November 2, 2009
Never give any important decision to a public radio host
Put This On is a new video series and blog by MeFi's Jesse Thorn (youngamerican) and Adam Lisagor (Twitter's lonelysandwich) on men's style, with the style-unconscious but pragmatic beginner in mind. [via mefi projects] [more inside]
Same Old Blues
Morning rain keeps on falling. Freddie King's classic performed by Joanne Shaw Taylor. [more inside]
Papercraft Self Portrait
Walkin' Tall
Acting!
Slate goes meta on Balloon Boy. Some good questions here about the accuracy of law enforcement in determining veracity.
Limberjack and Limberjill
Jig Dolls as a percussion instrument, here played by Jean Ritchie [previously] and The Beers Family. There are modern exponents though - Limberjacking is NOT just for folkies.
That's one sad kitchen
The Last Days of Gourmet Some photos of the last few days of clean-up from the inside of Gourmet Magazine's offices.
It's Helvetica! I know this!
TypeWar: How well do you know your fonts?
More than Meets the Eye
Transformer costumes that actually transform! Now that Halloween 2009 is over, time to start your work on next year's costume. You can go DIY, or just break down and buy one.
Rip off.
An insurance industry CEO explains why health care in the U.S. costs so much. Full set of charts here (1.29 mb pdf)
"And here is a red balloon.. I think of DARPA and note its exact coordinates"
"To mark the 40th anniversary of the Internet, DARPA has announced the DARPA Network Challenge.... The challenge is to be the first to submit the locations of ten moored, 8 foot, red weather balloons located at ten fixed locations in the continental United States. Balloons will be in readily accessible locations and visible from nearby roadways." Teams must register by December 1st and have two weeks to submit balloon locations. [more inside]
"She screamed: 'You have rejected me? You have dared to reject me? Me, your highest value?'"
Two new biographies examine the life and legacy of Ayn Rand.
Johann Hari of Slate reads them both responds with a crystaline and scathing evisceration of Rand's philosophy based on the context of the events of her life. [more inside]
Random Weed Name Generator
Here's one for the 4:20 crowd: "The Random Weed Name Generator is a free public service, providing the cannabis community with more than 45,000 unique hemp handles."
Now you gonna be Gandalf the Red!
'This is not a joke, this is not a scam, this is not available on TV. I will write a check TODAY for $10,000, and viola! Terminator off your hands.'
With the rights to the Terminator franchise up for sale, Joss Whedon makes a bid.
With the rights to the Terminator franchise up for sale, Joss Whedon makes a bid.
A Walk to Beautiful
The documentary A Walk to Beautiful, follows five women in Ethiopia suffering from fistula, isolated from their villages and some from their families, seeking treatment at one of the few charity clinics. It can be viewed online at the PBS NOVA site. Dr. Catherine Hamlin, who runs the hospital in Addis Ababa, is interviewed here. There's also been a couple of recent articles on fistula: one from Nicholas Kristof who's been one of the most prominent voices on this issue, a piece by Kate Harding, and an older piece where Abby Frucht describes living with fistula in a developed country with a supportive family. For those inclined to donate, links to charities can be found in the Kristof op-ed. Other Metafilter posts on fistula: 1, 2
bop the alligator
DroidQuest, Gate and Logicly are modern logic puzzle games based on the classic educational games Rocky's Boots (1982) and Robot Odyssey (1984). [more inside]
tank man 2?
Nerd to power: mathlete takes on Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
When Khamenei asked if the audience had any questions, Vahidnia stood up and answered, "Yes, I have some words with you." (via)
When Khamenei asked if the audience had any questions, Vahidnia stood up and answered, "Yes, I have some words with you." (via)
Black and White WTF
Mexico's Terrible Year
Mexico’s Año Horrible: Global Crisis Stings Economy. "Until last September, the global economic slump was expected to take a fairly limited toll on the Mexican economy." [more inside]
You owe the Oracle 20 years of Internet nostalgia
O great and wise Oracle, whose wisdom is as vast as the sea, just who the heck are ya and what do you do? [more inside]
There's more to it than "omit the instrumental part"
How Green is My Home?
“Oh, it’s all bullshit. The high design? That has nothing to do with reality. That’s just architectural self-indulgence.” The greening of architecture is quite a contentious subject. Because of a renewed emphasis on traditional home-building methods, The Green Home of the Future is in many respects not dissimilar from The Green Home of Yesterday. A tornado in Greensburg, Kansas provided the impetus for a vote to decide on what green methods would define the movement in that small town. The competition's results stymied many architects' conceptions of what "green" should mean. But in New Orleans, larger-scale destruction by Hurricane Katrina has provided a unique opportunity for proponents of distinct conceptions of green innovation to bring their ideas to life. Opinions among residents are mixed.
Battle for Milkquarious
Battle for Milkquarious - The greatest Rock Opera ever made. About milk. [Flash, dairy advertising] [more inside]
But what about Monkey Polar Express?
The uncanny valley effect (too many previous posts to list) has been blamed for poor acceptance of human-analogue robots (YT) and computer simulations (not to mention the box office results for The Polar Express, Beowulf, and other computer-animated movies).
But did you know that humans are not the only primate species to experience this "too close for comfort" effect? A recent behavioral study in macaque monkeys suggests (pdf) that the uncanny valley may be hardwired into our brains at a deeper level (i.e., earlier-evolved) than previously thought.
Got Real (?) Milk?
Raw Milk is milk that has not been pasteurized or homogenized. Raw milk is legal in England, but not in Scotland. Similarly, it's legal in South Carolina and illegal in Georgia. Enter MeFi's Own® ewagoner of Athens Locally Grown.
[more inside]
Whose leg do I have to hump to get a martini around here?
"You're not allowed to have vodka...sorry, no vodka for Ewoks." Two purportedly drunk actors spoil enliven Today Show segment.
Bank Notes - a collection of bank robbery notes
Bank Notes - a collection of bank robbery notes, successful and otherwise.
Stereo Images from Juneau
Tetris, Like You've Never Played It.
TETRIS! Strangely mesmerising.
Goats, The Obvious Choice in a Recession
Towns everywhere are looking for ways to cut costs during the current economic downturn. Andover, Mass has come up with one interesting solution, goats.
Andover is not the only place goats are being used in the place of weed wackers and lawn mowers. Google is also going with goats, citing the reduction in pollution and the cuteness factor. Possibly they may also attempt to lighten the mood in the office, by mixing in some fainting goats.
Angry People in Local Newspapers.
Angry People in Local Newspapers feels "sorry for local news photographers. They are hugely skilled and poorly paid, and sent out to photograph miserable people pointing at dog turds. Here, we celebrate their work"
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