Schrödinger’s Rapist: or a guy’s guide to approaching strange women without being maced.
posted by kimdog at 8:06 AM Oct 8 2009 - 845 comments [257 favorites (114 in the last 7 days)]

"So, 'now'--ooh, what a wonderful first word, right in the beginning of the play. 'Now.' Not in the past. Not a history play. Now." Ian McKellen breaks down Richard III.
posted by kirkaracha at 7:32 AM Nov 5 2009 - 46 comments [90 favorites]

Enheduanna was a priestess and poet in the city of Ur in the 23rd century BC and supposedly the daughter of Sargon the Great of Akkad. She is the first author known by name. Here are a number of her poems in English translation, The Exaltation of Inana, Inana and Ebih, A Hymn to Inana, The Temple Hymns and A Balbale to Nanna. Here are two alternate translations of The Exaltation of Inana, one by James D. Pritchard and an English rendering of Dr. Annette Zgoll's German translation. If you want to learn more, go to The En-hedu-Ana Research Pages.
posted by Kattullus at 8:33 PM Nov 5 2009 - 27 comments [75 favorites]

Few men can reach the notes, and few women have the lung capacity to manipulate them. Most of these arias have not been heard since the deaths of the castrati for whom they were written. Mezzosoprano Cecilia Bartoli has released an album entitled Sacrificium. The album is a compilation of 17th-century arias written for castrati--male singers who were castrated in order to sing in a higher register. Commentaries on the work are favorable; commentaries on the history of castrati and Bartoli herself are just as interesting.
posted by jefficator at 11:13 AM Nov 9 2009 - 44 comments [61 favorites]

Muppet blooper reels: Muppets Tonight. Muppet Christmas Carol. Emmett Otter's Jugband Christmas.
posted by XQUZYPHYR at 8:10 AM Nov 4 2009 - 41 comments [58 favorites]

[FlickrPoolFilter] Crappy Bootleg DVD Covers: Here, you will find Tom Cruise's hit movie, Pepe Likes Tacos. In this universe, Star Wars features Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dustin Hoffman stars in Lost in Translation; witches, pirates, and hobbits inhabit the same world. Titles are improved upon. Reviews are refreshingly frank (if they make any sense at all). Your DVD may also contain subtitles in French, Chinese, Spamsoc, or Martian. (Don't say there was no warning.) Remember, kids: Piracy Creates Jobs!
posted by not_on_display at 9:55 AM Nov 5 2009 - 57 comments [54 favorites]

Do you like maps? How about historical maps? Oodles of links to even more maps? Then the PCL Map Collection hosted by the University of Texas might be for you.
posted by kmz at 12:14 PM Nov 9 2009 - 13 comments [49 favorites]

People Doing Stuff. Strangely compelling.
posted by flatluigi at 5:40 PM Nov 7 2009 - 70 comments [47 favorites]

It appears that the Lost Army of Cambyses has been found.
posted by Lutoslawski at 12:25 PM Nov 9 2009 - 69 comments [44 favorites]

100 Creative Business Cards if that little white piece of paper just isn't doing it for you.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 2:38 PM Nov 6 2009 - 67 comments [41 favorites]

The frequently excellent photo-blog The Big Picture at the Boston Globe has posted a collection of stunning and, well, alien-looking photos of the martian landscape.
posted by Frankieist at 12:10 AM Nov 7 2009 - 30 comments [38 favorites]

two youtube videos and a motherfucking crossfader
posted by boo_radley at 11:38 AM Nov 10 2009 - 56 comments [38 favorites]

Is the Catholic Church a force for good in the world? Christopher Hitchens and Stephen Fry debate the question with Archbishop John Onaiyekan and Anne Widdencombe. Parts 2, 3, 4, 5
posted by empath at 12:04 AM Nov 9 2009 - 237 comments [37 favorites]

Homeopathy has been discussed on the Blue before, but you've never heard it explained so well as this. You'll learn lessmore about physics than you've ever believed possible, and see how Einstein's Theory of Special Relativity ties in to homeopathic medicine, and Stephen Hawking's String Theory makes it all happen.
posted by Vamier at 10:45 PM Nov 9 2009 - 206 comments [35 favorites]

cosmolearning has a ton of college courses and documentaries aggregated in one place. And it was started by a couple of teenagers. I'm impressed.
posted by pahool at 7:45 PM Nov 7 2009 - 8 comments [33 favorites]

Night witches. "Russia's three all-female air regiments flew more than 30,000 missions along the Eastern Front in WWII. At home they were known as Stalin's Falcons, but terrified German troops called them the Night Witches."
posted by shetterly at 7:18 AM Nov 6 2009 - 32 comments [29 favorites]

Past Tense is a publishing project exploring London radical history. Their website has texts telling us about William Cuffay, the black Chartist tried and transported for levying war against Queen Victoria; an account of an early instance of women's organised labour struggle during the 1908 Corruganza box-makers strike; the drunken uproar of the 18th-century elections for the spurious Mayor of Garratt, really putting the 'mock' into 'mock election'; a yeoman farmer in Kett's Great Rebellion of 1549; the burning of the Albion Mills; and much more, including some walking tours to locations linked to radical history in various parts of the metropolis.
posted by Abiezer at 6:42 AM Nov 8 2009 - 7 comments [28 favorites]

A Common Nomenclature for Lego Families.
posted by Iridic at 11:39 AM Nov 5 2009 - 49 comments [27 favorites]

As you may have noticed from Google this morning, today is the 40th Anniversary of Sesame Street! New seasons are in production including the newest muppet, Abby Cadaby, but today is a day for our old friends. Videos a plenty to fuel your nostalgia.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 5:21 AM Nov 4 2009 - 72 comments [24 favorites]

A brilliant industrial design (IMO) for a slimline UK power plug. The UK plug is an exceptionally chunky and large lump; a real pain in the computer satchel. This video shows what appears to be a manufacturable design that turns it into an elegant device. SLYT.
posted by five fresh fish at 7:45 PM Nov 4 2009 - 103 comments [24 favorites]