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Flirting with the Forbidden, for centuries, Romans and French have enjoyed the pleasures of a unique songbird. Once caught, this tiny bunting is kept in a small cage, where its eyes are poked out. It is then force fed oats, millet, and figs until it's plumped up to four times its size. It is subsequently drowned alive in cognac, roasted at high heat, then served as an exquisite - and illegal - meal. Traditionally the diner enjoys this delicacy - approximately the size of a human thumb - underneath an embroidered napkin. The head is bitten off, the entire body eaten in one crunchy bite. Said to embody the "soul of France," it was, reportedly, the last meal of Francois Mitterrand. Writer Michael Paterniti recreates the experience of dining on l'ortolan, superbly told in an episode of "This American Life."
comment posted at 7:35 AM on Feb-21-08
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comment posted at 3:09 PM on Feb-22-08

DOH. Its Valentine's Day and you forgot to make a reservation, and now everyone's all booked up. Except White Castle.
comment posted at 5:02 AM on Feb-14-08

Everybody on the dance floor for two of the high masterpieces of disco from 1979: Lipps Inc.'s Funkytown and Anita Ward's Ring My Bell. Hey, Funkytown even has its own comprehensive website! No doubt about it, 1979 was a very BIG year for disco. Not everyone back in '79, though, was ready to shake their booty. Oh well. Doooooooooooooooooooooooo
comment posted at 5:00 AM on Feb-4-08

Jah Shaka, self-styled Zulu Warrior, has run one of London's top reggae sound systems for nearly 40 years. Playing rare dubs on a hand built, awesomely loud sound, creating earthquaking bass and exorcising tops. Shaka stuck with the conscious Rastafarian message through a lean 1980s, while most of his contemporaries turned to dancehall and ragga. He was rewarded in the 90s with a new following and countless musicians and producers claiming him as an inspiration. Despite burning his hands in a fire and having his equipment stolen and being nearly 60, he is still playing, inna king david style.
comment posted at 9:23 AM on Jan-24-08

The Iowa Scam. Christopher Hitchens confronts a system where "only 124,000 Democrats voted last time, less than a quarter of those eligible. So if Barack Obama, say, edges Hillary Clinton by 2,000 votes, he'll be hailed in headlines as a giant-killer despite the tiny margin."
comment posted at 6:59 AM on Jan-3-08

The Naga Jolokia is the hottest pepper in the world, at 1,000,000 Scoville Units. One seed from a Naga Jolokia can sustain intense pain sensations in the mouth for up to 30 minutes before subsiding. Imagine what eating an entire pepper will do? One intrepid ESPN reporter finds out.
comment posted at 3:18 AM on Nov-12-07

Welcome to Guardian America "So what is Guardian America, what makes a British newspaper think that Americans will want to imbibe its view of America and the world, and why, having decided to undertake such an improbable project, would the paper place it in my hands? Fine questions. Let's explore."
comment posted at 8:30 AM on Oct-25-07

Om Nom Nom Nom via adorablog
comment posted at 3:54 AM on Aug-30-07

Michael Caine is to release chill-out album. Apparantly, it's a compilation of chilled out music that he has been collating for over 40 years. This seems to convenient to be real. But it is discussed on his (rather crappy) website and appears to be real. What next? Danny de Vito's Death Metal Mix?
comment posted at 4:49 AM on Aug-3-07

Bug Powder Dust
Lyrics, by Bomb the Bass
comment posted at 3:42 AM on Jul-11-07

Nina Simone Live

Ain't Got No...I Got Life
Mississippi Goddam
Zungo
Young, Gifted, and Black
Erets Zavat Chalav
I Put a Spell on You
See-line Woman
comment posted at 3:26 AM on Jun-26-07

Freedom haters wail:
"Cilantro! More cilantro!"
The terrorists win. - Dstieve
comment posted at 4:57 AM on Jun-26-07

Applications for UK visas are being denied for ridiculous reasons, says an independent monitor report. Among the reasons: never having been on holiday before, "failing to complete pivotal areas of Section 6", and "plan[ning] a holiday for no particular purpose other than sightseeing. BBC readers contribute their stories - from potential bridesmaids being told that they were only going to marry English men like their sister was doing, to not having good enough German.
comment posted at 2:46 AM on Jun-21-07

Better than blood? A man-made, pure-white compound called Oxycyte carries oxygen 50 times as effectively as our own blood. An interesting development for brain trauma patients, HIV in blood transfusions, and the artificial human.
comment posted at 1:55 AM on Jun-6-07

Save Top Gear! Top Gear has become an internet phenomenon, or at least a YouTube phenomenon (previously on MeFi). The larking about of Clarkson, Hampster and Captain Slow on the BBC's most-watched show have entertained millions, despite the fact they're from a show that's supposed to be about car reviews. And there's the problem. In the next series, do the program-makers continue the escapades of the modern-day Compo, Clegg and Foggy, or do they go back to reviewing everyday cars? [Warning: This posting is YouTube-heavy].
comment posted at 11:49 AM on Apr-16-07

Who wrote the song Hey Joe? Jimi Hendrix recorded the most famous version, but Hey Joe has been recorded by a bunch of artists including Love, The Leaves, The Byrds, The Music Machine, and Eddie Murphy(??!). The author of the song themed with infidelity, murder, and ultimately running from the law, is under dispute, which is well documented on Wikipedia. An mp3 blog called Used Bin Forever features a post about this subject including a mp3 of a mindblowing version by the 60's Japanese band, The Golden Cups.
comment posted at 8:05 AM on Apr-13-07
comment posted at 8:08 AM on Apr-13-07

Defender of the Crown can be played on the website of the game's original designers. You are a noble who must unite England by jousting, warring and rescuing pretty maidens. The king has been murdered, the crown has been stolen and as your bestest pal Robin Hood says, "only you can save England."
comment posted at 5:58 AM on Apr-13-07

No spotted dick until you finish your bubble and squeak! An American girl eats her way through the UK, detailing her adventures tasting such traditional delicacies such as haggis and scotch eggs.
comment posted at 6:11 AM on Feb-7-07

Pompous Ass Words is a site dedicated to identifying words that shouldn't be used, on the grounds that doing so makes you sound like a pompous ass. With humorous citations and links to examples of pompous word usage by the media.
comment posted at 6:03 AM on Jan-29-07

In 1933 an unassuming farmer, one Cecil Dill, was thrust into the spotlight for his 15 minutes of fame, on account of his astonishing musical talent. He played his hands. Just his hands. He was a practitioner (actually the first we know of) of the little-known art of manualism. The hands may be the most difficult "instruments" in the world to play, but there are those still putting palms together for the sake of melody. And what better accompanist for a virtuosic pair of hands than a bicycle pump? And though he really should rethink the afro wig, this guy's rendition of Purple Haze really must be heard. [note: most links go to video sites with very flatulent audio]
comment posted at 6:48 AM on Jan-7-07

One of the world's most expensive chocolates expertly debunked. (For maximum awesome, read all 10 parts)
comment posted at 1:50 AM on Dec-21-06

Less than 16 months after England claimed the Ashes, Australia reclaim them in three straight test matches. With England's main opening batsman pulling out of the contest due to "stress", and their captain refusing to delay a knee operation so that he would be available, it never really appeared to many that they wanted to face a rematch. Questions must now be raised about what happened to their astounding reverse swing. Chin up lads - at least you and your world-touring Barmy Army can all play with your trumpets again.
comment posted at 5:27 AM on Dec-18-06
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comment posted at 1:39 AM on Dec-19-06

There are many ways to kill a Lobster. Some are cruel, some are extremely complicated, some are painless (or so they say). If you still feel terrible about eating them you can even just try a mock-up.
comment posted at 5:37 AM on Dec-7-06

"Oh, Whistle, And I'll Come to You, My Lad," "Casting the Runes," and other stories by M.R. James, the master of the ghost story.
comment posted at 2:36 AM on Nov-1-06
comment posted at 5:37 AM on Nov-1-06

Music for Funerals - 5000 Brits were surveyed about songs they'd like played during their funeral. I'm warning you right now, Bon Jovi made the top 20.
comment posted at 7:36 AM on Oct-3-06

Need to know the future? Try a little haruspicy. Full details, including a script in Greek, here (don't worry, they use an egg). For the animal rights activist, there's a cruelty-free method.
comment posted at 8:46 AM on Aug-11-06
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comment posted at 9:05 AM on Aug-11-06

"It is not easy to pass the test that qualifies a girl for membership in a Ziegfeld production..." Hundreds of photos of Zeigfeld Girls (including many large and high-resolution scans), collected and displayed for your viewing pleasure. Sumptuous . Sensual. Dazzling. [The last three links are work safe. The first two and the site itself are not. Some background on Ziegfeld and his Follies here for those not familiar.]
comment posted at 5:03 AM on Aug-11-06

They'll never piggyback on your wireless again Your router makes the computer look funny. (via MeTa)
comment posted at 5:00 AM on Aug-11-06

Cricinfo. The most extraordinary database and news site of the game of cricket, with records going back over 200 years. [much more inside]
comment posted at 2:10 AM on Jul-15-06
comment posted at 5:04 AM on Jul-16-06

Bonofilter: Yesterday, May 16, U2 front-man Bono was a guest "editor" for the UK newspaper The Independent. Called the "RED Edition," half of this issue's proceeds went "to help fight HIV and AIDS among women and children in Africa." Highlights included US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice offering her take on "The Ten Best Musical Works" and an interview with Eddie Izzard on immigration in Europe. Is there a downside to celebrity editing, or is it a win-win-win for Bono, The Independent, and some people in need?
comment posted at 5:33 AM on May-18-06

Ben & Jerry's Free Cone Day. It may not be the world's best ice cream (personal favs), it's also not the worst (universally reviled).
comment posted at 3:00 AM on Apr-26-06

"London Calling" sparks terror fear in cab driver. Newsfilter: "British anti-terrorism detectives escorted a man from a plane after a taxi driver had earlier become suspicious when he started singing along to a track by punk band The Clash, police said Wednesday. Detectives halted the London-bound flight at Durham Tees Valley Airport in northern England and Harraj Mann, 24, was taken off. "The taxi driver had become worried on the way to the airport because Mann had been singing along to The Clash's 1979 anthem "London Calling," which features the lyrics "Now war is declared -- and battle come down" while other lines warn of a "meltdown expected." Also reported here, where we learn this is not the first Clash-related terror scare. Joe Strummer is looking down and laughing, not least because it wasn't terror song Spanish Bombs.
comment posted at 2:17 AM on Apr-6-06

images embedded in music by aphex twin can be viewed on certain tracks using a spectograph. What initially was thought to be a hidden demon face, turned out to actually be Richard D James' trademark, his unnerving grinning visage. (other examples are interesting). The images were embedded in the music using a program called metasynth which allows you to do cool things like 'paint sound'. The secret images even inspired a reasonably interesting article at wired. The most remarkable thing to me is how the generally abrasive result of this process was blended so well into the tracks. I have listened to these many times myself and never sensed something off or odd about the sections with these embedded images in them (other than the usual odd sounds that make up the tracks themselves). Wikipedia has a pretty good article for those unfamiliar with the artist.

previously on mefl here, but the content is old and that link dead so I thought it was worth another post.
comment posted at 7:06 AM on Apr-4-06

Laurie Pycroft , age 16, took a year off school to build websites and futter about on the Internet. When animal rights campaigners waged a series of protests against a new biomedical research lab being constructed at Oxford University - with the extremist group Animal Liberation Front threatening buildings, students and staff as "legitimate targets" - Laurie decided to form Pro-Test, an organisation in support of animal testing, and stage a counterdemonstration to the monthly anti-testing demo at Oxford. The result: On 25 February, at least 700 protestors, eminent scientists, politicians, and students showed up. So did the media.
comment posted at 5:40 AM on Mar-1-06
comment posted at 12:38 PM on Mar-1-06

Bush administration admits denies making mistake! Starts off new relationship with conservative German chancellor by personally insulting her. "We are not quite sure what was in her head." - a senior Bush administration official, referring to Merkel. This after Condoleeza Rice gave Merkel private assurances and made a public statement in which she said "when and if mistakes are made, we work very hard and as quickly as possible to rectify them. Any policy will sometimes have mistakes . . . we will do everything that we can to rectify those mistakes." Obviously, Condi was mistaken. The Bush administration does not make mistakes.
comment posted at 2:34 AM on Dec-7-05
comment posted at 6:45 AM on Dec-7-05

Every year, the NME posts it's chart of the albums of the year poll - this year however they've decided to rig the results purely for commercial purposes. (List inside)
comment posted at 2:26 AM on Dec-1-05