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by Caroline Siede on (#28M21)
In this fantastic article for The Mary Sue, Caroline Chao explores the weird lack of importance of mothers in the Star Wars franchise. She writes:Even before the universe of Star Wars was welcomed into Disney’s custody, Lucasfilm had upheld the Dead Parent Quotas to maximize the Hero’s Angst. Demises of moms tend to be potent fuel for Offspring’s Angst. Mothers play a role in shaping the arc of their protagonist offsprings, but they don’t receive as much thematic prominence as father-son/child relationships in the cinematic world of a galaxy far, far away. If they do, they are noticeably disposable. Shmi Skywalker sees her son walk off to Temple life in the care of a Jedi. The next time she sees her beloved Anakin again, she expires in her son’s arms as a damsel. Shmi’s ass-kicking daughter-in-law Padme soon follows her into the afterlife. Padme gives birth, feebly acknowledges her newborns with sorrow, and perishes because of a “broken heart†(or because women’s health care in the advanced far, far away galaxy is as shoddy as women’s health care on our Earth). And in both instances, they serve The Tragedy of Anakin, not the Tragedy of Shmi Skywalker or Tragedy of Senator Padme Amidala.While the Star Wars franchise is full of father/son relationships and even father/daughter ones, mothers are continually left in the lurch. As Chao notes:But even with the existence of exceptions [in the larger Star Wars canon], all moms deserved better. Despite the death marks on mothers or the wider emphasis on their other careers, these women aren’t cheapened by their status as mothers. Rather, the scriptwriters take mothers for granted and don’t know what to do with their maternal greatness. The moms deserved better than to be angst-fodder. Didn’t the Star Wars moms deserve to be alive to spend quality time with their offspring as main players in their drama, rather than martyrs to their tragedy?You can read the full article on The Mary Sue.
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| Updated | 2024-11-25 07:46 |
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by Boing Boing's Store on (#28KGY)
CloudApp is a versatile screen capture tool designed to streamline the sharing of in-process work. Trusted by companies like The New York Times and Facebook, CloudApp stood out to me amongst the many options for screen capturing.By combining high-quality screen recording with cloud sharing, CloudApp makes it easy to send visual input to colleagues. I was able to easily record my display in-real time to send instructions to a team member, and even drew directly on images and screenshots to make quick annotations.Compatible with an abundance of apps like Slack, Trello, and Github, CloudApp fits seamlessly into any team's workflow. Plus with powerful visual search functionality, it's easy to find screen clippings and recordings at a glance. This app vastly improved my visual communication and I recommend you try this 5-year subscription to CloudApp Storm for just $150, 90% off the regular price.
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by Andrea James on (#28J0F)
In a great example of crowdsourced criticism, Rishi Kaneria gathered up the most compelling fan theories he could find and synthesized them into Radiohead: The Secrets Of Daydreaming. (more…)
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by Peter Sheridan on (#28HBV)
You pays your money and you takes your choice with this week's tabloids."Crooked Hillary Will Die in Jail!" screams the 'Globe' cover, with a two-page exclusive inside predicting "Hillary's Prison Death Sentence!" You have to admire the Photoshopped picture of an ashen-faced Hillary, dark bags around her eyes, care-worn face furrowed with wrinkles, clad in an orange jumpsuit behind grey metal prison bars. It's harder to be impressed by the "new evidence that will put her away!" which supposedly will be supplied by former president Bill Clinton when he testifies before the Eastern District of New York grand jury investigating the Clinton Foundation -- testimony which he may never give. And that "death sentence"? That's simply the 'Globe' anticipating that "Bill's testimony sends her away for 20 years," and with her "killer medical ailments, even a 10-year stretch would be a death sentence."But if you believe the 'National Enquirer' -- and who wouldn't? -- the future looks rosy for Hillary Clinton, who it forecasts could be the next Mayor of New York City. It "Could Happen" assures the 'Enquirer,' which calls her mayoral election "easy pickings."Singer George Michael "turned to booze and drugs" after his voice was "destroyed" by pneumonia in 2011, leading to his tragic demise, reports the 'Globe.'Or you can believe the 'Enquirer,' which insists: "Blackmail Demands Drove George To Suicide!" Supposedly Michael was "driven to suicide by sinister blackmail threats from a train of male lovers in his life." It's a typically homophobic allegation that makes little sense for a man who was openly and proudly gay, and had little to fear from exposure.How about J. Lo's blossoming romance with hip-hop star Drake? "Wedding Bells for J Lo & Drake!" predicts the giddy 'Globe,' whose unnamed source says of their passion: "It's for real -- and it's only getting stronger!" Or if you prefer, believe the 'Enquirer' which has unnamed "pals" wanting J Lo that she is "Courting Danger With Drake!" As one "source close to the singer" opines: "Drake is the poster boy for problems she really doesn't need."At least the tabloids can agree on one thing: the universe is dangerous, and it's out to get us. "E.T. Is Calling! But top scientists warn us: Don't Answer The Phone!" reports the 'Globe.' Evidently "astronomy experts" have warned: "Earthlings need to brace for a bloody invasion and start laying low." How this failed to make the front page is beyond me. Did "Crooked Hillary" and Dolly Parton's "Secret Family Shame" really seem more important than an alien invasion of Earth? Evidently. Meanwhile the 'National Examiner' warns of the "Universe's Deadly Forces Set To Attack!" Watch out for dying white dwarf stars tearing apart nearby planets, rogue planets careening like pinballs through the cosmos, gamma-ray explosions that could cause mass extinctions, fast-moving black holes and destructive solar flares.So after so much science, the tabloids feel the need to give us our regular dose of fact-challenged news too. Why are so few celebrities booked to appear at Donald Trump's presidential inaugural celebrations? Not because the stars have shunned him, but because Trump reportedly turned down offers to appear by Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, the Dixie Chicks, Billy Joel, the Beach Boys, Blake Shelton,Gwen Stefani, John Legend, Ice-T and Celine Dion. Well, that's one explanation for their absence."William & Kate Unfit to Rule!" proclaims the 'Globe,' allegedly reporting the sentiments of Prince Charles' wife, Camilla. Firstly, let me point out yet again that Prince Charles is next in line to the throne, and William won't "rule" until after Charles has died. But why does Camilla reportedly believe her nephew is unsuited to the throne? Because William's children, George and Charlotte, are being taught Spanish by their nanny, and allegedly "speak Spanish better than English." Even if this were true, having bilingual children should be a point of pride, not shame. And considering that George is all of three years old and Charlotte is aged only one, their vocabulary in any language is likely to be limited to the level of a seasoned 'Globe' reporter."Mark Harmon Heart Attack Horror!" reads a 'Globe' headline above photos of the NCIS actor looking spry and healthy. Evidently his father died of a heart attack at the age of 70 in 1990, therefore "pals fear" that 65-year-old Harmon "could be on his last legs!" Because that's what pals are for in the world of the tabloids: living in fear for your life."Emma & Ryan Bonkin'??" asks the subtle, sophisticated 'Enquirer' of actors Ryan Reynolds and Emma Stone, who have co-starred in three movies, most recently 'La La Land.' "Secret Lay of La La Land!" adds the incredibly witty headline. Well, did they? No, reports the 'Enquirer,' resorting to what they assume is gossip-land argot: "Our delectable duo nevah, EVAH bonked in real life!" In other words, there's no story, just a salacious and misleading headline. Classy. No wonder Trump loves the 'Enquirer,' saying that the tabloid "should be very respected," and deserves "Pulitzer Prizes for their reporting."But has the Trump-loving 'Enquirer' become the official mouthpiece for the incoming administration? This week the rag predicts a "Secret Trump-Putin Summit' within 45 days of The Donald taking office. Let's see if they're right. If so, the 'Enquirer' will have a source inside the Trump White House -- perhaps Trump himself? -- that any news organization would envy. If it's true.It's a shame that this week's tabloids were published just hours too soon to include the as-yet-unsubstantiated "golden shower" and Russian hooker allegations against Donald Trump -- though the 'Enquirer' would probably call them part of a a Hillary Clinton conspiracy. Uncorroborated allegations are the stock-in-trade of the tabloids, but where Trump's concerned they're all lies.Fortunately we have the crack investigative team at 'Us' magazine to tell us that Kendall Jenner wore it best, actor Charlie Weber "can't start my day without an espresso," that actress Archie Panjabi carries a mini-flashlight, coconut oil and dog treats in her Tumi tote bag, and that the stars are just like us: they buy veggies, shop in fashion boutiques, eat desserts and take selfies on the beach, all of which make me feel that I'm more like Meryl Streep than Donald Trump, who I'm guessing never takes beach selfies or shops for veggies.'Us' brings us the "secret pasts" of TV's 'Bachelor' show contestants, promising "the truth about Nick's women" -- "sex obsessed, fame hungry, ready to play dirty." But doesn't that describe everyone on reality TV these days?'People' magazine devotes its cover to Oprah Winfrey's revelation: "How I lost 42 lbs!" which would be all the more impressive if she hadn't lost the same 42 lbs at least a dozen times before. "I finally made peace with food," says Oprah, which is good, because it's no fun being at war with your food. Let's remember: Molotov cocktails were invented in retaliation to "Molotov bread baskets" which rained death and destruction over Finland during the Winter War of 1939 - 1940. Hopefully Donald Trump can negotiate a peace deal with Beef Strogonoff, and we can finally have peace in our thyme.Onwards and downwards . . .
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by Jason Weisberger on (#28H7B)
The Kalvan family brings juggling, acrobatics, science, and engineering together in an astonishing variety show.Jack, Jeri, Max and Oz are all talented faces you've likely seen on TV and in the movies. In addition to their insane book of skills, they're accomplished jugglers, acrobats, circus and stunt people, this is also a family of makers. Jack is an engineer who can't resist blending science and stunts.The Kalvan's have devised an astonishing show that employs all their skills, and some really fun contraptions! This family made the toys you wish you always had, and then they dare show you how much fun playing with them can be! Trick-shooting with a tennis ball gun? A synchronized flowerpot drill team? The world's largest whoopee cushion? Jack Kalvan and Company certainly raises the bar on family activity time.
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by Mark Frauenfelder on (#28GPJ)
I've read a few of Ian Fleming's James Bond novels and they are a lot of fun. James Bond is much more flawed and weird in the books than he is in the movies. Right now Amazon is selling the Bond series for $2 a book as Kindle editions. But if you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited (I do) you can read them for free. Here's a link to a join Amazon Kindle Unlimited with 30-Day Free Trial.
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by Ruben Bolling on (#28GB5)
FOLLOW @RubenBolling on the Twitters and a Face Book.JOIN Tom the Dancing Bug's subscription club, the Proud & Mighty INNER HIVE, for exclusive early access to comics, extra comics, and very much more. GET Ruben Bolling’s new hit book series for kids, The EMU Club Adventures. (â€A book for the curious and adventurous!†-Cory Doctorow) Book One here. Book Two here. More Tom the Dancing Bug comics on Boing Boing! (more…)
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by Rob Beschizza on (#28GAP)
I have a Fuji Instax instant camera and it's a lot of fun to be able to spit out and share prints in the age of Instagram. But it's also an ugly soulless blob of a gadget that seems optimized to be the least carryable or volume-efficient possible. The Polaroid Snap series seems to fix that problem, but the prints look like wafer-thin inkjet slips rather than the meaty, OG polaroid slabs I want. Lomography has its own model out, the Lomo Instant camera: it uses the Instax system and I'm furiously curious about how convincing the retro styling is outside of the product photography studio.Advanced Lens System: One built-in wide angle lens included, plus additional Fisheye, Portrait and Close-Up lens attachments availableThree Stunning Editions: Choose from three different stylish editions of the Lomo’Instant!3 Shooting Modes: Shoot photos with auto-flash on for immediate great results, or take direct control with the creative shooting modes (with flash and without flash)Unlimited Multiple Exposures: Combine multiple shots on one frame for amazing experimental instantsInfinite Long Exposures: Perfect for low light, dawn/dusk and nighttime shooting. Get artistic with light painting and create beautiful light streaked instants!Amazon reviews are mixed. Anyone tried it?
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Chelsea Manning on the short list for commutation: call the White House at 202-456-1111 to help her!
by Cory Doctorow on (#28G8J)
Evan from Fight for the Future writes, "Whoah. This is huge news. NBC is reporting that Chelsea Manning is on President Obama's "short-list" for commutation. It even appears that the DOJ has recommended that she be released. Chelsea has suffered immensely at the hands of the U.S. government, all for doing what she thought was right and trying to help people. I hope everyone will drop what they are doing today to call the White House at 202-456-1111 and tell President Obama go do the right thing and reduce Chelsea's sentence to time served. Read a statement from Chelsea's attorney and Fight for the Future here."
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by Cory Doctorow on (#28G4S)
Since 1991, the number of full-time librarians working in Philadelphia's cash-strapped, budget-slashed public schools has declined by 94% -- only eight remain, while the state continues to trail the nation in literacy scores. (more…)
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by Cory Doctorow on (#28G39)
The most remarkable criminal justice story of 2017 is that the FBI has arrested a real corporate criminal, a VW executive who tried to engineer a coverup of the Dieselgate scandal, and that he might go to jail -- it's remarkable because the Obama administration spent eight years resolutely not sending criminal executives to jail, preferring instead to let their corporations buy their way out of criminal sanctions with huge fines, a doctrine pioneered by Obama Attorney General Eric Holder back when he worked for Bill Clinton's administration. But while Clinton rejected this idea, Obama put it into practice. (more…)
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by Rob Beschizza on (#28G03)
Following last night's unverified spy-sourced report concerning Donald Trump's links to Russia and its security services' alleged surveillance of him paying to watch hookers piss on his bed, president-elect Donald Trump ("Peeotus") is getting even madder on Twitter than usual. (more…)
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by Cory Doctorow on (#28FYD)
Brian from the Recommend if You Like podcast sez, "For episode 200 (MP3), we sat down for a 90 minute interview with Mad Magazine's Al Jaffee, who, at the age of 95 holds the title of 'the longest working cartoonist in history.'" (more…)
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by Mark Frauenfelder on (#28FY4)
Author, futurist, and agnostic mystic Robert Anton Wilson died 10 years ago today. Carla and I interviewed him for the first issue of bOING bOING in 1987. In fact, one of the main reasons we started Boing Boing was to have an excuse to interview him.Here's what I wrote on the 5th anniversary of Bob's death:“I regard belief as a form of brain damage.†― Robert Anton WilsonTomorrow marks the fifth anniversary of Robert Anton Wilson's death. Bob was a writer of fiction and non-fiction, most notably the Illuminatus! trilogy (co-written with Robert Shea) and the non-fiction memoir Cosmic Trigger: The Final Secret of the Illuminati. In all, he wrote 35 books, countless articles and essays, and a couple of plays and screenplays.Bob was an intensely curious, intellectually playful, and profoundly insightful person and his writing and talks influenced my world view more than any other writer. He wrote about conspiracy theories, government nuttiness, the future, Freemasonry, quantum physics, magick, occult and paranormal phenomena, human behavior, mental models, psychedelic drugs, cult psychology, and the nature of reality. He had a knack for giving straightforward explanations of hard-to-grok concepts without stripping them of their power or complexity. Before I read RAW's books, the world was confusing and mysterious. After I read his books, the world became much more confusing and mysterious -- but in a good way! Bob converted me from atheism to agnosticism (which, in his words, means "never regarding any model or map of the universe with total 100% belief or total 100% denial").One of my favorite things about Wilson was his skepticism towards skeptics. From Wikipedia:Wilson also criticized scientific types with overly rigid belief systems, equating them with religious fundamentalists in their fanaticism. In a 1988 interview, when asked about his newly-published book The New Inquisition: Irrational Rationalism and the Citadel of Science, Wilson commented: "I coined the term irrational rationalism because those people claim to be rationalists, but they're governed by such a heavy body of taboos. They're so fearful, and so hostile, and so narrow, and frightened, and uptight and dogmatic... I wrote this book because I got tired satirizing fundamentalist Christianity... I decided to satirize fundamentalist materialism for a change, because the two are equally comical... The materialist fundamentalists are funnier than the Christian fundamentalists, because they think they're rational! ...They're never skeptical about anything except the things they have a prejudice against. None of them ever says anything skeptical about the AMA, or about anything in establishment science or any entrenched dogma. They're only skeptical about new ideas that frighten them. They're actually dogmatically committed to what they were taught when they were in college..."Philip K. Dick spoke for many RAW readers when he said, "Wilson managed to reverse every mental polarity in me, as if I had been pulled through infinity. I was astonished and delighted." In 2012, Boing Boing posted a series of remembrances, interviews, videos, and other material about Robert Anton Wilson. Here they are:Keep the Lasagna Flying, by Paul KrassnerMindfucking Since 1976, by Gareth BranwynA letter from Robert Anton Wilson (1991), by Mark FrauenfelderRAW quote: disobedience was man’s original virtueThe Cosmic Trigger Effect, by Antero AlliVideo: Douglas Rushkoff to Robert Anton WilsonRAW quote: restriction of freedom (1975)The Gnosis magazine interview, by Jay Kinney"Hello, fellow tripper," by R.U. SiriusRAW quote: a grandiose delusionMy Strange Evening with Robert Anton Wilson, By Lewis ShinerMy Weirdest Summer Ever, by Erik DavisRAW quote: we look for the secretPope Bob Remembrance, by Rev. Ivan StangRAW quote: a monopoly on communicationGweek 035: Interview with Robert Anton Wilson's daughterWilson and I, by Richard MetzgerMark Dery's 1997 interview with Robert Anton WilsonInterviews with Douglas Rushkoff, RU Sirius, David Jay Brown, Phil Farber, and Antero Alli, by Propaganda AnonymousCosmic Trigger helped me get out of Jehovah's Witnesses, by Angus StockingGiant mind-map of Discordianism, by Gwendal UguenRAW quote: intelligence blockingRAW quote: in other words, if you think you know what the hell is going on, you're probably full of shit.Everything I Need to Know I Learned From RAW, by David Jay Brown23 Skidoo + 5 -- Robert Anton Wilson Again, by Loren Coleman"Some of this stuff might be bullshit," by Peter BebergalTrickster Santa and the Real Revolution, by Tiffany Lee BrownRAWing in the Rain, by Maja D'aoust"I am not that kind of Libertarian, really; I don't hate poor people," by Tom JacksonIlluminatus! vs Atlas Shruggedhttps://youtu.be/LLBufVx0_VE
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by Andrea James on (#28FRJ)
LED hula hoop choreography set to a Massive Attack "Teardrop" remix? Yes, please! (more…)
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by Andrea James on (#28FRM)
Gilles Retsin has been experimenting with 3D-printed design concepts, but he's also been working with computational mereology to engage in large-scale discrete fabrication. Think of it like Tetris or LEGO: a set of prefabbed interlocking parts that can then be assembled by a robot programmed to create a specific shape. (more…)
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by Mark Frauenfelder on (#28FPD)
Somehow, this bike got caught on an electric fence, and these three guys are having a hell of a time getting it unstuck. I've never seen people so downright joyful about getting jolted with 10,000 volts.
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by Mark Frauenfelder on (#28FKM)
Alvarortega has a YouTube channel of animated videos of Beatles (and solo) music. Really fun stuff!
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by Andrea James on (#28FKP)
WeRateDogs compiled a nice montage of some of the best dog clips of 2016. Even if you're an aficionado of the genre, there may be a few surprises for you. It's also oddly moving. (more…)
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by Boing Boing's Store on (#28F9E)
How did such tiny creatures build such a magnificent forest village? It can’t have happened by chance. Pay tribute to the forest moon’s furry engineers with this perfect 100% cotton t-shirt.From flying speeder bikes, to clocking unsuspecting Stormtroopers with slings, the Ewoks have a knack for mechanics. Hang gliders, suspended bridges, and Imperial Walker trip lines are just some of the renaissance-worthy achievements of these woodsy puppets.Share the same reverence for mathematics as the Ewoks have for C-3PO’s golden plating with comfortable casual-wear. For a limited time, this Da Vinci Ewok t-shirt is just $17.99, 28% off for your favorite geek.
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by Andrea James on (#28F2M)
To celebrate 2017, Matthew Roberts flew a drone over the Apple Campus 2 site under construction. Interesting to compare to when Pesco posted this back in 2015. (more…)
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by Rob Beschizza on (#28E7S)
An unverified dossier, reportedly sourced to a former British Intelligence agent working with Russian operatives, claims that Trump paid to watch hookers urinate on a Moscow hotel bed. Shady and shapeless as the document is, the intelligence community reportedly takes it seriously and the PEEOTUS is already mad on Twitter at its release.https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/818990655418617856A delicious reminder from Danegeld: the last time he called something a "witch hunt," it was the reportage of the Trump University scam that ended in him paying out $25m to settle the lawsuits.The festivities (#GoldenShowers) will overshadow outgoing president Obama's farewell speech, sadly, but there was always going to be something.Important Reminder: no photo, no problem.
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What a 19th-century rebellion against automation can teach us about the coming war in the job market
by Mark Frauenfelder on (#28E2D)
Our friend and frequent Boing Boing contributor Clive Thompson has a piece in the January/February issue of Smithsonian magazine entitled "Rage Against the Machines." He explores the 19th century Luddite Revolution, the first rebellion against automation, comparing it to the upcoming robot workforce revolution. I didn't know that pre-industrial textile workers were well-paid and had lots of free time. No wonder they fought so hard against textile automation!At the turn of 1800, the textile industry in the United Kingdom was an economic juggernaut that employed the vast majority of workers in the North. Working from home, weavers produced stockings using frames, while cotton-spinners created yarn. “Croppers†would take large sheets of woven wool fabric and trim the rough surface off, making it smooth to the touch.These workers had great control over when and how they worked—and plenty of leisure. “The year was chequered with holidays, wakes, and fairs; it was not one dull round of labor,†as the stocking-maker William Gardiner noted gaily at the time. Indeed, some “seldom worked more than three days a week.†Not only was the weekend a holiday, but they took Monday off too, celebrating it as a drunken “St. Monday.â€Croppers in particular were a force to be reckoned with. They were well-off—their pay was three times that of stocking-makers—and their work required them to pass heavy cropping tools across the wool, making them muscular, brawny men who were fiercely independent. In the textile world, the croppers were, as one observer noted at the time, “notoriously the least manageable of any persons employed.â€But in the first decade of the 1800s, the textile economy went into a tailspin. A decade of war with Napoleon had halted trade and driven up the cost of food and everyday goods. Fashions changed, too: Men began wearing “trowsers,†so the demand for stockings plummeted. The merchant class—the overlords who paid hosiers and croppers and weavers for the work—began looking for ways to shrink their costs.That meant reducing wages—and bringing in more technology to improve efficiency. A new form of shearer and “gig mill†let one person crop wool much more quickly. An innovative, “wide†stocking frame allowed weavers to produce stockings six times faster than before: Instead of weaving the entire stocking around, they’d produce a big sheet of hosiery and cut it up into several stockings. “Cut-ups†were shoddy and fell apart quickly, and could be made by untrained workers who hadn’t done apprenticeships, but the merchants didn’t care. They also began to build huge factories where coal-burning engines would propel dozens of automated cotton-weaving machines.“They were obsessed with keeping their factories going, so they were introducing machines wherever they might help,†says Jenny Uglow, a historian and author of In These Times: Living in Britain Through Napoleon’s Wars, 1793-1815.The workers were livid. Factory work was miserable, with brutal 14-hour days that left workers—as one doctor noted—“stunted, enfeebled, and depraved.†Stocking-weavers were particularly incensed at the move toward cut-ups. It produced stockings of such low quality that they were “pregnant with the seeds of its own destruction,†as one hosier put it: Pretty soon people wouldn’t buy any stockings if they were this shoddy. Poverty rose as wages plummeted.The workers tried bargaining. They weren’t opposed to machinery, they said, if the profits from increased productivity were shared. The croppers suggested taxing cloth to make a fund for those unemployed by machines. Others argued that industrialists should introduce machinery more gradually, to allow workers more time to adapt to new trades.The plight of the unemployed workers even attracted the attention of Charlotte Brontë, who wrote them into her novel Shirley. “The throes of a sort of moral earthquake,†she noted, “were felt heaving under the hills of the northern counties.â€
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by Persoff and Marshall on (#28DZ8)
A book of John Wilcock comics is now availableImportant news: John Wilcock will soon celebrate his 90th birthday.Regrettably, John suffered a stroke in 2014, which has dissolved nearly all of his life's savings on medical expenses. There is now a GoFundMe to help support Wilcock in a moment of need.Thank you for any help and support you can provide. — Peace.
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by Rob Beschizza on (#28DSR)
Dylann Roof, the white supremacist who shot dead nine black Americans in the Charleston Church Massacre, was sentenced to death today. Jurors deliberated less than three hours before deciding he had to die.The jury of nine whites and three blacks, who last month found Mr. Roof guilty of 33 counts for the attack at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in downtown Charleston, S.C., returned their unanimous verdict after about three hours of deliberations in the penalty phase of a heart-rending and often legally confounding trial.He showed no expression as the verdict was announced. Two relatives exchanged a long embrace as the jury left the courtroom.The guilt of Mr. Roof, who coolly confessed to the killings and then justified them without remorse in a jailhouse manifesto, was never in serious doubt during the first phase of the proceedings in Federal District Court in December. By the time the jurors began their deliberations on his sentence, it seemed inevitable that they would lean toward death, not only because of the heinous nature of the crimes but because Mr. Roof, 22, insisted on denying any psychological incapacity, called no witnesses, presented no evidence in his defense and mostly sidelined his court-appointed lawyers.
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by David Pescovitz on (#28DMK)
Big DT writes: "Whilst pedalling today my mate Paul went to put his bike over a fence. Half way though he realised that it was electric! So he dropped it on the fence. This is a video of him and my mate Al trying to get it off! Please excuse the swearing and oh yes by the way the clicking sound is the electric pulsing!!"
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by Cory Doctorow on (#28D4C)
Liberty UK and The Civil Liberties Trust are raising funds online to fund high-stakes litigation against the UK government over the Snoopers Charter, a mass-surveillance law that requires tech companies and telcos to retain everything you do online and hand it over to government, law enforcement, and private contractors without warrants or even minimal record-keeping. (more…)
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by Cory Doctorow on (#28CRB)
A paper from a group of Kings College London researchers documents an unexpected and welcome side effect from an experimental anti-Alzheimer's drug called Tideglusib: test subjects experienced a regeneration of dentin, the bony part of teeth that sits between the pulp and the enamel. (more…)
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by Rob Beschizza on (#28CN5)
Firefighters were able to douse the flames within minutes, but not before smoke filled the Princeton, Texas Walmart and forced shoppers to evacuate. Four were treated for minor injuries and a suspect, Jario Briceno-Barrientos, will face the heat in court after allegedly using lighter fluid to set fire to a pile of clothing.Princeton police were able to arrest the suspect after posting surveillance video of him on their Facebook page. "Due to the overwhelming support from the citizens we were able to capture the suspect," the Facebook post read. "Thank you, everybody, for your continual help and support!"https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=396469377353790&id=344480709219324
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by Cory Doctorow on (#28CN7)
Lorraine Andrusiak couldn't get a new Ikea Moppe dresser in Canada, but she found this one in a thrift store, marred by a thick, ugly coat of paint; so she stripped the paint, transferred vintage sea-monster art with graphite paper, and burned the decorations into the wood -- the result is gorgeous. (more…)
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by Rob Beschizza on (#28CN9)
Fry's Turkish Delight was full of Eastern Promise in the fabulous yet problematic 1980s UK advertisement embedded here. The amazing thing about it is how it made me, a child, think that eating this vile substance might be a good idea; when I did so, as a result of this ad, I instantly and completely understood the power and magic of advertising.Below is Limmy's "Scottish remix" of the Fry's Turkish Delight theme, which somehow captures all of these feelings and contexts ("It's like eating an old woman's perfume") and nails them to the tree of wonders. [via]https://soundcloud.com/limmy/turkishdelightLimmy's Soundcloud is going to keep me occupied all day; sadly, he hasn't done a techno remix of The Ambassador's Reception yet.1. I know that real Turkish Delight is different and better. (more…)
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by Caroline Siede on (#28BV1)
I don’t know how he does it, but this golf groundskeeper clearly has a sixth sense when it comes to moles.
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by Caroline Siede on (#28BJH)
The Twitter account @silentmoviegifs shared these simple images that explain how special effects were completed during the silent film era. You can find the whole collection on Imgur.https://twitter.com/silentmoviegifs/status/817413165042565121https://twitter.com/silentmoviegifs/status/817413473315487744https://twitter.com/silentmoviegifs/status/817771213544165376https://twitter.com/silentmoviegifs/status/817777665725919233https://twitter.com/silentmoviegifs/status/817062189861371905https://twitter.com/silentmoviegifs/status/817065341285232640Find the rest of the images on Imgur.
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by Andrea James on (#28B8Q)
Photographer Chris White takes readers behind the scenes of making his surf photography book Dark Light. (more…)
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by Andrea James on (#28B5K)
These three different egg-breaking and separating machines have slightly different tasks, but they are all equally hypnotic. (more…)
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by Andrea James on (#28B06)
Cuttlefish have an intuitive understanding of quantity are able to discern between close numbers like four and five. Here's how scientists made the finding: (more…)
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by Cory Doctorow on (#2890A)
Slovenia's Maheno corporation manufactured a series of Barbie-branded and white label typewriters for kids, with a hidden feature that allowed their owners to use them to produce messages encrypted with a simple substitution cipher. (more…)
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by Cory Doctorow on (#288ZQ)
Annika Victoria presents a simple method for adding pockets to skirts and dresses -- providing the original garment has a sideseam, the new pocket will not show (unless, that is, you fill it with bulky things). (more…)
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by Marykate Smith Despres on (#288XZ)
Deep down beneath the couch cushions, past the crumbs and pocket lint, lying in wait for loose change, lurks...Margarash! Mark Riddle’s titular character is a boogieman turned buddy in this sweet, silly, and just scary-enough picture book that follows Collin, a young coin collector, into the couch crack netherworld where Margarash lives. Collin is your average coin-loving kid, the kind who collects, counts, and arranges his coins “by size or shape, country or state, even by smell or taste (which is something you should never do).†The monster, like Collin, hoards coins. When Collin, in his continuous quest to expand his collection, starts infringing on Margarash’s territory, the monster takes him prisoner, chanting a post-capture warning to the boy and to readers: “The coins that fall are for Margarash, / Margarash, Margarash, / The coins that fall are for Margarash, / Leave them where they lie.â€Margarash puts a clever, modern twist on a classic folktale storyline. Tim Miller’s illustrations take the edge off of the more frightening parts of the book and bring subtle beauty and depth to Margarash’s dark world, lit by beams and points of light that fall, like the coins he craves, through the cracks and tears of couches everywhere.Margarash by Mark Riddle, Tim Miller (Illustrator)Enchanted Lion Books2016, 48 pages, 8.8 x 0.5 x 12.1 inches, Hardcover$14 Buy one on AmazonSee sample pages from this book at Wink.
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by Mark Frauenfelder on (#288W3)
https://youtu.be/apzXGEbZht0According to Harvard University's director of the Child Development Unit, babies get upset when their mothers have a "still face." It's probably the same with dads, siblings, or any person the baby is familiar with.Using the "Still Face" Experiment, in which a mother denies her baby attention for a short period of time, Tronick describes how prolonged lack of attention can move an infant from good socialization, to periods of bad but repairable socialization. In "ugly" situations the child does not receive any chance to return to the good, and may become stuck.
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by Andrea James on (#288W5)
Jenny Mustard has a wonderful channel on minimalism. To help her viewers make the leap themselves, she created a a video on how to get there in 30 days. (more…)
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by Mark Frauenfelder on (#288TX)
Snopes says the idea of asking for an "angel shot" to get out of a potentially dangerous situation is a mixture of truth and falsehood:CLAIM: Women in a dangerous situation at a bar can order an angel shot to ensure safe passage into an Uber and away from a frightening man.WHAT'S TRUE: A discreet sign posted at one restaurant in St. Petersburg, Florida, instructed women to order an "angel shot" if they felt they were in danger, or needed access help or to be escorted to an Uber.WHAT'S FALSE: This practice does not appear to be widespread but depends upon a venue's staff being knowledgeable and trained to respond effectively, and abusers may know as much about the concept as potential victims.Now that Snopes, Reddit, Redbook, and Good Housekeeping have covered this, asking for an angel shot probably won't work as well as it did, if it ever worked well in the first place:The "angel shot" concept as broadly applied seems to have some less thought-through aspects. For one, issuing a clandestine call for help would generally only be necessary if a woman were within earshot of the individual she felt endangered by; otherwise, she could openly and directly ask for help instead of having to depend upon the chance that the bartender on duty knew the meaning of the "angel shot" code and that venue staff were trained to respond to it effectively.
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by Mark Frauenfelder on (#288Q7)
A hidden drawer in a drawerNifty concealment furniture.[via]
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by Mark Frauenfelder on (#288N3)
https://youtu.be/ElVzs0lEULsI've written about this 1960s commercial for Sixfinger before, but it's been at least a few years since I last watched it, and it still never fails to amuse me, especially because I had one when I was a kid. From the snappy proto-rap soundtrack, to the hyper-excited boys, to the not-at-all-phallic appearance of the toy, this commercial is a winner on several fronts.“Sixfinger, Sixfinger, Man Alive! How Did I Ever Get along with Five?â€
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by Boing Boing's Store on (#288FS)
Losing important documents can be a nightmare. The typical wisdom calls for regular backups, but in an emergency, no one has time for a full system restore. Disk Drill PRO had finally given me peace of mind with its powerful technology and multiple restoration options.A standard backup can save your disk from oblivion, but Disk Drill senses when a disk is failing and repackages it into a mountable disk image, so you can still access important documents from another system.In addition to your local drive, Disk Drill can also recover from fickle external storage tools like SD Cards and thumb drives. It also works as a cloudless smartphone backup system, letting you recover lost data on both Android and iOS devices in minutes.I've even used Disk Drill to clean junk from my disk and delete unnecessary duplicate files. Overall, Disk Drill ensures that my important data is safe and grants a little much-needed peace of mind. For a limited time, get a lifetime subscription for 70% off the usual price of $118.
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by Andrea James on (#288EN)
For kicks, Berlin-based designer Tony Futura cranks out simple iconic visual puns and comments on pop culture. Some are a little easy, but many are quite clever. (more…)
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by Andrea James on (#288EQ)
Seeing more kickass women in films is a good thing, but Dominick Nero at Fandor noticed that their fighting style differs from men in one interesting way: their tendency to pinch their opponents in a scissor lock with their strong yet oh-so-supple thighs. (more…)
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by Mark Frauenfelder on (#288C5)
https://vimeo.com/198483146The band Shytegeist has released its first video, It's called "I am Waiting." Words are by Lawrence Ferlinghetti, and is read by Matt Aston. There's a lot of hard-hitting celebrity talent joining in.
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by David Pescovitz on (#2886V)
My kids haven't played with Legos in years but somehow the tiny bricks manage to crawl out of the woodwork, waiting for me like caltrops on a dark road. The pain such a tiny colorful piece of plastic can cause for a bare foot is truly indescribable. This episode of "Today I Found Out" explains why.(via Laughing Squid)
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