Best Of MetaFilter

Sometimes metaphors really are a thing of beauty. Not often in internet parley, but sometimes. Baby_Balrog on barns, and Canada and stuff in the East Coast Is Sinking thread.

All done by Kit4na (cc by)

Literaryhero posted a story about plumbing and people, and a man called Fran by John Jeremiah Sullivan, and it's a great plunge into life, the loo, and everything.

Pancake Crescent Moon with Earthshine by Dawn Sunrise (cc by-nc-nd)

What would be the logistics of making pancakes on the moon? freethefeet needs to know.

shaggy by Lynncam26

What happens when you encounter a posse of insane clowns in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of the night? Sometimes they help you change a tire. outgrown_hobnail shares a story.

Dave Matthews: You may have opinions. You may have *strong* opinions. You may have prejudices or fond memories. But only Floydd has the Dave Matthews Toe.

It's like the only one of my stupid schemes that I rolled a 20 on. outgrown_hobnail shares their secret for a surefire thesis defense strategy.

Drawing of a Butterfly - Dibujo de una Mariposa by Marcos Telias (cc by-nc-nd)

Larva Pupa Imago by Eric Schwitzgebel is a short story about love, personhood, and transformation. It's also about erotica for uplifted butterflies.

detail of painting by Jan Davidsz de Heem, Vase with Flowers, circa 1670

A touching reminder that sometimes people are really grand, actually.

Warren G. Harding by Forever Wiser (cc by)

In 2001 I was both stage manager and historic researcher for a play from 1911 about congressional sex scandals: EmpressCallipygos shares inhuman ecstatic shrieking and some hot goss on Warren G. Harding.

13 - Foggy tracks by m_arty_c (cc by)

"... observed from a little yellow room hanging inexplicably alone in the atmosphere of Neptune." The only thing better than reading this warm, evocative (and sometimes shocking!) reminiscence by sonascope of falling in love with audio stories would be to hear the tale told in sonascope's own voice.

Hands in the sky by ohhhbetty (cc by)

In Ask Metafilter, I'm writing a short story where the main character uses a signed language that developed on a space station: A very interesting question and some great answers on signal's request for cultural and linguistic introduction to signed languages for background.

A bold face: 266 West 11th Street (1887), Greenwich Village, New York by Spencer Means (cc by-sa)

In Ask Metafilter, Fiasco da Gama has an illuminating answer for jolenex4's investigation into the mystery of Miss Strange and the fanlight over the door.

cake house by masha_k_sh (cc by-nc-nd)

Oh, look, the new Mefi newsletter has a name! And a second edition! Whee! 📰

Also, the latest Metatalktail Hour asks members to tell the least plausible story about yourself, and it's so, so great. 🕴🏼

Also, also, don't forget, it's the second theme week of August fundraising month, and this time around, we want to see some sweet, sweet art (any interesting art find that you like, in any medium). Search tags for "sweetart" to see what people are posting, and/or tag your art-themed post with "sweetart." 🍭

garden posy by penelope waits (cc by)

Last summer I made a long-held dream of mine come true and started a free garden with herbs and tomatoes and beans and a painted rock saying "help yourself" in my front yard... RobinofFrocksley, in the Celebrate the Carers Metatalk thread.

Chirin’s Bell is like if, instead of Bambi being raised by his father after the death of his mother, he sought out the hunters who killed his mother and insisted they teach him how to use a gun: interesting post from J.K. Seazer on an unusual children's book (and film), plus a great analysis of the work.