Favorites from jessamyn
Subscribe:
Displaying post 1 to 50 of 651
[RSS PSA] Reminder to update your MetaFilter RSS feeds
Last month, an apparent error in Feedburner caused several of MeFi's legacy RSS feeds to not update for up to a week (at least in my popular feed reader, Feedly). The problem has been fixed -- for now. But it's an important reminder that the Feedburner platform is increasingly unreliable -- if it were ever shut down by Google, the thousands of readers who rely on those feeds to keep up with the site may lose contact without even realizing it. The good news is that the site has a new set of self-hosted feeds that should remain active no matter what Google does. So, if you read the site using an RSS reader, please take a moment to update your reader to the new feeds -- and check the related posts on MetaFilter and Ask MetaFilter for a list of posts you might have missed during the outage.
The Getty Makes 88,000 Art Images Free to Use However You Like
The Getty museum has released a huge trove of images under a CC0 license (essentially waiving copyright). Images can be downloaded in high resolution.
[RSS PSA] Posts you may have missed...
PSA: Like a lot of MeFites, I keep up with the site via RSS -- specifically Feedly. In fact, their stats show there are nearly 2,000 subscribers to the same MetaFilter feed I use on Feedly alone. Unfortunately, this feed is hosted on Google's aging Feedburner platform, which is increasingly unreliable as a service. This manifested last month when Feedly was unable to update the MeFi feed for several days. If Google eventually shuts down the service, then anyone depending on that feed to stay engaged with MeFi may lose contact with the site without even realizing it. The good news is that the site has a new set of self-hosted feeds that should remain active no matter what Google does. So, if you read the site using an RSS reader, please take a moment to update your reader to the new feeds -- and check inside for a list of FPPs you might have missed during the outage.
How Google is killing independent sites like ours
Private equity firms are utilizing public trust in long-standing publications to sell every product under the sun. In a bid to replace falling ad revenue, publishing houses are selling their publications for parts to media groups that are quick to establish affiliate marketing deals. They’re buying magazines we love, closing their print operations, turning them into digital-only, laying off the actual journalists who made us trust in their content in the first place, and hiring third-party companies to run the affiliate arm of their sites. While this happens, investment firms and ‘innovative digital media companies’ are selling you bad products. These Digital Goliaths shouldn’t be able to use product recommendations as their personal piggy bank, simply flying through Google updates off the back of ‘the right signals,’ an old domain, or the echo of a reputable brand that is no longer.Indie air purifier review site HouseFresh does a deep dive into the incestuous world of top-ranking Google product search results.
Do not try to print this PDF
Alex Chan: I was browsing social media this morning, and I saw a claim I’ve seen go past a few times now – that there’s a maximum size for a PDF document: 381 km × 381 km... Eventually I ended up with a PDF that Preview claimed is larger than the entire universe – approximately 37 trillion light years square. [via BoingBoing][
Lady Bad Luck
Tim Cluff and the Parnassum Mountain Boys.
MeFi Nascent Nonprofit Update 1/11/2024
The MeFi interim board met Jan. 3.
Ever heard of a Googlewhack?
An artifact from a very different era of the internet, Dave Gorman's Googlewhack Adventure is a 2004 one man show about searching two words on Google and being thrilled if only one result is returned: that's a Googlewhack. Exactly how this concept can lead to 2 hours of on-stage storytelling featuring slides and a bit of unhinged ranting in parts is an exercise I will leave up to the avid viewer.
Read Palestine Week - Nov 29-Dec 5
Palestinian books shared this week by their publishers.
These are free to read at the publisher sites, and cover a diverse array of genres, ideas and languages, with more activities planned and shared from over 400 publishers. As Kazuo Isiguro said: "But in the end, stories are about one person saying to another: This is the way it feels to me. Can you understand what I’m saying? Does it feel this way to you?"
2023 MeFi Holiday Card Exchange
It's the 7th MeFi Holiday Card Exchange!
“Well, I guess that’s the last we’ll hear from her.”
Geraldine "Jerrie" Mock, the first woman to fly solo around the globe, has died. She was 88 years old.
In 1964, housewife and amateur pilot Jerrie Mock took on the task of completing what Amelia Earhart had attempted over a quarter century earlier: flying around the world. To the surprise of many, she was successful.
shoesfullofdust passed away June 16, 2023
"Be in this world as if you are a traveler, a passerby, with your clothes and shoes full of dust. Sometimes you sit under the shade of a tree, sometimes you walk in the desert. Be always a passerby, for this is not home.”
I was alerted a week ago to Dylan's passing by a brief mention on his employer's website and wanted to make sure that those of you here who knew him were aware that he is gone. I can't find an official obituary notice posted anywhere and have more questions than answers myself.
Writing to possible or impossible audiences
"Writing for the Bad Faith Reader" by Susie Dumond (Mar 30, 2023) discusses how easy is is for writers today to get discouraged or preoccupied by the potential reactions of "the person who is looking to invalidate the art that you’re making" (quoting Melissa Febos). Dumond shares "some of the ways I avoid writing for the bad faith reader these days." Her advice to write the first draft for yourself as a way to channel the "best faith" reader, and to accept that your work is not for every reader, reminds me of two of the five laws of library science: "to every book their reader" and "to every reader their book".
Metatalktail Hour: The Song Remembers When
What's a song that reliably conjures up a very specific time/moment/place/person from your past?
Police Log: "Misdemeanors: blahblahblhablahb"
Back in the day when copy editors couldn't correct mistakes after a newspaper had already been printed on paper and distributed house-to-house physically—but also after the advent of Web2.0—comes badnewspaper.com: an extinct volcano of these ossified mistakes, captured by digital cameras and posted on blogs for fogies like myself who used to buy trade paperbacks containing this sort of bathroom-reading-content (at least before Jay Leno cornered that lucrative market). Here is a typical entry.
What does “ T—S.T.D.—B” mean in a book?
The bottom of page 33—and only page 33 – in my 1966 Penguin edition of Saul Bellow’s “Seize the Day” has “T—S.T.D.—B” written on the bottom left, opposite the page number. What does it stand for?
Memory Filter: what is the name of this design thinking author/blogger?
I apologize for the vagueness of this post. I had this blogger in my RSS feed and they seem to have disappeared. Here are some clues.
- His name seems perhaps Southeast Asian, something like Venkatesh Rao but Googling that brings up nothing.
- He blogs about design thinking and systems thinking, among other topics
- The blog is fairly popular, but not insanely so
- He has a number of smaller books (100-150 pages?) with somewhat provocative titles but not at the level of clickbait-provocative. They are sort of about productivity and perhaps design thinking, but not overtly so
- He graduated from, I think, MIT with a degree in something like "systems thinking" or some other, similar, interdisciplinary degree
- He seems like someone who would guest blog at Crooked Timber once in a while
Best "I quit Twitter and my life is richer for it" story?
I need to overcome my Twitter addiction. For me, it's not really outrage porn so much as an opportunity to have fun with language and humor and get the dopamine from my narcissistic and childish desire for recognition of being clever or witty.
Especially when I'm lonely working at home, it can feel impossible not to get sucked in. Would appreciate any sources of inspiration that making the effort to resist will pay off in the end...
Last call for SC nominations
PSA: This week is the last call for user nominations to the second Steering Committee, which will be setting policy and overseeing the budget for the year ahead. Do you want to help chart a course for this community (or know someone who would make a great pick)? Send in your nominations today! Or check inside for more details and questions answered.
Recommend me brilliant biographies about brilliant women
I read a lot of biographies about great people because I find such books fascinating and inspiring. Almost all of the ones I've read have been about men. Help me change that!
A Memorial Day
About a week ago I was reading FPP 'X', and it made me think about a specific user whose input I would have appreciated, and whose comments in the past had helped shape, for the better, how I understand the world. The user in question died a couple years ago though, so that was that, but it put me on a path of thinking about them and - not to be morbid but, well - death.
What would cause someone to suddenly have a lot of energy?
I'm a long-time cyclist and am in pretty good shape. During my last two rides, I have just flown on the bike. It has been so easy. I have a ton of energy and am not a bit spent when I get done with my ride. What in the world might be the source of all this energy? My eating and sleeping habits have not changed. (I googled, and the only results I could find were ways to conquer low energy.)
What is a normal order at a fancy steakhouse?
I have to go to a medium-large (20 people?) business dinner at a well-known upscale steakhouse chain tonight. I’m accustomed to fine dining, but I’m not a steak person (I tend more toward farm-to-table vibes) and have never eaten at a place like this. What/how should I order so as to 1.) reasonably enjoy my meal, and 2.) not be a weirdo. This will be hosted so money is no object (outside of #2.)
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Artificial Intelligence
James O'Keefe was removed from ethics-challenged right-wing ambush muckrakers Project Veritas over allegations of misusing donator funds. And Now: Mike Huckabee's Show Looks Like Fun. Main story: Artificial Intelligence, the dangers it poses and the ways that it falls short, for now at least, of its promise. On Youtube (28 minutes).
Is a cable modem really a modem?
A modem (modulator/demodulator) is a device that converts analog to digital signals and vice versa. Is the coax cable bringing internet into my house really carrying an analog signal? I find that surprising in 2023.
We knew this was coming 😭
From the creator of Best of Nextdoor comes Best of Dying Twitter, a chronicle of the bird site's current Elon Era.
While Best of Dying Twitter retweets some informative threads (Threadreader links here and here), most of the account is devoted to the lulz.
To a Nacreon in Heaven
In Norse mythology, the earthly realm of Midgard and the divine plane of Asgard are connected by a shimmering rainbow bridge -- the magnificent Bifröst. Though scholars debate whether the legend of this lustrous path was inspired by the famed aurora borealis or the star-studded arc of the Milky Way, there is perhaps another possible candidate: nacreous clouds [timelapse]. Also known as polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs), these breathtaking formations can be seen (quite rarely) in the high polar latitudes in wintertime at dusk, when a mass of super-cooled water ice forms so high up in the stratosphere that it reflects light from a sun that's well below the horizon at ground level. The result: diaphonous pearl-white sheets and iridescent streaks that light up the bleak twilight landscape with an otherworldly glow. (It's not all sunshine and stratospheric rainbows, though -- when mixed with nitric or sulfuric acid, these 10-15 mile-high clouds can contribute to ozone depletion over the polar caps [video].) Not a fan of winter weather? You may chance to see their more temperate cousin, the spectral and blue-tinged noctilucent cloud, which sometimes forms in summertime months north of 50° latitude (and north of 50 miles straight up). Or if you live near a space coast, you might see one of a menagerie of "twilight phenomenon" -- artificial light-clouds formed by multi-stage rocket plumes backlit by the sun -- including the spectacular space jellyfish. Just make sure to keep your eyes on the road...
💥👇Metafilter Wants You - The Fundraising Post! 👇💥
Metafilter depends almost entirely on user contributions. The community needs your help to stay up and running and to improve in the future. Contributions, especially recurring contributions, are what pay for servers, moderators and technical support. Please contribute through the Metafilter funding page!
Metafilter Wants You - The Fundraising Post!
Metafilter depends almost entirely on user contributions. The community needs your help to stay up and running and to improve in the future. Contributions, especially recurring contributions, are what pay for servers, moderators and technical support.
Please contribute through the Metafilter funding page!
Slowly the west reaches for clothes of new colors ...
Tell me of your favorite poem to welcome the autumn.
Metatalktail Hour: If I were a carpenter, and you were a lady ...
So ... just based on your innate skills, talents, interests, and preferences, and other odd little clues and coincidences that have popped up along the way this trip around, you are pretty sure that in a previous life, you must have been _______.
A Gender-balanced Wikipedia
How many Level 4 Vital Articles would a gender-balanced Wikipedia have?
How to ensure a happy old age
Older Mefites enjoying a happy, healthy older age, please share your secrets with me.
That ‘Deaf Child in Area’ Is Now a Deaf Adult — and He’s Hot!!!
The Squeaky Wheel: your top news source for disabled people, by disabled people.
Best Video About X is Y
For any particular topic, what video (or video channel, etc.) is the best at that topic?
Convert exported Metafilter comments to HTML, JSON, or MBOX
Convert exported Metafilter comments to HTML, JSON, or MBOX
"I wrote a little utility to convert the massive text file one obtains from the Export Your Comments page into a variety of other formats suitable for various purposes. Currently converts to HTML, JSON, or Unix-style MBOX (mailbox) format. " more @ mefi projects
Field-specific terms for "We don't know".
Diseases can be idiopathic. Archaeological artefacts can be for ritual purposes*. What are some other technical-sounding terms from other fields that means "we're really not sure"?
What is your favorite song covered by another band?
I'm creating a new exercise playlist, after getting burned out on the ones I have. I came across the song Ring of Fire, originally by Johnny Cash, covered by Social Distortion. I was blown away by how good it is! What is your favorite song that was covered by another band? Thanks!
What is the cheapest way to (legally) dispose of a body?
A person in the United States is planning for their death. Their primary stipulation is that as little money be spent on the disposal of their body as possible. Ideally, their survivors will not have to pay anything at all. Presumably, state or local governments have plans for what to do with the remains of, e.g., a homeless person who is found dead and whose body is never claimed or identified. Can anyone take advantage of these programs on request, or will the survivors be stuck forking over thousands of bucks to somebody?
Bill Russell (1934-2022): basketball legend, civil rights activist
Bill Russell, winningest champion in American pro sports history, first Black head coach in the NBA, outspoken advocate for racial justice, has died. (Washington Post obituary)... The family's announcement from his twitter; His friend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's tribute (substack)... 1987 NYT article by his daughter Karen Russell about the racism they faced in Boston when he was bringing 11 NBA titles to the city.
Spitting image equals spitting genes?
If a child looks just like their grandma Jean and grandma Jean has something genetic like the breast cancer gene, is the child likely to also have the breast cancer gene?
Lung check in hospital
I’m in the hospital for some thing that is in no way related to my lungs. Why do doctors always check my lungs when they make rounds? I’m just curious.
Out of Sync
I live in an Apple Universe. Apple iPad, Apple iPhone, Apple MacBook Pro, Apple Mac mini (and many other Apple things, but those are the only ones relevant to this question). All are less than 3 years old. Nothing I've tried - and I've tried so, so many things! - syncs my Mac mini bookmarks/reading list with the ones on my other devices. They all stay in sync with each other; Mac mini refuses to pick them up. Help?
Does anyone else mishear the chorus in "Institutionalized"?
I think I'm going crazy. Is there a version of "Institutionalized" by Suicidal Tendencies where the gang chorus sings the title word institutionalized instead of just institution?
There was good money to be made as a beatnik
Stewart Brand is not a scientist. He’s not an artist, an engineer, or a programmer.
Nor is he much of a writer or editor, though as the creator of the Whole Earth Catalog, that’s what he’s best known for. Brand, 83, is a huckster—one of the great hucksters in a time and place full of them.