Philip Pullman interviewed about the ideas behind "His Dark Materials" [YT,1 hour, South Bank Show,parts 2,3,4,5,6,7]. Inside, and hidden from those who don't want spoilers, are links relating to the ideas raised and about the books generally.
posted to MetaFilter by rongorongo at 4:40 PM on June 23, 2008 (85 comments)

MagCloud enables you to publish your own magazines. All you have to do is upload a PDF and they take care of the rest: printing, mailing, subscription management, and more.
posted to MetaFilter by FunkyHelix at 9:13 AM on June 23, 2008 (43 comments)

What workflow advantages have you found with Dreamweaver CS3?
posted to Ask Metafilter by camcgee at 2:32 PM on June 20, 2008 (10 comments)

Legendary special effects artist Stan Winston has passed away from cancer at the age of 62. From Mr. Roboto to the Terminator to Iron Man, he leaves an almost unparalleled body of work.
posted to MetaFilter by dersins at 12:12 PM on June 16, 2008 (62 comments)

The aquatic ancestry of elephants Scientists believe they have discovered why elephants have trunks - they used them as underwater snorkels. New research suggests that the animals evolved from mammals like the sea cow.
posted to MetaFilter by The Light Fantastic at 2:52 PM on May 31, 2008 (27 comments)

"Claude Degler attended the Chicon in 1940, and at Denver in 1941 delivered a speech purporting to have been written by Martians." So begins the Fancyclopedia I entry on Degler's Cosmic Circle. Claude Degler believed that science fiction fans were destined to evolve into a new species superior to homo sapiens, "cosmen." In 2001 (the year) David B. Williams went in search of Degler, who had disappeard from fandom in 1951. Teresa Nielsen Hayden wrote in 1986 a story/essay about the inner Degler called Hell, 12 Feet. He was as infamous as fans got, though some remember him sort of fondly. Degler crops up regularly in the "All Our Yesterdays" columns written by fandom historian, Harry Warner Jr. The ones with most information are the columns H.C. Koenig. Claude Degler, O Pioneers and The Cosmic Circle. Here's a Degler quote from the last link: We have created a fannationalism, a United World Fandom. Someday soon we will have our own apartment building, then our own land, our own city of Cosmen, schools, teachers, radio programme — later; our own laws, country perhaps! Our children shall inherit not only this earth — but this universe! Today we carry 22 states, tomorrow, nine planets!
posted to MetaFilter by Kattullus at 8:22 PM on December 8, 2006 (3 comments)

60 Brilliant Typefaces (for corporate design) plus 40 free ones. From Smashing Magazine (prev), which last year presented 80 Beautiful Typefaces for Professional Design
posted to MetaFilter by criticalbill at 3:05 PM on March 20, 2008 (34 comments)

Between 1981 and 1984, the first network for kids broadcast an unusual show called THE THIRD EYE
posted to MetaFilter by cinemafiend at 9:05 AM on March 19, 2008 (48 comments)

If you had HBO in the 80's, you saw this every night at 8pm. HBO put together a brief behind-the-scenes featurette showing everything from the construction of the models to the composition of the music.
posted to MetaFilter by dr_dank at 12:05 PM on March 15, 2008 (63 comments)

Where no economist had gone before . Paul Krugman posts a type-written paper on interstellar trade which he wrote as "an oppressed assistant professor" in the '70s. I do not propose to develop a theory which is universally valid, but it may at least have some galactic relevance. [pdf link]
posted to MetaFilter by grobstein at 12:38 PM on March 11, 2008 (25 comments)

Stranded on the island of New Britain during WWII, Fred Hargesheimer was rescued by native islanders, who hid him for 8 months from occupying Japanese forces. Fred never forgot the kindness he received, and in 1960, he used his family's vacation money to return to the island to personally thank the people who saved him. Thus began a 48 year relationship between Hargesheimer and the people of New Britain.
posted to MetaFilter by The Light Fantastic at 8:45 PM on March 8, 2008 (15 comments)

A 3d graphics engine written in Excel. Money shot on page 4. Blatantly stolen from seanyboy.
posted to MetaFilter by signal at 1:48 PM on March 6, 2008 (32 comments)

The National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, is seeking a motivated team member to support the development and operation of museum Web sites and related media. Duties include technical support and troubleshooting, digital image and multimedia editing, entering content, and Web page maintenance. You will also provide technical and administrative support to new media development projects, track user statistics, and provide general office support. Successful applicants will have experience in building and maintaining Web pages, familiarity with a variety of web-based interactive technologies, and excellent organizational skills in a team or office setting. The best qualified applicants will also have strong writing and communication skills; experience in one or more specialized areas such as ColdFusion, ASP, database design, audio/video editing, Flash, or graphic design; and demonstrated ability to learn, apply, and troubleshoot new tools and technologies. This is a fulltime, 1-year non-federal position (renewable). Salary $43,921 plus excellent benefits. To apply, send your resume to nmahweb@si.edu by March 7, 2008. The Smithsonian is an Equal Opportunity employer. Minorities and women encouraged to apply.
posted to MeFi Jobs by Miko at 11:53 AM on February 20, 2008

The evolution of Mars imaging from orbit: Mariner 4 (1964), Mariner 6 and Mariner 7 (both 1969), Mariner 9 (1971) (all NASA), Mars 5 (1973) (USSR), Viking 1 (1975), Viking 2 (1976), Mars Global Surveyor (1996), Mars Odyssey (2001) (NASA), Mars Express (2003) (ESA), up to this spy-quality shot of an active avalanche taken by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (2005).
posted to MetaFilter by Chinese Jet Pilot at 10:03 AM on March 5, 2008 (11 comments)

Hey Matt and pb: You know that sweet-ass bit of code you guys have that scrubs any link to Amazon and inserts your affiliate ID? It would totally rock if you would release a version of that as a Wordpress plugin.
posted to MetaTalk by jbickers at 7:11 AM on March 4, 2008 (31 comments)

I love reading sites like kottke.org and Neatorama (and, of course, Metafilter). It's exciting - I never know what I'll come across next. What are some other sites that have lots of interesting stuff, preferably on a daily basis (but less often is fine as long as the content is high quality)?
posted to Ask Metafilter by jasminerain at 1:14 PM on February 21, 2008 (40 comments)

We've got an opening at the Mouse-related company where I work for a Digital Media Engineer. It's a contract position, responsible for development and support of transcoding and other digital video systems. Here is the detailed job description: Job Title: Digital Media Engineer Department: Post Production Engineering Reports To: Manager of Post Engineering Position Summary: * Install, configure, maintain and support transcoding and tape ingest software used to transform media content into file formats useful to a wide range of content distribution partners. Responsibilities: • Establish and maintain transcoding profiles for various types of content and end uses including, broadband, mobile, VOD and broadcast. • Establish and maintain network directories for operational personnel to locate, transcode, package, QC and deliver media files and data packages to content distribution partners. • Generate technical documentation that will be useful to those who follow in similar positions and to those who operate the software and equipment in day to day production. Conduct training for operational personnel. • Thoroughly understand transcoding software and perform basic troubleshooting. This may include opening and examining XML files, configuring system preferences and settings, and viewing media files for quality and properties. Maintain communication with technical support departments of vendors to resolve problems and feature requests. * Develop and maintain workflows with other departments. Diagram and communicate such workflows with Powerpoint and Visio. Maintain a working knowledge of hardware and software including but not limited to Avid, Apple, HP and Seachange. * Perform PC and Mac configuration and troubleshooting in regard to video and transcoding functionality. Job Related Experience: * At least 2 years experience with post production hardware and software, particularly content transformation applications from companies such as Autodesk, Telestream, Sorenson, and Anystream. Also helpful would be experience with content generation software such as After Effects, Combustion and Final Cut. * Knowledge of the technical aspects of various media file formats such as VBI, closed captioning, frame rates, pixel dimensions, aspect ratios, bit rates, color space, GOP structure, metadata packaging and differences in video standards. * Sufficient work history with Final Cut, Avid Media Composer and Unity systems to be able to communicate clearly with NLE editors, data wranglers and management personnel. * Basic familiarity with IP addressing, file and directory permissions and networking concepts and terminology. Job Related Education: * Helpful but not required: AA or above degree in Film and Television Production or Computer Graphics. Linux and Perl scripting. * Avid, Apple, Linux, A+ certifications are a plus
posted to MeFi Jobs by Argyle at 6:32 AM on February 6, 2008

Tetrapod Zoology just celebrated Ankylosaur Week. Days 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, and 1.
posted to MetaFilter by mediareport at 6:52 AM on February 25, 2008 (11 comments)

I would like to read books by more MeFi writers. I have therefore made a list of who they are and their books.
posted to MetaTalk by paduasoy at 5:03 AM on February 23, 2008 (102 comments)

It's never a happy occasion when a 130 year old brick building goes up in flames. But when the fire crews have to spray down the building (and the surrounding city block) in sub-zero temperatures, the end result looks stunning.
posted to MetaFilter by baphomet at 9:48 AM on February 21, 2008 (52 comments)

The man who runs xkcd
has created the LimerickDB.
Though often quite dirty
There are more that are nerdy;
If you check out the best ones, you'll see.
posted to MetaFilter by kyleg at 7:27 AM on February 5, 2008 (88 comments)

In these days of high-powered graphics, there is a ASCII gaming renaissance underway. Among the most interesting are: ASCII Sector, a remake of the classic Wing Commander Privateer; the fast-paced Doom RL; the Ultima V influenced Legerdemain; and the much-discussed strategy game/frustration simulator Dwarf Fortress (now with a new unofficial tileset and experimental 3-D visualizer that may prevent some eye-bleeding), And, of course, the classic, complex Rogue-like RPGs continue to go strong, those interested may want to check out this list of the best new rogue-like game releases from ASCII dreams or the list of releases from Temple of the Roguelike.
posted to MetaFilter by blahblahblah at 11:12 AM on January 24, 2008 (41 comments)

Atlantic Magazine opens its archives. Atlantic Magazine announced today that they will drop subscriber-only access to the site, giving full access to every issue of the last 12 years. Where to start? Well, I particularly recommend David Foster Wallace's fascinating examination of right-wing talk radio (DFW trademark footnotes intact), Hitler's Forgotten Library, and Eric Schlosser's The Prison-Industrial Complex. (via)
posted to MetaFilter by Horace Rumpole at 12:36 PM on January 22, 2008 (51 comments)

A YouTube Channel devoted to 3D animation student projects
posted to MetaFilter by jlori at 9:21 AM on December 23, 2007 (3 comments)

He was born in 1980, during a risqué Groundlings show. After cameo roles (NSFW/language) in two Cheech & Chong movies, he earned his own HBO special. Four years later, Pee Wee Herman made his first feature film. Love him or hate him, his tv show won 22 Emmys... it seemed he was the luckiest boy in the world. Until one fateful day. Since then he's kept busy, and has regularly started and then nixed rumors of the bow tie's return. Recently he's changed his mind though, and in June a middle-aged Pee Wee made a surprise appearance after 15 years. Now he's promising two upcoming Pee Wee films... but will Johnny Depp take over his giant underpants?
posted to MetaFilter by miss lynnster at 1:39 AM on December 17, 2007 (105 comments)

Fuzzmail records your email as you type it and provides the actual composition for the person, or people on the receiving end. [via]
posted to MetaFilter by cashman at 4:07 PM on December 14, 2007 (40 comments)

Bad Astronomy's Top Ten Astronomy Pictures of 2007.
posted to MetaFilter by homunculus at 3:34 PM on December 13, 2007 (36 comments)

The Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae A collection of over 900 zoomable print engravings, organized around the work of Antonio Lafreri and other Italian publishers, whose documentation of Roman ruins and statues helped fuel the Renaissance. The itineraries are a good place to start for detailed discussion, or just browse away. [via the wonderful Bouphonia]
posted to MetaFilter by mediareport at 7:29 AM on December 10, 2007 (8 comments)

The Commodore 64, many geek's first love, is turning 25. You can relive the glory, and still find a lot of the old software. Even more surprising is how much is still being done with it. Someone ported vi to it (obviously not EMACS). Somone else wrote a browser. For the ultimate, a souped up motherboard merges the C64 with contemporary peripherals.
posted to MetaFilter by MrGuilt at 12:01 PM on December 7, 2007 (85 comments)

Agence Eureka is a French language image-blog with hundreds or even thousands of scanned illustrations, mostly from mid-20th century French schoolbooks, educational material, magazines, and ephemera. The current front page is slightly NSFW. Some of the categories include anatomy 1 & 2 (mildly NSFW); chocolate wrappers/trading cards; bricolage; decoupage (cut-outs); math education; playing cards; books and magazines; cars; cinema; orientalisme; sport; mild pin-ups; and many others (scroll all the way down the right to see the tags).
posted to MetaFilter by Rumple at 6:53 PM on December 4, 2007 (12 comments)

Immersive and panoramic full motion video.
posted to MetaFilter by Dave Faris at 6:16 PM on December 3, 2007 (26 comments)

Gar are a carnivorous fish found in North and Central America and some parts of the Caribbean. The fish is closely related to its Jurassic ancestors, can live for twenty years, grow to be as big as ten feet or more, and live practically anywhere, breathing through their gills or assisted by their air bladders. Gar are considered a "trash" fish, but people have been catching (or not), cooking, and eating gar for centuries (use the whole fish!). Despite, or perhaps because of, their rows scary teeth, they make great pets.
posted to MetaFilter by Pants! at 2:21 PM on December 2, 2007 (17 comments)

John Updike writes about bizarre dinosaurs for National Geographic. "How weird might a human body look to them? That thin and featherless skin, that dish-flat face, that flaccid erectitude, those feeble, clawless five digits at the end of each limb, that ghastly utter lack of a tail—ugh. Whatever did this creature do to earn its place in the sun, a well-armored, nicely specialized dino might ask. " Besides the Updike essay there's a image gallery, an interview with John Updike [audio starts automatically], a dino IQ test, an audio critique of the way dinosaurs have been depicted in the latter half of the 20th Century [audio starts automatically], a closer look at the odder features of some of the stranger dinosaurs, an examination of the nigersaurus (images) as well as dinosaur wallpapers and jigsaw puzzles. [via MeFi's Own ed]
posted to MetaFilter by Kattullus at 8:54 PM on November 30, 2007 (26 comments)

Train runs through bangkok market. (via)
posted to MetaFilter by phrontist at 5:43 AM on December 1, 2007 (35 comments)

Untergunther, a chapter of the Parisian cultural guerilla organisation UX (most memorably responsible for setting up a secret theatre in the catacombs under the Seine in 2004), unveil their latest project - a clock-restoration workshop hidden in the Pantheon dome! The group's own report and pictures here.
posted to MetaFilter by nicolas léonard sadi carnot at 3:27 AM on November 27, 2007 (25 comments)

David Lynch: Problem Solver
posted to MetaFilter by Glow Bucket at 10:58 AM on November 23, 2007 (26 comments)

In honor of his 75th birthday, Michael Grbich tap danced across the Golden Gate Bridge followed by an entourage of confetti-tossing grandchildren, neighbors and a friend with an iPod boom box. He's also a local artist and survivor of the Oakland Hills Fire.
posted to MetaFilter by The Light Fantastic at 8:23 PM on November 18, 2007 (11 comments)

Zombie Attack at Hierakonpolis
posted to MetaFilter by felix betachat at 10:48 PM on November 12, 2007 (29 comments)

38 unreprinted Jack Kirby monster stories.
posted to MetaFilter by freem at 7:44 PM on November 11, 2007 (11 comments)

On November 11, 1880, Ned Kelly, Australia's most famous bushranger, was hanged at the Melbourne Gaol with the last words "Such is life." And so today, on the anniversary of his death and as his gun is due to go under the hammer, now is an excellent time to look at the history of the man sometime referred to as Australia's answer to Robin Hood. Many more Ned Kelly resources are to be found inside.
posted to MetaFilter by Effigy2000 at 2:39 PM on November 10, 2007 (12 comments)

Ever felt like flying a missile down a tube filled with rotating obstacles? No? Well, here’s your chance.
posted to MetaFilter by yhbc at 11:14 AM on November 9, 2007 (38 comments)

While God was fooling around with his celestial SimCity control panel, he accidentally built a river right through the middle of a road.
posted to MetaFilter by brain_drain at 10:56 AM on November 9, 2007 (49 comments)

I know that this is an issue best addressed by the creator of MetaFilthy, but before I email him, I wanted to make sure that it's really a MetaFilthy bug, and not some problem on my end, and Metafilter is pretty much guaranteed to have the internet's largest population of MetaFilthy users. So: Is anyone getting a MetaFilthy bug when they open a MeFi page saying "Exception in Metafilthy.showIfValidURL NS_ERROR_DOM_INDEX_SIZE_ERR Index or size is negative or greater than the allowed amount line 1012 of undefined undefined"?
posted to MetaTalk by bugbread at 1:28 PM on March 2, 2007 (39 comments)

Marx Brothers Filter:
Animal Crackers (1930), Monkey Business (1931), Horse Feathers (1932) and Duck Soup (1933).
posted to MetaFilter by miss lynnster at 12:59 AM on November 2, 2007 (37 comments)

If you could be any spy for halloween, who would you be?
posted to MetaTalk by clavdivs at 8:40 AM on October 30, 2007 (86 comments)

Gore Lovers Click Here. When I was 12 years old, there was nothing cooler than this card series, aside from maybe Transformers The Movie. Where's the movie for this IMHO superior companion piece to the Mars Attacks! series? I think this is the ideal property to be the first all-CGI feature with an emphasis on gore.
posted to MetaFilter by autodidact at 12:30 PM on October 30, 2007 (26 comments)

Jail Finds is a flickr set of art found stuffed inside books by the account holder at the jail where they are a volunteer running the book cart.
posted to MetaFilter by jonson at 11:38 PM on October 29, 2007 (9 comments)

Recommendations for college-level digital art course : video on the industry/creative processes of 3-D animation?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Slothrop at 8:33 AM on October 21, 2007 (4 comments)

bmovies.com should be fairly self-explanatory.
posted to MetaFilter by Wolfdog at 1:14 PM on October 19, 2007 (39 comments)

Cinema Fiction vs. Physics Reality (PDF -- HTML version without addendum here) Two physicists examine certain features of popular myths regarding ghosts, vampires, and zombies as they appear in film and folklore. See also Real Zombies (audio) on the science of zombiefication. Also of interest are Psychological significance of Immortal beings (audio) and Blood Fighting: Dawn of the Robots and Zombies (video), which delve into the prominence of vampires, zombies and other things that go bump in the night in popular culture. Not to your liking? Well, check out some classic (and some not-so-classic) horror tales inside.
posted to MetaFilter by cog_nate at 2:23 PM on October 14, 2007 (32 comments)