The Georgia Guidestones are a weird monument in Northeast Georgia built in 1980 with an odd ecofascist message. Nobody knows who exactly paid to have them built. Recently, they have been a target of QAnoners, including minor, unsuccessful candidate for Georgia Governor, Kandiss Taylor, who called them "Satanic" and included plans to destroy them in her platform. Last night, someone attempted to blow them up, with partial success.
posted to MetaFilter by hydropsyche at 11:24 AM on July 6, 2022 (74 comments)

elan.school is a harrowing webcomic now in 61 installments (the latest posted August 27) by a survivor of the "Elan School", a reform school in the woods of Poland Springs, Maine. The school, which operated from 1970 to 2011 when it was shut down, used cult methods, forcing kids to scream insults at each other hours a day, remain expressionless while being insulted, box each other in a ring, and confine others to sit in the corner. Communication with family was closely supervised to keep the abuse hidden. The webcomic may have started in late 2018 to judge from author "Joe Nobody"'s Patreon, but has been garnering attention on Reddit
posted to MetaFilter by Schmucko at 8:45 AM on September 4, 2021 (70 comments)

11 horror movies that critics loved but (Rotten Tomatoes) audiences hated versus 12 horror movies that (Rotten Tomatoes) audiences loved but critics hated.
posted to MetaFilter by Artw at 11:28 PM on June 22, 2018 (64 comments)

Out of power in Washington, Republicans pursue hard-right agenda across the country - "In Florida, Oklahoma and Iowa, Republican legislators passed bills granting immunity to drivers who hit protesters, part of a wave of Republican-led legislation aimed at cracking down on public protests of the kind that followed the police killing of George Floyd. Across the country, a bevy of states have passed bills preventing transgender athletes from playing high school sports." (previously)
posted to MetaFilter by kliuless at 11:54 PM on May 8, 2021 (66 comments)

How a throwaway joke on Teen Titans Go! helped an unknown song, written more than a decade ago, break into the charts.
posted to MetaFilter by rewil at 1:21 PM on August 30, 2017 (30 comments)

The 100 Sequences That Shaped Animation

Animators continue to fool us into believing still images can move and breathe, and we in turn remain delighted to live between the frames. From Bugs Bunny to Spike Spiegel to Miles Morales, these are the 100 most influential sequences in animation history

Edited by Eric Vilas-Boas and John Maher, Vulture looks at the history of an art form that "continues to draw us in"
posted to MetaFilter by jazon at 2:15 PM on October 5, 2020 (51 comments)

Remember when Wikipedia was a joke? In its first decade of life, the website appeared in as many punch lines as headlines. The Office's Michael Scott called it “the best thing ever,” because “anyone in the world can write anything they want about any subject—so you know you are getting the best possible information.” Praising Wikipedia, by restating its mission, meant self-identifying as an idiot. That was in 2007....
posted to MetaFilter by growabrain at 9:53 AM on February 28, 2020 (77 comments)

Joey is an orphaned sea otter pup currently in care at the Marine Mammal Rescue Centre.
Watch him here.
posted to MetaFilter by Going To Maine at 10:44 PM on August 4, 2020 (15 comments)

Wolf Totem and Yuve Yuve Yu have racked up tens of millions of views on YouTube, which isn’t bad for Mongolian folk metal band. The HU released their first album, The Gereg, last year. Their YouTube channel has all kinds of content, from a benefit concert for Covid-19 relief in Mongolia, to HU’s in the Kitchen, a series of food-making videos by various members of the band and crew. The band sings in Mongolian and aims its message at a Mongolian audience, but interpreters in the west have wondered about their politics. Mongolia experts Niels Hegewisch and Julian Dierks did a deep dive on that topic (tl;dr not fascist). For a good introduction to The HU, read Katya Cengel’s NPR piece and an interview with the band by Jim Farber in The Guardian.
posted to MetaFilter by Kattullus at 4:21 PM on July 7, 2020 (23 comments)

Kamaru Usman is a Nigerian American MMA Fighter. He won his match in the main event of UFC 245, shutting down his MAGA-themed opponent. But what's more impressive is how he carried himself after the fight.
posted to MetaFilter by ishmael at 9:28 AM on December 18, 2019 (43 comments)

A Devil's Dictionary for the Silicon Age [SLGuardian]
posted to MetaFilter by 43rdAnd9th at 12:40 PM on July 1, 2019 (20 comments)

National treasure and sports trivia troubadour Jon Bois is back with a new Chart Party, in which he examines nearly two decades of punts to determine which punt is the saddest of all. (SLYT)
posted to MetaFilter by NoxAeternum at 2:26 PM on February 19, 2019 (44 comments)

Tinkerer Mark Rober gets revenge on package thieves with his overengineered glitter bomb.
posted to MetaFilter by Foci for Analysis at 1:59 PM on December 17, 2018 (292 comments)

One night in June 2014, Derek Broaddus went outside to check the mail. Derek and his wife had closed on the house at 657 Boulevard three days earlier and were doing some renovations before they moved in, so there wasn’t much in the mail except a few bills and a white, card-shaped envelope. It was addressed in thick, clunky handwriting to “The New Owner,” and the typed note inside began warmly: “How did you end up here? Did 657 Boulevard call to you with its force within?”
posted to MetaFilter by roger ackroyd at 10:01 AM on November 13, 2018 (47 comments)

A malaphor is a Blend of malapropism +‎ metaphor. Examples: "We'll burn that bridge when we get to it"... "Even a blind squirrel is right twice a day"... "If a bear shits in the woods, does it make a sound?"... "An apple a day leaves the whole world blind"
posted to MetaFilter by growabrain at 2:51 PM on October 17, 2018 (128 comments)

Law and Sausages is a new project launched by the excellent Zach Weinersmith, of SMBC, SMBC theater, Soonish and the BAH fest. It's about American civics and law.
posted to MetaFilter by es_de_bah at 10:10 AM on August 6, 2018 (5 comments)

Fortnite is the most important video game on the planet. Fortnite is successful like no other game before it for a few reasons. This is interesting even to non-gamers. The NYMag article explains the technical and social reasons for the game's popularity.
posted to MetaFilter by k8t at 12:04 PM on July 13, 2018 (82 comments)

God Bless ContraPoints, one of the few brave youtubers successfully taking on the alt-right - or, according to Vice, destroying it.
posted to MetaFilter by entropone at 7:00 AM on May 23, 2018 (52 comments)

Fizz enthusiasts, unite! A secret seltzer society for the digital age. [The Guardian] “It’s a closed Facebook group that’s been around since 21 November 2014, and it’s composed of more than 3,100 members from around the world. Within the group, its members offer and ask for tips on where to find sought-after flavors and brands (the Polar seltzer’s seasonal flavors are always a huge hit – right now, everyone is on the hunt for its Blood Orange Lemonade, Starfruit Lemonade and Strawberry Lemonade Seltzer’ade flavors), share selfies and videos of themselves trying new kinds of seltzer for the first time (called “seltzies” and “fizzeos”, respectively), and discuss other aspects of their lives through the lens of the drink that has brought them all together.”
posted to MetaFilter by Fizz at 8:04 PM on May 16, 2018 (73 comments)

“It used to be that everybody wanted out,” Watkins says. “But the city has changed a lot in a 30-year time period, to where I don’t hear that now from people. I wanted this team because I wanted my daughters, who I’m raising here, to have something to be proud of.” He looks around the restaurant. It’s filled with businessmen and women from the surrounding office park, a normal set of buildings that you could easily mistake for Scottsdale or Houston if it weren’t for the huge pyramid, ferris wheel, and fake Eiffel Tower looming in the distance as you get onto the highway. “T-Mobile is this little part of the Strip that’s ours, that’s for locals,” Watkins says. “Every other part of the Strip is for them. It’s made for them and for tourism. That part is made for us.” The Golden Knights are for Las Vegas, and Las Vegas only
posted to MetaFilter by everybody had matching towels at 2:11 PM on April 11, 2018 (54 comments)

"It helped that the wasting away of tuberculosis sufferers aligned with existing ideas of attractiveness. The thinness, the ghostly pallor that brought out the veins, the rosy cheeks, sparkling eyes, and red lips (really signs of a constant low-grade fever), were both the ideals of beauty for a proper lady, and the appearance of a consumptive on their deathbed. If you didn’t have the disease, you could use makeup to get the pale skin and crimson lips, and wear a dress that slumped your posture." How Tuberculosis Symptoms Became Ideals of Beauty in the 19th Century
posted to MetaFilter by everybody had matching towels at 10:54 AM on March 28, 2018 (31 comments)

"Weird Al" Yankovic: The Hamilton Polka (SLYT)
posted to MetaFilter by uncleozzy at 5:24 AM on March 2, 2018 (56 comments)

Will It Casserole? is a column about turning dishes which are not casseroles into casseroles. So far the author has converted pierogis, an entire steak dinner, Thanksgiving, and the Monte Cristo sandwich.
posted to MetaFilter by Iridic at 10:36 AM on January 3, 2018 (48 comments)

Jon Bois, author of MeFi-celebrated multimedia narrative 17776 and creator of Breaking Madden, Chart Party, and Pretty Good, has written dozens of pieces (fictional and nonfictional) about class, feminism, aging, sports, politics, wonder, education, and art. Following the jump, a collection of links. (previously)
posted to MetaFilter by brainwane at 11:27 AM on December 10, 2017 (25 comments)

TierZoo is a YouTube channel dedicated to ranking various combatants and highlighting lesser known competitors with strong builds in the high-stakes 3D persistent-world fighting game/RPG hybrid better known as Outside. This cat species tier list is a good introduction to the format, answering important questions like "Are cheetahs low-tier?" and "Are jaguars OP?"
posted to MetaFilter by Copronymus at 10:02 AM on September 26, 2017 (11 comments)

"...there’s no question that many of my students are dealing with much more adversity than I (or their critics) ever experienced, and they largely do so with exceptional resolve. Considering that, what does compassion cost me?" A great response to all the hand-wringing about kids today, by Daniel Heath Justice
posted to MetaFilter by hydropsyche at 5:30 AM on August 25, 2017 (52 comments)

Americans are drinking less milk than ever before, but fast food restaurants are saving the dairy industry by coming out with tons of new menu items featuring dairy products, especially cheese. A look at how a government-backed dairy industry group teamed up with Taco Bell to create the Quesalupa and convinced McDonald's to switch from margarine to butter.
posted to MetaFilter by Copronymus at 9:31 AM on July 25, 2017 (80 comments)

Techmoan is a YouTube channel about old, weird, obsolete, kitschy, expensive, cheap, bizarre, and charming technology.
posted to MetaFilter by overeducated_alligator at 11:47 AM on June 9, 2017 (13 comments)

Thousands of Veterans Want to Learn to Code — But Can’t | David Molina launched Operation Code with a single goal: Modernize the outdated GI Bill so veterans can land tech jobs.
posted to MetaFilter by I_Love_Bananas at 9:24 AM on May 4, 2017 (46 comments)

Eventually, I wind up in the master bedroom, looking at a poster against the wall that has a hand-drawn map of Area X on it, just like I thought the former director would have left behind. It’s a poster I drew myself, of course. But I stare at it for a while, and a genuine feeling of dread and fear travels up my spine. I’m seeing the room through Control’s eyes—he’s looking at a map created by some unknown source, wondering what the hell it’s doing in the former director’s bedroom.

Getting an entire trilogy published in less than a year is bad for your (mental) health, as Jeff Vandermeer found out writing the Southern Reach trilogy.
posted to MetaFilter by MartinWisse at 6:06 AM on February 15, 2016 (34 comments)

Farewell - ETAOIN SHRDLU: a short film documenting the production of the last edition of the New York Times to use hot metal typesetting. [via PrintingFilms.com]
posted to MetaFilter by cosmic.osmo at 9:24 AM on August 3, 2015 (13 comments)

FRAMED: A Mystery In Six Parts. The LA Times' Christopher Goffard brings you a truly bizarre bit of true crime, involving planted drugs, PTA moms, sexy firemen, self-published novels, cold-blooded revenge, and a whole lot more.
posted to MetaFilter by showbiz_liz at 9:52 PM on August 31, 2016 (103 comments)

The Internet Archive's Amiga Software Collection -- runs emulated in the browser, so you don't even have to load Workbench!
posted to MetaFilter by lkc at 9:42 AM on August 7, 2016 (35 comments)

"Some games make an enormous impact on you when you play them, and time and technology do little to diminish that impact. I feel that way about quite a few games: Elite, Super Mario Bros, and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time are three that immediately come to mind. Secret of Mana is without question a fourth."
posted to MetaFilter by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 9:11 AM on March 11, 2015 (69 comments)

A History of Pho
posted to MetaFilter by Bee'sWing at 4:42 PM on June 2, 2016 (40 comments)

Where The Hell is Upstate New York? With the $15/hour minimum wage set to take effect across New York State in a complex fashion (geographically and otherwise), and the arrival of primary candidates in New York State, Gothamist explore the time-old question of where exactly upstate New York is and interviews scholars and historians whose opinions (surprise!) differ.
posted to MetaFilter by andrewesque at 12:03 PM on April 7, 2016 (104 comments)

“Can you imagine a situation where a celebrity sex tape would not be newsworthy?” asked the lawyer, Douglas E. Mirell.

“If they were a child,” Mr. Daulerio replied.

“Under what age?” the lawyer pressed.

Gawker founder Nick Denton and former editor Albert J. Daulerio take the stand.
posted to MetaFilter by four panels at 6:40 PM on March 9, 2016 (68 comments)

My apparent new career as Hillary Clinton’s self-appointed Anger Translator (via Tumblr)
posted to MetaFilter by bluesky43 at 8:51 AM on December 22, 2015 (97 comments)

One-day-old sea otter pup trying to sleep on mom... (SL Imgur)
posted to MetaFilter by Confess, Fletch at 12:14 PM on December 24, 2015 (27 comments)

Patrick Mathis performs a pretty rad arrangement of Smooth Criminal on an orgue de Barbarie.
posted to MetaFilter by en forme de poire at 10:53 PM on November 12, 2015 (29 comments)

In a daring attempt to ease cold war tensions, the 19-year-old amateur pilot had flown a single-engine Cessna nearly 550 miles from Helsinki to the center of Moscow—probably the most heavily defended city on the planet—and parked it at the base of St. Basil’s Cathedral, within spitting distance of Lenin’s tomb. Newspapers dubbed the pilot “the new Red Baron” and the “Don Quixote of the skies.” The stunt became one of the most talked-about aviation feats in history. But it was politics, not fame, that motivated Rust.
posted to MetaFilter by veedubya at 8:50 AM on November 12, 2015 (21 comments)

Houston Voters Reject Broad Anti-Discrimination Ordinance [The New York Times]

A yearlong battle over gay and transgender rights that turned into a costly, ugly war of words between this city’s lesbian mayor and social conservatives ended Tuesday as voters repealed an anti-discrimination ordinance that had attracted attention from the White House, sports figures and Hollywood celebrities. The City Council passed the measure in May, but it was in limbo after opponents succeeded, following a lengthy court fight, in putting the matter to a referendum.

posted to MetaFilter by Fizz at 5:30 AM on November 4, 2015 (186 comments)

Comment trolls got you down? Feel like you can't make headway in a good old fashioned debate anymore because no one is following the rules? Logical Fallacy Ref is here to help.
posted to MetaFilter by hindmost at 1:49 PM on November 2, 2015 (47 comments)

We’d like to publish a story you wrote! - Cool! What do you pay? Oh, we can’t afford to pay, but EXPOSURE! - How about no. Wil Wheaton being propositioned by big media.
posted to MetaFilter by klausman at 6:18 AM on October 28, 2015 (67 comments)

28 years after the first version, and 20 years after perl 5, Larry Wall unveiled perl 6 at a meeting on Monday night in San Francisco.
posted to MetaFilter by jenkinsEar at 6:10 PM on October 6, 2015 (74 comments)

Dallas County district attorney Susan Hawk's life fell apart after she took office: divorce, depression and thoughts of suicide. After she fired some of her most experienced staff and amid allegations of erratic or unstable behavior, she vanished from public view in late July. Nine weeks later, she re-emerged to announce that she had undergone two months of treatment at a mental health facility for Major Depressive Disorder. She says she’s ready once again to serve. Is she up to the job? (Some links in this post discuss suicide / suicidal ideation. Some readers may find linked content disturbing.)
posted to MetaFilter by zarq at 11:17 AM on October 6, 2015 (105 comments)

"Hey Jerry, what's it like working in a video game studio?" (sl tumblr)
posted to MetaFilter by buriednexttoyou at 4:22 PM on September 18, 2015 (10 comments)

(Secretions, secretions everywhere, alert) As a zit popping video nears seven million views, the Guardian asks (popping video autoplay alert): "Millions are watching videos of cyst extractions, botfly removals and blackhead treatments. But what’s fuelling the explosive growth of the online community?" Also 12 pimple-popping videos, man pops tooth infection, a speciality website and reddit/r/popping. But, in medical advice, "think of a pimple as a little sack that holds oil, debris, and acne bacteria". On AskMeFi: "It tastes funny when I pop a zit." Previously (broken, but comments).
posted to MetaFilter by Wordshore at 1:58 AM on September 15, 2015 (67 comments)

In AD 79, a baker put his loaf of bread into the oven. Nearly 2,000 years later it was found during excavations in Herculaneum. The British Museum asked Giorgio Locatelli to recreate the recipe as part of his culinary investigations for Pompeii Live.
posted to MetaFilter by Miko at 3:31 PM on August 12, 2015 (29 comments)

Web Design: The First 100 Years
So despite appearances, despite the feeling that things are accelerating and changing faster than ever, I want to make the shocking prediction that the Internet of 2060 is going to look recognizably the same as the Internet today.
Unless we screw it up.
posted to MetaFilter by CrystalDave at 12:47 AM on July 21, 2015 (42 comments)