Boing Boing

Organize your pens and pencils rather than poke holes in your pockets! (more…)

Humble Bundle has a good sale on Python books right now. For $1 or more, you get three No Starch Python ebooks. There are more books offered at the $8 and $15 level.

Colbert is in top form here. First he interviews a regional director of H&R block ("Tell me about the lifestyle"), then puts on a disguise and becomes an insane hoverboard-riding tax professional, Otto Sanchez.

I remember Hee Haw as being unwatchable. I didn't remember it as a Soviet caricature of the worst in American culture.

Intrigued by Mastodon, a new open-source alternative to Twitter that has fine-grained privacy controls. Sean Bonner took a closer look at Mastodon's currents pros and cons. This is the best article I've read about Mastodon.I’d assumed that upon joining I could tell people “I’m @seanbonner on Mastodon just like I’m @seanbonner on Twitter.” That turns out to be incorrect. I’m actually @seanbonner@mastodon.xyz and if I want to be @seanbonner@mastodon.social or @seanbonner@mastodon.cloud or any of the other instances then I have to create separate accounts on each of those, and there is no way to sync them. This also means that some other Sean Bonner can go sign up as @seanbonner@anothermastodon.instance and judging by how much email I get from other Sean Bonner’s who apply for jobs and join dating sites and register bank accounts without knowing what their own email address is, that is going to be a huge problem at any kind of scale. This is the biggest flaw in my opinion because without the ability to claim your identity across an entire service there is huge potential for confusion and no way to embrace it as a home.I'm frauenfelder at Mastodon.cloud. I'm enjoying it so far!Previously: Mastodon - like Twitter, without Nazis

The most reliably impressive technology I've played with this decade is projection-mapping: using powerful LCD projectors to paint 3D surfaces with images tailored to map exactly over those surfaces, turning plaster and paint into stone, wood, or animated surfaces. (more…)

Florida. Dude decided to dance around naked in his driveway with a bottle of wine. Failed to stand his ground when cops arrived. Florida.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfCWokpI0BEVia the Orlando Sentinel: A Florida man is in trouble for enjoying a bottle of wine while standing naked in his driveway.The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office says deputies were called to the home of Bobby Hyde, 60, on Sunday evening after a neighbor reported a naked man was hanging out in front of his house near Fort Walton Beach.“Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office deputies responding to a complaint of a naked man making lewd movements outside his home found him standing in the driveway with a bottle of wine nearby,” the Sheriff’s Office posted on its Facebook page. “There were no clothes in the immediate area,”Hyde, who stepped behind a trash can when deputies arrived, told authorities he was just taking out the garbage. He also said it was it was “hot outside.”(h/t Leo)

75% surveyed by Ipsos/Reuters said, "they would not let investigators tap into their Internet activity to help the U.S. combat domestic terrorism"(up from 67% in 2013). (more…)

The Knack was a terrific power pop band. The Chipmunks' cover of "Good Girls Don't" is interesting only as a curiosity.Here's a video I took of The Knack in 2008, two years before frontman Doug Fieger succumbed to cancer:https://youtu.be/gx7EK2nWNwA

I got the Fagor Stainless-Steel 3-in-1 6-Quart Multi-Cooker ($95 on Amazon) in 2013 and I use it 3-4 times a week. It's a combo pressure cooker/rice cooker/slow cooker. I don't use the slow cooker often, but I use the rice cooker and pressure cooker all the time. It makes fantastic chicken broth from a carcass in 20 minutes. Unlike most pressure cookers it has an electric browning feature, which lets you brown beef, fish, or chicken right in the pot before you pressure cook it, greatly improving the flavor.The throw-everything-in-the-pot-and-push-a-button approach has broadened my cooking horizons. I’ve made rib roast in the slow cooker that had my in-laws coming back for thirds. I’ve made mouth-watering chicken stuffed with sun-dried tomato pesto, basil and goat cheese in a matter of minutes. I’ve made salmon with spinach and lemon sauce, fennel and Italian sausage, creamy risotto, and spicy Bolognese sauce. Thanks to an online army of pressure-cooker devotees, I’ll never run out of recipes.The only negative thing about the Fagor is that the user interface doesn’t make it clear when it is cooking. A couple of times I’ve set the timer and forgotten to press the start button, only to find out twenty minutes later that it never started. I’ve learned not to do that.

It started with companies sneaking their own certificates into the devices you used so they could spy on you private communications, even those with HTTPS-based encryption. (more…)

Jalopnik posted spy photos of a Tesla Model 3 that that is likely "damn near production-spec." It makes me miss my 1986 Honda Accord hatchback.(photos: Brian Williams/Spiedbilde/Jalopnik)

I like modern Mini Coopers, but whenever I see a one of the originals (like the one I saw in Japan a few weeks ago, below) I wish they would have made the new ones look exactly like the old ones. I suppose there's a bunch of safety regulations that make it difficult to build exact reproductions of old cars (I wouldn't want my kids driving the no-front-end 1971 VW camper van I drove in high school). But I should have known that there are companies making near-faithful replicas of classic cars. They cost a fortune, but they look great. Core77 has an article about this trend, titled, "Beyond Retro Design: People Want New Things That are Old, or Old Things That are New."https://youtu.be/0Xc0SX1YiaACore77 wishes that this trend could take off in the consumer products space, too.Snip:While these cars are obviously out-of-reach by folks of average income, I wouldn't mind seeing this new-old or old-new trend applied to other original designs in the consumer products space. For example, after writing the History of Braun Design series some years ago, I became so smitten with their 1962 Sixtant SM 31 electric razor that I had to have one.I tracked down and found one on the secondhand market that had been shipped from Italy. It's heavy and substantial, has an internal voltage converter so works on 110V and despite being over 50 years old it still works like it's brand-new. It's one of my favorite possessions. I paid $23 for it and I will keep it forever. The only thing I don't dig is that it still smells like some Italian dude's cologne. If I could have bought a remanufactured version, I totally would have.

Bad Lip Reading, Mark Hamill, and Jessica DiCicco -- what's not to love. May the Farce be with you.

According to astronomer Seth Shostak, the alien intelligences we'll likely encounter someday won't be "little grey guys with big eyeballs but machines." As senior astronomer at the SETI Institute, Seth has dedicated his scientific career to seeking out evidence of ET transmissions and using that research to educate the public about our place in the universe. Mark Frauenfelder and I interviewed Seth about hunting for aliens in this episode of For Future Reference, a new podcast from Institute for the Future: Please subscribe to For Future Reference: iTunes, RSS, Soundcloud

A team of six quietly surround their victim, who is walking down the sidewalk with his phone held up to his ear. He is oblivious. One team member deftly reaches out and snatches the phone from behind the victim. At the same time, another team member shoves the victim in the back, startling and disorienting him. By the time the victim turns around, the phone-snatcher is lost in the crowd, and everyone on the team walks along as if nothing happened.[via]

Superman always left me cold. Virtually omnipotent, unerringly virtuous, and slightly boring, Superman is capable of rescuing kittens from trees, leaping over buildings with a single bound, and routinely saving the entire planet from certain cataclysm. He always wins. Sure, he was sort of killed once, he's been naughty on occasion (usually due to some form of Kryptonite or an alternate reality), and he certainly has a fascist streak in the current movies, but his most recent controversy is whether he's wearing the red trunks or not. Yawn. I was always fascinated by the C-squad heroes, the not-quite-ready-for-prime-time group just below Aquaman and Elongated Man in name recognition. Red Tornado, the 1940's heroine who fought crime while wearing a bucket on her head, utilizing only her fists and wit. Mr. Terrific, the Golden Age 'Man of 1000 Talents', who rarely used any of them. Phantom Stranger, a mage with omnipotent powers who was merely a narrator in his own book, generally only appearing in the first and last panels. And then there's The Legion Of Superheroes, whose members included Bouncing Boy, who had the ability to inflate himself and bounce around, Ferro Lad, who could turn himself to solid iron, and Matter Eater Lad, who could eat anything, which inspired the indie rock group Guided By Voices to write a song about him. Don't even get me started on the League Of Substitute Heroes, the minor leaguers with questionable abilities not quite up to snuff to join the Legion. The League Of Regrettable Superheroes examines the careers of a few of the comic book history's least likely heroes. Snarky and humorous, the book pokes good-natured fun at the heroes who couldn't quite make the big Leagues. Beginning in the Golden Age and working right up to the modern age, it features full page images of the comic's front cover, a page from the interior of the book highlighting some of their less-than-spectacular exploits, and a sidebar gives important statistics. Some of the characters presented include: Bozo The Iron Man, a Nazi-slugging robot with a inexplicably menacing grin on its face. Doctor Vampire, a caped physician who is actually not a vampire, but battles them. Fantomah, the beautiful heroine who transforms into a hideous skull once angered. Kangaroo Man, a daredevil explorer fighting fascism with his trained kangaroo sidekick. Mad Hatter, the rhyming crime-fighter whose fighting togs do not include a chapeau. And finally, The Puppeteer, whose day job as a puppet maker has almost nothing to do with his powers or origin.With its gorgeous full page images of the comics and humorous descriptions of the heroes, each second-stringer gets a few pages of glory. Zipping along through 70 years of comic book history, The League Of Regrettable Superheroes is a fun, quick read. - SDThe League of Regrettable Superheroes: Half-Baked Heroes from Comic Book History by Jon MorrisQuirk Books2015, 256 pages, 7.3 x 1.0 x 9.3 inches, Hardcover$18 Buy on AmazonSee sample pages from this book at Wink.

Yup. Dad jokes.

The Q's latest contraption reminds me of that classic A-Team episode when they hacked a wood chipper into a cabbage bazooka! You need - 4 coca cola cans - 8 syringes- 8 lighters- 16 small nails- rubbing alcohol- 16 wires at least 25 cm each(via Laughing Squid)

Universal Basic Income isn't just one proposal: it's a whole spectrum of ideas, with different glosses and nuances coming from the right and the left, from libertarians and those of a more paternalistic bent. (more…)

The City of Seattle voted to allow Uber drivers to form a union, and Uber says that if its court challenge to the rule is unsuccessful, it might leave Seattle. (more…)

Is there a visual equivalent to the audio tingles people report in ASMR? Because I get a special kinda o' feeling deep down inside whenever I watch videos like woodworker Paul Seller's gorgeous Fibonacci Spiral Shaving. It even sounds like some sort of a fussy sexual proclivity: Fibonacci spiral shaving.Given the video's comments, where people are talking about how meditative, relaxing, and therapeutic Fibonacci spiral shaving is, I don't think I'm alone. And I second the request to loop it. I could watch this thing all day.Oh, and by the way, if you're into this sort of eyeball massaging, watching videos of repetitive activity, close-ups of craftwork, strange materials and chemical intereactions, and the like, check out the Oddly Satisfying tag on Instagram.

Last year, Jeep2003 decided to frankenstein a new lawnmower using parts from an old snowblower, a smoker grille, and retro motorcycle-style fenders, detailing the build process on the Old Mini Bikes forums. The results are gorgeous: tail-lights, hood ornament, and all! (more…)

The President likes long ties, so long he has to scotch-tape 'em to keep them from flying apart; the @trumpsties account reveals the ties Trump would wear, if he could get away with it. (Thanks, Fipi Lele!) (more…)

The Republican Congressjerks who passed legislation allowing your ISP to spy on your online activity and sell the data from it without your permission will be firmly reminded of their calumny in the 2018 election cycle, as the Center for Media Justice and its privacy allies plan "street-level tactics" to hold them accountable for their sellout. (more…)

Vulnerabilities in the Broadcom system-on-a-chip that provides wifi for many Android devices mean that simply lighting up a malicious wifi access point can allow an attacker to compromise every vulnerable device in range, without the users having to take any action -- they don't have to try to connect to the malicious network. (more…)

Perhaps your pockets might be the easiest place to store cash and other loose objects. But unless you're a big fan of cargo pants, keeping your personal items, especially little ones, organized without some kind of bag is a tough task. This Key Safe keeps important odds-and-ends separate from lint and wadded-up receipts.With its screw-top design, you can get quick access to paper bills, valet tickets, medication, and whatever other small items you want to put in there. It’s totally waterproof too, so you don’t have to worry about anything getting ruined in the rain (other than your phone and your clothes). Made of sand-blasted stainless steel, this pocket-sized vessel will likely outlive you.This minimalist container is also perfect protection from pickpockets while traveling. Get the Key Safe here for 10% off—just $17.95.

Upholding a £120 fine levied against a parent who took their child on vacation mid-semester, England's Supreme Court—backed by the Prime Minister—ruled that parents should not be allowed to remove children from school without "authorization."In her judgement, Lady Hale said it would cause unacceptable disruption if parents were able to withdraw children whenever they wanted."Unauthorised absences have a disruptive effect, not only on the education of the individual child, but also on the work of other pupils, and of their teachers," she said.Allowing parents to decide when they took their children away would be a "slap in the face" to parents who kept the rules, said Lady Hale.Punishment for disobedience justified by the presumed insult to the obedient. So very English!A Department for Education spokeswoman said: "We are pleased the Supreme Court unanimously agreed with our position - that no child should be taken out of school without good reason.(You can home-school kids in the UK, but the authorities can serve mandatory school attendance orders if they don't like the look of your curriculum)

A coloring book featuring Hitler among landscapes and other historical personages was removed this week from sale in the Netherlands. The book "was produced in India and it is remains unclear why Hitler was included," reports the BBC.The Dutch retailer was only alerted after the book had gone on sale and shocked parents began posting comments on social media.One parent posted an image of the page with the caption: "Nice, your colouring book!"Another customer called it a "disgrace" on the company's Facebook page.Enjoy with a nice pint of Hitler Ice Cream.

I stumbled upon this strange but delightful YouTube channel that uses two Lin-Manuel Miranda face cutouts to reimagine the Hamilton cast recording in a whole new light. Though at first it seems like just a so-dumb-its-fun gimmick, it’s remarkable how much emotion the two creators are able to call forth from just one Miranda expression. And their choreography, costuming, and use of location (not to mention random bananas) is pitch perfect weirdo comedy. You can check out some highlights below and the full collection of the Spamilton YouTube page.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvM6gQUpH-Uhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1bBZY2P0kQhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYruzJEqUpAhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uV-vwmSA8Mk

In this fascinating new video, BuzzFeed offers a guide to the seven living generations of Americans, starting with The Greatest Generation (born 1901-1927). The video then compares and contrasts formative events, behavioral traits, and statistics of The Silent Generation (born 1928-1945), Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964), Generation X (born 1965-1980), Millennials (born 1981-1997), Generation Z (born 1998-2010), and the just barely forming Generation Alpha (born 2011-2025).

If you are of a certain age, you may remember the thrill of those fleeting moments of crystal clear video broadcast in a scrambled cable signal. If you're not of a certain age, now you can get a sense of the sufferings of your elders. Here's the scrambled pool scene from Fast Times at Ridgemont High from Tele1st in Chicago, but it could be from any 1980s motel. (more…)

This Tasty video turns the art of making grilled cheese into, well, art.

Seth Meyers has quietly become one of the stronger political voices on late night TV. In this “Closer Look” segment from his Monday show, Meyers digs into short-lived national security advisor Michael Flynn’s offer to testify in exchange for immunity. He uses Flynn and Trump’s own words about immunity to put Flynn’s situation in perspective. And he highlights some truly terrifying footage of Trump forgetting to sign executive orders at an executive order signing ceremony.

From Sunriver Nature Centre. (more…)

Ben the dog, looking adorable. (more…)

'Alto and Apache vs Gravity,' from Alto's YouTube channel. (more…)

Nailed it. (more…)

This image of Russian leader and purported Donald Trump kingmaker Vladimir Putin as a gay clown is now illegal in Russia. Whatever you do, do not share this far and wide so that everyone sees it. (more…)

GMUNK has done a lot of cool video work, but he says his trip to Alaska to shoot infrared stills was one of his most inspiring projects of all. Below are a couple of examples. (more…)

A poster talk at last year's European Conference on Computer Vision introduced "Deep Warp," a machine-learning based technique for "photorealistic image resynthesis for gaze manipulation" -- that is, you hand the algorithm an image of a face, and tell it where you want the person in the face to look, and it moves the gaze realistically to have the person look in your desired location. (more…)

When the old Register of Copyrights Maria Pallante stepped down from the Library of Congress, it was an open secret that she'd been forced out and there was a lot of Big Content conspiracy theories that Google had gotten her canned because she was too friendly to the movie studios and record labels. (more…)

The Onion poses a mystifying question of evolutionary biology: wouldn't it be better if animals had more eyes?https://twitter.com/TheOnion/status/849670240082419712I rather think more mouths would be preferable.

Given how much I loved Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage (and tolerated Iron Fist), I’m super pumped for the shows' respective heroes to team-up in The Defenders. You can check out the first quick teaser for the superhero crossover series above. As the security camera footage timestamp (and this accompanying website) indicates, the show is set to debut on Netflix on August 18th.

UFO sightings are on the rise, and America has 300 times the number of E.T. reports than the global median, claims the ‘National Examiner,’ which has done the math so that you don’t have to.That may explain why this week’s tabloids seem even more divorced from reality than usual.Has President Trump’s tenuous affiliation with facts given the tabloids carte blanche to engage in flights of fantasy? Enquiring minds want to know.Just like the “New York Times’ has its venerable motto “All the news that’s fit to print,” so the ‘National Enquirer’ has begun stamping across the bottom of almost every other page its blustering credo: “The only publication with the guts to tell it like it is.” If only. (more…)

In the 50 years between 1955 and 2005, 47.5% of artists who had a song make the sales charts never made it again. HighSnobiety looks at the reasons why. (more…)

With Easter just a few weeks away, it’s the perfect time to revisit this adorable video from 2013. This baby really wasn’t expecting her sister’s toy Easter hen to have an extra surprise in store for her.

I decided I needed to start exercising again, and spinning--cycling on a stationary bike--is the best choice for me. Peloton looked awesome, but too expensive. I figured out a way to enjoy the features of Peloton I care about, without spending the big bucks. Here's how you can do it, too. (more…)

Insurance agent William Herbert Wallace had a terrible night in January 1931 -- summoned to a nonexistent address in Liverpool, he returned home to find that his wife had been murdered in his absence. An investigation seemed to show a senseless crime with no weapon, no motive, and no likely suspects. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll revisit the slaying of Julia Wallace, which Raymond Chandler called "the impossible murder."We'll also recount some wobbly oaths and puzzle over an eccentric golfer.Show notesPlease support us on Patreon!

Box with a Secret (Шкатулка с секретом) is a Yellow Submarine-inspired children's fairy tale about a child who discovers how to fix a magical box that stopped working. You don't have to know Russian to enjoy its Communist-era message about aristocracy. (more…)