August 23, 2015

I should be able to read that

Copperplate, a beautiful and elaborate script that in its time was considered a basic penmanship style. Most people in the west know it from wedding invitations and the Declaration of Independence. Traditionally done with a steel nib it was quick, legible and considered elegant. Some consider the flourishes (majuscules in calligraphy vocab) the best part.
posted by ladyriffraff at 5:07 PM PST - 31 comments

There is no "migrant" crisis in the Mediterranean

Why Al Jazeera will not say Mediterranean 'migrants'. [more inside]
posted by standardasparagus at 1:46 PM PST - 49 comments

Can Google Rig Elections?

A fascinating article by Robert Epstein at Politico.com about Google's Search Engine Manipulation Effect (SEME) work, and whether and how they'd be able to influence an election. [more inside]
posted by sneebler at 1:40 PM PST - 35 comments

You Can't, You Won't And You Don't Stop

The Philosophy of Star Trek: The Kobayashi Maru, No-Win Scenarios, And Ethical Leadership
posted by Artw at 1:11 PM PST - 52 comments

"...because I have to."

There is no clever way to title this video. It is a man talking about being raped.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 12:47 PM PST - 24 comments

Bloup!

A new mini-game from Tigrounette (Area801). The objective is to get to the flag. The Master will help some of you or kill you.
posted by what's her name at 11:36 AM PST - 23 comments

What would MetaFilter Water taste like?

Artisanal water is a thing. Products include Fat Water, which contains 2 grams (20 calories) of Bulletproof XCT oil (related: buttered coffee chain). More conventionally, Whole Foods recently sold three stalks of asparagus in 16 oz of water for $6 for a short while. There is artesian Norwegian water, which some allege is “identical to the municipal water supply”. In Texas, Scottish artisanal water is free (though must purchase $2,900 meal to accompany). There is Canadian glacier water, poured by water butlers in Ireland but costing 53 Canadian dollars per bottle. In a Los Angeles bistro, you can drink Berg, a “glacial water from western Greenland” harvested from 15,000-year-old glaciers and displaying “sweet” and “smooth” tones ($20 per 0.75 liter bottle). And finally the Timmy Brothers explain their artisanal water journey (“It’s like opening up a Mark Twain story, except without the racist parts”).
posted by Wordshore at 11:16 AM PST - 76 comments

"Social Media Guy for the Hell's Angels": The Moth live performance

Live standup/storytelling: 'New Yorkers Scream At Each Other When They're Being Nice.' [via mefi projects] [more inside]
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 10:37 AM PST - 13 comments

“So you have put your hope in something else.”

Living in the Age of Permawar by Mohsin Hamid [The Guardian]
You see from your nook that humanity is afflicted by a great mass murderer about whom we are encouraged not to speak. The name of that murderer is Death. Death comes for everyone. Sometimes Death will pick out a newborn still wet from her aquatic life in her mother’s womb. Sometime Death will pick out a man with the muscles of a superhero, pick him out in repose, perhaps, or in his moment of maximum exertion, when his thighs and shoulders are trembling and he feels most alive. Sometimes Death will pick singly. Sometimes Death will pick by the planeload. Sometimes Death picks the young, sometimes the old, and sometimes Death has an appetite for the in-between. You feel it is strange that humanity does not come together to face this killer, like a silver-flashing baitball of 7 billion fish aware of being hunted by a titanic and ravenous shark. Instead, humanity scatters. We face our killer alone, or in families, or in towns or cities or tribes or countries. But never all together.
posted by Fizz at 9:56 AM PST - 7 comments

“His death certificate should say: Hurricane Katrina.”

"Billy McDonald rose to political power in a little Mississippi beach town on the strength of his resilience and colorful personality. But when Hurricane Katrina hit Pass Christian, it took everything from him and his city."
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 8:45 AM PST - 2 comments

Foo Fighters Rick Roll Westboro Baptist Church

Foo Fighters Rick Roll Westboro Baptist Church
posted by signal at 8:39 AM PST - 47 comments

"Your body is not a temple, it's an amusement park. Enjoy the ride."

If cuisine drives (or helps) you decide your travel plans, USA Today's list of food favorites covers Best Farmers Market, Best Food Trail, Best Food Factory Tour, Best Al Fresco Dining Neighborhood and Best Local Food Scene. All those lists are pretty self-explanatory, except for the food trails, which aren't even fully described in the more verbose slideshow of the top 10. And of course there are more than 10 food trails in the US (not to mention abroad), so let's dive in. [more inside]
posted by filthy light thief at 8:33 AM PST - 13 comments

"Doctor ... Doctor ..."

Pertwee's People. [slyt]
posted by feelinglistless at 4:56 AM PST - 15 comments

Cat Purr Generator

If cats were real this is probably how they would have sounded like.
posted by Foci for Analysis at 3:39 AM PST - 31 comments

« Previous day | Next day »