February 29, 2012

Hello learned and astonishingly attractive pupils.

Two brothers and two awesome courses in one awesome channel: John Green teaches you world history and Hank Green teaches you biology. [more inside]
posted by Blasdelb at 10:03 PM PST - 19 comments

Dallas: The Television Role-Playing Game

I catch a lot of flak over my description of the years 1974 to 1983 as the Golden Age of roleplaying games, much of it based on a misunderstanding of my original point, namely that, after this period, tabletop RPGs would never again command the same degree of broad cultural significance that they did during this time. A good illustration of my point is this odd product, from wargames publisher SPI: Dallas: The Television Role-Playing Game. Published in 1980, the same year as the company's more well known foray into roleplaying, DragonQuest, Dallas was designed by none other than James F. Dunnigan, famous as (among many things) the designer of the classic wargames Jutland and PanzerBlitz. [more inside]
posted by Trurl at 8:43 PM PST - 31 comments

"From the ground, drones are terrifying weapons that can be heard circling overhead for hours at a time."

"What's that buzzing sound?" Foreign Policy's third annual War Issue focuses on what it calls "Barack Obama's Secret Wars," including My Drone War, in which a Pakistani journalist for Newsday and the NYT describes what drone warfare looks and sounds like from the ground; The Obama Doctrine, which argues drone warfare is a failing strategy in both Yemen and Pakistan; The Evolution of Drone Warfare: A Photo History, 1917-2010, and more. The package also includes two takes on cyberwar - Cyberwar is still more hype than hazard and Cyberwar Is Already Upon Us - along with a lot of interesting links.
posted by mediareport at 7:41 PM PST - 99 comments

Avengers Assembling

There is a new trailer for the Avengers movie and it is badass.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 7:34 PM PST - 403 comments

Decentralized SSL Observatory

EFF's HTTPS Everywhere v2 adds support for Chrome and adds Decentralized SSL Observatory to the FireFox version, [more inside]
posted by jeffburdges at 7:32 PM PST - 20 comments

TEDsters

"Smart talk has never been such a valuable commodity. It’s spawned conferences like TED, Davos, and now a slew of upstart competitors. It has made the eighteen‑minute TED lecture a viral online phenomenon. But are we running out of things to say?"
posted by vidur at 7:11 PM PST - 47 comments

No Symbols Where None Intended

Pages from Beckett's wartime manuscripts - from Watt, written in ink and colored crayons between 1940 and 1945, numbers 945 pages in six notebooks and loose sheets. More from Watt, part of a larger 2006 Samuel Beckett Centenary Exhibition, Fathoms from Anywhere.
posted by madamjujujive at 6:30 PM PST - 8 comments

Yale Economist William Nordhaus disses global warming deniers

In January, 16 scientists and/or engineers wrote an opinion piece in the WSJ. This is the response of one of the academics cited in their piece: William Nordhaus. According to the 16 scientists/engineers, Nordhaus recommended no action on climate change for 50 years. But he didn't. The opinion piece has generated controversy among climate scientists as well.
posted by blueberry sushi at 6:13 PM PST - 19 comments

Bully Vs the MPAA

Bully is an unflinching new documentary about teenagers and bullying. Controversially the MPAA is giving it an R for "language", preventing it's subjects from seeing it, and refusing to change that rating. In response Harvey Weinstein is considering a leave of absence from the MPAA, 75,000 people signed an online petition urging the rating be overturned and now in retaliation the National Association of Theatre Owners is now threatening to give all Weinstein Company films an automatic NC-17 rating in future.
posted by Artw at 3:33 PM PST - 140 comments

Prison animation

Animated shorts made by California prisoners in the early 90s. [more inside]
posted by latkes at 2:52 PM PST - 6 comments

Katie Said Yes!

When Len Kendall decided to propose to his girlfriend Katie Holland, he turned to Buzzfeed for an assist. His proposal quickly went viral. [more inside]
posted by SisterHavana at 2:39 PM PST - 51 comments

"I hold it like it's a fancy fist with joy."

Depressed/frightened/disheartened about the GOP primary race? Here's Bad Lip Reading doing Rick Santorum and the rest of the GOP roster: Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Michelle Bachmann, Herman Cain, Rick Perry. [more inside]
posted by LMGM at 2:14 PM PST - 33 comments

Rotor. Quad Rotor.

Robot Quadrotors Perform James Bond Theme
posted by brundlefly at 1:23 PM PST - 38 comments

Austerity

If Britain were Greece... (audio slideshow)
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 1:11 PM PST - 39 comments

You're breaking my internet, U.S. Government

Verisign today seized control of a .com domain belonging to a Canadian online gambling business operating in Canada (inasmuch as an online business can be said to be operating in Canada), on behalf of Federal Authorities. [more inside]
posted by gauche at 12:52 PM PST - 37 comments

"My name is Robert Dow. No relation to Dow Chemical."

Last night Chadwick Matlin, Reuters Opinion editor, live-tweeted a monthly member meeting of the Park Slope Food Coop. The topic this evening was whether to ban plastic bags. [more inside]
posted by 2bucksplus at 12:48 PM PST - 35 comments

We have zillions of security plans for the Palace, for all kinds of things. But none included a player going up in the stands

An oral history of one of the NBA's most infamous moments - The Malice in The Palace
posted by thecjm at 12:27 PM PST - 37 comments

Girls only want boyfriends who have great skills. You know, like nunchuku skills, bow hunting skills, computer hacking skills...

Jack Hargreaves the presenter of Out of Town and the author of The Old Country explains the finer points of dog training; ratting sticks, coppicing, and wattle hurdles; and rabbiting. [more inside]
posted by lemuring at 12:07 PM PST - 14 comments

The Artistifier: like the Benny Hillifier, but classy

The Artistifier makes YouTube videos classy, with a title screen, caption screens, a lively soundtrack, all set in black and white. For example, The Slacker trailer turns into this. It's like the Benny Hillifier (previously), but with style. (via)
posted by filthy light thief at 12:01 PM PST - 2 comments

This Monkees Gone To Heaven

Monkees singer Davy Jones passes away. [more inside]
posted by Joey Michaels at 11:52 AM PST - 197 comments

A (potentially) not so sunny day

Earth Faces 12% Chance of "Catastrophic Solar Megastorm" by 2020 The last gigantic solar storm, known as the Carrington Event, occurred more than 150 years ago and was the most powerful such event in recorded history. [more inside]
posted by modernnomad at 11:48 AM PST - 75 comments

"all the images are inspired by dreams I had as a little child."

My Favourite Childhood Nightmares: Marcel Meyer creates haunting cinemagraphs. [more inside]
posted by quin at 11:34 AM PST - 7 comments

Only *You* Can Prevent Irrationality

The Irrationality of Politics is a TEDX talk by Michael Huemer.
posted by anotherpanacea at 10:53 AM PST - 16 comments

Windows Consumer Preview 8 ISO

Curious about windows 8? ISO images for the 'consumer preview' version are available from Microsoft. Typically these previews expire at a certain date, but the previously released developer preview won't expire until January 15th, 2013. You can use the Open Source Virtual Box to run the OS in a virtual machine (instructions for installing windows 8) Previously: 1, 2, [more inside]
posted by delmoi at 10:48 AM PST - 119 comments

ISS Owner's Manual

The International Space Station is a complex place, with loads of gear packed into its 916 cubic meters of pressurized volume. SpaceRef has an assortment of detailed technical documents describing everything from basic operations to emergency procedures. For a general overview, see the excellent NASA ISS Reference Guide (pdf).
posted by bitmage at 10:25 AM PST - 12 comments

An unlimited source of power.

Something For Nothing.(1940)
Cartoonist Rube Goldberg discusses the perpetual motion device, celebrates America's inexhaustible supply of fossil fuels, and mocks hydroelectric power and other whacky inventions. (A 1930s Jam Handy/GM production.) Previously.
posted by Stagger Lee at 9:40 AM PST - 14 comments

Can you tell me where the Bank of Scotland is?

Neil Young busking in Glasgow, 1976. (and the story behind it)
posted by msalt at 9:29 AM PST - 17 comments

"Carried to its logical end, TSA policy would have to require passengers to travel naked or handcuffed."

"The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) ... have made air travel the most difficult means of mass transit in the United States, at the same time failing to make air travel any more secure." Steve Moore has been an FBI Special Agent, head of the Los Angeles Joint Terrorism Task Force's Al Qaeda and extra-territorial squads, a SWAT agent trained to interdict airplane hijackings, and a pilot. His father literally wrote the book on airline security. And he has come to the conclusion that "TSA is one of the worst-run, ineffective and most unnecessarily intrusive agencies in the United States government." [more inside]
posted by Zozo at 9:07 AM PST - 171 comments

The child of Bhaal stirs...

The Baldur's Gate series of games is considered legendary amongst CRPG fans. They are routinely considered amongst the greatest of all time, and was recently voted the best series in the history of video games by a panel of 1,000 game devs. Today, the Baldur's Gate web site was updated with a new product teaser. [more inside]
posted by WinnipegDragon at 9:05 AM PST - 156 comments

The Ghost of the Colonels

Adam Curtis on The legacy of the Colonels Coup - "What is forgotten is that from 1967 to 1974 the Greek people lived under a harsh and violent dictatorship that tortured and murdered thousands of ordinary people. The Colonels also corrupted the society by handing out vast loans to individuals in towns and villages across the country - to buy their loyalty. At the same time the repression and torture bred a powerful resistance that finally burst out in incredible bravery in 1973." [more inside]
posted by marienbad at 8:50 AM PST - 12 comments

Where did that poop come from?

Six-Legged Giant Finds Secret Hideaway, Hides for 80 Years
posted by empath at 8:38 AM PST - 134 comments

Saving Rasquera

Mired in debt, the small town of Rasquera, in Spain, is considering an unorthodox source of funding: growing marijuana. [more inside]
posted by Skeptic at 8:08 AM PST - 8 comments

Are you Baby Knebworth?

Queen is looking for very special twenty-five year old. On August 9, 1986, Queen played their what would end up being their very last concert with Freddy Mercury at Knebworth House in Hertfordshire, England. It marked the end of an era for the band, but the beginning of a new one for a rock-and-roll baby born at the show. [more inside]
posted by kimdog at 7:04 AM PST - 65 comments

"They just remove all awkwardness from the teen experience. It’s an awkward time. You’re not this sexual dynamo."

"The thing that is unique about [Britta Perry] is that she is never the subject of slut shaming. Like, she’s one of the only female characters that doesn’t ever get punished for having an active sex life." The Daily Beast interviews the female stars of Community (and one of its female writers).
posted by Rory Marinich at 6:35 AM PST - 42 comments

Mardi Gras? Try Emily Gras!

11-year old Emily Mueller wanted nothing more than to see the Krewe of Muses during Mardi Gras.. But when a drunken man blocking Emily's view and after spilling beer on her referred to Emily, who is autistic, as a "retard," Emily asked her mother to take her home. AJ Mueller, Emily's mother, blogged about the encounter, and when she woke up the next morning, the page had over 30,00 views. One of the first comments on the page is from an area DJ offering to send Emily gifts from their stash of prizes. And the Krewe of Muses -- the act Emily so wanted to see --- opened their den for Emily Gras.
posted by zizzle at 6:20 AM PST - 75 comments

Milk Blood To Keep From Running Out

Haunting stop-motion animation to Laura Marling's cover of The Needle and the Damage Done
posted by criticalbill at 5:28 AM PST - 10 comments

Unf**k Your Habitat

Unf**k Your Habitat. Billed as "Terrifying motivation for lazy people with messy homes", it's more a place to go if you're desperately untidy, you like GIFs, and you want to hang out with people who are averse to tidying. There are challenges and tips. If, like me, the confusion of being a Tumblr and a community is too much, then the about page may be a good place to start.
posted by zoo at 5:12 AM PST - 61 comments

Cheaper versions are on the way

Raspberry Pi the £22 ($35) computer was launched today and sold out immediately. It is intended to encourage children to develop a better understanding of computers and get involved in programming. The design is based on a Broadcom BCM2835 SoC with no keyboard or other frills; it's meant to run Linux.
posted by Segundus at 4:40 AM PST - 128 comments

"The gypsy possesses without doubt a high level of natural common sense and skill; from this comes the resourcefulness and trickery that he uses to achieve his ends."

The tendency of existing research to treat the Roma as having first entered European political history with the Nazi genocide disregards a unique six-hundred-year history. It is indeed the case that the Roma, who over long periods of time lived nomadically and possessed no written culture of their own, have left almost no historical accounts of themselves. The heritage and documents therefore do not permit a history of the Roma comparable to that, for example, of the persecuted and expelled French Huguenots. What is available to us, however, is evidence – in the form of literature and art – of the way in which the settled, feudally organized European population experienced a way of life that it perceived as threatening. Despite consisting solely of stories and images that are defensive "distortions", this evidence provides a far from unfavourable basis for an examination of the six-hundred-year history of the European Roma, insofar as it is a history of cultural appropriation characterized by segregation. We encounter the traces of the reality experienced by the Roma almost exclusively through depictions by outsiders, and must use these to imagine those parts considered impossible to represent. The extraneous cultural depictions of the Roma – variously referred to as gypsies, zigeuner, tatern, cigány, çingeneler, and so on – have created heterogeneous units of "erased" identity and cultural attributes. The "invention" of the Gypsy is the underside of the European cultural subject's invention of itself as the agent of civilising progress in the world.

Europe invents the Gypsies: the dark side of modernity
posted by timshel at 2:44 AM PST - 33 comments

« Previous day | Next day »