October 7, 2016

"I love a dog. He does nothing for political reasons."

18 Times Doggie Day Care Was The Happiest Place On Earth — because who's a good weblog? Huh? Who's a good weblog? You are, MetaFilter! [more inside]
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 10:26 PM PST - 16 comments

It probably wasn’t a snake.

As you may know, a couple weeks ago an unidentified woodland creature ate our internet.
posted by matrixclown at 7:47 PM PST - 24 comments

10 Invigorating Songs for a More Productive Mornings

Today is your day. Make it a good one, from the first buzz of the alarm clock to lights out. Let the motivating music set you free. Entrepreneur Magazine suggests 10 songs to help you start your day.
posted by hippybear at 7:43 PM PST - 28 comments

Unknown Pleasures Album Cover Gif Generator

Unknown Pleasures Album Cover Gif Generator [via mefi projects]
posted by bobobox at 4:25 PM PST - 9 comments

Hollywood stars in Japanese whiskey commercials

Hollywood stars in Japanese whiskey commercials
posted by timshel at 3:27 PM PST - 33 comments

200 years since the dreary summer that gave birth to literary monsters

Just before sunset on April 5, 1815, a massive explosion shook the volcanic island of Sumbawa in the Indonesian archipelago. This destroyed the village of Tambora, erasing the unique culture, and changed world history (previously, more). Among the impacts, a small group of authors and creative types holed up in the Villa Diodati in June of 1816 and wrote two iconic "monster" stories that set up the next two centuries of story telling. You can read the inspiration and subsequent works of Lord Byron, Mary Godwin, Percy Bysshe Shelley, John William Polidori and Claire Clairmont below the break. [more inside]
posted by filthy light thief at 12:31 PM PST - 27 comments

222-0

You've probably heard of the most lopsided game in the history of football. 100 years later Jon Bois has arrived to explain how the score is just the beginning of the story.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 12:26 PM PST - 15 comments

New approach to greenspace

Move Over, Rats. New York Is Planning an Underground Park. If you can't build it out or up, then for fuck's sake build it below.
posted by strelitzia at 12:02 PM PST - 28 comments

“Tell him to do with the $1,000 what I did.”

Charles Krauthammer on Paul Erdős.
posted by dfm500 at 11:35 AM PST - 17 comments

"It should be dead, but it's not. Just like a ghost."

The mystery of California's ghost redwoods may have been solved.
Brilliant October sunshine filters through the high forest canopy, where the silver-green needles of healthy trees soak up rays and turn them into fuel. But the albino tree lacks chlorophyll, the green pigment that allows plants to make food from light via photosynthesis. It is incapable of the one thing that all trees must do to live.… The mystery of the albino redwood has stumped researchers for more than a century. The trees are so improbable that those who haven't seen them up close sometimes question whether they can exist at all. But Moore is convinced that this ghost story has a scientific solution - one that should change how we view not just the albino trees, but also the entire forest.
[more inside]
posted by Lexica at 10:16 AM PST - 27 comments

A Brief History of Who Ruined Burning Man

Burning Man has been ruined 27 out of 30 times.
posted by Foci for Analysis at 10:04 AM PST - 27 comments

2016 Wants Plenty of Mirth. Try these.

The culture editors at Slate asked Maria Semple to recommend three funny books with living authors. Then, rather cleverly, they turned around and asked those authors to recommend three funny books. Result: 83 of the funniest books ever, accoding to some of the funniest authors ever. Check 'em out if you need something to help you get through November.
posted by Diablevert at 10:03 AM PST - 27 comments

Women Who Wish They'd Never Had Kids

Women all over the world are coming forward to say it: I regret having my children.
Honesty this surprising and inconvenient breeds harsh backlash wherever it goes. In response to Dutton's Daily Mail story, some comments were vicious. "What an utterly miserable, cold-hearted and selfish woman," noted one. Another was astonished "such a vile creature could exist." Some have even accused these mothers of committing child abuse for daring to utter such thoughts.

posted by a strong female character at 8:55 AM PST - 110 comments

The material culture of prejudice

Racist Objects The New York Times and the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia are partnering to collect stories of personal encounters with racist objects, like producer Logan Jaffe's grandmother's salt and pepper shakers. [more inside]
posted by Miko at 8:42 AM PST - 15 comments

Glass Ceiling Gets a Little Higher

Thirty-five years ago, Lori Robinson decided to join the United States Air Force for a few years just to see what would happen (her father being a fighter pilot may have influenced her decision somewhat). Things kept happening, and earlier this year, General Robinson became the highest-ranking woman in U.S. military history upon her appointment as commander of NORAD and USNORTHCOM. [more inside]
posted by Etrigan at 7:44 AM PST - 9 comments

Fear and Loathing in Birmingham

"Disgusting Xenophobic Repellent". These are the three words on the front page of the Scottish paper, "The National" as the Conservative Part Conference wraps up in Birmingham. [more inside]
posted by Talez at 7:11 AM PST - 142 comments

Dig it

Justin Johnson crankin' out some righteous blues on a 3-string shovel guitar. [more inside]
posted by jammy at 6:34 AM PST - 13 comments

Tonight's Mystery has been cancelled.

Starlee Kine's popular podcast, Mystery Show, has been mysteriously absent from the netwaves. She's finally gone on record that Gimlet Media fired her six months ago. Gimlet issued a terse statement that the show was unsustainable, but will the new season of StartUp turn into a Starlee-starring soap opera? And will Gimlet fans side with the show's creator or with the company?
posted by rikschell at 5:19 AM PST - 81 comments

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