MetaFilter

We've mentioned Visible Cloaks here before - member Spencer Doran makes interesting oddball mixes, and curated Light In The Attic Records’ Kankyo Ongaku compilation of Japanese Ambient music.
As part of the promotion cycle for this year’s Serenitatem album (a collaboration with composers Yoshio Ojima and Satsuki Shibano), Visible Cloaks have released a new mix for FACT of tape experiments, found sound, minimal classical, ambient, and similar things. Recommended if you like to feel happy, and maybe if you have missed The Books. [more inside]
posted by Going To Maine at 11:01 PM PST - 4 comments

Before Joseph R. McCarthy said that the State Department "is thoroughly infested with Communists" in 1950 (Ohio County Library), he fought against government-provided housing, such as that provided veterans who returned from World War II and found a housing shortage (Washington Post), as seen in the Housing Act of 1948 (CQ Press). And that's just the opening of The Homeownership Obsession, how buying homes became a part of the American dream—and also a nightmare (Long read by Katy Kelleher for Curbed) [more inside]
posted by filthy light thief at 10:15 PM PST - 20 comments

The Cash Railway Website.
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 6:44 PM PST - 36 comments

The debate about automated passenger aviation is decades old. What if the computer incorrectly overrides the pilot? What if the pilot's skills degrade through reliance on the robots? One scenario is easier to decide: on a single-pilot flight, what happens if that pilot is incapacitated? Garmin has just announced Emergency Autoland - a one-button-activated system that lands a light aircraft at the nearest airport without any human intervention. AVWeb tries it out. Mentour Pilot has opinions. PR video of plucky mom saving young daughter by big red button.
posted by Devonian at 4:46 PM PST - 27 comments

This slippery new coating could make toilets less filthy. A slippery new coating could make the crappiest place in your home a little cleaner. Developed by researchers at Penn State University, this two-part product promises to keep your toilet bowl clean, stink-free, and — potentially — set the stage for toilets to use less water in the future.
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 4:13 PM PST - 69 comments

DJ Earworm, famous for his yearly mashup mix of the 25 hottest tracks of the year has decided to mashup 100 hits of the last decade into one three minute epic.
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 2:58 PM PST - 17 comments

The Theban Royal Mummy Project presents photographs of, and archaeological data about, mummies buried in the Theban Necropolis. The mummies are organised into galleries by dynasty, with many special exhibits. For some exciting spots to jump in, try reading about the Younger Lady, whom some identify as Nefertiti (she probably isn't) or the Mummy on the Boat, a centuries-old mystery. (Warning: All links contain images of unwrapped mummies.) [more inside]
posted by daisyk at 12:19 PM PST - 3 comments

Uncatty valley: Cats' reactions to a cat filter on their humans.
posted by jocelmeow at 11:39 AM PST - 41 comments

Got your space all decluttered? Got rid of your unneeded and spiritually failing junk, and ready to spark some joy with all-new gear such as a fab tuning fork and striking crystal? Fear not: Kon Mari has got you covered.
posted by thelonius at 11:28 AM PST - 55 comments

The cops and prosecutors considered the case a test of their power to squelch the financial reach of major drug traffickers. But to Alexander and Frank, it was a test of their love.
posted by storytam at 10:56 AM PST - 5 comments

Children are being locked away, alone and terrified, in schools across Illinois. Often, it's against the law. [more inside]
posted by Etrigan at 10:41 AM PST - 93 comments

The Lock-Picking Lawyer has created almost 1000 YouTube videos of his hands picking locks or reviewing them, disassembling them, sawing through them, and shooting them. He is a practicing attorney from the Washington, D.C. area. He also has a remarkably soothing voice.
posted by bq at 10:17 AM PST - 27 comments

“ Strikes by unorganized workers led to the founding of unions. Strikes won the first union contracts. Strikes over the years won bigger paychecks, vacations, seniority rights, and the right to tell the foreman “that’s not my job.” Without strikes we would have no labor movement, no unions, no contracts, and a far worse working and living situation. In short, strikes are the strongest tool in workers’ toolbox—our power not just to ask, but to force our employers to concede something.” How To Strike And Win by Labor Notes covering everything from Why Strikes Lose - Ways To Not Quite Strike - Organizing Organizers - and more.
posted by The Whelk at 10:04 AM PST - 11 comments

It's well into November, which means we're well into the holiday advertising season. And this ad for Argo's Book of Dreams is going to be hard to top. Featuring Nandi Bushell. [more inside]
posted by Mchelly at 9:36 AM PST - 13 comments

The Evolution of Paul [Instagram link]
The Evolution of John [Instagram link]
The Evolution of George [Instagram link]
The Evolution of Ringo [TikTok link]
Video artist Maris Jones dons Fab face and brings the Liverpudlian lads to life.
posted by Atom Eyes at 9:32 AM PST - 8 comments

BBC America has revealed some of the cast for The Watch, the upcoming television series based on Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels. Most interestingly, it's Anna Chancellor playing Lorde Vetinari.
posted by MartinWisse at 9:18 AM PST - 52 comments

It's official: this Tuesday, Valve will announce Half-Life: Alyx, a new "flagship VR" game. Rumoured to launch March 2020, the game is thought to be a single-player story-driven, linear VR first-person shooter set in the Half-Life universe where you play as Alyx Vance, sometime in the 20-year time gap between Half-Life 1 and 2.
posted by adrianhon at 8:45 AM PST - 52 comments

Chess players make more mistakes on polluted days. Air pollution is a very big deal. Its adverse effects on numerous health outcomes and general mortality are widely documented.
posted by colinprince at 6:36 AM PST - 43 comments

The Dating Market: Thesis Overview [PDF] by Dan McMurtrie via Tyler Cowen and Matt Levine [more inside]
posted by chavenet at 2:00 AM PST - 66 comments

Erik Loomis is Associate Professor of History at the University of Rhode Island. He blogs daily at Lawyers, Guns, and Money. His series Erik Visits an American Grave has 586 posts so far. [more inside]
posted by growabrain at 1:20 AM PST - 18 comments

Tetris. Played with gummi. (slyt)
posted by frimble at 12:46 AM PST - 19 comments