MetaFilter

Few foreigners have seen the crater in the heart of the Karakum, one of the world's largest deserts, although Turkmen authorities are hoping to change that as they seek ways to bolster tiny visitor numbers to the former Soviet republic.


Here's a thought; they should build a highway to the crater to improve access. They could call it...well, you know.

(Or else the Bon Scott freeway)
posted to MetaFilter by TedW at 7:58 AM on August 3, 2014

This is funny, on many levels.
posted to MetaFilter by quarsan at 11:13 PM on July 28, 2014

In addition to public sector revenue, for the private sector, there's basically a substantial industry already waiting in the wings and real money is already being spent to build out the infrastructure. The delivery service I use is about to expand to add statewide overnight deliveries. You can be sure that the capitalists funding this have bigger things in mind. These people are already making so much money that it kind of staggers me to do the math on their business even based on some likely... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by feloniousmonk at 7:24 PM on July 27, 2014

“Marihuana” is listed in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act alongside some of the most dangerous and mind-altering drugs on earth, ranked as high as heroin, LSD and bufotenine, a highly toxic and hallucinogenic toad venom that can cause cardiac arrest

The way this Congress has performed, I'd expect them to accidentally legalize the toad venom.
posted to MetaFilter by RobotVoodooPower at 6:15 PM on July 27, 2014

Of course, this is the same universe that forced Leia to comfort a grieving Luke Skywalker over the death of an old man he'd known for two days while her entire planet and everyone she'd ever loved was vaporized.

Sounds like the writer does not understand the overwhelming nature of MANPAIN.
posted to MetaFilter by sukeban at 1:14 PM on July 25, 2014

Ok, one last thing.

The Galaxy Quest website was made to look like a crappy geocities fan site, back in the day.
posted to MetaFilter by Fleebnork at 2:59 PM on July 23, 2014

I love riffing on old jokes, so I think this is perfect.

Once I was goofing around and told a friend my take on the giant marshmallow joke which is

"Last night I dreamed I ate a giant marshmallow, and when I woke up, my giant marshmallow was missing!"

Turns out his version is way better:

"Last night I ate my pillow"
posted to MetaFilter by aubilenon at 2:53 PM on July 23, 2014

That was probably the best version of rolling a joke into Joke Explanation territory then all the way back around into funny then over to tragic and then finally ... I mean, man, what a journey.
posted to MetaFilter by komara at 1:56 PM on July 23, 2014

The cops job is to get the dude under arrest - no ifs, ands or buts.

The cops' job is to protect people. In theory, they are allowed to use limited force in controlled ways in order to do that job. When force becomes an end in itself, when police become motivated by legitimizing and rationalizing ever-increasing amounts of force rather than minimizing the need for it and the risks of using it, they are hurting rather than protecting us.
posted to MetaFilter by amery at 9:07 AM on July 22, 2014

Cops across America are using ever-increasing deadly force of one kind or another against people demonstrating even the slightest bit of non-cooperation or hostility of any kind. That includes looking at a cop cross-eyed, at this point. By contrast, check these London cops and how they handled a guy with a freaking machete screaming and charging at them. In the US that obviously mentally disturbed individual would be dead now. He would have died in a... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by flapjax at midnite at 8:00 AM on July 22, 2014

I don't see a way to add my favorite magazine cover (Rolling Stone's College Special 1990).
posted to MetaFilter by infinitewindow at 4:54 PM on July 19, 2014

Ask yourself the three things you must always ask yourself before you say anything:
1. "Does this need to be said?"
2. "Does this need to be said by me?"
3. "Does this need to be said by me now?"
           -- Craig Ferguson
posted to MetaFilter by Greg_Ace at 8:02 PM on July 18, 2014

Leviticus is old-covenant. Jesus is new-covenant. I don't thing Jesus people should concern themselves with -- to them -- obsolete documentation.

Jesus was super concerned with economic sin and basically not at all with sexual sin. The only bits in the New Testament that care about what people do with their own bodies is from the Pauline Epistles. The real hermeneutic that Evangelicals seem to follow is whether a given passage allows them to gain in... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by shakespeherian at 8:46 AM on July 17, 2014

EVERY YEAR WE GET TOGETHER AND MAKE SALMON FOR TOAST
EVERY YEAR WE GET A CROCKETY BLOAT
OH FUCK NEVER MIND
posted to MetaFilter by Cookiebastard at 8:58 AM on July 14, 2014

"Well designed?" Huh. Struck me as quite the opposite.

I am convinced (and I speak with absolutely zero authority on the subject) that modern web design theory posits that the more time you spend "engaging" with a website, searching for the bit of data you actually want, the better that website must be.

If you could find what you want in 5 seconds, in and out like a convenience store, that would be the... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by 2bucksplus at 5:28 PM on July 12, 2014

Technically, all albums are potentially final albums.
posted to MetaFilter by RobotHero at 7:43 PM on July 11, 2014

I love her way of putting it -- "I thought I could have another story." So simple, so common.
posted to MetaFilter by likeatoaster at 10:23 AM on July 10, 2014

This is a small price to pay for defending kleptocracy.
posted to MetaFilter by benzenedream at 3:08 PM on July 5, 2014

bukvich: "So if a Stephen King or an H. P. Lovecraft tried to work on his chops today in undergraduate it wouldn't fly, would it?"

Having worked with a lot of college student writers in various capacities, it's not really the Stephen Kings of the class who give off the vibe. I've tried like six times to capture this in my comment but it's hard; it's a holistic thing having to do with the student's demeanor, participation in class, ability to... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Eyebrows McGee at 10:34 AM on July 5, 2014

I've been watching, in frustration, the debate here in Tasmania over the last few weeks,

I hear you, and feel exactly the same listening to the legislature here in New York debating over medical use.... It's embarrassing. I mean, this is New York for chrissakes, and they pretend like Colorado doesn't even exist. I thought New York invented taxing everything under the sun. I think I have to pay a tax every time I go to the... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by valkane at 6:20 AM on July 5, 2014

This should have at least been posted at 4:20 AM Denver time.

One wonders how much violence reduction is because there is less illicit commerce and how much is because criminals are chilled the fuck out.
posted to MetaFilter by save alive nothing that breatheth at 3:22 AM on July 5, 2014

Oh, Lord. I know the instant I read this that Thai Life Insurance was back. Those things are a whole new level of tear-jerker.

My Son

My Daughter

Daddy

Grandpa

Grandma

Marry me


YOU NEED LIFE INSURANCE BECAUSE WE RIP YOUR STILL-BEATING HEART OUT OF YOUR CHEST WITH OUR COMMERCIALS - Thai... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by magstheaxe at 7:45 AM on July 4, 2014

If you believed... they drew a dong on the moon, a dong on the moon.
posted to MetaFilter by Cold Lurkey at 9:18 PM on July 3, 2014

Bob makes a good point. Can we unpack that for a minute?
posted to MetaFilter by The Deej at 6:50 PM on July 3, 2014

I enjoy the trick that Dave Eggers mentioned as being employed by a colleague of his father's:

When you could normally say "um" when you can't think of anything, instead say "Now:" It's just as effective in stalling for time, but it sounds really forceful and competent.
posted to MetaFilter by drjimmy11 at 5:27 PM on July 3, 2014

I get in funks like this occasionally, and I hate it. I don't like being grouchy and sour!

What works for me:

* Acknowledging (to myself, and to close friends/people I trust) that I am In A Funk. For some reason this helps me restructure my thinking.

* Reminding myself that everyone is "the hero of their own story" - that is, that person who is annoying me is living their own life, in... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by schroedingersgirl at 11:42 AM on June 30, 2014

You used to go whole years without seeing a shitty Supreme Court decision of this magnitude, but this court delivers them time after time. What a truly magical period of history.
posted to MetaFilter by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 8:25 AM on June 30, 2014

Just spotted on jscalzi's Twitter feed:

"I'd like to congratulate Hillary Clinton on winning the 2016 Presidential Election today."
posted to MetaFilter by EmpressCallipygos at 8:19 AM on June 30, 2014

from a VC perspective, encouraging entrepreneurs to "fail often" makes perfect sense, as they would want to keep the idea farm perpetually churning and therefore be able to select only the tastiest of bets.
posted to MetaFilter by young_son at 2:14 PM on June 29, 2014

Despite all my rage I am still just a stat on a page
posted to MetaFilter by oulipian at 7:30 AM on June 28, 2014

You know all those civilizations that didn't make it though the Great Filter?

They never thought to question what God needed a starship for.
posted to MetaFilter by RonButNotStupid at 6:28 PM on June 26, 2014

I tried to buy one of these but got confused and ordered a Bitfit by mistake. I put it on and it vibrated to signal 'good enough go sit down and maybe have a beer'. Five Stars!
posted to MetaFilter by srboisvert at 11:18 AM on June 25, 2014

...just to let them know "hey, I'm thinking about you," but in an unsettling way they should be concerned about

Our new app Dejar lets you send your friends a photo of them doing something they intend to do in the future but have not done yet, to playfully remind them that free will is an illusion and all choices are meaningless.
posted to MetaFilter by griphus at 2:20 PM on June 23, 2014

I don’t remember the last time I messaged someone to say that I was thinking about them, or the last time that I received a message of that nature, but I think about people all day. Nice thoughts. From now on, I’ll just Yo them.

I don't even know how to...to...

It's okay to think about people without telling them about it. Even nice thoughts.

When they said that generation Z would... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Frowner at 1:58 PM on June 23, 2014

That Jermaine Jones Wikipedia entry keeps getting better and better:

At the FIFA World Cup 2014, Jones scored a key goal that tied the deathmatch between Portugal and USA. This key goal has made Jones the greatest American since John Brooks. Jermaine Jones is a national hero and Encyclopedia Britannica has officially announced that they will include an entry for Jermaine Jones. He is the greatest American to ever be born.
posted to MetaFilter by Dr. Zira at 4:33 PM on June 22, 2014

And if you're not sure whether you're fucking or not, Reggie Watts will clarify it for you. This is my favorite song this week.
posted to MetaFilter by tatiana131 at 1:07 PM on June 22, 2014

Between this and Yo I think we're in a mirror world where it's impossible to tell the parody from the serious.
posted to MetaFilter by Nelson at 4:47 PM on June 20, 2014

I'm guessing the dailies on Ep.VII had way too many lens flares for the execs' taste??
posted to MetaFilter by Thorzdad at 12:23 PM on June 20, 2014

My husband will not play this game with anyone we want to be long term friends with. I asked why--as I have never played it, nor indeed heard of it until we got married--and all I got in response was a mournful look off to the middle distance.
posted to MetaFilter by Kitteh at 11:16 AM on June 18, 2014

I must say that, despite Axl's invitation, I never really felt all that welcomed to the jungle.
posted to MetaFilter by octobersurprise at 7:52 AM on June 16, 2014

In fact, I hate it. It's like being granted telepathy, but there's a catch: your superpower only works in middle school bathrooms.

I snickered out loud when I read this (from the Atlantic article).
posted to MetaFilter by immlass at 9:21 PM on June 15, 2014

Also, if you don't pay attention to smartphone permissions for what an app can collect/control, prepare to be amazed as you look over the list. Everything wants a ton of personal information, and every app seems to ask for a new one every month or two.

Check out this Google Nearby permission screen:


Nearby lets you connect, share, and do more with people, places, and things near you.

When Nearby is turned on... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by mccarty.tim at 6:04 PM on June 15, 2014

I'm just glad his kids could be with him. Or at least it sounds like that did get to happen.

His work on Battle of the Planets as the voice for Mark was formative for me, because he gave him a gentle authority and humanity (along with the other excellent voice actors it somehow garnered) that baked in my love not just of Anime, but in stories well told by the characters.

I listened to his countdown show for years, many through a single earphone... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by batmonkey at 11:15 AM on June 15, 2014

So I was working on the live Radio Hall of Fame broadcast at the Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago, and Casey Kasem was scheduled to be the host. I was in charge of getting Preston Bradley Hall (the room with the giant Tiffany dome and the crazy acoustics) in the Chicago Cultural Center set up for the event, and I'm there at a ridiculous hour of the morning checking tech stuff for that evening's broadcast.

Now, the Radio Hall of Fame isn't the world's most... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by anazgnos at 10:11 AM on June 15, 2014

Never mind all this--just show me that one weird trick for finishing my thesis.
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Bad Example at 3:11 PM on June 11, 2014

For whatever reason, I find these absolutely delightful. I especially like the ones with little explanations for the facts, like "Men sweat more than women. This is because women can better regulate the amount of Eggs they eat[.]" I mean, men sweat more than women, sure, whatever, anyone can make up a fact on that level or just say shit that happens to be true, but adding in the regulation of Egg consumption takes this to a higher plane of Things Which Bring Me Joy.
posted to MetaFilter by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 8:50 PM on June 10, 2014

"A zebra can dig a tunnel 300 feet long in a single night"

That zebra crawled to freedom through three hundred feet of shit-smelling foulness I can't even imagine- or maybe I just don't want to.
posted to MetaFilter by stevis23 at 8:44 PM on June 10, 2014

My uncle had a motto, words to live by:

Never stand when you can sit.
Never sit when you can lie down.
posted to MetaFilter by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 4:45 AM on June 10, 2014

You could do crude empirical calculations, I suppose, but your computer is going to be pretty limited in its effectiveness if you don't know that projectiles travel along parabolic arcs.

Did the Greeks not know this? They didn't understand gravity, but parabolic arcs seems like the sort of geometry stuff they would be in to. I mean, they had archers who had to know about parabolas, right?

curious when this... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by spaltavian at 9:45 AM on June 5, 2014

I'm curious when this technological know how was lost

I think a more interesting question is "why"? You could make a pretty good case for the reason for this being social inequality. Basically, you had a social system so hierarchical and with such a tiny proportion of the population able to exercise intellectual agency that there was no room (socially or culturally) for these innovations to develop. No systems of knowledge to increase their... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Sonny Jim at 7:18 AM on June 5, 2014