Hamlet as a Facebook News Feed
posted to MetaFilter by blue_beetle at 9:36 AM on August 6, 2008 (41 comments)

Library of Dust depicts individual copper canisters, each containing the cremated remains of patient from a state-run psychiatric hospital. The patients died at the hospital between 1883 (the year the facility opened, when it was called the Oregon State Insane Asylum) and the 1970’s; their bodies have remained unclaimed by their families.
posted to MetaFilter by oneirodynia at 10:39 PM on August 4, 2008 (16 comments)

Flag Identifier: Flag Identifying Tool and Vexillologic Database. Search for flags by various characteristics: by area division, by shape of the flag, by main colors on the flag, by device on the flag, by geographic descent, by usage, by history. Each find points you toward the flag's corresponding page on the venerable Flags of the World website. For example, here are the search results for flags with three yellow animals on them. [FOTW previously, but with dead links]
posted to MetaFilter by not_on_display at 1:27 PM on August 4, 2008 (23 comments)

Any one has great suggestions for inexpensive GPS photo finders / photo trackers / geotaggers?
posted to Ask Metafilter by remi at 5:36 AM on August 2, 2008 (6 comments)

What resources will help me move from a proficient to a (one day, hopefully) great cook?
posted to Ask Metafilter by ecab at 9:04 AM on August 2, 2008 (20 comments)

I am looking for books similar to Krakauer's "Into the Wild." I used to prefer fiction, but after reading this book, I am craving some non-fiction similar to this book in a few particular ways...
posted to Ask Metafilter by TSGlenn at 1:28 PM on August 2, 2008 (49 comments)

Uncle Bobby's Wedding: A librarian's rebuttal to a book removal/relocation request involving a children's title dealing with gay marriage. Via MyLiBlog.
posted to MetaFilter by rollbiz at 4:49 PM on July 30, 2008 (85 comments)

MetaFilter: makes games hot!
posted to MetaTalk by Shepherd at 8:47 AM on July 29, 2008 (20 comments)

When I stepped out the door of the caucus room, I saw a large crowd—members of the press, photographers, and bystanders. I realized that there was no way to avoid repeating my testimony. I was, I said, “foolish, naïve, prideful, and avaricious,” and added, “I have deceived my friends, and I had millions of them.” Charles Van Doren breaks his silence on the cheating scandal that inspired the movie Quiz Show.
posted to MetaFilter by Knappster at 12:22 PM on July 29, 2008 (38 comments)

Is there an online resource for finding and viewing eclectic or eccentric or cheap motel/motor lodges that are preferably non-chain & independently owned?
posted to Ask Metafilter by sandra_s at 3:37 PM on July 28, 2008 (5 comments)

Cheesefilter! Any home cheesemakers out there? What simple cheeses can be made in half a day? I've made mozzarella and ricotta and now I'd like to make another quick cheese. Any suggestions?
posted to Ask Metafilter by amanda at 9:30 AM on July 24, 2008 (7 comments)

Saving the Regal Fritillary The Regal Fritillary (Speyeria idalia) is one of the largest and most spectacular butterflies found in North America....About ten years ago, the Regal Fritillary could only be found in a single nature preserve in Indiana. This year, the Fort Indiantown Gap Training Center won the [Environmental A]ward for its efforts in preserving the Regal Fritillary Butterfly and its habitat, building nesting boxes and tracking migratory patterns of 12 bird species, restoring five acres of wetlands, and conducting prescribed burns to manage fuel loads and forests.
posted to MetaFilter by caddis at 11:42 PM on July 16, 2008 (3 comments)

All of you have been given a harsh gift. It’s the same gift the graduating class of 1917, and 1938, and 1968 and now you guys got – the chance to enter adulthood when the world teeters on the rim of the sphincter of oblivion. You’re jumping into the deep end. You have no choice but to be exceptional. Patton Oswalt addresses the class of 2008 at his old high school.
posted to MetaFilter by jbickers at 4:44 AM on July 10, 2008 (104 comments)

Best bank for a small business?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Otis at 7:48 AM on June 4, 2007 (3 comments)

The Fallacy of Examples, and the problems of extrapolating from media. [Via RConversation]
posted to MetaFilter by homunculus at 8:25 PM on July 7, 2008 (5 comments)

First time backpacker heading to the pictured rocks in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan this August. Help me have fun on my birthday without...you know, dying.
posted to Ask Metafilter by janelikes at 5:09 PM on July 7, 2008 (13 comments)

I find myself mysteriously drawn to, of all things, baseball. It's kind of awesome! Unfortunately, there are some things I still don't quite understand...
posted to Ask Metafilter by kbanas at 6:51 AM on July 8, 2008 (44 comments)

In a 2001 University of Houston study of 153 survivors of nearly lethal attempts between the ages of 13 and 34, only 13 percent reported having contemplated their act for eight hours or longer. To the contrary, 70 percent set the interval between deciding to kill themselves and acting at less than an hour, including an astonishing 24 percent who pegged the interval at less than five minutes.

A surprising article about the nature, methods, and deterrence of suicide.
posted to MetaFilter by Who_Am_I at 11:41 AM on July 7, 2008 (69 comments)

After a lengthy hiatus, Terry Rossio is once again writing columns on screenwriting and other aspects of the film trade for Wordplayer (previously). New articles include a dissertation on the use of dramatic irony, a fascinating story about a single vacation photo and the strange twists of life, and an insider's look into how good stories get killed, and which battles are worth fighting.
posted to MetaFilter by Navelgazer at 12:28 PM on July 7, 2008 (19 comments)

I love mayonnaise. I just loooooooove mayonnaise. I love it on burgers, on sandwiches, and in deviled eggs. I love it in tuna salad, egg salad, and potato salad. I may have, on occasion, eaten it by itself, but I admit nothing. But what other dishes highlight the diversity and deliciousness of mayonnaise? What can I do to up my mayonnaise quotient? What are your favorite mayonnaise recipes? Is there such a thing as gourmet mayonnaise? Can I find high-class, fancy mayonnaise created by mayonnaise connoissiers? I want to expand my mayonnaise horizons!
posted to Ask Metafilter by schroedinger at 3:22 PM on July 3, 2008 (65 comments)

I'm building a computer. What do I need to know?
posted to Ask Metafilter by katrielalex at 6:54 AM on July 6, 2008 (32 comments)

I'm sick of my cubicle - I need advice on how to go about obtaining a career in a National Park. What degree is most useful? Where do I start?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Alpenglow at 6:57 AM on July 7, 2008 (22 comments)

2 July 1863, second day of Gettysburg. Sickles has pulled his III Corps -- without orders -- off of Cemetery Ridge and positioned it a half mile in front of the rest of the Union lines. Longstreet smashes the hapless III Corps and its men are in full flight. Hancock rides back and forth inside the gaping hole left by Sickles. Below him, almost 2000 men of Wilcox's brigade are charging up the slope. They will gain a foothold on the ridge and be reinforced by Lee. As Longstreet pins down the Union left, Lee will roll up the center and right of the Northern army and chase them from the field. He will then march on and take Washington before turning north along the eastern seaboard. Lee will capture and burn Philadelphia and Boston in his March Along the Sea, chasing the Northern government from city to city until Lincoln finally sues for peace and the union is no more. Suddenly, a line of blue-coated soldiers comes into Hancock's view. "My God, is this all the men here? Who are you?" "1st Minnesota, sir." "See those colors?", says Hancock, pointing at the flags of the oncoming Confederates, "Take them."
posted to MetaFilter by forrest at 5:45 AM on July 2, 2008 (82 comments)

After 80 years, a complete version of Fritz Lang's Metropolis has been discovered in Buenos Aires.
posted to MetaFilter by Nathaniel W at 2:27 PM on July 2, 2008 (81 comments)

Is it possible to run a search at Amazon that excludes "Used and new" items?
posted to Ask Metafilter by roofus at 2:10 AM on July 3, 2008 (7 comments)

I need your comic book suggestions!
posted to Ask Metafilter by po822000 at 11:03 AM on July 1, 2008 (43 comments)

If you like those giant plush microbes but maybe they're a little too life-sciencey for ya, perhaps you would like The Particle Zoo instead.
posted to MetaFilter by sergeant sandwich at 2:01 PM on June 30, 2008 (34 comments)

Jean Shepherd has been mentioned before but WFMU's Beware of the Blog has finally dug out an mp3 of Shepherd himself telling the story of "I, Libertine" (mp3 link) (wiki). I, Libertine was a literary hoax that began as a practical joke. Shepherd asked his listeners ("the Night People") to go into bookstores and ask for a book that didn't exist. Fueled by bewildered bookstore owners and distributors, I, Libertine eventually did end up as a genuine bestseller, proving his point that the process of choosing bestsellers was flawed.
posted to MetaFilter by krautland at 2:17 PM on June 29, 2008 (11 comments)

Trying to take a long weekend trip to the Apostle Islands on Lake Superior. We've only got about 3-4 days up there, so we want to make the most of it. Are we missing out by camping on the mainland? Besides kayaking, any must-do activities in the area? (Especially decent hiking that is easily accessible?)
posted to Ask Metafilter by sararah at 10:02 PM on June 27, 2008 (6 comments)

We love lasagna. But my white sauce mixes with my red sauce and it all ends up looking pink.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Mutant at 1:10 PM on June 29, 2008 (34 comments)

728 ton pendulum in action: Taipei 101's tuned mass damper during the Sichuan earthquake. [Via The Long Now Blog]
posted to MetaFilter by homunculus at 8:58 PM on June 26, 2008 (51 comments)

Cute quiz: Name the Simpsons characters. Also: US states, countries in Europe, Asia, North and South America, periodic table of elements. More.
posted to MetaFilter by goodnewsfortheinsane at 12:39 PM on June 25, 2008 (77 comments)

I live in western North Carolina. Recently I noticed a couple of signs along my road and am curios as to what they mean. The signs are bright blue rectangles with white letters at the top reading "WP". There are white numbers below the letters.
posted to Ask Metafilter by haikuku at 1:58 PM on June 25, 2008 (10 comments)

Iced tea is my main summertime beverage. I usually drink it completely plain. I am not a fan of "sweet tea," but I'd like to experiment with adding different flavors, the more unusual the better. Any suggestions?
posted to Ask Metafilter by amyms at 1:04 AM on June 25, 2008 (30 comments)

The Skins They Carried. Military tattoos in the age of Iraq.
posted to MetaFilter by thatwhichfalls at 7:52 PM on June 22, 2008 (32 comments)

Why do traffic lights switch to flashing red after a power outage?
posted to Ask Metafilter by ChrisManley at 11:49 AM on June 23, 2008 (15 comments)

Colors have many names. The online color thesaurus will recognize 20,000 of them (and let you see which is most popular). You can also browse a page of colors and associated names (yes, "goose turd" and "dead Spaniard" were once common color names). Of course, the most popular color names probably come from our childhoods.
posted to MetaFilter by blahblahblah at 12:20 PM on June 20, 2008 (29 comments)

The Fatherland of Apples Orion Magazine chronicles "[t]he origins of a favorite fruit and the race to save its native habitat." More about the origins of the apple and wild apples by Michael Pollan, Jake Fleming (PowerPoint), William J. Bramlage (PDF), Linda McCandless (with the germplasm repository catalog here (PDF)) and Barrie Edward Juniper (Google Books preview).
posted to MetaFilter by cog_nate at 8:59 AM on June 20, 2008 (15 comments)

If geeks talked about cookbooks the way they talk about RPG books, the results would not be pretty.
posted to MetaFilter by Artw at 1:13 PM on June 19, 2008 (51 comments)

"We like to play gladiator. You know what I mean? Let two gangs beat each other up without weapons, and the winner gets to deal on the corner. Or, we grab a bunch of muggers, or maybe two crews who steal cars, and tell them, “Okay, you all fight each other — the one still standing gets to avoid jail.” I know: it sounds awful, but believe me, this really works."

Cops tell Freakonomics "the things that cops do to keep the peace that no one wants to know about.”"
posted to MetaFilter by plexi at 7:44 AM on June 19, 2008 (92 comments)

Please help with a tough decision about leaving a good job for something I would be more interested in.
posted to Ask Metafilter by AvailableName at 6:24 PM on June 18, 2008 (11 comments)

I'm a single guy living alone. I need to start cooking for myself because I spend too much money on food, and most of what I eat is kinda bad for me. However, I hate doing dishes and don't have much time to cook. What foods/recipes would you suggest?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Afroblanco at 12:03 PM on June 18, 2008 (39 comments)

What poems can I think about while riding my bike on these beautiful June mornings?
posted to Ask Metafilter by readery at 8:29 AM on June 18, 2008 (26 comments)

We've discussed dead malls before. But did you know that the world's biggest mall is also its deadest?
posted to MetaFilter by Afroblanco at 7:10 PM on June 16, 2008 (36 comments)

Simple, easy and elegant recipes that are always crowd pleasers: What are yours?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Carialle at 10:28 AM on June 11, 2008 (49 comments)

ESPN's Paul Jackson tells the tale of 10-Cent Beer Night and the ensuing riot in Cleveland on June 4, 1974.
posted to MetaFilter by togdon at 12:25 PM on June 4, 2008 (28 comments)

Later this year, geophysicist Dan Lathrop's DIY Planet Earth will be filled with liquid sodium, weigh in at 26 tons, and will be spun-up to 80mph at its equator in an effort to discover how the earth's magnetic field is generated. Currently undergoing tests, even those can be pretty impressive.
posted to MetaFilter by Kronos_to_Earth at 4:42 PM on June 4, 2008 (34 comments)

Here's your chance to bake bread like a master. Cookingbread.com. The detailed step-by-step instructions include photos to help guide you through each bread recipe, from start to finish. You will find many different kinds of recipes for bread machines, or family classics such as cheese bread and banana bread. I just made some cracked wheat this past weekend. Also includes printable recipe cards. So get baking.
posted to MetaFilter by netbros at 5:41 AM on June 4, 2008 (15 comments)

The Big Picture A photo blog on boston.com (from the Boston Globe). Updated semi-regularly, entries in The Big Picture will consist almost entirely of a series of large, quality, news-worthy photos from wire feeds and other varied sources - each tied together by some related storyline.
posted to Projects by kokogiak at 7:59 AM on June 2, 2008

To Whom It May Concern: If you are reading this then I can only assume that you have removed the pond under which this note is buried...
posted to MetaFilter by ZachsMind at 2:39 PM on May 31, 2008 (92 comments)