MetaFilter posts tagged with world

Bruce Sterling's 2010 State of the World

brianstorms — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 18:16:29 -0800

Acclaimed writer Bruce Sterling is back for his annual State of the World interview in The WELL's inkwell conference. It's a must-read. The first question comes from Cory Doctorow who asks him to help him plan for the future now that Cory has a kid, etc. Sterling's answer is hilarious, biting, and brilliant all at the same time. And that's only the beginning...

The 'G' Word.

joechip — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 15:53:19 -0800

MTV's Jersey Shore, a Real World-style reality program centered around eight young Italian-Americans living together in a beach house, is garnering charges of racism following their use of the allegedly pejorative terms guido and the feminine counterpart guidette in advertisements. But what exactly is a guido? The most popular definition on urbandictionary.com lists the Italian-American ancestry of a guido as "likely" but focuses more on the supposed fashion (blowback hairstyle, tan jobs) and personality deficiencies (loud, obnoxious, self-centered) of the subculture. Andrew DiMino, president of Italian-American community group Unico International claims that the word is very derogatory towards Italian Americans, and further claims that MTV promotes the stereotype of the guido within the reality show, saying that, "You would not believe how much anger there is about this... Normally, the negative stereotypes exist in fiction. (In Jersey Shore), they're being presented as reality." Sociology professor Donald Tricaro takes a more Marxian approach, claiming "(Guidism) is a cultural movement, but it's about consumption, not ethnicity." FWIW, cast member Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino is a-ok with the term.

Sounds from Nine Countries

flatluigi — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 16:28:54 -0800

9 Countries was recorded on location in Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Tibet, India, Egypt and Greece between October 2005 and March 2007 by Tom Compagnoni. What you hear has been entirely assembled from these field recordings, no additional samples used.

A mashup / sound-collage / ambient / documentary album by Wax Audio.

Big Planet

Artw — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:22:42 -0800

The Apex Book of World SF gathers stories from around the globe, giving Science Fiction a global aspect not always seen. Charles Tan interviews the writers who contributed.

google ron wyden

kliuless — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 08:42:28 -0800

Health care around the world
-Hawaii: The state has had success over 35 years of requiring employers to provide health care benefits.
-Singapore: Its health care is first class, cheap and market-driven.
-Taiwan: "more than 80 percent of the population is happy with the system"
-China: "300 million people have no coverage at all"
-Dutch: "America is going to go Dutch"
-US: "I just wanted to flag for colleagues that their bosses should be careful using the talking point that under the Dem bill, Americans who don't like the coverage they have, will be able to choose something else... more than 90 percent of Americans will remain barred from shopping for insurance in the exchange."

The Struggle For the Soul of Islam

reenum — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:29:06 -0800

Back in 2004, the Chicago Tribune published an investigative series about the state of Islam after 9/11. They hit many prescient topics, such as: - Islam's origins and how militant groups developed within the faith. - An anecdote about how hard line fundamentalists won over the congregation at a mosque in Bridgeview, IL. - The Saudi financing of militant groups. - Egypt's shift from moderate Islam to fundamentalism. - Tensions in Iran between hard liners and people yearning for greater freedom in society. - The growth of the International Muslim Brotherhood within the United States. - The story of Ismail Maasawabi, a Palestinian youth who became a suicide bomber in Gaza. - How Turkey has remained a moderate Muslim state. - The influence of madrassas in the growing fundamentalism in Pakistan. - The conflict between moderate and fundamentalist groups in Indonesia. - The spread of Islam in Europe. - An anecdote about an Islamic school in France. - How the children of Muslim immigrants to the U.S. balance these two cultures. -The role American foreign policy has played in the rise of fundamentalism.

Women Veterans Historical Collection

tellurian — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 22:01:59 -0800

Jean M. Fasse (Red Cross during WWII, and later the Special Service). Shirley Ann Thacker (WAVE). Just two of the interviews from the extensive collection of material (photographs, letters, diaries, scrapbooks, oral histories and posters) at the Women Veterans Historical Collection.

I Just Made Love here: (51.50092067633226, -0.14255404472351074)

nam3d — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 10:00:18 -0800

I Just Made Love shows on the map of the world places where people just made love.

Dubai: The World in Peril

filthy light thief — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:54:10 -0800

The pitch was extravagent: a man-made archipelago of 300 islands constructed to approximate the land masses of Earth, located 4 kilometers off the coast of Dubai. Claim part of The World for your own, or as an investment. Angelina Jolie And Brad Pitt bought Ethiopia, Tommy Lee bought Greece for ex-wife Pamela Anderson, David Beckham and Rod Stewart were each rumored to have bought an island, joining other celebrities who had purchased part of The World. The environmental impact of World-creation was raised, and Sir Richard Branson warned that the islands would be submerged in 50 years if global governments did not address climate change. The warning in 2007 did not dissuade the developers, and the final rock was placed in the breakwater in January 2008. The end of The World has not been brought about by rising tides, but financial woes have put the development on long-term hold, potentially ending the project. The World is not the only mega-development in trouble. The Times Online article stated that "about $300 billion of building is on hold after prices began tumbling," and Maktoob Business cited other research stating that "UAE's construction sector has been hardest hit by the downturn in the Gulf Arab region, with more than 500 projects on hold or canceled."

We Bite Back

netbros — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:37:52 -0800

Zombie World News

The fascinating world of conservation

tellurian — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 16:31:52 -0800

Biohistorical research • Wax engraving • The Thinker after the bomb • Alfred Stieglitz's palladium photographs • Tibetan bronzes with interior contents • The examination and treatment of a pair of boots from the Aleutian Islands — A small sample of the articles available from the Journal of the American Institute for Conservation (JAIC).

Paper money as art

reenum — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 13:06:48 -0800

Banknotes are a fascinating look into the artistry and culture of the countries of the world. To get started, you can spend hours exploring Ron Wise's database, Tom Chao's galleries, Islamic Bank Notes, KCShop's gallery, and ATS Notes. There are several resources for collectors as well, here and here. For some of the artistic elements of paper money, you can read Michael Bierut's analysis of the best and worst paper money, the designs of the new Philippine bank notes, a primer on paper money art, see some downright weird and amazing uses for paper money in art, and a group of collages made or influenced by currency. For the citizens of the Commonwealth among us, see how Queen Elizabeth II's portrait has changed on the face of the various Commonwealth nations' currencies. If you're feeling up to the task, you can help create a symbol for the Indian rupee.

Ragpickers

hadjiboy — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 18:09:49 -0800

The Ragpicker's Dream (Short). World at Work: Brazilian Ragpickers. What it feels like to be a Ragpicker. Their contradictions, and a mobile home for them to sleep in.

A Soldier's Letters from World War I

Pater Aletheias — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 06:59:39 -0800

Soldier's Mail: Letters Home from a New England Soldier, 1916-1919.

Atlas Obscura

tellurian — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 21:40:50 -0800

Karl Junker House is just one of the locations on Atlas Obscura from Curious Expeditions. There aren't many pictures of any of the locations but it's only been up for a week. The pictures that are there are too small to see much detail, I'd like to see them change that. In the meantime here is the Junker House website and an interior shot.

School Lunch From Around The World

Joe Beese — Sun, 31 May 2009 20:16:59 -0800

School Lunch From Around The World

11. Witty Post Titles

daniel_charms — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 13:24:25 -0800

Which way are the winds blowing in the world today? From New Calvinism to Ecological Intelligence, here are 10 ideas that are changing the world right now.

World traveler has visited 172 countries

ecorrocio — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 11:28:41 -0800

Think you've been places? Retired scientist Galen Frysinger has visted 172 countries and 91 dependencies. His photos have been linked in quite a few comments on MeFi, but near as I can tell... never the subject of a post.

Taking bets on how the Earth will perish...

astroworm — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 16:48:28 -0800

Ten thrilling ways our blue marble might experience the apocalypse!

Art is everywhere

tellurian — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 15:54:06 -0800

Mingei is a transcultural word which combines the Japanese words for all people (Min) and art (Gei). The site has a flash interface and features over 5,000 high resolution, zoomable objects. More information on the Mingei Movement.

The Economist: The World in 2009

goodnewsfortheinsane — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 19:00:30 -0800

In 2009, a remarkably gifted politician, confronting a remarkably difficult set of challenges, will have to learn to say "No we can't", Guantánamo will prove a moral minefield, economic recovery will be invisible to the naked eye, governments must prepare for the day they stop financial guarantees, we will judge our commitment to sustainability, scientists should research the causes of religion, we will all be potential online paparazzi, English will have more words than any other language (but it's meaningless), Afghanistan will see a surge of Western (read: American) troops, Iran will continue its nuclear quest while diplomacy lies in shambles, the sea floor is the new frontier, we should rethink aging, (non-)voters will continue to thwart the European project -- but cheap travel will continue to buoy it -- though it has some unfinished business to attend to, and a Nordic defence bond will blossom.

The Economist: The World in 2009. Previously: 2008, 2007. How did we do last time around? And what will we probably be wrong about this time? Guest contributions: President of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva seeks greater international cooperation and sees a growing global role for the larger emerging economies. Queen of Jordan Rania calls for education reform. Prime Minister of Australia Kevin Rudd calls upon mid-size powers to be creative and effective with their influence. Prime Minister of Spain José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero emphasizes the importance of transparency and solidarity in Europe. Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko, wedged between Russia and the EU, cites historical precedent. Former Secretary of State of the United States, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Henry Kissinger argues America will be less powerful, but will still be the essential nation in creating a new world order. Mayor Boris Johnson of London argues against over-regulation. Elections to watch: Brazil, Chile, European Parliament, Germany, Indonesia, Israel, Japan. Also: Russia will enter its first real difficult years under Putin, Brown might not make it, we won't ban nukes but we can pretend, Ontario will receive economic help from other provinces, Australians will grow ever more thirsty, and Britain needs to make stuff again. World in 2009 blog.

Hello

monospace — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 09:07:57 -0800

Hello.

At Gamestop at Midnight? You might be a Lich King

thanotopsis — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 17:02:23 -0800

Gee, boss, I'm feeling a cold coming on. I definitely won't be in to work tomorrow. What's that? You saw me at Gamestop and/or Best Buy at midnight? I, er, well, I was dealing with a nasty bug. No, not that one, the other one (no worries, I'll be compensated!). I'm quite talented, you see. If I was in Europe, they'd already be showing me the way to Northrend. Alas, I'm not, and I have to wait until 9pm PST. In the meantime, there are those who've been where I'm going, and have nicely posted a review already.

Now. I mean NOW!!!!

blahblahblah — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 09:39:12 -0800

Everything. Right. Now. Sprint presents an overwhelming, sprawling, entertaining dashboard that both mocks and plays into data overload. See how many people are stuck in elevators while you play pong, hear the latest music, and observe internet buzz - all at the same time (and yes, it is an ad for something). Overwhelmed? A more sedate text-only version of live world statistics can be found at worldometers.

And the Philadelphia Phillies are the 2008 World Series Champions.

VicNebulous — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 20:21:03 -0800

And the Philadelphia Phillies are the 2008 World Series Champions.