MetaFilter

At least someone is trying industrial solar power.
posted to MetaFilter by adamvasco at 12:21 AM on June 1, 2008

Calvin's dad has been calling for this for 15 years.
posted to MetaFilter by sdrawkcab at 10:08 PM on May 31, 2008

*sigh* I know how to find Sirius

*sigh* Yeah, um, so sorry.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Flunkie at 9:02 PM on May 31, 2008

What has the middle east contributed to modern civilization, besides energy?

Mathematics (and the number zero!), literature, pretty much anything from ancient Greece, religious tolerance as a concept, and on and on.
posted to MetaFilter by blue_beetle at 7:23 PM on May 31, 2008

Rust doesn't cause tetanus, in and of itself. The reason rusty nails have a bad rep is that rust is rough, and that roughness considerably increases the surface area on a microscopic scale, making a nice home for all kinds of bacteria. Tetanus is soil-borne. So your chance of picking up tetanus from stepping on a rusty nail in your back yard is higher than if the nail was shiny new metal.

From a pin that's (presumably) been kept indoors, the chances of contamination... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by flabdablet at 6:26 PM on May 31, 2008

Reason 3. Wither the Middle East's clout
This region that's contributed little to modern civilization exercises inordinate sway over the world because of its one significant contribution -- crude extraction.

What an ignoramus.
posted to MetaFilter by KokuRyu at 6:59 PM on May 31, 2008

You know who else used meth before the 50s?
posted to MetaFilter by bunnytricks at 5:46 PM on May 31, 2008

Facts do not respect majority opinion.

Reading and writing conventions (one of which is the subject of the question) do respect or at least evolve from majority "opinion" or usage.
posted to MetaTalk by Blazecock Pileon at 4:00 AM on May 30, 2008

If only there were a few important problems left for people to develop manifestos and call-to-action press kits about.
posted to MetaFilter by nanojath at 11:24 AM on May 31, 2008

I don't know why, but I feel like I should say something in this thread.
posted to MetaFilter by The corpse in the library at 7:56 PM on May 30, 2008

Hoo hoo! Look who knows so much, eh! It just so happens that your friend here is only mostly dead. There's a big difference between mostly dead and all dead.
-- Miracle Max
posted to MetaFilter by bigskyguy at 10:22 AM on May 30, 2008

And check out Bird Cinema. It's a YouTube for birders.
posted to MetaFilter by (parenthetic me) at 5:06 AM on May 31, 2008

Making friends in college? Can't be done.

No, I'm just kidding of course. If you do activities or take any classes you're interested in, you will be surrounded with people, who are at the same stage in life as you, who share the same interests as you. If you live in the dorms, which I highly recommend, all of these people will live within a close proximity to you.

Be friendly to strangers, and do stuff, and you will have no trouble.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by aubilenon at 8:31 PM on May 30, 2008

I'll never understand why people say being an admin is a thankless task.
posted to MetaTalk by nthdegx at 2:33 PM on May 29, 2008

I think we can agree that the information is valued rather specifically by how well it matches the traditionally accepted authoritative texts on the matter, such as the OED.

Ironically, the OED derives some of its authority from going back and citing how people use language.

I don't question the use of the OED as a guide, but I do somewhat question its automatic use to assign a binary right/wrong answer, particularly when the question is about colloquial use.
posted to MetaTalk by Blazecock Pileon at 3:31 PM on May 30, 2008

Does anyone read the posts down here?
posted to MetaFilter by dersins at 11:15 AM on May 30, 2008

There are some really good academic studies that show the "socialized" systems in Europe and elsewhere will eventually bankrupt the countries

Do you have a citation? I would honestly be interested in hearing this counter argument. Most of the studies floating around the medical literature point out the cost savings right now in moving to single payer. You are the honestly the first person I have heard say that the problem is that universal... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Slarty Bartfast at 8:24 AM on April 16, 2008

206 comments?! This thread should be flagged as Hepafilter, because the only things in it are irritants.

Yes, including myself.
posted to MetaTalk by Pastabagel at 8:36 AM on May 30, 2008

My favorite winter drink: Two shots of espresso, unsweetened cocoa powder, milk, and Frangelico to taste. I call it a Slippery Nutella.
posted to MetaFilter by Blazecock Pileon at 3:34 AM on May 30, 2008

Incorruptibles remaining free of decomposition...

Easy. They ate lots of twinkies.
posted to MetaFilter by phredgreen at 5:31 AM on May 30, 2008

What we now spell "heaven" was, back then, heofon, heofen, and heofne. "Evil" was yfle, yfel and yfele. "Forgive" was forgif, forgef and forgeaf.

In light of the constant progression of language, while I don't mind the correct answer, the chastising of those who have the "wrong" answer seems silly. Majority opinion seems to become fact many times, in the case of language.... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by cashman at 6:02 AM on May 30, 2008

I vote that someone is pretty cranky and needs a nap.
posted to MetaTalk by Brandon Blatcher at 5:14 AM on May 30, 2008

Too long; didn't red.
posted to MetaTalk by flabdablet at 4:58 AM on May 30, 2008

It's actually pronounced "thrigh-haghakk", but most people mung it up because of the deceptive spelling.
posted to MetaTalk by Meatbomb at 4:45 AM on May 30, 2008

Happily married for fifty years? Congratulations.
posted to MetaTalk by box at 5:17 PM on May 29, 2008

Usually it's the other way around, they only want the wet food! My understanding was that it's better for their teeth for them to have dry food, but I'm no vet. I do have a healthy 12-year-old kitty who's had nothing but kibble her whole life, and before that had a 16-year-old who also ate nothing but kibble.

You're a good dad.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by HotToddy at 3:10 PM on May 29, 2008 marked best answer

Your cats eat dry food? Count your blessings. It's much less gross to deal with (for you), and my cat's vets told me it's just as healthy.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by The corpse in the library at 3:06 PM on May 29, 2008 marked best answer

By the way, I just spoke with PP, and he says hi, and sometimes wishes he could return to Metafilter.

I'm voting for split personality.
posted to MetaTalk by The Light Fantastic at 10:37 AM on May 29, 2008

I still use "gay" to mean "happy." Or, more properly, "happy to get good same-sex loving."
posted to MetaTalk by Astro Zombie at 11:49 AM on May 29, 2008

an historical

MY EYES AND EARS!!!!!!
posted to MetaTalk by jessamyn at 8:11 AM on May 29, 2008

I have only this stone and a kettle of water.
posted to MetaFilter by hal9k at 6:01 PM on May 27, 2008

It's not exactly diplomatic. I told it I had rice vinegar, three pomegranates, chocolate chips, sriracha, oyster crackers, half a tub of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, and a case of beer, and it told me to get a girlfriend already.
posted to MetaFilter by dyoneo at 5:28 PM on May 27, 2008

I'm thankful there are helpful trade groups that provide us with unbiased information...
posted to MetaFilter by Tube at 6:30 PM on May 25, 2008

The politics of this nation is steeped enough in blood, Senator Clinton, you cannot and must not invoke that imagery! Anywhere! At any time!

KO, on the other hand, clearly has a special licence not only to invoke it, but to harp on it.
posted to MetaTalk by flabdablet at 2:28 AM on May 24, 2008

It is a freaking one-link ELECTIONFILTER post no matter how it's presented, that's what I meant.

And this is an argument against deleting it?
posted to MetaTalk by nebulawindphone at 8:00 PM on May 23, 2008

Can someone ask "which post you sucked the most at" - I can participate in that one :(
posted to MetaTalk by strawberryviagra at 7:33 AM on May 23, 2008

I don't know which of the songs I've posted to MeFiMu would be my personal favorite.
posted by flapjax at midnite

Don't know if it helps, but my own personal favorite of what you have posted to Metafilter Music is Half Remembrance. It's a tough call, though. If I stop to think about it I start thinking it might be Curious Little Smile. Or my former favorite before you posted those two: Bring Me The Head of Elmo.... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by micayetoca at 6:24 AM on May 23, 2008

Why don't you ask netbros how he manages it?

Conscious effort to participate for a change, rather than just lurk. I've received a great deal of fun, education, and advice from MeFi over the years. Time to step up.
posted to MetaTalk by netbros at 1:17 PM on May 22, 2008

Oh what you need a new flag just to protect your precious feelings from "trolls"? I guess that is fine if you are too sensitive to man up and have a conversation with the grown folks. Let me guess, you are a woman right?

Hold on. I've got to run. I am getting my baby circumcised and I have to drop the cat off for declawing on my way there.

Also fat people need to stop eating so much pie, Bush is great, accept Jesus or go to hell where... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by ND¢ at 12:06 PM on May 22, 2008

Oh I'm sorry and one hollering spaz.
posted to MetaTalk by jessamyn at 5:18 PM on May 21, 2008

I wish I was a sticker-maker so I could be a sticker-trader.
posted to MetaTalk by NikitaNikita at 5:39 PM on May 20, 2008

What's more interesting is who doesn't take stuff down. Like Fox seems to have no problem with full length American Idol performances being up.
posted to MetaFilter by smackfu at 6:55 AM on May 21, 2008

I began an immediate policy of always posting under pseudonyms that would be very difficult to trace back to my real identity

Uh oh.
posted to MetaFilter by Brandon Blatcher at 12:46 PM on May 20, 2008

shit fuck bitch ass, hell may I speak to the head of the household, please?

It's the "please" that keeps that from being rude.
posted to MetaFilter by uncleozzy at 11:18 AM on May 20, 2008

What we found was that southerners were much more polite - on the exterior, yet behind that smile sometimes hid contempt.

You have a way with words, bless your heart.
posted to MetaFilter by Brandon Blatcher at 10:59 AM on May 20, 2008

^SeizeTheDay: ...this type of implementation only reinforces the fact that favorites are some sort of voting system, instead of a personal bookmarking system...

Favoriting on this site seems to me (in my limited scope) to fall into two intersecting circles in the great Venn Diagram:
- those who favorite for future reference
- those who favorite as a pat on the back (or a "kick me" sign)

It... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by not_on_display at 11:03 PM on May 17, 2008

See, again, just be patient. In the 1950s the history teachers taught me that science teachers in the middle ages thought the earth was flat. See how far we've come?
posted to MetaFilter by netbros at 9:51 PM on May 19, 2008

And of course, On Bullshit by Harry Frankfurt.
posted to MetaFilter by LobsterMitten at 8:14 PM on May 18, 2008

Geez, tough crowd tonight.
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 9:26 PM on May 18, 2008

The New England Journal recently had a very nice, impartial review of these things, which they call Personally Controlled Online Health Data.

Personally, I think this is probably a Good Thing, though I would never underestimate the unrestrained evil of the private health insurance industry in the U.S. Wonderful things are possible if there is a universal standard for rapid transfer of health information and if this catches on there is the potential to save billions of... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Slarty Bartfast at 5:12 PM on May 19, 2008