Displaying post 1 to 50 of 135
The other day I happened to come upon a music video that is just so grooving, so human and so
real, that, well, it
moved me, darling.
Just check it out. After watching the clip, I learned that these guys are mostly disabled by polio (that's why several of them are in those rather unusual wheelchairs) and that they were living on the grounds of the Kinshasa zoo, which is where the clip was filmed. Then I learned that last year they were seeking to bring
a lawsuit against the UN. Then I found
some other clips. And now I am a
major fan of
Staff Benda Bilili.
posted to MetaFilter by flapjax at midnite
at 3:30 AM on April 26, 2008
(47 comments)
In a nutshell: I'm an artist who got trapped in a day job and I no longer have enough available time to create new work. I'd like to raise money from corporate sponsors to help fund a 10 month period where I would paint some new work and then have it exhibited at my local museum. I am not interested in applying for grants because I already know it would be a waste of time for the type art I do. I guess what I need is guidance, tips, or at least a success story to give me some encouragement. Thanks.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Perihelion
at 12:02 PM on July 24, 2008
(4 comments)
I'm looking for opinions on the UCLA Professional Program in Screenwriting, whether you've done it, or know someone who has. In particular - opinions on the online course.
posted to Ask Metafilter by mooza
at 3:56 AM on July 23, 2008
(3 comments)
Have you utilized Mechanical Turk workers for anything even remotely complicated? Were you satisfied with the results?
posted to Ask Metafilter by cog_nate
at 1:16 PM on July 15, 2008
(4 comments)
I started following hundredpushups.com today. I'd like an exercise plan along those lines to follow on the off days to work my abs. Is there a hundredsit-ups-type plan? Are sit-ups even the best way to strengthen my abs? I'm only looking for exercises that I can do at home without equipment and without much space.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cheerwine
at 7:03 PM on July 13, 2008
(12 comments)
I'd like to broaden my horizons by getting a better understanding of life in different cultures and time periods. Please recommend great books or films (fiction or non-fiction) which paint a broad, immersive, reasonably accurate picture of a place and time.
posted to Ask Metafilter by MetaMonkey
at 3:53 AM on July 12, 2008
(29 comments)
How stupid are these surveys about American stupidity?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Weebot
at 3:50 PM on July 8, 2008
(32 comments)
How do I safely add other exercises to the 100 pushups workout on other days of the week?
posted to Ask Metafilter by sdis
at 4:52 AM on July 7, 2008
(7 comments)
Prospect/Foreign Policy release their list of
the world's top public intellectuals(
full list). Number 1? The Islamic scholar
Fethullah Gulen.The rest of the top 10? The microfinancier Muhammad Yunus, the cleric Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, the writer Orhan Pamuk, the politician Aitzaz Ahsan, the evangelist Amr Khaled, the philosopher Abdolkarim Soroush, the philosopher Tariq Ramadan, the cultural theorist Mahmood Mamdani and activist Shirin Ebadi. Sense a theme? Yes, all Muslims.
This is a striking turnabout from
the 2005 poll topped by Chomsky, Eco and Dawkins.
What happened? Prospect Magazine
explains. The Turkish newspaper Zaman
weighs in. The UK's Independent
is outraged. Fethulah Gulen
defends himself.
posted to MetaFilter by vacapinta
at 10:17 AM on July 3, 2008
(51 comments)
What should I change about my current diet and exercise regimen to see some success in shedding fat?
posted to Ask Metafilter by autojack
at 4:50 PM on June 29, 2008
(15 comments)
A few days ago a
post appeared on the Something Awful forums noting a curious website called
Notes to Mary. The notes are a series of threatening letters from a high schooler named Robert to his crush, Mary. The goons figured out pretty quickly that they had an
ARG on their hands and went to work on solving the puzzle.
Several other forums picked up on the game. Robert began interacting with players, sending them strange messages and several series of numbers that appeared to be some sort of code. A
Flickr pool was started. Players even created an IRC channel to swap clues and information in real time. The Notes to Mary site offered a link to a login. All effort was made to crack the user/pass combo. Finally, several days after the game began, users were finally able to log in. The game was solved. The players would be rewarded for their hard work. Where did the login lead?
Here.
posted to MetaFilter by lysistrata
at 4:07 PM on June 25, 2008
(36 comments)
"For U.S. books published between 1923 and 1963, the rights holder needed to submit a form to the U.S. Copyright Office renewing the copyright 28 years after publication. In most cases, books that were never renewed are now in the public domain. Estimates of how many books were renewed vary, but everyone agrees that most books weren't renewed. If true, that means that
the majority of U.S. books published between 1923 and 1963 are freely usable." How do you know? The renewal copyright records have traditionally been scattered and hard to access, but Google - with the help of Project Gutenberg and the Distributed Proofreaders painstakingly typed in every word - has just released a single database as a
freely downloadable XML file.
posted to MetaFilter by stbalbach
at 8:23 AM on June 25, 2008
(55 comments)
Le réseau
- Starting in the late 19th century, Belgian
Paul Otlet envisioned the basics of a human powered Wikipedia and Google. He created a 12 million item database on index cards and accepted queries via mail or telegraph. The article describes his work and the Mundaneum museum in his honor. Be sure to watch the video. There is a
full documentary on Otlet as well.
posted to MetaFilter by Argyle
at 7:15 AM on June 17, 2008
(8 comments)
You won't find
Donkeyskin in many modern fairy-tale anthologies, perhaps because it concerns a girl so beautiful that her own father wanted to marry her. But don't worry, she dresses up as a donkey and escapes! Made famous by Charles Perrault, the story has
many variants--Catskin, Allerleirauh, Thousandfurs, The She-Bear, All Kinds of Fur--and has been subject to many
interpretations. The tale was illustrated by several of the great gift-book illustrators, including
Arthur Rackham,
Kay Nielsen,
Gustave Doré, and the less well-known
R. de la Neziere. (More R. de la Neziere
here and
here.) Oh, and here's a
sexy one.
posted to MetaFilter by Powerful Religious Baby
at 4:09 PM on June 15, 2008
(41 comments)
After a long period of soul-searching (and trying many different jobs), I've decided on a career path in language learning.
posted to Ask Metafilter by mammary16
at 11:12 AM on June 12, 2008
(3 comments)
I am looking for a painting that I saw in the St. Louis Art Museum years ago. In my memory, it is of an African-American family on the roof of their house as flood waters circle around them. The father's hands are outstretched in a plea to heaven. I originally thought the artist was
Earnie Barnes but I can't find it on his site or anywhere else on the Internets. I am convinced that the painting is in the "Ernie Barnes style" if that helps. Help me please!
posted to Ask Metafilter by delosic
at 6:01 PM on June 9, 2008
(12 comments)
In Bed With Chris Needham (
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7)
A BBC video-diary documentary from 1991 depicting the trails and tribulations of a teenage metal fan as he tries to knock his band, Manslaughter, into shape for its first gig, with many digressions into his philosophy of life along the way. Some NSFW swearing.
posted to MetaFilter by fearfulsymmetry
at 2:46 PM on June 8, 2008
(12 comments)
Advice about traveling alone in Morocco and Madrid, or about solo travel more generally?
posted to Ask Metafilter by farishta
at 3:46 PM on June 8, 2008
(13 comments)
It's my first time traveling alone! I'm spending 10-11 days in Spain, and I need some advice. How to meet people to share the experience with? How to book accommodations and train/airline tickets on the fly?
posted to Ask Metafilter by inatizzy
at 1:35 PM on November 18, 2007
(29 comments)
I would like to read books by more MeFi writers. I have therefore made a list of who they are and their books.
posted to MetaTalk by paduasoy
at 5:03 AM on February 23, 2008
(102 comments)
I've found myself with a little more time on my hands. I'd like to add a few useful, relevant blogs and podcasts to the ranks of my RSS reader. Any suggestions for me?
posted to Ask Metafilter by charmston
at 9:41 AM on May 30, 2008
(15 comments)
How can I remember more of what I read?
posted to Ask Metafilter by zenpop
at 10:34 AM on May 30, 2008
(21 comments)
Is there a word to describe being sucked into wikipedia; inadvertently wasting hours of time by delving deeper and deeper into articles, interesting link by interesting link? If not, can you help me come up with a clever term for this phenomenon?
posted to Ask Metafilter by (bb|[^b]{2})
at 8:04 PM on May 27, 2008
(47 comments)
I'm interested in hearing from people who have taught English as a second language in a foreign country. Share your experience with someone who is considering entering this field.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Ritchie
at 8:37 PM on April 18, 2005
(15 comments)
What's the best way to get qualified in TEFL and find a teaching position, given that I've probably missed the start of the academic year?
posted to Ask Metafilter by London Irregular
at 7:50 AM on September 18, 2006
(6 comments)
I'm interested in reading more fun books, written in 1945 or earlier, which clearly set themselves in the time and place that they were written. Examples include Anne of Green Gables, Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers, Pride & Prejudice, and China to Me.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Margalo Epps
at 1:59 PM on May 24, 2008
(39 comments)
My life sucked, so I moved to the opposite side of the world. I'm a former mid-weight graphic designer in London, and I need a new non-design job. What should I do for a crust?
posted to Ask Metafilter by linus587
at 10:09 AM on May 22, 2008
(10 comments)
Until recently,
earthquake lights were folklore. It wasn't until the phenomenon was captured in photographs, taken during the Matsushiro earthquake swarm in Japan between 1965 and 1967, that the
seismological community acknowledged their occurrence.
The precise mechanism is unknown. A stunning example was captured on
video thirty minutes prior to the Sichuan earthquake.
posted to MetaFilter by Pater Aletheias
at 11:02 AM on May 20, 2008
(66 comments)
What are the best (free) podcasts for learning languages?
posted to Ask Metafilter by lindsey.nicole
at 6:19 PM on December 15, 2007
(10 comments)
Good online discount fashion retailers?
posted to Ask Metafilter by detune
at 8:26 AM on May 12, 2008
(6 comments)
Klezmer hip hop? Did I hear that correctly?
posted to Ask Metafilter by msali
at 2:47 PM on May 9, 2008
(11 comments)
Audio link to the Inaugural Address delivered January 20, 1961.
posted to MetaFilter by squalor
at 11:27 AM on November 22, 2005
(18 comments)
ProducerFilter: i'm looking for inspiration and influences for my drum sounds. what electronic/dance/rap producers have interesting, unique, forward-looking drum sounds?
posted to Ask Metafilter by messiahwannabe
at 10:29 PM on May 5, 2008
(6 comments)
I'm looking for a source (video name, who did it, what the music is called, why was it made, is it available online, any other information) of the CGI video that appears at the very start of this
YouTube video of Tomorrows World c1984 clip.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Dub
at 9:03 AM on May 4, 2008
(2 comments)
I started running through the walking-running method last year. I have got to the point where I did a 10k run last Sunday; I ran all the way (yay!) and did it in just under 1 hr 9 minutes.
The magazine I read, etc, make it clear that to expect to run better/faster/stronger/safer, I need to do some non-running activities now, as well as the running.
I am looking at buying a home multigym type thing. Recommendations please!
Also - I'd like to increase my hip flexibility - so I can stride longer - I feel I am a bit "tight" at the moment. Best exercises for that? On the machine/ using a ball thing?
posted to Ask Metafilter by LyzzyBee
at 3:25 AM on May 3, 2008
(12 comments)
An extraordinary piece of magazine writing by Chris Jones.
Jones tells the story of how the body of Sergeant Joe Montgomery makes its way from a Baghdad suburb to its final resting place in a grave in Indiana. It's one of the finest pieces of journalism that I've read in years. It’s extremely moving without being saccharine or twee. It’s a military story, but utterly without jingoism or indictment. And it’s wonderfully observed. If I taught a first-year creative writing course, I'd make this required reading.
posted to MetaFilter by dbarefoot
at 9:57 PM on April 30, 2008
(87 comments)
What are some of your absolute favourite online essays, articles and other pieces of non-fiction writing?
posted to Ask Metafilter by turgid dahlia
at 4:21 PM on May 1, 2008
(51 comments)
Let's say I wanted to run across Canada next year, what would I need to start doing to be able to?
posted to Ask Metafilter by 913
at 4:54 PM on April 30, 2008
(29 comments)
Are some languages objectively harder than others? If so, which ones?
posted to Ask Metafilter by greytape
at 4:27 AM on April 30, 2008
(50 comments)
May, 1968 - Paris
I've scoured the
Wikipedia entry (very helpful), gone over a
few articles and
collections of varying quality
(not bad), and I've seen
"The Dreamers" (a fiction film that touches on it)... Now,
what non-fiction media (book, article, film, photographic collection, etc.) should I consume to have a better understanding of the Parisian Students'/General strike of May, 1968? I'd like to start with the most general, canonical retellings, and then work towards the specific.
[English Language or very good translation preferred]
posted to Ask Metafilter by jjjjjjjijjjjjjj
at 7:34 AM on April 29, 2008
(16 comments)
Silver Bookmarks
is a collection of images of over 1000 antique silver bookmarks. They can be browsed by category (e.g.
shape,
origin,
style) all of which are divided into myriad sub-categories (e.g.
Art Deco,
cat,
Shakespeare,
Iceland,
Tunbridgeware,
knife).
Stevengraphs has pictures of the famed bookmarks made by the firm of silk weaver Thomas Stevens as well as other products. Among my favorite Stevengraphs are
Ye Faire Ladie Godiva and Peeping Tom,
The Apostle of Free Trade, John Bright, MP,
Assassinated at Washington 14 April 1865 - The Late Lamented Lincoln,
Speed Well Remember Me and for cheap laughs there is the glorious duo of
Ride the Cock Horse and
I Love Little Pussy.
posted to MetaFilter by Kattullus
at 10:01 AM on April 25, 2008
(2 comments)
A rap education for an picky atheist feminist weaned on indie, punk and new wave - primarily music but books/essays would be good too.
posted to Ask Metafilter by carbide
at 3:45 AM on April 25, 2008
(76 comments)
