December 2008 Archives (all archives)

December 31

davesecretary's New Blog

Followup: it seems that davesecretary has a new-ish blog. [more inside]
posted by archagon to MetaFilter-Related at 11:46 AM PST - 66 comments

New Year's resolutions for MetaFilter

What are your New Year's resolutions for MetaFilter? As in, I resolve to attend more meetups in Iceland without making gender-based assumptions about the other attendees. [more inside]
posted by desjardins to MetaFilter-Related at 6:57 AM PST - 192 comments

December 30

Danke

Thank you for deleting me. [more inside]
posted by pianomover to Etiquette/Policy at 2:38 PM PST - 121 comments

Update on Hoder's arrest

For those who are interested, Iranian officials have confirmed hoder's arrest. His "case is under preliminary investigation and he is in custody." The old (closed) Metatalk thread about his initial disappearance is here.
posted by Anonymous to MetaFilter-Related at 7:08 AM PST - 44 comments

December 29

Rebel Meet up!

The Chicago cabal* has given its blessing on a separate northside Meetup! So what say, Chicago northsiders? Any night but Wednesday, Tommy Nevins? Prairie Moon? I don't hang out in bars (--cough--), so I'm open to suggestions. *TINC [more inside]
posted by nax to MetaFilter Gatherings at 4:03 PM PST - 48 comments

Reykjavík meet-up

I met Marisa Stole the Precious Thing for coffee earlier today and he and I thought it was about time Iceland had a MetaFilter meet-up. So, MeFites in Reykjavík and nearby towns, are you game for a meet-up on January 2nd?
posted by Kattullus to MetaFilter Gatherings at 9:24 AM PST - 148 comments

December 28

A bit less of the old ultraviolence, please

"Hi, I'm from MetaFilter, and I wish to hunt you down, bury you alive and beat you Clockwork Orange-style because I dislike your blog post." [more inside]
posted by cillit bang to Etiquette/Policy at 4:00 PM PST - 128 comments

December 27

Kitsap represent!

Kitsap County represent! Meetup time, now that the snow has mostly melted? [more inside]
posted by librarina to MetaFilter Gatherings at 9:39 PM PST - 20 comments

December 26

Meetup of brotherly love.

Anyone interested in a Philadelphia meetup? [more inside]
posted by piratebowling to MetaFilter Gatherings at 2:11 PM PST - 105 comments

Pressies

So come on, what did you get?
posted by Artw to MetaFilter-Related at 10:45 AM PST - 262 comments

December 25

Ho ho ho

Happy Christmas Metafilter! That is all.
posted by asok to MetaFilter-Related at 4:17 AM PST - 144 comments

December 24

[X of Y favorites] -- what is X?

What's up with the way favorites are now displayed on Popular Favorites? (See screenshot.) [more inside]
posted by nitsuj to MetaFilter-Related at 12:08 PM PST - 23 comments

Y approaching zero

Giga-meetup at 3.171 nano-Herz? [more inside]
posted by StickyCarpet to MetaFilter Gatherings at 11:21 AM PST - 44 comments

Spyware alert.

FPP link leads to spyware. [more inside]
posted by availablelight to Bugs at 8:54 AM PST - 30 comments

December 23

PST sleighs me

"I like to sing Jingle Bell Rock, but using only the words "bell", "rock", and "jingle": bell rock jingle rock Bell jingle rock Rock jingle rock Bell jingle bell Rock bell Jingle Rock rock bell Jingle rock, jingle rock Bell bell bell Drives my wife nuts. I'd record an MP3 of me doing it if someone could find me a karaoke track. posted by PinkStainlessTail at 12:25 PM on December 22, 2004 [8 favorites +] [!]"... [more inside]
posted by vapidave to MetaFilter Music at 10:23 PM PST - 60 comments

Is something up with the AskMe database?

It seems like half the time I try to post an answer on the green, it will show up saying it was successfully posted, then disappear. This isn't just in preview, it POSTs the comment and I get a full HTML page back with the new comment included. But if I look later, anytime between minutes and hours later, the comment's gone. It disappears from my posting history too, and I've gotten no mail from admins or anything like that. This doesn't seem to happen on the blue.
posted by vsync to Bugs at 9:24 PM PST - 30 comments

Public radio is awesome!

Today's Marketplace (skip to 22:30) from American Public Media made a special comment on the Givewell Holden Karnofsky astroturfing saga, almost certainly due to feedback by you people.
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 to MetaFilter-Related at 4:04 PM PST - 130 comments

Thanks. :)

Wow. I'm so impressed with the healthy, interesting, and totally civil (from what I've read) discussion in this post . I just wanted to say THANK YOU. :) [more inside]
posted by miss lynnster to MetaFilter-Related at 11:55 AM PST - 112 comments

Redboxes and christmas. Phreaks unite!

Redboxes...you always wanted one! [more inside]
posted by TomMelee to MetaFilter-Related at 9:27 AM PST - 2 comments [closed]

Beating dead ponies

There are x MetaFilter links to this post... [more inside]
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson to Feature Requests at 9:13 AM PST - 27 comments

The Not-So-Hidden Homosexual Agenda

Gay Mefi Cabal Roll Call [more inside]
posted by greekphilosophy to MetaFilter-Related at 9:13 AM PST - 20 comments [closed]

December 22

Sometimes the ads really are the best thing on AskMe

Sometimes the ads really are the best thing on AskMe [more inside]
posted by Riemann to MetaFilter-Related at 6:40 PM PST - 20 comments

I can't share my genius!

Problems uploading to MeMusic? [more inside]
posted by clcapps to Bugs at 4:47 PM PST - 11 comments

Best-of...

Maybe it's just my love of ἀρετή, but to me, the best thing about the end of the year is the best-of-year lists. I can't help it! I love it when professionals and friends start reeling off their picks of excellence in a Gregorian-calendrically-delimited fashion. Could we have just one place where Mefites get to say what were the best albums, books, movies, poems, gadgets, concerts, political events, celebrity pratfalls, Supreme Court opinions, and websites of 2008? And could this thread be the place? [more inside]
posted by anotherpanacea to MetaFilter-Related at 12:09 PM PST - 261 comments

December 20

First Australian meetup for 2009?

I'm back in Sydney for early January. Beer? [more inside]
posted by zamboni to MetaFilter Gatherings at 8:15 PM PST - 21 comments

Saying goodbye to the old year, L.A. style.

L.A. folks: let's get together and bid farewell to '08. [more inside]
posted by HotPatatta to MetaFilter Gatherings at 6:26 PM PST - 85 comments

December 19

Also: the dice are loaded, but everybody rolls with their fingers crossed.

In this FPP, pjern averred that almost everyone is familiar with airliners.net; the resultant answers from people who were innocent of it led me to search out what other things everybody knows, according to FPPs: [more inside]
posted by ricochet biscuit to MetaFilter-Related at 1:02 PM PST - 172 comments

December 18

historical accroutments

Does it mean something when a Meetup thread isn't updated after the event?
posted by four panels to MetaFilter Gatherings at 1:41 PM PST - 94 comments

I BRING YOU FIRE... AND CHEEZBORGERS

I AM THE KEEPER OF THE MONTHLYMETAMICHAVEMEETUP. YOUR NEXT CHICAGO MEETUP WILL BE... [more inside]
posted by eamondaly to MetaFilter Gatherings at 1:24 PM PST - 41 comments

Arizona Meetup?

Tucson or Nogales area meetup on Monday, Dec 22nd? [more inside]
posted by pjern to MetaFilter Gatherings at 11:36 AM PST - 10 comments

The Dangerous MeFi for Kids

Looking for the amazing thread, from a couple years ago (?), that became an anthology of stories about really dangerous things we did as kids. [more inside]
posted by Miko to MetaFilter-Related at 8:42 AM PST - 37 comments

Metaprinter interview with mathowie

Metaprinter: Q&A with MetaFilter.com founder Matt Haughey
posted by ColdChef to MetaFilter-Related at 8:41 AM PST - 16 comments

December 17

You have got to me shitting me

You have got to be shitting me.
posted by KokuRyu to Etiquette/Policy at 8:10 PM PST - 122 comments

Secret Quonsar Thank You Thread!

Secret Quonsar Thank You Thread! [more inside]
posted by sugarfish to MetaFilter Gatherings at 5:33 PM PST - 97 comments

Help Us Test Timed Editing

We're considering a new feature and could use some help kicking the tires. [more inside]
posted by pb to Feature Requests at 4:56 PM PST - 220 comments

MeFi Computer Freezes Completely

When I try to open mefi on my computer at home, the system freezes. [more inside]
posted by symbioid to Bugs at 2:10 PM PST - 22 comments

Hope us cortex!

art-sam is a chronic self-linker. [more inside]
posted by bardic to Etiquette/Policy at 2:04 AM PST - 105 comments

December 16

Melbourne meetup

With the roaring success of the last Melbourne meetup, I propose another one. [more inside]
posted by wilful to MetaFilter Gatherings at 9:16 PM PST - 53 comments

Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?

Its been a tough month, but you are good people. I would like to thank you. [more inside]
posted by allkindsoftime to MetaFilter-Related at 8:33 AM PST - 26 comments

December 15

Google Translate Frontend

I seem to remember an fpp about a webpage that acts as a google translate frontend. It supposedly makes translating quickly between languages a bit easier. Does this sound familiar to any of you?
posted by matkline to MetaFilter-Related at 9:41 PM PST - 4 comments

One last drink before the year dies

Are you one of the sad people who have to come back to the DMV to work on the 29th, 30th, and 31st (for half the goddamn day)? If so, how about an end-of-year meet-up in King Street, Alexandria or somewhere else on Blue/Orange Line (Eastern Market)?
posted by parmanparman to MetaFilter Gatherings at 3:59 PM PST - 72 comments

December 14

Gas sucks

What's up with gas prices? [more inside]
posted by BrnP84 to MetaFilter-Related at 10:56 PM PST - 39 comments [closed]

December 12

The MeFi Tahoe Snowjob, 2/1/09

MeFites + Snow = AWESOME. That's why we should have a meetup in the Lake Tahoe area on Sunday, February 1st, at a snowpark. [more inside]
posted by scrump to MetaFilter Gatherings at 6:14 PM PST - 80 comments

December 11

This is why I paid the five bucks.

This is why I paid the five bucks. [more inside]
posted by Joe Beese to MetaFilter-Related at 6:34 PM PST - 150 comments

LetmeMetathatforyou

The use of "let me google that for you" is getting a little snarky.
posted by desjardins to Etiquette/Policy at 2:52 PM PST - 73 comments

Does favoriting a post count as a binding contract?

Hermitosis, you got some 'splainin' to do! [more inside]
posted by explosion to MetaFilter-Related at 2:09 PM PST - 50 comments

Palmer v. Jones

When is it okay for the sexiness/attractiveness of a woman to be discussed? The Amanda Palmer post versus the Grace Jones post. [more inside]
posted by lord_wolf to Etiquette/Policy at 11:41 AM PST - 154 comments

London meet-up pretty please?

How about a London meet-up for an out-of-towner? I'll be visiting for a couple of weeks and may be lonely! [more inside]
posted by booknerd to MetaFilter Gatherings at 9:04 AM PST - 48 comments

Standards.

While I understand that this was a "stunt post", why are some threads deleted and others are simply closed to new comments? [more inside]
posted by gman to MetaFilter-Related at 4:23 AM PST - 96 comments [closed]

December 10

He's baaaaaaa-ack.

It's coming up on that most wonderful givewell time of the year. [more inside]
posted by tractorfeed to MetaFilter-Related at 7:40 PM PST - 112 comments

MagCloud invites for whoever wants 'em

MagCloud, HP's invitation-only PDF magazine publishing service FunkyHelix posted about in June, and which I managed to get in on the beta and have been playing around with, sent me ten invites via email to send to whoever I wanted. I don't really have anyone to give them to so I'm offering them here to whoever wants one. [more inside]
posted by JHarris to MetaFilter-Related at 4:03 PM PST - 7 comments [closed]

Tampa St. Pete Jan 09 Meetup

Howdy, Tampa/St. Petersburg, FL- let's have a meetup the first weekend in January! [more inside]
posted by ThePinkSuperhero to MetaFilter Gatherings at 8:29 AM PST - 29 comments

December 9

Deskology

An offhand comment by Pastabagel leads to the creation and explosive growth of an entirely new field of studies: Deskology, a song and a poem. [more inside]
posted by nooneyouknow to MetaFilter-Related at 10:59 PM PST - 77 comments

Chuck E. Cheese Trouble

A follow-up to last year's AskMe about Chuck E. Cheese. [more inside]
posted by k8t to MetaFilter-Related at 6:39 PM PST - 39 comments

Ho Ho Ho, Meeerrrry SanFranProdigalMefitesMeetupMas!

Christmas? Chanukah? Kwaanza? Festivus? Who the hell cares!? Everybody knows the funnest holiday ever is really SanFranProdigalMefitesMeetupMas! This year, it falls on December 27th! Share your festive ideas and traditional SanFranProdigalMefitesMeetupMas customs inside! [more inside]
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur to MetaFilter Gatherings at 1:33 PM PST - 102 comments

New Year's Eve in Durham NC.

Meetup Durham, NC. New Year's Eve. The Pinhook. Come welcome leesh back to town! [more inside]
posted by Stewriffic to MetaFilter Gatherings at 7:29 AM PST - 43 comments

December 8

Self indulgence, selfish or self-link?

Just how "Self"-ish does the self-link ban cover? [more inside]
posted by Nice Guy Mike to Etiquette/Policy at 8:33 PM PST - 22 comments

Fat bitchez, raise your hands.

Body-positive feminists, stand UP. [more inside]
posted by peggynature to MetaFilter-Related at 3:07 PM PST - 37 comments [closed]

Garfield Minus Garfield follow-up.

As a follow up to this post, I ran into this book at Barnes and Noble last night, and I was pretty thrilled to see it (so saullgoodman, your wish was answered). Apparently, the site was turned into a real, legitimate book with Jim Davis' endorsement. I thought this fact was pretty great, with all of the copyright paranoia going on these days. In the secret wishes of my heart, I'd like to think that Metafilter sent some traffic there that helped make it possible. In the beginning of the book, the author talks about how traffic to his site escalated, leading to this new project being possible. [more inside]
posted by SpacemanStix to MetaFilter-Related at 1:48 PM PST - 26 comments

A question on the homeless worth reading

This AskMe thread on helping the homeless really hit me hard. [more inside]
posted by ObscureReferenceMan to MetaFilter-Related at 10:17 AM PST - 25 comments

AskMe Question Resolved

A report on the outcome of a "Does she like me?" AskMe question. [more inside]
posted by forforf to MetaFilter-Related at 9:24 AM PST - 68 comments

35: Overeducated and underpaid

Episode 35 of the MetaFilter Podcast features all three mods talking about the last couple weeks on MetaFilter. It was recorded on December 3rd and after an unfortunate delay, it's finally up. There's a lot of music discussed and sampled and it runs a little more than an hour total. [more inside]
posted by mathowie to MeFi Podcast at 8:23 AM PST - 43 comments

December 7

One last round for 2008

Boston, it's been too long. Is anyone down for one last 2008 meetup? [more inside]
posted by Ryvar to MetaFilter Gatherings at 5:58 PM PST - 93 comments

Is there anywhere a survey of where Metafilter users live?

I'm getting the impression that a huge percentage are like myself: -Mac users, living in Toronto who ten to leave food out on the kitchen counter too long.
posted by bonobothegreat to MetaFilter-Related at 5:17 PM PST - 78 comments

Link user name to profile on inbox?

[ICanHazPony?] Can the author's name please link to their profile on the MeMail Inbox?
posted by disillusioned to Feature Requests at 2:42 PM PST - 22 comments

I put a spell on you

Isn't it mildly (or greatly) annoying when a commenter makes a second comment in order to correct some small spelling error? How about we refrain from joining joke pile-ons focused on those errors? Sometimes they're funny, for a limited time. Often, they start as or quickly become noise. I think they are a reason for people's nervously jumping back in to add the missing f onto that 'of,' which act is itself noise. [more inside]
posted by Kirth Gerson to Etiquette/Policy at 2:17 AM PST - 137 comments

December 6

heartwarming askme

This thread with this comment and the follow up warmed my stoney heart. [more inside]
posted by piratebowling to MetaFilter-Related at 6:05 PM PST - 23 comments

Nude Removed?

Why was this painting's image removed from this question? [more inside]
posted by geos to Etiquette/Policy at 7:12 AM PST - 144 comments

December 5

When DIY goes wrong...

*clears throat* What is the exact reason why self-linking is metafilter's #1 sin? Help out this sorta-newbie. [more inside]
posted by sixcolors to MetaFilter-Related at 12:54 PM PST - 75 comments

Miniature Flag-Waving Pony

How about letting posters see that their posts have been flagged? [more inside]
posted by le morte de bea arthur to Feature Requests at 7:44 AM PST - 102 comments

December 4

Are therapists going on metafilter?

When people say "print out this post and take it to your therapist"....do people do that? How does the therapist react? Does it help? Will they go check out your other posts? [more inside]
posted by sweetkid to MetaFilter-Related at 7:17 PM PST - 55 comments

But I don't WANT to google a pis.

Same old "tried to add favorite, bumped to top of page" stuff. [more inside]
posted by Sys Rq to Bugs at 4:51 PM PST - 18 comments

Does "Christ, what an asshole" count as an "In Joke"?

Does "Christ, what an asshole" count as an "In Joke"? [more inside]
posted by Joe Beese to Etiquette/Policy at 8:22 AM PST - 231 comments

Moxie Cinema 2.0

Moxie Cinema 2.0 is box office boffo! MeFite Bjork24 and wife hand-built (with AskMe help) an independent theater with kitschy appeal that won Springfield, MO's Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2007 and last week moved to its new, hand-built 2-screen home. [more inside]
posted by planetkyoto to MetaFilter-Related at 6:54 AM PST - 37 comments

December 3

Mefi Photos broken?

Recent Photos From All broken for me. I get an instant "connection timeout" and no pictures. Is it just me? I love that page! Make it come back. [more inside]
posted by Devils Rancher to Bugs at 5:40 PM PST - 13 comments

Email notifications to AskMe threads

Is there a good way to get email notifications of updates to AskMe threads? [more inside]
posted by Blazecock Pileon to Feature Requests at 1:58 PM PST - 17 comments

December 2

Civility

This is the more civil Metafilter? [more inside]
posted by tkchrist to Etiquette/Policy at 10:39 PM PST - 388 comments

Exciting Canadian politics? Did I hear that right?

Vancouver NDP-Liberal coalition rally meetup? (Thursday Dec 4, 6pm, Canada Place) I'm wondering if any mefites want to join me at the pro-coalition rally on Thursday. Maybe beers afterwards as well?
posted by rhinny to MetaFilter Gatherings at 7:46 PM PST - 14 comments

look-who's-here-filter

look-who's-here-filter: Amanda Palmer of the Dresden Dolls shows up in a thread about her.
posted by UbuRoivas to MetaFilter-Related at 12:18 PM PST - 150 comments

Getting it from the horse's mouth.

This is why I still read MetaFilter.
posted by timeistight to MetaFilter-Related at 11:38 AM PST - 52 comments

CoD:WaW friend code

Wii players of Call of Duty: World at War should post their friend codes in this thread. [more inside]
posted by baphomet to MetaFilter Gatherings at 10:45 AM PST - 9 comments

December 1

Austin/Central TX White Elephant Planning Pt. II

Austin/Central TX White Elephant Planning Pt. II [pt. 1] We got excited, started the planning, made a few course corrections, figured some things out...and then things dropped off while we still had things to work out. I hope this is okay &, if it isn't, please forgive me and let me know (gently) and I'll never do it again. [more inside]
posted by batmonkey to MetaFilter Gatherings at 10:29 PM PST - 33 comments

December Awesome Post Contest

A couple years back we did a best post contest in December (winners here). A couple days ago, anotherpanacea suggested we do it again, and it sounded like a good idea, so yeah, consider this the announcement of a December 2008 Awesomest Post of the Official Recession Contest. With Prizes. [more inside]
posted by mathowie to MetaFilter-Related at 5:05 PM PST - 68 comments

mefi projects [ab]use

I posted a personal project to mefi projects about a year ago. Ive made a few (fairly significant) improvements since. Appropriate to post it again, or abuse? [more inside]
posted by nihlton to Etiquette/Policy at 2:52 PM PST - 5 comments

Category request: Fitness

Category request: Fitness [more inside]
posted by ShootTheMoon to Feature Requests at 11:38 AM PST - 61 comments

MeFi Mall Rides Again!

Show us your wares! We're going to do a MeFi Mall page again for holidaytime this year. If you'd like to be included, please drop me a line with your username, a link to a page where people can see/purchase your items and a short text description. A few specifics inside. [more inside]
posted by jessamyn to MetaFilter-Related at 8:46 AM PST - 46 comments

Lyon meetup

Anyone up for a meetup in Lyon, France sometime this month? [more inside]
posted by mustcatchmooseandsquirrel to MetaFilter Gatherings at 5:28 AM PST - 15 comments