What's the funniest joke that doesn't involve making fun of anyone?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hoverboards don't work on water at 7:03 AM on March 20, 2006 (126 comments)

I love esoteric jokes, the kind of humor which presupposes a lot of specialized knowledge. The more opaque the joke is, the better. However, by their very nature they're kinda hard to search for on Google, or at least I rarely hit upon the magic searchterms. So, do you know good sites with specialist jokes? If not, do you know any particularly obscure jokes?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Kattullus at 9:56 AM on September 23, 2007 (97 comments)

Jokes that involve the listener and make fun of them?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Sharcho at 6:33 AM on January 13, 2006 (55 comments)

I'm looking for jokes that sound like they are going to be very involved at the start but end up being very short.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Carbolic at 8:28 AM on April 17, 2008 (61 comments)

What words do people use that consistently make you cringe and wonder if they understand what they are saying?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Invoke at 11:58 PM on September 11, 2005 (240 comments)

Hope this isn't too stupid: I want to eat more healthy foods. I have a very small food budget. Any ideas? [more inside]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by eilatan at 11:26 AM on December 9, 2003 (42 comments)

Please share your systems, rules, habits, routines--I want to minimize my repeated small choices.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by lemonade at 11:01 AM on April 5, 2010 (58 comments)

How to write a professional, polite, and effective reminder email?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by qxntpqbbbqxl at 10:39 AM on April 5, 2010 (18 comments)

Just started a new job and I've become HORRIFIED by life. How do I stop panicking?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Anonymous at 7:42 AM on April 3, 2010 (37 comments)

Is it considered very unusual in the US for people to keep their own surnames when they get married? Does this lead to misunderstandings or problems in everyday life, or is it totally OK/commonly accepted for wife and husband to have different surnames?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by The Toad at 1:32 AM on March 31, 2010 (60 comments)

Is there such a thing as being bi-sexual or a-sexual? (Not in the way that you think.)
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Anonymous at 11:33 AM on April 2, 2010 (21 comments)

Help me build the essential early music library.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Saxon Kane at 1:45 PM on April 1, 2010 (26 comments)

I'm looking for some hardcore heart-wrenching classical music. My current selection includes Vocalise by Rachmaninoff, Ständchen from Schwanengesang by Schubert, Shostakovich's 5th Symphony, first movement (because of that haunting ending!), and Prelude in C minor by Chopin. Suggestions?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by archagon at 2:02 AM on April 2, 2010 (62 comments)

Africa's Forever Wars - Why the continent's conflicts never end. There is a very simple reason why some of Africa's bloodiest, most brutal wars never seem to end: They are not really wars. Not in the traditional sense, at least. The combatants don't have much of an ideology; they don't have clear goals. Terror has become an end, not just a means.
posted to MetaFilter by VikingSword at 12:49 PM on April 1, 2010 (55 comments)

What's the psychology behind EXTREMELY loud music in nightclubs, concerts, and even some stores?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by sixcolors at 9:28 PM on November 24, 2008 (27 comments)

Using the subway and taxicabs in NYC without looking like a rube.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by ColdChef at 5:57 AM on March 31, 2010 (70 comments)

What reason is there to believe that the recently-passed health care bill is affordable for America? Sure, the CBO projects it to reduce deficits, but isn't it required to use possibly unrealistic legislative assumptions, like Medicare cuts that have never been implemented in the past? Given the incredible growth of Medicare and Social Security costs over the last decades, the powerful interests (like doctors) that may stand against harsh cost-cutting, and the US's aging but heavily-voting population -- what reason is there to believe this bill doesn't start up yet another fiscally irresponsible and politically untouchable entitlement program?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by shivohum at 8:51 PM on March 31, 2010 (16 comments)

This Flickr blog post about the project to map Kibera (perhaps the largest slum in Africa) has left me thinking: what is the largest slum in the Americas? In North America? In the United States?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by komara at 1:22 PM on March 31, 2010 (16 comments)

Which pop and rock music studio recordings were performed in unusual and unexpected locations?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by crapmatic at 5:55 PM on March 30, 2010 (55 comments)

Are there any examples of television/movie scenes where simple non-plot-related mistakes are made intentionally?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by mpls2 at 10:48 AM on March 30, 2010 (51 comments)

I think networking is the missing element to my rather unsuccessful job search effort. Any suggestions as to how I could grow my network usefully? How much about "networking" is hype?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Anonymous at 10:37 AM on March 30, 2010 (12 comments)

"The conventional wisdom that Africa is not reducing poverty is wrong." [PDF, 339.97 KB]
posted to MetaFilter by SpringAquifer at 9:32 PM on March 2, 2010 (21 comments)

What sorts of code words, specific language or techniques are used in your industry, profession, or area of expertise that can be used to manipulate the system? Or, what sorts of tricks have you found that work in similar ways?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by JimmyJames at 3:44 PM on May 26, 2008 (25 comments)

I'm a taller than average woman who is often asked out by shorter men. How can I stop being bothered by the height difference when dating?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by mesha steele at 10:51 AM on March 29, 2010 (78 comments)

I'm deeply confused. Other than in a strictly juvenile, we-won-you-lost sense, why and how is the recent US health reform legislation considered a success?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Netzapper at 7:11 PM on March 28, 2010 (47 comments)

I'm looking for examples of things - anything - for which the "authentic" version is exceedingly rare or non-existent, and most or all of the real-life versions are imitations/knockoffs/replicas/synthetic/fake. Especially if the fake versions are commonly believed to be real.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Metroid Baby at 8:35 AM on March 27, 2010 (80 comments)

Weirdness. Am I haunted? Is my house haunted? Strange, unexplainable things are happening.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by davoid at 12:55 PM on March 26, 2010 (44 comments)

Are there strong theological explanations for why the current activity in miracles isn't quite what it used to be? No more pillars of salt, burning bushes, days being stopped etc... Doesn't he love us?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by wilful at 6:29 PM on June 12, 2007 (45 comments)

Just how inconvenient is it to be left-handed?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Anonymous at 8:54 AM on March 25, 2010 (101 comments)

What do you and your SO do to bond with each other?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by elder18 at 6:19 PM on February 17, 2010 (68 comments)

"This is how it really works." I'm looking for things you know that work differently than people assume they do. For instance, people usually assume that school textbooks are chosen strictly on merit, when actually it is Texas book events that end up controlling textbook sales. Or like the comment that said "what the FBI does is collect evidence for prosecution. They rarely solve crimes on their own and they rarely prevent them." Before payola was widely talked about in recent years, most people thought songs on the radio got there solely because of popularity. I'm looking for other examples where widely common perceptions about how something operates are not accurate.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by cashman at 7:18 AM on March 23, 2010 (100 comments)

What are you favourite iPhone/iPod Touch apps? I'm particularly interested in those that are free or cheap.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by hiteleven at 2:44 PM on June 22, 2009 (36 comments)

People who became vegetarian or vegan for ethical or moral reasons: how did you get over the fact that meat just tastes so good?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by ocherdraco at 11:55 AM on March 19, 2010 (65 comments)

What are some examples of a large company or brand not owning or using the "obvious" domain name like company.com or brand.com? Examples from the past would also be useful.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by smackfu at 8:42 AM on September 24, 2009 (45 comments)

Does anyone know if people die of starvation in the United States?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by digividal at 10:54 AM on March 19, 2010 (19 comments)

What can I do to help my mother deal with all her friends dying of old age?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by headnsouth at 7:53 AM on March 19, 2010 (7 comments)

I've been thinking of adopting a cat from the local shelter...HOWEVER...I am starting to hesitate because of all the problems people have with cat pee.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by The ____ of Justice at 12:23 AM on March 19, 2010 (51 comments)

How do I prove that the scientific method works?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by lexicakes at 7:29 PM on March 18, 2010 (32 comments)

How can I stop hating the summer, sun, the beach, and people who enjoy these things?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by sully75 at 9:42 AM on April 22, 2009 (57 comments)

Anyone here familiar with the polar opposite of SAD disorder? Or to be more specific it seems a majority of people in every culture suffer varying degrees of sadness and 'the blues' during short and/or inclement weather days. Any number of studies confirm this But what if so called 'beautiful' days depress you?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by dawson at 11:24 AM on January 12, 2008 (23 comments)

My boyfriend and I need to go on an all-day date in NYC and Brooklyn this Saturday. We're native New Yorkers, so we don't need to see the Statue of Liberty or every art exhibit, but we'd prefer something other than watching Hulu at home. So what do we do?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Viola at 1:30 PM on March 18, 2010 (20 comments)

Google Alleges That Viacom ‘Secretly Uploaded Its Content to YouTube, Even While Publicly Complaining About Its Presence There’ Zahavah Levine, chief counsel for YouTube in its litigation with Viacom, explains:

For years, Viacom continuously and secretly uploaded its content to YouTube, even while publicly complaining about its presence there. […] Viacom’s efforts to disguise its promotional use of YouTube worked so well that even its own employees could not keep track of everything it was posting or leaving up on the site. As a result, on countless occasions Viacom demanded the removal of clips that it had uploaded to YouTube, only to return later to sheepishly ask for their reinstatement. In fact, some of the very clips that Viacom is suing us over were actually uploaded by Viacom itself.

[via DF]
posted to MetaFilter by ocherdraco at 12:23 PM on March 18, 2010 (49 comments)

What are some judicial tests? I already know about the M'Naughten rules and the Product Test (for mental competence to stand trial), and the Lemon Test and Coercion Test (for whether school-led prayer violates the establishment clause). I love these. What are some other judicial tests? Where can I read about them?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by mathtime! at 10:47 AM on March 18, 2010 (17 comments)

Where on the internet do you go with your questions, when you can't ask the hive mind?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by royalsong at 10:12 AM on March 18, 2010 (23 comments)

What criteria make two people compatible, relationship-wise?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by ixohoxi at 6:58 PM on March 17, 2010 (23 comments)

CSPAN has has just put their entire video archive online.
posted to MetaFilter by twoleftfeet at 3:55 AM on March 17, 2010 (17 comments)

Looking for interesting stuff to listen to during my commute. Where can I find some cheap/free audiobooks (or other ~1hr long listening materials) online?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Xany at 8:44 AM on March 17, 2010 (30 comments)

Maybe you'd be interested in full, downloadable live concerts by Iggy Pop and David Bowie (1977), P. J. Harvey (1992), Neko Case (2006), or the Arcade Fire (2008)? The online, L.A.-based music publication Web in Front hosts a terrific collection of concert podcasts from rock bands and songsmiths of every era. From Talking Heads (1979) to Pavement and Dinosaur Jr. (1994); from dour troubadours like Lou Reed (1976) to dour troubadours like Nick Cave (1998), it's an inexhaustible trove. (Recent podcasts.)
posted to MetaFilter by cirripede at 5:05 PM on March 16, 2010 (25 comments)

This question is about Jaron Lanier's comments on Stravinsky's Rite of Spring in his book You Are Not a Gadget.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Prospero at 1:01 PM on March 16, 2010 (7 comments)

I'm dating a guy who considers himself a writer, but he isn't very good. He often shares pieces that he's written with me. Do I offer constructive feedback or just smile and nod and say "I enjoyed that. Great!"
posted to Ask MetaFilter by zenpop at 11:34 AM on March 16, 2010 (43 comments)