November 2010 Archives

November 30

The-what-would-have-been-if-what-is-hadn't-happened.

Still hyped by his local press as a "neglected rock-and-roll genius" Ralph F. Gean is an old rockabilly guy who almost "made it" back in the early 1960sbut didn’t… and then sort of did after all. [more inside]
posted by slumberfiend at 11:30 PM PST - 5 comments

That's right: The left-hand return goes in the right office. The right-hand return goes in the left office! Very good!

"You know, a lot of people ask me—well, some people ask me—two people asked me once—'What is facilities management, again?' Let me clarify this: facilities management is a very specialized function that is evolving in Corporate America, which takes care of the management of facilities for said corporations. Is that a lot clearer?"

The Juggler explains facilities management. (single link Google video) [more inside]
posted by Captain Cardanthian! at 10:38 PM PST - 15 comments

15-Year-Old Who Held Classroom Hostage Dies

Sam Hengel, a 15-year-old student at Marinette High School in Wisconsin, held a classroom of 23 students and a teacher hostage on Monday, November 28th. Without making any demands from police, Hengel released the hostages and shot himself. Early Tuesday morning, Hengel died in the hospital. (1, 2) [more inside]
posted by MHPlost at 10:06 PM PST - 87 comments

The beautiful, broken song of Leonard Cohen

Hallelujah, by Leonard Cohen may hold the pop music record for highest ratio of covers to initial popular success. Why? theories abound, but in an essay in America Magazine Thomas G. Casey, S.J., director of the Cardinal Bea Center for Judaic Studies in Rome and professor of philosophy at the Gregorian University, offers an interesting and compelling argument why this is a song for our time. It also provides a framework for understanding the difference between the good, the bad and the meh.
posted by TheShadowKnows at 8:33 PM PST - 99 comments

Weapons of the 21st Century?

In June 2010, a bit of malware of unprecedented ability was discovered by a Belarussian security firm. Stuxnet had remained undetected for over a year. Security researchers have gradually learned more about this worm, which has led to much speculation about its origins and purposes. Though questions remain, it is clear that it is extremely advanced, and that it was designed to find a very specific hardware/software system and disrupt the operation of centrifuges, causing some to assert that it was built to sabotage Iran's nuclear facilities. Recently, Iran confirmed that its nuclear facilities had been seriously affected by Stuxnet. Some experts say that a worm of this level of sophistication could only have been designed by a nation-state. Previously.
posted by entropone at 8:07 PM PST - 81 comments

Research, exchange, and online portal

The Africa Portal is an online knowledge resource for policy-related issues on Africa. An undertaking by the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), Makerere University (MAK), and the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), the Africa Portal offers open access to a suite of features including an online library collection; a resource for opinion and analysis; an experts directory; an international events calendar; and a mobile technology component—all aimed to equip users with research and information on Africa’s current policy issues. [more inside]
posted by infinite intimation at 7:47 PM PST - 8 comments

the real blues deal

A sweet pair of vintage clips from blues greats, both born on this day: Robert Nighthawk playing on a Maxwell Street stoop, c. 1964; and Brownie McGhee playing with his partner Sonny Terry at Newport Folk Festival, 1963. [more inside]
posted by madamjujujive at 7:02 PM PST - 11 comments

cuddling an elephant seal

How to get a seal to hug you; filmed on the island of South Georgia.
posted by nickyskye at 6:39 PM PST - 33 comments

The Ayn Rand School for Tots

The pictures show a lovely celebration. A crowd of 100 or so is seated on a well-groomed lawn in front of a trim orchestra and a grand old plantation house. A retired astronaut has been flown in to address the group. Late in the day, two hot-air balloons skim the dusky sky. That fall day in 2007 seemed an auspicious start for a college with only five professors and 10 students. But as the year wore on, the students, professors, and staff members became convinced that it was a sign of something else entirely: an elaborate facade.

The brief rise and rapid fall of Founders College, an experiment in Randian education.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 4:09 PM PST - 81 comments

The Ship of Foolishness

"The project was the brainchild of three good friends of mine. One was an astronaut, one was a communications genius who used to work with Walter Cronkite and the third was a highly respected scientist, and the one thing I won’t tell you about them is their names. You see, the three of them collectively cooked up one of the very best ideas I have ever heard, and they overcame all obstacles to make it come to pass. But then they messed up one tiny, inconsequential little detail. That turned the whole enterprise into a catastrophic confusion which gave great pleasure to some but cost others, including one of its principle intended beneficiaries of the idea, the Holland America cruise ship line, a ton of money." - Frederik Pohl [previously] [more inside]
posted by brundlefly at 4:03 PM PST - 47 comments

what did they look like? ships? motorcycles?

To whet all of our appetites, here is a 21-minute Tron Legacy soundtrack medley. (SLM_)
posted by luvcraft at 3:42 PM PST - 34 comments

Imagine Later

The Sci Fi/SyFy rebrand (previously) - was it a success? Yes and No.
posted by Artw at 3:33 PM PST - 74 comments

The Keene Act And You

Is Batman a State Actor? Could you pass a Mutant Registation Act? Law And The Multiverse considers legal matters in a world of capes, supes, and alternate dimensions. (via Mefiprojects)
posted by The Whelk at 2:50 PM PST - 32 comments

Defining Wealth

SEED Magazine: Wealth of Nations: "Shared natural resources underpin the global economy, but our current economic system does not acknowledge their worth. Can a major new effort to assess the costs of biodiversity loss force a paradigm shift in what we value?" [more inside]
posted by zarq at 2:17 PM PST - 10 comments

And the Articles of this confederation shall be inviolably observed by every State, and the union shall be perpetual...

“It’s time to return America to the common sense conservative principles of limited government, free enterprise, and individual responsibility. The Repeal Amendment would provide a check on the ever-expanding federal government, protect against Congressional overreach, and get the government working for the people again, not the other way around. In order to return America to opportunity, responsibility, and success, we must reverse course and the Repeal Amendment is a step in that direction.” —incoming House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), on a proposed amendment allowing a 2/3 vote by the state governments to overturn any federal law or regulation. [more inside]
posted by kipmanley at 2:04 PM PST - 134 comments

Classified X

Melvin Van Peebles made a documentary called Classified X in 1998, about the portrayal of black people throughout the history of American cinema. You can see it on YT in six parts: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Apologies for the low video quality.
posted by Dim Siawns at 1:46 PM PST - 19 comments

counter-counterintuitive

Just Give Money to the Poor: bypass governments and NGOs and let the poor decide how to use their money? Should recipients be asked to satisfy conditions? Does it only work well in rural areas of developing countries? Found via this socialist rag; mentioned here first by this puny human.
posted by vertriebskonzept at 1:09 PM PST - 30 comments

Commuting: Now in technicolor

Chromaroma launched its public beta today. The site takes Oyster and Cycle Hire data and turns it into a city-wide game, with teams capturing stations, accepting missions and having good, old fashioned, public transport based fun. Commuting has never been this enjoyable. [more inside]
posted by muthecow at 12:51 PM PST - 17 comments

Report of the Comprehensive Review of the Issues Associated with a Repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

Slightly ahead of schedule, the Pentagon has released its Report of the Comprehensive Review of the Issues Associated with a Repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (PDF).
posted by Joe Beese at 11:35 AM PST - 133 comments

Good-bye to Dubai

The once shining beacon of capitalism in the Persian Gulf has lost a lot of its luster since the global financial crisis in 2008. But is it too soon to declare Dubai dead? [more inside]
posted by reenum at 11:28 AM PST - 40 comments

Google Trees + Amazon Drought

We've discussed the "once in a century" Amazon Drought of 2005-06. Five years later and we are seeing another once in a century drought in the Amazon. How serious are the effects of these droughts for global climate? The science appears to be mixed. Helping monitor is the newly released Google Earth 6.0, which can track individual trees within a section of the Amazonian forest, and 80 million other trees in 7 cities around the world (video).
posted by stbalbach at 11:13 AM PST - 10 comments

Pleasure from Your Submission

Is anti-TSA outrage right wing "catnip"? The Nation called the activism Koch-funded astroturfing, than apologized. Radley Balko finds the magazine hypocritical. At least one politician has gone catnip crazy: Eugene Delgaudio, who claims in an email sent by the activist that patdowns are part of a "homosexual agenda" to get "pleasure from your submission."
posted by l33tpolicywonk at 10:54 AM PST - 108 comments

Fashion From Old People

Artists Vera Brosgol (previously) and Emily Carroll (also previously) have made a project out "Interpreting photos of outfits into drawings of outfits." [more inside]
posted by Narrative Priorities at 10:44 AM PST - 11 comments

The Iranian revolution in its singularity

Foucault in Iran: Revolution, Entropy and Equality By way of introduction to the Wu Ming Foundation's (previously) re-vamped blog, one of their more substantive essays re-assessing Foucault's notorious enthusiasm for the Iranian revolution.
posted by Abiezer at 9:48 AM PST - 11 comments

Bear: the other dark meat

So it turns out that bear can be quite tasty - whether as a roast, boeuf bourguignon, dumpling fillings, or a myriad of other ways. [more inside]
posted by r_nebblesworthII at 8:55 AM PST - 53 comments

Fan-Fiction, Fully Rendered.

Anyone can write Star Trek fan-fiction, but few can render it in 3-D. Since 2006, Brandon Bridges has been writing, directing and producing a work of full-length Star Trek fan fiction entitled Star Trek: Specter of the Past. ST:SOTP "follows the crew of the USS Fitzgerald, an Entente-class starship commanded by newly promoted Captain Gaius Reyf." Last month, Bridges released his Director's Edition to the web. It should be noted that Bridges plans to re-release the film with a full voice cast. Parts 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12. (Multi-link YouTube Post) [more inside]
posted by grabbingsand at 8:45 AM PST - 42 comments

Rio's Drug War

The Boston Globe displays some pretty spectacular pictures of the drug war in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. There's not a whole ton of context available within the article, but the pictures speak for themselves.
posted by TomMelee at 8:21 AM PST - 58 comments

Sandwiches Around the World

Beyond PB&J - Sandwiches From Around the World. And since they left it out, here is the Buenos Nachos Burger. Basically it's a Whopper with nachos on it; currently only available in the Netherlands.
posted by morganannie at 8:19 AM PST - 60 comments

I once went clubbing fifteen nights in a row. I've seen almost every high-class club in this area, but somehow I always end up at CLUB BACARDI.

Welcome to CLUB BACARDI™, the hottest cyber club around. Try your luck at Cyber BlackJack in the Martini Casino. Show off your sleuthing skills in the Martini Mystery Game. Or just hobnob with the BACARDI Limón VIP Room regulars. I hear J.C. just broke up with her boyfriend. [more inside]
posted by 256 at 6:36 AM PST - 63 comments

Professional

"Metal-fabricator Neil Youngberg never planned on taking over his grandfather's business and is now faced with passing on his legacy." A short film.
posted by maxwelton at 1:05 AM PST - 32 comments

November 29

Enter a quote, get the movie and time it showed up...

Amazing movie quote search engine subzin is pretty simple, but pretty amazing. Put in your favorite quote from a movie, and it'll find the movie and the exact time it appears in the movie and links to Neflix if available (via df). [more inside]
posted by mathowie at 10:10 PM PST - 105 comments

WFMU: Why? Because we have to.

Keep WFMU Aloft! [SLYT / MetaFodder / Helium Huffing / Absolute Zero Freezing / Suffocation in Deep Space] [more inside]
posted by ZenMasterThis at 7:32 PM PST - 32 comments

the guiro makes it

DECONSTRUCTING ‘GIMME SHELTER’: LISTEN TO THE ISOLATED TRACKS OF THE ROLLING STONES IN THE STUDIO
posted by flapjax at midnite at 6:14 PM PST - 109 comments

Remind me to never make assumptions again...

Steve Tucker met a woman at a nightclub in Canberra, made an extreme effort to find her, and was then ridiculed by the Australian media and most of the general public when his email went viral. But there's a backstory that gives a whole new perspective. [more inside]
posted by malibustacey9999 at 5:09 PM PST - 165 comments

Crack Flying

Jeebus this is thrilling (SLYT)
posted by lonemantis at 3:26 PM PST - 71 comments

The Sound Of The Social Network

Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, and Ren Klyce discuss the use of music in, and the development of the score for, David Fincher's The Social Network. (Vimeo, 45m)
posted by hippybear at 3:14 PM PST - 33 comments

List of commercial airliner bombings.

This list of commercial airliner bombings appears in the Ask a Rocket Scientist section of Aerospaceweb.org. It presents a comprehensive and descriptive catalog of 86 bombings and attempted bombings since 1933, 54 of which resulted in fatalities, and offers some information that might be relevant to the question of airline security.
posted by washburn at 2:59 PM PST - 44 comments

"Captain America! Stop! It's IMPOSSIBLE for you to eat your shield!" "If I don't, Bucky, I'LL DIE!"

Kerry Callen imagines What if DC published Marvel characters in the 1960's?, then follows up with What if DC published 1970's Marvel characters in the 1960's?. Bonus silliness: Galactus' Helmet Just Gets Happier and Happier!
posted by Artw at 2:49 PM PST - 37 comments

My body is floating in space

Jessica Harrison makes art (photos, sculpture) primarily about the body.
posted by klangklangston at 2:39 PM PST - 13 comments

How to make Google beatbox for you

How to make Google beatbox for you. shorter version: go here, hit listen.
posted by juv3nal at 2:21 PM PST - 62 comments

Japanimation in a very large nutshell

Every Anime Opening Ever Made (an admittedly exaggerated title) is a SLYT romp through the repeating themes in 93 different opening sequences, compiled by Derek Lieu (via Neatorama) [more inside]
posted by oneswellfoop at 1:48 PM PST - 34 comments

With a bullet.

David Lynch drops a hot new single.
posted by shakespeherian at 1:43 PM PST - 33 comments

"The moment they click that shutter, the magic is there. And that's what I look for."

"When I look for images, I look for something that makes you almost uncomfortable in your own skin—something that makes you observe more intently," Foster says. "That's when I know I have something that's more than just a snapshot." John Foster is a graphic design and communications professional by day, and joined by his wife as collectors of "vernacular photographs" by night. Their collected photographs have been featured at art galleries and museums, and John has worked with others to curate outsider art shows. If that wasn't enough, his collections extend beyond found photos, as previsusly featured on the blue (and as inspiration for another post).
posted by filthy light thief at 1:25 PM PST - 10 comments

Lebron Rise

Should I be who you want me to be? We wanted you to be who you said you'd be. Maybe you're just making excuses. (previously)
posted by Avenger50 at 1:03 PM PST - 60 comments

Look at this fucking two-hundred-year-old hipster

The Incroyables and the Merveilleuses were the height of rebellious (or, depending on how you look at it, reactionary) aristocratic fashion in France in the late eighteenth century, following the revolutionary reign of terror. Blastmilk has a gallery depicting some of these achingly hip young dandies and dandettes, showing off their preposterous bonnets, preposterous hats and preposterous lapels.
posted by Dim Siawns at 12:56 PM PST - 29 comments

Profile of a Young Somali

The Washington Post profiles a patriotic and radicalized 22 year old Somali man, Abdul Qadir Mohammed. (Single link Washington Post)
posted by bearwife at 12:44 PM PST - 16 comments

Staggering cache of Picassos turns up in France

Staggering Cache Of Picassos Turns Up In France. A retired French electrician and his wife say they stashed hundreds of never-before-seen works [in French at Libération, who broke the story] estimated to be worth at least $80 million in their garage. The works are believed to be authentic, but it's not quite clear how they came to be in the couple's possession.
posted by nickyskye at 11:29 AM PST - 66 comments

Fous ta cagoule!

Fatal, the story of a country bumpkin from Savoie who passes himself off as a streetwise rapper. In reality the satirical creation of Michäel Youn, the French equivalent of Andy Samberg or Sacha Baron Cohen, rap group Fatal Bazooka have already had worldwide European success with Fous Ta Cagoule (an exhortation to attire oneself properly on the ski slopes - English lyrics here) and Parle à Ma Main, featuring Yelle. Other work includes Mauvaise Foi Nocturne and the Sean Paul/Benny Benassi/Eric Prydz-inspired J'aime Trop Ton Boule. Youn is also responsible for the familiar-sounding Comme de Connards and the completely nonsensical Stach Stach which was the number one single in France for almost four months.
posted by djgh at 11:21 AM PST - 13 comments

Obama proposes pay freeze

Obama proposes two year pay freeze for all civilian federal employees. The freeze would save $2 billion in the current 2011 fiscal year, $28 billion over the next five years, and more than $60 billion over 10 years, according to the White House. The freeze would require congressional approval.
posted by Bonzai at 10:38 AM PST - 310 comments

"She loses her beautiful self ..."

Natasha Shneider was a Russian musician and actress, best known for her work in the band Eleven and with Queens of the Stone Age. She lost her battle with cancer in July of 2008, at the age of 52. Now, her husband of 25 years and bandmate Alain Johannes has released his solo debut album "Spark," a tribute to her. [more inside]
posted by jbickers at 10:10 AM PST - 6 comments

Can't get to the zoo?

PenguinCams!: Edinburgh Zoo (Via) / Galveston: Moody Gardens / Maryland Zoo / Montreal Biodome / San Diego Seaworld / Sedwick County Zoo: Cessna Cove / Station Gars O’Higgins (Antarctica) / Tennessee Aquarium [more inside]
posted by zarq at 10:10 AM PST - 15 comments

Temporary Contemporary Carpets

Need a new rug? Behold: The pasta carpet, the toy soldier carpet, the plastic fork carpet, and others at We Make Carpets.
posted by Xurando at 7:07 AM PST - 30 comments

Just a list of non hetero comic book characters

The 25 Awesomest LGBTQ Comic Book Characters
posted by nomadicink at 7:03 AM PST - 87 comments

Irvin Kershner, 1923-2010

Irvin Kershner isn't a household name. Often incorrectly billed as Irving, Ervin, or Irwin, the director's filmography includes such films as the uninspiring sequel Robocop 2, the subpar "unofficial" James Bond film Never Say Never Again, and The Luck of Ginger Coffey, which, according to Kershner's site has in recent years become a cult film, but whose cult status is hardly evident elsewhere on the internet. So why should we care that Irvin Kershner has just died at age 78? Kershner directed the best of the Star Wars movies, and one of the best "second act" films ever, The Empire Strikes Back. Just before he died, Kershner spoke with Vanity Fair about the film, 30 years after its release in 1980.
posted by ocherdraco at 6:53 AM PST - 63 comments

Rufous Hummingbird

The Rufous Hummingbird measures only 4-inches, but it can pack a lot of beauty into that small package. Often described as "feisty," it weighs just a little more than a penny. With a migratory range of 1500 km, the Rufous has the longest known avian migration proportional to its size.
posted by alms at 6:02 AM PST - 29 comments

Tymar lives!

Speak With Monsters -- A comic about the most interesting parts of D&D. [more inside]
posted by JHarris at 5:09 AM PST - 35 comments

Winnie the Pooh mental disorders

Winnie the Pooh mental disorders
posted by Joe in Australia at 4:08 AM PST - 46 comments

Lucio Bubacco

Lucio Bubacco is a master of the stunningly beautiful art of lampworked Venetian glass. His large freestanding work covers themes such as devils and mythology, Carnival, divine history, and sexual transgression [Potentially NSFW].* [more inside]
posted by Ahab at 2:27 AM PST - 12 comments

November 28

In which our heroes chat entertainingly.

Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie reunite for a 90 minute TV special to mark the 30th anniversary of their partnership. The programme sees the former double act reminiscing about their friendship, careers and sketches. Parts I II III IV V
posted by lazaruslong at 11:12 PM PST - 37 comments

Yesterday's future is here today

Make it so! This is a video featuring a functional home automation PC interface based on Star Trek's LCARS interface. The attention to detail and everyday usability is awesome. [more inside]
posted by Slap*Happy at 11:10 PM PST - 17 comments

Why do you think?

When Dennis, an introvert bodybuilder, invites a local girl out on a date his mother is hurt and disappointed. Despite the pressure she puts on him to cancel the date, Dennis ventures into the indelible. [more inside]
posted by esprit de l'escalier at 11:07 PM PST - 17 comments

Mr. Trollface, art critic

A videotaped performance art piece called "Interior Semiotics" (NWS) has become a meme due to its explicit content. Rhizome explains, and speaks with the artist about her intent with the work, the hipster audience getting so much derision, and what it's like to have her work scrutinized by 4chan. NWS for pretty much all links. [more inside]
posted by codacorolla at 9:37 PM PST - 133 comments

Today marks the beginning of Advent, and a conspiracy.

Advent Conspiracy begins today. In its 4th year, the movement continues to urge Christians to spend less money on Christmas gifts, and asks the question "What if Christmas became a world-changing event again?" Videos here and here. (Youtube)
posted by klausman at 9:26 PM PST - 36 comments

Gays able to be executed without cause

On 16 November 2010, the UN General Assembly Third Committee removed a reference to sexual orientation from a resolution on extra-judicial, summary or arbitrary executions, a move condemned by gay and lesbian rights groups. [more inside]
posted by wilful at 9:15 PM PST - 24 comments

Smosh's Pokemon Theme Song REVENGE

Five years and more than one hundred videos after their debut on Youtube, Smosh has released a video as a 5-year-anniversary celebratory video, taking stabs at the powers that be within YouTube. [more inside]
posted by MHPlost at 8:56 PM PST - 13 comments

NSFO: Not Safe For Orcs.

Sunday evening Flash frivolity: Meaningless Violence, an old-school medieval brawler of the Rastan/Golden Axe/Magic Sword variety, complete with a fully-stocked Ye Olde Weapons Shoppe and a period-accurate MIDI prog-metal soundtrack.
posted by Strange Interlude at 6:19 PM PST - 9 comments

It's an entirely different kind of dying, altogether.

Leslie Nielsen, dead at 84. [more inside]
posted by pjern at 6:11 PM PST - 306 comments

Someone get Jeremy Irons on the phone.

The Legend of Drizzt — a film based on the books based on the roleplaying game brought to you by Ruben Studios.
posted by boo_radley at 4:19 PM PST - 53 comments

bread bread bread off with her head

History For Music Lovers is a Youtube channel that rewrites pop songs to be about history. Highlights include Constantine (Come on Eileen), Empress Theodora (Norwegian Wood), Gutenberg (Sunday Girl) and The French Revolution (Bad Romance). More videos. [MLYT]
posted by NoraReed at 3:01 PM PST - 24 comments

Bingo In The Blood

The NY Times explores the darker side of bingo.
posted by reenum at 2:15 PM PST - 45 comments

The Flat Venus Society in Library Assessment; promoting accuracy in [reporting of] numbers

The Galaxy Garden is a 100-foot diameter outdoor scale model of the Milky Way, mapped in living plants and flowers and based on current astrophysical data. [more inside]
posted by infinite intimation at 1:55 PM PST - 11 comments

Hoxton Street Monster Supplies

In Hoxton, there's a shop. Run by the Ministry of Stories (and funded by the National Lottery), the Hoxton Street Monster Supplies shop provides a free space to stimulate creative writing with workshops, publishing projects and one-to-one mentoring. [more inside]
posted by jim.christian at 12:53 PM PST - 18 comments

Rachel Maddow, mixologist

Rachel Maddow is an Old Fashioned sort of girl, at least when it comes to her taste in cocktails. [more inside]
posted by device55 at 12:40 PM PST - 64 comments

1000 1/2

Short clips from classic movies "TRON-itized": Sherlock Jr, Clockwork Orange, Dr. Strangelove, The Big Lebowski, Hard Target, Modern Times, Hard Luck, and Aliens. (via AICN) [more inside]
posted by thescientificmethhead at 12:20 PM PST - 27 comments

Distributism Review

Distributist Review promotes distributism (wiki), a "third way" of economics between capitalism and socialism, inspired by Catholic social teaching. Popularized by G. K. Chesterton (more, more), Fr. Vincent McNabb (more, more), Hilaire Belloc (more, more), and E. F. Schumacher (more, more, more), as well as through the pages of the Catholic Worker (more, also), distributism seeks to put "productive" property into the hands of the many, with implications for urban homesteading and agricultural reform, as well as the rebirth of the guild as an idea. Distributism is not merely an economic system - it is wholly fused with Catholic teachings, fusing the left and right, standing against modern, liberal political and sociological thought. [more inside]
posted by Sticherbeast at 11:28 AM PST - 33 comments

State's Secrets

WikiLeaks has released 250,000 classified US diplomatic cables. Browse the database at the Guardian. Comprehensive coverage is also available at the New York Times, Der Spiegel, and El Pais.
posted by lullaby at 10:56 AM PST - 667 comments

talking patty cake cats

Talking Cats Play Pattycake. Based on Cute Cats playing Wing Chun Sticky Hands!
posted by nickyskye at 8:59 AM PST - 19 comments

the ownership of Yoga

Take Back Yoga : A group of Indian-Americans have ignited a surprisingly fierce debate in the gentle world of yoga by mounting a campaign to acquaint Westerners with the faith that it says underlies every single yoga style followed in gyms, ashrams and spas: Hinduism. The campaign, labeled “Take Back Yoga,” does not ask yoga devotees to become Hindu, or instructors to teach more about Hinduism ... but only that people become more aware of yoga’s debt to the faith’s ancient traditions.
posted by dhruva at 8:57 AM PST - 65 comments

Harry Potter and the Incredibly Conservative Aristocratic Children's Club

Harry Potter and the Incredibly Conservative Aristocratic Children's Club
posted by Joe Beese at 8:17 AM PST - 161 comments

A Lost Art of Days Gone By

Curt Teich (1877-1974) was a printer who immigrated to the United States from Germany in 1896. Curt Teich & Company, opened in 1898 in Chicago, was the world's largest printer of view and advertising postcards. Teich is best known for its "Greetings From" postcards with their big letters, vivid colors, and bold style. Flickr user amhpics has archived nearly 2000 Teich linen postcards in his set Vintage Curt Teich linen postcards 1930s-1950s. [more inside]
posted by netbros at 7:19 AM PST - 5 comments

Ni hao, Brute

Genetic testing of villagers in a remote part of China has shown that nearly two thirds of their DNA is of Caucasian origin, lending support to the theory that they may be descended from a 'lost legion' of Roman soldiers.
posted by The Lady is a designer at 6:31 AM PST - 27 comments

November 27

United Forever in Friendship and Labor

The funny thing about the National Anthem of the Soviet Union is that through the sixty-so years of its existence the lyrics were written all by one man. [more inside]
posted by curuinor at 10:53 PM PST - 21 comments

1. Evil. 2. ??? 3. PROFIT

“The customer is always right — not here, you understand? I hate that phrase — the customer is always right. Why is the merchant always wrong? Can the customer ever be wrong? Is that not possible?” Gaming Google's PageRank algorithm, one online glasses merchant's prime directive seems to be Don't Be Evil.
posted by ocherdraco at 8:57 PM PST - 111 comments

The New Resistance

"All reform movements, from the battle for universal health care to the struggle for alternative energy and sane environmental controls to financial regulation to an end to our permanent war economy, have run into this new, terrifying configuration of power. They have confronted an awful truth. We do not count." [more inside]
posted by Chipmazing at 8:51 PM PST - 85 comments

AllyBallyBabe

Allyson Townsend's YouTube channel ("ASL Ally") carries her popular ASL and SEE interpretations of popular music. It was shut down after complaints from the copyright holders, but after an intervention by the EFF they reconsidered their position and ASL Ally is back online! (source: BoingBoing)
posted by Joe in Australia at 8:31 PM PST - 15 comments

The Vanishing of the Bees

A new documentary entitled "The Vanishing of the Bees", narrated by actress Ellen Page, begins showing on November 29th, 2010. [more inside]
posted by MHPlost at 7:41 PM PST - 38 comments

What Food Says About Class

What Food Says About Class "As more of us indulge our passion for local, organic delicacies, a growing number of Americans don’t have enough nutritious food to eat."
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 7:31 PM PST - 167 comments

BANG!

Flash Saturday Night Special: GunBlood, Western-style dueling. Draw! [more inside]
posted by griphus at 6:10 PM PST - 11 comments

Its not easy being human

Our wisdom teeth need to be pulled because our brains are too big: The Top Ten Daily Consequences of Having Evolved
posted by Huplescat at 5:47 PM PST - 65 comments

Mailbag Art Museum

Artist Sarah Musi sent little pieces of art to forty-five artists, along with a tiny blank canvas for them to create something and return it. So far she has received six back.
posted by gman at 3:31 PM PST - 21 comments

Elegance

The problem of beer. "Since beer bottles are not (usually) pathological or “wild” spheres, but smooth manifolds, they separate 3-space into two non-communicating regions: inside, containing beer, and outside, containing you. This state must not remain."
posted by MuadDib at 1:22 PM PST - 52 comments

I like big "But..."s and I always lie!

I hate to be the one to link to this, but...
So what do you think this linguistic practice should be called? “lying qualifiers?” “false fronts?” “wishwashers?” “but-heads?” Heh heh heh...
posted by oneswellfoop at 11:43 AM PST - 99 comments

Not Sims

Since its viral reenactment of the Tiger Woods story a year ago, Taiwan's Next Media Animation has been churning out 11 minutes of surprisingly lifelike news animation a day, sparking a feud with Conan and garnering lots of social media attention. [more inside]
posted by l33tpolicywonk at 11:31 AM PST - 16 comments

riverrun, past Eve and Adam's, from swerve of shore to bend of bay, brings us by a commodius vicus of recirculation back to Howth Castle and Environs.

to talk about the concept of "time" before the big bang; the Cyclic Universe Theory proposes an alternative to the predominant Inflation Theory that led to this intuition. Now Gurzadyan and Penrose have observed low-variance rings in the CMB, supporting the notion that it makes sense
posted by jjray at 9:39 AM PST - 41 comments

Crows vs. Cat vs. Cat Fight

An action packed thriiler
posted by sgt.serenity at 8:38 AM PST - 68 comments

The six best n-scale train layout videos

After scanning the old 'tube for a long while, I have selected the six most appealing videos that document n-scale realism. The selection is based on realistic impression, detail (landscaping and models), and camera use. N-scale model railroading has gained ground over the years. One reason is that the 1:160 scale, while small, provides superior overall realism. This first example shows a bridge scene at three angles, then an overview shot of the entire part of the layout, and a shot of the prototype scene. [more inside]
posted by Namlit at 7:45 AM PST - 39 comments

November 26

"Two Fighters Against a Star Destroyer?"

"The 100 Best Movie Spaceships"
posted by bardic at 8:20 PM PST - 112 comments

Bodily Feats

The human body can achieve some pretty amazing things and Discovery Health has come up with a bunch of articles explaining how some of these feats are accomplished.

Sword Swallowing | Firewalking | Bed Of Nails | Glass Walking | Fire Breathing
posted by gman at 3:12 PM PST - 48 comments

Dog Saves Injured Dog (SLWC - Single Link Wimp.com)

Dog Saves Injured Dog (via Wimp.com) - Warning: Fuzzy view of dog getting hit by car [more inside]
posted by bitteroldman at 1:19 PM PST - 16 comments

o rly?

Cute Owl Hunts Invisible Prey
posted by cjorgensen at 1:00 PM PST - 87 comments

Yada Yada Yada

The Economics of Seinfeld strives to illustrate basic economic concepts using scenes from the famous sitcom. "Seinfeld ran for nine seasons on NBC and became famous as a “show about nothing". It is the simplicity of Seinfeld that makes it so appropriate for use in economics courses." [more inside]
posted by Phire at 12:10 PM PST - 40 comments

The very knowledge that it was possible to record a conversation would "greatly restrict the use of the telephone," with catastrophic consequences for its business.

"In the United States, the higher consumer prices resulting from monopoly amounted, in effect, to a tax on Americans used to fund basic research." But no 'Disruptive Technology', please. A look at the 'dark side' of Bell Labs and why magnetic recording was NOT developed there in the 1930s (thanks to one of the worst tech predictions ever). [more inside]
posted by oneswellfoop at 11:32 AM PST - 42 comments

Jazz Age Illustrator

Georges Lepape was an Art Deco fashion illustrator; whose work became iconic.
Perhaps most famous for his collaborations with the designer Paul Poiret.
He worked for many magazines, among them the Gazette Du Bon Ton, Vogue, Harper's Bazaar and Les Feuillets D'Art, and Vanity Fair where his March 1927 cover illustration launched the modeling career of Lee Miller.
Some more of his illustrations on flickr and a brief biography. (Related Lee Miller; haute-couture)
posted by adamvasco at 11:25 AM PST - 4 comments

"It's very sad when it rains in a cathedral"

EMS electronic music pioneer Dr. Peter Zinovieff discusses the story of computers and early electronic music. Transcript here. [more inside]
posted by ifjuly at 9:49 AM PST - 7 comments

The Smithsonian Museum of Dad Trolling

Zach Weiner guest-stripping for XKCD. Previously, Zach Weiner guest-stripping for Dinosaur Comics.
posted by Rory Marinich at 9:26 AM PST - 52 comments

Is Religion a Force for Good in the World?

In tonight's semi-annual Munk Debate in Toronto, Tony Blair and Christoper Hitchens square off over the topic "Is religion a force for good in the world?" For those who couldn't get tickets, you can watch a live webstream (PPV, $5) of the debate this evening, starting at 7pm EST.
posted by modernnomad at 8:24 AM PST - 103 comments

"Please try to respect the youth. They are the ones who are going to build the next generation."

Now in its fourth year, CNN Heroes highlights and rewards "Everyday People Changing the World." This year's Hero of the Year (chosen by public poll) is Anuradha Koirala, whose group Maiti Nepal has rescued more than 12,000 women and girls from sex slavery along the India / Nepal border since 1993. [more inside]
posted by zarq at 7:49 AM PST - 9 comments

Land and Freedom

The Revolutionary War in the US was fought for freedom. For Blacks, the promise of freedom was on the side of the Crown. [more inside]
posted by QIbHom at 7:39 AM PST - 40 comments

Bootiful

Millionaire Norfolk farmer Bernard Matthews became an unlikely minor celebrity in the UK, after appearing in his own adverts. He specialised in turkey production and ironically died yesterday on Thanksgiving. [more inside]
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 5:01 AM PST - 44 comments

The mystery van

The mystery police van During Wednesdays London protest against student tuition fees a police van was driven into a 'kettled' crowd of protestors. Many news reports focused on the subsequent vandalisation of the police van. [more inside]
posted by Lanark at 4:58 AM PST - 70 comments

Spirit Bears in the Great Bear Rainforest

The Kermode bear or Spirit bear is a an all white subspecies of the American Black Bear. Their white fur is the the result of a recessive allele and is believed to give them an advantage in daylight fishing for salmon, but places them at a significant disadvantage in areas inhabited by Grizzly bears or wolves, who prey on them. [more inside]
posted by Ahab at 4:19 AM PST - 13 comments

November 25

TSA revenge screenings

TSA holds woman captive as revenge for her complaint against them. [more inside]
posted by Joh at 10:12 PM PST - 378 comments

The Mourners

The Mourners: Tomb Sculptures from the Court of Burgundy provides fully-rotatable images of the pleurants (mourners or "weepers") from the tomb of Jean sans Peur ("John the Fearless"), sculpted by Juan de la Huerta and Antoine le Moiturier. The site also allows you to rotate the full tomb. This tomb was conceived in the style of the one designed for Philippe le Hardi ("Philip the Bold"), designed and begun by Jean de Marville, with pleurants executed by Claus Sluter (probably) and his nephew, Claus de Werve. For a brief overview of support for the arts at the Court of Burgundy, see the Met.
posted by thomas j wise at 7:21 PM PST - 8 comments

Weird beautiful eyelashes

Weird yet beautiful. The links on the page are good too, especially paper art.
posted by maiamaia at 5:36 PM PST - 6 comments

Food of the Gods

Mast Brothers [vimeo 8:48] — They began their voyage in their apartment, using a homemade machine to process cacao beans. Over time they cultivated their creation, sourcing beans from family farms in Madagascar, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, and Ecuador. Each bar is handmade with incredible reverence for the process and history of chocolate. They are bound in ornamental papers and golden foil like a collection of rare books. Each bar offers its own story of flavors, and no two are exactly alike. [more inside]
posted by netbros at 4:23 PM PST - 30 comments

The Gentle Art of Japanese Murder

I asked Igari to help me deal with the fallout from the book. After much discussion, he and his two colleagues came up with a plan. His parting words were: “It’ll be a long battle. It’ll take money and courage, and you’ll have to come up with those on your own. But we’ll fight.” On August 28th, his body was found in his vacation home in Manila, wrists slashed. Time of death unknown. It’s been ruled a suicide. Personally, I believe he was killed. I probably will never be able to prove it. [more inside]
posted by KokuRyu at 4:21 PM PST - 23 comments

(Almost) Frozen in Time

"In all my slow-motion work so far, I’ve used a static camera to capture a high-speed event. But, I wondered, what would happen if the camera was the fast-moving object? For instance, if you use a 210fps camera at 35mph, on playback at 30fps it’ll seem to the observer that they’re moving at walking pace- but everything observed will be operating at 1/7th speed." [more inside]
posted by gman at 2:31 PM PST - 44 comments

The Warlocks of Firetop Mountain

An Illustrated History of Games Workshop and Fighting Fantasy - Jackson and Livingstone - audio, sans illustrations. The story of how Steve Jackson (not that Steve Jackson) and Ian Livingstone kickstarted tabletop roleplaying in the UK and founded a gaming behemoth that is very different today.
posted by Artw at 11:31 AM PST - 42 comments

Some a these girls lately aren't into the movies.

Chloe retells the story of a Brooklyn man asking her out. "The way that he asked me out was amazing, and I'll never forget it for the rest of my life. I'm going to share it with you now." [slyt]
posted by Rory Marinich at 8:41 AM PST - 114 comments

Stoichiometry is a harsh taskmistress

Sustainable Growth is an Oxymoron Text of an outstanding talk that explains clearly why the idea of "sustainable growth" is impossible in the finite system that is the earth; how the compact energy-delivery system of fossil fuel is equivalent to mind-blowing amounts of free human labor, which cannot be sustained indefinitely; and why it's imperative for scientists to help humanity find ways to go back to "liv[ing] on the sun in real time." [more inside]
posted by Sublimity at 7:54 AM PST - 95 comments

RIP Sleazy

Peter "Sleazy" Christopherson, formerly of the bands Coil, Throbbing Gristle, and Psychic TV, passed away in his sleep last night at his home in Bangkok. [more inside]
posted by mkb at 6:51 AM PST - 68 comments

Orgasms! Sex! Biology!

"We don't use the word 'vagina'. Because, it's the Latin word for 'sheath'. Yes, as in a sword. (Somewhat NSFW) Virgie Tovar, the writer, blogger, sexuality educator and academic looks at UC Berkeley's Female Sexuality class and asks whether one class can change the way women see their bodies and their educational experience. More on DeCal at UC Berkeley.
posted by parmanparman at 6:34 AM PST - 191 comments

The Real McCoy

As Americans raise a glass today to family and absent friends they do not have to worry if they are drinking The Real McCoy.*
"Bill" McCoy, was an American sea captain and rum runner during Prohibition. Originally from Daytona, he cut his ties and moved North when My mom passed away, my wife left me, and my bulldog died.
The foe was the Coastguard; the smugglers normally had sail.
The Halifax Historical Museum is now running an exhibition about him; and here is a preview of a documentary with an interesting review and some publications about Rum Running.
(* your interpretation may vary).
posted by adamvasco at 4:14 AM PST - 4 comments

I, for one...

Ants mimic liquids
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 3:11 AM PST - 27 comments

November 24

Alice's Restaurant

This song is called Alice's Restaurant, and it's about Alice, and the restaurant, but Alice's Restaurant is not the name of the restaurant; that's just the name of the song, and that's why I call the song Alice's Restaurant. [more inside]
posted by Miko at 10:32 PM PST - 161 comments

The Lucky Few

In 1975, desperate to escape Vietnam following the fall of Saigon and the end of the Vietnam War, twenty thousand refugees boarded the few remaining ships of the South Vietnamese army and fishing boats. They were escorted by the USS Kirk, a Knox-class destroyer escort, which led them to the Philippines. This mission, Operation New Life lives on as one of the largest humanitarian missions in the history of the United States military, but has been largely forgotten by history. [more inside]
posted by honeybee413 at 8:54 PM PST - 15 comments

Act 1: Dinner. Act 2: Pie. Act 3: Grousing.

Since the very beginning, PRI's This American Life has (every few years) commemorated Thanksgiving in the US with episodes about the exotic mysteries of turkeys, chicken and other fowl. They call it Poultry Slam and episodes from 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2008 are all available for your turkey day and I-refuse-to-even-look-at-a-Walmart day enjoyment.
posted by l33tpolicywonk at 8:23 PM PST - 6 comments

Nikos Kazantzakis

They think of me as a scholar, an intellectual, a pen-pusher. And I am none of them. When I write, my fingers get covered not in ink but in blood. I think I am nothing more than this: an undaunted soul. [more inside]
posted by Joe Beese at 7:58 PM PST - 9 comments

I assure you, the snakes are very real.

Most graduate students are surely aware of the many rigors and regulation of thesis preparation. For example, here is a FAQ on preparing for the "snake fight" portion of your thesis defense.
posted by jjray at 7:58 PM PST - 28 comments

I [heart] Librarians

Libraries are, for many of us, the public places where we bring our most private selves, our fears and our dreams, so long buried and so studiously unspoken. The librarian checking out a stack of books may be for many of us, the equivalent of the first person we’ve told a secret to. Which brings me to the real reason I chose the profession that I did for my narrator: Even more than libraries, I love librarians.
As Others See Us: An Author On Why She Loves Librarians
posted by carsonb at 7:17 PM PST - 30 comments

More Than A Cookie Enthusiast

Cookie Monster makes an appeal to host Saturday Night Live. [more inside]
posted by JustKeepSwimming at 6:45 PM PST - 42 comments

(D-TX)

Tom Delay has been found guilty of money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering. He faces five years to life in prison on the former, and 2 to 20 on the latter.
posted by p3on at 6:32 PM PST - 101 comments

"Sorry for perving on your Thanksgiving preparations for three years..."

For the past three years, 28-year-old Sydney man James West has been receiving personal emails about the Thanksgiving dinner of the Tran family of Somewhere, USA. This year, he decided he wanted an invite to dinner and started a YouTube channel about his quest to track down the Trans and obtain an invite to dinner. Fortunately, his mission has been successful, and West will be attending Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow with the Trans in Florida.
posted by SkylitDrawl at 6:12 PM PST - 41 comments

New Music for the New Year

Fifty+ Music Blogs. If you on occasion like wfmu's Beware of the Blog, you'll like these on occasion as well. Mostly strange, exotica, hip hop, noise, electronic, experimental, punk, industrial. No single-artist blogs. Updated seldom to constantly, all field tested at time of this post. Arranged alphabetically. All have free downloads. Some include videos, some contain images and sounds not appropriate to all ages or workplaces. Some have appeared at metafilter before, others have not, this list generated specifically for this post. You’ll find something new to listen to here, I assure you. [more inside]
posted by eccnineten at 4:54 PM PST - 32 comments

Let's Talk Turkey...

What really happens to the turkey that the president pardons at Thanksgiving?
posted by veedubya at 4:29 PM PST - 53 comments

Surely the most extreme example is the existence of a force of gravity.

The flat earth and geocentric world are examples of wrong scientific beliefs that were held for long periods. Can you name your favorite example and for extra credit why it was believed to be true?
posted by griphus at 3:19 PM PST - 85 comments

Polyrhythms Inside of Polyrhythms

Steve Vai explains his notation for "The Frank Zappa Guitar Song Book".
posted by a snickering nuthatch at 1:39 PM PST - 44 comments

Women Prevent Women Prettier Than Themselves From Getting Jobs

From the NYT Economix blog: Are good-looking people more likely to get jobs? That depends whether you’re talking about men or women, according to a new working paper.

Job applicants in Europe and in Israel increasingly imbed a headshot of themselves in the top corner of their CVs. We sent 5,312 CVs in pairs to 2,656 advertised job openings. In each pair, one CV was without a picture while the second, otherwise almost identical CV contained a picture of either an attractive male/female or a plain-looking male/female. Employer callbacks to attractive men are significantly higher than to men with no picture and to plain-looking men, nearly doubling the latter group. Strikingly, attractive women do not enjoy the same beauty premium. In fact, women with no picture have a significantly higher rate of callbacks than attractive or plain-looking women. We explore a number of explanations and provide evidence that female jealousy of attractive women in the workplace is a primary reason for the punishment of attractive women.
posted by krautland at 1:20 PM PST - 75 comments

banelings banelings banelings, oooohhh...

When Starcraft and Justin Beiber collide. [more inside]
posted by kaibutsu at 1:02 PM PST - 18 comments

"...we will continue to oppose any policy or action that would celebrate or affirm homosexual conduct."

"Yeah," she told me. "What we're saying is these [anti-gay] groups perpetrate hate—just like those [racist] organizations do." [more inside]
posted by kipmanley at 12:27 PM PST - 164 comments

"I wanna hold her hand and show her some beauty before this damage is done"

Arcade Fire: The Suburbs. Youtube. A video by Spike Jonze. Background: 1, 2, 3. Previously
posted by zarq at 11:59 AM PST - 27 comments

Why Do We Talk

Watch a language evolve in a single afternoon in part 6 of BBC Horizon's fascinating documentary, "Why Do We Talk." (parts 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5)
posted by Avenger50 at 10:44 AM PST - 11 comments

Experiments in Philosophy

Philosophy Experiments
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 10:18 AM PST - 116 comments

Your Mother Whips Hair In Hell, Karras

Hair whip dance-off: Linda Blair versus Frostie the cockatoo. Related, previously.
posted by hermitosis at 9:39 AM PST - 19 comments

Begun the currency wars have.

China, Russia Quit the Dollar on bilateral trade. Are India and Brazil next? BRIC leaders aim for 'multipolar' world order.
posted by AElfwine Evenstar at 9:14 AM PST - 47 comments

Teuthidodrilus samae

Introducing the 'Squid worm' - a new species in a new genus discovered 3,000 metres down off the Indonesian coast.
posted by Artw at 8:48 AM PST - 39 comments

Thanks for your service, killer.

War veteran barred from college campus for frank words on killing. After publishing essay on addiction to war, Charles Whittington must obtain psychological evaluation before returning to classes
posted by fixedgear at 8:34 AM PST - 115 comments

A bird in a bird in a bird in a bird in a bird in a pig.

Epic Meal - It's a quail inside a Cornish Hen inside a chicken inside a duck inside a turkey inside a pig. Garnished with Baconators. It's a paean to excess. 79,046 calories and 6,892 grams of fat.
posted by Happy Dave at 6:22 AM PST - 164 comments

Angry Birds, the SLYT.

Angry Birds, the Peace Treaty
posted by CunningLinguist at 6:11 AM PST - 58 comments

Up, Up and Away! (Auf, Auf und Weg?)

Luftfahrtsieb: Das Luftfahrtarchiv ist eine interessante Website, die handelt sich um die frühe Geschichte des Luftwesen in Deutschland und anderswo. Es botet Artikeln, die diskutieren die frühste Fliegversuche des Mensch, berühmte Fliegstaten wie die erste Flüge über den Ärmelkanal oder den Atlantik usw., aber vielleicht interessanter sind jene, die sich mit anderer Fächer befassen. Es gibt zum Beispiel Geschichten der Bemühungen des Graf von Zeppelin, einen erfolgreichen Luftschiff in seiner schwimmenden Halle auf dem Bodensee zu bauen und des Flugplatz in Johannisthal, wo findet deutsches Luftwesen seines Anfangrichtige. Man kann auch lernen, wie Kunstflugmanöver zu erbingen sind, oder die richtige Methode, sein Luftschiff zu starten oder landen. [more inside]
posted by Dim Siawns at 3:47 AM PST - 48 comments

November 23

Pike River Mine Disaster

New Zealand Police announced this afternoon that they believe that all 29 miners missing at Pike River are now presumed dead. After several days of raised and dashed hopes, a second explosion at the coal mine has devasted hopes that the miners could possibly be alive.
posted by chairish at 11:26 PM PST - 86 comments

Squishy Goodness

Charlie Rose: The Brain Series
posted by cthuljew at 11:07 PM PST - 8 comments

An Army of Green

I played with them like most boys, but I had no idea there are formal gaming rules for plastic army men.
posted by Chinese Jet Pilot at 8:49 PM PST - 43 comments

Rock's First Song?

Rock historian Joseph Burns makes a case for why Arthur Big Boy Crudup's "That's All Right Mama" should be regarded as rock & roll's first song. Not everyone agrees - clips to some of the other contenders inside. Or explore Google's Rock & Roll Timeline. [more inside]
posted by madamjujujive at 8:33 PM PST - 44 comments

Mojito Blue

Ever wonder how you could could do everything wrong all at once? Wonder no more gentle reader I present you with the "Easy Mint Julep"
posted by nola at 8:27 PM PST - 84 comments

The Mexican Suitcase

The International Center of Photography is exhibiting photographs online from the Mexican Suitcase, a cache of photographs taken during the Spanish Civil War, hidden, and rediscovered in 2008.
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 8:20 PM PST - 4 comments

The Tea Party: Karma, American-style

The Tea Party: Karma, American-style [more inside]
posted by jhandey at 7:08 PM PST - 96 comments

Here's Johnny (Voight)!

Salon plays a game of recasting classic (and a few less-than-classic) movies with contemporary actors.
posted by Navelgazer at 5:11 PM PST - 99 comments

Flying squid. Not as tasty as it sounds.

"From the deck of a cruise ship along the coast of Brazil, a retiree named Bob Hulse snapped some high-resolution photographs of something unusual leaping from the sea: what appears to be dozens of squid propelling themselves through the air -- quite possibly the first time the impressive display has been caught on film."
posted by nomadicink at 4:51 PM PST - 54 comments

A House Worthy of the Name

The Royal House I knew I had seen one of the pictures before somewhere before, and understood instantly what the surrounding pictures all had in common. A familiar symbol caught my eye, glinting gold. It was the mark of the Imperial House of Japan.
posted by KokuRyu at 4:45 PM PST - 13 comments

pied piper of PVC plays popular parts

Kent Jenkins rocked a homemade PVC instrument at a recent LMU talent show. The end.
posted by circular at 4:34 PM PST - 30 comments

Give Me Something To Read Best of 2010

Give Me Something To Read Best of 2010 [more inside]
posted by AceRock at 3:11 PM PST - 17 comments

We'll need to declaw that cat.

Airport-security cartoons from The New Yorker’s archives (1938 - present).
posted by gman at 2:43 PM PST - 28 comments

the nvidia defect

During the second quarter of fiscal 2009, NVIDIA recorded a $196 million charge against cost of revenue to cover anticipated customer warranty, repair, return, replacement and associated costs arising from a weak die/packaging material set in certain versions of our previous generation MCP and GPU products used in notebook systems. "The plaintiffs are seeking class-action status and want the graphics firm to pay “unspecified damages” as well as replace the faulty chips. Interestingly, those behind the lawsuit all had an HP, Dell, or Apple laptop". Mar 1, 2007 this problem was made known.
posted by sgt.serenity at 2:23 PM PST - 54 comments

Yes, BWV565 is also included

The complete organ works of J.S. Bach, as recorded by Dr. James Kibbie on several baroque organs. (via)
posted by Dr Dracator at 2:08 PM PST - 23 comments

"Lurries. Containers that deliver your fucking food to your fucking house, alright?"

Two classic contentious discussions featuring the great Mark E Smith: discussing Situationism [wiki] with Tony Wilson, Stewart Home, and Jon King, 1996; discussing Nietzsche, acid house, and other topics with Nick Cave and Shane McGowan, 1989. [more inside]
posted by koeselitz at 2:04 PM PST - 16 comments

Heroes, Rogues, and Jezebels

Pulp Fiction is an exhibition of (mostly) Australian pulp novel and magazine covers from the University of Otago Special Collections Library. (NSFW)
posted by Horace Rumpole at 1:58 PM PST - 14 comments

Countess Dracula

RIP Ingrid Pitt, queen of Hammer horror. [more inside]
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 1:42 PM PST - 22 comments

"Then I See His Penis Out!"

A YouTube cellphone video is making the rounds today of a woman fearlessly confronting a flasher on a New York City subway car. [more inside]
posted by magstheaxe at 12:43 PM PST - 174 comments

Talk of the Town: A McCarthy Era trial and tribulation

Miriam Moskowitz is one of the last survivors of the McCarthy era trials. She was sent to prison after being convicted of obstruction of justice in a trial that Roy Cohn said was a "dry run" for the Rosenberg case. Indeed, Miriam was in jail with Ethel Rosenberg. Her newly published book, "Phantom Spies, Phantom Justice" is one of the only books on the period to write about Ethel as a woman not as a symbol. The gripping memoir of Miriam's trial, her imprisonment and its aftermath, is also the first thing Miriam has ever written. At 94, that's quite an achievement. The Talk of the Town section of the New Yorker has a piece on Miriam. Click on the link to read it.
posted by jeffisme at 12:34 PM PST - 12 comments

The industry isn't dying, it's just going 2.0

Tabletop roleplaying has always had a long history of self publishing. The internet has certainly made it easy for people to share their games for free, though admittedly presentation is improving. Beyond the free models, a number of publishers have started coming up with alternative for-profit business models - The Shadow of Yesterday followed the Cory Doctorow model, releasing the whole game for free online, while charging for hardcopies. John Wick's Houses of the Blooded sells very cheap PDFs and full price books. Greg Stolze has led the charge in Ransom Model rpg sales. Following the "Whatever Price You Like" model of World of Goo and other videogames, Bliss Stage & Polaris are doing the same with PDFs. Shock: Human Contact has already pulled in over $7,000 on Kickstarter, before the game has even been published.
posted by yeloson at 12:21 PM PST - 22 comments

HIV Preexposure Prohylaxis -- Only $12,000 per person, per year

An article published in the New England Journal of Medicine online edition today announced study results that the use daily of antiretroviral medicine reduced rate the acquisition of HIV infection. The New York Times coverage highlighted the result that the preexposure prophylaxis protected more than 90% of study participants who took the medicine every day, as prescribed. An editorial in the NEJM noted, however, that compliance was problematic, with only 44%of study participants protected overall. [more inside]
posted by mercredi at 12:13 PM PST - 15 comments

A G.I.'s WWII Memoir

Robert F. Gallagher served in the United States Army's 815th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion (Third Army) in the European Theater during WWII. He has posted his memoir online: "Scratch One Messerschmitt," told from numerous photos he took during the war and the detailed notes he made shortly afterwards. [more inside]
posted by zarq at 11:16 AM PST - 7 comments

Caught in the web

This week, the world will finally get its first look at Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark. But the most expensive musical in Broadway history has already had an epic run—battling bankruptcy, broken wrists, unruly technology, and one comic villain disguised as a Post columnist. And at the center of it all, perched over her “God mike,” is the relentless and inventive Julie Taymor. (previously)
posted by Joe Beese at 11:09 AM PST - 48 comments

Symbols Rule The World, Not Words NOr Laws

The Vigilant Citizen (Previously) presents an Analysis of the Occult Symbols Found on the Bank of America Murals
posted by griphus at 10:17 AM PST - 95 comments

Lots of Space

There were few more important bands in the 1970’s than Free, and even fewer whose significance has been so underestimated or misunderstood by posterity. Lyrically utterly conventional, sonically they were revolutionary. [more inside]
posted by Potomac Avenue at 9:31 AM PST - 75 comments

The Fourth Estate's Finest

Salon.com's War Room is listing the worst columnists and cable news commentators America has to offer. The Hack 30 presents thirty of the most predictable, dishonest and just plain stupid pundits in the American media. Notables so far include: David Brooks Tucker Carlson Howard Kurtz and Bill Kristol.
posted by T.D. Strange at 8:15 AM PST - 65 comments

Is He For Real?

Is it wise to negotiate with the Taliban? Probably not without first checking credentials. Apparently the "Mullah Akhtar Muhammad Mansour," very senior commander in the Taliban movement, who has been engaged in talks to end the Afghanistan war, is no such person. Whoever he was, and whoever sent him, he also walked away with "a lot of money." (SLNYT)
posted by bearwife at 6:56 AM PST - 50 comments

"Not everybody is Kurt on 'Glee.'"

Yet another reason why Pixar is so great. Previous examples here and here. [more inside]
posted by EmGeeJay at 2:29 AM PST - 104 comments

Latest flare up in the Korean peninsular

Artillery rounds are being fired across maritime borders between the Koreas. At least one soldier is dead. In what appears to be a response for South Korean military exercises (accompanying commentary from a blog which to be run by North Korea is here), the North Korean army has fired numerous (at least 200, according to CNN) artillery rounds on an island in South Korean territory, resulting in one South Korean marine dead and 15 wounded. The South Korean army has responded by returning artillery fire and deploying fighter jets but is seeking to limit the scope of the conflict. At the same time, there have been signals that South Korea was seeking redeployment of US nuclear weapons on its soil. This just one day after revelations about North Korea's uranium enrichment facilities.
posted by butwheresthesushi at 12:07 AM PST - 148 comments

November 22

Killing Hipsters

Charles Bronson stars in Killing Hipsters, rated PG, an action-packed smorgasbord of revenge.
posted by battlebison at 10:48 PM PST - 110 comments

Jill Sylvia makes things out of paper

Jill Sylvia does amazing things with paper.
posted by dobbs at 9:45 PM PST - 7 comments

oh no, #fauxho

[Warning: some links NSFW] Callgirl and blogger Alexa DiCarlo had some questions raised about her authenticity dating back to 2008 and 2009, but her website RealPrincessDiaries.com (archive.org cache) still attracted huge traffic and she was even named the #1 sex blogger of 2010. A student at SFSU's master's degree program in sexuality studies, she also volunteered her time providing sex education advice to teenagers online under the name Caitlain or Cathy. And she mentored newbie sex workers via e-mail, giving them pro tips and even sharing with them one of her top clients, Matt, whose identity and safety she vouched for. But in true Kaycee Nicole / JT LeRoy style, it now turns out there wasn't any "Alexa", "Caitlain", or "Cathy". Outed by the anonymous blog Expose A Bro, combined with the anonymous twitter account @ExposingAlexa, the real story has emerged. Alexa was apparently a married middle-aged guy named Pat, not a student at SFSU, had no formal training from which to be sharing "advice" (or naked photos!) with those teenagers online, and he was the "client" that "Alexa" had sent to her protégées to sleep with... [more inside]
posted by Asparagirl at 9:03 PM PST - 183 comments

Body Doubles

Didn't Know What Love Was is video by Andreas Nilsson, for a collaboration by Bernard Sumner (lead singer of New Order), Hot Chip (previously), and Hot City. A little about the video here. [more inside]
posted by codacorolla at 8:59 PM PST - 13 comments

Beyond a Reasonable Doubt

I’ve spent the better part of the week serving as the foreman for a jury in a criminal case. As they tell you, you’re not allowed to talk about it with anyone, not even your fellow jurors, during the trial. As they also tell you, once the trial is over you can talk about anything you want. So, here goes.
posted by DarlingBri at 7:22 PM PST - 77 comments

What Good is Wall Street?

What Good is Wall Street? Think of all the profits produced by businesses operating in the U.S. as a cake. Twenty-five years ago, the slice taken by financial firms was about a seventh of the whole. Last year, it was more than a quarter. (In 2006, at the peak of the boom, it was about a third.) In other words, during a period in which American companies have created iPhones, Home Depot, and Lipitor, the best place to work has been in an industry that doesn’t design, build, or sell a single tangible thing.
posted by shivohum at 7:11 PM PST - 101 comments

Greatest actor of our generation? Of all time?

Nicolas Cage Losing His Shit. [more inside]
posted by Baby_Balrog at 6:08 PM PST - 112 comments

I'll get you Beer Baron... no you won't.

"When we started Windy City, it was a means to an end, because there wasn't a distributor in Chicago that wanted to touch craft beer," Mr. Ebel says. "We went around to bars and they said, 'Great beer. How many free cases can you give me?' We just had to walk out of those accounts, set a price, and stick to it. And nobody asks us that anymore." Pay-to-play contreversy in the Chicago beer scene, with appearances from a who's who of Midwest beermeisters: Tracy Hurst of Metropolitan Brewing Co., Deb Carey of New Glarus Brewing Co., the Ebel Brothers of Two Brothers Brewing Co., and Josh Hall of Goose Island Brewing Company
posted by d1rge at 4:19 PM PST - 30 comments

Juxtaposed Nightlife Cultures

Bar Portraits — Dignified gentlemen sit for their portraits in bars and cafes across Italy. Contrast that with The Waste Land, a series of intimate portraits of young intoxicated people, photographed during or after parties, festivals, and raves. Both are portrait projects of Piero Martinello. [more inside]
posted by netbros at 4:04 PM PST - 24 comments

BIRD CALLS and SONGS

BIRD CALLS and SONGS: A blog about the bird sounds of eastern North America and beyond. Featuring Nightjars, the Blackbird and Tits. (~v~)
posted by puny human at 3:46 PM PST - 5 comments

Oh, nein!

Kackel Dackel. Schweine Schwarte. Dino Meal. Fiese Fliegen. German game maker Goliath does not flinch from making sport of all aspects of the consumption-excretion cycle. [more inside]
posted by emjaybee at 2:39 PM PST - 20 comments

DO NOT WANT

If you thought fanbase reaction to The Last Airbender was negative, you ain't seen nothing yet. Warner Bros has announced a Buffy reboot with no involvement from Joss Whedon. There's an interview with the screenwriter here. [more inside]
posted by kmz at 1:38 PM PST - 223 comments

Goudou goudou

Filmaker, comics writer and Journalist Ann Nocenti, known for her run on Daredevil and being the creator of Longshot, now teaches film in Haiti. (More Ann Nocenti posts on posts on Hilobrow)
posted by Artw at 1:38 PM PST - 8 comments

What $200,000 in Student Debt Looks Like

Kelli went to Northeastern University and got loans to pay for her sociology degree. Her repayment schedule is featured in the article and it is not pretty. [more inside]
posted by reenum at 1:04 PM PST - 253 comments

Take Me To Your Sales Leader

Want to get your graphic novel made into a movie? As a last resort, try creating an actual graphic novel. Then, pay comic book stores to both carry it and sell it cheap (or give it away while still counting it as a sale). Once you've artificially climbed the sales charts, Hollywood will come-a-callin'. The story of how Cowboys & Aliens (has just about) made it to the silver screen. [Via gammasquad.]
posted by notmydesk at 12:36 PM PST - 61 comments

It's Warhol, actually. It's "hole." As in "holes." Andy Warhol.

Did you know that there's an art museum on the moon? A tiny, tiny one. The Moon Museum features works by Forrest "Frosty" Myers (the instigator), Robert Rauschenberg, Claes Oldenburg, Andy Warhol, David Novros, and John Chamberlain, inscribed on a little chip of silicon and surreptitiously transported to the moon's surface on the Apollo 12 mission. But of course there's a mystery, in this big of a secret: who is John F., the engineer at least partially responsible for smuggling the chip onboard the lunar lander? Related: other stuff people have left on the Moon (!)
posted by fiercecupcake at 11:45 AM PST - 19 comments

Mashup Breakdown interactively breaks down every sample used in Girl Talk's latest album

Mashup Breakdown interactively breaks down every sample used in Girl Talk's latest album "All Day"
posted by livejamie at 11:20 AM PST - 41 comments

Firebreather

Peter Chung, the animator who gave us Aeon Flux, The Maxx, The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury, The Animatrix: Matriculated and Reign: The Conquerer, has a new comic-to-film adaptation aimed at more mainstream audiences premiering Wednesday on Cartoon Network (US): Firebreather. Official Site. Trailer. (Caution: Some links in this post autoplay video) [more inside]
posted by zarq at 10:56 AM PST - 28 comments

This is the best post ever to appear on Metafilter.

Wasdale is a remote valley in the English Lake District. It boasts England's deepest lake, highest mountain, smallest church...and biggest liar. [more inside]
posted by reynir at 10:48 AM PST - 24 comments

Art In The Concrete Jungle. Graffit links, images and documentaries.

Sometimes us cubicle monkeys don't have time to get out into the concrete jungle to check out street art for ourselves. If you prefer moving pictures, check out the great 2007 documentary on graffiti art, Bomb It. It's online. When you're done there, you can check out more great images at Art Crimes and find images from your own corner of the urban sprawl at CityNoise.
posted by Stagger Lee at 10:29 AM PST - 2 comments

Your car makes you fat.

Yehuda Moon and the kickstand Cyclery is a three year old daily webcomic about Bicycles, advocacy, and beards. You'd probably want to start at The beginning.
posted by djduckie at 9:29 AM PST - 27 comments

The pulsing popularity of political parties in America over the previous passage of years

"Isarithmic maps are essentially topographic or contour maps, wherein a third variable is represented in two dimensions by color, or by contour lines, indicating gradations. I had never seen such a map depicting political data — certainly not election returns, and thus sought to create them".
posted by nomadicink at 9:26 AM PST - 20 comments

I meant the other thing.

We need to talk about your cat because your cat is pissing me off.
posted by Cobalt at 9:16 AM PST - 61 comments

Polygamy in Canada

Will Canada be the first developed nation to decriminalise Polygamy? After Charter challenges legalised orgies, prostitution (most recently "living off the avails"), same-sex marriages, non-sexual adult interdependent relationships, common-law marraiges and multiple legally recognised spouses in Saskatchewan, the West Coast is now hosting a unique reference case in B.C.'s superior court considering whether section 293 of the Canadian Criminal Code is legal under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. [more inside]
posted by saucysault at 6:27 AM PST - 118 comments

Harry Potter and the Attempted American Accent

The Economist presents the stars of Harry Potter trying to sound American. Via LL
posted by Dim Siawns at 6:05 AM PST - 140 comments

Six Drummers

Six Drummers. (YouTube) Courtesy of our local dumming guru. If you haven't been to a drum circle, you're missing out. Especially good on Mondays.
posted by yoga at 4:56 AM PST - 29 comments

November 21

Beau

Jimmy Stewart once recited a poem about his dog, on the Johnny Carson Show. It's an awwww moment... now...go pet your dog. I can't believe this hasn't been posted on Metafilter yet.
posted by HuronBob at 9:50 PM PST - 61 comments

Transgender Day of Remembrance

Yesterday was the Transgender Day of Remembrance. In the past year, at least 29 people have been killed out of transphobia. The vast majority were poor trans women of color. One was a baby, killed because the father perceived the child to not be masculine enough. It's almost certain that the real numbers of dead are much, much higher.
posted by jiawen at 9:34 PM PST - 38 comments

Peter Grudzien is the original New York gay country musician

Peter Grudzien lives in New York and makes psychedelic country music or at least used to, since only two albums of his material ever came out, The Unicorn in 1974, and The Garden of Love, which is mostly a collection of demos. His songs are varied, ranging from noise music to straight up country, and their subject matters are equally wide-ranging, from strange fare, such as lyrics about his clone being at Stonewall, to straight-up love songs. His best known original is probably The Unicorn, a beautiful song whose lyrics recast the early 70s New York gay demimonde in terms of a barren zombie-filled wasteland which will be reborn when the titular unicorn is found by the queen. Other songs on YouTube are White Trash Hillbilly Trick, New York Town and an instrumental cover of the Georgia Gibbs hit Kiss Me Another. Finally, here's a lovely cover of The Unicorn by Calgary folkie Kris Ellestad.
posted by Kattullus at 8:45 PM PST - 16 comments

Speed Is Life

The SR-71 Blackbird reconnaissance aircraft was designed to cruise at speeds in excess of Mach 3. But what's the slowest speed attainable by an airborne Blackbird?
posted by CrunchyFrog at 8:39 PM PST - 49 comments

GET BOAT

Meet the bastard lovechild of Zork, Choose Your Own Adventure, Silent Hill, and World of Warcraft: You awaken in Razor Hill. [more inside]
posted by Evilspork at 6:09 PM PST - 31 comments

No film is complete without the sound of breaking glass

Defenestration: The Movie
posted by bwg at 5:30 PM PST - 56 comments

13 strokes, seriously?

Calligraphy a new interactive story by Christine Sarah Love (previously) with a neat calligraphy rpg combat mechanic.
posted by juv3nal at 3:22 PM PST - 33 comments

An entire opera in sock form.

An entire opera in sock form. Although the opera has a happy ending, alas, the pictured sock seems to be unmated. Another opera sock: La fille du régiment. Apparently, she often creates "stitch patterns out of something very nearly approximating whole cloth." [more inside]
posted by amtho at 1:55 PM PST - 10 comments

"the public is positive, but they are judgemental."

Why Reality TV works.
posted by Artw at 1:29 PM PST - 84 comments

The Minor Fall, the Major Lift - an essay on gambling

The High Is Always the Pain and the Pain Is Always the High // Gambling addiction is a simple disease. Living the addiction is a bit more complicated. A chronicle of dependency in seven parts, by Jay Caspian Kang, about poker, Lolita, and how to lose $18,000 in 36 hours. [more inside]
posted by (Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates at 9:50 AM PST - 56 comments

We use nothing but free-range grapes

"The most important event in the history of wine." Boutique winemaker Bill Wertzberger announces a rather expensive new line of wine. "If you ever find a bottle of wine more expensive ... we will retroactively bill you for the difference, plus a few thousand dollars. Just to make sure that you have the most expensive bottle of wine in the world."
posted by woodblock100 at 1:40 AM PST - 32 comments

Julian Assange : Arrest Warrants Issued

Arrest warrants have been issued for wikileaks founder Julian Assange. He is wanted on suspicion of rape, sexual molestation and unlawful coercion - charges he denies. The warrants follow a detention order issued on Thursday by the Stockholm District Court after a request from Sweden's Director of Prosecution, Marianne Ny. [more inside]
posted by Ahab at 1:40 AM PST - 216 comments

November 20

Friend

"Friend" is a short comic that begs to be discussed. [more inside]
posted by Taft at 10:57 PM PST - 40 comments

Glock 21 Torture Test

How much abuse can a Glock 21 take? A lot.
posted by Joe Beese at 10:21 PM PST - 59 comments

Awaiting the hour of reprisal/Your time slips away (only 33 shopping days remain!)

Slayer. Christmas. SLAYER CHRISTMAS LIGHTS LIGHTORAMA. (yt)
posted by kittens for breakfast at 8:40 PM PST - 41 comments

Cowabunga, Dudes!

From the always reliable Monster Brains (previously) comes the crossover you've all been waiting for: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles vs. Predator. But wait, there's more (Google translation): Evil Candy Plans, Forbidden Bat-Love, an awesome batmobile, and lots of plain old what the fuck.
posted by gamera at 5:15 PM PST - 21 comments

Frosted Leaf Orion

Frosted Leaf Orion More from Masahiro Miyasaka: Firefly which looks at Milky Way ll Skunk cabbage in a galaxy ll ☆Christmas trees land☆
posted by puny human at 4:55 PM PST - 15 comments

Pop History

Renaissance Man (SLYT) Being One in a Series of Musical Videos wherein Man's History is Elucidated.
posted by khaibit at 3:23 PM PST - 7 comments

vortexlike wormhole of 20th-century American fiction

From the Mixed-Up Files of David Foster Wallace explores the late author's archive at the Harry Ransom Center. [more inside]
posted by jjray at 3:07 PM PST - 30 comments

Helpful Figures

Helpful Figures: Informative infographics on a variety of topics. For example, food: "There are many types of food, some of which are pies, the rest of which should be pies." And DNA: "Humans and computers share 95% of the same DNA."
posted by kmz at 2:50 PM PST - 17 comments

Turkish-Russian graphics at grafikerler.net

Vintage Turkish-Russian advertising posters and graphics | unusual matches and match head sculptures |marbling on grafikerler.net, a Turkish graphic design site worth exploring.
posted by nickyskye at 2:30 PM PST - 7 comments

Gentlemen, France limits enemy parties. Tonight truly barrels us deficits.

HINDSIGHT IS ALWAYS 20/20 is an information art piece. Artist/composer R. Luke DuBois [previously] manipulated the text of individual State of the Union addresses from each presidency, sorting the words according to frequency of use, to generate a Snellen eye chart for each President. [more inside]
posted by Herodios at 2:14 PM PST - 24 comments

Do bears still shit in the woods?

The Pope approves the use of condoms
posted by Artw at 12:27 PM PST - 178 comments

Iron Joss

In 2006, Joss Naylor ran 50 miles up and down seventy Lake District fells, ascending more than 25,000 feet in 21 hours. Not his best performance, but to be fair, he was 70 at the time. Cumbrian shepherd Joss Naylor (warning: Youtube link; Cumbrian accent, impossibly adorable sheepdog) is one of the greatest British athletes most people have never heard of, and perhaps the greatest competitor ever in a sport most people have never heard of either: fell-running. [more inside]
posted by reynir at 12:02 PM PST - 23 comments

¡No Pasaran, Mother Fuckers!

Scottish SF author Hal Duncan tells you It Gets Better. [Work Warning: carpet f-bombing] He has been blogging for a while about SF and social issues, including homophobia and cultural appropriation. A couple of short pieces and some audio files are available in the sidebar on the left of the blog, if you are inclined to check out his writing. If that's too much blog, here is an interview. [It Gets Better previously]
posted by GenjiandProust at 11:47 AM PST - 14 comments

Five minutes with...

Five minutes with AC Grayling, Alain de Botton, Brian Cox and Sir Terry Pratchett.
posted by philipy at 11:39 AM PST - 8 comments

iHub - Tech Incubator in Nairobi

Ushahidi (named after a Swahili word meaning "testimony") (previously) started as a volunteer project to map violence and has developed several crowdsourcing projects, including crowdmap.com. More recently, they have also helped create a tech incubator geekspace in Nairobi, iHub, which opened earlier this year. Another article about iHub with more details about how it works.
posted by rmd1023 at 10:50 AM PST - 3 comments

But You Wouldn't Want to Live There

Perhaps Rochester, New Hampshire isn't the most exciting place on Earth, but that doesn't stop whomever writes the police log.
• 3:12 p.m. — On Winter Street by Fisher fields, two boys battle, neither yields. But a crowd and both the bruisers, disappear before the cruisers.
• 10:32 p.m. — On Tonka Street, a woman asks a neighbor if he needs "to light up" his old Camaro every night as it shakes her trailer. His answer appears to be in the affirmative
• 4:30 p.m. — A pit bull's on the Common, when no dog should ever be
• 5:36 p.m. — Screams erupt on Lafayette, with tinkling glass. A fight? You bet.
posted by yerfatma at 10:47 AM PST - 58 comments

Here on the Battlefield

...and on the battlefield it ends.
posted by lauratheexplorer at 10:18 AM PST - 20 comments

A Faustian Bargain

A Faustian Bargain: perhaps the best defense of the humanities in higher education you will ever read in a peer-reviewed biology journal (or maybe anywhere). [more inside]
posted by activitystory at 5:56 AM PST - 89 comments

Collaborative Insanity

A provocative short essay on design education by Andy Retludge: If you emerge from university today with a web design degree, chances are rather slim that you’re employable as a user experience (UX) or web designer. Maybe you learned a lot of stuff; it’s just probably the wrong stuff. Congratulations, you’ve been defrauded. Hope it didn’t cost you or your parents too much.
posted by parmanparman at 2:55 AM PST - 57 comments

November 19

If Metafilter Were A Country, It Would Be Larger Than Swaziland

The website Sharenator introduces Webempires which aims to visualize every website on the web. [more inside]
posted by hippybear at 11:25 PM PST - 19 comments

Vegan No More

Vegan No More: For 3 years I built my entire life on the premise of veganism. It was my life’s passion, my guiding light. Being a vegan was everything to me. I believed my actions made me an animal rights crusader; I was saving lives, and changing the world. Now, I know otherwise. And now, after 2 full months of non-veganism, I can honestly say that I feel reborn.
posted by contessa at 7:27 PM PST - 327 comments

Get Your Pictures In

Big Picture's early picks from National Geographic's Photo Contest 2010. Photo contest main site, deadline for submissions Nov. 30.
posted by stp123 at 5:31 PM PST - 20 comments

Momus & Vampire Weekend

Momus & Vampire Weekend: Salty Hot Peanuts
posted by puny human at 4:02 PM PST - 21 comments

Like Democracy Itself, It Needs Defending

Long Live the Web — An impassioned plea to actively support openness on the Web from Tim Berners-Lee. [more inside]
posted by netbros at 3:54 PM PST - 8 comments

"People are so mean on the internet." - Complaints Choir of Chicago

The Complaints Choir phenomenon, started by the Finnish artists Tellervo Kalleinen and Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen, has spread all over the world since last we paid it any attention, from Birmingham to Helsinki, Hamburg, St. Petersburg, Poikkilaakso, Bodø, Penn State, Canada, Juneau, Gabriola Island, Sointula, Jerusalem, Melbourne, Budapest, Malmö, Chicago, Florence, Copenhagen, Vancouver (2), Philadelphia, Sundbyberg, Milano, Åland, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Rotterdam, Basel, Umeå, Ljubljana, Gdansk, Arizona State University, Washington, DC, Horace Mann School, Durham-Chapel Hill, Auckland, Toronto theatre students, Kortrijk, Cairo (2), St. Pölten, Maribor, Port Coquitlam, Ústí nad Labem, Columbus & Kauhajoki (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8). For more information, including a 9 step guide to forming your own complaints choir, go to the Complaints Choir website. Finally, here's the Singapore Complaints Choir, whose performance was banned by the Singapore government.
posted by Kattullus at 2:47 PM PST - 40 comments

My Immortal

My Immortal is an infamous piece of fanfiction by Tara Gilesbie that has the distinction of being the top Google result for "worst fanfic ever". It's a fascinating read, both for its unique turns-of-word (like when Draco and the author begin to "make out keenly"), and for how effectively it reveals the author's culture and insecurities — the way it alternates between denunciations of superficial "prep" culture and elaborate descriptions of its protagonist's wardrobe, its constant obsession with sex mixed with a squeamish aversion of any eroticism, and its desire, chapter by chapter, to both denounce its critics and to prove them somehow wrong. TVtropes, Urban Dictionary, and Encyclopedia Dramatica each debate whether the piece is sincere or satirical. "If it's fake," says UD, "it's complete genius; and if it's real it's total desecration of a perfectly good book/movie series."
posted by Rory Marinich at 2:17 PM PST - 82 comments

Bienvenue Dans Ma Vie

I hate hype. Gives me hives. Sends me right into a lather, when publicists write that so-and-so is "the next big thing" or "the next Mozart" or the "reincarnation of Jimi Hendrix". [more inside]
posted by infinite intimation at 1:44 PM PST - 43 comments

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

"Nobody else is making music this daring and weird." Kanye West's upcoming new album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, samples everyone from Bon Iver to Smokey Robinson and features guests like Elton John and La Roux. You may have already heard the album's first single "Power" (previously) or second single "Runaway" with its accompanying 35-minute short film, via his G.O.O.D. Fridays music project. Or maybe you've recently seen him rapping on a Delta flight, performing at Twitter HQ, or apologizing for some of his "most ridiculous on-air moments." Did I mention the banned album cover?
posted by Soup at 1:31 PM PST - 162 comments

Infinite Ocean

Infinite Ocean is "a sci-fi adventure about sentience, freedom, and the search for truth" (a point & click flash game) by Jonas Kyratzes. [more inside]
posted by juv3nal at 1:00 PM PST - 18 comments

Life is probably getting worse

"Affluence breeds impatience, and impatience undermines well-being." Avner Offer is the professor of economic history at the University of Oxford, and he is interested in the well-being of people and families in liberal market societies. His latest work, The Challenge of Affluence: Self-Control and Well-Being in the United States and Britain since 1950, is an empirical socioeconomic history of the effects that liberal and neo-liberal economics has had on happiness, relationships, and social welfare. Specifically, he argues that Reaganism/Thatcherism catapulted forward the ability to produce new goods and services, and to create the desire for them, far ahead of society's ability to cope. Reagan and Thatcher "smashed the family to pieces;" the result of market liberalism is societies of ever-more dissatisfied, atomized, unhappy communities of dual-worker consumerist families.
posted by r_nebblesworthII at 12:11 PM PST - 51 comments

...our consideration is limited to the present circumstances...

The case “touches issues of far-reaching significance,” Justice Anthony M. Kennedy wrote. Then he explained why the court would decide none of them. A definitive ruling should be avoided, he said, because “it might have implications for future cases that cannot be predicted.” [more inside]
posted by kipmanley at 11:55 AM PST - 20 comments

Tremble Under Boom Lights

Dirtbombs' drummer Ben Blackwell has created a map of Detroit of labels offering "vinyl releases throughout all eras". He also has a blog and participated in the SXSW panel "How to Make Money With Vinyl" (mp3) as an employee of Third Man Records.
posted by dobbs at 11:53 AM PST - 6 comments

The Case of the Vanishing Blonde

The Case of the Vanishing Blonde
After a woman living in a hotel in Florida was raped, viciously beaten, and left for dead near the Everglades in 2005, the police investigation quickly went cold. But when the victim sued the Airport Regency, the hotel’s private detective, Ken Brennan, became obsessed with the case: how had the 21-year-old blonde disappeared from her room, unseen by security cameras? The author follows Brennan’s trail as the P.I. worked a chilling hunch that would lead him to other states, other crimes, and a man nobody else suspected. [printer-friendly version; behind-the-scenes video; via]
posted by kirkaracha at 11:40 AM PST - 131 comments

Cinema Code of Conduct

Cinema Code of Conduct as collated by Simon Mayo and Mark Kermode, as read out on the radio this afternoon.
posted by feelinglistless at 10:01 AM PST - 37 comments

Right to bare arms

Michael was born without arms, yet he has managed to learn how to load and shoot a 1911 pistol. (SLYT)
posted by gman at 9:57 AM PST - 27 comments

Alvin Plantinga debates Stephen Law

Philosopher Alvin Plantinga discusses the evolutionary argument against naturalism with philosopher Stephen Law. Plantinga, now retired from his position at Notre Dame, is one of the most well known analytic philosophers of recent times. The podcast is targeted at a non academic audience and keeps things on a fairly basic level in non-technical language. Plantinga and Law conduct a congenial, mutually respectful discussion of the issue. Previously. [more inside]
posted by fleetmouse at 9:40 AM PST - 107 comments

The model rocket scene is getting ridiculous.

Order your 1:1 scale replica Space Shuttle model today! (Shipping not included. Replica will not fly)
posted by empath at 9:37 AM PST - 39 comments

The Automata Blog

The Automata Blog is packed full of interesting images, videos and information about all kinds of amazing automata, cool machines, mechanical music, orchestrions and kinetic sculptures. This month's focus is the history of vintage Japanese tin toy robots and the toy robot paintings by Steven Skollar.
posted by nickyskye at 9:30 AM PST - 6 comments

Chapter 007*

SLNPRA (Single Link NPR Audio) on the MGM bankruptcy. Will Bond succumb to a "lack of shelf space"? [more inside]
posted by mmrtnt at 9:18 AM PST - 16 comments

Tanks in Afghanistan

The U.S. military is sending a contingent of heavily armored battle tanks to Afghanistan for the first time in the nine-year war... Although the officer acknowledged that the use of tanks this many years into the war could be seen as a sign of desperation by some Afghans and Americans, he said they will provide the Marines with an important new tool in missions to flush out pockets of insurgent fighters. [more inside]
posted by Joe Beese at 8:56 AM PST - 91 comments

To make thy wax, takest thou first 4 parts of shellac, and place it in a pan over a heat of the second degree.

"On the other hand, a seal made of shellac shall also n'er serve, for that it is too intemperate and hard and will too easily break upon the lightest blow. And belike as not, it will not adhere to a paper when attached thereto, so that oftimes it would pop loose without any encouragement, and bear false witness against the messager." —The Manufacture of a Good and Faithful Sealing Wax, circa 1683. [more inside]
posted by usonian at 8:43 AM PST - 30 comments

Not a sport for gentlemen

Asian Games Cricket Gold for Pakistani Women Pakistan beat Bangladesh to grab gold in women's cricket at the Asian Games.
posted by bardophile at 8:10 AM PST - 10 comments

1938 Almanac for New Yorkers

Where will you be one week from today? "In this age of restless wanderings, how can you be certain where some urgent call may take you? What guarantee have you that a feeble cry in the night, a sudden emergency call, or a "date" will not summon you hurriedly to 431 Eighth Avenue?" [more inside]
posted by pollex at 8:02 AM PST - 11 comments

Pony Request

The Shetland Pony Grand Nationals (via) [more inside]
posted by SomeTrickPony at 7:57 AM PST - 16 comments

Abandoned Britain

Stephen Fisk runs a website called Abandoned Communities, which documents unsettled settlements around Britain. Some were huge, like Sarum, between (roughly) the eleventh and fourteenth centuries a royal city with its own cathedral, while some were never bigger than a few dozen people. There are places that have been swallowed by the sea, places that have been swallowed by London, and some that simply dwindled into nothingness. Some you may have heard of already, like St. Kilda or Capel Celyn (cofiwch Dryweryn!). There's also a handy map that links straight to any particular location, and collections of painting and poetry pertaining to these vanished places
posted by Dim Siawns at 7:46 AM PST - 10 comments

Possible pre-Columbian Native American gene found in modern Icelanders

An Icelandic company called deCODE genetics (previously) has found evidence, though not conclusive, that an unknown American woman traveled to Iceland, possibly against her will, as early the year 1000 but not later than 1700. She had offspring in Iceland with natives. 80 of her descendants are still extant in that country. This finding has been announced in a pre-print online publication of the American Journal of Physical Anthropology. The work involved explorations of mitochondrial DNA, which are frequently employed to examine humans' centuries-old lineages. One surprising result is that this lineage does not seem to line up with previously known Native American genetic markers, but the authors believe that the explanation above is "[more] likely" than this common ancestor being European or Asian. (Via Daily Mail.) [more inside]
posted by knile at 7:23 AM PST - 27 comments

Articles of distinction

If you are a fan of the quirky type fonts of a pre-digital era, you may enjoy "the" project, a whimsical little romp through the graphic yesteryear brought to you by the hound of lettering. (via Mira y Calla)
posted by madamjujujive at 7:12 AM PST - 7 comments

Rules never stop coming at you, they just get infinitely more nuanced.

You think it would be really fun to have sex with me. Because, I think you can tell from my posts, I’ll do anything. But maybe you can also tell from my posts that it’s a little bit weird. Because you know that I’ll say anything, too, but sometimes, I make you cringe.

I think I’m that way in bed, too.


What it's like to have sex with someone with Asperger's.
posted by shakespeherian at 7:07 AM PST - 105 comments

You would like us to tighten our belts. Instead, tighten your belts--or leave.

The Soviet Collapse "The document which effectively concluded the history of the Soviet Union was a letter from the Vneshekonombank in November 1991 to the Soviet leadership, informing them that the Soviet state had not a cent in its coffers."
posted by bitmage at 6:28 AM PST - 28 comments

RRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Every Arnold [Schwarzenegger] Scream from Every Arnold Movie (via) [more inside]
posted by zarq at 6:16 AM PST - 28 comments

All The Lonely People

"Every day there are untold millions of comments, texts, and online interactions. Millions. And each one says, I am here and I extend my consciousness to there. There might have been a time when humans were content to sit and simply be, like the goat I saw yesterday sitting contently in a patch of sunshine at the Lincoln Park Zoo. That time was long ago. We want the news. We want to chatter and gossip. We want to say "I am alive" in a billion billion different ways. And now here is internet, providing such an easy, easy way to do that."
posted by nomadicink at 4:48 AM PST - 34 comments

Yay, the clown's here!

Two commercial directors make a fake trailer for an 'Eli Roth' film called Clown. The actual Eli Roth finds out about it... and he likes it so much he is now producing an actual film version.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 3:48 AM PST - 34 comments

November 18

The UCF Cheating Scandal

University of Central Florida professor Richard Quinn uses highly-detailed analysis to accuse many of the students in his Strategic Management course of cheating on their midterm exam. Since posting his online lecture, 200 of the 600 students in his class have come forward to admit they cheated using testbank exam answers. While some are calling Professor Quinn a "folk hero", many students in the class are now complaining because they feel their professor has been dishonest about where he obtained the information for his exams. But Professor Quinn isn't exactly responding in student news sources to these complaints.
posted by SkylitDrawl at 8:52 PM PST - 173 comments

Whit Stillman returns

“People make a big deal about your time away from doing film,” I say. “It is a big deal,” he says. “It’s pretty bad.” After 13 years of silence and a half-dozen aborted projects, Whit Stillman has finished shooting his fourth movie, tentatively called Damsels in Distress.
posted by escabeche at 7:20 PM PST - 36 comments

Beaten, Bound, Burned

Echoing the brutality of the Matthew Shepard case, a Texas teenager blames his slaying of classmate Josh Wilkerson on unwanted gay advances. (He has also been charged with failing to identify himself and attempting to take a weapon from an officer.) While the "gay panic" defense is often considered something of a joke, it's clearly still very much alive.
posted by hermitosis at 7:04 PM PST - 52 comments

Tell the people about it!!!!

"The first grade boys are teasing me at lunch because I have a Star Wars water bottle. They say it's only for boys." (via) [more inside]
posted by lholladay at 5:39 PM PST - 106 comments

Nyanto mo Neko Darake (Cats of Many Varieties)

Nyanto mo Neko Darake (Cats of Many Varieties) is an exhibition in Kyoto featuring charming Edo-period (19th century) woodblock images of cats: playful cats forming themselves into the Japanese word for "blowfish," giant monster heads and skulls made of intertwining cats, ghost cats seeking vengeance. [more inside]
posted by shirobara at 5:35 PM PST - 6 comments

Kyle Gets Buckets

Kyle Gets Buckets. Kyle Singler, a senior on the Duke Men's Basketball team and the 2010 NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player, has become a Youtube sensation. The video has been featured on SportsCenter as well as on numerous websites. [more inside]
posted by pecknpah at 5:14 PM PST - 22 comments

In this case, reaching "Pork Nirvana" could be considered a threat...

What do you get when you combine two pounds of bacon with two pounds of Italian sausage carefully crafted into a woven log of artery clogging doom? The Bacon Explosion.
posted by quin at 3:40 PM PST - 92 comments

Don't go together like a horse and carriage...

Time Magazine (with commentary from Jezebel) look at the question - why would people get married in 2010? These are reports based on a Pew Research survey that complements results with findings from census data. [more inside]
posted by k8t at 1:49 PM PST - 98 comments

Avatar Activism, The Harry Potter Alliance, and Pop Culture Fandom as the gateway to Social Activism

Back in February 2010, Palestinian activists dressed up as Na'vi and Avatars to bring more attention to the weekly protests against the West Bank barrier. Video of the costumed protest was edited to blend with Avatar footage, to emphasize the protesters' message. In another pop-culture world, The Harry Potter Alliance have run campaigns that tie themes from the stories to real-world issues, in an effort to translate the energy of fans into energy to get active in civil engagement, including a a fundraiser in January that raise raised $34,000 to support Haiti relief efforts. These efforts have been labeled "Avatar Activism," as discussed in a a recent Le Monde diplomatique article and a related piece on NPR. [more inside]
posted by filthy light thief at 1:04 PM PST - 15 comments

Will who blend?

Will it Blend - Doctor Who and the Daleks
posted by Daddy-O at 1:02 PM PST - 25 comments

brains = [ brain1, brain2, brain3 ]

Ruby on Rails for Zombies
posted by Artw at 12:46 PM PST - 44 comments

Beyond the Black Rainbow

"Set in the strange and oppressive emotional landscape of the year 1983, Beyond The Black Rainbow is a Reagan era fever dream inspired by hazy childhood memories of midnight movies and Saturday morning cartoons." Trailer. [more inside]
posted by naju at 12:35 PM PST - 29 comments

A video interview with Cecilia Cassini, known as the world's youngest fashion designer.

A video interview with Cecilia Cassini, known as the world's youngest fashion designer.
posted by livejamie at 12:19 PM PST - 40 comments

The uneven waters of music rediscovery

Two unknown sonatas by Antonio Vivaldi have surfaced, which have collected dust and (doubtless) delighted the bugs for more than two centuries. This is the second find of Vivaldi compositions within a short time. A lost flute concerto has re-surfaced in Edinburgh and was performed earlier this fall. If we read closely, however, parts the flute concerto "Il Gran Mogol" were already known to the musical world. [more inside]
posted by Namlit at 12:02 PM PST - 7 comments

20 Things I Learned About Browsers and the Web

20 Things I Learned About Browsers and the Web (SLH5P) Warning: A modern browser is required. [more inside]
posted by purephase at 10:44 AM PST - 78 comments

Cam Newton

Even if you're not a college football fan, you may have recently heard of Cam Newton. That's because, apart from being the most exciting and dynamic college football player this year, Newton has been dogged in the press by accusations that, during the recruitment process, Newton's father tried to squeeze $180,000 out of Mississippi State coaches and boosters in return for his son's enrollment. Ultimately, Mississippi State declined the "offer" and Newton decided to enroll at Auburn where, he claimed, "the money was just too great." Newton is still playing for the undefeated Auburn Tigers, who are attempting a run at the national title. Additionally, Newton himself is seen as the front-runner in the competition for the Heisman Trophy. But until the NCAA wraps up its investigation and declares Newton ineligible, the decision of whether or not to play Newton is in the hands of Auburn. Some people think that regardless of what Auburn does, they are headed for ruin and a heap of trouble. What kind of trouble? The kind of trouble that involves the FBI, money laundering, gambling (and gambling fraud), collusion, and a conspiracy to funnel cash to players that would be unrivaled in modern sports.
posted by (Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates at 10:30 AM PST - 102 comments

Happy Birthday, Alan Moore

"Alan Moore is a writer and magician from Northhampton. He's a stranger to hairdressers and worships his very own god in his very own way, blurring the lines between religious belief, magic, and the power of the creative imagination. If you film him from strange angles, you can make him look very sinister." It is his fifty-eighth birthday. The beard is pushing 40. [more inside]
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 10:21 AM PST - 38 comments

"A Gift From the Heavens for Whisky Lovers"

During his unsuccessful 1908 attempt to reach the South Pole, universal badass Ernest Shackleton left five crates of Scotch whisky and two crates of brandy buried in the ice under the floorboards of his hut at Cape Royds. The crates were dug up in February, and conservators are working on ten of the 114-year-old whisky bottles, some marked with ‘British Antarctic Expedition 1907 Ship Endurance,’ with an eye on replicating the long-lost blend. [more inside]
posted by gottabefunky at 10:21 AM PST - 34 comments

Sir, we have a antimatter containment breach on deck 10!!!

Antimatter atoms produced and trapped at CERN [more inside]
posted by AElfwine Evenstar at 9:52 AM PST - 123 comments

MR PINK, MR WHITE AND BOTTOM

'This is the very odd story of the events that led to a horrific mass killing of Afghan civilians by coalition forces in August 2008.' 'It is the story of the Americans and the British striding into the fairy wood only to find themselves spun around so much by the Afghans that they do not know who is the enemy and who is a friend any longer. And they come out with a donkey's head. But on the way they kill 90 innocent people.' [more inside]
posted by VikingSword at 9:45 AM PST - 29 comments

Homage to Sportswomen of the Past

Vintage photos of women in sport. "At the turn of the last century women in the western world were finding a voice, both collectively and individually. As the Victorian era lapsed in to memory and the Edwardian Era commenced many women chose to pursue sports." [more inside]
posted by gman at 9:44 AM PST - 14 comments

All Righty Then

Tom Shadyac is the director of terrible but hugely profitable Hollywood films such as Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Nutty Professor, Liar Liar, Patch Adams, and Bruce Almighty. (We'll skip right over Dragonfly with Kevin Costner.) Then he had an epiphany, sold his mansion and private jet, shed his possessions, moved into a Malibu trailer park, and started giving away his money. [more inside]
posted by eugenen at 8:59 AM PST - 85 comments

National Book Award Winner Patti Smith

Patti Smith, best known as a singer-songwriter (whose lyrics have occasionally been collected into books of poetry) has won the National Book Award in Nonfiction for Just Kids, her memoir of the years she spent living with the late artist Robert Mapplethorpe.
posted by aught at 8:38 AM PST - 54 comments

Whip it good

'Neil Young' + The Boss + Willow Smith's "Whip My Hair" = A classic American ballad is born.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 8:04 AM PST - 45 comments

Good Rat

The subject of this week's This American Life, Schenectady, NY schools facilities director Steven Raucci was tried and convicted last year on arson and weapons charges after six years in which Raucci routinely exercised his power as union head, manager and close associate of the district heads to sexually harass, threaten and intimidate coworkers, including using explosives on enemies' cars and homes. Much of the district's investigative report is redacted.
posted by l33tpolicywonk at 7:45 AM PST - 42 comments

"A scene that celebrates itself has nothing to celebrate"

Cartoonist John Allison of (Bobbins, ScaryGoRound, and Bad Machinery fame) has posted his take on the current state of webcomics in the UK.
posted by Lentrohamsanin at 7:40 AM PST - 33 comments

Around the world in glance

The Boston Globe posts 50 photographs from around the globe showing protest actions in the month of November.
posted by artof.mulata at 7:17 AM PST - 11 comments

The Knick Killer

Harvey Araton wrote that basketball star Reggie Miller has "a mouth that can stretch as far as his jump shot range." He might be right. Once, in a game against the New York Knicks, Miller so taunted Knicks guard John Starks that Starks headbutted him. Starks was summarily ejected. That incident took place during Game 3 of the 1993 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals - a series New York would go on to win in 5 games. [more inside]
posted by kbanas at 7:03 AM PST - 46 comments

fffffffuuuuuuuuuuuu

Rage Guy started on 4chan as a way of expressing anger at mundane troubles. Hot Topic took the meme, mangled it, and put it on a shirt. But 4chan struck back: they declared that Rage Guy was now Race Guy [warning: irritating ironic racism] and that Hot Topic was supporting racism in youth culture. Today, Hot Topic announced they would be pulling their shirt from stores.
posted by Rory Marinich at 6:55 AM PST - 256 comments

Grab a Kleenex

Water” is a film about a young boy’s struggle to accept his fears, his mentally disabled father and his possible future duty. [more inside]
posted by querty at 5:25 AM PST - 4 comments

"It's never too early......"

A Public Service Announcement. Here are some sobering facts about the world today: Every day, millions of kids go to sleep having never been introduced to Chewbacca, and, worse, countless more think Greedo shot first. We here at Asylum want to make sure you and your child have an open and healthy conversation about Jar Jar and the differences between a "good trilogy" and an "uh-oh trilogy." So we've provided you with this, a PSA on talking to your child about Star Wars.
posted by Fizz at 5:04 AM PST - 37 comments

Unreal Estate

Man sells virtual space station for $635,000 in Entropia. Previously, same man buys virtual spacestation for $100.000.
posted by meech at 4:28 AM PST - 49 comments

My Art is about your seeing.

James Turrell works with light. His latest London exhibition Bindu Shards is booked out; which means you miss a mental orgasm. However Simon Collins has some photos.
Follows some more of James Turrell's work : -
Skyspace;
Bridget's Bardot;
A frontal Passage;
A 1999 interview;
James Turrell on flikr;
Previously;
more.
posted by adamvasco at 3:53 AM PST - 14 comments

Christian Bale Q+A

"You know the reason I picked this place? 'Cause it has nothing to do with my life. I never come here, ever. It's as far removed from any place that I would ever go to. And that's exactly why I chose it. 'Cause it has nothing to do with me." ESQUIRE versus CHRISTIAN BALE
posted by philip-random at 12:32 AM PST - 75 comments

November 17

Super Mamika

"A few years ago, French photographer Sacha Goldberger found his 91-year-old Hungarian grandmother Frederika feeling lonely and depressed. To cheer her up, he suggested that they shoot a series of outrageous photographs (en français, but I'm sure you can figure it out) in unusual costumes, poses, and locations. Grandma reluctantly agreed, but once they got rolling, she couldn't take the smile off her face."
posted by ocherdraco at 11:06 PM PST - 40 comments

Addicted to mad graffin'

Bliss N Eso - Addicted features some amazing stop-motion graffiti and just a pinch of NSFW language. The bonus is seeing how it was done.
posted by Raunchy 60s Humour at 10:22 PM PST - 6 comments

Lost In The Garden of the World

Lost In The Garden of the World is a documentary shot at the 1975 Cannes film festival. It contains interviews with Paul Bartel, Tobe Hooper, Steven Spielberg, Werner Herzog, Martin Scorsese and Dustin Hoffman.
posted by brundlefly at 9:52 PM PST - 3 comments

I was certain he'd never come home . . .

But that was [yesterday] is a flash game about learning to move forward.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 9:36 PM PST - 50 comments

Eeeeeeeeeeee...

Dogs don't understand basic concepts like moving: The adventures of simple dog and helper dog. [more inside]
posted by emilyd22222 at 8:09 PM PST - 92 comments

Stefan Zweig

Stefan Zweig (November 28, 1881 – February 22, 1942) was an Austrian novelist, playwright, journalist and biographer. At the height of his literary career, in the 1920s and 1930s, he was one of the most famous writers in the world. [more inside]
posted by Joe Beese at 6:55 PM PST - 8 comments

Subprime microcredit?

India's microcredit industry may be near to collapse [more inside]
posted by Forktine at 6:10 PM PST - 54 comments

Spell My Name with an M

Lisa Murkowski has become the first successful write-in candidate for the US Senate in more than fifty years. Lisa mounted a write-in campaign after she narrowly lost Republican nomination to Joe Miller, a candidate supported by the Tea Party faction of the Republican Party. Her campaign team ran this adorable spelling bee advertisement (also these) after Joe Miller demanded the exclusion of any ballots in which Ms Murkowski's name was misspelt.
posted by Joe in Australia at 5:02 PM PST - 113 comments

Mostly Not Guilty

The first former Guantánamo detainee to be tried in a civilian court was acquitted on Wednesday of all but one of more than 280 charges of conspiracy and murder in the 1998 terrorist bombings of the United States Embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. (SL NYT)
posted by bearwife at 4:42 PM PST - 73 comments

Let's Play Cars

Let's play cars.
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 2:55 PM PST - 23 comments

It happened to me that I drank one beer after another

Michael Jackson 1989 (not the singer, the beer guy) documentary about beer; pivo, bier, ale, in heaven there is no bier so we drink it here, Germany, California.
posted by Gratishades at 2:34 PM PST - 10 comments

How to REALLY play with the Millenium Falcon

Travis Stevens has created the ultimate guitar for Star Wars fans. While the Cargo Bay shows an impressive list of Star Wars-inspired musical gear manufactured by Fernandes Guitars, Stevens' one-of-a-kind instrument is... slightly different. [more inside]
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 1:47 PM PST - 14 comments

The Cthulhu Mythos, as drawn by children

David Milano, who ran an art project for a children's choir in the weeks before Halloween, exposes kids to the world of Lovecraft. We've seen students in higher education do this, why not elementary school kids?
posted by Apocryphon at 12:58 PM PST - 26 comments

"Do you carry Utne Reader's Digest?"

Magazine mashups at Panopticist.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 12:45 PM PST - 5 comments

The Adventures of Unemployed Man

It's a bird. It's a plane. It's unemployed... It's Unemployed Man. There was a snazzy flash feature on the main site, www.unemployedman.com, but it cost $20 a month and being unemployed, the authors couldn't afford it... Hence the main link to a preview thread on CNN. A comic about the Adventures of Unemployed Man and his heroic colleagues Wonder Mother, Good Grief, and Fellow Man.
posted by ShadePlant at 12:12 PM PST - 24 comments

T-shirts

Literally T-shirts. [more inside]
posted by chairface at 11:32 AM PST - 32 comments

Diseases of Affluence

Diabetes is overwhelmingly the most common cause of male impotence in the developed world. Men and women are designed to move, and when we do not, our immobility reduces us in every respect. A long, enjoyably rambling piece about urbanization, faux survivalist sailors, self-sufficiency, and the problems caused by the creeping spread of the modern Western diet and lifestyle. Also, the difference between Canadian and Afghani guts.
posted by r_nebblesworthII at 11:23 AM PST - 84 comments

Everybody hates cancer.

Ladies, do you love the idea of Movember but find yourself distraught that you can't directly take part? Well, mark your calendars for tomorrow, because that's the day you too can make a difference. [more inside]
posted by jbickers at 11:04 AM PST - 45 comments

Whatever happened to the heroes?

Dear Everett True, NME and Q don’t love music any less than you do… a revealing blog entry on the music press. From Collapse Board, who also do an awesome song of the day.
posted by Artw at 10:12 AM PST - 49 comments

Whoever Said Newspapers Can Never Return To Their Glory Days Never Joined A Korean Cult

Whoever Said Newspapers Can Never Return To Their Glory Days Never Joined A Korean Cult [via mefi projects]
An epic story of flower-selling, mass weddings, insane sex rituals, swashbuckling Cold Warriors, white supremacists and neo-segregationists, Barney Frank & Vince Foster, closeted gay Republicans and where the money goes when you order from a sushi restaurant…
posted by JHarris at 9:36 AM PST - 16 comments

Earth as Art

Wired has selected a few of their favourite "enhanced" images of Earth taken by the Landsat 5 and Landsat 7 satellites. [more inside]
posted by gman at 9:24 AM PST - 23 comments

made in china

Traditional patterns exquisitely turned into objects of little worth l car | tv | polo shirts by Li Xiaofeng | Twisted porcelain | The Porcelain War Museum and more by Charles Krafft | Manga Ormolu by Brendan Tang | Ming meets the tin can by Lei Xue. [more inside]
posted by nickyskye at 7:20 AM PST - 7 comments

A thousand words can improve an image

What Matters (Flash based) is a book published in 2008 combining imagery and essays to tell stories highlighting contemporary issues benefiting from both images and text. The book was edited and curated by David Elliot Cohen (Wikipedia) including 17 essays (TOC, pdf) covering such issues as the Price of Oil Addiction (pdf) and Shop till You Drop (pdf). The complete book is available for free as a series of PDF documents. [more inside]
posted by michswiss at 7:16 AM PST - 4 comments

Bike Parkour

Bike Parkour from Danny MacAskill
posted by the cuban at 7:06 AM PST - 54 comments

First living Medal of Honor recipient since 1976

Army Staff Sgt. Salvatore "Sal" Giunta became the first living recipient of the U.S. military's highest decoration since the Vietnam War on Tuesday when President Obama awarded him the Medal of Honor. [more inside]
posted by morganannie at 6:52 AM PST - 35 comments

The End of the World As We Know It

Change is coming. Get ready for tubeless toilet paper. Say good bye to craft projects. Some environmentalists say this is not the answer.
posted by Xurando at 6:04 AM PST - 65 comments

Where we're going we don't need...actually, we'd benefit from some attractive brick paving.

Tiger Stone is a Dutch company (site is in Dutch) which is promoting a technology which allows you to "print" 300-400 meters per day (roughly a mile every four days) of attractive brick roadway. [more inside]
posted by maxwelton at 2:28 AM PST - 32 comments

November 16

What History Looks Like

Photos of US soldiers and vets engaged in non-violent protest against "DADT" in front of the White House.
posted by bardic at 8:03 PM PST - 93 comments

We as a nation retain our sense of humor.

The Thirteenth Annual Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American humor was awarded to Tina Fey. Here is video of the PBS broadcast of the awards ceremony as well as Ms. Fey's complete acceptance speech.
posted by West of House at 5:35 PM PST - 78 comments

Mapping the Republic of Letters

Mapping the Republic of Letters is a cartographic tool designed by students and professors at Stanford that seeks to represent the Enlightenment era Republic of Letters, the network of correspondence between the finest thinkers of the day, such as Voltaire, Leibniz, Rousseau, Newton, Diderot, Linnaeus, Franklin and countless others. Patricia Cohen wrote an article about Mapping the Republic of Letters as well as other datamining digital humanities projects in The New York Times. The mapping tool is fun to play with but I recommend you read the blogpost where Cohen explains how to use Mapping the Republic of Letters.
posted by Kattullus at 5:22 PM PST - 15 comments

Poor Xenon. So noble, yet so alone.

Chemical Party (SLYT) [more inside]
posted by hanoixan at 4:57 PM PST - 25 comments

Luis Buñuel

Regarding Luis Buñuel (Criterion, 1:37, subtitled) "All my life I've been harassed by questions: Why is something this way and not another? How do you account for that? This rage to understand, to fill in the blanks, only makes life more banal. If we could only find the courage to leave our destiny to chance, to accept the fundamental mystery of our lives, then we might be closer to the sort of happiness that comes with innocence." -- Luis Bunuel, "In Curiosity" Bunuel wanted to rebel against the dogmatic structures of the Church that said, There is no salvation or grace outside the Church. He wanted a kind of Protestant surrealism in which grace was directly attainable like in Nazarin or Viridiana -- Carlos Fuentes "He is a deeply Christian man who hates God as only a Christian can and, of course, he's very Spanish. I see him as the most supremely religious director in the history of the movies." -- Orson Welles "I'd like to be able to rise from the dead every ten years, walk to a newsstand, and buy a few newspapers. I wouldn't ask for anything more. With my papers under my arm, pale, brushing against the walls, I'd return to the cemetery and read about the world's disasters before going back to sleep satisfied, in the calming refuge of the grave." -- Luis Bunuel
posted by puny human at 4:03 PM PST - 23 comments

On The Bro'd

On The Bro'd Every sentence of Jack Kerouac's On The Road, retold for bros.
posted by bhamrick at 3:20 PM PST - 60 comments

The Worlds Biggest Harry Potter Fan

This guy is really into Harry Potter
posted by jpdoane at 2:09 PM PST - 124 comments

Nine eyes, no brain

9eyes is a blog by Jon Rafman, featuring a collection of interesting images found on Google StreetView.
posted by flatluigi at 2:06 PM PST - 56 comments

Mauritanian shipwrecks

Some pictures from the world's largest ship graveyard at Nouadhibou in Mauritania (click 'here', then 'nouadhibou' in the Jan Smith link), or investigate it in Google Maps. Geographical Magazine has an explanation of how the graveyard came about.
posted by Dim Siawns at 1:47 PM PST - 22 comments

Multiply this by HOW MANY mortgages out there?

Dan Ekstrom is a guy who is in the right place at the right time. His profession? He performs securitization audits (Reverse Engineering and Failure Analysis) for a company called DTC-Systems. The typical audit includes numerous diagrams... The following flow chart reverse engineers the mortgage on the Ekstrom family residence. It took Dan over one year to take it this far and it clearly demonstrates what happens when there are too many lawyers being manufactured.
posted by Pirate-Bartender-Zombie-Monkey at 1:21 PM PST - 45 comments

Remember the seed-germ

Shortly before his 1924 death in penniless obscurity, architect Louis Sullivan was commissioned by the Art Institute of Chicago to produce his final work: A System of Architectural Ornament According with a Philosophy of Man's Powers, a series of intricate illustrations, unfolding diagrams, and accompanying descriptions outlining Sullivan's somewhat opaque aesthetic theories. In 2006, Giles Phillips interpreted these plates into a shape grammar of 23 rules with which Sullivan's elaborate forms may be distilled into a series of basic transformations. Moreover, he helpfully put the entire book online for your viewing pleasure. [more inside]
posted by theodolite at 12:44 PM PST - 18 comments

7. Look For "The Signs"

A rare video excerpt from 1994's Law Enforcement Guide to Satanic Cults [more inside]
posted by hermitosis at 10:54 AM PST - 198 comments

"He was capable of composing entire paragraphs in his head."

"He was capable of composing entire paragraphs in his head." Mark Twain's dictated autobiography available now, 100 years after his death, per his request.
posted by AugieAugustus at 10:12 AM PST - 33 comments

Connectivity and the Diffusion of Power

Google’s Eric Schmidt and Jared Cohen published this piece in the November/December 2010 issue of Foreign Affairs. It was a notable step up from the “Cyberspace and Democracy” article in the same issue. In any case, Eric and Jared address the same core questions I am writing my dissertation on so here’s my take on what they had to say.
posted by The Lady is a designer at 10:12 AM PST - 18 comments

Stuck in Logo Limbo

How Low Can Your Logo? "We are testing your capacity to willingly create that which you spend your entire life trying not to create: the worst logo ever." Read the brief or jump straight to the gallery.
posted by spiderskull at 9:51 AM PST - 46 comments

Abandoned Hobbiton from “Lord Of The Rings” taken over by sheep

Abandoned Hobbiton from “Lord Of The Rings” taken over by sheep.
posted by stbalbach at 9:41 AM PST - 56 comments

Is London Bridge Falling Down?

Here is an 80-gigapixel panoramic photo of London made from 7886 individual images. This panorama was shot from the top of the Centre Point building in central London, in the summer of 2010. [more inside]
posted by gman at 8:23 AM PST - 46 comments

I'm not familiar with that address. Would you please repeat the destination?

In 2007, City officials convened a group of stakeholders, including representatives of taxi drivers, owner and passengers, to create a set of goals for the next New York City taxi cab, a project called the Taxi of Tomorrow.
posted by Joe Beese at 6:50 AM PST - 40 comments

Snail Ball

The Geometry of the Snail Ball [pdf] - an interesting article (with some DIY advice at the end) about a toy shop curiosity you may have encountered.
posted by Wolfdog at 6:00 AM PST - 25 comments

Going Dutch

Going Dutch Considerations of gender (in)equality in the Dutch workplace. [more inside]
posted by modernnomad at 5:43 AM PST - 40 comments

I read the news today, oh boy

Well whadda ya know, the largest music retailer in the United States is about to start selling the Beatles. Bet you still won't be able to buy Lady Madonna without the piano, though, even though it kicks all kindsa ass without the 88 keys.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 1:23 AM PST - 253 comments

Lemme show you how to cook that.

Another kind of cookbook. For a couple years now, as evidenced by this old English cookbook, or this old French cookbook, or this even older Italian cookbook, recipes have been conveyed with language. Fitting with our age of copious visual information, Katie Shelly has made a cookbook using just illustrations. Eat your heart out.
posted by From Bklyn at 1:21 AM PST - 24 comments

Can you draw the internet?

Can you draw the internet? "So who's more imaginative, the creative industry or a bunch of 10 year olds?"
posted by nickyskye at 1:15 AM PST - 28 comments

November 15

Not worse or staying the same

It gets better - Lucy Knisley's webcomic contribution to the It Gets Better project (previously)
posted by Artw at 9:42 PM PST - 18 comments

He was my brother...

Andrew Goodman was a classmate and friend of Paul Simon. During the Freedom Summer of 1964, Andrew, Mickey Schwerner and James Chaney were arrested in Mississippi for speeding, and, after being released and encouraged to leave town, were shot by the KKK. The song is attributed to Paul Kane (AKA Paul Simon).
posted by HuronBob at 9:21 PM PST - 23 comments

James Blunt prevented World War III

While in Kosovo, singer James Blunt refused an order to attack Russian troops, "preventing World War III."
posted by kchiou at 8:26 PM PST - 61 comments

Pornoscan goes mobile

Thinking of not flying to avoid being scanned? Better not drive either: A breakthrough in X-ray detection technology, AS&E's Z Backscatter Van™ (ZBV) is a low-cost, extremely maneuverable screening system built into a commercially available delivery van. The ZBV allows for immediate deployment in response to security threats, and its high throughput capability facilitates rapid inspections. The system's unique "drive-by" capability allows one or two operators to conduct X-ray imaging of suspect vehicles and objects while the ZBV drives past. [more inside]
posted by 445supermag at 8:18 PM PST - 39 comments

Josephine and Frederick's grand adventure

Democratic Republic of Congo: Lubumbashi to Kinshasa. We made the decision to tackle this part of Democratic Republic of Congo when we were in Egypt. It would take us about 4 months to drive from Cairo down to the Zambia/DRC border. We immediately started our quest for information. It would soon become clear that very little information was available. We did not know of a single traveler that did this in the last 20 years. We knew of two who tried (both on motorbikes) in recent years. One crashed after a few days and got evacuated. The other got arrested and deported. Both didn't get very far. So we had to be creative and think of other sources of information. If there is one thing you can find anywhere in the world it is Coca-Cola. They should know how to get their goods in the country. We had no response via email, so we called them up. Their answer was pretty short: They do not have a distribution network outside the major cities in Congo. And it proved to be true, Congo is the first country we have visited were Coca-cola is hard to get once you leave the major cities. The moral of the story was: nobody knew anything about the road conditions.
posted by bluesky43 at 6:12 PM PST - 166 comments

A living post-mortem

Dead Homer Society is a Simpsons related blog that reviews the latest episodes of the show, provides quotes of the day, and perhaps most notably compares and contrasts segments between what the author terms "the Simpsons" and "Zombie Simpsons". [more inside]
posted by codacorolla at 6:00 PM PST - 75 comments

There's . . . Killebrew, and Gehringer, and Heilmann and Robinson.

The Periodic Table of Baseball Hall-of-Famers. [more inside]
posted by Copronymus at 5:48 PM PST - 10 comments

Is there a problem with Exchange Traded Funds?

A recent report (pdf) from the Kauffman foundation on Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) has suggested that these investment vehicles may be contributing to a number of problems in the stock market (summary, video). [more inside]
posted by pombe at 5:09 PM PST - 21 comments

It Still is The Sweet Life

2010 was the 50th anniversary of Fellini's La Dolce Vita. [more inside]
posted by Xurando at 5:01 PM PST - 13 comments

GAY PRIDE? WHAT ABOUT STRAIGHT PRIDE

Privilege Denying Dude is an Advice Dog/Courage Wolf/Pokeparents style meme that has enraptured Sady Doyle. Make your own on memegenerator.
posted by NoraReed at 3:29 PM PST - 129 comments

Magazine 60

'60s medley from French elecro-synth band Magazine 60, probably most famous for their 1985 hit Don Quichotte.
posted by puny human at 3:11 PM PST - 6 comments

Yet for some reason the machines always produce a beverage almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea

Japan is home to a lot of vending machines, some estimations placing one machine for every 23 people, and they're getting "smarter." In 2008, some cigarette vending machines had a digital camera with equipment to judge the age of the cigarette buyer, though relatively small magazine pictures could fool most of these new machines. In the last few months, JR East Water Business Co, a subsidiary of train operator East Japan Railway, has started to roll out high-tech vending machines that recommend a drink based on the users age and gender, using facial recognition technology and drink-preference data. [more inside]
posted by filthy light thief at 3:10 PM PST - 33 comments

Uncertain Futures

Uncertain Futures: Americans and Science Fiction in the Early Cold War Era [via Futurismic]
posted by brundlefly at 3:04 PM PST - 4 comments

Browser Experiments

Tolia Demidov presents browser experiments, illusions, puzzles, and... fun.
posted by netbros at 2:28 PM PST - 4 comments

The problem of powering paradise

Professor Brian Cox: "If there were an afterlife I would have to reconsider the engineering design of fridges with a very critical eye" The field of cessation thermodynamics considers how the hereafter might be powered - probably without 21 grams of human soul - and whether this may mean hell will freeze over. [more inside]
posted by rongorongo at 1:42 PM PST - 19 comments

using technology to show that government can work

Elizabeth Warren on setting up the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection - lecture starts here, but really starts getting good here: "I feel like this is a boring speech." stay for the Q&A.
posted by kliuless at 1:23 PM PST - 27 comments

Zed's dead, baby, Zed's dead

To the public in the wide world, she may be known mostly from two short scenes (1,2) in Pulp Fiction. Maria de Medeiros, however, has also played in a number of American, Spanish, Italian, Brazilian, Portuguese, British, French and Austrian movies, and is a critically acclaimed director. Oh, and she sings. Rather well.
posted by Skeptic at 1:16 PM PST - 22 comments

COICA still alive

The "Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act" (COICA) is back on the Judiciary Committee's schedule. This bill would create two blacklists (without due process) of domains which ISPs (in the USofA) would be forced to block, based on alleged copyright infringement. [more inside]
posted by morganw at 1:11 PM PST - 41 comments

Better a live goat than a dead one...

Two and a half million Muslims went on the annual pilgrimage to Mecca on Nov 14, 2010. The day after Hajj is celebrated as Eid-ul-Azha by Muslims all over the world. This year, in light of the flood aftermath in Pakistan, the Pakistan Animal Welfare Society is suggesting a substitute for the traditional animal sacrifice on Eid. [more inside]
posted by bardophile at 12:00 PM PST - 28 comments

The the real cost of Open Table

A glimpse into the business relationship between restaurants and Open Table . It is not the glowing review you were possibly imagining. This will probably make you think twice next time you go to use it.
posted by halseyaa at 11:57 AM PST - 98 comments

They serve their country in the closet

"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is an exhibit of photographs by Jeff Sheng that is currently on tour in the US. A sharp contrast to his previous work: Fearless, which highlighted young Canadian and US athletes who openly identify as gay, lesbian or transgendered, this new exhibition shows gay American servicemen who cannot, so they have been photographed in uniform with their faces hidden or outside the photo's frame to protect their anonymity. Flash Galleries: DADT 1, DADT 2. [more inside]
posted by zarq at 10:45 AM PST - 17 comments

Editing the Dead

Editing the Dead (Night Of The Living Dead recut as a youtube CYOA thingy)
posted by juv3nal at 10:34 AM PST - 5 comments

Stuffed Chipmunks

50 Pictures of Chipmunks Stuffing Food Into Their Mouths. That is all.
posted by nomadicink at 9:57 AM PST - 38 comments

Follow Me to the Hedge Clippers

Hgiyiyi (hgjhjh, hjhk) by JJJJ and JJJJJ, has been praised by reviewers as "more majestic than Aslan, more intoxicating than Rappaccini's daughter, and more magical than Abcar." But there has been some controversy about the translation, and some critics are angry: "Jjjj can just vdb off." [more inside]
posted by Potomac Avenue at 9:35 AM PST - 61 comments

ChexMix? What's ChexMix?

Days of Our PepsiBlue. Product placement in daytime TV makes the satire in Wayne's World look subtle. Also, it makes the regular dialogue in daytime soaps sound relatively natural and not at all scripted.
posted by jacquilynne at 9:12 AM PST - 106 comments

All the better to see you with, my dear...

Microsoft Kinect (née Project Natal) is sure to be a monster hit this season, and no surprise: Microsoft hopes to disthrone Nintendo's Wii and are supporting the platform with a $500 million marketing budget, larger than the marketing budget for the launch of the original Xbox. However, privacy experts are raising concerns over recent comments made by Xbox CFO Dennis Durkin at at an investors' conference:
“We can cater which content we present to you based on who you are,” Durkin said. “How many people are in the room when an ad is shown? How many people are in the room when a game is being played? When you add this sort of device to a living room, there’s a bunch of business opportunities that come with that.”
One example given was that the Kinect could identify sports jersey worn by players and deliver ads specific to their team. The Kinect platform works with its array of video- and infrared cameras, 3D depth sensors, and stereo microphones, all attached to a motorized platform which can follow players' movements. [more inside]
posted by 2bucksplus at 8:47 AM PST - 114 comments

A letter of love and acceptance

A Mountain I'm Willing To Die On A letter of a mother to her child about religion, love, and acceptance of who you are.
posted by antgly at 7:50 AM PST - 70 comments

Do you see what happens when you fight a stranger in the alps?

Dubbing over dialoge is a necessary evil for any network that wants to play a movie within their standards and practices. But it can often turn a crass, but cogent line into something outright bizarre. The Big Lebowski. Snakes on a Plane. Pulp Fiction. Die Hard 2.
posted by mccarty.tim at 7:45 AM PST - 59 comments

Bygone Mecca

In 1885, Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje took rare sepia-tinted photographs and sound recordings of Mecca. The exhibition will be on display at The Empty Quarter Gallery in Dubai.
posted by gman at 7:31 AM PST - 8 comments

Inspiring Photos of architecture, people and art from Istanbul and Turkey

Istanbul Photos If you love Istanbul like I do, and can't visit often enough, this is a fine place to get a virtual glimpse of all of it.
posted by sandrach at 7:06 AM PST - 9 comments

All Day

Just released a few hours ago, All Day is the newest album by mashup artist Girl Talk (previously).
posted by flatluigi at 6:33 AM PST - 122 comments

You want me to blow on your what?

Is wind power bad? Many people think so. Americans are by far the largest energy user in the world, so why all the backlash ?
posted by woodjockey at 12:43 AM PST - 129 comments

November 14

You are sitting in your chair, in front of you is a gray tablet that is not glowing.

Love interactive fiction? Love your Kindle? Have no net connection? Why not love them both at the same time offline!
posted by Cat Pie Hurts at 10:26 PM PST - 12 comments

Build it, and they will float

Hannu builds boats. Not a really unusual thing (though getting rarer as time goes on). However, he concentrates on small, simple, easy to build boats with as little material as possible. Some, like a 18' canoe built from one piece of plywood, are simply amazing.
posted by swimming naked when the tide goes out at 9:27 PM PST - 19 comments

"There is Sape only when there is peace."

The Congolese Sape is a photoessay by Héctor Mediaville on Sapeurs, a male subculture in the Democratic Republic of the Congo which is defined by its haute couture clothes. Blogger Eccentric Yoruba wrote a post for steampunk blog Beyond Victoriana on Sapeurs which was crossposted to Racialicious detailing the history of the movement and linking it to dandyism in general and explaining its political significance in the 70s, when it was championed by music legend Papa Wemba (live footage from the 90s and 70s).
posted by Kattullus at 7:19 PM PST - 23 comments

Richard Dawkins reads his hate mail. (SLYT)

"Would you please be so kind as to read some of your hate mail in that adorable British accent?" One of the questions asked of Dawkins in a recent Reddit AMA.
posted by Duke999R at 7:07 PM PST - 39 comments

Doctor of all things, master of none.

“It is my hope that this essay will initiate such a conversation. As for me, I'm planning to retire. I'm tired of helping you make your students look competent.”
posted by kipmanley at 5:45 PM PST - 234 comments

Wibbley wobbley livey wivey.

"On Monday morning, you can tell all your friends at school about this." Matt Smith makes a surprise appearance at the Doctor Who Proms 2010. (SLYT)
posted by jbickers at 4:55 PM PST - 44 comments

7 UP Un-Deer Commercials from 1970s

Lord of the Universe Do you remember the 7 UP Un-Deer commercials from the 1970s? This website has found audio recordings. "You just think I am sitting here cooling off my hoofies ..... wrong-o". I loved those commercials.
posted by butcher at 4:36 PM PST - 9 comments

My dad made one in art school and sure enough I was scared of it

Face jugs are a widely recognized indigenous Southern American style of folk pottery. (Although of course ceramics have been decorated with faces for nearly as long as people have made jugs vaguely in the same shape as heads.) American face jugs are said to have been made deliberately frightening so that they would keep little children away, allowing parents to keep the corn liquor safe in the jug, but there may have been other reasons. The tradition dates at least from the 19th century, and appears to have originated in the work of enslaved African-American potters. [more inside]
posted by Countess Elena at 3:19 PM PST - 20 comments

The Acrylic Age of Science Fiction

MANCHU Starships - wonderful old school SF paintings by French illustartor Philippe Bouchet.
posted by Artw at 1:30 PM PST - 30 comments

Bark, An Intimate Look at the World's Trees

The World's Most Beautiful Bark (Or: Trees Worth A Closer Look) l Photographer Cedric Pollet travels the world, barking up trees for a living l A little about the photographer l More of the beautiful images from his book and more.
posted by nickyskye at 12:17 PM PST - 10 comments

The Joy of Cycling

The Joy of Cycling , "Unfortunately [Transport for London] didn’t go for our take on the classic 70’s illustrated sex manual."
posted by furtive at 12:13 PM PST - 17 comments

Jaimie Mantzel's Giant Robot Project

Jaimie Mantzel has a dream: The Giant Spider Robot Project. First he needed some infrastructure; a Palacial Megadome (with trampoline floor) in the woods, his own hand made road, a Banana Building, and of course his own lumber mill. He also recently started the Adventure Builders Club for anyone else who likes building stuff. Whole lots more videos in his channel. via
posted by MetaMonkey at 11:57 AM PST - 17 comments

The World's Most-Viewed Image

Facebook needs a facelift. The Pros and Cons of Facebook's Design. A concept redesign by Bruce Mau Design. [more inside]
posted by azarbayejani at 10:56 AM PST - 57 comments

You Can't Beat the Axis if You Get VD

Ads that would never be allowed today. Van Heusen, yikes.
posted by vytae at 10:31 AM PST - 120 comments

Ted Koppel's critique of blatant bias in cable news

Ted Koppel: Olbermann, O'Reilly and the death of real news [more inside]
posted by Neekee at 9:33 AM PST - 140 comments

"It was frosty and there was a harvest moon."

The Coventry Blitz was seventy years ago today. The German Luftwaffe, in an operation they codenamed "Moonlight Sonata", bombed the city for over eleven hours, killing 600, injuring a thousand, and damaging or destroying over 43,000 homes -- just over half of the existing housing stock. The raid was so devastating that Joseph Goebbels later used the term Coventriert ("Coventrated") to describe a particularly satisfactory level of destruction. [more inside]
posted by tractorfeed at 9:20 AM PST - 35 comments

Everyone looks like shit

"You Look Like Shit" The Megacut.
posted by The Whelk at 8:49 AM PST - 19 comments

How would you solve the US deficit?

How would you solve the US deficit? Interactive US national budget calculator from the NYT.
posted by modernnomad at 7:02 AM PST - 100 comments

Cloudy with a Chance of Dude

Tagxedo: tag cloud with styles. Similar concept to Wordle, but with much greater customisation and word control. [more inside]
posted by bwg at 6:23 AM PST - 8 comments

Multpile-LYT

12 Fun Hacks for Getting More Out of YouTube Via Mashable All Your Youtube-Hack Needs in 1 Easy Location! 1. TubeReplay. 2. Dragontape. 3. YouTube Doubler. 4. SynchTube. 5. infiniTube. 6. Splicd. 7. TubeChop. 8. YouCube. 9. MixTube. 10. YouFlow. 11. QuieTube. 12. YouTube TestTube. Some tubes have been listed previously.
posted by Fizz at 4:23 AM PST - 23 comments

November 13

"Last year at the World Cup, there were broken bones."

Tomorrow in New York City, the Quiddich World Championship will be decided. Invented in 2005, Muggle Quiddich is now played at hundreds of high schools and colleges around the world. Forty six teams are meeting this weekend for the fourth annual world championship. [more inside]
posted by Maastrictian at 8:14 PM PST - 99 comments

Kaggle

Kaggle hosts competitions to glean information from massive data sets, a la the Netflix Prize. Competitors can enter free, while companies with vast stores of impenetrable data pay Kaggle to outsource their difficulties to the world population of freelance data-miners. Kaggle contestants have already developed dozens of chess rating systems which outperform the Elo rating currently in use, and identified genetic markers in HIV associated with a rise in viral load. Right now, you can compete to forecast tourism statistics or predict unknown edges in a social network. Teachers who want to pit their students against each other can host a Kaggle contest free of charge.
posted by escabeche at 5:46 PM PST - 10 comments

The Circular Jump is a White Hole

Circular jumps (previously) form when you turn on your tap and the water lands in a thin circular disk with a raised lip. Jannes et al have now shown that circular jumps are examples of hydrodynamic white holes: waves can escape the jump, but not enter it. [more inside]
posted by jjray at 4:55 PM PST - 19 comments

Trains, the future, and the past

The US government is trying to blow life into the railroad's passenger services which have been declining since WWII because of production stops during the war, and government sponsoring afterward going primarily to air travel and roads. Meanwhile the French SNCF is going public in catching up with its dark past, in order to get a piece of the investment cake.
posted by Namlit at 4:08 PM PST - 111 comments

Inside Job

Charles Ferguson's cogent & enraging presentation of the financial meltdown may be best viewed in a theatre that serves beer. (YMMV) So if the financial system crisis in the last 3 years or so has you scratching your head, there are helpful diagrams on the website, & surprisingly equal party blameworthy interviews in the film. There are also helpful pdf's and good guy/bad guy lists for teaching about it. And once you leave the theatre, there's a place to read & talk about the film, and there's even a place with a list of what you can do. (Which is also open to suggestions for more things you can do.) An interview with film director Charles Ferguson from Oct 1, 2010 on NPR. Previously-ish.
posted by yoga at 3:41 PM PST - 11 comments

Ireland Bailout

The Republic of Ireland is in preliminary talks with EU officials for financial support, the BBC has learned. Q&A: Irish bond crisis.
posted by (Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates at 1:30 PM PST - 58 comments

Paws for Purple Hearts

... it's terribly important for veterans to feel they are continuing a mission that held them together through the violence and stress of war. "PTSD carries a stigma, that you're broken and wounded," said Yount, "And many guys have guilt for not still being in the fight. The idea of Paws for Purple Hearts is you can be part of the war effort while you're getting treatment."
posted by Joe Beese at 1:29 PM PST - 17 comments

The Voyager Interstellar Record, Remixed by Extraterrestrials

In 1977, NASA launched the Voyager 1 & 2 spacecraft, fastening to each a phonograph album containing sounds and music of Earth. If the best calculations are to be believed, one of these records was intercepted and “remixed” sometime in 2005 by extraterrestrial intelligences on the edge of our solar system. Ladies and Gentlemen: the Voyager Interstellar Record, Remixed by Extraterrestrials.
posted by muckster at 11:46 AM PST - 14 comments

Let's Harvest the Organs of Death Row Inmates

Let's Harvest the Organs of Death Row Inmates [more inside]
posted by Daddy-O at 10:07 AM PST - 99 comments

Old Fangs

Old Fangs - a lovely but sad cartoon about a young wolf confronting his father, whom he has not seen since childhood. [more inside]
posted by hackwolf at 8:55 AM PST - 8 comments

A wolf, a sheep, and a cabbage need to cross the river...

A Riddle: A wolf, a sheep, and a cabbage need to cross the river. How can you bring them across, one by one, without the sheep eating the cabbage, nor the wolf eating the sheep? [more inside]
posted by Gator at 7:51 AM PST - 68 comments

Fun maps

Movies by state (version 1) (version 2). Plus Television shows by state.
posted by morganannie at 7:43 AM PST - 46 comments

"Poetry is still beautiful, taking me with it."

A memoir of living with a brain tumour: "For art critic Tom Lubbock, language has been his life and his livelihood. But in 2008, he developed a lethal brain tumour and was told he would slowly lose control over speech and writing. This is his account of what happens when words slip away." [more inside]
posted by zarq at 7:03 AM PST - 11 comments

Also, Michael Bay to helm reboot of My Dinner With André

Uwe Boll is no stranger to MetaFilter. You remember the time he said he'd retire if a million people asked him to, the time he challenged his critics to boxing matches and the halcyon days when he had only three movies in the IMDB Bottom 100 (he now has five). Now he has turned his attention to a project he feels he is uniquely qualified for: Auschwitz. [more inside]
posted by ricochet biscuit at 7:00 AM PST - 86 comments

Borderline Bill

A cartoon dog explains Borderline Personality Disorder and how it affects day to day life. [more inside]
posted by Lord_Pall at 6:50 AM PST - 47 comments

Refreshingly blunt

America: The Grim Truth [more inside]
posted by knz at 6:29 AM PST - 126 comments

It's alive!

Frankenstein Film Stills, a Flickr set. [more inside]
posted by brundlefly at 12:49 AM PST - 12 comments

Accio Nerd Cred

Daniel Radcliffe sings "The Elements". Sadly it seems there's not a lot of Tom Lehrer fans in the audience. [more inside]
posted by kmz at 12:19 AM PST - 55 comments

November 12

Kovalchoke and the salary cap

100 million just doesn't get what it used to... Ilya Kovalchuk becomes the poster boy for irony in the NHL. [more inside]
posted by lumpenprole at 10:01 PM PST - 54 comments

James Frey’s Fiction Factory

James Frey (previously) wants to create the next Harry Potter or Twilight sensation. And he's hiring an army of anonymous starving authors to write it for him under somewhat unusual terms. Veteran publishing attorney Conrad Rippy said he's never seen anything like it:
It’s an agreement that says, “You’re going to write for me. I’m going to own it. I may or may not give you credit. If there is more than one book in the series, you are on the hook to write those too, for the exact same terms, but I don’t have to use you. In exchange for this, I’m going to pay you 40 percent of some amount you can’t verify — there’s no audit provision — and after the deduction of a whole bunch of expenses.”
posted by scalefree at 4:29 PM PST - 177 comments

Laugh your tuches off

Judd Apatow made a public service announcement for the American Jewish World Service that won't be shown on TV, and not just because it's five minutes long. AJWS is a quiet but powerful force for good in the world. The organization was among the first on the ground and continues to help rebuild in Haiti, post-tsunami India, and many other places around the world. This is its 25th year of philanthropy and humanitarian aid (and its president's 70th birthday).
posted by yiftach at 4:15 PM PST - 34 comments

For Science!

Ray Ardent, Science Ninja (FFN) [more inside]
posted by Alex404 at 3:57 PM PST - 2 comments

The Cliche Family in Televisionland

Meet the Cliche Family (very briefly nsfw) "...it was made around 1965 as an in-house joke at an ad agency" Via
posted by frobozz at 2:57 PM PST - 41 comments

The Wonderful World of Babel

Unlike many cinematic exports, the Disney canon of films distinguishes itself with an impressive dedication to dubbing. Through an in-house service called Disney Character Voices International, not just dialogue but songs, too, are skillfully re-recorded, echoing the voice acting, rhythm, and rhyme scheme of the original work to an uncanny degree (while still leaving plenty of room for lyrical reinvention). The breadth of the effort is surprising, as well -- everything from Arabic to Icelandic to Zulu gets its own dub, and their latest project, The Princess and the Frog, debuted in more than forty tongues. Luckily for polyglots everywhere, the exhaustiveness of Disney's translations is thoroughly documented online in multilanguage mixes and one-line comparisons, linguistic kaleidoscopes that cast new light on old standards. Highlights: "One Jump Ahead," "Prince Ali," and "A Whole New World" (Aladdin) - "Circle of Life," "Hakuna Matata," and "Luau!" (The Lion King) - "Under the Sea" and "Poor Unfortunate Souls" (The Little Mermaid) - "Belle" and "Be Our Guest" (Beauty and the Beast) - "Just Around the Riverbend" (Pocahontas) - "One Song" and "Heigh-Ho" (Snow White) - "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo" (Cinderella) - Medley (Pinocchio) - "When She Loved Me" (Toy Story 2) - Intro (Monsters, Inc.)
posted by Rhaomi at 2:42 PM PST - 31 comments

Ninja Tune: 20 Years in the Technicolor Escape Pod

September 2010 marked 20 years of Ninja Tune, the independent label formed by the duo known as Coldcut. Starting with an album by the duo that they released under a different group name, the small UK label has since spiraled out to include three separate imprints (plus an artist-specific mini-label), with an extensive collection of singles, EPs and albums from an ever-growing list of artists. More history in words, music and video awaiting inside... [more inside]
posted by filthy light thief at 1:50 PM PST - 52 comments

Aaaaaaaaarrrrrrrgggggggggggghhhhhhhh!

Zombigotchi: a wee short for a new iphone game by Finkbom. Directed/Animated by Mikey Please's inner 12 year old and produced by James Botey. In Zombigotchi one can: pet, punish, feed, & play. Make your own.
posted by Fizz at 1:35 PM PST - 4 comments

truth hangs by a hair

A DNA test has proven that a man was executed for murder by the State of Texas on the basis of false forensic evidence. [more inside]
posted by hat at 1:34 PM PST - 99 comments

Leopardi's "Infinity"

"L'infinito": Infinity. Infinity. Infinity. Infinity. Infinity. Infinity. Infinity. Infinity. Infinity. Infinity. Infinity. Infinity. Infinity...
posted by Iridic at 1:24 PM PST - 8 comments

Skateistan, the film

Skateistan - To Live and Skate in Kabul (9:16) is a short documentary based on the work of the NGO Skateistan (previously), who provide lessons in skateboarding, environmental health, information technology, art and language to hundreds of boys and girls in Kabul, Afghanistan. (via) [more inside]
posted by Ufez Jones at 1:23 PM PST - 5 comments

So you bought an idea?

Performance art in the marketplace, courtesy of the Financial Times. The MOMA takes a stand.
posted by artof.mulata at 11:57 AM PST - 18 comments

Coal Without Carbon

Dirty Coal, Clean Future
To environmentalists, "clean coal" is an insulting oxymoron. But for now, the only way to meet the world's energy needs, and to arrest climate change before it produces irreversible cataclysm, is to use coal—dirty, sooty, toxic coal—in more-sustainable ways. The good news is that new technologies are making this possible. China is now the leader in this area, the Google and Intel of the energy world. If we are serious about global warming, America needs to work with China to build a greener future on a foundation of coal. Otherwise, the clean-energy revolution will leave us behind, with grave costs for the world's climate and our economy. (more here and responses here, here and here)
posted by kliuless at 11:33 AM PST - 49 comments

The Insanity Virus?

New research hints that schizophrenia and other mental illness may be caused by "endogenous retroviruses" stored in our DNA and activated by common infections such as CMV, toxoplamosis, or the flu
posted by T.D. Strange at 10:01 AM PST - 97 comments

Small digital cameras, the web and the crowd.

With video cameras becoming increasing smaller, cheaper and ubiquitous, questions are arising about the use of them on multiple levels, from governments monitoring their citizens, to private citizens keeping an eye on government and each other. [more inside]
posted by nomadicink at 9:18 AM PST - 82 comments

It's time to play the music!

There's a new Muppet Movie in the works. Jason Segel will be writing, starring, and co-directing the film, along with James Bobin (Of Ali G and Flight of the Conchords fame). Earlier this month, casting announcements began to trickle out: Zach Galifianakis, Jane Lynch, and Lady GaGa are all said to be making appearances in the film. Alan Arkin and Michael Cera have purportedly both been offered roles as well. The film is set to open next Christmas.
posted by schmod at 8:49 AM PST - 59 comments

That darn cat!

Scientists have finally discovered tyhe physics of how cats drink.
posted by Daddy-O at 8:36 AM PST - 50 comments

Winners Never Quit.

One of the greatest movie satires you almost never saw, Norman Lear's first stab at film making sat for two years before its 1971 release. Shot on location in Greenfield, Iowa, it featured a who's who cast of television comedy, [more inside]
posted by timsteil at 8:33 AM PST - 25 comments

Excitement grows in Burma as Aung San Suu Kyi's release nears.

Aung San Suu Kyi is expected to be freed tomorrow.
posted by xowie at 8:17 AM PST - 29 comments

Tragedy Transposed, The Sounds of HIV

There is no question that HIV is an ugly virus in terms of human health. Each year, it infects some 2.7 million additional people and leads to some two million deaths from AIDS. But a new album manages to locate some sonic beauty deep in its genome. Sounds of HIV (Azica Records) by composer Alexandra Pajak explores the patterns of the virus's nucleotides as well as the amino acids transcribed by HIV, playing through these biologic signatures in 17 tracks. [more inside]
posted by infinite intimation at 8:06 AM PST - 20 comments

R.I.P. Henryk Górecki

Composer Henryk Górecki, known for his choral and orchestral works in the "sacred minimalist" style, has died. He was best known for his Symphony #3, "Sorrowful Songs," (YT sample) premiered in the U.S. in 1994. Górecki's Symphony #4, scheduled to premier in 2010, was postponed because of the composer's extended illness, will not be completed.
posted by aught at 7:08 AM PST - 65 comments

Motor Booty

Detroit's Greatest Hits (That Should Have Been) Here we've compiled our very own Top 40 list of Detroit songs or albums that were overlooked or undervalued — which naturally includes, to a lesser extent, the overlooked or undervalued artists who created them. These are songs that not only give up the goose bumps, or teach us something that we didn't already know, but records that hook us and make us want to share them.
posted by louche mustachio at 6:58 AM PST - 28 comments

satire didn't bring down Hitler

In his unedited, fifty-minute interview with Rachel Maddow, Jon Stewart explains what's wrong with MSNBC, why you shouldn't say Bush is a war criminal even if it's "technically true," why the real political fight in the U.S. is not Republican vs. Democrat or left vs. right but corruption vs. non-corruption, and how the real point of the Rally to Restore Sanity (previously, previously) was to show that he has no actual influence, credibility, or power.
posted by gerryblog at 6:39 AM PST - 222 comments

F*** Lyndon Johnson and wash the dishes.

English sentences without overt grammatical subjects. SLTF (Single link text file). NSFW (not even remotely). Via.
posted by notsnot at 5:53 AM PST - 68 comments

Twitter Joke Trial

Back in May this year, British Twitter user Paul Chambers was found guilty of sending a 'menacing electronic communication'. The communication in question? A Twitter update written when stuck at an airport, saying the following: "Crap! Robin Hood airport is closed. You've got a week and a bit to get your shit together otherwise I'm blowing the airport sky high!!" [more inside]
posted by Catseye at 5:01 AM PST - 73 comments

Wooorms innnn spaaaaace

Remember Worms? Well, Funky Pear (the guys who made playing golf in space fun) has another version of that, but the worms are replaced with guys in space suits, and the landscape is now a small planetary system. Use gravity to sling your rockets around planets, and build up the damage multiplier. Play Gravitee Wars. Warning: addictive. [more inside]
posted by Old'n'Busted at 5:00 AM PST - 20 comments

We Join Together to Battle Velvet

"I came to this beautiful hall in a soiled subway car, but I might as well have travelled in a grand carriage. As I walked down the street I drew sidelong glances. 'Who is this man,' they seemed to say. 'A man at home where-ever he travels. A man of refinement. A man of elegance. A man of corduroy.'" An address to the Corduroy Appreciation Club (previously) by MeFi's youngamerican Jesse Thorn.
posted by l33tpolicywonk at 4:28 AM PST - 56 comments

Matt Taibbi strikes again

Matt Taibbi strikes again. Having gone after the investment banking industry, incidentally attaching a description to Goldman Sachs in ways their PR machine is still trying to peel off, his latest article in Rolling Stone illuminates the pervasive fraud at the heart of the foreclosure scandal. [more inside]
posted by pharm at 2:18 AM PST - 97 comments

We REALLY haven't had a Blue Man Group post in eight years?!

"Once you have established yourself as an icon in your field, it is important that you pay tribute to some of the great rock legends that came before you. This kind of gesture will create the illusion that you are still humble and serve as a preemptive strike against anyone who has noticed what a callous and delusional ass you have become."
posted by Rory Marinich at 1:03 AM PST - 18 comments

November 11

And you're gettin' there fast.

Race to Nowhere (trailer) is a documentary film by first-time director Vicki Abeles that discusses her perception that the US education system has become "obsessed with the illusion of achievement, competition and the pressure to perform. Cheating has become commonplace, students have become disengaged, stress-related illness, depression and burnout are rampant, and young people arrive at college and the workplace unprepared and uninspired." [more inside]
posted by Phire at 11:14 PM PST - 18 comments

You saw this post coming

An eight-year, extremely large study (p = 1.34 × 10-11) has found statistically significant results that point towards a human capability for precognition. Reviewers for the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology are puzzled by the paper but cannot find any flaws in its methodology. Is this confirmation of the fluid nature of time? Or is it simply another candidate for the Journal of Irreproducible Results?
posted by shii at 10:50 PM PST - 97 comments

Dear Rupert Murdoch, We have cameras.

A charity auction whose grand prize was a business lunch with Fox News owner Rupert Murdoch has been won by David Brock. Brock is the CEO of Media Matters, a group consistently critical of Murdoch.

Auction site Charity Buzz described the auction as a "once in a lifetime chance" to sit with Murdoch "face to face over a friendly lunch and get his feedback firsthand on your proposed business ideas." It said it was valid for a total of six people and would be held in New York at a "mutually convenient" time with Murdoch covering the cost of lunch. "Winner will be subject to security screening and background check," it stipulated.
Media Matters founder and chief executive David Brock expects the lunch to go ahead. "I look forward to this opportunity to have a friendly lunch with Rupert Murdoch, along with five of my invited guests," Brock said in a statement. "I will soon contact Mr. Murdoch's office to determine a mutually convenient time and place in New York," he added.

posted by Jon_Evil at 10:46 PM PST - 32 comments

Bribery or Needed Motivation?

Baltimore area schools are using this Johns Hopkins program In an effort to combat rampant absenteeism and improve graduation rates, several Baltimore area middle schools are adopting the Stocks in the Future program developed by Johns Hopkins University program. Students are paid up to $80 a year based on their attendance and grades, which they are then allowed to invest in the stock market. Upon graduation, students keep their own portfolios (surprisingly, not all of them do). The program allows students to develop some financial literacy and has improved attendance rates.
posted by foxinsocks at 8:57 PM PST - 15 comments

PanzerBlitz

PanzerBlitz is a tactical-scale board wargame of armoured combat set in the Eastern Front of the Second World War. The game is notable for being the first true board-based tactical-level, commercially available conflict simulation (wargame). It also pioneered concepts such as isomorphic mapboards and open-ended design, in which multiple unit counters were provided from which players could fashion their own free-form combat situations rather than simply replaying pre-structured scenarios. (related)
posted by Joe Beese at 8:14 PM PST - 35 comments

Gimme an "S!"

Founded by former Philadelphia 76ers cheerleader Darlene Cavalier, Science Cheerleaders is a squad of cheerleaders from professional sports teams who have gone on to have careers in science-related fields. Now they break out the pom-poms to cheerlead for science and challenge the stereotypical image of female scientists. [more inside]
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 7:58 PM PST - 47 comments

Bear Chases Bison on a Highway in Yellowstone

Amateur Photographer Captures a Grizzly Bear Chasing a Bison Down a Highway in Yellowstone [more inside]
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 6:46 PM PST - 81 comments

Face to Face with the Animal Kingdom

In the search to find this year's European Wildlife Photographer of the Year, the German Society of Wildlife Photographers has compiled a collection of the most spellbinding moments caught on camera in the natural world.
posted by Obscure Reference at 6:06 PM PST - 21 comments

"Too Asian?"

Maclean’s Magazine ('Canada’s only national weekly current affairs magazine') publishes an annual edition ranking Canadian universities. In this year’s issue, with strong showings of Asian student populations at the top schools, an article asks, whether Canadian universities are “Too Asian”? [more inside]
posted by typewriter at 4:14 PM PST - 77 comments

Lest we forget

"A pious, peaceful man, York had fought his country's enemy only after great deliberation and had to be convinced that war was sometimes necessary."1 On this day let us remember Sergeant York.
1 Celluloid Soldiers: The Warner Bros. Campaign Against Nazism By Michael E. Birdwell.
posted by unliteral at 3:13 PM PST - 14 comments

High-Speed Rail off-track in Ohio

Depending on who you ask, Ohio's C3 Railroad project is either a) a conventional railroad project that's going to restore slow rail service between Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati or; b) it's a visionary initiative of President Obama and Transportation secretary, Roy LaHood, that has the intention of rebooting Ohio's entire infrastructure. [more inside]
posted by vhsiv at 3:06 PM PST - 49 comments

You think it’s cuddly but it will tear your insides out

Pulp's Common People - the great class-based song of the 90s?
posted by Artw at 2:05 PM PST - 117 comments

Goodbye to pedophilia guide

The disappearing act of a pedophilia how-to on Amazon shines a spotlight on Amazon's shaky content guidelines.
posted by morganannie at 1:47 PM PST - 67 comments

Agustín Víctor Casasola

Slaves of the moment: "The Mexican Agustín Víctor Casasola, with the intermittent help of his brother Miguel, began to set up around 1900 one of the most important photographic archives for the history of a country. However, the international recognition of these almost 500,000 photos has not matched its importance. Born in 1874 and raised in the years of the Porfirio Díaz government, Agustín Casasola was a direct witness to all the adversities that led to modern Mexico, and breathed as nobody else the air of a country and a city that developed during the first third of the 20th century at a runaway pace."
posted by puny human at 1:36 PM PST - 8 comments

Why Do They Rock So Hard?

"Whatever happened to Suburban Rhythm? Why did Ed and Scott quit? Please don't go, Suburban Rhythm! All the other bands are just shit." So goes the (many versions of) the song "S.R." by a little ska band called the Reel Big Fish. [more inside]
posted by ApathyGirl at 1:17 PM PST - 39 comments

History of Western Philosophy Influence Charts

History of Western Philosophy, illustrated in huge scroll-down timelines. Kevin Scharp at OSU made these, based on work by Randall Collins, and they are great. Includes the influence of the Muslim world. He also has separate diagrams on a few specific issues, eg paradoxes, theories of truth, etc. This link goes to his fast-loading index page, where you can click to load the (big) charts. [more inside]
posted by LobsterMitten at 12:07 PM PST - 43 comments

Consider Humanism

Consider Humanism. You'd be in good company.
posted by GernBlandston at 10:09 AM PST - 148 comments

We don't need Jodie, we've got Hopkins!

He's Now in the Great Screening Room in the Sky Dino de Laurentiis has passed on, aged 91. Over 150 films produced. He gave this young guy a second chance after this bomb. One of his movies had the best Haniball Lektor/Lector ever. He worked with Fellini, Pacinio, Redford, Schwarzenegger, Bridges, (Jeff), Raimi, and Fonda, (Jane). Goodnight, sweet prince of cinema.
posted by jettloe at 10:07 AM PST - 52 comments

Some might characterize this debate as fairly sophomoric.

Tweets of Anarchy and Replying with the Enemy: A look at television showrunners' Twitter feeds by Myles McNutt.
posted by shakespeherian at 7:38 AM PST - 20 comments

How to wrap a cat

Thinking of giving that special someone a cat for Christmas? Well, you need to know how to properly wrap it for placement under the yule tree. Thankfully, there's a handy instructional video for that.
posted by NoMich at 7:23 AM PST - 38 comments

Just Add Liver Hearts and Rasians

Can't think of what to make for Thanksgiving? How about Marilyn Monroe's secret stuffing recipe.
posted by Xurando at 6:21 AM PST - 26 comments

it keeps on Rick Rollin...

35 hours of video are uploaded every minute to YouTube. (SLYTBP)
posted by allkindsoftime at 5:34 AM PST - 39 comments

Hooping!

Can a hula hoop make you cool? Philo Hagen of hooping.org makes a visual arguement for yes. [more inside]
posted by kthanksbai at 5:23 AM PST - 38 comments

The porpoises were unavailable for comment.

"I woke up out of sight of land," the 84-year-old actor told reporters. "I started paddling with the swells and I started seeing fins swimming around me and I thought 'I'm dead!'" Dick Van Dyke rescued by porpoises (SLGA).
posted by fight or flight at 5:15 AM PST - 67 comments

Apple’s Tablet Computer History

Apple’s Tablet Computer History - A collection of beautiful prototype designs for some of Apple's early tablet computers from the 1980s and 90s, including the famed Newton [ related | via ]
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 2:02 AM PST - 25 comments

November 10

I also posted this on my wall

A Life on Facebook [Video]
posted by Taft at 10:55 PM PST - 45 comments

He's just behind you.

A few weeks ago, we attempted to shoot a short film. But when we got the footage back, there was clearly something very wrong.
posted by boo_radley at 9:36 PM PST - 53 comments

Can you imagine 50 people a day, I said 50 people a day? Friends, they may think its a movement.

Nov. 24 is National Opt-out Day from airport back-scatter scanners Time to call BS on TSA's kabuki theater of airport security: "As public anger grows over the TSA's body scanners and intrusive new airport pat-down procedure, a Web site is urging travelers to "opt out" from the body scanners and instead choose to have a pat-down in public view, so that everyone can "see for themselves how the government treats law-abiding citizens." OptOutDay.com declares November 24 to be the day when air travelers should refuse to submit to a full body scan and choose the enhanced pat-down -- an option many travelers have described as little short of a molestation."
posted by TDIpod at 8:51 PM PST - 363 comments

My entire life screams that I have a Jewish neshama

"'What are the laws?' he said, explaining his decision to adhere to the Orthodox level of observance. 'I want to know the laws. I don’t want to know the leniencies. I never look for the leniencies because of all of the terrible things I’ve done in my life, all of the mistakes I’ve made.'"
posted by griphus at 6:05 PM PST - 42 comments

Break Out The Rye Bread, Heaven.

Dave Niehaus, the longtime play-by-play announcer for the Seattle Mariners, has passed away at the age of 75. [more inside]
posted by The Hamms Bear at 5:55 PM PST - 35 comments

WARNING: THIS RECIPE IS NOT KOSHER.

"Late Night Bacon", a recipe by Rachael Ray. With reviews.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 5:23 PM PST - 159 comments

"They're not enemies, but frenemies."

Complex China-U.S. currency issue explained in bizarre news animation. "Need a primer on the issues? Check out our US-Sino Currency Rap Battle, featuring Chinese president Hu Jintao and American president Barack Obama. China has mad stacks of US Treasury debt and fears America will inflate its way out the hole by weakening the greenback further. The US, on the other hand, says China is keeping its currency artificially undervalued to protect its exports. It's a battle for the ages. And everything you need to know about US-Sino trade relations can be learned right here."
posted by Fizz at 5:05 PM PST - 27 comments

I'm taking that word back and it's delicious

Faggot. Michael Procopio, food writer, chef, sometime waiter, makes mincemeat out of his least favorite word.
posted by w0mbat at 3:59 PM PST - 38 comments

Gravity sucks

A 275 tower slated for demolition ... falls the wrong way. The former Ohio Edison Mad River Power Plant’s 275-foot tower was demolished, but fell the wrong way, snapping power lines and destroying buildings. No one was hurt. But the MSNBC video shows that maybe Take Your Daughter to Blow Up the Tower at Work Day was a bad idea.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 3:51 PM PST - 74 comments

Draft recommendations from the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform

In a surprise move, the co-chairs of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, former Clinton Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles and former Senator Majority Whip Alan Simpson (R-WY), held a press conference today - three weeks in advance of the due date for the Commission's final report - to announce their draft recommendations on how to reduce the federal budget deficit. [more inside]
posted by Joe Beese at 12:11 PM PST - 123 comments

Arlington Ladies: A Little More Personal Touch to the Military Funeral

An Arlington Lady does not cry. An Arlington Lady is not a professional mourner. She is not a grief counselor, according to their strict Standard Operating Procedure. She is there simply so that somebody is. But before the Arlington Ladies, there was Gladys Rose Vandenberg, wife of Gen. Hoyt Vandenberg. Starting in 1948, she was a constant attendant, sometimes the only one to join the the chaplain and the honor guard. Her dedication spread to others and to other branches of the US armed forces, and continues to this day. [more inside]
posted by filthy light thief at 11:55 AM PST - 59 comments

Edward Tufte is having a yard sale

Edward Tufte, patron saint of information visualization, is auctioning off his sizeable library of rare books, including major works in the history of science and statistical graphics. Christies auction catalogue is available for your perusal. First edition Isaac Newton, anyone?
posted by krunk at 11:30 AM PST - 35 comments

Hold on; It's getting complicated.

Mehmet Ali Agca who tried to assassinate Pope John Paul II in 1981 was released from Prison earlier this year and has now alleged in a Turkish TV interview that the Vatican government had masterminded the move. Originally Agca, who was a member of the Turkish Grey Wolves laid the blame at the door of the Bulgarian Secret Services. Agca's Grey Wolf colleagues were involved in some interesting and nefarious business. Meanwhile the crazy is running strong. (related).
posted by adamvasco at 11:04 AM PST - 25 comments

Warning: Cigarettes are addictive.

The FDA has unveiled new graphic warnings for cigarette packages, including for the first time images that might depict dead bodies, cancer patients and diseased lungs. You can see all 36 new images here. (13MB PDF). [more inside]
posted by Mister Fabulous at 10:06 AM PST - 185 comments

Epic

This site depicts REAL things said to me (or at least near me) by customers in the comic book shop that I work in. These are real people. This is what they look like and this is something that they actually said.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 9:54 AM PST - 108 comments

"In a place like this, you have to keep your front up all the time, but not with Milo."

"When I arrived here, I had nothing to lose." Explains 'Bear'. "When you have nothing to lose—you can get yourself into a lot of trouble. When I got my first cat, it changed me. There is something about holding a cat that makes your anger melt away."
posted by Evilspork at 9:43 AM PST - 52 comments

A 1963 blue police box

Meanwhile in the TARDIS - two bonus ‘mini-episodes’ from the fifth season of doctor who. Can't wait to see the next season? If you're overseas it may get to you a bit quicker, as the BBCs iPlayer goes international. Bonus link: Amy Pond by way of Alphonse Mucha, by Bill Mudron.
posted by Artw at 9:36 AM PST - 61 comments

Mapping proximity by transit time

Mapnificent shows you how far you can get on public transit (warning: slow to load in some browsers) in a given time in 17 cities around the world. Explanation. Video.
posted by enn at 9:21 AM PST - 16 comments

I've Got a Good Feeling About This

Caitlin Burke solved a 27 letter puzzle having seen only one letter revealed on the November 5 episode of Wheel of Fortune. Many are saying it was a miracle or dumb luck, but could it have been the work of a master puzzle solver?
posted by reenum at 8:29 AM PST - 135 comments

There are always three sides to the story...

Peter Taylor (wiki) is a British journalist and documentary maker. In the late nineties, he published three books looking at the troubles in Northern Ireland from the perspective of the three main elements involved. These were turned into three documentary series. Provos: The IRA and Sinn Fein [episode 1, part 1], Loyalists [episode 1, part 1], and Brits: The War Against the IRA [episode 1, part 1] are available in 52 parts on the YouTube channel of user 26and6equals1.
posted by The Ultimate Olympian at 8:06 AM PST - 10 comments

what is this i don't even

“What is this thing supposed to be? Damned if I even know. It weighs about 6 pounds and it is a horse with seven different dogs painted on it. I don’t own dogs or cats, I’m allergic to them. And I have never been on a horse in my lifetime." Celebrate the holidays with Why Did You Buy Me That. Or why not check out this (Previously) to get even more inspiration?
posted by mippy at 8:06 AM PST - 67 comments

Invasion of the blue UFOs!

“It’s weird. You only see this type of stuff in movies. Just as long as we're here, I'm sure there are other things somewhere." In the past couple of months, strange blue lights have been appearing over towns across the USA: Anaheim, College Station, and outside of Washington DC. Many UFO buffs and conspiracy theorists believe this to be a part of an alien agenda to force the US Government to disclose alien existence, or perhaps a plot by NASA to overthrow all the world's religions. [more inside]
posted by smoothvirus at 7:22 AM PST - 52 comments

Finally someone says it.

The College as a Philanthropy
posted by bardophile at 5:36 AM PST - 53 comments

My F*$#ing Bush!

A dispute outside a shoe store in Livingston, New Jersey, between a skater and the store's owner is posted to YouTube. [NSFW language] Now the fight has spread to the store's Facebook page and Google listings. [more inside]
posted by Ljubljana at 3:15 AM PST - 177 comments

Minecraft: Live Action Role Play

Gary Bigham, pro-LARPer, releases the first known Minecraft LARP. Spoiler - creepers are jerks.
posted by Happy Dave at 1:46 AM PST - 106 comments

School Ball Bigots: Not Just for the Southern States

''I don't think it's appropriate they feel discriminated against, and I'm very upset they feel that,'' "After inviting friends to her home for ''pre-drinks'', [Hannah Williams] stood on her doorstep and watched her classmates file into the darkness to attend one of the highlights of the school year. Instead of joining them, Hannah took off her heels and black dress and went to bed...A few weeks earlier a teacher had told the year 11 student she couldn't attend the dance with her 15-year-old girlfriend, Savannah Supski. She was asked to bring a male instead."
posted by rodgerd at 1:27 AM PST - 64 comments

November 9

The Nine Circles of Dell

A fine way to remove unwanted hair is to wrench it violently from your scalp. To facilitate this, try reading Dell Hell (Part 2), in which a sad soul descends into madness at the virtual hands of Dell's customer service. It's a companion piece to a 2005 series of Dell Hell deranged scribblings.
posted by Kraftmatic Adjustable Cheese at 8:24 PM PST - 100 comments

a novel in five lectures, like 24, but more in less

Karen, Rick, Luke and Rachel are four people marooned in an airport lounge sometime in the very near future. The price of oil goes through the roof, and a kind of apocalypse takes over the world- or at least the world that they can see through the windows of the bar and on the crackling, intermittent news reports. Thick ash falls from the sky. The taps are dry. Cellphones don't work. Sealed in, the four can only talk to each other, examine their lives and the meaning of love, and try to confront their own demons. There is no turning back, they realise. [more inside]
posted by infinite intimation at 8:07 PM PST - 21 comments

"I realized that I was in probably in the greatest sweets shop I shall ever find."

"It had a sign outside it saying Museum of the Americas, but no one ever visited it. Anyway, so he opened this door, turned on the lights one by one, and the sight that met my eyes is something I shall never, ever forget because instead of a congregation of people in this disused church, it was a congregation of portraits." Philip Mould, an art expert and a host of the British version of Antiques Roadshow, describes an early business trip where he met Earle Newton. Newton's home grown Museum of the Americas, a collection of over 300 rare 17th- and 18th-century English and American portraits, was housed in a nondescript church on the side of a road in rural Vermont. The collection, later valued at over nine million dollars, became the Earle W. Newton Center for British and American Studies at the Savannah College of Art and Design upon Newton's death. [via]
posted by jessamyn at 8:03 PM PST - 14 comments

"The result was horrible, so I put it on YouTube."

YouTube user Pallomember loves scary European death metal. But sometimes he wonders, wouldn't scary European death metal be improved with a dash of Lady Gaga?

Yes. Yes it would.

vs Meshuggah: Bleed-A-Razzi | vs Behemoth: Ov Fire and Bad Romance | vs Soilwork: Bricklover [more inside]
posted by Errant at 7:43 PM PST - 31 comments

We have always been here

This might not be the best named Tumblr blog ever, but the content, vintage photographs of gay and lesbian couples, makes up for it. Some photos mark the extraordinary events in life, such as these reunited WW2 sailors, while others present a slice of everyday life.
posted by girl scientist at 7:28 PM PST - 38 comments

whither US action on climate change?

With half of the new GOP Congressmen affirmed climate science deniers,and facing opposition even within his own party, President Obama has acknowledged that "cap and trade" legislation on US carbon emissions is dead. Regulation of emissions by the EPA appears to be the only way forward. Republicans are seeking to nobble that option, while Karl Rove thinks that "climate is gone" from the political landscape. Thankfully, according to John Shimkus, God has promised no more climate change, so we're all right then.
posted by wilful at 5:35 PM PST - 149 comments

Keeping up with the Joneses

The Bateses of Tennessee are just behind the Duggars of Arkansas. Not even close to the 18th century Vassilyevs though.
posted by vidur at 5:22 PM PST - 68 comments

"I knew that tuna-eating lizard was useless."

"The Science of Godzilla," by Tetrapod Zoology [more inside]
posted by brundlefly at 5:13 PM PST - 16 comments

"You can get here by bus!?"

Want to get to that town in the next state on the cheap? Sure, there's Greyhound, but it's hardly a bargain at $32 for a journey from Seattle to Portland. When you really need to save the cash, use Epic Transit Journeys wiki to plot your route entirely on local transit carriers, allowing you to get to Stumptown for only $11.50 and a paltry five transfers. For a truly epic journey, cross international borders for the trip to Vancouver, BC, which includes a lovely 2.9 mi stroll across the border. Oran Viriyincy's travelogue of this trip includes lots of photos of buses and trains, and the border official's shocked reaction.
posted by grouse at 4:50 PM PST - 42 comments

This is my favourite part!!

3 year old Jonathan conducting to the 4th movement of Beethoven's 5th Symphony (SLYT)
posted by Alex404 at 4:33 PM PST - 31 comments

I got your preorder bonus right here!

Pikachu pans? Xbox boxers? Metal Gear Mountain Dew? Stranger things have happened! It's still new, but Game Swag may soon be the definitive source for info on weird video game crap. [more inside]
posted by danb at 4:04 PM PST - 12 comments

“When you look at a cupcake, you've got to smile.”

Dudes With Beards Eating Cupcakes .
posted by Fizz at 3:46 PM PST - 56 comments

"When celebrities inflict their hobby"

2002: Conan O'Brien disses former talk show host Alan Thicke for playing guitar with the house band on the first "Thicke of the Night" show: [more inside]
posted by iviken at 3:38 PM PST - 51 comments

Here There Be a Tyger

Deep in the forests of Russia’s Far East, the last Siberian tigers are under siege by runaway logging and poachers who get paid $30,000 per carcass. One tiger decided to fight back. [more inside]
posted by mreleganza at 3:34 PM PST - 17 comments

"Suddenly, I'm relevant again"

Jack Levine, Realist Artist, Dies at 95. Mr. Levine burst onto the American art scene in 1937 with a scathing triple portrait remarkable for its bravura brushwork and gleeful vitriol. Titled “The Feast of Pure Reason,” it depicted a police officer, a capitalist and a politician seated at a table, their bloated faces oozing malice and evil intent. His painting Cain and Abel hangs in the Vatican. Upon his discharge from service he painted Welcome Home, a lampoon of the arrogance of military power; years later the painting would engender political controversy when it was included in a show of art in Moscow, and along with works by other American artists, raised suspicions in the House Un-American Activities Committee of pro-Communist sympathies. You can see some of The Complete Graphic Work of Jack Levine (1984) via Google books. Online gallery.
posted by chavenet at 2:51 PM PST - 12 comments

Wild plants of Japan

Various Japanese plants (and fungi) spring to life in Omni/ScienceNet's "Action Plant" series of time-lapse videos shot in Kōchi prefecture.
posted by gman at 2:46 PM PST - 3 comments

"The whole world turns upside-down in 10 years, but you turn upside-down with it." -- Spider Robinson, 1977.

The Power of the Internet : Flash Mob Gone Wrong ... a story about how the cool things we love about the internet, combined, can go horribly, horribly wrong, by Tom Scott. From Ignite. (via (via)) [more inside]
posted by crunchland at 2:02 PM PST - 49 comments

The Canonical List of Weird Band Names

Elvis and the Shitheads From A Box of Fish with Tartar Sauce to Zulu Leprechauns, the list you know and love
posted by bhb at 1:22 PM PST - 40 comments

New England Webcomics Weekend

New England Webcomics Weekend was this past weekend in Easthampton, MA. It brought together many top names in the art of webcomics -- a form that may have at last grown distinct from its print-comics progenitor. A fine excuse to introduce you to (or remind you about) the sites of these hilarious, daring and innovative artists. Hyperlink omnibus enclosed... [more inside]
posted by damehex at 1:14 PM PST - 18 comments

98 year old refrigerator

"Nobody wants your pumpernickel bread." Kool Keith dispenses some kitchen wisdom.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 12:57 PM PST - 66 comments

A Leisurely Stroll To The End Zone

The Driscoll Middle School team was down 6-0 near the end of the third quarter of a championship game when the quarterback pretended that the officials mis-marked the ball that it needed to go five yards further down field. So he picked up the ball and calmly walked through the defense. Then he ran 67 yards for the touchdown. [more inside]
posted by analogue at 12:18 PM PST - 176 comments

HIT POST AND FLAME OUT

FREAK OUT AND BREAK THINGS A poster-maker toy for you.
posted by The Whelk at 12:09 PM PST - 73 comments

The Realist Archive Project completed

The Realist Archive Project (previously) is now complete. The Realist, edited and published by Paul Krassner, was a pioneering magazine of "social-political-religious criticism and satire" in the American countercultural press of the mid-20th century. Although The Realist is often regarded as a major milestone in the underground press, it was a nationally-distributed newsstand publication as early as 1959. Publication was discontinued in 2001.
posted by Joe Beese at 12:05 PM PST - 6 comments

DRUNK SCIENCE!

DRUNK SCIENCE! Or, a short story about time travel, evolution, and ska. (SLYT, NSFW language, brief pedobear imagery) [more inside]
posted by Strange Interlude at 12:04 PM PST - 9 comments

CQ DE H2O

Liquid antenna turns sea water into signal. "The US Navy has created a device which turns a jet of sea water into an impromptu liquid antenna, creating a powerful, high frequency broadcast tower for ships, emergency situations and easy transportation." [more inside]
posted by mykescipark at 10:18 AM PST - 42 comments

Andrew Shirvell Fired

MeFi Followup: Remember Andrew Shirvell? He got fired yesterday. Via. [more inside]
posted by BigLankyBastard at 10:13 AM PST - 136 comments

Underwater Human Reef

The camera comes upon an artificial coral reef of human bodies, surrounded by fish Jason deCaires Taylor is an artist who makes life size sculptures of people out of materials designed to encourage the growth of coral reefs. Then he sinks them. Then the fish arrive. His project "La Evolucion Silenciosa", located off of Isla Mujeres, Mexico is a striking combination of the eerie with the serene.
posted by Geameade at 9:46 AM PST - 33 comments

LA Missle

OK, was it one of you guys? An unknown somebody apparently launched a missile in LA last night. It wasn't me. Ideas on who did it or how we can figure out who did it?
posted by coudal at 9:39 AM PST - 227 comments

Diceman at the dollar store

Real world implementation of the buy-bot from xkcd. Follow it on Twitter!
posted by Artw at 9:33 AM PST - 31 comments

Harmonious Society

The Crab Party that got China's most famous artist arrested. [more inside]
posted by Heliochrome85 at 8:15 AM PST - 50 comments

Random Acts of Culture

The Hallelujah Chorus at Macy's in Philadelphia on October 30, 2010 was the latest Random Act of Culture [more inside]
posted by Balonious Assault at 8:06 AM PST - 50 comments

A Runaway Slave

Freedom Works, a non-profit conservative organization lead by Dick Armey, is producing a documentary entitled A Runaway Slave, aimed at exposing "the economic slavery of the Black community to the Progressive policies of the US government and how Black Conservatives are leading the fight so all Americans can be 'free at last.'" This is on the heels of their last documentary, Tea Party: The Documentary Film. [more inside]
posted by mccarty.tim at 6:01 AM PST - 133 comments

"Look, im not going to debate the issue, man."

"Look, I'm not going to debate the issue, man." - George W. Bush [Press play for the quite embarrassing interview] "I said some stupid things... Here's one of the worst. So I'm drunk at the dinner table at Mother and Dad's house in Maine. And I said to her, what is sex like after fifty?"" - George W. Bush
posted by malapropist at 3:16 AM PST - 164 comments

Is it the worst thing you'll read all year?

A description of the CIA's waterboarding techniques and the practical applications of other physical interrogation practices to enhance its effectiveness.
posted by artof.mulata at 1:39 AM PST - 30 comments

Modernist treasures from a bombed-out cellar

Rediscovered in Berlin: Eleven modernist sculptures branded as "degenerate art" by the Nazis and thought to have been destroyed during WWII. The sculptures include works by Otto Freundlich, who was murdered at Majdanek; Naum Slutzky, a craftsman of both the Wiener Werkstätte and the Bauhaus; and Margarete Moll, who studied with Matisse.
posted by scody at 12:54 AM PST - 18 comments

November 8

Killin' It with Paul Crik

Killin' It is a motivational program developed by Paul Crik, born of his life experiences. Testimonials. Killing Addiction. Hard Day. Narcissism. Foot Racing A Mac Truck. Re-Naming Things For Your Mental Health. Technoviking. This Is It, Fuck It, It Is What It Is. The Future.
posted by finite at 10:30 PM PST - 39 comments

How to talk like Michael Caine

How to talk like Michael Caine (slyt)
posted by AceRock at 9:59 PM PST - 35 comments

A friend in need is a friend indeed

I'm here to make friends (slyt) [more inside]
posted by Senator Howell Tankerbell at 9:57 PM PST - 22 comments

Revisiting Mother Superior

In what may be an attempt to make amends for causing Susan Boyle to 'flee America' (although that apparently wasn't the real cause), Lou Reed has directed her new music video, a cover of his own song Perfect Day. [more inside]
posted by mannequito at 8:15 PM PST - 72 comments

"Unfortunately, no U.S. audiences will be able to witness this anytime soon."

Beg, Steal, or Borrow: New Beats From Moscow Nice look at some brokenbeat/glitch/electronica/hiphop musicians in Russia, with embedded songs, a couple of mixtapes and links to lots of free listening. [more inside]
posted by mediareport at 5:07 PM PST - 14 comments

looploopqoolqoollooploop

LoopLoop: "Using animation, sounds warping and time shifts this video runs forwards and backwards looking for forgotten details, mimicking the way memories are replayed in the mind." Viewing in full-screen may require dramamine. [SLVimeo]
posted by bayani at 4:52 PM PST - 22 comments

Just Don't Catch a Ski on a Tree

Speedflying in Wengen 2010. After watching it, it seems these guys really like crack. If you want to give it a go, learn how. [more inside]
posted by bwg at 4:09 PM PST - 27 comments

Control Fraud Theory: When CEOs go bad

Ken Lay & Enron. Bernie Madoff. Bernie Ebbers & WorldCom. What is it about CEOs that makes them uniquely capable of pulling off the most audacious & expensive kind of white collar crime? Control Fraud Theory has the answer. Via the ever-enlightening Bruce Schneier.
posted by scalefree at 3:01 PM PST - 37 comments

So what are you complaining for? "The Forza scoreboard's been reset!" Shut up and improve your Gamerscore before you get the dreaded Red Ring of Death.

Dan Bull waxes poetic on 20 odd years of gaming.
posted by juv3nal at 2:50 PM PST - 15 comments

The Twinkie Diet

The Twinkie Diet. How a nutrition professor lost 27 lbs. eating Twinkies.
posted by morganannie at 1:35 PM PST - 181 comments

Castells: Human Towers from Catalonia

The building of Castells, or human towers, is a tradition from Catalonia, going back to the end of the 18th century, starting in Valls. About a month ago, the annual Concurs de Castells took place in Tarragona, with groups of castellers competing to make taller and more complex towers. This video is a well-shot glimpse at the tower building, deconstruction, and some tumbles, possibly from the 2010 gathering. Via Kuriositas, which has more photos. [more inside]
posted by filthy light thief at 1:26 PM PST - 26 comments

HP Lovecraft Creature Lab

In September, Jon Schindehette [previously] and Lars Grant-West [wiki] issued a challenge to students at the Rhode Island School of Design: "Create a creature based upon a non-humanoid critter from H.P. Lovecraft's literature. The creature should have a fully resolved form, convey motion where appropriate, and be believable. Creature can be shown as either 3/4 view or 'turn-arounds'." Here are the entries and here are the judges' comments. [more inside]
posted by brundlefly at 11:48 AM PST - 58 comments

Gaming the metric at its worst

"Such announcements tell a story in which colleges get better — and students get more amazing — every year. In reality, the narrative is far more complex, and the implications far less sunny for students as well as colleges caught up in the cruel cycle of selectivity." (NYTimes feature on American undergraduate programs' efforts to increase selectivity, and the consequences of such tactics)
posted by d. z. wang at 11:31 AM PST - 52 comments

Rabid Squirrel and Future Quirk.

The evolution of Line Rider.
posted by lazaruslong at 11:26 AM PST - 28 comments

The Letters of Constantin Brunner

The letters of the Jewish German thinker Constantin Brunner were buried behind his grave to safeguard them from the Nazis. Now, a joint German-Israeli project is putting the letters online. [more inside]
posted by No Robots at 10:52 AM PST - 5 comments

Is it the Economy, Stupid?

The Economist has created a rather cool interactive US map. The map allows a by state look at economic data (unemployment, GDP, personal income), demographic data, and voting in 2004 and 2008. (single link Economist)
posted by bearwife at 10:38 AM PST - 33 comments

They Live

They Live, John Carpenter's 1988 cult classic, is a fairly subversive piece of work. The film, which combines sci-fi, horror and satire -- and includes one of the iconic fight scenes in movie history -- is an allegorical treatise on the evils of capitalism, set in a Los Angeles populated by evil, conspiratorial and wealthy aliens. The film, despite a mixed original reception, has developed a rabid fan-boy following over the last few decades, and now Jonathan Lethem, the author of "Motherless Brooklyn," "The Fortress of Solitude" and, more recently, "Chronic City" has written "They Live," a meticulous, scene-by-scene analysis of its many, many layers.
posted by Joe Beese at 10:30 AM PST - 128 comments

Mud, sweat, and tears

It's autumn, which means for some nerdy bike racers, it's cyclocross season. Cyclocross is an off-road cycling discipline characterized by short, hard, intense racing that requires skilled bike handling, running through mud or sand, and quickly dismounting, carrying, and remounting your bike to navigate obstacles. After all, sometimes, carrying your bike is just faster than riding it. In Europe, cyclocross draws huge crowds despite terrible weather, but it remains a niche sport in the United States, though with increasing popularity - perhaps it's because it's one of the few sports where rank amateurs can closely mingle with (and race the same courses as) top professionals. With the 2013 UCI Cyclocross World Championships to be held in Louisville, Kentucky, its popularity and domestic appeal is expected to continue rising. Previously.
posted by entropone at 8:31 AM PST - 59 comments

Closed due to bear sightings.

"Hokkaido Green," a lovely short story for the overworked and the stressed this Monday morning.
posted by jbickers at 8:30 AM PST - 29 comments

Hankies not guns

A new urban dance craze is sweeping across the UK, taking it back to old skool. (SLYT)
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 8:30 AM PST - 45 comments

Bookshelf Tumblr

Book lovers never go to bed alone - a tumblr dedicated to bookshelves.
posted by peacay at 8:14 AM PST - 36 comments

The United States is a confused and fearful country in 2010.

A Superpower in Decline: Is the American Dream Over? Der Spiegel's take.
posted by Wordwoman at 7:58 AM PST - 84 comments

(blue)OOOO(yellow)OOOOOO

Unevolved Brands. Taking well known corporate logos and simplifying them into colored circles. How many can you still recognize? [more inside]
posted by kmz at 7:32 AM PST - 24 comments

November 7

Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are

Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture, an exhibit at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery, "is the first major museum exhibition to focus on sexual difference in the making of modern American portraiture." [more inside]
posted by kirkaracha at 7:36 PM PST - 24 comments

Women Running From Houses

Women Running From Houses. A celebration of 1960's - 1970's gothic romance paperbacks. via
posted by marxchivist at 7:31 PM PST - 34 comments

Kelly Slater Wins His 10th World Surfing Championship

It's official. After 20 years on the ASP tour, humanoid Kelly Slater might be the greatest competitive athlete of all time. Some would disagree. But Jordan and Woods never had to worry about not coming back alive.
posted by En0rm0 at 7:03 PM PST - 78 comments

Daddy...

Webcomic Wsaturday: Warbot, a short, depressing, hilarious comic. By the creator of the ancient, esteemed 8-Bit Theater.
posted by Rory Marinich at 6:13 PM PST - 24 comments

Be all you can be!

Be all you can be in the Japanese Coast Guard! (YT)
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 5:42 PM PST - 28 comments

I'll be there in 5 minstrels

Damn you, Autocorrect!
posted by hermitosis at 5:33 PM PST - 158 comments

A molecular link between the active component of marijuana and Alzheimer's disease pathology.

Here, we demonstrate that the active component of marijuana, Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), competitively inhibits the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE)...
posted by analogtom at 5:10 PM PST - 46 comments

In The Cut

The book is as much a sculptural object as it is a work of masterful storytelling: here is an “enormous last day of life” that looks like it feels. [more inside]
posted by chavenet at 4:08 PM PST - 13 comments

Welcome To The Plutocracy

Bill Moyers delivers the first Howard Zinn Memorial Lecture at Boston University, from Oct 29, 2010. (video runs 2 hours, transcript of speech) [more inside]
posted by hippybear at 12:53 PM PST - 25 comments

Burlesquoni

Maria Laura Rodotà an Italian journalist bemoans Berlusconi´s philandering and the culture of machismo that celebrates his habitual womanising. Rubygate - the latest of many scandals involving teenage girls is shrugged off by the 70 year old as My Passion for women is better than being gay. How much longer can he cling to power? (previously)
posted by adamvasco at 12:51 PM PST - 73 comments

"This System Is Bankrupting Our State"

Texas conservative lawmakers, now in the majority, are considering eliminating the entire Medicaid program lin their state, ostensibly to save money.
posted by Leta at 11:53 AM PST - 181 comments

It's the beginning of a lot of things

Life Magazine: The Real Boardwalk Empire: Nucky Johnson's Old Atlantic City [more inside]
posted by Potomac Avenue at 10:35 AM PST - 23 comments

Pony and Ball Show

Pony plays with a Giant Green Ball
posted by Del Far at 10:26 AM PST - 26 comments

Twinings of London are relocating to Poland.

Twinings of London are relocating to Poland. Twinings, the quintessential British tea maker have traded from London since 1706, are hugely profitable and hold a Royal Warrant. The company was the first to blend Earl Grey in Britain during the premiership of Charles, 2nd Earl Grey. The relocation is being funded by a €10,000,000 grant from the European regional development fund (ERDF). Are UK taxpayers indirectly financing their own job losses? [more inside]
posted by Lanark at 10:26 AM PST - 65 comments

Most Horrible & Shocking Murders

The National Library of Medicine has put a selection of murder pamphlets from the late 1600s to the late 1800s online.
These pamphlets have been a rich source for historians of medicine, crime novelists, and cultural historians, who mine them for evidence to illuminate the history of class, gender, race, the law, the city, crime, religion and other topics. The murder pamphlets in the NLM's collection address cases connected to forensic medicine, especially cases in which doctors were accused of committing-or were the victims of-murder.
[more inside]
posted by gman at 10:23 AM PST - 7 comments

Go, Rimbaud!

Arthur Rimbaud Documentary [via pb] is an impressionistic tour of Rimbaud's life, from a provincial upbringing, through his teenage poetic revolution, to his world travels and moderately successful business career in the Horn of Africa, featuring contemporary photographs, some taken by Rimbaud, and readings by Joan Baez. His poems (English translations, French, with some translated into English, earlier translations, with French originals) were fundamental in overthrowing the established traditions of writing and his personal story has long been an inspiration to those who chafe under the strictures of society. Ruth Franklin wrote about the whole arc of Rimbaud's life in The New Yorker, while Edmund White focuses on Rimbaud's bull-in-a-china-shop entrance into fellow poet Paul Verlaine's bourgeois existence in The Guardian. You can also read earlier biographical writings on Rimbaud, including his sister Isabelle's hagiographic account. Rimbaud's poetry has been set to music, perhaps most notably by electronic musician Hector Zazou and chansonnier Léo Ferré (links to music below the cut). [more inside]
posted by Kattullus at 9:29 AM PST - 13 comments

The man with no face gets a face

Twelve pound tumor removed from man's face. Previously, the original situation on MetaFilter.
posted by antgly at 9:15 AM PST - 22 comments

The 411 on 420.

Check Out This Joint: How WeedMaps turned marijuana reviews into big business.
posted by GrammarMoses at 7:07 AM PST - 29 comments

Nicaragua invades Costa Rica

Nicaragua invades Costa Rica because of a Google Maps error.
posted by atomicmedia at 7:05 AM PST - 27 comments

Chasing Pirates: Inside Microsoft’s War Room

Chasing Pirates: Inside Microsoft’s War Room - From the special thread that Chinese factories counterfeit in mile-long spools that adorns software authenticity stickers, to near-perfect bootleg discs leaving microscopic evidence of their factory origins, to Mexican and Russian gangsters who are dealt with very carefully, the NYT covers Microsoft's multi-pronged, international war on piracy.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 6:31 AM PST - 30 comments

If Henry Rollins thinks you have too many tattoos, you might be a hipster

Henry Rollins and Iranian artist Shirin Nishat visit NYC's Cake Shop, where a young woman acknowledges Rollins's presence by shouting a "very famous" catch-phrase of his at him. Hilarity ensues (language NSFW).
posted by kittens for breakfast at 5:50 AM PST - 179 comments

Pianist's Hidden Identities

Classical pianists tend to be identified by their favorite repertoire. Thus, Murray Perahia got stamped as a Mozart and Schumann pianist in his early career, and people raised their eyebrows when he embarked on Liszt and other heavy repertoire. And Rudolf Serkin is today perhaps known best for his Beethoven, and not for the Chopin etudes he played in his earlier years. Searching for something totally else, I stumbled upon a few private recordings by Clara Haskil [more inside]
posted by Namlit at 5:16 AM PST - 5 comments

Whereof we cannot speak

How do we express what cannot be said?
posted by shivohum at 5:13 AM PST - 43 comments

Playing with Food; Home Edition

Molecular gastronomy - the use of industrial and scientific processes in the culinary arts - has been discussed before, but in the last few years a number of tools and techniques have appeared that make some of the fancy pantsy schmanzy creations of molecular gastronomy possible for the home cook... [more inside]
posted by twoleftfeet at 3:35 AM PST - 26 comments

Sunday Morning "I WANT that dog! video"

Yea Dogs! You will walk away from this video smiling and wondering why YOUR dog is so stupid!
posted by HuronBob at 3:18 AM PST - 23 comments

As Seen On TV... NOT!

Prank Packs! Gift boxes that look like packaging for products that don't (and shouldn't) exist. Although there has been some real demand for the Beer Beard and iArm... Spun off from a feature at The Onion (where they love the fakes), Prank Packs are now sold at many Bed Bath and Beyond stores, according to Fast Company (which may, itself, be fake, I'm not sure). But who wouldn't love a "Wake & Bake Dream Griddle Alarm Clock"? Yum!
posted by oneswellfoop at 3:09 AM PST - 12 comments

Listening and dancing to music is awesome!

12 Great Musical Performances from Yo Gabba Gabba [more inside]
posted by randomyahoo at 1:48 AM PST - 30 comments

Shaqueeta on tape, at last

Shaq in draq lip-synching to Beyonce. He calls himself "Shaqueeta." Yes, it's actually Shaq. That is all.
posted by Anonymous at 12:50 AM PST - 38 comments

Fighting crime is surely not far behind

Once, there was a boy named Yves. He lived in the mountainous country of Switzerland, and he dreamed of flying. He loved the idea of being free to soar through the air so much that he became a pilot. Later, he went on to fly bigger planes. Perhaps he's even been your pilot. But being a pilot was never quite enough. Yves still dreamed of soaring through the air, like a bird. And now, he does. Meet Jetman. Previously
posted by anigbrowl at 12:46 AM PST - 6 comments

November 6

Deep beneath Vegas’s glittering lights lies a sinister labyrinth inhabited by poisonous spiders and a man nicknamed The Troll who wields an iron bar.

The tunnel people of Las Vegas: "They lost their home when they became addicted to drugs after the death of their son Brady at four months old." [warning: Daily Mail]
posted by rodgerd at 11:56 PM PST - 24 comments

White Lines

Cocaine - how it's made, how it moves, and who might be cutting it with a deadly cattle-deworming drug, a follow up to the mystery of the tainted cocaine.
posted by Artw at 10:32 PM PST - 41 comments

If we don't, remember me.

Moments from classic films, in animated GIF form.
posted by zamboni at 7:18 PM PST - 67 comments

The Greasiest Sandwich Ever: Bacon, Hot Dogs, French Fries, Cheese, Gravy, French Toast And Maple Syrup Combine In "Angry French Canadian."

"We're Canadian and we're crazy, too". Welcome to The Angry French Canadian. From the "authors" of the worst pizza ever. Bacon, Hot Dogs, French Fries, Cheese, Gravy, French Toast And Maple Syrup combine for 5,343 calories of sheer heaven. Or not sheer heaven. C'est tout. [more inside]
posted by YamwotIam at 5:54 PM PST - 33 comments

"Show me what you eat and i will tell you who you are" - Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

While many government organizations are pushing a healthy lifestyle complete with a low-fat diet, one marketing group formed by the USDA, called Dairy Management, is making a case for more cheese in America's menu items. [more inside]
posted by mccarty.tim at 5:45 PM PST - 63 comments

Dude, Yer Robots R Crap 4Ever!!

Kill Your Co-Workers, by Flying Lotus. [more inside]
posted by bwg at 5:12 PM PST - 11 comments

Turn Back Your Clocks Song

Your dad wishes to remind you that it's time to turn back your clocks. And since he's heading there, do you need anything from Costco?
posted by zizzle at 4:42 PM PST - 73 comments

Secret Cinema presents Blade Runner

Secret Cinema presents Blade Runner. Secret Cinema is a growing community of all that love cinema, experience and the unknown. Secret audience. Secret locations. Secret worlds. The time is now to change how we watch films. [more inside]
posted by Sailormom at 3:19 PM PST - 32 comments

Gimme an F! PH! Gimme an E! I! Gimme an A! S! Gimme a T! H!

"There was hookers, and hustlers, they filled up the room." It's a Phish Halloween tradition to play a costume set as another band. Last Sunday at Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall, they paid tribute to Little Feat's 1978 live album Waiting for Columbus. "Phish are repaying," David Fricke says in his Phishbill essay [pdf] "a lifelong debt to the band that has inspired and influenced them above all others." [more inside]
posted by muckster at 3:01 PM PST - 23 comments

Henry Mancini

His melodies are more familiar than those of any other soundtrack composer except perhaps John Williams. He won 20 Grammy Awards, more than any other pop musician in history, and 4 Academy Awards. He scored what some consider the greatest opening shot in cinema history. His versatility encompassed situation comedy as well as science fiction horror. He is commemorated on a 37-cent stamp. He is Henry Mancini. [more inside]
posted by Joe Beese at 2:54 PM PST - 32 comments

Free cotton candy!

All you can eat just got a little stickier. The number one all-you-can-eat chain Golden Corral is rolling out cotton candy to all of its buffet lines nationwide. [more inside]
posted by MattD at 2:46 PM PST - 60 comments

God of Snacks!

Kratos makes a peanut butter & jelly sandwich. (SLYT, please don't hurt me.)
posted by Strange Interlude at 2:34 PM PST - 24 comments

Wishery

Wishery a new song based on Snow White, from Pogo (previously 1 2 3)
posted by juv3nal at 12:42 PM PST - 22 comments

Quantitative Easing

One day after midterm elections in the U.S., Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke announces the nation's plans to purchase $600 billion in Treasuries. NPR takes Bernanke's announcement and attempts to "translate it into plain English." [more inside]
posted by The ____ of Justice at 12:37 PM PST - 83 comments

Artiste hors-pair, celui qui s’est fait connaitre sous le nom de Djilali Raina Rai...

The Algerian singer, Djillali Rezkellah, has passed away from stomach cancer at the age of 49. [more inside]
posted by HopperFan at 11:33 AM PST - 5 comments

Human Stories From Prison

"Between the Bars is a weblog platform for prisoners, through which the 1% of America which is behind bars can tell their stories. Since prisoners are routinely denied access to the Internet, we enable them to blog by scanning letters. We aim to provide a positive outlet for creativity, a tool to assist in the maintenance of social safety nets, an opportunity to forge connections between prisoners and non-prisoners, and a means to promote non-criminal identities and personal expression. We hope to improve prisoner's lives, and help to reduce recidivism." [more inside]
posted by gman at 9:44 AM PST - 22 comments

Can we stop making tasers look and operate like guns now?

Followup-Filter: Former BART Ofcr. Johannes Mehserle, who shot and killed Oscar Grant, has been sentenced after being found guilty of involuntary manslaughter [previously]. Although the jury originally did not believe the officer's story - that he had intended to reach for and fire his taser but grabbed his firearm instead - the prosecution offered insufficient evidence to show that the use of his firearm was intentional. Former Ofcr. Mehserle will spend 2 years in prison for the shooting.
posted by thesmophoron at 9:38 AM PST - 81 comments

Newton says

Boom.
posted by Mblue at 2:45 AM PST - 64 comments

The Cassiopeia Project

The Cassiopeia Project is quietly producing dozens of high-quality science videos and making them freely available online. [more inside]
posted by knave at 2:09 AM PST - 20 comments

"All communities divide themselves into the few and the many. The first are rich and well born; the other, the mass of the people." -- Alexander Hamilton

A financial manager for wealthy clients [“dedicated to ultra high net worth individuals, their families and foundations”] will not face felony charges for a hit-and-run because it could jeopardize his job, prosecutors said Thursday. “Felony convictions have some pretty serious job implications for someone in Mr. Erzinger's profession, and that entered into it,” [District Attorney Mark] Hurlbert said.
posted by orthogonality at 1:06 AM PST - 155 comments

November 5

To Translate My Ancestors' Anthems

Looking for new underground hiphop? The last 10 years have seen the rise of a growing Asian/Pacific Islander American hiphop scene, including groups like Blue Scholars, Native Guns (consisting of Bambu & Kiwi), Power Struggle, Typical Cats, and Magnetic North. Also of note is the solid number of women taking up the role of MC'ing in the scene- Rocky Rivera, Hopie Spitshard, The Skim, Sun The Real Sun(exception - Canadian). (Multiple Youtube links, natch)
posted by yeloson at 10:59 PM PST - 33 comments

The shortcut to doubling solar efficiency?

Super Soaker inventor proposes a solid state heat engine that resembles a fuel cell. The idea is to reach a new level in heat generating efficiency, or at least replace heat pumps, with no moving parts. "Johnson has opened up a fundamentally new pathway to generate electricity from heat," says Paul Werbos, program director for power, control, and adaptive networks at the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). Werbos, an IEEE Fellow, says the NSF is funding Johnson's heat-engine research because of the strong chance that it could cut the cost of solar power in half.
posted by Brian B. at 9:28 PM PST - 49 comments

Multiverses collide

Multiverses collide this week with the publication of "The Coming of the Terraphiles," the first canonical Doctor Who story written by the legendary Michael Moorcock. [more inside]
posted by jbickers at 6:37 PM PST - 13 comments

One small step for a robot

One small step for a robot, one giant leap for robot-kind... but not yet. The Robonaut R2 (sic) will have to wait at least another three weeks, as the final mission of Space Shuttle Discovery is delayed.
posted by philipy at 6:11 PM PST - 13 comments

Boom boom boom

Friday Flash Fun: Nuclearoids. A little like Boomshine, a lot like dominoes. But with explosions. And bouncy balls. And colors. Lots of colors! Not too brain engaging, with particle attraction and even black holes. [more inside]
posted by Old'n'Busted at 5:23 PM PST - 22 comments

Your move, FIDE!

Magnus Carlsen drops out of World Championship cycle (NYT)
posted by vidur at 5:21 PM PST - 23 comments

Brutish Behavior

The Old Spice Guy backlash has officially begun, sponsored by another brand of men's fragrance you'd never get caught dead using. You can slap that guy or you can slap a mime instead. Or vote for the next guy to get slapped, an overweight dude in a speedo or a familiar looking golfer. Meanwhile, Brut sets down some rules that seem a little too close to the rules for a Gentleman's Gentleman (as seen here). Yeah, it's Pepsi Shade-Of-Green-Not-Occurring-In-Nature. [more inside]
posted by oneswellfoop at 4:41 PM PST - 95 comments

A small measure of justice

The Arkansas Supreme Court has ordered new hearings for the three men convicted of the Robin Hood Hills Murders, known as the West Memphis 3.
posted by boo_radley at 4:20 PM PST - 43 comments

The Evolved Slut

Husband-and-wife team Christopher Ryan and Calcilda Jethá have written a book, Sex at Dawn, that challenges what they describe as the "standard narrative" of human sexual and social relationships. In a recent Savage Love podcast featuring Ryan as a guest, Dan Savage described the book as "...the single most important book about human sexuality since Alfred Kinsey unleashed Sexual Behavior in the Human Male on the American public in 1948." [more inside]
posted by kitarra at 3:34 PM PST - 63 comments

"The deepest of the deep"

In event of moon disaster...
posted by Artw at 2:10 PM PST - 67 comments

Choose Your Own MTV

The music video for Andy Grammer's "Keep Your Head Up" lets you pick the way it unfolds... while you watch.
posted by hippybear at 1:09 PM PST - 13 comments

Virgin birth? Snakes? This could get biblical.

Scientists have discovered a female boa constrictor reproducing asexually. [more inside]
posted by quin at 1:08 PM PST - 38 comments

Miniature masterpieces

Chewing gum artist. "Mr Wilson has created more than 8,000 works of art this way - each one photographed and catalogued for his archive. A picture can take anything from two hours to three days to complete."
posted by rodgerd at 12:46 PM PST - 13 comments

And it's going, going, GONE!

The Longest Home Run Ever
posted by zarq at 12:46 PM PST - 41 comments

Great banter

First episode of Alan Partridge's brand new series, Mid Morning Matters from North Norfolk Digital (SLYT) (previous)
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 12:17 PM PST - 20 comments

Whither, Canada?

We used to be Peacekeepers. [more inside]
posted by Alex404 at 12:16 PM PST - 48 comments

Buen Tiempo

In the past few months vicent.zp has put up delicious photograph sets of vintage razors, fans, radios & cassette tape recorders, kitchen stuff, and lookie there, a Sputnik Weather Station. You know what time it is.
posted by cashman at 12:13 PM PST - 7 comments

Keith Olbermann suspended

MSNBC reports: Msnbc TV host Keith Olbermann was suspended indefinitely on Friday for making campaign donations to three Democratic congressional candidates, apparently in violation of NBC News ethics policy. [more inside]
posted by Joe Beese at 11:19 AM PST - 219 comments

The Twins Who Share A Brain

Tatiana and Krista Hogan are 4 year old twin girls who are joined at the head. Amazingly, their brains are interconnected and share the thalamus, the section of the brain that is responsible for relaying physical sensation and motor function to the cerebral cortex. As a result, it is believed that they can experience one another’s sensations, including seeing though each other's eyes.
posted by jpdoane at 10:54 AM PST - 43 comments

Did Mike Mearls ruin everything?

"With 4th Edition, there were good intentions." Escapist Magazine's "Check for Traps" columnist Alexander Macris interviews Dungeons & Dragons Manager Mike Mearls about 4th Edition Essentials, Ryan Dancey's "death spiral" comment, Justin Alexander's "Disassociated Mechanics", and the new Red Box.
posted by Avenger50 at 10:46 AM PST - 44 comments

"It takes a special kind of retard to be offended by a cartoon"

Space Moose, NSFW. A comic strip built in no small part on murder, scatology, and mocking trekkies. It ran for a decade in The Gateway, the University of Alberta's student newspaper. Cartoonist Mustafa Al-Habib (a.k.a. Adam Thrasher) explains the jokes. Some of my favorites.
posted by smammy at 10:45 AM PST - 63 comments

Man in disguise boards international flight

Man boards plane in elderly disguise (video) Canadian authorities have detained a young Asian man who was wearing a silicone head and neck mask making him appear to be an elderly Caucasian male. [more inside]
posted by KokuRyu at 9:43 AM PST - 70 comments

We boldly go where no dentist has gone before

Denis Bourguignon is a dentist in Florida. He is best known to the world for his role in the 1999 documentary film Trekkies where he showcased his dental practice being filled with Star Trek memorabilia. [more inside]
posted by twintone at 9:37 AM PST - 5 comments

Swiftboating considered harmful.

UK (ex)MP Phil Woolas has indicated he will seek a judicial review of the decision today to void his election victory of earlier this year. He was found guilty of "knowingly making false statements about [rival candidate] Mr Watkins in campaign literature". Woolas claims the ruling will "inevitably chill political speech", whereas the Justices' ruling found that his Election Literature breached UK laws.
posted by samworm at 9:16 AM PST - 35 comments

Let me talk to my browser.

Looking for a car loan? Get a better rate searching with Chrome. [more inside]
posted by bonehead at 9:13 AM PST - 11 comments

The East River Bridge

Brooklyn to New York via the Brooklyn Bridge as shot by the Edison Manufacturing Co. in 1899. (SLYT) [more inside]
posted by gman at 8:53 AM PST - 11 comments

"chemtrails and footpads and 9/11"

How the venerable Pacifica Radio network is being taken over by "a kind of Tea Party of the left, featuring ex-Scientologists, miracle cure hucksters, and conspiracists who believe that Amy Goodman's Democracy Now!, Pacifica's premier program, is taking CIA money to suppress 'the truth about 9/11.'" [more inside]
posted by enn at 8:47 AM PST - 111 comments

Closed For Storm

Six Flags New Orleans closed on August 27, 2005 in preparation for Hurricane Katrina. The park never reopened. [more inside]
posted by naju at 8:39 AM PST - 37 comments

Going SAT Free

Some colleges have decided to take SAT scores out of the admissions decision making process. But, some are alleging that this is only a way to game the rankings by excluding the scores of admitted students who didn't do well.
posted by reenum at 8:19 AM PST - 98 comments

X-it the Xserve

Apple Computers, creator of the worlds first Apple Computer Tablet and the worlds first Smartphone to go to space quitely announced today that despite 35% year over year growth, they are discontinuing the Xserve. [more inside]
posted by Pogo_Fuzzybutt at 8:06 AM PST - 71 comments

Music is god

Dancing under the gallows (SYLT) A trailer for an upcoming documentary traces the life of concert pianist Alice Herz-Sommer, the worlds oldest Holocaust survivor.
posted by the noob at 7:25 AM PST - 7 comments

Largest (in 1971) Geodesic Dome in the world for sale

The Buckminster Fuller dome of the former Dutch aerospace museum is for sale. In 1971 it was the largest in the world and housed most of the aircraft on display. The dome has a height of 23 meters and a 2700 m2 floorspace. It is currently dismantled and stored in 27 seafreight containers. At the site (in Dutch) there's a wonderful set of photos on the construction in 1971 and dismantling in 2004.
posted by knutmo at 5:46 AM PST - 15 comments

Let's hope the device is less short-sighted than the inventors

Yesterday was the day that Microsoft Kinect for the XBox 360 launched (warning: site "works best with" proprietary, embrace-and-extendware--here's a slightly more accessible YT demo). Like with the Wii, it's possible the most lasting effect on the open community is the excellent commodity hardware. To that end, Adafruit offered a $1000 reward to the first open source code that could work with the hardware. Microsoft was displeased, citing both law-enforcement and product safety groups as co-enforcers. The bounty is now $2000.
posted by DU at 5:44 AM PST - 115 comments

"I think Keith never appreciated the tedious hours I had to spend with Jann Wenner"

Please Allow Me To Correct A Few Things. Mick Jagger "responds" to Keith Richards about his new autobiography. (From journalist Bill Wyman.)
posted by availablelight at 4:53 AM PST - 93 comments

"Don't come in, I'm... doing my utmost in the fight against cancer!"

Masturbation cuts cancer risk! That is all.
posted by crossoverman at 2:26 AM PST - 66 comments

Preparrre Yourself For (mostly) Indoor Parkour

Enter indoor parkour. Are you ready for the next step in parkour acrobatics? [more inside]
posted by fantodstic at 1:21 AM PST - 31 comments

November 4

"...the best form of democracy we’ll have in this process."

Are you ok with your bank playing roulette with your deposits? Yes? No? Well, today is the last day to speak up and be heard! [more inside]
posted by Hypnotic Chick at 10:31 PM PST - 29 comments

"I realized it is basically insane to make any kind of judgment about rap without hearing it."

Listening to Rap for the First Time, with a Book Critic
posted by OverlappingElvis at 9:29 PM PST - 80 comments

Translation in Practice

Translation in Practice, an extensive guide to the methods and business of literary translation, is available free of charge [PDF] from Dalkey Archive. [more inside]
posted by Iridic at 9:22 PM PST - 5 comments

My favorite cult is ______

My name is l33tpolicywonk and I am not a douche. [via mefi projects]
posted by l33tpolicywonk at 8:30 PM PST - 52 comments

Look at that focaccia-ing tumblr blog.

Bread people. It's people. In bread.
posted by phunniemee at 8:29 PM PST - 31 comments

these portraits look back at us and embody a louder voice in the discourse of the gaze

100 Portraits — 100 Photographers
posted by andoatnp at 7:26 PM PST - 5 comments

Tickling the fancy of those who tickle the ivories

There's never been a better time to be a curious classical pianist. A few YouTube users have been uploading synchronized scores to dozens of interesting pieces, usually virtuosic and/or obscure, and often out of print or otherwise unavailable. There are all sorts of treasures, but perhaps the most notable scores are those of a lost generation of post-Scriabin Russian composers whose avant-garde output was later suppressed by the Soviet government.
posted by dfan at 7:03 PM PST - 15 comments

Same as in town.

“But Gitmo, a ‘betrayal of American values’? Would that it were! Alas, for nearly every grisly tabloid feature of the Khadr case, you can find an easy analog in our everyday criminal justice system. In a sense, much of our War on Terror has proven a slightly spicier version of our ‘normal’ way of doing criminal justice. Using the case of Omar Khadr, let's take this step by step.”
posted by kipmanley at 6:02 PM PST - 37 comments

Give and you shall receive

What would you do with $11,255,272? Violet and Allen Large gave most of it away. [more inside]
posted by Brodiggitty at 5:34 PM PST - 46 comments

“If you don’t like him, you don’t like ice cream.”

Legendary baseball manager George "Sparky" Anderson dead at 76. Ernie Harwell on Sparky. Interview on Santa Clarita community access. "Mr. President, I know you love those Cubs, but if you knew these Tigers, you'd love 'em more. Hall of Fame entry. He was a crummy player, though. Remembering Anderson's class. STAY CLASSY, SPARKY! The End of a Sparkling Life.
posted by klangklangston at 4:27 PM PST - 51 comments

The Meta Prefix: Is There Anything It Cannot Do?

An Invisible Man with perfect vision sounds like a superhero from a comic, but may be close to reality thanks to scientists at the University of St Andrews. A team of physicists are one step closer to creating a Harry Potter-style invisibility cloak, with a new form of material that could also be attached to contact lenses to provide ‘perfect’ eyesight. Here comes the science.
posted by chavenet at 4:09 PM PST - 38 comments

Brian Eno: The Dick Flash Interview (SLYT)

You love playing with what somebody else is playing as much as you like playing with yourself. Dick Flash from Pork Magazine interviews Brian Eno about music, copyright and the collaborative process. (SLYT) Previous Eno
posted by bunglin jones at 3:45 PM PST - 44 comments

Linda Perhacs

"Parallelograms is an album by American psychedelic folk singer Linda Perhacs. Her first and to date only album, it was all but completely ignored when originally released on Kapp Records in 1970. Discouraged by the lack of commercial attention and the label's reluctance to promote the album, Perhacs returned to her career as a dental technician. In the 30 or so years that followed, the album gradually developed a cult following, particularly on the Internet. Young listeners found appeal in her subtle instrumentation and delicate harmonies..." Parallelograms::Chimacum Rain::Hey, Who Really Cares?
posted by puny human at 3:18 PM PST - 19 comments

Zombie Ants

Once the fungus invades its victim’s body, it’s already too late. The invader spreads through the host in a matter of days. . . . Just before dying, the infected body—a zombie—grasps a perch as the mature fungal invader erupts from the back of the zombie’s head to rain down spores on unsuspecting victims below, starting the cycle again. This isn’t the latest gross-out moment from a George A. Romero horror film; it is part of a very real evolutionary arms race between a parasitic fungus and its victims, ants. (SL Smithsonian article)
posted by bearwife at 2:31 PM PST - 78 comments

Fractal Art

New fractal art from Metafilter's own Jock Cooper. Fractal animations, some with fractal music, mechanical fractals, zoomable fractals, even a DVD. Main site. Previously.
posted by sunnichka at 2:29 PM PST - 9 comments

Newly weird

Jeff Vandermeer discusses Amazons top 10 SF/Fantasy books of the year, which he selected in consultation with Amazon editors : Part 1, Part 2.
posted by Artw at 1:57 PM PST - 28 comments

Tiny, Lazy, Fluffy Puppies

A short video of a few very tiny, very lazy, very fluffy puppies playing with miniature tennis balls. That is all. (SLYT)
posted by Gator at 1:49 PM PST - 54 comments

“If the goal of the majority is to govern, what is the purpose of the minority?”

How They Did It - A Republican Strategy Session 11 days before Obama's inauguration. 'How they did it is the story of one of the most remarkable Congressional campaigns in more than a half-century, characterized by careful plotting by Republicans, miscalculations by Democrats and a new political dynamic with forces out of both parties’ control.' 'At that Republican retreat in January 2009, gathering inside a historic inn in Annapolis, Md., the group — led by Representatives John A. Boehner of Ohio, the Republican leader, and Eric Cantor of Virginia, the whip — did not tolerate the hand-wringing that consumed so many Republicans that dark winter. Instead, they walked through a by-the-numbers picture of Democratic vulnerability that had been lost in the excitement over Mr. Obama’s election.' [more inside]
posted by VikingSword at 1:27 PM PST - 136 comments

Tweeting the good tweet

"Tired of arguing with climate change deniers in 140 character quips, [programmer Nigel Leck] wrote a script to do it for him. Chatbot @AI_AGW scans Twitter every five minutes searching for hundreds of phrases that fit the usual denier argument paradigm. Then it serves them up some science." (via by way of via)
posted by m0nm0n at 12:21 PM PST - 56 comments

Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.

Laurent Lavader is a French astrophotographer. His new collection, Jeux Lunaires (Moon Games) features whimsical and beautiful photos of the moon (NPR Gallery, Flickr). Many of the photos have been coupled with a poem and collected in a book which you can preview online. [more inside]
posted by Lutoslawski at 12:11 PM PST - 4 comments

Plans for UK's Tech Future

Prime Minister David Cameron set out his plans for making Britain more innovation and startup friendly. [more inside]
posted by philipy at 11:58 AM PST - 41 comments

100 Greatest Horror Movie Quotes of All Time

100 Greatest Horror Movie Quotes of All Time (slyt)
posted by nickyskye at 11:53 AM PST - 35 comments

"If my daughter had dressed as Batman, no one would have thought twice about it. No one."

My Son Is Gay
posted by zarq at 11:12 AM PST - 222 comments

Close Encounters of the Comet Kind

Earlier today a comet passed just 435 miles from a spacecraft. The NASA spacecraft EPOXI took some amazing pictures of the event. Scientists are still working to determine if there was any damage to the spacecraft as the comet passed by.
posted by morganannie at 10:42 AM PST - 56 comments

Sacred secrets; new finds from Orkney

Mr Mowatt said he had always wondered what lay under an 8ft stone in the garden and eventually curiosity got the better of him, "On the screen... I could clearly see what I thought was a white skull, with two eye sockets, looking back at me." [more inside]
posted by BadMiker at 10:00 AM PST - 38 comments

It is a point click adventure game that leads a Werewolf.

Werewolf Werewolf2 Werewolf3 Werewolf4 Werewolf5 [more inside]
posted by Faint of Butt at 9:29 AM PST - 16 comments

A Tale of Two Tarts

Illadore was surprised to see her article about apple pie published in Cooks Source without her knowledge. After asking for an apology and a donation to the Columbia School of Journalism, Cooks Source editor Judith Griggs responded in an email that "I do know about copyright laws . . . But honestly Monica, the web is considered 'public domain' and you should be happy we just didn't 'lift' your whole article and put someone else's name on it!"
posted by Avenger50 at 9:03 AM PST - 328 comments

woa

Seydou Keïta, self taught Malian portrait photographer, shot some of the most renowned portraiture of 1940 - 1960's Bamakan society. [more inside]
posted by iamck at 8:28 AM PST - 12 comments

Highrise: Out My Window

Out My Window (trailer) is the new web documentary from the Highrise project, one of the world's first interactive 360° documentaries. Delivered entirely on the web, it explores the state of our urban planet told by people who look out on the world from highrise windows. With more than 90 minutes of material, Out My Window features 49 stories from 13 cities, told in 13 languages.
posted by gman at 8:23 AM PST - 2 comments

"Say it with me: Automatic. Withdrawal."

Pastor Ed Young comes up with the spiritual successor to Give us all your money
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 5:11 AM PST - 96 comments

deviantART: Not for Deviants?

deviantART: Not for Deviants?
posted by Zarkonnen at 4:20 AM PST - 265 comments

Take off your pants and watch cartoons

Your Daily Cartoon [more inside]
posted by jtron at 2:53 AM PST - 9 comments

On Joe Gavin, Jr., director of the Apollo 11 lunar lander program

“There’s a certain exuberance that comes from being out there on the edge of technology, where things are not certain, where there is some risk, and where you make something work.” Joseph Gavin Jr., an MIT-trained engineer and director of the Apollo 11 lunar module program for Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, died on Saturday. A few quotes from Joe about the program's complexity via an old Popular Mechanics article are nice, but this more complete interview providing some fascinating insights on the process and the culture and just how much went into the lunar lander program, from an engineer's perspective, is fantastic.
posted by disillusioned at 2:22 AM PST - 17 comments

Chasing your own ambulance

Hilary Mantel's Diary
Three or four nights after surgery – when, in the words of the staff, I have ‘mobilised’ – I come out of the bathroom and spot a circus strongman squatting on my bed. He sees me too; from beneath his shaggy brow he rolls a liquid eye. Brown-skinned, naked except for the tattered hide of some endangered species, he is bouncing on his heels and smoking furiously without taking the cigarette from his lips: puff, bounce, puff, bounce. What rubbish, I think, actually shouting at myself, but silently. This is a no-smoking hospital. It is impossible this man would be allowed in, to behave as he does. Therefore he’s not real, and if he’s not real I can take his space. As I get into bed beside him, the strongman vanishes. I pick up my diary and record him: was there, isn’t any more.
posted by adamvasco at 1:33 AM PST - 22 comments

Triumphant

Regina Jonas was the first woman rabbi. Ordained by the head of the German Liberal Rabbis’ Association in 1935 she continued to meet considerable resistance from many more conservative Jews; nevertheless she continued to work as a rabbi whereever she could find an audience even after being deported to the concentration camp of Theresienstadt; she remained there, giving comfort as she could, until she was murdered at Auschwitz in 1944. Her work was, for many years, forgotten until her papers were discovered in East Germany.
Ukrainian-born German Alina Treiger is to become the first woman ordained in Germany as a Rabbi since then.
posted by rodgerd at 12:42 AM PST - 5 comments

Deconstructing Henry

Dr. Jacopo Annese, sitting in front of his ventilated biosafety cabinet, a small paintbrush in his hand, teases apart a crumpled slice of brain.

Written by the grandson of the neurosurgeon who conducted Patient H.M.'s historical surgery, this article is a great follow-up to the San Diego Brain Observatory's live webcast from last December. [more inside]
posted by empatterson at 12:12 AM PST - 6 comments

November 3

Twenty bucks, same as in town!

World taxi prices: What a 3-kilometer ride costs in 72 big cities. From Lowest to Highest.
posted by vidur at 11:07 PM PST - 56 comments

So remember to smile when you feel "low"

Art collective Paper Rad wants you to get well. (blinky)
posted by Rory Marinich at 10:04 PM PST - 19 comments

Like you've never been away

Photographer Paul Trevor has documented many aspects of British life during the course of his career. In 1975, he went to Liverpool as part of the 'Survival Programmes' project, that looked at inner city deprivation. He is putting on an exhibition of these photos as part of Liverpool's 2011 International Photography festival. 'The pictures were made in the city in 1975. I am very keen to find the people who I photographed then, with a view to possibly photographing them again.'
posted by ClanvidHorse at 4:53 PM PST - 8 comments

Two minutes in the funhouse

Area Girl Very Amused By Webcam Special Effects [more inside]
posted by hermitosis at 3:35 PM PST - 123 comments

Whatever Happened To Alternative Nation?

The idea behind Whatever Happened To Alternative Nation? is to look back at an era that’s both incredibly important and yet mysteriously absent from my life as a music fan. Part 1: 1990: “Once upon a time, I could love you”. Part 2: 1991: “What’s so civil about war anyway?” Part 3: 1992: Pearl Jam, the perils of fame, and the trouble with avoiding it
posted by Joe Beese at 3:01 PM PST - 60 comments

A reason to watch local news

First introduced to Metafilter in this thread earlier today, Jennie Stencel served as a traffic reporter for WXII in North Carolina. [more inside]
posted by mudpuppie at 2:23 PM PST - 59 comments

Please Reject Me!

Rejection Therapy is the real life game with one rule: YOU MUST BE REJECTED BY ANOTHER PERSON AT LEAST ONCE, EVERY SINGLE DAY. [more inside]
posted by DarlingBri at 2:13 PM PST - 61 comments

Goodbye Gordo

The Honourable Gordon Campbell has resigned as Premier of British Columbia. Citing his spectacular unpopularity, his resignation comes after almost a decade in power. His tenure has been dogged by scandal, and most recently, a barrage of protest over the newly implemented HST. His most lasting legacy may prove to be the implementation of North America's first carbon tax.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 2:04 PM PST - 88 comments

Your new corporate home and personal hell

Synergon is a fully-playable ruleset for BLARPing (Business Live-Action Role-Playing).
posted by BitterOldPunk at 2:01 PM PST - 21 comments

Dan McPharlin: Sci-Fi Surrealism (and Mini Analog Synth Models)

Dan McPharlin is an Australian artist who creates fantastic landscapes that seem more likely to come from sci-fi novels from decades past than an artist who who gives away his music for donations (YT sample). McPharlin also made a series of miniature analog synthesizers that were featured on album art for Steve Jansen's album Slope (YT sample), as well as Moog Acid by Jean-Jacques Perrey & Luke Vibert (YT sample). Currently, McPharlin's website only has an 18 page portfolio in PDF form and an email address, but his Flickr collection is a sight to behold. Even his house looks like something from a 1970s photo shoot. [more inside]
posted by filthy light thief at 1:20 PM PST - 10 comments

Typography on the door of Number 10

“I am sorry that, after all, the numerals on the doors at Downing Street are so beastly.” Why the 1 and 0 affixed to the door of the British prime minister’s residence, 10 Downing St., look the way they do.
posted by joeclark at 1:05 PM PST - 36 comments

Fact-check me up, Subby

"We're sorry for claiming Captain Kirk was in command of Captain Picard's starship"
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 12:42 PM PST - 72 comments

Don Draper uses the word "what" as Van Gogh used color ...

Don Draper Says "What?" (slyt)
posted by bonobothegreat at 11:44 AM PST - 69 comments

A very special comics message from Leigh Gallagher

How to propose on the internet (if you are a highly talented comics artist)
posted by Artw at 11:43 AM PST - 56 comments

au naturel

The Great Unwashed: "Some people have all but abandoned the idea of soap, shampoo or deodorant and yet still have friends, relationships and jobs." Slate disagrees that this is even a trend, but The Village Voice notes it has been covered elsewhere, including The New York Observer and Hairpin. In response, The Week asks, "Can you succeed without showering?"
posted by zarq at 10:43 AM PST - 174 comments

The Meaning of Degrees

Too anxious to take exams? University of Manitoba will give you a PhD anyway. A professor is suspended for disagreeing with that decision.
posted by binturong at 10:34 AM PST - 102 comments

Excavating Hattusa

The German Archaeological Institute has a website detailing their excavations at Hattusa, formerly the capital of the Hittite Empire. There is a brief summary of the city's history to get you started, or a somewhat more detailed one if you're feeling keen. [more inside]
posted by Dim Siawns at 8:57 AM PST - 10 comments

Jury Doodles

"I just finished serving jury duty at the Van Nuys Superior Court. My case involved a man who was suing a stripper and strip club for a “fractured penis” injury he received while getting a nude lap dance. The stripper was from Sweden. The strip club owner was a retired porn star. There were many experts. Needless to say, this case was kind of awesome. As a member of the jury, I was given a pad and pen for note taking. The case lasted 7 days."
posted by gman at 8:10 AM PST - 55 comments

“Bike racks are the gateway drug for civic engagement.”

What a Hundred Million Calls to 311 Reveal about New York. Data from New York City's 311 service helped track down the source of the maple syrup smell; private sector models attempt to crowdsource quality of life issues in other municipalities as well.
posted by availablelight at 7:42 AM PST - 26 comments

I loved Kurt so I tried to love his books, too.

Mr. Vonnegut talked about my dad a lot and put him into a lot of his books. Sometimes he was Dad, and sometimes he was just a character Mr. Vonnegut made up. So what I would say to any of you who are wondering is this: My dad was what people called a real character, which always made us laugh because it was so literally true owing to his association with a famous fiction writer. He could also get pretty obnoxious. But he was a good man. And he definitely wasn’t crazy. At least not until the brain tumor.

Kurt Vonnegut Didn't Know Doodly-Squat About Writing: Finally, Literary Analysis Worth Reading by Bernard V. O'Hare, with an introduction by Meghan O'Hare.
posted by shakespeherian at 7:42 AM PST - 49 comments

Sovereignty scandal

A scandal is brewing in Eve Online. [more inside]
posted by AElfwine Evenstar at 6:31 AM PST - 91 comments

Dammit. Who typed a question mark on the Teleprompter?

Back in September, things weren't going very well at the KGTV newsroom. [SLYT]
posted by schmod at 5:50 AM PST - 65 comments

We must find out the truth of this situation.

For the past 20 weeks I have been engaged in a very strange dialogue with the two noble Lords, in the course of which I have been trying to bring to their attention the willing availability of a strange organisation which wishes to make a great deal of money available to assist the recovery of the economy in this country. For want of a better name, I shall call it foundation X. [more inside]
posted by Happy Dave at 5:49 AM PST - 65 comments

Prop 19 Goes Up In Smoke. (It lost.)

California's Proposition 19 loses. While analysis and commentary will differ based on who is telling the tale, the results are clear: by an eight point margin, California voters rejected legalization, regulation and taxation of pot.
posted by andreaazure at 4:56 AM PST - 177 comments

SLYT of Funky Forest

A middle aged man sits on a chair, nervously reveals udder-like things on his chest, and descends his scrotum through a hole in the chair. Then it gets stranger. [SLYT] [IMDB]
posted by mccarty.tim at 4:10 AM PST - 54 comments

A box by any other name

A compendium of 80's boom boxes which, of course, in those days went by a different name [more inside]
posted by victors at 1:17 AM PST - 38 comments

November 2

Andy Irons RIP

Three time world surfing champion Andy Irons has died at age 32, apparently from dengue fever. [more inside]
posted by Ahab at 8:21 PM PST - 55 comments

The cure for FHS (Floating Head Syndrome)

Mondo Tees create absolutely gorgeous movie posters. [more inside]
posted by brundlefly at 4:10 PM PST - 58 comments

The End of a Smartly Turned Out Era

The border crossing at Wagah between India and Pakistan has long been host to one of the most bizarre rituals in diplomacy, one which draws massive crowds to witness its daily spectacle. Sadly, all good things come to an end.
posted by Biru at 3:22 PM PST - 57 comments

A Little Boost

"I don't know what I was thinking. I guess Liz's tenacity [at attempting to climb the tree] bought enough time to chase the thought 'what can this metal thing do if it's pointed up instead of down?' to its logical conclusion." At the end of election season, sanity and compassion are restored as an amputee uses his prosthetic to give a tree-climbing kid a little boost.
posted by ocherdraco at 2:56 PM PST - 8 comments

Newspapers and paywalls, some data from The Times

Some data on newspapers and paywalls, as The Times reveals some of their numbers and chooses to look on the bright side of the data, while others are more skeptical. [more inside]
posted by philipy at 1:30 PM PST - 47 comments

Disunion @ the NYTimes

Disunion One-hundred-and-fifty years ago, Americans went to war with themselves. Disunion revisits and reconsiders America's most perilous period -- using contemporary accounts, diaries, images and historical assessments to follow the Civil War as it unfolded. Updated every Monday.
posted by OmieWise at 1:19 PM PST - 39 comments

Luke Perry + DragonCon = Portraits

The 21 Best Portraits of Luke Perry at DragonCon. Also, The 21 Best Portraits of Luke Perry With Luke Perry.
posted by Dragonness at 12:50 PM PST - 107 comments

Real people experiencing the Real God in the real world.

Bishop Jim Swilley of Conyers, Georgia's megachurch Church In The Now has announced to his congregation that he is gay. He was moved to make the announcement after the recent national coverage of gay suicides. Queerty has more details and video reports, including video of the sermon where he made the announcement. [more inside]
posted by hippybear at 12:50 PM PST - 108 comments

a knitted skeleton

A knitted skeleton seated atop a pyramid of Borden’s condensed milk cans and a cloud of screen prints on Plexi glass suspended above it. The knitted skeleton is seated in the lotus position. The prints are of disembodied anatomical parts photographed in high resolution with diagrammatic illustrative overlays. Transcending the Material by Ben Cuevas [nsfw]. [more inside]
posted by nickyskye at 12:14 PM PST - 11 comments

Space Funeral

Space Funeral is a short surrealist freeware RPG.
posted by LSK at 11:40 AM PST - 24 comments

Yours truly

"The modern hand-written love letter is dead," says Doyle. "That is the consensus. People communicate differently now – though not necessarily without meaning. They still are learning to get to know each other through the written word." Love written digitally may not have the romantic image of quill and ink (though ink-stained fingers may also have dampened some ardour in the old days), but the new medium doesn't necessarily harden the heart. Think only of the popularity of dating websites, which prove that communicating feelings of hope and tenderness in text continues to thrive in certain quarters. ~ The dying art of the billet doux
posted by The Lady is a designer at 11:39 AM PST - 23 comments

"A smile God designed to melt mortal men's hearts"

Stunning Audrey Hepburn photos: now you too can leaf through this marvelous Taschen limited edition by famed Hollywood photog Bob Willoughby, which sold out in hours despite its hefty price tag.
posted by CunningLinguist at 11:06 AM PST - 53 comments

I'll just pretend

DNA is an unofficial video for the Darwin Deez song of the same name. [more inside]
posted by Potomac Avenue at 10:18 AM PST - 7 comments

I watched with glee, tears, a bottle of Jack Daniels

An Open Letter to Mark Gatiss A personal reaction to the horror aficionado's recent series. (Watch here on iPlayer.) [more inside]
posted by mippy at 9:38 AM PST - 26 comments

plants in sanskrit poetry

Seasonal Poetry in Sanskrit : The blog Sanskrit Literature has been running an excellent series on plants that appear in sanskrit poetry. Some examples : Jasmine (malati), Lotuses and Water Lilies, Mango.
posted by dhruva at 9:03 AM PST - 6 comments

Milkshake!

Super There Will Be Blood in-game footage. Bonus: Zardoz the video game - intro.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 9:01 AM PST - 24 comments

Pencils down.

It's Election Day in America, and as is so often the case in this fickle land, the results of the 2010 midterm elections are up in the air. Although President Obama's party is expected to suffer significant losses, record numbers of districts remain competitive, and even minute errors in polling could mean the difference between a historic Republican landslide and an unexpectedly robust Democratic defense. At stake are control of not just the Senate and House, but myriad state and local offices, many of which will play key roles in the dynamics of the 2012 presidential race -- and, more subtly but no less crucially, the once-in-a-decade congressional redistricting process. Much uncertainty surrounds the behavior of the electorate -- how many will turn out, and how informed will they be? To help move those statistics in the right direction, look inside for voter guides, national and state fact checkers, and an assortment of other resources to keep tabs on as the results roll in. [more inside]
posted by Rhaomi at 8:45 AM PST - 840 comments

Kye Allums Makes NCAA History

Transgender Man Plays on Women's College Team. A guard for George Washington University's women's basketball team is a transgender man. Kye Allums, who was born female and has not undergone any hormone treatments, changed his name from Kay-Kay to Kye within the last year and was relieved not to lose his scholarship. "When people refer to me as 'girl' or 'she,' it doesn't sit well with me," Allums said. "That feeling you get when someone pisses you off, that feeling you get when your stomach gets hot and it aches, that's what it feels like. And that's how I know I'm not supposed to be a girl." On Nov. 13, he will be the first transgender person to compete in Division One college basketball, according to OutSports. Opposing fans used to taunt Allums about his masculine build, but it backfired. "I love it," he said. "It makes me feel better about myself to hear them call me a man."
posted by rcade at 8:21 AM PST - 172 comments

Not Only... But Also

Not Only... But Also, the 1960s Peter Cook and Dudley Moore sketch show, was one of the many programmes where many of the episodes were lost due to the BBC's strangely appalling archival policies. Last month, however, audio recordings of 11 of the lost episodes were found at the home of NOBA fan Graham Webb, who had recorded them off the TV at the time of transmission, using a reel-to-reel tape recorder. [more inside]
posted by dng at 7:33 AM PST - 12 comments

The next level of street art

Generally, the Arts & Design section of the New York Times talks about reviews, gallery openings, ballet performances, open-air concerts, and the latest violin virtuoso. But sometimes art isn't in museums, galleries, parks, or on the sides of buildings - it’s where you can’t go. [more inside]
posted by Old'n'Busted at 6:56 AM PST - 18 comments

The Automatypwriter

The Automatypewriter is a typewriter that can type by itself.
posted by empath at 6:08 AM PST - 15 comments

Smoke, Smoke, Smoke that Cigarette

Every Cigarette Smoked in Mad Men. Well, clearly not every cigarette, but it seems to me the show is one big tobacco ad. Also mentioned in parody. [more inside]
posted by bwg at 6:08 AM PST - 85 comments

Get the Gist

Gist is an online contacts management system that knows about your social media contacts as well as your IRL friends... [more inside]
posted by benzo8 at 2:35 AM PST - 28 comments

Giants Baseball: Torture.

The San Francisco Giants are the 2010 World Series Champions, having defeated the Texas Rangers 4 games to 1. [more inside]
posted by clearly at 2:01 AM PST - 128 comments

Field Mice Needed

Old school hardware hacker, Postscript enthusiast, electronics writer, woo debunker, all around geek, and now amateur archaeologist Don Lancaster (prev 1, 2) needs you. And maybe some of your nerdy gadgets. [more inside]
posted by 2N2222 at 12:36 AM PST - 5 comments

The sorcerer must therefore find someone who is willing to take the pants

>If you want to make your own necropants (literally; nábrók) you have to get permission from a living man to use his skin after he's dead. Click here for a vocal description. NSFW image here. [via Great Dismal, via Got Medieval] [more inside]
posted by kaspen at 12:20 AM PST - 49 comments

November 1

One evening, after thinking it over for some time, Harold decided to go for a walk...

Purple Burglars Burgle a Purple House I'm sure they thought they would blend right in wearing so much purple, but a petcam doesn't care what color you are wearing.
posted by cjorgensen at 8:53 PM PST - 47 comments

Speed-Creating

Dominic Wilcox (previously) spent a month speed-creating - inventing something new every day for 30 days with the resources around him. Amongst his creations are lightbulb bread, a diary in the form of measuring tape, and a football that makes smoothies.
posted by divabat at 8:38 PM PST - 8 comments

Documentaries on art and artists

Gestalten TV - Exploring Visual Culture. A series of documentaries on (mostly) art and artists.
posted by dobbs at 8:26 PM PST - 2 comments

The thrill of a good fake explosion

Why the Supreme Court should rule that violent video games are free speech
posted by Artw at 8:20 PM PST - 192 comments

But what has he done for me lately?

What the f#ck has Obama done so far?
posted by anastasiav at 8:13 PM PST - 97 comments

The Ambling Alp was too, at least that's what I'm told...

What do these things have in common? a) Yeasayer; b) boxing; c) Nazis [more inside]
posted by dazedandconfused at 7:45 PM PST - 6 comments

Hadean Lands

Andrew Plotkin (Website, Twitter), a much renowned author of interactive fiction (works include Spider and Web, The Dreamhold), is quitting his day job, and going to try and create text adventures full time, starting with Hadean Lands: An Interactive Alchemical Interplanetary Thriller (teaser scene), for iOS devices. He's using Kickstarter to help fund it, and has already raised over $11,000, $3000 over his goal, in less than a day's time. (via jscott) [more inside]
posted by zabuni at 6:31 PM PST - 41 comments

(Canada Telecom) Globalive financier Naguib Sawiris: 'We will make pain, and they will suffer'

Until recently, Canada heavily restricted foreign control of the telecommunications industry and enjoyed some of the highest prices in the world. Globalive financier Naguib Sawiris discusses penetrating the Canadian market with a vehemence not heard since Daniel Day Lewis 'drank our milkshake' in There Will Be Blood.
posted by Stagger Lee at 2:46 PM PST - 58 comments

Look! A Small Moon!

Ben Kenobi: Private Jedeye
posted by azarbayejani at 2:27 PM PST - 20 comments

"FUBAR" cannot be expressed as a numeric output

The nuclear weapons simulator at CarlosLabs (previously) has been updated to include fallout wind drift, pressure and thermal events to evaluate the impact of everything from a suitcase nuke to the Tsar Bomba on your city. The Missile Range Tool can show if you are in the vicinity of any delivery systems currently in service, or compare your location to the range of those used historically, such as the V2. For the effects of the cosmic collisions of asteroids and comets (and featuring rather more science) there's the Earth Impact Effects Program.
posted by Bora Horza Gobuchul at 12:42 PM PST - 41 comments

Wild Goose Chase

In Soviet Russia American South, wild goose chases YOU. (SLYT)
posted by Gator at 11:45 AM PST - 64 comments

The Terminator was Really a Tea Party Republican

Moveon.org puts tongue in cheek and predicts the future if Democrats don't vote tomorrow. (SLYT)
posted by bearwife at 11:12 AM PST - 124 comments

Halloween Mixtapes

The pumpkins are mouldering or smashed, candy wrappers are strewn about, and your costume is tossed aside. Keep the mood going for a bit longer with some Halloween mixtapes, from film composer Alan Howarth (credits, IMDb), and three(tracklist) streaming mixes from electronic/breakbeat producers Evil Nine. If you are looking for more beats and rapping in your mixtapes, here are three volumes of Night of the Living Dead (NSFW), from Cookin' Soul.
posted by filthy light thief at 11:10 AM PST - 9 comments

Not unlike various films by Fritz Lang

Notes on 'The Duel of the Fates.' Bob Clark of Wonders in the Dark takes a look at a single scene from The Phantom Menace by way of Eisenstein, aspect ratios, The Last Temptation of Christ, the NFL, Slim Pickens, Godard, Fantomas, and of course Kurosawa.
posted by shakespeherian at 10:59 AM PST - 31 comments

Art IS a weapon

The CIA spent 20 years promoting modern art as a propaganda tool: "We wanted to unite all the people who were writers, who were musicians, who were artists, to demonstrate that the West and the United States was devoted to freedom of expression and to intellectual achievement, without any rigid barriers as to what you must write, and what you must say, and what you must do, and what you must paint, which was what was going on in the Soviet Union. I think it was the most important division that the agency had, and I think that it played an enormous role in the Cold War."
posted by BZArcher at 10:23 AM PST - 49 comments

Blockin' up the Scenery, Breaking my Mind

The Bloodsport known as Sign Wars can cause neighbor to viciously turn against neighbor. "I've crawled over there on my hands and knees and put garbage bags over his signs". And respected community leaders to become petty vandals. But do Yard Signs have a measurable effect on electoral outcome? Some media outlets would have us believe so. They certainly are Big Business, with signs becoming more elaborate and customized. And they are Not Going Away, in the Digital Age.
posted by Cookiebastard at 9:54 AM PST - 81 comments

Geometry, Surfaces, Curves, Polyhedra

Geometry, Surfaces, Curves, Polyhedra (many of which are beautiful) l Google Earth Fractals l fractals and chaos. [more inside]
posted by nickyskye at 9:34 AM PST - 5 comments

The Rehabilitation of Suharto

The current Indonesian government has proposed that former dictator Suharto be added to the country's official pantheon of heroes. This proposal has been endorsed by the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), a party that is explicitly Islamic, despite the fact that Suharto's government by and large suppressed religiosity in the political sphere. Aubrey Belford writes in the NYT about the controversy over this proposal; although Suharto is widely credited with Indonesia's increased prosperity in the decades prior to the Asian economic crisis, he was famously corrupt, violent in his suppression of political components and he led Indonesia during its bloody occupation of East Timor, which some have called a genocide.
posted by Dim Siawns at 8:42 AM PST - 22 comments

Twenty-First Century Stoic

William B. Irvine has written a three-part essay (1, 2, 3) for BoingBoing summarizing his book A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy. The Philosophers' Magazine has also commented on the revival of Stoicism. [more inside]
posted by TheophileEscargot at 8:39 AM PST - 41 comments

Dead Drops

Artist Aram Bartholl (creator of CAPTCHA business cards) has embedded USB sticks in various walls, buildings and curbs accessible throughout New York City for Dead Drops: "an anonymous, offline, peer to peer file-sharing network in public space." (Flickr) [more inside]
posted by zarq at 8:08 AM PST - 55 comments

My Little GTO is GFG

Long-time 3rd place auto maker Pontiac has decided to call it quits. The maker of iconic TransAm and Firebird cars, along with the (cough) less than interesting Aztek, Pontiac has lost market share to Toyota and others, and as of 2009, held the 12th place slot. Pontiac, named for the Michigan city where the company started and an 18th-century Ottawa Indian chief, found itself on the wrong end of G.M.’s government-aided bankruptcy restructuring. Combined with a lack of moving forward with today's market, Pontiac seemed to be living in the past. [more inside]
posted by Old'n'Busted at 6:48 AM PST - 130 comments

Chrontendo plus

Chrontendo is a video podcast in which a guy systematically described and discusses every Famicom/NES game released. Currently up to 33 episodes and counting, and covering hundreds of games. [more inside]
posted by JHarris at 2:39 AM PST - 23 comments

He needs a dollar

Aloe Blacc, previously of LA-based hip hop duo Emanon, pulls a Cee-Lo and reinvents himself as a soul singer. [more inside]
posted by joedan at 2:29 AM PST - 9 comments