MetaFilter

…waittasec. Isn't that stenciled on the leaded, ie. heavy, ie. down under the water side of the return capsule? Along with the key?
posted to MetaFilter by five fresh fish at 11:35 PM on October 6, 2010

Those are gorgeous! But if I ever saw anyone smoking from one, I would think him a tremendous douche.
posted to MetaFilter by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 7:53 AM on October 6, 2010

I feel like it's time to give up on ever having a good career, and I'm 22.

Isn't that kind of what it's always like to be 22, and very much the more so if you are from the kind of socio-economic strata that goes to good colleges and has, you know, careers? I graduated from college in the mid-90s, and while the economy was better then than it is now, a year after graduation very, very few of my friends were making much... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Forktine at 10:44 PM on October 5, 2010

I will say one thing: I've met tons of people I never would've met through catering compared to a traditional career-track, middle class job. I've worked with people from all across Mexico and Southern America, people who came from non-college backgrounds, people who've lived totally different lives than myself. Also, I know what it is to be poor, and to be terrified that you might not get enough hours, or your car might break down, or you might get sick and not be able to work. It's also... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by codacorolla at 10:21 PM on October 5, 2010

That "Little White Queer That Cried" link has all sorts of a style of writing that I despise:

"As far as pop stars go, he was a strange creature, an abomination of sorts."

"Upon reaching his majority, Ray headed for Hollywood-- following in the footsteps of so many worthless others-- he would be in pictures and show the folks back home that he was no spazz."

"Johnnie Ray's liver packed... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Astro Zombie at 5:51 AM on October 5, 2010

Wanna really feel the wrath of the law? Get caught for a crime with no victims.
posted to MetaFilter by telstar at 2:51 PM on October 4, 2010

Give me the easy one.

I'd start with Absolutely Free and everything else from the 60s.

For me the key to Zappa was differentiating the early, original Mothers of Invention albums (roughly 1966-1970) from everything after. Like so many things of this type, the tension between Zappa's most complicated ideas and the simple R&B/garage roots of the early band is a lot more interesting than, as observed... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by anazgnos at 1:26 PM on October 3, 2010

Terrific post. There's some awesome routines here but, to me, the highlighted vid is the weakest. Andrew and Karen seem very stiff and without any grace. Their routine seems rushed and about as thought out as their costumes. A denim skirt for lindyhop just seems bizarre to me. I know it's supposed to harken back to the Evolution of Dance guy but it really falls flat and takes away from any looseness she might have. Maybe I just don't care for their style as I thought their hillbilly routine poor... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by dobbs at 9:43 AM on October 3, 2010

Yeah, I saw this at 15 or so and wish I could un-see it too. Bad and disturbing and pathetic, all at the same time.

And in my own humble opinion, Zappa is the most over-rated rock musician of the modern era. Masturbatory noodling is not virtuosity, using odd time signatures doesn't make you a composer instead of a songwriter, and broad, juvenile humor is not incisive wit. He had a few moments, and I'm sure he was a great guy and all, but Zappa worship, which was... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by fourcheesemac at 4:49 AM on October 3, 2010

Watching 200 Motels, a couple of years back, reminded me of why my ex, a fervent Beatles fan, warned me to never, ever watch Magical Mystery Tour. I scoffed, but because I couldn't find a copy of the film for years, I didn't get a chance to ignore his warning until just a few years ago.

Besides, it's the Beatles, man. They can do no wrong.

Except, well, do you ever wish you could... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by sonascope at 4:20 AM on October 3, 2010

I live in South-West Florida, next to a man-made lake that never floods. I ride my bike to the grocery store. I could ride my bike to work, but honestly it's just too hot most days. I have never contracted a water-borne parasite, nor been threatened by dangerous reptiles.
posted to MetaFilter by dephlogisticated at 7:59 AM on October 1, 2010

I really think that a lot of these homes were designed as vacation homes, which changes the analysis of their use significantly.

First of all, if you aren't living there more than a few weeks out of the year, whether or not you actually have anything resembling a community isn't nearly as important. The assumption is that you've got one at home, you're just coming here to relax for a bit. Not putting down roots or anything.*

Second, because you... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by valkyryn at 7:48 AM on October 1, 2010

OH NO!
posted to MetaFilter by ShawnString at 7:24 AM on October 1, 2010

Wow. You really need to adjust your uncanny valley, uh, -ometer.
posted to MetaFilter by delmoi at 1:09 PM on September 30, 2010

So can I finally take these puttees off?
posted to MetaFilter by Abiezer at 11:33 PM on September 29, 2010

I wasn't aware that Irving Penn was his brother. Quite a talented family.
posted to MetaFilter by dhammond at 1:08 PM on September 29, 2010

Two years ago we were just thankful for having a President that could string a few thoughts together in a coherent fashion. Now we're disheartened, each in our own little snowflake ways.
posted to MetaFilter by Danf at 1:36 PM on September 28, 2010

Exciting cognitive dissonance going on here, as an article from the Daily Mail meets with approval (including mine) on MetaFilter.

Santral Istanbul is also a good refit of an old urban power station. (Some slightly annoying Flash in the website, though.)
posted to MetaFilter by lapsangsouchong at 6:16 PM on September 27, 2010

I'm really not sure which is more likely.

Having seen some weird shit in the Southwestern desert skies that I can't logically explain and considering all the weird black ops shit like men staring at goats and MK ULTRA that's now public, and comfortably extrapolating that any actual truth in either domain is probably stranger than fiction - I'm voting for both options simultaneously.

Frankly - even the most remote possibility... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by loquacious at 2:43 PM on September 27, 2010

Tbqqnzzvg gurl ner fb snagnfgvpnyyl jebat ba guvf jvergnccvat fghss vg'f vaperqvoyr. (Note to the White House: try ROT13)
posted to MetaFilter by graventy at 4:46 AM on September 27, 2010

Mainly I think they're good introductions to topics people can then go and find a book on.

I won't browse in the library for an introduction to rocket science but I may well randomly click around youtube until the first two minutes of a lecture engage my interest and I start thinking rocket science might be interesting enough to look up in a book.

In the same way my university offers free afternoon and evening lectures on a wide variety of... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by shinybaum at 5:55 AM on September 27, 2010

As Bodnar noted in her Oct.1 acceptance speech at Harvard University, "Isn't it wonderful that women have two breasts, not just one?"

And just think of the lives that could be saved if they bring this idea to the planet Znoznar, where the women have eight breasts!
posted to MetaFilter by flapjax at midnite at 6:57 AM on September 25, 2010

He's like the Old Spice guy, on drums.
posted to MetaFilter by bonobothegreat at 7:41 AM on September 24, 2010

Shouldn't the question have been "Would you be willing to go to prison, facing the stigma of being known as a child rapist, if you knew that meant keeping children safe?"

Original position and all that...
posted to MetaFilter by banal evil at 10:04 AM on September 23, 2010

I really just don't understand how so many people- by that I mean millions, tens of millions of Americans- aren't outraged that cutting taxes for people making hundreds of thousands of dollars a year is a national priority when people are. Is it some selfish belief that in ten years they could have that much money? Is it just a "principle" thing? And if so what are their "principles" exactly?

I'll bite.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by ripley_ at 1:27 PM on September 22, 2010

As an American I'm way more afraid of other Americans than I am of foreign terrorists.

As an American, I'm way more afraid I'm going to eat one of those pieces of chocolate cake left in the break room.
posted to MetaFilter by marxchivist at 10:35 AM on September 22, 2010

The trajectory is similar to the change in domestic white supremacist terrorism over the last thirty 60 years to the point where most of the threat is from isolated "lone wolf" attacks. it's gone from a powerful, feared, social institution to a few redneck wankers who haven't been told the war's over and they lost.

Yeah, this wasn't the most powerful analogy they could make if they're trying to keep me stirred up.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by randomkeystrike at 10:19 AM on September 22, 2010

Excuse me. Can anybody identify any ACTUAL Al Queda-related terrorist attacks in the United States in the last few years? The Security Theater Agencies don't even bother reporting 'thwarted conspiracies' they break up anymore (or its that the whole 'lone wolf' thing?)

Reports like this just seem to be encouraging "domestic extremists and Islamaphobes" and making it more likely that 99% of future terrorism will be from that direction. Good show!
posted to MetaFilter by oneswellfoop at 10:12 AM on September 22, 2010

but is instead developing a capability of recruiting domestic terrorists for numerous small attacks

Like the Undie bomber and The Time-square "Wrong type of fertilizer" guy?

Enough of this fear mongering bullshit. Al Qaida is over. These "loan wolf" attacks happen from depressed people every few years regardless of what radical islamists are going to do.

People hyping AQ are doing... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by delmoi at 10:08 AM on September 22, 2010

Al-Qaeda or its allies continue to have the capacity to kill dozens, or even hundreds, of Americans in a single attack.

Al-Qaeda, Schmall-Qaeda. Teenagers with easy access to guns have the capacity to kill dozens of Americans in a single attack. Driving to work is, by far, the most risky thing Americans do - and this threat is hardly given a second thought. Poor access to medical care kills more Americans than Al-Qaeda could ever imagine. If the... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by three blind mice at 10:07 AM on September 22, 2010

I know that this idea lends itself to corruption but there has to be a more enlightened way to deal with non-violent crime besides cutting off a hand or a 2 year prison sentence.

Only if behavior modification is a viable option. Character is fate. If you are an adult and you feel entitled to take what you want, you are a narcissist and nothing will ever convince you that others are your equals. This man's life will be full of property crime and other... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Mayor Curley at 8:10 AM on September 21, 2010

Taschen truly does produce the greatest art books. If I had no budgetary considerations, I'd spend tens of thousands on Taschen books.

I teach art. The quickest way to get teenagers engaged in the class in to introduce a graffiti project. This book helps:


posted to MetaFilter by Hickeystudio at 2:51 AM on September 20, 2010

Pez dispenser.
posted to MetaFilter by pracowity at 1:02 PM on September 17, 2010

That is some quality crazy.

Though technically homeless cats have their own city - it's called Rome.
posted to MetaFilter by Artw at 1:34 PM on September 17, 2010

I like his photos of the Tokyo suburbs at night.
posted to MetaFilter by puny human at 1:07 PM on September 16, 2010

As a pollworker in an town in Massachusetts that uses scanning machines (slightly simpler than the ones in the linked videos), I've always been instructed that we are not allowed to look at marked ballots even if the voter asks us to. If someone fails to feed a ballot into the machine properly so it gets spit out, we're supposed to have the voter feed it back in him/herself. If the machine gives an error code about overvoting (more ovals filled in than allowed in a particular race) or stray... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by nonane at 11:33 AM on September 16, 2010

Is bad acting a crime?

Heh. The fact that Yankees fans prefer Derek Jeter to Alex Rodriguez makes me loathe them (even more than I already do).

Jeter stinks, even worse this year (and he's my f'ing starting fantasy SS! :'()

Just to give the Yankee fan perspective on what we see when someone is wearing a Boston or Met hat: We see a masochist with a severe and irreversible inferiority complex... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by mrgrimm at 8:06 AM on September 16, 2010

The 70s soul parody reached, according to the board, the wrong demographic. What demographic might that be?

They should instead have pulled them because they are tired, unamusing, and make the fair look trashy and unappealing--regardless of the actor's race, creed, color or national origin.
posted to MetaFilter by spacely_sprocket at 7:15 AM on September 14, 2010

I remember the dowdy, long-wearing little Pringle sweaters of my childhood; despite the tone affected by the film, Pringle seems to be primarily high-end now, and largely made outside Scotland. And Burberry used to be a raincoat company, and Coach made bags distinguished by their quality, and I should just not think about it.
posted to MetaFilter by Peach at 1:33 AM on September 13, 2010

Takashi Murakami, adored by people all over the world who don't know how to type "pixiv.net" into their browsers.
posted to MetaFilter by shii at 7:16 AM on September 11, 2010

As a recovering Catholic, this makes me sad and angry. I believe strongly that there was/is a culture of deception in the church. These are the worst cases. For sure. In my review of my Catholic youth, I return to those field trips that the altar boys would take with the parish priest. We would go to seminaries for the day or for overnight stays. I remember swimming in the indoor pool. The locker room was never available to us, so we all had to stand poolside and get into our swimming... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by zerobyproxy at 12:26 PM on September 10, 2010

In my life, I've seen the wedding memory process progress from 1. getting the right photographer / album where everyone got a photo with their thank you card to 2. getting the right videographer / post-production editor where everyone got a DVD with their thank you card to, 3. now, getting a great hit count on You Tube where everyone gets a note to check out the link. I'm not a grump -- really -- I have been to a great many wonderful weddings and joyous receptions. But I honestly lament the... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Mike D at 12:58 PM on September 10, 2010

Yay for the happy couple, etc. but I have a question: have there always been such spectacles at weddings, or can the rise in showmanship be attributed to YouTube? It seems like every other week now there's a splashy proposal or wedding viral video, and I'm sure there are many that aren't good or funny enough to be passed around. I'm wondering if the novelty will wear off or if we can reasonably expect Broadway productions when attending weddings now. One thing's for sure, I'll never agree to... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by desjardins at 12:27 PM on September 10, 2010

I WILL NOT APOLOGIZE FOR MY TONE TONIGHT!

My guess is this guy learned public speaking techniques from professional wrestling.
posted to MetaFilter by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 2:41 PM on September 9, 2010

Why weren't the tables and chairs fastened down?

On shipping, fishing, military and other working ships they sure as hell bolt or lash down everything, and you don't leave anything laying around that you wouldn't mind having thrown at your head.

I don't care how big the ship is. Assuming that any ship is bigger then the ocean is pure hubris and foolishness.

The sea is a dynamic,... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by loquacious at 9:32 AM on September 8, 2010

You keep thinking someone has to be at fault to sue. The greedy injured don't care about fault. When you start with an all-you-can-eat-buffet mentality and combine it with lawyers, well...

I think that this is a very uncharitable reading. At the very least, even if the company is completely not at fault (and I don't know that this is the case, knowing virtually nothing of the circumstances or the relevant law) if you have huge medical bills and feel... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 8:09 AM on September 8, 2010

With some passengers now planning to sue P&O

There are other options available.
posted to MetaFilter by MuffinMan at 8:07 AM on September 8, 2010

cat going down!

wheeeeee.....
posted to MetaFilter by vespabelle at 5:40 PM on September 7, 2010

This and Loituma makes me love Finland.
posted to MetaFilter by divabat at 2:20 PM on September 7, 2010

This will always be the definitive version for me, but here are 121 others.
posted to MetaFilter by erniepan at 10:01 PM on September 6, 2010