Best Of MetaFilter

Puzzle by Alan E, via Flickr (https://www.flickr.com/photos/alaneng/)''No, you can not be the Pope, but you can at least pretend to go for the job, courtesy of missjenny's MeFi Project, White Smoke. It follows a sort of choose-your-own adventure structure as you navigate a Conclave as an ambitious Cardinal trying to secure enough Pope Points to claim the papacy. See how far you can get without sacrificing your virtual soul!

This is a mystery meat post by growabrain, who wants you to know about Master Tingus. Yes, there's app that has the goose game and that's all we're going say about that.

Pirate-Bartender-Zombie-Monkey wants you to meet the Feral Historian, here's the introduction: Stories are cultural artifacts, whether it’s epics on clay tablets or big-budget films. Those artifacts can tell us a lot about the time and culture that made them if we take a few minutes to shake them and see what falls out. To that end, an independent scholar goes rogue from academic respectability, wanders out into the wild, and talks to the trees and rocks about science fiction and its place in historical study.

Image by vinodbahal, from their Flickr stream (https://www.flickr.com/photos/vinodbahal/)

Looking for friends? Perhaps they've closer than you think, you just have to shift your perspective. discovering true friends. At least according to this thoughtful link shared by storybored.

CMcG is asking for some kid friendly phone numbers for phone obsessed preteens, so what do you know? Even better come see what others have suggested! The New York City squirrel census hotline is particularly fun one.

Did you know that Harvard has a rare books library? If not (or even if you did), check out the FAQs about Harvard's Rare Books Library. It's where Horace Rumpole and their colleagues are posting videos that answer frequently asked questions about the collection!

Wise Old Fish by george chamoun, via Flickr (https://www.flickr.com/photos/gmoun1/)

Have you ever bought music based on the cover art alone? Be it cassette tape (what's that), records, or digital, album art is seen as a basic necessity for collection of music.

But it wasn't always that way, early music came in a plain brown wrapper. How we got from that to today's carefully designed record covers is the subject of this link shared by chavenet. Because yes, even album art had to be invented!

If you're an artist, check out this neat project by ifatfirstyoudontsucceed. It's a free service called Plentitude, where artists can exchange their artwork. If you don't have anything available to exchange, you can list examples for commissions.

Lastly, Mephron is back with a collection of LGBTQIA+ News for the week of May 6. Pull up a chair and make yourself comfortable, there's a lot of links here!

By NBC Radio - eBay itemphoto frontphoto back, Public Domain

In the midst of watching past episodes of Abbot and Costello, delfin drops some observations on the Idiot and Asshole Trope. Those insights include other old time comedians, such as The Three Stooges and the Marx Brothers.

Singer/songwriter Jill Sobule ( "I Kissed a Girl") has passed away at the age of 66 and MeFites are sharing their memories of her career and work.

Mephron has done another of her semi-regular and fantastic LGBTQIA+ news posts. These posts include a variety of topics ranging from good, middle, and bad news, so grab your favorite drink and check it out.

Meanwhile, in posts with a lighter tone, BuddhaInABucket made one about the best books of the 21st Century (at least so far). Unsurprisingly, some members have different views and they're sharing them

Finally, while the world has been debating whether 100 men can beat 1 beat gorilla, changeling reminds us what the true threat is: ants

Finally, part 2: Rhaomi has a new LinkMe post up, for all those people who found an interesting link, but don't time to put it in a post. Just put the link in here for someone else to (maybe) turn it into a post!

Today we're highlighting some of the recent fantastic contributions from the community:

Frowner makes a great point about AI use in the creative arts, ishmael made a post about the private group chats where tech billionaires and right-wing pundits hash out their ideas, RobinofFrocksley wants their eardrums murdered with the music that frightened and irritated your elders, and elgilito gives a fantastic breakdown of our understanding of bird migration over the past millennia!

Photo by adikos via Flickr (https://www.flickr.com/photos/adikos/)

Writing is a...well, a thing. Sometimes easy, sometimes maddening, often a mix of both of these things and more. Perhaps these slightly rude notes about writing will help you bridge that gap. Maybe not though, no promises, all you can do is check out dhruva's post!

What's your casual opinion about armpit hair on women? Tiny frying pan wants to know, but please the leave idea of concensus or argument at the door, thanks.

Episodes 4-6 of season 2 of Andor have dropped, come join in the viewing and discussion as we wait to see when Checkov's Cinta will appear next!

Episode 3 of season 2 of The Last of Us is out and we have Show Only and Videogame/Books included threads that have been posted for discussion.

What's new and good on MeFi you ask? Here's a few answers:

Rhamoi's post celebrating 20 years of YouTube a is a joyful look back at the site's roots and early history.

Looking for something a little dreamy and dark? Deadbilly made a post about The Nightly, "a web-based radio station for insomniac dreamers, wistful lonely hearts, and general appreciators of a sort of indescribable beautiful drearynes." I recommend putting on some background rain sounds to add ambience.

Want to see a brand new 75 year old plane? Then check out the post that dfm500 made!

Mephron has posted a news round up of LGBTQIA+ issues. Be it good, middle, or bad, this is a fantastic summary of matters facing the community this week, read on!

The best thing ever created in the Star Wars universe, the show Andor, has returned for its second and final season. Three episodes will be dropping every Tuesday for the next four weeks, and we’re all over the series in FanFare, come join the discussion!

By SVG file Dlloyd based on Monica Helms design - Description above retrieved from page

Say hello to Seven Deadly Gins, long term lurker who’s recently been inspired to sign up. They have a lot to say about how the MetaFilter community and the moderation team has dealt with trans issues and we implore everyone to read this thoughtful comment of theirs.

The eight leg walker gives things a go!

What's the best number of legs for a Lego robot walker? 2 legs? 4 legs? 8? 16? My money's on the 8 legs, but check out hurdy gurdy girl's post to see the surprising winner!

Photo by Sheila Thomson, via Flickr (https://www.flickr.com/photos/sheilaellen/)

Sir? Ma'am? Member chariot pulled by cassowaries, an Australian by birth, has a question about why and when Americans use sir/ma'am and MeFites have a lot to say about that!

Photo by Andrea Belvedere via Flickr (https://www.flickr.com/photos/scieck/)

To US members interested in ways to resist the government, The New Republic has an article filled with about how ordinary citizens to fight back. this post by dfm500 has the link!

Bored with Netflix? Tired of Spotify? Then, come into the gardens and find tv and radio from around the world!