In my latest Locus column, The Privacy Wars Are About to Get A Whole Lot Worse, I describe the history of the privacy wars to date, and the way that the fiction of "notice and consent" has provided cover for a reckless, deadly form of viral surveillance capitalism. (more…)

Qrcode is a github-hosted, Chinese Python project for GNU/Linux and Windows that takes sentences and URLs and creates "artistic" colored and animated QR codes that actually scan. (more…)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ugC4NG1ZocEvan from Fight for the Future writes, "What do comedian Hari Kondabolu, Lost star Evangeline Lilly, a Navajo punk band, and one of the dudes from Chumbawamba have in common? They're all part of a nationwide tour to raise awareness about the dangers of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement: Rock Against the TPP." (more…)

Continuing to demonstrate the benefits of privilege, convicted sexual offender Brock Turner has been released a mere 3 months into his prison term, for good behavior. The already short sentence was met by public outrage when ordered and has lead to a recall movement of the presiding Superior Court Judge, Aaron Persky.The good-behaving sexual offender has returned to his home in Ohio where he has registered as a sex offender.Via the LA Times:Former Stanford University student Brock Turner, who was convicted of sexually assaulting a woman and sentenced to six months in jail, registered as a sex offender in his home state of Ohio Tuesday morning, state records show.Turner was released from the Santa Clara County Jail on Friday after serving half of his sentence — a penalty criticized for its leniency. Early releases are commonly given because of good behavior and because of California’s prison realignment.Turner, 21, was convicted in March of three felony counts: assault with the intent to commit rape of an unconscious person, sexual penetration of an unconscious person and sexual penetration of an intoxicated person. He attacked an unconscious woman behind a garbage bin on the Palo Alto university’s campus in January 2015. At his sentencing, Turner faced up to 14 years in prison. Prosecutors sought a six-year prison term. Superior Court Judge Aaron Persky ultimately opted for the lighter jail term of six months and also sentenced the Ohio native to three years of probation. At the time, he said a lengthier penalty would have a “severe impact” on Turner. Persky is facing a recall campaign over his handling of Turner’s case.

Pointing a hose at a 40 year old motorcycle is not the smartest thing you can do, unless its on fire. This Meguiar's Ultimate Wash and Wax Anywhere spray does an amazing job of cleaning up my bikes, and cars.If your car, or bike, is really caked with grime this will not do. This is not a solution for off-road riders.For cars or bikes that are dusty or lightly dirty, however, this spray is fantastic. For my motorcycles I find this product perfect, as I can just wash the painted parts and not spray water all over the engine, exhaust, final drive, etc. Meguiar's wipes on and off easily, and leaves a wax-esque finish that beads water. Meguiar's G3626 Ultimate Wash & Wax Anywhere Spray - 26 oz. via Amazon

Things are about to get a lot worse for Ezra and the gang in Star Wars Rebels season three. Long awaited, Grand Admiral Thrawn is making his leap from Timothy Zahn's novels to the screen.

It's no secret that there's no better way to digitally learn a language than with Rosetta Stone. The only issue? It can be a bit pricey. That's why we're so excited about this Rosetta Stone Language Box Set (Levels 1-4) limited time deal. With its fully immersive software and award-winning speech recognition technology, Rosetta Stone will teach you to read, write, speak and understand a new language from your couch.You’ll start by learning basic conversational skills, and work your way up to more complex conversational topics. Their advanced technology will even assess your accent along the way - something you can't find with a run-of-the-mill language course. As an added bonus, the box set also includes 12 live tutoring sessions with a native speaker, and you can even keep learning on-the-go with the Rosetta Stone mobile apps.So if you’re ready to finally learn a new language, we highly recommend Rosetta Stone. And so do the editors at PC Magazine, who gave it their Editors’ Choice Award for Best Language-Learning Software.For a limited time, you can get the set for Spanish, French, Italian, or English for just $149.99.

After the U.S. Department of Education stopped all financial aide to ITT Technical Institute students, and barred the executives from giving themselves raises, the infomercial driven school is closing.Via the LA Times:Education Secretary John King said the government was taking action to protect students and taxpayers following “troubling” findings about the company. Earlier in the month, a group that accredits ITT found that the chain failed to meet several basic standards and was unlikely to comply in the future.ITT blasted the federal moves. “We believe the government's action was inappropriate and unconstitutional,” the company said Tuesday. “We were not provided with a hearing or an appeal. Alternatives that we strongly believe would have better served students, employees and taxpayers were rejected. The damage done to our students and employees, as well as to our shareholders and the American taxpayers, is irrevocable.”The day after the Education Department’s decision, California imposed further restrictions on the company: Citing concerns about ITT’s financial viability, the state Department of Consumer Affairs’ Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education issued an emergency decision banning ITT from accepting new students at its 15 California locations. The state also planned to seek to revoke ITT’s approval to operate in California.I hope you put off enrolling til tomorrow.

Well done, Zach Haumesser. "That’s all, folks!" (more…)

Brace yourself for a level of cuteness that could have lasting effects. Zoo Portraits by Barcelona-based Yago Partal include interesting information about each species. That cute otter could grow to 99 pounds, the heaviest of the weasel family. (more…)

At Vice, Leigh Alexander (recently at Boing Boing) writes about the superstitious rituals we all practice when it comes to technology. We do it whether we are conscious of the ritual or not, and we do it even when we are informed the ritual is harmful to the machines....blowing on cartridges may have actually caused more problems than it solved. But because collectively our anecdotal experiences had led us to believe that blowing had some positive effect—it seemed to work, even if it took an unpredictable number of puffs, amid all kinds of other unknown factors—we established a ritual. Our belief that blowing on cartridges does something is stronger even than evidence to the contrary. Closing background apps on your iphone, wiggling accellerometers, tilting game controllers, double-tapping touchscreen icons, and rebooting slow computers: all modern equivalents to the ol' Nintendo Blow. But something has changed: now the designers of the technology can adapt to and integrate our rituals into how technology works. And once it's there, the technology can demand it.

(more…)

Martin Critchley shot this lovely ice cave footage, which proved so popular he released an extended cut. (more…)

Renée Elise Goldsberry just wrapped up her final performance as Angelica Schuyler in the Tony-winning musical Hamilton. But before she left, she serenaded the final #Ham4Ham audience with a song that was cut from the show before its Broadway run. (more…)

The adorable child cast of the Netflix series Stranger Things visited The Tonight Show recently. And Jimmy Fallon made time for the most pressing issue on everyone’s mind: Justice For Barb!

ev Kaestner shows how to turn an old tin can into a lovely and functional candle holder. The secret is a pencil-thin torch for fine work. (more…)

Chris Hemsworth’s Thor was notably absent from this summer’s Captain America: Civil War. Why? It turns out he was in Australia hanging out with his new roommate Darryl. At least that’s the case in this hilarious Civil War special feature that Marvel studios previewed via its Twitter account:https://twitter.com/MarvelStudios/status/769927705651392513

Provided they don't dry out, you can buy a lifetime supply of Elmer's Disappearing Purple School Glue Sticks for just $14 on Amazon. I use this glue to make special magic cards.

Former mail carrier Robert J. Taitano of Tacoma, Washington went to prison in July 2015 for assault with sexual motivation and criminal trespass. But if the United States Postal Service had its druthers, Mr. Taitano would still be harassing and fondle women with abandon. Now one of his victims has filed a lawsuit against the USPS.Via KHOU:When a detective investigated, he uncovered USPS complaint files dating back to 2002 in which a salon owner, a store clerk and two apartment managers accused Taitano of harassing and touching them.The suit says USPS managers rarely took action in the face of all the complaints. The suit says USPS did try to fire Taitano in 2004, but a Dispute Resolution Team gave Taitano his job back.Turner’s attorney, Kevin Hastings of Pfau Cochran Vertetis Amala, says Taintano was returned a mail route and continued to harass and sexually assault female customers.Taitano, a registered sex offender, is out of prison and living in Tacoma.

Dharma Delight: A Visionary Post Pop Guide to Buddhism and Zen by Rodney Alan Greenblat Tuttle Publishing2016, 128 pages, 7.5 x 10 x 0.5 inches (softcover)$11 Buy a copy on AmazonPeace of mind can be a hard-won trophy in the best of times. Other times, well, simply being may be the best we can do. Dharma Delight is a visual diary of one man's journey into Buddhism. Author Greenblat takes the reader through the basic aspects of Buddhism, including its founding, its core tenets, a few of the more prominent teachers (er, Buddhas, not instructors), and a few basic zen practices all accompanied by his own bright, bold paintings and drawings.The book is somewhat slight, more of a primer than an in-depth examination of any one part of either Buddhism or Greenblat's relationship to it, but I found this to be the most engaging facet of the book. What I mean is, the book often lays out a single concept or story or koan on one or two pages, letting the reader focus on the idea being presented rather than stuffing loads of concepts and history into a confined space.By allowing the content so much room to breathe, each painting or set of paintings comes into clear relief. Greenblat squeezes lots of detail and tiny, almost hidden prose messages into each vibrant piece of art; his style is a distinct form of pop art, somewhere between the neon, day-glo of the 1980s and the comic book reproductions of Lichtenstein. Yet, for all the bright color and heady concepts, this book has found a permanent home on my bedside bookshelf. Its light touch and beatific illustrations help me find just enough peace of mind to get to sleep. Which is a small delight for which I am grateful.– Joel Neff

Kara Witham uses a scroll saw to expertly cut-out books so they can secretly hold a flask. From her website:The first chapter of Secret Safe Books was written in 2009. Kara was working a day job as a gallery guard for the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art. Born out of many idle moments in the galleries and a lifelong love of books, the idea for Secret Safe Books was born. After shifts at the museum, Kara would click around the web researching methods of hollowing out books. She started out with a simple X-Acto knife and a lot of patience. Later, Santa brought her a scroll saw to help speed things along. Next chapter ~ From the very beginning Secret Safe Books was a huge success. Kara's day job was history in less than a year and after the plot was clear that crafting book safes would balance the books, John wrote off his day job to work full time at Secret Safe Books.They sell for about $50 - $60, and the flask is included, making them a great gift.I make these to keep booze literally undercover

Who will be the first to say, "I saw the changes right away. I don't understand why anyone wouldn't be able to."

We’ve all tried to use our phones to play our favorite album or listen to a podcast while we’re in the shower—and we all know it just doesn’t work. While a Bluetooth speaker will work okay from afar, the more obvious and effective solution is the FresheTech Splash Tunes Bluetooth Shower Speaker ($19.99). This waterproof gadget comes with an ultra-strength suction cup so you can stick it directly to the shower wall, and has an impressively loud built-in speaker. We've also used it as just an everyday Bluetooth speaker, especially when we plan to be at the beach or near a pool.What's also great about the FresheTech speaker is that it has skip and back buttons right on its face, so you can easily navigate between tracks or episodes while your hands are wet. If you really wanted, you could even take calls and have conversations through the included Bluetooth microphone mid-shower. Just connect your smartphone, pick what you want to play, and turn on the water. It's a simple, affordable gadget that has made a huge difference in our routines.Just don’t wait too long to grab one up: this 59% off deal won’t last long.

As part of their post-Olympics publicity tours, U.S. Women’s Gymnastics team members Laurie Hernandez and Madison Kocian were invited to throw out first pitches at two respective baseball games. (more…)

This insane presidential election season hasn’t been easy on anyone, but comedians W. Kamau Bell and Hari Kondabolu are here to help you through it. (more…)

Even if you don't ride horses or skimboard, this gorgeous location makes this amazing feat worth watching. (more…)

Thanks the the contracts police unions get from local governments, it's not only hard to get rid of violent, corrupt cops, but investigating them in the first place is made nigh-impossible. They beat, steal and grift with impunity. The New York Times' editorial board says it's time for legislators to rip up these agreements and force the rule of law on those who represent it.Across the country, municipal governments have signed contracts with police unions including provisions that shield officers from punishment for brutal behavior as well as from legitimate complaints by the citizens they are supposed to serve.That may soon change, as public outrage over police killings of civilians is ratcheting up pressure on elected officials to radically revise police contracts that make it almost impossible to bring officers to justice.The most striking case in point is Chicago, which has been roiled by a police scandal stemming from a cover-up in the case of a 17-year-old named Laquan McDonald, who was executed by a police officer nearly two years ago.What's changed? Even old white folks are becoming scared of the cops. If it shows just how bad this problem has gotten, it's also a bitter reminder of what it takes to get something done about it.

"Here’s the thing," writes Owen Williams on Apple's apparent plans to remove the headphone jack from the new iPhones. "Bluetooth is shit."

The above image is the Trump campaign's latest outreach effort, this time toward young people! It has a certain vibe to it, clean but sinister, yet comically unconvincing. As summed up by author Saladin Ahmed's remark: "They look like a version of GATTACA that's extremely lax about genetic testing."Gattaca is a brilliant film about a man with a genetic flaw, struggling against DNA discrimination in a clinical, cooly fascistic future. If the private space industry's reluctance to hire someone doomed to premature heart disease seems disturbingly reasonable, rest assured that reality sometimes offers easier dilemmas than art:

“Super Bad Mario” is a YouTube series of internet “fail videos” edited and compiled with the titular character from the Super Mario Bros. game, being his mischievous little self. (more…)

I've been using my FryDaddy electric deep fryer ($22 on Amazon) like crazy after buying it earlier this year. I fill it with coconut oil and fry Brussels sprout leaves, sweet potato slices, and butternut squash fries. Lately I've been frying thinly cut slices of butternut squash. It's a bit tricky, because for five minutes it doesn't look like anything is happening, then suddenly the slices begin to brown, and about a minute later, they start to burn. There's a 30-second window where they are perfectly browned and on the edge of being crispy and chewy. With a little salt, they are one of the tastiest things I've ever eaten. I'll shoot a video soon.

Encyclopedia of Hell: An Invasion Manual for Demons Concerning the Planet Earth and the Human Race Which Infests It by Martin Olson (author), Tony Millionaire (illustrator) and Mahendra Singh (illustrator)Feral House2011, 240 pages, 7 x 10 x 0.8 inches (softcover)$14 Buy a copy on AmazonIn 1911 journalist Ambrose Bierce published a scathingly satirical book called The Devil's Dictionary, which contained truer-than-true definitions of everyday words. (Example — Bore: A person who talks when you wish him to listen.) Exactly 100 years later came Martin Olson’s Encyclopaedia of Hell, "a book that was 'written by and for demons, instructing them on how to destroy mankind.'" This encyclopedia is a blisteringly subversive book filled with illustrated definitions in the vein of Ambrose Bierce. Written as if Satan himself was the author, the definitions reveal a dim view of humanity. (Justice: Superstition of humans oppressed by the billionaires who own them. Robot: From the corporate viewpoint, the ideal human being. Soldier: A target made of flesh.) The book is lushly designed by Sean Tejaratchi, publisher of the late, great Crap Hound zine.

We’ve all been there: you’re working on a big project, you think you know when everything needs to be done, and then you realize—you completely dropped the ball on a major deadline.Aeon Timeline 2 is a new app we found that makes sure you never do that again. It's basically a smart timeline tool that helps you manage your workload in a single, easy-to-understand interface. Unlike complex project management apps that tend to make projects even more confusing, Aeon Timeline's interface is super easy to get used to. Here’s how it works: its smart technology visually maps out components of your project (whether that’s chapters in a novel, future tasks to complete, or specific events that are upcoming) into a timeline.From there, you can add other items to your timeline like people, places, and story arcs. Plus, you can assign resources and employees to certain events, create dependencies so things are completed in the right order, and even link events with images and external documents.You might not be incredibly detail-oriented, but with Aeon Timeline 2, no one will know the difference. Now you can get Aeon Timeline 2 for Mac and Windows for 50% off (just $24.99) in the Boing Boing store.

Steve Hoefer broke his 50-year-old electric hair trimmer, so he bought the latest model. He opened it to get a peek inside, and wrote about the similarities and differences.The screws holding the faceplate have decreased from three to two, and they go through the other side, but they’re the same self-tapping screws in both. Same Phillips head, same diameter and length, same thread pitch.And the mechanism in the interior is virtually identical.The way it works is by utilizing the 60Hz oscillation of AC power to run an electromagnet. AC power inverts the polarity of the electricity 60 times a second. When you use this to run an electromagnet, it effectively turns it on and off every time the power alternates. In the clipper, the electromagnet is the big orange thing near the front, wound with all of the copper wire and a C-shaped ferrous core that’s fastened securely to the case. The motion is created by the vaguely question-mark-shaped piece of metal on the right side. It’s only attached at the base of the unit near the cord with two beefy screws. (The cover in the 2016 version blocks access to the screws from the outside, which seems fair. Unscrewing them without opening the case would be bad. But they also made them pentalobe screws, which means they don’t want owners touching them.) The straight part of the question mark is a very sturdy flat spring, which attaches to another C-shaped (or rather Ꜿ-shaped) block of metal at the front. Below that (unseen in this pic) is a little knob of Delrin that guides the blade. The metal block is what the electromagnet moves, and the spring is powerful enough to move it back before the next cycle, 60 times a second. It only moves a millimeter or two, but that’s all it needs. There’s no loss of efficiency converting rotation to lateral motion, no extra friction. Electromagnets can be incredibly powerful, and the only parts to wear out is the spring, which is incredibly robust and will wear slowly due to its limited motion. (And the blades, but even they use wear as a mechanism to sharpen themselves.)

Here's a good paradox from our friends at Futility Closet:A driver is sitting in a pub planning his trip home. In order to get there he must take the highway and get off at the second exit. Unfortunately, the two exits look the same. If he mistakenly takes the first exit he’ll have to drive on a very hazardous road, and if he misses both exits then he’ll reach the end of the highway and have to spend the night at a hotel. Assign the payoff values shown above: 4 for getting home, 1 for reaching the hotel, and 0 for taking the first exit.The man knows that he’s very absent-minded — when he reaches an intersection, he can’t tell whether it’s the first or the second intersection, and he can’t remember how many exits he’s passed. So he decides to make a plan now, in the pub, and follow it on the way home. This amounts to choosing between two policies: Exit when you reach an intersection, or continue. The exiting policy will lead him to the hazardous road, with a payoff of 0, and continuing will lead him to the hotel, with a payoff of 1, so he chooses the second policy.This seems optimal. But then, on the road, he finds himself approaching an intersection and reflects: This is either the first or the second intersection, each with probability 1/2. If he were to exit now, the expected payoff would beThat’s twice the payoff of going straight! “There appear to be two contradictory optimal strategies, one at the planning stage and one at the action stage while driving,” writes Leonard M. Wapner in Unexpected Expectations. “At the pub, during the planning stage, it appears the driver should never exit. But once this plan is in place and he arrives at an exit, a recalculation with no new significant information shows that exiting yields twice the expectation of going straight.” What is the answer?(Michele Piccione and Ariel Rubinstein, “On the Interpretation of Decision Problems with Imperfect Recall,” Games and Economic Behavior 20 [1997], 3-24.)

In an effort to give their students the best education possible, the McKinney (Texas) School District is building a $70 million football stadium. Some people in the community have complained that the project is extravagant, calling it the most expensive high school stadium in the country, but "officials pointed to other districts in football-mad Texas that were building comparable athletic facilities," reports American School and University magazine, so detractors should keep their football hating mouths shut.

The Boars, Gore, and Swords book club continues with the Boiled Leather chapter order combining George R.R. Martin's A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons. On this week's "30 Stone All Day," Ivan and Red cover Brienne I (AFFC), Jon I (ADWD), Bran I (ADWD), and Tyrion II (ADWD). The boys went into Brienne I and Bran I on previous book club episodes, so follow the links for those eps. To catch up on previous television seasons, the A Song of Ice And Fire books, and other TV and movies, check out the BGaS archive. You can find them on Twitter @boarsgoreswords, like their Facebook fanpage, and email them. If you want access to extra episodes and content, you can donate to the Patreon.

Brenham, Texas-based BlueBell Creameries has launched a new "Camo 'n Cream" camouflage ice cream. It's a combo, containing pistachio almond, milk chocolate and cream cheese flavors. The packaging features woodland pattern camouflage which I guess makes sense given the ice cream was launched on the first day of dove hunting season in texas. Yum?(Houston Chronicle)

I wish this video didn't end so abruptly. It looked like the bull was just about to tear off a big chunk of the car.

Lycopodium powder, made from dry spores of clubmoss plants, is used by magicians and special effects artists as flash powder (aka "dragon's breath"), as a lubricant on latex gloves and condoms, and of course to do the impressive science experiments seen in the video above. "In physics experiments and demonstrations, lycopodium powder is used to make sound waves in air visible for observation and measurement, and to make a pattern of electrostatic charge visible," according to Wikipedia. "The powder is also highly hydrophobic; if the surface of a cup of water is coated with lycopodium powder, a finger or other object inserted straight into the cup will come out dusted with the powder but remain perfectly dry."You can purchase an inexpensive supply from Amazon: Lycopodium Powder

"What would a secret and remarkably pristine slot canyon hidden in the wilderness of the Oregon Cascades have to say to those who first step foot into its halls?" This serene video imagines those words of wisdom. (more…)

Welp, at least someone's happy about summer ending and the school year starting. (more…)

In a Maryland Circuit Court today, Melania Trump filed a complaint against the publisher of the Daily Mail tabloid over the August 19 article "Naked photoshoots, and troubling questions about visas that won't go away: The VERY racy past of Donald Trump's Slovenian wife." (more…)

Penn State is to celebrate the 50th anniversary of hiring Joe Paterno, the coach who helped his school rack up countless victories and his assistant cover up countless rapes.The plans for exactly what Penn State will do is unknown, other than stating that the program will be "commemorating the 50th anniversary of Coach Paterno's first game as Penn State head coach" before the game. ... The Nittany Lions, until this point, seemed to want to distance themselves publicly from Paterno since his last game in 2011, most notably taking down his statue outside Beaver Stadium.Now, the program is looking to honor the former coach, who died in 2012, for the 50th anniversary of his first game with Penn State in what is a controversial choice. Paterno was fired in 2011 after it emerged that during his tenure, Jerry Sandusky had assaulted dozens of youngsters in his care. Sandusky was ultimately convicted on 45 separate charges. Though Paterno claimed to have been ignorant of his actions—pretending at one point not even to know what "sodomy" means—it later emerged he knew of Sandusky's activities since the 1970s. At least two victims accused Paterno, who died in 2012, of telling them not to go to the authorities.

The Boars, Gore, and Swords book club reading of the Boiled Leather chapter order combining George R.R. Martin's A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons continues with this week's "Cersei Responds Appropriately." Ivan and Red cover Cersei II (AFFC), Jaime I (AFFC), and as covered in a previous episode, Brienne II (AFFC). They discuss Rhaegar Targaryen's late stage decision making, Highgarden and the Tyrells' possible conspiring, and the many suspect Lannister family dynamics. To catch up on previous television seasons, the A Song of Ice And Fire books, and other TV and movies, check out the BGaS archive. You can find them on Twitter @boarsgoreswords, like their Facebook fanpage, and email them. If you want access to extra episodes and content, you can donate to the Patreon.

This week on HOME: Stories From L.A.:What happens when you bring a kid from the other side of the world into your home forever? How does it change what home means to her? And to you? This week it's the story of one mom, the daughter she chose, and the way they keep Ethiopia alive in the home that's now theirs.PROGRAM NOTE: This is the last episode of Season 3. HOME, a member of the Boing Boing Podcast Network, returns in October for Season 4. Subscribe to the newsletter for updates and between-seasons bonus content. Subscribe: iTunes | Android | Email | Google Play | Stitcher | RSS

See sample pages from this book at Wink.Twisted History: 32 True Stories of Torture, Traitors, Sadists and Psychos...Plus the Most Celebrated Saints in History by Howard WatsonFirefly Books2015, 176 pages, 7.5 x 9.4 x 0.5 inches (softcover)$18 Buy a copy on AmazonThe careers of history's worst despots, murderers, assassins, and traitors are examined in this lurid and grisly page turner. The usual suspects are all featured: Hitler, Stalin, Jack The Ripper, Vlad The Impaler, and other unsavory characters. Some lesser known fiends, such as Gilles De Rais, the French nobleman who murdered 140 children in the 15th century, Lavrentia Beria, Stalin's henchman who was responsible for the execution of 22,000 Poles in the Katyn Massacre, Tomas de Torquemada, who executed 2,000 Jews during the Spanish Inquisition, and Thug Berham, the Indian serial killer who strangled almost 1,000 people, are also given a moment in the spotlight.Comprised of a brief overview of the villains' crimes against humanity, with Fact Files showing their history, legacy, and circumstance of death, descriptions of their downfall and punishment, often including torture, and photos of their jail cells or gravesites, Twisted History keeps things short and sweet, compelling the reader to continue turning pages to see what unspeakable horror could possibly follow the last. The mood is lightened briefly by recounting the lives of honorable figures who've made the world a better place, such as Gandhi and Martin Luther King. Then it's right back to the scoundrels, the outlaws, the killers, and thieves.Featuring bloodstained pages illustrated with vivid paintings, ancient wood cuts, and historic photos, Twisted History sums up the infamous lives and tragic death tolls of the worst people in history in about a half a dozen pages per monster, hopping from time period to time period and various parts of the globe. The book concentrates on the major bullet points, and those searching for a more in-depth analysis of the depths of depravity should probably hunt elsewhere. History buffs might be a bit disappointed that new ground isn't explored, but it's a good starting point for those interested in a brief visit to some of history's darkest hours.– S. Deathrage

The beverage industry has been pushing the idea that you need to be drinking water and sugar water all day long, but according to Oakland University exercise physiologust Tamara Hew-Butler DPM, PhD, that's not true. "Our bodies already possess an extremely sensitive measure of dehydration," she says in this entertaining mythbusting video. "It's called thirst."