You sort out your recycling. You don’t use plastic bottles anymore. And you’ve even gone paperless, right down to using the canvas shopping bag at the grocery store. But even if you’re trying to be ultra-vigilant to the environmental impact you make on our planet, there are bound to be some blind spots in that philosophy that you may not have considered.Blind spots like...what about all those cotton swabs you use?Sure, they may look innocuous enough, but the reality is that manufacturers pump out more than 1.5 billion brand new swabs each and every day. Then after one ear cleaning or makeup application, you toss it right into the trash, where that used cotton swab joins its 1.5 billion daily brothers to end up part of another huge lump of waste clogging your area landfill.You can put your foot down on even more waste in our world by ending your swab addiction with the LastSwab Reusable Swab.Made from stiff, compact nylon with medical silicone grade tips, the LastSwab is engineered to be used and reused over 1,000 times before it needs to be replaced. The LastSwab’s high quality, non-toxic, soft-feel tip is designed to feel much like cotton, the thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) offering comfortable usage without any irritation, no matter what body part is being cleaned or highlighted.After each usage, just run it through a quick hand washing with some soap and water and it's back to being as good as new. Heck, even the swab’s carrying case is biodegradable...although Read the rest

Most people enjoy having items on their desks that convey a taste of who they are and what they’re about to visitors. Under those circumstances, could there possibly be a greater flex to show off all of your galactic ambitions than having the entire solar system on exhibit right on your desktop?Even if you don’t sport Thanos-esque desires for control and power, the Deskspace Planetary System Set is not only an incredibly beautiful collection. It’s also very, very cool.The set faithfully recreates each of the planets in our solar system, each crafted in a high-quality gemstone that captures the mood and inherent beauty of each celestial body.Poised on their rectangular walnut wooden stand, all nine planets sit as not only a piece of desk art, but in all their tactile brilliance, enticing onlookers to reach out, touch and truly examine each work.Each hand-crafted creation is cross-referenced with official NASA satellite images, ensuring the Deskspace artists have engineered scientifically accurate representations of each stunning orb.From the translucent white Nephrite of Venus, to the royal blue Sodalite representing Earth to the quixotic Tiger’s Eye that makes up Jupiter, each planet is lovingly depicted in all its glory, along with a cleaning cloth to keep each one in its shiniest, most pristine state. By the time you reach the Amazonite that makes up Neptune and the synthetic Cat’s Eye glass used for Pluto, you’ll realize you’ve spent hours just staring at each of these fantastic creations.Included with the set is also a high-quality book offering up interesting, intriguing, and fun facts about each of the planets in front of you. Read the rest

Hybrid Autonomous Rover – Venus is the next spacecraft scheduled to explore our hellish neighbor, and it will be more like a clock than a computer to survive the conditions.Jonathan Sauder of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory came up with the idea after past missions' electronics were fried in Venus' atmosphere in less than an hour on the surface. He told BBC Sky at Night:“Venus and Earth are neighbours in the Solar System, almost equal in size and mass. Both should have received similar amounts of rocks and volatiles from the solar nebula [during their] formation.“But their evolutionary paths are apparently quite different. The question is why have they become such different worlds?”Answering that question is why we’re going back because Venus might once have been even more like Earth than it is today.It’s thought that for much of its early life Venus had liquid water and habitable temperatures on its surface until a runaway greenhouse effect transformed it into the hellscape it is now.Let's hope it will help Earth avoid the same fate!Image: NASA Read the rest

Before returning to her mom's home for a few weeks, my daughter taught Electra to sleep in her bed...while I was asleep in mine.In an effort to maintain the housebreaking while acknowledging and encouraging my daughter's canine liberation efforts and subterfuge, I will be sleeping with the puppy in her room until it can be trusted in mine. View this post on Instagram Good morning, I love life! #puppy #salutation #goldenretriever #cute #fuzzy #adorable #dogsofinstagramA post shared by Electra (@electra___cute) on Jul 26, 2020 at 6:17am PDT Read the rest

This apparel company is ON IT. They've shipped a matching mask with each of their tops. This photo was taken in Be’er Sheva, Israel, but I believe that "LOOK" is an American brand. A quick search reveals that match-matchy masks are a popular 2020 fashion trend. photo by Bruria Efune, used with permission Read the rest

This may sound a bit odd coming from such a tech-heavy haven as Boing Boing, but...have you ever thought about gardening?Don’t laugh. The groundedness and feeling of accomplishment that comes from growing something that you planted is powerful, particularly in our current situation. There’s a natural beauty in watching another living thing find purchase and grow that just might help you overlook some of the darkness and uncertainty we all now face.To help get you started, we assembled a handful of gardening, garden and garden-adjacent items that might just aid the flowering of a new hobby. And of course, they’re all at a nice discount off their regular prices because...well, we’ll never not enjoy a good deal.The Combined Urban and Zen Gardening Mastery Bundle - $19.99; originally $198If you’re going to garden, then learn to do it right with this two-course bundle. First, Zen Gardening will give you all the basics on how to create your own zen garden to reduce stress, improve your focus, and develop a sense of well-being. Then, Urban Gardening explains planting and maintenance tips for gardens crafted to help provide great foods in tiny urbanized spaces.Solar Powered Firefly LED Light String - $17.95; originally $89You can certainly liven up your outdoor garden area with this string of 20 LED firefly bulbs. Powered by solar energy, they actually look like they’re flying as they shine their warm yellow, bright white or even multicolored light bursts all over your yard.Multi-Function Folding Emergency Shovel - $22.99; originally $59From digging a hole for a new plant to a camping mainstay to even an emergency dugout tool during the winter months, this folding shovel that comes with its own carrying bag could be just the lifesaving item you need at the right time. Read the rest

When you hear the brand name Marshall, any music fan instantly conjures a single image: a classic Marshall stack. The amp has been synonymous with live performance since the 60s, with music artists of every stripe lining their stage sets with these thunderous cabinets.Even when you close your eyes, you can see them. The clean black squares stacked like a wall. Six, eight, 10 across; three, four, even five or more high, each emblazoned with that simple script Marshall logo right in the center.Marshall amps were created because guitarists wanted more power. And while the need for audio power has never wavered, that power — as well as the Marshall heritage — can be found today in products that can literally fit in your hand like the Marshall Mode EQ Wired Earphones.Marshall turned all their audio output knowledge inward, creating an in-ear headphone that delivers all the power that personifies the brand, despite their tiny size.Customized drivers deliver high audio performance with minimal distortion, a well-balanced display boasting clear midrange, extended highs, and deep bass when needed.Of course, not everyone wants to listen to their music in exactly the same way, which is Mode EQ is true to its name with a pair of different EQ settings, one for warm, bass-heavy listeners, another for brighter, airier fans with an emphasis on the mids and highs.While music is any headphones’ bread and butter, the Mode EQ doesn’t forget about day-to-day usage either. These buds are outfitted with a built-in mic for receiving phone calls that also includes a remote letting users click once to answer incoming calls or play a song, twice to fast forward, three times to rewind. Read the rest

Racist couple in Marshall, MN wearing swastikas on their mask at Walmart pic.twitter.com/sBgHr6ILC0— Fifty Shades of Whey (@davenewworld_2) July 25, 2020It's one step forward and two steps back at the Walmart in Marshall, Minnesota, which enforced the state's new mask mandate but evidently didn't care what's on the masks. As one commenter put it: "If I wear a hoodie into one of stores your security follows me but you are good with this?" Read the rest

Yesterday, The New York Times ran an article about how the GOP governor of Arizona's limited response to the pandemic resulted in a "leveling off" of Covid-19 deaths and cases:As the United States surpasses four million known coronavirus cases, far more than any other country, new outbreaks are sending thousands of seriously ill people to hospitals and driving a new wave of funerals. But there are also initial signs that new infections may be leveling off in some places, including in some of the worst hot spots.That may be most visible in Arizona.Only a few weeks ago, Arizona was leading the nation in coronavirus infections per capita, as the virus spread across many Sun Belt states that had opened quickly in late spring. Facing a mounting crisis in June, Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican, reversed himself and allowed cities and counties to order residents to wear masks. He also rolled back some earlier reopenings, and directed bars, indoor gyms, water parks and movie theaters to shut down again.About a month later, the number of patients hospitalized with the virus is starting to decline. As of Friday afternoon, Arizona was the only state where known new daily cases were decreasing, a milestone that reflected, in part, just how dire conditions had been.But today new cases and deaths in Arizona increased sharply, as you can see by the chart above (from The Washington Post). 3,740 new cases and 144 new deaths (more than any other state including Florida) have been reported today. Read the rest

It’s easy to want to section up the world into Android people and iOS people. Android people stick to their Samsungs and their Google Assistants and their freedom of choice while iOS people stick with their iPhones, Siris, and elite standards and never the two groups shall mix.Of course, the reality is that few of us are entirely bound by brand loyalty. You may have an iPhone and a Galaxy Tab. Or you might have a secret Chrome app trojan horsed over Safari. Or maybe you’re an Android person working in an iOS company. In all instances, your gear needs power. Thankfully, this 3-plus footlong Supercord 3-in-1 charging cable has you covered, no matter what device needs the power-up.Packed with interchangeable Micro USB, USB-C and Lightning connectors, you can plug in up to three different devices at once and get charged, no matter whether it’s an iPhone, an Android or pretty much anything else.The Supercord is constructed of soft, flexible, braided material that’s been tested to absorb stress with reinforced joints so the cable and your device always stay connected. Of course, the true measure of any cable is how quickly and efficiently it delivers a charge -- and while an Apple endorsement for this cross-platform accessory isn’t a be-all, end-all declaration, it’s always to know the Supercord is Apple MFi-certified for high-speed charging up to 12W. The tough, fire-resistant PVC protects the circuit board and chipset inside with a stainless steel connector for a fully optimized power delivery. Read the rest

It has been announced through a family representative that legendary guitarist Peter Green died peacefully in his sleep last night. He was 73.Green was a founding member of Fleetwood Mac (first called "Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac with Jeremy Spencer") and a celebrated guitar player and songwriter. His spare, tonal, and soulful phrasing made him a guitarist's guitarist who influenced many that came after him. Green is listed 58th in Rolling Stone's list of the 100 greatest guitar players of all time and 50th by Guitar Playerˆ. Green was also a talented songwriter who wrote many classics, including Black Magic Woman, later made popular by Santana, and the early charting Mac singles, Albatross and Man of the World.Image: YouTube Read the rest

Back in 2003, I performed at a music festival that included a band called Arrogant Sons of Bitches, who absolutely blew me away with their energy and songwriting. The lead singer, Jeff Rosenstock, went to form a collective (for lack of a better term) called Bomb the Music Industry! and, more recently, has branched off into a solo career.Rosenstock's last four solo albums (which you can download for free on his website, or purchase through his label) all feel like one continuous outraged chronicle of the modern era. In fitting with Rosenstock's reputation for confessional vitriol-spitting poetry, his latest music video, for the song "Scram!," takes advantage of the coronavirus quarantine to tell a socially distant story with his backing band — in the form of 90s PSAs. This not only fit the subject matter, but also made it easier to shoot.As Rosenstock explained in a press release:I started writing “Scram!” after being inspired by the kids from Parkland High standing up to the behemoth that is the gun lobby. The last four years (and let’s be honest, my entire life) have felt like we are up against an unconquerable force of evil that thrives on violence and inequality. It was a rare bright spot to see thousands of people say. ‘Hey, we’re gonna be able to vote in the next election, and we are going to vote you the fuck out.’ It was also inspired by the other side—the politicians and lobbyists who promote regressive policies that perpetuate the consolidation of power to the super rich at the expense of everyone else’s lives—having the audacity to demand “civility” from students who have watched their classmates get murdered and are tired of going to school in fear. Read the rest

Three months ago Kevin Kelly gifted me with a 3-month subscription to The Browser daily newsletter. I got hooked and paid for a subscription as soon as my gift sub ran out. From today's newsletter, I learned about" Transfiguration," a 6-minute animation of a walking figure that slowly changes into different kinds of matter (plastic, rock, water, fire, plants) over time. Read the rest

In April of 2019 I gleefully packed up my home of 11 years. While fantastical in retrospect, during the marathon packing session I remember thinking that once on the market my lovely oceanfront home would sell instantaneously, and I would be off to an exciting new life.It was an optimistic time for April 2019 Jason. We had spent the last 6 months nursing our 125 pound Great Pyrenees through double arthroscopy. Diagnosed with torn cruciate ligaments, Nemo would require a lot of carrying up and down the 26 stairs up to our front door, a lot of pain medication and a lot of sedatives. I spent a good portion of his recovery sleeping next to him on the hardwood floor, as he was never to climb the stairs up to my bedroom again. Nemo was on the mend, and my daughter came to me with a plan to end her weekly custody migrations. She, about to become a teenager, had realized that the time she spent commuting from the beach to her school and gym would be better spent elsewhere. She also noted that the transitions from home to home were disruptive and she’d prefer it if we changed her schedule. Why not move back to Los Angeles, like you’ve always wanted? Her mother, my former wife, suggested. Vacations and long weekends would be spent with me, no longer would I spend 3-4 days a week driving the kid to gym and school. An end to my self-imposed exile years before I had planned it? Read the rest

Fanni Sandor has an Etsy shop where she sells her adorable 1:12 scale dollhouse miniature animals. Follow her work on Instagram. View this post on InstagramA post shared by Fanniminiature (@fanniminiature) on Jul 9, 2020 at 10:14pm PDT View this post on InstagramA post shared by Fanniminiature (@fanniminiature) on Jul 7, 2020 at 5:36am PDT View this post on InstagramA post shared by Fanniminiature (@fanniminiature) on Jun 30, 2020 at 3:21am PDT Read the rest

Maintaining “the look” isn’t always easy. For guys who actually care about their appearance, especially if they’re rocking facial hair, it isn’t always enough to wake up and just charge into your day. No, you need to get your entire visual package in line.Assuming you don’t have your own in-house barber, keeping the mane and your particular facial forestry on point can be a little more difficult than usual to craft these days. Of course, the right tool like the Luxitude Groomer, Beard Trimmer and Shaver can go a long way toward keeping your style together even when a date with your hair care professional isn’t in the cards.The Luxitude Groomer is an all-in-one trimmer made for all the follicle touch-ups that need to happen from mustache and beard trimming to hair clipping right down to precision manscaping.Sweetly styled with a sleek carbon fiber finish, this top quality modern shaver sports durable steel blades custom cut to stay sharp longer for a more comfortable ultra-precise shave. The package also comes with four unique clipper head attachments and lubricant so you can groom your hair to any length.This groomer also comes with its own rechargeable docking station compatible for both 110V and 220V, so you don't have to keep buying batteries or be always plugged in to do your thing.This cool, modern tool is also highly portable, with the entire package folding up easily into the included travel case so you stay sharp even when you’re on the road. Read the rest

Florida man Vincent Scavetta, 28, was charged with aggravated assault with a firearm after threatenening a fellow shopper with a handgun. The two were arguing in Walmart over Scavetta's apparent refusal to wear a facemask. Scavetta was also charged with brandishing the firearm; both charges are felonies.Christopher Estrada of West Palm Beach, told deputies on the day of the incident that he was shopping with his daughter when he told another man in the electronics department at Walmart that he should cover his face.Estrada told deputies that man, Scavetta, swore at him. The two argued for a few minutes, drawing the attention of other customers who tried to break up the two men, Estrada said.When Scavetta reached toward the waistband of his shorts, Estrada reportedly told him that he didn’t care about his gun -- a moment captured in the viral video. Then Scavetta pulled out his gun, pointed it at Estrada and said, “I’ll kill you,” authorities said. Read the rest

I have been using this balance board to build core strength and awareness.I used to jump the hell out of my skin when my neighbor hollers over the fence and thru a window to get my attention as I work at my desk, in my home office. Now, when Alan gives a yell, I freak out and fall right down.That's cause I am standing on a balance board! Soon I will either be hurt badly or learn to steady my reactions enough so as not to fly across the god damn room when startled.I have the board set to the shortest possible range of travel. There are 3 levels of travel, short is for beginners.As a regular skateboarder, I was able to balance on the board within a few tries. My daughter, an avid gymnast who trains hours and hours each week, found it slightly more challenging.The board is a good size for skateboarding and snowboarding. Better surfers than I will eventually want a longer board. I'll never outgrow this one but I might want a ball as opposed to the roller. A ball seems really scary right now, however.JUST4U Balance Board Trainer with 3 Levels of Adjustable Distance,Professional Wooden Roller Board via Amazon Read the rest

My sister texted me and told me to watch the YouTube series called The Reassembler. I was 7 minutes into an episode when I texted her back: “This is the greatest thing I’ve ever seen on YouTube.” I don’t even think I was exaggerating. Each episode starts off with host James May in a workshop, standing over components of something that has been taken apart (like a lawnmower, an electric guitar, or a model train set). He then puts it back together, narrating as he does so. As he says in the introduction, “it is only when these objects are laid out in hundreds of bits and then slowly reassembled that you can truly understand and appreciate how they work and just how ingenious they are.”This was something I wrote for my weekly Recomendo newsletter. Read the rest

While the world's on lockdown thanks to COVID-19, the organizers behind San Diego Comic-Con opted to hold an online convention, so at least the entertainment industry could continue to enjoy that annual mid-July PR boost. Things began to awry, however, during the Star Trek panel, which featured a table read by the cast of Star Trek: Discovery. As Deadline reports:About 15 minutes into the sprawling offering from the ever expanding Trekverse everything seemed to shut down on Comic-Con’s YouTube site. As Sonequa Martin-Green and others from the cast of Star Trek: Discovery were delivering a table read of their Season 2 finale ‘Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 2,’ the prerecorded stream suddenly said “video unavailable.”The outage of sort lasted about 20 minutes before the dramatic and footage augmented panel picked up again at 10:35 PM PST.According to a spokesperson from CBS All Access, the mysterious 20-minute gap only affected viewers who joined the panel after it started. They received an error message that read, "The video contains content from CBS CID, who has blocked it on copyright grounds." Oops.Luckily, the blackout is absent from the archival video of the event on YouTube. But it's still an embarrassing display for overly-aggressive algorithmic content control.‘Star Trek’ At Comic-Con@Home Panel Goes Dark For Short Spell Over CBS Copyright Glitch [Dominic Patten / Deadline]Image: Chris Favero / Flickr (CC 2.0) Read the rest

Keith Sonnier, whose work explored combining functional materials, especially neon lighting, in playful ways, has died at age 78. Among his best-known works is the massive public art piece at LA's Caltrans headquarters, designed to look like cars zipping through the night (shown below). Via New York Times:He began using neon tubes, a material that would become his calling card, in 1968, often deploying them in unabashed candied colors: baby blue, hot pink, lime green, tropical yellows and oranges. But Mr. Sonnier was formally restless, and, particularly in the early years, his work could appear to come from completely different hands, involving collaborative performance, ephemeral sculpture, cutting-edge technology and communications theory.“As his art developed,” Roberta Smith of The New York Times wrote in a review of two shows in 1989, “it came to have the feeling of a just-finished performance that, by the way, just happened to produce this marvelous if temporary thing to look at.”Here's the late, great Huell Howser touring the spectacular Caltrans District 7 Headquarters in Los Angeles, designed to look like the "diamonds and rubies" of LA's (in)famous auto traffic.And this short, moody piece by Mythos One gives a great sense of the scale and vibe.Image: YouTube / Mythos One Read the rest

Australian airlines Qantas has retired the passenger jumbo jet, specifically the Boeing 747, from its fleet. The last one to leave the country traced a message in the sky over the Pacific Ocean: the Qantas kangaroo logo. ABC (Australia):Flight QF7474 flew out from Sydney Airport on Wednesday afternoon and provided entertainment to hundreds of plane spotters.The jumbo jet is headed to retirement in the Mojave Desert in the United States, after Qantas brought forward the scheduled retirement of the fleet by six months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.There were plenty of tears at the 747's farewell ceremony at Sydney Airport, with video tributes and poem recitals for the aircraft that has served Australians for almost 50 years.image via ABC/Qantas Read the rest

Put it in your calendar.The CEOs of Facebook, Amazon.com Inc, Alphabet’s Google, and Apple, are all scheduled to testify before the House Judiciary Committee’s antitrust panel on July 27. The tech executives will present their testimonies virtually, not in person.“The panel is questioning the companies as part of its probe into whether they actively work to harm and eliminate smaller rivals, while not always making the best choices for their customers,” reports Reuters:The high-profile hearing, which will bring together Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, Apple’s Tim Cook and Google’s Sundar Pichai, will be a key moment in the growing backlash against Big Tech in the United States and is likely to set up a face-off between the executives and skeptical lawmakers from both parties.Many tech lobbying groups say the hearing is unlikely to address core antitrust issues or bring new information to the table, however.Apple is likely to be quizzed about the way it manages its app store after facing criticisms it hurts newcomers. Apple told Reuters it will argue it does not have controlling market share for apps. The iPhone maker views its store as a feature designed to ensure the security and reliability of its phones. More at Reuters: Big Tech CEOs ready defenses for U.S. Congress hearing into their growing power Read the rest

Your guesses in the BBS, please.“President Trump reiterated his hope of avoiding an expensive three-way arms race between China, Russia and the United States and looked forward to progress on upcoming arms control negotiations in Vienna,” White House spokesman Judd Deere today said. “The need for collective efforts to maintain regional stability and the global nuclear non-proliferation regime has been emphasized on both sides,” the Kremlin said. Reuters reports,Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump discussed arms control and Iran’s nuclear program in a telephone call, the Kremlin said in a statement on Thursday.The two leaders also expressed a mutual desire to develop trade and economic interaction between Russia and the United States, the Kremlin added.But, you know. Come on. What'd they really discuss.[Discuss.] Read the rest

If you needed any further proof that Americans are finally beginning to accept the bidet movement, consider this: a bidet company has the money to buy naming rights for an NFL football stadium.The company’s bid to rename the Buffalo Bills’ stadium in Orchard Park, New York may not end up happening, even though they’re offering $12.5 million for the rights. It may end up being a bridge too far for ownership to suffer through the “Toilet Bowl” jokes surrounding the often lackluster franchise should they suffer another rough season.But whether it happens or not, bidets are now on the American map. Bidet sales surged in the wake of COVID-19 inspired toilet paper shortages, putting bidets like the Aim to Wash Smart Toilet Seat square in the minds of suddenly open-minded shoppers.The Aim to Wash seat promises to eliminate up to 80 percent of a home’s toilet paper use as dual nozzles supply a warm water wash to clean you up without the use of TP. The patented tank-less design offers an endless supply of warm spray, followed by a warm air dryer that needs as little as 30 seconds to get a user fully dry.The seat comes with easy to use dial knobs to adjust your cleaning routine to just what suits you. Even the dual nozzles come with their own self-cleaning regimen to keep the entire array super-clean after every usage.You’ve also got control over the water temperature, the heat from the dryer, and even over the toastiness of the seat itself when you settle in during the cold weather months. Read the rest

Usually, when you drop a plant into a glass vase full of water, you’re trying to prolong its life by a few extra days. By giving that freshly cut flower its longest possible bloom, you get to extend your appreciation of its beauty before the effects of its shearing settle in as it finally begins to wither away and die.But what if a plant in your home could sit freely in that water and not just stave off death, but actually thrive and continue radiating its brilliance for months, even years to come?That’s hydroponics, the science of growing plants without the use of soil. Now, that inventive means of sustaining life can be perched right there on your desk every day with an Ionian Hydroponics Water Garden.Whether it’s a flower, a standard house plant or even an herb or a vegetable, your plant sits suspended in water in the glass enclosure centered in this vintage-inspired, wood-framed planter. You can watch its roots take in nutrients and power along all right in front of your eyes.Best of all, the plant and its elevated holder look rustic, yet elegant, offering beauty and style to your space that will instantly catch the eye of any visitor to your office or inside your home. With sufficient nutrient mix, the plant shouldn’t require any watering or fertilizing, so it might be just the perfect plant for anyone not gifted with a green thumb.Whether you go for a delicate ivy, a spider plant, or a Chinese evergreen; a cooking-ready herb like tarragon or oregano; or a fruit or vegetable like tomatoes, peppers, or even strawberries, you’ll enjoy the opportunity to watch your plant grow each day in this unique display. Read the rest

View this post on InstagramA post shared by Jordan (@jordanmykelgipson) on Jul 21, 2020 at 6:21pm PDT A black man attempted to make a Postmates delivery to an apartment when he was stopped at the front door by a woman who claimed to be a resident. The woman launched into a tirade and blocked him from entering, even after speaking on the intercom to the person who placed the order. Read the rest

We could have won, but our "wartime" president surrendered.#TrumpVirus pic.twitter.com/igAzBDX1i1— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) July 23, 2020It's hard to pick the stupidest thing Trump has said during his deadly mismanagement of the Covid-19 pandemic in the United States, but I think, "We're losing a lot of lives by keeping things closed," belongs in the top 20. Read the rest

In the face of a rising daily death count, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is hoping people will believe his claim that COVID-19's danger is exaggerated, reports Forbes.Florida reported a new record Thursday morning with 173 deaths, after Texas set a daily record in its Wednesday evening update, adding 197 deaths... 56 ICUs across the state of Florida are now reporting 0% capacity, many of which are in the hard-hit southern part of the state. Read the rest

Here is my full response regarding Mr. Yoho and the culture of misogyny that inspired his actions.I am deeply appreciative of my colleagues and everyone speaking up and out against the rampant mistreatment of women both in Congress and across the country. ⬇️ https://t.co/nFfxy5UdmP— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 23, 2020Today Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) responded to Rep. Ted Yoho (R-FL) calling her a "fucking bitch." She said his words weren't "piercing" because as a former blue-collar service worker she was used to men calling women workers "fucking bitches," and that this pattern of dehumanization of women is also prevalent in the Capitol. AOC said, "I do not need Rep. Yoho to apologize to me. Clearly he does not want to. Clearly, when given the opportunity he will not & I will not stay up late at night waiting for an apology from a man who has no remorse over calling women and using abusive language towards women. But what I do have issues with is using woman, our wives, and daughters as shields and excuses for poor behavior. Mr. Yoho mentioned that he has a wife and two daughters. I am two years younger than Mr. Yoho's youngest daughter. I am someone's daughter too. My father thankfully is not alive to see how Mr. Yoho treated his daughter. My mother got to see" Mr. Yoho's disrespect on the floor of this house towards me on television. And I am here because I have to show my parents that I am her daughter. Read the rest

Electra loves carrots, and her play tunnel. View this post on Instagram Munch. Chomp. Crunch. #puppy #goldenretriever #dogsofinstagram #cute #noisyeaterA post shared by Electra (@electra___cute) on Jul 23, 2020 at 9:12am PDT Read the rest

Taron Egerton will star in a forthcoming Tetris movie, reports Movieweb's Ryan Scott. Egerton will star as Henk Rogers, who commercialized the game in the west along with creator Alexei Pajitnov. No news on who will play the Russian game designer himself.When the idea of a Tetris movie was floated several years back, it perplexed many onlookers. Granted, video game movies have come a long way in recent years, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of mileage one can get out of fitting blocks together to make lines disappear. But the idea of taking a look at the behind the scenes drama concerning one of the most enduring titles in the history of gaming seems appealing. The story was previously documented by author Brian "Box" Brown in his acclaimed 2016 book, Tetris: The Games People Play.This is, presumably, not the previously-mooted Tetris sci-fi trilogy, one of the stranger game tie-ins to be proposed. Read the rest

I look forward to the generation of strong women, like my daughter, inspired by Congressperson Ocasio-Cortez today.Here’s the clip: pic.twitter.com/znmCYNYll4— The Recount (@therecount) July 23, 2020 Read the rest

Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen, who pleaded guilty in 2018 to lying to Congress, campaign-finance violations, and other financial crimes, is being released from prison today on orders from a federal judge, who said Cohen's reinstallment to prison was a retaliatory move by the Trump administration to prevent Cohen from releasing a tell-all book. From CNBC:Judge Alvin Hellerstein at a hearing in Manhattan federal court found that Cohen was sent back to prison on July 10 in retaliation for failing to agree a day earlier to not to publish a book about Trump as one of multiple conditions for serving the remainder of his three-year prison term on home confinement.Cohen, who has been in quarantine in the prison in Otisville, N.Y., since his arrival there, will be released by 2 p.m. after being tested for the coronavirus, and will be driven back to his home on Manhattan’s Upper East Side by his son, Hellerstein said. Cohen had been furloughed from prison in late May due to concerns about the coronavirus pandemic. Read the rest

History professor Albert Broussard, who also writes a history textbook commonly used in US middle and high schools, is pushing to capitalize the letter "b" in Black in future revisions of the text when referencing Black people. The publisher, McGraw Hill, told CNN that they are "strongly considering it." From CNN:"I just personally would like to see it capitalized because I think African American and Black are used interchangeably by most people in the population," Broussard said. "If you start children out thinking about Black or White or any group that way, that's how they will think about them for the rest of their lives."McGraw Hill, Pearson and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt are purveyors of the final drafts of history. While it is unclear how many textbooks each company sells each year, more than $209 million worth of K-12 social studies books were sold in the US in 2018, according to data provided to CNN by the Association of American Publishers.All three education companies are reviewing whether to use Black capitalized in their K-12 textbooks and educational materials, according to comments they provided to CNN[...]."It is very important, in my opinion, to use Black instead of black. In a very subtle way, black minimizes the importance of being Black. Because Black Americans were ruthlessly and abruptly cut off from their own national and ethnic identities, they don't have the privilege of attaching a homeland, spiritual or otherwise, to their American identity," [Denver Public Schools social studies teacher Gerardo] Muñoz told CNN over email. Read the rest

The Boston Red Sox have placed a new billboard on Fenway Park, facing the Mass Pike highway. It reads "Black Lives Matter" and uses the baseball team's familiar font and "red socks" logo. WCVB:The billboard appeared to have been recently installed.Earlier this year, the Red Sox showed their support for the movement by spelling out Black Lives Matter on the scoreboard on the Green Monster at Fenway Park."Our anger and grief must translate to action,” the team wrote on its official Twitter account. “We have a responsibility to use our platform to amplify messages of truth and justice."screengrab via CBS Boston/YouTube Read the rest

In this fun episode of Mark Frauenfelder and Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools podcast, they talk with Lux Sparks-Pescovitz, 14, about his passion for GameBoys, cassettes, DIY sushi, and his new iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit. He's quite an interesting young man; I'd like to meet his parents someday. Listen here:Cool Tools · 234: Lux Sparks-Pescovitz Read the rest

While visiting protests in Portland, Oregon, last night, the city's mayor Ted Wheeler was among those tear-gassed by federal officers sent in by Trump last week.Mayor Ted Wheeler was tear gassed in downtown Portland early Thursday morning, according to video and posts on Twitter from a New York Times journalist. The video shows Wheeler, wearing goggles and a face mask amid a crowd of people, hold his nose and close his eyes in distress as a cloud of tear gas drifts by him."It stings. It's hard to breathe. I can tell you with 100% honesty I saw nothing that provoked this response," Wheeler said to the Times camera. "I'm not afraid but I am pissed off." Footage via CBS News:WATCH: Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler and protesters were tear-gassed by federal officers at a fence guarding a downtown courthouse https://t.co/D3KlV694xv pic.twitter.com/esI3K9Cfku— CBS News (@CBSNews) July 23, 2020The New York Times describes him as "left coughing and wincing" in the street; Wheeler denounced the federal officers' actions shortly thereafter. Read the rest

Word to your mother. Vanilla Ice, the oft-mocked 1990s rapper best known for "Ice Ice Baby" (above), is getting his own biopic starring Dave Franco (Scrubs, The Disaster Artist) playing Ice, real name Rob Van Winkle. Franco spoke about the film for the first time in Insider:"We have been in development for a while but we are inching closer and closer to preproduction," Franco said.The news was quietly released in early 2019 through trade publication Production Weekly and included the longline: "From a high school dropout selling cars in Dallas to having the first hip-hop single to top the Billboard charts with 'Ice Ice Baby,' a young Vanilla Ice struggles with stardom, extortion attempts, and selling out as he makes music history."Franco said if the project is done right, it will very much be like "The Disaster Artist.""With that movie, people expected us to make a broad comedy where we make fun of Tommy Wiseau, but the more real we played it, the funnier and heartfelt it was — that's the tone we want for this one as well," Franco said.[...]"Rob is such a sweet and intelligent guy and he's been super helpful in the process of getting all the details correct and making us privy to information the public doesn't know," Franco said. "Just talking to him I can't help but think about the rabbit holes I'm going to go down to get ready for the role."Bonus below, Vanilla Ice on MTV explaining that "Ice Ice Baby" does not use the same bassline as Queen/David Bowie's "Under Pressure." Read the rest

Rep. Ted Yoho (R-FL) was overheard calling Democratic colleague Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) a "fucking bitch". He refused to apologize Wednesday, saying instead that "I cannot apologize for my passion or for loving my God, my family, or my country.""[He] Does not apologize or name any action he did," Ocasio-Cortez wrote on Twitter, "This is not an apology. ... He didn’t even say my name."Yoho also insinuated that he hadn't even said the remarks, saying that "The offensive name calling, words attributed to me by the press were never spoken to my colleagues and if they were construed that way, I apologize for their misunderstanding."Numerous staffers reportedly overheard the remarks. Some outlets, such as CNN and ABC News, reported Yoho's statement as an apology, but most noted that it was obviously nothing of the sort.Inae Oh: It’s hard to tell exactly what’s going on here. One stab at an explanation could see Yoho attempting to thread the needle between calling Ocasio-Cortex a “fucking bitch” to her face and mumbling the sexist slur as he slunk away from the encounter. But we all know that meaningful contrition doesn’t usually rely on obscure denial and the heavy use of the passive voice.Expect such abusive language to become normal from Republicans and their media allies, justified with a doublethinking rhetoric of free speech rights and denial. It won't stop them crying about civility when attacked, but it will quicken the sorting of America into people dumb or gross enough to go along with it and people who want something else out of politics. Read the rest

Our world is home to more than 3,500 species of mosquitoes. And while it’s tough to ever advocate for any lifeform’s extinction, it’s hard to come up with many redeeming qualities for why their continued cohabitation is welcome on planet Earth.While mosquitoes serve as food and perform functions to help various forms of plant life, they’re also the deadliest animal on the planet and incredible nuisances. Any way you slice it, it’s hard to come down on the pro-mosquito side. So if you’re more in the “kill ‘em all” camp, there are some mosquito prevention weapons along with some bite relief tactics on sale right now to help out with the rest of your summer. Bug Bite Thing Insect Bite/Sting Relief Suction Tool: 2-Pack - $19.95The no. 1 insect bite treatment option on Amazon, this easy-to-use suction tool actually extracts insect saliva or venom from under the skin painlessly. With the irritant gone, the itching, stinging and swelling can all start to go away so you can get on with your life.Ultrasonic Pest Repeller 2-Pack - $38.99; originally $84Pumping out optical, ultrasonic and electromagnetic waves up to 1,600 square feet, this pest repellent doesn’t fix its sights only on the mosquito -- or even insects. No, this all-purpose yard-clearer will also have rats, bats and even squirrels running for the hills. Bite Helper Itch Neutralizer - $31.99; originally $39Bite Help is the drug-free, chemical-free way to soothe the irritation of mosquito and other bug bites. Using thero-pulse technology, this CES Innovation Awards honoree delivers heat and vibration to the bite area to increase circulation and blood flow, which stops the itching in seconds. Read the rest

A federal prosecutor made homophobic and sexist remarks during a DUI arrest that cost him his job, reports Buzzfeed's Zoe Tillman. Moroever, he threatened arresting officers after making clear they knew who he was. But the Department of Justice is refusing to name him, Tillman adds, redacting his identity in paperwork that they only yielded after a Freedom of Information Act request. Nor will it say whether he ever worked on cases related to discrimination.The prosecutor pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence. The inspector general’s office redacted his sentence in the report, but an unredacted section indicates the sentence was deferred while he was under court supervision and required that he have a breath test machine attached to his car.The inspector general office concluded that the now-former prosecutor “displayed conduct unbecoming a federal employee when he was intermittently verbally abusive, non-compliant, and threatening towards the arresting officers and jail officials,” the report states. The office also found that the man “misused his position” by suggesting officers should release him because he was a federal prosecutor and threatening law enforcement officers with legal action or getting them fired. Read the rest

Denis Shiryaev writes that this footage, filmed in Tokyo between 1913-1915 as "Japan of Today", was upscaled using neural networks.✔ FPS boosted to 60 frames per second, I have also fixed some playback speed issues;✔ Faces are enhanced too – I have added to the pipeline of algorithms a neural network which is specially designed for facial restoration.✔ Image resolution boosted up to 4k – with digital artifacts, but some parts are improved noticeably;✔ Removed noise and fixed some damaged parts.✔ Colorized – please, be aware that colorization colors are not real and fake, colorization was made only for the ambiance and do not represent real historical data.Here's the original edited to correct playback speed: Read the rest

Aerogel, the synthetic material made of about 1% microporous silica and 99% air, has extremely low density, extremely low thermal conductivity, and extremely low chances of turning out OK when made in a home lab. It took YouTuber NileRed many months of trial and error.He says his efforts were inspired by an aerogel video by Versitatium (previously)Image: YouTube / NileRed Read the rest

View this post on Instagram This was originally written and performed by The Equals, Eddy Grant’s beat group from the 60. And of course The Clash slay it. #theequals #theequalsband #dervgordon #eddygrant #theclashA post shared by Billie Joe Armstrong (@billiejoearmstrong) on Jul 17, 2020 at 8:21pm PDTGreen Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong has been posting different cover songs from quarantine every week. This week's offering is the topically-relevant "Police On My Back" by the Guyanese-British pop band, The Equals (famously covered by The Clash)Image: Sven-Sebastian Sajak (Sven0705) / Wikimedia Commons (CC 3.0) Read the rest

Scientists "accidentally created" a spiky-snouted hybrid of the Russian sturgeons and American paddlefish, which we are assured "shouldn't have been possible."Hungarian scientists announced in May in the journal Genes that they had accidentally created a hybrid of the two endangered species, which they have dubbed the "sturddlefish." There are about 100 of the hybrids in captivity now, but scientists have no plans to create more. "We never wanted to play around with hybridization. It was absolutely unintentional," Attila Mozsár, a senior research fellow at the Research Institute for Fisheries and Aquaculture in Hungary, told The New York Times.From the paper's abstract:The hybridization was repeated using eggs from three sturgeon and sperm from four paddlefish individuals. Survival in all hybrid family groups ranged from 62% to 74% 30 days after hatching. This was the first successful hybridization between these two species and between members of the family Acipenseridae and Polyodontidae. ... Although the growth performance showed high variance in hybrids (mean: 1.2 kg, SD: 0.55), many individuals reached a size of approximately 1 kg by the age of one year under intensive rearing conditions. Read the rest

Oclectáte, nunc híc sumus! Read the rest

There is a common link among the 500 fastest supercomputers in the world. There aren’t all in one country, there aren’t controlled by the same organizations and governments — and they certainly aren’t running Windows.No, the fact is that the one thing that each and every one of the world’s most highly-tuned and masterfully equipped computers has in common is the Linux operating system.It’s not a massive surprise if you understand Linux. With decades of open source development undertaken by scads of enthusiast groups, Linux is primed like a racecar to absolutely fly. Understanding that kind of versatility and power is just one of the reasons students can find a lot to consider and use from the Linux knowledge found in The Complete 2020 Learn Linux Bundle.While Linux is incredibly streamlined, that doesn’t make it simple. So this collection gathers up 12 different courses, a package covering over 110 hours of training, just to help make sure students have the Linux system and all its nuance on lock.Even if you’ve never touched a line of Linux code before, that’s OK. This curriculum starts off with three courses built specifically with the first time user in mind. Linux for Beginners, Getting Started with Linux and CompTIA Linux+ (XK0-004) are the perfect Linux primer, guiding new users through the basic commands and operations through how the Linux system works in practical application. This section even includes focused CompTIA training to pass their Linux+ exam, a benchmark certification that instantly makes you a Linux expert in the eyes of hiring managers. Read the rest

“If you get it in order, you get extra points.”

'Contact tracing is being done after positive test in office building where many senior advisers and top officials work.'