A lawyer for Melania Trump argued in a lawsuit filed today that a since-retracted Daily Mail article claiming she once worked as an escort harmed her odds of establishing “multimillion dollar business relationships” during the years in which she would be “one of the most photographed women in the world.” In a sense, the lawsuit is all about a purported right to cash in on being the First Lady. Because that's what being the First Lady is all about. (more…)

President Donald Trump went full Alex Jones Infowars conspiracy theory wingnut today, saying the American news media are conspiring to cover up a vast series of Islamic terrorist attacks in which innocent God-fearin' Americans have been killed. Statements like this from authoritarian leaders are the sort of thing you hear when a regime is preparing to institute martial law. Perhaps that is where America is now headed. Hope not.Today's wackadoodle Trump camp statement was yet another nutty lie, just like Trump's long-running racist birther campaign against President Barack Obama, whom we miss terribly, please for the love of God make this descent into national insanity stop. (more…)

Footage shot by Brendan Wells as he and his brother descended the rapids of Washington state's White Salmon River and Outlet Creek in kayaking gear outlined with LED rope lights.

When the government of Romanian PM Sorin Grindeanu announced that they would gut the country's anticorruption statutes, removing criminal sanctions for official corruption, the country erupted into mass protests. (more…)

Guardians of the Galaxy was a huge surprise for me. I'm looking forward to this one!

An astronaut on the International Space Station snapped this striking photo last month of forest land adjacent to the Priest River in northern Idaho. From NASA:The squares in this landscape checkerboard appear to be the result of forest management. Similar patterns originated in the 1800s, when alternate parcels of land were granted by the U.S. government to railroads such as the Northern Pacific. Many parcels in the Pacific Northwest were later sold off and harvested for timber.The land shown here is now managed for wildlife and for timber harvesting. The white patches reflect areas with younger, smaller trees, where winter snow cover shows up brightly to the astronauts. Dark green-brown squares are parcels of denser, intact forest. The checkerboard is used as a method of maintaining the sustainability of forested tracts while still enabling a harvest of trees.

Nebraska State Sen. Burke Harr is pushing for a redesign of his state's flag because, well, it sucks. From the Omaha World-Herald:For 10 days, the state flag, which is hoisted over the State Capitol’s west side when lawmakers are in session, flew upside down.“Nobody noticed it,” State Sen. Burke Harr told members of the Legislature’s Executive Board. “It took someone drawing it to my attention before it was changed...”An effort in 2002 to develop a new flag design with the public’s help, however, died after critics called it a blow to the state’s heritage.Harr brushed off criticism from earlier this month that the state has more pressing issues to deal with, saying that the lawmakers can take a look at the state flag while addressing the looming budget deficit, the troubled Department of Correctional Services and other areas of concern.“We can walk and chew gum at the same time,” he said.And for more on vexillology, don't miss this classic episode of the 99% Invisible podcast: "Vexillology Revisited: Fixing the Worst Civic Flag Designs in America"

When Donald Trump killed the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a "trade deal" that had been negotiated by representatives of multinational corporations and government bureaucrats in utmost secrecy in order to give corporations the power to decide which labor, environmental and safety laws they'd obey, I started to hear from "progressives" who had suddenly discovered the deal, and decided that if Trump was against it, they should be for it. (more…)

John Yoo authored the "Torture Memos" which provided the government with legal advice on getting away with torturing prisoners. Whenever the media needs someone to exemplify "conscious amorality in support of state power," he's our man. Writing in the New York Times, though, he thinks Trump is "running amok."after the order was issued, his adviser Rudolph Giuliani disclosed that Mr. Trump had initially asked for “a Muslim ban,” which would most likely violate the Constitution’s protection for freedom of religion or its prohibition on the state establishment of religion, or both — no mean feat. Had Mr. Trump taken advantage of the resources of the executive branch as a whole, not just a few White House advisers, he would not have rushed out an ill-conceived policy made vulnerable to judicial challenge.Remember: you still have to take a shot when the Times calls it "enhanced interrogation," and drink the whole bottle when Yoo says it.

Andy from The Jerx (previously) shows how you can use Thomas Bloomberg's Konami Code effect (which allows the performer to force an observer to pick a certain square in a grid, despite a seeming free choice) to perform a baffling and delightful effect using a box of assorted chocolates this Valentine's Day. (more…)

Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Apple, Twitter, Snap, Uber, Airbnb, Lyft, Dropbox, Cloudflare, Box, eBay, GitHub, Kickstarter, Indiegogo, Medium, Mozilla, Patreon, Paypal, Pinterest, Reddit, Salesforce, Spotfy, Stripe, Wikimedia, Yelp, Y Combinator and many, many others (97 in all!) have co-signed an amicus brief filed with the Ninth Circuit to oppose Trump's Muslim Ban, as part of the ongoing litigation over the constitutionality of Trump's chaotic executive order. (more…)

With track titles such as "Max Decides On Vengeance" and "Max Enters the Compound," the first two Mad Max soundtracks embody the movies' stark and ironic dystopia. Disc 3, of course, has "We Don't Need Another Hero." I have embedded the instrumental version here as a taster of the forthcoming vinyl set, with Brian May, Maurice Jarre and Tina together at last.For the first time ever, the original Mad Max trilogy of soundtracks have been combined into a stellar deluxe package designed by Marvel comic artist Tim Bradstreet (The Punisher, Blade). The outside three panels consist of all new original artwork while the inner panels display minis of the original jackets and the tracklisting. The color of the vinyl is Gray, Sand and Black respectively in keeping with the central colors of the new art panels. No more than 2000 units will be made and the trilogy will not be duplicated in another package.It's up for preorders at $70 and will ship in April. I wonder: why doesn't it include Mad Max 4?Mad Max Trilogy [3 LP] Soundtrack [Amazon]

We just got the Sport model of the EPIKGO hoverboard at my office. Besides being terribly chic, it’s apparently bulletproof. (more…)

Most of history exists for us only in black and white. As a kid, we had a black and white TV because it was all we could afford. I grew up watching The Wizard of Oz every year in the 1960s and had no idea it was a color film.At least that exists in color because it was a big budget motion picture; most moving images of pop culture before a certain period don’t—or, at the very least, the color film is hard to find.I’m doing research for a new book which involves the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair. At ages 6 and 7 I spent many splendid hours at the 1964/65 World’s Fair in Queens, where I lived. Of course not only is my memory of it in color, but there’s lots of color film of it available. But the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair is something I only saw in black and white until recently. There are many intriguing photos such as this one.via Chicago CollectionsSo it was quite shocking to discover this Technicolor short film (the first full-length motion picture made in 3-strip Technicolor, Becky Sharp, was still two years away). The buildings are painted in a wild assortment of colors. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrt4p8MU6kQ

The Amazon Fire tablet that I use every day to watch videos, check twitter, learn kanji, and read ebooks, is on sale for $40. This is a great deal for a tablet, especially you install Google Play on it so you can download Android apps.

Here is another photo. This is the best pitcher in the Superb Owl.

Some folks may have missed this.

Ok, it’s not just solar powered. It’s also an anti-theft, waterproof marvel that keeps my phone’s power bar from ever getting into the red.Sure the idea seems obvious now - tuck a gigantic solar powered battery pack into an exposed slot and turn the wearer into a walking energy harvester. Simple maybe, but I didn't think of it. Way to go Solgaard.The battery brick is called the Solarbank and the backside acts as a nifty speaker that wirelessly plays tunes from my phone.And as long as there’s direct sunlight, I can have non-stop music playback with absolutely no battery drain. I believe it'd be the perfect "trapped on a desert island device". In fact, if Tom Hanks had one in the movie Castaway (and a brand new smartphone), he wouldn’t have needed that goofy volley ball at all.And I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking my desert island concept is flawed because the sun would eventually set and its magical recharging rays will disappear. Well I can’t argue with you on that – but just imagine a life where you weren’t trapped on a desert island and followed my easy to execute 2 step plan.Step 1) Create an autonomous vehicle that moves fast enough around the Earth so that you’re always under direct sunlight. Below is a handy illustration that explains how to gain maximum charging time with a LIFEPACK backpack.As you can see, it all depends upon your starting latitude and your ability to stay within it as you travel. At the equator, you’d need to travel west at approximately 1650km/h to counteract the rotation speed of the Earth. As you travel towards the poles, the needed speed decreases dramatically.Step 2) Create an algorithm that auto-coordinates your musical playlist with the regions you travel over. Flying over Poland? Why not rock out to a 30 second snippet of The Pennsylvania Polka? Tooting along over Russia? The theme song to Tetris is pretty darned relaxing.But if you intend to forego my Rube-Goldbergian plan, you could simply charge your Solarbank once a week by plugging it into a wall outlet while you sleep. The pack can store up to 6 phone charges and has 2 USB ports that allow for romantic charging sessions for you and your nerdy mate.The bag has 5 secret zipper compartments for your nerdy odds and ends and there’s even a built in combination lock that will keep your computer safe from…traveling computer thieves I guess.Look, this is the most well thought out, high-tech backpack I’ve ever seen and since the solar pack has already bailed me out of a professional jam I’m going to give the weird combination lock thing a pass.Check out LIFEPACK. If you’re nerdy like me or stranded on a desert island, you’ll love it.FYI - Getting Wilson's image on your LIFEPACK will be entirely up to you.

Comedian, actor, and nerd, Patton Oswalt shared his grief with the world last year when his wife Michelle McNamara died. Patton revealed on Friday that the medical causes of her resulted from a combination of prescription medications and a heart problem that had not been diagosed. Los Angeles coroner officials informed him earlier today. (more…)

A U.S. judge today temporarily blocked an executive order by President Donald Trump aimed at travelers from seven mostly Muslim countries after the states of Washington Minnesota advocated for an end to the racist “Muslim Ban.” (more…)

Editor Adam Stein posted this charming 2003 short from back when everyone involved was in a very different place in their career. Directed by Miguel Arteta and written by Miranda July, who also stars. (more…)

Last month, a hacker took 900GB of data from Cellebrite, an Israeli cyber-arms dealer that was revealed to be selling surveillance and hacking tools to Russia, the UAE, and Turkey. (more…)

It's $400 to pre-order these 1:26 replicas of the set from Sienfeld, created by the show's production designer Tho. E. Azzari and miniaturist Alan Wolfson (they're $500 retail). (more…)

As trumpism metastasizes, I've taken some comfort in the American system of checks and balances, especially the independent judiciary and the strong Constitutional tradition, which lets impact litigators like EFF and ACLU leverage the courts to overturn the executive branch; I've seen this work many times with EFF and other civil liberties organizations. (more…)

On Twitter, @FutureCNN provides glimpses into the grim future of Trump's america, as depicted as inane CNN roundtables and wry chyron operators.https://twitter.com/FutureCNN/status/826537279204315136

8-Bit Philosophy tackles the age-old question: Are We Living in a Simulation? Fittingly, their explanation uses a Minecraft example. (more…)

After a slew of imitators, badass YouTuber The Hydraulic Press Channel rebranded as Beyond the Press and started doing non-pressing experiments in his inimitable style. Here, he has to jump in a frozen lake to get some stuff he lost in a previous experiment. (more…)

Snap Inc., the parent company behind Snapchat, just filed for an initial public offering. They're the first American social media company to file for IPO so since Twitter did more than three years ago. (more…)

For the last few months I've been learning kanji at Wanikani (my wife is an editor at the sister site, Tofugu). Today, I found a few Japanese coins in a drawer, and I wanted to see if I could read the kanji characters on them, but they were too small for my ever-worsening eyesight. I pulled out my trusty illuminated magnifier that I bought on Amazon for $2.51 (including shipping) and used it to easily see the characters. It uses 2 AAA (I don't remember if they were included).

Lollypop Lorry plays old-schoolish Ska music. They're from Yekaterinburg, Russia. Their music is available on Bandcamp.

Former Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson will get a $180 million parting gift from his former employers when he takes the Secretary of State job, thanks in part to four Senate Democrats who voted with the GOP to confirm him for the job, despite his extensive ties to regimes hostile to the US. (more…)

Belgian artist Wim Delvoye attained fame and controversy by tattooing fine-art pieces on pigs; when retired tattoo parlor manager Tim Steiner volunteered his skin for a Delvoye piece, the result was purchased by a German art collector called Rik Reinking for €130,000 (Steiner got a third of that). Steiner has agreed to be flayed after his death, with his skin stretched, cured and framed for Reinking's collection. (more…)

Take your pick!

Erica Chenoweth, co-author of Why Civil Resistance Works: The Strategic Logic of Nonviolent Conflict, says "nonviolent resistance has actually been the quickest, least costly, and safest way to struggle" effectively against dictatorships.From The Guardian:In the US on Tuesday, dozens of lawmakers have said they will boycott confirmation votes for Trump nominees. Numerous police departments countrywide have announced that they will not comply with unethical federal policies (particularly regarding deportations). And the federal government employs more than 3 million civil servants – people on whose continued support the US government relies to implement its policies. Many such civil servants have already begun important conversations about how to dissent from within the administration. They, too, provide an important check on power. The Women’s March on Washington and its affiliated marches – which may have been the largest single-day demonstration in US history – show a population eager and willing to show up to defend their rights. Of course, nonviolent resistance often evokes brutality by the government, especially as campaigns escalate their demands and use more disruptive techniques. But historical data shows that when campaigns are able to prepare, train, and remain resilient, they often succeed regardless of whether the government uses violence against them.By Jonathan McIntosh - Own work, CC BY 2.5, Link

I don't follow football, but Bad Lip Reading hit a grand slam with this one! I'm literally LOLing over here, people...

A normal morning in Trump's America: the President of the United States turns the National Prayer Breakfast into a platform for one of his inane grudges against another celebrity, then gets owned by that celebrity on Twitter.“Hey Donald, I have a great idea: Why don’t we switch jobs?” Schwarzenegger suggested in a video posted to Twitter. “You take over TV because you’re such an expert in ratings, and I take over your job, so then people can finally sleep comfortably again.”Schwarzenegger’s message was in response to Trump saying that when he ran for president “they hired a big, big movie star” to take his place on “The Apprentice.”Here's Trump's remark:https://twitter.com/CNN/status/827160912951967744?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwHere's Arnie's response:https://twitter.com/Schwarzenegger/status/827169996866347008?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwFunny to think that this is orchestrated if not scripted, another siren calling sleepwalkers to the water, that the screen you're looking at right now is the sea of glass that John the Apostle saw in his nightmares, an immortal parody of human empathy to embrace until the missiles fly and the final gasping panic sets in and here's a compilation video of kittens getting brain-freeze after eating ice cream.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5Rka0TyrYw&feature=youtu.be

Oscar Hudson directed this delightful music video for Bonobo's song "No Reason," described as "a film about staying indoors." (more…)

This 26-page pamphlet from 1965, with 168 meticulous footnotes, outlines the dangers of The Beatles and "the Communist master music plan." Also available in audio form. (more…)

Among those caught in the crossfire of last weekend's Muslim ban were lawful immigrants and permanent residents who were in the air when the rules changed; when these people landed, they were told that since they had arrived at the US in violation of the rules, they were being deported, and were banned from entering the USA for the next five years. (more…)

South Dakota voters approved a ballot measure that would limit the amount of money state politicians could receive from lobbyists and other donors, capping "gifts" at $100 annually; now, Republicans in the SD government are seeking to block it, with an emergency resolution, a court challenge and an appeal to the governor. (more…)

A team of roboticists from Caltech and Urbana-Champaign have built a biomimetic "bat bot" that uses nine joints to deform a foot-wide wing membrane to achieve breathtaking aerial maneuvers. (more…)

The New York AG's lawsuit against Time Warner Cable (now a division of Charter) lays out a damning set of accusations of fradulent conduct, including "f sky-high prices, chronic service outages, bait-and-switch plan offerings, lower-than-advertised internet speeds and other indignities." (more…)

For less than the price of a dinner for two, Raspberry Pi offers a full desktop experience on a board the size of a deck of cards. With just this small device and an online course, I learned to build crazy projects like robots. You can do the same for just $99 with this Complete Raspberry Pi 3 Starter Kit.This kit includes the Raspberry Pi 3 board as well as a collection of accessories to get you up and running quickly, including a protective enclosure, wifi adapter, and all the necessary cables. Aside from the base hardware, this kit includes essential training and a Python programming course tailored specifically to the Pi.Once I learned the basics, I could use the Pi board as a brain for network-connected electronics projects. If you love computer science and inventing new electronics, I highly suggest you get this Complete Raspberry Pi 3 Starter Kit for just $99, 63% off the usual price.BUY NOWExplore other Best-Sellers on our network:CodingLearn to Code 2017 Bundle (Pay What You Want)Project ManagementUltimate PM Certification ($69)Music + EntertainmentBrain.fm: 3-Year Subscription ($29)Cord-CuttingGhost Indoor HDTV Antenna (57% off)

Are Trump's increasingly unconstitutional executive orders getting more and more ludicrous? Now you can make your own with the Trump Executive Order Generator. (more…)

US District Judge Andre Birotte Jr (Central District of California) heard a plea from 28 Yemeni-born US citizens, and ruled that: (more…)

The interview I recently did for the Working Together Podcast is live.Here's a link to the episode with lots of detailed shownotes on Stefan's Working Together blog.We talked about my upbringing, the Maker Movement, "punk tech" versus "consumer tech", the blockchain, and some of the books and mentors who have inspired me over the years.If you like what you hear, you can subscribe to his show through the usual directories: iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn and so on.The host of the show, Stefan, also encouraged anyone using iTunes to rate and review the podcast as he welcomes your feedback and support, and it helps the show get discovered by more listeners!

Shigeru Miyamoto is the creator of Donkey Kong, Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Star Fox, F-Zero, Pikmin, and Wii. In this video, he explains the elements necessary in a good video game.

Well done, Tree, Sun, and Garage Door!

Neil Fennell says: "I wanted to see what it would be like if the events of the movie "Groundhog Day" all took place simultaneously."