I really hate the fact that any time a user says, "Those naked breasts that you linked to without any warning aren't actually SFW, could we get a 'NSFW' tag, thx," the group responses are always going to include:

1. If you think that's NSFW, you're a prude (never mind that you personally don't set the NSFW standards at your workplace).

2. If you think that's NSFW, you're an uneducated rube who can't appreciate art and/or beauty (never... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by pineapple at 6:48 AM on September 30, 2008

when the contents are the same.

And people are pointing out that the contents aren't the same. If you're just looking for things you think are the same, I don't think anyone can help you but yourself.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Manhasset at 1:40 PM on September 29, 2008

Another thing I find really annoying is when people answer a question without even reading it.
posted to MetaTalk by ddaavviidd at 9:07 PM on September 27, 2008

Like shampooing and tea tree oil application, AskMetaFilter and MetaTalk are a viscous cycle.
posted to MetaTalk by Science! at 9:38 AM on September 28, 2008

Hmm, after reading the article and more of the thread, I think that maybe Blazecock was in the right on this. The fact that you don't like the way he spoke to you doesn't take away from the truth of his statements.

I don't think so. TBM clearly didn't read the article, because he states "I assume that these people are in the United States illegally", but the article implies that they're here legally seeking asylum, but asylum may soon be... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by Mr. President Dr. Steve Elvis America at 6:37 AM on September 24, 2008

Second, you didn't read the article, you said something stupid, and you got called out for it. Getting called out happens here. It's happened to me when I've said stupid things.

Either you own up to your comments, or you move on, or both, but you will not be getting an apology from me, because frankly you don't deserve one.

I have a problem with "getting called out happens here." I agree with that as a statement of... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by grumblebee at 11:02 AM on September 24, 2008

I am trying to make sense of all this at a layman/precalculus level, so please correct me if I am wrong by point out why.

Joe wants to buy an house, he goes to the bank. The Bank agrees to issue him a mortgage at a certain annual interest rate (say 3%). The Bank profits on the interest, of course, but the bank takes "ownership" of the house in order to play safe : if Joe doesn't pay , they get the house back.

Yet, the fact is the... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by elpapacito at 4:41 PM on September 21, 2008

Flunkie -- "Does anyone have any recommendations for a good "intro to macroeconomics" book? I find this interesting, and I (clearly) know little about it, so, assuming we don't go Mad Max in the next year or so, I'd be interested in learning something about it."

Flunkie, as afu mentioned I maintain a list of resources (web sites, books, newspapers, journals, etc as well as a study plan in my profile that might help.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Mutant at 5:10 AM on September 17, 2008

For my fellow English majors and other artsy types who might want to do some reading on how this whole mess came about, let me recommend THE ECONOMIC MELTDOWN, AS SEEN IN REAL-TIME THROUGH METAFILTER POSTS:

(The following list is woefully incomplete; please feel free to add your faves from the past year or so.)

July, 2007:
"A world of Casey Serins" - MeFi takes a look at the world of sub-prime mortgages and... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Asparagirl at 11:03 PM on September 14, 2008

That really confused me. Until I got to that part of the podcast, I was thinking, "Where isn't an awesome place to say 'thread'?" I say it everywhere. In the middle of the produce section, I thump watermelons and calmly intone "thread." Driving down the highway in my rusty Mercedes, I crank an old Clapton CD up to 11 and, in a cool, bluesy way, sing out "threeaaaad." In an old cathedral at sunset, I pray "give us... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by Pater Aletheias at 3:35 AM on August 27, 2007

Ok, so these three leprechauns are standing on a street corner, talking about how much it sucks to be a leprechaun.

The first one says "Man I hate being a leprechaun. Look at how short I am. I got these tiny little arms that aren't good for anything. They just stick out and flap in the air when I walk down the street. I bet I have shortest arms in the world."

The second one says "Oh yeah? Just look at my legs! Ridiculous little... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by Slarty Bartfast at 4:55 PM on September 11, 2008

Speaking purely as a layman, it's my personal observation that most men have an emotional range from 20x to 100x what is socially acceptable in day to day American society. The last thing Ms. Anonyomous wants from Mr. Anonymous is "open communication." She really doesn't want to see his mad face, much less his rant face, to say nothing of the faces that enable men to kill elephants for sport, or butcher whales, or invent suicide bombing as a... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by paulsc at 8:28 PM on June 4, 2007

From time to time, after urinating, I forget to shake off the last few drops before zipping back up again. It would be nice if Metafilter could shake those drops off for me, so one will not have the last few drops run down one's leg.
posted to MetaTalk by dersins at 11:40 PM on March 16, 2008

"While you were gone I had a chance to think about where this might be headed..."

I was once on the receiving end of a similar "just not that into you" one-sided breakup, and to this day I still say it was the best breakup I ever had. The guy handled it nobly and masterfully and he should give lessons in how to do it. He emphasized a few points which helped it go down easier:

1. There's certainly nothing wrong with you - we... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Miko at 1:02 PM on April 14, 2008

I'm with klang. Oatmeal raisin cookies are better than bowling.

That's not what klang said. He said "Craving oatmeal is INSANE and a symptom of severe derangement. Unless it's oatmeal cookies, which are pretty tasty." Note: "oatmeal cookies," not "oatmeal raisin cookies." Oatmeal raisin cookies are the tool of the devil and a craving for them is a symptom of severe derangement. People who stick raisins in perfectly... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by languagehat at 10:14 AM on August 31, 2008

Everybody knows that "watching a movie" alone in a dude's room is a dog whistle for casual sex.

In college, my roommate that was asked that and she was expecting casual sex, but the guy made her watch Star Wars IV instead because he was appalled she had never seen it before. She didn't enjoy it but the guy and I have remained friends ever since.
posted to Ask Metafilter by spec80 at 3:34 PM on August 25, 2008

If it kills us all because we're living in a false vacuum, then death with arrive with a vacuum wave that destroys the universe as we know it at the speed of light. No warning.

On the upside, the possibility of a 'vacuum metastability event' led to what I consider the most awesome paragraph ever published in a scientific journal:

"The possibility that we are living in a false vacuum has never been a cheering one to contemplate.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Jairus at 12:48 PM on August 2, 2008

Join us and stuff!

Hey, remember when cortex used to play with us?
Both of those times were great.
posted to MetaTalk by CitrusFreak12 at 11:15 AM on April 17, 2008

Some people, when they run across something that confuses them, they stop, research, and basically don't move on until they've satisfied their curiosity. Some people, they just go around the obstruction. It's much easier to be ignorant than it is to learn.
posted to Ask Metafilter by nomisxid at 4:51 PM on April 14, 2008

Graham Spurgeon, Baptist Bible Scholar, on Abortion:

"Q. Is abortion murder?
A. The fanatics say so, but they haven't looked closely at the Bible. Let's see what the Word of God says on this matter: In the Old Testament, a law was stated clearly for the Children of Israel after they came out of Egypt:

If, when men come to blows, they hurt a woman who is pregnant and she suffers a miscarriage, though she does not die of it, the... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Baby_Balrog at 8:44 PM on July 30, 2007

I see what you're saying about backing up claims, grouse, but I don't think every statement in a conversation is a claim.

Also, the way I see it, everybody's just talking, and then one person says to another, "Explain yourself." My response is, "Who the fuck do you think you are, demanding explanations from me?"

It's bad manners to demand explanations from anyone. Lovers put up with it because they get so much more out of... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by breezeway at 8:21 AM on March 30, 2008

I've been outside. It's overrrated.

Traditionally Outside receives extremely high ratings by those who like to see others play it, and these people are in many cases comfortably ensconced Inside themselves. Outside was released many years ago, it was in fact the first massively multiplayer game, and yet it has always managed to avoid the double-edged Retro tag. In its favor, continual user updates have kept Outside current; there are always new things... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by aeschenkarnos at 4:19 PM on March 30, 2008

>>It's just silly that anyone should take a piece of jewelry to automatically mean something so significant.

Ladies, please. You live in the freaking US of A. You have established and specific customs and traditions, and clear social signifiers that even your ancestors have partaken for hundreds of years. ancestors from other countries that have followed the same structural protocol. You have created a billion-dollar marriage industry that... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by naxosaxur at 12:00 AM on July 31, 2006

THE ANSWER IS COMING FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE!
posted to MetaTalk by empath at 6:37 PM on June 4, 2007

I reckon I'll get shit for this. Caveats: I'm no blood crazed neo-con. I kill only ticks, roaches, sometimes ants and some of the meat I consume. I was raised to not kill except for safety or food.

However, since the start these numbers re Iraq have been brandied about and I've just never understood the celebration of something that's a net positive as a reason to end the war. Some numbers:

620,000 soldier deaths US Civil War (1861–1865) out of a... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by dawson at 9:48 PM on March 23, 2008

I, let the record state, was a 'metaphorical viking' person, and I felt truly attacked - more so than I have in any other thread here.

Yeah, that was kind of nuts, but it was something I noticed in every website the debate popped up on. I mentioned the question to this couple I know, both of whom are really intelligent, really sweet, incredibly thoughtful people, both quite adept at examining behavior without too many biases. Their... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by Greg Nog at 5:20 AM on March 24, 2008

Jefferson Ice (Home City Ice) sells 10 lb minimum for $1 / pound. Location on the North Side. Open 8-4 weekdays, slightly less on Saturdays

Hi honey. Next time you can just call me at work and I'll find it for you :)
posted to Ask Metafilter by true at 2:29 PM on June 4, 2007 marked best answer

WHAT
THE
FUCK
MATT?
posted to MetaFilter by loquacious at 8:58 PM on August 23, 2007

For the non-font people in the thread, here's the deal.

Fonts are really, really hard to make.

Most people are spoiled by these "1000 fonts on a CD" things. Even some professionals are fooled by font tracing applications. The reality is that the creation of a high quality font can take up to a year. The deal is that a font is actually a small program, and each character really does need to be accurately placed relative to each other... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by effugas at 3:38 PM on August 25, 2007

Can't get behind this one. It would be one thing if nasreddin were name-dropping from Who's Who in 18th Century Philosophy in a current events thread, but this was a thread about Thomas Jefferson. If referencing Rousseau or Voltaire isn't appropriate there, it isn't appropriate anywhere; if that's the case I think it says something rather poor about the intellectual depth of the community.

Also, supposing that someone was thrown by nasreddin's... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by Kadin2048 at 6:51 AM on March 17, 2008

Welcome to MetaTalk! You have been called out by another user. Please select from the following options:

(1) Accept the criticism with good humor and a dash of humility

(2) Flame out in spectacular fashion

*nasreddin presses button*

You have chosen option (1). Are you absolutely certain you want to do this?

*nasreddin presses button again*

We are very disappointed in you. In the future, please consider choosing option (2).
posted to MetaTalk by brain_drain at 7:19 AM on March 17, 2008

I tried really really hard to get offended by anything you wrote Mutant. I couldn't manage it. Protip: Try being less coherent, USE CAPS and draw allusions between members of Malor's family and farmyard animals. If that doesn't do it, I usually fall back on the word "cock-breath."
posted to MetaTalk by Jofus at 5:57 AM on March 17, 2008

AskMetafilter: if you're looking for the name of an sf book you read in 1993 or an opinion on cat declawing, it's there for you.
posted to MetaTalk by farishta at 12:00 PM on March 13, 2008

I get the lag too sometimes. When that happens, I just type faster and see if I can hit post before the whole comment loa
posted to MetaTalk by klangklangston at 1:19 PM on March 11, 2008

To be clear, I have a number of female friends, all of whom tell me that I am not ugly, do not act in bizarre ways, etc. I have a number of hobbies and activities, am a generally interesting person, and am a good friend.

Seriously, for as long as you describe yourself like this - for as long as it's possible to describe yourself like this - you're going to have problems. These attributes you list are not in themselves attractive. Women/people do not... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by cincinnatus c at 1:56 AM on March 4, 2008

Research phase. Your reading list: Desmond Morris, The Human Zoo, The Naked Ape. Neil Strauss, The Game (read it without taking it seriously). Since you're twenty-six, your target audience is probably gals ranging from nineteen to twenty-four, right? Study your demographic. Are you hanging out in clubs? Figure out who these club-going women are. You might find you may not even want them once... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by adipocere at 6:16 PM on March 4, 2008

"Oh, the sweet, delicious irony," he thought to himself as he flagged a question that asked how to abuse an on-line community's flagging system.
posted to Ask Metafilter by dersins at 11:52 PM on March 3, 2008

We are just trying to get rid of these people and prevent them from coming to our town to solicit themselves for sex.

We're 85 comments deep already and nobody's really pointed out the sheer horror that this statement conveys.

We are just trying to get rid of these people

Do you know what "Christian" means? I've been amazed in my life how many people I've come across,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by allkindsoftime at 3:23 AM on March 4, 2008

In the past two years, we've gone really slow with the physical stuff, just recently gradating to making out.

You have got to be fucking kidding. Even if - by some bizarre freak alteration of the laws of the universe - everybody here is wrong, and she actually is into you, you don't want to be with somebody like that. You really don't. Find somebody who really digs you, who's warm & fun in bed, and start enjoying life.

A... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by UbuRoivas at 8:38 PM on March 2, 2008

and keep in mind that a very prominent Biblical scholar of the past century wrote that you cannot believe that corpses come back to life three days after their death and also turn on your electric reading lamp without contradicting yourself.

That seems like a really weird claim to me. Most people who belief that one particular corpse came back to life after three days believe that it happened not because it was expected or natural or scientifically... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by Pater Aletheias at 6:34 PM on February 28, 2008

Y'all missed the boat.

Stupid people and their stupid ideas, neither deserve respect. Why would they? Stupid is stupid. If you don't think so, you're stupid. Watch now, as I make this position reasonable:

What we must respect is the rules of dialogue. We have to respect the conversation we are having, and respect the rules of conversation.

I can think you are stupid, and that all your ideas are ridiculous, but we can... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by ewkpates at 5:55 AM on February 29, 2008

Skorgu, it's actually a shiny brass lever with a pneumatic dial next to it. Why? To annoy people who find steampunk annoying.
posted to MetaTalk by cortex at 3:18 PM on February 26, 2008

My aunt is extremely high functioning, but mentally retarded (birth injury). She reads at 12th grade level and can add/subtract very long columns of numbers in her head. She makes puns, although it usually takes her about an hour to form the response. Luckily, everyone in my family drops and picks up conversations hours later.

She absolutely cannot make a good decision about how to spend her money or what to eat (should I have a candy bar or dinner? guess what she'll... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by crush-onastick at 12:36 PM on February 26, 2008

*opens freezer*

The key to making the best possible banana-based smoothie, see, is to freeze the bananas ahead of time.

*breaks a couple of frozen bananas into bite-size pieces over blender*

Be sure to peel them first - you don't want to be peeling frozen bananas, trust me: you'll only make that mistake once in your life. Freezing the bananas ahead of time eliminates the need for ice, which keeps the smoothie thick and... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by mediareport at 8:30 PM on February 25, 2008

I am willing to debate fruit tastiness to the ends of the earth, but what the double-you-tee-double-fuck? There are people who don't like bananas? Really? How?

Bananas are hilarious. They are shaped like a phallus, telephone, and six-shooter all-in-one.

They are creamy and delicious. They make pie, pudding, splits, shakes, and oatmeal worth living for. I mean. Bananas can be fried for Christ's sake.

[wanders off muttering incoherently]
posted to MetaFilter by device55 at 10:29 PM on February 25, 2008

I think NDcent has a very liberal definition of the term "layman".
posted to MetaFilter by tehloki at 8:19 AM on February 26, 2008

Maybe they did it for the lulz?
posted to MetaTalk by atrazine at 2:40 PM on February 25, 2008

At the end of the day, "that said" is not the most annoying cliched phrase.
posted to MetaTalk by grouse at 8:04 AM on February 23, 2008

What ever happened to making EVERYTHING italicized to generate a sense of excitement and momentum, as though the sentence itself was so forward-thinking it just had to lean toward the future?

WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT?
posted to MetaTalk by Astro Zombie at 8:49 AM on February 23, 2008

That sounds like powerful insecurity, at least on her part. That may also be true of you as well, but it's really hard to see that from someone's own writing; generally it has to be described from outside.

Part of insecurity is Center Of The World theory. At its worst, all activities and behaviors in all people around the insecure person are related to and caused by them. If someone around a deeply insecure person is unhappy, it's their fault. The... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Malor at 6:17 PM on February 23, 2008