Among the attractions that will vanish for at least 18 months during the construction of the new land devoted to Star Wars, there’s a good chance that at least one, located on Tom Sawyer Island, might not return: Dead Man’s Grotto.After the enormous (and unexpected) success of the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie, the folks at Walt Disney Imagineering began developing an extensive makeover of Tom Sawyer Island into something that would expand the presence of Pirates into a much larger area of the park, and also motivate more people to make use of Tom Sawyer Island.Two things led to a half-hearted final product. First, fans loved Tom Sawyer Island (even though most folks didn’t visit it) because it had been designed by Walt Disney himself and it was a great (and generally safe) place to let your kids run around while parents sat in the shade. It is an important part of the park’s history.Second, and perhaps more importantly, the budget for the project was repeatedly cut so the end result was still pretty much Tom Sawyer Island with a few pirate things worked lightly into it, including a short-lived Captain Jack Sparrow Meet and Greet at the far end of the island where few people seem to go. The most notable and interesting part of the addition took place in what had previously been “Injun Joe’s Cave.” And when the Island was Pirate-ized, the cave became Dead Man’s Grotto.While the overlay on the exterior parts of the island was fairly modest, there was a lot of technological fun to be found in Dead Man’s Grotto. Among these were the Treasure Chest containing the heart of Davy Jones (whose voice could only be heard if you touched the chest and were standing directly in front of it), and some more sophisticated pieces. What I’d really like to show you is the prison cell housing a pirate in chains whose face changes into a horrible skeleton when the moonlight shines on it—this is something I’ve dragged many well-versed park veterans to see and they were not only impressed (and creeped out) but had never heard of it. It used interior projection technology that Imagineering would later put to excellent use for the faces of the Seven Dwarfs in the Mine Train in Walt Disney World and The Hatbox Ghost in The Haunted Mansion in Disneyland. Unfortunately the early use of the technology required the cave to be so dark that it’s almost impossible to videotape (at least with my camera).Instead, here’s a short video of another vignette located within Dead Man’s Grotto, this one starring the pirates Pintel and Ragetti. It’s guaranteed to make folks jump.https://youtu.be/QB0Mcru9f7A

In 1977, the US Department of Interior's Fish and Wildlife Service published a fascinating document asking what the government would do if Bigfoot or something like the Loch Ness Monster were to be found? The paper goes on to explain the laws and regulations in place to deal with such a discovery, and also mentions 20th century discoveries like the Komodo dragon and cryptozoology's darling, the coelacanth. From the document:

Kathryn Cramer was married to David Hartwell for decades, and though they'd been in the midst of "a collaborative divorce" for four years, they were still close friends and still married. (more…)

"When I put one on, something happens.." (Thanks, UPSO!)

Kara, protected by her father, stumbles through the sands of Jakku as a dogfight erupts overhead. Where is she headed? Joe Sill's fan movie is trim, affecting and very well-made. The performances are good enough to make me wonder, just a little, why the official Star Wars movies have to be so stagey. [via]

Coding is more in demand than ever, and now you don’t have to go back to college to get your skills up to snuff. This complete coding course pack will teach you everything you need to know - and things you don’t even know you need to know yet. With a ton of lectures and dynamic content, you’ll be absorbing it all at your pace with access to the best materials on the market.

Feminist Frequency's excellent Tropes vs Women in Video Games has a new installment on the prevailing ways that characters' butts are presented in games: with female characters, they're emphasized, centered and revealed; with male characters, it's often literally impossible to see their butts.(more…)

Another mile to Frisco... 200 gallons from LA!The engine's stompin' like a disco... We oughta dump her in the bay!

Famed titular voice of Archer, and Bob of Bob's Burgers, Jon Benjamin has recorded a jazz album. Interestingly, Benjamin can't play piano, and really doesn't like jazz.Benjamin brought a ton of great jazz musicians into the studio and recorded an album, but he can't play at all. What happens is really pretty cool! NPR has a great interview.I'm certainly finding the album fun. Jazz daredevil indeed!Well, I Should Have...* by Jon Benjamin via Amazon

"Festival Concierge Service" is a European company that advertises a pampered, all-inclusive Burning Man trip to wealthy people -- a major no-no at the festival. Despite being blacklisted, ejected and legally threatened by the Burning Man organization, they refuse to give up. (more…)

See sample images from this game at Wink.Pixel Tactics is a two-player war game where you’ll be playing the part of an elite leader, steering a war band against the enemy. Both players have an identical deck of 25 cards, each representing a different character. Each card here acts differently when played in a certain rank, or used for their order ability. There’s a lot of variance in this game, since the leader that you’re playing will affect your strategy regarding the rest of the cards in your deck. Some of the leaders are combatants, and some of them help out the other units in your squad. Play continues until one of the leaders is taken out.It’s a very portable game since the decks are small, and the rules come on a giant poster that is the play mat when flipped over. The art direction echoes sprite animations from retro video games and is charming. It’s pretty easy to pick up and play, but with all the variance, some analysis paralysis can set in from time to time. The games run really quickly though, usually in under 15 minutes per round, and with 3 to 5 rounds per game.– James OrrPixel Tactics Card Game

New Jersey governor Chris Christie used to be a supporter of gun control measures. But he is running for president, and the only way he can get the Republication nomination is to win over conservatives who can't forgive him for shaking hands with President Obama a few years ago. His latest stunt was vetoing a bill that would have prohibited "persons who have been convicted of carjacking, gang criminality, racketeering, or terroristic threats from purchasing, owning, possessing, or controlling a firearm." Not a single member of the Senate or Assembly voted "no" on the bill.NJ.com reports that Christie initially denied that he supported gun control, but eventually conceded, "I've changed my mind" on guns:

A female teacher in Turkey was sentenced to almost a year in prison today for hurting President Tayyip Erdogan’s feelings. She made an “ugly gesture” with her hand towards the leader at a political rally in 2014, and in Turkey it’s against the law to criticize official leaders, even if it’s with a quick hand movement.The teacher isn’t the first to be under fire by Turkey’s sensitive leader. Last February BloombergBusiness reported that Erdogan had charged 67 people for insulting him – including Miss Turkey, who’d written a satirical poem about the president – which was an average of one person for every three days since he’d been elected president in 2014.

David Hartwell, a senior editor at Tor Books, cofounder of the New York Review of Science Fiction, legendary collector, raconteur, critic, anthologist, and fixture in so many fo science fiction's scenes and fandom, is in the hospital with a "massive brain bleed" and is not expected to live. (more…)

https://youtu.be/soMV-AkSOtAThe Slow Mo Guys aimed their high-speed video camera at a spinning drill bit covered in paint. The result was pretty.

The longbow was vastly, demonstrably superior to the crossbow, but only England adopted it as a common military weapon; the Scots and French stuck with the inferior crossbow for nearly a century -- why? (more…)

I bought some of these 3-ft Apple MFI Certified Lightning cables in August and the ones I didn't lose still work. $3 is a great deal, considering Apple charges $19 for a cable of the same length.

Ola Shekhtman, a jeweler in North Carolina, produces gorgeous, finely wrought rings cut into the shape of the skylines of major cities: Boston, NYC, Amsterdam, London, Berlin, DC, San Francisco, Stockholm, Charleston and Edinburgh (twice!). (more…)

Can't get enough of nude, 3D-modelled humans with the internal physics of bags of jelly interacting with physics simulations? We've got you covered with Albert Omoss's Plug Party 2K3. (via JWZ)

Proponents of the secretly negotiated Trans Pacific Partnership -- which lets companies force governments to get rid of their labor, environmental and safety rules in confidential tribunals -- say it's all worth it because it will deliver growth and jobs to the stagnant economies of the rich world. (more…)

Judith Sheindlin, a television entertainer and former family court judge, is believed to be a member of the Supreme Court of the United States of America by ten percent of college graduates.

David Weiberg handed down his childhood set of Star Trek: original series action figures to his eight-year-old son, and then the two of them built a fantastically detailed, correctly scaled replica of the original Enterprise's bridge to go with them. (more…)

The tenor of her announcement, and of the American right in general, is perfectly summed up by this Vine video:(more…)

Keys just don’t cut it these days in the high-tech world. You lose them all the time and when you do have them on you, they’re not that useful for much other than getting from outside to inside. That’s about to change. This old standby just got an upgrade from KeySmart and their new products are about to revolutionize what’s in your pocket, unlocking a whole new era.First things first: stop losing them. The KeyCatch is a tiny magnet that fits right beneath your lightswitch, so when you leave the house and hit the lights, you grab your keys. It’s as simple as that, and now 18% off. It’s a cinch to install - no drilling required - and can hold up to three pounds in case you want to hang anything else, or just have a weird number of souvenir keychains. Mount, magnetize, and never forget.How many times have you tried to open something using your keys? From opening boxes or mail, to cracking a beer, to using one to twist or screw, it doesn’t always go well. Luckily the Nano Tool is 16% off and makes you MacGyver on the go. It packs a ruler, wrench and screwdriver all in one lightweight keychain. There’s even a nano socket to hold any drill bit, so no matter what comes up, you’re down to fix it.

It's Copyright Week, and I've kicked it off with a post at the Electronic Frontier Foundation's Deep Links explaining why, regardless of copyright term extension, Mickey Mouse will probably never be "free" -- but that doesn't mean that Disney is acting irrationally in its fight as hard as they are for eternal copyrights. (more…)

Her Universe makes amazing, nerdy women's fashion (for example, and also). (more…)

Lost, and found again, by me anyways.

Donna Stearns is a mom and an elementary school teacher who plays drums. Here's Donna, tearing up the drums on "Wipeout."

Check out the full photo here. It seems like there's an extra set of legs!

Kontrol Freek Grips help make the Xbox One control comfortable, and keep my hands from cramping up. Lately, we've been playing Star Wars Battlefront. There is nothing quite like watching my daughter force choke some other player. Thing is, I can't play much of anything for very long, before my hands ache. I've previously written about how Kontrol Freek's button extensions help my hands, and now I find their Grips pretty amazing.These thin foam pads simply peel and stick to your controller. They are moderately reposition-able and maintain their stick for a few peels and move-arounds. It is fairly simple to get them right the first time, however. Once in place they add some much needed cushion and thickness to the controller.We've been using one for several weeks. Over time the cloth layer that covers the foam will start to separate, but it really isn't a big deal and doesn't impact the effectiveness of these pads. I've found Control Freek Grips, matched with the button extensions, change my video game experience from one of needing some anti-inflammatories to relatively pain-free play!KontrolFreek Grips - Xbox One via Amazon

https://youtu.be/mnJYho2mgDA

https://youtu.be/779fMc8ubOoThis takes the time-honored tradition of throwing bricks into washing machines and recording their self-destruction to a new level.

Debbie Wasserman Schultz is a powerful, corrupt Democratic Party official, the chair of the DNC who has tilted the rules to give the advantage to Hillary Clinton (Wasserman Schultz co-chaired the Clinton 2008 campaing), publicly threatened staffers who questioned her Clinton partisanship, voted against medical marijuana, co-sponsored SOPA, demanded the extradition and prosecution of Edward Snowden, takes massive corporate donations, and stands unopposed for the Democratic Party nomination in South Florida in every election -- except this one. (more…)

Everything looks better in a flow chart. Endless columns and rows of numbers is mind numbing and easily confusing. Now you can finally see the trends and information from your work and life presented in a cool looking set of graphs. Welcome to Pagico 7. You have a lot going on and Pagico is going to help you out, now for 70% off. No matter what you’re working on, get organized and stay organized with this app’s incredibly ability to keep all your life’s data in one easy to understand set. In advance, you’re welcome.Get Pagico 7 in the Boing Boing Store for only $15.[embed]https://youtu.be/3Xb6gOD3RGE[/embed]

Snowshoe spam has a "small footprint" -- it is sent is small, semi-targeted batches intended to sit below the trigger threshold for cloud-email spam filters, which treat floods of identical (or near-identical) messages as a solid indicator of spam. (more…)

Lord Dyson, the most senior civil judge in England and Wales, has ruled that Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act -- the law that lets the police detain anyone they like for six hours, without a warrant or access to legal advice, and compel them to answer questions -- violates the UK's international human rights obligations. (more…)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXzElV75x08With an estimated 100,000 homeless people living on the streets of Delhi, and 18,000 shelter beds, the city's nighttime sidewalks are the only bed for tens of thousands of workers. (more…)

Following up on yesterday's fractal fun, here's a real-time fractal zoomer on the web.

Rome-based sculptor Marco Ecroli's "Army" project turns stacks of patiently cut, colorful post-it notes into full-sized three-dimensional replica weapons: a Colt six-shooter ("i Love Ammerica"), a machine-gun ("Tenere Lontano dalla Portata dei Bambini") , a hand-grenade ("Bomba non Bomba") , and a katana ("Daily Samurai"). He's also made a full-sized post-it car ("The Sheep Stand Far From The Rainbow"). (more…)

https://youtu.be/7eKmV1xTD4QEvan Chapman of the instrumental percussionist trio Square Peg Round Hole says, "Ringing Rocks Park is a 128 acre park located in Upper Black Eddy. Inside the park is an 8 acre field of boulders that, when struck with a hammer, sound resonant and reverberant; almost like a metal pipe. When we discovered Ringing Rocks Park, we knew that it would be an inspiring place for us to write and play music. As percussionists, we are always searching for unorthodox sound sources, and are often finding new instruments in unexpected places. We traveled to Ringing Rocks Park with filmmaker Kevin Eikenberg and documented the writing process of a song played solely on boulders."

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…)

See sample pages from this book at Wink.The Little Prince, published in 1943, is a classic, emotionally stirring novella written by a French author that has since become the third most translated book in the world. With so many adaptions to both screen and stage, including a major animated motion picture debuting in the United States in 2016, you might be forgiven for assuming that the story has little more to offer in the way of novelty. One covetous glance at this enormous, intricate deluxe pop-up book and you’ll understand how very wrong you are. This tale of the enduring power of friendship, told by a narrator stranded in the sands of the Sahara, rises from the pages and extends into your world with enchanting, whimsical paper art.Antoine de Saint-Exupéry proclaims himself no “great artist” and this pop-up book stays true to the delicate pastels of the watercolors he used to create The Little Prince’s illustrations. The book begins with the Little Prince himself, being held aloft from the title page by a harnessed flock of birds, the white and pale gray of each wing a stark contrast to the enveloping black mass of the space that surrounds him. Beginning pages are full of hidden doors, windows and flaps that contain treasures of minuscule fold out animals and tiny doodles. As the classic tale unfolds and we learn more about the Little Prince’s miniature home planet, the pop-up art evolves into cratered orbs that spin at the pull of a tab or twist their flower clustered faces to the warmth of a rising sun stretching above the page. Masses of entwined balboa trees burst from the pages like a riot of pernicious weeds. When the prince, released from his vow by the flower, begins to travel to other planets, the pages grow thick with inventive paper landscapes. Jagged mountains rise from the column of the book’s spine and the figures of various characters that the Prince encounters in his celestial travels march across the tale like a regiment of paper soldiers. As the novella comes to its bittersweet conclusion, tabs coil the snake as it strikes at the boy’s dangling feet and finally, the ambiguity of the ending is communicated in a striking final page: the Little Prince poised to jump through a hole between the pages, carrying him from one world to the next, from the fictional to the real.The newest version of this pop-up book, released in November, 2015 contains a code that allows you to go to the HMH website and download the audio book, narrated by Viggo Mortensen. If you enjoyed this classic as a child, you’ll adore this deluxe pop-up version and appreciate the way the imaginative art of paper creation brings the muted tones of this book to magical, poignant life. – Kaz WeidaThe Little Prince Deluxe Pop Up Book

Don’t pull your phone out of your pocket every time you need to check the clock. Use what God gave you and simply tilt your wrist. Nab the Martian Smartwatch right now for 72% off and like the name implies, you will feel like a spaceman, it’s that high tech. In a rare combination of traditional, classic style and next-gen electronics, this accessory is the perfect blend of old and new, handsome and practical. In short, you’re really going to want people to ask you what time it is.The matte black exterior looks upscale and, pun intended, timeless. It’ll match any outfit you’re rocking from a sweaty t-shirt on your jog in the park to a tux when you’re cutting a rug or giving a toast. The smart part is how you’ll get push notifications from dozens of apps and even be able to snap pictures using a remote trigger. Need it to be even more James Bond? You’ll get alerts when you’re walking away from your phone, set up to five recurring alarms, and seamlessly sync all your tech to a watch that looks like any other, but is, in fact, so much more. Get one today in the Boing Boing Store for just $36.[embed]https://youtu.be/hGkh7OLuzbw[/embed]

Rudy Rucker writes, "Rudy Rucker & Bruce Sterling's collection of nine jointly written stories is out in ebook and paperback: Transreal Cyberpunk!" (more…)

I had a magic meet-up at my house yesterday afternoon with six other people. We had a great time showing each other tricks and giving each other tips on presentation, resources, sleights, and more. I learned a couple of rubber band tricks and how to do a convincing false shuffle. I think we are going to make it a monthly thing.My friend Jeff gave me a wonderful magic trick from the Japanese manufacturer Tenyo, called Magical MRI, which gives you the ability to "see" through a solid metal plate. It's a very clever trick that's easy to learn. I love it.

Glenn Frey, founding guitarist and singer of the Eagles, has died. He was 67. Frey's death was attributed to complications from rheumatoid arthritis, acute ulcerative colitis and pneumonia.(Eagles.com)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmAV9_9_pk8https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaG00zRHDJYhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-Ho55IVyG4

“Are you gonna keep dancing forever?”“Yeah. Forever. Or until I remember where my car is.”(more…)