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"They Don't Teach Leeches In Nursing School"


Possibly the most awesome business card ever by John "Pathfinder" Lester (cc by)

I've been dispensing leeches at my hospital for at least a decade, so that makes me something of a self-styled leech expert ... codex99 discusses working with leech therapy in ChuraChura's post the leech triumphantly oozed its way back into the hospital








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Everyone's A Critic: Time Slip Edition


Eagle-eyed 1920s viewers wanted to know why these kids were awake, overdressed, and rambling about at 11 pm

It's oddly comforting to know that people have always been fussy about make-believe. — Burhanistan

Ten Cold Hot Dogs posts the Tropes, Cliches and Sloppy Mistakes that Annoyed Moviegoers 100 Years Ago







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That's How They Get You

On a day like this, be sure to check your website for scorpions before putting it on.





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COVID-19 UPDATES

MeTa: Check-in thread

MeFi Wiki: ThereIsHelp Resources

MeFi: Modeling the outbreak, Real-time visualizations, Rumor control

AskMe: Managing anxiety, managing travel, getting good information, Meal Planning for the Pandemic

Mefi IRL: IRL now has an "Online" category for virtual meetups

FAQ: We've added a site FAQ for Coronavirus posting and commenting tips, as well as site help and resources

Chat / FanFare: We've opened a "Watch" room in Chat for those who'd like it for livewatch events

[This post is being updated as new posts / features are added]





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Scheduled Downtime Sunday March 22

MetaFilter will be down for approximately 2 hours, 1:00-3:00 a.m. Pacific time, for some necessary server maintenance. Details in MetaTalk.





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Let's Make Some Art!

Hey, MetaFilter folks, Let's make some dang art! Want to show something off, or talk about art, or see what folks are making, or figure out how to get started? Come on in, take your mind of things.




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April Fun Indoor Scavenger Hunt

Come join our April non-fools day Indoor Scavenger Hunt! Can you find all the things? Post a photo or poem etc of your finds, and suggest things for people to seek.






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KUT Weekend – June 21, 2019

The Austin City Council approves $8.6 million for a new homeless shelter on Ben White Boulevard. Plus, why is Austin’s “official” LGBT Pride celebration in August instead of June? And who is the motorcycle rider who does wheelies around Austin in pool floaties? Those stories and more in this edition of KUT Weekend! Subscribe at...




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KUT Weekend – June 28, 2019

Why Texas is at greater risk than ever this summer of rolling blackouts. Plus, Austin ISD’s top budget official on what the state’s new school finance law means for the largest school district in Central Texas. And we meet a widower who has helped to foster more than 170 newborn babies. Those stories and more...




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KUT Weekend – July 5, 2019

Why Austin ISD is planning to close some of its schools. Plus, how a wet spring is causing a relatively cooler summer in Austin. And why the state’s surge in wind power has some people in remote areas of West Texas complaining about the view. Those stories and more in this edition of KUT Weekend!...




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KUT Weekend – July 12, 2019

The University of Texas at Austin plans to give a free education to students whose families make less than $65,000. Plus, how the Travis County District Attorney is changing the county’s approach toward low level drug offense. And who’s the guy with the giant bird in South Austin? Those stories and more in this edition...




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KUT Weekend – July 19, 2019

Austin gets its first triple digit heat of the summer. Plus, how new city rules on panhandling may benefit buskers. And why does the top of Austin’s tallest building look ‘unfinished’? Those stories and more in this edition of KUT Weekend! Subscribe at http://weekend.kut.org




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KUT Weekend – July 26, 2019

Democrats are betting the state’s changing suburbs will help them win Congressional seats in 2020. Plus, migrants facing legal limbo as asylum laws change. And why some Central Texas lakes could be lowered for safety. Those stories and more in this edition of KUT Weekend! Subscribe at http://weekend.kut.org




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KUT Weekend – August 2, 2019

Fears surrounding school closures and consolidations in Austin ISD. Plus, Dripping Springs takes a community approach to mental health care. And why are there no billboards on MoPac? Those stories and more in this edition of KUT Weekend! Subscribe at http://weekend.kut.org




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KUT Weekend – August 9, 2019

Gun politics in Texas after a mass shooting in El Paso. Plus, who cleans up bat guano under the Congress Avenue Bridge? And the story of a woman who helps older Austinites stay connected. Those stories and more in this edition of KUT Weekend! Subscribe at http://weekend.kut.org




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KUT Weekend – August 16, 2019

What you need to know about toxic algae blooms on Lady Bird Lake. Plus, how Austin’s past failures at desegregating schools affect today’s decisions about school closures. And why do city of Austin lifeguards blow their whistles in an unusual way to clear city swimming pools? Those stories and more in this edition of KUT...




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KUT Weekend – August 23, 2019

How a psychological shift could be helping Texas Democrats. Plus, why is it so difficult to prosecute sexual assault cases in Travis County? And a mom who put her kids into a school with fewer resources to get them into classrooms with more diversity. Those stories and more in this edition of KUT Weekend! Subscribe...




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KUT Weekend – August 30, 2019

A church destroyed by Hurricane Harvey finally reopens. Plus, how students at an elite magnet school in Austin ISD felt they had to prove they belonged. And how the legacy of slavery is still confounding the county’s efforts to eliminate health disparities. Those stories and more in this edition of KUT Weekend! Subscribe at http://weekend.kut.org




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KUT Weekend – September 6, 2019

The Austin school district’s plan to close twelve schools to cope with under-enrollment. Plus, how some Republican leaders in Texas may be dipping their toes into gun control policies. And we meet the Texas ‘ambassador’ who works at the Capitol Visitors Center. Those stories and more in this edition of KUT Weekend! Subscribe at http://weekend.kut.org




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KUT Weekend – September 13, 2019

Austin police are still citing people for small amounts of marijuana as county prosecutors continue to reject cases. Plus, have ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft reduced drunk driving arrests in Austin? And the world says goodbye to Austin music icon Daniel Johnston. Those stories and more in this edition of KUT Weekend! Subscribe at...




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KUT Weekend – September 20, 2019

Austin’s city council punts on reinstating rules to limit camping and resting in public. Plus, when taking out a reverse mortgage in Austin means losing your home. And Austin students demand government action on climate change. Those stories and more in this edition of KUT Weekend! Subscribe at http://weekend.kut.org




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KUT Weekend – September 27, 2019

Efforts to boost youth voter turnout in 2020. Plus, Austin ISD changes its tone on school closures. And how did Lake Travis’ Sometimes Islands get their name? Those stories and more in this edition of KUT Weekend! Subscribe at http://weekend.kut.org




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KUT Weekend – October 4, 2019

Governor Abbott threatens state action over Austin’s homelessness policies. Plus, the latest on Austin ISD’s efforts to sell parents on plans that include closing and consolidating 12 schools. And what’s the best way to get into the chilly waters of Barton Springs Pool? Those stories and more in this edition of KUT Weekend! Subscribe at...




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KUT Weekend – October 11, 2019

Texas groups brace for cuts that could ‘devastate’ refugee resettlement services. Plus, Austin’s first homeless strategy officer steps down after just one month on the job. And we’ll hear from a guy who’s been calling Texas football games in Spanish for 25 years. Those stories and more in this edition of KUT Weekend! Subscribe at...




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KUT Weekend – October 18, 2019

The Austin City Council reinstates limited bans on camping and resting in public. Plus, what does the word “equity” mean in the context of AISD school closures? And iconic Austin burger joint Hut’s Hamburgers closes this weekend after 80 years in business. Those stories and more in this edition of KUT Weekend! Subscribe at http://weekend.kut.org




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KUT Weekend – October 25, 2019

Nobody seems to support Austin’s Proposition A, but we still have to vote on it. Plus, Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen resigns after a secretly made audio recording becomes public. And Austin’s music history is being preserved at a local museum that is opening in a new space this weekend. Those stories and more in...




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KUT Weekend – November 1, 2019

Life gets harder for people in Austin with nowhere to live. Plus, what’s on the ballot in the November election on Tuesday. And lessons learned since last year’s week-long boil water notice in Austin. Those stories and more in this edition of KUT Weekend! Subscribe at http://weekend.kut.org




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KUT Weekend – November 8, 2019

Why it took Travis County almost till 4 a.m. to finish counting election results. Plus, Capital Metro crunches the numbers on future transit plans. And why you might see tarantulas around town. Those stories and more in this edition of KUT Weekend! Subscribe at http://weekend.kut.org




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KUT Weekend – November 15, 2019

The Austin City Council votes to spend $8 million to buy and revamp a motel to house the homeless. Plus, Austin’s first Latina city council member says she will not seek re-election. And activists knock on doors to rally voters around fixing the state’s high uninsured rate. Those stories and more in this edition of...




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KUT Weekend – November 22, 2019

Austin’s school board votes to close four elementary campuses. Plus, the number of abortion clinics in Texas continues to decline. And a new chorus in Austin for people whose memories are disappearing. Those stories and more in this edition of KUT Weekend! Subscribe at http://weekend.kut.org




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KUT Weekend – November 29, 2019

A last-minute loophole could undermine a Texas law against surprise medical bills. Plus, Hill Country landowners say the energy company Kinder Morgan is lowballing them on land for a natural gas pipeline. And some Texas farmers going all in on hemp. Those stories and more in this edition of KUT Weekend! Subscribe at http://weekend.kut.org




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KUT Weekend – December 6, 2019

The Austin City Council orders an extensive investigation into allegations of racism and bias in the Austin Police Department. Plus, a pediatric brain surgeon in Austin who died in a car race is remembered for his biggest wins off the track. And Rainey Street will be closed to cars and trucks on weekends. Those stories...




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KUT Weekend – December 13, 2019

Austin is one step closer to getting a contentious set of new rules that determine what can be built in which parts of the city. Plus, how narratives and not facts often drive news coverage of public opinion surveys. And who is the chatty guy who works at the post office in East Austin? Those...




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KUT Weekend – December 20, 2019

Religious groups step in to provide contraception as Planned Parenthood gets sidelined in Texas. Plus, how does Austin’s school district move forward after its equity officer called a school closure plan racist? And who started the tradition of residents stringing up hoards of lights on a stretch of 37th Street? Those stories and more in...




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KUT Weekend – January 3, 2020

How a new state law makes it harder to open voting stations on college campuses. Plus, UT-Austin students want university officials to do more to fight for affordable housing. And how a scarcity of parking in Austin makes it hard for some businesses to hire. Those stories and more in this edition of KUT Weekend!...




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KUT Weekend – January 10, 2020

Five Austin students describe what it’s like not to know whether your school is going to close. Plus, a photographer makes it his mission to capture East Austin’s “essence” before it disappears. And reporters from Kazakhstan explore what makes Austin weird. Those stories and more in this edition of KUT Weekend! Subscribe at http://weekend.kut.org