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The history of the pig is the history of humanity. The Book of Leviticus contains a warning that the pig “is impure to you; from their flesh, you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch.” And yet … pigs were consumed by ancient peoples despite the prohibitions. So, why the animosity toward the unholiest (or holiest, for some) form of meat? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
posted by JustSayNoDawg on Mar 19 at 10:45 AM - 60 comments

Hold My Snacks: Pirate’s Booty Founder Attempts a Seaside Coup: A snack food magnate declared himself mayor of the Village of Sea Cliff, on Long Island. The voters said otherwise. "But elections these days don’t always end when they’re over. And so even before the final vote had been counted, that snack food mogul — who professionally uses the title Captain Bootyhead — declared that the election was “rigged” and that he was the mayor of Sea Cliff." [more inside]
posted by jenfullmoon on Mar 19 at 4:02 PM - 33 comments

Crabs could be key to tackling secret army of starfish destroying the Great Barrier Reef (Australia). Researchers have found crabs are key predators of juvenile crown-of-thorns starfish and could be a hidden link to what controls their destructive spread.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries on Mar 20 at 8:50 PM - 4 comments

The divergence of opinion between the museum's experts and those who doubt the work's authenticity opens a curious space in which to reflect on intriguing questions of artistic value and merit. Is there ever legitimacy in forgery? Can fakes be masterpieces? from Rembrandt to Picasso: Five ways to spot a fake masterpiece [BBC]
posted by chavenet on Mar 19 at 1:40 AM - 13 comments

In an unusual event, a Thoroughbred mare gave birth to healthy twin foals. I saw this and just wanted to share it for the cute picture. And for the fact that it, temporarily, sent me down a rabbit hole I haven't revisited for a while: horse colour genetics, since (I'll admit), I was a bit surprised that one foal was chestnut and one was bay.
posted by sardonyx on Mar 20 at 10:07 AM - 14 comments

How to master decision making in a world of uncertainty What kinds of decisions are you trying to make lately and you don't know what to do about them? Commiserate, ask for advice, or just talk about whatever else is going on for you in this week's free thread.
posted by jenfullmoon on Mar 3 at 10:48 AM - 101 comments

On a sunny July day in 2005, a frog jumped out of a rain gutter to see an unexpected sight: an avalanche of thousands of colorful bouncy balls careening down a San Francisco street. Although San Francisco has been the setting for plenty of cinematic chase scenes, there had never been any quite like this. Filmed as a British commercial for Sony Bravia TV sets, 250,000 bouncy balls were launched down San Francisco hills in one of the most surreal weeks in the city’s history, resulting in a short film that swept the advertising awards circuit and racked up a cumulative 5 million YouTube views. from 'It was chaos': The history of San Francisco's most unforgettable TV ad [SF Gate]
posted by chavenet on Mar 18 at 12:42 PM - 44 comments

Maarten Larmuseau of the Laboratory of Human Genetic Genealogy at K.U. Leuven in Belgium traces family trees from archival sources and then invites living members of the family to swab out their mouths to see if their Y-chromosome matches their surname. His research suggests 1% extra-pair paternity (EPP) [leaky paywall Science] aka paternal discrepancy . . . in Flanders. Same story same author Trends in Ecology & Evolution PDF 2016. Rates differ in other cultures.
posted by BobTheScientist on Mar 19 at 3:22 PM - 6 comments

Protean Magazine, "The End of Resistance History." Historian Charlotte E. Rosen considers the legacy and project of "resistance historians," primarily focused on Heather Cox Richardson but also Kevin Kruse and others. "But after the election of Biden in 2020, these historians found themselves in a new position. Having helped vanquish their enemy, many of these figures were welcomed into the Democratic Party and Biden administration fold." [more inside]
posted by kensington314 on Mar 19 at 10:50 AM - 27 comments

This is a SLBlueSky thread collecting the examples spotted so far. I haven't seen any of these for myself yet, but I'll keep looking. They're pretty good.
posted by Paul Slade on Mar 7 at 8:53 AM - 45 comments

froghorn.exe
posted by Ten Cold Hot Dogs on Mar 18 at 7:32 AM - 21 comments

While women still shoulder the bulk of domestic work, men's participation in "feminine" labor increased during the pandemic--and men have kept up the work. [more inside]
posted by brook horse on Mar 17 at 5:44 PM - 57 comments

Former NASA engineer, squirrel competition organizer, and porch pirate antagonist Mark Rober demonstrates the inadequacy of Tesla's driving automation by means of a test that is quite literally Looney Tunes. [more inside]
posted by NoxAeternum on Mar 17 at 7:25 AM - 89 comments

Cabin Porn
posted by Lemkin on Mar 18 at 4:54 PM - 14 comments

USModernist® You cannot save something valuable without knowing where it is or why it is important. America’s brilliant mid-century Modernist houses are frequently endangered and torn down, largely because buyers, sellers, and realtors do not realize the importance of what they have or how to preserve, repair, and protect these livable works of art. USModernist is America’s largest open digital archive of Modernist houses, an award-winning nonprofit 501(c)(3) educational archive for the documentation, preservation, and promotion of residential Modernist architecture. See also their (very cool) Older Publications!
posted by spock on Mar 18 at 9:03 AM - 5 comments

Saltwater crocs feral pig diet may be changing NT waterways. A new study suggests nutrient-rich crocodile poop could be benefiting wetland vegetation in the Top End (Australia) while predation pressure limits feral pig damage.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries on Mar 19 at 2:49 PM - 7 comments

Mark Carney wins race to replace Trudeau. “We didn’t ask for this fight,” Carney said, referencing Trump’s threats to annex Canada. “But Canadians are always ready when someone else drops the gloves.” “So Americans should make no mistake. In trade, as in hockey, Canada will win.” [more inside]
posted by Kitteh on Mar 9 at 4:14 PM - 138 comments

Why do people support dictators? How do dictators come to power? What's the difference between a dictatorship, an autocracy, and authoritarianism? What are the most common personality traits found in tyrants and dictators?
posted by growabrain on Mar 19 at 3:10 PM - 5 comments

Greenpeace vs Big Oil: the case testing free speech in the Trump era [ungated] - "The courthouse in Mandan is currently hearing a case that has become one of the first judicial showdowns over free speech and protest in the second term of Donald Trump." [more inside]
posted by kliuless on Mar 19 at 7:42 AM - 7 comments

Jesse Colin Young (aka Perry Miller) passed away on March 16th, 2025. Founder of the Youngbloods in 1966, he is known for the 60’s anthem Get Together… along with Darkness, Darkness and my favorite Ridgetop.
posted by jabo on Mar 17 at 8:25 PM - 18 comments