Random Useful Websites is a useful website that takes you to another useful website, selected at random. It took me to TED. [via]

The baby might not be able to say "mama," but he knows when the family's Australian Shepherd says it.[via]

Amara's Law states, "We tend to overestimate the effect of a technology in the short run and underestimate the effect in the long run" -- Robert Charles Wilson's gripping conspiracy novel The Affinities brings the experience of that process to life. Read the rest

Giant hogweed was introduced to the United States from Asia in 1917 as an ornamental plant. Pretty as it may be, it is more dangerous than poison ivy and can cause blindness if its sap finds its way into your eyes. It has recently been spotted growing along a road in Calhoun County, southwest Michigan. The county health department has warned people to "be cautious." Read the rest

Ted Rall, a journalist and cartoonist often critical of police misconduct, was fired by the LA Times after the LAPD claimed he lied about a 2001 encounter with an officer. But an audio recording of the event appears to back up Rall's version of events, leaving everyone to wonder why the Times was so eager to cut him loose. Read the rest

These guys fucking love milk.

Morten Grønning has been experimenting with gloves fitted with small motorized sanders, and it seems it has some potential for new ways to shape materials as it gets more refined. Read the rest

After Engineer Isis Wenger at OneLogin appeared in a recruiting ad, sexist comments about her appearance (e.g., "you don't look like an engineer") inspired the hashtag #iLookLikeAnEngineer. Read the rest

Henson and Lee battle to a place of grudging respect till spoiler Walt Disney shows up and (literally) owns them both. Read the rest

Rape is the fourth most common crime against women in India. Married women, living alone, face a greater risk of being attacked when they go to collect remittances from their husbands who work abroad. Read the rest

If you have feelings about HitchBOT too, this appropriately-threadbare, bite-sized (13kb) executable "poem about robots" from nickk might be a good way to process and share them. Read the rest

It's a fact that the sky is blue. But is my blue the same as yours? This fantastic app gamifies the quest to find out more about the differences in how humans perceive color, and it's surprisingly challenging and hooky. Read the rest

In the anime and cosplay space, fandom and identity intersect for black fans in interesting ways, and a new interview series spotlights their experiences. Read the rest

Warren Ellis: "We saw the best minds of our generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked, dragging themselves after an Uber that isn’t actually there because Uber fake most of those little cars you see on the Uber app map." Read the rest

Please to enjoy Fecal Matter, featuring an 18-year-old Kurt Cobain, Greg Hokanson, and Dale Crover (later of The Melvins). This demo tape is titled "Illiteracy Will Prevail." Fecal Matter (Wikipedia)

Deter hungry co-workers from swiping your sandwiches with these clever "Fake Mold Imprinted Food Safe Plastic Sandwich Bags." A pack of 20 is $6 from Amazon. (more…)

How would movies like Gone Girl, Back to the Future, Juno, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Forrest Gump, Silence of the Lambs, and Superman have been different if the main characters had been black? Ryan Hunter shows us in a short video he directed for MTV Other.

The epic fist fight between Captain Kirk and a man in a lizard suit was a low water mark for Star Trek. Mario Wienerroither made it even worse (and therefore much better) by removing the music and adding squeaky rubber suit sound effects.(Thanks, Matthew!)Another fine piece of work from Wienerroither:

Artists are taking home pennies for millions of plays and no one -- not the labels, not the distributors, and not the streaming companies -- will disclose the way that streaming music royalties are calculated. Read the rest

An idea that has been bandied about the Bay Area for years, building a wall to keep the homogenized "burners" out post "Bman," has been depicted in kickstarter parody form. Enjoy.Read the rest

Splinter removal, painting, soldering, building models, inspecting your kids' heads for lice, jewelry repair. I've used my LED illuminated headmounted magnifier at least twice a month for several years. It might be the best $8 I've ever spent.

Knuckle Sandwich is an upcoming RPG by Melbourne-based Andrew Brophy, and Tarantula is a sort of mini preview-episode that's full of chart and harm. Um, heart and charm! Read the rest

Wanderment is like every other platform game you've ever played, except that you're a cat, and you're blind, and the world around you is comprised of shimmering fragments of sound. Read the rest

People who use those forums are predictably upset. Read the rest

Remember those militarized cops who raided a California medical marijuana dispensary, harassed a disabled patient in the store, and were recorded on a security camera gobbling what was almost certainly marijuana-infused edibles that they swiped during the raid? Read the rest

The shooter is reported to have died at the scene. America: What the fuck? Read the rest

The Patterson–Gimlin film, shot in the late 1960s, purports to show a female Bigfoot taking a stroll through the woods near Orleans, California. (more…)

I love bubble nails!From Cosmopolitan:The technique, also referred to as "curve nails" or "hump nails," is achieved by building up acrylic in the center of the nail and thinning it out around the edges to create the round shape, as demonstrated in the video below: Read the rest

Reporters and press freedom advocates from around the world have signed on to support Netzpolitik and condemn the German government's outrageous investigation. Read the rest

A Gumby-style bendable cable mated to an iPhone grip, and a clip that can affix nearly anywhere, make this stand super useful!Read the rest

I bought this crossbow pistol because my family’s favorite character on The Walking Dead, Daryl Dixon, uses a crossbow to take out zombies, and we thought it would be fun for target practice. Read the rest

Huntington Park is wisely taking volunteer labor and efforts from folks willing to give. Council member Jhonny Pineda made good on his promise to involve undocumented residents in the community, naturally some bozos are pissed off. Read the rest

Perhaps the first effective strategy in America's decades long war on drugs, after 2 recent teen deaths, Los Angeles County is considering banning all EDM festivals. Read the rest

"From the dog's point of view, his master is an elongated and abnormally cunning dog." – Mabel Louise Robinson

Greenfire Farms is the premier breeder of Ayam Cemani, a chicken that is all-black. Even the inside of its mouth is black. Read the rest

This Sunday, on NBC Bay Area, join Northern California television icon Doug McConnell, as he visits the Quiroste Valley Cultural Preserve. Read the rest

The British Library uploaded over one million scanned images to Flickr, designating them as public domain for all to share and use. Read the rest

Akira Thompson's striking work challenges one of the biggest misconceptions about police violence against black people in America, and offers privileged players the chance to experience the truth. Read the rest

“I was working as a waitress in a cocktail bar, that much is true. I was working as a waitress in a cocktail bar. I guess it’s just what I must do.” Read the rest

The western United States exists in a state of willful ignorance about water. Waking up won't be easy, and it will be expensive. Read the rest

We’ve all been there a million times: Flicking through Netflix or Amazon or Hulu with no idea what to commit to watching. Nothing immediately grabs your interest and the plot descriptions aren’t selling any of them. Thankfully a newly-launched site called CharacTour offers a new way to think about movies, TV shows, books, and video games: Through their characters. Read the rest

Tom the Dancing Bug, IN WHICH the Wildlife Naming Fund takes the legacy of Cecil the Lion and protects animals by naming every single one. Read the rest

Amazing video of dolphins that have learned how to dine in style. This hunting behavior, according to Discovery, hasn't been found in any other pod on Earth.

This cat really loves his boy—or whatever he's listening to. (more…)

I can barely watch, but anyone who has seen "Grizzly Man" will understand that bears are wild animals and should not be trifled with.

It's an age-old complaint about video games and films: bad graphics make them suck. But plenty of classic entertainment holds up even if the effects don't. RocketJump Film School examines the issue in a brisk overview. Read the rest

Fifteen years after the Flash animation web stars first graced our screens, even Strong Bad and Homestar Runner are ready to throw the shroud over Flash.Read the rest