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I've said it before, but education done properly - in any field - is far more about what you produce than what you absorb. And there are very few people (some, but very few) who have the capability to produce excellent work without feedback, encouragement, suggestions and ideas flowing in from other people around them. Books are not able to look at what you've done and suggest how to do it better, or an interesting problem to follow up with; the librarian probably won't take a look at your... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Wolfdog at 9:58 AM on May 10, 2006

The Capitalisation of Nouns (closest modern parallel, German) faded away between the Middle and End of the Eighteenth Century. The Reason was primarily Æsthetic, as Writers and Printers moved away from Heavy Typography towards a more Italianate Model. There were also Œconomic Advantages, since it generally made Typesetting easier.

The heaviest Stiles of Typography are usually... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by holgate at 10:14 AM on December 27, 2005 marked best answer

If it sounds like I overdid it, here's a quick google sample from actual nme reviews:

"sounds like Wu-Tang Clan dressed as Vikings and pillaging the black-metal community"

"sounds like new wave oddballs Devo covering the Motown back catalogue"

"sounds like Brian Wilson trying to conduct an orchestra of Andrex puppies on E"

"sounds like The... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by funambulist at 1:19 PM on December 4, 2005

In the beginning was the tonic pitch. And sexual dimorphism said, Let there be puberty; and there was puberty; and there were two voices, that could produce two frequencies in a 2:1 ratio. And the ear heard the 2:1 ratio, and it was good; and in fact, the two pitches seemed to have the same meaning. And a space there was betwixt them; and later on the Greeks got around to naming it the octave. And the unison and the octave were the first day.

But the octave was without... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by eritain at 2:01 AM on February 25, 2006

Check out the anti-phonetic alphabet.

Also, I'm amused that "Eau, Are, Sea, Eh" spells EASE or ORCA depending on how you look at it. :)
posted to Ask MetaFilter by mbrubeck at 1:48 PM on February 10, 2006 marked best answer

I adopted a black iPod
posted to MetaTalk by matteo at 9:02 AM on April 18, 2006

Honey, I shrunk our adopted black infant pod person.
posted to MetaTalk by Pollomacho at 11:23 AM on April 18, 2006

My wife and I adopted a black, infant girl. We are both white as is an older daughter. There was a lot of explaining to do to total strangers who would walk up and ask how it was that a black child was part of a white family. It always afforded us an opportunity to point out that this was a choice we wanted. Despite this, an "ugly duckling" syndrome set in by age 3 and she became troubled and troublesome.

One day, while on vacation in Monterey, it came to a... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by RMALCOLM at 7:26 PM on April 14, 2006

I get crazy email all the time from magicians asking me to delete stuff on ask mefi because we are giving away their secrets.

Has one of them ever said "Don't make me pull a can of whoop-ass out of this hat"? Because that would be awesome.
posted to MetaTalk by PinkStainlessTail at 9:15 AM on May 11, 2006

Invent a person. I propose that he be named Humberto X. Barbecue. Humberto lives in Antarctica, has a wooden leg and a glass eye, and is allergic to plastic. He collects tarantulas.

Now, assume that every person who calls you on the phone without providing a name is, in fact, Humberto X. Barbecue. Treat the caller as such, regardless of gender. Ask the caller about the weather in Antarctica, and about the health of the tarantula collection. Ignore any protests that the... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Faint of Butt at 8:29 AM on March 14, 2006 marked best answer