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XXXmas! Wherever and whoever's celebrating, no matter what your religious beliefs are, Xmas (in the Christian-dominated world at least) means over-indulgence and conspicuous consumption. The standard fare and behaviour, however, vary wildly. Here's a standard Christmas menu for Portugal and a glimpse into one of Barcelona's less savoury traditions to start the ball rolling. Just how different are MeFi Xmas experiences? Hey, do they have anything in common at all?
posted by MiguelCardoso at 11:01 PM PST - 24 comments

Warren Ellis Interviews the author of Nowhere Girl, which is a long running graphic novel on the web. The author refuses to put it into a traditional print format because she whould lose control over her work. Warren Ellis interviews her and talks about this.
posted by nyxxxx at 10:58 PM PST - 11 comments

This guy takes a picture of himself every day. A guy takes a picture of himself every day and puts it online in a large montage. A moustache, braces, and mullet all creep in during the proceeds, only for him to now look much like he did when he started. (Found on design portal, NewsToday)
posted by wackybrit at 10:26 PM PST - 25 comments

Lesbian sues over locker room ban. A 14-year old middle school girl is forbidden from sharing a locker room with the other girls because she is a lesbian. Meanwhile, on the other coast (NYT link): New York gay rights bill passes.
posted by adrober at 10:23 PM PST - 79 comments

"Hitting Home: Coercive Theory, Air Power and Authoritarian Targets" will answer your questions on how aerial bombardment fits into the range of options between coercive diplomacy and total war, questions such as: -- What should be targeted for bombing? -- Exactly how much do you need to destroy to achieve your government's political objectives?
posted by sheauga at 7:41 PM PST - 5 comments

Look out Aretha, here comes Joanna Levesque --an eleven year old, R&B prodigy, who has been wowing 'em since age two. She has major recording labels knocking at her door but hasn't signed with anyone yet. I discovered Joanna's music by accident browsing on CD Baby. Her voice is amazingly mature and oh-so-soulful! LISTEN. Do you think she's the next and future Queen of Soul?
posted by VelvetHellvis at 7:17 PM PST - 16 comments

"You are now clear to engage the vehicles." (Warning: 5.5 meg Windows Media video.) This video purports to be the gunsight view of an American AC-130 gunship targetting a compound, and its inhabitants and vehicles, in Afghanistan. Complete with battlefield audio. While I can't guarantee its provenance, it does appear to show what it says. Leaving that aside: How do you react to this footage? Does it change your view of the engagement in Afghanistan? Should more people see this footage? What has the lack of this sort of footage -- didn't we see much more of this sort of battlefield view during the Gulf War? -- meant to the war effort, and the war at home?
posted by lupus_yonderboy at 5:57 PM PST - 126 comments

Rappers often killed by their own lifestyle? Maybe they are right? maybe phillyhiphop.com should call for a boycott of the Metro for printing this prime example of cheap, ill-researched, obtuse journalism (.pdf, html in the phillyhiphop.com article). Yes it is offensive, but is a boycott the only way we can react to piss-poor journalism?
posted by keno at 4:54 PM PST - 22 comments

Now I know what you're thinking, Barry and Levon, where did you get a quicktime archive of every The State skit? Shhhh.....don't worry your pretty head about it, it ain't your concern. Now if you excuse me I got to whisper sweet nothings to two-hundred and forty dollars worth of pudding.
posted by Stan Chin at 3:00 PM PST - 43 comments

Christmas Dinner, 1884. A large online database of restaurant menus from the Los Angeles Public Library's collection. Dating from the 1860s to the 1990s, most are from California establishments. Part of this set of LA-related collections.
posted by staggernation at 2:46 PM PST - 8 comments

The search for the perfect adjective Everyone wants to become a writer these days, it seems. And why not - with software such as this (wow), you can practically automate the process, or you can hire a novelist to write the novel for you, so you can concentrate on getting paid for touring the country to read out loud. No wonder we now have so many book clubs to sort out what to read. Hope we have enough trees.
posted by Voyageman at 2:19 PM PST - 17 comments

The President signs the E-Government Act. Good? Bad? Ugly?
posted by MrMoonPie at 1:17 PM PST - 15 comments

Bush Orders Missile System Deployed. President Bush on Tuesday ordered the military to begin deploying a national missile defense system with land- and sea-based interceptor rockets to be operational starting in 2004. The decision to begin deploying a national missile defense, which has been criticized by Russia and China, follows North Korea's announcement this month that it will proceed with a controversial program to develop nuclear weapons. Is the sky actually falling?
posted by Keyser Soze at 12:46 PM PST - 56 comments

Listening Post: Giving Voice to Online Communication One of the most realized multimedia installations ever presented, the work of Mark Hansen from Bell Labs and Ben Rubin from earstudio. Essential.
posted by plexi at 12:13 PM PST - 2 comments

Ahenakew Apologizes. In the interests of full disclosure, we Canucks have our own racist boneheads who embarass us as much as Trent Lott embarasses Americans. David Ahenakew is a former leader of the Assembly of First Nations and possesses Canada's highest civilian award, The Order of Canada. And just a few days ago he spewed vile racist comments... (more)
posted by five fresh fish at 11:40 AM PST - 66 comments

Hernando de Soto is the founder of the Institute y Libertad Democracia, one of the world's premier think-tanks on economic development, based in Peru. His argument is that development in the third-world has failed because of institutional barriers which prevent ordinary citizens from legally registering their own property. His viewpoint is not unchallenged though, as Robert J. Samuelson challenges that he overlooks significant cultural differences between the West and "the Rest". These differences reward different values than the West's capitalism, and cause development to take a very different course than Western economists predict it should.
posted by Pseudoephedrine at 11:28 AM PST - 11 comments

The ever popular WiFi systems are the latest threat to National Security according to this story.
posted by thedailygrowl at 11:18 AM PST - 5 comments

Animals trapped in stone have been reported many times, but do you believe it? Why has there been so little investigation of these claims? It could be the key to re-animation...
posted by agregoli at 11:00 AM PST - 36 comments

Are you bored with your basic windsports? Grab a Kitewing, and speed along on your favorite skis, snowboard, or skates at speeds approaching 65MPH. Still too tame? Hold the wing horizontal and you'll go vertical. Just make sure to call your mom from the hospital.
posted by KnitWit at 9:47 AM PST - 9 comments

2002's worst Americans...are YOU on the list? Whomever could be number #1?
posted by vito90 at 8:57 AM PST - 54 comments

Nobel Laureate says it is right to rebel against globalization. "The protests against globalisation are often ungainly, ill-tempered, simplistic, frenzied and frantic, even highly disruptive. And yet, they also serve the function of questioning and disputing the unexamined contentment about the world in which we live." [Exact quote- British spelling]
posted by SandeepKrishnamurthy at 8:53 AM PST - 11 comments

1) See! the mysterious Blue Hole of Castalia.
2) Drive east 524 miles.
3)See! the mysterious Blue Hole, lair of the Jersey Devil.
4) Fly 1600 miles south
5) See! the mysterious Blue Hole of Belize.
posted by putzface_dickman at 8:12 AM PST - 15 comments

Santa found living on the South Pole....of Mars!?! Mysterious tracks that look like 250-mile long ski or sled trails have been found near the South Pole of Mars. Researchers at the University of Colorado have found the broad, sweeping lines cutting through a section of the southern ice caps of the frigid planet, but haven't a clue what caused them. via the excellent laputan logic
posted by Ufez Jones at 7:50 AM PST - 7 comments

USA intelligence agencies revealed Ok. But we get 5% of our oil from there. You decide.
posted by Postroad at 6:18 AM PST - 23 comments

The Virtual Corkscrew Museum - this extensive site in the "magnificent obsession" genre contains more than 3700 photos of corkscrews and related items. The variety is delightful. Some of my favorites are the Mannekin Pis, the helping hands and the Buster Brown Shoes. Oh, and the holiday greetings from readers. Be warned that some pages have sound and a corny quotient, and you'll have to e-mail the webmaster if you want to see the erotic collection.
posted by madamjujujive at 6:18 AM PST - 6 comments

You've been in Japan too long when... A) ...you are not surprised to wake up in the morning and find that the woman who stayed over last night has completely cleaned your apartment, even though you'll probably never ever meet her again. B) ...you are not surprised to wake up in the morning and find that the woman who stayed over last night has completely cleaned your apartment, even though you'll probably never ever meet her again. C) ...your hair is thinning and you consider it "barcode style". Or perhaps if you're unsurprised that such a historically isolationist nation is now so uniquely and openly fascinated with the opinions of those who have moved to their land...wow. This is somewhere I must travel to.
posted by effugas at 12:26 AM PST - 68 comments