Teaser images of Sonic the Hedgehog offered an ominous glimpse, but the forthcoming movie's first trailer horrified viewers with is unnervingly human computer-graphics Sonic. So furious was the lashing that the filmmakers promised to go back to the drawing board. And here you are, watching the results, embedded above.It's fine!Still has an edge of that special Sonic-fandom unwholesomeness......but this is definitely what Gen X wanted out of 2020, and they're going to get it.Yaaay! Now all you have to worry about in the upcoming Sonic movie is *literally everything else*— Dan Marshall (@danthat) November 12, 2019 Read the rest

It's hard to believe, but the latest installment of McMansion Hell's (previously) tour through the architectural monstrosities of America's tastleless elites is even better than the previous ones -- possibly that's because in this edition, editor/critic Kate Wagner is visiting Virginia's Fairfax and Loudoun Counties, these being affluent DC suburbs where beltway bandits and other swamp-dwellers make their dens.If you combine all of the insipid elements of the other houses: mismatched windows; massive, chaotic rooflines; weird asphalt donut landscaping; pompous entrances, and tacked on masses; you’d get this house. The more one looks at this house the more upsetting it becomes. The turrets don’t match. The roofline is truly mountainous. The windows are either too small or too big for the walls they are housed in. The carhole is especially car hole-y. What sends this one over the top is its surroundings: lush trees and clear skies that have been desecrated in order to build absolute garbage. At least it doesn’t have shutters. 50 States of McMansion Hell: Fairfax and Loudoun County, Virginia [Kate Wagner/McMansion Hell] Read the rest

It's a preview of just how badly things could go in 2020: the Kentucky gubernatorial race was narrowly decided for the Democratic candidate Andy Beshear, but the monumentally unpopular Trumpist incumbent Matt Bevin will not concede, and instead, he is repeating the Trumpist lie that "voter fraud" caused him to lose his office.Supercharging this lie are obvious fake Twitter accounts, like the now-suspended @Overlordkraken1 account, which posted hours after the polls closed with "just shredded a box of Republican mail-in ballots" and "Bye-Bye Bevin." Though the account only had 19 followers and though it was swiftly shuttered, a screenshot of the tweet was retweeted by a botnet army, and then far-right commentators started to cite it as evidence of electoral fraud.The disinformation campaign has also featured bot armies retweeting claims of "rigged elections" and "voter intimidation" (blamed on George Soros, of course!). Mainstream Republican commentators have hinted that the voting machines in Kentucky were hacked (the Republican Senate majority, led by Mitch McConnell, has consistently blocked funding to secure electronic voting machines). The online campaign has been joined by a robocall campaign that urges people to "report suspected electoral fraud." Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes said, "Beyond the routine calls that we field, up to and on Election Day, there are no irregularities that would substantiate a 5,000-vote difference margin that now separates unofficially Governor-elect Beshear with Governor Bevin."Data compiled by VineSight, a start-up that detects disinformation on social media, showed that many of the accounts that tweeted the screenshot of @Overlordkraken1’s ballot-shredding claim appeared to be bots. Read the rest

Here's an ad from Hikvision, the worlds' largest security camera company, boasting of its products' utility in detecting people's ethnicity. James Vincent writes that it "speaks volumes about the brutal simplicity of the techno-surveillance state." [via @CharlesRollet1, who points to an archived webpage that details the "Uyghur detection" feature] Read the rest

If you’re hankering for an unusual outing in Los Angeles, look no further than the Velaslavasay Panorama. Home to the only panorama west of the Mississippi and the only one painted since the nineteenth century, the Velaslavasay is the art form’s newest entry in its long and illustrious history. Panorama paintings were antiquity’s preferred immersive medium, predating film, VR and a much cheaper sightseeing trip than hopping aboard a train.From the Velaslavasay Panorama website:The Velaslavasay Panorama panoramic exhibition encircles the spectator within a fully enveloping atmosphere; a vast painting of a continuous surrounding landscape, accompanied by sound stimulation and three-dimensional elements, affords the viewer an opportunity to experience a complete sensory phenomenon. Historically, the panorama was an immersive 360-degree painted environment, often including a three-dimensional faux terrain in the foreground of the painting to enhance the illusion of depth and simulated reality. An early ancestor of the motion picture, the captivated public would visit these paintings-in-the-round as an entertainment or novelty, much along the same lines as the cinema is seen today.Panoramas were widely accessible, extremely popular (and were lambasted for being so by art critics) and immensely entertaining. The decline in the proliferation of panoramas came about following the spread of cinema and became largely forgotten about, at least in the United States. Enter the Velaslavasay Panorama, first founded by Sara Velas in Hollywood and now located in West Adams. The Velaslavasay has both preserved and updated the medium, incorporating light and sound for a completely immersive panoramic experience. Read the rest

The Sakura Pigma Manga Basic Set comes with 5 pens: 4 Pigma Microns (sizes 005, 01, 05, 08) a black brush pen, and a white ink gel pen (for highlights and to correct mistakes). Amazon has a good prices for the set: Read the rest

Inspired by the way plants grow, MIT researchers designed a flexible robot appendage that can work in tight spaces but is rigid enough to support heavy parts or twist tight screws. From MIT News:The appendage design is inspired by the way plants grow, which involves the transport of nutrients, in a fluidized form, up to the plant’s tip. There, they are converted into solid material to produce, bit by bit, a supportive stem.Likewise, the robot consists of a “growing point,” or gearbox, that pulls a loose chain of interlocking blocks into the box. Gears in the box then lock the chain units together and feed the chain out, unit by unit, as a rigid appendage...“The realization of the robot is totally different from a real plant, but it exhibits the same kind of functionality, at a certain abstract level,” (mechanical engineer Harry) Asada says. Read the rest

The annual 'Thriller' performance at Abbington Senior Living is glorious pic.twitter.com/aEbru9qWA5— Giles Paley-Phillips (@eliistender10) November 10, 2019 Enjoy the funk of, er, 65+ years in this video of the annual Thriller dance at the Abbington Senior Living Mapleton center in Utah. For me, this clip has a similar charm as David Greenberger's eternally amazing Duplex Planet interviews with elderly people. Read the rest

Cop in California legit tried to arrest a black man bc he was “illegally eating.”😳My mind can’t even begin to comprehend the arrogance needed to justify this nonsense pic.twitter.com/cwlobWkRo2— Qasim Rashid, Esq. (@QasimRashid) November 10, 2019"You're eating. It's against the law." That's what this white police officer told a black man who was eating a sandwich while waiting for a train in Contra Costa, California. The man purchased the sandwich in the station, and was eating it outside in the platform while waiting for a BART train. According to the person who shot the video, there are no signs stating that it is forbidden to eat food on train platforms.The officer grabbed the man's backpack and asked him for his identification. The man eating the sandwich calmly told the officer that he was doing nothing wrong and refused to show the cop his ID. The cop called for backup and four other officers arrived to handcuff the man and take him away.“Four cops for eating a sandwich?,” says the man.BART said it is investigating the incident, says The San Francisco Examiner. Read the rest

Myanmar is being sued the by 57-nation Organisation of Islamic Cooperation at the UN's International Court of Justice for allegedly conducting genocide against the Rohingya minority, reports ABC News. The lawsuit, filed by Gambia, alleges that:Starting in October 2016 and then again in August 2017, Myanmar’s security forces engaged in so-called “clearance operations” against the Rohingya, a distinct Muslim ethnic minority, in Rakhine State, Myanmar. The operations, in particular those that started in August 2017, were characterized by brutal violence and serious human rights violations on a mass scale. Survivors report indiscriminate killings, rape and sexual violence, arbitrary detention, torture, beatings, and forced displacement. Reports have also shown that security forces were systematically planning for such an operation against the Rohingya even before the purported reason for the violence — retaliation for small scale attacks committed by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) — occurred. As a result, an estimated 745,000 people — mostly ethnic Rohingya — were forced to flee to Bangladesh.Photo by Yang Jing on Unsplash Read the rest

Self-made entrepreneur and noted thought-leader Donald Trump Jr. disappointed fans at his UCLA book-signing event when he refused to answer questions from the audience. The event, organized by a conservative student organization called Turning Point USA, was meant to last two hours, but the young philanthropic genius left the stage after 20 minutes when it became clear that his girlfriend's angry scolding of the audience wasn't going to pacify them.Image: YouTube Read the rest

One of my family's favorite things to do is wander the neighborhoods of Tokyo. The narrow streets, filled with colorful visual, olfactory, and aural details, never fail to fill me with a sense of wonder. Yesterday one of my daughters showed me a YouTube Channel called Nippon Wandering TV. The person who runs the channel uses a high resolution GoPro (strapped to his chest or head, I guess) and walks through different Tokyo neighborhoods at different times of the day. He doesn't narrate the videos, and I'm glad he doesn't, because it's nice to hear the sounds of the streets -- talking, cars, music, etc. Each video is about 30 minutes long.Image: YouTube Read the rest

My kids and I like to draw. We sometimes go to the weekly figure drawings sessions at the Art Directors Guild in LA, or we just sit at the dining room table and draw. As an amateur sketcher, I'm in awe of illustrator Mark Crilley's skill with a pencil, and with his instructional books and videos. His videos are enjoyable and useful -- he explains what he is doing with a calm, soothing voice, and the tips he offers are often just what I need to gain new understanding about drawing. In his latest video, Mark shows how to add shading to faces.Image: YouTube Read the rest

The most recent episode of Last Week Tonight is John Oliver's celebratory victory lap over the end of coal giant Bob Murray's lawsuit against the show. Murray was suing for a 2017 episode calling Murray a "geriatric Dr. Evil" and for running a scene of a man in a squirrel costume holding a large bank check that said "Eat Shit Bob."Oliver said the lawsuit was a "bullshit effort to silence us" -- in other words, a SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation), which is a way for rich creeps to abuse the legal system to silence anyone who says anything negative about them. (In 2010 Boing Boing was hit with a SLAPP and the plaintiff ended up having to pay us more than $50,000 in legal costs.) Read the rest

Bebop Stop-Motion made this terrific stop-motion cooking clip of a gooey, bubbling pizza from 3,300 photos and countless Lego bricks. And here's a bonus stop-motion cooking classic, "Western Spaghetti" by PES: Read the rest

In 1994, Apple's Mac OS 7 licensing program briefly enabled other companies to make and sell Macintosh computers. In response, Apple employees "Dave Garr & The Licensees" created this delightful parody of Tiffany's "I Think We're Alone Now."(via r/Apple) Read the rest

In 1996, Benjamin Schreiber, 66, was sentenced to life in prison for killing a man with an axe handle. A few years later in the Iowa State Penitentiary, Schreiber suffered from septic poisoning, briefly died, and was resuscitated. So he argued to an Iowa appeals court that he has served his sentence and should be set free. The court ruled with what might be called the "Schrödinger's convict" respsonse. From the New York Times: “Schreiber is either still alive, in which case he must remain in prison, or he is actually dead, in which case this appeal is moot,” Judge Amanda Potterfield wrote for the court....Judge Potterfield wrote in the ruling this week that because “life” is not defined by the state’s code, the judges had given the term “its plain meaning,” which they took to prescribe that Mr. Schreiber must spend the rest of his natural life incarcerated, regardless of whether he had been revived.“We do not find his argument persuasive,” Judge Potterfield wrote, adding that the judges found it unlikely the Legislature would have wanted “to set criminal defendants free whenever medical procedures during their incarceration lead to their resuscitation by medical professionals.”Image: TheCatalyst31 (CC0 1.0) Read the rest

Former Pittsburgh radio personality T.J. Lubinsky is selling his home, about a half-hour outside the city in Gibsonia, Pennsylvania.I'll be honest, I've never heard of this guy. But apparently he has quite a resume. Which I guess is how he and his wife Wenday were able to build this absurdly palatial estate with 14 bedrooms, 10 bathrooms, a "waterfall poolside oasis" with a custom Lilliput playhouse for the kids, and—oh yeah, a two-story replica of the Heinz Chapel as well as a replica of the private study from the 1966 "Batman" show, complete with sliding bookcases, a red phone, and Batpoles.It also contains replica rooms based on "the Queen’s residence next to the Ritz London" and "the Hotel Del Coronado in California." Did I mention that the whole design is based on Newport's Seaview Terrace/Carey Mansion, which was used as the exterior shots for Collinwood Manor in the classic vampire soap opera "Dark Shadows?"While I personally couldn't afford the $3.5 million it would cost to buy this place, but all things considered, I think that's actually a pretty reasonable price for it.724 Bristlecone Drive, Gibsonia, Pennsylvania 15044, via Berkshire Hathaway Real EstateImage via Batman '66, duh Read the rest

The Mandalorian is the new Star Wars TV show premiering on Disney Plus+. Werner Herzog is the famous filmmaker who will also be appearing as an actor on the show.It was only a matter of time before someone mashed-up The Mandalorian’s trailer footage with Herzog’s iconic documentarian voiceover. It’s not Grizzly Man, but it’s close. Read the rest

🎶 Hot drinks! Really gets you going. Warm you up! When you feel you're slowing. ... Don’t think twice, give your guests a juicy slice! 🎶Here's cold: Read the rest

I'm amazed how recognizable some of the pop culture creatures are in Johan Vinet's 8x8 sprite sheet. Vinet's working on a game called Lunark but this particular work conforms to the pallette of the Pico-8 virtual console. [via Pixel Prospector] Read the rest

Uber CEO on Saudi Arabia's killing of Jamal Khashoggi: "It's a serious mistake. We've made mistakes too, right, with self-driving ... So I think that people make mistakes. It doesn't mean that they can never be forgiven" pic.twitter.com/EvinRrh3SE— BNO News (@BNONews) November 11, 2019Uber is significantly backed by Saudi investments and the country's sovereign wealth fund controls a seat on its board. In this video, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi is asked by Axios's Dan Primack about the Saudi regime's murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a U.S.-based journalist and dissident."It's a serious mistake," Khosrowshahi said. "We've made mistakes too, right? With self-driving, and we're recovering from that mistake ... So I think that people make mistakes. It doesn't mean that they can never be forgiven. I think they've taking is seriously."Primack challenged his comparison of a political assassination, as described in a CIA report, to the presumptively accidental killing of a pedestrian by a self-driving car."I didn't read that part of the CIA report," Khosrowshahi said. "You're obviously deeper in it."Khosrowshahi, however, is now very deep in something else.Khosrowshahi later backtracked, telling Axios after the interview had ended that he had misspoken. “I said something in the moment that I do not believe,” said the CEO in a statement. “When it comes to Jamal Khashoggi, his murder was reprehensible and should not be forgotten or excused.” Read the rest

La Machine's new creation is Le Dragon de Calais:From the 1st to 3rd of November, 2019, the City of Calais will discover Le Dragon de Calais during spectacular celebrations. Freed from the subterranean worlds, the Dragon of Calais is heading for the city. This new creation built by La Machine Company will roam the city, manipulated by 17 people who give him life. This big show in the streets of Calais will be the festive prologue to the dragon’s public introduction as a «City Machine» : La Compagnie du Dragon.Here it is in action:🐲🔥 Depuis #Nantes, le Dragon de Calais a rejoint sa ville d'accueil @CalaisOfficiel où il s'est réveillé ce week-end pour un fabuleux spectacle 😍Le dragon des mers a été construit par @lesMachinesNtes 🐉 Une belle réalisation 👏 https://t.co/fhij1rZoL4 pic.twitter.com/oKb8vmXiSY— Ville de Nantes (@nantesfr) November 4, 2019Un immense merci à tous les spectateurs qui ont suivi le périple du #DragondeCalais dans les rues et sur la toile. Merci à la @CalaisOfficiel.Dès le 17 décembre, la @CompagnieDragon vous invite à prendre place sur le dos du Dragon le long du front de mer. pic.twitter.com/IRYKrbzcot— Compagnie La Machine (@lamachinefr) November 4, 2019De Californie, de Belgique, d'Allemagne, d'Angleterre ... le Dragon a déplacé les foules. Près de 400 000 spectateurs étaient présents pour l'arrivée du #DragondeCalais. @CalaisOfficiel @lamachinefr #Calais #hautsdefrance pic.twitter.com/YLNvMMflLU— Compagnie du Dragon (@CompagnieDragon) November 4, 2019 Read the rest

In honor of Hideo Kojima's new game Death Stranding, Matthew "SpartanUruk" Lai created custom Norman Reedus and Mads Mikkelsen figures and various props:I'm excited to share that I'll be making a short Death Stranding film 😀I've been working on this for a few weeks now. Here's a few screenshots, hope yous like it! @HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN @KojiPro2015_EN @DeathStranding_ #DeathStranding #HideoKojima #NormanReedus pic.twitter.com/vcIj3jAAP1— SpartanUruk (@SpartanUruk) October 13, 2019Here's my completed #SamPorterBridges 1/6th custom figure for my upcoming #DeathStranding short film. This was a super tricky custom to make but I'm really happy with the outcome, he's got an LED BB Pod & Odarek. @HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN @Bigbaldhead @KojiPro2015_EN pic.twitter.com/1qxtZD72sd— SpartanUruk (@SpartanUruk) October 20, 2019My final completed #Cliff custom 1/6th figure for my upcoming #DeathStranding short film. Super fun and easy custom to make, I'm really pleased with the results! 😍💀🦀🌈 @theofficialmads @HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN @KojiPro2015_EN pic.twitter.com/3TvkYgS8Yn— SpartanUruk (@SpartanUruk) October 20, 2019Here's the process for Sam's BB Pod & Odarek (with LED's) I made in 1/6th scale for my #DeathStranding film. They're made from clay & plastic, then installed on the figure which you can see on the screenshots to the right. @HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN @KojiPro2015_EN @DeathStranding_ pic.twitter.com/HO7pmXjMfX— SpartanUruk (@SpartanUruk) October 16, 2019Here's the work in process for my #DeathStranding Tank. As you can see I made all the pouches out of fabric, and all the fleshy pieces out of clay which I then painted. 😜👍🌈💀 pic.twitter.com/ckPVq9wSTL— SpartanUruk (@SpartanUruk) October 22, 2019He used those creations to make this suitably weird stop motion short film:And speaking of Death Stranding, The Onion:Man Who Has Not Owned Console Since 2009 Thoughtfully Scans Fifth ‘Death Stranding’ Review Of Day https://t.co/bd1vcccazv pic.twitter.com/iz5xiSkHUK— The Onion (@TheOnion) November 1, 2019 Read the rest

I know the Trumps and their cronies are all a bunch of asshole con artists. I know they get off on saying egregious things for the lulz, as long as they can still turn a profit. I know that they have mastered the art of playing the victim card in order to turn said profits, deliberately framing the world in a hyper-partisan "Us-vs-the-Other" way that is nauseating and divisive and god dammit, still actually working for them.But even in that context, this excerpt from Donald Trump Jr's new book "Triggered: How the Left Thrives on Hate and Wants to Silence Us," is particularly maddening. As reported by Business Insider:Writing about a visit to Arlington National Cemetery the day before his father's inauguration, Trump said: "I rarely get emotional, if ever. I guess you'd call me hyper-rational, stoic. Yet as we drove past the rows of white grave markers, in the gravity of the moment, I had a deep sense of the importance of the presidency and a love of our country ... In that moment, I also thought of all the attacks we'd already suffered as a family, and about all the sacrifices we'd have to make to help my father succeed — voluntarily giving up a huge chunk of our business and all international deals to avoid the appearance that we were 'profiting off of the office.'"He goes on to say: "Frankly, it was a big sacrifice, costing us millions and millions of dollars annually ... Read the rest

Technically, it's illegal for Chinese merchants to refuse payment in cash, but this rule is hardly ever enforced, and China has been sprinting to a cashless society that requires mobile devices -- not credit-cards -- to effect payments, even to street hawkers.This has lots of implications for privacy, surveillance, taxation, and fairness, but in the short term, the biggest impact is on visitors to China, who are increasingly unable to buy anything because they lack Chinese payment apps like Wechat, and even when they install them, the apps' support for non-Chinese bank accounts and credit cards is spotty-to-nonexistent.This is also affecting Chinese people, of course: some elderly people who have been slow to embrace mobile devices are finding themselves frozen out of the system, offering cash to passersby to buy them goods from vending machines. There are also refuseniks who are equally locked out.Tourists are increasingly corralled into guided tours, with paid guides who make purchases on their behalf. The Wall Street Journal piece on the phenomenon quotes a Chinese executive who proposes that the unique Chinese obsession with QR codes (and mobile payments) is itself a reason to visit China, offering tourists a glimpse into another culture. Travelers have had more luck on Alipay, which introduced a seven-step process last week that requires visitors to submit passport and visa information to Alipay, before loading money using an overseas card onto a prepaid card.In a bathroom near the Great Wall recently, Catherine De Witte, a Belgian marketing consultant, was getting frustrated. Read the rest

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is campaigning with Bernie Sanders in Iowa, generally considered a conservative, red-state kind of place -- so much so that Iowa GOP operators made a series of public predictions that she would be laughed out of the state. The state party chairman Jeff Kaufmann called her "Doctor Ocasio-Cortez" and Sanders "Crazy Bernie": "She’s got a problem with our cows here!" while Iowa Senator Joni Ernst predicted that the pair would be booed offstage.Instead, AOC and Sanders played to packed houses who cheered them on as they held a three-hour climate summit, with a panel featuring Sunrise Movement organizer Zina Precht-Rodriguez, and Naomi Klein, whose Leap Manifesto was the precursor to the Green New Deal. The panelists focused on the threats to agriculture from climate change and discussed how a just climate transition would protect small farmers and other workers who had seen their share of the profits from their labor fall even as the wealthy bosses, monopolists and middlemen waxed fat enough that they could peel off vast fortunes to sow expensive doubt about climate change and still retain enough cash to get unimaginably wealthy.It turns out that the 99% of Iowa are just like the 99% of everyone: increasingly aware that they have been turkeys that were duped into voting for Christmas, and increasingly aware that the farmer is out there sharpening the axe.Ocasio-Cortez also just happens to be uncommonly good at this, adept at inverting the arguments that have traditionally been wielded against people with politics like hers. Read the rest

In 1992, the Federal Trade Commission opened an antitrust investigation against Microsoft; in 2001, the company settled the claims, making a slate of pro-competitive promises that were widely derided as too little, too late. The common account of the Microsoft antitrust inquiry is that the US government spent a decade in court and came away with nothing to show for it. This version of history is pervasive, and it's why Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and even the fearless EU antitrust enforcer Margrethe Vestager have all dismissed the idea of antitrust breakups for Big Tech.But there's another version of this story, that goes like this: being dragged through antitrust enforcement actions for a decade was deeply, profoundly traumatic for Microsoft and for Gates, personally. This trauma changed the corporate culture at Microsoft: while there had always been those who argued against monopolistic tactics, they had been dismissed as goody two-shoes who didn't understand how to maximize the company's growth. A decade of traumatic antitrust made prophets of those Chicken Littles, and whenever the monopolists in Microsoft's board rooms argued for bullying, anti-competitive actions, the anti-monopolists could say, "Are you fucking kidding me? You want them to put Bill back on the stand?!"This version has been repeated by many (generally anonymous) ex-Microsoft employees to explain how it was that Microsoft didn't crush Google with the kinds of tactics it used against Netscape and other competitors. This story has always been debatable, because we haven't heard it on the record from anyone who was actually in the company's top management echelon. Read the rest

Mike Bloomberg, the billionaire threatening to enter the Democratic primary race due to Joe Biden's supposedly weak showing for the center, scores only 4% in the first poll to include his name. This puts him in sixth place, behind not only Biden but other moderates who might benefit from his support. Interest in him is so low that it isn't even possible to see where he's getting the 4% from; all the front-runners' own numbers seem unaffected by his entry to the polling pool.Bloomberg’s initial entrance would do little to disrupt the current state of play, according to the national survey of 2,225 registered voters who indicated they may vote in the Democratic primary or caucus in their state, which had a margin of error of 2 percentage points. At 31 percent, former Vice President Joe Biden held his spot as the race’s front-runner, while Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), with 20 percent and 18 percent, respectively, continue to vie for second. It's obviously a vanity candidacy, even assuming Biden is a sinking ship. I can't help but suspect that the only reason for a rich centrist to run instead of supporting Harris, Klobuchar, Buttigieg or Booker is what might generously be called "historical thinking" about the electability of minorities in general and women in particular. Read the rest

Former tech worker Kshama Sawant (previously) won an unprecedented victory in 2013 by running for Seattle city council as on the Socialist Alternative ticket, raising unprecedented sums in small-money donations, and then winning the election after a last-minute surge in the polls.Seattle is a city dominated by a handful of giant corporations (Starbucks, Microsoft, Boeing, and, of course, Amazon) and has historically had a municipal government that put those companies' interests first, so Sawant's victory (and her subsequent re-election) was a huge change in Seattle politics -- and Amazon was determined to change them back.Amazon funnelled $1.5m through a Chamber of Commerce PAC that worked with the "Civic Alliance For A Sound Economy PAC," to back Sawant's opponent and other "business-friendly" candidates -- an eye-popping sum that had climbed considerably since 2015, when Amazon only spent $130k on the city's elections.Once again, Sawant came from behind to win her seat, a phenomenon she attributes to 1,000 doorbell-ringing volunteers. Sawant's losing opponent, Egan Orion, said that the Amazon money was "unnecessary" and "a distraction."Four other candidates endorsed by the Civic Alliance For A Sound Economy also seemed set to lose. Phil Tavel, Heidi Wills, Mark Solomon and Jim Pugel trailed their opponents by at least 6%, with Solomon down by about 20%. Two candidates endorsed by the Pac, Alex Pedersen and Debora Juarez, had substantial leads.A win for Sawant would give her a third term. She has been a fierce critic of the influence of big business on Seattle, and helped lead the push last year for the head tax, a per-employee tax on large corporations that was repealed a month after passing unanimously. Read the rest

Just about everybody from small-time app developers to big database administrators loves Linux. But just because it's open-source doesn't mean its secrets are open to everybody.For that, you need a comprehensive training program like the Complete Linux System Administrator Bundle.If you're chasing any kind of career in coding, this is the online regimen that will put you on the quickest path to system admin.The seven-course bundle includes a broad overview of Unix and Linux that will give beginners a firm foundation and can even teach experienced coders a few new shortcuts. You'll also get a variety of specialized classes, including a comprehensive look at the versatile and widely used Red Hat Linux platform and tutorials on bash scripting and app development.Before long, you'll move on to top-level courses on the admin side of Linux. Classes on Python and OpenSUSE will enable you to maintain and protect even the largest networks.All in all, it's nearly 120 hours of training that will serve you well on any IT resume. The entire package is now on sale for more than 95% off the list price. Read the rest

Earlier this year, Boing Boing favorite artist Darren Cullen (previously) and Gavin Grindon created a Museum of Neoliberalism in Brighton, England -- now, he's fundraising to open it up again in London for six months.The Museum's inspiration was "the official and sycophantic 'Margaret Thatcher Centre and Library'" -- Cullen and Grindon want to rival it with an anti-Thatcher museum that rebuts the idiotic slogan, "There is no alternative."The London version opens next week, on Nov 16, in Lewisham.Museum of Neoliberalism [Darren Cullen and Gavin Grindon/Spelling Mistakes Cost Lives](via Marginal Revolution) Read the rest

NZ Green Party MP Chlöe Swarbrick was giving a speech in favour of stricter carbon emissions standards when the 50-year-old National Party Climate Critic Todd Muller heckled her; without missing a beat, she fired back "OK Boomer" and moved on to making a rather good and eloquent point about need for intense action on climate.Muller's National Party are the authoritarian money-launderers who ruled NZ under John Key, whose party used the Christchurch earthquake as an excuse to ram through their monumentally unpopular copyright/internet disconnection legislation, allowing an MP to hold up aid to people dying under the rubble unless the disconnection law was reintroduced at the same time. Key's Nationals also oversaw the transformation of New Zealand into a financial secrecy haven whose role in global money laundering was revealed by the Panama and Paradise Papers. In the 2017 national elections, the party was destroyed by Jacinda Arden's Labour Party."OK Boomer" is a viral zinger deployed by millennials and Gen-Z'ers when they are concern-trolled and mocked by their elders, including (but not limited to) baby boomers (older Xers like Muller are clearly fair game).Swarbrick's no-eyelashes-batted-nor-fucks-given use of the phrase made a lot of elderly snowlflakes angry, including the noted reactionary William Shatner, who called it "childish," proving Swarbrick's point. Muller tweeted an incoherent vat of weaksauce that focused on the fact that he was too young to be a boomer. Hilariously, the NZ Parliamentary captioning service transcribed the phrase as "OK, Burma" and later promised to hold weekly meme briefings to prevent a similar occurrence. Read the rest

Koko the gorilla (RIP) amazed the world when she learned to communicate with humans, but now there's a dog whose learned to "talk." Not with sign language, but with a soundboard. According to her speech-language pathologist person, Christina Hunger, Stella the dog has already learned 29 words and several phrases. By pressing her paw on the pre-programmed buttons, she has learned to say what's on her mind. People:One day, the [18-month-old] pup was whining at the front door and started pacing back and forth. Hunger assumed that she needed to go outside. Instead, Stella walked to her device and tapped out, “Want,” “Jake” “Come” then stood in front of the door until Hunger’s fiancé, Jake, came home a few minutes later and then Stella immediately pressed “Happy” and rolled over for a belly rub.Here are a few videos of Stella doing her thing: View this post on Instagram Hello there everyone!! 🤗 Welcome to the Hunger for Words community! I’m THRILLED you’re here! I feel completely honored by this outpouring of enthusiasm and inspiration ✨✨ Here is a fun Stella series to kick off this new chapter! • Jake and I were discussing taking Stella to Petco. She was certainly listening...! • Video 1: Stella said “Goodbye outside.” This is the third time in the past few weeks that Stella has combined “good” and “bye” to say “Goodbye” instead of just “bye”! • Video 2: Jake said he wanted to hang our spice racks first, started the project, and Stella told him, “Later Jake” 😂😂 (Translation: Do that later, I want to go!) • Video 3: Stella came full circle with her message and told us she was REALLY ready to leave by saying, “Bye bye bye good bye!” (Looks like we have ourselves a little @nsync fan 😜) • I hope you all have a great day! Read the rest

If you want to be an app developer for Android, there's never been a better time. Languages like Kotlin are tailor-made for functionality, and the Jetpack suite of tools makes the whole process easier.The only hurdle is learning your way around these tools, and that's where the Android Jetpack & App Development Certification Bundle can pave your way to a career on the creative side of the tech economy.These linked courses not only teach you every aspect of these platforms but get you certified in their use. Check out what you get:Android Jetpack Masterclass in Java - A complete walkthrough on Jetpack's functionalities, including (most importantly) the latest on its vast array of libraries.State-of-the-Art Android App Development in Kotlin - Kotlin is the language behind a range of tools that you'll need for any kind of development, both server and client-side. This course gets you familiar with its core concepts and how it works with JSON, Dagger 2 and other key programs.Build a Twitter-like App for Android - There's no education like experience. This hands-on walkthrough will let you use your newfound Kotlin and Firebase knowledge to create a working social media platform.Android Jetpack Masterclass in Kotlin - The perfect course to show you how well Jetpack works with the primary Android coding language. By the end of the lectures, you'll have first-hand understanding of concepts like data binding and the AndroidX libraries.Build a Tinder Clone for Android from Scratch - Ready to put your skills to work? Read the rest

It's not official, by any pronouncement or claim, but this is reportedly the provisional design for Mike Bloomberg's presidential campaign logo. (UPDATE: denied by the campaign; it's apparently the work of a Mike Bloomberg fansite)̧̝͛̇ͦ̓Z̹̞̗͍̐ͪ͛̈̊͋Á̻͖̼̙̺̔ͧ͂ͫͅL̼̦̯͇͈̕G̫͔̦̰̬͇̅ͩ̐̈ͭ̉Õ̬̓͂̈̾ͭͮ!̞ͥ Read the rest

"Who bought this? Who wanted this?"Seattle-based novelty company Archie McPhee is bringing out the weird with a new web series that is reminiscent of the low-budget cable shows of yore, and I mean that in the best way possible. The Archie McPhee Archives with Mr. Q premiere starts with a guy in a leopard-print fez and a black sweatshirt emblazoned with a big white question mark ("Mr. Q") digging through cryptically-marked banker boxes in the company's warehouse. We're then shown each of the bizarro items he chose, one by one. Of course, he saves the best for last. Two words: Mutant. Farm.As someone who has toured that very warehouse and has dreamt about rifling around in each one of those boxes, I really appreciate this new show. Can't wait to see what they showcase next.The series was inspired by the items they share in their "too weird" for their "main [Instagram] account," Cult of Bibo. Here's a taste: View this post on Instagram Inspiration for 2020A post shared by Bibo Weirdmaker (@cultofbibo) on Sep 1, 2019 at 10:12am PDT View this post on Instagram Usually everything is better with googly eyes. Usually. #thrifthorrorA post shared by Bibo Weirdmaker (@cultofbibo) on Nov 7, 2019 at 8:59am PSTLong live, Archie McPhee! Read the rest

This week, 99% Invisible and Rose Eveleth focus on chili peppers. Picking chili peppers is back-breaking work, and increasingly farm owners can't find anyone willing to do it:Farms across the United States are reporting shortages of labor. Since 2002, the number of immigrants coming into the United States to work in agriculture has dropped by 75 percent. In California, one survey found that 56 percent of farmers were unable to hire enough workers.Green chili peppers are particularly difficult to pick:Green chilis are just unripe red chilis which means that the seeds inside of them aren’t ready to germinate yet, so the plant doesn’t want to give the fruit up, and it holds onto it more tightly.As a result, farmers are planting fewer chili peppers:In 1997, New Mexico farmers planted over 30,000 acres of chilis. Last year, there were only 8,400.Efforts to design chili pepper-picking robots have largely failed:Instead of picking the peppers off the plant, the machine would literally rip up the entire plant and try to stuff it in its mouth, like some kind of mechanical toddler choking on a toy. Another machine they tested had the opposite problem — it was so gentle that it left 40 percent of the fruit on the plant.So, scientists have set out to design a chili pepper that's easily-picked by a machine (like the Moses 1000 seen above):Walker’s special peppers will need to have a few key traits, like stronger, deeper roots, more fruits hanging on the outside of the plant, and of course… good flavor. Read the rest

Inspired by an illustration of the Notorious B.I.G. by Adam Rosenlund:Rafael Phillips created the Notorious MODOK:He has since made it available in a gray version: View this post on Instagram Taking pre-orders for the grey NOTORIOUS M.O.D.O.K. ! $75.00 per unit! If you’re interested, message me at Raphaelp3d@gmail.com . The gold chrome is still $250.00 per unit, but now we got options baybeeee! Let me know which one you want in the email 🤙🏾 . . . #raph3d #sculpture #collectibles #biggie #lightboxexpo #statues #marvel #hiphop #3d #instaart #modok #3dprinting #sla #fineart #marvelcomics #zbrush #digitalart #3dmodeling #sculptorA post shared by Raphael Imhotep (@jehutysan) on Sep 6, 2019 at 1:26pm PDTAnd now he is working on Jay-Z as Galactus:Jaylactus, starting this back up! 💪🏾 pic.twitter.com/1PlnMvwVcq— big meh (@Jehutysan) November 6, 2019 Read the rest

Need a power solution for your devices that won't quit on you after it bends the wrong way? We've all been frustrated with cheap charging cables, but a more permanent solution actually isn't much more expensive. Here are 10 sale-priced charging cables that can actually stand up to daily use.Nylon Braided iPhone Lightning CableThe reliable 8-pin connector keeps things charging safely while the Kevlar fiber core keeps the wiring safe and flexible. It's the perfect 3.3-foot cable for any Apple device.Sale Price: $9.99MSRP: $15.99Voice Reactive LED Glowing Data Cables: 2-PackThe sound-activated chip in these cables allows it to pulse with colorful lights in time to any ambient music. That's not just cool-looking, it's constant reassurance that they're working and keeping your gadgets charged.Sale Price: $16.99MSRP: $29.99Nomad 0.3M Lightning CableThese Apple MFi-Certified cords are braided with ballistic-grade nylon, but they're protected against more than just tearing and stripping. They've also got an extra dose of RF shielding that makes your data transfers that much faster.Sale Price: $10.99MSRP: $24.95JunoPower Kaebo Braided Anti-Tear Charging Cable: 3-PackTake these cables on the go and breathe easy. The nylon cloth covers hold up miles better than typical lightning cables, and the slim aluminum heads fit into most iPhone cases.Sale Price: $13.00MSRP: $29.99Just Mobile AluCable Duo for iOS & Android DevicesThis 5' cable offers plenty of length, but that's the least of its conveniences. The adjustable cables work with both Micro-USB or Lightning ports, making it great for families who own both Apple and Android devices. Read the rest

Lisa Rein writes, "Today, Saturday November 9th is Aaron Swartz Day all over the world. We have events going on all over the world here - with a Zoom channel andGitters set up for questions that will be monitored from San Francisco all day (The San Francisco event details are here for FOIAPALOOZA).Also we have a ton of projects, that folks can hack on from anywhere - even the comfort of their own home. These include SecureDrop & Open Library, which Aaron co-created, and also, for journalists and researchers, we've collected all the documents from our Police Surveillance Project." Read the rest

The misogyny and male-centric myopia that lurks barely beneath the surface of the tabloids is proudly strutting its stuff again this week.

When Blizzard Entertainment president J Allen Brack opened this month's Blizzcon with a carefully worded apology over the company's suspension of Blitzchung, the Hearthstone champ who was punished for his in-game support of the Hong Kong protesters, what he didn't say (the words "Hong Kong" or "China") was just as newsworthy as what he did.It turns out that paying attention to Brack's omissions is key to understanding his approach: though he apologized for his handling of the Blitzchung affair and promised to do better, he did not promise to rescind Blitzchung's suspension, something that was strongly implied by the apology and the promise. And, true to form, he has not lifted that suspension.In a PC Gamer interview, Brack says that Blitzchung was suspended for making a political statement during a match, and not for offending the Chinese state, on whose largesse Blizzard depends for billions in annual revenue. Brack promised that any Blizzard tournament player who made any political statement would have faced similar punishment. It would be great to try this out! Let's get some Blizzard competitors to try saying things like "China has a good government" or "American democracy is a noble experiment" or "I am cautiously supportive of European financial union" or "Happy Canada Day" and see what happens.PC Gamer: I wanted to revisit the statement you made at the beginning of the opening ceremony yesterday. You said Blizzard is "committed to everyone's right to express themselves in all kinds of ways and all kinds of places," and you made a commitment to do better going forward and that your actions are going to matter more than words do. Read the rest

An Orlando county Sheriff's deputy was fired on the spot after video showed him grabbing a teen girl by her hair and yanking her head backwards. The video shows the deputy, who the agency has not publicly identified, taking a girl into custody Thursday afternoon in the parking lot of the Summerset apartments off Oak Ridge Road in south Orange, about a block from the middle school. The girl screams as the deputy pulls her head backward.Later in the video, which has been viewed more than 45,000 times on Facebook, the deputy brandishes his baton at a crowd that gathered. Near the end of the encounter, he yells at the crowd that they are all “stupid little children."The Sheriff's office is, however, refusing to release the deputy's name.Asked under what exemption to Florida’s Sunshine Law the deputy’s name was being withheld, the agency acknowledged the question but did not provide an exemption or further explanation Friday. Read the rest

Starting Monday, you can enroll in a free massively open online course from Coursera on inequality: "Most countries are getting more and more unequal. But the core of democracy is political equality: that everyone should have an equal say in how their country is run. Can we really expect these things to go together? Can people have equal political power while economic inequality grows and grows? This course takes students through the issues. It covers the reality of economic inequality, and how corporations and wealthy individuals are able to convert economic into political power. Students learn about lobbying and campaign finance, tax avoidance and capital flight. The course discusses the value of democracy, and the possibility of alternatives to our current economic system. This is an interdisciplinary course combining politics, philosophy, economics, history and law. The course is for anyone looking for an accessible introduction to these topics: concerned citizens, or those in fields such as politics, media, education, government or law. Although the topics are unusual, the difficulty level is similar to the first-year of an undergraduate degree. No prior knowledge is assumed." (Image: mSeattle, CC BY) (via Crooked Timber) Read the rest

Does your company do data analytics? Chances are that at least part of that infrastructure is coded in R. There's simply no better programming environment for working with statistics, which makes it invaluable in an economy where data equals money.Want to put your coding skills to the best use? The Complete R Programming Certification Bundle can help get you in the door as a valuable member of any data analytics team.This 6-course training bundle tackles all the main functionalities of R, including several that can be essential to machine learning. You'll learn how to sort and classify massive chunks of data, then wrangle and visualize it with tools like Dpylr and Ggplot2.You'll also learn the same techniques used by major tech companies to mine social media platforms for valuable data. And a comprehensive course on regression analysis will let you sift through that data for meaningful answers.The full course package contains 35 hours of lectures and hands-on workshops. The entire bundle is now on sale for 97% off the MSRP. Read the rest

A worker at what appears to be an art studio scolded her co-workers for tricking her with an ersatz doorknob and a phony computer display.What's wrong with my computer from r/Unexpected Read the rest

Can you believe racist Jefferson Beauregard Sessions is running to come back to the Senate? Sessions has no respect for himself in the way he's singing Trump's praises who embarrassed him, called him a "dumb southerner", & threw him under the bus. What a mindless wonder!— Maxine Waters (@RepMaxineWaters) November 8, 2019 I love Maxine Waters. Read the rest

In Episode 4 of this podcast on the future of humanity, hosts John and Eva go in search of transhumanist hero Dr. Phil Kennedy, who back in 2015 had a brain-computer interface installed in his own head. As Wired's Daniel Enger reported at the time, the procedure almost caused Dr. Kennedy to lose his mind. So what's happened to him and his brain interface since then? Eva takes a transatlantic trip to find out...The Life Cycle is a production of Klang Games, creator of Seed, the planet colonization MMO -- watch the new trailer here. Subscribe to The Life Cycle on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify. Follow The Life Cycle on Twitter and Instagram. Read the rest