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Gay and Muslim groups getting together in the UK? plans are to look at homophobia in the Muslim community and Islamophobia in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. The Muslim Council of Britain is also admitting that if you have nothing positive to say keep your mouth shut, which is a very good first step. Can two groups often on the receiving end of hatred work together ? “British Muslims welcome working with everyone including members of the Lesbian and Gay community against a common enemy, fascism.” I don't know if they have the likes of Michael Savage there (or the many many others), who rail against (and call for the death of) both Muslims and gays on the airwaves daily, but it seems hopeful, no?
posted by amberglow at 7:23 PM - 29 comments

The nature of science fiction poetry is the subject of vigorous debate even among its own practitioners. Nonetheless, it has its own annual awards, the Rhyslings. What wins? The first victor in 1978 was Gene Wolfe's The Computer Iterates the Greater Trumps, while Tim Pratt's Soul Searching was the most recent winner. Bruce Boston, Robert Frazier, and Andrew Joron are generally considered the masters of the field. Many more poems here, as well as an in-depth bibliography, and, of course, the periodic table of science fiction haikus about the elements. Don't like science fiction? Cowboy poetry is also a thriving genre.
posted by blahblahblah at 6:38 PM - 17 comments

A new study suggests that, over the course of its lifetime, a Hummer H3 has a lower energy cost per mile than all currently offered hybrid vehicles.
posted by driveler at 4:26 PM - 91 comments

Like, try to understand where the emo kids are coming from.
posted by jonson at 4:01 PM - 70 comments

"The job is waiting--there is no other job to do. ... Daniel Webster in the middle of the nineteenth century refused the vice presidential nomination saying 'he did not propose to be buried until he was already dead,' and Theodore Roosevelt at the beginning of the twentieth century accepted it but said he was 'taking the veil' and considered going back to finish law school to occupy his spare time." The American Prospect investigates the workings of Cheney's Office of the Vice President and discusses its unprecedented power. A stark contrast with the traditional role of the vice president.
posted by russilwvong at 3:13 PM - 19 comments

"Americans using Internet to make Major Decisions." (Ahem) Where have we heard of anything like that?
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 3:09 PM - 15 comments

JetBlue Airlines' Route map has a little trick up its sleeve. When the Flash Route Map loads - click on a city, then hold down your computer's SHIFT key and then type the letters P B J. You will be....surprised. I know I was.
posted by metaxa at 3:05 PM - 91 comments

The Purple Party
Why can’t we have a serious, innovative, truth-telling, pragmatic party without any of the baggage of the Democrats and Republicans?

Where to draw the line is mostly a matter of common sense. Public reminders to honor one’s parents and love one’s neighbor, and not to lie, steal, or commit adultery or murder? Fine. Genesis taught as science in public schools, and government cosmologists forced by their PR handlers to give a shout-out to creationism? No way. Kids who want to wear crucifixes or yarmulkes or head scarves to those same schools? Sure, why not? And so on.
posted by frogan at 2:29 PM - 36 comments

When the Mongols invaded Russia in the 13th century, legend has it that when they reached the northern city of Kitezh, the citizens, rather than defending themselves, "engaged in fervent praying, asking god for their redemption. On seeing this, the Mongols rushed to the attack, but then stopped. Suddenly, they saw countless fountains of water bursting from under the ground all around them. The attackers fell back and watched the town submerge into the lake." Ever since, Kitezh has provided Russians "a platform for imagining what their culture might have been like, had it not been stamped by authoritarian rule." And it gave Rimsky-Korsakov the plot of his opera the Tale of the Invisible City of Kitezh. [More inside.]
posted by languagehat at 1:46 PM - 22 comments

Germano Facetti - who died recently - was art director at Penguin Books during the 1960s. He was responsible for some of the most striking book cover designs of the period. More here.
posted by greycap at 12:18 PM - 36 comments

Oeil Public Pictures of change and struggle from around the world.
posted by carter at 12:04 PM - 6 comments

British scientists discover men's decision making skills can be compromised by a beautiful woman. I suppose this isn't much of a surprise, since "The Cheerleader Effect" has been reported on before [NYT]. The study also showed that testosterone levels also played a part, the more testosterone, the more pronounced the effect was.
posted by SirOmega at 11:25 AM - 59 comments

Carcass Cutting Tools: three words you've been waiting to read. Here's three more: Pneumatic Bung Dropper (with action shot!) Still not satisfied? Try Automatic Carcass Splitter. Terrifying, and yet strangely arousing.
posted by Gamblor at 10:28 AM - 40 comments

Virtual Tresspassing is yet another Google maps mashup, but one of the minority (at least that I have found) that let you add markers of your own that are persistent and visible to others. Is it at all useful? Who cares, I was a cute kid and I don't have to risk PMITA prison like a common street tagger - I can be leet and from da streetz while remaining a pasty-faced geek.
posted by phearlez at 10:20 AM - 10 comments

Smash through blocks of ice with your fist. [Flash, stupid]
posted by Armitage Shanks at 9:30 AM - 31 comments

The 'Star Wars' Traveler: I'm not really a 'Star Wars' geek, so I had no idea that the Tatooine scenes were shot in Tunisia. Instead of repairing those units on the South Ridge, perhaps you feel the need to visit visit Obi Wan Kenobi? Maybe you need to jam to some space jazz at the Cantina (oota goota, Solo?)? Maybe you will see a krayt dragon skeleton in the Dune Sea. Just watch out for the sand crawlers.
posted by NoMich at 8:57 AM - 9 comments

How were you circumcised? A fascinating discussion of circumcision scar styles left by the different methods of circumcision. (NSFW, penis photos, slightly gruesome discussion of circumcision methods.)
posted by agropyron at 8:52 AM - 165 comments

The Campaign Gore Can't Lose. Al Gore makes the case for global warming. (Trailer) Even the hard-bitten conservatives at the National Review are impressed. Can Al Gore lead the way to a new environmental majority?
posted by empath at 8:19 AM - 201 comments

Whole Tree Shredding. This is not your average rotary mulcher. Watch the "SLASHBUSTER"® HD 480B chew through 10-14 inch diameter trees with ease. No auxiliary engine is necessary. Horsepower-for-horsepower this is the highest performance tree shredder available.
posted by Falconetti at 7:41 AM - 59 comments

When Anarchist Performance Art takes the guise of a humble Ice Cream Truck, I can't help but think that money spent funding the arts is money well spent.
posted by Dillonlikescookies at 7:41 AM - 17 comments

Scott McClellan resigns; Karl Rove sidelined. (NYT) The promised "shakeup" of the White House begins.
posted by mkultra at 7:10 AM - 124 comments

The scientific tradition in Africa. An interview with Thebe Medupe, a South African astronomer.
posted by Wolfdog at 6:58 AM - 5 comments

Evolution: A Web Companion. 'The expanding universe is both awesome and humbling. When looking closely at nature—whether through a telescope, microscope, or computer visualization of collected data—one cannot help being struck by the intricacies and complexities observed. The magnitude of the cosmos, the power of natural forces, and the extent of deep time, however, alert us to how small and transient we are...'
Related :- The Writings of Charles Darwin (previous thread); Talk Origins; Understanding Evolution.
posted by plep at 6:55 AM - 10 comments

Hide the kiddies, hide the wife. And this wasn't much better. Come to think of it, the Mets have always been associated with Major League cheese (although they did have one awesome song and video back during their 80's heyday). All right, gotta run. The Venga bus is coming...[warning: this post contains .ra files, embedded .mp3s, sucky music]
posted by ericbop at 6:35 AM - 7 comments

LiveJournal adopts banner ads. SixApart has broken a longstanding promise/agreed-upon principle (recently deleted) and is adding banner ads to the service, which will be visible to the general public and approximately 95% of their users. Last year's April Fool's joke suddenly not very amusing anymore. Is SixApart's bubble a bit overinflated?
posted by insomnia_lj at 6:31 AM - 129 comments

Britain's New Labour have very short memories!

They are trying to persuade people to vote for them by highlighting exactly how they got in to power themselves as being a fault in the Conservative Party
posted by catchmurray at 3:57 AM - 34 comments

The Vagina Institute [NSFW]. Everything you've ever wanted to know about vaginas.
posted by Effigy2000 at 3:37 AM - 50 comments

Nes Micro To go along with your portable snes, playstation, and Atari 2600 of course. Want to do it yourself? buy the book. Lots more stuff on Ben Heckendorn's home page (how quaint!). (found all this googling for pictures of NES cartages)
posted by delmoi at 3:27 AM - 8 comments

The Lafayette studio has one of the oldest histories of any photographic business in the world. It was founded in Dublin in 1880. The photographs can be viewed at the Victoria & Albert Museum but this site really shows them off in much more detail.
posted by tellurian at 12:32 AM - 6 comments

FT Report Oh dear, I had high hopes that Skype would hold out. Still, I guess they are telling us. Can anyone find the list of banned words in the TOM client?
posted by priorpark17 at 12:27 AM - 22 comments

On January 1st, 2006, Bryan Harvey was murdered along with his wife and two young daughters in the basement of their Virginia home. Smoke issuing from the house was spotted by Johnny Hott, Harvey's bandmate in the terrific, late-80s duo House of Freaks. The fire was apparently started by the killers in an attempt to cover up the evidence. By all accounts the Harveys were a well-liked family whose loss has left a city stunned and saddened. Bryan once remarked, "I have a lot of faith in humans. I believe we're capable of incredibly beautiful things (as well as incredibly evil)." Unfortunately the truth of that statement has become readily apparent. (more inside)
posted by ktoad at 10:26 PM - 20 comments

DJ Assault is all up in your house. nsfw
posted by Mean Mr. Bucket at 9:23 PM - 25 comments

In 1889, Dolores Cannon "channeled" the spirit of Nostradamus. Among other things... A leader in the Middle East will launch a nuke that will overshoot its target and detonate in the Mediterranean Sea. A great and rich power will be subject to serious natural disasters, particularly earthquakes and flooding. And the presidents of the U.S. will abuse their power to an increasingly greater extent. Educated guessing? No! Even The Onion staffs some prophets.
posted by Nquire at 8:14 PM - 19 comments

Johnny Cash implores Big Bird, "Don't Take Your Ones To Town." R.E.M. explore the spectrum of muppet emotion with Furry Happy Monsters. All the way back in 1972, Stevie Wonder offers the superlatively funky 1-2-3. The Pointer Sisters teach an entire generation about surreal terror with the classic Pinball Number Count. Ray Charles sings The Alphabet Song, with an inexplicable assist from Patrick Stewart, David Robinson and Lambchop. And, of course, who could forget the time The Beetles came to Sesame Street?
posted by Simon! at 6:39 PM - 86 comments

Now that Tomkat has birthed their Tomkitten, at least two questions arise: 1) will Tom eat the placenta? and 2) will the child be retarded?
posted by billysumday at 6:07 PM - 86 comments

Moo & Oink, Chicago's most honestly named meat shoppe is having a jingle contest!
posted by fnerg at 4:26 PM - 16 comments

Hugo Chavez to Carlos the Jackal: "My doctor has told me that my spirit must nourish itself on danger to preserve my sanity, in the manner that God intended, with this stormy revolution to guide me in my great destiny.
posted by semmi at 12:37 PM - 59 comments

“My God, you know, did I authorize putting a bra and underwear on this guy's head?” Rumsfeld “personally involved” in abuses at Guantanamo - according to a recently obtained (by Salon) army inspector general report which contains a sworn statement from a Lt. General
posted by Smedleyman at 11:53 AM - 101 comments

Well, this settles everything: Kirk Cameron debunks evolution.
posted by docgonzo at 11:08 AM - 310 comments

Equidistant Eats lets you find restaurants that are centrally located to two or three locations. Just enter at least two addresses and click "Submit." Street address, city and state are required. ZIP Code is optional.
posted by jonson at 8:47 AM - 15 comments

27: About, Conspiracy theories regarding, Photographs of, Weird Al and
posted by Plutor at 8:16 AM - 44 comments

StillFree. - Graffiti artist Marc Ecko tags Air Force One at andrews air force base.
posted by jba at 7:54 AM - 65 comments

In the US there are three major forms of manual communication ASL (American Sign Language, PSE (Pidgin Signed English or Contact), and SEE (Signing Exact English). Translating from English to any one of these is hard enough. That's not stopping this team from trying taking on the added challenge of a machine translation. I can't imagine them doing half as well as this man's efforts at live translating rap, switching between all three variants (video, with voice over).
posted by plinth at 7:06 AM - 9 comments

Star Wars Kid Finally Gets Settlement Claiming to have been unable to attend school on account of being more famous than the kid who played the real Anakin Skywalker, Ghyslain "Star Wars Kid" Raza (original thread) finally gets his cut off of the three kids responsible for making sure he'll never, ever get a date. Sadly, the situation got so bad Ghyslain "let himself go and no longer lifted weights to keep fit." So much for a sequel.
posted by TheFarSeid at 6:47 AM - 73 comments

Evolution timeline (Embedded .swf). This animated story of life since about 13,700,000,000 shows everything from the big bang to the formation of the earth and the development of bacteria and other organisms to the ascent of man and humans effect on the earth. Other work discussed one year ago yesterday, what an evolution! (The animation is pretty large, you may have to scroll your screen, or just open the .swf directly)
posted by pithy comment at 6:21 AM - 21 comments

One Solidier free but a second in jail for having a "very informed conscience". Interesting views on motivations later in the interview.
posted by doogyrev at 4:24 AM - 21 comments

The Birth of a Queer Nation. Determined to build a better world for future generations, the founding fathers and mothers set sail on 14 June 2004 in the Gayflower until they were washed ashore on the uninhabited Coral Islands. With the strains of Gloria Gaynor filling the tropical air, they hoisted the rainbow flag above the palm trees and white, sandy beaches. The Gay and Lesbian Kingdom of the Coral Sea Islands was born.
posted by Falconetti at 1:03 AM - 55 comments

"In 1953, while working a hotel switchboard, a college graduate named Shea Zellweger began a journey of wonder and obsession that would eventually lead to the invention of a radically new notation for logic. From a basement in Ohio, guided literally by his dreams and his innate love of pattern, Zellweger developed an extraordinary visual system - called the “Logic Alphabet” - in which a group of specially designed letter-shapes can be manipulated like puzzles to reveal the geometrical patterns underpinning logic."
posted by vacapinta at 11:06 PM - 28 comments

Today in weird animals : An international group of scientists has described an animal that provides nutrition for its young by letting them peel off and eat its skin.
posted by Afroblanco at 10:31 PM - 30 comments

The Nata village blog - "A unique opportunity to witness the battle to control the spread of HIV/AIDS in an African village."
posted by Gyan at 9:26 PM - 4 comments