Jack English American presents I Hate Britain Day.
(Just pretend it's yesterday, ok? And ignore the Baywatch chick.)
posted to MetaFilter by miss lynnster at 10:20 AM on July 5, 2008 (19 comments)

The 21 Steps - a spy thriller set in Google Maps I've been working on a project called We Tell Stories with Penguin (the book publisher), to design new ways of telling stories online. The idea was to get six accomplished authors and work with them to write and 'design' stories that are native to the web. The first story is by Charles Cumming and it's called 'The 21 Steps'. Like 'The 39 Steps', it's a thriller that involves a case of mistaken identity and a chase across the country. We've had some really great feedback on it so far, so I think it's safe to recommend it here!
posted to Projects by adrianhon at 3:05 PM on March 19, 2008

Aboriginal dance (also known as a corroboree) helps indigenous Australians to interact with the Dreamtime through dance, music and costume. Many ceremonies act out events from the Dreamtime. Many of the ceremonies are sacred and people from outside a community are not permitted to participate or watch. However, there are many ceremonies we've been allowed to witness (here's one of my favourites). And there's plenty of related pictures available at the National Museum's website. Naturally, any indigenous Australians reading should note that these links may include images or names of people who may now be deceased.
posted to MetaFilter by Effigy2000 at 4:40 PM on March 13, 2008 (12 comments)

Last summer, the Missoula MT city council deadlocked on the question of whether city folk should be allowed to keep "urban chickens". (Missoula, pop. 57,000 is what passes for urban in Big Sky Country.) Reporter Ann Medley made a wonderful video essay on the issue for New West.
posted to MetaFilter by CheeseDigestsAll at 10:19 AM on February 16, 2008 (24 comments)

Does Fox add sound effects to ball games?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Camofrog at 1:54 PM on October 26, 2007 (26 comments)

Help! I'm fighting a battle about graphic design, specifically rag-right vs. perfect justification. How can I sound more convincing?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Anonymous at 12:39 PM on September 26, 2007 (27 comments)

This is my contribution to the Music Challenge. I started off wanting to write a song about how water is the best beverage ever, which made me think of filtered water, which made me think of Meta-Filtered water, and so on...
posted to MeFi Music by lazaruslong at 4:43 PM on June 29, 2007 (5 comments)

McDonald's UK goes Web 2.0 with a site answering user's questions. Apparently, all of them.
posted to MetaFilter by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 8:31 AM on June 15, 2007 (141 comments)

The Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test is a continuation of the standardized testing Texas has been doing for the past 15 years, a good bit of which George W. Bush pushed as a way to measure teacher aptitude and school performance. The company that administers the test claims that cheating is "extraordinarily rare" but the Dallas Morning news found about 50,000 cheating students in 1/3 of all Texas schools. The most prevalent was the 11th grade science exam, also known as the one you must pass to get a diploma. The article even has cool coverflow-like visualizations of what a cheating school exam looks like. [via the journalist's blog, which promises parts 2 and 3 in the next couple days]
posted to MetaFilter by mathowie at 8:56 PM on June 3, 2007 (65 comments)

Metafiltr It's Metafilter 2.0. Hopefully to blossom as a clearinghouse for absurdist mefi humor, including bizarre flash apps. This is brand-stinking new; if I'm omitting some good self-reflective mefi blogs or stunts or misc. content, please let me know!
posted to Projects by cortex at 2:53 PM on May 21, 2007

Speaking of asavage, did anyone else see the MeFi shoutout on tonight's Mythbusters? On the wall during one the post-myth summaries, "MeFi" was written in what looked like chalk on a green chalkboard. asavage mentioned that he'd shout the site out out in MeFi Podcast 3, but it sounded like that would only be for the old west show.
posted to MetaTalk by paulus andronicus at 9:30 PM on April 18, 2007 (41 comments)

LA6NCA's WW2 German Radio Collection Pictures and a little history on many WW2 German radios including a cute as a button spy radio and the Lichtsprechgerät 80, an incoherent light audio transceiver. Also featured are a few photo essays of the equipment in use (Enigma, Luftwaffe Signals unit redeploying). [dorian
posted to MetaFilter by Mitheral at 9:22 AM on February 8, 2007 (20 comments)

Everything you ever wanted to know about the Belshaw Donut Robot (Model 42.)
posted to MetaFilter by ikkyu2 at 3:16 AM on November 20, 2006 (52 comments)

Before you do anything else, just listen to this. That's eefing, a 100-plus-year-old vocal technique from rural Tennessee that's, well, the original hillbilly beatboxing. The undisputed master of the art was Jimmie Riddle. His unique skill landed him recording* and TV (youtube) work. Want more weird sounds from the deep south? Try Hollerin & Whoopin and Ringing the Pig. *[warning: on the "Little Eefin Annie" page, avoid the "click here to hear Rolf Harris Eeefin'!" link: it's a pesky popup.
posted to MetaFilter by flapjax at midnite at 5:16 AM on January 6, 2007 (51 comments)

Since the Middle Ages, German craftsmen have gone 'auf der Walz' (taken to the road) as part of a kind of working-pilgrimage that artisans make after completing an apprenticeship with a master craftsman. These travels are meant to teach them about work and life and takes precisely three years and one day; they are not allowed to return home before this time. The trip can take these young craftsmen and women (all must be under the age of 30) halfway around the world (and often does) and they are allowed only a small rucksack. Other than that, they can bring along their uniform (a simple black and white affair that almost defies description), their tools, undergarments, a sleeping bag, a book and their trademark walking stick.

Although today this is a dying tradition, and is often more traditionally known as being a Journeyman today, it still exists and has inspired some to write about the strage travellers they see on the road. Indeed, perhaps the most famous work this tradition inspired is Australian poet Banjo Patterson, whose work Walzing Matilda is believed to have been inspired by this fascinating yet waning custom.
posted to MetaFilter by Effigy2000 at 6:11 PM on December 14, 2006 (28 comments)

Some stuff that happened. A mild case of OCD. A neighbourhood mom played the violin.
posted to MeFi Music by chococat at 9:33 PM on July 10, 2006 (57 comments)

I can mark my own MetaTalk comments as my favorites. Please do not faciliate such narcissism. Oh, and since I only can make one MetaTalk peost every four days, [additional callout inside]
posted to MetaTalk by orthogonality at 9:27 PM on July 31, 2006 (67 comments)

96 Minutes... 40 years later. Texas Monthly has an article that, through eyewitness accounts, tells the tale of Charles Whitman. Forty years ago today--before 9/11, Columbine, Oklahoma City, "going postal"--Whitman perpetrated an act of public terror that impacted the national conscience. It all began when he killed his mother. Then he started typing a letter that, after he killed his wife, he finished hand-writing. Then he went to the Tower with a small arsenal and began the slaughter. Over 96 minutes he killed 13 more people and wounded 34 others until off-duty Officer Ray Martinez made it to the top of the tower and killed Whitman. (more inside)
posted to MetaFilter by dios at 9:34 AM on August 1, 2006 (71 comments)

The Chittagong ship-breaking yards in Bangladesh disassemble half of the world's supertankers. Shipbreaking, though profitable, is not particularly safe for either the workers in the shipyard or the surrounding environment. It does, however, make for some spectacular pictures. Also, pinpoint the location of the shipyard and explore via satellite with Google Earth.
posted to MetaFilter by monju_bosatsu at 3:04 PM on February 18, 2006 (54 comments)

I shipped something to Nigeria through USPS and it didn't get there. I told them I wanted to insure it for $300 (it was a PS2) and paid $60 to insure and ship it but my reciept says it's only insured for $50. Is there anything I can do?
posted to Ask Metafilter by joshuak at 10:33 PM on May 8, 2006 (23 comments)