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Everything Is Fucked (Keep On Going)
A wrote a little pep talk, for myself and for anyone else who needs one, as we wade through the fuckedness of all this. Catchy and short and angry and upbeat and exactly a minute long.
What is up with bra sizing, anyway?
In recent years, many women will have noticed new articles insisting that most of us wear bras that don't fit and that women should measure themselves in a new way. But the sizes that are easily and cheaply available to women are nowhere near the sizes that these experts insist women should be wearing. How did this state of affairs come to be? It turns out the answer lies in the history of bra manufacture.
East of Palo Alto’s Eden
A history of East Palo Alto (SLTechCrunch)
"a story of how two neighboring communities [Palo Alto and EPA] followed entirely different trajectories in post-war California — one of enormous wealth and power, and the other of resilience amid deprivation"
Talking about rape too much
The deletion reason for this post states that we've had 'a ton' of rape-related posts lately; this would have been the fourth in the last month. I understand that this is a topic which is psychically taxing and can result in threads which require disproportionate levels of mod attention; however, the suggestion that 'we'd really like the site to do other things, too' rubs me the wrong way.
"So no I don't always believe them and yeah I let them know that."
While working within the Chicago Police Department, Rebecca Campbell (PhD, Professor, Michigan State University) was told by a detective that "most victims lie" about sexual assault. She, on the other hand, was certain that most victims told the truth. Wondering how both she and the detective could be so certain, she began to do the research to find out. Her work examines how the legal and medical and mental health systems respond to the needs of adult, adolescent and pediatric victims of sexual assault. [Warning for graphic descriptions of assaults]
Help me understand my bronchiecstasis diagnosis
I have been sick for a while now, first with pertussis and now a bad case of bronchitis. My doctors have been trying to figure out if an underlying problem is keeping me so sick. In going back over my chest x-rays from a few months ago, my primary care doctor found bronchiecstasis. I had a CT scan yesterday, though I won’t meet with my doctor to discuss the results until Monday. I’ve been reading online about bronchiecstasis, but the articles haven’t helped me to figure out what bronchiecstasis means for my life now.
A Land of Contrasts
It's a simple game, really. You just click the box that's a different color than the others.
We shape our dwellings and afterwards our dwellings shape us.
Al Jazeera has just finished running its series Rebel Architecture.
The six 25 min. films are now available online:
Guerrilla architect.
A traditional future.
The architecture of violence.
Working on water.
Greening the City
The pedreiro and the master planner.
The six 25 min. films are now available online:
Guerrilla architect.
A traditional future.
The architecture of violence.
Working on water.
Greening the City
The pedreiro and the master planner.
I just freed an innocent man from death row. And I’m still furious.
I just freed an innocent man from death row. And I’m still furious.
"Some people expect me to feel satisfied, or even happy. The truth is: I am angry. I am angry that we live in a world where two disabled boys can have their lives stolen from them, where cops can lie and intimidate with impunity, where innocent people can be condemned to die and where injustice is so difficult to bring to light. As I lie awake at night, mulling over the maddening details of this case, I wonder: How many more Henry McCollums are still imprisoned, waiting for help that will never come?"
The most potent political sedative in women’s history
We can’t close gender gaps when we spend endless hours counting calories instead of cracking glass ceilings. We can’t gain self-assurance when body dysmorphia is so abundant.11 years on, Vanessa Garcia tells her 24-year-old eating-disordered self “Your time is precious. Get help. Do it now. You have too many important things to do.”
The evolution of credit card skimmers, and how to protect yourself
Credit card skimming was something of a myth in the early 2000s, until someone was caught skimming in 2002 in San Mateo, California. The next year, a skimmer was found on an ATM in a New York deli, and skimmers have been improving every year, following additional protective measures on a range of credit card reading devices, as detailed in Gizmodo's article on the evolution of skimmers.
The origins of that stereotypical Chinese nine-note riff
Kat Chow, with NPR's Code Switch, put together a short piece on the history and the prevalence of the well-known nine note "stereotypical Asian theme." As described in a 2005 Straight Dope forum question: You know, the one that goes dee dee dee dee duh duh dee dee duh. Featured heavily in braindead Hollywood flicks made by clueless directors who want to give a scene an "oriental" feel. Also a variation of it can be heard in David Bowie's "China Girl."
Escalating Tensions in Ferguson, Missouri
We are now entering day 10 of protests in Ferguson, MO, protesting the murder of unarmed teenager Michael Brown by local law enforcement officer Darren Wilson on August 9th.
How does Hawaii work?
My family and I are planning a trip to Hawaii, but we don't know where to even start. Family of four; two adults, two kids who will be 4 and 1.5. We're total Hawaii newbies. We don't even know which island to visit.
considering & rethinking bathrooms
Why the modern bathroom is a wasteful, unhealthy design (The Guardian):
"Piped water may be the greatest convenience ever known but our sewage systems and bathrooms are a disaster"
Built to last
“San Francisco's Fire Department is one of the few left in the United States that still uses wooden ladders. Each is made by hand at a dedicated workshop. Some have been in rotation for nearly a century.”
Pithy and incisive
"You're not in traffic, you are traffic" and "Prohibition isn't regulation. It's the absence of regulation" are two phrases I've come across that pithily, quickly and directly sum up some situation. They help flip the usual terms of the discussion around, and provide insight. Do you know more?
Not as equal as advertised.
Black Women of Brazil
From the ‘mammy’ to the Carnaval ‘mulata’, black women’s representation on Brazil’s airwaves remains very limited.
Although Brazil is a multi ethnic society some have remarked on the whiteness of the teams’ coaching staffs and fans in the stands of the 12 Brazilian stadiums.
Earlier in May there had been a particularily Brazilian protest of “somos todos macacos”
Brazil has a long history of constructing discourses of national unity, while simultaneously pushing their black and indigenous populations to the margins.
From the ‘mammy’ to the Carnaval ‘mulata’, black women’s representation on Brazil’s airwaves remains very limited.
Although Brazil is a multi ethnic society some have remarked on the whiteness of the teams’ coaching staffs and fans in the stands of the 12 Brazilian stadiums.
Earlier in May there had been a particularily Brazilian protest of “somos todos macacos”
Brazil has a long history of constructing discourses of national unity, while simultaneously pushing their black and indigenous populations to the margins.
"It's a privilege to want less."
The last decade has seen an explosion of interest in farmer's markets, healthful cooking, and dismantling the industrial food system, spurred in large part by Michael Pollan's 2006 book The Omnivore's Dilemma. But the "food movement" of today tends to be dominated by affluent urbanites, and messages from Brooklyn and San Francisco often don't reach--or resonate with--the majority of places in between.Guernica contributor Meara Sharma interviews food journalists Jane Black and Brent Cunningham about the juxtaposition of American working-class culture, Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, and the idealized pastoral leanings of the modern-day food movement: Servings of Small Change.
The Princess Effect
"It is often said that “Washington is Hollywood for ugly people,” but the adage is only half true. Women are not allowed to be ugly people because women—and nowhere more than in such women’s magazines that reduce female political leaders to their supposed fashion and lifestyle choices—are not really allowed to be people at all."
Risky Business
The Economic Risks of Climate Change in the United States
(PDF); prospectus (PDF); press coverage (YT) - "The signature effects of human-induced climate change—rising seas, increased damage from storm surge, more frequent bouts of extreme heat—all have specific, measurable impacts on our nation's current assets and ongoing economic activity. [The report] uses a standard risk-assessment approach to determine the range of potential consequences for each region of the U.S.—as well as for selected sectors of the economy—if we continue on our current path..."
Delight my dog
With summer here, we need some new recipes for treats that I can stuff into a Kong and freeze. What are some of your (and your dog's) favorites? The best options will be relatively easy to make, totally delicious, and not terribly terribly messy as they melt.
Have toddler, will travel, but how to minimize protesting?
Can you suggest some good classic (read: legally free) ebooks for little people around the age of 3? We're planning for a road trip, and we have a long list of good distractions, but I want to lighten our load of books by utilizing our Kindle Fire and the wonders of the Internet Archive and other sources for high quality digital books. Do you know of any good sites that compile such lists, or can you suggest some good picture books from such sources? And any suggestions for distracting a little person on a road trip would also be appreciated.
“Where do left and right meet? At the truth.”
Politically Incorrect was an American late-night, half-hour political talk show hosted by Bill Maher that ran from 1993 to 2002, first on Comedy Central and then on ABC. Four guests (usually including at least one comedian) would debate topics across the political spectrum in what Maher once described as “The McLaughlin Group on acid.” Of the 1300+ episodes produced, 190 can be viewed on YouTube.
Where I'm off to
Wanted to let people know that while I'll continue to be hanging around here like I've always been, I'll be taking a (small) job at the Internet Archive being the support person and the user/tech liaison for Open Library.
Winter on Georgian Bay
Winter on Georgian Bay
: “Highlights of a four-month time-lapse taken from a cottage overlooking Lake Huron, during an absolutely epic winter.” [via mefi projects]
Extravagant dessert
Seeking ideas for stunning desserts. Please share with me your tried and tested recipes that impress!
Things to do in Denver with your kids?
Planning a summer road trip with the little fergs (ages 6 & 8) in June involving a couple of nights in Denver, a few days camping at Rocky Mountain National Park, and probably a night/day in Fort Collins or Estes Park. What are the must-see/must-do, uniquely "Colorado" activities for a nerdy, music- and nature-loving family in Denver?
I'm your Tiny dancer, dancer for money, and any old music will do.
"My" cat's name is Tiny. I want to pick her up and dance with her around the house more when she comes to visit. Can you please provide me songs that would adapt to using the word "Tiny" that I can sing to her while we dance? I already know "Tiny Dancer" and "Private Dancer." Please assume classic songs I (a relatively music-clueless 43 year old) would know.
Smart phone for a smart-but-still-naive kid
Our oldest child is about to turn 13 and desperately wants a cell phone and an email address. We see both good and bad in this, but we agree that he's matured a lot in the last year and he's old enough (and mature enough) to start learning how to use and live with these things. That said, we're a bit apprehensive, for all of the obvious reasons. With those things in mind, MeFi parents of tweens and young teens: how are approaching/handling your child's cell phone and email usage?
Occupy Godwin Street
Silicon Valley venture capitalist Tom Perkins took to the op-ed page of the Wall Street Journal to compare progressive angst over income inequality to the sentiment that led to the Nazi Kristallnacht. Citing the recent kerfuffle over Google buses in San Francisco (previously) and accusations of snobbery by San Francisco resident, bestselling author, and Perkins' own ex-wife Danielle Steel (who he describes as "our number-one celebrity"), Perkins asks "Kristallnacht was unthinkable in 1930; is its descendent 'progressive' radicalism unthinkable now?"
Can You Ace This One Weird Quiz? CLICK HERE to Find Out!
I took this awesome thread where MeFites riffed on the idea of turning classic and popular books into Upworthy-style headlines, and the excellent spreadsheet that divabat created, and turned it into a Sporcle Quiz. How many can you get?
Healthy cities: public health and urban planning
A new Report on the State of Health + Urbanism (pdf) from MIT looks at the relationship between urban planning and public health, with some surprising findings. The cities covered are Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Minneapolis, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
Books/philosophical readings that have made an impact on your life
I'm at a bit of a crossroads in my life. This New Year's has been an introspective one for me, and has had me really contemplating my life's purpose - what I have accomplished thus far, and what I wish to accomplish from this point on. I've been doing some reading on the importance of finding and nurturing a purpose in one's life, which has certainly made a positive impact on my overall attitude and outlook. I want to discover more standouts from any genre - self-help, goal-setting, philosophical or otherwise - that have helped you, my fellow mefites, see the world and your respective circumstances in in a different, more positive light.
Help Support My Boobs! Um, With Your Advice, That Is.
I need the Uma-Thurman-in-"Kill-Bill" of bras: pretty yet nigh-unto indestructable.
July 30, 762 to February 13, 1258
In two weeks of blood and fire, one of the greatest intellectual and cultural legacies the world had ever seen came to an end. Crushed under the hooves of a mighty foe (in one case literally), a dynasty, an empire, a city, and a library all disappeared. It was perhaps the swiftest and most complete collapse of a civilization ever, still felt to this day. Now, how about for some context?
How do you move a dead million-pound locomotive? Very carefully.
Much like the animated train in the old Gumby television series, the UP 4014 Big Boy is moving along hopscotched panel track on the first leg of its trip to restoration (previously) at the Union Pacific's Cheyenne Steam shop.
What is it like to own an old-ish farm property with a pond and stable?
I'm currently on the market for a house, and have made a critical error in my house hunting quest - I've fallen in love with a house - which is a 1970s era home with stables, a horse paddock, and a pond. I have thus lost the ability to be objective in my assessment of said house, and so I turn to you, AskMe….
I want better poop.
I want to poop better. I poop frequently enough, but I rarely get the super-satisfying, perfect, long, clean-wipe poop that I deserve. I need reliable information on how to do this. What diet should I have? What should I eat more/less of? What supplements would help? Thanks!
The Logic of Stupid Poor People
"If you are poor, why do you spend money on useless status symbols like handbags and belts and clothes and shoes and televisions and cars? One thing I’ve learned is that one person’s illogical belief is another person’s survival skill."
Native peoples have fought these mascots since 1963
There has long been protest about the name of Washington's NFL team - the "Redskins". In September, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell changed his stance from supporting the name, to saying "if one person is offended, we have to listen." Then last week the President of the United States sided with changing the team's name. Shortly afterward, the NFL agreed to have representatives meet with the Oneida Nation about the name in the next month. Then yesterday Washington team owner Dan Snyder wrote a letter to fans and season ticket holders in an attempt to defend the name "Redskins". But one writer tells what Snyder essentially said with his letter. Amid an official campaign and groundswell of support for changing the name, Ray Harbritter of the Oneida Nation professed "This is not going to away this time"
It's Your Fault.
It's Your Fault
"Every sexual assault case in India inspires a string of stupid and hateful remarks against women. This is our response to those remarks." (SLYT) From AIB365, an Indian sketch comedy troupe.