MeFi Projects

I'm a recent transplant to Bellingham, Washington. In addition to rain and deer, we have lots of diners. I have decided to eat at and review each one based on the following criteria: Vibe, Song Heard, Coffee, Did the yolk pop?, Can I sit and read a while?, and Price. I'm up to 14 so far, about eight more to go! [more inside]
posted by cidrab on Jun 16, 2022 - 8 comments

A podcast series for people who'd like to know more about the history and composition of the amorphous "Christian Right," how it came to be, and the role it plays in America's current authoritarian inflection point. [more inside]
posted by verb on Jan 27, 2021 - 0 comments

Ever since the election, I have been obsessed with the possible reasons that many white American women voted for Trump, and the reasons that many white American feminists continue to not support measures that would be beneficial for queer women and women of color. This essay is the result of that obsession.
posted by whimsicalnymph on Dec 16, 2016 - 0 comments

That last exam was rough. Real talk, America: if we don’t want to fail, we have to do some serious make-up work. [more inside]
posted by Bahro on Nov 20, 2016 - 0 comments

A 3000-mile journey across the country by bus, talking to people about theirs lives and the upcoming presidential election. [more inside]
posted by msbrauer on Aug 19, 2016 - 0 comments

Safe for Democracy is a site and a podcast dedicated to shining a little light on the darker spots in the history of US foreign policy. It's got a blog here, a show page here, and an RSS feed here. You can also follow on iTunes. The first episode is about the coup in Guatemala. [more inside]
posted by TheProfessor on Jun 20, 2016 - 5 comments

General Peter Pace (former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff) and his wife asked my friend Larry, a retired Maine schoolteacher, to carry an American flag through all 50 states. He invited me to come along as navigator and trip photographer. [more inside]
posted by LeLiLo on Aug 20, 2015 - 2 comments

I have been looking at existing literature and media regarding the small, very private Irish Traveller ethnic group in America. [more inside]
posted by maxsparber on Apr 15, 2015 - 4 comments

An ongoing project to identify Irish words used in American English, especially by members of the Irish-American community. [more inside]
posted by maxsparber on Feb 11, 2015 - 10 comments

I got so tired of driving around my town wondering "What the hell is that?" that I suggested a column for my local alternative newspaper. Shockingly, they took me up on it. It's not just for people who live in Athens, though. If you notice things that other people don't even see,maybe you'll like it. My favorites are "The Millitant Next Door," "The Rules of the Mall," "Carwash Curry," "Grave Situation," and "Meat Sales and Butt-Smears." It's a bunch of love letters to my great little town. Hope you enjoy.
posted by staggering termagant on Sep 6, 2013 - 3 comments

This series unites my interest in mapping with conceptually-based art practices and references several “histories”—my father’s history as a surveyor, my interests in maps and systems, the history of the mapping of the U.S. and photography’s role within it, and the history of GPS and locative technologies. Begun in 1998, before GPS selective availability was lifted, this project was completed in 2012. By documenting the seemingly random terrain found at these intersections, I invite the viewer to consider the history of landscape, land use, and the built environment as well as their own relationship to place. [more inside]
posted by bmyren on Jul 30, 2013 - 2 comments

Just in time for the 1876 centennial, the US Census Bureau published the very first Statistical Atlas: detailed maps, ornate graphs, and generally insane charts all about America. These atlases persisted for a couple decades before the Census Bureau decided they didn't like fun any more. Now they're online in the most awesome of ways. [more inside]
posted by soma lkzx on Sep 12, 2012 - 9 comments

Here's an editorial in The Guardian I wrote with a political scientist on the role of religion in this year's presidential election. We aimed for reasoned analysis rather than fulmination. Hope you find it insightful.
posted by foxy_hedgehog on Aug 29, 2012 - 0 comments

A site that collects links from around the Web showing the intellectual and cultural decline of the GOP.
posted by reenum on Mar 18, 2012 - 0 comments

I spend a good deal of time in South America and need to keep in touch with work and family, based in the US. Here's some travel communications advice based on what I've learned, most recently from a 4 month stay in Ecuador.
posted by nicomachus on Oct 6, 2010 - 1 comment