MetaFilter

Actually, there aren't a lot of problems in life that won't take care of, come to think of it.
posted to MetaFilter by EarBucket at 8:25 AM on July 6, 2007

She has brass ovaries.
posted to MetaFilter by Biblio at 5:25 AM on July 6, 2007

It's too bad we have chosen to celebrate this woman's courage by granting her imaginary male anatomy. "She is so brave she is like a man!"
posted to MetaFilter by srboisvert at 5:14 AM on July 6, 2007

George W. Bush's balls just blocked out the sun.
posted to MetaFilter by eyeballkid at 3:32 PM on July 2, 2007

Sigh. It's frustrating to hear MeFites, whose opinions (in general) I consider generally much more well-informed than average, and have grown to value, trotting out the old "Nike products are made in sweatshops" assertion as if it was fact.

I do actually work for Nike, and first of all (of course) any of my comments here are my own opinions; I'm speaking my own mind, and not on their behalf in any way. Just sayin'.

Anyway, I have... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by rodeoclown at 10:36 PM on June 27, 2007

ColdChef : She taught me how to immediately spot a fake handbag.

Yeah, do tell.

It's not one single thing, but rather a combination of things. As mentioned above, a big tip off is crooked seams or patterns not matching at seams. But there are other subtler ways (and fakes have gotten pretty good at this kind of thing), such as checking out the hardware on the bags. Obvious restitchings along the zipper or careless gluing? Fake.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by ColdChef at 9:59 AM on June 27, 2007

I don't think you were wrongheaded in your perspective in that thread, Riki tiki--I think that what's evident is that one can no longer count upon the existence of reasonable people, particularly in positions of authority. You seemed to me in that thread to be arguing from a world where most people really do have basic common sense, and those in positions of responsibility and authority actually work to exercise good, considered judgment.

That world does not currently... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by LooseFilter at 12:33 PM on June 25, 2007

Admittedly, some high school students (including those who use drugs) are dumb. Most students, however, do not shed their brains at the schoolhouse gate, and most students know dumb advocacy when they see it. The notion that the message on this banner would actually persuade either the average student or even the dumbest one to change his or her behavior is most implausible.

...

If this were a close case, the tie would have to go to... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Mayor West at 12:03 PM on June 25, 2007

American society is so broken. The atmosphere of fear is so pervasive that your kids can't even hug each other? FFS, it's as if the true American dream is to be a bubble-boy for one's life.
posted to MetaFilter by five fresh fish at 12:16 PM on June 24, 2007

Are you sure you read the article?
Why don't you cut the passive-aggressive bullshit?

Because this mischaracterization:

Man fired for saving life.

in no way agrees with the content of the article.

Actually, I read the article as 'Man saves someone, carries gun to protect himself and others, is fired,' while you and his former employer seem to... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Snyder at 1:33 PM on June 21, 2007

It would have been better as a four second video.
posted to MetaFilter by Nelson at 8:11 PM on June 20, 2007

The chipmunk turns about a second or two too early. It is very disappointing. The drama of the scene would have reached a near boiling point before the turn if the chipmunk could have just held off a bit longer. I am not sure if I should be blaming the writer, director, or chipmunk here, but my gut goes with the director.
posted to MetaFilter by flarbuse at 7:54 PM on June 20, 2007

But let me again emphasize, to be good at chess, you need to study and read a bit.

But you also have to have the talent.

I used to be, what I thought, was a pretty decent chess player. I easily beat most people I played and could defeat most of those hand-held computers that were coming out in the 1980s.

Then, one day, a friend invited me over for a smoke and a drink. Seeing that he had a chess table... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by three blind mice at 1:33 AM on June 20, 2007

Ads are part of the landscape...

Indeed. Our proto-human ancestors evolved in an advertising-rich environment and it would be dangerous to simply sweep them away without thinking of the possible medical and psychological ramifications.
posted to MetaFilter by DU at 10:30 AM on June 19, 2007

Whatever It Takes:

This past November, U.S. Army Brigadier General Patrick Finnegan, the dean of the United States Military Academy at West Point, flew to Southern California to meet with the creative team behind “24.” Finnegan, who was accompanied by three of the most experienced military and F.B.I. interrogators in the country, arrived on the set as the crew was filming. At first, Finnegan—wearing an immaculate Army uniform, his chest covered in ribbons and... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Blazecock Pileon at 9:08 AM on June 19, 2007

Perhaps it's because, as a knight, he gets to lead the next crusade.
posted to MetaFilter by liquidindian at 5:38 AM on June 19, 2007

I watched Cowboy Bebop. Cowboy Bebop made zero fucking sense.

How y'all doin?

I hated Cowboy Bebop.

Here, have some beef with green peppers.
posted to MetaFilter by ROU_Xenophobe at 8:27 PM on June 18, 2007

Do you take this woman to be your lawfully-wedded wife? YOU HAVE FIFTEEN SECONDS TO COMPLY.
posted to MetaFilter by Hlewagast at 1:11 PM on June 18, 2007

USE YOUR WORDS, what do you want?
posted to MetaTalk by jessamyn at 6:29 AM on June 18, 2007

you pick 4-5 so-so girls, put them in a blender and it spits out one average but pretty girl.

better yet: pick up the 'raw material' women from california, and you can make yourself an uncanny valley girl.
posted to MetaFilter by UbuRoivas at 5:54 AM on June 18, 2007

What's this about a Metafilter suppository?

It wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't pony sized.
posted to MetaTalk by dazed_one at 8:35 PM on June 16, 2007

You gotta admit, though, Osmanthus, that our GroupThink is second to none. There is not one single person in this thread who doesn't think you're a douchebag.
posted to MetaTalk by nanojath at 9:30 PM on June 13, 2007

We do not "do requests" as moderators though some people like to think that we might.

Freebird!
posted to MetaTalk by tracicle at 8:59 PM on June 13, 2007

Osmanthus writes 'By taking away my voice, you are persecuting me.


And therefore the Mefites did persecute Osmanthus, and sought to slay him, because he had derailed and transgressed policy on Ask Metafilter.

But he answered them: My browser is working, and I will continue to crappeth on thy threads
posted to MetaTalk by PeterMcDermott at 6:38 PM on June 13, 2007

Let's just pray that the terrorists never discover a way to harm people using solids or gases.
posted to MetaFilter by designbot at 2:03 PM on June 14, 2007

An hour later, I wanted more.
posted to MetaFilter by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 8:11 AM on June 11, 2007

Most of the games available for the Wii are "shallow" because developers got caught with their pants down.

Given the awesome power of the 360 and PS3, many developers assumed Nintendo was going to fall even further behind than last generation. They simply weren't going to spend the development hours needed to make serious games for a failed system.

Now that they've discovered how wrong their assumptions had been, companies are... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Monk at 2:20 PM on June 10, 2007

I hope this delusion snob will reg up and post to this thread. I've been playing video games for longer than he's been alive, and as one of those older women he dismisses, I would relish the chance to meet him and kick his ass in any video game he chooses.

It's on like Donkey Kong, fucker. How cute am I now?

(afterwards we'll have homemade chocolate chip cookies and lemonade, and you'll like it, you bastard)
posted to MetaFilter by iconomy at 1:29 PM on June 10, 2007

I have a Wii, and I enjoy playing my Wii (although I *am* a bit worried that the selection of quality games will be a bit sparse, as it was for the GameCube), but what I get out of it is nothing compared to what my (60 year-old) parents get out of it. They haven't gotten excited about a videogame - any videogame - since Kaboom! for the Atari 2600, but they're getting together with a big group of friends, hooking two Wiis up to two different televisions and... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by The Card Cheat at 12:56 PM on June 10, 2007

None of the artists I listen to are in Last.fm's database, and indeed, can't be included as their names are all represented pictorially by writing systems that aren't covered by the current Unicode standard.
posted to MetaFilter by phrontist at 7:05 PM on June 10, 2007

A lot of this is just Ninja propaganda.
posted to MetaFilter by ntk at 3:59 AM on June 6, 2007

I just finished reading The Republic of Pirates, which is an extremely good book. I'd recommend it to everyone here. But this has been a topic I've been interested in for a while.

As to whether pirates were moral: it really depends on who you're asking about. Some pirates, like Edward Vane or Rackham, were by all accounts murderous psychopaths. Some, like Bellamy or Hornigold, occupied a middle ground -- they weren't saints by any means, but certainly didn't go out of... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by spiderwire at 12:59 AM on June 6, 2007

That's the great thing about America. You can be put on trial for a crime that the prosecutor, judge, jury and even your public defender in that trial don't even understand.
posted to MetaFilter by delmoi at 1:00 PM on June 7, 2007

srboisvert, I want to know: who is this man? Where did he come from? Why, and how did he become the way he is? What were his formative experiences? He attended school on the GI Bill, he mentions - where did he fight? What service branch? What theater? What did he see in the war, and what did he think of it? How did he come to have an 8 year old kid at the age of 73? What about his wives? Why did he divorce? Does he have other kids?

Where does he like to eat?... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by ikkyu2 at 3:20 AM on June 7, 2007

I asked my allergy doctor what sinuses are for and what ultimate purpose they serve. Without missing a beat he said, "They put my kids through college."
posted to MetaFilter by vronsky at 4:30 PM on June 5, 2007

Article from 2004, but body parts remain useless today
posted to MetaFilter by psmealey at 2:35 PM on June 5, 2007

But what happens when the twain meet?

There's a twain wreck, silly.
posted to MetaFilter by SPrintF at 7:22 PM on June 4, 2007

I can't help but think this is just the logical progression of the ZOMG neocons and their pursuit of scaring the ever-living shit out of the American populace.

Neocons: ZOMG TERRISTS WILL KILL YOU! We have never lived in such danger!

American: Never? So what was having 20,000 nukes pointed at our heads for nigh on 50 years? A tea party?

Neocons: ...

Putin: Bleah! I vant to shoot missiles!... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by quite unimportant at 7:16 PM on June 3, 2007

OK, so now we've always been at war with Eurasia, right?
posted to MetaFilter by pompomtom at 7:12 PM on June 3, 2007

"Form of.... a baguette!"

"Shape of.... an ice Eiffel Tower!"


les puissances jumelles de merveille activent
posted to MetaFilter by srboisvert at 6:39 AM on June 3, 2007

"The liberties of a people never were, nor ever will be, secure, when the transactions of their rulers may be concealed from them. " -Patrick Henry
posted to MetaFilter by SaintCynr at 11:08 AM on June 1, 2007

Despite being an ordained Presbyterian minister, and a man of tremendous faith, Mister Rogers preached tolerance first. Whenever he was asked to castigate non-Christians or gays for their differing beliefs, he would instead face them and say, with sincerity, “God loves you just the way you are.” Often this provoked ire from fundamentalists.

Anything that provokes the ire of fundamentalists by way of being kinder to people is as good a reason as any... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by quin at 11:07 AM on June 1, 2007

Mr. Rogers was the kind of guy who, 50 years from now, somebody will write a short book about how great he was, and how everybody loved him, and all the nice things he said. And then 50 years after that, somebody else will copy that book except say that *HOLY CRAP* Mr. Rogers was actually the son of a virgin. And then a little longer down the line, somebody will mention that if you don't believe in Mr. Rogers, you will suffer eternally. He's that great.
posted to MetaFilter by one_bean at 11:05 AM on June 1, 2007

Steven C. Den Beste writes "I'm saying that I'm tired of people who only get outraged by issues like this if they can figure out a way to blame it on America."

Steven, call me a jingoist if yiu must, but as an American, I do hold America to a higher standard than the rest of the world.

Steven C. Den Beste continues "Oh, look! America is somewhere near a bad thing that's happening!... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by orthogonality at 11:53 PM on May 29, 2007

I too was at the 2000 inaugural protests. Not only did I hear boos. I saw molotov cocktails thrown, and serious police violence against protesters. Not a moment of it was covered on the news. All we saw was a happy, triumphant coronation party.

So I cheer my brothers and sisters at UMass. If these people -- and mind you, they are war criminals -- are shamed and shouted down every single place they go, with no respite and no quarter, the American people can't keep... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by spitbull at 5:12 AM on May 27, 2007

then why did they show up for their degrees, which they would get in absentia?

Perhaps they thought showing up and making a lot of noise was the better option. And perhaps it was. But from another point of view, let's not forget that it's also their day, to get their diploma, in person, and why should they stay away just because some asshole neocon was getting honored?
posted to MetaFilter by flapjax at midnite at 4:50 AM on May 27, 2007

Whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness... when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by jtron at 1:18 PM on May 25, 2007

My parents' dog died at home when I was two and a half -- they hadn't wanted to put him down at the vet's. I recall him quite vividly lying there on the kitchen floor on some sheets of newspaper, and I also remember the questions I asked my mom and dad as I grappled with what had happened. I asked if I could pet him, and they said that would be okay. They were quite attached to the dog, which they'd gotten before they were married and had been a fellow-traveler with them in their journey... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by killdevil at 11:39 PM on May 24, 2007

That'll be the plughole, into which the ocean drained.
posted to MetaFilter by aeschenkarnos at 10:50 PM on May 24, 2007

when you see the president on tv explaining why troops are marching down the streets of every american city, THEN we have a real problem ...

Standards, meet New Low
posted to MetaFilter by uri at 9:45 AM on May 24, 2007