MetaFilter

don't just automatically go "ok, these are the two parties...and oh yeah, there's some other guys, but we won't grant them all the privileges we give ourselves

This is not a major force inhibiting minor parties. Ballot access is relatively trivial to obtain and, once obtained, even more trivial to maintain.

Stop creating a system where ordinary people who are not politicians think of themselves as affiliated with... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by ROU_Xenophobe at 6:36 PM on October 8, 2016

holgate: If a family member is a threat to themselves or others, you can get a court order and have law enforcement come and get them checked out (and make sure their guns are locked away).

It depends on the state, but the US standard for involuntary holds is three days, and in the case of imminent danger to self, imminent danger to others, and gravely disabled (cannot meet basic needs of food, shelter, and clothing). It's... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Deoridhe at 8:07 PM on August 1, 2016

I am just bawling. I haven't always agreed with Obama's decisions but I've never doubted his intent or values.
posted to MetaFilter by R343L at 7:57 PM on July 27, 2016

Are the Orphans going to Cleveland? They're really heavy. My youth worker, she talks about those guys all the time.
posted to MetaFilter by prize bull octorok at 10:50 AM on July 15, 2016

Here are my notes and links from the post I also put up today:

On July 1st 1916 began the deadliest day in British history. One hundred years ago today, British imperial soldiers left their trenches to attack German lines supposedly suppressed by an extraordinary artillery barrage. By the day's end 20,000 of them would be dead, the first casualties of nearly half a million by the terrible battle's end. All told almost a million casualties occurred on all sides, the... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by doctornemo at 6:35 AM on July 1, 2016

I just want to know why if people say 'I want a woman in the White House, just not that woman' about Hillary I can't say 'I want a progressive in the White House, just not that one' about Sanders.

You can say it. But can you explain it?

Well, here's how Bernie lost me. I started this election excited about Sanders and somewhat negative about Clinton. I voted for Obama in 2008 and I'm pretty left, politically, I think. If I... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by pocketfullofrye at 1:08 PM on March 16, 2016

np at all, and likewise, sorry if I misread what you were saying.
posted to MetaFilter by en forme de poire at 7:02 PM on May 28, 2016

I've used this metaphor before, so I'll use it again.

It's like being down by 20 points with about three minutes to go in the basketball game. When you're getting beat like that, you should keep trying and finish strong, but there comes a point where fouling the other team and putting them at the line is not only tedious, it's irritating to everyone watching. Eventually you just have to shut it down and let the clock run.

Right now Bernie's odds... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by dw at 3:30 PM on May 17, 2016

I've taught the first-year writing course at my university several times. The curriculum I used is based on the same system as the aforementioned Craft of Argument, especially the chapters about argument structure. I've learned a lot since I first started doing this, and I think I have more success helping students with their writing now than I did at the beginning, but I still don't have all the answers. There's good stuff in this thread already; here are a few further... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Orinda at 11:38 AM on November 9, 2007

I'm not sure that what H. Clinton has been subjected to is noticeably worse than what the GOP has flung at the recent Democratic presidents.

Well, it's certainly different, in the way that the racist shit Obama got is slightly different than the misogynistic shit she gets. And both of them are experiencing a different kind of bile than Bill himself did as our last white Dem president.

Oh and also she's been in the national... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by emjaybee at 9:39 PM on February 1, 2016

Hi dudes. Poet here--I won this thing, which is sort of a big deal in poetry which means it has a cultural significance tantamount to being the Candyland champion of America. I'm going to continue my habit of trying to make a persuasive case for values no one cares about in a thread that's always over.

HERE BEGINS THE SUPER LONG POST

1. YES YOU ARE RIGHT. I grew up in a middle-class immigrant family and was ESL. We didn't have poetry books in the... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by johnasdf at 11:02 AM on April 30, 2011

Hi there, I'm just going to copy and paste my long post in the Mirror Universe Why-do-you-hate-poetry version of this thread. That version has links, BTW.

* * *

Hi dudes. Poet here--I won this thing, which is sort of a big deal in poetry which means it has a cultural significance tantamount to being the Candyland champion of America. I'm going to continue my habit of trying to make a persuasive case for values no one cares about in a thread... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by johnasdf at 8:59 AM on June 6, 2011

It's late, and my brain isn't working as well as it should be, but first, let me say that there are a LOT of really helpful responses in here. I'm now in my third semester teaching, and I have an amazing degree of autonomy with my Comp. classes.

You say they don't like the class, and while I understand the balking at having to take a class simply because it's a requirement, there are ways to underscore how you are going to be able to help them through the rest of their... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by exlotuseater at 12:21 AM on November 14, 2008

Here are a few of mine.

1. Organization by post-it note: When working on organization, post-it notes can be a good way to plan out the order of a paper after brainstorming but before drafting. They can do this individually or in groups, but groups work pretty well because they can help add other ideas or discuss any differences of opinion about organization. Have them stand up and do the post-its on the wall. There's not always a lot of space for physical activity in a... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by BlooPen at 2:30 PM on May 29, 2013 marked best answer

Snowflake stuff: I have no interest in anything that involves "sharing with the class/group" as I neither want classmates' input nor want to have to generate input on others' work. Basically I want to feel free to suck (which I certainly will) in relative privacy, and free of performance anxiety, so that I can try and develop skillz whilst enjoying myself, whatever the point of awfulness I find myself at to begin with. ;)

I agree with... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by PhoBWanKenobi at 7:55 AM on September 1, 2013 marked best answer

There are a few ways. However it is very unlikely that any of these ways will make you money right off the bat, if at all. If you're engaged with contemporary poetry--reading it, writing it, noticing the trends and getting your hands dirty appreciating & analyzing a few newish books/poets every month, you've got a head start in terms of knowing how your work compares, in terms of craft and aesthetic and form to what's out there, i.e. you know (kinda--subjectively) which... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by tapir-whorf at 11:24 PM on December 3, 2012

i am very much a poetry guy--reading, writing, criticism and all. when people find out i'm a poet i hear a lot of the things people have been saying in this thread -- it's pretentious, it's difficult, it doesn't rhyme anymore and that's bad, and why don't they just write stories?

i have to feel like this is partly misinformed and partly the fault of the academy (which, after all, transformed poetry from communal performance into something to be pored over in the... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by tealsocks at 4:41 PM on April 27, 2011

Welcome to Metafilter, Scott!
posted to MetaFilter by StrikeTheViol at 1:38 PM on April 14, 2011

Bond was a character that people in his era could identify with:

Think about how that works in the post war era. The office dwelling accountant/lawyer/ad man/salesman has an expense account. This covers some lunches at counters with clients , or maybe a few nice dinners. He flirts with the secretaries and receptionists and sometimes sleeps with them. He travels on business, perhaps from his suburb into Chicago, or from Chicago to Cleveland, or San Francisco to LA.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by wuwei at 1:27 AM on July 7, 2010

Step one: without talking to each other further, each of you write down the top ten things you'd love to be doing, and place you'd love to be doing it in, on a piece of paper. Pull no punches -- if it is "become a professional monkey wrangler and have no permanent address, getting around in a 70s camper van", write it down.

Step two: review each other's papers, and laugh/discuss.

Step three: look for specific... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by davejay at 12:32 PM on August 23, 2011

This is a classic case of Ask Culture meets Guess Culture.

In some families, you grow up with the expectation that it's OK to ask for anything at all, but you gotta realize you might get no for an answer. This is Ask Culture.

In Guess Culture, you avoid putting a request into words unless you're pretty sure the answer will be yes. Guess Culture depends on a tight net of shared expectations. A key skill is putting out delicate feelers. If you do... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by tangerine at 11:38 PM on January 16, 2007 marked best answer

the Great Taters Mystery.

Now is as good a time to mention this as any. I got an email a while back from the gal who posted that anon thread. I've paraphrased a little bit but not much. The "taters" thing was, I guess, kind of like a code word my husband used "porn". He was emailing me from work the day I asked the question and didn't want his IT department flagging his email for any reason. His wife (me) was having a what we now know was a panic... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by jessamyn at 2:11 PM on April 14, 2011

More guesses as to why Star Wars got over so big among my age cohort:

- it followed a whiny kid
- whose fake family was cruelly murdered and oh god you can see the bones
- who joins up with an awesome granddad, a cool older brother, a cute (but tough!) girl, two pets/servants/slaves/whatever (who do what he wants even if they complain about it but also let him act out fatherhood stuff)
- the first things they do are lie to cops and go... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by jtron at 8:52 AM on April 19, 2011

For those who forget Lit 101, the seven plots of "all" stories...

1. Hero with a fatal flaw meets tragic end. (the inner monster)
2. Hero endures comedic failures, finds romantic fulfilment.
3. The Monster is discovered and overcome (the outer monster)
4. There and Back Again: Hero gains personal development through a journey.
5. The Quest: Unlikely hero embarks on journey of import, saves world.
6.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by rokusan at 8:25 AM on October 19, 2009

Long-lost Beat poet Lew Welch features largely in Big Sur. In Kerouac's charmingly nineteenth-century fashion, he is given a psuedonym, like everyone else. Welch became "Dave Wain."

Welch, along with another poet, Philip Whalen, was a roomate of rather better-known—& still among the quick—poet Gary Snyder, "Japhy Ryder" in Kerouac's The Dharma Bums. Welch was a few years younger than Kerouac & was... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Forrest Greene at 12:29 PM on October 12, 2009

I have couple friends who have differing solutions on how to do the "one person wants it the other person doesn't" situation. In some cases, one person sucks it up and goes with a decent outlook and it's clear they're doing it as a favor but that they came to that decision themselves and so it winds up being okay. In some cases, the person acquiesces to the thing but is clear they're there under duress and basically looks like they're sucking on a lemon the whole time and loudly talks... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by jessamyn at 3:08 PM on September 29, 2009 marked best answer

I am just looking for a used car...what is all this?
posted to MetaFilter by fred at 9:44 AM on November 17, 2000

I am looking for a used car.
posted to MetaFilter by fred at 7:44 AM on November 13, 2000

I am really tired of being bashed around...I was just looking for a used car. I think that I will walk instead.Goodbye. And thanx a lot.
posted to MetaFilter by fred at 9:52 AM on November 17, 2000

If you believe some people, it's because schooling is actually supposed to do more for preparing you for the world of being a good worker and a good consumer more than being a discerning and fully actualized member of a democratic society. Capitalism the way we practice it un the US necessitates people who are thoughtful but not too thoughtful about the life choices that are available to them. Public schooling teaches enough but not so much that people would be encouraged to choose... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by jessamyn at 7:01 PM on April 13, 2009 marked best answer

After my parents were divorced in 1978, they set up a visitation schedule, as they lived in 2 different states. I was to spend 6 weeks every summer with my dad until age 18. That first summer, I felt awful. There was seemingly nothing to do, and my little brother was too young to be a companion that could help me through it.

Then, one day, my dad takes me around to the place of this new woman he's seeing. On her table is the blue box. While... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by thanotopsis at 1:26 PM on March 4, 2008

Someone said I should post as well, so I'm doing so.

It's interesting how many people describe what I do as checking out of reality, or various variants on this. In fact, this has more to do with which parts of reality a person is paying attention to. Somehow it is "reality" to engage in a lot of abstract symbolic thought (and sort of paste that thought on over one's surroundings and believe oneself to be perceiving them) but "not reality" to engage... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by silentmiaow at 5:15 AM on January 26, 2007

Good Lord, lady.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by dawson at 5:34 PM on March 9, 2009

Did anyone notice that the pictures of the food items make them look even worse? Each of them looked as if a cat had been eating it just before the picture was taken.

That's what food looks like when photographed.

Your false beliefs about what food looks like when photographed have been formed by advertising. Guess what? The objects you see in food advertising are generally inedible and may or may not have even started as... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by TheOnlyCoolTim at 2:43 PM on February 11, 2008

It amuses me greatly, which is to say I want to cry, when people ignorantly blame unions for all the problems with business in America.

I mean, hell, it couldn't be a complete lack of long-term planning that did in the Big 3, could it? Couldn't possibly be CEOs hauling in over 400x what front-line workers earn, could it? Couldn't be management's fault for all these problems! No, it must be unions that are to blame.Joe gets up at 6 a.m. and fills his... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by five fresh fish at 9:10 PM on December 8, 2008

Whenever I see grand, general statements about "them" and how "they" are stupid/poor/lazy/irresponsible I get uncomfortable. Life is messy. You can try to take care of the poor, and some people will take advantage of it, or you can not, and some people will go hungry/homeless. I'd rather err on the side of life, even if I pay more in taxes to support a few freeloaders. Get over yourself. You have a responsibility to your community, not just yourself.
posted to MetaFilter by patrick rhett at 8:32 AM on December 5, 2008

I guess Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus! LOL!

The problem is that the women quoted in the article, who are quite obviously insufferable hens, confuse men's conversation filters with being boring. But these women would never want to have the conversation that would ensue if men simply said what was on their minds. For example:

F: My God, you're so boring!

M: What?

F: Boring! You... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Pastabagel at 8:21 AM on June 19, 2008

*phone ringing*

Beru Lars: Hello?
Deak : Hi, is Luke there?
Beru: No, he’s out in the back fixing some droids, Deak.
Deak: Ok, Mrs. Lars. I was thinking we could take the speeder to Toshi Station, maybe pick up some power converters. Tell ‘em I called.
Beru: I will Deak. Bye.

(next day)
*phone ringing*

Beru: Hello?
Deak: Uh, hi Mrs. Lars. Luke around?... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Smedleyman at 1:20 PM on October 22, 2008

No. You're not only not going to do that viral astroturfing shit here, I forbid you from doing it anywhere. This is now the seventh time (I've been keeping track) that I've heard the republican spin that the housing crisis is caused by Hispanics/black/minorities/poor. A memo must have gone out the night Paulson proposed the plan because jowly white douchebags from all over are all simultaneously on board with the same talking points.

Let me be perfectly clear. It is... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by Pastabagel at 8:39 AM on September 30, 2008

my greatest fear is how our government is going to respond. more erosion of freedom in the name of security. mark my words.
posted to MetaFilter by rebeccablood at 10:10 AM on September 11, 2001

Here's a true story about how awesome Pixar is.

As some of you know, when the trailer first came out, my girlfriend, Courtney, burst into tears at the trailer. She was emabrrassed but somewhat amused by this, as so she made a video of herself watching the trailer on her computer, knowing she would start crying every time that little robot said his own name.

After a few months, she started to get trickles of emails from people at Pixar who said... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Astro Zombie at 12:18 PM on July 1, 2008

religious americans who believe that their private faith should dictate the actions and freedoms of secular institutions should be ashamed of themselves.

Wait, does this include, say, Martin Luther King Jr., the Baptist minister who was engaged in faith-based activism to "constrain the freedom" of secular restaurants and buses to discriminate based on race? Or Gandhi attempting to dictate what the British Empire should do? Religious... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by overglow at 1:43 PM on June 24, 2008

When I was a very little kid we lived in a house on the estate of some eccentric 19th century naturalists, the Kennicotts. One of the manifestations of the Kennicott eccentricities was the "added features" of the homes on the estate. Each had multiple secret tunnels and pannels within the walls. The design tricked the eye so that the houses had, not just secret rooms, but secret wings. All of the buildings were connected by underground tunnels that were hidden behind bookcases and in... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Pollomacho at 12:11 PM on June 12, 2008

wemayfreeze: "It's about time Obama stops dipping into the fray. Wouldn't it be great if his campaign released an official statement saying, "I'm sure she didn't mean anything by it"? When he tries to capitalize on her gaffes he admits that she still has a chance."

Are you kidding? Responding to a statement by calling it "unfortunate and has no place in this campaign" is the weakest, most boilerplate message that an... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by DaShiv at 3:33 AM on May 24, 2008

dersins, you really want to know? :) I resigned from the job to make the trip to be with my grandmother, and the company ended up asking me to stay on and made a bunch of first-time-ever telecommuting arrangements, etc. I made the trip, accompanied on the drive down there by my best friend -- we visited Graceland, stayed in a couple of seedy motels, and drove through the mad northern rush on the heels of Hurricane Rita. I stayed in Texas for a couple of months. While there, my... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by justonegirl at 7:00 PM on May 23, 2008

It's dawn. The ancient Greek warriors strap on
their armored shielding. Of course to them,
there, in the itch and the juice
of their lives, they aren't "ancient"--aren't even "Greek,"
but loyal members of a city-state. The members of a different one
await them, on the far side of a pearly, swirling fog
they have in common. Now our warriors are marching
grimly into that opacity: it takes the... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by nicolas léonard sadi carnot at 8:19 PM on October 2, 2007

I have two ways that I try approach these kinds of decisions.

One is through creating scenarios of anticipatory regret. Try to project yourself out a few years or so. Imagine that you took each one of the courses you're contemplating, and that it's now a few years down the line. Which course of action will leave you with fewer regrets?

The second way is from something I read in a Carlos Castenada book - if two paths are leading in different... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by jasper411 at 11:11 AM on August 29, 2005 marked best answer

Actually, I quoted him directly in the post, and he was obviously referring to oil.

Frankly, Matt, you're coming off as irrational and hotheaded. I never intended to suggest that Abizaid said quote "it's the oil" enquote, which should be obvious enough.

Obviously, there was a lot of discussion and interest in the post, so why you didn't simply remove the quotes is beyond me.

Why not blame the senators who... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by insomnia_lj at 1:11 PM on March 15, 2006

I hope they all drown in their reflections.
posted to MetaFilter by basicchannel at 8:23 AM on May 22, 2008

Yes, he wanted it deleted. So they deleted it. That's fine. I think people think of AskMe threads as entertainment vis-a-vis MeFi threads. While AskMe can often be entertaining, I think honoring posters' requests for deletion should trump other reasons for keeping them around. It's supposed to be a site that helps people, after all.

It's also supposed to be an archive of helpful stuff that might help other people without them even having to ask the... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by oneirodynia at 9:23 AM on May 21, 2008