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1-800-SUICIDE loses govt. funding: Despite the fact that almost 2 million callers have reached help and hope over the last 8 years, and a government funded evaluation stating the benefits of 1-800-SUICIDE, the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA), a division of Health & Human Services, has decided to create their own government run system where they would have direct access to confidential data on individuals in crisis. (SAMHSA has already scrubbed their websites of any and all LGBT information, and gay youth are 2-3 times more likely to commit suicide.) Save 1-800-SUICIDE website here.
posted by amberglow at 9:24 PM PST - 68 comments

IRAQ RADIO: Turkish soldiers Enter Northern Iraq by Chan News Agency: The 1st division comander of Iraq's Kurdistan Democratic Party (IKDP) Fahmi Sofi, claimed that about 200 Turkish soldiers entered two kelometers into northern Iraq on Wednesday. His statement came from the Voice of Iraqi Radio.......
posted by Unregistered User at 7:43 PM PST - 58 comments

The "Snakes on a Plane" Problem. "The tragedy of the best titled movie in the history of film."
posted by kirkaracha at 6:09 PM PST - 126 comments

Charlotte Observer photographer Patrick Schneider has been fired. After a 2003 incident in which the North Carolina Press Association stripped him of his awards for three pictures (before and after can be seen here) the Observer has fired Schneider over the alteration of this image. The question remains among photojournalists: is it unethical to alter a photo in such a way that it more closely resembles what the eye saw and the camera is unable to capture, or is this a deceptive practice that damages the public's trust?
posted by TheGoldenOne at 4:02 PM PST - 78 comments

Are you or have you ever been a member of community theater? Sgt. Bleu Copas, an Arabic language specialist was kicked out of the army recently after an "investigation" that involved questions about whether he had a lot of gay friends, and if he'd ever been involved in community theater.
posted by delmoi at 3:57 PM PST - 50 comments

How To Grow A Chair: An Interview with Richard Reames. Arborsculpture is the art of shaping tree trunks to create art and functional items through bending, grafting, pruning, and multiple planting.
posted by team lowkey at 3:57 PM PST - 10 comments

"Rasputina is a 'cello-rock' ensemble. Founded by Melora Creager in 1891, they have long held true to their mission of enlightening the common man as to the power and versatility of the mighty cello." Her insightful comments such as, "There are many things that Satan invented that I can really get behind- like spanking", and "Our undergarments may be soiled, but, our hearts remain pure" have been an inspiration to many. Here's their cover of Zeppelin's "Rock and Roll" (mp3). Unfortunately, they chose the evil RM format to stream their other songs from their site.
posted by sluglicker at 2:43 PM PST - 34 comments

Ever Wonder? "[H]oping to push existing boundaries, this paper will put the accumulated knowledge of two animals to the ultimate test, in an attempt to answer the age-old question of who would win in a fight between a penguin and a lemur. Courtesy of MeFi's own Milkman Dan.
posted by rossination at 2:23 PM PST - 17 comments

"we recognize a divine plan that stands above all human plans and continue to seek His will." So says George W. Bush in a proclamation affirming a Senate resolution commemorating the 50th anniversary of President Eisenhower's decision to establish In God We Trust as the national motto of the United States. Coincidentally, George's brother Jeb has recently approved In God We Trust as Florida's official state motto.
posted by jonp72 at 2:18 PM PST - 60 comments

The Tibetan Book of the Dead: Part One. Part Two. [YouTube videos] [more inside]
posted by nickyskye at 1:55 PM PST - 21 comments

Border Patrol Scouts
posted by pwedza at 1:12 PM PST - 21 comments

"NUKE ISRAEL!... Hezbollah, where can I enlist?"
Jani Taskinen, one of the lead PHP developers, has upped and quit. Why? Because Jani has served as a UN peacekeeper, Zend is run by Israelis, and, well, you work out the rest.
posted by reklaw at 12:46 PM PST - 106 comments

Anthony Bourdain, chef, writer, and TV traveler, writes about his experience in Beirut and his escape to the USS Nashville. Via. Previously.
posted by lackutrol at 12:33 PM PST - 32 comments

Negative Campaign Tactics in Congo: A candidate for president in Congo's first free election in four decades defends himself against accusations of cannibalism. He dismisses as libelous electioneering claims that he ate pygmies during his years as a rebel leader.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 12:09 PM PST - 9 comments

War in Spaaaaaaaacccccce! A practical discussion of weapons that would work in space and orbital combat.
posted by Divine_Wino at 11:18 AM PST - 42 comments

Leonard Cohen reads his poetry on the Online NewsHour.
posted by wheelieman at 10:57 AM PST - 9 comments

Need to find something to do with your empty beer bottles? Got some old gas cans taking up space in the back yard? Does grandma's acoustic bass just need a little something extra? The folks at oddmusic can help.
posted by DeepFriedTwinkies at 10:33 AM PST - 10 comments

Running late at work? Need to get dinner on the table? It is easy to warm up the George Foreman USB iGrill from any internet connection. With a little advance planning, your meal can be ready when you get home! (via b3ta newsletter)
posted by moift at 9:49 AM PST - 45 comments

Obsessive Consumption wants to know what you buy. Obsessive Consumption wants to know what you owe. Created by Kate Bingaman to showcase her love/hate relationship with money, shopping, branding, credit cards, celebrity, advertising and marketing, she documented all of her purchases for 28 months starting on January 22nd, 2002 and ending on April 22nd, 2004. Currently she is drawing a lot of her purchases and all of her credit card statements until they are paid off. Her Obsessive Consumption installation in Kansas City is particularly impressive.
posted by dead_ at 9:23 AM PST - 9 comments

Extra! Tabloid photographs from the Los Angeles Herald Express (1936-1961), showing celebrities, fashion, tragedy, (early) CHiPs, and babes with guns. Via the Virtual Gallery at the LA Public Library, which has many other fine exhibits, such as California in the 20s, the 1932 Olympics, celebrity golf, and a wonderful collection from the golden age of travel posters.
posted by Gamblor at 9:18 AM PST - 15 comments

Ad Supported Software It started with email, and now it's everything from IM, maps and photo galleries. But, free network management software? Can this work?
posted by tboz at 8:55 AM PST - 8 comments

David Gemmell has died.
posted by essexjan at 8:48 AM PST - 13 comments

Maim That Tune "Are you plagued by Stuck Tune Syndrome? Do you have a song stuck in your head you just can't get out? Take heart friend, for your suffering is over. The Maimograph Machine, through complex analysis and calculation, will find an even catchier tune to counter-act the one you already have."
posted by unknowncommand at 8:24 AM PST - 44 comments

787 pieces of clip art, in a loop -- mesmerizing, haunting, and amusing. I can't stop watching. [via coudal]
posted by mathowie at 8:19 AM PST - 38 comments

Gonzalez seeks "protection" from War Crimes Act of 1996 Ten years ago, the Republican Congress passed the War Crimes Act, which makes violations of the Geneva Convention by Americans criminal acts. Now, the Attorney General is urging the current Republican Congress to "shield" those who participate in the War On Terror from the Act.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 7:56 AM PST - 69 comments

Remember Infocom? What makes a small, beloved, and wildly successful developer of interactive fiction decide to sideline the games and venture into building database software instead? While the knowledge that they were bought out and shuttered is pretty common, it isn't until relatively recently that all the details have come to light.
posted by ewagoner at 7:55 AM PST - 19 comments

Only rarely is there an opportunity to participate in a molecular 'happening'. On an open field at Stanford University in 1971, several hundred students convened to undulate and impersonate molecules undergoing protein synthesis by a ribosome. Narrated by Nobel laureate Paul Berg and performed by a cast of very groovy cats. (via)
posted by Turtles all the way down at 7:03 AM PST - 16 comments

SysAdminDay. If you can read this, thank your sysadmin.
posted by ZenMasterThis at 7:01 AM PST - 31 comments

Magnum photos of previous Tours de France. A Flash (Friday) evocative photo essay of Tours gone by. With soothing accordian music and light narration to help you forget your doping woes.
posted by OmieWise at 6:55 AM PST - 11 comments

Law as Art? is a recent article that discusses artwork that deliberately incorporates the law as an intrinsic element of the work itself, including Consideration, Disclaimer, Terms and Conditions, and A Selection of Interesting Secrets from Various Stages in my Life.
posted by ND¢ at 6:44 AM PST - 6 comments

Newsfilter: Police officer infiltrates anti-war group obtains leadership position. Still no pacifist have infiltrated terror cell to discredit their activity by reducing terror.
posted by elpapacito at 5:29 AM PST - 40 comments

Blasphemy on a train. We've talked all about the movie epic of our generation, Snakes on a Plane, before, but now that its within a month of opening, most of us can't even sleep at night. What to do? Placate your anxieties with the direct-to-DVD low budget rip-off from The Asylum. What better testament to capitalism than a company like this succeed riding on the coat-tails of real movies about codes, pirates, and gorillas.
posted by allkindsoftime at 5:10 AM PST - 24 comments

Nerds travel to the infamous Atari 2600 E.T. video game landfill, dig up hundreds of carts, play them and make a music video of it. (Quicktime video.)
posted by loquacious at 3:48 AM PST - 37 comments

Who's on first? The classic sketch from Abbott and Costello available for all to see on youtube. Many others have done the sketch since, or a variation of it, such as Slappy the Squirrel, Yoda and JarJar and World of Warcraft.Previously discussed
posted by TwoWordReview at 2:49 AM PST - 20 comments

The Museum of Online Museams. Our very own Meta-Museum. Perhaps you feel like whistling? Living on the edge, going shopping, , rolling the dice, , or starting a fire? Or would you prefer something smaller? Found via Coudal, which also might be worth a look.
posted by sophist at 1:38 AM PST - 15 comments

freaky flash fryday alex yukon's bizzaro sort-of "resume" flash web thing (parts nsfw). check out his videos (also on youtube. Just don't let the gnome know.
posted by psychobum at 1:06 AM PST - 4 comments

You can drift, you can dream, even walk write on water
Researchers at Akishima Laboratories have developed a device that uses waves to draw text and pictures on the surface of water. Here is a PDF file about the project (I think it is in Japanese, but it has pretty pictures!)
posted by lenny70 at 12:34 AM PST - 16 comments