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The Book of Accidents: Designed for Young Children
(1831). "In presenting to his little readers
The Book of Accidents, the Author conceives he cannot render a more important service to the rising generation and to parents, than by furnishing them with an account of the accidents to which Children, from their inexperience or carelessness, are liable. If generally studied it will save the lives of thousands, and relieve many families from the long and unavailing misery attendant on such occurrences."
[Via]
posted to MetaFilter by homunculus
at 6:37 PM on July 3, 2008
(34 comments)
Did a 'dream team' of biblical scholars mislead millions?
[Chronicle of Higher Education] You may recall the curfuffle over the gnostic "Gospel of Judas"
(previously). The National Geographic's documentary premiere "attracted four million viewers, making it the second-highest-rated program in the channel's history, behind only a documentary on September 11. . . . However, it's a perfect example, critics argue, of what can happen when commercial considerations are allowed to ride roughshod over careful research. What's more, the controversy has strained friendships in this small community of religion scholars — causing some on both sides of the argument to feel, in a word, betrayed."
posted to MetaFilter by spock
at 7:48 AM on June 30, 2008
(142 comments)
Tomorrow,
Björk,
Ólöf Arnalds and
Sigur Rós are
teaming up for a free concert -
Náttúra - which aims to raise awareness of the proliferation of aluminium smelting plants in Iceland.
Held in a large park near the centre of Reykjavik, will be broadcast live on the
Nat Geo Music and all of the performances will be in broad daylight with Iceland’s dramatic rolling scenery providing a perfect backdrop to what is expected to be one of the biggest concerts the country has seen.
The festival also aims to publicize Andri Snær Magnason's book
Dreamland: A Self-Help Manual to a Frightened Nation, an Icelandic bestseller about the environmental situation that will be published in an English translation next month.
posted to MetaFilter by chuckdarwin
at 12:51 PM on June 27, 2008
(40 comments)
I've got this ongoing fantasy about living cheaply abroad. Is it doable to live for $500 a month or so in some foreign locale?
posted to Ask Metafilter by D-ten
at 8:54 PM on June 25, 2008
(27 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)
"It's somewhat fitting that a man named
Charles Bird King--a name both eminently European yet vaguely Amerindian--would depict the natives of the American East (Creek, Crow, Seminole, Cherokee, Choctaw, Iowa, Fox, Winnebago, etc) at a time when there was a semblance of parity (parody of parity?) between the Old and New Worlds. This was expressed in the dress of natives as well as many whites who lived among them: European brass gorgets and artfully knotted cravats around the neck of a men with painted faces and feathers in their hair. The synthesis is breathtaking: both fierce and fey. It's a damn pity the European influence eventually crushed the Native--this could very well have become our national mode of dress."
Lord Whimsy.
posted to MetaFilter by vronsky
at 12:56 PM on June 25, 2008
(8 comments)
"When my daughter Alison was born, in the tradition of a new parent, I began to photograph her, initially in a separate and private body of work. However, in the process of documenting Alison's growth, I developed a passionate interest in human relationships and capturing intimate moments in the lives of family and friends...." A haunting photographic essay from
Jack Radcliffe.
posted to MetaFilter by dersins
at 9:42 AM on June 24, 2008
(45 comments)
Can anyone help me find the post where someone talks about a watch or clock that helps you wake up refreshed based on your wave cycles?
posted to MetaTalk by TomMelee
at 1:57 PM on June 20, 2008
(12 comments)
Carnatic music recommendations?
posted to Ask Metafilter by palet
at 10:12 PM on June 15, 2008
(8 comments)
How do I choose a great chef's knife? Feeling overwhelmed by all the choices.
posted to Ask Metafilter by supramarginal
at 6:02 PM on June 12, 2008
(43 comments)
Lorenzo Semple, 84, has been a screenwriter for more than 50 years; his credits include "Papillion," "The Parallax View" and "Three Days of the Condor." Marcia Nasatir, 81, is a longtime agent and production executive, was the first female VP of production at United Artists, and produced films like "The Big Chill" and "Hamburger Hill." Together, they are the "
Reel Geezers," offering irresistible film reviews on YouTube. To wit:
Superbad,
Iron Man,
Sex and the City,
Lars and the Real Girl,
No Country for Old Men,
There Will Be Blood.
posted to MetaFilter by jbickers
at 3:35 AM on June 11, 2008
(27 comments)
I just watched 24 Hour Party People and I love the music. I want to know as much as I possibly can about the Manchester music scene that produced these people and the people themselves. Please recommend some films,books or television programs that can inform the crap out of me
posted to Ask Metafilter by carefulmonkey
at 10:13 AM on June 8, 2008
(15 comments)
"In this rare documentary, Satyajit Ray talks about his films. Part
1,
2,
3.
Satyajit Ray... is regarded as one of the greatest auteurs of 20th century cinema. Born in the city of Calcutta into a Bengali family prominent in the world of arts and letters, Ray studied at Presidency College and at the Visva-Bharati University. Starting his career as a commercial artist, Ray was drawn into filmmaking after meeting French filmmaker Jean Renoir and viewing the Italian neorealist film Bicycle Thieves during a visit to London. He directed thirty-seven films, including feature films, documentaries and shorts. Ray's first film, Pather Panchali, won eleven international prizes, including Best Human Document at Cannes film festival"
posted to MetaFilter by vronsky
at 7:04 PM on June 4, 2008
(7 comments)
Can you recommend any intermediate level Hindi language learning resources online?
posted to Ask Metafilter by inbetweener
at 2:39 AM on June 3, 2008
(2 comments)
Come, take a
ride and
look at some of the
Islamic Art of the past. Or, you could call it
Art of the
Islamic World if you're so inclined. If not, then how about taking into account some of the
major milestones of
Islam throughout the
centuries, from
past till
present (
more examples here), including the
art of
Calligraphy and
Architecture. Not to mention the
Arab world's contribution to
music, both
old and
new. [
Previously mentioned,
here,
here,
here, and
here, with a
wonderful comment from
nickyskye as usual]
posted to MetaFilter by hadjiboy
at 10:03 PM on May 29, 2008
(29 comments)
IslamFilter: I'm looking for examples of regional cultures/ethnic groups within the present-day Ummah that were bypassed by the expansion of Islam. For example, most of the people of the mountainous and hard to access Nuristan province of Afghanistan only converted to Islam ca. 1890. Prior to that it was known to everyone outside Nuristan as "Kaffirstan" (land of the unbelievers/infidels).
posted to Ask Metafilter by thewalrus
at 3:56 PM on May 26, 2008
(11 comments)
To the Indian MeFites - and the non-indian chefs as well - what are your favorite family Indian recipes and what are some tricks in the preparation to give the food that authentic Indian taste. You know, rich, delicious, mouth-watering, and savoury to the point that eating becomes a spiritual experiece in itself.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ageispolis
at 10:19 PM on May 25, 2008
(17 comments)
Is there anything like meetup.com for Sydney, Australia? There is meetup.com, of course, but there don't seem to be too many people from Sydney, there. (I'm visiting from the Washington, D.C. area, so perhaps I'm spoiled.)
posted to Ask Metafilter by Coventry
at 3:09 PM on May 22, 2008
(8 comments)
Tens of millions of
brittlestars have been
discovered inhabiting the peak of a sea mount in the Macquarie Ridge south of New Zealand. Strong currents are believed to be responsible for sweeping their predators away, more or less recreating their
home 300 million years
gone....
posted to MetaFilter by Kronos_to_Earth
at 5:58 AM on May 19, 2008
(21 comments)
Chinese Poems
is a simple, no frills site with over 200 classical Chinese poems, mostly from the Tang period. The poems are presented in traditional and simplified chinese characters, pinyin and English translation, both literal and literary. Here's Du Mu's
Drinking Alone:
Outside the window, wind and snow blow straight,
I clutch the stove and open a flask of wine.
Just like a fishing boat in the rain,
Sail down, asleep on the autumn river.
Among other poets featured are
Li Bai (a.k.a. Li Po),
Du Fu and
Wang Wei. As a bonus, here's the entire text of Ezra Pound's
Cathay, most of whom are from Li Bai originals.
posted to MetaFilter by Kattullus
at 9:16 AM on May 19, 2008
(15 comments)
Three of the giants of Brazilian guitar were Laurindo Almeida (1917-1995; wiki
here), Luiz Bonfa (1922-2001; wiki
here), and Baden Powell (1937-2000; wiki
here). Here is Laurindo Almeida w/the MJQ playing
One Note Samba; here is Luiz Bonfa playing the theme from
Black Orpheus (which he composed); and here is Baden Powell playing
Samba Triste.
posted to MetaFilter by ornate insect
at 10:54 AM on May 19, 2008
(17 comments)
Gyminee
is a truly excellent web app that lets you track workouts, nutrition and fitness goals. Prints grocery lists, lets you find workout buddies, etc. Very aesthetically pleasing, too. Considerably easier to use than
Fitday, which a lot of people swear by.
posted to MetaFilter by jbickers
at 1:49 PM on May 19, 2008
(15 comments)
