In a time before the Prius, the custom conversion van ruled the roadways. Pushing the boundaries of the airbrush form, testing the limits of mobile interior design, featuring the latest in automatic pink leather bed, compact toaster, 8-track, and love machine technology, the 70s van was celebrated in song and cinema. You started with a factory model, new or used, and ended at a place limited onlyby your creativity, your budget, and your old lady's patience (NSFW). Ford could make you a man.If push came to shove, you could even live in your van. It was fantasy on wheels: van-tastic, man.
posted to MetaFilter by Miko at 9:14 PM on July 18, 2008 (41 comments)

The Congo Cookbook is a collection of recipes from Africa. (Easiest to view them all here.)
posted to MetaFilter by Upton O'Good at 12:38 AM on April 13, 2008 (17 comments)

Chattel houses were very small houses, built by freed slaves or plantation workers, that could be dismantled quickly and moved in the event they were fired or unable to pay property tax to the plantation owner on whose land the house stood. Examples in Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad l Sunday 25 March 2007 marked 200 years to the day that the British Parliament passed an Act to outlaw the slave trade in British colonies.
posted to MetaFilter by nickyskye at 11:41 PM on March 9, 2008 (4 comments)

I just moved onto the Puget Sound and need a small, affordable, transportable power boat and want suggestions from you about the best online boating discussion forums to ask further questions!
posted to Ask Metafilter by Ligament at 9:52 PM on January 15, 2008 (4 comments)

Looking for stories of satisfaction or regret from older married couples who decided not to have children.
posted to Ask Metafilter by bmosher at 4:26 PM on January 6, 2008 (28 comments)

Macbook Pro question: 2.2Ghz vs. 2.4 Ghz. Can it possibly be worth an extra $500?
posted to Ask Metafilter by jeff-o-matic at 7:54 PM on December 19, 2007 (33 comments)

Black Panther: The Revolutionary Art of Emory Douglas, the Black Panther Party's Minister of Culture from 1967 to 1979. Douglas is still alive and making posters for the cause, in this case the San Francisco 8, who were arrested earlier this year for the murder of a police officer in 1971 -- despite the fact that evidence was thrown out of federal court in 1976 because "officers stripped the men, blindfolded them, beat them and covered them in blankets soaked in boiling water," and "used electric prods on their genitals." The SF Weekly published a detailed 5-page story about the case in November 2006.
posted to MetaFilter by mediareport at 7:26 PM on December 14, 2007 (19 comments)

Hannu's Boatyard is a site by a Finnish guy who offers free plans for two dozen simple plywood boats you can build, along with photos illustrating the build process of each. He also describes basic woodbending technique and some of the design process, in a pleasing writing style that makes me want to get off the internet and make things. My favorites: Portuguese style dinghy; tiny stubby halfpea; round, Welsh-style coracle -- if you click on no other link today, click on the coracle link and scroll down at least to the black and white photo.
posted to MetaFilter by LobsterMitten at 11:19 PM on October 12, 2007 (31 comments)

John Stilgoe is a professor at Harvard who teaches his students how to, among other things, mindfully observe the urban and suburban environments they inhabit.
posted to MetaFilter by jquinby at 8:28 AM on October 11, 2007 (27 comments)

Shut In: A collection of escape-the-room games. Friday Flash Fun.
posted to MetaFilter by saladin at 7:30 AM on September 28, 2007 (10 comments)

An espalier is a plant trained to grow flat against a wall, fence, or trellis. Developed by the Romans, they were popular in Middle Age Europe as a source of fruit in castles and monasteries because they could be grown against the keep's stone walls leaving open space unencumbered. Now they are an excellent choice for apartment and condo dwellers with small yards. For larger yards espaliers can be used as a decorative feature, to provide shade or to increase the variety of trees under cultivation. University of Florida PDF detailing the technique.
posted to MetaFilter by Mitheral at 1:52 AM on September 17, 2007 (16 comments)

ShopFilter: What kind of laptop bag should I get?
posted to Ask Metafilter by rileyray3000 at 3:21 PM on September 12, 2007 (33 comments)

BeaterReview was formed to help the depreciation-averse enthusiast and automotive bottom-feeder alike find gold in them thar' mountains of rust.
posted to MetaFilter by punkfloyd at 11:06 AM on September 11, 2007 (49 comments)

How do I manage notes for my dissertation on a Mac?
posted to Ask Metafilter by raheel at 6:22 PM on September 8, 2007 (18 comments)

What's the Dr. Spock of home repair and renovation?
posted to Ask Metafilter by condour75 at 7:39 AM on July 31, 2007 (11 comments)

Looking for the name of this 60's - 70's interior design item: a floor-to-ceiling, metal, ornamental screen.
posted to Ask Metafilter by sluggo at 8:34 AM on July 23, 2007 (4 comments)

Where can I find cheap but well built reproductions of mid-century modern furnitures?
posted to Ask Metafilter by herbiehancock00 at 7:28 PM on July 15, 2007 (9 comments)

What are the best Safari plugins?
posted to Ask Metafilter by jroybal at 1:26 PM on June 24, 2007 (15 comments)

A rambling instrumental with banjo, whistling, and a few other ingredients. Mix well and serve chilled.
posted to MeFi Music by ORthey at 10:34 PM on April 1, 2007 (14 comments)