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The idea was simple. Break the speed record for “fastest to ever visit all 50 states” but also run a 5k while in each state.
posted by Literaryhero at 11:25 PM PST - 11 comments

Deep inside the Earth lurk two gigantic blobs. One hunkers far below the Pacific Ocean, the other beneath Africa. Although they float way down at the boundary between the molten core and the semi-solid mantle, they may play a big role in events higher up in the crust, spawning some of our planet’s most spectacular volcanic features and triggering the occasional mass extinction. These enormous subterranean structures are called large low-shear-velocity provinces, or LLSVPs. While scientists ought to be ashamed of themselvers for tagging the monstrous anomalies with such an unremarkable moniker, they’ve more than made up for it by concocting some gripping origin stories and connecting them with more evocatively-named events such as ‘The Big Splat’ and ‘The Great Dying’. [more inside]
posted by theory at 11:04 PM PST - 34 comments

If you're looking for another mystery program, you might enjoy The Extraordinary (Wikpedia; IMDb), an Australian program that is similar to the U.S. program Unsolved Mysteries, but with more Australian stories and ghosts. TV.com notes that the show focuses on scientific skepticism with host Warwick Moss investigating the unknown, and "The season ends with Moss heading to Roswell NM to get the scoop on the UFO crash landing of 1947 and checking out a ghost that appears in a Melbourne rock band's music video." The show itself is a bit of an internet mystery, with little information online, but luckily a fan of the show has uploaded 47 episodes (playlist).
posted by filthy light thief at 9:52 PM PST - 3 comments

Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskowitz are reuniting Michael and Hope, and Elliot and Nancy in a reboot/continuation of their award-winning 1987-91 series thirtysomething, returning to ABC now under the network program directorship of a true thirtysomething fan, Karey Burke. [more inside]
posted by hippybear at 9:47 PM PST - 38 comments

The New York Public Library Celebrates 125 Years According to CNN the New York Public Library is "the second largest in the US after the Library of Congress." NPR Reports "From year to year, books on current events prove popular. The library's top checkout of 2019 was Becoming, Michelle Obama's autobiography." In honor of the 125th anniversary, a team of experts from the Library carefully evaluated a series of key factors to determine the most borrowed books, including historic checkout and circulation data (for all formats, including e-books), overall trends, current events, popularity, length of time in print, and presence in the Library catalog. (And currently on the Blue By all measures, this book should be a top checkout") [more inside]
posted by pjsky at 3:37 PM PST - 29 comments

If you walk past Shannon and Joe Katona's house on a corner of one of Baltimore's busiest roads and turn down the side street, it's hard to miss the 7-foot metal dragon in the yard, standing upright, his massive wings unfurled. He looms just off the sidewalk, a graceful curve to his long neck and a hint of dragon smile. Stop to take him in and you'll notice — dwarfed by his rear claws — a tiny realm of castles and gnome houses, fairies and frogs, lesser dragons and dragonflies and even a miniature baseball diamond, all surrounded by a trickling moat.

Welcome to Xanderland. A fantasy world created by a mother in mourning, Xanderland may seem small, but its borders are as far-reaching as grief and as everlasting as the delight of neighborhood children. (Sheri Venema, Washington Post; this tweet may bypass the paywall.)
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 2:18 PM PST - 5 comments

The Unforgivable 2020 Oscars Snubs Prove the Academy Cooks With Absolutely No Seasoning [Esquire] “"Congratulations to these men," Issa Rae said after announcing the list of nominees for Best Director at the 2020 Oscars, which included the names of five male filmmakers. The exclusion of female directors in the category is unforgivable, and indicative of a wider problem with this award season, where women were also snubbed at the Golden Globes and BAFTAs. In a year of excellent, diverse films, the Oscars managed to curate a list of predominately white and predominately male nominations.” [more inside]
posted by Fizz at 12:32 PM PST - 137 comments

Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen won a landslide victory against her right-wing, populist, Beijing-backed opponent, with voter turnout reaching 74.9%. Candidates in cosplay, an explanation of each candidate's nicknames, and more inside. [more inside]
posted by storytam at 10:23 AM PST - 13 comments

How much would you pay to protect your family from forces seemingly beyond your control? Is any price too high? Inside the strange, predatory, and lucrative world of psychics who have successfully scammed customers out of their life savings, and the private investigator who's trying to put a stop to it. (SL GQ by SYLVIA VARNHAM O’REGAN)
posted by crazy with stars at 9:58 AM PST - 32 comments

By all measures, this book should be a top checkout (in fact, it might be the top checkout) if not for an odd piece of history: extremely influential New York Public Library children’s librarian Anne Carroll Moore hated Goodnight Moon when it first came out. As a result, the Library didn’t carry it until 1972. [more inside]
posted by Cozybee at 9:05 AM PST - 26 comments

Those who have been around modern American Protestant culture have likely seen ads for Financial Peace workshops, built on the "financial ministry" of Christian finance guru Dave Ramsey. In a longform piece by Eve Ettinger, she discusses the toxic and bigoted background of the financial education Ramsey sells, as well as the price paid for it by people like herself. (SLLongreads)
posted by NoxAeternum at 7:44 AM PST - 64 comments

It appears that Spencer Dinwiddie, who plays guard for the National Basketball Association’s Brooklyn Nets, may get the chance to be the first professional athlete to “tokenize” his contract after all.
posted by Etrigan at 7:30 AM PST - 21 comments

Away C.E.O. Is Back, Just Weeks After Stepping Down (NYT) "It quickly became clear that her plan to remain at Away — effectively in the same role but with a new title — was not understood inside or outside the company." Suggested soundtrack for this article: How Can I Miss You When You Won't Go Away? [more inside]
posted by fedward at 7:29 AM PST - 14 comments

In a recent analysis, we found that 53 million workers ages 18 to 64—or 44% of all workers—earn barely enough to live on.
posted by gwint at 7:22 AM PST - 51 comments

Egypt-based artist dina Amin scoured 'Friday market' in Cairo to collect 179 doll heads in order to find 49 matching eyes in creation of a new studio sign. [YT 02:50; via MAKE] [more inside]
posted by youarenothere at 3:36 AM PST - 16 comments