July 7, 2019

Malls Are Gone But Tiffany Isn't

I Think We're Alone Now (Tiffany) 2019
posted by The Whelk at 10:43 PM PST - 55 comments

434 Fridays Later ...

Rebecca Black was, at age 13, the singer of Friday, the most popular (and most-mocked) video on YouTube in 2011 (Katy Perry, concerned about the internet bullying, invited Black to star in her video Last Friday Night). Today she is 22 and talks to BuzzFeed video about her viral fame at 13 and what came after. (Previously on MetaFilter: Friday, Saturday, copyright dispute.) She now has a YouTube channel.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 7:54 PM PST - 52 comments

Why I don’t cook

I said to my boyfriend, “Cooking is really stupid.” He said that he knew what I meant. I said that I was never cooking again. He said he thought that was a great idea. I said, “I have to make homemade tomato sauce with Christine on Saturday. And I have to make some more galettes because the last ones sucked.” “That sounds like a lot of cooking,” he said. “I know,” I said. “I’m going to make the galettes and the sauce, and then I am never cooking again.”
posted by Grandysaur at 3:05 PM PST - 118 comments

In spring of 1867 the company raised their wages from $31 to $35 a month

Chinese Railroad Workers in North America. "In order to provide food for the workers, a network of growers, and local Chinese importers established a trans-Pacific supply chain. Food included rice, preserved meats; dried fish, shrimp, and other shellfish; dried legumes; dried noodles, preserved vegetables, dried seaweeds, and teas... As the work moved through Nevada, the Central Pacific had two train cars labeled “China Store,” from which goods could be purchased... Food was so important that the Chinese cooks were paid more than unskilled workers." (Key Questions) [more inside]
posted by spamandkimchi at 1:49 PM PST - 9 comments

ⓆⓌⒺⓇⓉⓎ ⌨️

Are mechanical keyboards really good for gaming? [Eurogamer] “When it comes to PC gaming peripherals, stats and specs drive purchases. Gaming monitors became popular because they offered lower latency or higher refresh rates, while gaming mice boasted higher sensitivities and improved tracking accuracy. Yet this quantitative trend doesn't seem to apply to one peripheral in particular: mechanical keyboards. No single stat separates mechs from their non-mechanical counterparts, yet mechanical keyboards are routinely recommended over alternatives that cost a fraction of the price. Why is this the case? Are there genuine gaming advantages? The answers lie in how mechanical keyboards went from niche accessories known only to retro enthusiasts to a key part of the multi-million dollar esports industry in only a few years.” [more inside]
posted by Fizz at 1:48 PM PST - 61 comments

Animal consciousness, featuring bears and octopuses

The Vivid Inner Worlds Of Animals. "'An animal's eyes have the power to speak a great language.' That's from philosopher Martin Buber. If you've ever looked into a dog's eyes, you've seen it. There's something there, whether happy or sad or worried — all part of that something that appears to be consciousness and emotion. Despite groans of anthropomorphism, a growing number of scientists and writers say it's not your imagination. Animals have a far deeper internal life than we've known." [more inside]
posted by homunculus at 12:50 PM PST - 29 comments

U.S. Regulators Wont Make Self-Driving Cars Safe for Pedestrians

They haven’t bothered to do that with SUVs. For the past 10 years. American consumers have increasingly opted for cars that make drivers safer and pedestrians more vulnerable, as pedestrian deaths have reached crisis levels. More than 65 percent of new vehicles sold in the United States are pickups or SUVS, up from 49 percent a decade ago. (Ford has all but stopped U.S. production of cars.) The SUV revolution, a Detroit Free Press/USA Today investigation concluded last summer, is “a leading cause of escalating pedestrian deaths nationwide.” Last month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released projections for roadway fatalities in 2018: For the second year in a row, overall traffic deaths fell, while pedestrians fatalities rose, and cyclist deaths jumped by 10 percent over 2017. “America’s roads are safe increasingly for only those who drive on them,”
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 8:23 AM PST - 50 comments

Bob Dylan's Sixth Album

Bob Dylan released two albums in 1965, The second was recorded June-August, and released Aug 30. Just the opening song alone changed the trajectory of American popular music. Highway 61 Revisited (Wikipedia page with links to individual songs for background and reception): Side One: Like A Rolling Stone (so much vitriol, so perfectly expressed); Tombstone Blues (an existential cry, if nothing else); It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry (even Dylan gets the blues); From A Buick 6; Ballad Of A Thin Man (Something is happening and you don't know what it is...) [more inside]
posted by hippybear at 7:18 AM PST - 22 comments

The global tree restoration potential

Tree planting 'has mind-blowing potential' to tackle climate crisis - "Research shows a trillion trees could be planted to capture huge amount of carbon dioxide."[1,2] [more inside]
posted by kliuless at 12:21 AM PST - 67 comments

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