Part 1: From the S Dynasty to the Chin Dynasty. Part 2: From the Chu-Han contention, through the first Chinese golden age of the Han dynasty, to the Warring States, and the Northern and Southern dynasties. To clarify, this YouTube series is NOT about the actual history, but how Chinese history is interpreted through Chinese cinema. This is a continuing series from Accented Cinema. Previously from AccentedCinema. For those interested in the actual history, he recommends Cool History Bros.
posted to MetaFilter by toastyk at 8:40 AM on May 1, 2024 (8 comments)

At the frame shop there is so much beauty, it can’t be real. Maybe this is the afterlife, I think. Or purgatory. ... When my boss stomps up from his frame-building cellar and sees me, he always barks: Are you still here? Which is literal, because I’m new and only working part time, but also existential because how am I still here—or back here? It’s been a year since I returned to Chicago, but it still doesn’t feel like real life from Don’t Bleed on the Artwork: Notes from the Afterlife by Wendy Brenner [Oxford American; ungated]
posted to MetaFilter by chavenet at 1:20 AM on May 1, 2024 (8 comments)

Enclosed within its rugged mud brick walls the temple precincts at Dendera seem to be an island left untouched by time. Particularly in the early hours of the morning, when foxes roam around the ruins of the birth house or venture down the steep stairs leading to the Sacred Lake. Stepping into the actual temple is like entering an ancient time machine, especially if you look up to the recently cleaned astronomical ceiling. This is a vast cosmos filled with stars, hour-goddesses and zodiac signs, many of which are personified by weird creatures like snakes walking on long legs and birds with human arms and jackal heads. On the columns just below the ceiling you encounter the mysterious gaze of the patron deity of the temple: Hathor.

It might not have the iconic status of Giza or the Valley of the Kings, but the Dendera temple complex north of Luxor boasts some of the most superbly-preserved ancient Egyptian art known, ranging from early Roman times back to the Middle Kingdom period over 4,000 years ago. Most breathtaking is the ceiling of the temple's grand pronaos, which is richly decorated with intricate astrological iconography. But you don't have to travel to Egypt to see it -- thanks to photographer and programmer José María Barrera [site], you can now peruse an ultra-HD scan of the fully-restored masterpiece in a slick zoomable scroller. Overwhelmed? See the captions in this gallery for a deep-dive into the symbolism, or click inside for even more.
posted to MetaFilter by Rhaomi at 9:52 AM on April 21, 2024 (10 comments)

My local supermarket carries this - frozen puff pastry that has been pre-cut into modest squares. I tried something with them last night and I'm a big fan now. What else can I do with them?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by EmpressCallipygos at 9:09 AM on April 20, 2024 (18 comments)

Rico Wade of the Organized Noize production team has died. Operating from Wade's mom's dirt-floor basement in the early 90s, Organized Noize convened a group of artists that came to call itself the Dungeon Family. That group gave the world the first couple Outkast albums, the first Goodie Mob album, and several great singles. It's not an exaggeration to say that Rico Wade made some of the greatest American music of the last 50 years. It's an incredibly sad loss.
posted to MetaFilter by kensington314 at 1:04 PM on April 15, 2024 (16 comments)

This is a public thank you to chariot pulled by cassowaries for their frequent posts of good news from the natural world. It brightens my day to read about plants and animals recovering adversity, and people being not-terrible in helping them. Cheers to you.
posted to MetaTalk by seanmpuckett at 1:54 AM on April 6, 2024 (47 comments)

I find myself committed to an international trip despite the current state of my average daily supply of spoons. However, shouganai. Please hope me with the specifics elucidated below.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by interbeing at 6:01 AM on March 7, 2024 (22 comments)

The Most Mysterious Song on the Internet was the subject of a short little discussion on the BBC's Today programme this morning (1:47:10). Since it was posted to MetaFilter back in 2019 a lot has been unearthed about the track, but while a number of its fellow lostwave songs have been identified, it stubbornly refuses to give up its secrets. A week ago, Mike of All Things Lost made a video essay with a thorough recap of the evidence, theories, drama and characters and for the latest speculation and news you can dive into the subreddit r/TheMysteriousSong.
posted to MetaFilter by Kattullus at 12:28 PM on February 29, 2024 (19 comments)

I'd like to buy myself a minor appliance to upgrade my life. What is your favorite minor appliance, what do you use it for, and how happy does it make you on a daily basis?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by phunniemee at 8:07 AM on December 15, 2023 (68 comments)

Trying to eat more out of the cupboards for budget reasons, rather than either making lots of big meals with lots of ingredients or ordering takeout when I can’t think what to cook. I also batch cook so I do get my vegetables. I always have rice and pasta and cans of beans and a pretty well stocked spice cupboard. I eat burrito bowls, pasta with pesto, cannellini beans on toast and baked in tomato sauce with cheese a lot - looking for more similar recipes which use store cupboard items.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by chives at 2:50 PM on November 14, 2023 (41 comments)

"There is no singular Palestinian cuisine. Palestinian food spans our entire geography, from the mountains of the Galilee to the valleys of the south, from the coast of Yaffa all the way to the West Bank."
posted to MetaFilter by kensington314 at 12:15 PM on October 30, 2023 (5 comments)

There are lots of books about/by dude trial lawyers. Not so many by women or about women. I am open to all nonfiction (note: no fiction please as it skews towards "feisty workaholic woman lawyer finally breaks down and lets herself enjoy romance." Ugh.) There was a new yorker article about Judy Clarke a few years back that was phenomenal. Anything like that would really fit the bill. I am not into prosecutors but could make exceptions. Thanks!
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Sophiaverde at 6:35 AM on October 16, 2023 (5 comments)

Many editions of the video game "Sid Meier's Civilization" have included introductory videos/cinematics and trailers that composite together summaries of human history, often inspirational in tone (examples in full question details). I recently watched a few and was struck by their different emphases, hopes, arguments they make about what it means for civilization to progress, and so on. Could you point to good analyses (written or video) that compare, contrast, analyze, and/or criticize these short films, and maybe even put them in context with other similar edutainment montages of the history of civilization?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brainwane at 8:39 AM on October 12, 2023

“The excitement I feel looking at the 1960s architecture of Kenzo Tange is rooted in the excitement I felt as a six-year-old boy looking at the animated Autobot City.” Owen Hatherley looks at the Transformers franchise through a New Socialist lens.
posted to MetaFilter by infinitewindow at 12:05 PM on October 3, 2023 (8 comments)

As the year turns to fall, (it'll be a chilly 85°F for me tomorrow) it's time to think about preserving a larder for the long cold winter. And while you can think about your pickles, your preserves and canned goods for days, let's look instead at the French technique of "confit".
posted to MetaFilter by drewbage1847 at 11:12 PM on September 25, 2023 (27 comments)

Sure, you probably know there are major and minor scales. But unless you're really into music theory you might not realize those scales come in a whole variety of flavors called "modes"...
posted to MetaFilter by Zargon X at 6:31 AM on September 6, 2023 (41 comments)

You're bringing some delicious, crusty homemade bread to a get-together, and you want to make some kind of spread/dip/schmear to go with it. You are unburdened by dietary restrictions. What are you making?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by saladin at 5:59 AM on August 25, 2023 (45 comments)

The rumour about the Jews is an essay by Prof. Francesca Trivellato about how Jews expelled from France in 1394 were falsely credited with inventing the bill of exchange. She was interviewed at length on this subject by Nachi Weinstein for the Seforim Chatter podcast. The historiography of Jews and finance was the subject of Prof. Julie Mell’s The Myth of the Medieval Jewish Moneylender, which she summarizes in a brief radio interview with the Carolina Journal. For a more in-depth interview, you can listen to Scott Ferguson interview her for the Money on the Left podcast (incl. transcript) or read the three critiques in a forum on the book hosted by the Marginalia Review, and Prof. Mell’s response.
posted to MetaFilter by Kattullus at 6:59 AM on August 19, 2023 (21 comments)

Bayt Al Fann ("Art House") is a website featuring Islamic art, architecture, food and history, including detailed artist interviews. They have a very active Twitter presence and archive many of those threads, including beautiful Hajj certificates, Kufic script, Ismail al-Jazari, the "father of robotics", paper quilling and Islamic art, ancient manuscripts of Mali and Timbuktu, Turkish ebru marbling, the Middle Eastern roots of the samosa, and mosques in Malaysia, the Philippines, China and ancient Africa as well as mosque ceilings from around the world.
posted to MetaFilter by mediareport at 11:57 AM on August 18, 2023 (5 comments)

The authors of the study therefore proposed a new hybrid hypothesis for the origin of the Indo-European languages, with an ultimate homeland south of the Caucasus and a subsequent branch northwards onto the Steppe, as a secondary homeland for some branches of Indo-European entering Europe with the later Yamnaya and Corded Ware-associated expansions. “Ancient DNA and language phylogenetics thus combine to suggest that the resolution to the 200-year-old Indo-European enigma lies in a hybrid of the farming and Steppe hypotheses”, remarked Gray. from New insights into the origin of the Indo-European languages
posted to MetaFilter by chavenet at 10:10 AM on August 10, 2023 (3 comments)

Crip Up the Kitchen is a cookbook that makes home cooking more accessible and culturally relevant for cooks and would-be cooks with disabilities. The book organizes recipes by the level of effort required to make them and recommends tools that help prevent pain and reserve energy, using methods similar to Spoon Theory.
posted to MetaFilter by narcissus_and_ambrosia at 10:47 AM on August 4, 2023 (18 comments)

I'm about to start driving lessons in an automatic car. I'm 50, am anxious about driving, not someone with physical skills or great co-ordination, and have ADHD (inattentive). I'm in the UK, though guess some strategies will apply internationally. Can you suggest anything which will help me learn? For instance, this possibly sounds daft but should I make notes after lessons? If you are someone who has learnt in a similar situation it would be great to hear what worked for you.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by paduasoy at 12:29 PM on August 3, 2023 (32 comments)

I'm currently not working for health reasons and can't do much physical activity either. One thing I am able to do is enjoy learning new nerdy topics on YouTube. Help me out with more recommendations?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by quacks like a duck at 7:19 AM on August 2, 2023 (35 comments)

Listen to live air traffic control radio mixed with lofi hip hop
posted to MetaFilter by thatwhichfalls at 11:07 AM on July 12, 2023 (27 comments)

"Boundaries are a Band-Aid in a bad world: if you can’t expect people to care for you and treat you well and protect you from violence or scarcity, you can at least protect yourself from their needs. They aren’t straightforwardly wrong to do this: negotiating other people’s needs, which are often unreasonable and unfulfillable and intolerable, is fraught, baffling, and overwhelming. It demands a good strong metaphor, and the image of boundaries is unusually tensile. But the term takes on its own momentum, overrunning intimacy with alienation. In its most extreme forms, boundary-speak makes it feel like some of us have given up on each other: the only effective social strategy left is to lock yourself in, fortify your defenses. If your emotional defense budget isn’t big enough to hold the line and you get trampled by other people’s greed, that’s on you."
posted to MetaFilter by obliterati at 1:04 PM on July 11, 2023 (34 comments)

For Disability Pride Month, check out these accessible ways to visit Nature. Accessible Nature: A Trail Guide for Disabled Hikers We highlight a selection of paths, overlooks and other sites in several U.S. parks that outdoor enthusiasts with disabilities can enjoy this summer. (NYT Gift Article)
posted to MetaFilter by Bottlecap at 8:22 AM on July 1, 2023 (19 comments)

Solo female traveller wants to fulfill lifelong goal of a Japan trip. I’ve accepted that all of the things I want to do will likely require multiple trips. For my first trip I’d be willing to go as part of a group. I’m an introvert and would appreciate a good balance of organized tours and activities and free time.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Juniper Toast at 10:22 PM on June 8, 2023 (17 comments)

ATTENTION NICHE NERDS: WE NEED YOUR HELP. We're headed to Japan soon. There are lots of articles about things to buy in Japan: unusual Kit Kats, traditional handmade items, Matcha products, skin care, knives, etc. We don't need broad info like that. We've also read/watched all about the various shopping districts. We know that stuff. What we would like to know is: pursuant to your own weird, niche interests, what is an item a person can buy in Japan that you would be hard-pressed to buy anywhere else?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by DirtyOldTown at 1:18 PM on May 9, 2023 (65 comments)

I am very excited about the upcoming show American Born Chinese, which appears to feature Sun Wu Kong/the Monkey King of Journey to the West fame. I'd love to introduce my kids to the stories, which I think are a lot of fun. Are there any decent translations with good art in English of Journey to the West?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by toastyk at 12:35 PM on April 27, 2023 (9 comments)

SLTwitter from Robert Komaniecki: "I teach college music theory, but I'm also a new dad. I decided to combine my professional and personal identities and make a thread of music for babies where the adult musicians went way, way harder than they had to."
posted to MetaFilter by itsatextfile at 5:41 AM on April 21, 2023 (42 comments)

Netflix will end DVD-by-mail service in September of this year. A nation mourns.
posted to MetaFilter by Johnny Assay at 3:42 PM on April 18, 2023 (104 comments)

'Almost 30 years ago, a group of Kaktovik students invented a numbering system that reflected the way they counted in Iñupiaq and made math more intuitive for them.' The numerals are now part of Unicode (PDF).
posted to MetaFilter by Fiasco da Gama at 9:08 PM on April 17, 2023 (20 comments)

I've noticed there seem to be two types of people--those who accept there are some things the human mind just won't be able to comprehend and those who think that if we can't imagine it, it can't exist. I feel like the latter camp is just wrong on the facts since there are things in modern physics we can observe but have no way to explain (e.g., wave-particle duality and other aspects quantum mechanics, how ions going across a membrane results in a thought in her psyches). Is there a formal area of philosophy (or book) that considers the topic from that perspective--i.e., that since our minds evolved in a certain environment we'll never be able to understand aspects of the physical world outside of that environment.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Jon44 at 7:08 AM on April 14, 2023 (18 comments)

Like to find fun walks in Tokyo. Not always easy to do. Anyone know of some good walking routes esp those on google maps or similar?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by dougiedd at 4:21 PM on April 12, 2023 (4 comments)

Can you help us out with 90s themed dinner menu suggestions?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by joycehealy at 7:14 PM on April 3, 2023 (68 comments)

My first wedding anniversary is fast approaching and I really want to give my husband a number of small gifts along the theme of paper. What unexpected and delight-provoking gifts might you recommend?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by In Your Shell Like at 10:28 AM on April 1, 2023 (21 comments)

YouTuber bought EVERY Nintendo Wii U & 3DS game before the Nintendo eShop closes [YouTube] “Nintendo’s decision to close both the Wii U and 3DS eShops might make commercial sense for the company, but for fans and lovers of video game history it’s a disaster, as it’s feared many of the games being removed will disappear and never be seen or made available ever again. Loads of these games are tiny little indie things that probably haven’t been purchased or heard from for years, but that doesn’t mean they’re not worth preserving! [...] In an effort to address this—or at least address it in a single place on as few consoles as possible—YouTuber The Completionist decided to sit down and spend almost a year of his life (328 days in total) buying his way through both libraries.” [via: Kotaku]
posted to MetaFilter by Fizz at 10:00 AM on April 1, 2023 (12 comments)

The Music Lab has tests for you to learn how good you are at discerning melodic discrimination and recall, mistuning perception, and beat alignment and more (previously). "This Is What It Sounds Like" offers compare-and-contrast samples to help you reflect on your taste in melody, novelty, realism, timbre, and other elements. Its links lead to further online tests and demonstrations.
posted to MetaFilter by brainwane at 9:58 AM on March 23, 2023 (37 comments)

I read a lot of biographies about great people because I find such books fascinating and inspiring. Almost all of the ones I've read have been about men. Help me change that!
posted to Ask MetaFilter by underclocked at 1:28 AM on March 18, 2023 (22 comments)

About a week ago I was reading FPP 'X', and it made me think about a specific user whose input I would have appreciated, and whose comments in the past had helped shape, for the better, how I understand the world. The user in question died a couple years ago though, so that was that, but it put me on a path of thinking about them and - not to be morbid but, well - death.
posted to MetaTalk by From Bklyn at 10:14 AM on March 16, 2023 (50 comments)

I’m a vegetarian who enjoys noodle bowls, quinoa bowls, rice bowls, and salads (basically put a bunch of stuff together on top of a base), but find myself quite confused by how to construct them. Please help!
posted to Ask MetaFilter by cruel summer at 10:25 AM on March 14, 2023 (22 comments)

Someone Created A Ride In Roller Coaster Tycoon 2 That Will Outlast Our Actual Universe [YouTube] “Released in 2002, Roller Coaster Tycoon 2 is a popular PC theme park builder that is still actively played and modded by players in 2023. But there are also purists who don’t play the game using fancy mods or open-source ports. And Marcel Vos, a popular RCT2 YouTuber, is one of these players who enjoys experimenting with the original 20-year-old version of the game. A few years back he made a coaster that takes 12 years to complete. But now his newest creation—impressively created without mods—is a working roller coaster that will take over 3 quinvigintillion years in real life to complete. Bring some snacks. [...] If you want to see this bonkers Roller Coaster Tycoon 2 ride yourself, Marcel Vos has graciously released a file you can download and play on your own PC.” [via: Kotaku]
posted to MetaFilter by Fizz at 10:53 AM on March 11, 2023 (17 comments)

The Great LA Dumpling Drama - "Last August, moments after news of the Din Tai Fung move broke, the man who runs the Americana at Brand Memes Twitter account was out to breakfast with his mother-in-law when his phone began buzzing."
posted to MetaFilter by kliuless at 11:42 PM on March 3, 2023 (35 comments)

The long-unavailable "New Asian Cinema" EP (1998) by the Mountain Goats has been made available on their Bandcamp. The band's three Yo-Yo Records EPs from 1998 to 2001 have never been available on major streaming services, and "New Asian Cinema" is the only one up on Bandcamp now.
posted to MetaFilter by kensington314 at 11:35 AM on March 3, 2023 (12 comments)

How can I minimize my perception of strong scents? They are a migraine trigger for me and I feel I’m getting more sensitive as I age. Surgical masks provide some relief and N95s are much better, but I’d rather not wear a mask all the time.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by stillmoving at 2:23 PM on February 26, 2023 (7 comments)

Trapped on her family's isolated farm, Pearl (Mia Goth, who also co-wrote with director Ti West) must tend to her ailing father under the bitter and overbearing watch of her devout mother. Lusting for a glamorous life like she's seen in the movies, Pearl finds her ambitions, temptations, and repressions all colliding in this stunning, technicolor-inspired prequel to 2022's horror hit X.
posted to FanFare by DirtyOldTown at 12:56 PM on September 15, 2022 (13 comments)

My friend, possibly a BFF has slowly been red-pilling herself over the last two years and it seems like she complains about “woke” all the time and called me "wokie". I don't want to hear her red-pilled bigotry anymore. I was assertive about this vocally and by text. She got upset. I should probably respond.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Che boludo! at 11:56 AM on February 21, 2023 (36 comments)

I was nearly fluent in French when I graduated high school almost 20 years ago. I want to relearn French without really leaving my house or interacting in person with others. How should I do it?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by rodneyaug at 11:24 AM on February 17, 2023 (17 comments)

If you had bad posture, especially forward-slumping shoulders, and you tried to change that, did it work long-term? If so, what did it take?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by daisyace at 5:56 AM on February 10, 2023 (30 comments)

I watched Groundhog Day every day for a year. Here’s what I learned
posted to MetaFilter by logicpunk at 6:13 AM on February 3, 2023 (46 comments)