheesy Feet

Fondue slippers, that is all.
posted by arcticseal at 9:12 AM PST - 21 comments

Beating the heat, SE Baltimore-style!

Row houses fill the streets of southeast Baltimore. Before air conditioning, there was little privacy and a lot of heat in the narrow, brick-lined streets. A green grocer accidentally found a solution. [more inside]
posted by QIbHom at 9:04 AM PST - 10 comments

men as feminist allies

35 Practical Tools for Men to Further Feminist Revolution: "This list entails suggestions for some practical tools all men can apply in their day-to-day lives to foster equality in their relationships with women, and to contribute to a culture where women feel less burdened, unsafe, and disrespected." [more inside]
posted by flex at 8:00 AM PST - 357 comments

No Bullshit Hiring Histories

"Pastry work takes a level of skill, precision and rigor that I lacked in spades. I could’ve maybe become a decent pastry cook, with months of practice and a patient boss, but I was in no way qualified to be a pastry chef. I gave it my best effort, for three days, until the chef-owner realized her mistake and fired me. The place closed in less than 6 months. I never got paid." Laurie Woolever at The Billfold talks about how she went from Botantical Garden Intern to Anthony Bourdain's assistant.
posted by The Whelk at 7:59 AM PST - 26 comments

Everyday exploration of chemical compounds

Compound Interest makes infographics [index] covering chemistry basics and the chemistry behind every day phenomena, like the aroma of books, cilantro, and cell phones. In time for the 4th of July, the chemistry behind fireworks: gunpowder and color. Over on tumblr, Compound Interest answers questions about chemistry, dispels myths (glowsticks, MSG), promotes science (bad science, the dose makes the poison ) and other... things. Compound Interest has also teamed up with the American Chemical Society to make videos (why does bacon smell so good?). [more inside]
posted by bobobox at 6:57 AM PST - 8 comments

Rely on SSRI and say 'hi-ho' in the coffee shop

Susumu Hirasawa is a Japanese musician who has been doing electronic composition since 1972. [more inside]
posted by Librarypt at 6:47 AM PST - 11 comments

"They are sending my son to die and I will never forgive them for that."

Orashia Edwards, a bisexual man seeking asylum in the UK due to persecution in Jamaica based on his sexual orientation, has had his petition denied and was scheduled to be deported yesterday. The immigration court concluded Orashia has been “dishonest” about his sexuality, but has not stated why. Speculation about the reasons includes the existence of his 14-month-old daughter, or the possibility that his responses to some of the detailed and intrusive questions sometimes asked of bisexual asylum seekers in the UK were not persuasive enough. It may just be that “the box one needs to fit in to ‘deserve’ support and asylum is so tiny as to be almost non-existent for bisexual people.” [more inside]
posted by Stacey at 6:18 AM PST - 41 comments

Wait for it...

A stick of butter, left out at room temperature, melts in summer heat.
posted by frimble at 6:02 AM PST - 75 comments

Mapping Census Data

Datashine: Census is a site from UCLs Big Open Data: Mining and Synthesis project which provides an easy interface to map UK population data. [more inside]
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 5:28 AM PST - 2 comments

Yes, we get it, the bloody parrot is dead.

"The slickness, the cosiness, the lack of spontaneity, the inevitable gallery-playing, Eric Idle's bloody songs (just what we needed, a slightly edgier Richard Stilgoe)... this is the kind of schlock they once stood up against, and worse, it will just compound the modern perception of Python as something unthreatening and whimsical, a posh boys' lark, an "icon of Britishness", a zany figleaf for the humourless and the deeply conventional, like brightly-patterned socks." On the back of mixed reviews on the Python reunion, Taylor Parkes looks at the other side of Monty Python.
posted by mippy at 4:07 AM PST - 97 comments

Toronto Needs More Shirtless Joggers

Toronto Needs More Shirtless Joggers [more inside]
posted by modernnomad at 3:50 AM PST - 100 comments

Two-speed America

How much separates ADHD drugs from street meth? Not much. And where is it all going? "Aside from some foul cutting material, Winnebago methamphetamine and pharmaceutical amphetamine are kissing chemical cousins. The difference between them boils down to one methyl-group molecule that lets crank race a little faster across the blood-brain barrier and kick just a little harder. After that, meth breaks down fast into good old dextroamphetamine, the dominant salt in America’s leading ADHD drug and cram-study aid, Adderall."
posted by imperium at 3:49 AM PST - 99 comments

Poems in Conversation

3 poems about language. 9 poems without language. 4 poems of language on the edge. 3 poems from languages on the edge. 3 poems about zombies. 2 poems about mermaids. 6 poems drawn in color. 1 poem erased from black and white. 3 dreams by Zurita. 16 dreams by Bolaño. Something about bricks. Something about America. Wot kynde horse brayne spoile our cheery meal. wurrrghc brggguhdrvl.
posted by Monsieur Caution at 2:37 AM PST - 4 comments

Math is Hard!

Inspire Her Mind [more inside]
posted by kagredon at 1:56 AM PST - 14 comments

Early Days on Street View

Ian McClatchie, the Ambivalent Engineer, reminisces about his time on the Google Street View project. "At the time I was hired, we had two copies of the first camera set, which I dubbed R1. These had been assembled by bolting five 11 megapixel CCD based book-scanning cameras (shown below) to a plywood board, and bolting that to the roof of a car, much of which was accomplished by Elliot Kroo when he was, if I'm not mistaken, 14 years old (youngest intern ever at Google). Neither R1 worked much, due to problems with the cameras, not Elliot!"
posted by daisyk at 1:48 AM PST - 20 comments

« Previous day | Next day »