Further to yesterday's news that US military whistleblower Chelsea Manning had been hospitalized and cut off from her lawyers and family, a statement from her legal team. (more…)

The agricultural sector is increasingly a data-driven business, where the "internet of farming" holds out the promise of highly optimized plowing, fertilizing, sowing, pest-management and harvesting -- a development that is supercharging the worst practices of the ag-business monopolies that have been squeezing farmers for most of a century. (more…)

More than 250,000 of Mumbai's workers enjoy a home-cooked lunch every day thanks to the dabbawallas, who bring tiffins -- stacking lunchpails -- filled at each worker's family kitchen directly to their workplace, in a miracle of coordinated logistics that consistently beats Mumbai's legendary traffic jams and attains unheard-of accuracy despite the low levels of literacy among dabbawallas. (more…)

On the Media's classic "Breaking News Consumer's Handbook" is a timeless, concise, and essential guide to the way that the media reports on events like last night's shooting in Dallas, and how you can get at something like the truth through cautious, critical thinking. (more…)

GRAPHIC CONTENT WARNING. Reports broke at roughly 10pm ET tonight that shots were fired at a Black Lives Matter demonstration in Dallas, where people gathered to protest the recent police killings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. Multiple police officers and peaceful protesters were shot from "elevated positions," with series of controlled bursts, 6 shots at a time, audible on footage. Dallas police report that 2 snipers opened fire and shot 11 officers. Five officers are reported to have died from their injuries. At least one person who was not a police officer is said to have been injured.Two sniper suspects have been apprehended, Dallas Police reported around 1AM ET. There may be more suspects.The Dallas Police Chief says some of officers were shot in the back, and that the suspects "intended to injure and kill as many law officers as they could." Police say the suspects threatened to place a bomb in downtown Dallas. Update: pic.twitter.com/qBJe3q0EtN— Dallas Police Depart (@DallasPD) July 8, 2016WATCH: Dallas Police chief believes suspects may have planted a bomb in the downtown area: https://t.co/VKQPFEQwU7 https://t.co/3rGbTdq9eh— Good Morning America (@GMA) July 8, 2016At the time of this post, no confirmed information on identity or motive of shooters. Early reports on mass shootings tend to include errors, inaccuracies, bias, and speculation. Here are early tweets about the mass shooting, including raw video that contains graphic content. (more…)

“He shocked my head out my goddamned mustache.” Reginald "Reggie" Noble, aka Redman, on First We Feast: “The Hot Ones,“ eating hot wings and answering “even hotter” questions. Such a weird premise for a show, but it totally works. In this episode, right around 9 minutes in, the famed rapper talks about this one time he performed, took LSD, and got shocked with an electric cattle prod. [via Kwame Opam]https://youtu.be/WCYy8jpp7R8https://youtu.be/tdx6Z7qujIAhttps://youtu.be/ZBNh2PPqlJshttps://youtu.be/ovN8bNUmWk8https://youtu.be/zGtgx4dgzqghttps://youtu.be/Si186d57Ra4

Title 18 U.S. Code, Section 242 sets out punishments for people who "willfully subjects any person in any State, Territory, Commonwealth, Possession, or District to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured or protected by the Constitution or laws of the United States." (more…)

It’s summer, so let the body shaming begin. The National Enquirer brings us four pages of “Celebs with Cellulite,” and Us magazine assaults us with six pages of “bikini diet tips,” which lamentably forget to include the genetic code for readers to reverse-engineer themselves to look like Gigi Hadid. People magazine sends mixed messages, offering two pages of hard-bodied stars splashing about in the ocean, along with eight pages of celebrities cooking dishes of dubious health benefit such as brown sugar bacon, honey-pepper cast-iron biscuits, and spaghetti with meatballs.But don’t lose too much weight for the summer - the National Examiner warns that country singer Dolly Parton is 89 pounds and “wasting away."Comedy veteran Carol Burnett “Tells all before she dies!” screams the Globe, which is good, because it’s probably easier than telling all after she dies. What does she tell? Nothing to the Globe, which is going to have to wait with the rest of us for the publication of her memoir later this year, though that doesn’t stop the Globe speculating that Burnett was saddened by her daughter’s drug addiction. Seems like a stretch to me. What parent wouldn’t be proud of their child’s drug addiction?With all the chaos surrounding Brexit, I must have missed the abdication at Buckingham Palace and Prince Charles’ refusal to accept the crown, because the Globe splashes its cover with: “Queen Kate’s Reign Begins - and she’s pregnant with twins!” Ignoring for a moment the fact that Kate Middleton remains Duchess of Cambridge and has not been named Queen, reports of her pregnancy with twins have been circulating since April, so she should be showing a considerable baby bump by now if it were true. A tabloid editor can dream, I suppose.Elvis Presley’s daughter Lisa Marie is facing a $700 million "dirty divorce" according to the Enquirer, though she’s already lost more than half her fortune in the Globe, which accuses her husband of squandering Presley’s “$300 million fortune.” Maybe the missing $400 simply slipped behind the sofa cushions.Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have separated and face a $480 million divorce, claims the Enquirer, which repeats this story almost weekly, and hasn’t been right yet. But a tabloid editor can dream.Tom Cruise must be thinking he can’t win with the tabloids, and he’d be right. Accused repeatedly of not seeing his daughter Suri for almost three years - a statistic which actually means that the paparazzi haven’t seen Tom with Suri for three years - this week’s Enquirer claims that Cruise reunited with Suri “to get revenge on ex Katie.” Any other divorced father seeing his daughter would be enjoying legal visitation rights, but the Enquirer says that Cruise “snatched back” Suri. It’s rare that I feel sorry for Tom Cruise, but on this occasion I’ll make an exception.It takes the National Examiner’s world-respected religious correspondent to bring us the week’s most impressive tabloid revelation: a Bible prophecy “cover-up” and the “shocking truths the church doesn’t want you to know.” Inspired by texts from the lost gospels that failed to make it into the original version of the Bible, the Examiner warns readers to “Beware the Lost Angel,” that Heaven and Hell are real, and that “The Christian belief in reincarnation is one of the best-kept secrets of the church.” Naturally they predict the End of Days, global conflagration, and for true believers “salvation guaranteed.” Or your money back?Fortunately we have Us magazine’s crack team of investigative reporters to inform us that Blake Lively wore it best (but only by showing more cleavage), TV’s ‘Bachelorette' suitor JoJo Fletcher loves the smell of gasoline and fresh-cut grass (perhaps she has a future as a rural arsonist?), US Olympic gymnastic hopeful Simone Biles carries keys, lipstick and a hairbrush in her Nike duffel bag (how do Us reporters elicit such intimately personal information from celebrities?) and the stars are just like us: they apply makeup, get haircuts and eat ice cream (though little bits of hair would get all over your Rocky Road if you tried doing both at the same time.) Talk about the Book of Revelations.Onwards and downwards . . .

The National Rifle Association has been silent after Wednesday’s police killing of Philando Castile, a 32 year old black man who had a conceal carry gun license, and whose legal right to that weapon played a key role in his death. (more…)

U.S. military officials are preventing imprisoned whistleblower Chelsea Manning from having contact with her legal team or her friends, following unconfirmed reports that she was hospitalized after a health crisis. (more…)

Shockingly, advice from trained dermatologists is more useful when buying sunscreen than Amazon reviews, or so a study by a lot of doctors says! (more…)

This $15 tea kettle is just fine!I didn't care about imparting off flavors to my tea. I rarely think about the heavy metals I'm clearly ingesting from a 20 year old stainless steel tea kettle. Mostly, the metal tea kettle is too difficult to clean. I know glass is easier to clean, and after a few decades I can use a change.I figure cheap is also just fine. The water boils.Medelco 12-cup Glass Stovetop Whistling Kettle via Amazon

When I'm in a rush between flights at the airport, I sometimes buy a canned Illy espresso from one of the stores in the terminal. It's got 6.8 ounces of coffee and 10 grams of sugar. I don't love sugar in my coffee, but it's better than no espresso. I recently discovered that Illy sells unsweetened versions of the espresso. It's pretty good, and I like being able to grab one from the fridge when I'm headed out the door. I wish the TSA would let me bring it on the plane.

Everyone with a smartphone has access to a great digital camera. And many apps are available that provide good enhancement and editing tools. But if you want to take your photography to a professional level, you need Adobe Photoshop. You can learn everything you need to know about this mission critical application now for 93% off of this all-inclusive course pack. There’s a reason why Photoshop is the leading industry standard for incredible images: it’s the most powerful application of its kind. And guess what? You can master it too.These are not your friends’ filters. With these image skills, you could land yourself a new job and at the very least, a whole new world of creative hobbies. This is professional level artistry and you’ll never look at a photograph the same way again. Get on this level at 93% off this course pack and look at your career through a whole new lens.

Filmmaker Joe Capra says just released his new video PHASED | LA, shot in 12K 100 megapixel resolution. It's gorgeous!Shot by Joe Capra of Scientifantastic.com, PHASED | LA was shot natively in 12K resolution entirely on the Phase One XF IQ3 100 megapixel camera . That is three times the resolution of existing 4K Ultra HD content, and each and every single frame of this film is 100 megapixels. With the latest software update to the XF system Phase One added a new timelapse mode which allows users to easily shoot extreme resolution timelapses. Having the ability to shoot in such extreme resolution allows you much more creative freedom and flexibility in post production, and this film's purpose is to demonstrate that. You can punch in extremely far into a scene while maintaining massive amounts of detail.

See sample pages from this book at Wink.Jane Austen: An Illustrated Biography andVirginia Woolf: An Illustrated Biographyby Zena Alkayat (author) and Nina Cosford (illustrator)Chronicle2016, 128 pages, 6.2 x 6.2 x 0.8 inches $11 (Virgina Woolf) Buy a copy on Amazon$14 (Jane Austen) Buy a copy on AmazonHand-written text, whimsical illustrations and lots of fun facts are combined into Library of Luminaries’ new series of Illustrated Biographies. The series launches with small, foil-embossed hardcover books about two famous authors – Jane Austen and Virginia Woolf. (The series will release Coco Chanel and Frida Khalo in August.) This collection is an easy way to learn about the lives and careers of classic authors – it’s like Cliff Notes for literature lovers.Through bits about family histories, friendships, inspirations, career highlights and low points, the reader gets a glimpse into Austen and Woolf’s worlds. I knew some stuff about both authors’ backgrounds, but wow! I still learned a lot! I had no idea that Austen only earned the meager sum of 140 British pounds in royalties for two years' worth of the sales for Sense and Sensibility. And that once Austen’s identity was made public, the Prince Regent contacted her directly because he was a huge fan of her books. She went on to dedicate Emma to him. I also didn’t know that Woolf loved dogs and had a pet marmoset named “Mitz,” nor did I know that it took 15 years for the book The Voyage Out to sell 2000 copies. We know these women had tragic lives, but they had joys too. I finished these books with a sigh. – Carole Rosner

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Pictured here is the Taj Mahal as seen from the Taj Mahal, by photographer Oliver Curtis. Curtis spent years creating a photo set of famous landmarks as they have never been seen—literally!Brought up in the Cotswolds, Oliver began his photographic education studying photography at the renowned course at Filton Technical College in Bristol. He went on to study film and television at the London College of Printing and has been balancing work in stills and moving image ever since.His first solo exhibition entitled Volte-face will premier at London's Royal Geographical Society in September 2016. Taken over a period of four years, Volte-face is a series of images taken at the world’s most photographed historic sites, buildings and monuments - but looking away from them. To coincide with the exhibition at the RGS a book of the project, featuring an essay by Geoff Dyer, will be published by Dewi Lewis Publishing Ltd.

Neal Gershenfeld, founder of MIT's Center for Bits and Atoms, has been talking about making digital things physical and physical things digital longer than almost anyone, and his books -- notably FAB: The Coming Revolution on Your Desktop -- are visionary and inspirational ways to think about how information technology has changed our species' relationship with the universe; while the Fab Labs he helped invent represent the best and most thoughtful way that a makerspace can be built to suit local community needs. (more…)

When Wendy Brown was 33 years old, she used her 15 year old daughter's identity and enrolled in high school as a sophomore. She tried and and was accepted on the cheerleading team. She was arrested two weeks later. From Jeff Maysh's profile in The Atlantic:Brown says her husband took her to the mall to buy school clothes. (She says he was in on it, even encouraging her plan, but the judge later said that her husband had “no idea.”) She selected a fashionable Esprit shoulder bag. Then she flicked through racks of jeans and Levi’s clothing in the junior section. She weighed 103 pounds and wore a petite size. Brown tried on a pair of Nike shoes, the brand she always bought her own children. But the real trick was the voice. “I just did that little valley girl thing, the California thing,” Wendy says. In the coffee shop, she transforms her voice into an up-speaking teen’s. It is disquieting.

Rangers in Saskatchewan have warned the public against attempting to take selfies with a moose that often swims in Wascana Lake.Lake Moose appears to have wandered from its more remote usual habitat to take up residence near a suburban park frequented by humans. It hasn't done anything aggressive, and conservation experts want things to stay that way so they don't have to shoot it.Facebook users began posting pictures of the moose swimming near Spruce Island, on the southwest side of the lake, around 10 a.m. Monday morning. Passersby stopped to watch the moose during its swim and some canoeists even got a close-up view as it approached the shore of Spruce Island.Leko reported the moose still in the water as of late Monday afternoon. He said the moose will not be shot, unless it “goes into attack mode.” He said in the worst-case scenario the moose would be tranquilized and relocated to its natural habitat.

The Ringing Bells Freedom 251 phone "costs" $4. Among its qualities are a 4" IPS display, 1GB of RAM, front and rear cameras, a 1.3GHz quad-core processor, and Android 5.1 Lollipop with no extra bloatware. It's "surprisingly decent," writes Manish Singh. (more…)

Fox News chief Roger Ailes sexually harassed Gretchen Carlson and ended her career after being rebuffed, according to a lawsuit filed by the former Fox & Friends co-anchor.Carlson alleged she was fired after rebuking sexual advances by Ailes and after trying to challenge the way that male colleagues treated her. She alleged that Ailes propositioned her sexually after she met with him last September to discuss discriminatory treatment. In one of the most inflammatory accusations, Carlson alleged Ailes told her, “I think you and I should have had a sexual relationship a long time ago and then you’d be good and better and I’d be good and better,” adding that “sometimes problems are easier to solve” that way. The lawsuit contends that in retaliation for Carlson’s complaints about the alleged harassment and discrimination, Ailes denied her “fair compensation, desirable assignments and other career-enhancing opportunities,” before eventually terminating her employment.The Daily Beast openly suggests (albeit with a "Betteridge" headline) that Ailes is the "next Bill Cosby." The impression that presenters are hired at Fox to someone's tastes has long been in play; there's no mystery regarding whose.In response to learning of Carlson’s complaints, Carlson’s lawsuit alleges, Ailes purportedly responded by calling Carlson a “man hater” and telling her she needed to learn to “get along with the boys.” The lawsuit cites examples of Ailes’ alleged sexual and sexist comments, including claims that Ailes engaged in “ogling Carlson in his office and asking her to turn around so he could view her posterior,” “commenting repeatedly about Carlson’s legs,” and “claiming that Carlson saw everything as if it ‘only rains on women’ and admonishing her to stop worrying about being treated equally and ‘getting offended so God damn easy about everything.'”

This week, Kevin Kelly and I spoke with author Tim Ferriss for the Cool Tools podcast. We had a great time chatting about his favorite tools, including a microphone with a built-in recorder, a food-expiration app, sports injury tape, and mushroom coffee.Subscribe to the Cool Tools Show on iTunes | RSS | Transcript | Download MP3 | See all the Cool Tools Show posts on a single page

Selena Savić and Gordan Savicic (previously) have published Unpleasant Design, their long-awaited book on "design that bullies its users" -- that is, devices, street furniture, tools and products designed to control humans. (more…)

The Australian Department of Unusual Events is no place for the weak hearted. L.G. Estrella's The Trouble with Werewolves is a great first taste of this new series. And a taste is all you'll get! 99 cents buys you 75 pages, and I read them over lunch. We are introduced to some colorful characters, and snarky humor, as Australia's monster hunters get a quick course in Werewolf 101. Experienced team members Mike and Haley have to get the new guy, Mark, up to speed. While the team in no way handled the entire werewolf menace threatening Australia, I expect we'll see a wide range of outback monsters in future installments!L.G. Estrella's The Trouble with Werewolves via Amazon

Activist/sociologist WEB Du Bois compiled a beautiful set of infographics on the state of black life since the end of slavery that were displayed at the "Exhibit of American Negroes" he created with Thomas J Calloway and Booker T Washington for the 1900 Exposition Universelle in Paris. (more…)

Eleanor Saitta (previously) -- a security researcher who's done extensive work training vulnerable groups in information security and now security architect for Etsy -- appears on the most recent O'Reilly Security podcast (MP3), discussing a human-centered approach to security, design and usability that I found to be an accessible and concise critique of mainstream security thinking and an inspiring direction for security practitioners. (more…)

The fractured Democratic Party is turning to rapper and outspoken video game/marijunana enthusiast Snoop Dogg to reunite them! Snoop will be performing at their post-convention unity party.No wonder people fought so hard to become delegates!Via Politico:The rapper is set to headline a "unity party" following the last night of the Democratic National Convention on July 28 in Philadelphia co-hosted by the super PACs Priorities USA, the Senate Majority PAC and the House Majority PAC, the groups announced Tuesday.Snoop Dogg, also known as Calvin Broadus, announced that he would be supporting Hillary Clinton less than a month after she declared her candidacy in May 2015."You know I like to be politically correct, but sometimes I’m politically incorrect,” he said on Bravo's "Watch What Happens Live." "But I’ll say that I would love to see a woman in office because I feel like we’re at that stage in life to where we need a perspective other than the male’s train of thought. And just to have a woman speaking from a global perspective as far as representing America, I’d love to see that. So I’ll be voting for Ms. Clinton."

There's something different about Fox News's coverage of Alton Sterling, killed by Baton Rouge cops who held him down and shot him in the back.Can't quite put my finger on it.

See sample pages from this book at Wink.Fight Club 2 by Chuck Palahniuk (author), Cameron Stewart (illustrator) and David Mack (illustrator)Dark Horse Comics2016, 256 pages, 6.9 x 10.5 x 0.9 inches $20 Buy a copy on AmazonLet’s talk about Fight Club. This movie rocked me, and introduced me to the incredible and controversial work of Chuck Palahniuk. Now the concept of a sequel does seem a little out of sorts to the counter culture message of the original, but honestly, who hasn’t been wondering how things turned out for Marla and the Narrator after he stuck a gun in his mouth and pulled the trigger? Did they find their happily ever after? No, of course they didn’t, thus the sequel. The Narrator finally gets a name, Sebastian...it’s not a great name, but it fits given the current state of his life. Marla’s bored, Sebastian is in a drug-induced fog, Tyler Durden is raging behind the scenes trying to get back in control, and project mayhem is causing more chaos than ever. Then things get weird. If you’ve only seen the movie you probably won’t dig this. Actually Palahniuk’s anticipation of the fanbase’s dislike for the comic becomes an actual plot point. Things get meta to say the least. The comic builds off of not just the novel, but Palahniuk’s work and reputation since the film came out. It’s very fitting of Palahniuk, and I think fans of his will really enjoy it, but be clear this is not a blockbuster directed by David Fincher and starring Brad Pitt or Ed Norton. What I found really unique was that this story could only be told in comic form. Tyler’s antics, and his fight to control the narrative couldn’t be contained by text in a novel. And things get far too self-referential for any film goer – I found myself having to go back a page or two on several occasions to make sure I didn’t miss anything. Images are strategically placed over dialogue, narration bubbles obstruct characters. The design of the comic itself adds to the feeling that this is a war over the story itself. Is Sebastian in control? Is Tyler? Is Palahniuk? I found myself engaged and thinking about it long after I finished reading. It’s heady and not for a casual comic reader, but if you’re looking for a punch to the cerebral cortex, definitely pick this up. I want you to read this as hard as you can.– JP LeRoux

James Newman's "Megaprocessor" is a giant "microprocessor" built on transistors and other discrete components that he soldered onto boards and wired together in frames that stand 2m high and run 10m long. (more…)

The Balmuda "transforms store-bought bread into something that smells, tastes and feels like it popped out of a baker's oven," says Reed Stevenson of Bloomberg. The company is making 10,000 units a month, and there's a 3 month waiting list. It's available in Japan only.The idea of reinventing the toaster came from an equally unlikely source: Terao, a high-school dropout who spent his college funds (a life-insurance payout after his mother died) trekking across Spain, Morocco and the Mediterranean. He returned to front a rock band called the Beach Fighters, which broke up after nine years; they had a record contract, but never made it big. To make ends meet, Terao worked at a pachinko parlor (a pinball-style gambling hall) while figuring out his next move."I was reading Forbes when I was in the band," the 42 year-old said. "And like music, I wanted to create something that I liked, and find out if people liked that too."

Turns out those jackets made of recycled plastic are putting lots of plastic into our oceans. Patagonia has led a study showing artificial textiles release a lot of fragments when washed. Eventually those fibers make it into the sea. Patagonia is pushing an effort amongst industry peers to develop standards limiting this form of pollution. Via Outside: Fast-forward four more years, and the fibers finally got everyone’s attention. The science was piling on, showing that wastewater treatment plants couldn’t filter out all synthetic fibers, and that toxins such as DDT and PCBs can bind to them as they make their way into watersheds. It also showed that small aquatic species ingest the fibers, and that fish and bivalves sold for human consumption also contain microfibers. Experiments have shown that microplastics can lead to poor health outcomes in some species, and research is underway to find out how the plastics affect humans.Jill Dumain, director of environmental strategy at Patagonia, was one of the people paying attention to all the news. In early 2015, she and the company’s leadership decided to commission a study to find out if and how Patagonia’s iconic and well-loved fleeces and some other synthetic products were contributing to the problem. The results recently came in, and they’re not good.The study, performed by graduate students at the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at the University of California, Santa Barbara, found that during laundering, a single fleece jacket sheds as many as 250,000 synthetic fibers—significantly more than the 1,900 fibers Browne first recorded. Based on an estimate of consumers across the world laundering 100,000 Patagonia jackets each year, the amount of fibers being released into public waterways is equivalent to the amount of plastic in up to 11,900 grocery bags.The experiment involved five pieces of apparel: three Patagonia fleece jackets, each with slightly different construction, as well as a nylon shell jacket that contains polyester insulation, plus a fifth specimen—a “budget” fleece jacket made by an undisclosed brand. Replicates of each jacket were washed multiple times, both in front-loading and top-loading washing machines. The effluent from each cycle was collected and put through a two-step filtration system that captured fibers with both a 333- and 20-micrometer mesh screen.The jackets were then put through a 24-hour “killer wash,” which Patagonia uses to simulate the aging of a garment. The researchers did this to test whether older garments might shed more fibers as they age. After repeating the washing tests on these artificially aged jackets, they saw that age indeed increases fiber release by 80 percent.

Epipens -- self-injection sticks carried by people with deadly allergies, which have to be replaced twice a year -- were developed by NASA at taxpayer expense, were patented by a government scientist who receives no royalties, require no marketing, and have gone from as little as $60 each to up to $606 in a few short years (during which time the company has switched to selling them exclusively in two-packs). (more…)

Yesterday I posted about a robotic hamburger shack opening in San Francisco. Nicholas Perry watched it and tweeted this video of a robotic hamburger machine made by AMF in 1964. AMF is the company that makes the amazing pin resetting machines in bowling alleys. The AMFare system made 16 kinds of food and was controlled by a giant button filled console called Orbis.Fifty years ago, the engineers of AMF's Central Research Labs in Stamford, CT invented automated foodservice. This entertaining film (circa 1964) describes a pilot operation for the then-burgeoning fast-food industry.Watch as hamburgers, hotdogs, chicken, seafood, french-fries, onion rings, shakes, and soft drinks are ordered, prepared, and packaged automatically by AMF's revolutionary AMFare System. All the food was delicious, especially the flame-broiled hamburgers, double-hamburgers and cheeseburgers. The entire menu was cooked-to-order and served in minutes - at the desired temperature for each item. AMF's Orbis system (shown here) pioneered the concept of electronic ordering, price tabulation, and inventory management in foodservice. Today that is the standard worldwide. However, AMF's Orbis system went further; it electronically controlled the machinery that prepared, cooked, and packaged the food items. AMF's automated beverage dispensers (also shown here) are today common at the "drive-through windows" of many fast-food operations.I made an MP3 clip of my favorite part. A guy with a New York accent placing his order with: "One double burger, french fries, and a root beer."

Pioneering underground filmmaker and occultist Kenneth Anger has launched a killer apparel line. Dig this magnificent "Lucifer Rising" satin bomber jacket, the perfect look, he says, "for a midsummer night's sorceries." The jacket is a collaboration with LA artist Brian Butler's Lucifer Brothers Workshop:Although the satin ‘souvenir’ bomber has come into vogue recently with labels such as Louis Vuitton, Valentino and Saint Laurent, Kenneth Anger’s original design tops them all. Featuring a palette known locally as Hodos Chamelionis, or the Path of the Chameleon—the colors of the forces which lie beyond the physical universe, happens to be the Lucifer Brothers Workshop’s house mascot. Here, they are flitted over gold and black satin in a limited edition of 333 with labels signed by Kenneth Anger himself.Lucifer Rising jacket, deluxe "Golden Scarab Edition" (via Dangerous Minds)Kenneth Anger's "Lucifer Rising" (1972):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KskaVHvaXYc

Back in 2010, on the last day of the last Labour government, a whipped Parliament voted in the terrible Digital Economy Act, after a short, embarrassingly illiterate debate whose howlers demonstrated just how little the MPs understood about the law they were voting in (the whole process was later revealed to be a fix from day one). (more…)

The stuff in poison ivy that gives you a rash is greasy and hard to get off your skin. To avoid a rash, scrub your skin 2-8 hours after exposure with any kind of soap and a washcloth or loofa. Lots of friction is needed to wipe off the grease, called urushiol.(Thanks, Wendy!)

Follow @RubenBolling on Twitter and Facebook.Please join Tom the Dancing Bug's subscription club, the INNER HIVE, for early access to comics, and more. And/or buy Ruben Bolling’s new book series for kids, The EMU Club Adventures. Book One here. Book Two here. More Tom the Dancing Bug comics on Boing Boing! (more…)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=llg3amRR6FMThe Chilcot Report on the UK invasion of Iraq has finally been released, seven years after it was announced, and many years after its completion (it was delayed for years over the release of government documents and memos that were contained in its pages). (more…)

Boing Boing very proudly welcomes our new sponsor, Meh. Meh is a daily deals site that often struggles to explain what the products they are selling are, what these gadgets do, or why you might possibly like them. They handle this the same way I approached college: if you can't offer useful information, make up something that sounds oddly plausible. You'll marvel at the creativity and sheer bullshit that goes into drafting the descriptive copy for the goodies they offer the world.Sometimes you'll find a gem. Occasionally, you find something kinda useful in a limited, and likely to break soon kinda way, for an incredible price! Those are special Meh moments. Treasure them.Meh is about fun! That's why they are sending each one of us at Boing Boing a random box of of crap that was literally laying around their warehouse. They really don't care what we think of the stuff, they hope we find something fun, or at least destructive, to do with it. We're not supposed to tell you how perfect it is. Every week or so this summer, one Boinger after another will receive a mystery Meh box and will share their wonder, bemusement, or disappointment, at what arrives. We may be weird, but to us this sounds very fun.This video was made during the shoot for our Virgin America seat-back entertainment channel. If you fly Virgin America, watch Boing Boing TV on Channel 10 in the television channel selections. We had a lot of fun making it! If you are flying the hep skies sometime in the next 2 months, you'll see Meh. there along with a lot of other great video.

Arduino goes beyond coding to actually connect the physical world of gadgets to computer programming. So many rad devices are built using this language and now it’s easier to learn than ever with this four item bundle. The complete Arduino starter kit has over twenty five hours of training to get you on your feet. At 87% off, it’s the absolute best way to start your engines because it also comes with a fully stocked toolkit of your dreams with wires, lights and buzzers. There are straightforward instructions with easy-to-follow diagrams and lessons on mastering the basics. It doesn’t matter if you’re a total tech rookie or silicon rock star, you can launch or brush up your Arduino skills here with incredible projects definitely worth nerding out on.

Aaron writes, "While filling out this seemingly great rebate for $100 for a recently purchased wifi-enabled thermostat, I happened to read the Terms and Conditions, which includes the fact that I must unwittingly agree to share all my thermostat data with my electric and gas companies (It was odd that they asked for my thermostat's MAC address). Because I have an ecobee3, this includes information on how often I'm in my bedroom, or when I'm home or out!" (more…)

I don't know how long this deal will last, but you can buy a 12-pack of Bicycle playing card decks for $16. You get six red-backed decks and six blue-backs. I just bought 2 boxes. That should last me until the end of the year (I go through a deck a week or so).

See sample pages from this book at Wink.Tesla: The Life and Times of an Electric MessiahTesla: The Life and Times of an Electric Messiahby Nigel CawthorneChartwell Books2014, 192 pages, 7.2 x 10.5 x 0.8 inches $9 Buy a copy on AmazonMad scientist. Inventor. Philosopher. Visionary. Eccentric. A man who was terrible at business, but great with pigeons. A mythic figure, Nicola Tesla was all these things and more. Examining his life and career, Tesla: The Life And Times Of An Electric Messiah is a lengthy, oversized book filled with illustrations, photos, diagrams of his many inventions, and brief, informative vignettes about his friends, colleagues, business associates, and rivals. Tesla's own words are pulled from writings and correspondence, and help flesh out a turn-of-the-century futurist, although they can be somewhat dry and academic. His eccentricities liven things up considerably. For instance, did you know he once fell into a vat of boiling milk, and lived on a diet of bread, warm milk, and something mysteriously known as 'Factor Actus'? Did you know he had a strange aversion to women's earrings, and would become feverish at the sight of a peach? Tidbits like these keep the book moving at a nice pace, as the man became more reclusive and odd toward the end of his life.His War Of The Currents with Thomas Edison is detailed, as well as his battle of radio with Guglielmo Marconi. His experiments with wireless transmission of energy, X-Rays, flying machines, remote control, and artificial intelligence are also described, as well as the mystery surrounding the disappearance of his papers concerning his invention of a death ray by the US government. Beautifully illustrated on parchment-tinted paper, Tesla: The Life And Times Of An Electric Messiah is a handsome, encyclopedic book about a startlingly prescient early 20th-century pioneer.– S. Deathrage

Now that the sixth season of HBO's Game of Thrones has ended, Boars, Gore, and Swords returns to the book club format to finish off the last few chapters of A Storm of Swords. In this week's "Songs for the Deaf Dick," Ivan and Red cover chapters Samwell IV and Jon XI, skip the previously covered Tyrion XI, and go on to Samwell V and Jon XII. Catch up on previous book club episodes, then join the boys next week as they start on A Feast for Crows.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.

Meredith from Simply Secure writes, "Artificial Intelligence is already with us, and the White House and New York University’s Information Law Institute are hosting a major public symposium to face what the social and economic impacts might be. AI Now, happening July 7th in New York City, will address the real world impacts of AI systems in the next next 5-10 years." (more…)

I feel like you can't go wrong with Anker charging cables. I have found them to be more durable than Apple's own cables, which tend to tear over time. I wanted a short cable to charge my phone from a portable charger, so I bought a 1-foot Anker PowerLine for $9 on Amazon. The housing around the connectors is very sturdy, and has a 4.8 out of 5 star rating on Amazon.