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Archives for: May 2011

31 May 2011

Bullying at work I have a friend who finally admitted to me that something is going on at work with his fellow developers. After admitting to a certain degree of bullying, he fled the chat. The thing is, I think this kind of thing is common for geeksRead more...
Take meta, add pot You get metapot. Blessed be!
My last day is tomorrow; I am being laid off. Read more...
New sidebar art! Thanks to our photographers workerant, mygothlaundry, marxchivist, misteraitch, and plinth.
Brent Hinds, singer/guitarist in the Atlanta band Mastodon, appears in an amusing commercial for a local bar/restaurant.
Bandcamp! I love bandcamp. I've started buying more and more of my music here. The problem with the internet is that anyone can put their music up and it's hard finding good things. I mean, the difficulty of distribution used to sort of place a threshold of quality or novelty which surely left good stuff languishing, but it at least did some minimal quality control. I'm finding that bandcamp is good for that, plus you can hear the *whole album* before purchase, but there's still too much to sort through! Any recs from the good folks here?Read more...
THE GREAT APARTMENT HUNT BEGINS Finally starting to see apartments for a June 15/July 1 move in. Eeeeeee so excited!

30 May 2011

Ellie on Planet X is a kid-friendly webcomic about a cute robot space-explorer making friends with equally cute alien creatures. The character design and color scheme are both awesome (is that MeFi Blue?), and the artist just did an experiment in animation that makes me say "THIS MUST BE A TV CARTOON!" Do you agree?
Any tips for do-it-yourself cat-butt shearing?
Happy Birthday to Hugh Janus!
Mummy love This almost made me regret being neutered for other reasons than the usual one.
Edgar Oliver: Apron Strings of Savannah One very eccentric playwright describes his extremely "southern gothic" childhood in Savannah, Georgia.Read more...
Long weekend 3-point update Apologies to everyone who isn't on holiday today. But let's have your updates anyway.Read more...
Amazon's List of Well-Read Cities. Hey, a best-cities list that does *not* include Madison. Then I realized, in Madison they are more likely to beg, borrow or steal a book rather than buy it.

29 May 2011

Today I love Leonard Nimoy even more.
SLYT - Bruno Mars - The Lazy song
Rice. In terms of Indian home food you either eat rice or you eat something with chapati pretty much. And I'm not that into the latter; I like foods you can eat with a spoon or in a wrap. So I eat a lot of rice.Read more...
"Literally Unbelievable": Facebook users who think stories from The Onion are real.
This CNBC article argues that retailers and manufacturers have been reducing the quality of consumer products in order to maintain profit margins in this rough economic environment. Does this seem consistent with your experience? I've noticed that they've been sneaking more artificial fibers into clothes -- i.e. a $30 half polyester, half cotton t-shirt at Banana Republic.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY WENS!!!!!
"Getting it wrong" fashionwise Did you ever go to a social event, looking good, but realizing that you're overdressed or underdressed compared to almost everyone else, and then caring more about that than you thought you would?Read more...
Monkey! OMG! Or it is quite possibly an until-now undiscovered new species, the Monkitten -half-monkey, half-kitten.
Who animates fake cellular organisms swimming around? These people.

28 May 2011

Did I misinterpret this headlight signal? Read more...
MetaFilter Little Ponies Okay, we've got Favorites Pony (Firefly), her buddy Serenity, Flag Pony (Kat) and Moment of Silence Pony (Duchess, RIP).

What should I make Serenity?
RIP Gil Scott-Heron another one of the greats moves on
Awesome people hanging out together Does what it says on the tin

27 May 2011

What numerical values do you assign to these words? A couple. A few. Several.
Bonus otter video inside.Read more...
A word to the ladies of Metachat... I was thinking about this post today, and I just wanted to share my tale.Read more...
Gah. I ate too much for lunch. That was a dumb thing to do. I cannot stay awake, and I have to work all afternoon. Even a high-test caffeinated drink is no helzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Teacher gifts Read more...
Photo Friday: Curves

26 May 2011

Finally, I can say it. We homeschooled my son (who tested at slightly than higher intelligence when he was 9--nothing special). Our reason was we felt schools in Georgia and Tennessee exposed him to too conservative an influence from other kids.
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okay, I have decided that online dating is just degrading. that whole "write to a bunch of people on the vague off chance that they'd reply in a day or two" is just absurdRead more...
Semen Collecting Robot . . .via the awesome Mary Roach
Happy birthday to Several! May your day be full of red ducks.

25 May 2011

Personal lexicons Read more...
Photo Friday Advance: Curves
Dear hispter parents, Every member of your family is dressed stylishly, in the way that looks casual and unplanned, but is, in fact, quite calculated, and certainly expensive. Hipster dad, the wingtip oxfords with jeans - well done. 3 year old with a navy corduroy blazer with leather elbow patches - a bit overdone. When said 3 year old had a complete meltdown, including, but not limited to writhing on the floor of the airport food court, you, hipster dad, tried to talk to him, interest him in a book, and some of the time, ran after him as he ran around, wailing. Then you got your sandwich, and you were completely unable to choose between your nice, hot panini, and your sobbing child, writhing on the floor again. Lots more in the more inside: Read more...
Your Mission, If You Decide To Accept It, is to help me figure out a meal with pestoRead more...
Hump Day 3-Point Update! Read more...
My Cat Borked My Mefi, Help Completely idiotic question, but well, I am a complete idiot. Anyway, last night the cat jumped on the keyboard and now the blue - or, rather, the font on the blue - is very small. Tiny. Unreadable. Gray & green, however, are fine. What did she do? How do I undo it? HALP!!

24 May 2011

Seth Avett does a gorgeous cover of Elliott Smith's "Angeles" Seth is one-half of The Avett Brothers, btw.
Painting Project I need some color ideasRead more...
Micro shuffle-a-go-go! With AN EXCITING TWIST! Read more...
Space Oddity 1974 Midnight Special - If you are a fan of Bowie's eyes, watch this. What I like about this video is it shows that Mick Ronson was Bowie's equal, and this is Bowie at his prime. For the fans of the 1970 era Bowie. Or, do you prefer 1969? fwap

23 May 2011

Indoor Chickens - Includes video of chickens in diapers and chicken who plays fetch.Read more...
Smithsonian Acquires Long Lost Parliament-Funkadelic Mothership You can see some of P-Funk's stage show from the Mothership era right here.
Birthdaoke Crosspost Yay, birthday! Yay, karaoke! Yay, YOU! You know, like, joining us for the first two.
At any given time, I'm sure to have a song running through my head. Does that happen to you?
Kindle? If anyone's been thinking about buying a Kindle, woot.com has a refurbished one for 90 bucks, today only.

22 May 2011

Music Videos In the last couple days I've seen some music videos worth sharing.Read more...
National Geographic PotD, May 17 - no photoshop! (so they say)
Very cool things happened for me on Saturday, and it wasn't the Rapture. Read more...
Happy Birthday to JanetLand, Brujita and me!
Lars Von Trier: anti-semetic or moron? Read more...

21 May 2011

Metafilter is closed for the Rapture unfortunately, things really do seem a little borked... but maybe its just me.
The bitch about the Rapture is that you still have to keep an eye out for traffic In honour of today's predicted events, I offer this clip from Six Feet Under. I'm still in awe that the show's producers went there.
inadvertently discovered an awesome trick staying up / alert for really extended periods is easier when you don't eat anything. So instead of stuffing face with stress + drowning it down with caffeine it can be better to just be on fluids and very light fruits and things.
Camera prank. This is chuckle-worthy.
Labyrinth Ear: cool band with free 5 song EP download I really like these songs! Especially Snow White and White Gold
I just finished my hardest term ever and my grades are submitted and now I'm going to watch My Little Pony until my brain dribbles out my ears. Happy Saturday!
A RAPTUROUS BIRTHDAY TO WOLFDADDY!!!!!

20 May 2011

Time for another Friday Night Question, chosen at random from The Book of Questions:Read more...
It's raining and my Mom is dropping by unexpectedly, halp? Manhattan, she,s done the tourist things, and we'd like to be inside. More jeans and a t shirt then heels and pearls. Ideas?
What are you looking forward to? Read more...
OMG! BUILDING! (scroll down)
Photo Friday: The Letter "D"

19 May 2011

This is both beautiful and terrifying... a figurine decorated by bees.
If anyone can help me with the frivolous naming of an object, it's you, MetaChat. Read more...
Little boy joins in with belly dancers I was at a hafla tonight, and this adorable little boy jumped in and started shaking it with the belly dancers.
Bunny! OMG! *Engage helicopter ears*
Hi everybody! How are you? Read more...
A letter to the editor in the Erie, Pennsylvania newspaper titled "Rapture May Snarl Air Travel":Read more...
Spring is come, the flowers is riz.... and WHAT THE HELL IS THAT BY THE COMPOSTER? So, last night I had a little window of non-raining time in which I could garden. Read more...

18 May 2011

Photo Friday Advance: This week's Photo Friday will be brought to you by the letter D - dogs, doorways, dolphins, and everything else starting with the letter D. Suggested by gomichild.
So Why Would UPS get my package early this morning,Read more...
Trilby vs. Raccoon Trilby tried to pick a fight with a raccoon this weekend — through a window. The coon was on the lean-to roof, just outside the kitchen window. Trilby sat on the inside sill and hissed and batted at the glass. The raccoon barely seemed to register Trilby's presence. It was amusing and surprising to watch. Trilby is a very gentle little guy who is wary of strangers and terrified of babies (hee!). But when he saw this raccon (that must have weighed twice what Trilby does) he was all aggression. I guess it's easy to be brave when you know your opponent can't get at you.
My cat talks in her sleep.
NPR Must Reads Couldn't keep my mouth shut - had to comment.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY RAMIX!!!!

17 May 2011

Since when did it become okay to ask people's ages? I'm getting this constantly, it's the first thing out of people's mouths. I never lie, but when did it become normal to just ask people how old they are? Isn't it somewhat rude? What's with the burning need?
The Brady Bunch Variety Hour: Disco Medley They don't make 'em like this any more.
Time for SHOWTUNES! omg, live-accompaniment showtunes karaoke; what do I DOOOOOO?Read more...
I'm sorry, but this really annoys/angers me, and I need to vent. Read more...
Grandparent Names - What Do/Did You Call Your Grandparents?Read more...
Tuesday 3-Point Status Update! Read more...
Are any folks here Fallout fans? Anybody playing the new DLC that is released today?
GARRRR BLARRGG. People invited to our wedding are complaining to me that the hotels here are too expensive. One, what exactly do they want me to do about it? and Two, way to make me feel like an important person in your life. BLARRRRGGGG. Read more...
Good Cary Tennis column today. I am exactly this person. But his advice seems to be like everyone else's: seek therapy.
Metachat, I have another serious question to ask you. Read more...
I love you, cast iron pan Read more...

16 May 2011

Mindblowing moment for a lifelong fan - Paul Simon invites a woman up from the audience to play one of his songs, after she shouts out that it was the song she learned guitar on. Read more...
Cephalopods in space This morning NASA launched the space shuttle first cephalopod into space.
Anna Calvi Anna Calvi, she is awesome.Read more...
"When we connect, reality happens. We’re all faking it to a certain degree, and all of our fabrications are realer than we know." An interesting, though long-winded, essay about "faux vintage" photos provokes this excellent response, which is the source of the quote above.

15 May 2011

My heart breaks every time I see Robert Downey Junior on screen. I do not, as a rule, believe in the idea of artists so talented and vulnerable that they cannot function in this society, but he is the one person to whom I feel I can give that excuse. I feel like I'm watching his heart/soul/body laid bare whenever I see him, and I am thankful for the insight into humanity that he gives.
What's one dumb thing you do over and over? Read more...
New-Fangled Fabricator Gadgets And Hipster-Type Individuals -- The Flickr Photoset So I'm on the 7 train, reading the Times and they had an article on this demonstration of these kind-a futuristic fabricator gadgets in an art space in Williamsburg.Read more...
I'm 3! Post a pic of yourself (or family member) on your (their) 3rd Birthday with cake!
Gilligan's Island and the bear scene I'm glad Gilligan's Island was good for something.

14 May 2011

I don't have a wife, and I don't have cats. I do, however, have a person who I sometimes call "sunshine" and "pineapple" and who will be stopping by some time this evening to pull a spider out of the hat. Read more...
Help stamp out hunger: Leave a couple of canned goods or other non-perishable foodstuffs by your mailbox today. Your mail carrier will pick them up and they'll be delivered to a local food bank.
Because everything in her home is waterproof, the housewife of 2000 can do her daily cleaning with a hose.

13 May 2011

Cat Gets 100 Stars You are a cat. There are 100 stars hidden on the board. Find them. (Flash, oddly soothing)
The Metachat Friday Night Question. BP is out celebrating and left me with tonight's question.
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Meet the world's most expensive photograph. All $3,890,500 worth of it. Not sure what else to say...
In which I explain my newly unemployed state. Read more...
The wants of butterflies. If only my own tastes were so clear cut.
Stuck at a painfully bad conference. Read more...
Anyone want an invite to Pinterest? I have 6.
It's been a while since we welcomed new users! So after the jump come in and say hi to them. Noobs - you too!Read more...
Eurovision cake round two/dos/deux/dwa/zwei/due/... I can't think of a design or pattern for my cake this year! The party's tomorrow! Ack!Read more...
Damaged astronauts. Paintings by Jeremy Geddes. There are other subjects if you dig into the site, but wow, those astronauts.
The full report is up - I Did a Dr. Who Session (NSFW) I thought we found decent doppelgangers.
Photo Friday: Action!

12 May 2011

I read got my copy of "Sweet Valley Confidential" from the library (SPOILERS INSIDE) Read more...
Can any golden retriever owners please help me out? Kind of an odd request. But please help me make a birthday gift for my friend and I'll donate money to help re-home dogs.Read more...
Anyone have an amazing brownie recipe that they want to share? I am going to attempt to make brownies tonight for the first time.
"Cut the tofu. Turn the plate." Vegan Black Metal Chef: Episode #1 - Pad Thai
in this thread you will drop the sexiest songs you know (not necessarily songs to get it on to)Read more...
Hey everyone! Let's make a Quiche! grab your frozen pie crusts and pre-heat the open! What goes into our quiche? Is less more or just less?
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Meghan McCain dishes it back to Glenn Beck. She's my new favorite Republican. Read more...
What's on your computer desktop? Mine looks like this.
I'm fascinated by the SSA's website of popular baby names, but I didn't know until today that you can download a text file of all names with 5 or more occurrences.Read more...
Cat catches bat. After all, it's just a flying mouse.

11 May 2011

I did something silly online today. (I mean SILLIER than usual) Read more...
Photo Friday Advance: ACTION!
Today's Google doodle is animated, and genuinely beautiful and cool. Martha Graham. They may not archive the animation, so check it out while it's live.
As winner of the inaugural MetaChat New Raffle Tradition Raffle... Read more...

10 May 2011

In continuing the new Metachat raffle tradition, we are also continuing the tradition of randomly choosing a winner who doesn't really want the raffle prize. Winner announced herein....
Metachat, I have a serious question to ask you. Read more...
Sentimental song What song makes you feel sentimental?Read more...
The Metachat Children's Book of Fairy Tales. Or -- Let's self-publish a book. Read more...

09 May 2011

Scott Weaver's "Rolling through the Bay" Whoa: Scott Weaver's amazing piece, made with over 100,000 toothpicks over the course of 35 years, is a depiction of San Francisco, with multiple ball runs that allow you to go on "tours" of different parts of the city.
Sneak peek. Read more...
Barack Obama's Facebook feed from the Royal Wedding to the aftermath of the bin Laden raid.
Calling All Little House Fans Not Martha is giving away three copies of The Wilder Life. Which came up in this recent thread.Read more...
Watch this space. Community participation opportunity. Details to come. Tomorrow. Neener.

08 May 2011

This week, This American Life played a clip from a woman whose house MOVED one-and-half blocks during the Tuscaloosa tornadoes, intact. She said she "floated across the living room like an astronaut." I may never be able to get that terrifying mental image out of my mind.
What did you eat on Mother's Day? Read more...
things I learned far too late pretty much any set of transactional interactions can be conceptualized as a relationship. Once you view it with that lens you can handle things in a better way for both parties ✓ (e.g. paying attention to their emotional takeaway from things as much as just the mechanics of what you're doing)
Happy Mother's day to all you mothers and guardians out there! Did you do anything special for or with your mom this year for Mother's Day?Read more...
Weekend 3-point update Read more...

07 May 2011

80s video game arcades That's my youth, right there.
Pet woes--or not! You may remember SaedyRead more...
Up and at 'em! Wherein I attempt to motivate myself and others. Read more...
On the road, sleepless, bleary-eyed. This post will probably make no sense, but considering my state of mind, I'm not sure I'm capable of making sense. Read more...

06 May 2011

forvo The kid and I have been having big fun with this pronunciation guide (she's been learning Spanish and I've been double-checking my pronunciation). Love hearing all the different accents.
Time for another Friday Night Question, as chosen at random from The Book of Questions...Read more...
Foop in the Funny Papers! (in the you-probably-didn't-know-somebody-was-still-doing-it "Nancy") I wonder if I should start an online store selling shampoo. (Here's another shampoo joke today from a comic nobody ever reads anymore... because newspapers won't print comics that use REAL poo.)
Stolen Camera Finder uses one of your photos to read the serial number of your camera, then searches the web to see if anyone else is posting photos taken with your camera.
Photo Friday: Food!

05 May 2011

"Life's Too Short For The Wrong Job" ...for Äsk Dabitch (who has certainly seen it already). Brilliant/lol.
OMG Jumping Bunnies! If this is a duplicate... who cares! Lookit the bunnies!
18″x24″ map of the history of films set in New York ... more specifically, all the movies I could cram into a tiny 12-square-mile chunk of Manhattan. There’s exactly 91 movies on here. Can you name them all?
Twitter help? Anybody here work with/pay attention to corporate/organization-wide Twitter accounts? I could use some help.Read more...
Calling All Little House Fans - I've found a copy of Pioneer Girl, Laura Ingalls Wilder's unpublished base story for all of her books. I've long wanted to read it, but the LIW Home Association keeps it under tight wraps (you can't see it let alone read it) and the only way to get a copy is through requesting printouts of the microfilm. Those printouts cost about 50˘ per page which can add up.Read more...
Encounters at Home Depot Occasionally at Home Depot I experience a failure to communicate so dramatic I question my own ability to gauge whether I’m even speaking the English language. Maybe I'm like one of the adults in Peanuts who think they're talking but are really just making WAAAAAAA-WAAAAAAA-WAAAAAAAA noises.Read more...
MeTa Book Club meets again on MeCha on June 21! Hope you reading bunnies will come join the discussion of Marilynn Robinson's Housekeeping.
I think it's interesting that a lot of 'seminal' or foundational texts, speeches etc. that enter popular culture as significant touchstones of a movement are actually, in their time, specialized infighting.Read more...
What's your favorite fast food meal? Read more...
Happy Birthday, msali!

04 May 2011

"Emery board" scratching posts:: yay or nay? I keep seeing those "emery board" cat scratchers in stores. Trilby has nearly destroyed the cat scratcher I got him and I was wondering if I should get him an emery board as it would save me from having to cut his claws. Anyone tried them? Or rather, has your cat tried them?
My son continues to play the piano -- what pieces could be next? As per a post I made in January, we got a beginner's book for adults and he finished it. Then he learned the first two minuets in the Beginner Bach book (the famous one in G major and the next one in something-minor). Now he's finished learning the Chopin Prelude Opus 28 No 2. What other pieces could he learn at about this same difficulty, by other romantic composers?
"Let It Go" Cool pop song: check. Cutesy video: check. Cute singer: check. Also, free download of song (if you give an email addy- just use a disposable one).
So There's This Family . .in my town. Got to know them because their kids were in a lot of the activities around town that mine was (swimming, drama, etc.) Read more...
Next MeTa Book Club Book and Discussion Time? Next in the syllabus is Marilynn Robinson's Housekeeping.
Guineas! OMG! Tug of War Lettuce.
A Question For Those With Bad Eyesight: Do those among you who, like me, have coke-bottle glasses go to chain stores like Lenscrafters and Pearle for new frames? Are they significantly cheaper than mom-and-pop optical shops? Can they make the thinner, lighter lenses that I have in my current glasses? I have this sense that they are hacks, but I think that might be wrong, and I would like to save some money on new frames if I can.
What do you call this kind of internet poster? Is there an accepted term for someone who is reactionary and ignorant yet who genuinely believes what he or she is saying, and who wastes everyone’s time by derailing what could have been a good discussion into stupid arguments? Such a person is not a troll, a troll being one who deliberately says provocative or offensive things to cause trouble, so what is she or he?
Photo Friday Advance: Food!! What did you have for lunch? Dinner? Show us your food photos!
Is there gang warfare on wikipedia's turf? In case this has been changed by the time you get to see it, it now reads:Read more...
May the Fourth be with you Someone had to do it. When else do you get to work that joke?
Living at the Edge of the World. I have a weakness for stories about remote islands. Every time I read about one I want to go live there. This one is Foula, in Scotland.
Playboy Bunny manual excerpts. As seen on MetaFilter.

(twist, watusi, bugaloo, etc., are examples of acceptable dances)
It's HappyBirthdayMygothlaundryDay!!!!! Read more...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MYGOTHLAUNDRY!!!!!

03 May 2011

First Lady has Moves! I would like to see her really cut loose. You can tell she knows her way around a dance floor.
Bunny Laden. OMG! Only the Daily Mail, the newspaper with the best cute animals stories and the most right-wing histrionics, could combine both bunnies and the World's Most Notorious Dead Terrorist in one story.
Louse Fiasco 2011 In which I reveal three possible entry points and my calculated plan of attack.Read more...
Happy Birthday to my dear stynxno!

02 May 2011

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STYNXNO!!!
As the winner of the inaugural Metachat raffle, I hereby proclaim it a tradition and start a new raffle.Read more...
Issue #2 of MeFi Mag is up! MeFi Mag is creative publication by and for members of Metafilter. With #2 out the door, we're starting work on Issue #3 with a theme of Location and Travel, due out around June 1stRead more...
How does your household share scheduling? My fiance and I are trying to figure out a way to share our (ever-changing) work/meeting/personal schedules with each other. I just tried Google calendar and couldn't quite make sense of how to do it. I'm also open to a whiteboard calendar on the fridge, or any other ideas. How do y'all manage it?
Please, please, please tell me this is not a bed bug. Photo inside.Read more...
Your own personal Top 40 Song list. The songs that changed your life. The songs you turn to when you're happy or sad. The songs you crank on the car stereo. Bare your soul to us.

01 May 2011

Dogboarding! [vimeo] This has made my stupid stressy too much work-y week. Basset Hound kickflip!Read more...
post by: ufez at: 20:20 | 1 comment
Sunday 3-point update Read more...
Nas & Damian Marley Nah Mean video [youtube]
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MR RICHAT! Happy birthday to you!
Pardon Us For Living But The Graveyard Is Full A 1-hour documentary about The Fleshtones.

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