MetaTalk

Happy Weekend, MetaFilter! This week, riverlife chimes in with an amazing suggestion spurred by last week's things from the past that have disappeared -- things from the past that are SOMEHOW still around! Or as riverlife put it, "How Has This Thing from the Past Remained a Thing in the Present??? How Has This Managed to Hang On???" They suggest baseball and AM radio to kick things off! [more inside]
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 9:08 PM - 98 comments

What it says on the tin. Am trying to access the unofficial, not actually affiliated with MetaFilter Politics slack. Have emailed the person linked in the MeFi wiki about the issue but haven't heard back. Can anyone let me know? [more inside]
posted by Bella Donna at 1:01 PM - 10 comments

I remember either seeing a question on AskMe or a post on the blue about an animal tooth that had grooves dug into them, and it being discovered it was because the animal was trying to break out of a trap. In a comment or answer, someone shared an article or blog post from an archaeologist, I believe, who had come across the same discovery. Any ideas?
posted by FirstMateKate at 3:04 PM - 2 comments

Good .... someday evening, MetaFilter? Time has no meaning. Anyway, this week, I want to hear about what things were totally normal when you were a child or teenager, that would be SUPER BIZARRE now. Like, if you're an American, was there still a senior smoking lounge when you were in high school? [more inside]
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 10:17 PM - 314 comments

Hey folks! It is another Arbitrary Two-Week Period and we have another update for you! Things are chugging along at Mefi Headquarters, although a few things (the FAQ updates, the public dev backlist) have been delayed because I have managed to find a way for even a pandemic-compliant misanthrope to get really outrageously sick (hint: it involves a bullseye rash and then a lot of napping.) [more inside]
posted by restless_nomad at 11:37 AM - 1 comment

Did you ever feel transported by an image? Some things (games, books, music albums, ...toys, cereals, ...) have cover art that can draw you into its world with a single image, even if the product then didn't really live up. Or short video (like tv ads, music videos, opening credits) that create an outsized atmosphere in a just a limited time. Did you have one like that, maybe something that really captured your imagination as a kid, or even now? Let's hear about it. [more inside]
posted by LobsterMitten at 2:00 PM - 57 comments

Title is sung to the tune of Jingle Bells. The Molerats household discovered yesterday that "fucking fuck" has the cadence of "Jingle Bells", and a new wildfire/COVID/etc. anthem was born. Please share your verses and other miscellaneous fucks here. [more inside]
posted by nakedmolerats at 12:01 PM - 112 comments

I look at Classic Era scifi as a string of broken promises. Never went back to the Moon. Hardly any jetpacks. Gigabit internet in the city, dial-up in the country. But still I dream. What's a thing you'd like to invent, something maybe near-plausible, or something entirely fanciful? Can solve a societal problem, a personal problem, or no problem at all. Technological, biological, philosophical, what do you dream about improving? [more inside]
posted by jessamyn at 1:21 PM - 118 comments

Hey everyone! We're halfway through our Fundraising Month, and having a great time! Hope you are all enjoying yourselves with it, too. Here are some updates about that and the other things we're up to. As usual, comments are turned off. Drop us a line at the Contact Form if you have feedback, and you’re welcome to open a MetaTalk thread for any subject you want to discuss with the community. [more inside]
posted by restless_nomad at 11:08 AM - 0 comments

I know that *lots* of MeFites live in areas that are currently under threat, and some of you likely have already had to evacuate. I wanted to create a space for folks to check in, share stories, grieve together, perhaps offer crash space to evacuees, and just commiserate about the latest shovelful of shit that 2020 has dumped on our heads.
posted by Kat Allison at 6:31 PM - 42 comments