For five years, Boing Boing contributor Ariel Waldman, an artist-turned-science hacker developed the skills necessary to become a "wildlife filmmaker at the microbial scale." Finally, she spent more than a month in Antarctica documenting the strange, beautiful, and "invisible" creatures that live there. Her project, "Life Under Ice," was meant to be the subject of her TED2020 talk in Vancouver in April. Of course, TED2020 was changed to an entirely online event. Above is Ariel's wonderful talk about the incredibly curious and beautiful lifeforms she encountered in Antarctica. From TED:In this tour of the microscopic world, explorer and artist Ariel Waldman introduces the charismatic creatures lurking beneath Antarctica's massive ice sheet, the largest on earth. From "cuddly" water bears to geometric algae made of glass, Waldman shows how this seemingly barren landmass is actually a polar oasis of life -- if we just know where to look. Read the rest

Last week, someone set Walt Disney World's reopening video to the gloomy title music from The Shining. This week, YouTuber Sycorax Rock has set the same video (with some 'bonus footage') to Blue Oyster Cult's "Don't Fear the Reaper." As one commenter quips, "Be Our Guest! Be Our Guest! Put Your Mortality to The Test!"The internet is also busy re-envisioning another Disney video. This official "Welcome Home" video was posted on the @DisneyParksJobs Instagram feed. YouTuber Tony Goldmark wasted no time fixing it to be a "Stay at Home" video instead: In related news, Hong Kong Disneyland has closed again:The resort, which reopened on June 18, is shutting down after Hong Kong tightened its social-distancing measures following a rise of 52 new coronavirus cases in the city."As required by the government and health authorities in line with prevention efforts taking place across Hong Kong, Hong Kong Disneyland park will temporarily close from July 15," a Disney (DIS) spokesperson said. screengrab via Tony Goldmark/YouTube Read the rest

Jeff Sessions is finished. The GOP stalwart, one of Donald Trump's earliest supporters and his first Attorney General while in office, was defeated yesterday in the Republican primary runoff in Alabama by Tommy Tuberville. Tuberville was Trump's pick; the president turned on and ultimately rid himself of Sessions after he failed various loyalty tests in office, not least refusing to put an early end to the Mueller investigationTuberville, a party cutout who kept a low profile during the campaign, now faces Democrat Doug Jones in November. Alabama is the Dems' most vulnerable Senate seat and was only won thanks to the GOP's then-candidate, Roy Moore, being an alleged sexual harasser of young girls. Read the rest

With all the website builders on the market, it can feel overwhelming to choose the best one for your needs. The most important things to look for are usability, flexibility and a professional look and feel. That’s why over 180 million people use Wix to create the website of their dreams.Here are the top 3 reasons to build your website with Wix.Wix caters to everyone, from beginners to professionalsWhether you’re creating your very first or your 100th website, Wix has a solution for you. If you’re a beginner, one option is to let Wix do the work for you with its advanced design intelligence (ADI) tool. Simply answer a few questions about the type of website you want to create and ADI will create it for you. The other option is to use Wix’s editor that lets you choose from hundreds of templates that you can customize yourself. If you have lots of experience creating websites, Corvid by Wix gives you the freedom to code and build your own advanced web applications.Wix offers professional features for any kind of websiteWix has over 500 templates for a wide range of industries including eCommerce, health, beauty, fitness, hospitality, food, design, creative arts, and more. You can customize any template to fit the look and feel of your brand. In addition, Wix has an App Market with hundreds of Wix and third-party apps to meet your needs and enhance your business.Wix helps you get site trafficBuilding your website is only part of the process. Read the rest

The writer in me always loved to play Apples to Apples when I was younger — it was finally a game that would reward my clever wordplay and sense of humor (or at least, sometimes, depending on who I was playing with). But as the ribald alternative Cards Against Humanity began to catch on, I typically found myself filled with disappointment.After the laughter resided, anyway. I definitely laughed. But they were cheap, empty laughs. Of course you laugh. The game is built on provoking cheap uncomfortable laughs. And frankly, it does that quite well! That's all it really does though — all it's ever done. It gives you permission to say vulgar things and laugh at them, which could be entertaining for a while. But there's nothing unique about the experience, just like there's no strategy involved in shocking people with Hitler's Cum on Barbara Streisand's 9/11 Applesauce, or whatever random combination of cards you get.(It did also require me to explain fleshlights to my parents and in-laws, which was, erm, less than ideal.)I've felt this for a while (before the fleshlight incident), and as such, was not surprised but disappointed to learn that the company behind Cards Against Humanity has let a toxic culture fester all this time. It turns out all those racist and sexist cards maybe weren't meant to be ironic after all, but actually reflective of the company's gross working atmosphere. (Those who remain in that cesspool are trying to unionize, which I support, though I'm hesitant about how much good it will do in the end.) Read the rest

Matt Jordan takes viewers through the complex process of making a wood coffee mug on a lathe.He says:This has to be my most requested project both on and off YT, so here it is...a coffee mug, with a handle. The mug is made from a small apple log with plenty of burl, the handle is also made from burl but with a Pewter centre piece. The mug is finished with Pure Tung oil, this oil is food safe and provides a very good water proof coating, the only downside is the time taken to apply in at least 5 coats and then around 4 weeks to fully cure, however once done it provides a very durable water proof coating that can sustain hot drinks etc and hand washing.Bonus video: this cool speaker he just made:His Instagram has lots of neat photos and videos of his gear: View this post on Instagram Part of a new speaker system coming soon to YouTube! #woodturning #epoxyresin #speakersystemA post shared by Matt Jordan (@mj_woodturning) on Jul 5, 2020 at 3:28am PDTCheck out his website for bespoke handcrafted items.Image: YouTube / Matt Jordan Read the rest

This year, the Human Rights Campaign has recorded at least 21 violent deaths of transgender or gender non-conforming people. In 2019, they tracked at least 27. In what is being called an “epidemic,” 2020 is likely to see more fatal attacks than in 2019.The Human Rights Campaign says “at least” because “too often these stories go unreported -- or misreported.”The month of June brought celebrations of LGBTQ+ Pride that often intersected with the Black Lives Matter protests.Tori Cooper, Director of Community Engagement for HRC’s Trans Justice Initiative, said, “In just four days, we have seen the deaths of at least three transgender and gender non-conforming people […] This horrific spike in violence against our community must be an urgent call to action for every single person in this nation,” in response to the July 1 killing of 32-year-old Shaki Peters.On July 3, 27-year-old Bree Black was killed in Pompano Beach, Florida, making her the fourth Black transgender woman to be murdered in eight days.Transgender women of color, particularly Black transgender women, are disproportionately victimized. Eight out of the 21 reported murders this year have been Black transgender women.Another alarming trend on the Human Rights Campaign’s list of lives lost is that at least five of the killings occurred in Puerto Rico. No other states appear on the list more than once, with the exceptions of Texas and Florida, which both appear twice.This is not only a murder epidemic.In May, Kristian Rouse, an 18-year-old Black transgender male, was found by his mother and sister severely beaten in their apartment. Read the rest

Conveying the scale and devastation of this year's pandemic is not easy, but the folks at Global Stats created this impressive timelapse that shows how the United States became the epicenter of the disease.The timelapse is based on the WHO Situations Report. Donald Trump has of course declared war on WHO as part of his long-running "kill the messenger" strategy of self-preservation. Via Global Stats:This video shows the progress of Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic timelapse from its first cases on late December 2019, to more than 10,000,000 cases on late June 2020. It shows confirmed cases by country, number of deaths by country and world death rate, as well of milestones so far.Bonus video: this map by James Beckwith uses a ping sound effect for each death and different tones for each country, which starts off slow and builds into a cacophonous crescendo:Image: YouTube / Global Stats Read the rest

This is quasi funny and sad all at once. Stay classy Huntington Beach. pic.twitter.com/0kTvXcK9b5— Michael Silver (@BigEastSilver) July 14, 2020Welcome to Huntington Beach California, where sociopathic no-maskers are proud to declare their god-given right to spread aerosolized droplets of a deadly virus on the elderly and people with compromised immune systems.Image: Twitter Read the rest

My multitalented friend Cooper Bates is the co-founder of Hint Mint (which features artists' work on mint tins), a stage performer, and a photographer. He's got a new project on Kickstarter, and I signed up for it. It's a deck of conversation/introspection cards called "I Think Therefore I Question."From the Kickstarter description:I Think Therefore I Question is more than just words on paper. It's more than manufactured questions generated by co-workers in a think tank. This deck is an expression of my cumulative lifetime of experiences, interactions, and friendships amassed on a beautifully designed deck of cards. 60 cards, with 60 thoughtful if not eccentric questions crafted to mine entertaining, unexpected answers, interesting conversations, and a whole lot of fun. And just for the record: the questions in this deck are thoughtful and sincere. I don't move through the world presenting crass topics in the interest of shock value. Enter with an open spirit and you will learn a little something about yourself, too. Read the rest

This year, the merry-go-round of summer music festivals is not happening, all the major events have been canceled. And that's a bummer. But luckily, the pandemic didn't stop artists' creativity. Here comes a musical consolation, Flux & Contemplation — Portrait of an Artist in Isolation courtesy of Simon Posford.Simon Posford (a.k.a. Hallucinogen) is an internationally acclaimed figure of the psychedelic trance scene, with groundbreaking productions under his belt, among which the boundary-defying collaboration called Shpongle.Reflecting on his own experience of being in lockdown, Posford has crafted a refined psychedelic chillout/downtempo piece of work. Flux & Contemplation is an elegant gallery of sonic portraits, each track a signpost of an inner journey—ranging from minimal, trance-like, haunting vibes, to more uplifting melodies and groovy rhythms. The overall result is a very satisfying and intense listening experience.In a culture "where music has become more and more a commodity barely heard in the background, Posford's inspired and involved creative process transforms his handiwork into foreground music, his experience breaking free while in isolation providing a parallel experience for listeners".Looking forward to seeing Simon Postford live again on stage, surrounded by a crowd of happy revelers, Flux & Contemplation is a ray of hope while imagining brighter futures. Read the rest

A Delaware pizza shop owner threw a hot pizza pie at an attempted robber, police say.The owner of Stargate Pizza in Greenwood told troopers that on Friday, a man with a machete approached him and demanded money. The pizza shop owner said he told the man he didn’t have any, and threw a pizza at him, after which the machete-wielding man fled in a car.Troopers say the shop owner was not injured, and they are asking anyone with information to contact state police. The news release doesn’t say what happened to the pizza, or what kind it was. From the Delaware State Police:The Delaware State Police are investigating an attempted robbery of a pizza store owner that occurred last evening.The incident occurred on July 10, 2020, at approximately 10:30 p.m., when Troopers were dispatched to the Stargate Pizza, located at 9634 Sussex Hwy, Greenwood, for a report of an attempted robbery. Upon arrival, Troopers met with the store owner who advised that while he was closing the business, he was approached outside by a subject who proceeded to display a machete and demand money. The store owner advised the suspect that he did not have any money and threw a pizza at him, causing the suspect to flee. The store owner did not sustain injury as a result of this incident.The suspect was described as a white male who ran from the scene and got into a vehicle on northbound Sussex Highway.The case continues to remain under investigation and anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to please contact Troop 5, at 302-337-8253. Read the rest

Michael Gardi, who makes reproductions of vintage computers and computer-like games, went all out and built a DEC H-500 Computer Lab. He even posted a step-by-step Instructable on how to make your own H-500 reproduction.Most people reading this will be familiar with the Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) lines of PDP machines. I would guess though that far fewer have encountered the H-500 Computer Lab. Launched in the late 60s the H-500 was part of a COMPUTER LAB curriculum to introduce students and engineers to digital electronics. It's not surprising that DEC would undertake this since more than half of its PDP machines at the time were installed in educational institutions.The machine itself shipped with a wonderful workbook that contained a complete course in digital electronics. Together the COMPUTER LAB package was intended to accompany courses in binary arithmetic, Boolean algebra, digital logic or computer technology. While not a true computer, the H-500 could be "wired" to perform many of the underlying operations of a true computer using a point-to-point patch cord mechanism.Michael's builds have been previously featured on Boing Boing:Here's how to make a "computer on a card" from the 1960sThe GENIAC, a narrative interactive game from 1955How to make a replica of the GENIAC Electric Brain from 1955Complete instructions for making a replica of the Minivac 601 educational computer kit3D printed replica of the Digi-Comp II marble computerMake this scale model of the Dr. Nim digital game Read the rest

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was admitted to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore on Tuesday morning for treatment of a 'possible infection.'She is 87, and has survived cancer four separate times.The Supreme Court said in a statement Tuesday afternoon that Ginsburg is now resting comfortably. According to the statement she “will stay in the hospital for a few days to receive intravenous antibiotic treatment.”Justice Ginsburg in hospital again -- expected to be there a few days after being treated for possible infection, SCOTUS says in statement. She's 87 and a four-time cancer survivor. pic.twitter.com/svsdmnC2ME— Greg Stohr (@GregStohr) July 14, 2020Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was admitted to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore to treat a possible infection, according to the court https://t.co/d7wTShvBAl— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) July 14, 2020Informed by a reporter that Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had been hospitalized, Pres Trump said he was not aware of that, but "I wish her the best." He said "she's actually given be some good rulings."— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) July 14, 2020 Read the rest

President Trump announces intent to appoint Sebastian Gorka to National Security Education Board

The mobile phones of a number of politicians in Spain, including the president of Catalonia's parliament, were recently hacked. The government of Spain has been an NSO customer since 2015, reports Motherboard on Tuesday. NSO Group is an Israeli company that sells surveillance and hacking tools to governments around the world. From more reporting Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai and Joseph Cox at Vice Motherboard, who say they “confirmed the specifics with security researchers who investigated the attempted hack and a Facebook employee who has knowledge of the case,”A former NSO employee has told Motherboard that the Spanish government has been an NSO customer since 2015."We were actually very proud of them as a customer," the former employee said. "Finally a European state." Motherboard granted the source anonymity to protect them from retaliation from the company.We cannot confirm whether these specific attempted hacks were directed by the Spanish government, though one of the politicians targeted believes the Spanish government is behind the attack.Read more:Source: Spain is Customer of NSO Group Read the rest

This press conference Donald Trump is doing in the Rose Garden today is really something else. Whew.After bashing Joe Biden, AOC, and the European Union, Trump just referred to his travel ban as restricting travel from “jihadist regions.”In a confused, stream-of-grievances rant, Trump said Biden wants to "end all travel bans including from Jihadist regions."“We got the travel ban,” Trump then said. “We have a very strong travel ban and we don't want people that are going to come in and blow up our cities, do things.”“And frankly with the liberal Democrats running the cities that we do have where they do have problems, maybe they wouldn’t mind.”Wow.Trump just said "The liberals wouldn't mind if people came and blew up our cities."That just happened.On television.The President is fucking gone.Gone and never coming back.The system has suffered a permanent crash.Howard Hughes wasn't this fucked up in his final days.— Don Winslow (@donwinslow) July 14, 2020This followed Trump saying it was possible Democratic mayors wouldn't care if terrorists blew up their cities. https://t.co/bBxpT1RJCx— Chris Geidner (@chrisgeidner) July 14, 2020Trump suggests that the liberal Democrats running the cities “maybe wouldn’t mind” if Jihadists blew up the cities. Reminder that an al Qaeda-inspired terrorist killed 3 US service members on Trump’s watch https://t.co/5OhRSOGbCw— Todd Zwillich (@toddzwillich) July 14, 2020Trump touts his travel ban focused on Muslim-majority countries, which he says is a ban on "jihadist regions."— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) July 14, 202040 minutes. Read the rest

Over on Cool Tools, Xander Rose recommends a $10 skin stapler for people who don't have great suturing skills. " It forms the staple as it pushes it into your skin in a pattern that doesn't rip your skin," he says. "You start at one end of the wound and close it up slowly." A downside of stapling wounds together rather than suturing them is that staples leave bigger scars. Read the rest

My MacBook Pro has 4 USB-C ports, only 2 of my peripherals use USB-C. This hub to the rescue.Three standard USB ports and one USB-C power delivery port pretty much covers me. The HDMI port and card readers may come in useful later.I can't remember the last time I took a CF card out of a digital camera. They seem to be put one in and leave it.Thanks to this hub my mic and all my iPhone and Apple Watch charging crap can now be connected to my laptop again.USB C Hub Multiport Adapter - 7 in 1 Portable Space Aluminum Dongle with 4K HDMI Output, 3 USB 3.0 Ports, SD/Micro SD Card Reader Compatible for MacBook Pro, XPS More Type C Devices via Amazon Read the rest

The bar has been raised on home video production. So just in case you haven’t been on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok or other video-heavy platforms lately, the days of the boring, white-walled, locked-down selfie video that looks like it could have been filmed by hostage-takers doesn’t really cut it anymore.Thankfully, your filming options have also advanced beyond propping your smartphone up against a wall and pushing record. In fact, the Apai Genie Gimbal is an easy-to-use, smartphone gimbal that practically mimics having an actual photographer on hand to direct your photo or video shoots.Just clamp your phone into the Apai Genie’s loving embrace, and you’re ready to go. Powered by artificial intelligence, you’ll find this gimbal not only does a monster job steadying and smoothing out all your videos, but its machine-driving smarts allow the unit to automatically lock on to your face and track you, even when you move out of frame. That’s why this gimbal has full 360-degree rotation capabilities...so you can even do circles around the Apai Genie and like a good photog, it’ll keep the lens trained on the action.It even has a pairs mode, so two people can both stay in the frame together without any unfortunate cropping incidents.In its intelligent shooting mode, the Apai Genie can be set to detect your face and immediately start shooting. You’ll never have to ask for help shooting a selfie again.Meanwhile, your robot cameraman can flash some serious skills, switching easily between horizontal and vertical recording modes, offering multiple perspectives to record and a full range to adapt to different scenes. Read the rest

I just interrupted a press conference in Miami-Dade to let governor @RonDeSantisFL and @MayorGimenez know they are an embarrassment to FL and that their incompetence and lack of planning has resulted in the current public health crisis. 4,381 people have died so far in FL pic.twitter.com/q6SozHfT8o— Thomas Kennedy (@tomaskenn) July 13, 2020Ron DeSantis, a Trump loyalty cultist who also serves as governor of Florida, held a press conference in Miami on Monday to blame anti-racism protestors for causing a massive surge in coronavirus cases and deaths in the state he oversees.In attendance was Thomas Kennedy, an activist with an immigrant youth-led organization called United We Dream. While DeSantis was playing the blame game, Kennedy interrupted him by shouting, "People are dying, and you are doing nothing! You are falsifying information, and you are misleading the public. More than 4,000 people have died, and you are blaming the protesters, and you are doing nothing! Shame on you!"DeSantis pretended not to hear Kennedy and continued to talk. A goon escorted Kennedy from the press conference.So far today Florida has reported 144 deaths, an all-time record. From the Washington Post: Read the rest

A bunch of comedians teamed up to try and flip the US Senate. Full of disgusting and terrible traitors to democracy, the US Senate needs some change.STAND UP 4 AMERICA TO USE ORIGINAL MUSIC AND COMEDY VIDEO CONTENT TO RAISE FUNDS AND TURN THE SENATE BLUE IN NOVEMBERJack Black, Moby, Keb’ Mo’ and Others to Provide Content to RaiseFunds for “Get Mitch or Die Trying”Los Angeles, California (July 14, 2020) – Stand Up 4 America, an LA-based group of scrappy entertainment industry pros, will take aim at the GOP’s Senate majority in support of the “Get Mitch or Die Trying” campaign, raising funds to turn the Senate blue in the November election. The group will unleash a batch of original content from talent such as comic actor and Tenacious D singer/songwriter Jack Black, techno visionary Moby, five-time Grammy-winning blues great Keb’ Mo’, television actor/writer Michael Boatman, actor Terry O’Quinn, performance artist/actress Ann Magnuson, singer/songwriter Jill Sobule and others.Starting July 14th, visitors to https://www.su4a.org/ can access all this content for free. They’ll be invited to make an optional donation of any amount they can afford to www.su4a.org/getmitch. The funds will support Democratic candidates for Senate in several crucial swing states via the “Get Mitch or Die Trying” fund from Crooked Media, a political media company founded by former President Obama staffers known for its podcast Pod Save America and others.Stand Up 4 America (SU4A) is a media company that grew out of a local Los Angeles chapter of national activism juggernaut Swing Left. Read the rest

In 2017 Apple acknowledged it had been throttling iPhones with degraded batteries. This resulted in a class-action lawsuit and a $500 million settlement. Lifehacker has a guide on how you can collect a cash payment of $25 per eligible iOS device.You’ll qualify for this settlement if you own(ed) one of the following iPhones before December 21, 2017:An iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6S, 6S Plus or SE that ran iOS 10.2.1 or laterAn iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus that ran iOS 11.2 or laterI just checked and found that all four members of my family have eligible iPhones, and I submitted claims for all of them. Thanks for the $100, Lifehacker!Image: Jumpstory / CC0 Read the rest

People hate gifts when the giver tells them it will save them money, according to a study in the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research. On the other hand, being told a gift will save them time, makes the like it.In the experiment, researchers gave $5 Starbucks gift cards to 200 college students. Half of the gift cards included the message, "I know you've been stressed for money lately. I hope you'll enjoy this gift card in hopes that it will save you some money." The other half said, "I know you've been stressed for time lately. I hope you'll enjoy this gift card in hopes that it will save you some time."From Ohio State News:Those who received gift cards intended to save them money had more negative emotions than those who received the cards intended to save them time. In addition, those who received the money-saving cards said they thought the gift-givers believed they were higher-status than themselves.If there was any bright spot for the people who sent the money-saving gift card, it was that their friends were just as likely to redeem the card as those who received it as a time-saver, Donnelly said.Photo by Rebecca Aldama on Unsplash Read the rest

By the same progressive PAC that brought us Creepy Trump last week, in which Kellyanne Conway's words against Biden were turned against Trump, MeidasTouch now presents us with "Bye Don Jr: Love Me Daddy." This time it's Junior's words against Biden that narrate this clever attack ad, and Daddy is not going to be pleased. Read the rest

Daniel Lewis Lee was put to death this morning in the first federal execution in 17 years. Lee was pronounced dead by the coroner at 8:07 a.m. ET in Terre Haute, Indiana. His last words were "I didn't do it. I've made a lot of mistakes in my life but I'm not a murderer. You're killing an innocent man," according to a pool report. The Supreme Court cleared the way for the resumption of the federal death penalty in an unsigned order released after 2 a.m. ET Tuesday. The court wiped away a lower court order temporarily blocking the execution of Lee in a 5-4 vote. Lee, a one-time white supremacist who killed a family of three, was scheduled to be executed Monday. A federal judge blocked the planned execution of Lee, and three others, citing ongoing challenges to the federal government's lethal injection protocol.Screengrab: ABC News Read the rest

While in quarantine, residents at a North London elderly care facility, and their caregivers, have been posing like Adele, Madonna, David Bowie, and other musical artists for an album cover recreation project. The photographer, Sydmar Lodge's Activities Coordinator Robert Speker, writes that it's his "job and privilege to keep them entertained during the COVID crisis with no outside entertainers or family." He has set up a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for the home:As this situation is on-going it could be months before the situation changes for them and the need to keep them happy entertained and full of spirit has never been more crucial. The photography project - recreating Classic Album covers, with the Residents and Carers has raised awareness globally but with no funds for the home which was my original intention. Elderly people will remain in lockdown for a long time, and I want to make their time as happy and full of enjoyment and interest as possible. Sydmar Lodge Care Home residents and carers have been recreating classic album covers. The home has now been in lockdown for 4 months. pic.twitter.com/XS5YQ4f1Sw— Robert Speker (@robertspeker) July 10, 2020pic.twitter.com/hweEgdHSIt— Robert Speker (@robertspeker) July 10, 2020image via The Show Must Go On/GoFundMe(Independent) Read the rest

Electricical engineer and TV host Grant Imahara is unexpectedly dead at 49, reports The Hollywood Reporter. Imahara, the longtime co-host of Mythbusters and a veteran of Industrial Light and Magic, suffered a brain aneurism. An electrical engineer and roboticist by training, he joined Discovery's MythBusters in its third season, replacing Scottie Chapman and was with the show until 2014 when he left with co-hosts Kari Byron and Tory Belleci. The trio would reunite in 2016 for Netflix's White Rabbit Project which lasted for one season. On MythBusters, Imahara used his technical expertise to design and build robots for the show and also operated the computers and electronics needed to test myths. While part of the Mythbusters team, he sky-dived and drove stunt cars, on film sets he came into contact with some of the most iconic characters in screen history, installing lights onto Star Wars' R2-D2, creating the robot Geoff Peterson for The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson and working on the Energizer Bunny.Somedays I wish I had a time machine. ⁦@ToryBelleci⁩ ⁦@grantimahara⁩ pic.twitter.com/o9FRE2l16W— Kari Byron (@KariByron) July 13, 2020 Read the rest

As part of NPR's Throughline podcast episode on the history of racialized policing in America, they created a brief overview with Harvard historian Khalil Gibran Muhammad.Via hosts Ramtin Arablouei and Rund Abdelfatah:Black Americans being victimized and killed by the police is an epidemic. A truth many Americans are acknowledging since the murder of George Floyd, as protests have occurred in all fifty states calling for justice on his behalf. But this tension between African American communities and the police has existed for centuries. This week, the origins of American policing and how those origins put violent control of Black Americans at the heart of the system.Listen to the 1-hour episode wherever fine podcasts are streamed.Image: YouTube / NPR Read the rest

There’s no research to back this up...but it’s entirely possible the ukulele is the least intimidating instrument in the world. Oh, make no mistake -- that’s not because the ukulele is just that simple to master. It’s a stringed instrument, so it takes some serious work to get good at it. But admit it...the island favorite, this baby guitar just looks too darn cute to be that big a headache.Either way, Fret Zealot has come up with their new Ukulele Teaching Device, a new method for training you to pick up a uke and play like it’s been in your hand your whole life. The Fret Zealot first got its start with the guitar, but with this new version, it’s now able to help novice ukulele players start strumming and even playing music almost instantly.The LED-enabled pad slides on to your ukulele just about the frets. When you’re synced with the Fre Zealot app, those LEDs light the way, blinking out to show you exactly where to put your fingers to play any of your favorite songs, island style.The app is more than just a simple guide, offering a handful of features that make it easy for learners to pick up tips quickly and intuitively without getting bogged down in a book or training video. With the streamlined focus, students get to concentrate on proper technique and developing your own personal playing style from the beginning of your journey. The Fret Zealot approach is catered to helping each student develop your own method of learning, so you can immediately jump in, pick the chords, notes, scales or songs you want to learn and Fret Zealot will help you get there. Read the rest

The UK government today ordered domestic companies to stop buying equipment from Chinese vendor Huawei and to stop using its kit entirely by 2027. Huawei is suspected to be an arm of the Chinese government, breaking into western markets (and maybe its networks) by selling impossibly cheap equipment. The UK only recently approved more Huawei orders for its growing 5G system, but the Covid pandemic and China's virtual annexation of Hong Kong has clarifed matters. Read the rest

Nintendo's replica NES looks like an elaborate marketing tease, but it's real and will be offered for $200 from August 1, reports The Verge. Yes you can have a pony."Recreate classic Super Mario Bros. gameplay with this cool LEGO Nintendo Entertainment System! Place the Game Pack in the brick-built console. Turn the handle on the retro TV to make 8-bit Mario move across the screen. And place LEGO Mario from the LEGO Super Mario Starter Course in the slot on top so he reacts to the on-screen enemies, obstacles and power-ups, while the original game’s theme tune plays!"I'm looking forward to the official Toyota-Nintendo branding hookup, whose obvious name surely does not escape you. Read the rest

Covid might finally kill off something that's long been on death row: the penny. Virtually worthless yet relatively expensive to make, the 1c coin complicates an ongoing coin shortage and production needs to be switched to more valuable denominations.It costs the U.S. government about 2 cents to produce every penny. Pennies aren't even worth our time. Wake Forest University economist Robert Whaples has calculated that the typical American worker earns a penny every two seconds. It takes most of us more than two seconds to fumble around with change or pick a penny off the ground, which explains why there are so many pennies on the ground. Money is supposed to be the medium of exchange, not dead weight. Canada murdered its penny a few years ago. Britain recently decided not to officially kill its penny, but is no longer minting new ones. Read the rest

In 1943, the U.S. established a camp for German prisoners of war near the village of Stark in northern New Hampshire. After a rocky start, the relations between the prisoners and guards underwent a surprising change. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll tell the story of Camp Stark and the transforming power of human decency.We'll also check out some Canadian snakes and puzzle over some curious signs.Show notesPlease support us on Patreon! Read the rest

You probably have a lot of items in your home that you'd hate to lose to theft or damage. While certainly no one ever hopes to fall victim to a natural disaster or home invasion, you need to be prepared just in case it does happen. When it comes to choosing a reliable renters insurance, it might be worth looking outside the more traditional options. Like Lemonade, for example. This trending technology-driven insurance company has a primary goal of making the lives of both renters and homeowners easier (and headache-free).How Lemonade is differentIf you've ever had the unfortunate experience of submitting a typical insurance claim, you understand the frustration the process strikes up: endless back and forth between agents, a lot of fine print to decipher, and of course — the endless wait for the much-needed funds from your claim to process Lemonade wants to put an end to all that financial and emotional toil: its state-of-the-art service is intuitive, the customer service is impeccable, and best of all, your claims could be processed in as little as three seconds.Here's how Lemonade works: powered by AI technology, you can get set up with a customized insurance plan tailored to your individual needs. Just answer a few questions, and you'll be able to review a plan that you can further adjust — and you pay immediately for it (no paperwork or call wait times to deal with). Lemonade also works by a flat fee, with rental insurance starting as low as $5 a month and homeowners insurance available for $25 a month. Read the rest

Go get that bad boy.The cats of kagonekoshiro are enjoying a lazy summer afternoon in Japan, hunting crows that bother them in the garden.More photos at kagonekoshiro.com. Read the rest

Her name is Luca, and look at her go on those new wheels!She's a little french bulldog.My parents dog. She’s about 4 years old and due to a neurological disorder her hind legs decided to crap out on her. Luckily she’s a brick shithouse and is loving her new ride. Thing handles like a champ, it’s the Lincoln of doggy wheelchairsGo see the entire video here. Read the rest

Unhinged Trump tweets in three, two, one...A judge on Monday released Mary L. Trump, PhD from a gag order.This means the president’s niece may speak freely about Donald and the rest of the family, and promote her book about the Trump she calls 'The Most Dangerous Man In The World.”Mary Trump and Simon & Schuster won the lawsuit that sought to stop publication of “Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man,” which hits bookshelves tomorrow. Said Mary Trump's attorney Ted Boutrous: “The court got it right in rejecting the Trump family’s effort to squelch Mary Trump’s core political speech on important issues of public concern.The First Amendment forbids prior restraints because they are intolerable infringements on the right to participate in democracy. Tomorrow, the American public will be able to read Mary’s important words for themselves.”Justice Greenwald has denied the Trump family’s effort to block Mary Trump’s book. Link to decision here. https://t.co/OpJE4ihEqM. 1/3— Ted Boutrous (@BoutrousTed) July 13, 2020My statement: “The court got it right in rejecting the Trump family’s effort to squelch Mary Trump’s core political speech on important issues of public concern. The First Amendment forbids prior restraints because they are intolerable infringements on the right to . . . 2/3— Ted Boutrous (@BoutrousTed) July 13, 2020BREAKING: Mary Trump and Simon & Schuster WIN the lawsuit seeking to block publication of “Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man,” which hits bookshelves tomorrow. Read the rest

The federal government cannot “take over cities,” but that didn't stop Trump from threatening it today, and sending a message of hate and fear. "Numbers are going to be coming down even if we have to go and take over cities," said impeached U.S. president Donald Trump today, in a word salad series of lies about violent crime."Number are gonna be coming down even if we have to go in and take over cities ... We're not supposed to, we're supposed to wait for them to call, but they don't call."Video follows.Trump on rising violent crime in big cities: "Number are gonna be coming down even if we have to go in and take over cities ... We're not supposed to, we're supposed to wait for them to call, but they don't call." pic.twitter.com/DqSoefN6L9— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 13, 2020It's important to say that Trump legally can't do things he threatens, like revoke universities' tax exempt status to punish their speech or "take over" cities. That's because he's trying use threats to do illegal shit to achieve authoritarian ends the Constitution bars. https://t.co/lJXziMEdXG— Dan Friedman (@dfriedman33) July 13, 2020JUST IN: President Trump says federal government may "take over cities" to combat rising crime: "Numbers are going to be coming down even if we have to go and take over cities." pic.twitter.com/yaaCLn5IW1— The Hill (@thehill) July 13, 2020 Read the rest

The average US household replaces their mattress about every seven years. So if it’s been more than that, or even a lot more than that, it might be time to invest in a new slumber HQ.And most sleep experts will tell you the right mattress really should be looked at as an investment. Because if you’re not happy with the place you spend nearly a third of your life...well, let’s just say the results won’t be pretty.The makers of the GhostBed Luxe 13-Inch Cooling Mattress say their brainchild is like a hug from a gentle ghost. While that might creep out a lot of prospective customers, they also call the GhostBed the coolest bed in the world -- and during these summer months, that’s probably a lot more likely to earn some smiles and interested glances.The heart of the GhostBed is that dual-stage core and surface cooling tech, the only mattress of its kind employing this method for keeping you and your bed cool and comfortable all night long.If you can imagine touching a popsicle box fresh from the freezer, then you’ve got an idea of what to expect from the Ghost Bed. The first two layers -- the Ghost Ice Fabric and Cooling Fiber -- are instantly cool to the touch, a top inch of cool burst airflow technology fiber to cool your body down.Next, two layers of gel memory foam and a Ghost Ice Layer form around you for that “GhostHug” vibe, which also relieves aches and pains while sensing heat and adjusting to keep your sleep environment cool. Read the rest

As new coronavirus case numbers surge throughout California, the state today imposed a sweeping rollback of its reopening plans. “We’re going back into modification mode of our original stay at home order,” governor Gavin Newsom said. “This continues to be a deadly disease.”NEW: #COVID19 cases continue to spread at alarming rates.CA is now closing indoor operations STATEWIDE for:-Restaurants-Wineries-Movie theaters, family entertainment-Zoos, museums-CardroomsBars must close ALL operations.— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) July 13, 2020Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday announced one of the most drastic rollback of any U.S. state’s reopening plans, and said he plans to close indoor operations statewide for restaurants, wineries, movie theaters, zoos and card rooms. Bars are going to have to close their operations, period.Newsom says state officials repeatedly said California's reopening would be more like a “dimmer switch” than an on or off switch. From the New York Times:And the governor said that in at least 30 of the hardest counties, business would be forced to close indoor operations for fitness centers, places of worship, non-critical offices, hair salons and barbershops and malls. Roughly 80 percent of the state’s population lives in the affected counties, Mr. Newsom said.California was averaging more than 8,000 new cases a day as of Sunday, more than double what it was a month ago. The state has seen 331,626 cases, the second highest tally in the nation, and more than 7,000 deaths, according to a New York Times database. Read the rest

The fried chicken chain KFC is closing dining rooms at the restaurants it owns in Florida because of the state's accelerating outbreak of COVID-19. Today, Florida is reporting 12,600 new coronavirus cases. Reuters cites a letter sent from KFC to its Florida franchisees earlier today:The letter, from KFC U.S. Chief Operating Officer Monica Rothgery to franchisees on Monday, said its own Florida restaurants would operate only drive-thru and suggested owner-operators consider doing the same in “hot spots” where new cases are surging, including Arizona, California, Florida and Texas.KFC is a unit of Yum! Brands. The company did not immediately reply to a request for comment.Florida recorded more than 12,600 new coronavirus cases on Monday, its second-highest daily total since the outbreak began, coinciding with the state’s attempt to revive tourism and attract visitors to the recently reopened Disney World. More at Reuters:Yum's KFC closes dining rooms at company-owned restaurants in Florida[image: KFC] Read the rest

If there’s any knock on most smartwatches, up to and including the industry-leading Apple Watch, it’s probably that the bands aren’t...well, they aren’t usually the greatest. While Apple is certainly making strides in the watchband game, most models are just as black, boring and nondescript as you’d expect from a tech company. And where many watch bands truly fall apart is when they’re pushed during daily use, as water, strain, sweat and more all work to literally make cheap bands start falling apart.The Active Strap from Nomad is built to withstand the rigors of the modern world and look good while doing it.Designed for everyday life, the Active Strap is not only engineered to fit most Apple Watch models, but it’s also crafted from some of the finest German leather anywhere. For over 120 years, Heinen leather comes from a special tanning process that makes it extremely water-resistant and durable, so athletes and outdoor enthusiasts never have to worry about their band giving out.In fact, the Heinen leather is also infused with natural lipids for a thoroughly hydrophobic strap that easily wipes clean. It’s also engineered with ventilation channels, so no matter how hard you go or how much sweat, dirt, sand, or even saltwater the Active Strap battles, it’s always ready to look stylish and cool with a quick brush.Including the stainless steel hardware, the Active Strap both works and plays hard, regardless of your Apple Watch model. Designed for all the Apple Watch varieties dating back to the Apple Watch Series 1 in 2016, you’d be hard-pressed to find an Apple Watch that this band didn’t work with beautifully. Read the rest

Twitch just un-banned Donald Trump. The impeached U.S. president's official Twitch channel [Link] had been suspended for two weeks for violating the streaming video platform's rules against hateful conduct. “Like anyone else, politicians on Twitch must adhere to our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines,” Twitch previously said. “We do not make exceptions for political or newsworthy content, and will take action on content reported to us that violates our rules.”Excerpt from reporting by The Verge:Trump’s account, which was used to broadcast new and past campaign rallies, was banned for racist comments made by the president on two occasions. Twitch pointed to remarks at his recent rally in Tulsa, where he referred to criminals as “hombre[s],” and remarks from a rebroadcast of the 2015 event announcing his candidacy, when he called Mexican immigrants criminals and “rapists.”The ban came days after Twitch swore it would crack down on harassment, as streamers began sharing stories of harassment and assault within the industry. By banning Trump, Twitch seemed to indicate that no one is above the rules.The question now is how much longer Trump can last on Twitch. Should his campaign continue to broadcast rally streams, it’s sadly probable the president will make additional disturbing racist comments — bannable offenses under Twitch’s guidelines, which prohibit any language that promotes harassment based on race, gender, and other personal characteristics.Read more at The Verge:Twitch unbans Trump after two-week suspension for ‘hateful conduct’ Read the rest

For all their obvious similarities, language learning apps will often each take unique approaches to teaching a foreign tongue. Or, in the case of many services, a whole bunch of foreign tongues. While some providers give you access to training across overwhelming menus of more than 150 different languages, the people behind the Busuu Language Learning system have settled on only 12. English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, Polish, Turkish, Russian, and Arabic. That’s it. While that comes as an obvious disappointment for those with their heart set on learning Fijian, Lithuanian or Tok Pisin, the creole-based language spoken throughout Papua New Guinea, Busuu’s focus on the fundamentals has paid off, with more than 100 million learners worldwide.Crafted by an in-house team of education and linguistic experts, Busuu has fashioned more than 1,000 fully optimized lessons aimed at getting new speakers proficient in the four main language skills — reading, writing, listening, and, of course, speaking. So unlike language systems that only focus on spoken word training, Busuu gives you a well-rounded immersion in all aspects of your new language.One of Busuu’s strongest advantages is that massive 100 million-strong community, which allows students to advance their learning through practice directly with native speakers around the world. For example, you can send off written work in your new language and get a native to critique you almost instantly.Meanwhile, Busuu has also crafted their service to couple that old-school, one-on-one personal training method with all the advantages of a high-tech world. Read the rest

This LEGO Ideas version of the International Space Station pretty much made my 10-year-old nephew's head explode.Complete with astronaut minifigs and a mini-Space Shuttle, this 864 piece kit is pretty hard to turn away from.LEGO Ideas International Space Station 21321 Building Kit, Adult Set for Display, Makes a Great Birthday Present, New 2020 (864 Pieces) Read the rest

I used to buy Gildan T-shirts, but after Carla bought me Calvin Klein t-shirts, I noticed a big difference in the quality of the fabric. The Calvin Klein cotton feels a lot better! And occasionally Amazon has the shirts on sale. Right now you can get a 5-pack for a really good price. I just bought a combo pack that includes three white shirts and two gray ones. Read the rest

"I will kill everybody! Accept it! Die in the name of Jesus!" screamed a passenger Saturday night on an Alaska Airlines flight heading to Chicago from Seattle. Two passengers helped subdue him while the plane returned to Seattle's Sea-Tac airport. From The Seattle Times:The incident occurred shortly after Alaska Airlines Flight 422 took off at 11:10 p.m., said Peter McGraw, spokesperson for the port... “The man became extremely belligerent and physically aggressive during the ascent,” Ray Lane, external communications manager for Alaska Airlines, said in an email.Video from a passenger shows the man walking in the aisle and shouting that he would kill everyone on board “in the name of Jesus.” Nobody was injured and were booked on later flights. The man was arrested while police investigate further. Read the rest

Spoken Word with Electronics is an audio series delivering to you a two side recording of unusual stories paired with vintage modular electronic soundsHi, everyone - Welcome back to the show. This week, the topic is on Time Keeping, and asks: What's your favorite Riot? My favorite riot is mythically referred to as "The Calendar Riots". It was a reaction across the British Empire for a government theft of eleven days from September 1752. Specifically September 2nd would immediately be followed by September 14th, with September 3rd-13th deleted. People stormed through villages demanding these stolen eleven days, and the possible loss of experiences, be returned. Some say the riots didn't happen, and I think that makes the riots even better. You can't control an invisible riot, and a riot that never happened is one that never stops.As to why, The British were one of few standouts on shifting from the flawed Julian Calendar to the more accurate but less pagan Gregorian one. The solution on shifting to the Gregorian was sloppy. The Calendar Act is an interesting moment at controlling a population through decrees. Jump into our Time Capsule and bounce back to 1752. Hear an actual Riot Act declared (reference audio), and consider The Calendar Act in modern times as a new effort for Time Made Great Again by the Trump Administration. "Clock, You're Up!"SPOKEN WORD WITH ELECTRONICS #18: The Calendar Act of 1750 & The Fake or Real Calendar RIOTS of 1752In this era of Covid, "Give Us Our Eleven Days" sounds resonant. Read the rest

A 1% mortality rate might not seem like much, but the death rate for COVID-19 is just the tip of a massive iceberg that the US economy is heading towards full-steam ahead.From Franklin Veaux's Quora post:For every one person who dies:19 more require hospitalization.18 of those will have permanent heart damage for the rest of their lives.10 will have permanent lung damage.3 will have strokes.2 will have neurological damage that leads to chronic weakness and loss of coordination.2 will have neurological damage that leads to loss of cognitive function.So now all of a sudden, that “but it’s only 1% fatal!” becomes:3,282,000 people dead.62,358,000 hospitalized.59,076,000 people with permanent heart damage.32,820,000 people with permanent lung damage.9,846,000 people with strokes.6,564,000 people with muscle weakness.6,564,000 people with loss of cognitive function.His conclusion: "The choice is not 'ruin the economy to save 1%.' If we reopen the economy, it will be destroyed anyway. The US economy cannot survive everyone getting COVID-19."Image: Jumpstory / CC0 Read the rest