We've had 2 economic super-cycles before. One from 1870 to 1913. Another from the end of World War II until 1973. Now we may be in the midst of another, this time the cycle is all about the emerging consumer class in Asia. [more inside]
posted by stbalbach on Mar 3, 2011 - 49 comments

Funny, apocalyptic cultural-mashup stories circulated as text files from the hoary days of the Internet's early-'90s adolescence: A Peanuts Halloween II: Electric Boogaloo¹ and Apocalypse Now (Or in That General Time Area): A Different Twist on the Final Judgement of Mankind², both by Gary Achenbach (a/k/a Subgenius Rev. Gar Drastic); Day of the Barney³ and Son of Barney⁴ by Brian Bull; and Star Wars: the Purple Sith⁵, by Ali Hadden. [more inside]
posted by WCityMike on Jun 25, 2010 - 8 comments

"Soon were the lofty peaks of Corcyra lost to view;
We coasted along Epirus, and coming to the Chaonian
Harbour, we drew near Buthrotum, that hill city."
- The Aenid - Book III, Virgil (trans. Cecil Day Lewis)

Founded by Trojans, populated by Chaonians, a sanctuary dedicated to Asclepius, colonized by the Greeks and Romans, sacked by the Goths, ruled by the Slavs, the Byzantine Empire and the Turks, taken by Manfred of Hohenstaufen, purchased by the Most Serene Republic of Venice, invaded by Ali Pasha and Suleiman the Magnificent, eventually becoming a place of refuge for the likes of Casanova and for hunters and painters, the ancient city of Butrint, a microcosm of Mediterranean history, is a World Heritage Site within a National Park which includes a Wetland of International Importance all of which is being kept alive by a partnership of local, national and international organizations . Come and explore Butrint. [more inside]
posted by shoesfullofdust on Apr 3, 2009 - 12 comments

Meet Bodacious, dubbed 'The World's Most Dangerous Bull', only six cowboys managed to last the required 8 seconds on his back. He was one hell of a tough ride. Primus even wrote a song for him on their Antipop album called Ballad of Bodacious. [more inside]
posted by flipyourwig on Dec 24, 2008 - 10 comments

Egyptian archaeologists have uncovered the "missing pyramid" of a pharaoh and a ceremonial procession road where high priests carried mummified remains of sacred bulls.
posted by flapjax at midnite on Jun 5, 2008 - 13 comments

Senate lawmakers in Florida move to ban fake testicles on vehicles. NSFW(?)
posted by mrducts on Apr 24, 2008 - 88 comments

Desperate for money? Short on good sense? Bull Poker might be for you! Last one to get up from the table and run for his life wins the pot! All YouTube links. Warning: Some gore and blood. [more inside]
posted by Daddy-O on Feb 15, 2008 - 23 comments

A crash course in how to collect semen from your bull. You're probably going to want to start with a Breeding Soundness Examination [NSF anyone with eyes. Oh god.] Decide if you want to go with an artificial vagina or electroejaculation. Remember that "Successful electroejaculation of an animal demands skill. It is not simply a matter of punching buttons and turning knobs, but requires finesse in determining the proper timing and amplitude of pulses to apply to a given male. " Read the guidelines for making your artificial vagina and get more info on when to use the shocker. Then evaluate the semen for abnorabilities. Try not to lose any as it can be fairly valuable. For a good overview, consider attending this course.
posted by hindmost on Aug 4, 2006 - 21 comments

Veteran actor Paul Gleason, who played Principal Richard "Dick" Vernon of The Breakfast Club and who acted in over 120 films television shows, died Saturday of lung cancer at age 67.
posted by QuestionableSwami on May 29, 2006 - 46 comments

When animals do what comes naturally ...Buffalo. Bull. Shark. Wow. Busy couple of days for out-of-the-ordinary "man - vs - animal" incidents. Anyone have interesting animal tales to tell, whether they resulted in injury or not? My rule of thumb: if an animal has teeth that are bigger than mine, get outta there!
...but please no "my cat hates you" threads in here!
posted by davidmsc on Jul 7, 2001 - 19 comments