News from the Empire. Read the rest

“Don't worry, the ice cream was provided specifically for the dogs.” (more…)

A parody of Amazon's much-mocked Prime Day, by ThinkHero. (more…)

“Filling up 40 balloons automatically makes for a much faster balloon fight.” (more…)

Why are screams so frightening? Because sounds with frequency modulations in 30-150 Hz range have a particular "roughness" to them that activates the fear circuit in the amygdala, according to research published in Current Biology, titled "Human Screams Occupy a Privileged Niche in the Communication Soundscape." Read the rest

“Controversial FIFA leader Sepp Blatter was showered with fake bank notes by British prankster Lee Nelson at a press conference today.”

I'm slowly getting the hang of using my 3D printer to make useful things. Last week, I made sliders for the legs on our pool chairs. Read the rest

Amazon has a good deal on a glass Krups electric kettle. This model holds a liter of water, and you can set the temperature for different kinds of tea. It's regularly $156, and is on sale now for $50.

The restaurant chain has been in the news for a number of odd crimes lately. This one is very sad. Read the rest

If you follow the instructions and master the diagnosis equipment, everything will be fine. Or will it? Read the rest

We all have memories of our favorite toys. Sometimes it’s hard to point at just what made them so special. This one, though, is obviously dangerous. Read the rest

No one, except delusional sexist men, will be surprised to learn that men who harass women online are "low-status, non-dominant men" according to a study published in the journal PLOS One, titled "Insights into Sexism: Male Status and Performance Moderates Female-Directed Hostile and Amicable Behaviour." The Washington Post reports:Michael Kasumovic and Jeffrey Kuznekoff, researchers at the University of New South Wales and Miami University, respectively ... Read the rest

danah boyd nails it: "We blame technology, rather than work, to understand why children engage with screens in the first place." Read the rest

Do you know what I like? You guessed it! And the older it is, the happier I am. Read the rest

ISDSes are the most controversial element of secret trade deals like TPP and TTIP: they let giant international corporations sue countries to repeal environmental, safety and labor laws that interfere with their profitability. Read the rest

My 12-year-old daughter Jane introduced my wife and me to Attack on Titan. It's a Japanese comic book and animated cartoon series by Hajime Isayama about a war between the last few remaining people on Earth and the creepy giant humanoids who want to eat them. Read the rest

Anything remotely gay is a Very Bad Crime in Saudi Arabia. Read the rest

“California oil refiners have used every trick in their playbook to raise gasoline prices artificially this year.” Read the rest

The state of Washington has received a $90,000 grant to study the feasibility of using old aircraft carriers to bridge the Sinclair inlet. From Popular Mechanics:Read the rest

Angelenos! On Tuesday, July 28th at 8pm 2 Headed Dog takes the stage! Their surreal, irreverent sketch and improvised comedy are a Boing Boing favorite! Read the rest

When the largest rescue operation of the Vietnam War failed to reach downed navigator Gene Hambleton, how did his lifelong passion for golf become the key to his rescue? Read the rest

Sometimes you just want the world to burn, especially when it's ending. In Little Inferno, a wintry apocalypse has engulfed the Earth, and you're sitting by a fireplace throwing everything in the flames. Read the rest

YouTuber Tim at Grand Illusions unboxes this delightfully soothing helicone, a wood and brass sculpture that changes from a helix to a pine cone shape with the flick of a wrist. Such a satisfying sound as it snaps into place! Read the rest

A 72-year-old Marine veteran who volunteered to protect a sea turtle nest got beaten and shot in the butt for his troubles. Turtle-hater Michael Q. McAuliffe was arrested. Read the rest

While we were busy enjoying the spectacular images of Pluto, ESA's Rosetta camera released this image of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Read the rest

This gorgeous image of the dying embers of a bouquet of roses, titled "The Ash," was meticulously crafted by the creative team at Ars Thanea. See how they did it. Read the rest

Two decades years ago, 95.4 percent of kindergarteners in Washington state were vaccinated for polio. This year, only 88.4 percent had the vaccine. Read the rest

Buy this toy. It'll spin forever (so long as the batteries don't run out) Read the rest

A group of residents in Farmersville, Texas said they are prepared to put pigs' heads on spikes and pour pigs' blood on a plot of land where a Muslim cemetery will be established. Read the rest

One thing that's really important to us is to be able to critique things we love, and to embrace the idea that sometimes a conversation is more important than a right answer Read the rest

In The World Burns, the folks best suited to surviving an apocalypse will be bloggers? Oy vey.Read the rest

Have you ever wanted to be a big jerk at a birthday party? Of course you have!Well, I'm here to tell you that it's the easiest thing in the world to do. Read the rest

If you have a pool table, or know someone who has one, you need to get one of these Wobbling 8 Balls. Read the rest

Two laser-cut sheets of steel, some needle-nosed pliers and a bit of patience are all that stand between you and a “museum-quality” 3-D model of your favorite astromech droid! Read the rest

Their use as cheap diamond substitutes by showy rich people belies the world of beauty found in lead glass—and a versatility you might not expect. Read the rest

Ed "Big Daddy" Roth. Just the mention of his name triggers a reaction. In 1965 after seeing Roth’s wild customized hot rods, Tom Wolfe spontaneously wrote an Esquire article about him in a new, wigged-out and crazy writing style, New Journalism: "There Goes (Varoom! Read the rest

Amy Crehore has three lovely paintings on display at the Jiro Miura gallery. The show is called "Ephemeral – Territory of Girls" and it runs from July 25 to August 16, 2015.

Project Linework posts maps in a variety of loosey-goosey styles, for people who want things almost right. Read the rest

It's monday. Design your creature. [Chantal Moosher via Forest Ambassador]

The collection includes, but does not conclude, with The Rock's turn in The Scorpion King. There is far worse in store! [World Wide Interweb via Kottke]

Early in the morning in Omaha, Nebraska, a would-be thief accosted a driver at gunpoint and demanded her vehicle. After she complied, he found himself unable to squeeze into the 4'9" woman's customized seat and fled on foot after getting "only a few feet" in the vehicle. [Nebraska Radio Network via Arbroath]

Ashley Madison is a social network for people who want to cheat on their spouses. It's been hacked and "large caches of user data posted online," reports Krebs on Security. Read the rest

Caffeine is the world's most widely-used psychoactive drug. Four cups a day is, for average adults, about as much as it's safe to take, because of the mildly unpleasant things it does to us.

This splendid work was crowdfunded at Makuake.com, reports James Vincent: "The painstaking and laborious techniques of ukiyo-e don't come cheap."The available prints are of Vader, the Battle of Hoth, and a scene of Amidala, R2 and Anakin.