MetaFilter

... for each generation, America is a very different place, and the America we lost on 9/11 -- the America that didn't profile citizens, torture people, or monitor their phone calls -- isn't even a distant memory for the children and teenagers of today's America.
posted to MetaFilter by Trurl at 1:36 PM on May 5, 2011

Please raise your hand if you've actually spent classroom time in an American public school of any stripe in the last five years (and no, watching your daughter play a petunia or speaking at Career Day doesn't count). Anyone? Anyone?

Yeah.

I think I'll just let Jim Horn, a Cambridge, MA, educator, speak eloquently for me on the current disgusting, immoral, destructive and immensely stupid and counter-productive destruction of the teaching... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by AirBeagle at 6:30 AM on April 28, 2011

Urgent -- can't type for long -- this is the leaked short list from wikileaks -- they're on to me -- must close this channel before the black ice gets my deck

Joi Ito
Guy Kawasaki
Jaron Lanier
Cory Doctorow
Rudy Rucker
William Gibson
Gary Numan
Will Smith
posted to MetaFilter by felix at 6:26 PM on April 25, 2011

Somebody trots out this cheap stunt every few years. Letterman did it back in about 2003.

Listen, I collect art by both humans and animals. I have a painting of an elephant that was painted by an elephant. I have a glorious abstract by Cheeta, the chimpanzee from the Tarzan movies. And I love them. But they exist outside the complex, and often prankish, aesthetic choices made by human artists.

With the exception of minimialism, which deliberately... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Astro Zombie at 6:22 AM on March 5, 2011

Make no mistake: Sony is pissed about this, because all PS3s everywhere are absolutely, irrevocably compromised. The boot signing key has been released, and the complementary public key is burned into the ROM of all existing consoles. This means that anyone, anywhere, can write any firmware they like, and make it look as though it has been 'blessed' by Sony.

All the other keys have been compromised too, but the loss of the boot key means that they... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Malor at 12:20 AM on January 12, 2011

It made me shiver. And I about made up my mind to pray; and see if I couldn't try to quit being the kind of a boy I was, and be better. So I kneeled down. But the words wouldn't come. Why wouldn't they? It warn't no use to try and hide it from Him. Nor from me, neither. I knowed very well why they wouldn't come. It was because my heart warn't right; it was because I warn't square; it was because I was playing double. I was letting on to give up sin, but away inside of me I was holding on to the... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by shakespeherian at 9:50 AM on January 4, 2011

but can we just agree, as a community, not to put the n-word on the front page?

Veto.
posted to MetaFilter by ericost at 9:45 AM on January 4, 2011

The thought occurs that psychologists believe that about 1% of the population is sociopathic, utterly out for themselves with no consideration for others whatsoever, willing to do anything necessary to get ahead. And the thought also occurs that our current financial system provides a way for that 1% to gain absolutely insane amounts of money if they get into the right place at the right time, giving them an incredible amount of power both in the real world and online.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Malor at 12:42 AM on December 20, 2010

Two weekends ago, I sold my Citroën. It'd taken me about eight years to come to grips with letting it ago, and if that says something about me, so be it. I'd put eighty thousand insane miles on it, up and down the eastern seaboard, from spending four hours stuck in a solid traffic jam on the Cross Bronx Expressway with the ARRET! light falsely warning me that the car was about to overheat to moments on Route 301 in South Carolina where I did the little mental arithmetic to... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by sonascope at 6:38 PM on October 2, 2010

I also find it hilarious that the government holds the "basic services" as hostages to any budget shortfall.

You know, I should have thought of and mentioned that as a possibility. Selfless bureaucrats cut the fat first, and they tend not to prosper over the long term in government, because their departments shrink to the minimum possible size. They tend not to do well, because raises and promotions are almost always based on the size of... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Malor at 12:51 AM on February 2, 2010

Explain to me again why most Americans don't trust big government?

“To watch the courageous Afghan freedom fighters battle modern arsenals with simple hand-held weapons is an inspiration to those who love freedom. Their courage teaches us a great lesson—that there are things in this world worth defending. To the Afghan people, I say on behalf of all Americans that we admire your heroism, your devotion to freedom, and your relentless struggle against... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by three blind mice at 7:06 AM on February 1, 2010

OK, kids? This is what "hacking" means.

This is not hacking.
Nor is this.
Or this, or this, or this.

Thank you.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Ratio at 11:34 AM on January 25, 2010

I'm always amazed how Republicans manage to go their constituents to oppose things like this.

"Even through right now you're a roofer with just a GED, one day you might somehow get an Ivy league degree and become friends with a bunch of East Coast financiers and become the CEO of Tyco or GE or eBay and then how will you get that sweet zoning exemption and tax break on your new corporate headquarters or a no-bid government contract for your company's new 'torture... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Optimus Chyme at 9:49 AM on January 25, 2010

General solution which answers your first and third question, and by repeated application can answer your second:

If you have N items, draw a distinct items, replace them, and draw b distinct items, the probability that the two groups have exactly c items in common is:

P(N,a,b,c) = [a!b!(N-a)!(N-b)!]/[N!c!(a-c)!(b-c)!(N-a-b+c)!]

So for your first question, the probability of picking no items in common is P(50,10,10,0) ≈ .... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by DevilsAdvocate at 3:09 PM on January 22, 2010 marked best answer

so... how does somebody go about demanding justice for this?

Give up. Jesus, have you taken a look lately at transfer of wealth figures, or income inequality, for the last 30 years? Take a good hard look at the way those graphs trend during the Clinton years and find out what a successful Democratic presidency during a "great" economy really means. And do you think the ability to expend wealth has a greater or lesser impact now than it... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by nanojath at 11:02 AM on January 19, 2010

Does Hallmark make a card for that?

You mean something like..

Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
We've made a mockery of a democratic government that claims to respect the rights of its citizens and uphold the rule of law,
And there is nothing you can do.

Sorry for your loss.
posted to MetaFilter by jeanmari at 9:53 AM on January 19, 2010

I think, for me, the worst part, the most disheartening part, is that my reaction isn't surprise but rather the sense of acknowledgment you get when something you've suspected for a long time turns out to be true.

My nation has fallen so far that I'm no longer even surprised when it turns out that we torture people to death.

I've always been aware that the USA has a very bad habit of befriending and supporting evil dictatorships, usually in the... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by sotonohito at 7:54 AM on January 18, 2010

Head to a credit union for a personal loan. I recently consolidated about that much consumer debt onto a 8.99% 5-year personal loan (law school was expensive). Your credit is going to have to be pretty shitty for them to turn you down, as you aren't actually asking for more credit.

Get the personal loan, then cut up your cards and make a budget. This can be made to work. Make your payments, and your credit score might actually go up.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by valkyryn at 4:20 PM on January 14, 2010

spacewrench's Imogen Heap link is the first one I checked out and the best of the bunch, IMHO.
posted to MetaFilter by intermod at 7:38 PM on January 12, 2010

Being someone's full-time employee.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Wordwoman at 3:48 PM on December 20, 2009 marked best answer

This obviously isn't intended to be actual investment advice, it's trying to show you what a crime these 0% interest rates are.

But, that said: this is terrible advice for someone who actually still wants to be in business in ten years. You're borrowing short and lending long, which is just about the stupidest thing you can do. This is a good chunk of what wrecked Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

But there's big bonuses in it, which you can bet... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Malor at 3:40 AM on December 18, 2009

I'm in construction, but not residential construction. Wow an architect fucked up and they admitted it? You, the owner, need to go after them. Listen to your lawyers carefully as what happens next can have serious consequences. Consider the following:

1. Your contract with the GC is separate from the architect's contract. Legally speaking, the architect is the agent of the owner (e.g., you).

2. Because of this the GC will issue a "Request... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by geoff. at 12:23 PM on December 17, 2009

I guess Portland's not a major US city.
posted to MetaFilter by birdie birdington at 11:23 PM on December 12, 2009

If a female victim testifies against a male defendant in a domestic violence case, the standard of proof is similar to the standard of proof in a witch trial in Salem -- being accused is proof of guilt.

in modern American society, there is a subset of transgressions where accusation comes with the presumption of guilt, and domestic abuse is one of them.

What? I mean where is the evidence for either of these claims? I have been working... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by flarbuse at 7:56 AM on November 22, 2009

Not true.

Men sacrifice for their children too. What the fuck do you call going to work at a job you hate every day for a few decades? Oh yeah, absent father.
posted to MetaFilter by fourcheesemac at 6:09 AM on November 22, 2009

"I assumed that people would read both the articles before they commented."

Well, aren't you the optimist?
posted to MetaFilter by mr_crash_davis mark II: Jazz Odyssey at 8:05 PM on November 21, 2009

Get out of the sale. If they've had to enact a policy this specific, one of two things is going on:

1) the noise problem is so severe that the sound of your neighbors sneezing during flu season is going to drive you batty and you'll be paranoid constantly about your neighbors listening to you have sex.

2) it's a standard apartment with minor noise leakage, but your neighbors and/or the condo association are insanely uptight and will be looking... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by decathecting at 2:01 PM on October 13, 2009

I never had a preference between the two before, but now I think Helvetica is classy and I hate Arial. Is that what was supposed to happen?
posted to MetaFilter by Faint of Butt at 7:02 AM on September 30, 2009

I like:

SELECT
foo
FROM
bar
ORDER BY foo DESC

And how do you think you got that, eh? Magical sorting fairies, eh? +2 Helm of Sorting, eh? A visit from Baron Sortram von Sortington, eh?

You buy 'em books, you buy 'em books, and they chew on the covers.
posted to MetaFilter by middleclasstool at 9:11 PM on April 13, 2009

I missed this:

Pastabagel: Can we stop saying things like "fiction". In that vein, an iPod that costs $100 to make but is sold for $400 is fiction, because the user can't possibly extract an additional $300 of utility out of the device than he could compared to another $100 device. The product (all products) is purchased on the basis of an emotional (i.e. irrational) decision.

No, we can't stop saying things like... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Malor at 8:21 AM on March 25, 2009

It's also interesting that the man was paid three quarters of a million dollars to, essentially, trade things back and forth. (it looks like they're also trying to sell the company, so I imagine he had plenty to do with getting it ready for sale -- this is more pointed at the general case of these very high salaries.)

There's some economic utility in this kind of trading, but mostly, he and AIG are just extracting value out of the economy. And the economy has gotten... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Malor at 7:04 AM on March 25, 2009

Of course some of you are in favor of this - it benefits you if you've got student loans. Just like the mortgage interest deduction benefits home owners, just as the financial bailouts have benefitted Wall Street.

Since this bullshit started we now have the car rental industry lobbying for a bailout, we have the homebuilders lobbying for a bailout, we have the goddamned PORN INDUSTRY lobbying for a bailout (albeit, tongue in cheek, but well played on their part), the... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by tgrundke at 2:20 PM on February 8, 2009

I've got a better idea. How about all debt should be forgiven? I mean, sure I've lived my life pretty responsibly so far, but I can see how that is not fair to others who have taken on more risky investments (well, formerly risky, at least!). What I'm saying: I can change my ways. Believe me. The only thing I ask, Congress, is that before you enact the "no need to pay for the thing you're obligated to pay for," can you please give me, like, two weeks to buy... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by billysumday at 12:31 PM on February 8, 2009

No. Just, no.

It didn't "cost him his life". He chose, from all available reports, to commit suicide because he could not deal with having made investments that went bad. He chose to kill himself.

This is a man with an estimated net worth in the billions of dollars. Even if he only retained a fraction of that wealth, for Christ's sake, how detached do you have to be from reality to not be able to... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by scrump at 3:53 PM on January 6, 2009

Awesome. See? Fuck the mega-churches and all the hate. If this is what the world saw of Christians day in and day out, even hardened agnostics like me would welcome you with open arms. Thank you.
posted to MetaFilter by maxwelton at 3:13 PM on December 24, 2008

So you're admitting you got it for the pictures, not the articles?
posted to MetaFilter by ardgedee at 8:57 PM on November 19, 2008

If you've got old jeans you can certainly make them into a skirt. Or you could make a skirt. Or a skirt. Maybe a skirt would be nice, if you'd like a skirt. Did I mention that you can make a skirt? If all else fails, make a skirt!

Or a purse. Or two purses. It's also possible to make a purse. Maybe a purse would be nice. If you don't want to make a purse, you can make a handbag or a book bag or shopping bag or a hip bag.

Jeans.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by twoleftfeet at 10:38 PM on October 2, 2008

Can you blame us, Pastabagel? What's your take on the bill, if you've had time to digest it?
posted by Mister_A at 2:10 PM on September 29

I trust no one. I say pass anything that allows the government to profit from the buyout and mandates some congressional oversight. There's no time to do the bill right, it's too complex and too massive to slap together even in a week.

So we need to elect Obama. After... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Pastabagel at 11:28 AM on September 29, 2008

cowbellemoo: yeah, the satellite is acting as a counterweight.

A trillion yen? That's, um, ten billion USD, if they're using American trillions. You're saying we could build seventy space elevators for the price of the bailout?
posted to MetaFilter by hattifattener at 10:43 PM on September 27, 2008

Unskilled and Unaware of it - 1999

and also

(PDF)
Why People Fail to Recognize Their Own Incompetence - 2003
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Wink Ricketts at 3:12 PM on August 17, 2008 marked best answer

This is the translation that I chanted at San Francisco Zen Center when I was a student, and is still one of the more cogent translations out there

what bollocks. this is the true version:

Thus have I heard:

Once UbuRoivas was procrastinating in MetaFilter at Intar Tubes Mountain, together with a great gathering of the sangha of MeFites and a great gathering of the sangha of Lurkers. At that... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by UbuRoivas at 8:01 AM on May 8, 2008

How can you even begin to compare Mormonism with Scientology? L Ron Hubbard was a manipulative barbituate addict with delusions of deity, whereas Joseph Smith was a hero blessed by Jesus himself with the power of Hat-Based Translation. Flagged as offensive.
posted to MetaFilter by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 7:32 PM on September 13, 2007

Dude, my cubemate just tried to punch me in the face! Luckily, I saw him coming on my handy webcam.
posted to MetaTalk by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 11:18 AM on July 31, 2007

Da day start okeday wit da sunnup. Me Munchen clams. Den, Boom! Deesa post hit at me every which way, dat flyen, dat scooten... Me get bery scared. Den me grabbin' the Jedi and POW! Meesa here! Meesa no like so much George Lucas. After first movie, heesa write bad dialogue. Okeday?
posted to MetaFilter by miss lynnster at 2:45 PM on May 25, 2007

Because if you can't say something nice, he's your ideal candidate.
Because logic is boring.
Because histrionics are so in this season.
Because more crazy=more better!
Because Tom Cruise (interchange with wacky celebrity/famous nutjob of the week) is too busy for the job.
Because if he can complain loudly about nothing, imagine what he'll do for real problems.
Because vigilante isn't just for justice anymore.... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Gucky at 10:32 AM on January 22, 2007

IAAEe (that's engineer with a small e). I mostly specialized in circuits and signal processing, but I did take a semester of power systems once (which is what we're talking about here). So don't take this as professional advice. Or even accurate advice. Hence, the small e.

First, your irons. They're simple resistive loads, so a lower voltage would mean they don't get as hot. How much difference? Power output is... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by sbutler at 10:09 PM on November 1, 2006

Why wait through the long line for the flume ride again when the bumper cars are right next door?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Ambrosia Voyeur at 2:30 PM on September 14, 2006

...if you mean "the world wide web," which - as mentioned above - is run by ICANN...
The World Wide Web is not run by ICANN. ICANN is responsible for managing the domain name system (DNS), the system which translates domain and host names (like www.metafilter.com) into addresses which your computer understands and can connect to (like 70.86.84.162). When you tell your computer you want to visit www.metafilter.com on the web, your computer contacts other computers to find... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by mistersix at 5:52 PM on September 6, 2006 marked best answer