As for sex talk, I'm still sticking with:

All artefacts are palimpsests with infinite layers.

That shit is just hot.
posted to MetaFilter by quin at 2:21 PM on September 5, 2008

This is gonna sound a little weird, but I'm absolutely convinced its true: old people.

Try at your local nursing home, or Denny's, or even homeless shelter. There's a lot of old folks out there, its just that we don't see as much of them as one would expect because we've become so adept as a society at pushing them to the lesser-seen margins of our lifestyle.

Although I never knew it at the time, one thing my parents got right in raising me and... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by allkindsoftime at 7:05 AM on August 30, 2008

Sorry to see Phil go.

I love the way modern F1 cars seem to defy the laws of physics, but Phil Hill raced in a long ago world. Back then Americans were still at large, kicking ass in international road racing and the Watkin’s Glen GP was a wide open outdoor festival.

I got to the 1966 race in the middle of the night in a leaky ragtop Sunbeam Alpine in the rain and we found a dry place. Then the sun came up and there were loud Italians, who... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Huplescat at 5:43 PM on August 28, 2008

I enjoy doom and gloom as much as the next person, but this article seems like a random compilation of the scariest factoids the author could find, crammed and ranted together for maximum bugbearishness.

The horrific grammar, mangled syntax and misspelled words complete the effect. Not to mention comical editorializing such as:

"By 2005 practically everyone had a large automobile and a beautiful house."

or... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Dee Xtrovert at 7:24 PM on August 19, 2008

Start making your way through of the lists of great books here.

Learn Latin, Greek, and at least one living language of your choice. The forums here are an excellent resource.

Read introductory books on many different fields until you can find a number of different subjects that you can spend the rest of your life studying. I would personally recommend:
- a subject in the life sciences (genetics, biochemistry, cell bio...)... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by snoogles at 6:34 PM on August 11, 2008

Haha! So, he bought this house, moved in, and wrote As I Lay Dying? I can relate, Mr. Fualkner. I too think moving sucks.
posted to MetaFilter by Ambrosia Voyeur at 7:50 PM on August 11, 2008

I can turn invisible by walking into a bar full of girls.
posted to MetaFilter by spicynuts at 8:11 AM on August 11, 2008

DM manual says 1 in every 5 is always a cursed robe of spiders.
posted to MetaFilter by kid ichorous at 9:01 AM on August 11, 2008

He cites Star Wars as an example of good engineering? The entire plot of the original film revolves around one single, spectacular engineering flaw.
posted to MetaFilter by justkevin at 6:17 PM on August 8, 2008

It's like the guy is trying to fulfill his own weird war prophecy.

There's a difference between crying wolf and driving actual wolves off with noise and attention.
posted to MetaFilter by Durn Bronzefist at 3:55 PM on August 1, 2008

As a designer, it's hard not to agree with Draplin, who is a great and talented guy. But a lot of the fault lies with the consumer, who balks at the idea of paying professional prices for professional work, and with the small business owner who will charge $15,000 for a simple illuminated cabinet sign yet who only pays his 19 year-old designers $9.50 an hour.

I can't tell you how many times I've been asked to change something that frankly makes the project way worse.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Optimus Chyme at 12:45 AM on August 1, 2008

Oh, the verbiage probably wouldn’t matter if those truck crashes were any fun, but the tumult is spectacularly incoherent. Nolan appears to have no clue how to stage or shoot action. He got away with the chopped-up fights in Batman Begins because his hero was a barely glimpsed ninja, coming at villains from all angles in stroboscopic flashes. There are more variables here, which means more opportunities to say “What the f--- just happened?” I defy you to make spatial sense of the early scene in... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by dgaicun at 9:03 AM on July 29, 2008

Remember that there are many, many cars out there that will suit your needs. Don't fall in love with a particular model, and especially don't get your heart set on a particular vehicle at a particular dealership; all of your negotiating power depends on your willingness to walk away from any particular deal. Don't find "the right car," find a few of them, at different dealers.

Don't focus so much on the mysterious rituals that you... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by jon1270 at 6:45 AM on March 1, 2008

Yet oddly enough, none of that has happened since 9-11. Perhaps the terrorist threat is inflated, you think?

Haven't we been told that terrorists hate our freedom and want us to stop being American? Why would they attack us now when we're doing what they want?

As Napoleon said, never interrupt your enemy when he's making a mistake.
posted to MetaFilter by George_Spiggott at 3:33 PM on July 12, 2008

Interesting article on how the FDIC takes over banks.
posted to MetaFilter by smackfu at 4:37 PM on July 11, 2008

Related, and oh my.
posted to MetaFilter by cashman at 7:44 PM on July 11, 2008

i'm here to make fiends
posted to MetaFilter by sexyrobot at 1:13 PM on July 11, 2008

The President is merely the most important among a large number of public servants. He should be supported or opposed exactly to the degree which is warranted by his good conduct or bad conduct, his efficiency or inefficiency in rendering loyal, able, and disinterested service to the nation as a whole. Therefore it is absolutely necessary that there should be full liberty to tell the truth about his acts, and this means that it is exactly as necessary to blame him when he does wrong as to praise... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by kirkaracha at 6:39 PM on July 7, 2008

Ugh. A two bladed VAWT made of what looks like acrylic. Might last a week in the wind and the sun. And those ports in the blades, are they meant to create an annoying whistle? That's what they'll do.

Personally, I prefer Norman Foster's and Porsche's work on wind turbines.

(oh, and loquacious, you should read anything by Hugh Piggott if you're thinking of building yourself.)

adipocere, I'd best not mention the efficiency... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by scruss at 6:28 PM on July 2, 2008

Two monks were washing their bowls in the river when they noticed a scorpion that was drowning. One monk immediately scooped it up and set it upon the bank. In the process he was stung. He went back to washing his bowl and again the scorpion fell in. The monk saved the scorpion and was again stung. The other monk asked him, "Friend, why do you continue to save the scorpion when you know it's nature is to sting?"

"Because," the monk replied, "to... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Auden at 4:55 PM on July 1, 2008

If I had $10k to invest short term right now, I'd buy TIPS -- Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities. If inflation goes up, their value goes up. It's not a sure thing, but it's a good way to hedge against inflation, which could reduce the buying power of that $10k significantly over the next few years, depending on how bad food and energy prices get. Vanguard also has a low-fee TIPS Fund if that's more your style.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by junkbox at 7:08 PM on June 30, 2008

I went through about 6 months of unemployment about 10 years ago and found a nice way to make some cash. I put an ad in classifieds offering my services as a tutor.

I basically said in the ad that I could help with most subjects and with SAT's, ACTs and GED, as well as in home computer lessons. I put the ad in on a Wednesday, by that Friday I was completely booked for the next few weeks. I tutored older people trying to get their GED. I tutored high school athletes... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by UseyurBrain at 7:11 AM on June 28, 2008

Jack McDevitt, Eternity Road, since I seem to be recommending McDevitt a lot today.

The Walking Dead, which is an ongoing series of graphic novels about a zombie apocalypse.

Y, The Last Man is another graphic novel series; it's about all of the male sex dying out except for one man.

The Postman by David Brin is awesome (the movie is not).... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by infinitywaltz at 11:44 AM on June 27, 2008 marked best answer

Should I pay for a site like Morningstar to have access to better information?

Currently I'm using Morningstar's online classroom. I read business headlines and listen to Marketplace.

I would suggest that you don't pay for education from entities who have a direct interest in the industry, whether they are brokers or ratings agencies or bourses. Their "education" is designed to encourage you to use their services and... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by i_am_joe's_spleen at 12:59 PM on February 1, 2008 marked best answer

mullacc, per usual, has the best answer in the thread.

Step 1 for a budding investor is to understand financial statements.
Step 2 is to understand the drivers of value.
(and if you write Damodaran a nice email, he'll clarify things he wrote in his book)
Step 3 varies depending on what kind of investor you want to be, I suppose.

Really, you can get all the building blocks you need from the CFA program, if you... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Kwantsar at 11:25 AM on February 1, 2008

Okay. But this isn't just a sandwich. It's a sensory experience. You must follow the recipe to get the total effect.

Firstly, I used Ploughman's Dark Soft Wheat & Rye Bread. It's a local one, but It's fairly dark in colour, has a thin but meaty crust and no bits-of-oat nonsense. It's still quite fluffy for a dark bread, but it has a rough texture especially on the crust which is crucial for the contrast.

I used Oliviani olive spread, you... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dillonlikescookies at 9:31 PM on June 21, 2008

He's a cheater, you're a snoop and a liar. Or, as you are maybe starting to realize, things aren't so black and white. Sometimes people have incredibly valid reasons for doing or saying things, and if you come to him with your assumptions totally reinforced, you won't hear the truth even if he decides to share it.

What is going to turn this into a fight instead of a discussion is that you are going to have to admit hat you snooped and apologize for it. And not by... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by [NOT HERMITOSIS-IST] at 4:43 PM on June 21, 2008

I learned the basics as a kid by reading and doing the projects in the various Forrest Mims books available from Radio Shack. Consider this an endorsement of the Mims books and not of Radio Shack — back then, you could reasonably expect the people at Radio Shack to know what a capacitor or resistor was but these days they seem to consider such parts to be mysterious relics and bait for pitching a cell phone plan.

I also took electronics in college but I don't... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by tomwheeler at 8:39 AM on June 15, 2008

DC is, indeed, kinda wierd. Most people are here for a reason--they're working for a politico, or some kind of cause, or they're building up their resume before they move somewhere else. Lots of lawyers who are just starting out, and are willing (eager, even) to put their personal life on hold for a few years. There are also a lot of people who are tremendously, freakishly ambitious--they're here because they want to be politicians, or run a non-profit, or be a partner in a... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by MrMoonPie at 8:19 AM on June 12, 2008

Flight of the Navigator? Was that a thing?

It was a thing. It was an awesome thing.

And this house? Even more awesome. One year for Christmas my mother made a huge jigsaw puzzle that, once my sister and I had put together, contained a poem with a bunch of in-family references that created a puzzle we had to solve to figure out where our Christmas presents were. Highlight of my youth. This is like that, but with math and a... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Dormant Gorilla at 11:00 AM on June 12, 2008

My uncle was a serious hippie in his time. He built a two-story house in the woods in British Columbia and made a living making and selling various crafts. I always admired the way the house was built, because he was an inventor at heart and designed so many clever things into it, including a rope swing in the middle of the living room. When he died, we were cleaning out his house and found a secret room in the basement behind a waist-high particle-board wall panel.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by lostburner at 11:01 AM on June 12, 2008

When I was a very little kid we lived in a house on the estate of some eccentric 19th century naturalists, the Kennicotts. One of the manifestations of the Kennicott eccentricities was the "added features" of the homes on the estate. Each had multiple secret tunnels and pannels within the walls. The design tricked the eye so that the houses had, not just secret rooms, but secret wings. All of the buildings were connected by underground tunnels that were hidden behind bookcases and in... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Pollomacho at 12:11 PM on June 12, 2008

Upon returning from a trip to Seattle, the Navidson family discovers a change in their home. A closet-like space shut behind an undecorated door appears inexplicably where previously there was only a blank wall. A second door appears at the end of the closet, leading to the children's room. As Navidson investigates this phenomenon, he finds that the internal measurements of the house are somehow larger than external measurements. Initially there is less than an inch of difference, but... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Dave Faris at 12:18 PM on June 12, 2008

If my son/daughter ever cock-blocks me, I shall hit them with my cane.
posted to MetaFilter by JibberJabber at 9:40 AM on June 11, 2008

I'll tell you one thing for sure. I wouldn't trust no words written down on no piece of paper ... especially from no Dickinson out in the town of Machine.

You're just as likely to find your own grave.
posted to MetaFilter by mrgrimm at 8:08 PM on June 10, 2008

I'd rather drive this, personally.
posted to MetaFilter by zippy at 6:06 PM on June 4, 2008

I have one book each, all of which are imaginary, to suggest to each candidate. Additionally, I have one book, all too real, which I believe all of the candidates must read.

First, the individual recommendations:

McCain: Holy Shit, You're Fucking Nuts by You Better Fucking Believe It
Hillary: Nobody Likes You Because You're a Ruthless and Selfish Motherfucker by Seriously I'm Not... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by shmegegge at 1:48 PM on June 3, 2008

how about we let everyone who isn't performing physical labor WORK THE FUCK AT HOME??

Starting with my software development job.
posted to MetaFilter by drjimmy11 at 11:30 PM on May 31, 2008

I still believe singing a song it's the solution and the cause of any problem in the world.
posted to MetaFilter by darkripper at 3:19 AM on May 24, 2008

Okay. You're recording on an iPod and getting WAV files? That sounds odd. Or are you using iPod in the generic sense, and you mean you're recording on some other audio device? Because if you've got files that'll play on an iPod, they'll play in iTunes, and if they'll play in iTunes, you can use it to convert the file into an MP3.

If you're using some other recording device and getting WAVs that can't be opened in iTunes (which is cross platform and free), then you need... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by pzarquon at 10:14 AM on February 23, 2008

Missing from the AP report and Nature article but written in the Sydney Morning Herald was - "What we've found is really interesting, because the platypus is born without an immune system at all, unlike humans," Dr Belov told AAP.
"So we went looking for molecules that would produce immunity. What we found is molecules that develop into their own microbials (broad spectrum antibiotics).... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by tellurian at 11:19 PM on May 8, 2008

I have wished for a tiny supply of platypus venom with which to disable my enemies ever since I read this:Spicer (1876) cites a case where "The pain was intense and almost paralysing. But for the administration of small doses of brandy, he would have fainted on the spot: as it was, it was half and hour before he could stand without support: by that time the arm was swollen to the shoulder, and quite useless, and the pain in the hand very severe".Pain that requires a nerve block to stop.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by hades at 11:16 PM on May 8, 2008

Unlike their neighbors the koalas, platypuses are hard.

They may not have venom, but Koalas are mean little bastards.
posted to MetaFilter by [insert clever name here] at 11:33 PM on May 8, 2008

is it catnarok already?
posted to MetaFilter by darkripper at 7:28 AM on May 8, 2008

Create a home office.
A treadmill with a laptop setup. Working and walking. Simultaneously. Netrunner might fit the bill. (Warning: This page is a good example of the 'Seen on TV' informercial style of design)
The bouncy ball chairs are probably not as expensive as you think, and quite a lot of fun. Get an exercise ball first, try it out, and then the stand for it? Maybe $80.

Get yourself a rice cooker. The old style, where it has 'on' and... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by msamye at 10:16 AM on May 3, 2008

The export of an exciting new american century: stupidity. Enjoy canada, enjoy. We'll always make more.
posted to MetaFilter by boo_radley at 3:21 PM on May 2, 2008

Huh. Kinda looks like the Flatwoods Monster.
posted to MetaFilter by Snyder at 7:52 PM on May 2, 2008

still the best cyberpunk movie.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cowbellemoo at 9:03 AM on April 25, 2008

You know, all of these people are very nice people. They are the kind of people who feel lonely and alienated because they're 'weird' and they end up forming clubs where everyone is nice and accepting to each other and all enjoy super-nerdy pursuits.

But at the same time it's hard not to find these people annoying. I mean, they're awkward for a reason. And now, thanks to the internet, rather then conforming they are finding other awkward people to hang around with and... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by delmoi at 6:28 AM on April 23, 2008

Great find!

You'd be surprised about what your mom accomplished. She didn't always just bake cookies.

I was going through some old pictures of my family from late 1940's and early 1950's and there is my mom in a sheriffs deputy uniform. Gun on her hip and everything.

"What's this?!"

"Oh. Honey. While your father was in college I took a job as a Caribou County deputy for a few... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by tkchrist at 12:16 PM on April 21, 2008