From grainy stills to gorgeous high-resolution portraits, from intimate pairings to stark contrasts, and from old standbys to little-known surprises, The Planetary Society's Earth galleries offer a rich collection of stunning photography and video footage of our world as seen from both planetary spacecraft and geostationary satellites. It is a vista that has inspired many a deep thought in the lucky few that have seen it firsthand [previously]. Oh, and the rest of the Solar System is pretty neat, too.
posted to MetaFilter by Rhaomi at 10:34 PM on October 3, 2008 (9 comments)

100 skills every man (or woman) should know (with videos!) from Popular Mechanics - learn how to split firewood or solder a wire, among others. Before you look, take the quiz and see how you stack up against people like our own Adam Savage. Need more? Esquire offers a more touchy-feely list of skills; the Art of Manliness has a list that includes how to land a plane and how to survive a street fight; and also a (PDF) book listing medical skills for surviving the end of the world. And if you prefer the fictional, there is also the classic list of skills from Robert Heinlein and the skills of a certain TV stuntman.
posted to MetaFilter by blahblahblah at 12:03 PM on October 2, 2008 (97 comments)

As most women know, nylon stockings don't last. They run, they snag, they rip, and they can't be mended. And they take 40 to 50 years to decompose in a landfill. I was sure as I began researching this post that there must be some great pantyhose crafting and art ideas out there. But the results were, um, mixed. If you are into weaving, you can make some wall hangings or rugs from nylons. If you're a Klondike Kate type who sews, you can make a skirt. If you work in a corporate environment but want to keep your edge, you can abide by your company's dress code AND sport temporary tattoos. If you're a crafty bride-to-be, you can make flowers or dragonflies for wedding decorations. If you're into the less practical kind of art, you can create semi-wearable pantyhose art, or construct pantyhose art installations like artist Mary Nicollet. You can even make pantyhose dolls, and stick them in a jar if you want to. Just be prepared for the fact that most people will never understand why you'd want to. But beware, because pantyhose arts and crafts are either underexplored or instrinsically strange, and can go from “interesting” or “kind of cute” to “bizarre” and “kind of disturbing” faster than a run can make its way from your thigh to your toes.
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 5:23 PM on October 1, 2008 (38 comments)

"Why don't you write me a poem that will prepare me for your death?" Hayden Carruth's wife, thirty years his junior, asked him. He did so, and it became one of his most popular poems. Carruth, who celebrated his 87th birthday last month died last night at his home in Munnsville New York. Carruth was the winner of the the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award for his poetry collection Scrambled Eggs and Whiskey. He edited Poetry magazine from 1949-1950 and was a poetry editor at Harpers.
posted to MetaFilter by jessamyn at 3:31 PM on September 30, 2008 (23 comments)

Do any accredited, respectable, non-residential , MFA Writing programs exist out there?
posted to Ask Metafilter by esereth at 2:59 PM on September 30, 2008 (7 comments)

How acceptable is it for a person in a supervisory role to get/have a visible tattoo?
posted to Ask Metafilter by bryanzera at 4:31 PM on September 29, 2008 (32 comments)

The only difference between regular vodka and super premium vodka is the price. Double shielded, gold plated speaker cables work just as well as cheap ones. What other consumer goods have "premium" versions that are identical to the budget version?
posted to Ask Metafilter by andrewzipp at 12:43 PM on September 29, 2008 (54 comments)

When it comes to document interactivity, what are PDF files really capable of? Which features are best for creating dynamic displays of information? What are some of the best examples you've seen of interactive PDFs?
posted to Ask Metafilter by ElfWord at 8:39 PM on September 27, 2008 (9 comments)

What are some blues songs with genuinely depressing, ruin your mood lyrics/vocals?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Pants! at 8:34 AM on September 27, 2008 (25 comments)

What are the threadless-ish equivalent websites for posters, art objects, etc?
posted to Ask Metafilter by jhscott at 11:53 PM on September 26, 2008 (7 comments)

I'm looking for interesting and fun online stores similar to ThinkGeek, PerpetualKid, etc. Something that has unique, unusual gadgets, or home/office decorations. What are some such stores I might not be familiar with, or maybe previous threads that mention them?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Bakuun at 1:36 AM on September 27, 2008 (9 comments)

If you are a professional web designer or developer: What do you consider the current top 5 or so websites in terms of visual design?
posted to Ask Metafilter by signal at 3:19 PM on September 26, 2008 (11 comments)

I'm having a hard time understanding just what is happening to the US economy and why. I'm completely in the dark, I'm not familiar with the terminology, and I'm afraid.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ranunculus at 12:22 PM on September 25, 2008 (13 comments)

How can I best lose some excess upper arm flab?
posted to Ask Metafilter by troika at 10:03 PM on September 24, 2008 (13 comments)

I'm clueless about rights issues when it comes to how things work between photographer & subject, and as a performer I need to learn. If no release was signed at a photoshoot, who has what rights?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Anonymous at 9:17 PM on September 21, 2008 (11 comments)

It seems like most suicides I hear about are very intelligent people, but is there actually any established correlation between intelligence and suicide? Or has this been conclusively rejected as a risk factor? I haven't been able to find any mention of intelligence in various discussions of suicide risk factors.
posted to Ask Metafilter by scottreynen at 9:44 PM on September 17, 2008 (14 comments)

The "terminator" is the dividing line between day and night as seen from on high. This shadow line is diffuse and shows the gradual transition to darkness we experience as twilight.
posted to MetaFilter by nickyskye at 1:28 PM on September 16, 2008 (44 comments)

What is a high quality set of sheets?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Vindaloo at 7:00 AM on September 16, 2008 (20 comments)

Web designers, what is the maximum recommended file size for site designs in this day and age?
posted to Ask Metafilter by bristolcat at 5:48 PM on September 15, 2008 (17 comments)

What's an editorial plan? Do topic-focused weblogs (like the Gawker Media ones) have one? How do they work out what sort of content goes on their blog?
posted to Ask Metafilter by divabat at 11:35 PM on September 7, 2008 (3 comments)

Help a clueless student eat on a $100/month budget.
posted to Ask Metafilter by GrooveStix at 10:28 PM on September 7, 2008 (43 comments)

Help me get rid of my love handles
posted to Ask Metafilter by chickaboo at 2:50 PM on September 3, 2008 (18 comments)

I'd honestly like to know why half of America voted for George W. Bush in 2000: what their reasoning was.
posted to Ask Metafilter by WCityMike at 9:38 AM on August 25, 2008 (110 comments)

MixCD filter: Acro's comment in this post sparked an idea. And so now I am seeking songs about specific historic events.
posted to Ask Metafilter by EmpressCallipygos at 10:56 AM on September 2, 2008 (40 comments)

Is this good use of punctuation? The adept poster: one of nobility, wisdom and wit, is the superior MeFite.
posted to Ask Metafilter by l33tpolicywonk at 8:48 AM on September 2, 2008 (19 comments)

Like so many other people, you have a stack of old t-shirts you never wear. Perhaps you've gotten beyond wearing obscene slogans or Strawberry Shortcake logos. Or you feel it's time to retire that “Team Hillary” shirt. Or your favourite old shirt no longer fits over the impressive pecs/food hump you've acquired since high school. Or you've had it with MeFi and you want a way to repurpose/savage your MeFi blue t-shirt. No need to be at a loss! You might just settle for making a different style of t-shirt, but you can also use those t-shirts to make diapers for your baby, clothes for your toddler, or adult-sized undies, skirts or dresses. Or a bikini. Just beware of saggage. I mean, of the bikini, after it gets water-logged. You also might make tote bags or pillows, car seat covers, baby wipes, or dusters. If you get really ambitious, you can make a t-shirt quilt, taking inspiration from the many examples on the net. If I haven't given you enough ideas, you can turn to the ever authoritative and exhaustive AskMe, or you can do some further reading on the topic. Just don't get so carried away that you wind up having to go to work topless tomorrow. Unless, of course, your career path requires that anyway.
posted to MetaFilter by orange swan at 4:52 PM on September 1, 2008 (25 comments)

How best to protect hardwood floors from chairs?
posted to Ask Metafilter by canine epigram at 11:43 AM on August 29, 2008 (8 comments)

ResumeFilter: Preparing my resume to be sent out and wondering about addressing the envelope by hand or printing it off. Also, is it worth it to get some official resume paper?
posted to Ask Metafilter by silkygreenbelly at 1:49 PM on August 28, 2008 (9 comments)

An important class action lawsuit was settled today when Target agreed to pay $6 million in damages to the plaintiffs (National Federation of the Blind, et al.) because these disabled users could not shop on the Target.com site. Here is a collection of legal mumbo jumbo materials.
posted to MetaFilter by Ky at 7:29 PM on August 27, 2008 (108 comments)

What's the best way to learn Flash/Flex? Books? Certificate program? Online tutorials? My goal is to make fun games/rich apps and websites.
posted to Ask Metafilter by scrumtralescent at 4:26 PM on August 26, 2008 (3 comments)

What is the best way to set up a virtual storefront website for a mom-and-pop outfit in the business of selling hand-painted porcelain dolls and ceramics?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Roach at 8:43 AM on August 26, 2008 (11 comments)

can you help me find this experimental web navigation site?
posted to Ask Metafilter by tremspeed at 10:00 PM on August 24, 2008 (17 comments)

I'm looking for a poem whose first lines are "When the sun dies there will be eight minutes of light/Not enough time to hoard lemons or bulbs . . . " and it goes on from there. Next line is something like "or let the camera record the slow explosion of a rose." Can't find it anywhere! Ungoogleable. It's driving me nuts! (I heard it a decade ago.)
posted to Ask Metafilter by liketitanic at 7:22 AM on August 24, 2008 (6 comments)

Sitemaps seem like a huge pain in the butt.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Meatbomb at 2:56 AM on August 23, 2008 (10 comments)

What content management system (CMS) does the site BNET.com use? Or, what is the currently available CMS that most closely matches the capabilities of this CMS? Bonus points to open source....
posted to Ask Metafilter by omidius at 1:15 PM on August 22, 2008 (6 comments)

Two, almost certainly related problems: My MacBook has taken to turning itself off while still showing as having a high battery charge. It has turned itself off while showing it at 36 minutes of battery time left. coconutBattery says that my current battery capacity is only at 54% of the original. Anything I can or should do about this?
posted to Ask Metafilter by andoatnp at 12:59 PM on April 5, 2008 (12 comments)

What is the best way for someone without HTML knowledge (and no wish to learn) to make simple edits to an existing website? We used to use Adobe Contribute -- are there cheaper alternatives?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Idcoytco at 7:29 AM on August 18, 2008 (6 comments)

Why does my cat take a victory lap when she poops?
posted to Ask Metafilter by tzikeh at 3:50 AM on August 17, 2008 (30 comments)

Are there any documented cases or studies that actually measure how web accessible design impacts the "bottom line" for a company?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Ky at 8:37 PM on August 14, 2008 (4 comments)

What are some good sites to find short-term freelance writing/Internet gigs? Similar to this post, I'm looking for some temp work that will bring in a little supplemental income.
posted to Ask Metafilter by adverb at 6:41 PM on August 13, 2008 (4 comments)

Johnna Klukas makes science fiction wood carvings, sculpture and furniture. She has also detailed her techniques (with more "coming soon").
posted to MetaFilter by DU at 4:51 AM on August 14, 2008 (13 comments)

What happy memories do you have of being a young child that make you think either "those were good times" or "that was good parenting"?
posted to Ask Metafilter by onlyconnect at 12:07 PM on August 12, 2008 (64 comments)

What's the latest wisdoms on flash and search engines (aside from "don't use flash")? Looking for tips geared towards new media sites (collectives, art galleries etc.)
posted to Ask Metafilter by Smegoid at 11:06 AM on August 12, 2008 (10 comments)

Confusing Words is a collection of 3210 words that are troublesome to readers and writers. Words are grouped according to the way they are most often confused or misused.
posted to MetaFilter by blue_beetle at 2:29 PM on August 11, 2008 (76 comments)

Recommendations for renter's insurance carriers? We're in the NYC area and will be shopping around. Quotes are easy enough to get, but we'd feel better going into the fray with info on customer experiences, as well.
posted to Ask Metafilter by greenland at 11:27 AM on August 11, 2008 (4 comments)

Help me find beautiful posters with science, math or music as the subject.
posted to Ask Metafilter by storybored at 8:37 PM on August 10, 2008 (33 comments)

I'm a graduate student, living in a graduate dorm, and I need to purchase renters insurance. Which companies are student-friendly, reliable, and affordable?
posted to Ask Metafilter by rockstar at 6:02 PM on February 22, 2006 (17 comments)

I recently read something that has made me start to wonder about the credit given for inventions in the past. I was unaware that in France, Brazil, and other places the Wright brothers are not listed as the first in flight. I am wondering what other things I may be missing out on due to my American midwest public school teachings.
posted to Ask Metafilter by hexxed at 2:34 PM on August 6, 2008 (28 comments)

What is this interior painting trend I see before me?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Smarson at 10:16 AM on August 5, 2008 (17 comments)

"If you wait to teach them until college, it's almost always too late; adult brains generally can't form the deep structures necessary to learn real programming, only rote copy-paste code monkeying." [article] Uhh... seriously?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Tubes at 11:30 AM on August 5, 2008 (30 comments)