Best Of MetaFilter

Posts from November 2015

In which DTMF means "Dual Tone, Multiple Frequency"

Kenwood TS-2000Kenwood TS-2000 by Jim Shank (cc by-nc-nd)

The range of modern SDR devices covers broad frequencies including Aviation and Marine tracking, decoding Trunked radio systems, downloading Weather Satellite images, reversing wireless protocols, hunting for Numbers Stations, or even watch the International Space Station broadcast Slow-scan TV

Eavesdropping on the Hidden World is endotoxin's excellent first post about the changes in tech and requirements that have led to a renaissance of scanning and ham radio, with many interesting tips from members in the comments.

11/29/15
by taz

#Obsessed

Chantal Stevens fitness planner on The Happy Planner blogChantal Stevens' fitness planner on The Happy Planner blog

Don't miss divabat's amazing post on planners, planner decoration, and the planner community!

11/28/15
by taz

Break glass in case of Thanksgiving Overload

Bunny of Despair.jpgBunny of Despair.jpg by moonbird (cc by-nc-nd)

I am looking for novels in which the protagonist has been rejected by society, hates society and all it's people generally or just feels very disconnected from everything ... I like sadness, despair, bleakness, isolation and melancholy. I don't care what the story is about and I don't care how it ends...

ihaveyourfoot seeks fictional novels to help me dive head first into the abyss

11/26/15
by taz

so many spoons... and lists, especially lists

Order_Up: Wide ShotOrder_Up: Wide Shot by BrickWares (cc by)

"a lot of the boring stuff gets elided": feckless fecal fear mongering offers a fascinating description of his workday as a professional chef for an Ask Me poster who says I want watch how people in professional kitchens clean, prep, and execute a service.

11/24/15
by taz

Rx: Teh Funny

LaughLaugh by Donna L. Faber (cc by-nd)

Movies, tv shows, YouTube, books .... looking for the BIG LAUGH. Not ironic, not sarcastic. Immediately, viscerally funny.

For kestralwing and Mr. K, the best Rx needed, stat: Laughter may be the best medicine, but where can I buy some?

11/21/15
by taz

Vintage A/V and Legacy Tech Tales

Projection BoothProjection Booth by limecools (cc by-nc-sa)

"I set Anchorman on fire": Tales from Mefite film projectionists.

To make that sparkly tv logo without computers, the artists "stayed up all night doing drugs." - How they made animated graphics for tv before CGI.

Betamax nostalgia here - Plus how videotape and adhesive tape are made on the same machines.

Remember those 1-800- commercials from late-night tv? - I made those ads, and I worked in a call center, and we could tell when the ads aired.

Stock trader tech - lots of love for the bottomless Bloomberg terminal (internal Craigslist! extra emoji!), history of some alternatives to Bloomberg in the early 1980s, and extra tough phone equipment to survive frustrated smashing by floor traders.

Electronic medical records - A harder problem than it seems, how it's a pain for doctors, and why a lot of medical info systems still rely on fax or modem.

The confection connection

Homemade cookie ornamentsHomemade cookie ornaments by Heart Windows Art (cc by)

Strangers from the internet will bake you cookies and mail them to your home!

The Great Metafilter Cookie Swap 2015

11/17/15
by taz

MetaFilter Music podcast from greenish!

You like music? Of course you like music. And MetaFilter members post their music on MetaFilter Music, but what if you forget to go over there and look around?

Good news! Mefite greenish has put together a great first episode of a new MetaFilter Music Podcast, for your listening pleasure. Come give it a listen and toss some feedback in the MetaTalk thread!

11/13/15
by cortex

Marvelous, manic, mysterious and bemusing music on Mefi

We Ruled the Skies

The 87th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day ParadeThe 87th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade by Anthony Quintano (cc by)

allkindsoftime on what it's like to captain a balloon in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Cabinet of secrets

cabinetCabinet constructed in 1716 contained a secret letter from its craftsman

Great post from bonobothegreat about a letter concealed three centuries ago in the secret compartment of an elaborately carved and constructed writing cabinet. (Mefites have also left hidden artifacts for future historians to analyze and puzzle over.)

11/09/15
by taz

"TALES of the MAIL PLUMBER"

Mail ChuteMail Chute by Teknorat (cc by-sa)

Anyway the seams between the plastic sheets sometimes intercepted the corner of an envelope. In a building as tall as the WTC mail would hit impressive speeds. So one jammed letter would quickly gather many letters, traveling near the speed of sound, into a densely packed arterial blockage ... Guess who found them?

Splunge recounts his adventures as an "ex-officio mail plumber" valiantly clearing clogs in the WTC mail chutes in Ragini's fun post, The mail chutes of New York City

11/08/15
by taz

"Ok, bye, love you"

Uncomfortable momentUncomfortable moment by Chuckumentary (cc by-nc-sa)

Dive into the icy uncomfortable waters of Mefites' most awkward moments.

Secret Quonsar Signups

Lincoln's Racing SantasLincoln's Racing Santas by Lincolnian (Brian) (cc by-sa)

Hear ye hear ye -- julen, arcticseal, and phunniemee bring you the most seasonal season of all! You have until Tuesday to sign up for Secret Quonsar, the traditional Mefi gift exchange.

Kitchen Confidential: regional tips and tricks?

Spices from GujaratSpices from Gujarat by Sudhamshu (cc by-nc)

I grew up in an ethnically North Indian household and a lot of that cooking involved the same basic curry structure: sauté onions with cumin seeds, then add in sliced ginger and garlic, then turmeric powder, then your main item (e.g., chicken, cauliflower), then tomato paste, then salt & pepper. My mom talked about how the combination of ginger, garlic, tomato, and onion provided a simple contrast of tangy and sweet that made dishes dynamic and pleasing. mrmanvir

Mumimor asks for simple tricks or methods from cooking styles across the World.

11/05/15
by taz

Highlighting the best bits from the MetaFilter universe

MetaFilter started as a community weblog in 1999, later added question and answers, then music by members, jobs, projects by members, a podcast, and finally an area dedicated to meetups.

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