How to make conversation with celebrities at public events?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by randomstriker at 10:51 PM on September 23, 2007 (65 comments)

I want a device that I can keep in my car to listen to podcasts that will download new podcasts from my home Wifi by itself. Does this exist? If not, recommendations on making one?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by jewzilla at 9:02 AM on September 24, 2007 (15 comments)

NickCaveFilter: Fifty years ago this very day, Nicholas Edward Cave [previously] crawled from the womb and started to plot.  At 16 he formed his first band which evolved quickly into the Boys Next Door [Shivers].  This in turn mutated into the Birthday Party (1980) who terrorised the post-punk soundscape in Australia and the UK [Release the Bats | Nick the Stripper].  The Birthday Party relocated to England and in 1984 the band imploded in an orgy of drugs and booze.  Shortly after Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds were born [The Ship Song - video & solo live | The Mercy Seat - video & live | Where the Wild Roses Grow], and 23 years and 11 studio albums later (not to mention a best selling book, a great screenplay, some acting and several soundtrack projects) he is still going strong.  But, instead of sitting on his musical laurels he decided to get back to basics and, in 2006, grew a huge moustache and formed Grinderman – a four piece with a primeval hybrid Birthday Party/Bad Seeds sound [No Pussy Blues | Honey Bee].  Fellow Mefites, I ask you to raise a glass to Mr. Cave… And, especially if you are not familiar to his work, don’t forget to “look inside” for my primer on the enigma that is Nick Cave, one of the finest song-writers on the face of this miserable planet.
posted to MetaFilter by the_very_hungry_caterpillar at 4:59 PM on September 22, 2007 (98 comments)

72 scenes from various episodes of The Simpsons, each one beside the movie scene to which they refer (By The Accordion Guy)
posted to MetaFilter by growabrain at 1:42 PM on September 22, 2007 (76 comments)

Did Bill Bryson and/or Stephen Katz take any photos during their Walk in the Woods? Are they online anywhere? I'd love to see them.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by jclovebrew at 1:07 PM on September 20, 2007 (3 comments)

A selection of eyeglasses for $8. (That's including your lens prescription.) Or if that's not to your liking, there's $39.
posted to MetaFilter by Arthur "Two Sheds" Jackson at 8:24 PM on September 19, 2007 (80 comments)

Help my girlfriend find virgins.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by felix betachat at 5:04 PM on September 19, 2007 (22 comments)

Hypothetically, if you had $10,000 to build a library collection to support a videogame design/animation program, what items would include?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by foxinthesnow at 9:57 PM on September 14, 2007 (7 comments)

Did anyone in the history of Used Car Dealerships ever go to greater lengths to get you to go see him than Cal Worthington and his Dog, Spot? Warning: video contains music that cannot be unlistened to & will haunt you to the grave.
posted to MetaFilter by jonson at 11:23 PM on September 18, 2007 (63 comments)

I remember reading somewhere a quote, perhaps from a famous architect or designer, which described how most of the designer's work is striving to achieve a certain elusive and trascendent "quality", being a designer myself I found it very inspirational but, in zen-like fashion, I forgot about the exact wording of it, and whose it was.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by _dario at 8:47 AM on September 14, 2007 (8 comments)

what is the source "Calvin and Hobbes" strip for the peeing calvin decals? i am pretty sure he wasn't peeing at all, just turned away from the viewer.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by k7lim at 12:08 PM on September 18, 2007 (14 comments)

As of September 18 at midnight, access to all of the New York Times website will be free. In addition to opening the entire site to all readers, The Times will also make available its archives from 1987 to the present without charge, as well as those from 1851 to 1922, which are in the public domain.
posted to MetaFilter by russilwvong at 5:02 PM on September 17, 2007 (78 comments)

Lost Camera! How can I search the 'net's for it?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by sirliberal at 3:30 PM on September 16, 2007 (4 comments)

Does anyone have any personal recommendations for a relationship therapist in/around San Francisco for a late-20-something hetero couple?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Anonymous at 5:44 PM on September 16, 2007 (1 comment)

Sunday Night, later named Michelob Presents Night Music, was an NBC late-night television show hosted by Jools Holland and David Sanborn which aired for two seasons between 1988 and 1990 as a showcase for jazz and eclectic musical artists. [YouTubeFilter, via]
posted to MetaFilter by carsonb at 10:22 AM on September 16, 2007 (31 comments)

Rowan Atkinson Multiple link YouTube post Some of Atkinson's greatest hits over the years: Amazing Jesus, Welcome to Hell, Conservative Conference, Smut, With Friends Like These, Fatal Beatings, a day in the life of the invisible man, Beekeeping (w/ John Cleese), Blackadder explains how the first Wold War started, Blackadder explains the Russian Revolution, Blackadder on a secret mission and a serious interview with Michael Parkinson.
posted to MetaFilter by psmealey at 7:54 AM on September 15, 2007 (66 comments)

We got absolutely screwed by the guy who sold us our house. Can you suggest some recourse?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Anonymous at 5:03 PM on September 14, 2007 (31 comments)

Re-Connections [1 2 3 4 5 6 7, YouTube]. Interviews with James Burke at the 25th anniversary of his landmark series Connections and The Day the Universe Changed. [Previously]
posted to MetaFilter by McLir at 8:38 PM on September 14, 2007 (27 comments)

Get Satisfaction has launched. It's crowd-sourced customer service -- or something like that.
posted to MetaFilter by chunking express at 9:12 AM on September 13, 2007 (25 comments)

Glacier surfing. Filming in Alaska in 1995, photographer and surfer Ryan Casey looked at the huge waves kicked up by calving glaciers – up to 30 feet high, breaking on an ice shelf 18 inches deep, surrounded by tumbling chunks of ice as big as buildings – and thought, I bet you could surf that. A month ago, Hawaiian big-wave surfers Garrett McNamara and Keali’i Mamala did it. (YT)
posted to MetaFilter by gottabefunky at 1:23 PM on September 13, 2007 (31 comments)

How do you pitch a TV show idea, particularly if it's unsolicited?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by DoctorFedora at 6:33 PM on September 13, 2007 (9 comments)

I'm buying a Playstation 3, but I want to include at least one game that my girlfriend will also enjoy. The Wii seems to be more kid- and girl-friendly. Is there a non-RPG, non-sports PS3 game that is "fun for the whole family?"
posted to Ask MetaFilter by jackypaper at 8:29 PM on September 13, 2007 (23 comments)

How do you explain God, death, and infinity to a 5-year old? Please recommend a book or online resource for explaining philosophy, existentialism, and other abstract concepts to a young child not yet capable of abstract cognitions.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by jujube at 9:38 AM on September 13, 2007 (40 comments)

Well boys I reckon this is it. A B-52 loaded with six nuclear cruise missiles leaves North Dakota and arrives in Louisiana with five prompting the ACC to schedule (and announce) an Air Force wide standown on September 14, 2007. What's next Major Kong?
posted to MetaFilter by augustweed at 3:34 PM on September 12, 2007 (141 comments)

Can a professional photographer upload his work to flickr to showcase his work for commercial purposes?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by clockworkjoe at 11:00 AM on September 11, 2007 (18 comments)

Geology/ArchaeologyFilter: What is this stone? Is it man-made? Is it natural? How old is it? Who made it? Should I donate it to a museum?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by billtron at 2:39 PM on September 6, 2007 (11 comments)

Learn to Play Guitar! Justin, of JustinGuitar.com (not the dork with the TV camera strapped to his head) offers over 100 free video guitar lessons for absolute noobs & guitar enthusiasts, with lesson categories & written instrx as well. For people who want tablature to play along, the good people of Guitar Video Tabs provide full tab notation under videos hundreds of popular songs.
posted to MetaFilter by jonson at 4:26 PM on September 3, 2007 (17 comments)

We're drowning in quirk. It is the ruling sensibility of today’s Gen-X indie culture, defined territorially by the gentle ministrations of public radio’s This American Life; the strenuously odd (and now canceled) TV sitcom Arrested Development; the movies of Wes Anderson; Dave Eggers’s McSweeney’s Web site; the performance art, music, and writing of Miranda July; and the just-too-wacky-to-be-fully-believable memoirs of Augusten Burroughs. It’s been 20 years of beneficent, wide-eyed gazing upon the oddities of our fellow man. David Byrne probably birthed contemporary quirk around 1985— halfway between his “Psycho Killer” beginnings with the Talking Heads and his move to global pop—when he sang the song “Stay Up Late”: “Cute, cute, little baby / Little pee-pee, little toes.” (As it happens, Byrne appeared on July’s recent book tour.) Jon Cryer’s “Duckie” Dale in Pretty in Pink came a year later, and quirk was on its way.
posted to MetaFilter by psmealey at 12:33 PM on September 5, 2007 (173 comments)

Satan Rides the Media is a documentary about the Norwegian black metal scene and the notorious Varg Vikernes, founder of the one-man band, Burzum. In 1993, Vikernes was convicted for a series of church burnings and the murder of Øystein Aarseth a.k.a. Euronymous of the band Mayhem. Varg's crimes inspired both copycat arsons and the book Lords of Chaos, which led one book reviewer to make the claim that neoconservatism is totally black metal. But if that doesn't quench your thirst for demoniac documentaries, you can always check out the grindhouse flick Satanis, Anton Lavey in a kiddie promo clip to sell Satanism, and Geraldo Exploring Satan's Underground (Parts 1 and 2).
posted to MetaFilter by jonp72 at 5:24 PM on September 5, 2007 (34 comments)

I-75 project Norm Magnusson's signage as art/protest. other projects by the same fellow.
posted to MetaFilter by edgeways at 9:28 PM on September 4, 2007 (10 comments)

How can I figure out a musical interlude I heard this morning on Weekend America?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by msali at 11:06 AM on September 1, 2007 (9 comments)

I've got about $3,000 per month to invest, and I don't have time, knowledge, or energy to "beat the market". What's my best safe bet?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Anonymous at 8:09 PM on September 3, 2007 (42 comments)

Here's a song I've done about the sea and things...
posted to MeFi Music by spacedog at 8:49 AM on August 5, 2007 (5 comments)

T.R.A.N.S.I.T. is, by a wide margin, my favorite animated short ever produced. Set in the art deco Europe of the 1920's and (and released in 1997) it tells the story of a journey throughout several major vacation destinations of a wealthy tycoon, his young wife with wandering eyes, and a murderous turn of events. The story is told in reverse, from the final stage of the "vacation" back through each prior stop, and the artwork for each segment is painted in the style of the luggage travel sticker for that stop.
posted to MetaFilter by jonson at 2:35 PM on September 2, 2007 (14 comments)

Two stunning minutes of MTV Though, you'll only see it in South America.
posted to MetaFilter by parmanparman at 6:59 AM on September 2, 2007 (52 comments)

The Greatest Rock & Roll Show On Earth: Jethro Tull { Song For Jeffrey } The Who { A Quick One While He's Away } Taj Mahal { Checkin' Up On My Baby, Leaving Trunk, Corrina, Ain't That A Lot Of Love } Marianne Faithfull { Something Better } clowns ☻ The Dirty Mac John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards & Mitch Mitchell { Yer Blues [2nd take] } Yoko Ono with Ivry Gitlis & The Dirty Mac { Whole Lotta Yoko } The Rolling Stones { Jumpin' Jack Flash, No Expectations, You Can't Always Get What You Want, Sympathy For The Devil [previously] } (1968)
posted to MetaFilter by Poolio at 2:55 AM on September 1, 2007 (39 comments)

I'm throwing a party tonight -- but not just any party. I'm throwing a Trapped in the Closet viewing party. The question is this: what should my signature drink be? A cool cocktail? A faux-cool cocktail? What would R. Kelly do?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by rex at 1:21 PM on August 31, 2007 (29 comments)

Man buys Allsop, relists it as Allsopp - proving that on eBay, presentation is everything. via b3ta
posted to MetaFilter by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 8:12 AM on August 31, 2007 (38 comments)

Any recommendations for a concealed-carry handgun to be used by a woman? My significant other is getting a concealed carry permit, but finds that my Beretta 9MM is too big and heavy for her hand. She's aware of all the drawbacks of guns, so she doesn't need to be reminded of them. Please post recommendations as comments on this thread, but I've also got this throwaway account: handgunrecommendations@gmail.com
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Anonymous at 6:55 PM on August 30, 2007 (16 comments)

A Life With Jazz is a collection of the wonderful photographs of Herman Leonard, focusing on the iconic figures of 20th century jazz music.
posted to MetaFilter by jonson at 9:59 AM on August 30, 2007 (9 comments)

"It so often happens that I receive mail - well-intended but totally useless - by amateur physicists who believe to have solved the world. They believe this, only because they understand totally nothing about the real way problems are solved in Modern Physics...It should be possible, these days, to collect all knowledge you need from the internet. Problem then is, there is so much junk on the internet... I know exactly what should be taught to the beginning student...I can tell you of my own experiences. It helped me all the way to earn a Nobel Prize. But I didn't have internet. I am going to try to be your teacher. It is a formidable task."
posted to MetaFilter by vacapinta at 4:22 PM on August 29, 2007 (47 comments)

American Elf is a daily diary comic by James Kochalka. The latest strip is always free but the archives are subscription only. He also a musician, his most famous song being Hockey Monkey, and he has number of songs up for free on his site. [via Eddie Campbell who says: "Beginning in 1998 Kochalka took the form of daily strip and imbued it with a life that has been missing from it for a long time. Since then he has made sure his daily round is not finished until a strip is done. Another thing I like about it is the way he carefully avoids any taint of 'continuity'. There is no story here, just the eternal incidentalness of life as it is lived."]
posted to MetaFilter by Kattullus at 8:39 PM on August 29, 2007 (21 comments)

The Law Library of Congress’s Guide to Online Law includes legal information from over a hundred different countries and all fifty states. The Legal Information Institute has guides to 130 different areas of law. The Armed Forces Legal Assistance site is also a great resource for basic legal information, aimed at service members, but often generally helpful, on topics including consumer law, family law and trusts and estates. Your State’s Bar Association may also offer information specific to your jurisdiction.
posted to MetaFilter by ND¢ at 6:27 AM on August 29, 2007 (20 comments)

Minsky Meltdown ahead? Named after Hyman Minsky, an economist who was known for his research concerning financial crises, specifically asset bubbles based on credit cycles. [much more inside]
posted to MetaFilter by umop-apisdn at 8:56 AM on August 29, 2007 (75 comments)

Nomic, as introduced by inventor Peter Suber (homepage): a game of self-modification—every move is an attempt to alter the rules governing how the game is played. Further from wikipedia. [A great deal more within.]
posted to MetaFilter by cortex at 8:57 PM on August 27, 2007 (59 comments)

Wishbook Web. Christmas catalogs scanned in their entirety from the 1944 Wards Catalog (152 pages) to the 1985 Sears Catalog (648 pages!). The site looks like it was built circa '97, but the scans are quite interesting. via - Similar posts to this one: 1, 2.
posted to MetaFilter by Ufez Jones at 6:16 PM on August 27, 2007 (28 comments)

Lessons Learned in Web Publishing. A nice overview of the stumbles that print media has made as it has come on-line.
posted to MetaFilter by tkolar at 6:32 PM on August 26, 2007 (14 comments)

The story behind Comic Sans: The web's most hated typeface. Previously
posted to MetaFilter by GuyZero at 10:59 AM on August 23, 2007 (396 comments)

Before the advent of computer generated graphics, how were elaborate opening titles and scrolling movie credits created for films?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by punkfloyd at 2:00 PM on August 26, 2007 (10 comments)

Can the hive mind recommend a good road cycling group in San Francisco? I'm looking for a recreational (but serious) cycling group that has sociable members preferably in their mid 20s to early 30s.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Juggermatt at 8:50 PM on August 25, 2007