Are the actors on Mad Men really smoking? This show seems to revolve around smoking. There are very few scenes without a lit cigarette. I'm wondering if they hired actors who smoke or if they use some kind of stage ciggie?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dag Maggot at 9:42 PM on August 3, 2008 (12 comments)

I'm in the market for an MBP, and thus will need to migrate stuff from my PC eventually. I'm looking specifically for Mac software that are very similar in UI and/or features to the Windows software I'm using now.
posted to Ask Metafilter by curagea at 4:35 PM on July 24, 2008 (16 comments)

Humor goes back a long way. The oldest recorded joke in the world was told 4,600 years ago to Pharoh Snefru by the magician Djadjamankh: "How do you entertain a bored pharaoh? You sail a boatload of young women dressed only in fishing nets down the Nile and urge the pharaoh to go catch a fish," and there's lots more ancient Egyptian humor (some quite dirty) as well. Humor really got rolling with the Greeks, however, and the Philogelos (Laughter Lover) a joke book from the 4th century. A representative joke: “An intellectual was on a sea voyage when a big storm blew up, causing his slaves to weep in terror. ‘Don’t cry,’ he consoled them, ‘I have freed you all in my will'."
posted to MetaFilter by blahblahblah at 9:18 AM on July 16, 2008 (70 comments)

Dubstep is from the UK. It's typified by skittering, shuffled, syncopated rhythms with lots of triplets, dissonant and minor tonality, and most strikingly... (sub)bass. It uses a lot of effects people associate with dub. Crank your woofer and listen to the likes of Skream (who has done a pretty good introductory mix), Plastician, Digital Mystikz, and El-B.
posted to MetaFilter by phrontist at 5:43 PM on July 11, 2008 (68 comments)

Dutch author Tim Krabbé, also an expert chess player, catalogues the unusual and sublime in chess: Tim Krabbé's Chess Curiosities.

Chess Records. The 110 greatest moves ever. Underpromotion in serious games. A poignant encounter with Garry Kasparov after a loss. Or you could just start at his Open Chess Diary and work your way back.
posted to MetaFilter by shadow vector at 3:58 PM on July 12, 2008 (20 comments)

Geeky DIY Homesteading
posted to Ask Metafilter by brandnew at 4:59 AM on June 25, 2008 (11 comments)

A close reading of the text of Volume One of Marx's Capital in 13 two-hour video lectures by David Harvey. (Two online so far) David Harvey is a Distinguished Professor of Anthropology at the City University of New York. He has been teaching Karl Marx's Capital, Volume I for nearly 40 years. Marx biographer Francis Wheen speaks on NPR as to why the book remains required reading.
posted to MetaFilter by Abiezer at 6:35 AM on June 16, 2008 (53 comments)

I am a useless procrastinator, I see it happening, and I can see the outcome but I can't help it, I feel out of control almost. It's something I tend to deal with okay at work (a more direct task-based environment I guess) but at home it's terrible.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Anonymous at 5:14 AM on June 16, 2008 (24 comments)

What stuff do I need to make fun, cool homemade t-shirts?
posted to Ask Metafilter by jbickers at 6:41 PM on June 12, 2008 (15 comments)

Why is my 6-10 yr old Kenmore Dishwasher not draining?
posted to Ask Metafilter by iamabot at 7:53 PM on May 19, 2008 (3 comments)

So it's mid-April already, and I haven't yet heard anything about MefiSwap 2008. So who's in?
posted to MetaTalk by god hates math at 3:42 PM on April 14, 2008 (212 comments)

There's got to be more than Tequila Sunrise?
posted to Ask Metafilter by 100watts at 6:46 PM on May 5, 2008 (10 comments)

Mac Mess Filter: help me choose personal database software.
posted to Ask Metafilter by penciltopper at 2:26 PM on April 21, 2008 (13 comments)

Once a week high quality digital recordings of cassette tapes purchased at the Dalston Oxfam Shop in East London.
posted to MetaFilter by klangklangston at 4:38 PM on April 14, 2008 (14 comments)

Gaming on a MacBook: what games would run well in OS X on a 2.2GHz MacBook (with GMA X3100)?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Sticherbeast at 10:58 PM on April 7, 2008 (12 comments)

I've just bought my first guitar & amp. I want to teach myself. What songs are easy for a complete newcomer to pick up?
posted to Ask Metafilter by handee at 6:54 AM on March 26, 2008 (27 comments)

Robotics question: simple and high-payoff project, don't have the time/leet skillz/rationale to jump in the deep end of the pool (i.e. academic smartypantses building attack vehicles), don't want to spend the money on/deal with the physical bulk of the shallow end (Mindstorms et al). What is in the middle?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Your Time Machine Sucks at 3:07 AM on February 21, 2008 (10 comments)

It may lack the hilarity of an unaccompanied David Lee Roth crooning to himself like a lunatic, but surely someone has a use for twenty three unaccompanied John Bonham drum tracks.
posted to MetaFilter by The Straightener at 6:25 PM on February 14, 2008 (72 comments)

British Movietone News - Digital Archives :: Apparently complete archives of the UK Movietone Newsreels from 1929 - 1979. Free registration required. Uses Quicktime. Beware of many lost hours ahead. Via DaddyTypes
posted to MetaFilter by anastasiav at 8:57 AM on February 12, 2008 (17 comments)

Location & name independent rsync?
posted to Ask Metafilter by nomisxid at 11:23 AM on February 11, 2008 (8 comments)

How can I make chip shop chips at home?
posted to Ask Metafilter by ericthegardener at 8:04 PM on February 6, 2008 (24 comments)

Everybody on the dance floor for two of the high masterpieces of disco from 1979: Lipps Inc.'s Funkytown and Anita Ward's Ring My Bell. Hey, Funkytown even has its own comprehensive website! No doubt about it, 1979 was a very BIG year for disco. Not everyone back in '79, though, was ready to shake their booty. Oh well. Doooooooooooooooooooooooo
posted to MetaFilter by flapjax at midnite at 9:24 PM on February 3, 2008 (176 comments)

Photo albums of German soldiers. Fully scanned photos from the personal albums of German soldiers from the Second World War and the years preceding it.
posted to MetaFilter by chunking express at 1:30 PM on February 3, 2008 (57 comments)

What are some good job search websites/engines for Europe? I'm interested in jobs in international affairs, public relations, business and finance, advertising and marketing. I'm mostly looking for resources for Germany, Belgium, France and the UK, but pan-European websites are good too.
posted to Ask Metafilter by barrakuda at 11:20 AM on January 31, 2008 (4 comments)

Organic Cuba without fossil fuels.
posted to MetaFilter by wilful at 8:30 PM on January 24, 2008 (26 comments)

Insulating paint? Anyone have any personal experience with such products?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Carbolic at 3:13 PM on January 15, 2008 (6 comments)

Heavenly Pop Hits: The Flying Nun Story. New Zealand rock doc (in 9 parts).
posted to MetaFilter by sleepy pete at 11:04 AM on January 6, 2008 (40 comments)

Help me become a great business analyst. I am slowly taking on more responsibilities as a business analyst and I am completely winging it. Does anyone out there gather requirements and do business modeling? Is that what a business analyst really does? I would like to here more about what makes a good business analyst. Can anyone recommend some good books, websites, techniques, and tools for jedi BA's? Should I learn more about UML? Interviewing techniques? Sharpen my general business understanding? Buy a fancy Monte Blanc pen? Is this job more about relationships than technology? Real life anecdotes appreciated.
posted to Ask Metafilter by jasondigitized at 7:24 AM on January 2, 2008 (8 comments)

Like the US, the UK, and Canada before it, Australia has recently announced that, as part of its new citizenship guidelines, prospective citizens must pass a test with questions relating to Australian history, society, and culture. Not everyone is a fan of the test, though, or the information on it, and today The Age has released its own suggestions for a citizenship test. Could you pass it?
posted to MetaFilter by mosessis at 7:31 PM on August 29, 2007 (70 comments)

Machinima (muh-shin-eh-mah or ma-shin-i-ma) is a hybrid filmmaking technique where people utilize game engines and environments to create videos. At first, it was little more than screengrabs and screencasts of in-game action, but it has now grown to include sophisticated storylines independent of game action. Shows and entire series have been made from The Sims, Halo, The Movies, Quake, Half-Life, Unreal Tournament and Second Life to name just a few. Actually, some Team Fortress 2 machinima was recently mentioned (October 9th). Over the years, there have been some really amazing productions, such as the now legendary 100-episode Red vs Blue series (also previously mentioned) which was created with Halo 2. A lot of machinima can be found and viewed for free on machinima.com. The Internet Archive also maintains a machinima section. The recently-released BloodSpell, a "punk fantasy" from Strange Company, is believed to be the first feature-length movie released using the Neverwinter Nights game engine. (watch online free, free divx download - 847 MB, free quicktime download - 903 MB). Two of the people behind BloodSpell, Hugh Hancock and Johnnie Ingram have co-written the just-published "Machinima for Dummies".
posted to MetaFilter by TrinityB5 at 5:26 PM on December 2, 2007 (32 comments)

Do I want to have internet access wherever I go?
posted to Ask Metafilter by escabeche at 6:13 PM on November 29, 2007 (44 comments)

Operation PLIERS. An internal CIA memorandum has been obtained by Venezuelan counterintelligence from the US Embassy in Caracas that reveals a plan to destabilize Venezuela during the upcoming constitutional referendum. The plan, titled "OPERATION PLIERS" was authored by CIA Officer Michael Middleton Steere and was addressed to CIA Director General Michael Hayden in Washington. The full text of the memo will be released soon for verification purposes. Many previously.
posted to MetaFilter by scalefree at 5:27 PM on November 28, 2007 (42 comments)

Direct me towards great video podcasts please.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ClanvidHorse at 3:54 PM on October 31, 2007 (12 comments)

Sewing and Internet Tutorials: Find me a *really good* *idiot-proof* internet tutorial on how to sew a button onto a suit jacket such that it will: A) Not fall off for a long long time, B) Look professional and all that, and C) Have some (small) length of somehow robust thread between the jacket and the button, like the other buttons.
posted to Ask Metafilter by sdis at 1:02 PM on October 19, 2007 (9 comments)

The challenge, take the usb drive to new levels, you may have seen the mimobot usb drives, pretty hip but perhaps only Japanese-influenced since manufacturer Mimico is Boston based. The true Japanese usb style is undeniably unbalanced, por ejemplo: The USB Chameleon (video), the Self-destruction USB hub (video), the USB motorcycle engine hub (video), and no movie here but you will be happy to know that the Kore Janai robot USB drive is the "perfect cool toy" with the uncool appearance. Full context found here
posted to MetaFilter by jeremias at 8:20 PM on October 15, 2007 (5 comments)

I rate my music on my ipod as I listen through it, and I'm trying to get several thousand ratings from the ipod back into itunes. It doesn't seem like itunes can do this for me. (That's stupid!) I found this script, which also has failed to work for me. Need help using the script, or itunes, or finding another alternative.
posted to Ask Metafilter by lockse at 9:44 AM on October 7, 2007 (12 comments)

If you like electronic music, you probably already know about some of the blogs that offer free live set downloads. You might even know about mpiii. But, they all pale in comparison to the one and only mixes db.
posted to MetaFilter by milarepa at 7:37 AM on October 3, 2007 (26 comments)

Shoegazer 101 Shoegazing (also known as shoegaze or shoegazer; practitioners referred to as shoegazers) is a genre of alternative rock that emerged from the United Kingdom in the late 1980s. It lasted until the mid 1990s, peaking circa 1990 to 1991. The British music press (notably NME and Melody Maker) called this genre "shoegazing" because the musicians in these bands often maintained a motionless performing style, standing on stage and staring at the floor while playing their instruments; hence, the idea that they were gazing at their shoes. The shoegazing sound featured extensive use of guitar effects, and indistinguishable vocal melodies that blended into the creative noise of the guitars. Some notable bands are Ride, Lush, Swervedriver, Slowdive, Curve, and American bands Lilys and the Swirlies.
posted to MetaFilter by psmealey at 7:41 AM on October 3, 2007 (113 comments)

Google launches a site dedicated to the upcoming Australian Federal Election with Youtube channels from each party, electoral boundaries integrated into Google Maps, a search engine to allow you to view what each candidate has said on a range of issues, from immigration to interest rates, news from your electorate, and graphs of media activity on candidates and issues. Australians have been lacking a comprehensive political resource like the UK's The Work For You, and Google has brought it one step closer. Unfortunately, many of the resources are in the form of gadgets you add to your iGoogle homepage, rather than standalone applications.
posted to MetaFilter by Jimbob at 6:57 PM on September 16, 2007 (29 comments)

MacFilter: Just learned how to connect to a shared drive on a server...how do I leave it in the Finder sidebar even after it's been ejected?
posted to Ask Metafilter by sjuhawk31 at 7:31 AM on September 6, 2007 (9 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)

I'm about to fly to Ibiza, and would like something to watch during the flight, and when relaxing during the day. Where can I get easily downloadable TV shows or films (and documentaries) in the correct format for my PSP (or maybe iPod)?
posted to Ask Metafilter by lemonfridge at 4:07 PM on September 2, 2007 (9 comments)

In the world of conversation killers, talking about Excel to the average person ranks up there with the best. At the same time, there is always a chance that you wish you could have that conversation at work when it gets down to the wire. Even as a pro, you might need that brush up on Array Functions, calculation tricks, VBA examples or some examples from one of the well known authors on Excel. There is also no shortage of people who dedicate their working lives to this arcane program and are more than willing to assist others for free by posting solved issues on their websites. People like David McRitchie, OzGrid, Rob Bovey, Ron de Bruin, John Walkenbach, Dick Kusleika, Joseph Rubin and Chip Pearson.

Or if you just want to be a Debbie Downer at the next party, just take page from any of the following, memorize it. and recite it when faced with that nudge you don't want to talk to: Excel Support, Jon Peltier, Colo's Junk Room, Scriptorium, Andrew's Excel Tips, Andy Pope, Anthony's VBA Page, Rodney Powell, Array Formulas, Erlandsen Data Consulting, Excel-it, ExcelUser, JKP's Excel Page, John Lacher, McGimpsey, Bill Jelen, Stephen Bullen, Tushar Mehta, VBusers.com, The Excel Nexus, The Excel Logic Page, and Anthoney Does Excel. It’s a fast and easy way to ward off lounge lizards.
posted to MetaFilter by lampshade at 2:13 PM on August 18, 2007 (43 comments)

What useful interview questions can I ask to candidates for a Data Analysis/Database Developer position ?
posted to Ask Metafilter by matholio at 5:30 PM on July 24, 2007 (11 comments)

Car Bibles: One man's comprehensive guide to oil, brakes, tires, and more.
posted to MetaFilter by Upton O'Good at 9:34 PM on July 11, 2007 (21 comments)

Help me to learn to use an API.
posted to Ask Metafilter by StephenF at 1:57 PM on June 17, 2007 (3 comments)

"My deepest sympathies for posting this. I lack all attempts at rhythm and meter, and don't even have a nice English accent to back things up!"
posted to MeFi Music by chrismear at 9:10 PM on May 23, 2007 (49 comments)

Perfect Scrambled Eggs | Really Fresh Venison | Pork Chops | Broccoli Soup | Gordon Ramsey Hates Liars
posted to MetaFilter by sluglicker at 1:12 PM on May 20, 2007 (92 comments)

Aniboom bills itself as "the home of animation," a place to discover new up & coming artists online. Towards that end, they've sponsored a $50,000 competition for the best animation across five categories. The field has been narrowed to 25 finalists, and all 25 entries are online for viewing/voting here.
posted to MetaFilter by jonson at 3:31 PM on January 22, 2007 (11 comments)

A massive collection of live DJ and PA sets of electronic music sorted by year and genre. Enjoy.
(Coral Cache link. Please use this to help archive and propagate the files.)
posted to MetaFilter by loquacious at 12:07 PM on December 31, 2006 (15 comments)