MetaFilter

ITU Power-grab, or is something else brewing behind the scenes? C-SPAN Video coverage of fascinating proposal to give the United Nations more control over the Internet. The proposal, backed by China, Russia, Brazil and India, is being examined in depth. And some folks aren't liking what they see... [more inside]
posted by RoseyD at 11:16 PM PST - 18 comments

Bratabase is a crowdsourced "bra database" made to help women find the right bra (interview with the creator). According to many studies, over 80% of women aren't wearing the correct bra size: "there's a lot of misinformation about bras out there". For instance, D cups just aren't that big ("Clearly there are a whole lot more D+ cups out there than people assume") and not all D cups are the same size ("from left to right 30D, 32D, 34D, 36D, 38D. Five different band lengths, five different cup volumes. All D Cups"). Most of these links contain photos and therefore may be NSFWish for some. [more inside]
posted by flex at 6:44 PM PST - 120 comments

On March 8, 1971, James Brown performed at The Olympia in Paris. [more inside]
posted by Trurl at 6:38 PM PST - 20 comments

In a high profile gaffe President Barack Obama has recently caused anger in Poland by referring to a Nazi death camp as a "Polish death camp" during a ceremony honoring World War II hero Jan Karski with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. “The White House will apologize for this outrageous error,” Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski tweeted. Sikorski said that Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk “will make a statement in the morning. It’s a pity that this important ceremony was upstaged by ignorance and incompetence.” [more inside]
posted by furiousxgeorge at 6:14 PM PST - 158 comments

I've been dreading this day since I became manager in 1997," Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said. This day, today, Detroit Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom retired from the game of professional hockey after 20 NHL seasons. Lidstrom is considered to be one of the best defenseman ever to play the game. [more inside]
posted by kbanas at 5:35 PM PST - 25 comments

Next Wednesday's Transit of Venus (prev.) may be astronomically important, but is also a chance to reflect on a lot of important 18th and 19th century science, discovery and politics.
posted by wilful at 5:28 PM PST - 14 comments

Sword & Sworcercy fan art tumblr. (S&S previously)
posted by curious nu at 4:04 PM PST - 22 comments

A very special South Korean version of "The Miracle Worker" (Part 1, Part 2), featuring music purloined from the shows Bat Boy and Legally Blonde.
posted by hermitosis at 2:51 PM PST - 12 comments

You're watching your favorite tv show. There's a song in the background that catches your ear, and suddenly you're desperate for a recording. Unfortunately, you don't recognize the voice of the singer. Or the sound of the band. And dammit, you can't make out enough of the lyrics to google them! Waiting for DVDs is usually no help, since they often can't use (read: afford the rights to) the original music, so you're stuck with illegal, fan-made DVDs at ridiculous prices, awful, meaningless replacement music, or a single missing song that destroys the essence of the episode (c.f. Quantum Leap episode "M.I.A." and "Georgia on my Mind;" Wiseguy episode "No One Gets out of Here Alive" and "Nights in White Satin"). What's a fan to do? [more inside]
posted by tzikeh at 2:51 PM PST - 70 comments

David Hoyle (born 1963) is an English performance artist, avant-garde cabaret artist, singer, actor, comedian and film director. In the 1990s he developed an extremely strange, extremely gay "anti-drag queen" character called The Divine David and produced two series for Channel 4, back when that channel was still unafraid of pushing the boundaries. These were:

The Divine David Presents (SLYT)
The Divine David Heals (SLYT)

He also appeared in the video for the last single released to date by Faith No More - I Started A Joke of course being a Bee Gees cover - which is unaccountably set in a northern English working men's club.
posted by GallonOfAlan at 2:26 PM PST - 10 comments

Vidz was a late-night video review show from the late 90s, presented by Nigel Buckland and Stef Gardner and shown on Channel 4 in the UK. It concentrated mostly on reviewing low-budget, cult and foreign films. Most of the episodes can be found on this youtube channel and there's an episode by episode guide here). After a break of 12 years or so, they're back, this time in podcast form.
posted by dng at 1:34 PM PST - 14 comments

Of the 17,808 players (and counting) who’ve run up the dugout steps and onto a Major League field, only 974 have had one-game careers. [...] The Cup of Coffee club is filled exclusively with people who do not want to be members.
posted by Chrysostom at 1:03 PM PST - 23 comments

Proteus is a beautiful game by Ed Key with no goals except admiring natural features and exploring a procedurally generated island [some spoilers in videos], modeled loosely after the open land near Key's parents' home in Cumbria. The game also features "reactively mixed" ambient electronic music (think 'chiptune Boards of Canada') composed by David Kanaga, which changes and shifts according to your physical context. Though only in v0.1, it has already won critical accolades, as well as an award for The Most Amazing Indie Game at A MAZE 2012.
posted by p3on at 11:58 AM PST - 50 comments

First Circuit Court of Appeals rules Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional.
posted by klangklangston at 10:59 AM PST - 91 comments

The Heat could've been so beautiful. Instead, they're a team for their time.
posted by Cloud King at 10:22 AM PST - 72 comments

Model Behavior: A Laurie Penny essay on gender presentation, anorexia, neoliberalism, capitalism, queerness, gender, drag, media, America's Next Top Model, and a few other things.
posted by latkes at 10:06 AM PST - 37 comments

Edward Sharpe's new video for MAN ON FIRE goes to cheer gyms, double dutch practice spaces, and dance studios, focusing on both performers and observers, then takes the glorious action to the streets.
posted by roger ackroyd at 9:56 AM PST - 26 comments

The goons at Something Awful have a field day photoshopping downgraded and cut-rate literary classics. Part 2.
posted by The Whelk at 9:38 AM PST - 143 comments

Body parts suspect the focus of international manhunt. [cbc.ca] The search for Luka Rocco Magnotta, the 29-year-old suspect in the grisly slaying and dismemberment of a victim whose body parts were sent in the mail, has now spread beyond Canada. [thestar.com] Who is Luka Rocco Magnotta? Luka Rocco Magnotta dated Karla Homolka (Canadian serial killer), police confirm. [nationalpost.com]
posted by Fizz at 9:36 AM PST - 92 comments

Watch as some REALLY REALLY BIG PEOPLE crawl around and dance on the Sydney Opera House. Then it kinda changes colors, and then it, um... collapses.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 9:22 AM PST - 20 comments

Tove Jansson's short stories about artistic creation are often chillingly cold. The artists she portrays have become lost in their isolated solitude, their creativity, which shuts other people out. Portraits of such loneliness are drawn in three short stories in the collection Lyssnerskan ('The listener', 1971), 'Ekorren' ('The squirrel'), 'Svart & vitt' ('Black & white') and 'Vargen' ('The wolf’), which probably frightened many readers - particularly those who knew and loved her Moomin books - away from Jansson's work. In their cosmos, warmth is unknown; their landscapes are frozen, just like the people who seek expression for their artistic dreams. [more inside]
posted by smcg at 7:25 AM PST - 19 comments

Science off the Sphere is a video series by Don Pettit aboard the ISS showing off the neat things you can do in zero-gravity. [more inside]
posted by quin at 7:19 AM PST - 13 comments

A not-well discussed property of data: it is toxic in large quantities—even in moderate quantities. [more inside]
posted by onwords at 7:02 AM PST - 89 comments

NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg has proposed a ban on the sale of large sodas and other sugary drinks at restaurants, movie theaters and street carts. Mr. Bloomberg’s proposal requires the approval of the Board of Health, a step that is considered likely because the members are all appointed by him, and the board’s chairman is the city’s health commissioner, who joined the mayor in supporting the measure on Wednesday.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 6:47 AM PST - 340 comments

Minus 40 degrees is the same temperature in both Celsius and Fahrenheit. It is also the temperature where skin freezes, and the point where water is completely frozen (and mercury too). Strangely, it's also the average temperature of the record lows for all 50 United States, though normal in Alaska.
posted by Brian B. at 6:42 AM PST - 52 comments

The 2012 Internet Problem Solving Contest will begin in a couple of days. Read the rules if you want to join in or perhaps just enjoy delving into the archive of past years' problems.
posted by Wolfdog at 5:52 AM PST - 14 comments

Kevin Roose's The Unlikely Disciple, in which Brown attends Jerry Falwell's evangelical Liberty University for a semester (excerpt), has been featured on MetaFilter previously, but it deserves to be looked at in more detail. What distinguishes the book is Roose's determination to look at the people behind the belief rather than just lampooning the belief itself; he writes about interviewing Falwell (and he was in fact the last person to interview Falwell before his death), and about his uneasiness about finding the likable, human elements that went alongside the fanaticism. After publication, Liberty University allowed the book in its bookstore, but inserted a three-paragraph disclaimer warning readers of inaccuracies and telling them to be skeptical; Roose rebuts the disclaimer. An English professor at Liberty University offers an interesting perspective. Meanwhile, Roose runs a blog series called Meet Jerry's Kids, in which he interviews LU students, and The Jonah Project, where he encourages people who disagree politically or religiously to have reasoned, yelling-free discussions about the novel.
posted by Rory Marinich at 5:49 AM PST - 43 comments

Starforge is a game of mining, building and survival. Sound familiar? Wait until you see the video. It's free to play, and the alpha/tech-demo is downloadable right now. (Forum, sub-reddit). Notch approves. [more inside]
posted by empath at 5:49 AM PST - 38 comments

Trees of Life: A Visual History of Evolution Trees of Life: A Visual History of Evolution catalogs 230 tree-like branching diagrams, culled from 450 years of mankind’s visual curiosity about the living world and our quest to understand the complex ecosystem we share with other organisms, from bacteria to birds, microbes to mammals. (More trees are visible at the Google Books site.)
posted by OmieWise at 5:48 AM PST - 3 comments

Stately Sandwiches: What sandwich should represent your state? [more inside]
posted by jacquilynne at 5:31 AM PST - 173 comments

"First of all, we almost had no battle at all. For budgetary reasons we came very, very close to having all the action take place off-screen, the way plays have handled battle scenes for a few thousand years." - How the epic battle at the heart of the latest episode of Game of Thrones, Blackwater, written by George R. R. Martin and directed by Neil Marshall, came to be. Mentor relationships in Game of Thrones (and Mad Men). The National's Lannister song. And, perhaps sriking closest of all to the central themes of the show, Jezebel plays Game of Thrones: Marry, Fuck, Kill.
posted by Artw at 12:03 AM PST - 240 comments

Journey into Cryptography is a multipart video introduction to the subject for beginners, created by Brit Cruise and hosted by Khan Academy. There are several interactive tools to help explain some key concepts. Also, a recent lecture entitled "Principles of Security" was given by noted Javascript curmudgeon Douglas Crockford, focusing on security and the web, with a detour into Volapük.
posted by gwint at 9:40 PM PST - 11 comments

"It took years to lock them up. Hundreds of enemy fighters captured during some of the fiercest combat of the war. But then, one night last spring, as American troops surged into Taliban territory, all of those prisoners, all of that progress, disappeared. Prof. Luke Mogelson ventures down the rabbit hole to find them."
posted by vidur at 9:26 PM PST - 28 comments

In a Rolling Stone article published yesterday, Aaron Freeman, co-founder of the cult rock band Ween, declared he was "retiring Gene Ween. ... For me, it's a closed book." Today, Freeman posted on his Facebook page: "I've decided to end my musical relationship with Ween." [more inside]
posted by kjh at 9:07 PM PST - 54 comments

Tourette does not shorten life, limit mobility, or impair cognitive or emotional function ... While the genesis of TS is neurological, its most important symptom is semantic, the ongoing need to attach meaning to what are quite literally empty gestures.

Greg Downey talks about Tourette's Syndrome and Robert Lemelson’s documentary The Bird Dancer. [more inside]
posted by nangar at 8:29 PM PST - 4 comments

How many hours per week does a person have to work in order to afford a two-bedroom apartment at minimum wage? Following a report (PDF) by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, a rather striking infographic has been making the rounds (NYT) on the web. The bottom line: nowhere in the USA is it possible to afford a two-bedroom apartment on forty hours per week of minimum wage work.
posted by Scientist at 7:25 PM PST - 189 comments

Julian Cope's "Album of the Month" series brims with personal, passionate, and often mind-expanding writing about records like James Brown's The Payback, Nico's The Marble Index, and a bunch of stuff you've never heard of. (previously) [more inside]
posted by Trurl at 6:24 PM PST - 24 comments

As they become more readily available to consumers, LEDs will undoubtedly replace CFLs as the primary light source for residential and commercial, inside and out, due to their dramatic efficiency gains. In an unexpected turn of events, however, MIT researchers have developed an LED with 230 percent efficiency. Previously [more inside]
posted by CynicalKnight at 6:00 PM PST - 69 comments

FDA Rules Corn Syrup Can't Change Its Name To Corn Sugar [more inside]
posted by TangerineGurl at 5:21 PM PST - 97 comments

Lawrence Lessig, erstwhile Free Culture advocate now given to fighting corruption on a larger scale, delivers a commencement address. "There is no one in the criminal justice system who believes that system works well. There is no one in housing law who believes this is what law was meant to be. In contracts, you read about disputes involving tens, maybe a hundred dollars. The disputes of ordinary people. These disputes are not for the courts any more. Or if they are, they are for courts that are an embarrassment to the ideals of justice from our tradition. The law of real people doesn’t work, even if the law of corporations does."
posted by the mad poster! at 4:48 PM PST - 22 comments

Snow White's Scary Adventures - A Retrospective [via mefi projects] The author can't post it here for obvious reasons, but I can. I think. Now to wipe these tears from my eyes...

Tomorrow, May 31st, will be the last day of operation for the ride Snow White's Scary Adventures at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. The ride has played a significant role in my family's life for the past decade (my son is autistic, and has ridden the ride more than 3,400 times), and I wrote a retrospective about the history of the ride. This is a subject that is too close for me to post on the Blue, but Matthowie and Jessamyn both suggested that I post about it here. The linked blog post itself contains links to a four part series about my son, and also a link in the footnotes to the single best reference site on the web for the ride in all its permutations. I know it's just a silly old fairy tale dark ride, and not on many people's "must-see" list when they come to Disney World, but I hope my article can help at least a few people understand why it really is an important piece of history.

posted by COD at 4:37 PM PST - 32 comments

Gymnast: In Motion — The elegant movements and athletic prowess of five twirling trampolinists are captured in photographer Steve Harries’ new short film. Performing up to 7.5 meters in the air—shot from a tall camera tower beneath a rig suspending the set, mirrors and lights from the ceiling—bodies were broken up into fragmented forms and motions by a bank of six mirrors. Contrast that with No Church in the Wild, the Jay Z & Kanye West collaboration filmed by Romain Gavras. A message of hope to anyone who feels society needs to change direction, or a furious extended urban battle scene?
posted by netbros at 3:40 PM PST - 8 comments

With just over one week to the UEFA Euro 2012 kickoff, a BBC Panorama special Stadiums of Hate uncovers widespread, systemic racism and far-right violence amongst sects of Polish and Ukranian Football fans.
posted by whyareyouatriangle at 3:31 PM PST - 42 comments

What if a deadly epidemic was burgeoning and almost nobody noticed? In the latest issue of PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, a distinguished group of virologists, epidemiologists and infectious-disease specialists say that’s not a hypothetical question. They argue that Chagas disease, a parasitic infection transmitted by blood-sucking insects, has become so widespread and serious — while remaining largely unrecognized — that it deserves to be considered a public health emergency. [more inside]
posted by Blasdelb at 3:26 PM PST - 31 comments

As part of Crooked Timber's Seminar on Francis Spufford's work of speculative fiction "Red Plenty." Cosma Shalizi has posted "7800 words about optimal planning for a socialist economy and its intersection with computational complexity theory."
posted by JPD at 2:24 PM PST - 21 comments

Sometimes politicians say something stupid on Twitter, and then delete the tweet. Politwoops re-publishes those tweets.
posted by Chrysostom at 1:00 PM PST - 37 comments

Nicolas Cage performs John Cage's 4'33"
posted by elgilito at 12:52 PM PST - 59 comments

The story of a wrestling bison in a world of crazed gummy bears was a story destined for a sequel. Burrito Bison Revenge has arrived.
posted by mikoroshi at 12:50 PM PST - 10 comments

How Markets Crowd Out Morals: A Forum On The Corrupting Effects Of Markets [more inside]
posted by jhandey at 12:16 PM PST - 31 comments

Yesterday, Pop Chart Lab announced a new print, meant to be "the most comprehensive mapping of the breweries of the USA ever compiled." However, this epic infographic featured many notable omissions. In response to tweets, emails, and comments, the company stopped the presses and worked overnight to make corrections.
posted by kyleg at 12:12 PM PST - 41 comments

Beach-faring designers take note: Fashion Factory has created a line of official Pantone swimwear for men.
posted by hermitosis at 11:26 AM PST - 33 comments

After a two year process, the Sauber F1 Team have successfully sliced one of their cars in half. The result allows for a detailed look inside the technical workings of a modern F1 car.
posted by kfkcam at 10:34 AM PST - 50 comments

I Am Science: Unconventional Paths to Life in Science (5-min Vimeo), via Brain Pickings. [more inside]
posted by philipy at 9:45 AM PST - 6 comments

Venus Williams, learning to live with a chronic illness. [NYTimes.com] "Singing replaced swinging; karaoke became her way to cope. Williams said this Monday, in a quiet moment at the French Open, inside a windowless room beneath the courts. Since doctors told her she had Sjögren’s syndrome, an incurable autoimmune disease, last year at the United States Open, everything has changed. Williams says she wakes up each morning unsure of how she will feel."
posted by Fizz at 9:06 AM PST - 31 comments

Comedy Bang! Bang! (posted about previously as Comedy Deathray the Podcast) has come to IFC as a TV show (watch full episode with Amy Poehler here). You'll never look at Jon Hamm the same way again. [more inside]
posted by Potomac Avenue at 8:25 AM PST - 50 comments

Eric Wynalda, US Soccer Hall of Fame striker, and Fox Soccer Commentator, has been an outspoken opponent of many of the current practices of Major League Soccer (MLS) - all the while coveting an MLS coaching position. He has been described as one of the most polarizing figures in US soccer and and a " frickin twitter train wreck” by the owner of the Portland Timbers. Tonight the train wreck pays a visit to Portland. [more inside]
posted by incandissonance at 7:43 AM PST - 44 comments

A large selection geometric shapes, all created with just one HTML element & CSS. An interesting take on geometry. Includes Space Invader. [more inside]
posted by Deathalicious at 7:28 AM PST - 30 comments

The Royal Observatory, Greenwich has put together the fantastic short video Measuring the Universe which briefly describes the different techniques used to allow us to calculate the vast distances to stellar objects in space. [via]
posted by quin at 7:05 AM PST - 11 comments

Louisiana monks go to court to sell their caskets. “The number one thing you should do as a public interest litigator is to get monks as your clients in every single case.”
posted by Ice Cream Socialist at 4:48 AM PST - 90 comments

"The question of whether or not Cobb's top falls doesn't really matter." Kyle Johnson, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, gives a detailed, multi-layered analysis of Inception as part of Authors@Google talks. Very insightful and interesting, even if you think he's dead wrong.
posted by litleozy at 2:38 AM PST - 85 comments

On the 30th May, 1593, playwright Christopher Marlowe was stabbed in a Deptford tavern. Except, it wasn't a tavern, and all present were known liars. His writing style was very similar to that of early William Shakespeare, whose name first appeared in print very shortly afterwards. [more inside]
posted by iotic at 2:24 AM PST - 213 comments

Earlier today, the Romney campaign released an app for showing support with pictures: "A Better Amercia. I'm with Mitt." (Note the typo.) There's now a Tumblr for people to show what Amercia means to them. Get the app and make your own!
posted by Pronoiac at 11:33 PM PST - 140 comments

Book illustrator Leo Dillon, who in partnership with his wife Diane Dillon, illustrated and did the covers for many of your favourite childrens' books, has passed away on May 26th. [more inside]
posted by MartinWisse at 11:10 PM PST - 18 comments

Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman of the New York Court of Appeals announced that beginning next year, prospective lawyers must show that they have performed at least 50 hours of law-related pro bono service before being admitted to the New York state bar. [more inside]
posted by hypotheticole at 10:44 PM PST - 55 comments

It's unusual for a woman to be a leader in Afghanistan but Zarifa Qazizadah has become the country's only female village chief through force of personality and determination to get things done - even if that means cross-dressing, wearing a false moustache and driving around on a motorbike at night. "I tell the men of the village, all I want is your prayers," she says. "When you have a problem, I'll speak to the government on your behalf and whenever there is any disturbance at night-time, I'll pick up my gun and come to your house to see what's going on."
posted by barnacles at 8:14 PM PST - 6 comments

Adrift in a bleak economy and our isolated urban bubble, in 2010 my sweetheart and I set out to see the world the old-fashioned way: by bicycle. We did it on the cheap and without any itinerary, gadgets, or training. We moved south with the sun as the seasons changed, cooked food we found at local markets, and slept in fields or on strangers’ couches. [more inside]
posted by latkes at 8:03 PM PST - 49 comments

Matt Might, computer science professor, has a son with a new genetic condition. This is the story of how they figured this out. Matt Might, perhaps best known for the illustrated guide to a PhD, tells the wrenching tale of their son's terrible medical condition and how they've worked to figure out what is going on with him.
posted by k8t at 7:52 PM PST - 35 comments

Iconic bluegrass guitarist Doc Watson has died in a Winston-Salem, NC hospital. Arthel "Doc" Watson, 89 years old at the time of his death, was one of the greatest traditional, folk and bluegrass guitarists in history. He is credited with popularizing the flatpicking style of guitar, and his involvement with the concerts in New York City, Boston and Newport helped popularize traditional mountain music and bluegrass during the 1960s. [more inside]
posted by Shotgun Shakespeare at 6:37 PM PST - 106 comments

As a tribute to Frédéric Chopin, we take you to the home of Arthur Rubinstein - one of the most distinguished interpreters of his works. [more inside]
posted by Trurl at 6:18 PM PST - 17 comments

Merge your body with the powers of a Kinect controller to become Ultra Seven!
posted by ardgedee at 6:16 PM PST - 18 comments

Fun and Playful Reinterpretation of an Ordinary City by Sandrine Estrade Boulet
posted by mattoxic at 5:18 PM PST - 5 comments

In 2010, Rep. D.J. Bettencourt became the youngest majority leader in the history of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, as well as the youngest House majority leader of any state legislature in the U.S. On May 25, 2012, Bettencourt announced his resignation from the House, citing his upcoming wedding and his new job as executive director of the New Hampshire Legal Rights Foundation. Three days after his resignation, Bettencourt resigned again – this time with an apology for “misrepresenting [his] work.” [more inside]
posted by bakerina at 4:28 PM PST - 55 comments

"This gallery contains time lapse movies of fungi, molds, bacteria, slime molds and insects of interest to plant pathologists." Be sure and check out the peach and plum, Homer Simpson growing "hair", a rotting book and mushrooms growing and dying.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 4:16 PM PST - 22 comments

What kind of an Eeget are ya? Not sure what MeFi will make of this wry little monologue, or indeed what the World-Wide World will make of the chap's accent, but it has humour, and truth, and I know plenty of people who 'spake' just like that...
posted by ironjelly at 3:30 PM PST - 26 comments

Guidelines [pdf] recently published by a coalition of religious liberty and free speech organizations caution educators against violating student rights when trying to enforce anti-bullying policies. Other groups, however, worry that concern for free speech rights may keep educators from effectively addressing bullying. [more inside]
posted by audi alteram partem at 2:18 PM PST - 66 comments

The NYT reports on how a Secret 'Kill List' tests Obama's principles and will [more inside]
posted by lalochezia at 2:04 PM PST - 189 comments

The upcoming Worldwide Short Film Fest in Toronto has taken a few of the web's most viral videos and re-imagined them: Leeroy Jenkins, David After Dentist and Charlie Bit My Finger have all been updated for the big screen. (Some videos not for the faint of heart)
posted by krunk at 1:42 PM PST - 23 comments

Set on the stage of current book buying and reading habits, where bookbuyers browse local shops then buy online and universities move the books out of their libraries (prev), Tony Sanfilippo (MetaFilter's Toekneesan) imagines book stores of a different sort, part bookstore with new and used books, part lending library, part something more. (via) [more inside]
posted by filthy light thief at 1:00 PM PST - 24 comments

Here he comes... Super Shark! (SLYT)
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 12:58 PM PST - 20 comments

To Profile or Not to Profile? A Debate between Sam Harris and Bruce Schneier.
posted by brundlefly at 12:56 PM PST - 138 comments

Hack The Cover "This is an essay for book lovers and designers curious about where the cover has been, where it's going, and what the ethos of covers means for digital book design."
posted by Fuzzy Monster at 12:08 PM PST - 11 comments

Alexander Shtifanov of Ukraine, the worlds most talented bartender
posted by Blasdelb at 11:58 AM PST - 53 comments

"when i went into cyberspace i went into it thinking that it was a place like any other place and that it would be a human interaction like any other human interaction. i was wrong when i thought that. it was a terrible mistake." Pandora's Vox: On Community in Cyberspace [more inside]
posted by codacorolla at 11:40 AM PST - 25 comments

Linda Holmes, NPR: "It probably speaks to the complexity of Mad Men that the same episode can be a highlight of the series for some and a lowlight for others. Sunday night's episode, "The Other Woman," instantly became a favorite of a lot of observers and writers, but for me, it was a rarity on Mad Men: a serious and profound misstep." (spoilers in links) [more inside]
posted by flex at 11:33 AM PST - 663 comments

You may have seen Replacements, Ltd.'s print ads in the back of PARADE magazine (of Howard Huge fame). Replacements, both a seller and a resource for china and glassware owners, was one of the few North Carolina businesses to publicly take a stand [NYT] against the state's vote to ban gay marriage. As an employer, Replacements is one of only nine companies in the country to receive a perfect score for ten years straight in the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index. But the company is also known for another surprisingly liberal policy: encouraging its 450 employees to bring their pets to work amidst millions of pieces of china and glassware. How many? A whole lot. [more inside]
posted by Madamina at 11:29 AM PST - 28 comments

David Letterman, Indianapolis native, racing fan and Indy Car team co-owner, sat down for an interview about the history of the Indianapolis 500, and its effect on him since childhood. No jokes, no snark, just a knowledgeable and passionate discussion about something he cares for tremendously. Parts one, two, three, and four.
posted by MarvinTheCat at 11:22 AM PST - 18 comments

Late last year Congress passed, and the President signed, the NDAA FY 2012. Many people and organizations protested claiming that some provisions in the NDAA could be interpreted in such a way as to allow for the indefinite detention of American citizens by the military. On January 13th a complaint was filed contesting the provisions. Now, Judge Katherine B. Forest has blocked enforcement of the controversial provisions. The government has filed a motion for reconsideration. [more inside]
posted by AElfwine Evenstar at 10:39 AM PST - 68 comments

Jamie Summerlin is running across America. He started in Sunset Bay, OR on March 26th. He'll finish on July 4th in Annapolis, MD. Right now, he's somewhere in Missouri. If you're doing the math, it will take him 100 days to go from coast to coast. If you're still doing the math, you'll realize the former Marine is running more than a marathon a day for 100 straight days for Wounded Warriors. News coverage here, here and here.
posted by tallthinone at 10:26 AM PST - 23 comments

Apple's Crystal Prison and the Future of Open Platforms (via) [more inside]
posted by kliuless at 10:10 AM PST - 121 comments

NASA's Image of the Day: Dragon on approach to the ISS (SIL) "This image of SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft as it approached the space station was taken NASA astronaut Don Pettit. The SpaceX Falcon 9 and its Dragon spacecraft launched on Tuesday, May 22, at 3:44 a.m. EDT."
posted by jquinby at 9:12 AM PST - 50 comments

The Opposite of Loneliness Graduating Yale senior Marina Keegan wrote a column for the commencement edition of the paper celebrating "tiny groups that make us feel loved and safe and part of something even on our loneliest nights when we stumble home to our computers — partner-less, tired, awake." She died in a car crash on Saturday. The column she wrote is a poignant eulogy.
posted by fedward at 8:52 AM PST - 53 comments

BeamNG, the team responsible for Rigs of Rods, show off their soft-body physics innovations in CryENGINE 3. The [via] [more inside]
posted by griphus at 7:37 AM PST - 47 comments

This article explores the history, from the lawyers' perspective [PDF; 41 pages], of a high-profile litigation of sixty years ago, the whirlwind of state and federal litigation that attended the 1948 runoff election battle between Congressman Lyndon B. Johnson and former Texas governor Coke Stevenson for the Texas Democratic Party nomination for the office of United States Senator. Johnson famously won this election by 87 votes [...] [more inside]
posted by smcg at 7:34 AM PST - 7 comments

Do SLR cameras confuse you? Then try the SLR Camera Simulator.
posted by Foci for Analysis at 7:33 AM PST - 47 comments

Drawing on money can elevate a humble bill to something a bit more entertaining. [via]
posted by quin at 6:59 AM PST - 23 comments

On Monday, the U.S.-based law firm Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP filed for dissolution. While Dewey is not the first law firm to declare bankruptcy, it is the largest and is likely to be the most contentious. [more inside]
posted by hawkeye at 3:03 AM PST - 49 comments

Dumb, Drunk and Racist - Joe Hildebrand, writer for the Daily Telegraph in Sydney, has a new TV show coming up on Australian TV, called "Dumb, Drunk and Racist", which was the phrase famously used during a training session in an Indian call centre about Australians. The show features four Indians from varying backgrounds visiting Australia - looks like very uncomfortable viewing (if you're Australian). (Slightly NSFW because of drunken boob-showing).
posted by awfurby at 9:28 PM PST - 136 comments

Unglue.It (v. t.) 4. For an author or publisher to accept a one-time fixed amount of money, raised by the public, for the perpetual release of an ebook under a Creative Commons license. A crowd-funded project created by Eric Hellman and friends at Gluejar. [more inside]
posted by stbalbach at 7:43 PM PST - 11 comments

Pretty damn cute!
posted by HuronBob at 7:21 PM PST - 37 comments

"The fertile Wadi Hanifah valley running through part of Riyadh was for years a rubbish dump and a public health hazard, but now it's been transformed into a vast park, with lakes that attract cool breezes. It's an oasis so large it's hard to police - making it a place for Saudi citizens to relax, in more senses than one." [more inside]
posted by vidur at 7:14 PM PST - 12 comments

What do you do when you want to do research with robots, but don't have the budget for decently powered robots? COTSBots! [more inside]
posted by BillW at 7:09 PM PST - 7 comments

Living The Dream ... at AOL . For two months last fall, Eric Simons secretly took up residence inside the Internet giant's Palo Alto, Calif., campus, eating free food, enjoying gym access, and building a startup in the process.
posted by PareidoliaticBoy at 6:36 PM PST - 66 comments

Free online graph paper generators: variations of squares, triangle, rhombus, and hexagonal, circular and polar, for drawing, gaming, writing, note-taking and much more. Blank Sheet Music (Flash) for all arrangements (PDF). Create and edit your own grids, probability and logarithmic graphs, petri-dish inserts and storyboards. Also, multilingual  monthly and yearly calendars. Plus, more than you ever wanted to know about ISO paper dimensions and printable paper models of polyhedra. Prev-ious-ly.
posted by Bora Horza Gobuchul at 3:50 PM PST - 36 comments

Slo’ugh froze suddenly, gazing at his three new sets of gloves with an unblinking intensity. All that moved, for three long, silent minutes, was his eyes. They stared at first one pair of gloves, then the other pair, then the third, and then back to the first and then to second and then to the third and then to the first again and then to the second again and then to the third, and so it repeated. After a time, Slo’ugh shook himself out of his mysterious reverie and pulled the first pair of gloves onto his huge, meaty hands. He scowled, and immediately removed then. The second pair saw the honour of being donned by his heroic hands, but were similarly dispatched. On went the third, and then Slo’ugh froze again. Stared again. He grunted, and decided ultimately on the first pair.

-- The Saga of Slo'ugh - An Unofficial Diablo III novelization.
posted by empath at 3:21 PM PST - 56 comments

"The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President in the name of Congress, and is conferred only upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through 'conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States.'" The U.S. Army Center of Military History lists every citation for a Medal of Honor award since they were first issued. Most are awarded posthumously, to those who "gave the last full measure of devotion", as Lincoln called it. It's Memorial Day in the U.S., and reflecting upon these is perhaps a reasonable way to spend a bit of it. [more inside]
posted by disillusioned at 2:15 PM PST - 59 comments

The Hemingway Papers: The legendary writer’s reporting from the Toronto Star archives, featuring historical annotations by William McGeary, a former editor who researched Hemingway’s columns extensively for the newspaper, along with new insight and analysis from the Star’s team of Hemingway experts.
posted by Fizz at 1:33 PM PST - 13 comments

KLF and K-Foundation Bill Drummond has stopped doing interviews and will only now answer 100 questions. Here are four of them.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 12:50 PM PST - 81 comments

Anno NTK: Every Edition of NTK, 15 Years Late.

Were you subscribed to NTK, but always felt that they were a bit too cutting-edge, too advanced, too futuristic for you? Never got their references? If you sign up for Anno NTK, you'll be able to relive those days, with each newsletter from #1 appearing smartly in your inbox 15 years late. Maybe this time around you'll get it!
posted by subbes at 12:31 PM PST - 56 comments

Disintermediation -- the movement of power out of the middle of the net -- is a crucial fact about 21st century political economy, says Eben Moglen in a passionate keynote address at the Freedom to Connect conference yesterday. The ability to hack software and hardware ensures that we retain our civil liberties and ability to innovate.
posted by xenophile at 12:14 PM PST - 38 comments

China's has just released its report, "Human Rights Record of United States in 2011". This annual report covers gun crimes, OWS, freedom of the press, unemployment, and more. via
posted by rebent at 11:28 AM PST - 140 comments

"The wide-ranging Forum Poll for the National Post sought the opinions of a sample of Canadians of voting age... The voting intentions, if actual ballots, would translate into a minority government for the NDP." The Canadian public is on a distinct tilt to the left, says a new national public opinion poll. Criticism of the Conservatives' spring budget, Bill C-38, continues: it is "anti-labour" (repeals The Fair Wages and Hours of Labour Act; reforms Employment Insurance) and "guts the Fisheries Act"; a website protest against the bill is planned for June 4. [more inside]
posted by flex at 10:57 AM PST - 56 comments

Build a Hovercraft With Your Kids — When Jamie Hyneman and MeFi's Own™ Adam Savage built hovercrafts for Mythbusters, he realized that these floating-on-air vehicles were easy to make, not too expensive, and fun. So he built one with his kids. More diy hovercraft fun.
posted by netbros at 10:34 AM PST - 47 comments

Take a holiday in Somaliland: journey to the state that isn’t. "Positioned on the upper haunch of the Somali dog-leg the Republic of Somaliland looks initially unpromising. It is mainly dry and rocky, there are few paved roads, and the population is small and generally dispersed. ... Whilst the economy may be on the up, Somaliland still feels extremely isolated. An employee of a big international NGO who I met in the lobby of my hotel, The Mansoor, looked at me with astonishment when I said I’d come to Hargeisa for fun. 'The biggest danger here,' he said 'is dying of boredom.'"
posted by mykescipark at 10:19 AM PST - 10 comments

"Usavich" (Season One video) is a series of 90-second CGI cartoons made for MTV Japan about two Russian rabbits. It begins in a Soviet-era prison where Kirenenko*, a mob boss sentenced to death is sharing a cell with Putin (yes, that's his name), a common worker imprisoned on a trumped-up charge and counting the days until his release. And then it gets weird. (contains extreme cartoon violence, scatological gags, Russian stereotypes, transvestite chickens and shoe fetishes) [more inside]
posted by oneswellfoop at 10:08 AM PST - 10 comments

The Golden Gate Bridge is 75 years old today. They had a daylong celebration culminating in a spectacular fireworks display. These people had an excellent view of the finale.
posted by NetizenKen at 9:55 AM PST - 12 comments

This weekend, TAL ran an episode on the massacre at Dos Erres. What they didn't mention was that this happened as part of the "Silent Holocaust" -- a "systematic campaign of genocide against the Mayan people." An estimated 83% of the massacred people were indigenous Maya. Throughout the period of the genocide, the USA continued to provide military support to the Guatemalan government, mainly in the form of arms and equipment, despite knowing that the Guatemala military was responsible for the killings. Horatio Castellanos Moya, an exiled Honduran writer, wrote Senselessness, his first book to be published in English, based on the testimonies taken by the Catholic Church's Recuperation of History project, which led to Bishop José Gerardi Conedera releasing the Guatemala: Never Again! report. Two days later, he was bludgeoned to death.
posted by Felicity Rilke at 8:53 AM PST - 21 comments

Minilmalist composer Steve Reich talks about Influences.
posted by Ardiril at 8:15 AM PST - 40 comments

Have you looked at the sky today? You probably should. She would have been a hundred today, she just might have had a bit to do with how we understand our universe.
posted by Hello, I'm David McGahan at 7:43 AM PST - 15 comments

On May 15, 1981, at The Ritz in New York City, Public Image Ltd. performed as a last-minute replacement for Bow Wow Wow. It didn't end well. (previously) [more inside]
posted by Trurl at 6:58 AM PST - 56 comments

The ternary calculating machine of Thomas Fowler. And electromechanical calculating machines from the 1960s.
posted by Wolfdog at 6:17 AM PST - 11 comments

A Saudi woman stands up to religious police. This video of a girl and a member of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice arguing over why she had manicured nails has gone viral and ignited a debate over the way commission members should deal with people in public places.
posted by three blind mice at 4:57 AM PST - 65 comments

News you can use: What are the tax implications of the zombie apocalypse?
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 4:39 AM PST - 20 comments

Pip McCormack, the food editor of Sunday Times Style, gets sent more cookbooks than he knows what to do with. So why not see if they live up to the promising pictures and glamorous tablespreads? He aims to cook a meal from each book, comparing and contrasting the work of celebrities-turned-cooks, jailbirds and, in one caustic instance, TV shows which meld food and lifestyle.
posted by mippy at 3:48 AM PST - 42 comments

Vintage Ventriloquism (via neatorama)
posted by twoleftfeet at 12:11 AM PST - 15 comments

It is a brave new world… of Jello. [more inside]
posted by Scram at 10:28 PM PST - 31 comments

Stan's Report (a short story). Stan waited for me to ask him a question, hoping to tease some curiosity out of me, I suppose, though I don’t want to make assumptions about Stan’s intentions. Whatever his intent, I chose not to ask anything about it, not wanting to start my thinking down that road. It wouldn’t have been fair to B. to talk about him and what he said or meant since he wasn’t there to defend himself or to amend the tone or the full context. I preferred to turn my attention to my e-mail, but I didn’t want to ignore Stan or imply that I disapproved of his interest in sharing his news with me. He had a right to say whatever he wanted and it was up to me to choose how I’d deal with it.
posted by shivohum at 10:01 PM PST - 23 comments

Revolutionary hardware backdoor discovered in China-made military-grade FPGA chips. Claims were made by the intelligence agencies around the world, from MI5, NSA and IARPA, that silicon chips could be infected. We developed breakthrough silicon chip scanning technology to investigate these claims. We chose an American military chip that is highly secure with sophisticated encryption standard, manufactured in China. Our aim was to perform advanced code breaking and to see if there were any unexpected features on the chip. We scanned the silicon chip in an affordable time and found a previously unknown backdoor inserted by the manufacturer. This backdoor has a key, which we were able to extract. If you use this key you can disable the chip or reprogram it at will, even if locked by the user with their own key. This particular chip is prevalent in many systems from weapons, nuclear power plants to public transport. In other words, this backdoor access could be turned into an advanced Stuxnet weapon to attack potentially millions of systems. The scale and range of possible attacks has huge implications for National Security and public infrastructure.
posted by scalefree at 7:38 PM PST - 146 comments

Kansas passes Tax Act meaning that business owners are not taxed at all on income derived from business profits. "Who will still be paying Kansas income tax? Only three groups: 1) employees, 2) some retirees and 3) individuals whose investments are so modest that they cannot afford to create a trust or partnership to shelter their investment income." The $3.7bn pa cost of the tax cuts is said to create the risk of a $2.5bn pa deficit by 2018.
posted by jaduncan at 7:19 PM PST - 114 comments

The great Michael Haneke, director of disturbing gems such as Caché, Funny Games, and Funny Games, has won his second Palme d'Or at Cannes, for Amour.
posted by anothermug at 5:34 PM PST - 70 comments

The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) Organisation recently announced a two site approach, in Australia-NZ and Southern Africa, a move that was applauded by the Australian team. Once fully operational in 2024, SKA's one square kilometre collecting area should lead to major advances in astronomy. [more inside]
posted by wilful at 5:10 PM PST - 32 comments

Naghol (or land diving) is a ritual performed by the men of the villages of Loltafala on Pentecost Island in Vanuatu. The ritual entails jumping off 25 to 30-meters high tower with vines tied to the feet, skimming the soil with the crown of the head. It is dangerous but deaths are rare, though a man died in front of Queen Elizabeth II in 1974 when performing a land dive in her honor. You can watch a short National Geographic documentary on the Naghol here.
posted by Kattullus at 4:58 PM PST - 10 comments

"So when she studies the Greek balance sheet and demands measures she knows may mean women won't have access to a midwife when they give birth, and patients won't get life-saving drugs, and the elderly will die alone for lack of care – does she block all of that out and just look at the sums?" [more inside]
posted by marienbad at 3:34 PM PST - 83 comments

One year after the apocalypse. What happened to Harold Camping’s followers. [more inside]
posted by skilar at 1:31 PM PST - 148 comments

WHAT (AND HOW) TO EAT NAKED: Geoff Nicholson explains what to do if you should suddenly find yourself naked and insatiable…for food (what else?). PUBLISHED IN GOURMET LIVE 05.16.12
posted by Fizz at 1:28 PM PST - 25 comments

Siouxsie and The Banshees, Royal Albert Hall, October 1983.
posted by xod at 12:53 PM PST - 39 comments

The latest match in North American soccer's Cascadia Cup was played yesterday between the Portland Timbers and the Vancouver Whitecaps, and the atmosphere was amazing. [more inside]
posted by salishsea at 11:45 AM PST - 19 comments

Canadian Ryder Hesjedal is cycling’s rising star Like many "rising stars" Ryder Hesjedal has been struggling for many years to attain this honour. Today his efforts are realized with his win of the Giro-Ditalia.
posted by smudgedlens at 10:43 AM PST - 30 comments

Spoiler.

The zombie apocalypse happened -- and we won.

But though society has recovered, the threat of infection is always there -- and Los Angeles coroner Tommy Rossman is the man they call when things go wrong.
posted by Drexen at 10:36 AM PST - 44 comments

Dominic Wilcox watch sculptures combine vintage timepieces with miniature figures to create unique animated scenes. [via]
posted by quin at 10:18 AM PST - 4 comments

"You want to be a pitchman for warlords? You want to carry the Devil's water in Washington? Go for it. But just don't tell me how to fucking talk" - Jon Lovett responds to Lanny Davis, in the aftermath of the Corey Booker's comments defending private equity
posted by crayz at 7:06 AM PST - 51 comments

The irony in a way is that Messiaen used this great romantic organ for his most modern experiments. For Messiaen, this was a great sort of sonic paintbox, if you like, and he would come here and experiment with the extraordinary sounds that he could conjure out of this amazing instrument. [more inside]
posted by Trurl at 6:54 AM PST - 10 comments

Good Chemistry. [SLYT]
posted by sharpener at 1:23 AM PST - 13 comments

The Overthinking Person's Drinking Game
posted by the man of twists and turns at 10:35 PM PST - 68 comments

"Who knew people were so interested in commas?" Ben Yagoda has written three NYT pieces on correct comma usage: Fanfare for the Comma Man, The Most Comma Mistakes, and Some Comma Questions.
posted by hypotheticole at 9:55 PM PST - 62 comments

For Memorial Day weekend, at TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors), Vice President Joe Biden talks about grief, and loss, and how "there will come a day, I promise you, and you parents, as well, when the thought of your son or daughter or your husband or wife brings a smile to your lips before it brings a tear to your eye."
posted by Guy Smiley at 5:59 PM PST - 58 comments

"That is why you wear a hardhat. 2012 banding." [more inside]
posted by zerobyproxy at 4:56 PM PST - 39 comments

Confessions of a Genius Art Forger — In one of Germany's greatest art scandals, former hippie and talented artist Wolfgang Beltracchi forged dozens of paintings over a period of 35 years, earning millions and fooling top collectors and museums. In a SPIEGEL interview, he reveals how he did it and why he eventually got caught. Photo Gallery. Background... [more inside]
posted by netbros at 4:42 PM PST - 20 comments

Coffees, a new short by actor/writer/director Alex Beh. The 2 main same characters appeared in a kind of a sequel, called Babe. [more inside]
posted by growabrain at 3:24 PM PST - 3 comments

At Clifton's Cafeteria, someone left a light on. For 77 years. A downtown Los Angeles landmark, the Clifton's Cafeteria, has a storied past. Recently sold, it was established during the Great Depression, with a mission to provide affordable coffee and food - a pledge that was honored for decades. While remodeling, the new owners made an astonishing discovery: hidden behind a partition, a neon lamp that was switched on during the Great Depression and it's been on, continuously for 77 years. The owner estimates it's generated more than $17,000 in electric bills. [LATimes - if asked to log in, turn on private browsing and you're good to go - on Safari at least]. [more inside]
posted by VikingSword at 2:29 PM PST - 27 comments

NYTimes: The Glory and Pain of Pitching. Bobby Ojeda, starting pitcher for one of the greatest games in the history of Major League Baseball, takes us into the mind of the career athlete and his relationship with a constant companion -- pain.
posted by workingdankoch at 1:55 PM PST - 14 comments

"Louisiana is the world's prison capital. The state imprisons more of its people, per head, than any of its U.S. counterparts. First among Americans means first in the world. Louisiana's incarceration rate is nearly triple Iran's, seven times China's and 10 times Germany's. The hidden engine behind the state's well-oiled prison machine is cold, hard cash." Louisiana Incarcerated is a tour de force eight-part series on the Louisiana prison system. [more inside]
posted by painquale at 1:26 PM PST - 45 comments

Tempero Brasileiro (mp3) is a collection of rare Brazilian tracks originally issued on 7″ vinyl. Compiled by Edson Carvalho, one of the top São Paulo crate diggers. [more inside]
posted by Tom-B at 1:07 PM PST - 10 comments

Reggie Watts gives the Ultimate TED Talk which means deconstructive, meaning-free, musical and far more entertaining than most. [more inside]
posted by oneswellfoop at 12:50 PM PST - 46 comments

On Sunday, April 13th, Tokyo illustrator Mao Sugiyama publicly seasoned and braised his own genitals on a portable gas cartridge burner and then served them to five eager diners who each paid about $250 for the meal. Sugiyama self-identifies as asexual and appears to fall into the gender classification of male-to-eunuchs called "smoothies". (Warning: Consider all links in this post to be NSFW) [more inside]
posted by hugandpint at 12:30 PM PST - 218 comments

While there were a few attempts at right-wing folk music during the 1960's, most notably The Goldwaters, Janet "anti-Baez" Greene was the darling of the conservative anti-communist right. Her songs include Fascist Threat, Commie Lies, and her most (in)famous, Poor Left Winger

"I'm just a poor left-winger, befuddled, bewildered, forlorn, duped by a bearded singer, peddling his communist corn. In the cafe, espresso, sounds of guitars could be heard, twanging a plaintive folksong, spreading the communist word..."

[more inside]
posted by stbalbach at 12:27 PM PST - 47 comments

Calcium supplements linked to significantly increased heart attack risk.
posted by storybored at 12:05 PM PST - 30 comments

New hope for tinnitus sufferers. [more inside]
posted by digitalprimate at 11:23 AM PST - 36 comments

The E-Book Wars: Amazon Versus the Rest. Publishers, distributors, booksellers, and authors weigh in on Amazon's ever-increasing presence and influence in the electronic publishing world. The author also takes a stab at forecasting the future for the major players in the e-book industry.
posted by Rykey at 10:55 AM PST - 32 comments

Yahoo! Axis redefines what it means to search and browse the Web. Yahoo! Axis offers a faster, smarter search with instant answers and visual search previews.
posted by Fizz at 10:54 AM PST - 53 comments

Every child comes equipped with
(Whether it's a boy or girl)
A big serving of explosives
Might be up to half a pound
They must be in constant motion
Push, and kick, and flail, and shout
If they can't, they just explode
Bang! Kaboom! Your luck's run out. [includes Soviet animation and baby monkeys] [more inside]
posted by Nomyte at 10:26 AM PST - 8 comments

Peter Brings the Shadow to Life is a video made by Joe Pease which cleverly inverts our perspective of a skateboarder.
posted by quin at 10:12 AM PST - 8 comments

...The cult of and luster for country blues among these record collectors came about because not only were recordings by Charley Patton, Son House, Skip James and Robert Johnson not successfully sold to African Americans, but other record collectors were not interested in them either. There were so many collectors of New Orleans jazz that not only did the recordings became too expensive to collect, they also didn't want them -- they wanted to find something that required more energy to uncover, and more energy to actually appreciate. Anyone who has ever listened to Charley Patton knows that you have to learn how to listen to him, you have to really struggle -- it is a work of archeology, really, to make out what he is saying. It is powerful, and I don't want to deny its power, but you have to learn how to hear that power, and African Americans, when these records came out, didn't necessarily hear that.

From an interview with Marybeth Hamilton, author of In Search of the Blues [more inside]
posted by y2karl at 9:31 AM PST - 13 comments

Future Self from the MADE group in Berlin, combines interactive light sculpture, movement and music. The effect is quite striking.
posted by Dr. Fetish at 7:32 AM PST - 3 comments

"Are Democratic politicians, like Andrew Cuomo, using social issues to distract from the economic status quo?" Article by David Sirota in Salon.
posted by Trochanter at 6:58 AM PST - 37 comments

Yesterday, the Major League Soccer Players Union released salary information for the 2012 season. The statistics may surprise you.
posted by lobbyist at 6:31 AM PST - 59 comments

London's top brutalist buildings
posted by Artw at 6:19 AM PST - 111 comments

The myth of English as a global language One would have to say that English, far from being a pure maiden, looks like a woman who has appeared out of some distant fen, had more partners than Moll Flanders, learned a lot in the process, and is now running a house of negotiable affection near an international airport
posted by infini at 12:15 AM PST - 74 comments

Those of you who go in for gardening, specifically those with strawberry patches, may find this idea to be of benefit: strawberry rocks. Might just keep those birds away!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 8:50 PM PST - 36 comments

Vintage Car Crash Pictures from the Leslie Jones Collection at the Boston Public Library.
posted by Confess, Fletch at 8:21 PM PST - 46 comments

"Charley Patton" by Robert Crumb (recommended listening: "Down the Dirt Road Blues", "High Sheriff Blues", "A Spoonful Blues", "You're Gonna Need Somebody When You Die") (very previously) [more inside]
posted by Trurl at 7:41 PM PST - 8 comments

Excavations in Argentina have unearthed a new dinosaur with a short skull and tiny forearms: Eoabelisaurus mefi. [more inside]
posted by benito.strauss at 6:11 PM PST - 111 comments

Missing Foundation was an underground industrial band formed in Hamburg, Germany in 1984 and year later, in 1985, the band relocated to New York City. Formed by Pete Missing along with two members of KMFDM and Florian Langmaack they were known for their destructive shows. They were active in 1988 riot in Tompkins Square Park (attempting to start another one in 1993) and lighting the stage of CBGBs on fire and destroying their sound system. Other members include Vern Toulon, the father of kid-punk band Old Skull. One of the indelible and lasting marks of the group was their logo: inverted martini over a three pronged tally along with slogans such as "1988 - 1933" and "Your House Is Mine". The slogans were illusions to what founder Peter Missing described as society verge of collapse and that a police state was imminent. The years representative of the year the Nazi's overtook the Weimar Republic. The logo symbolized the bands personal slogan of "the party's over". Founder Peter Missing now lives in Berlin and his artwork has exhibited at The Whitney, The Getty, MOMA after riding out some tough times in the mid-aughts.
posted by wcfields at 5:04 PM PST - 19 comments

"Barry also had a knack for interceptions. When a joint was making the rounds, he often elbowed his way in, out of turn, shouted "Intercepted!," and took an extra hit. No one seemed to mind." A User's Guide To Smoking Pot With Barack Obama. [more inside]
posted by T.D. Strange at 4:27 PM PST - 161 comments

Dominick Carpenter builds and sells miniature cannons and mortars. Sometimes he fires them. [more inside]
posted by tigrefacile at 3:11 PM PST - 16 comments

Look at those baby cheetahs After a touch-and go birth, The National Zoo has some new baby cheetahs. [more inside]
posted by angrycat at 2:54 PM PST - 28 comments

A fan asked Bill Murray for an autograph. Instead Bill gave him this. [via]
posted by feelinglistless at 2:49 PM PST - 33 comments

Need a blast of pure joy to start your holiday weekend? Here's Isaac's live lip-dub proposal.
posted by roger ackroyd at 2:35 PM PST - 32 comments

Gamer Mom is a short piece of interactive fiction about a mom who plays games, and her family that doesn't. [more inside]
posted by empath at 12:03 PM PST - 69 comments

Roy Buchanan - ♪ Hey Joe ♪, a grandmaster of the Telecaster lays bare the instrument's unique spectrum of tone.
posted by Ardiril at 11:59 AM PST - 55 comments

American cities going dark. Detroit is the poster child, 40 percent of the 88,000 streetlights are already broken, but under a new plan half the city is going permanently dark in an effort to get citizens to move. “You have to identify those neighborhoods where you want to concentrate your population,” said Chris Brown, Detroit’s chief operating officer. “We’re not going to light distressed areas". Other U.S. cities have gone partially dark to save money, among them Colorado Springs; Santa Rosa, California; and Rockford, Illinois. Bonus: 360-degree photo tour of abandoned rail station in Detroit.
posted by stbalbach at 11:54 AM PST - 115 comments

Look at Azerbaijan! But look beyond the shiny Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) which will be held tomorrow in Baku. Look at the “Dirty Secrets” [SLYT, BBC Panorama, 30 min., English] and at independent film maker Liz Mermin’s film “Glanz und Schatten in Azerbaidschan” [SLYT, 30 min. German but more informative IMHO]. Locals that voted in the music contest for a country that was not in favor of the ruling family were investigated by the police. And then there is the story of two expensive donkeys (€42,000 each) and a comedic video that landed a young man in jail. Let’s not forget the story of a journalist who was blackmailed with secretly shot sex tapes. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch often report of restrictions on freedom of speech and freedom of the press in Azerbaijan. Shortly before the ESC young musician Jamal Ali fled the country. While US peace corps volunteers don’t feel like criticizing much and sing a song of their own [SLYT], we see more arrests in Baku today.
posted by travelwithcats at 11:31 AM PST - 13 comments

Kingdom of Loathing creator Jick and the rest of the Asymmetric crew have spent the last four years developing a new game. Next month, the beta for the game is coming out: Word Realms! Make sure to watch the video, it's full of hilarity. [more inside]
posted by Night_owl at 11:13 AM PST - 28 comments

Republican-sponsored New York State Assembly bill would ban anonymous online speech. "AN ACT to amend the civil rights law, in relation to protecting a person's right to know who is behind an anonymous internet posting..." S6779, introduced by Rep. O'Meara, is brief: it establishes "a person's right to know who is behind an anonymous internet posting" as a civil right, and requires that NY-based "Web site administrator[s]" remove any anonymous postings. The summary of the Assembly bill, A8688, whose text is identical, describes the bill as "a means for the victim of an anonymous posting on a website to request that such post be removed, unless the anonymous poster is willing to attach his or her name to it." [more inside]
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 11:10 AM PST - 90 comments

Fun With Models Friday: Fallout New Vegas Characters Just Love To Dance.
posted by The Whelk at 10:53 AM PST - 38 comments

Conservative Art Critic Brian Sewel born in 1931: "The art market is not sexist," Mr Sewell said. "The likes of Bridget Riley and Louise Bourgeois are of the second and third rank. There has never been a first-rank woman artist.... ...Maybe it's something to do with bearing children." Top contemporary Art Dealer and collector Iwan Wirth born in 1970: "..Female artists are the bargain in today's markets...It's a constant source of disappointment to see the discrepancy in prices between outstanding female artists and their male counterparts.... [more inside]
posted by snaparapans at 10:53 AM PST - 33 comments

Rockabilly Batman via
posted by macmac at 10:52 AM PST - 16 comments

The Pope's butler arrested following Vatileaks investigation. [telegraph.co.uk] Vatican police have arrested Pope Benedict XVI's personal butler following an investigation into the leaking of sensitive church documents.
posted by Fizz at 10:50 AM PST - 44 comments

"Fairly predictive tests for Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, depression, some malignancies, heart disease, and most of the rest of the major killers and disablers will probably be in place by 2000 to 2010. Many if not most of these ailments will be assessable in terms of a very sophisticated genetic risk profile which it will be possible to generate in infancy or childhood (or in utero)." In 1987, cryonics advocate Mike Darwin wrote about the next twenty years of medicine.
posted by escabeche at 8:55 AM PST - 17 comments

What Should We Call Me? (a very silly tumblr for your Friday)
posted by lunasol at 8:52 AM PST - 39 comments

two dimensional blobs [SLCracked-Photoplasty] Cheer-up everybody! Cracked readers show us what they think video game background characters are thinking. [more inside]
posted by marienbad at 8:49 AM PST - 12 comments

Wesley Brown, the first black man to graduate from the U.S. Naval Academy, has died. He was 85 years old. [more inside]
posted by Rangeboy at 7:55 AM PST - 15 comments

The Pog A Day Blog. One man's quest to bring you a lot of pogs (although not quite every day). [more inside]
posted by codacorolla at 7:46 AM PST - 29 comments

Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Colonization, the 2008 remake of 1994's Sid Meier's Colonization was met with some hostility over the concept at the outset. Trevor Owens and Rebbeca Mir, contributors to Play the Past, have been making a series of blog posts about the inherently problematic nature of the game. It started with "Sid Meier's Colonization: Is it offensive enough?", next was "if (!isNative()[returnfalse;]: De-People-ing Native Peopls in Sid Meier's Colonization?", then "Guns, Germs and Horses: Cultural Exchange in Sid Meier's Colonization" and, the latest, "Playing at Slavery: Modding Colonization for Authenticity" [more inside]
posted by griphus at 7:28 AM PST - 84 comments

Light and Matter has put together an excellent explanation of the Three Basics of Exposure and Photography using (mostly) eight bit graphics. [more inside]
posted by quin at 7:15 AM PST - 6 comments

Movie Simpsons is a tumblr that juxtaposes Simpsons movie homages with the original.
posted by zamboni at 6:49 AM PST - 36 comments

Fifty-one years ago today, our president proposed to put Man and his towel on the moon and return it safely to the earth by the end of the decade. [more inside]
posted by tilde at 6:21 AM PST - 40 comments

The Boston Pops brass section reveals their warm-up techniques.
posted by swift at 6:21 AM PST - 16 comments

SSS is a 1988 experimental film featuring rapid-fire clips of dancers on the streets and junkyards of New York's East Village, "painstaking synched" to improvised music by Tom Cora (cello), Christian Marclay (turntables), and Zeena Parkins (harp). It's by filmmaker Henry Hills, whose official site is here. More collage films here, including Radio Adios, the quick cut-up KINO DA!, Money ("a manic collage film from the mid-80s when it still seemed that Reaganism of the soul could be defeated," with appearances by John Zorn, Fred Frith, Arto Lindsay, Ron Silliman among others), and Gotham, one of three films Hills made for Zorn's Naked City project.
posted by mediareport at 5:55 AM PST - 11 comments

She's Alive... Beautiful... Finite... Hurting... Worth Dying for is a beautiful non-commercial attempt from www.sanctuaryasia.com to "highlight the fact that world leaders, irresponsible corporates and mindless 'consumers' are combining to destroy life on earth. It is dedicated to all who died fighting for the planet and those whose lives are on the line today. The cut was put together by Vivek Chauhan, a young film maker, together with naturalists working with the Sanctuary Asia network." (Vimeo link). [more inside]
posted by Ahab at 3:45 AM PST - 34 comments

In 2002, Brian Banks was a sought-after high school football phenom until he was accused of kidnapping and raping a female student. On the advice of his lawyers, he pleaded no contest and served 6 years in prison. Then his accuser recanted. That's when the Innocence Project stepped in to help exonerate Brian Banks. CA Innocence Project filing here; informative if you skip right to the "Statement of Facts" part.
posted by Anonymous at 12:18 AM PST - 145 comments

Whales have a sensory organ unlike anything we’ve ever seen, reported originally in today's issue of Nature.
posted by latkes at 10:21 PM PST - 58 comments

No matter how you ate them... Sam J. Porcello, the originator of the creamy filling in the Oreo cookie has died.
posted by HuronBob at 10:18 PM PST - 40 comments

May 25, 1977 - 2012. Celebrate 35 years of Star Wars by getting your groove on with Meco's classic Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk. [more inside]
posted by hippybear at 10:10 PM PST - 21 comments

Star Wars: The Radio Play - Seven top voice actors table read Star Wars (YouTube) at Emerald City Comicon. "Join voice actors Billy West, Tara Strong, Maurice LaMarche, John DiMaggio, Kevin Conroy, Jess Harnell, and Rob Paulsen as they re-create the magic of the Star Wars films, albeit in their own special way!" Characters include: Fry, Bender, Batman, Yakko, Wakko, Pinky, The Brain, Morbo, Bubbles, IronHide, Dr. Zoidberg, Jake the Dog, and many impressive celebrity impressions: Shatner as C3PO, Walken as R2D2, Tony Soprano as Greedo, Twilight Sparkle as Han Solo... (via reddit)
posted by flex at 9:00 PM PST - 43 comments

Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) are a new service from U.S. weather service and FEMA. Starting in June, they will send a text message with a strange tone to your mobile device if you are in range of a Tornado Warning, Tsunami Warning or other major event (in the U.S. only). Major events include "Presidential Alerts." You do not need to sign up. Washington Post Capital Weather Gang has a few more details.
posted by LobsterMitten at 8:33 PM PST - 61 comments

"The World's most popular game is also its most corrupt, with investigations into match fixing ongoing in more than 25 countries. Here's a mere sampling of events since the beginning of last year: Operation Last Bet rocked the Italian Football Federation, with 22 clubs and 52 players awaiting trial for fixing matches; the Zimbabwe Football Association banned 80 players from its national-team selection due to similar accusations; Lu Jun, the first Chinese referee of a World Cup match, was sentenced to five and a half years in prison for taking more than $128,000 in bribes to fix outcomes in the Chinese Super League; prosecutors charged 57 people with match fixing in the South Korean K-League, four of whom later died in suspected suicides; the team director of second-division Hungarian club REAC Budapest jumped off a building after six of his players were arrested for fixing games; and in an under-21 friendly, Turkmenistan reportedly beat Maldives 3-2 in a "ghost match" -- neither country knew about the contest because it never actually happened, yet bookmakers still took action and fixers still profited." [All the world is staged: Bribed players, fake games. Criminal syndicates can fix any match, anywhere.]
posted by vidur at 8:15 PM PST - 34 comments

"A day after the 44th nuclear test explosion in the U.S. rent the still Nevada air, observers cautiously inspected department store mannequins which were poised disheveled but still haughty on the sand in the homes of Yucca Flat."
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 8:05 PM PST - 29 comments

"Patient research work involving more than 5 thousand photographs resulted in a 1 minute film that AlmapBBDO created to advertise Getty Images, the world leading image database for creating and distributing visual contents. " [SLYT]
posted by ephemerista at 7:37 PM PST - 11 comments

Beautiful abandoned train stations
posted by Trurl at 7:34 PM PST - 11 comments

A short wordless documentary on Chris Burden's (previously, previousylier) 2008 installation Beam Drop
posted by 1f2frfbf at 6:17 PM PST - 15 comments

Having previously been disappointed by the information available on the topic, this is my attempt at categorizing different ways to implement 2D platform games, list their strengths and weaknesses, and discuss some implementation details.
posted by Artw at 3:20 PM PST - 32 comments

A relatively small group of people from Appalachian, the dark-skinned Melungeons (previously) have been a source for speculation and conjecture for many years. Exactly who where their ancestors? Portuguese? Turks? Roma? Cherokee? A recent DNA study (108 page pdf) posted in the Journal of Genetic Genealogy (site link) says otherwise (WaPo article).
posted by edgeways at 3:12 PM PST - 95 comments

Robert Snow, now retired, was Captain of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, who in his career was in charge of the department of the Homicide and Robbery and the department of Organized Crime. He has written numerous articles and books on police work, and considered himself a skeptic of supposedly supernatural occurrences. But on a dare, he visited a past life regression therapist, and what he experiences made him doubt his beliefs. In an hour-long session, he seemed to recall memories of a cave dweller, an altar girl in Greece, but it was his views of the life of a 19th century painter were the most vivid. In that experience, Snow recalled a number of specific memories or events, but was certain they were fabricated memories from things he had seen or heard in his life in the 20th century. In an attempt to debunk his experiences, he ended up validating his past life memories of being James Carroll Beckwith, a painter most commonly remembered not for his art, but his friendship to more renown painters like John Singer Sargent. [more inside]
posted by filthy light thief at 2:47 PM PST - 178 comments

"The national debate over private equity so far has hinged on the question of whether experience in the field qualifies Mitt Romney, the former Bain Capital executive, for the presidency. But a more vexing, and largely unanswered, question lies just beneath the surface: How is it, exactly, that an investment company can make millions even as the company it's ostensibly trying to turn around goes bust? For that answer, we turned to what may seem like a less-than-reliable source: Tony Soprano [NSFW: language]."
posted by ericb at 2:29 PM PST - 54 comments

"Here’s a paper we’re working on, which argues that we should (for some purposes at least), think of markets, hierarchy and democracy in terms of their capacity to solve complex collective problems [and] makes the case that democracy will on average do the job a lot better than the other two ways..." Henry Farrell and Cosma Shalizi on a cognitive approach to democracy (pdf). [via]
posted by daniel_charms at 1:39 PM PST - 12 comments

"When your dog gazes up at you adoringly, what does it see? A best friend? A pack leader? A can opener?" Gregory Berns of Emory University decided to put a couple canines in an MRI scanner to try and find out what goes on inside their heads (adorable news footage here). The results have recently been published in PLoS ONE.
posted by Panjandrum at 1:36 PM PST - 61 comments

He uttered a sound much like a bull dog swallowing a pork chop whose dimensions it has underestimated. Random P G Wodehouse quote generator. That is all.
posted by unSane at 12:45 PM PST - 107 comments

Khan
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 12:44 PM PST - 41 comments

Your Dekalb Farmer's Market is a favorite MeFi recommendation to Atlanta tourists. If you've ever been curious about the backstory to this local institution, Creative Loafing recently published a fascinating history of the store, with a photo slideshow covering 24 hours in the life of the market. This comes as a new phase of expansion is proposed.
posted by amelioration at 12:40 PM PST - 33 comments

Marvel Comics created a hearing-impaired superhero in honor of a hearing-impaired boy. Anthony Smith, a 4-year-old boy, told his mother he did not want to wear his hearing aid anymore because superheroes don't wear hearing aids. His mother e-mailed Marvel Comics and described her son's situation and hoped for help.
posted by Four-Eyed Girl at 11:54 AM PST - 47 comments

Though the recent excavation of a basement in SoHo did not turn up his remains [previously], today there may finally be some resolution. Pedro Hernandez confesses to having strangled Etan Patz.
posted by komara at 11:53 AM PST - 12 comments

30 beautiful song lyrics
posted by Hartster at 11:49 AM PST - 118 comments

Dear Jay Leno ... "First off, my intention is not to fight you on this. You have more cars than I have dollars, and so I know I don’t stand a chance legally ..." - "An Open Letter to Jay Leno About Stealing My Video and Then Getting It Removed From YouTube" [more inside]
posted by mrgrimm at 11:00 AM PST - 104 comments

Around 1992 Mondo 2000 magazine asked: "R.U A Cyperpunk?"
posted by The Whelk at 10:38 AM PST - 123 comments

"Pro-Choice" Americans at Record-Low 41% - Americans now tilt "pro-life" by nine-point margin, 50% to 41%. According to recent Gallup polling, 'the 41% of Americans who now identify themselves as "pro-choice" is down from 47% last July and is one percentage point below the previous record low in Gallup trends, recorded in May 2009. Fifty percent now call themselves "pro-life," one point shy of the record high, also from May 2009.' The decline in "Pro-Choice" views is seen across partisan groups, with Americans' self-identification as "pro-choice" drop across the three U.S. political groups. [more inside]
posted by VikingSword at 10:05 AM PST - 320 comments

The Kinzua Bridge has been partly restored, and it has a glass-bottomed platform now. Once billed as the Eighth Wonder of the World, the Kinzua Viaduct held the record for tallest railroad bridge in the world for two years. Although long surpassed in height, the old bridge drew visitors long past the point where it was in active use by a railroad. [more inside]
posted by kinnakeet at 8:54 AM PST - 11 comments

For us children, our mother's nagging can be a frustrating, constant annoyance. However, when her presence is no longer felt, these words become our strongest source of comfort and affection. It is then that we learn to hold on tightly to these warm, faint traces of memories. From Singapore, a "tribute to all the mothers of the world". [SLYT]
posted by undue influence at 8:00 AM PST - 5 comments

Afterlife: Making rotten food beautiful.
posted by shakespeherian at 7:21 AM PST - 18 comments

Magic Meerkat Moments: In this clip from BBC's Planet Earth Live, we get to see meerkats, which have become so acclimated to film crews that they now view them as part of the landscape and use them for shade and as vantage points. [via]
posted by quin at 7:12 AM PST - 35 comments

Have you ever been frustrated because you can't get the last bit of ketchup out of the bottle? MIT has a solution for you.
posted by tocts at 6:38 AM PST - 63 comments

Lena Sutherland and Jules Mancuso run While the Men Watch, a website that offers "alternative commentary" for women during major sporting events. Now Hockey Night in Canada has joined forces by offering a special While the Men Watch broadcast during all Stanley Cup Final games. Some people are not impressed.
posted by barnoley at 6:37 AM PST - 50 comments

The diaries of Queen Victoria, totaling 47,000 pages and running from the age of 13 until her death, have been digitized. The site will be free to UK users, but open access for the rest of the world only runs through the end of June.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 6:25 AM PST - 33 comments

Stodgy design institution does animated supercut video. “The Forty Story” uses iconic snapshots from seemingly every client from Pentagram’s first 40 years to tell the life story of a boy brought into the world when Pentagram was.
posted by joeclark at 4:48 AM PST - 16 comments

Apocalypse Soon: Has Civilization Passed the Environmental Point of No Return? Four decades ago, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology computer model called World3 warned of such a possible course for human civilization in the 21st century. In Limits to Growth, a bitterly disputed 1972 book that explicated these findings, researchers argued that the global industrial system has so much inertia that it cannot readily correct course in response to signals of planetary stress. But unless economic growth skidded to a halt before reaching the edge, they warned, society was headed for overshoot—and a splat that could kill billions.
posted by j03 at 11:38 PM PST - 129 comments

Fans of the Nashville Predators Hockey team threw a live catfish onto the ice during Friday’s game. Since 1996, fans of Florida Panthers have been throwing fake rats onto the ice, after player Scott Mellanby discovered a huge rat circulating in his dressing room, split it open with his stick and then scored a couple decisive goals, inspiring the 'Rat Trick' tradition. And supporters of the Stockholm-based AIK ice hockey team threw rubber dildos, and waved giant inflatable penis, to remind player Jan Huokko, (‘Dildo-Jan’) of a leaked sex video of him with his girlfriend. Turns out this kind of thing is fairly common in the world of hockey fandom. (Via Everlasting Blort)
posted by growabrain at 10:46 PM PST - 52 comments

"I'm just looking for a second chance. Other people get second chances. Alcoholics. Drug addicts. Spousal beaters. Not gamblers, though. But, if you want to put something on my tombstone that was very important to me, it’s 1,972. That’s how many winning games I’ve played in. So that makes me the biggest winner in the history of sports. No one else can say that." Here, Now is a short documentary that looks at baseball legend Pete Rose, as he lives his life today. [more inside]
posted by zarq at 10:09 PM PST - 45 comments

Spider Women. The animal illustration of Eileen Mayo. Book Week. Animals on Bikes. Alphabet Soup 1, Alphabet Soup 2. Steinlen's Cats. Let's Dance. Cats in Advertisements. Art Deco Animals. Jacques Hnizdovsky's prints. Emmanuelle Houdart's creatures. Turn of the century bird illustrations. [more inside]
posted by Lou Stuells at 9:44 PM PST - 4 comments

Vintage meezers. NSFW.
posted by jjray at 8:14 PM PST - 32 comments

Architecture of Open Source Programs The Architecture of Open Source Programs is a guide into the functional implemenation of major opensource code bases. Notable Open Source Projects that are included: BASH, CMAKE, LLVM,GDB,Puppet and PyPy among others
posted by Rubbstone at 8:06 PM PST - 12 comments

America's Test Kitchen Super Quick Video Tips: "Test Kitchen wisdom distilled into eminently watchable video clips" of no more than a minute or two long, including tips for meat (how to make the most perfect bacon ever - how to quickly defrost meat - how to dry-age steak at home) to coffee (how to make pour-over coffee - how to fake a latte at home) and wine (the fastest way to chill wine) to pizza (flattening dough and baking a perfect thin-crust pizza ) and general kitchen tips (is your knife sharp enough? - do you really need to buy regular olive oil? - how to quickly soften butter and soft cheese). And there's Ask the Test Kitchen quick video tips as well (what's the best way to peel eggs? - how do I store brown sugar?).
posted by flex at 7:57 PM PST - 71 comments

Ektoplazm is now the world’s largest distributor of free (and legal) psytrance music specializing in high-quality Creative Commons-licensed content from netlabels and independent artists, all released in MP3 and lossless CD-quality FLAC and WAV formats.
posted by Trurl at 7:30 PM PST - 46 comments

^(SLYT)An unusual substitution is made in Russian footballer Vadim Evseev's last game before retirement. [more inside]
posted by domnit at 7:23 PM PST - 17 comments

The Last Word on Snake Oil.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 7:11 PM PST - 18 comments

Paul Fussell, author of The Great War and Modern Memory and winner of the first National Critics Award for Criticism, but who is probably best known for writing Class: A Guide Through the American Status System, is dead. [more inside]
posted by postcommunism at 6:24 PM PST - 48 comments

What’s a Readlist? A group of web pages—articles, recipes, course materials, anything—bundled into an e-book you can send to your Kindle, iPad, or iPhone.
posted by netbros at 5:57 PM PST - 43 comments

Worlds was a 3D Internet chat program that was introduced in 1995. Seventeen years later, YouTube user and game streamer Vinesauce returns to find a small collection of users who take him on a tour of the deserted halls of their virtual land. NSFW due to confused swearing. [more inside]
posted by codacorolla at 5:48 PM PST - 22 comments

Scrabble, as played by Eddie Guerrero's rules
posted by frimble at 5:34 PM PST - 20 comments

A 73 year old returned, making it seem easy, yet increased traffic left four people dead this weekend. Traffic jams at Mount Everest. [more inside]
posted by bquarters at 5:27 PM PST - 88 comments

"Siri, how expensive would it be to replace all the lights in my house with fireflies?" (cf. "Is that rain?")
posted by griphus at 5:04 PM PST - 56 comments

"I don't like to have a situation placed over my head." [more inside]
posted by glaucon at 4:58 PM PST - 10 comments

Color pictures of Seoul, 1949.
posted by needled at 4:12 PM PST - 11 comments

Frenchman Xavier Chevrin is driving an electric car 3,000 miles through Africa, from Nairobi to Johannesburg. Finding outlets is a challenge, about 65 percent of Africans do not have access to electricity. The daily video logs are a joy not only for the beautiful scenery along a contemporary African road trip, but the excitement of many Africans who have never seen an electric vehicle. The vehicle is a souped-up version of cars used by the French postal service, a Citroen Berlingo powered by Venturi. This is Xavier's 2nd long distance electric car expedition, previously he did Shanghai to Paris, it set the record for the longest distance traveled in an electric vehicle.
posted by stbalbach at 4:03 PM PST - 9 comments

The Spear, a painting by South African artist Brett Murray is causing quite a stir. The painting is the subject of an attempted ban by the South African president, Jacob Zuma, according to the article and a general accusation of racism by the ANC leadership which has led at least one interesting response in the blogosphere.
posted by HopStopDon'tShop at 3:32 PM PST - 21 comments

You've probably already seen some impressive bicycle trials showmanship. Now it's time to see the cutest. [more inside]
posted by ardgedee at 3:31 PM PST - 8 comments

"TV is where writers get to tell interesting stories right now, because writers, for the most part, run television." Matthew Weiner of Mad Men, Vince Gilligan of Breaking Bad and David Milch of Deadwood talk to GQ about writing for television. Also: The New Rules of TV everything you need to know about the Golden Age of Television. Want to hear even more about the world of writing rooms, showrunners and screenwriting? Check out the Nerdist Writer's Panel Podcast.
posted by Artw at 2:59 PM PST - 10 comments

So The Avengers is a very successful movie. This has lead many comics fans to express their concern over the treatment of original creators in the industry, specifically of Jack Kirby. Creators' Rights controversy is nothing new, and there remains to this day ample reason to question the business dealings of The Big Two when it comes to how they compensate the men and women who work for/with them. Alan Moore has been and continues to be the victim of numerous shady deals at the hands of DC comics. But no one, with the possible exception of Seigel and Shuster, has suffered more than Jack "King" Kirby. [more inside]
posted by shmegegge at 2:33 PM PST - 106 comments

An Audience With Neil Armstrong is an hour long interview with Neil Armstrong about the moon landings from 2011, including a comparative view of footage from the Eagle's landing alongside Google Moon maps. [more inside]
posted by dng at 2:28 PM PST - 14 comments

Epic - Slinky on a Treadmill
posted by davidjmcgee at 2:16 PM PST - 63 comments

I used to be a lifehacking addict [...] But sometime over the last couple years (around the time I turned 30, not coincidentally), it has begun to dawn on me: Maybe all the time I spend looking for better ways to do things is keeping me from, well, doing things.

Confessions of a recovering lifehacker
posted by Foci for Analysis at 1:18 PM PST - 63 comments

Sci-Fi-London put on another 48 hour film challenge this year, challenging film teams to make a short based around a given title, a snippet of dialogue, a short list of props, and an optional "scientific" theme. After two days in April, over 380 shorts had been made, and the winners have now been announced and and their short films posted on Sci-Fi-London's Vimeo account. 17 more shorts below the break. [more inside]
posted by filthy light thief at 1:09 PM PST - 7 comments

The Eephus League presents: a web magazine about baseball.
posted by zamboni at 12:39 PM PST - 15 comments

Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter — tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther.... And one fine morning — So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 12:33 PM PST - 178 comments

Chromeography is a tumblr devoted to images of chrome: the lettering, logos, and ornaments adorning old automobiles (and bicycles and cameras and appliances).
posted by gamera at 11:52 AM PST - 8 comments

Prince v. Cariou, Round 2: Money Talks Prince v. Cariou oral arguments were heard today by a three Judge panel of the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals. In many ways, the future of appropriation art (and Google’s image search, possibly) rests on the outcome of this case. And if today’s arguments are any indication, neither side is going to go down without a fight. [more inside]
posted by snaparapans at 10:43 AM PST - 95 comments

Drawings of the elements of CMS detector, in the style of Leonardo da Vinci "Sergio Cittolin is first and foremost a physicist in search of answers to the mysteries of the universe. Yet he also has an artistic bent, and his talent for drawing has woven itself nicely into his 30 years of work at CERN. The result is a collection of Leonardo da Vinci-style illustrations that brighten CERN hallways, a book, and the covers of a number of technical documents." (via)
posted by dhruva at 10:27 AM PST - 10 comments

Dave Gardner scored his first Top 20 hit in 1957 with White Silver Sands, and while a fine singer (and drummer), it was the stories he told between songs that transformed him into "Brother" Dave Gardner.
posted by timsteil at 10:21 AM PST - 10 comments

Nine year old's lunch blog shames school into making changes. Here's the blog.
posted by latkes at 10:17 AM PST - 92 comments

SF author and Mefi's Own Charles Stross talks about the future of "big idea" Science Fiction: If SF's core message (to the extent that it ever had one) is obsolete, what do we do next?
posted by The Whelk at 10:01 AM PST - 66 comments

First (successful) Wingsuit Landing without a parachute. Stuntman Gary Connery lands his Wingsuit into a pile of cardboard boxes without deploying a parachute -- and walks away unharmed! (All of the boxes didn't fare quite as well). Him! Him! .........
posted by Dean358 at 10:00 AM PST - 59 comments

The Books were a two-piece band consisting of Nick Zammuto and Paul de Jong. Their albums (Thought For Food (2002), The Lemon of Pink (2003), Lost and Safe (2005), and The Way Out (2010)) consisted of a mixture of found audio, constructed sounds, languid vocals, and traditional instruments, but with a warm, solid feel to the proceedings despite the amount of audio manipulation. The band broke up earlier this year, but Nick Zammuto has released a new album from his new band, the self-titled Zammuto. (The music here definitely shares DNA with The Books, but there's a more electronic feel to them.) When The Books' final album, The Way Out, debuted, the band discussed the genesis of each track on their blog (discussed on MeFi), which was a fascinating look into the creative process. This look continues as, over on a new Tumblr blog, Nick Zammuto has begun telling the story of The Books from the beginning (part two, part three). If you're a fan of The Books, of music creation, or of just how art is inspired, the three parts to date are great reading, and promise more to come.
posted by Legomancer at 10:00 AM PST - 13 comments

Should more British people commentate on basketball? Yes. [SLYT] [more inside]
posted by MuffinMan at 9:02 AM PST - 52 comments

Gestus is a moving image processing framework that uses computer vision techniques to explore the artistic possibilities of the vector as a symbolic form.
posted by Dr. Fetish at 8:34 AM PST - 15 comments

Life in Life: Using something called an OTCA metapixel (Outer Totalistic Cellular Automata Meta-Pixel), which is a pattern in Conway’s Game of Life, someone has implemented the Game of Life inside of another Game of Life.
posted by Freen at 7:49 AM PST - 37 comments

Why Is Yawning Contagious? [SLYT] [more inside]
posted by quin at 7:11 AM PST - 22 comments

"If anyone describes this as a death-defying stunt comparable to the amazing feats of Blondin, Farini or even Jay Cochrane, they’ll be lying. It’s not even close now." [NFReview] Nik Wallenda 'King of the High Wire', the seventh generation of the legendary Great Wallendas will walk across Niagara Falls, unfortunately it won't be the "thrill" that most people were expecting and wanting. "Apparently, ABC is new to this whole ‘daredevil’ thing." Nik Wallenda knows this better than anyone – his great-grandfather died after falling off a tightrope in San Juan, Puerto Rico 34 years ago. The YouTube clip is horrifying to watch [NSFW], but Wallenda has never denied this is part of the family business. He knows the deal. [more inside]
posted by Fizz at 6:37 AM PST - 60 comments

Didier Drogba seems set to follow in the footsteps of his mate Nicolas Anelka and head to China when his contract at Chelsea ends at the end of the month, but how much do you know about grassroots Chinese football culture? [more inside]
posted by MartinWisse at 5:03 AM PST - 9 comments

Has there ever been any advance in retailing that didn't in turn create a new opportunity for fraud? Take barcodes, for example: You can go to the store, buy a cheap box of Legos, and take it home. Then you use your computer to create peel-and-stick stickers with that same barcode on it. Now you go back to the store, pick up expensive boxes of Legos, and put your own stickers over their barcodes. Voila! You can now buy them for low price, and resell for a profit. That is what Thomas Langenbach is accused of having done, and it seems that he made over $30,000 reselling them on eBay.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 11:16 PM PST - 125 comments

Isaac Butler’s excellent blog Parabasis (previously noted in MeFi conversations about Mike Daisey and Spidermusicals) usually centers on issues in the US nonprofit theater. Occasionally, he takes on a different topic in depth with a series of guests. This past week, he hosted the Fandom Issue: I am less interested personally in whether the Rise of the Fan is good or bad for our culture, and much more interested in what it means. This week, we assay the Fan from a number of different angles. Who are these fans? And what does it mean to be one? What happens to love when it becomes a communal activity? And what happens to it when the beloved cannot or will not respond? [more inside]
posted by HeroZero at 10:03 PM PST - 13 comments

Though the currently circulating version of the story may be somewhat apocryphal, the truth is that Frenchman Emile Leray did in fact take apart a busted Citroën 2CV and refashion it into a working motorcycle.
posted by 256 at 9:51 PM PST - 26 comments

On Why Soup Is So Bad for Diurnal Rhythms: “Certainly. Carrot soup mimetically resembles a carrot only in color.” John was worried by the mainstream diet of soup. Not only is frantic chewing part of the joy of feeding, but widespread and protracted ingestion with minimal effort could derail diurnal cycles. Originally food was partly invented for sustenance, and partly to pass time and to mark it, and so John, in any given day, would scrupulously observe all nine meals: an early breakfast on rising; a second breakfast, in the German tradition, as rumbling recurred around nine; brunch, closely followed by elevensies, or vice versa if you favor Bohr’s algorithm; lunch; tiffin at four, with the focus on small savory sandwiches rather than cake, to avoid a mid-afternoon sugar coma; dinner; supper, and, of course, a final midnight feast to salute the day as it retires. Each meal consists of one, two, or three courses, plus intercourses where appropriate, and the main cycle might be accessorized with any number of subcycles of casual snacking.
posted by shivohum at 9:34 PM PST - 33 comments

Shock of the New is a 1980 documentary television series by Robert Hughes produced by the BBC in association with Time-Life Films and RM Productions. ... It addressed the development of modern art since the Impressionists and was accompanied by a book of the same name; its combination of insight, wit and accessibility are still widely praised. - Wikipedia [more inside]
posted by Trurl at 7:28 PM PST - 18 comments

The Disappearing Double Chin Trick for Portrait Photography: "The key to looking good in photos? It's all about your jaw, as photographer Peter Hurley explains in this video." (YouTube, ~15 min.) Hurley's quick tips for better portraits in the NYT; Hurley's helpful headshot tips for actors. (~8 min.) Want more? FStoppers behind-the-scenes video (10 min.); an excerpt (from his DVD) of one headshot session (20 min.); a 2-hour seminar on "The Basic Headshot". An SLR Lounge interview with Hurley. (~40 min.) (main link via laughingsquid + lifehacker)
posted by flex at 6:23 PM PST - 44 comments

The Playoff Eclipse Chronicles: Bill Simmons writes about the weekend at Staples
posted by Cloud King at 3:20 PM PST - 29 comments

BBC's Essential Mix has been running two hour DJ sets for nearly 20 years, usually continuous mixes of current club tracks. Nicolas Jaar took things in a decidedly different direction this week, with an eclectic mix of sound track music, jazz, hip-hop, IDM and pop music with just a sprinkling of deep house here and there. Truly essential listening.
posted by empath at 2:39 PM PST - 59 comments

On May 20th, the fossil remains of a Tarbosaurus (aka, Tyrannosaurus bataar) were sold for $1,052,500. The auction was carried out despite objections from the President of Mongolia and a court order. The problem? The remains may have been poached.
posted by brundlefly at 2:15 PM PST - 17 comments

Once more into the breach! Shades of Neal Stephenson: a squadron of RAF Spifires has been unearthed in Burma and is on its way back to Old Blighty. One hopes they can be properly restored so the populace can witness the aircraft that saved England's bacon. At the very least, perhaps they'll appear in a Dr Who episode.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 2:06 PM PST - 67 comments

In February, author Deborah Feldman spoke with xoJane's (and Metafilter's own) hermitosis about the backlash she experienced from the Hasidic community in the days leading up the release of her tell-all memoir "Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of my Hasidic Roots." Today xoJane granted another Hasidic woman from the interview post her own rebuttal to the original article, "What Women's Media Needs to Know About Chassidic Women," in which she defends her religion against feminists and "poor Deborah Feldman" sympathizers. Metafilter's own hermitosis responds in the comments.
posted by Avenger at 1:52 PM PST - 209 comments

Strong Female Protagonist is a (currently 16-page, but ongoing) webcomic that "follows the adventures of a young middle-class American with super-strength, invincibility and a crippling sense of social injustice."
posted by davidjmcgee at 1:41 PM PST - 26 comments

The ad is the work of two of the most fearsome players in Republican politics: Larry McCarthy, the producer behind the infamous Willie Horton commercial in 1988, and Crossroads GPS, the political battle squad founded by Karl Rove. Here it is.
posted by bearwife at 1:33 PM PST - 151 comments

Animation veteran Steve Moore recently posted a short from the archives of Disney TV Animation, written by Dan O’Shannon, narrated by Garrison Keillor, and voiced by Mia Farrow, Michael Richards, June Foray, and Adam West, all set to a jazz soundtrack. Take 15 minutes and watch Redux Riding Hood. Steve tells the story of the short on his blog. (Via Cartoon Brew)
posted by filthy light thief at 12:56 PM PST - 8 comments

Scenes from Brazil — a photo gallery
posted by Tom-B at 12:39 PM PST - 24 comments

Today marks the 100th day of student protests against tuition hikes in Quebec. [more inside]
posted by Cuke at 11:57 AM PST - 106 comments

Indigenous Tweets: Catalogue of Twitter users writing in minority or endangered languages. From that list, it is an easy couple of links to the inevitable Friday Night Lights recaps written in Breton. (Subsite: Indigenous Blogs.)
posted by joeclark at 11:45 AM PST - 9 comments

In 1929, John Galsworthy won a Guardian poll as the novelist most likely to still be read in 2029. Three years later, he won the Nobel Prize, and the prices of his first editions skyrocketed. His reputation has since been on a 80-year wane that shows no signs of abating. The New Yorker asks Why is Literary Fame So Unpredictable? And who will they be teaching in literature class a century from now?
posted by Horace Rumpole at 11:30 AM PST - 62 comments

Celebrating the memory of beloved synth pioneer Bob Moog and commemorating his birthday, Google's home page (currently in Australia, live in the US tomorrow) is a fully working, multi-trackable Moog synthesizer. Share your masterpiece!
posted by naju at 10:29 AM PST - 38 comments

This 18 minute short film (SLYT) travels to all the important locations from the movie Hoosiers. "Coach stays," and apparently everything else does too as very little has changed since they filmed the movie in 1986.
posted by COD at 9:51 AM PST - 14 comments

The line between a good story and a true story gets a closer examination at This American Life [more inside]
posted by FatRabbit at 9:29 AM PST - 72 comments

Fresno was a mistake from the beginning, a story by Michael Thomsen. Part of N+1 magazine City by City series.
posted by growabrain at 9:13 AM PST - 52 comments

Vengo the film entire.

A dramatic film by Tony Gatlif, creator of the far better known Latcho Drom, the famed wordless documentary about Gypsy music. [more inside]
posted by y2karl at 8:30 AM PST - 7 comments

A museum exhibit called Sex: A Tell-All Exhibition is drawing controversy. After running in Montreal and Regina with no complaints, the exhibit was criticised by the Heritage Minister when it came to Ottawa for being too lurid and being outside the mandate of the Science and Technology Museum. [more inside]
posted by frimble at 8:07 AM PST - 34 comments

It’s National Bike to Work Day today [in some cities], and maybe you noticed a lot of cyclists on your commute this morning. If you didn’t—and you’re a driver—that’s cause for concern. A plea for safety from cyclists to motorists. How to Not Kill a Cyclist [more inside]
posted by Blasdelb at 7:45 AM PST - 156 comments

Transgender at Five - "Tyler was born a girl, but at the age of 2 he began insisting that he was a boy."
posted by desjardins at 7:27 AM PST - 98 comments

The Impossible Photography of Erik Johansson. [more inside]
posted by quin at 7:09 AM PST - 23 comments

RCMP eyed philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre during tense Quebec political upheaval. [theglobeandmail.com] Canadian spies closely eyed existentialist philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, tracking his planned trip to Quebec in support of people arrested during a crackdown on separatist threats, newly released documents show. The declassified Royal Canadian Mounted Police dossier on Mr. Sartre also reveals that Mountie intelligence officers pored over translations of the French writer’s pronouncements, monitored his links to the peace movement and noted the academic rebel’s brushes with the law.
posted by Fizz at 6:14 AM PST - 55 comments

One year ago today, a tornado devastated Joplin, Missouri. Photographer Robert X. Fogarty's "Dear World" project commemorates the survivors of that day with two galleries of portraits. Each survivor has a short message written on his or her skin: "I survived Joplin's EF-5." "Together these work miracles." "Survived."
posted by BoringPostcards at 5:15 AM PST - 10 comments

Just imagine: a few musicologists know that there are 320 18th century sonatas lying somewhere in a Dutch archive. Half of them are by great masters such as Vivaldi and Telemann. The other half consists of works written by lesser-known but nonetheless interesting composers. Yet no one performs them or even shows any interest in them. Three hundred and twenty sonatas! Unthinkable, improbable. [more inside]
posted by mahershalal at 4:07 AM PST - 23 comments

As a flag-waving Britain prepares for the Jubilee/Olympics (or in the words of the comedy Twenty Twelve, 'Jubilympics'), the nation seems divided between the wildly enthusiastic and those suffering from Patriotism Fatigue(link may be NSFW). James Ward (of Boring fame) does a round-up of spurious Jubilympic themed products, after consumption of which you may require a sick bag.
posted by mippy at 3:36 AM PST - 69 comments

"For the first time, you can control a computer in three dimensions with your natural hand and finger movements". [SLYT] LEAP is a USB peripheral that can provide real-time motion tracking to 100th of a millimeter. [more inside]
posted by like_neon at 2:34 AM PST - 60 comments

SpaceX's Falcon9 rocket carrying Dragon capsule to dock with the ISS, has launched successfully. [more inside]
posted by egor83 at 12:51 AM PST - 67 comments

Have you ever bought one of those cheapo generic Tetris games? From an article on Understanding Japanese Comedy.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 12:29 AM PST - 23 comments

Why Boys "Lose Respect" [more inside]
posted by twoleftfeet at 12:24 AM PST - 76 comments

New Google+ Study Reveals Minimal Social Activity, Weak User Engagement Fast Company summarizes a new study from RJMetrics that looks at public posts, +1s, replies and reshares on Google+. It concludes "the average post on Google+ has less than one +1, less than one reply, and less than one re-share." Google replies that public posts are a poor metric of user activity; Fast Company replies that "Google has refused to provide clear figures and metrics for its social network's active user base" and links to Danny Sullivan's "brilliant rundown of Google's lack of transparency on the subject" - If Google’s Really Proud Of Google+, It Should Share Some Real User Figures.
There was also Wil Wheaton's recent angry "Oh, go fuck yourself, Google" rant in response to a recent experiment replacing YouTube's "like" button with a Google+ button for a small number of users, thus requiring them to sign up for Google+ before they can 'like' a YouTube video. Is Google Forcing Google+ Down People’s Throats?
posted by mediareport at 7:53 PM PST - 201 comments

Wendy Carlos is best known for Switched-On Bach, the best-selling album that popularized the Moog synthesizer, and the soundtracks for A Clockwork Orange and Tron. But what she calls her "most important album" is the 1986 recording Beauty in the Beast, whose experiments with instrumentation, tonality, and scaling are described in these two PDF reproductions of contemporary articles from Keyboard magazine. [more inside]
posted by Trurl at 7:25 PM PST - 30 comments

On 27 May, UK protest group Take The Flour Back intends to destroy an open air GM wheat trial at Rothamsted Research, a public institution. A small attack was made on 20 May. Understandably, scientists involved in this research are concerned about the threat, launching a PR program to explain the research [original ACRE advice recommending the trial] and opening a petition against the protests.
posted by wilful at 6:56 PM PST - 124 comments

Scandanavia And The World: A web comic of outrageous national stereotypes bluntly portrayed by cute little cartoon bobbleheads, that will nonetheless help outsiders learn to differentiate among the Nordic countries. With explanatory text.
posted by Diablevert at 6:18 PM PST - 47 comments

Sneaking Into Pantone HQ: "While the Pantone meetings are traditionally secret, I was invited to the Summer 2013 meeting on the condition that I not reveal the colorists’ identities." (An older, brief interview on Pantone forecasts.) For Summer 2013: forecast overview - palette descriptions - palette colors. (via good.is: ...the Ethics of Color Forecasting)
posted by flex at 6:08 PM PST - 40 comments

“Old age isn’t a battle, it’s a massacre.” A son’s plea to let his mother go.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 5:28 PM PST - 61 comments

Putting a law degree to good use: a Deputy Attorney General of the State of Hawaii responds to a request for Barak Obama's birth certificate from the Secretary State of Arizona. (Scroll down for the actual correspondence.)
posted by alms at 4:25 PM PST - 147 comments

Day Z is the best thing I’ve played so far this year. On my first go, I bled to death in the dark, alone on a forest trail. [more inside]
posted by Sebmojo at 2:59 PM PST - 58 comments

The art house review/criticism series Brows Held High decided to tackle Nicolas Roeg/David Bowie's 1976 The Man Who Fell To Earth by reviewing it as a karaoke medley of Bowie's greatest hits.
posted by The Whelk at 2:34 PM PST - 12 comments

One Hospital | Hundreds of Stories. A YouTube Playlist. Experience a day in the life of a public hospital (Highland Hospital) in Oakland, CA at a moment of profound change to the nation's economy and its healthcare system. [more inside]
posted by cashman at 2:29 PM PST - 6 comments

The Sunlight Foundation, an organization dedicated to transparency in government, has analyzed 17 years of Congressional speech (per the Congressional Record) and found that the Flesch-Kincaid grade level of speech on the floor of the House and Senate has dropped by nearly a full year in the last decade. [more inside]
posted by Etrigan at 2:02 PM PST - 38 comments

"I want to know how I am a small press, if I am outselling Robin Hobb and Terry Goodkind and Tolkien?" Fantasy author M.R. Mathias has a disagreement with Fantasy-Faction.com.
posted by Avenger50 at 2:00 PM PST - 68 comments

Matthew Inman of The Oatmeal published a comic entitled "Why Nikola Tesla was the greatest geek who ever lived.." Alex Knapp at Forbes responds with "Nikola Tesla Wasn't God And Thomas Edison Wasn't The Devil" Inman responds to the response very succinctly. (the oatmeal previously)
posted by rebent at 1:08 PM PST - 96 comments

Zamrock is a largely forgotten musical movement, born from a newly independence still trying to find stability. The sound is a mix of local sounds with heavy, bluesy and psychedelic rock, usually sung in English, the constitutional language for Zambia. Unfortunately, little of the history is written, and those who were there are fewer each year. Last year, Emmanuel Kangwa “Jagari” Chanda, the co-founder and lead singer for WITCH (We Intend To Cause Havoc), was interviewed for two hours (Vimeo; transcript; source) and recorded a radio show with 14 Zamrock tracks. The South African newspaper Mail & Guardian have an article with more history and interview snippets with Jagari, whose stage name is an Africanisation of Mick Jagger's name. (via) [more inside]
posted by filthy light thief at 12:04 PM PST - 16 comments

Being deaf. A young programmer's personal account of being the only deaf employee at a startup.
posted by bitmage at 11:33 AM PST - 65 comments

Anti-JFK coloring book from the early 1960s. Talking Point Memo has posted photos of the New Frontier Coloring Book, a conservative satire of the Kennedy administration, discovered by a TPM reader. [more inside]
posted by Cash4Lead at 9:54 AM PST - 42 comments

Following the announcement of plans to replace the Disability Living Allowance, eliminating benefits to 500,000 people via new criteria and the already-controversial Work Capability Assessments, and concerns that the change will undermine the legacy of the Paralypmic Games, public transit access to the Olympics for wheelchair users is put to the test (autostart video). For reference, the TfL suggests form Trafalgar Square to Stratford takes 35-40 minutes without accessibility considerations and approximately 50 minutes using wheelchair accessible routes. [more inside]
posted by hoyland at 9:47 AM PST - 29 comments

On what would have been his 40th birthday, Ego Trip posts 10 Notorious B.I.G. Videos You Must See.
posted by box at 9:46 AM PST - 23 comments

Al Rose Promotions is proud to present our Encore Presentation.....
A teaser trailer for PT Anderson's forthcoming The Master.
posted by timshel at 9:26 AM PST - 43 comments

Mysterious Universe is more than just the site hosting a weekly podcast that covers the weird and unexplained. From UFOs and Men in Black to Bigfoot and Mothman (with the Shadow People and Black Eyed Children lurking somewhere inbetween), the Mysterious Universe website sifts through the news and personal accounts that crop up on sites such as Crytomundo, Phantoms and Monsters, and Your Ghost Stories so you don't have to. Though the podcast was almost brought down by the menance that is the Dibbuk Box, it is now in its seventh season and, like the site itself, shows no signs of slowing down. [more inside]
posted by robocop is bleeding at 9:20 AM PST - 15 comments

California Resale Royalty Act declared unconstitutional. The only Droit De Suite Law in the U.S. is now defunct. It was signed into being by Gov. Jerry Brown in 1976..... previously [more inside]
posted by snaparapans at 9:17 AM PST - 52 comments

In five minutes, Dan Benjamin graciously and honestly recollects and signs off the 120-episode technology/Apple podcast The Talk Show. (can't listen? summary of remarks). Benjamin co-hosted TTS with writer John Gruber, who on Friday controversially announced he was taking the show to Mule Syndicate alone.
posted by michaelh at 8:59 AM PST - 42 comments

The fish pendant , on Philip K. Dick’s account, began to emit a golden ray of light, and Dick suddenly experienced what he called anamnesis: the direct perception by the mind of a metaphysical reality.
posted by xammerboy at 8:10 AM PST - 104 comments

The Eurovision Song Contest 2012's first semi-final begins tomorrow at 3 PM EST (12 PM PST). Watch it online, and listen to the songs (below the jump). [more inside]
posted by LSK at 7:31 AM PST - 204 comments

Sarah Esteje does amazing ballpoint pen and pencil illustrations of animals. [more inside]
posted by quin at 7:07 AM PST - 14 comments

The teaser trailer for the twenty-third James Bond feature, Skyfall has arrived. [more inside]
posted by beaucoupkevin at 6:24 AM PST - 125 comments

Joyce Banda, who was recently sworn in as Malawi's first ever female president has announced plans to repeal her country's laws against homosexuality in her first state of nation address. She said: "Some laws which were duly passed by the august house... will be repealed as a matter of urgency... these include the provisions regarding indecent practices and unnatural acts." More than two-thirds of African countries have laws criminalising homosexual acts with imprisionment, abuse and even murder being served as punishment to generally widespread public support. This, coupled with Malawi hosting the African summit in July makes Banda's move all the more laudable.
posted by jamiemch at 6:08 AM PST - 25 comments

Robin Gibb, CBE, has died at 62 of colorectal cancer. The Guardian pays tribute in words and music. [more inside]
posted by lwb at 4:36 AM PST - 62 comments

The Internet is going crazy for 19 (or 16? or 17? Definitely not really 13) year old Florida rapper Kitty Pryde’s track “Ok Cupid.” [more inside]
posted by Potomac Avenue at 3:13 AM PST - 208 comments

Ramblin' Jack Elliott at Old City Hall, Redding California, 1988
This is Ramblin' Jack in his prime. [more inside]
posted by y2karl at 9:01 PM PST - 7 comments

Mythbusters' Tested Blog recently posted a special feature from the Toy Story 2 DVD, in which Pixar's Oren Jacob and Galyn Susman recounted how the files for the movie (just 10gb of data!) were almost lost due to both an erroneous Linux command and a bad backup. The folks at The Next Web: Media followed up with Mr. Jacob, and learned that the movie was actually tossed out and reworked from scratch again nine months prior to a release date that was set in stone, not by the computers, but by the filmmakers themselves: How Pixar’s Toy Story 2 was deleted twice, once by technology and again for its own good.
posted by zarq at 8:49 PM PST - 63 comments

"In the criminal justice system, the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups: the police, who investigate crime; and the district attorneys, who prosecute the offenders." This is them eating lunch. Single link tumblr.
posted by sweetkid at 8:17 PM PST - 41 comments

And so I descend once more into the mysterious depths of 3 Women, a film that was imagined in a dream. Robert Altman's 1977 masterpiece tells the story of three women whose identities blur, shift and merge until finally, in an enigmatic last scene, they have formed a family, or perhaps have become one person. I have seen it many times, been through it twice in shot-by-shot analysis, and yet it always seems to be happening as I watch it. - Roger Ebert [more inside]
posted by Trurl at 7:04 PM PST - 21 comments

Last night, Saturday Night Live said good bye to Kristen Wiig. It did so after an opening featuring Kristin’s small-handed character, Dooneese Maharelle and Jon Hamm. The guest was 70ish Mick Jagger performing with Arcade Fire, Foo Fighters, and Jeff Beck. The show ended with a last dance.
posted by Toekneesan at 6:28 PM PST - 81 comments

Can using different types of models benefit brands? Ben Barry discusses his Ph.D. research in Elle Canada, making a business case for diversity in fashion: women increased their purchase intentions when they saw models who reflected their size, age, and race. Jezebel summarizes, "Barry's research... casts doubt on the age-old theory that people buy things because advertising stokes their insecurities, creating a need that can only be filled by the advertised product. It suggests that advertising can work by inducing in the consumer feelings of affinity for and identification with the people shown in the ad."
posted by flex at 3:59 PM PST - 42 comments

OpenLeaks has come into focus as a platform where leakers submit material specifying participating media organizations to receive early access as well as a later date for a full non-exclusive release. In principle, OpenLeaks cannot access the leaked documents themselves until this later release date. [more inside]
posted by jeffburdges at 3:13 PM PST - 47 comments

The New York Times' "Vows" column is turning 20. Lois Smith Brady revisits some of the first couples covered in the column which she has written since its inception (alone for the first decade, and as one of several writers in its second). A companion article describes how the column came about and how it (and the couples it covers) have changed over the years. [more inside]
posted by ocherdraco at 2:44 PM PST - 16 comments

“I say God bless ‘em, man, go make another ‘RoboCop.’ … I don’t know, you can throw a lot of CGI at it and so forth. The morality that’s endemic to the movie that you just watched is hard to replicate. It makes you laugh and cry and moves you, and it’s hysterical and horrible and all those unbelievable things at once.” - Former cyborg and Italian Italian Renaissance Scholar Peter Weller talks to the Hero Complex Film Festival about the Robocop Remake and other things in the run-up to the films 25th anniversary.
posted by Artw at 12:01 PM PST - 92 comments

Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi, Convicted in 1988 Lockerbie Bombing, Dies at 60. [NYTimes.com] Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi, the only person convicted in the 1988 bombing of an American jetliner over Lockerbie, Scotland, has died in Libya, family members told news agencies on Sunday, nearly three years after Scotland released him on humanitarian grounds, citing evidence that he was near death with metastatic prostate cancer. He was 60.
posted by Fizz at 10:53 AM PST - 43 comments

The Canadian oil sand mines refused us access, so we rented this plane to see what they were up to: A slideshow of oil extraction from above Alberta's tar sands fields. (Warning: surreally-coloured pools of water inside) [more inside]
posted by nickrussell at 9:33 AM PST - 112 comments

The Take is a 2004 film [~90m] by Naomi Klein and Avi Lewis about the reclaimed factory movement (worker-managed co-operatives) in Argentina. It's presented here in 9 parts: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9. Also in a convenient playlist for easy viewing. [more inside]
posted by hippybear at 9:10 AM PST - 11 comments

How Corporations and Local Governments Use the Poor As Piggy Banks . Barbara Ehrenreich (previously) talks about how the cycle of poverty is perpetuated by wage theft, municipal/criminal fines, and debtors prisons.
posted by desjardins at 7:51 AM PST - 85 comments

Wealth Redistribution, Zimbabwe Style...
posted by Renoroc at 6:45 AM PST - 19 comments

AVENGERS IS JOSS WHEDON MOVIE. Film Crit Hulk counts the ways.
posted by Sebmojo at 5:04 AM PST - 240 comments

The Costs of Capitalism's Crisis: Who Will Pay? Economics professor Richard Wolff gives some context to the latest economic crisis and suggests a solution to prevent this from happening again.
posted by mhjb at 3:43 AM PST - 58 comments

Yaoi, man-on-man relationship comics aimed at female readers and typically produced by female authors. And now the phenomenon is moving West. An article from Comics Alliance discusses three webcomics that have gained considerable popularity despite what some would call their niche appeal. [more inside]
posted by The ____ of Justice at 3:24 AM PST - 74 comments

Who's the fool in the Facebook IPO?
Anthropologist and journalist Joris Luyendijk speaks to a former investment banker about stress, disillusionment and the strategies behind the Facebook flotation.
The former MD compares it to insurance fraud: "It seems victimless while in reality everyone's premium goes slightly up."
That's the system, he says: a cartel "skimming off everyone's pensions and savings".
posted by adamvasco at 3:15 AM PST - 51 comments

"Skywalking" Russky Island Bridge. Three Russian teenagers climb up the 300 meter Bridge to Russky Island without any safety equipment. Apparently this is part of a trend calling 'skywalking'. WARNING: Sweaty palms may damage computer.
posted by Corduroy at 1:32 AM PST - 39 comments

On the (surprisingly complicated) legacy of Stan Lee (previously, previously)
posted by Joe in Australia at 12:33 AM PST - 22 comments

"Don't ever forget that you're a citizen of this world, and there are things you can do to lift the human spirit, things that are easy, things that are free, things that you can do every day. Civility, respect, kindness, character. You're too good for schadenfreude, you're too good for gossip and snark, you're too good for intolerance—and since you're walking into the middle of a presidential election, it's worth mentioning that you're too good to think people who disagree with you are your enemy.... Don't ever forget that a small group of thoughtful people can change the world. It's the only thing that ever has."

On May 13th, Aaron Sorkin gave the commencement address to the graduating class at Syracuse University, a speech that has been mildly criticized for recycling some lines from his shows West Wing and Sports Night. Video. (Via.)
posted by zarq at 8:20 PM PST - 49 comments

Ernie Kovacs' groundbreaking television special, aired ten days after he died.
posted by timsteil at 8:09 PM PST - 20 comments

If we look at how fast they metabolize, it would take them a thousand years just to reproduce themselves. They may be much older than this. There’s no way of knowing.

Microbes found deep under the North Pacific Gyre in 86-million-year-old red clay, potentially millions of years old, force us to rethink the timescales, ranges, and conditions that life can attain. (The main text of the paper is unfortunately paywalled.)
posted by jjray at 7:38 PM PST - 33 comments

The Rev. Charlie Jackson of Louisiana (1932–2006) was a purveyor of some of the rawest, grittiest blues music about Jesus that you've ever heard. In a TV variety show appearance on his one and only concert tour of Europe, the Reverend maintained a warm and friendly manner through a somewhat condescending interview, and went on to perform Wrapped Up, Tangled Up in Jesus with some backing vocal help from the legendary El Dorados.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 7:14 PM PST - 11 comments

I got an e-mail from a friend asking if I wanted to attend a screening on the Fox lot of Peter Bogdanovich's original cut of At Long Last Love. And the answer in a case like should always be yes. [more inside]
posted by Trurl at 7:02 PM PST - 17 comments

"The NAACP has opposed and will continue to oppose any national, state, local policy or legislative initiative that seeks to codify discrimination or hatred into the law or to remove the Constitutional rights of LGBT citizens. We support marriage equality consistent with equal protection under the law provided under the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution." Today, the NAACP passed a resolution endorsing same sex marriage.
posted by cashman at 5:42 PM PST - 98 comments

One of the side effects of being a 5-day, live show was that the Gothic soap opera Dark Shadows featured regular technical and acting flubs. Many, many, many flubs [more inside]
posted by The Whelk at 4:43 PM PST - 25 comments

Creating the Windows 8 user experience — an inside look from the Windows engineering team, with a brief history of the Windows user interface.
posted by cenoxo at 4:03 PM PST - 98 comments

Is a List of Greatest Guitarists Without Jimi Hendrix Worth Talking About? vs. SPIN's 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time
posted by BEE-EATING CAT-EATER at 3:04 PM PST - 118 comments

Webwandern. Hike the Swiss Alps but don't bother getting out of your chair. Site is in German, but easy to navigate.
posted by zardoz at 2:27 PM PST - 13 comments

Radiohead's Kid A has been transcribed to the "8-Bit" style in full.
posted by Algebra at 12:43 PM PST - 34 comments

Is death bad for you? [more inside]
posted by lalochezia at 12:25 PM PST - 94 comments

Tree poaching: 800-year-old red cedar stolen from a provincial park is in the news today, but tree poaching is an ongoing problem in the province. Valuable decorative wood such as curly maple is sought after and stolen eg in 2009 from Burnaby Mountain Conservation area. Another curly maple. To identify which trees to steal, many others may be damaged. Here's a Picture of damage in a discussion where guitar-lovers feel accusations are unjust.
posted by Listener at 12:10 PM PST - 37 comments

Since 2007 (or 1997) Dmitry Samarov has been writing and drawing the highs and lows (mostly lows) of driving a cab in Chicago.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 11:13 AM PST - 19 comments

Here’s thirteen hypnotic minutes of someone using a lathe to turn a giant jawbreaker into a shot glass. [SLYT] [more inside]
posted by quin at 10:24 AM PST - 46 comments

WFNX is D-E-D, dead. The last remaining Boston indie major market radio station, WFNX, has been sold to Clear Channel Communications. 17 full- and part-time staffers, including almost all the current radio personalities, have been laid off. The station will continue to operate for a few months with a skeleton crew until the FCC approval and changeover. [more inside]
posted by clone boulevard at 9:54 AM PST - 72 comments

Norman Rides Again! [SLYT]
posted by Fizz at 9:29 AM PST - 39 comments

If you asked me two years ago whether I’d have a baby and give it away for money, I wouldn’t just laugh at you, I would be so insulted I might hit you in the face,” said Indirani, a 30-year old garment worker and gestational surrogate mother.
posted by latkes at 8:42 AM PST - 89 comments

Dan Harmon out as showrunner of Community. He responds
posted by whitneyarner at 7:13 AM PST - 274 comments

Would you want Carolyn Abbott, the worst 8th grade math teacher in New York City, to teach your kids? Probably. [more inside]
posted by DarlingBri at 6:57 AM PST - 58 comments

Turkey Dupstep
posted by rebent at 6:14 AM PST - 14 comments

When a Blow to the Head Creates a Sudden Genius
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 5:51 AM PST - 29 comments

Inside Halden, the most humane prison in the world. Pictures.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 4:39 AM PST - 70 comments

So-called jazz compositions may contain at most 10% syncopation; the remainder must consist of a natural legato movement devoid of the hysterical rhythmic reverses characteristic of the barbarian races and conductive to dark instincts alien to the German people (so-called riffs)

The story of Nazi jazz. [Previously.] [more inside]
posted by Sonny Jim at 2:28 AM PST - 41 comments

If you are very lucky you may see a fire rainbow once or twice in your life.
posted by Wolfdog at 2:18 AM PST - 39 comments

Kickboxer: Just the Kicking (SLYT) [more inside]
posted by Alex404 at 12:17 AM PST - 24 comments

Steve Wozniak introduces the Apple II
posted by Artw at 10:35 PM PST - 28 comments

"Are you still doing that hand thing?" Creepy SLYT.
posted by Deathalicious at 8:54 PM PST - 65 comments

simply read Finnegans Wake. Since it is said to make more sense when recited aloud, you could start with this recording of James Joyce performing a passage from the "Anna Livia Plurabelle" section - which has been described as "one of the most beautiful prose-poems in English". [more inside]
posted by Trurl at 6:58 PM PST - 40 comments

The letter of the day at the Savage Love blog tells a story of cruel abandonment, and provokes an outpouring of love in response.
posted by Ipsifendus at 5:47 PM PST - 47 comments

“I believe I owe the gay community an apology.” -- Dr. Robert L. Spitzer, considered by some to be the father of modern psychiatry, recants a poorly conceived 2003 investigation that supported the use of so-called reparative therapy to “cure” homosexuality for people strongly motivated to change.
posted by slater at 5:22 PM PST - 28 comments

Unicode’s sad lack of intellectual smileys | And, really, wouldn't this be a better world if we had a rhetorical question mark?
posted by titus-g at 4:49 PM PST - 27 comments

Novelist Neil Gaiman tells the graduating 2012 class of the University Of The Arts everything he wishes he knew starting out and all the best advice he failed to follow. (Vimeo 19:55)
posted by The Whelk at 3:41 PM PST - 20 comments

Why Teaching Equality Hurts Men: "It hurts them by making them unconsciously perpetrate biases they’ve been actively taught to despise. It hurts them by making them complicit in the distress of others. It hurts them by shoehorning them into a restrictive definition masculinity from which any and all deviation is harshly punished... It hurts them through a process of indoctrination so subtle and pervasive that they never even knew it was happening, and when you’ve been raised to hate inequality, discovering that you’ve actually been its primary beneficiary is horrifying – like learning that the family fortune comes from blood money." (via nooneyouknow)
posted by flex at 3:28 PM PST - 134 comments

SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Dragon cargo capsule is scheduled to launch at 8:55 am UTC on Saturday, May 19, 2012 - a little less than 12 hours from now. [more inside]
posted by egor83 at 2:38 PM PST - 52 comments

In which a commercial humorously describes The Human League and Huey Lewis as Punk.
posted by freshwater at 2:25 PM PST - 93 comments

Baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau has died (NYTimes). “Providence gives to some singers a beautiful voice, to some musical artistry, to some (let us face it) neither, but to Fischer-Dieskau Providence has given both. The result is a miracle and that is just about all there is to be said about it.” (John Amis) [more inside]
posted by Madamina at 1:41 PM PST - 26 comments

GQ Attempts to make a man out of Justin Bieber.
posted by eugenen at 12:02 PM PST - 93 comments

Ad·ver·sary responds to sexism and racism in industrial music: We Demand Better. [more inside]
posted by Theta States at 11:41 AM PST - 61 comments

RPG [more inside]
posted by DU at 10:56 AM PST - 86 comments

Evoke - a game of creating symmetry by identifying differences. [more inside]
posted by quin at 10:21 AM PST - 15 comments

Thank you Facebook! A song in celebration of the largest tech IPO in history.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 9:31 AM PST - 205 comments

In other positive criminal justice news, the US Department of Justice has issued long overdue rules for combating sexual assault of prisoners in federal, state, and local penitentiaries. [more inside]
posted by Cash4Lead at 9:22 AM PST - 31 comments

Why I Wrote Solidarity Forever. "In the pantheon of American labor history there is a very special place for Ralph Chaplin, the man and his work. As the poet laureate of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), he is probably remembered best for giving organized labor its fighting them song, Solidarity Forever." [more inside]
posted by Stagger Lee at 9:00 AM PST - 27 comments

Originally published in 1983, Les Amies de Place Blanche [slightly NSFW] focuses on the transsexual community living around the Place Blanche district of Paris in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

More photos by Christer Strömholm

Review in The Guardian
posted by BEE-EATING CAT-EATER at 7:45 AM PST - 11 comments

Weak men pay this boxing coach to tell them they are terrible. Eric Kelly was a 2 time New York Golden Gloves Champion, 4 time National Champion, 2000 Olympic alternate, and 3 time Milwaukee Golden Gloves before an eye injury prevented him from competing. Today, he's a trainer at Church Street Boxing Gym in New York, coaching Wall Street bankers how to box.
posted by reformedjerk at 7:22 AM PST - 60 comments

Historical perspectives on the LEGO gender gap. [more inside]
posted by latkes at 6:00 AM PST - 96 comments

As police departments around the country are increasingly caught up in tussles with members of the public who record their activities, the U.S. Justice Department has come out with a strong statement supporting the First Amendment right of individuals to record police officers in the public discharge of their duties.
In a surprising letter sent on Monday to attorneys for the Baltimore Police Department, the Justice Department also strongly asserted that officers who seize and destroy such recordings without a warrant or without due process are in strict violation of the individual’s Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights.
posted by veedubya at 2:42 AM PST - 100 comments

Scientists investigate the use of psychedelic drugs in end of life therapy "Grob and his colleagues are part of a resurgence of scientific interest in the healing power of psychedelics. Michael Mithoefer, for instance, has shown that MDMA is an effective treatment for severe P.T.S.D. Halpern has examined case studies of people with cluster headaches who took LSD and reported their symptoms greatly diminished. And psychedelics have been recently examined as treatment for alcoholism and other addictions. "
posted by bookman117 at 12:11 AM PST - 56 comments

Each morning at 9am for the next two weeks, (Mefi's Own) scifi and fantasy author John Scalzi will be chatting with musician Jonathan Coulton about one of his science fiction songs -- a different song each morning, -- in a daily podcast over at Tor.com called Journey to Planet JoCo. Series index. On May 29th, they'll be premiering a brand new, previously unheard Coulton song.
posted by zarq at 11:29 PM PST - 3 comments

How Fast Do You Read? Compare yourself with national averages. Compare yourself with Anne Jones, a Champion Speed Reader who consumed the last Harry Potter book in 47 minutes, about 1 page every 3.75 seconds.
posted by stbalbach at 11:18 PM PST - 90 comments

Are gender-based safe spaces needed? Students at a Canadian university (SFU) want a men's centre, and though there is some controversy, it seems to be rolling towards approval. [more inside]
posted by Listener at 10:34 PM PST - 102 comments

Yo, Should I Dump This Asshole? From the creators of Yo, Is This Racist? (previously), a tumblr that gives succinct relationship advice. [more inside]
posted by medusa at 9:48 PM PST - 44 comments

Previously, WSJ asked if YA novels today are too dark- with abuse, violence and depravity. A YA writer took it literally and researched the color distribution and demographic of young adult novels.
posted by ichomp at 8:21 PM PST - 34 comments

In Pictures: Star City and the Baikonur Cosmodrome
posted by Artw at 7:43 PM PST - 24 comments

When Captain America throws his mighty shield, all those who chose to oppose his shield must yield. Doc Bruce Banner, pelted by gamma rays, turns into The Hulk; ain't he unglamorous? Tony Stark makes you feel; he's a cool exec with a heart of steel. Cross the Rainbow Bridge of Asgard, where the booming heavens roar, you'll behold in breathless wonder the god of Thunder, mighty Thor. Stronger than a whale, he can swim anywhere; he can breathe underwater and go flying through the air. [more inside]
posted by Trurl at 6:04 PM PST - 61 comments

Where will you be on May 20th/21st? There will be an annular solar eclipse late afternoon that will be visible in the Western US: "On May 21, 2012, an annular solar eclipse begins over southeast China and passes over Japan. When the eclipse crosses the International Date Line, the local date becomes May 20. The eclipse then enters the California/Oregon border, passes in the late afternoon over Nevada, Utah, Arizona, a corner of Colorado, New Mexico, and ends at sunset in Texas." As a warning, please don't scorch your eyeballs! There are guidelines on safe viewing.
posted by dfm500 at 4:50 PM PST - 37 comments

Formerly Hasidic black rapper Y-Love has come out of the closet and is now probably the only person who could beat Sammy Davis Jr.'s famous quip.
posted by Joe in Australia at 4:43 PM PST - 26 comments

In 1985, Don't Stand Me Down, the third studio album by Dexy's Midnight Runners was released. In a rare interview, front man Kevin Rowland and violinist Helen O'Hara talk about the making of what is now considered Dexy's lost masterpiece. The record was not an immediate success. [more inside]
posted by Elizabeth the Thirteenth at 4:24 PM PST - 30 comments

Ben Howard performing a cover of Call me Maybe by Carly Rae Jespen on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge. [more inside]
posted by schmod at 1:40 PM PST - 23 comments

Britain is considering legislation to protect scientific publications in peer reviewed journals from libel lawsuits, such as the Chiropractic Association's lawsuit against Simon Singh. [more inside]
posted by jeffburdges at 1:33 PM PST - 23 comments

A Brief History of John Baldessari The Godfather of conceptual art. Narrated by Tom Waits. (SLYT)
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 12:56 PM PST - 11 comments

Gilbert Gottfried reads Fifty Shades of Grey (NSFW audio)
posted by OverlappingElvis at 12:50 PM PST - 41 comments

Doug Dillard was a pioneer of country rock with his band The Dillards, with his brother Rodney, who were perhaps the first to plug bluegrass instruments into amplifiers back in the early sixties. He died today at the age of 75. [more inside]
posted by Fnarf at 12:27 PM PST - 18 comments

A 29-year-old on the difficulties of landing a first job.
posted by onwords at 12:12 PM PST - 216 comments

It's Nicholl Fellowship season again! This year, with a May 1st deadline, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences accepted a record 7,197 entries -- an estimated 647,730 to 863,640 pages that Academy Judges will have to read and evaluate by October. This is a record reflecting not only a high number of aspirant screenwriters, but over 1,000 submissions from outside the territorial United States. Previously, here and here. Does anybody here have any Nicholl Fellowship tales? Any wins? Any multi-decade efforts to get their story out there?
posted by vhsiv at 11:58 AM PST - 33 comments

Met Police to extract suspects' mobile phone data [BBC] The Metropolitan Police, covering Greater London, are set to expand their search powers by making it standard practice to swipe contact details, call logs, and texts off of the mobile phones of anyone in custody - and retain that data - regardless of whether the suspect ends up charged with a crime or not. Clearly not everyone is over the moon about this, seeing it as the latest sign of the steady erosion of communications privacy in the UK and a potential breach of human rights law.
posted by LondonYank at 11:42 AM PST - 43 comments

"Hello! I'm the Doctor Puppet! I travel to places with my companion who takes pictures of me." Doctor Who as a puppet, traveling around NYC, getting his photo taken.
posted by quin at 10:17 AM PST - 36 comments

Circle of 6, one of the winners of the HHS / White House "Apps Against Abuse" challenge. [more inside]
posted by what's her name at 9:41 AM PST - 7 comments

Donna Summer, the queen of disco, dies at 63. Once upon a time there was a girl who loved to love you. Sometimes she was a bad girl, but she always worked hard for the money, and she was always hot stuff. Although once she left her cake out in the rain. Now it's time to dim all the lights, and have one last dance, for the queen has gone to the disco in the sky. [more inside]
posted by dnash at 9:24 AM PST - 176 comments

UCLA neuroscientists have reconstructed Phineas Gage's head injury and mapped out how his brain was affected by the tamping rod that went through it. You can read the full scientific article here. Phineas Gage has become one of the most famous cases in the history of science. A railroad worker who survived having an iron rod go through his brain with subsequent changes in personality. Malcolm McMillan of Deakin University, Australia, has the great Phineas Gage Information Page, which includes his story and a page on unanswered questions. [Phineas Gage previously on MeFi]
posted by Kattullus at 8:28 AM PST - 18 comments

These days, Steve Stajich is a columnist for the Santa Monica Mirror. He's done some standup, some theater, and some TV. In the Denver summer of 1978, he recorded an album.
posted by timsteil at 7:46 AM PST - 5 comments

The story of Ron Paul’s presidential candidacy as told by his supporters in Time Magazine's comments section. Extra-specially meta thanks to an update which posts comments from underneath the same post.
posted by feelinglistless at 7:38 AM PST - 102 comments

ReachOut Healthcare America, a dental management services company, “built its business model on the premise that low-income parents often don’t have time or transportation to take children to the dentist. So mobile teams pack equipment in large cases, load up a minivan, head to schools and set up in gyms, libraries or classrooms.” Services are billed to Medicaid. ReachOut and other dental management services companies are increasingly backed by private equity firms. What could possibly go wrong? [more inside]
posted by evilmomlady at 6:31 AM PST - 42 comments

Jean Craighead George has died. [more inside]
posted by Aizkolari at 6:11 AM PST - 52 comments

Flabkiller Acai Berry Extract Helps You Lose! Make big money from home with Envelope Elf! iPads for just $39.99 at Deals R Us! [more inside]
posted by Horace Rumpole at 5:05 AM PST - 43 comments

Photographers: You’re Being Replaced by Software
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 3:06 AM PST - 76 comments

Bill Bollinger was an important post minimalist sculpture in the late 1960s and early 1970s. One of a generation of people who changed what sculpture meant. [more inside]
posted by PinkMoose at 12:59 AM PST - 7 comments

Who are the alt-acs? They are people with graduate education (mostly in the humanities and library science) who have decided to pursue alternative academic careers. They choose to skip the "dues-paying crap" often associated with pursuing a traditional tenure-track job, and avoid languishing in unrewarding adjunct assignments. They also tweet like mad. The results of a new (and, as of this writing, ongoing) #alt-ac census show alt-acs thriving in diverse positions; there's a strong contingent involved in the digital humanities, but also a historian at the U.S. Department of State, an exhibit developer at the National Constitution Center, and a self-employed "Editor, musicologist." [more inside]
posted by Orinda at 10:19 PM PST - 26 comments

According to the U.S. census bureau, from July 2010 to July 2011, more than half of all babies born were members of minority groups, a first for the United States. [more inside]
posted by cashman at 10:13 PM PST - 59 comments

"I can say with confidence that rich people don't create jobs, nor do businesses, large or small," said über-rich venture capitalist Nick Hanauer in a March 1st TEDx talk, which TED is refusing to put on its website. [more inside]
posted by blazingunicorn at 9:43 PM PST - 98 comments

For the first time since she was paralyzed by a stroke 15 years ago, a woman in the BrainGate2 clinical trial served herself a drink of coffee ... with a brain-controlled robot arm (with heartwarming video)
posted by crayz at 9:27 PM PST - 8 comments

Rethinking "Mother died today": Translating a work requires a surprising amount of thought to avoid leading readers into contextual pitfalls, and The Stranger is no exception. "Within the novel’s first sentence, two subtle and seemingly minor translation decisions have the power to change the way we read everything that follows."
posted by estlin at 9:19 PM PST - 47 comments

From Adam Bertocci, author of Two Gentlemen of Lebowski (previously): Overthinking Ghostbusters.
posted by Hey Dean Yeager! at 6:25 PM PST - 55 comments

"A great ballclub, a beautiful demonstration of what talent can do when assembled with planning and guided by intelligence." - Bill James, on the 1986 New York Mets [more inside]
posted by Trurl at 5:59 PM PST - 36 comments

"Blow Job" is a series of portraits of people with gale-force winds blown directly into their faces. (SFW) [more inside]
posted by flyingsquirrel at 5:54 PM PST - 62 comments

A Grade 11 student, with a summary of Sean Dixon's novel The Last Days of the Lacuna Cabal due in two days, gets help from the author. It does not go particularly well.
posted by scruss at 4:39 PM PST - 133 comments

A famously reclusive writer, John Swartzwelder is responsible for many of The Simpson's iconic episodes. He stopped writing for the show in '04 and began to self-publish a series of increasingly absurd Sci-Fi Detective novels.
posted by The Whelk at 2:47 PM PST - 47 comments

Hitchhiking Director John Waters Picked Up In Ohio By Indie Rock Band
posted by EvaDestruction at 2:13 PM PST - 65 comments

Chuck Brown: DC Legend, Godfather of Go-Go and originator of some of the breakbeats that laid the foundation for hip-hop has passed away. Here's his live set at the 9:30 club from a few years ago. 2, 3, 4
posted by empath at 2:05 PM PST - 42 comments

Not So Pure Michigan (youtube), a play on Michigan's "Pure Michigan" tourism campaign. (For more on Michigan's troubles with its neighbors see Mitten-gate.)
posted by found missing at 1:57 PM PST - 29 comments

‘You will never go wrong anticipating doom in my books, any more than you’ll go wrong in anticipating doom in ordinary life’—László Krasznahorkai. [more inside]
posted by misteraitch at 1:41 PM PST - 7 comments

Consequences, Choices, Children in Crisis, Challenges. HBO’s multi-part research documentary The Weight of the Nation examines obesity in America in four parts, marshaling leading doctors, epidemiologists, economists, researchers, and community leaders to understand and explain the individual costs and public solutions to a multi-faceted social and individual problem. The documentary both explores large picture statistics, while giving voice “to those that often too seek to be invisible: members of the nearly 70 percent of Americans currently diagnosed as overweight or obese. (AV Club Review)” [more inside]
posted by stratastar at 12:49 PM PST - 37 comments

"A Harvard MBA Pays Down $101K Of Debt." Two years after he graduated from Harvard with an MBA, Joe Mihalic, now manager of strategic alliances and business development at Dell, vowed to do “everything in my power–short of lying, cheating, and stealing–to pay down" his student loan debt, (then totaling 90K,) "in the next ten months.” After applying for a weekend delivery job, he also decided to chronicle the steps he was taking on a blog: "No More Harvard Debt." First page of posts is here. Penultimate post explains his process: "Mission Accomplished." [more inside]
posted by zarq at 11:53 AM PST - 189 comments

Breaking Bad POV. Wes Anderson From Above. Tarantino From Below. Aronofsky for Your Ears. [more inside]
posted by gwint at 11:42 AM PST - 22 comments

That the conventional wisdom of 3,500 calories less is what it takes to lose a pound of weight is wrong. The body changes as you lose. Interestingly, we also found that the fatter you get, the easier it is to gain weight. An extra 10 calories a day puts more weight onto an obese person than on a thinner one. [more inside]
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 11:31 AM PST - 125 comments

Did you know that the blind can see? And that's not even the most interesting part. [more inside]
posted by brenton at 11:19 AM PST - 24 comments

If you live in Toronto, you may have seen them busking in the street or in the parks. But if you were a stranded passenger on Air Canada flight AC 876, which was delayed for 20 minutes on the tarmac at Pearson Airport in Toronto en route to Romania, then you got to see the Lemon Bucket Orkestra play an impromptu 4 song performance. [more inside]
posted by chococat at 10:38 AM PST - 29 comments

Fourteen Ways To Spot A Bad Critic : Tarol Hunt, illustrator of the webcomic Goblins: Life Through Their Eyes [Previously], weighs in on hate mail sent by his readers.
posted by Smart Dalek at 10:16 AM PST - 57 comments

Tapeworms Living Inside People's Brains
posted by Foci for Analysis at 10:04 AM PST - 136 comments

Irene Shubik started as a television script-writer, first writing for Encyclopædia Britannica Films (some videos on Archive.org) in the United States before moving back England, where she was hired on at Associated British Corporation. There, she worked as a story editor for the prolific TV producer Sydney Newman on the anthology series 'Armchair Theatre.' A long-time fan of science fiction, Shubik approached Newman about creating a science fiction version of 'Armchair Theatre,' and Newman agreed. The result was 'Out of This World,' which ran for a single season in 1962. Shubik followed Newman to BBC, where they continued the theme of 'Out of This World' with a new program, 'Out of the Unknown.' Between the two series, 63 episodes were made, though only 21 episodes survive in full, and audio and video clips survive from another 18 episodes. The videos and original short stories are linked below the break. [more inside]
posted by filthy light thief at 9:43 AM PST - 4 comments

Disrupt Disruption: A Case Study in Brand Evangelism: The founders of LocalOffrly.Biz (like GroupOn + Living Social) discuss hypertargeted banner ads, sex dice, memes/virals, Klout scores, and "gamifying that which has refused to be gamified" ... at ROFLcon III. (via) (youtube playlist)
posted by mrgrimm at 9:21 AM PST - 15 comments

8-bitscapes : Artist Jamie Sneddon and photographer Kevin Rozario-Johnson take cityscapes and add in elements from classic videogames with delightful results. [more inside]
posted by quin at 8:50 AM PST - 21 comments

"This is the final victory of the censor: When people, even people who know they are routinely lied to, cease to be able to imagine what is really the case." Salman Rushdie, On Censorship.
posted by davidjmcgee at 7:48 AM PST - 48 comments

Morgan Freeman in 1971, [SLYT] wearing bell bottoms and teaching kids to read on “The Electric Company.”
posted by Fizz at 6:53 AM PST - 61 comments

The eight fingered Polish-Norwegian artist Andrej Nebb with his band, performing Bo jo cie kochom in Oslo in 1980. How he lost two fingers? Cutting his guitar with a chainsaw. That’s why he had to play bass instead. Basically he fled communism to live a rock ‘n’ roll life. Here he is back in Poland in 2002, at Przystanek Woodstock.
posted by nordlys at 6:42 AM PST - 9 comments

Last week was Teacher Appreciation Week. If you were too busy looking forward to have time to appreciate a teacher, it's still not too late to appreciate the teachers behind the students.
posted by twoleftfeet at 1:22 AM PST - 11 comments

Where Did the Taco Come From?
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 7:35 PM PST - 178 comments

How Cigars are Made at the La Aurora factory in the Dominican Republic.
posted by Scientist at 7:25 PM PST - 19 comments

Dalal al-Mutairi, the senior book censor for the Kuwaiti government, sits down for a chat about her job and what it entails.
posted by reenum at 7:08 PM PST - 38 comments

A woman opens an old steamer trunk and discovers tantalizing clues that a long-dead relative may actually have been a serial killer, stalking the streets of New York in the closing years of the nineteenth century. A beer enthusiast is presented by his neighbor with the original recipe for Brown's Ale, salvaged decades before from the wreckage of the old brewery--the very building where the Star-Spangled Banner was sewn in 1813. These stories have two things in common. They are tailor-made for viral success on the internet. And they are all lies.
posted by Sebmojo at 5:36 PM PST - 200 comments

Now I agree that to some people using half a kilo of chocolate to make 12 biscuits may seem excessive. But I can tell you I don't put a price on alleviating human suffering. - Nigella Lawson [more inside]
posted by Trurl at 5:33 PM PST - 123 comments

Small, Far Away - The World of Father Ted: Graham Linehan and Arthur Mathews revisit Craggy Island 15 years after the premiere of the classic Irish comedy, Father Ted.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 4:51 PM PST - 52 comments

Inside the Actors Studio's James Lipton offers advice to Mitt Romney.
posted by gman at 3:36 PM PST - 78 comments

First Gene Therapy Successful Against Aging-Associated Decline: Mouse Lifespan Extended Up to 24% With a Single Treatment A new study consisting of inducing cells to express telomerase, the enzyme which -- metaphorically -- slows down the biological clock -- was successful. The research provides a "proof-of-principle" that this "feasible and safe" approach can effectively "improve health span." [article]
posted by T.D. Strange at 2:46 PM PST - 96 comments

Mexican writer Carlos Fuentes died today. (NYT Obituary) [more inside]
posted by elmono at 1:40 PM PST - 29 comments

In a video uploaded by the BBC today, Karen Gillan, who recently wrapped up filming her final episodes of Doctor Who, asked the crew of Community to include her in an Inspector Spacetime episode.
posted by jbickers at 12:41 PM PST - 165 comments

Scott Widak, 47, has Down syndrome and is terminally ill with liver disease. To cope with his uncle's challenging situation, Widak’s nephew, Sean O’Connor, turned to the Reddit community to see if anyone would be interested in sending a letter to his uncle. O’Connor then included a link to a news article about Widak and his art, along with two photos of him and his mother, a P.O. box address and a few things he’s interested in, like Johnny Cash. Following the post, Widak received hundreds of letters from all over the world. From Mashable: a story of random acts of kindness.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 12:38 PM PST - 18 comments

A new world record for fuel efficiency has been set. John and Helen Taylor drove a a 2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI SE for 1,626.1 miles, averaging 84.1 miles per gallon, using hypermiling techniques. The EPA lists the vehicle at 31 mpg city and 43 highway. Meanwhile, youtube user "Fidallyb" is upset because the BlueMotion TDI Passat he rented while vacationing in Europe got over 78 mpg and yet isn't available in the United States. Here are five more fuel efficient cars you can't buy in the United States. [more inside]
posted by mecran01 at 11:44 AM PST - 125 comments

Many visitors to Boston assume that the Back Bay neighborhood is one of the city's oldest. It's actually one of the newest, reclaimed from Charles River marshland at the end of the 19th Century. Before the completion of this project, Beacon Street to Brookline was the top of a tidal dam. Today's Boston Proper is actually mostly fill: in 1630, Boston was 783 acres of land. By 1901, it was 1,904 acres. Filling in Back Bay was an enormous project, but some valuable lessons were learned decades earlier while filling in the South End.
posted by Mayor Curley at 11:41 AM PST - 43 comments

Please don't learn to code (Coding Horror). Please Don't Become Anything, Especially Not A Programmer. (Learn Code the Hard Way).
posted by desjardins at 11:40 AM PST - 117 comments

How Yahoo killed Flickr and Lost the Internet by Mat Honan of Gizmodo.
posted by Atreides at 11:18 AM PST - 110 comments

“To all unmarried ones who would like to spend their life by my side and within all the beauties of my home. Please look below at all the magic of my home that I have decorated with taste, perhaps just for YOU. Don Milisav Juan Gonzales Brzi, Contact: +33-#########″
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 11:12 AM PST - 59 comments

Jimmyjane (NSFW) makes luxury, design-oriented vibrators and other sex toys and accessories. ("Design inspired by Apple, not Hustler.") They'd like to change the way Americans think about them: instead of as 'dirty little secrets,' they're hoping for mainstream acceptance and to usher in an "Age of Great American Sex." (Via) [more inside]
posted by zarq at 11:08 AM PST - 41 comments

Okay: In the role playing game known as The Real World, “Straight White Male” is the lowest difficulty setting there is...
As the game progresses, your goal is to gain points, apportion them wisely, and level up. If you start with fewer points and fewer of them in critical stat categories, or choose poorly regarding the skills you decide to level up on, then the game will still be difficult for you. But because you’re playing on the “Straight White Male” setting, gaining points and leveling up will still by default be easier, all other things being equal, than for another player using a higher difficulty setting.

Likewise, it’s certainly possible someone playing at a higher difficulty setting is progressing more quickly than you are, because they had more points initially given to them by the computer and/or their highest stats are wealth, intelligence and constitution and/or simply because they play the game better than you do. It doesn’t change the fact you are still playing on the lowest difficulty setting.

MeFi's own John Scalzi provides an excellent, relatable metaphor for explaining the realities of race and gender without invoking the dreaded word "privilege". [more inside]
posted by Jon_Evil at 11:04 AM PST - 368 comments

Computer security consultant Byron Sonne (previously, previously) has been acquitted of charges he plotted to attack the G20 summit in Toronto.
posted by unSane at 10:33 AM PST - 12 comments

Clayton Christensen is the most influential business thinker on the planet. He's been everywhere lately: On Charlie Rose, in the New Yorker (pay-walled), in the Steve Jobs biography (as the author of the only business book to have influenced Jobs). He has applied his ideas of Disruptive Innovation and Jobs-to-be-Done (pdf) to industries such as healthcare and higher education. Recently he has been trying to apply them to personal and career development. He's also a devout Mormon (and a generous Romney campaign contributor) and a cancer, stroke, and heart attack survivor.
posted by AceRock at 10:31 AM PST - 10 comments

Eveready Harton in Buried Treasure, from 1928, is considered to be one of the first pornographic cartoons. It is certainly one of the strangest (NSFW)
posted by The Whelk at 10:07 AM PST - 30 comments

Christopher Doyon, a.k.a. Commander X, is currently on the run from the U.S. government. In this interview with the National Post he talks about his work with Anonymous and what it means for the future of information: "Right now we have access to every classified database in the U.S. government. It’s a matter of when we leak the contents of those databases, not if. You know how we got access? We didn’t hack them. The access was given to us by the people who run the systems. The five-star general (and) the Secretary of Defence who sit in the cushy plush offices at the top of the Pentagon don’t run anything anymore. It’s the pimply-faced kid in the basement who controls the whole game, and Bradley Manning proved that. The fact he had the 250,000 cables that were released effectively cut the power of the U.S. State Department in half. The Afghan war diaries and the Iran war diaries effectively cut the political clout of the U.S. Department of Defence in half. All because of one guy who had enough balls to slip a CD in an envelope and mail it to somebody. Now people are leaking to Anonymous and they’re not coming to us with this document or that document or a CD, they’re coming to us with keys to the kingdom, they’re giving us the passwords and usernames to whole secure databases that we now have free reign over. … The world needs to be concerned."(via)
posted by AElfwine Evenstar at 9:48 AM PST - 45 comments

The Invisible Hand is Invisible Because It Isn't There. Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz gives the keynote address at the launch of The Roosevelt Institute's new initiative: Rediscovering Government. Via the Next New Deal.
posted by Trochanter at 9:20 AM PST - 103 comments

"She lets go of the handle and goes into free fall. At the same time, she jerks the manual release on her cervical collar and goes into full Michelin Man mode as tiny gas cartridges detonate in several strategic locations around her bod. The biggest one goes off like an M-80 at the nape of her neck, unfurling the coverall's collar into a cylindrical gas bag that shoots straight up and encases her entire head. Other airbags go off around her torso and pelvis, paying lots of attention to that spinal column."

In his 1992 book Snow Crash, Neal Stephenson described a protective airbag technology for bikers and skateboarders. It's become a reality. [more inside]
posted by quin at 8:47 AM PST - 59 comments

Take Back The Nerd: Five Ways To Be A Good Fan
posted by Artw at 8:13 AM PST - 65 comments

I've been out walking. I don't do too much talking these days. [more inside]
posted by Kelly Tulsa at 8:06 AM PST - 31 comments

"I’ve felt like my gender doesn’t match me for a very long time.” A Quiverfull mom describes her family's journey after her spouse comes out to her as transgender. (Excuse me, I have something in my eye.) (Via No Longer Quivering.)
posted by cereselle at 7:57 AM PST - 51 comments

Yesterday's Diane Rehm Show featured a conversation between Sherry Turkle (previously), Stephen Marche (previously) and Zeynep Tufekci. Tufekci has been critical of Turkle's and Marche's assertions that social media is making us lonely. A lively Twitter conversation and critique ensued.
posted by DiscourseMarker at 7:48 AM PST - 24 comments

Tipped off by an ancient poem, and supported by both historical and paleontological/geological research, Koji Minoura et al. found evidence of historic and prehistoric tsunamis[PDF] devastating north-east Japan just as that of March 2011 did -- and he had been saying for years that it could happen again. (via PRI's The World's science podcast)
posted by jb at 7:28 AM PST - 13 comments

Some British bus shelters are, implausibly, powered by the light of the sun, and some can see what you’re up to & tell you to stop doing it. Others smell like baked potatoes, or dispense free pieces of cake. Others still can get you high if you set them on fire. More often though, these are dreary, malodorous locales where one is increasingly less likely to see a bus, let alone three coming along at once. Photographer Steve Ellaway has embarked on a project to photograph the bus shelters of South Wales: an unpromising subject on the surface of it, but one that has yielded surprisingly rich and varied results.
posted by misteraitch at 7:20 AM PST - 21 comments

The emergence of a citation cartel. "Cell Transplantation is a medical journal published by the Cognizant Communication Corporation of Putnam Valley, New York. In recent years, its impact factor has been growing rapidly. In 2006, it was 3.482. In 2010, it had almost doubled to 6.204. When you look at which journals cite Cell Transplantation, two journals stand out noticeably: the Medical Science Monitor, and The Scientific World Journal. According to the JCR, neither of these journals cited Cell Transplantation until 2010. Then, in 2010, a review article was published in the Medical Science Monitor citing 490 articles, 445 of which were to papers published in Cell Transplantation. All 445 citations pointed to papers published in 2008 or 2009 — the citation window from which the journal’s 2010 impact factor was derived. Of the remaining 45 citations, 44 cited the Medical Science Monitor, again, to papers published in 2008 and 2009. Three of the four authors of this paper sit on the editorial board of Cell Transplantation. Two are associate editors, one is the founding editor. The fourth is the CEO of a medical communications company." (from Scholarly Kitchen, via Andrew Gelman.)
posted by escabeche at 7:17 AM PST - 26 comments

Money Unlimited How John Roberts Orchestrated the Citizens United decision. [more inside]
posted by modernnomad at 5:55 AM PST - 87 comments

Mid-century garage doors.
posted by box at 5:38 AM PST - 16 comments

What do Amy and Klara, Exxon Secrets, and MAICgregator have in common? They are all examples of Adversarial Design.
posted by jkolko at 4:59 AM PST - 15 comments

Biodegradation of Polyester Polyurethane by Endophytic Fungi [scientific paper]. Pestalotiopsis microspora lives in dark, damp and anaerobic conditions in the Amazon, is a candidate for introduction to landfills, can survive on only polyurethane, and may solve the plastic 100-400 year decomposition issue [non-technical summary].
posted by jaduncan at 2:55 AM PST - 40 comments

Out of Cash - The End of the Nation’s Largest Redevelopment Program (and a major source of California’s local funding sources). [more inside]
posted by stratastar at 1:17 AM PST - 13 comments

Los Tocayos Carlos - a comprehensive investigation by Columbia Law School Professor James Liebman and a team of students which uncovers evidence that Carlos DeLuna, a poor Hispanic man with childlike intelligence who was executed in Texas in 1989, was innocent. The issue of The Columbia Human Rights Law Review, entirely dedicated to this investigation, is available at this website.
posted by Gyan at 10:58 PM PST - 42 comments

This is How: Proven Aid in Overcoming Shyness, Molestation, Fatness, Spinsterhood, Grief, Disease, Lushery, Decrepitude & More. For Young and Old Alike. is Augusten Burroughs' new self-help book (reviews here, here, and here), one which scorns the genre cliches of goal-setting and affirmations in favor of a hard-nosed philosophy of self-honesty based on lessons learned from his own background of abuse, neglect, and rape. In an interview with CNN, he gives snippets of his views on subjects like the harm of people "clinging to a dream which maybe they don't actually have the talent to do", suicide ("it doesn't release you, it adds a new layer of horror") and the quest for thinness ("the brain is magnificent and to focus on your gastrointestinal track is a complete waste"). (previously)
posted by shivohum at 10:57 PM PST - 42 comments

^♫ As young as 18, I'd already written the application to join the party, but I was too embarrassed to turn it in to the party branch. I've studiously read the party constitution countless times - always felt I wasn't worthy of the party's requirements. ^♫ Applying to Join the Chinese Communist Party : a music video (w/ English subtitles)
posted by flapjax at midnite at 9:55 PM PST - 20 comments

Europe, 1000-2005, in 3 and a half minutes. [more inside]
posted by John Cohen at 9:47 PM PST - 61 comments

Canadian Tire Company coupons, thought of by some as an alternative Canadian currency, may be on the way out. [more inside]
posted by reenum at 6:53 PM PST - 62 comments

She connected the discarded organ replacement machines together and had them 'breathe' in closed circuits. The machines of The Immortal keep each other alive through circulation of electrical impulses, oxygen and artificial blood.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 6:22 PM PST - 28 comments

Always backed by the 12th Street Rag, Marv Albert has brought us "wild and wacky moments in the world of sports (compiled by his crack staff and producer Dave Katz)" for just under thirty years. [Caveats: Some dates are approximate. Some of the more famous clips appear multiple times. Hockey violence, boxing referees getting hit, borked slides into third, etc.] And we start with the early 80's — 1984: a b — 1985 — 1985-86: a b c — 1986 (in review) — 1987: a b c d — 1988 (in review) — 1989: a b — Review of the 80's — Early 1990's — 1997 — 1999's Wild and Wacky Millenium — 2008 — 2009 — 2010 — 2011 — first half of the 2011 NFL season — a 30-minute compilation — another compilation — baseball compilation
posted by not_on_display at 5:46 PM PST - 19 comments

Galleries of old photographs of camels in America, Australia, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, China, Mongolia and India, in war | camel breeds | How the Camel Got His Hump from Camel Tales, Folklore & Legends| baby camels and lots more at this one stop site all about Camels. Previously.
posted by nickyskye at 5:27 PM PST - 17 comments

You may have heard that evil is returning to Sanctuary tonight. Your Diablo 3 launch day preparation guide includes opening cinematics, a cartoon, the story so far, a primer on the new Auction House (now with real money), and build guides for the Demon Hunter, Barbarian, Monk, and Witch Doctor. Since no one at Blizzard beat Diablo 3's Inferno difficulty, death is guaranteed.
posted by Avenger50 at 3:00 PM PST - 310 comments

Rare-wine collectors are savvy, competitive guys with a taste for impossible finds. The biggest hoax in history took place right under their noses. [more inside]
posted by mreleganza at 2:13 PM PST - 71 comments

10 years ago it was considered impossible to build a prosthetic for an elephant.
What do you do when an endangered elephant steps on a land mine? If you’re the Friends of the Asian Elephant Hospital, you make a prosthetic leg that can support 2000 pounds of moving pachyderm. [more inside]
posted by endless_forms at 1:26 PM PST - 23 comments

Taiyo Matsumoto's original five volume manga Ping Pong was one of the most surprising and gripping experiences I've had this year. But a huge reason for that is the artwork: he packs more kinetic energy into a single drawing of a shoe skidding across a floor than any real shoe has ever had. So it was with some trepidation that I saw posters for this adaptation going up in stores around Japan. Fumihiko Masuri is a first time director (not that you'd know it), with a background in computer effects. He seems to have directed this mainly because he's a really big fan of the manga too. On the film's website, they've placed images from the manga next to photographs of the actors in the film, so you can see how obsessive compulsive they were in matching faces. Not only faces, but movements, playing styles, and shot composition is all straight from the book, as if they'd used the manga in lieu of storyboards. Even the occasional surreal touch; a boy growing butterfly wings, a dragonfly landing on the net, is right out of the page onto the screen. -- Midnight Eye review; subtitled movie in 12 parts: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
posted by filthy light thief at 12:36 PM PST - 20 comments

The Dictator's practical internet guide to power retention. The Internet can be a real pain for a comfortable dictator. Here's how to turn it to your nefarious advantage.
posted by bitmage at 12:19 PM PST - 5 comments

Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin has renounced his U.S. citizenship ahead of the company's IPO so as to avoid paying capital gains taxes on his shares, which could be worth as much as $3.84 billion. [more inside]
posted by Cash4Lead at 12:17 PM PST - 287 comments

Mike Birbiglia's Fresh Air interview gets awkward. From last week's This American Life live episode.
posted by roll truck roll at 12:09 PM PST - 31 comments

I first came across Miss.Tic in Arles,
Since the 1980's Miss.Tic has located her art mainly in the streets of Paris. You can follow her work since 1985 through to 2011.(NSFW)
Not much is available in English but here is an Interview with subtitles, and a video Ethics of Love.
One of my favorites: - Poetry is an Extreme Sport which is part of a Flickr set.
posted by adamvasco at 11:46 AM PST - 3 comments

Patrice O’Neal (RIP previously) didn’t just want to be famous, he wanted to be as good as Richard Pryor. To hear his fellow comics tell it, he was—a brutal truth-teller who spared no one, starting with those closest to him. (Print friendly version)
posted by Potomac Avenue at 11:17 AM PST - 61 comments

FatFonts creates numerical fonts where the amount of ink/pixels for each number is in direct proportion to its value.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 11:09 AM PST - 23 comments

The Triumph of the Passenger Ship is an online exhibition of highlights from the Norman H. Morse Ocean Liner Collection at the University of Southern Maine. (The cutaway illustrations are fascinating.)
posted by Horace Rumpole at 10:37 AM PST - 3 comments

"It is with great sadness that Skywalker Properties has decided to pull its application to build a studio facility on the old Grady Ranch." (PDF) George Lucas' neighbors don't want him building a movie studio on his Marin property; after fighting for years, he's working with the Marin Community Foundation to develop low-income housing.
posted by mrgrimm at 9:29 AM PST - 92 comments

In Russian roulette, is it best to go first? | The Mathematics of Tetris | What is the result of infinity minus infinity? [more inside]
posted by Foci for Analysis at 9:27 AM PST - 30 comments

Russell Mulcahy is best known for directing Highlander (as well as its...less-popular...sequel) and is currently doing a Teen Wolf series for MTV. But speaking of MTV, he got his start doing music videos. A lot of music videos. In fact, if you remember a video from the early days of MTV, it's probably one of Mulcahy's. [more inside]
posted by Legomancer at 9:02 AM PST - 33 comments

Cartoonist and Essayist Tim Kreider on the soothing effect of dangerous situations. (NYT)
posted by The Whelk at 8:46 AM PST - 15 comments

"Rouleur is to bike magazines what National Geographic is to nature photography." Wired takes a look at a British cycling publication that puts an emphasis on quality photojournalism.
posted by quin at 8:45 AM PST - 12 comments

Finland has always looked both west and east, notably the Loviisa nuclear power plant used Westinghouse instrumentation married to a Soviet design, earning the nickname 'Eastinghouse'. They hedged their bets on rather less safety-critical issues as well. Having little success in the Eurovision Song Contest (until they changed tack relatively recently), they also entered (and won) its Soviet counterpart: Intervision. [more inside]
posted by Talkie Toaster at 8:44 AM PST - 9 comments

One week ago, anonymous engineer "BTE Dan" put up a website called Build the Enterprise. He envisions a $1 trillion spaceship modeled on the USS Enterprise. There are highly detailed plans for constructing and funding it. It quickly spread all over the news to GizMag, DailyMail and other places. The BTE website is slow to load, while waiting why not Build the Starship Enterprise from useless office supplies.
posted by stbalbach at 8:39 AM PST - 35 comments

Here's a 4-minute TEDx talk that demonstrates the correct method for drying your hands with a single paper towel.
posted by schmod at 8:20 AM PST - 61 comments

Anarchy is Boring
posted by Artw at 7:37 AM PST - 120 comments

During WWII, nearly 6 million women joined the workforce. Metafilter's talked about "Rosie the Riveters" previously, but we've never heard from these women in their own words.
posted by ChuraChura at 7:28 AM PST - 9 comments

A wonderful, highly NSFW song about being Charls Barkly. From the incoherent, offensive, and brilliant gmcfosho, whose works include the classic Rifle Burs, Snacks, and IMDABES (previously), which is probably the best reason for the Internet's existing.
posted by Rory Marinich at 6:47 AM PST - 24 comments

The website of the Society for Irish Latin American Studies is full of information about Irish migration to Latin America. It's divided into four sections: The Homeland, about the origins of the settlers; The Journey, about how the Irish settlers traveled to Latin America, including the infamous Dresden affair; The Settlement, about the lives of the Irish in Latin America; Faces and Places, which has biographies of a wide variety of people, Mateo Banks, family murderer, Camila O'Gorman, executed lover of a priest, William Lamport, 17th Century revolutionary and Bernardo O'Higgins, Chilean independence leader, who gets a whole subsection to himself. There is also a list of Irish placenames and much else of interest to history nerds.
posted by Kattullus at 6:42 AM PST - 13 comments

To understand the reasoning behind the android and why this particular science fiction author, above others, was chosen... [more inside]
posted by dubold at 6:39 AM PST - 11 comments

Welcome To Life is a (very) short film by Tom Scott.
posted by motty at 6:38 AM PST - 12 comments

A cover of Michael Jackson's 'Human Nature' by Vindicatrix. [more inside]
posted by ennui.bz at 6:21 AM PST - 7 comments

"In the space of My Darkest Year, in no particular order, these things happened. My younger son died. My marriage ended. A rabbi and renowned jazz musician whom I’d only met once performed my son’s funeral. People applauded. I fell in love with a blond poet suffering from PTSD. It didn’t work out. My divorce was granted. The only Jewish funeral director in town admitted to me, unbidden, that her life’s passion is improv comedy. My ex-husband threatened my boyfriend’s balls via Facebook. I fled—and sold—my dream house. My older son lost his first tooth and entered kindergarten. I performed stand-up comedy. People applauded. I fell in love again. I realized I’m not afraid of anything." Michelle Mirsky's column No Fear of Flying: Kamikaze Missions in Sex, Death, and Comedy won the 2011 McSweeney's Column Contest. It's funny, aching, gutsy, and heartwrenching.
posted by sixswitch at 6:02 AM PST - 10 comments

A grasshopper weathervane has sat atop Boston's Faneuil Hall since 1742. The grasshopper through its glass doorknob eyes (scroll down), witnessed the Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party and the siege of Boston. On January 4th, 1974, the grasshopper was stolen but returned and repaired.
posted by Mayor Curley at 5:14 AM PST - 42 comments

The Angel of The Gap. For almost half a century, Don Ritchie would approach people contemplating suicide at the edge of The Gap, just 50 metres from his home in Watsons Bay, his palms facing up [...] he would smile and say: "Is there something I could do to help you?". RIP Don Ritchie, Australian Local Hero of the Year for 2011, and saviour of at least 160 would-be suicides at Sydney scenic cliff & suicide spot, The Gap.
posted by UbuRoivas at 2:14 AM PST - 45 comments

Between their inscrutable lyrics and lead singer Liz Fraser's quicksilver voice (here she is singing with Massive Attack live in 2006), the Cocteau Twins are not an easy band to cover. A male "bedroom musician" might seem like a particularly unlikely choice. Nevertheless, Youtube artist Matt Gurley (aka fooberdoobs) has posted some understated but worthy takes on Know Who You Are At Every Age, Heaven or Las Vegas, and Serpentskirt. [more inside]
posted by en forme de poire at 11:01 PM PST - 11 comments

I'd always been fascinated by the trope of the doppelgänger and its long literary life, from Dostoyevsky to Nabokov to Spider-Man. Often, in books, these physical doubles represent the worst a character is capable of. Lately, though, perhaps because at age 41 I'd begun feeling less like the captain of my life and more like its deckhand, I'd started wondering if there was someone out there who embodies not your worst self, but your freest one—a person who encapsulates everything you've ever dreamed of becoming. Let's call him your Cooler Self. All those dreams that got lost along the way, the ones that were casualties of chance or duty or cowardice: There's a "you" out there—a mountain climber or war photographer or race-car driver—who brought them to fruition.

So I vowed to hunt down my Cooler Self.
posted by AceRock at 8:54 PM PST - 64 comments

"I Play the Fool for You", by Matt Andersen. [more inside]
posted by stebulus at 8:07 PM PST - 6 comments

On June 7th, the Disney XD channel will premiere a new, 10-part miniseries: Tron Uprising. The series, which will feature the voices of Elijah Wood, Lance Henriksen, Bruce Boxleitner (reprising his role as 'Tron',) Mandy Moore and Paul Reubens, will combine 2D and CGI animation styles, and is set between the events of the first and second Tron movies. Trailers: 1, 2. 2011 ComicCon Preview. Disney released a full-length "prelude episode" yesterday evening (US Only): Beck's Beginning. (Via) [more inside]
posted by zarq at 7:08 PM PST - 38 comments

"Like his legendary Hogg, The Mad Man, and the million-seller Dhalgren, Samuel R. Delany’s major new novel Through the Valley of the Nest of Spiders—explicit, poetic, philosophical, and, yes, shocking—propels readers into a gay sexual culture unknown to most urban gay men and women, a network of rural gay relations—with the twist that this one is supported by the homophile Kyle Foundation, started in the early 1980s by a black multi-millionaire, Robert Kyle III, to improve the lives of black gay men." [more inside]
posted by kittensofthenight at 6:07 PM PST - 36 comments

Our planet is inhabited by two distinct kinds of intelligent beings — individual humans and corporate entities — whose natures and interests are intimately linked. To co-exist well, we need to find ways to define the rights and responsibilities of both individual humans and corporate entities, and to find ways to ensure that corporate entities behave as responsible members of society. (SLAX)(pdf warning)
posted by AElfwine Evenstar at 3:33 PM PST - 88 comments

Want a bestseller? Write about Henry or Hitler… [Guardian.co.uk] From Tudor England to the Third Reich, history's megalomaniacs continue to make great literary fodder.
posted by Fizz at 2:57 PM PST - 12 comments

The Earth has less water than you might think. [via]
posted by cashman at 2:11 PM PST - 67 comments

Lazy Harp Seal Has No Job
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 10:29 AM PST - 63 comments

Musician Noah does an amazing acoustic cover of LMFAO's Sexy and I Know It.
posted by quin at 8:44 AM PST - 44 comments

The deadly social web: Anelosimus eximius, also known as the South American Social Spider, are spiders that work together to repair webs and capture and kill prey much larger than any single spider.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 7:37 AM PST - 58 comments

The Nine Circles Of Hell, As Depicted In LEGO
posted by Artw at 7:10 AM PST - 41 comments

Are bias and fraud damaging the existing public trust in scientific and medical research? (previously) [more inside]
posted by jeffburdges at 6:39 AM PST - 35 comments

Tchaikovsky Timelapse manually snapped frames in-between the frames the animator intended to use, in order to capture the animation process in action. Not sure if the actual time-lapse has been released, but more on the elaborate production of it is available here.
posted by gman at 6:03 AM PST - 12 comments

Millions may know him best from one of the only lines he delivered in the Blues Brothers movie: "We had a band powerful enough to turn goat piss into gasoline". Others who notice these things will remember him as the guy who also played the bass in the Blues Brothers band. And those for whom Stax records and the Memphis sound are important will know him as the four-string foundation of the great Booker T and the MGs, and the man who lent his solid, no-frills bass lines to many a tune by soul luminaries Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett and lots of other greats. Memphis-born bassman Donald "Duck" Dunn has died while on tour (along with fellow legend and bandmate Steve Cropper) in Tokyo. RIP, Duck Dunn, and if there's any goat piss in heaven, I know you're gonna turn it into gasoline up there, too.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 3:15 AM PST - 109 comments

Denny Fitch, one of 4 pilots who guided United 232 to a controlled crash landing in Sioux City, Iowa after a complete hydraulic fluid loss following an engine failure, has died of cancer. He was interviewed about the landing for Errol Morris' First Person series (YouTube) (previously). Denny's family also documented his journey with his incurable brain tumor on his website and blog.
posted by bluefly at 3:09 AM PST - 22 comments

Reuters photographer Jim Urquhart recently captured these scenes from a fading culture, as he followed Montana ranchers on their final horse drive, moving more than 300 horses down from their winter range. Every spring the Mantle family, along with with a group of wranglers, drives the herd north over 35 miles and three days, through the small town of Three Forks to their ranch. After decades of supplying and tending to horses, the Mantles, citing financial challenges, now plan to sell off their herd and shift to raising beef cattle. Take a moment to travel with the Mantle family through big sky country, on a journey once so familiar and iconic, now fading into memory with the rest of cowboy culture.
posted by Blasdelb at 7:38 PM PST - 31 comments

Disassembled (Warning: Contains spoiler-ish references to scenes from recent Marvel superhero movies, movies not yet made and movies we WISH would happen)
posted by evilmidnightbomberwhatbombsatmidnight at 7:35 PM PST - 27 comments

As The Polyphonic Spree embarks on Phase 3 of their You + Me tour, a fan made video features backstage and rehearsal footage and in-concert filming along with an interview with group founder Tim Delaughter about the creation of the band.
posted by hippybear at 6:24 PM PST - 17 comments

The Last Mother's Day
posted by ColdChef at 4:25 PM PST - 26 comments

The most recent cover of Time magazine is causing a lot of controversy. The issue explores attachment parenting and its rise in popularity. Some see attachment parents as selfish, while others swear by it. Either way, attachment parenting and extreme breastfeeding are now part of the national conversation. 
posted by reenum at 3:46 PM PST - 176 comments

Can You Call a 9-Year-Old a Psychopath? Charming but volatile, L. quickly found ways to play different boys off one another. “Some manipulation by girls is typical,” Waschbusch said as the kids trooped inside. “The amount she does it, and the precision with which she does it — that’s unprecedented.” She had, for example, smuggled a number of small toys into camp, Waschbusch told me, then doled them out as prizes to kids who misbehaved at her command.
posted by Rory Marinich at 3:13 PM PST - 192 comments

Russell Brand testifies to UK Parliament's Home Affairs Committee on drug policy. (SLYT; alternatively: mp3 audio link, starts at 5:55.) [via] [more inside]
posted by progosk at 2:33 PM PST - 25 comments

Before Leon Schlessinger produced the classic animation series Merrie Melodies, there was another series of shorts created to feature contemporary pop hits. Combining live-action musical performances with an art deco-influenced set design, only 6 episodes of Spooney Melodies were ever produced. Today, only one short remains – Crying for the Carolines, considered by many to be the first ever music video. [more inside]
posted by Think_Long at 1:55 PM PST - 8 comments

What's it like to live in one of those six houses from the opening of Full House?
posted by absalom at 1:43 PM PST - 37 comments

Andrew Sullivan's Daily Beast reports that Jan van Lohuizen, "highly respected Republican pollster", has advised his fellow conservatives to embrace GLBT civil rights. The text of the memo is reproduced in full at the link.
posted by Ipsifendus at 12:55 PM PST - 65 comments

Canadian food chain Swiss Chalet decided to buy an entire cable channel devoted to 24 hour coverage of rotisserie chicken. That's it. Oh and dancing dipping sauce containers.
posted by The Whelk at 11:25 AM PST - 54 comments

Metal: A Headbanger's Journey (SLYT)
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 9:46 AM PST - 15 comments

Titus Jones - Don't Stop Believin' In This Love On Earth (Lady Gaga vs. Belinda Carlisle vs. Journey vs. Madonna vs Ke$ha vs. Bruno Mars vs. Leona Lewis vs. New York Outlaw)
posted by jason's_planet at 8:28 AM PST - 21 comments

Day of the Triffids. Auto-tuned.
posted by the_very_hungry_caterpillar at 8:25 AM PST - 12 comments

Epic Tea Time with Alan Rickman [SLYT]
posted by quin at 8:06 AM PST - 55 comments

#Popleveson: the Twitter meme from Court 73 Robert Jay QC, the lawyer at the heart of the UK's Leveson Enquiry into press standards has a particular way in which he asks questions which was yesterday applied on-line to top pop hits. The Guardian collects some of the best. [more inside]
posted by feelinglistless at 7:35 AM PST - 42 comments

On Wednesday, The House voted to eliminate the detailed surveys of America that have been conducted by the Census Bureau since the nation’s earliest days. The American Community Survey has data about flush toilets, but also about the languages Americans speak at home and the employment characteristics of families and facts about poverty. The survey was intended to serve the stated purpose of giving communities current information needed to plan investments and services.
posted by twoleftfeet at 3:54 AM PST - 92 comments

25 extra minutes of Cave Johnson - taken Portal 2's Perpetual Testing Initiative DLC.
posted by Artw at 11:51 PM PST - 33 comments

Carroll Shelby - racing driver, winner of the 1959 Le Mans 24 Hour, legendary engineer and/or designer of the V8 AC/Shelby Cobra, the original Dodge Viper, the Oldsmobile Shelby Z, and the Shelby Series 1 - passed away on Thursday night, aged 89. [more inside]
posted by Pinback at 9:28 PM PST - 56 comments

In the state of West Virginia, the government has just purchased 1064 Cisco 3945 routers at a price of $22,600 each. These are being used to service small public libraries with as few as four PCs when a much smaller router such as the Cisco 1801 would be more appropriate. Local journalists have found out about this and are starting their own investigation. A consulting firm has been retained to audit what exactly happened. [more inside]
posted by thewalrus at 8:26 PM PST - 91 comments

Willie Nelson covering Pearl Jam's Just Breathe for his upcoming covers/collaboration album Heroes. [more inside]
posted by holdkris99 at 6:32 PM PST - 32 comments

Argentina passed a new gender identity law that gives people the right to legally designate a new gender regardless of whether they have taken hormones or undergone surgery. The law was drafted (and promoted) with help from the Argentine Transvestite, Transsexual and Transgender Association, which is led by Marcela Romero a transwoman who was recognized as "Woman of the Year" by the Argentine National Congress.
posted by martinX's bellbottoms at 6:18 PM PST - 47 comments

Spanning one-ninth of the earth's circumference across three continents, the Roman Empire ruled a quarter of humanity through complex networks of political power, military domination and economic exchange. These extensive connections were sustained by premodern transportation and communication technologies that relied on energy generated by human and animal bodies, winds, and currents. Conventional maps that represent this world as it appears from space signally fail to capture the severe environmental constraints that governed the flows of people, goods and information. Cost, rather than distance, is the principal determinant of connectivity. For the first time, ORBIS allows us to express Roman communication costs in terms of both time and expense. By simulating movement along the principal routes of the Roman road network, the main navigable rivers, and hundreds of sea routes in the Mediterranean, Black Sea and coastal Atlantic, this interactive model reconstructs the duration and financial cost of travel in antiquity.
posted by Blasdelb at 6:13 PM PST - 57 comments

Creamsicle is tumblr's newest OTP. In this little internet corner of endless fannish possibility, "where large fandoms become generational phenomenon, and unlikely smaller ones explode into supernovas of animated gifs, a full-fledged internet meme-turned-actual fandom [has been spawned] in less than 24 hours." [more inside]
posted by dustyasymptotes at 6:03 PM PST - 71 comments

"Nicolas Sarkozy did very little about fostering innovation — he didn’t have a clue. As for François Hollande, the strongest part of its electorate (largely composed of teachers and other public servants) opposes any rapprochement between private sector and public higher education. And let’s not mention the underlying “ideology” of venture capital, carried interest, IPO’s, flexible employment rules, etc. Hollande’s supporters will also oppose any removal of cobwebs from the 102-year-old labor code that greatly complicates the management of companies employing 50 or more people. As a result, France has 2.4 times more companies with 49 employees than with 50..." - Francois Hollande’s Start-down Nation
posted by beisny at 3:45 PM PST - 79 comments

Thermal, CA: home to the #1 song of the '80s. During the '70s and early'80s, the small, arid farming town of Thermal was home to Freedman Co., run by Mr. Steinberg and his son, Billy, who ran vineyard operations. Billy also made music, time permitting. After his demo was secretly given to a star, he went to L.A., and met his musical collaborator, but the farm pulled him back. He kept writing in Thermal, though.

"I remember writing the lyrics. . . while driving around in a red pickup truck that I owned and I was driving around my father’s dusty desert vineyards. I had been involved in a very emotionally difficult relationship that had finally ended I had met somebody new... I came up with the line, ‘I made it through the wilderness...I was beat, incomplete, I’d been had.’ All of the lyrics just poured out".

That was Steinberg & Kelly's first #1 hit... followed by four more, along with other hits you might not suspect.
posted by markkraft at 2:09 PM PST - 32 comments

Empire of the Bun: Today, burgers. Tomorrow, the world. The casual-dining revolution of Adam Fleischman and his Umami Group. 'In 2009, with $40,000 in his pocket from selling his stake in BottleRock, Fleischman decided to open a restaurant centered on the umami flavor. He knew that an umami-focused menu would attract a burgeoning breed of foodies who had been weaned on the Food Network and had developed a sort of teenybopper crush on the heady flavors of pork, organ meats, West Coast IPAs, and superripe cheeses.' [more inside]
posted by the man of twists and turns at 1:34 PM PST - 55 comments

"Instead of poking the fish with a screwdriver to find out whether they are ready to spawn, farms now can use a biopsy or ultrasound. Mr. Han said that after years of trial and error, his team has found a way to make that determination by feeling various parts of a fish." An entrepreneur in South Korea gets closer to perfecting sturgeon aquaculture. (SLNYT)
posted by Nomyte at 12:45 PM PST - 31 comments

Big oil companies make more than $300 million every day. "Why should Americans prop up these companies with tax dollars and have to pay ridiculous fuel prices?" Self-described 'Democratic socialist' Bernie Sanders (Vermont) introduces a bill to cut $113B of fossil fuel subsidies. [more inside]
posted by nickrussell at 11:58 AM PST - 145 comments

On the 11th May 1812, Spencer Perceval, Prime Minister of Great Britain was shot by a disgruntled (and possibly insane) merchant in the lobby of the house of commons. In that moment he became the only British Prime Minister ever to be assassinated. That's all that most people know about him, but the truth is he deserves far more attention than that... [more inside]
posted by garius at 11:44 AM PST - 17 comments

Biocaster is an ontology-based global health monitoring system that monitors and maps disease outbreaks through internet-based news aggregation and social media. [more inside]
posted by ChuraChura at 11:38 AM PST - 11 comments

Fungible: A treatise on fungibility, or, a framework for understanding the mess the news industry is in and the opportunities that lie ahead. The younger the person you ask, the less likely it is you’ll find that link between wanting to know what’s going on and grabbing a paper or opening up a news website. They use Pinterest to figure out what’s fashionable and Facebook to see if there’s anything fun going on next weekend. They use Facebook just the same to figure out whether there’s anything they need to be upset about and need to protest against.
posted by shakespeherian at 10:59 AM PST - 25 comments

Grant Hart talks to the Village Voice about his new double LP The Argument, recent hardships (losing his home in a fire), and the conditions for a Hüsker Dü reunion.
posted by porn in the woods at 10:33 AM PST - 41 comments

A well-illustrated guide to heraldry. Want more? There's England's College of Arms, or the heraldry of the US Army. Notre Dame has a heraldic dictionary, and the internet at large is happy to provide you with heraldry clip art from (electronic) ages past. (And then there's always wikipedia)
posted by curious nu at 10:18 AM PST - 22 comments

“In this project, an attempt is made to approach the creation of sensitive and subtle expression by a humanoid robot using [an artificial butt.]”
posted by secretdark at 10:10 AM PST - 60 comments

ignorehitler.tumblr.com
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 8:32 AM PST - 83 comments

Consumer Reports May 2012: What to reject when you're expecting (10 procedures to think twice about during your pregnancy; 10 things you should do during your pregnancy; 5 things you should do before you become pregnant). Mentioned in particular is the conclusion found in a federal study: Babies Take Longer To Come Out Than They Did In Grandma's Day."One big implication: Today's obstetricians may be rushing to do cesarean sections too soon because they're using an out-of-date yardstick for how long a 'normal; labor should take... The definition of a 'normal' labor — the range of times when a woman in labor reaches certain milestones — was laid down in the 1950s. Contemporary obstetricians still use that 'labor curve.'"
posted by flex at 8:30 AM PST - 59 comments

A Two Year Old Reacts to Seeing a Scary Dinosaur. [slyt]
posted by quin at 8:01 AM PST - 102 comments

The Smiling Madame Beudet made in 1922 is generally regarded by scholars and theorists as history's premier "feminist film".
Germaine Dulac (wiki) was a central figure in 1920's French avant-garde cinema, and its only woman director. A filmmaker with her own production company who worked in narrative, avant-garde, and documentary genres, Dulac was also an active feminist, critic, and a prolific writer who wrote some of the earliest treatises on avant-garde film.
Later she made what was considerered one of the first surrealist films: The Seashell and the Clergyman (1928) from an original scenario by Antonin Artaud who later denounced it.
This resulted in a letter to La Nouvelle Revue Française, because the journal had omitted to mention her as the “author” stating that the intellectuals and the filmmakers should develop a closer kinship to one another, for it is only nuances between words that irremediably keep them apart.
posted by adamvasco at 1:43 AM PST - 4 comments

In a recent episode of Mad Men titled "Lady Lazarus," Pete Campbell has an existential crisis when he sees a picture of the Earth from space, but were there color pictures of the whole Earth in October 1966? First some background... [more inside]
posted by quartzcity at 11:03 PM PST - 87 comments

New Scientist - Every issue from its launch in November 1956 through to December 1989. Well, confusingly, one issue with a cover date of November 1952 but with contents from 1959. [more inside]
posted by unliteral at 10:24 PM PST - 31 comments

Scamworld: in which the Verge investigates "a network of pitchmen who have used the internet and fear of a failing economy to play the ultimate long con."
posted by doublesix at 7:58 PM PST - 61 comments

Levitated Interaction Element Move, record and playback a ball along a path in a three-dimensional space.
posted by urbanwhaleshark at 4:49 PM PST - 18 comments

In 1919, everyone wanted a copy of the deluxe edition of Edgar Allan Poe's Tales of Mystery and Imagination, but not because it was bound in vellum with real gold lettering. It was because of these grim and gorgeous illustrations by Harry Clarke, which added an extra dose of horror to Poe's already terrifying tales. Tales of Mystery and Imagination, which collects many of Poe's most enduring horror stories, including "The Masque Of The Red Death," "The Pit And The Pendulum," "The Telltale Heart," and "The Fall Of The House Of Usher," was actually first collected and published in 1908, nearly 60 years after Poe's death. This edition was published by George Harrap & Co., and included 24-full page illustrations by Clarke. Even though the volume cost five guineas (somewhere in the neighborhood of $300 US), it was much in demand and made Clarke's reputation as an illustrator. It's easy to see why, with these gorgeous renditions of often gruesome subjects. See all 24 illustrations here.
posted by Lou Stuells at 4:31 PM PST - 36 comments

Tor.com asks: So Who Would Make Up The Epic Fantasy Version Of The Avengers?
posted by The Whelk at 2:39 PM PST - 169 comments

Mixture.fm "gives access all the best DJ mixes from around the world. Including BBC Radio 1's famous Essential Mix." [via Hacker News]
posted by Memo at 2:24 PM PST - 28 comments

In the official video for "Get By" by Delta Heavy, animator Ian Robertson found new ways to 'play' with some familiar games (scroll down for entertaining Production Notes). Robertson's previous works include the stop-motion "Lyrical Spread" and "A Beard Film" and the live-action "The Phone Box".
posted by oneswellfoop at 2:15 PM PST - 5 comments

"It's the dirty little secret of higher education," says Mr. Williams of the New Faculty Majority. "Many administrators are not aware of the whole extent of the problem. But all it takes is for somebody to run the numbers to see that their faculty is eligible for welfare assistance." [more inside]
posted by Kitty Stardust at 1:29 PM PST - 572 comments

DeFRaG is a mod for Quake 3 that focuses on trickjumping and completing timed courses. One of the best defrag players in the world, w3sp, is the focus of two great defrag videos: w3sp strafes and f33l
posted by Cloud King at 1:21 PM PST - 27 comments

In March, a young, male driver crashed a Ferrari in snowy conditions, killing himself and wounding the two female passengers. The Beijing Evening News posted a short story, complete with a picture of the wrecked car, but deleted it a short time later. A new story was put up a short time later, apparently without the picture of the wrecked car, but terms related to the crash were blocked from the micro-blogging site Sina Weibo (blocking on Weibo, previously). The news of the crash, and the subsequent (partial) cover-up were further marks against the Rich2G, the second generation of China’s moneyed class. More recently, Ferrari held an event to celebrate twenty years of the luxury car maker in China, spending $12,670 to rent a section (and drive a special edition "Marco Polo Red" 458 Italia) on top of the City Wall of Nanjing. The driver was caught on film driving tight circles on the ancient wall, leaving tire marks and further souring the public against Ferrari in specific, and the wealthy at large. [more inside]
posted by filthy light thief at 1:20 PM PST - 44 comments

“We are responsible for this. We never got organised or converted to another religion. Had we done it, we could have mentally discarded caste and made others understand we are humans.” A review of 'Jai Bhim Comdrade', a documentary about the Dalit ('untouchable') struggle for life and dignity that weaves through Indian politics, identity and modern history: The Revolution Will Be Sung.
posted by the mad poster! at 12:55 PM PST - 4 comments

If at first you don't succeed, try, try, try, try, try, try again: black Mississippi man tried six times for the same crime.
posted by Evilspork at 12:53 PM PST - 32 comments

Spoilers at every link and below the fold: What is really lurking underneath the film The Cabin in the Woods? [more inside]
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 12:38 PM PST - 75 comments

"Lexcavator is an arcade/word game for Mac, PC, and Linux. The goal: guide your guy (@) deeper into an infinite of letters by clearing words from the board! Multiple game modes, detailed record-keeping, online global leaderboards—there's something here for everybody! Pay what you want (even $0, if you are so inclined)." [via mefi projects] [more inside]
posted by davidjmcgee at 12:18 PM PST - 11 comments

Hard Gay was a Japanese pro wrestler turned TV personality popular in the mid 2000s. Like Sacha Baron Cohen's Brüno, he is a cartoonish gay foreigner portrayed by a straight person, but has come under considerably greater scrutiny for his more minstrelsy than satyrical approach. The BBC has profiled Hard Gay as part of their series, Japanorama. [more inside]
posted by modernserf at 11:12 AM PST - 39 comments

x-ray delta one's flickr stream is filled with thousands of scans assembled by a one-man library named James Vaughan. The collected ephemera contains brochures, ads, and magazines from the world of air travel, cars, trains, and lots of other things. No matter where you dive in, there are always treasures.
posted by mathowie at 10:44 AM PST - 10 comments

Humpback whales intervene in orca attack on gray whale calf near Monterey, Calif. (article with photos)
posted by KokuRyu at 10:06 AM PST - 49 comments

A Dark Shadows crash course
posted by Artw at 9:55 AM PST - 49 comments

The Baffler has returned. Again. [more inside]
posted by zenon at 9:45 AM PST - 8 comments

Recursive drawing. Watch the video first. Via.
posted by unSane at 9:40 AM PST - 21 comments

"Had Tom and I had the right to marry, many things would have been different. Losing a loved one is devastating enough, but to then be rendered legally insignificant only makes the pain worse." [more inside]
posted by ericb at 9:36 AM PST - 33 comments

Bethesda marks the 20th Anniversary of Wolfenstein 3D -- the pioneer 3D first person shooter -- by releasing a free-to-play browser version of the game. Blow some Nazis away with the director's commentary from John Carmack running in the background, or go old-school and drench the walls in blood and gore. (Unless you live in Germany where the game is illegal.) Via. [more inside]
posted by zarq at 9:23 AM PST - 54 comments

Michele may have crazy eyes, she may say crazy things, but did you ever think she'd apply for dual citizenship with a European country with mandated health insurance? Former Presidential nominee and perpetual font of amusement, Michele Bachmann is now officially a Swiss citizen.
posted by dejah420 at 8:32 AM PST - 175 comments

On The Road, On The Screen: 'A large part of On The Road’s powerful and ongoing appeal undoubtedly stems from the lyricism of its language -- as opposed to its linearity, or even narrative coherence. Translating this to the screen could quite simply be impossible. Indeed, one suspects it is the reason that, up till now, so many screenwriters have failed in turning Kerouac’s text into visual form.'
posted by the man of twists and turns at 8:15 AM PST - 20 comments

How To Survive A Robot Uprising. [slyt]
posted by quin at 8:01 AM PST - 21 comments

When the Supreme Court decision Loving v. Virginia in 1967 declared laws against interracial marriage unconstitutional, the last affected state in which a legal interracial marriage occurred was South Carolina in January, 1969, in the city where the Civil War started. What most people don't know is the bride was a transsexual. [more inside]
posted by 23 at 7:44 AM PST - 29 comments

Mitt Romney’s prep school classmates recall pranks, but also troubling incidents.
posted by box at 7:39 AM PST - 239 comments

When same-sex marriage was a Christian rite. Contrary to myth, Christianity's concept of marriage has not been set in stone since the days of Christ, but has constantly evolved as a concept and ritual.
posted by Galaxor Nebulon at 7:05 AM PST - 44 comments

Prince Charles turns BBC Scotland weatherman "Who the hell wrote this script?"
posted by feelinglistless at 6:52 AM PST - 52 comments

"I draw to understand things." Artist David Macaulay, illustrator and author of "The Way We Work: Getting to Know the Amazing Human Body," "Mosque," "Cathedral," and "The New Way Things Work," among other books, talks about the creative process behind "Rome Antics," his look at the city that wasn't built in a day. His books may be for children, but they're fascinating for adults as well. Don't yet know Macaulay? Prepare to be amazed. [more inside]
posted by MonkeyToes at 6:46 AM PST - 18 comments

"To coincide with his new book, “Will Oldham on Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy,” Will Oldham is again releasing a new batch of his own oldies — a six-song EP called “Now Here’s My Plan,” made up of fresh versions of songs from the Prince Billy catalog. Among the recordings is an impossibly upbeat rendition of “I See a Darkness,” the beautifully bleak song off his 1999 album of the same name that was later covered by Johnny Cash." The video for the new version, shot in Glasgow Scotland, is now posted on the New York Times website. [more inside]
posted by Potomac Avenue at 6:42 AM PST - 12 comments

Walt Disney's Taxi Driver.
posted by griphus at 6:36 AM PST - 11 comments

The Politics of Competitive Board Gaming Amongst Friends is a short documentary by Jay Cheel whose subject is summed up by its title. You can see other short films by Cheel at his website. The main protagonist of the doc, Gerry Eng, a.k.a. Reed Farrington, has been the subject of many Cheel films, such as Cooking with Gerry, Cooking with Gerry #2, Poutine, A Very Gerry X-Mas and Reed's House.
posted by Kattullus at 3:51 AM PST - 84 comments

Everett Lilly, founding member and mandolin player for the Lilly Brothers, has died. The Lilly Brothers & Don Stover (on banjo) had a longtime residence in Boston in the 1960s at the Hillbilly Ranch. Although the band disbanded and moved back to West Virginia following the death of Everett's son in an accident, their influence on the folk revival was substantial. Here is their classic rendition of "Sinner You Better Get Ready" from their 1961 Folkways album Bluegrass at the Roots. Everett's mandolin is upfront and sweet. RIP
posted by OmieWise at 3:47 AM PST - 7 comments

Bowling alleys in churches are disappearing, the USA Today headline notes -- but how did they get there in the first place? [more inside]
posted by orthicon halo at 1:37 AM PST - 37 comments

Pancakes - You have until Saturday, May 19, to make an ugly one.
posted by unliteral at 10:04 PM PST - 27 comments

Dick Tracy is a 1990 Walt Disney film directed by and starring Warren Beatty based on Chester Gould's 1930s comic strip about a detective fighting crime in a city inhabited by oddly deformed gangsters. [more inside]
posted by hippybear at 9:08 PM PST - 97 comments

Nathaniel "Magnificent" Montague spent more than 50 years collecting rare artifacts of black history and culture. Facing bankruptcy, he lost it all, and now the priceless collection could be broken up and sold at auction. While working with his wife of 56 years, Rose Casalan, to archive and prepare the collection for sale, he took out a loan to help pay for the archiving, found himself overextended financially and declared bankruptcy. His collection was seized, and it is now in the hands of a trusteeship charged with selling it to satisfy his debts. [more inside]
posted by 445supermag at 8:19 PM PST - 12 comments

Get drunk, for a second. The “Wahh Quantum Sensations”, a gadget invented by David Edwards and designed by Philippe Starck, contains 21 sprays which pulverizes each 0.075 ml of alcohol in your mouth, the minimum amount to stimulate your brain. A single spray provides a very short feeling of intoxication.
posted by davebush at 7:25 PM PST - 76 comments

From 1990: A 12 year old, armed with an NES, video camera and VHS recorder, films a walk through on how to beat Mega Man. (SLYT)
posted by reenum at 7:12 PM PST - 16 comments

Around 4.30pm on April 26, 1937, a joint squadron of 23 German and Italian planes appeared in the skies over the historic, and undefended, Basque town of Gernika. Over the next five hours they would drop a total of 22 tons of high explosives and incendiary devices that would burn for days, destroying 70 percent of the town, and killing and wounding 1,600 people - around a third of the population. Following the attack, thousands of children were evacuated from the Basque country. [more inside]
posted by hoyland at 6:42 PM PST - 38 comments

Geometrically the irrationality of the square root of 2 means that there is no integer-by-integer square whose area is twice the area of another integer-by-integer square. A visual proof that the square root of 2 is irrational (not found in previous visual proof post.)
posted by Obscure Reference at 6:29 PM PST - 39 comments

On the evening of May 8th, exactly thirty-five years ago tonight, two remarkable things happened at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. A beautiful spring afternoon suddenly turned to dropping temperatures, and by nightfall a light snow was falling on the campus; meanwhile, in a campus auditorium, Barton Hall, one of the greatest improvisational rock bands in history was performing what would later come to be known as their greatest concert. [more inside]
posted by koeselitz at 6:20 PM PST - 96 comments

I went to the PUNCH Puppet Slam in NYC last month and saw several music videos that feature fancy puppetry. I wanted to share them with you: "I'll Forget You" by Lior; "Hallways" by Islands; "Small Hands" by Keaton Henson. [more inside]
posted by damehex at 6:01 PM PST - 6 comments

Legendary architect-philosopher Christopher Alexander delivers a fascinating lecture at Berkeley, in which he criticizes "modular" design and offers a radical new vision of architecture's relation to nature. Alexander is best known for A Pattern Language, which aimed to make buildings and towns more "alive" through a series of pleasing and comfortable patterns (five sample patterns can be found here). His most recent work, the four-part The Nature of Order, theorizes that life, whether organic or inorganic, emerges from a single simple process, which can be found on page 4 of Amazon's preview of the third volume. In the first volume Alexander lists fifteen properties that make a structure whole. Also worth reading: Alexander's classic essay A City is not a Tree.
posted by Rory Marinich at 4:46 PM PST - 28 comments

Filipaj worked as a custodian for 20 years to finance learning English, then Latin and Greek. He says he'll keep working at Columbia while continuing to study, rather than looking to move to a more lucrative job immediately.
posted by BibiRose at 4:38 PM PST - 23 comments

Vidal Sassoon has died at the age of 84. Sassoon, perhaps best known as a hairdresser who opened a chain of salons that spread worldwide and who created Mia Farrow's pixie cut for Rosemary's Baby, was also an anti-fascist in post-World War II London and fought as part of the Haganah in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. In 1982, he founded an organization devoted to the study of anti-Semitism, which is based at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Sassoon was named a CBE in 2004 "for services to the British hairdressing industry." He had been in treatment for leukemia for the past two years.
posted by catlet at 2:46 PM PST - 53 comments

Psychotherapist and Game Designer Nicolau Chaud talks to Kotaku about his RPG Polymorphous Perversity. He has chronicled his experiences creating the game on his blog He has given earlier interviews here and here. Chaud is also the designer behind the controversial Beautiful Escape: Dungeoneer. (All links NSFW).
posted by dortmunder at 2:43 PM PST - 23 comments

Are you a teen girl tired of looking for advice in fluffy magazines? Perhaps you should Ask A Grown Man! Watch Jon Hamm, Paul Rudd, Hannibal Buress, and other gents dole out advice on love, sex, and who farts (spoiler alert: everyone).
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 1:11 PM PST - 52 comments

"At a time when most old films were still protected by copyright and studios were urging the FBI to prosecute individuals owning copyrighted films, movie collecting was a largely underground and somewhat dangerous activity." In 1977, for example, a 20 year old film collector was visited by the FBI. The agents, posing as fellow collectors, entered his home and seized his collection. His case wasn't unique. Even the stars — most famously, Roddy McDowall — were subject to the legal wrath of the very studios they worked for. Still, some collectors got away with it (including one J. D. Salinger). [more inside]
posted by bubukaba at 1:02 PM PST - 16 comments

A remarkably diverse group of legendary musicians have graced the stage of Tulsa's Cain's Ballroom over the years: Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, the Sex Pistols (one of seven stops on their one and only 1978 U.S. tour…the hole in the drywall left by Sid Vicious’ fist is still backstage), the Ramones, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Blondie, The Talking Heads, U2, Ani DiFranco, Elvis Costello, Snoop Dogg, Morrissey, Beck, Wilco, to name a few. A documentary featuring Costello and several other artists who’ve played there is in the works, with proceeds supporting music education in Oklahoma and the upcoming Cain’s Ballroom Museum. Cain’s was recently named one of the top 10 live music venues in the U.S. From 1935 to 1942, Cain’s was home to Bob Wills and The Texas Playboys, who popularized western swing music with weekly dances and a national radio show.
posted by Kelly Tulsa at 12:39 PM PST - 12 comments

Dear Ayn, [McSweeney's Internet Tendency] Ayn Rand writes an advice column.
posted by Fizz at 12:36 PM PST - 48 comments

Feel better with the support of a calming manatee
posted by superquail at 12:15 PM PST - 39 comments

On Sunday, Vice President Joe Biden went on Meet The Press and expressed his support for same-sex marriage rights. This led to several days of press speculation that Biden had blundered and gone off-message from an Administration that had rather carefully refused to take a strong position on the issue, and the media began to pursue Democrats over the issue. In response to this, today President Obama said: "...for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married."
posted by mightygodking at 12:07 PM PST - 642 comments

SynthNet is a brain emulator. Unlike most modern software neural networks, it works at the electrochemical level. Each neural structure in it is generated from a genetic virtual machine that executes instructions in a genetic assembly language.

SynthNet is at an early stage, but right now, it can emulate a classic fear-conditioning experiment.

posted by ignignokt at 11:45 AM PST - 31 comments

We've seen musical video mashups before, but what happens when you cross the infectious, subliminal grooves of Meat Beat Manifesto with found video clips? You get THE FORGER. Check out these videos: Forgery! - Michael Jackson Bumbaclot Element - My Son The DJ The Forger - The Good The Bad And The Forger. Core Grooves/Breakdown - Another Breakdown - The Bumbaclot Upset - Musica Soul (Via Waxy and Dangerous Minds)
posted by Catblack at 11:16 AM PST - 8 comments

Manatees visit the beach in South Florida. Social visit or Family Guy Writer's Meeting? You decide.
posted by zachlipton at 11:07 AM PST - 32 comments

"From photography’s earliest days, enterprising practitioners realized they could take their services directly to the people. This lead to the horse-drawn wagons called “Daguerreotype Salons” and then to portable, darkroom tents that allowed wet-plate photographers to make pictures outside. As technology advanced, the tents morphed into a single apparatus that combined both camera and darkroom, which allowed photographers to work anywhere. Afghanistan is one of the last places where street vendor photographers still use such a hand-made, wooden camera called kamra-e-faoree or “instant camera.” Observing this practice lead photographer Lukas Birk & anthropologist Sean Foley to undertake the Afghan Box Camera Project." - Photo Technique Magazine introduction to an interview with Lukas Birk [more inside]
posted by filthy light thief at 10:51 AM PST - 4 comments

US Senate probes painkiller makers and their advocates. Improper relationships between pharmaceutical companies and organizations that promote their drugs helped usher in an epidemic that's killed 100,000 people through misuse of opioids. Sales of the powerful drugs have risen 300 percent since 1999 and opioids were involved in 14,800 overdose deaths in 2008, more than cocaine and heroin combined.
posted by binturong at 10:35 AM PST - 75 comments

Once upon a time in Dubai — Gallery of vintage photos showing Dubai as it once was
posted by Tom-B at 10:30 AM PST - 5 comments

Iain M. Banks talks about his favorite games.
posted by Artw at 9:54 AM PST - 67 comments

"Roger Babson fought a war on gravity. Today we briefly wonder — what if he had won it?" Entrepreneur Roger Babson was an MIT-educated engineer, respected statistician, and prolific author. He ran for President on the Prohibition ticket in 1940 and predicted the 1929 stock crash. He also waged a quixotic battle against gravity. [more inside]
posted by Tubalcain at 9:38 AM PST - 40 comments

Karel Teige was a major figure in the Czech avant-garde; a writer, designer, typographer and collagist.
He was a member of Devětsil and later joined the Prague Surrealist group with Toyen and Jindrich Styrsky.
Here are some of his Book Covers of the 1920- and 1930's and 1926 he made ABECEDA with each letter posed by the dancer Milca Mayerová. Here is a video reconstruction of the dance moves.
Teige died in 1951 of a heart attack, said to be a result of a ferocious Soviet press campaign against him as a 'Trotskyite degenerate,' his papers were destroyed by the secret police, and his published work was suppressed for decades. The Central European Review has some articles on his work.
posted by adamvasco at 8:33 AM PST - 5 comments