MetaFilter posts by Brandon Blatcher.
Displaying 1 through 50. Subscribe: http://www.metafilter.com/user/17675/postsrss 
Some of James Earl Jones best delivered lines, on news of his passing at 93.
posted on Sep-9-24 at 2:32 PM
It was a tough decision to keep the astronauts in space for eight months instead of eight days, but it was the right one.
posted on Aug-27-24 at 1:41 PM
Whatever your thoughts are about Minnesota Governor Tim Walz becoming the USA Vice-President candidate on the Kamala Harris ticket, you probably have several questions along these lines: What is hotdish, how is it different from a casserole (because it definitely is)and why do Minnesotans call it that?!
posted on Aug-6-24 at 2:29 PM
The trailer for season 2 of the tv show Rings of Power has dropped ahead of its August 29 premiere.
posted on Jul-30-24 at 8:20 AM
The teaser trailer for Captain America: Brave New World has dropped! Looks like a bit of spy thriller and features our first look at Giancarlo Esposito in the MCU.
posted on Jul-12-24 at 10:57 AM
Inspired by JaneBrown's comment in a LinkFilter thread [⇔ Linked], I went looking for more music by vocalist Edythe Wright. Jackpot, here's The complete Edythe Wright compilation via YouTube (90 minutes)!
posted on Jun-13-24 at 8:00 AM
Hi, MetaFilter moderator here, posting an experimental thread, based on a recent suggestion by Rhaomi. Here's the idea, paraphrasing:
"Find a neat article, video, blog, etc. but don't feel up to the work of cobbling together an FPP, tags, title, and otherwise putting yourself out there? Just comment "LinkMe:" followed by the link and maybe a one sentence description for context. Everybody has tacit permission to turn your link into an FPP if they'd like, first come first serve, with a nod back to the original LinkFilter comment"
An example of the type of comment to make is inside, but don't feel bound to that exact format!
posted on Jun-8-24 at 8:15 AM
On Wednesday, Boeing was finally able to launch the Starliner, their much delayed spacecraft, and dock it to the International Space Station. Meanwhile, Space X did the fourth launch of its Starship rocket, finally managing to complete its first successful return from space.
posted on Jun-6-24 at 1:49 PM
Magnolia wood is great for building, as it resists splitting and glues well. It's so good that Japan built the LignoSat probe out of the wood, which will be better for Earth when the satellite inevitably reenters the atmosphere.
posted on May-31-24 at 9:12 AM
Come rock out with The Angry Astronaut as they discuss the three possible lunar rover designs for the Artemis missions, while going completely metal.
posted on Apr-8-24 at 5:46 AM
Iowa faced off against LSU again to decide which team would make it to the Final Four this year and it was everything that people were hoping for!
posted on Apr-2-24 at 7:35 AM
Derek Gerard interviews people in a library, albeit quietly, over at The Library Show on YouTube. The latest episode is with LysiL, his ex from 3 years ago. What follows is a sometimes uncomfortable, yet honest and often humorous look back at their relationship and why it failed.
posted on Mar-31-24 at 10:59 AM
This is just a few TiKToks celebrating the fun of having a library card, that is all.
posted on Mar-20-24 at 8:17 AM
In about 24 minutes from, Space X will attempt the third launch of its Starship rocket. YouTube Live, Space X live feed
posted on Mar-14-24 at 6:01 AM
Victor Glover will be the first African-American to eat maple cream cookies and smoked salmon while traveling to and from the Moon on the Artemis II mission
posted on Feb-27-24 at 11:42 AM
📣📣🫱🏿👋🏽🖐🏼✋Hi everyone,✋🖐🏼👋🏽🫱🏿📣📣
MetaFilter is beginning the transition to becoming a non-profit (seee this thread ) and to begin that process, a temporary transitional board is needed. This board of volunteers would establish a basic framework for the future site, along with defining what to look for in an Executive Director
We have several volunteers already, but most are based in the United States and have similar backgrounds, so we’re casting our net wider to encourage a more globally diverse board.
Interested? Let us know in the October 18, 2023 MetaTalk thread about changing the site to nonprofit.
posted on Oct-24-23 at 5:45 AM
The Hollywood reporter has a story about why the various Marvel TV series on Disney+ have been all over the place and how the company plans to fix the problems.
posted on Oct-11-23 at 12:06 PM
Airplane Facts with Max is a social media account starring an aircraft mechanic who gives behind the scenes looks at maintaining aircraft, among several other delightfully nerdy subjects. (TikTok, Instagram)
posted on May-24-23 at 8:28 AM
My fellow Americans, it's Mailbox Improvement Week, so check to see if your box needs improvements and if you're feeling creative, here's some inspiration!
posted on May-23-23 at 9:54 AM
Stay hydrated a little differently, courtesy of watertok.
posted on May-15-23 at 11:51 AM
SpaceX's gigantic (and currently uncrewed) Starship rocket had its initial stacked launch, which started out great and then things got out of control, literally. The second link is video that starts about 30 seconds before launch and has a lot of reactions from the Space X staff watching the launch and their energy is, shall we say, uplifting to hear.
posted on Apr-20-23 at 8:14 AM
NASA has announced the four astronauts that will fly by the Moon on the Artemis 2 mission. It's been nearly 50 years since humans have traveled beyond low earth orbit during the Apollo 17 mission.
posted on Apr-3-23 at 10:38 AM
SpaceX has gotten good at landing its boosters, but it did take a while to get it right.
posted on Mar-24-23 at 12:11 PM
"Though it seems improbable, an innovative law in place for three decades has ensured that farms –– some of them having operated for hundreds of years –– continue to thrive in one of the world’s biggest concrete jungles. Now, with a major expiration date attached to the law that protects these farms, Tokyo’s farmers, with the city’s help, are finding ways to keep cultivating their land."
posted on Mar-14-23 at 12:21 PM
Would you rather meet Fabio Jackson or spend a week with your celebrity crush? If that doesn't interest you, there are other scenarios.
posted on Mar-5-23 at 3:03 PM
Martin Luther King, Jr, Malcolm X, and James Baldwin are towering figures in Black American culture, politics, and community. Their lives and backgrounds have been thoroughly dissected, but what of the influence of the women who birthed them? How did the relationship with their individual mothers shape the men they became? Author Anna Malaika Tubbs explored that question in her book, The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation. In a 50 minute NPR and TED Radio Hour interview, she discusses the impetus and history behind writing the book.
posted on Feb-9-23 at 7:30 AM
“It all started as a project to help me to improve my skills in the use of architectural rendering software tools...I have always been in love with Wright’s architecture, and I thought it would be useful, from an academic point of view, to recreate those buildings that have been demolished or never built.”
posted on Feb-5-23 at 9:52 AM
In March of 2018, 18 years after being banned from the Empress Hotel in British Columbia, Novia Scotia resident Nick Burchill wrote them a letter and asked for forgiveness. In October of 2022, Benedict Cumberbatch did a dramatic reading of the letter.
posted on Jan-27-23 at 10:53 AM
Go ahead, Taste the Biscuit, then dig in and discover the background behind this quirky fun by Toasters'N'Moose.
posted on Oct-3-22 at 6:10 PM
"...many people, even professional psychologists, believe there is a right way and a wrong way to grieve, that there is an orderly and predictable pattern that everyone will go through, and if you don't progress correctly, you are failing at grief. You must move through these stages completely, or you will never heal."
This is a lie.
posted on Sep-29-22 at 7:45 PM
New Metatalk post reveals the first members of the Metafilter Steering Committee!
posted on Aug-29-22 at 9:12 AM
📩 Hi folks, this is a note about the voting for the Steering Committee! 📩
A couple of candidates have removed themselves from the Steering Committee ballot, so please check out this comment for details to see if you need to change some of your votes on the ballot!
Voting ends at 5pm GMT on August 25th!
posted on Aug-22-22 at 2:47 PM
🗳Hey there!🗳 Voting has begun for the inaugural Steering Committee (SC) for Metafilter! Come on over to MeTaTalk for a list of candidates and explanation of the voting process and help determine the future of the site!
posted on Aug-15-22 at 10:33 AM
Corn is the best, that is all.
posted on Aug-8-22 at 9:53 AM
📬 Hello again! 📩
Just a reminder that the self-nominations for the inaugural Metafilter Steering Committee (SC) close on August 7th!
The purpose of said committee will be to develop and implement site policy, code updates, and ensure the financial health of the site, i.e. help guide the direction of the overall site and act as the voice of the community.
Interested? Come over to Metatalk to view details and learn how to apply by August 7th!
posted on Jul-30-22 at 9:14 AM
📬 Hello there! 📩
The Metafilter Transition Team (TT) is pleased to announce that self nominations are open for the inaugural Steering Committee! The purpose of the MetaFilter Steering Committee (SC) will be to develop and implement site policy, code updates, and ensure the financial health of the site. The SC works with the site staff and site owner to ensure that there is not a single failure point for site decisions or actions, and that there are an adequate number of people available to respond to community needs. Long story short this will be a committee of Metafilter members who help guide the site and act as the voice of the members at large. Interested? Come on over to MetaTalk and read all the details!
posted on Jul-25-22 at 2:39 PM
Back in 2020, a decision was made to not recast the role of Black Panther, after the death of actor Chadwick Boseman, who portrayed the character in the self titled 2018 movie. This choice winds up setting a somber, yet hopeful, tone over the first trailer for the sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
posted on Jul-23-22 at 7:31 PM
Maybe it is! First there was Emmanuel being an absolute ham. But don't forget about Karen, the "killer" emu over at Useless Farms and her various attempts to deal with her caregiver, who plays the antics for laughs.
posted on Jul-20-22 at 2:01 PM
It doesn't matter if you hate Slack or love Slack, we just need to talk about that dusty stick emoji.
posted on Jul-8-22 at 6:09 PM
As musicians express their dissatisfaction with the US Supreme Court ruling on abortion, and the recontextualizing of protest songs, the important question has become "Which song would you fist fight the (US) Supreme Court to in a White Castle parking lot?"
posted on Jul-6-22 at 6:17 AM
Hugo and Nebula Award winning writer Mary Robinette Kowal offers various writing tips on her TikTok such as why "Show, Don't Tell makes her cranky", "Show, Don't Tell, Part 2", "'Write What You Know' Isn't What You Think", and "How To Start Writing". She also has one of the most eloquent examples of Ask vs Guess Culture.
posted on May-20-22 at 1:38 PM
Harrowing, yet interesting, video shot from a car while a brush fire came towards the road they were traveling on.
posted on May-18-22 at 2:22 PM
The "earth-size" Event Horizon Telescope has captured a second image of a black hole and this time it's the one at the center of our Milky Way galaxy. Sure, it looks a little blurry, but that's probably for the best, considering what a black hole sounds like.
posted on May-12-22 at 7:27 AM
TikToker erica_mallett asks "If I say we have a meeting at midday, then ask if we can move it forward 2 hours, what time is that?" Here's her reasoning on the two possible answers.
posted on May-9-22 at 5:22 PM
Later in the hearing, Martin broke down the costs per flight, which will apply to at least the first four launches of the Artemis program: $2.2 billion to build a single SLS rocket, $568 million for ground systems, $1 billion for an Orion spacecraft, and $300 million to the European Space Agency for Orion's Service Module. NASA, Martin said, had checked and confirmed these figures.
posted on Mar-4-22 at 4:45 AM
"... for those that enjoy the MCU or those seeking alternatives, I’ve collected a recommendation corresponding to every MCU movie. Some will be obvious, some less so. Regardless, they will be connected in some way that will make you a better moviegoer and, hopefully, be fun for you to watch—whether you liked their MCU equivalent or not."
posted on Dec-24-21 at 7:01 AM
SoManyOfUs, a website created as a response to creator Warren Ellis' targeting and manipulation of women, has released a statement about Ellis' potential return to comics.
posted on Jun-25-21 at 2:38 PM
One of the big problems with "dark and gritty" Batman movies is that the people writing them can't craft a mystery that's so complex only Batman can solve it, so Batman's "superpower" ends up being "the ability to violate people's Constitutional rights." #defundbatman
posted on Aug-27-20 at 4:56 AM
Hey, remember those brights spots on the Dwarf Planet Ceres that the Dawn spacecraft discovered in 2015? It's probably salt from an evaporated water that reached the surface from an underground ocean.
posted on Aug-20-20 at 1:55 PM
The Democratic National Convention has begun and all eyes are on the Vice-Presidential candidate, Kamala Harris, the first black woman and south asian to be in that role.
posted on Aug-18-20 at 7:54 PM
posted on Sep-9-24 at 2:32 PM
It was a tough decision to keep the astronauts in space for eight months instead of eight days, but it was the right one.
posted on Aug-27-24 at 1:41 PM
Whatever your thoughts are about Minnesota Governor Tim Walz becoming the USA Vice-President candidate on the Kamala Harris ticket, you probably have several questions along these lines: What is hotdish, how is it different from a casserole (because it definitely is)and why do Minnesotans call it that?!
posted on Aug-6-24 at 2:29 PM
The trailer for season 2 of the tv show Rings of Power has dropped ahead of its August 29 premiere.
posted on Jul-30-24 at 8:20 AM
The teaser trailer for Captain America: Brave New World has dropped! Looks like a bit of spy thriller and features our first look at Giancarlo Esposito in the MCU.
posted on Jul-12-24 at 10:57 AM
Inspired by JaneBrown's comment in a LinkFilter thread [⇔ Linked], I went looking for more music by vocalist Edythe Wright. Jackpot, here's The complete Edythe Wright compilation via YouTube (90 minutes)!
posted on Jun-13-24 at 8:00 AM
Hi, MetaFilter moderator here, posting an experimental thread, based on a recent suggestion by Rhaomi. Here's the idea, paraphrasing:
"Find a neat article, video, blog, etc. but don't feel up to the work of cobbling together an FPP, tags, title, and otherwise putting yourself out there? Just comment "LinkMe:" followed by the link and maybe a one sentence description for context. Everybody has tacit permission to turn your link into an FPP if they'd like, first come first serve, with a nod back to the original LinkFilter comment"
An example of the type of comment to make is inside, but don't feel bound to that exact format!
posted on Jun-8-24 at 8:15 AM
On Wednesday, Boeing was finally able to launch the Starliner, their much delayed spacecraft, and dock it to the International Space Station. Meanwhile, Space X did the fourth launch of its Starship rocket, finally managing to complete its first successful return from space.
posted on Jun-6-24 at 1:49 PM
Magnolia wood is great for building, as it resists splitting and glues well. It's so good that Japan built the LignoSat probe out of the wood, which will be better for Earth when the satellite inevitably reenters the atmosphere.
posted on May-31-24 at 9:12 AM
Come rock out with The Angry Astronaut as they discuss the three possible lunar rover designs for the Artemis missions, while going completely metal.
posted on Apr-8-24 at 5:46 AM
Iowa faced off against LSU again to decide which team would make it to the Final Four this year and it was everything that people were hoping for!
posted on Apr-2-24 at 7:35 AM
Derek Gerard interviews people in a library, albeit quietly, over at The Library Show on YouTube. The latest episode is with LysiL, his ex from 3 years ago. What follows is a sometimes uncomfortable, yet honest and often humorous look back at their relationship and why it failed.
posted on Mar-31-24 at 10:59 AM
This is just a few TiKToks celebrating the fun of having a library card, that is all.
posted on Mar-20-24 at 8:17 AM
In about 24 minutes from, Space X will attempt the third launch of its Starship rocket. YouTube Live, Space X live feed
posted on Mar-14-24 at 6:01 AM
Victor Glover will be the first African-American to eat maple cream cookies and smoked salmon while traveling to and from the Moon on the Artemis II mission
posted on Feb-27-24 at 11:42 AM
📣📣🫱🏿👋🏽🖐🏼✋Hi everyone,✋🖐🏼👋🏽🫱🏿📣📣
MetaFilter is beginning the transition to becoming a non-profit (seee this thread ) and to begin that process, a temporary transitional board is needed. This board of volunteers would establish a basic framework for the future site, along with defining what to look for in an Executive Director
We have several volunteers already, but most are based in the United States and have similar backgrounds, so we’re casting our net wider to encourage a more globally diverse board.
Interested? Let us know in the October 18, 2023 MetaTalk thread about changing the site to nonprofit.
posted on Oct-24-23 at 5:45 AM
The Hollywood reporter has a story about why the various Marvel TV series on Disney+ have been all over the place and how the company plans to fix the problems.
posted on Oct-11-23 at 12:06 PM
Airplane Facts with Max is a social media account starring an aircraft mechanic who gives behind the scenes looks at maintaining aircraft, among several other delightfully nerdy subjects. (TikTok, Instagram)
posted on May-24-23 at 8:28 AM
My fellow Americans, it's Mailbox Improvement Week, so check to see if your box needs improvements and if you're feeling creative, here's some inspiration!
posted on May-23-23 at 9:54 AM
Stay hydrated a little differently, courtesy of watertok.
posted on May-15-23 at 11:51 AM
SpaceX's gigantic (and currently uncrewed) Starship rocket had its initial stacked launch, which started out great and then things got out of control, literally. The second link is video that starts about 30 seconds before launch and has a lot of reactions from the Space X staff watching the launch and their energy is, shall we say, uplifting to hear.
posted on Apr-20-23 at 8:14 AM
NASA has announced the four astronauts that will fly by the Moon on the Artemis 2 mission. It's been nearly 50 years since humans have traveled beyond low earth orbit during the Apollo 17 mission.
posted on Apr-3-23 at 10:38 AM
SpaceX has gotten good at landing its boosters, but it did take a while to get it right.
posted on Mar-24-23 at 12:11 PM
"Though it seems improbable, an innovative law in place for three decades has ensured that farms –– some of them having operated for hundreds of years –– continue to thrive in one of the world’s biggest concrete jungles. Now, with a major expiration date attached to the law that protects these farms, Tokyo’s farmers, with the city’s help, are finding ways to keep cultivating their land."
posted on Mar-14-23 at 12:21 PM
Would you rather meet Fabio Jackson or spend a week with your celebrity crush? If that doesn't interest you, there are other scenarios.
posted on Mar-5-23 at 3:03 PM
Martin Luther King, Jr, Malcolm X, and James Baldwin are towering figures in Black American culture, politics, and community. Their lives and backgrounds have been thoroughly dissected, but what of the influence of the women who birthed them? How did the relationship with their individual mothers shape the men they became? Author Anna Malaika Tubbs explored that question in her book, The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation. In a 50 minute NPR and TED Radio Hour interview, she discusses the impetus and history behind writing the book.
posted on Feb-9-23 at 7:30 AM
“It all started as a project to help me to improve my skills in the use of architectural rendering software tools...I have always been in love with Wright’s architecture, and I thought it would be useful, from an academic point of view, to recreate those buildings that have been demolished or never built.”
posted on Feb-5-23 at 9:52 AM
In March of 2018, 18 years after being banned from the Empress Hotel in British Columbia, Novia Scotia resident Nick Burchill wrote them a letter and asked for forgiveness. In October of 2022, Benedict Cumberbatch did a dramatic reading of the letter.
posted on Jan-27-23 at 10:53 AM
Go ahead, Taste the Biscuit, then dig in and discover the background behind this quirky fun by Toasters'N'Moose.
posted on Oct-3-22 at 6:10 PM
"...many people, even professional psychologists, believe there is a right way and a wrong way to grieve, that there is an orderly and predictable pattern that everyone will go through, and if you don't progress correctly, you are failing at grief. You must move through these stages completely, or you will never heal."
This is a lie.
posted on Sep-29-22 at 7:45 PM
New Metatalk post reveals the first members of the Metafilter Steering Committee!
posted on Aug-29-22 at 9:12 AM
📩 Hi folks, this is a note about the voting for the Steering Committee! 📩
A couple of candidates have removed themselves from the Steering Committee ballot, so please check out this comment for details to see if you need to change some of your votes on the ballot!
Voting ends at 5pm GMT on August 25th!
posted on Aug-22-22 at 2:47 PM
🗳Hey there!🗳 Voting has begun for the inaugural Steering Committee (SC) for Metafilter! Come on over to MeTaTalk for a list of candidates and explanation of the voting process and help determine the future of the site!
posted on Aug-15-22 at 10:33 AM
Corn is the best, that is all.
posted on Aug-8-22 at 9:53 AM
📬 Hello again! 📩
Just a reminder that the self-nominations for the inaugural Metafilter Steering Committee (SC) close on August 7th!
The purpose of said committee will be to develop and implement site policy, code updates, and ensure the financial health of the site, i.e. help guide the direction of the overall site and act as the voice of the community.
Interested? Come over to Metatalk to view details and learn how to apply by August 7th!
posted on Jul-30-22 at 9:14 AM
📬 Hello there! 📩
The Metafilter Transition Team (TT) is pleased to announce that self nominations are open for the inaugural Steering Committee! The purpose of the MetaFilter Steering Committee (SC) will be to develop and implement site policy, code updates, and ensure the financial health of the site. The SC works with the site staff and site owner to ensure that there is not a single failure point for site decisions or actions, and that there are an adequate number of people available to respond to community needs. Long story short this will be a committee of Metafilter members who help guide the site and act as the voice of the members at large. Interested? Come on over to MetaTalk and read all the details!
posted on Jul-25-22 at 2:39 PM
Back in 2020, a decision was made to not recast the role of Black Panther, after the death of actor Chadwick Boseman, who portrayed the character in the self titled 2018 movie. This choice winds up setting a somber, yet hopeful, tone over the first trailer for the sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
posted on Jul-23-22 at 7:31 PM
Maybe it is! First there was Emmanuel being an absolute ham. But don't forget about Karen, the "killer" emu over at Useless Farms and her various attempts to deal with her caregiver, who plays the antics for laughs.
posted on Jul-20-22 at 2:01 PM
It doesn't matter if you hate Slack or love Slack, we just need to talk about that dusty stick emoji.
posted on Jul-8-22 at 6:09 PM
As musicians express their dissatisfaction with the US Supreme Court ruling on abortion, and the recontextualizing of protest songs, the important question has become "Which song would you fist fight the (US) Supreme Court to in a White Castle parking lot?"
posted on Jul-6-22 at 6:17 AM
Hugo and Nebula Award winning writer Mary Robinette Kowal offers various writing tips on her TikTok such as why "Show, Don't Tell makes her cranky", "Show, Don't Tell, Part 2", "'Write What You Know' Isn't What You Think", and "How To Start Writing". She also has one of the most eloquent examples of Ask vs Guess Culture.
posted on May-20-22 at 1:38 PM
Harrowing, yet interesting, video shot from a car while a brush fire came towards the road they were traveling on.
posted on May-18-22 at 2:22 PM
The "earth-size" Event Horizon Telescope has captured a second image of a black hole and this time it's the one at the center of our Milky Way galaxy. Sure, it looks a little blurry, but that's probably for the best, considering what a black hole sounds like.
posted on May-12-22 at 7:27 AM
TikToker erica_mallett asks "If I say we have a meeting at midday, then ask if we can move it forward 2 hours, what time is that?" Here's her reasoning on the two possible answers.
posted on May-9-22 at 5:22 PM
Later in the hearing, Martin broke down the costs per flight, which will apply to at least the first four launches of the Artemis program: $2.2 billion to build a single SLS rocket, $568 million for ground systems, $1 billion for an Orion spacecraft, and $300 million to the European Space Agency for Orion's Service Module. NASA, Martin said, had checked and confirmed these figures.
posted on Mar-4-22 at 4:45 AM
"... for those that enjoy the MCU or those seeking alternatives, I’ve collected a recommendation corresponding to every MCU movie. Some will be obvious, some less so. Regardless, they will be connected in some way that will make you a better moviegoer and, hopefully, be fun for you to watch—whether you liked their MCU equivalent or not."
posted on Dec-24-21 at 7:01 AM
SoManyOfUs, a website created as a response to creator Warren Ellis' targeting and manipulation of women, has released a statement about Ellis' potential return to comics.
posted on Jun-25-21 at 2:38 PM
One of the big problems with "dark and gritty" Batman movies is that the people writing them can't craft a mystery that's so complex only Batman can solve it, so Batman's "superpower" ends up being "the ability to violate people's Constitutional rights." #defundbatman
posted on Aug-27-20 at 4:56 AM
Hey, remember those brights spots on the Dwarf Planet Ceres that the Dawn spacecraft discovered in 2015? It's probably salt from an evaporated water that reached the surface from an underground ocean.
posted on Aug-20-20 at 1:55 PM
The Democratic National Convention has begun and all eyes are on the Vice-Presidential candidate, Kamala Harris, the first black woman and south asian to be in that role.
posted on Aug-18-20 at 7:54 PM