There are thousands of things that can go wrong during a sky dive. Usually, Dave Hartsock packed his own parachute. He could just about do it with his eyes shut: straighten the lines, roll the canopy, fold in the outside, press out the excess air, then crease it into a package and carefully place the fabric in the deployment bag.
posted to MetaFilter by ApathyGirl at 3:37 PM on August 1, 2014 (26 comments)

Previously, on Metafilter, we met Jeff Highsmith, who designed and built a pseudo Apollo Mission Control panel play desk for his son. He's done it again, with a "spacecraft" for his other son.
posted to MetaFilter by pjern at 5:11 AM on August 2, 2014 (20 comments)

J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, managing culinary director at food blog Serious Eats, recently took an extended trip to China and southeast Asia with his wife, Adri, after driving across the country during a move from New York to San Francisco. He documented his Asia trip on a personal blog set up to elude Chinese censors.
posted to MetaFilter by ultraviolet catastrophe at 7:54 AM on August 1, 2014 (13 comments)

7yo daughter and I really love Fireproof Games' The Room and The Room 2. But we've played them to death. Until another sequel comes out, what other similar iPad games are there?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by snarfois at 3:44 PM on July 30, 2014 (18 comments)

I've been focusing on photography (mostly street photography) for the last few years, and I put together this photoblog to showcase past and current work. For best results, view in correct order. If you only have time to look at one image, I suggest this triptych.
posted to MetaFilter Projects by TheMadStork at 7:01 AM on July 11, 2014 (1 comment)

A Tumblr blog about the golden age of soda fountains (roughly 1890-1920). The blog includes vintage recipes, soda fountain history, and more.
posted to MetaFilter Projects by litlnemo at 5:45 PM on July 26, 2014 (11 comments)

Help me find some really great gourmet foods that are available through Amazon Prime.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by dougiedd at 11:43 PM on July 13, 2014 (15 comments)

An interactive explanation of Markov chains
posted to MetaFilter by a snickering nuthatch at 3:48 AM on July 30, 2014 (18 comments)

Can you recommend songs about Washington and/or Seattle that portray it in a non-negative light?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by town of cats at 1:47 PM on July 29, 2014 (28 comments)

Patrick Swayze stars in this sexy thriller from the producer of Die Hard and the Matrix. Co-starring Ben Gazzara (The Thomas Crown Affair), Kelly Lynch (Charlie's Angels) and Sam Elliott (We Were Soldiers), Road House delivers no-holds-barred action that pushes the envelope for high-octane thrills! Swayze is Dalton, a legendary bouncer who comes to Jasper, Missouri, for a special purpose: to restore order at the notorious Double Deuce Bar. In one spectacular fight after another, Dalton rids the bar of thugs and henchmen. But when he runs afoul of a ruthless crime boss (Gazzara) who controls the town, the stage is set for a blistering showdown that'll leave only one man standing!
posted to FanFare by maxsparber at 9:11 AM on July 28, 2014 (19 comments)

The North American Vexillogical Association [previously] guides you through the 5 Basic Principles of Flag Design, citing examples of good and bad flags. Badflags, however, focused on the latter -- "the most vexing examples in vexillology."
posted to MetaFilter by not_on_display at 10:38 AM on July 25, 2014 (90 comments)

I'd like to get some recommendations on the basics of feminism, especially as it might relate to things a dad can do to help his daughters prepare for and deal with sexism in society and also do his part in understanding the world and making it a better place for women (and by extension all people).
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Reverend John at 9:58 PM on December 21, 2013 (34 comments)

Aside from freezing to make a banana ice cream sort of thing, what can I make using a single ripe banana? I don't like eating bananas plain once they've started turning brown, I don't want to make banana bread, and I don't want to buy anything extra (probably) or do anything very elaborate or calorie intensive (Bananas Foster, for example).
posted to Ask MetaFilter by taz at 5:44 AM on July 24, 2014 (29 comments)

31 Adorable Slang Terms for Sexual Intercourse from the Last 600 Years Lexicographer Jonathon Green’s comprehensive historical dictionary of slang, Green’s Dictionary of Slang, covers hundreds of years of jargon, cant, and naughty talk. He has created a series of online timelines (here and here) where the words too impolite, indecent, or risqué for the usual history books are arranged in the order they came into fashion. (If you don’t see any words on the timelines, zoom out using the bar on the right.) We’ve already had fun with the classiest terms for naughty bits. Here are the most adorable terms for sexual intercourse from the last 600 or so years.
posted to MetaFilter by mikeand1 at 7:19 PM on July 18, 2014 (30 comments)

Sara Corbett profiles comedian Maria Bamford for The New York Times Magazine.
posted to MetaFilter by Lorin at 10:59 AM on July 18, 2014 (31 comments)

One Bad Mother is a comedy podcast about motherhood and how unnatural it sometimes is. Hosted by Biz Ellis and Theresa Thorn (MeFi's own Tren), each week OBM covers some aspect of parenthood, like "the ramifications of teaching our kids fart jokes and songs about poop," "babies: still not relaxing," or, more seriously, things like partner resentment, and postpartum depression. Each week, in the "Call A Mom"* segment, Biz and Theresa talk to a guest who's got relevant experience or expertise on the topic at hand. But the best part of the show is the listener call-ins: Genius/Fail Time is "the part of the show where we share our genius moment of the week, as well as our failures, and feel better about ourselves by hearing yours"; and the "mom rant" allows exhausted parents to vent their spleen. The call-ins are so great because they're all about supporting other people in their day to day lives—it's through the lens of parenting, but the overriding philosophy ("this shit is hard and no one cares") is applicable to everyone's daily grind.
posted to MetaFilter by ocherdraco at 10:04 AM on July 18, 2014 (9 comments)

My question is primarily about how best to deal with street harassment with the caveat that just ignoring it is not my preferable solution.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by frizzle at 8:51 PM on July 16, 2014 (52 comments)

"I always knew that Sugar was Cheryl, and that the anonymity was just a temporary experience, and it wasn’t going to be really who Sugar was in the end. I revealed myself to you. I only withheld one piece of pretty meaningless information: my name. But I showed myself to you." Dear Sugar of The Rumpus is revealed to be author Cheryl Strayed.
posted to MetaFilter by mokin at 11:38 PM on February 15, 2012 (17 comments)

HODOR
posted to MetaFilter Projects by bertrandom at 9:22 PM on July 13, 2014 (7 comments)

Lorde's Royals, covered on plastic cup and voice
posted to MetaFilter by frimble at 10:33 AM on July 10, 2014 (12 comments)

Artist William Puck creates a set of LOTR-inspired notices for the New York Subway.
posted to MetaFilter by gingerbeer at 11:39 AM on July 10, 2014 (30 comments)

All the Buildings in New York. James Gulliver Hancock, an Australian illustrator living in Astoria, draws buildings in New York City. Lots and lots of buildings. (NYTimes interview -- more press) (via)
posted to MetaFilter by Ufez Jones at 5:14 PM on July 10, 2014 (7 comments)

Ride like a girl. Ever wanted to know what it’s like to be a woman? Go get your bike. All set? Great. Go ride to work. Ride everywhere. [...] No matter where you are, you know that the cars around you could really mess you up if something went wrong. Welcome to being vulnerable to the people around you. Welcome to being the exception, not the rule. Welcome to not being in charge.
posted to MetaFilter by Memo at 10:38 AM on July 8, 2014 (115 comments)

Hello skilled woodworkers! I am looking for a quote for a replacement wooden base for my bike rack. The rack looks like this one: http://youtu.be/0kXgcPkl9TE?t=34s I can provide the detailed measurements and whatever else is needed, but first I would like a quote for both the cost and the time needed to complete the project. I'm not looking for you to do any designing or anything. I want the same design. I'd like the wood to be a hard wood, a lighter color than what is in the image, and able to withstand all kinds of weather. The current rack has lasted 5 years and is need of replacement. I would expect yours to last about that long as well, if not longer. I am open to different materials, but like the aesthetic feel of wood. My bike is red, FWIW. Please let me know if you need anything else!
posted to MetaFilter Jobs by ancient star at 7:45 PM on June 16, 2014

The Girl Scouts published the first recipe for Some Mores in 1927, and it just took off. The s'more has become an All-American campfire treat … and the combination of warm gooey marshmallow, melty chocolate, and crisp graham cracker has inspired a bunch of other s'more-inspired recipes. I give you: Triple dipped apples. Pie. Popcorn. Mini donuts. Stuffed cookies. Dip. Ice cream. Chocolatier ice cream. Homemade pop tarts. Macarons. Cups. Fudge. Krispies Bar. Truffles. Cheesecake. Pie pops. Bites. Milkshake. Empanadas. Trifles. Frozen.
posted to MetaFilter by julen at 7:57 PM on July 6, 2014 (25 comments)

PangramTweets automatically finds and retweets tweets which include all of the letters of the alphabet.
posted to MetaFilter by gingerbeer at 10:02 PM on July 6, 2014 (37 comments)

The tasteless history of the peeing Calvin decal
posted to MetaFilter by figurant at 9:33 AM on July 4, 2014 (48 comments)

Every year, one of the founders of Panic, makers of fantastic Mac software, ventures forth to the dueling fireworks tents in Vancouver, WA to capture the very best/worst of fireworks packaging. The 2014 offering is now available.
posted to MetaFilter by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 12:05 AM on July 4, 2014 (38 comments)

149 previously-unknown Bob Dylan acetate recordings were recently discovered in two boxes labelled "Old Records" in the back of a closet on W. Houston Street in New York City.
posted to MetaFilter by sockermom at 9:53 AM on July 2, 2014 (41 comments)

Drew Chessie Nowhere is a bike punk who regularly takes leave from his job as a chef in NOLA to go on epic bicycle tours, full of camping with his dog in the woods, dumpster diving, and campstove cooking. He is covered with tattoos from artist Pauly Lingerfelt. He is also a fantastic photographer.

bike touring tumblr

bike touring F.A.Q.

flickr

posted to MetaFilter by Juliet Banana at 9:39 AM on July 1, 2014 (15 comments)

Globe Trot (50 filmmakers, 23 countries, 1 dance) A fun little romp around the world as over 50 people do a cool dance that combined with sharp editing can't help but make you feel good. [via mefi projects]
posted to MetaFilter by mathowie at 11:28 AM on June 30, 2014 (4 comments)

HTML5up.net provides free, Creative Commons licensed, HTML5 website templates you can use to make a modern-looking website.
posted to MetaFilter by pombe at 4:14 PM on June 30, 2014 (26 comments)

This is an international crowd-sourced dance-film project put together over the web. I got 50 filmmakers on all seven continents (including Antarctica) to each shoot two seconds of dance by choreographer Bebe Miller. There was a manual on my website that trained the filmmakers in how to learn their 4-count phrase assignment and how to frame the performer they would find on the street. Each person then sent their footage back to me for editing. I explain it more in this HuffPo blog.
posted to MetaFilter Projects by Mitchla at 3:32 PM on June 29, 2014 (5 comments)

I Sent All My Text Messages in Calligraphy for a Week. "The idea: I wanted to message friends using calligraphic texts for one week... Before I started, I established rules for myself: I could create only handwritten text messages for seven days, absolutely no using my phone’s keyboard. I had to write out my messages on paper, photograph them, then hit “send.” I didn’t reveal my plan to my friends unless asked, and I received a variety of responses."
posted to MetaFilter by quin at 6:24 PM on June 27, 2014 (42 comments)

Visualizing Algorithms shows you how computer algorithms can be represented visually, leading to better understanding of how the algorithms work:

"Have you ever implemented an algorithm based on formal description? It can be hard! Being able to see what your code is doing can boost productivity. Visualization does not supplant the need for tests, but tests are useful primarily for detecting failure and not explaining it. Visualization can also discover unexpected behavior in your implementation, even when the output looks correct."
posted to MetaFilter by quiet earth at 10:31 AM on June 26, 2014 (29 comments)

Yesterday was the 30th anniversary of the release of Prince's Purple Rain...
posted to MetaFilter by jonp72 at 7:22 PM on June 26, 2014 (43 comments)

I work extensively with Microsoft Excel, and I'm putting together a list of little known facts about Excel for a presentation. I haven't found much on the interwebs that's exceptionally interesting. Does anyone have any facts they can share that come from off the beaten path?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by scottso17 at 12:51 PM on June 25, 2014 (48 comments)

I'm blogging the 2014 US Open Class National Soaring Contest in Northern California, where beautiful sailplanes race hundreds of miles. Photos and videos show the view from the rear seat of a 2-place glider participating in the contest. The blog assumes no familiarity with competitive soaring or gliding in general.
posted to MetaFilter Projects by tss at 8:38 AM on June 25, 2014 (2 comments)

This American Life did a show at Brooklyn Academy Of Music earlier this month. As a salute to the space they were in, they did a show [audio download, transcript, streaming available here] which adapted radio journalism into opera (including a world-premiere from Philip Glass), Broadway Musical (in which a story from 2011 about undercover cops looking to bust drug dealers in high schools gets adapted by an actual Broadway composer and starring actual Broadway performers), and a current live-television performer adapts one of her stories as a radio drama. A video of the performance, including nearly another hour's worth of journalism-adapted-into-performance is available, Louis CK-style, for $5.
posted to MetaFilter by hippybear at 12:21 AM on June 24, 2014 (15 comments)

Watch every lightning strike in North America, in real time.
posted to MetaFilter by theodolite at 5:21 AM on June 23, 2014 (46 comments)

Several couples reminisce about when and how they started fucking: Josh and Debra, Zack and Evan, Isaac and Doris.
posted to MetaFilter by Brandon Blatcher at 5:01 AM on June 22, 2014 (28 comments)

Eric Meyer is an expert on the Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) system used to control the appearance of web documents. He's the author of multiple books on CSS, and the "chaperone" of the css-discuss mailing list. His daughter, Rebecca, passed away, and her family asked that those attending memorial services wear purple, her favorite color. Dominique Hazaël-Massieux requested that a purple be added to the CSS color list be named "Becca Purple" in her memory. Eric suggested that it be named rebeccapurple because his daughter wanted everyone to call her Rebecca after she turned six, and she was six for almost twelve hours. Today, a co-chair of the CSS Working Group announced approval of the change. From now on, rebeccapurple means #663399.
posted to MetaFilter by grouse at 8:23 AM on June 21, 2014 (161 comments)

For many reasons, I think it could be entertaining and educational for me to blog (anonymously, and with identifying details removed) about my experiences as an escort. However, I have a few questions that I'm dealing with.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Anonymous at 3:06 PM on June 19, 2014 (12 comments)

I make stained glass windows for a living. For a long time I've wanted to make a stop motion movie of a window going together. So I finally did it.
posted to MetaFilter Projects by yesster at 2:15 PM on June 19, 2014 (5 comments)

This Is Phil Fish. A video that's not entirely about Phil Fish. (SLYT, 19:05) Previously: 1, 2
posted to MetaFilter by jklaiho at 1:13 AM on June 18, 2014 (63 comments)

Time for a new OK Go video!
posted to MetaFilter by curious nu at 1:36 PM on June 18, 2014 (64 comments)

"Hi, Marc... You seem to think everyone's worried about robots. But what everyone's worried about is you, Marc. Not just you, but people like you. Robots aren't at the levers of financial and political influence today, but folks like you sure are. People are scared of so much wealth and control being in so few hands... Unless we collectively choose to pay for a safety net, technology alone isn't going to make it happen."
posted to MetaFilter by kliuless at 6:32 PM on June 18, 2014 (50 comments)

Are there any TV series or films with a college setting where the main characters are graduate students? Difficulty: No law schools or medical schools. Thanks for any tips!
posted to Ask MetaFilter by El Sabor Asiatico at 6:01 PM on June 17, 2014 (24 comments)

Every time I get a parking ticket, its issued within minutes of the meter expiring. Most of the meters can be paid by mobile phone, and the county also recently installed "smart meters". If they can send me a notification that my meter is going to expire, they can also send one to a local meter watcher. But do they?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by RandlePatrickMcMurphy at 1:39 PM on June 17, 2014 (9 comments)

The last couple times we've gone to Costco looking for bulk ground beef (we make chili in large batches and freeze individual portions), we noticed that it had been packaged that day, and was marked best before the very next day.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by heavenstobetsy at 7:22 AM on June 13, 2014 (9 comments)