Best Of MetaFilter

Buenos Aires por la Paz by Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires (cc by)

This thread has many great reminiscences of Ravi Shankar including this lengthy explanation of the effect (or lack thereof) of religious tradition on Indian music.

India is a complex place, and it's easy to oversimplify its cultures. While partisans of both of its major religions may occasionally spin the musical history to emphasize their contributions to it over others', the rough truth is that both have contributed substantially, in the centuries since the Mughals arrived, to the synthesis that is the North Indian musical tradition.

Rest in Peace, Dave by Pen Waggener (cc by)

Upon the occasion of his passing, MetaFilter member jbickers never forgot the day he spent with Dave Brubeck.

PA: Employee Free Choice Act Rally at State Democratic Convention by aflcio (cc by)

MetaFilter member oneironaut worked for recently deceased US Senator Arlen Specter as his advisor on climate, energy, and the environment. He remembers him fondly:

To me, he was good, funny, warm (for him), and it was a privilege to work with him. Yes, there is plenty to dislike about him, but the Senate would be much better off if there were more Arlen Specters.

Apollo 11 Bootprint by NASA on The Commons

On the occasion of Neil Armstrong's passing, MetaFilter member liza recounts how profound the moonwalk was to her and her family:

supposedly 500 million people saw that Lunar landing worldwide. beside the bouncing images of Armstrong on our little black & white TV, the most important memory i have of that day is that the sky, the Moon and space were only the limits to the opportunities i could have.