MetaFilter

"I've got a shotgun. Do you want me to stop 'em?" On November 14, 61-year old Joe Horn saw two men breaking into his neighbor's home. He called 911, told the operator what he could see through his window. As Horn watched the men, he grew more and more agitated, saying he was going to go outside and shoot them. When the men left the neighbor's home, Horn went outside and did just that.

Now, Texas gets to argue over the hero or villain status of Joe Horn in the public square (a debate made more volatile by concerns that race was been a factor), while weighing the merits of that state's recent adoption of Castle Doctrine (aka "Stand Your Ground" Law). First adopted by Florida in 2005, Castle Doctrine is now law in 19 of 50 states. So what does this mean for Joe Horn? Public accusations of vigilantism aside, what Horn did is arguably legal under Texas law ... or, at least, it would be had he shot the two men after dark.
comment posted at 9:26 AM on Dec-5-07
comment posted at 9:27 AM on Dec-5-07

Working memory of numerals in chimpanzees. Are you smarter than a chimpanzee?
comment posted at 6:04 PM on Dec-3-07

Hostages taken at Clinton campaign office in New Hampshire Breaking news...
comment posted at 12:12 PM on Nov-30-07

"There is not a bomb by the entrance of the museum" was the telephone message delivered to a museum employee at Toronto's Royal Ontario Museum Wednesday evening. This, along with the posting of a video on YouTube entitled The fake bombing at the ROM, Toronto, 28.11.07 led to the cancellation of a gala AIDS fundraiser at the Museum and a massive police investigation. Today, Ontario College of Art and Design student Thorarinn Ingi Jonsson claimed responsibility for the "art project".
comment posted at 9:09 AM on Nov-30-07
comment posted at 9:23 AM on Nov-30-07
comment posted at 9:56 AM on Nov-30-07
comment posted at 10:50 AM on Nov-30-07

A few months ago, a British Schoolteacher in Sudan allowed a class of hers to vote on a name for a teddy bear. The class of seven year olds decided - with a majority of 20:3 - to name the stuffed toy Mohammad. Last week, she was arrested for this 'crime' after several of the parents complained, and has been sentenced to 15 days in prison and will be deported. However, that isn't good enough for the thousands of people that marched on martyrs square today and demanded that she instead be killed for this crime.
comment posted at 1:13 PM on Nov-30-07

Rudy Giuliani is no saint. It's no secret that his marital infidelity and his subsequent divorce were two factors in the scuttling of his 2000 Senate bid, but the image of strength he tries so hard to project has (for the most part) allowed people to overlook his moderate stances on social issues. However, as with his good friend Bernard Kerik, his real problem might not be his infidelity as much as the abuse of public funds that accompanied it.
comment posted at 3:34 PM on Nov-28-07

A recent post on Russian animation reminded me of the "Lift" series of short animations, created by the Pilot studio [link in Russian]. There are, count 'em, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 installments. Knowledge of Russian not required to watch.
comment posted at 11:01 PM on Nov-27-07

Trent Lott announced today that he will be resigning from the U.S. Senate at the end of the year. His swift and unexpected decision to retire just one year after a re-election that many saw as a comeback from his much disgraced comments at Strom Thurmond's birthday party in 2002 has puzzled many folks. Rumor is spreading that his resignation is due to an alleged scandal: his involvement with a gay escort.
comment posted at 11:32 PM on Nov-26-07

Time for Black Friday again and people just losing it and going fucking insane.
comment posted at 3:51 PM on Nov-25-07

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's...Ron Paul? Coming soon (maybe) to a city near you, the Ron Paul blimp. That is all.
comment posted at 2:53 PM on Nov-25-07
comment posted at 3:24 PM on Nov-25-07

Garry Kasparov, chess grandmaster, and presidential opponent to Putin, has just been detained on charges of organizing a protest and resisting arrest.
comment posted at 2:38 PM on Nov-24-07

Imagine you're a pilot trying to control a jet when your skull has been smashed with a hammer and your co-workers are trying to subdue a madman with a speargun.
comment posted at 1:42 PM on Nov-22-07

Scientists discover fossilized claw of enormous ancient sea scorpion. They estimate this thing was 2.5 meters long. Sorry about the nightmares. [via]
comment posted at 9:42 AM on Nov-21-07
comment posted at 10:25 AM on Nov-21-07

McClellan Blames Bush, Rove in CIA Case...We all knew all along... that it has to be (not his idea, I don't believe he's got the brains to come out with that by himself) but he knew all along and with the presidential approval all the rest of the mongers went along.
comment posted at 11:23 PM on Nov-20-07

This is why we can't have nice things/people. Jade Raymond is a producer for Ubisoft's new video game Assassin's Creed. Being an attractive woman, Ubisoft decided to capitalize on this fact, leading to sad and pathetic video game coverage of said woman. Then the comic hit.
comment posted at 8:16 PM on Nov-19-07

Who would the world elect for President of the United States?
comment posted at 10:02 PM on Nov-18-07

Klutzo...is...dead! Klutzo had been talked about before. He is gone now (video link has short crappy commercial). Prior context.
comment posted at 5:11 PM on Nov-17-07

There really are no accidents [NSFW] Talking corpses who had been electrocuted, impaled by steel rods or lacerated by broken glass didn't get the message across. Now, an even more graphic series of ads is spotlighting workplace safety in Ontario and grabbing attention well beyond the province's borders. Ontario's Workplace Safety & Insurance Board (WSIB) has launched a new (and graphic) campaign to help improve workplace safety. Family Man gets blown off side of building; Forklift driver gets impaled by metal rod; A shop clerk topples off a ladder; An electrocuted corpse speaks at his own funeral
comment posted at 12:05 PM on Nov-17-07
comment posted at 12:26 PM on Nov-17-07

The value of the dollar is plummeting, but you can save it. Attributed to a fabulous job that our representatives on the Hill are doing, the dollar is worth about 50% of what it used to be in 2002. So, spend a dollar, spread the word, elect someone who will make the dollar strong again!
comment posted at 9:25 PM on Nov-15-07
comment posted at 9:34 PM on Nov-15-07
comment posted at 9:49 PM on Nov-15-07

Teenage partiers typically know what to do when the police show up: run. It's so common that some enforcement agencies have developed a protocol to handle the situation. But some underage drinkers came up with a new way to deal with a potential bust: barricade yourselves (and your parents) inside for about five hours (and see if the courts rule in your favor?).
comment posted at 8:27 PM on Nov-15-07

High-resolution images of Death Row at San Quentin State Prison, California.
comment posted at 12:51 PM on Nov-12-07
comment posted at 11:42 PM on Nov-12-07

Your Rights As A Photographer: As most of us are no doubt aware, the right to take photographs in the United States is being challenged more than ever--people are being stopped, harassed, and even intimidated into handing over their personal property simply because they were taking photographs of subjects that made other people uncomfortable. Recent examples have included photographing industrial plants, bridges, buildings, trains, and bus stations. Print and carry this pamphlet in your wallet, pocket, or camera bag to give you quick access to your rights and obligations concerning confrontations over photography. [via]
comment posted at 11:57 AM on Nov-9-07

Gallup: Bush 'strongly disapprove' 50% > Nixon 48% Gallup notes that the two ratings are statistically equivalent. A newspaper industry site noted it, and Raw Story, while Uruknet (which is not unbiased) felt the story was under-reported.
comment posted at 8:35 AM on Nov-9-07

In 1997, Todd Phillips and Andrew Gurland created a film documenting the savagely brutal hazing rituals that take place during Hell Week at U.S. college fraternities. Frat House was completed and won the Grand Jury Prize for documentaries at 1998's Sundance Film Festival, an award that was later rescinded. HBO was slated to air it later that year, but pulled it for reasons that remain debatable to this day. It has never seen an official release.

Frat House (60 minutes, Google video, )
comment posted at 8:25 PM on Nov-8-07

The Tall Stump. Jump around, shoot pellets, solve puzzles, collect hats. Winner of Jay Is Games' fourth casual game design competition. You weren't getting anything done today anyway. previously
comment posted at 4:37 PM on Nov-7-07

The idea was that a spike in, say, falafel sales, combined with other data, would lead to Iranian secret agents in the south San Francisco-San Jose area. I've read this article twice now because I was laughing too hard the first time. If I were more paranoid I might actually seriously ask what sort of data mining the FBI is doing, but... falafel sales! via.
comment posted at 11:54 PM on Nov-6-07

I don't know what this dog is doing to himself or why but... (nsfw) single link youporn post.
comment posted at 9:39 PM on Nov-6-07

City 7 is a Half-Life 2 mod of Toronto.
comment posted at 12:05 PM on Nov-6-07

Senate Panel Recommends Mukasey's Confirmation to the Senate. This attorney general confirmation brought to you by Dianne Feinstein and Chuck Schumer. (Newsfilter/Politicsfilter)
comment posted at 10:29 AM on Nov-6-07

Cell Phone Vigilante. Annoyed by a woman talking away next to him (peppering her conversation too much with "like"), a man uses a cell-phone jammer to shut her up. Is he to blame for his illegal behavior?
comment posted at 1:13 PM on Nov-4-07

Virgin Trains embarks on a new campaign. Richard Branson takes a new direction in getting people to think about global warming and using British rail. More here.
comment posted at 11:26 PM on Nov-1-07

Thanatorama [flash] You died this morning. Are you interested in what comes next? Webdocumentaire.
comment posted at 8:50 PM on Nov-1-07

Aubrey de Grey may be wrong but, evidence suggests, he's not nuts. This is a no small assertion. De Grey argues that some people alive today will live in a robust and youthful fashion for 1,000 years.
comment posted at 3:22 PM on Nov-1-07

On the Legalization — or Not — of Marijuana (via - with Pete's response)
comment posted at 1:29 AM on Oct-31-07

A list of reasons why an atheist blogger is angry.
comment posted at 10:04 AM on Oct-30-07
comment posted at 9:18 PM on Oct-30-07

Georgia's Supreme Court has agreed that Genarlow Wilson's 10-year prison sentence without the possibility of parole and accompanying lifetime sex offender status was cruel and unusual. Previously on MeFi.
comment posted at 1:16 PM on Oct-26-07

Why is the new NYC taxi logo so ugly? The bumpy design process probably had a lot to do with it. The Times invited eight designers to try improving on it. Perhaps you can do better? (Ob. soundtrack)
comment posted at 12:41 PM on Oct-22-07

Give ten grains of rice for each word you get right. It builds up very quickly.
comment posted at 3:36 PM on Oct-18-07
comment posted at 4:15 PM on Oct-18-07