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And many other glorious holiday suggestions in My Heinous Gift Guide for Sworn Enemies [¡Hola Papi!]
posted by chavenet at 12:59 PM - 1 comment

The acceptance speech by comic artist Kate Beaton. Kate Beaton (previously), a Nova Scotia artist noted for her Web comic Hark! A Vagrant, and the graphic novel Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands, as well as the children's animated show Pinecone & Pony, won the 2024 Jan Michalski Prize for world literature.
In her speech, Beaton reflects on her background, the effects of capitalism, and the role of underrepresented voices in the world.
PDF of her speech. PDF of the jury's decision.
posted by bouvin at 11:56 AM - 4 comments

Brady Haran interviews Ernő Rubik for Numberphile. YouTube, ten minutes.
posted by fantabulous timewaster at 11:42 AM - 1 comment

SCRATCH AND SNIFF STICKERS AND THE GAS PANIC OF ’87 Most Scratch and Sniff stickers are simple nose-based novelties, though they’ve seen other uses as diagnostic tools, too. As Baltimore Gas and Electric discovered in 1987, though, these stickers can also cause a whole lot of hullabaloo. Let’s explore how this nifty technology works, and how it can go—somewhat amusingly—wrong.
posted by Ten Cold Hot Dogs at 10:33 AM - 5 comments

The Fearleaders are Europe's first all-male cheerleading squad and have been subverting Austria’s gender stereotypes for the past decade at roller derby events and the EuroGames. Plus they have an annual pinup calendar release party that looks like fun.
posted by autopilot at 9:25 AM - 5 comments

...organizations are not nameless and faceless. They are groups of people, and people are responsible for decisions... A single link 13 minute overview of United Healthcare from 2023.
posted by loquacious at 8:49 AM - 12 comments

"'Tis the season for advent calendar shopping (Can you believe how close Christmas is now?) There are those who march to the beat of a different drummer boy – and that’s where these wild, weird and wonderful alternative advent calendars for 2024 come in." [more inside]
posted by cupcakeninja at 8:36 AM - 2 comments

Jerboa are a furry little rodent version of tyrannosaurus rex. They hop a lot, vary in ear sizes across the various species, and have interesting bone structure in their feet. Plus, they're so cute! But not the best pets, so it's best to stick a game about them.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 6:22 AM - 8 comments

"Exploring the Middle Ages through Chess" is a short video by Elizabeth Wickersham at Middle Ages for Educators, a project hosted at Princeton University. One source for the video is Alfonso X's 13th Century Book of Games, available in translation [PDF] and digital reproduction. But the video is just one of 16 open access videos you can vote on through Dec. 29. Which of this year's brief introductory lessons on the Middle Ages should advance to the next round on the way to a $1000 prize? [more inside]
posted by Wobbuffet at 5:27 AM - 3 comments

For more than half a century, Syria has been ruled by the Assad family -- thirty years by the elder Hafez, and nearly as long by his son Bashar -- a brutally authoritarian reign that, following the Arab Spring in 2011, devolved into an even more brutal civil war that has claimed half a million lives. The deeply complicated conflict, a bloody multipolar struggle between the Russia-backed Assad regime, the US-backed opposition forces, Iran-backed Hezbollah, the Kurdish leftist enclave in Rojava (and its Turkish antagonists), various ISIS-aligned terror cells, and myriad competing tribes, warlords, and sub-groups, has been more or less static since a 2020 ceasefire. That is, until a surprise offensive late last month by the Islamist opposition group HTS triggered a pile-on from all sides that broke through Aleppo, Homs, and finally Damascus, swiftly collapsing the Ba'athist government in a matter of days and driving Assad out of power (and out of the country). The regime's stunning fall is a massive blow to Russia, reshaping the balance of power and leaving an unprecedented power vacuum as a shattered nation looks to the future. [more inside]
posted by Rhaomi at 3:06 AM - 58 comments

Prior to the revolution, the country had been economically backward by European standards: overwhelmingly agricultural, with a comparatively tiny industrial base in the cities. Now, in the wake of an all-consuming civil war, factories lay in ruins. Those that were still functioning struggled to get materials and parts, and given the devastated railway system, found it difficult to distribute what products they could manufacture. Mechanization, in these circumstances, was not a complicated and contested fact of modern life, as it was in America. It was a dream to be realized. from Dark Futures: How the European Dream of Modernization Ended in Totalitarian Despair
posted by chavenet at 1:58 AM - 6 comments

We are researchers who began studying wildlife rabies and oral vaccination in the 1980s. From providing a proof of concept in using oral vaccines in raccoons to being among the first to use new rabies vaccines in the 1990s, we were on the ground floor of efforts to contain this deadly virus.
posted by ShooBoo at 2:32 PM - 3 comments

The Armenian folktale Hazaran Blbul begins with a tragedy. A generous king opens his palace to the people, only for a child to be trampled in a greedy stampede. The grandmother of the child punishes the king with a curse that can only be lifted by a mythical birdsong. Determined to restore peace, the young Prince Areg embarks on a perilous quest to save his father’s kingdom. This tale was passed down orally for centuries before it was published, first as a poem and then a fairytale in the early 20th century. Now, it’s taken on a whole new life in the digital age. The Bird of a Thousand Voices is an immersive game that follows Prince Areg through a magical duotone landscape, illustrated by Khoren Matevosyan and scored by Tigran Hamasyan. Intense, atmospheric, and emotional, the music serves as a narrative guide – a vehicle for viewers to experience the prince’s emotional journey as well as the physical quest.
posted by chavenet at 1:18 PM - 4 comments

"It's not very often that you see cannibalism in brown snakes": Snake catcher finds eastern brown feasting on fellow serpent. A snake catcher was very excited to see the uncommon sight of an eastern brown snake eating a fellow brown snake during a routine removal from a property in Wingfield, north-west of Adelaide, South Australia.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 12:25 PM - 8 comments

The days of Proud Prophet. In 1983 the United States held a secret tabletop exercise, simulating World War III. Things did not go well. [more inside]
posted by doctornemo at 11:40 AM - 19 comments

Tom Baker wore several scarves during his seven series as the Doctor. Each one had its own unique characteristics. Select the links above for detailed information about each scarf including patterns, knitting specifications and yarn suggestions. [via]
posted by jessamyn at 9:26 AM - 20 comments

Public employee collective bargaining rights have been restored by a Dane County judge, who ruled that several sections of Wisconsin’s controversial law known as Act 10 are unconstitutional. [more inside]
posted by cupcakeninja at 7:40 AM - 14 comments

Chevron’s Gorgon liquefied gas terminal sits on Barrow Island, itself located off the northwest coast of Western Australia 145 km west of Karratha. Gorgon field is a large gas field 100km - 300km offshore from Barrow Island. It is being developed to export from the liquified gas terminal at Barrow Island. The Federal Government requires that it also provides domestic gas for Australia. Chevron promise they will do that. The gas contains 14% CO₂ at extraction. The Federal Government requires that it is stored in aquifers in the world's largest CCS facility. Chevron promise they are doing that. [more inside]
posted by ambrosen at 7:31 AM - 3 comments

sitters and standers Alvin Chang examines demographic differences between those who mostly sit at work and those who mostly stand and relates it to historical trends. The graphical story begins with a survey that places you on the graphs throughout the story.
posted by hydropsyche at 6:55 AM - 9 comments

The £25,000 Pre-Amp Repair and the Copyright Strike. UK youtuber Mend It Mark makes interesting electronic repair videos He recently made a fascinating one about the repair of a £25,000 phono pre-amp which had explanations of its operation gathered from observation and measurements of the circuit: https://youtu.be/-RJbpFSFziI. It got taken down with a "copyright claim" so he made a light hearted reply video. [more inside]
posted by zog at 3:31 AM - 34 comments

Lower-cost sodium-ion batteries are finally having their moment [more inside]
posted by fairmettle at 2:13 AM - 5 comments

Milton Glaser once said, “There are three responses to a piece of design—yes, no, and WOW! Wow is the one to aim for.” Story after story, page after page, panel after panel: Hanks hit WOW. from Fletcher Hanks: The Most Twisted Comic Book Artist of All Time [Print]
posted by chavenet at 1:56 AM - 12 comments

Rip Taylor rips off his toupee in frustration after Patty Duke makes a blunder in the game, Super Password. I love this kind of silly humor, and Mr. Taylor was a master at it. As an aside, Bert Convy created the role of Cliff Bradshaw in the original Broadway production of the musical Cabaret, in 1966. He had a wonderful singing voice.
posted by Czjewel at 1:51 AM - 7 comments

Coldplay's latest video, directed by Spike Jonze & Mary Wigmore, is about Dick Van Dyke. (SLYT)
posted by Ipsifendus at 6:51 PM - 15 comments

‘Maya blue’: The mystery dye recreated two centuries after it was lost "A ceramicist in Mexico retraces his Maya roots to recreate a long-lost pre-Hispanic pigment for the first time in more than two centuries." [via]
posted by dhruva at 6:17 PM - 11 comments

UnitedHealthcare is rebranding as Medicare For All [mcsweeney's]
posted by HearHere at 4:48 PM - 25 comments

Daft Hands - Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger is a classic and well-liked YouTube video from the early days of YouTube in 2007 (previously). But there's also a more experimental followup(?) from 2018 that received a more... mixed... response: Daft Hands 2 - The Daftening (tw skull). Some YouTube comments "beggining of the video: omg finally a sequel after 10 years / finished the video: i'm spooked" and "So glad i turned on post notifications lmao / Edit: Ok never mind I wish I never saw this.". The pinned comment is "2X speed / You’re welcome... |:)"
posted by skynxnex at 2:53 PM - 10 comments

Canadian man leaps onto polar bear to defend wife. A man who leapt onto a polar bear to protect his wife from the attacking animal is expected to recover from serious injuries he sustained, police say. The incident occurred in Fort Severn First Nation — a community of about 360 people in northernmost Ontario. [more inside]
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 1:57 PM - 19 comments

“What was really interesting to see (was) that the people really talked with him in a serious way,” Schmid said.
posted by chavenet at 11:36 AM - 21 comments

From the previous post: Amnesty International concludes Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinians. Amnesty International's Israel branch distances itself from "genocide" claim". In the meantime, Israeli military kills four doctors in raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital in north Gaza. Over 1,000 doctors and nurses have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza, according to local authorities. Israel continues to bomb Lebanon despite a ceasefire deal. Lebanon closes all land border crossings with Syria. IDF is bolstering forces on Israel's border with Syria. Turkey and Israel reaping rewards from chaos in Syria. Or is it bad news for Israel? [more inside]
posted by toastyk at 10:41 AM - 44 comments

How a Mom Managed to Thru-Hike the Appalachian Trail With 13 Kids. Kids were 4 to 23 years old. Fb page
posted by theora55 at 10:13 AM - 37 comments

A plague of drones hovers over Northern New Jersey, spooking residents and stumping authorities. It’s just military drills, right? No big deal. Probably coming out of Picatinny Arsenal. [more inside]
posted by supermedusa at 8:23 AM - 47 comments

Romania's high court cancels results of first presidential runoff, announcing entirely new elections. The country's security council found that during the first round, Romania was the target of "aggressive hybrid Russian attacks." Călin Georgescu, a Russia-supporting fringe right candidate had been polling at around 4% before coming out on top during the first round of voting with 23% after his TikTok-based campaign gained last minute momentum. His sudden rise has sparked massive protests, but years of corruption within the two parties most often in control of the government (PSD, the social democrats and PNL, the national liberal party, both of whom were shut out of the runoff) have fueled intense suspicion that ruling elites are more interested in shoring up their position than protecting democracy. [more inside]
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:44 AM - 24 comments

The Lost Book Exhibition. "Livres Imaginaires, Reid Byers’ exhibition of Imaginary Books, is a collection of volumes that live only in other books: lost, unwritten, or fictitious books that have no physical existence. [Items include The Giant Rat of Sumatra, The Murder of Gonzago, and the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy as well as Marlowe's Maiden Holiday whose pages were used by a cook to line pie tins and start fires] Its exhibition at the Fortsas Club has been extended until the end of 2024, when it will move to the Grolier Club in New York....After the exhibition, the books will return to a famed museum in Paris at 145 La Fayette St. [more inside]
posted by storybored at 7:41 AM - 14 comments

Today, the term “femicide” is used more frequently to describe the murder of women. Provost said the increased use of the word is a reflection of a society that is coming to terms with the high prevalence of gender-based violence. [more inside]
posted by Kitteh at 7:13 AM - 24 comments

The story of a proposed biochar plant in Upstate NY that might have been an environmental win and environmental loss all at once. [more inside]
posted by sciencegeek at 6:14 AM - 14 comments

World's oldest known wild seabird, an albatross named Wisdom, lays egg at 74. Wisdom the Laysan albatross lays another egg this year at the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in Hawaii with a new mating partner.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 2:44 AM - 10 comments

The etcetera is background, something that is part of a scene or sentence—it cannot be done away with, and yet it needn’t be paid much attention: this seems to be the ethic of the creative process. A close approximation of this decision-making process might be how we decide to crop photos—isolating our face and body from a group, for example, or cutting out the sky to highlight our presence. What motivates us to cut some parts of an image while retaining others? “And so on.” from How Does the Writer Say Etcetera? by Sumana Roy [LARB; ungated]
posted by chavenet at 12:28 AM - 5 comments

"The Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize is the UK’s only literary award for comic writing. Celebrating novels in the spirit of P G Wodehouse, the prize prides itself on discovering true comic gems – from Paul Torday’s Salmon Fishing in the Yemen to Marina Lewycka’s A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian and DBC Pierre’s Vernon God Little. Sponsored by Champagne Bollinger, the lucky winner of the prize can expect a jeroboam of Bollinger, as well as a set of the Everyman Wodehouse collection and – in true Wodehousian style - a local pig named after their winning novel." Run since 2000, that's a whole passel of winners and shortlist titles to tickle your ribs, up to and including the 2024 winner: Ferdia Lennon, for Glorious Exploits.
posted by cupcakeninja at 4:11 PM - 9 comments

Poets Without Words is a series of short lectures on sound poetry by Galician poet Xelís de Toro, where he goes through its history and performs a few notable poems. They can be listened to in podcast form but the series benefits from being watched in order: Intro; Zaum – Russian Cubo-Futurism; Hugo Ball – Cabaret Voltaire; Marinetti – Futurism; Kurt Schwitters – Raoul Hausmann; Baroness Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven; Lettrism and Poésie Sonore: Isodore Isou and Henri Chopin; British Concrete Poetry and Bob Cobbing; Paula Claire (British Concrete Poet). The extra videos are worth checking out too.
posted by Kattullus at 3:58 PM - 9 comments

Led Zeppelin II, if it was recorded in the 50s If you ever wondered what Led Zeppelin would sound like if they were contemporaries of Eddie Cochran and Buddy Holly and the Crickets, then wonder no more. [more inside]
posted by jonp72 at 3:12 PM - 36 comments

Of the more than 20 users I spoke with, many noted that they never thought they were the type of person to sign up for an AI companion, by which they meant the type of person you might already be picturing: young, male, socially isolated. I did speak to people who fit that description, but there were just as many women in their 40s, men in their 60s, married, divorced, with kids and without, looking for romance, company, or something else. There were people recovering from breakups, ground down by dating apps, homebound with illness, lonely after becoming slowly estranged from their friends, or looking back on their lives and wanting to roleplay what could have been. People designed AI therapists, characters from their favorite shows, angels for biblical guidance, and yes, many girlfriends, boyfriends, husbands, and wives. Many of these people experienced real benefits. Many of them also got hurt in unexpected ways. What they had in common was that, like Naro, they were surprised by the reality of the feelings elicited by something they knew to be unreal, and this led them to wonder, What exactly are these things? And what does it mean to have a relationship with them?

The Verge sensitively explores the fascinating, heartbreaking, and rapidly evolving rise of AI relationship apps and the people who love them. [more inside]
posted by Rhaomi at 2:18 PM - 30 comments

"When are we going to have the courage to stop the climate crisis?" (novelist Sally Rooney, writing in the Irish Times) [more inside]
posted by box at 2:14 PM - 12 comments

A 7.0 earthquake off the coast of Northern California has the North Pacific on Tsunami warning. The Juan de Fuca/Cascadia subduction zone is famous for 500 year tsunami events. Captured as far away as Japan, the last one in 1700 was preserved in local myth-histories (wiki), like that of Thunderbird & Whale (wiki)
posted by rubatan at 1:45 PM - 25 comments

thinking of calling this "The Illusion Illusion" [Tomer Ullman on BlueSky]
posted by chavenet at 11:46 AM - 25 comments

Claiming developmental and emotional injuries, Massachusetts parents are suing three renowned literacy specialists (Lucy Calkins, Irene Fountas, Gay Su Pinnell) alleging they deliberately ignored the scientific consensus about the importance of phonics to early reading to the detriment of their children’s learning. [more inside]
posted by yes I said yes I will Yes at 8:31 AM - 98 comments

12 Word Searches. A book of 12 small puzzles that get trickier as you progress. For 1 or more solvers.
posted by ftrtts at 7:43 AM - 13 comments

linotype.wiki - Home to information about typesetting machines.
posted by zamboni at 7:08 AM - 11 comments

On our eleventh outing into Female Fronted Metal we continue to stray further from any sort of purity, starting with: Hyperpopmetalcore: Ennaria - Monstarrr [more inside]
posted by signal at 5:59 AM - 8 comments

King William's College Quiz 2024 has been published early this year, so get your thinking caps on for the world's hardest annual quiz. [more inside]
posted by BigCalm at 2:36 AM - 20 comments