Above, the soundtrack for today, composed by Harry Manfredini in 1980.(more…)

It's often pointed out that Twitter presents a nightmarish vista of abuse, harm and arbitrary enforcement, a place where trolls and Nazis laughingly exploit the management's ideological vanity and their need to work the numbers. Likewise, Facebook has become a river of lies, its users trapped in a hellish replica of their real-world social network that's designed to make them miserable, vulnerable and easy prey for any fakery or hatred that makes Mark Zuckerberg richer. Clifford Stoll sums up the situation in a timely piece that seems right on the money.

Federalism is hard: to reassure small states that bigger ones won't clobber them and their interests, federalist agreements usually have some kind of non-proportional representation built into their articles, such as a senate or an assembly where it's "one state, one vote" instead of "one person, one vote" -- so each state gets as much say as any other, but the people who live in the bigger states have their votes diluted to a tiny fraction of the influence of the votes of people in the less populous states. (more…)

OK, I know I said we were at peak funny-sock back in August, but can we make an exception for these $7.50 mermaid knee-socks?. (via Crazy Abalone)

It's almost impossible to use most modern apps without using a pointing device or sausage, but a new browser out today is focused entirely on surfing the web with keyboard only. Named qutebrowser, it doesn't just provide a full suite of keyboard shortcuts for the user interface, but generates them on the fly for every link on the page.

Researchers have developed a flexible sensor meant to be rolled up into a dissolvable capsule and swallowed so it can detect gastrointestinal problems and monitor food intake and digestion. The sensor is a 2 x 2.5 centimeter polymer that's printed with electronics, eventually to include wireless radio circuitry. Additional piezoelectric material enables the device to convert the movement from the stomach into enough electrical energy to power itself. The scientists from MIT and Brigham and Women’s Hospital tested a wired version of the device on pigs. From MIT News:

Horses use 17 discrete facial movements in communication, compared to 27 for people, 16 for dogs, and 13 for chimpanzees. University of Sussex researchers determined this by studying the musculature under a horse's face and watched videos of horses of all ages and multiple breeds. This enabled the scientists to create a catalog of facial behavioral sequences named EquiFACS (Equine Facial Action Coding System.) From National Geographic:

In 2004, MTV aired the "Shady National Convention" to promote Eminem's satellite radio venture. The rapper's onetime pal Donald, acting as the “Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Cash,” introduced the real Slim Shady:

Pedro Friedeberg is a popular Mexican artist whose work encompasses the ideas and iconographies of Catholicism, Hinduism, Aztec Codes, and Occult symbols. Although the Hand Chair (shown below), created in 1962, is his most well-known piece, the 81-year-old artist has a diverse body of work that spans six decades and that includes furniture, paintings, drawings, and sculpture.During WWII, Freideberg became part of a scene of surrealist artists who rejected the popular type of social and political art of the time. Friedeberg's work explores the absurd, challenges both high and low cultural hierarchies, and combines everyday life with fantasy. The M+B gallery in Los Angeles is currently showing his solo exhibition, Tetragrammoebius.

Vegemite Blend 17 is a premium edition of the love-it-or-hate-it iconic Australian spread, packaged in a fancy box and sporting a fancy label, sold at more than twice the cost of plain-old Vegemite. (more…)

This mermaid blanket would be just the thing when binge-watching H2O: Just Add Water or Mako Mermaids. Available in blue or pink from Firebox. (via Laughing Squid)

UNESCO is about as good as it gets in the world of UN Specialized Agencies, responsible for designating and protecting world heritage sites, running literacy for the poorest people on Earth, supporting potable water programs, protecting fragile and endangered ecosystems, running disaster preparedness plans for all to use, protecting indigenous knowledge, protecting the free press, and digitizing the world's libraries. (more…)

China's latest rich-list of 2,030 people controlling fortunes of $300M or more now totals $2.6 trillion, as much as the UK GDP. (more…)

Give birth in one of Japan's excellent state-funded hospitals and here's what you'll eat: Omuraisu, macaroni salad, chicken soup, squid rings, fruit, green tea; Salmon with mushroom sauce, soba noodles, rice, eggplant and beef, broccoli, hijiki salad; Sea bream, pasta salad, chicken meatballs, pickled daikon, rice, miso soup, chawan mushi, green tea; Chicken fingers with shredded cabbage salad, bitter melon stir fry, agedashi tofu, carrot salad, rice, miso soup; Mackerel, konbu salad, natto, spinach salad, miso soup, rice, milk, green tea; Mushroom pasta, potato salad, broccoli and bacon salad, chicken soup, fruit, bread, green tea; Cod, shredded cabbage salad, pasta salad, sweet potato and peas, rice, green tea; Salmon, tofu, spinach salad, natto, miso soup, rice, milk;Chicken with mushroom sauce, braised pumpkin and pork, daikon carrot salad, rice, miso soup, chawan mushi; Fried fish with tartar sauce, braised mountain potatoes, hijiki salad, spinach and carrot stir fry, rice, green tea, and more. (via Naked Capitalism)

First it was HHS Secretary Tom Price's private-jet binge, which eventually ended his political career; then it was the $1MM+ pricetage for paid protester Mike Pence's football game stunt, and now it's Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke who traveled on the taxpayer's nickel and then keynoted $5000-a-head GOP fundraisers and other non-government business. (more…)

US businesses really get screwed by their ISPs: 73% of the US only has one business ISP; 24% of the remainder has only two ISPs, and only 3% of the US has 3 or more ISPs that will sell them internet access. (more…)

Chinese social media platforms allow state internet censors to directly suppress individual posts as well as keywords, and an army of young, cool internet censors labor in a swanky office in the Wisdom Mountain Twin Towers in the eastern city of Tianjin to prevent discussions of Tiananmen Square, the missteps of party members, or gaps between the doctrines of the Communist Party and the day-to-day life in China. (more…)

Earbuds allow you to have a personal soundtrack wherever you go, but often at the expense of some of your peripheral awareness. While auditory solitude is a nice escape, it can be dangerous in busy places. Instead of plugging your ears with silicon, let these Bone Conduction Bluetooth Headphones channel the music inside your head.This wireless headset wraps around your ears to hold a small element over both of your temples. Each node conducts vibrations through your skull and into your inner ear to provide rich audio that won’t block out your hearing. It’s water-resistant, and finished with a flexible, rubberized material to withstand the elements. Since there’s no delicate audio components to worry about, these headphones make a wonderful companion for outdoor adventures. They feature integrated playback controls, and get up to 8 hours of playback time on a single, 90-minute charge.You can grab these ALL-Terrain Bone Conduction Bluetooth Headphones from the Boing Boing Store now for $64.95.BUY NOW

The first person in an elevator in Japan in the "elevator captain," with duties to keep the door-open button pressed during load/unload and then button-mash close-door once loading is complete, with elevator captaincy being transferred to the next-most-proximate rider once the captain reaches their floor. (more…)

Via Greenwood himself!https://twitter.com/JnnyG/status/917472509435531266

In plain sight, for decades! Though Weinstein's targets were women rather than children, the way power and silence worked for him reminds me of UK entertainer Jimmy Savile, who occupied a similarly dark-yet-obvious position in the firmament of leering celebrity sociopaths. The way everyone knew. The way people would blurt it out in inferences, uncomfortable jokes, and off-kilter quips. The way Letterman fawns ("Thank God for Harvey") when he realizes he just got too close ("I'm fed up with Harvey's behavior"). These interactions now make Paltrow and Letterman, like Seth McFarlane, targets for criticism. But I'm not sure it's fair because it's not as if anyone else was saying anything, and fear was presumably why they didn't say more.

Folks, there's going to be a documentary about that crazy cult/religion known as the Church of the SubGenius.But only if you send J.R. "Bob" Dobbs boat loads of cash!

Didi Taihuttu expects the price of bitcoin will soar, so much so that he’s selling his house, car, and other valuables to obtain even more of it.Now, 39-year-old Taihuttu is living at a campsite with his wife and three children, waiting till 2020 for his investment in cryptocurrency to pay off, according to Business Insider.The cramped living space may be a bit different from the four-bedroom home the Taihuttu family, from the Netherlands, was used to, but since the house was sold under reservation partly for bitcoin in August, the value of a single bitcoin has gone from $3,700 to $4,800.“At first my wife doubted the decision, wondering if it was the right decision for our kids — as did my brother and sister... but they are now supportive of the plan," Taihuttu told Newsweek.Via Business Insider:

Turkmenistan is the latest country to gift Russian President Vladimir Putin a puppy.Verny, a Central Asian Shepherd, is the third dog Putin has received from foreign dignitaries, according to the Associated Press. Past shaggy presents came from Japan and Bulgaria.Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov presented Verny by the scruff of its neck to Putin for his 65th birthday. Video from the exchange shows Putin quickly cuddling his new dog, then kissing it atop its head as a faint smile appears on the Russian leader’s face.But fear not comrade, Putin will most likely turn the adorable pup into an intimidation tool to use against other world leaders. https://youtu.be/ltriFxc-hWw

Ethan Persoff will be speaking about the John Wilcock comic at The New School's Parsons School of Design, on November 7. Free and open to the public.Read Scott Marshall's adaptation of Nietzsche, An Illustrated Zarathustra.[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfcmillbcvw&w=560&h=315][youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M--oHOn4a0U&w=560&h=315][youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8sptsjCk18&w=560&h=315]

Last time I bought an Amazon tablet adding the Google store was a real pain! It takes about 3 minutes and one reboot on the new Amazon Fire HD 10.In order to get the most out of my new 7th generation Amazon Tablet, I needed the Google Play store. GMail, Chrome and a few other apps were not available via Amazon's walled garden. Used to be Amazon made this hard. Now it is very easy!To add the Google Play store follow these steps:STEP THE FIRSTEnable apps from UNKNOWN SOURCES!Settings > Security > Enable Apps from Unknown SourcesThis will trigger a warning. Read it, then ignore it.THE SECOND STEPDownload and install four Google apps in this specific order:

Carbohydrate whisperer Jessica Leigh Clark-Bojin (AKA @thePieous) (previously), author of Pies Are Awesome Vol 1 "Pie-Modding": How to Epic-Up Store Bought Pies and Be the Hero of the Party" writes, "I Mucha'd up Eleven with waffles. In pie form. As ya do. I'm incredibly psyched for season 2 - Stranger Things is everything I love in pop culture wadded up, thrown in a blender, and poured out all over my TV set. But, you know, sophisticatedly. "

Last Friday, a white guy named Michael Christopher Estes walked into Asheville Regional Airport in North Carolina, dressed in black and carrying an AN/FO chemical explosive as well as sharp nails and bullets, used to create shrapnel in such bombs. (more…)

This is not as horrible as I remember.

In this week’s episode of the After On podcast, I interview Tim O’Reilly – one of the most original and influential thinkers in tech. His new book, WTF, debuts today. And it doesn’t stand for what you think. We talk about that book, and about the future (that’s the ‘F’ in the acronym). And also about the past. Tim’s past -- which will fascinate anyone interested in the history of the commercial Web, open source software, the maker movement, the Web 2.0 era, or anything else Tim helped to shape, launch, or name (yes really - he deserves at least some co-founder credit for all of those things).It’s a been a long, strange trip for someone who spent his college years studying Latin and Greek. Tim was drawn to those subjects because as a teen, he fell under the spell of George Simon - a brainy mentor who argued that the last great evolution in human consciousness dated to the classical period. Tim wanted to understand that period – and that transformation – because George convinced him that the next one would happen in his lifetime. This would be the emergence of a global consciousness.George died suddenly, tragically, and young in a car wreck shortly after starting to teach at the Esalen Institute. Interest in his emerging philosophy was so high that Esalen recruited Tim as an instructor when he was still in his teens. Not craving a life of spiritual teaching, Tim then pivoted to technology shortly after graduating Harvard in the late 70s.He thought less and less about George’s philosophy as time passed - until suddenly, “here I was, twenty-something years later, talking about Web 2.0, about global consciousness, that we had built this technology-mediated global brain. And so I realized - oh, he was right! We just didn’t understand the mechanism by which it would happen. And that’s really been a central idea throughout my career. That we are, in fact, building something that is bigger than we are. And there is this collective consciousness that is happening.”Tim got into tech as a writer. He had already written his first book (a biography of science fiction great Frank Herbert, which you now can access for free), when a programmer friend asked for help with a tech writing gig. They jointly wrote a manual for a client. Then another, then another – and decades on, the successor to that first business employs 400 people as O’Reilly Media.Tim is, without question, technology’s preeminent publisher, having released thousands of books that teach programming languages and countless tech skills. He also launched the world’s first commercial website (Global Network Navigator), and was a key influencer in all the industry sea changes listed above.Intriguing as Tim’s history is, the real fun comes from engaging in his thinking. He’s done a lot of this over decades of watching the junction between tech and society with the scholarly gaze of a classicist. We discuss platforms and ecosystems, the future of the great tech monoliths, and the fusing of human workers and software that’s already occurring within them. Some of Tim’s ideas are familiar and mainstream - in large part due to the years he spent evangelizing them to tech elites and the press. Others are delightfully contrarian and challenging.If you enjoy this interview, I do recommend Tim’s new book, WTF, which - again - premieres today.Note - the audio quality of this episode is below my normal standards, but I’m happy to report that my editor and I were able to rescue it from true catastrophe (thank you, Jason). The reasons for this (as well as my statements of earnest contrition) are contained in the first few minutes of the episode.You can subscribe to the podcast within any podcast player. To subscribe via your computer on iTunes, just click here, then click the blue “View on iTunes” button (under the square After On image on the left side of the page), then click “Subscribe” (in similar location) in the iTunes window. On your phone or other device, simply use your podcast app's search function (type in "After On"). Or, just follow the feed http://afteron.libsyn.com/rss

Here is Gwyneth Paltrow talking to David Letterman about Miramax's Harvey Weinstein in 1998. She smiles nervously as they chat about how she's lucky to do her films for Miramax, and then goes on to say how Weinstein will "coerce you to do a thing or two." Hmm, and what would that thing or two be?

Dreamhost is the hosting provider for disruptj20.org, a website where 1.3 million people discussed plans for protesting Donald Trump's inauguration; in August, Trump's DoJ got a warrant demanding all the communications, IP addresses and other details on all 1.3 million people who used the site. (more…)

"Tax Reform for America" is a US Chamber of Commerce-backed astroturf group that features testimonials from "mom and pop" business owners who back Trump's tax plan, which will overwhelmingly benefit the top 1% wealthiest in America at the expense of working people and the middle class. (more…)

For $22 BlueAnt's Ribbon is a great choice for keeping your favorite wired headphones working in a bluetooth world.Long battery life, big buttons, and a built-in mic for hands-free operation make the Ribbon a pretty handy device. Streaming with my iPhone is just fine too. I'm using one in my VW Van, as its stereo pre-dates bluetooth, and it is great for keeping headphones working in any motorcycle helmet without its own audio system.The built-in mic works to access Siri, if you want to talk to Siri. Alexa plays podcasts when I ask.BlueAnt Ribbon Stereo Bluetooth Streamer- Bluetooth Headset via Amazon

Reversing a gender limitation that has been in place for 100 years, The Boy Scouts of America today announced a plan to allow girls to join. Female Eagle Scouts? Yep.(more…)

Universal Paperclips is a free "clicker" game where you play as an AI tasked with optimizing production efficiency. It's a game about paperclips, humanity and the end of everything. Except for the paperclips, that is. The photo is from Dan Hon, who is very good at Universal Paperclips:https://twitter.com/hondanhon/status/917892231779926016

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgVfkWpEc84&feature=youtu.beThis appears to be surveilling AI chatboxes set up to debate the fine points of constitutional law. It's presumably based on a transcript of an interaction between a sovereign citizen and a cop, but I'm not sure which one as all such interactions are nearly identical (sovcit patter is extremely rigid, and the cops adopt the firm-but-polite bemusement reserved for angry white people).In other surveilling AI chatbox news, Google admitted yesterday that their newest surveilling AI chatboxes, including those sent to journalists to review, have a "bug" whereby they record audio 24/7.

Compiled by redditor bezzleford, this map offers a rough view of support for independence in various European regions. Scotland and Catalonia are well-known hotspots, but I didn't know about Sardinia or Venice. And, of course, there's the good old Serb Republic!

Cyberpunk dystopia lifts from the reality and fantasy of contemporary Asian cities and cultures, but rarely reflects these sources in its human inventory. Sarah Emerson writes about the genre's fetish for Asia without the Asians, most recently on display in the curiously whitebread future of Blade Runner 2049.

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 much more.GET Ruben Bolling’s new hit book series for kids, The EMU Club Adventures. (”Filled with wild twists and funny dialogue” -Publishers Weekly) Book One here. Book Two here.More Tom the Dancing Bug comics on Boing Boing! (more…)

IKEA's new Lurvig collection literally translates to "shaggy," which is appropriate because it's made just for pets.The line includes scratching mats (that wrap around IKEA table legs), aesthetically-pleasing beds, and a variety of bowls, leashes, toys, and other pet care accoutrements. IKEA writes that it was created by "pet loving designers with support from trained veterinarians."According to Mashable, the collection piloted in Japan, France, Canada, U.S and Portugal (Algarve) just this month. It will open up to the rest of the world in March 2018.Some pooches in Japan are already enjoying pieces from the collection:https://www.instagram.com/p/BaEhHSUhAGM/https://www.instagram.com/p/BaBvaPvlRJJhttps://www.instagram.com/p/BaDLahChFZWAll items are affordable, ranging from 79 cents and up. One of the most expensive items is a cubed cat house that's reminiscent of an old-fashioned TV set. It costs $54.98.https://twitter.com/pwpmdsp/status/913750114925133824The entire catalog is here.

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He wasn't talking about the current President of the United States, but it sure fits today.(more…)

At the Disability Rights Legal Center fundraiser gala this past weekend in Los Angeles, Apple was presented with DRLC's Business and Technology Award for their accessibility work, and 'Infinite Flow - A Wheelchair Dance Company' was featured as a cause auction recipient for an Apple Watch Series 3, which was designed with a number of accessibility-expanding features. Of particular note are its wheelchair-specific features, VoiceOver for the blind, and the Taptic Engine (haptic feedback for navigation and notification).What's the connection between Apple Watch and wheelchair dance?

The New Yorker released a tape today from 2015, between then 22-year-old model Ambra Battilana Gutierrez and Harvey Weinstein.This was taped as part of an undercover operation with the New York Police Department the day after Weinstein had sexually abused Gutierrez in his office, "groping her breasts and putting his hand up her skirt," according to The Guardian. Wearing a wire, Gutierrez is standing in the hallway of his hotel room as he tries to get her inside.This audio shows how forceful, disrespectful and egotistical Weinstein is. Some lines between the two from the tape:G: Yesterday was kind of aggressive for me.W: Don't embarrass me in the hotel. I'm here all the time.G: But I don't want to.W: Come here. Listen to me... You'll never see me again after this... I'm a famous guy. Please come in now.G: Why yesterday you touched my breast?W: Oh, please, I’m sorry, just come on in. I’m used to that. Come on. Please.G: You’re used to that?W: Yes. Come in... I won’t do it again, come on, sit here. Sit here for a minute, please?... Don’t ruin your friendship with me for five minutes.

University of Hawaii sent an email to their students yesterday that had a horrific subject line: "In the event of a nuclear attack." This is in reference to North Korea's Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM), which experts believe have the capability to reach Hawaii and Alaska.The email itself was not much brighter. Part of it read: "In light of concerns about North Korea missile tests, state and federal agencies are providing information about nuclear threats and what to do in the unlikely event of a nuclear attack and radiation emergency." At least students could be comforted by the word "unlikely."The email "also told students and faculty to be aware of emergency sirens and to follow instructions on 'sheltering in place,'" says CBS News.According to CBS:

A Michigan repeat rapist was awarded joint custody of the child he impregnated one of his victims with 8 years ago.Via Patch Michigan:

After five days of silence, Hillary Clinton finally weighs in on the Miramax co-founder Harvey Weinstein sex scandal. Through her spokesperson Nick Merrill, she said:"I was shocked and appalled by the revelations about Harvey Weinstein. The behavior described by women coming forward cannot be tolerated. Their courage and the support of others is critical in helping to stop this kind of behavior."Weinstein, who has donated heavily to the Democratic Party, has had ties with the Clintons since Bill Clinton's presidency. According to CNN:

During the 2013 presentation of Oscar nominations, Seth MacFarlane joked about the open secret of Harvey Weinstein's vile harassment of actresses. "It's 'funny' 'cause it's true." (TMZ)

Enjoy this dashcam video capturing a meteorological phenomenon in Russia, where road surfacing work is underway.