~metafilter | Bookmarks (1009)

The Cure live in London at Troxy, recorded November 1st, marking the release of the new album Songs Of A Lost World.

"PEN America today released new documentation of public school book bans for the full 2023-2024 school year, recording 10,046 instances of books banned nationwide, a dramatic 200 percent rise over the previous school year. Since 2021, the free expression organization has counted close to 16,000 instances of book bans in public schools.""Nineteen Minutes by bestselling author Jodi Picoult was the most commonly banned book...

Japan's clutter tells a different story. It's one that reveals a far more complex and nuanced relationship with stuff, one that suggests minimalism and clutter aren't opposites, but two sides of the same coin. For the nation of Japan is filled with spaces that are as meticulously cluttered as minimalist ones are meticulously simplified. These packed places, which are every bit as charming as...

Why You Should Read Literature in Translation is a video essay about what is gained in translation. There is a transcript, but you need to click on "show transcript" all the way at the bottom of the episode notes. The essay ends with recommendations of books in translation and they're all interesting, and so are a lot of other books discussed.

Trumpism Has Deep Roots in American History, and It Will Outlast Trump [ungated] - "He's said he wants the Justice Department to target people and institutions he regards as opponents, and would unleash the military to round up American citizens he's labeled as the 'enemy from within.' He wants to deport more than 10 million immigrants. He plans to lock down trade channels with...

Technology sucks liquid out of the air to provide safe drinking water for an entire remote town. Children living in a remote, desert-like town in north-western NSW can fill their drink bottles with safe, chilled water sucked out of the air by hydropanels at their school.

The X Factor: How Group Labels Shape Politics (PDF) By scholars Amanda Sahar d'Urso and Marcel F. Roman, a recent paper posits a "Identity-Expansion-Backlash Theory," explored through the partisan consequences of the term "Latinx" through seven experiments. They find a decrease in support for Democrats who use "Latinx" among Latino voters who might otherwise support Democrats, but who are resistant to LGBTQ+ inclusion in...

Giant Jurassic tadpole fossil includes skeleton, nerves and eyes. Researchers have discovered the oldest-known tadpole reported to date, a fossil from 161 million years ago found in Argentina. The discovery sheds light on the evolution of frogs and toads.

SWAP YOUR VOTE Teaming up voters to vote against Trump in the swing states and vote third party/protest votes in safe states. - "A 'dating' site to defeat fascism" Do you live in a Swing State, don't want Trump to win, but can't vote for Harris in good conscience? Go to this site and read! Live in a Safe Blue state and are going...

The Canadian Journal of Zombie Science is here to make your academic nightmares a little more entertaining.

"Our hope was to to highlight books that resonate with readers, that may have been overlooked, and that reflect the inclusivity and imagination that speculative fiction is known for."

"'The Bat' is a three-act play by Mary Roberts Rinehart and Avery Hopwood that was first produced by Lincoln Wagenhals and Collin Kemper in 1920" which was based on a 1907-08 serialized novel, 'The Circular Staircase.' "The Bat is a 1926 American silent comedy mystery film directed by Roland West and starring Jack Pickford and Louise Fazenda" which in 1959 was (re) made into...

Thread Count Doesn't Matter (much) When Buying Sheets. "If the sheets aren't 100% cotton with single-ply weaves, chances are thread counts are either misleading or irrelevant. In fact, some brands may not even specify the percentage of cotton or the ply when you shop, which creates even more confusion. Here's why thread count doesn't matter for other materials...."

In an age of overlapping social crises, the 12-foot skeleton is a flamboyant status symbol, and a super-human vector for discussions of privilege, comfort, and wealth. Foreign Body: On the 12-Foot Skeleton as Supra-residential Memento Mori, a short essay by Anna Soper.This is one of the eight part series Ghost Light II: Monstrosities from NiCHE Canada, curated by Caroline Abbot who is also responsible...

Special effects legend Rick Baker has had a storied career in cinema, dating all the way back to his first (and the first) Academy Award for Best Makeup for his work in the 1981 John Landis-directed cult horror-comedy classic An American Werewolf in London. And though the film had plenty of clever effects work, no scene was a better showcase of his talents than...

Nazareth, 29AD. A rage-filled fighter becomes an apprentice to a mysterious Carpenter, compelling him to pursue his greatest potential. An adopted viking orphan* becomes a carpenter's apprentice to Jesus. The orphan, Oren, fights as a side hustle. His experience training as a carpenter with Jesus as his mentor changes his lifestyle. This is a real trailer, for a real movie. (SLYT) *Who owns a...

The web series Work Is Four Letters usually spotlights people talking about their jobs. But for this week, the stories go in a... spookier direction: Meet Rennie (personal assistant), Liz (skincare influencer) and Vic (researcher and lecturer).

Some readers may recognize ... the Stoic idea of the "dichotomy of control" – the notion that you ought to confine your concerns to things you can influence, while cultivating detachment from everything you can't. But to be honest, and perhaps unfairly to Stoicism, I've always found this slightly bloodless and intellectual. Hard as I've tried, I apparently can't just divide the world up...

Korean a capella group Maytree sings the theme to Psycho [SLYT] Maytree @ Wikipedia Bonus link: Maytree sings Looney Tunes Theme/Leopold!

Fireside Canada is a podcast by David Williams now in its 4th season and covering Canadian legends, lore, and the history behind them. This season Williams is focusing on legends based in locations that have been abandoned, emptied out or demolished.

Come for the shivers, stay for the chills! Also, my fave out of these--and yes yes I am sure MeFites will trip over themselves to be dismissive--is the couple who fed feral cats and one night got more than what they bargained for! Anyway, Happy Halloween, ghouls and gals!

Two short fantasy stories, both published 2024, about taking care of family as & after they transform. Content notes on both, at top of the page. "The Wilding Year" by Jamie M. Boyd: "Erin resists the urge to ask the doctor what he changed into during his Wilding Year." Boyd says it "explores the messiness of parenthood and growing up, the loneliness and friendships...