Art Deco was the dominant style of the interwar era, coming out of Paris in the 1920's and ruling the roost until World War II broke out. Randy Juster's Decopix - The Art Deco Resource has enough pictures of Art Deco architecture to send one hurtling into The Gernsback Continuum. If that's not enough then there's always the 11000+ images of the Flickr Art Deco Pool. But Art Deco wasn't just about architecture. On the Victoria and Albert Musem's Art Deco site one can view Art Deco objects in great detail, rotating them and listening to audio lectures on each object. But before Art Deco was a design aesthetic it was an art-style. Illustrations for the Art Deco Book in France has more than 170 images from the proponents of that then-new style (some images are not safe for work, especially in the George Barbier section).
posted to MetaFilter by Kattullus at 6:59 AM on July 22, 2008 (23 comments)

How has sex changed for you since the Internet made porn so easily accessible?
posted to Ask Metafilter by HotPatatta at 10:20 PM on July 17, 2008 (56 comments)

Tiled Background Designer is just a small, useful tool to create patterns. Experiment with pictures, colors, textures and transparency to get best result.
posted to MetaFilter by Dave Faris at 1:38 AM on July 17, 2008 (37 comments)

Humor goes back a long way. The oldest recorded joke in the world was told 4,600 years ago to Pharoh Snefru by the magician Djadjamankh: "How do you entertain a bored pharaoh? You sail a boatload of young women dressed only in fishing nets down the Nile and urge the pharaoh to go catch a fish," and there's lots more ancient Egyptian humor (some quite dirty) as well. Humor really got rolling with the Greeks, however, and the Philogelos (Laughter Lover) a joke book from the 4th century. A representative joke: “An intellectual was on a sea voyage when a big storm blew up, causing his slaves to weep in terror. ‘Don’t cry,’ he consoled them, ‘I have freed you all in my will'."
posted to MetaFilter by blahblahblah at 9:18 AM on July 16, 2008 (69 comments)

Tips for a novice swimmer.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Anonymous at 10:37 AM on July 8, 2008 (15 comments)

Okay LA folk... time to tell me... what are your favorite things about/in Los Angeles? Especially your favorite hidden secret stuff that maybe only locals know of. Or super good deals or scenes that make you happy. Stuff that actually makes you stop for a second and think, "Man, I love this place" whether you want to or not.
posted to Ask Metafilter by miss lynnster at 11:39 AM on July 6, 2008 (52 comments)

Congratulation! You have a fruit! A fruit is not ready currently. You must prepare a fruit. The color of a fruit is green. The color of a fruit to taste great and put inside your body is red.

[YES! A link to SomethingAwful "dot com." BUT.]
posted to MetaFilter by Countess Elena at 3:59 PM on July 5, 2008 (64 comments)

2 July 1863, second day of Gettysburg. Sickles has pulled his III Corps -- without orders -- off of Cemetery Ridge and positioned it a half mile in front of the rest of the Union lines. Longstreet smashes the hapless III Corps and its men are in full flight. Hancock rides back and forth inside the gaping hole left by Sickles. Below him, almost 2000 men of Wilcox's brigade are charging up the slope. They will gain a foothold on the ridge and be reinforced by Lee. As Longstreet pins down the Union left, Lee will roll up the center and right of the Northern army and chase them from the field. He will then march on and take Washington before turning north along the eastern seaboard. Lee will capture and burn Philadelphia and Boston in his March Along the Sea, chasing the Northern government from city to city until Lincoln finally sues for peace and the union is no more. Suddenly, a line of blue-coated soldiers comes into Hancock's view. "My God, is this all the men here? Who are you?" "1st Minnesota, sir." "See those colors?", says Hancock, pointing at the flags of the oncoming Confederates, "Take them."
posted to MetaFilter by forrest at 5:45 AM on July 2, 2008 (82 comments)

What is the best way to get back into Magic: The Gathering?
posted to Ask Metafilter by utsutsu at 3:34 PM on July 1, 2008 (18 comments)

Help me put together a fun YouTube playlist for a casual small party environment. Funny, short, smart.
posted to Ask Metafilter by sourwookie at 7:27 AM on July 1, 2008 (12 comments)

Is there a physiological response to certain phrases in music?
posted to Ask Metafilter by slo at 9:00 AM on June 26, 2008 (14 comments)

How do I prevent cheap metal jewelry from tarnishing? I have a couple of necklaces that I adore, and while they weren't dirt cheap, they are not made of the finest of metals. They have changed color somewhat - are brassy in places, and one looks almost like it could be rusting? - and I would like to recoat them. Is this possible?
posted to Ask Metafilter by jacquilinala at 6:07 AM on June 26, 2008 (13 comments)

Adventures in Stock Photography - David Schwimmer's Secrets of Natural Posture, I smell Pulitzer, The simultaneous quadratic face nutrition delivery system, Scenes from the battleground of sexual selection #3,344, Nuffield the rubbish hypnotist, Doctors & Doctoring #1, A Cavalcade of Thumbs... What is Adventures in Stock Photography?
posted to MetaFilter by fearfulsymmetry at 8:52 AM on June 25, 2008 (40 comments)

How do I deal with a horrible sunburn? It's so bad that my shoulders have second degree burns and it hurts to move my arms. Is there a way to lessen the pain or somehow make my skin heal faster? I got the burn on Friday and have been applying aloe vera ever since.
posted to Ask Metafilter by alitorbati at 10:05 PM on June 23, 2008 (30 comments)

"I began to realize that "robots"-- in all their various forms-- can really be seen as a symbol of a larger relationship between people and technology." In 1988, Frederick Schodt wrote about the Japanese fascination and use of robots in his book Inside the Robot Kingdom, curious by the disparities between American and Japanese manufacturing processes . In 1988, the American public wasn't ready for the book, or for robots. Today, Japan still has embraced robotic automation in a way that arguably no other country has. For more similar topics, Mangobot is a column that reports on Asian futurism.
posted to MetaFilter by artifarce at 7:22 PM on June 22, 2008 (22 comments)

Mashup artist Gregg Gillis, aka Girl Talk, is another artist to try the 'pay whatever you want' Internet release model. However, his 55-minute album consists of over 300 samples from other artists, with many current and past hits. No stranger to current controversies in copyright, Gillis also appeared in the documentary Good Copy Bad Copy. Previously.
posted to MetaFilter by uaudio at 2:32 PM on June 20, 2008 (44 comments)

These "track boards," or "fix push" boards, were initially developed to be raced in the velodrome, and differ from traditional skateboards in one major way: the rider can never coast. A brief documentary on the increasingly popular fix-push skateboard culture and its roots in San Francisco's Mission district.
posted to MetaFilter by whir at 9:38 PM on June 17, 2008 (55 comments)

Help me get a sweet Day the Earth Stood Still ringtone...
posted to Ask Metafilter by Salvatorparadise at 9:35 AM on June 17, 2008 (5 comments)

School me on the classics of classical music. What are the top ten recordings that someone who knows nothing about classical music should own?
posted to Ask Metafilter by gnutron at 4:27 PM on June 16, 2008 (42 comments)

Anyone who thinks Porter Wagoner's twisted, echo-laden psycho-classic The Rubber Room is worth blogging about is someone after my own heart, and anyone who can introduce me to tunes like Voodoo Voodoo and Midnight Stroll is someone I'm gonna make a MetaFilter post on. That's just the way it is. And it just so happens that this particular blog, The Essential Ghoul's Record Shelf, is the new project of MeFi's own beloved, web-prolific Astro Zombie, whose strange and wonderful tunes y'all should listen to as well.
posted to MetaFilter by flapjax at midnite at 12:25 AM on June 16, 2008 (27 comments)

A Day In The Afterlife of Philip K Dick - An Arena documentary first broadcast by the BBC in 1994 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
posted to MetaFilter by fearfulsymmetry at 4:40 AM on June 6, 2008 (31 comments)

I'm looking for musical suggestions that might help me ... fuck the pain away.
posted to Ask Metafilter by adipocere at 7:33 PM on June 3, 2008 (79 comments)

Do Our Brains Change When We Travel in Outer Space? A book of compiled accounts of astronauts and cosmonauts called The Overview Effect puts forth anecdotal evidence towards that end. The Overview Institute declares it as fact and aims to induce the change in as many people as possible. One space tourist has volunteered to be a human guinea pig in 2009.
posted to MetaFilter by Burhanistan at 10:51 AM on June 2, 2008 (27 comments)

Seen any pretty shower curtains? Bonus points for colorful, abstract designs. (Also, are there any tricks to keep mildew from savaging the part that drags against the tub?)
posted to Ask Metafilter by lester the unlikely at 7:50 PM on June 2, 2008 (22 comments)

Camping for dummies foodies?
posted to Ask Metafilter by mudpuppie at 2:27 PM on June 2, 2008 (31 comments)

I'm looking for a morning routine to start my daily writing tasks (i.e. dissertation). The routine needs to be home-based, include a moderate exercise routine, shower and breakfast. The aim is to get me feeling heathly and eager to start a long day of creative concentration.
posted to Ask Metafilter by vizsla at 5:24 PM on June 2, 2008 (8 comments)

"Lost is a far more ambitious piece of media, which uses the entire web as its canvas and its entire audience as its creators. I'd suggest this piece of work - Lost, when viewed in its entirety - is truly new."
posted to MetaFilter by lunit at 10:05 AM on June 2, 2008 (99 comments)

Come, take a ride and look at some of the Islamic Art of the past. Or, you could call it Art of the Islamic World if you're so inclined. If not, then how about taking into account some of the major milestones of Islam throughout the centuries, from past till present (more examples here), including the art of Calligraphy and Architecture. Not to mention the Arab world's contribution to music, both old and new. [Previously mentioned, here, here, here, and here, with a wonderful comment from nickyskye as usual]
posted to MetaFilter by hadjiboy at 10:03 PM on May 29, 2008 (29 comments)

I'm looking for something really freaky to put on the tv at the bar I work at; video imagery to really make some hipster indie rocker kids say wtf when they notice it playing in the background-"holy mountain" and svenmahers"alice" are my usual standbys, but I know you Mefites know just the thing to make a standard night watching post rock bands just a little stranger.what visuals would you use, remembering that the sound of the movie won't be heard--
posted to Ask Metafilter by donabean at 11:46 PM on May 16, 2008 (75 comments)

Lately I've been reading quite a bit about Mormons, and I find the history of the church of the LDS completely compelling. I was wondering if there are any liberal/progressive Mormons who could help me better understand how the history of the church and the historical representation of their founder, Joseph Smith, can be squared with the modern church.
posted to Ask Metafilter by billysumday at 7:36 AM on March 7, 2007 (51 comments)

There are about the same number of Mormons in the US as there are Jews. The founding of the Mormon religion happened relatively close to when large Jewish migration to the US began. Both Mormons and Jews had to deal with persecution. There are countless novels about the Jewish-American experience. Where's the great Mormon novel?
posted to Ask Metafilter by ShooBoo at 1:28 PM on February 7, 2008 (43 comments)

JewishFilter: how do Jewish people wear a kippah (aka yarmulke) without it falling off every ten seconds? We're just talking about this at work, Google fails us, and we can't figure it out, it seems like it would fall off whenever you moved.
posted to Ask Metafilter by paperclip at 7:53 AM on May 13, 2008 (21 comments)

Harmanz ha haz b bargan ahn za MMARBG Ahban Bahb [brahbazazzah ] ar zambahz. Zambahz haz AAGHZ g!bz gab azzar zambahz: a, b, g, h, m, n, r, z. Zambahz maz hab gab, za Zambahz zgrabbarh Zamgrh, a gab grh a gab bag, a grammah, n zhranzazzaz. Habganna barbaga zaarz grh za bra!nz?
posted to MetaFilter by xthlc at 9:32 PM on May 8, 2008 (33 comments)

Please help me expand my base of quaint southern expressions, aphorisms and witticisms.
posted to Ask Metafilter by willie11 at 7:14 AM on May 8, 2008 (103 comments)

Joanna Connors, a theatre critic, was raped on an empty stage. She tells her story in vivid, lucid detail-- then traces her rapist's twisted family history. One of the best pieces of journalism-- or writing, for that matter-- I've read for ages. Lots of resources for survivors and their families, as well.
posted to MetaFilter by Maias at 2:13 PM on May 6, 2008 (124 comments)

Where on the Web can I find a specific guide to chocolates from See's Candies?
posted to Ask Metafilter by poulet at 9:33 PM on May 5, 2008 (6 comments)

Hollywood Chinese: The Chinese in American Feature Films (official site w/Flash) Filmmaker Arthur Dong covers the good (YT), the bad and the players (link to Flash video clips) in his latest award-winning documentary. Related MeFi post.
posted to MetaFilter by LinusMines at 11:35 AM on May 4, 2008 (19 comments)

Silva Rhetoricae: the Forest of Rhetoric. Don't know what an erotema is? Just why are you so stupid? Can't tell an apoplanesis from an aposiopesis? Then Gideon O. Burton's excellent guide to classical and renaissance rhetoric may be for you.
posted to MetaFilter by misteraitch at 2:43 AM on January 8, 2003 (9 comments)

Are there any classical paintings that show a woman with stretch marks? Forgive me if classical is the wrong term - I'm trying to emphasize I'm not interested in modern works.
posted to Ask Metafilter by agregoli at 8:50 PM on April 14, 2008 (6 comments)

Give Us Today Our Daily Terror is an exact copy of Hitchcock’s 1963 film The Birds from which all the birds have been removed. Video: 1-2-3 Stills
posted to MetaFilter by vronsky at 4:58 PM on April 12, 2008 (47 comments)

What is the iconic (or just "your favorite") dead-tree product catalog (listing of merchandise for mail-order sale) for your hobby, industry, or trade?
posted to Ask Metafilter by cadastral at 9:23 AM on April 1, 2008 (73 comments)

Sailor Martin, my pierced and tattooed ventriloquist dummy, attempts, and fails at, recording a song for children about pretty birds and fuzzy rabbits.
posted to MeFi Music by Astro Zombie at 1:58 PM on April 12, 2008 (12 comments)

What interesting things can I do with watercress?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Solomon at 11:03 PM on April 11, 2008 (10 comments)

Help for a couple starting to experiment with a D/s relationship.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Anonymous at 9:45 PM on April 11, 2008 (17 comments)

I have some questions about contact activity.
posted to MetaTalk by Effigy2000 at 9:17 PM on April 11, 2008 (18 comments)

Why are metafilter pages showing up in different colors today? I've seen red, light green, and purple in addition to the regular colors.
posted to MetaTalk by sixcolors at 8:49 AM on April 1, 2008 (176 comments)

Photoshop Express Adobe has launched a beta version of its Photoshop Express image hosting and editing site. Two gigs of storage and some basic editing tools. A neat feature is being able to connect to your Picassa page and edit those photos as well.
posted to MetaFilter by HuronBob at 5:47 AM on March 27, 2008 (10 comments)

"Many women experience a fluid sexual desire that is responsive to a person rather than a specific gender" A description of the topic for Lisa Diamond's new book, Sexual Fluidity. While waiting to get your copy of the book, why not read some of her papers? Here's one about young women who identify as lesbians or bisexuals and then change their minds. Was it a phase? (pdf) Here's one about the development of sexual orientation among adolescent and young adult women. (pdf) Here's one containing a new view of lesbian subtypes. (pdf) There are more.
posted to MetaFilter by wittgenstein at 6:24 PM on March 5, 2008 (102 comments)

Michael has a large collection of automata. Some are sort of creepy.
posted to MetaFilter by Dave Faris at 10:07 PM on March 25, 2008 (33 comments)

Why is green the iconic color of poison?
posted to Ask Metafilter by L. Fitzgerald Sjoberg at 9:41 AM on March 22, 2008 (39 comments)