April 6, 2009

"The Lighter Side of Pain: What’s Up with Our Global Economy" with P.J. O'Rourke

"The Lighter Side of Pain: What’s Up with Our Global Economy" with P.J. O'Rourke. The keynote talk at the annual Tom Wolfe Weekend Seminar at Washington & Lee University. Prefaced by some rambling remarks by Tom Wolfe '51 himself.
posted by inkyroom at 7:35 PM PST - 62 comments

It's My Scar

Scar Necklaces. When people ask me what my necklace is, I simply say “It’s my scar.” There is something very powerful about celebrating something that to many is ugly, and should be forgotten.
posted by Hildegarde at 3:32 PM PST - 76 comments

The internet is made of tubes

I took the Filter Line from Baidu to Digg, and I passed Fark and 4chan on the way, but there was no MetaFilter stop!
posted by P.o.B. at 2:08 PM PST - 44 comments

CBGB's

We all know of the importance and impact that CBGB's had on the early East Coast punk scene. I could go and link to a bunch you tube videos, obituaries, and other assorted blogs about my favorite acts that had played there over the years. And while CBGB's is gone, why I don't I just let you take a virtual tour of the place.
posted by peewinkle at 1:42 PM PST - 45 comments

Papaya...wait, what?

Papaya is an... indescribable video by Alexander Marcus. Is it satire? Is he even a real person? [more inside]
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 1:41 PM PST - 30 comments

Mother's Little Helper was only in trouble if it was mislabeled

The US Food and Drug Administration started regulating the labeling of food, beverages, and medicines after the passage of the 1906 Pure Food and Drug Act, and added food coloring and cosmetics with the 1938 Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. They have just released a new website, the FDA Notices of Judgment Collection, 1906-1963, containing data from thousands of cases of mislabeled or misadvertised products and drugs, available in multiple forms (text, PDF, metadata XML, .TIF image, etc.), with searchable archives. Poking around in the data will yield information on cases ranging from misbranding methamphetamine tablets, to quack "Film-O-Sonic" devices, to bacteria-laden unproven abortifacients sold over the counter, to purported "4-way" cures for baldness, to hunks of radium sold for putting in your drinking water to "stimulate the sex organs" (judged against for stating an unproven use, not for actual danger of product). Organized by the FDA's history office, the new database is a fascinating resource for historians, public safety advocates, researchers, and librarians.
posted by Asparagirl at 1:26 PM PST - 28 comments

Aladdin for the Genesis had just been released.

A visit to id Software, 1993. A must watch for anyone who's ever played Doom.
posted by WolfDaddy at 11:49 AM PST - 49 comments

Great, plain, still emptying

Faded Dreams, Emptied in Emmons County and Memories in McIntosh County. Three flickr photo sets of (mostly) abandoned, crumbling farms, businesses and homes in rural North Dakota. [previously] [via]
posted by dersins at 11:15 AM PST - 20 comments

Earthquake kills 150, displaces 50.000 in Italy

At least 150 dead, 1.500 injuried and 50.000 displaced by a magnitude 6.3 Richter scale earthquake that struck Abruzzo and center Italy at 01:32:42 UTC on April 6th.The damage is very severe, the little village of Onna, existing since at least year 1178, was completely destroyed and the city of L'Aquila (pop 70.000) was severly damaged. The city hospital was rendered 90% unusable, allegedly 50% of all of the city buildings are now considered unsafe. Hundreds of pictures have been sent on the internet by locals, while controversy ensues on a early warning by an italian scientist (indicted a few days ago for spreading rumors about an upcoming quake), who claims that his Radon gas detectors signaled an anomaly that may have been validated by a more extensive networks of detectors and may have saved lifes.
posted by elpapacito at 11:04 AM PST - 76 comments

Wanted: Go-getter with inquisitive nature and a high tolerance for gore, sleaze, and the baser instincts of humanity.

Last year, Infoworld published their list of the 7 dirtiest jobs in IT. This year, they're back with 7 even dirtier jobs. [more inside]
posted by Afroblanco at 11:03 AM PST - 38 comments

Ok, let's see a cat try that.

Sophie Tucker, thought dead for four months, has been surviving alone by living off of feral goats on a deserted island.

Not the actress. She's still dead.
posted by miss lynnster at 10:14 AM PST - 50 comments

Flutter: the new Twitter

Flutter, a new company that is taking microblogging to the next level with 26-character limit. [SLYT]
posted by rageagainsttherobots at 9:32 AM PST - 66 comments

The Veterans

Last night's Wrestlemania XXV received mixed reviews [SPOILERS here and elsewhere] - though at least Mickey Rourke did participate. But there's agreement that future Hall of Famers The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels put on "a once-in-a-lifetime match". [WWE is getting any YouTube clips pulled, of course. So you'll need to either order the PPV or torrent it. But here is Michaels' famous entrance at Wrestlemania XII. And here is The Undertaker's impressive entrance at last year's Wrestlemania.] (previously)
posted by Joe Beese at 8:58 AM PST - 50 comments

Medicaid cuts shut only public outpatient oncology ward in NV.

"We're a demonstration project, if you would, of all the things that can go wrong at once." "You know Yolanda, I think most people watching this interview think to themselves that if they get cancer and they don't have health insurance that somebody’s going to take care of them," Pelley remarked. "No, no, there's nobody to take care of you," she said. [more inside]
posted by availablelight at 8:53 AM PST - 85 comments

Dog's Life

Camera attached to dog
posted by doobiedoo at 7:46 AM PST - 39 comments

These Lists Are Evil, But Yum

Are you entertaining guests for Easter dinner? Don't forget the dessert. Here are the 50 Best Dessert Recipes. Chocolate lovers in your family? No problem. The 50 Best Chocolate Desserts. Maybe you're partial to cake. Okay, Mom's Best Cake Recipes. Here's to yum.
posted by netbros at 7:26 AM PST - 17 comments

He's a big boy now

A bald, child-like creature dangles its legs from a chair as its shoulders rise and fall with rythmic breathing and its black eyes follow movements across the room. It's not human -- but it is paying attention. (via)
posted by Vamier at 7:09 AM PST - 79 comments

“I ran ‘em all!”

'Roy Of The Rovers' is back... The footballer* has returned to the newsagents in a one-off special. [more inside]
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 5:07 AM PST - 14 comments

IT BEGINS

LAND WALKER -Japanese Robot suit in SLYT format
posted by mattoxic at 12:01 AM PST - 33 comments

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