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I really wanted to do a post on this during the Olympics but creating posts is a 'big computer' task and I only ever use 'small computers' now.

Anyway, Slate article and awesome old school website of the Oldest Living Olympians
posted to MetaFilter by hydrobatidae at 5:15 PM on September 1, 2024

As a non-sports watcher, I really enjoyed this podcast. They explicitly focused on the things of sports rather than the minute details of a given game. Unfortunately Anderson was a bit of a throw-back in that way so there was a lot more discussion of games. And worst of all, he didn't have the other two hosts' knowledge and curiosity and knowledge of non-mainstream sports so recently it was very heavy on college football, NBA and (worst of all) some boxing. Which isn't to say I didn't like him… [more]
posted to MetaFilter by hydrobatidae at 4:31 AM on August 31, 2024

I loved The Bob Newhart Show and Newhart and his album as a kid. He always kind of reminded me of my dad - same kind of round head, dark hair, old fashioned-ish formality, and of course a very silly but deadpan sense of humour. I mentioned this to my dad a few years ago as we were relistening to his album and my dad admitted he had modeled himself on Bob Newhart when he was younger. So thanks Bob for providing so many laughs and for being a role model for some awkward kids.

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posted to MetaFilter by hydrobatidae at 5:29 PM on July 18, 2024

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posted to MetaFilter by hydrobatidae at 2:46 AM on April 3, 2024

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posted to MetaFilter by hydrobatidae at 5:35 PM on March 3, 2024

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posted to MetaFilter by hydrobatidae at 3:11 AM on November 10, 2023

When I did fieldwork in Mexico, the UNAM grad students ate ketchup on their refried beans everyday.
posted to MetaFilter by hydrobatidae at 7:21 AM on September 19, 2023

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posted to MetaFilter by hydrobatidae at 1:14 PM on July 1, 2023

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posted to MetaFilter by hydrobatidae at 6:03 PM on January 2, 2023

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posted to MetaFilter by hydrobatidae at 3:20 AM on December 30, 2022

Taz, our family tradition is Christmas Eve fondue too. My next-gen family doesn’t have a fondue pot (haven’t been to a thrift store in ages) so we do Welsh Rabbit which is the worst* parts of fondue.

*worst is still absolutely amazing and we lick our plates but doesn’t include open flame or sharp pointy objects
posted to MetaFilter by hydrobatidae at 11:21 AM on December 2, 2022

Some of us want a site for celebrities and fashion (I do note you’re not referencing male-coded interests) rather than (horrible, stress-inducing) news. News has news sites.

I do like some science mixed in with my fashion and celebrities though.
posted to MetaFilter by hydrobatidae at 6:01 AM on October 26, 2022

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posted to MetaFilter by hydrobatidae at 2:44 AM on September 29, 2022

“And you don't stop CPR unless someone else takes over, or you collapse from exhaustion.”

Well, no. It’s hard and the body only has finite oxygen so you can stop earlier than collapsing. This is especially important to acknowledge in remote situations when those professionals aren’t showing up in time. And by remote I mean like 30 min down a trail.

Do CPR for as long as you can.
posted to MetaFilter by hydrobatidae at 4:00 PM on August 22, 2022

Great comments eviemath! Def recommend Halifax Examiner and the Coast because the other issue with NS is the limited media to cover anything. CH used to be one of the best local newspapers and, after some pressures and changes including a strike and mass layoff, now it’s just coasting on its name and people forgetting to cancel their subscriptions.
posted to MetaFilter by hydrobatidae at 3:37 PM on June 10, 2022

Does the Dutch in ‘going Dutch’ refer to Dutch or Germans? We have various Dutch places here (e.g. Dutchvillage Rd) which are named after what the German settlers called themselves.
posted to MetaFilter by hydrobatidae at 10:33 AM on March 18, 2021

Mr. Encyclopedia - yes, the water is cleaner and that may be the only effect some notice but zebra mussels have significant effects on the food web (ie the stuff that makes the water not clear is food for a whole bunch of things and those things for other things etc). Having people react by saying they like the clear water is problematic to public support to for zebra mussel control.
posted to MetaFilter by hydrobatidae at 7:13 AM on March 6, 2021

In Saskatchewan (so I was told), farms were placed within a day’s wagon drive of the railroad lines so that grain could be transported in a timely fashion. It also meant that there was a lot of rail lines. And you can see that in some parts of the province where towns are named alphabetically down a line (or where one had been).

PEI also had a lot of rail lines, presumably for the same reason but with potatoes.
posted to MetaFilter by hydrobatidae at 10:13 AM on July 2, 2020

One of my favourite podcasts! Thanks for this - I’m looking forward to going through all the links.
posted to MetaFilter by hydrobatidae at 6:33 PM on May 21, 2020

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posted to MetaFilter by hydrobatidae at 3:51 PM on May 14, 2019

My grudge is that people for sure do clip there nails right out of the shower. It's been 30 some years and I still think about that 'solution' every week or two.

Also, any love for Cam Jansen with the photographic memory? I was obsessed with trying to remember scenes just by saying 'click' (and in fact, do vaguely remember my test occasion).
posted to MetaFilter by hydrobatidae at 1:50 PM on May 1, 2019

A follow-up post from the poster with FAQs related to the original article. It addresses a lot of the criticisms here (c.f. her answer to "You didn’t have a Plan B and that was stupid. What did you think would happen?") and includes many gifs. One comment from her that spoke to me:

"In a part of the interview with the Chronicle that didn’t get included, I argued that we, as a discipline, either think it’s possible for people to change systems and… [more]
posted to MetaFilter by hydrobatidae at 8:27 AM on February 23, 2018

Wisconsin has to be a brandy old fashioned for two reasons. A of all, I am Canadian (tm) and Bloody Marys need clam juice. Putting a hamburger or bacon on one doesn't make a WI Bloody Mary good. That's just garnish. If you need a shot of cheap beer to wash down your drink, maybe think about adding some clam juice. Second of all, WI is the top drinker of brandy in the country, just for the old fashioneds. I am not alone.
posted to MetaFilter by hydrobatidae at 10:56 AM on December 12, 2017

This is amazing. Like a time capsule but still active. I love it so much.
posted to MetaFilter by hydrobatidae at 10:22 AM on December 4, 2017

Homesick and hungry.
posted to MetaFilter by hydrobatidae at 2:46 PM on November 15, 2017

NoMich, Halifax donairs are a thing. I wouldn't even call it a NS thing because the rest of the province is copying Halifax. Which, I mean, you should.

Halifax donairs = spiced beef on spit (as seen in live feed) + raw tomatoes + raw onions + sweet garlic sauce. NOTHING ELSE. No lettuce, cheese, garlic sauce.

You stand with your feet planted shoulder width apart, lean forward and bite into the donair. Sauce (sweetened condensed milk, vinegar,… [more]
posted to MetaFilter by hydrobatidae at 2:51 PM on November 15, 2017

In case others are confused, some of the empty spaces at the edges of waterbodies are where there are many tiny watersheds with tiny streams rather than rivers.

I always enjoy comparing the Great Lakes watershed to the Mississippi watershed - so much drainage into the latter and so much water in the former.
posted to MetaFilter by hydrobatidae at 9:58 AM on November 10, 2017

Johnny Assay, I think there are a bunch of saline lakes in Saskatchewan. At least, I worked at another one, Redberry Lake.
posted to MetaFilter by hydrobatidae at 10:01 AM on November 10, 2017

dmh, reminds me of the chariot racing groups (Blues, Greens, Reds, and Whites) that started in Ancient Rome. They ended up important political factions in the Byzantium Empire. So I don't think it's a football specific thing.
posted to MetaFilter by hydrobatidae at 12:19 PM on October 19, 2017

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posted to MetaFilter by hydrobatidae at 7:40 AM on October 18, 2017

The online make-up and skin care reviews are full of this stuff. Although it's more accepted there to mention you got sent something from PR (free stuff) or you were asked to review (often mentioning you were asked to review but not told what to say) or that you're getting money from the links/codes. Plus there are the trips that people go on sponsored by brands (though they're not necessarily paid for the trip and/or they might have to do a certain amount of promoting through social media).… [more]
posted to MetaFilter by hydrobatidae at 9:37 AM on October 17, 2017

I still think that Anglo Canadians should learn French though. Admittedly, as an immigrant, I got to learn for free, but it was so worth it.

We do? There's mandatory French classes in school through at least junior high. Whether that gets used ever again barring hockey games and food labels, is another issue.
posted to MetaFilter by hydrobatidae at 9:46 AM on September 21, 2017

So amazing! I'm going to do my bit to get it shared through my part of the scientific community whose response to the letter has been a bit...muted?
posted to MetaFilter by hydrobatidae at 4:50 AM on August 20, 2017

And I got my first troll from posting it. Well I hope my fellow scientists saw it too.
posted to MetaFilter by hydrobatidae at 9:08 AM on August 20, 2017

Basically, any sunny day that's above freezing and below 60% humidity is a perfectly good day to dry clothes.

Will also work at higher humidity levels (hello from Scotland). The rule I always went by was that if the pavement is dry, your clothes will dry.

It's also work just below freezing, especially if it's windy (hello from a Canadian East Coaster). The clothes come in a little stiff but surprisingly dry.… [more]
posted to MetaFilter by hydrobatidae at 8:02 AM on August 3, 2017

On YouTube, Glam and Gore did some great horror versions of Disney princesses and how-to videos for infections, popped out eyes, scars, shedding skin, etc.

Next Halloween I'm thinking of doing her horror snowman.
posted to MetaFilter by hydrobatidae at 10:45 AM on June 19, 2017

For folks that want to encourage native bees (which also have declining populations, are better pollinators for native plants, and are unremunerative for honey and/or pollination services), some resources: general information on native bees from USDA (pdf), and suggestions for improving your yard for native bees including building nesting structures (pdf). The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation is very helpful on this issue and also a neat conservation organization focused on… [more]
posted to MetaFilter by hydrobatidae at 10:15 AM on May 26, 2017

I think some of the recent changes to Clue have made it less useful. The 'analysis' view used to be the default and now you have to take several unintuitive steps to find it. You can't reorder the data entry form to make it more useful when tracking non-menstruating parts. They did add sharing which why?! (N.B. I know why I just am annoyed they added that an removed bits I liked).
posted to MetaFilter by hydrobatidae at 1:18 PM on May 4, 2017

And FYI danny the boy, Nova Scotia McDs have McLobsters in season.
posted to MetaFilter by hydrobatidae at 4:32 PM on April 20, 2017

Poor guy. Looks dazed from hitting something.

(It's a sapsucker)
posted to MetaFilter by hydrobatidae at 7:03 AM on April 14, 2017

His article on '7 things...' really resonates with me. I tried to pick quotes but it'd just be the whole thing.
posted to MetaFilter by hydrobatidae at 11:12 AM on March 28, 2017

Yes, so things that aren't seen as necessary to everyday life are included (luxuries), while things that are (basic food, medical supplies, water) are excluded. Except precious metals and that bottle of rum you bought in a duty free shop are both more necessary than tampons? Huh, must be why my bathroom is stuffed with TP and gold.
posted to MetaFilter by hydrobatidae at 11:46 AM on March 13, 2017

I just made a meat cake for a friend's birthday! It was a pate de champaigne wrapped in caul fat so it looked more...chunky and brain-like. Very good, super fun to make (blending raw chicken livers before 10 am!), and I ate like 1/100 of it because it was so rich. He loved it though.

I've also had a meat cake made for my birthday as described by Strange Interlude, except mine was 'iced' in mashed potatoes. The ketchup was for writing Happy Birthday.… [more]
posted to MetaFilter by hydrobatidae at 9:54 AM on March 6, 2017

It's interesting going from birds to herps to fish and seeing the continuum of naming processes. Birds have such a formal system including official English names. Fish, on the other hand, seem to have constantly changing scientific names and they all have the same common name. Or a common name that's 'definitely not a lion, less than dandy'. At least the academic fisheries journals are finally adapting capitalized common names. If you think it's not important, may I introduce you to redheads and… [more]
posted to MetaFilter by hydrobatidae at 8:27 AM on March 3, 2017

I have Vinyl Cafe in a special section of my podcasts for if I want to feel homesick.

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posted to MetaFilter by hydrobatidae at 7:27 AM on February 16, 2017

I'm another Canadian affected by NAFTA. I work on the NAFTA professional visa and have been living and working in the US for ~10 years. It's pretty great because there are few jobs in my field in Canada. It's not great because all these jobs have to be temporary so I don't get to set down roots or invest in my community (or even feel like it's my community).

Before I left Canada, I had negative feelings about NAFTA like most Canadians. Now I appreciate the rare ability… [more]
posted to MetaFilter by hydrobatidae at 6:51 PM on January 25, 2017

My friend's cat was like this. She went through three feeding robots trying to find one he couldn't destroy. With the last one, she bought a raccoon-proof feeding station and rigged pvc tubing around the cord. The cat would hit the machine for hours to get one kibble. When we went by to check on him while she was away, he had worked all the screws loose that held the hopper on and had eaten everything (no puke fortunately). He had also eaten open a mailed package (it had a dress in it) and was… [more]
posted to MetaFilter by hydrobatidae at 2:21 PM on December 21, 2016

So what's up with people pronouncing the first syllable of "drama" like "hay" or "pray"? Anybody else heard this?

That's a Canadian thing (and thus probably heard in the upper Midwest too). We pronounce pasta and Mazda with that vowel sound too.
posted to MetaFilter by hydrobatidae at 8:47 AM on October 6, 2016

But phooky, the same issue arises with any piece of culture that happens in a book. What does driving a wood-panelled station wagon mean? Or having an orginial ipod? Different things depending on when, where, and who the character is. Clothes are just defined as 'female' and therefore are often ignored or the vocabulary isn't taken seriously/learned in the first place.

Tulle is basically what ballerinas wear and reads as very feminine and… [more]
posted to MetaFilter by hydrobatidae at 6:32 PM on August 16, 2016

I haven't even started the links but I want to say this is an amazing post. Thanks!
posted to MetaFilter by hydrobatidae at 7:25 AM on July 7, 2016