Great news. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has been released from a Baltimore hospital, after receiving treatment for what was described yesterday as a possible infection, a court spokeswoman said on Wednesday.The U.S. Supreme Court’s oldest member returned home and is “doing well,” spokeswoman Kathy Arberg said in a statement. Ginsburg, 87, underwent a procedure at Johns Hopkins Hospital on Tuesday to clean a bile duct stent that was inserted last August, the court said Wednesday. More at Reuters.Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg treated in hospital for 'possible infection' Read the rest
In Allenhurst, Georgia, a town of less than 700 people, a woman's body was spotted by the railroad tracks. Liberty County deputies gathered at the scene and waited for the coroner, reports WSAV-TV, and after a while they realized the female corpse was actually a sex doll.Detective Mike Albritton said officers found the sex doll Tuesday afternoon, WSAV-TV reported:By policy, law enforcement officers do not touch a deceased person until the coroner arrives, so they placed a sheet over the suspected body and waited.When the coroner arrived, detectives began to check for injuries and immediately discovered the body was a female sex doll. The doll was anatomically correct, with realistic skin and features, and was fully dressed, authorities say.Albritton said in all his years, he has never encountered a situation like this. Body found by railroad tracks in Liberty Co. turns out to be sex doll Read the rest
[This is a guest post from Tara Altebrando, who has a new sci-fi thriller out, called Take Me With You. -- Mark]The Accidental Sci-Fi WriterBy Tara AltebrandoIt’s always nerve-wracking when the first review of your newest novel appears in your inbox. It’s particularly terrifying when that review is from a publication whose anonymous reviewers are not known for their tendency toward high praise. So when I clicked through an email from my editor and saw that this particular anonymous reviewer liked my YA thriller Take Me With You—“Hurray!” said my editor—I was pleasantly surprised. And then just plain surprised…because they tagged the book as “Science Fiction.”What? Who me?I actually said to my husband, “How on earth did I become a science fiction writer?”But upon reflection, it’s not as crazy as I first thought. Yes, I spent a lot of my YA career writing solidly contemporary realistic YA. Way back in 2005, my first YA, The Pursuit of Happiness, was a textbook, semi-autobiographical coming of age story. As recently as 2013, Sara Zarr and I coauthored Roomies, which is firmly grounded in the reality of two-college bound teens. Even my 2015 book The Leaving could technically be thought of as contemporary realistic in that it could maybe happen…but not really…so maybe that’s when I started to delude myself.The Leaving tells the story of six children who disappear when they’re five years old then return (well, five of them do) when they’re sixteen with no memory of where they’ve been. Read the rest
Chris Notap shows how to make a power drill attachment that lets you chill can of soda or beer in 90 seconds. It would take 20 minutes to cool a similar can simply by putting it in an ice bath. Read the rest
Everyone in Minneapolis feels a lot safer, now that police there are using taxpayer-funded drones to spot people -- especially Blacks and topless women -- committing the crime of removing their clothes at an unofficial nude beach.From Fast Company:The devices caught images of people exposing parts of their bodies they later covered up when officers arrived on the beach. The police say the drone surveillance is legal, since the beach is a public place, but it understandably made some beachgoers uncomfortable. Some also consider the current law discriminatory—it allows men to be topless but not women—and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board is considering changing it, according to the report.People at the beach also accused police of singling out Black beachgoers, approaching them first, and pushback from the crowd ultimately made the officers leave, according to the report.Image: Jumpstory / CC0 Read the rest
On July 12, ex-game show host Chuck Woolery, noted epidemiologist and member of Trump's loyalty cult, tweeted, "The most outrageous lies are the ones about Covid 19. Everyone is lying. The CDC, Media, Democrats, our Doctors, not all but most,that we are told to trust. I think it's all about the election and keeping the economy from coming back, which is about the election. I'm sick of it."The most outrageous lies are the ones about Covid 19. Everyone is lying. The CDC, Media, Democrats, our Doctors, not all but most ,that we are told to trust. I think it's all about the election and keeping the economy from coming back, which is about the election. I'm sick of it.— Chuck Woolery (@chuckwoolery) July 13, 2020Trump rewarded Dr. Woolery's insight with a retweet.When Dr. Woolery's son tested positive for the virus, he tweeted, "To further clarify and add perspective, Covid-19 is real and it is here. My son tested positive for the virus, and I feel for of those suffering and especially for those who have lost loved ones."To further clarify and add perspective, Covid-19 is real and it is here. My son tested positive for the virus, and I feel for of those suffering and especially for those who have lost loved ones.— Chuck Woolery (@chuckwoolery) July 13, 2020I don't think Trump will retweet that. :( Read the rest
We have three rescue cats, and one of them slow blinks at me every time I look at him. According to this article, cats slow blink to Indicate that they do not feel threatened by you.Rae Paoletta writes:If a cat closes its eyes around like it’s falling asleep, it’s signaling that it doesn’t view you as a threat. This is similar to the way some cats expose their bellies to their humans, which signals trust and vulnerability. For kitties, the absence of extreme hatred is love, and as cat owners know, there is no in-between.Now I want someone to explain why my cat stretches and raises his paw to me like he's saying hello.Image: Jumpstory / CC0 Read the rest
Back in January, the new movie Palm Springs broke a record for the highest sale at the Sundance Film Festival — by exactly 69 cents.We should have seen that as an omen.The movie began streaming on Hulu this past Friday, July 10th, and in less than a week, it has an 84% on MetaCritic and a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. Those are some impressively high accolades for any movie, but especially for a RomCom by a first-time director starring Andy Samberg. But, in my humble opinion, the film deserves it.The elevator pitch for Palm Springs is essentially Groundhog's Day meets Hot Tub Time Machine meets Wedding Crashers — again, not the type of film you'd expect to garner such critical acclaim. Andy Samberg's character, Nyles, has been trapped in a time loop at a wedding where he doesn't know anyone except his girlfriend, who's in the wedding party, and also cheating on him. He is stuck at the resort, living the day over and over and over and over again, eventually resigning himself to the situation and trying to have some fun before the loop resets. When he tries to hook up with Sarah (Cristin Milioti), the older sister of the bride, he accidentally brings her into the time loop as well. And we soon learn that there are other wedding guests whose fates are now locked into this same endless repeating pattern. (Spoiler: one is JK Simmons, delightful as ever.)Palm Springs does the expected job of working through all the humor of time travel and repetition; of course, the timeliness of its release during our collective societal quarantine probably helps to make that monotony feel even relatable. Read the rest
While the White House launches its smear campaign against Dr. Fauci, The Lincoln Project churns out another great anti-Trump ad to set things straight. The ad starts by reminding us that Dr. Fauci has worked for six presidents, including President H.W. Bush, who praised Dr. Fauci as an American hero during the fight against AIDS. "Now Trump is attacking Dr Fauci," the narrator says. "Why? Because Trump failed America." As the coronavirus keeps spreading, killing nearly 140,000 people in the United States so far, Fauci's strategy is to give us facts and the truth, while Trump's strategy -- besides pushing "cures" that are proven to be deadly -- is to attack and blame. The final message: "So who do you trust? Donald the dope? Or the doctor?" Read the rest
Boing Boing presents these words from our sponsor, Real Tested CBD!Given there is a global pandemic, ways to boost the immune system are even more sought after than usual. Having a strong immune system is the base for staying healthy, and though there are a lot of products people use to aid in immune wellness, CBD is on the rise as a top choice in boosting immune health. So how can this ever-growing in popularity compound help you with health and wellness, specifically boosting your immune system? Here is a breakdown of what you need to know. What Is The Immune System? Our bodies have a built-in system that keeps invaders at bay. On a daily basis we are exposed to streams of diseases, infections, viruses and bacteria. Our immune systems, a network of cells, organs and tissues that work together to destroy these foreign cells or particles, keeping us healthy and alive. The heroes of our immune system are the white blood cells, which fall into two categories. There are the lymphocytes and phagocytes. Lymphocytes are also known as B or T-cells, and are responsible for destroying toxins and identifying foreign substances within the body. Phagocytes help to absorb these invaders, neutralizing and preventing further spread of toxins. Out immune system also works to eliminate dead or non-functioning cells, preventing multiplication and tumor growth. What Is CBD? CBD is a non-psychoactive compound derived from cannabis or hemp plants. CBD, also known as cannabidiol, is the cousin to its well-known intoxicating counterpart, THC. Read the rest
There is less water on planet Earth than on Pluto, as revealed in this graphic by NASA's Steve Vance (bio). Moreover, five moons orbiting other worlds in our solar system—Europa, Triton, Callisto, Titan and Ganymede—have more. Ganymede has nearly 40 times as much water as planet Earth! Read the rest
This bit of grainy film footage with bad audio wouldn't be notable except that it depicts Easy Cure playing a 1977 show in Crawley, UK. The following year, Easy Cure dropped "Easy" from their name, recorded the demos below, signed to Polydor Records' Fiction label, and released their first single, "Killing An Arab." The rest is post-punk, proto-goth history.(via r/ObscureMedia) Read the rest
For five years, Boing Boing contributor Ariel Waldman, an artist-turned-science hacker developed the skills necessary to become a "wildlife filmmaker at the microbial scale." Finally, she spent more than a month in Antarctica documenting the strange, beautiful, and "invisible" creatures that live there. Her project, "Life Under Ice," was meant to be the subject of her TED2020 talk in Vancouver in April. Of course, TED2020 was changed to an entirely online event. Above is Ariel's wonderful talk about the incredibly curious and beautiful lifeforms she encountered in Antarctica. From TED:In this tour of the microscopic world, explorer and artist Ariel Waldman introduces the charismatic creatures lurking beneath Antarctica's massive ice sheet, the largest on earth. From "cuddly" water bears to geometric algae made of glass, Waldman shows how this seemingly barren landmass is actually a polar oasis of life -- if we just know where to look. Read the rest
Last week, someone set Walt Disney World's reopening video to the gloomy title music from The Shining. This week, YouTuber Sycorax Rock has set the same video (with some 'bonus footage') to Blue Oyster Cult's "Don't Fear the Reaper." As one commenter quips, "Be Our Guest! Be Our Guest! Put Your Mortality to The Test!"The internet is also busy re-envisioning another Disney video. This official "Welcome Home" video was posted on the @DisneyParksJobs Instagram feed. YouTuber Tony Goldmark wasted no time fixing it to be a "Stay at Home" video instead: In related news, Hong Kong Disneyland has closed again:The resort, which reopened on June 18, is shutting down after Hong Kong tightened its social-distancing measures following a rise of 52 new coronavirus cases in the city."As required by the government and health authorities in line with prevention efforts taking place across Hong Kong, Hong Kong Disneyland park will temporarily close from July 15," a Disney (DIS) spokesperson said. screengrab via Tony Goldmark/YouTube Read the rest
Jeff Sessions is finished. The GOP stalwart, one of Donald Trump's earliest supporters and his first Attorney General while in office, was defeated yesterday in the Republican primary runoff in Alabama by Tommy Tuberville. Tuberville was Trump's pick; the president turned on and ultimately rid himself of Sessions after he failed various loyalty tests in office, not least refusing to put an early end to the Mueller investigationTuberville, a party cutout who kept a low profile during the campaign, now faces Democrat Doug Jones in November. Alabama is the Dems' most vulnerable Senate seat and was only won thanks to the GOP's then-candidate, Roy Moore, being an alleged sexual harasser of young girls. Read the rest
With all the website builders on the market, it can feel overwhelming to choose the best one for your needs. The most important things to look for are usability, flexibility and a professional look and feel. That’s why over 180 million people use Wix to create the website of their dreams.Here are the top 3 reasons to build your website with Wix.Wix caters to everyone, from beginners to professionalsWhether you’re creating your very first or your 100th website, Wix has a solution for you. If you’re a beginner, one option is to let Wix do the work for you with its advanced design intelligence (ADI) tool. Simply answer a few questions about the type of website you want to create and ADI will create it for you. The other option is to use Wix’s editor that lets you choose from hundreds of templates that you can customize yourself. If you have lots of experience creating websites, Corvid by Wix gives you the freedom to code and build your own advanced web applications.Wix offers professional features for any kind of websiteWix has over 500 templates for a wide range of industries including eCommerce, health, beauty, fitness, hospitality, food, design, creative arts, and more. You can customize any template to fit the look and feel of your brand. In addition, Wix has an App Market with hundreds of Wix and third-party apps to meet your needs and enhance your business.Wix helps you get site trafficBuilding your website is only part of the process. Read the rest
The writer in me always loved to play Apples to Apples when I was younger — it was finally a game that would reward my clever wordplay and sense of humor (or at least, sometimes, depending on who I was playing with). But as the ribald alternative Cards Against Humanity began to catch on, I typically found myself filled with disappointment.After the laughter resided, anyway. I definitely laughed. But they were cheap, empty laughs. Of course you laugh. The game is built on provoking cheap uncomfortable laughs. And frankly, it does that quite well! That's all it really does though — all it's ever done. It gives you permission to say vulgar things and laugh at them, which could be entertaining for a while. But there's nothing unique about the experience, just like there's no strategy involved in shocking people with Hitler's Cum on Barbara Streisand's 9/11 Applesauce, or whatever random combination of cards you get.(It did also require me to explain fleshlights to my parents and in-laws, which was, erm, less than ideal.)I've felt this for a while (before the fleshlight incident), and as such, was not surprised but disappointed to learn that the company behind Cards Against Humanity has let a toxic culture fester all this time. It turns out all those racist and sexist cards maybe weren't meant to be ironic after all, but actually reflective of the company's gross working atmosphere. (Those who remain in that cesspool are trying to unionize, which I support, though I'm hesitant about how much good it will do in the end.) Read the rest
Matt Jordan takes viewers through the complex process of making a wood coffee mug on a lathe.He says:This has to be my most requested project both on and off YT, so here it is...a coffee mug, with a handle. The mug is made from a small apple log with plenty of burl, the handle is also made from burl but with a Pewter centre piece. The mug is finished with Pure Tung oil, this oil is food safe and provides a very good water proof coating, the only downside is the time taken to apply in at least 5 coats and then around 4 weeks to fully cure, however once done it provides a very durable water proof coating that can sustain hot drinks etc and hand washing.Bonus video: this cool speaker he just made:His Instagram has lots of neat photos and videos of his gear: View this post on Instagram Part of a new speaker system coming soon to YouTube! #woodturning #epoxyresin #speakersystemA post shared by Matt Jordan (@mj_woodturning) on Jul 5, 2020 at 3:28am PDTCheck out his website for bespoke handcrafted items.Image: YouTube / Matt Jordan Read the rest
This year, the Human Rights Campaign has recorded at least 21 violent deaths of transgender or gender non-conforming people. In 2019, they tracked at least 27. In what is being called an “epidemic,” 2020 is likely to see more fatal attacks than in 2019.The Human Rights Campaign says “at least” because “too often these stories go unreported -- or misreported.”The month of June brought celebrations of LGBTQ+ Pride that often intersected with the Black Lives Matter protests.Tori Cooper, Director of Community Engagement for HRC’s Trans Justice Initiative, said, “In just four days, we have seen the deaths of at least three transgender and gender non-conforming people […] This horrific spike in violence against our community must be an urgent call to action for every single person in this nation,” in response to the July 1 killing of 32-year-old Shaki Peters.On July 3, 27-year-old Bree Black was killed in Pompano Beach, Florida, making her the fourth Black transgender woman to be murdered in eight days.Transgender women of color, particularly Black transgender women, are disproportionately victimized. Eight out of the 21 reported murders this year have been Black transgender women.Another alarming trend on the Human Rights Campaign’s list of lives lost is that at least five of the killings occurred in Puerto Rico. No other states appear on the list more than once, with the exceptions of Texas and Florida, which both appear twice.This is not only a murder epidemic.In May, Kristian Rouse, an 18-year-old Black transgender male, was found by his mother and sister severely beaten in their apartment. Read the rest
Conveying the scale and devastation of this year's pandemic is not easy, but the folks at Global Stats created this impressive timelapse that shows how the United States became the epicenter of the disease.The timelapse is based on the WHO Situations Report. Donald Trump has of course declared war on WHO as part of his long-running "kill the messenger" strategy of self-preservation. Via Global Stats:This video shows the progress of Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic timelapse from its first cases on late December 2019, to more than 10,000,000 cases on late June 2020. It shows confirmed cases by country, number of deaths by country and world death rate, as well of milestones so far.Bonus video: this map by James Beckwith uses a ping sound effect for each death and different tones for each country, which starts off slow and builds into a cacophonous crescendo:Image: YouTube / Global Stats Read the rest
This is quasi funny and sad all at once. Stay classy Huntington Beach. pic.twitter.com/0kTvXcK9b5— Michael Silver (@BigEastSilver) July 14, 2020Welcome to Huntington Beach California, where sociopathic no-maskers are proud to declare their god-given right to spread aerosolized droplets of a deadly virus on the elderly and people with compromised immune systems.Image: Twitter Read the rest
My multitalented friend Cooper Bates is the co-founder of Hint Mint (which features artists' work on mint tins), a stage performer, and a photographer. He's got a new project on Kickstarter, and I signed up for it. It's a deck of conversation/introspection cards called "I Think Therefore I Question."From the Kickstarter description:I Think Therefore I Question is more than just words on paper. It's more than manufactured questions generated by co-workers in a think tank. This deck is an expression of my cumulative lifetime of experiences, interactions, and friendships amassed on a beautifully designed deck of cards. 60 cards, with 60 thoughtful if not eccentric questions crafted to mine entertaining, unexpected answers, interesting conversations, and a whole lot of fun. And just for the record: the questions in this deck are thoughtful and sincere. I don't move through the world presenting crass topics in the interest of shock value. Enter with an open spirit and you will learn a little something about yourself, too. Read the rest
This year, the merry-go-round of summer music festivals is not happening, all the major events have been canceled. And that's a bummer. But luckily, the pandemic didn't stop artists' creativity. Here comes a musical consolation, Flux & Contemplation — Portrait of an Artist in Isolation courtesy of Simon Posford.Simon Posford (a.k.a. Hallucinogen) is an internationally acclaimed figure of the psychedelic trance scene, with groundbreaking productions under his belt, among which the boundary-defying collaboration called Shpongle.Reflecting on his own experience of being in lockdown, Posford has crafted a refined psychedelic chillout/downtempo piece of work. Flux & Contemplation is an elegant gallery of sonic portraits, each track a signpost of an inner journey—ranging from minimal, trance-like, haunting vibes, to more uplifting melodies and groovy rhythms. The overall result is a very satisfying and intense listening experience.In a culture "where music has become more and more a commodity barely heard in the background, Posford's inspired and involved creative process transforms his handiwork into foreground music, his experience breaking free while in isolation providing a parallel experience for listeners".Looking forward to seeing Simon Postford live again on stage, surrounded by a crowd of happy revelers, Flux & Contemplation is a ray of hope while imagining brighter futures. Read the rest
A Delaware pizza shop owner threw a hot pizza pie at an attempted robber, police say.The owner of Stargate Pizza in Greenwood told troopers that on Friday, a man with a machete approached him and demanded money. The pizza shop owner said he told the man he didn’t have any, and threw a pizza at him, after which the machete-wielding man fled in a car.Troopers say the shop owner was not injured, and they are asking anyone with information to contact state police. The news release doesn’t say what happened to the pizza, or what kind it was. From the Delaware State Police:The Delaware State Police are investigating an attempted robbery of a pizza store owner that occurred last evening.The incident occurred on July 10, 2020, at approximately 10:30 p.m., when Troopers were dispatched to the Stargate Pizza, located at 9634 Sussex Hwy, Greenwood, for a report of an attempted robbery. Upon arrival, Troopers met with the store owner who advised that while he was closing the business, he was approached outside by a subject who proceeded to display a machete and demand money. The store owner advised the suspect that he did not have any money and threw a pizza at him, causing the suspect to flee. The store owner did not sustain injury as a result of this incident.The suspect was described as a white male who ran from the scene and got into a vehicle on northbound Sussex Highway.The case continues to remain under investigation and anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to please contact Troop 5, at 302-337-8253. Read the rest
Michael Gardi, who makes reproductions of vintage computers and computer-like games, went all out and built a DEC H-500 Computer Lab. He even posted a step-by-step Instructable on how to make your own H-500 reproduction.Most people reading this will be familiar with the Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) lines of PDP machines. I would guess though that far fewer have encountered the H-500 Computer Lab. Launched in the late 60s the H-500 was part of a COMPUTER LAB curriculum to introduce students and engineers to digital electronics. It's not surprising that DEC would undertake this since more than half of its PDP machines at the time were installed in educational institutions.The machine itself shipped with a wonderful workbook that contained a complete course in digital electronics. Together the COMPUTER LAB package was intended to accompany courses in binary arithmetic, Boolean algebra, digital logic or computer technology. While not a true computer, the H-500 could be "wired" to perform many of the underlying operations of a true computer using a point-to-point patch cord mechanism.Michael's builds have been previously featured on Boing Boing:Here's how to make a "computer on a card" from the 1960sThe GENIAC, a narrative interactive game from 1955How to make a replica of the GENIAC Electric Brain from 1955Complete instructions for making a replica of the Minivac 601 educational computer kit3D printed replica of the Digi-Comp II marble computerMake this scale model of the Dr. Nim digital game Read the rest
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was admitted to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore on Tuesday morning for treatment of a 'possible infection.'She is 87, and has survived cancer four separate times.The Supreme Court said in a statement Tuesday afternoon that Ginsburg is now resting comfortably. According to the statement she “will stay in the hospital for a few days to receive intravenous antibiotic treatment.”Justice Ginsburg in hospital again -- expected to be there a few days after being treated for possible infection, SCOTUS says in statement. She's 87 and a four-time cancer survivor. pic.twitter.com/svsdmnC2ME— Greg Stohr (@GregStohr) July 14, 2020Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was admitted to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore to treat a possible infection, according to the court https://t.co/d7wTShvBAl— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) July 14, 2020Informed by a reporter that Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had been hospitalized, Pres Trump said he was not aware of that, but "I wish her the best." He said "she's actually given be some good rulings."— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) July 14, 2020 Read the rest
The mobile phones of a number of politicians in Spain, including the president of Catalonia's parliament, were recently hacked. The government of Spain has been an NSO customer since 2015, reports Motherboard on Tuesday. NSO Group is an Israeli company that sells surveillance and hacking tools to governments around the world. From more reporting Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai and Joseph Cox at Vice Motherboard, who say they “confirmed the specifics with security researchers who investigated the attempted hack and a Facebook employee who has knowledge of the case,”A former NSO employee has told Motherboard that the Spanish government has been an NSO customer since 2015."We were actually very proud of them as a customer," the former employee said. "Finally a European state." Motherboard granted the source anonymity to protect them from retaliation from the company.We cannot confirm whether these specific attempted hacks were directed by the Spanish government, though one of the politicians targeted believes the Spanish government is behind the attack.Read more:Source: Spain is Customer of NSO Group Read the rest
This press conference Donald Trump is doing in the Rose Garden today is really something else. Whew.After bashing Joe Biden, AOC, and the European Union, Trump just referred to his travel ban as restricting travel from “jihadist regions.”In a confused, stream-of-grievances rant, Trump said Biden wants to "end all travel bans including from Jihadist regions."“We got the travel ban,” Trump then said. “We have a very strong travel ban and we don't want people that are going to come in and blow up our cities, do things.”“And frankly with the liberal Democrats running the cities that we do have where they do have problems, maybe they wouldn’t mind.”Wow.Trump just said "The liberals wouldn't mind if people came and blew up our cities."That just happened.On television.The President is fucking gone.Gone and never coming back.The system has suffered a permanent crash.Howard Hughes wasn't this fucked up in his final days.— Don Winslow (@donwinslow) July 14, 2020This followed Trump saying it was possible Democratic mayors wouldn't care if terrorists blew up their cities. https://t.co/bBxpT1RJCx— Chris Geidner (@chrisgeidner) July 14, 2020Trump suggests that the liberal Democrats running the cities “maybe wouldn’t mind” if Jihadists blew up the cities. Reminder that an al Qaeda-inspired terrorist killed 3 US service members on Trump’s watch https://t.co/5OhRSOGbCw— Todd Zwillich (@toddzwillich) July 14, 2020Trump touts his travel ban focused on Muslim-majority countries, which he says is a ban on "jihadist regions."— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) July 14, 202040 minutes. Read the rest
Over on Cool Tools, Xander Rose recommends a $10 skin stapler for people who don't have great suturing skills. " It forms the staple as it pushes it into your skin in a pattern that doesn't rip your skin," he says. "You start at one end of the wound and close it up slowly." A downside of stapling wounds together rather than suturing them is that staples leave bigger scars. Read the rest
My MacBook Pro has 4 USB-C ports, only 2 of my peripherals use USB-C. This hub to the rescue.Three standard USB ports and one USB-C power delivery port pretty much covers me. The HDMI port and card readers may come in useful later.I can't remember the last time I took a CF card out of a digital camera. They seem to be put one in and leave it.Thanks to this hub my mic and all my iPhone and Apple Watch charging crap can now be connected to my laptop again.USB C Hub Multiport Adapter - 7 in 1 Portable Space Aluminum Dongle with 4K HDMI Output, 3 USB 3.0 Ports, SD/Micro SD Card Reader Compatible for MacBook Pro, XPS More Type C Devices via Amazon Read the rest
The bar has been raised on home video production. So just in case you haven’t been on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok or other video-heavy platforms lately, the days of the boring, white-walled, locked-down selfie video that looks like it could have been filmed by hostage-takers doesn’t really cut it anymore.Thankfully, your filming options have also advanced beyond propping your smartphone up against a wall and pushing record. In fact, the Apai Genie Gimbal is an easy-to-use, smartphone gimbal that practically mimics having an actual photographer on hand to direct your photo or video shoots.Just clamp your phone into the Apai Genie’s loving embrace, and you’re ready to go. Powered by artificial intelligence, you’ll find this gimbal not only does a monster job steadying and smoothing out all your videos, but its machine-driving smarts allow the unit to automatically lock on to your face and track you, even when you move out of frame. That’s why this gimbal has full 360-degree rotation capabilities...so you can even do circles around the Apai Genie and like a good photog, it’ll keep the lens trained on the action.It even has a pairs mode, so two people can both stay in the frame together without any unfortunate cropping incidents.In its intelligent shooting mode, the Apai Genie can be set to detect your face and immediately start shooting. You’ll never have to ask for help shooting a selfie again.Meanwhile, your robot cameraman can flash some serious skills, switching easily between horizontal and vertical recording modes, offering multiple perspectives to record and a full range to adapt to different scenes. Read the rest
I just interrupted a press conference in Miami-Dade to let governor @RonDeSantisFL and @MayorGimenez know they are an embarrassment to FL and that their incompetence and lack of planning has resulted in the current public health crisis. 4,381 people have died so far in FL pic.twitter.com/q6SozHfT8o— Thomas Kennedy (@tomaskenn) July 13, 2020Ron DeSantis, a Trump loyalty cultist who also serves as governor of Florida, held a press conference in Miami on Monday to blame anti-racism protestors for causing a massive surge in coronavirus cases and deaths in the state he oversees.In attendance was Thomas Kennedy, an activist with an immigrant youth-led organization called United We Dream. While DeSantis was playing the blame game, Kennedy interrupted him by shouting, "People are dying, and you are doing nothing! You are falsifying information, and you are misleading the public. More than 4,000 people have died, and you are blaming the protesters, and you are doing nothing! Shame on you!"DeSantis pretended not to hear Kennedy and continued to talk. A goon escorted Kennedy from the press conference.So far today Florida has reported 144 deaths, an all-time record. From the Washington Post: Read the rest
A bunch of comedians teamed up to try and flip the US Senate. Full of disgusting and terrible traitors to democracy, the US Senate needs some change.STAND UP 4 AMERICA TO USE ORIGINAL MUSIC AND COMEDY VIDEO CONTENT TO RAISE FUNDS AND TURN THE SENATE BLUE IN NOVEMBERJack Black, Moby, Keb’ Mo’ and Others to Provide Content to RaiseFunds for “Get Mitch or Die Trying”Los Angeles, California (July 14, 2020) – Stand Up 4 America, an LA-based group of scrappy entertainment industry pros, will take aim at the GOP’s Senate majority in support of the “Get Mitch or Die Trying” campaign, raising funds to turn the Senate blue in the November election. The group will unleash a batch of original content from talent such as comic actor and Tenacious D singer/songwriter Jack Black, techno visionary Moby, five-time Grammy-winning blues great Keb’ Mo’, television actor/writer Michael Boatman, actor Terry O’Quinn, performance artist/actress Ann Magnuson, singer/songwriter Jill Sobule and others.Starting July 14th, visitors to https://www.su4a.org/ can access all this content for free. They’ll be invited to make an optional donation of any amount they can afford to www.su4a.org/getmitch. The funds will support Democratic candidates for Senate in several crucial swing states via the “Get Mitch or Die Trying” fund from Crooked Media, a political media company founded by former President Obama staffers known for its podcast Pod Save America and others.Stand Up 4 America (SU4A) is a media company that grew out of a local Los Angeles chapter of national activism juggernaut Swing Left. Read the rest
In 2017 Apple acknowledged it had been throttling iPhones with degraded batteries. This resulted in a class-action lawsuit and a $500 million settlement. Lifehacker has a guide on how you can collect a cash payment of $25 per eligible iOS device.You’ll qualify for this settlement if you own(ed) one of the following iPhones before December 21, 2017:An iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6S, 6S Plus or SE that ran iOS 10.2.1 or laterAn iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus that ran iOS 11.2 or laterI just checked and found that all four members of my family have eligible iPhones, and I submitted claims for all of them. Thanks for the $100, Lifehacker!Image: Jumpstory / CC0 Read the rest
People hate gifts when the giver tells them it will save them money, according to a study in the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research. On the other hand, being told a gift will save them time, makes the like it.In the experiment, researchers gave $5 Starbucks gift cards to 200 college students. Half of the gift cards included the message, "I know you've been stressed for money lately. I hope you'll enjoy this gift card in hopes that it will save you some money." The other half said, "I know you've been stressed for time lately. I hope you'll enjoy this gift card in hopes that it will save you some time."From Ohio State News:Those who received gift cards intended to save them money had more negative emotions than those who received the cards intended to save them time. In addition, those who received the money-saving cards said they thought the gift-givers believed they were higher-status than themselves.If there was any bright spot for the people who sent the money-saving gift card, it was that their friends were just as likely to redeem the card as those who received it as a time-saver, Donnelly said.Photo by Rebecca Aldama on Unsplash Read the rest
By the same progressive PAC that brought us Creepy Trump last week, in which Kellyanne Conway's words against Biden were turned against Trump, MeidasTouch now presents us with "Bye Don Jr: Love Me Daddy." This time it's Junior's words against Biden that narrate this clever attack ad, and Daddy is not going to be pleased. Read the rest
Daniel Lewis Lee was put to death this morning in the first federal execution in 17 years. Lee was pronounced dead by the coroner at 8:07 a.m. ET in Terre Haute, Indiana. His last words were "I didn't do it. I've made a lot of mistakes in my life but I'm not a murderer. You're killing an innocent man," according to a pool report. The Supreme Court cleared the way for the resumption of the federal death penalty in an unsigned order released after 2 a.m. ET Tuesday. The court wiped away a lower court order temporarily blocking the execution of Lee in a 5-4 vote. Lee, a one-time white supremacist who killed a family of three, was scheduled to be executed Monday. A federal judge blocked the planned execution of Lee, and three others, citing ongoing challenges to the federal government's lethal injection protocol.Screengrab: ABC News Read the rest
While in quarantine, residents at a North London elderly care facility, and their caregivers, have been posing like Adele, Madonna, David Bowie, and other musical artists for an album cover recreation project. The photographer, Sydmar Lodge's Activities Coordinator Robert Speker, writes that it's his "job and privilege to keep them entertained during the COVID crisis with no outside entertainers or family." He has set up a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for the home:As this situation is on-going it could be months before the situation changes for them and the need to keep them happy entertained and full of spirit has never been more crucial. The photography project - recreating Classic Album covers, with the Residents and Carers has raised awareness globally but with no funds for the home which was my original intention. Elderly people will remain in lockdown for a long time, and I want to make their time as happy and full of enjoyment and interest as possible. Sydmar Lodge Care Home residents and carers have been recreating classic album covers. The home has now been in lockdown for 4 months. pic.twitter.com/XS5YQ4f1Sw— Robert Speker (@robertspeker) July 10, 2020pic.twitter.com/hweEgdHSIt— Robert Speker (@robertspeker) July 10, 2020image via The Show Must Go On/GoFundMe(Independent) Read the rest
Electricical engineer and TV host Grant Imahara is unexpectedly dead at 49, reports The Hollywood Reporter. Imahara, the longtime co-host of Mythbusters and a veteran of Industrial Light and Magic, suffered a brain aneurism. An electrical engineer and roboticist by training, he joined Discovery's MythBusters in its third season, replacing Scottie Chapman and was with the show until 2014 when he left with co-hosts Kari Byron and Tory Belleci. The trio would reunite in 2016 for Netflix's White Rabbit Project which lasted for one season. On MythBusters, Imahara used his technical expertise to design and build robots for the show and also operated the computers and electronics needed to test myths. While part of the Mythbusters team, he sky-dived and drove stunt cars, on film sets he came into contact with some of the most iconic characters in screen history, installing lights onto Star Wars' R2-D2, creating the robot Geoff Peterson for The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson and working on the Energizer Bunny.Somedays I wish I had a time machine. @ToryBelleci @grantimahara pic.twitter.com/o9FRE2l16W— Kari Byron (@KariByron) July 13, 2020 Read the rest
As part of NPR's Throughline podcast episode on the history of racialized policing in America, they created a brief overview with Harvard historian Khalil Gibran Muhammad.Via hosts Ramtin Arablouei and Rund Abdelfatah:Black Americans being victimized and killed by the police is an epidemic. A truth many Americans are acknowledging since the murder of George Floyd, as protests have occurred in all fifty states calling for justice on his behalf. But this tension between African American communities and the police has existed for centuries. This week, the origins of American policing and how those origins put violent control of Black Americans at the heart of the system.Listen to the 1-hour episode wherever fine podcasts are streamed.Image: YouTube / NPR Read the rest
There’s no research to back this up...but it’s entirely possible the ukulele is the least intimidating instrument in the world. Oh, make no mistake -- that’s not because the ukulele is just that simple to master. It’s a stringed instrument, so it takes some serious work to get good at it. But admit it...the island favorite, this baby guitar just looks too darn cute to be that big a headache.Either way, Fret Zealot has come up with their new Ukulele Teaching Device, a new method for training you to pick up a uke and play like it’s been in your hand your whole life. The Fret Zealot first got its start with the guitar, but with this new version, it’s now able to help novice ukulele players start strumming and even playing music almost instantly.The LED-enabled pad slides on to your ukulele just about the frets. When you’re synced with the Fre Zealot app, those LEDs light the way, blinking out to show you exactly where to put your fingers to play any of your favorite songs, island style.The app is more than just a simple guide, offering a handful of features that make it easy for learners to pick up tips quickly and intuitively without getting bogged down in a book or training video. With the streamlined focus, students get to concentrate on proper technique and developing your own personal playing style from the beginning of your journey. The Fret Zealot approach is catered to helping each student develop your own method of learning, so you can immediately jump in, pick the chords, notes, scales or songs you want to learn and Fret Zealot will help you get there. Read the rest
The UK government today ordered domestic companies to stop buying equipment from Chinese vendor Huawei and to stop using its kit entirely by 2027. Huawei is suspected to be an arm of the Chinese government, breaking into western markets (and maybe its networks) by selling impossibly cheap equipment. The UK only recently approved more Huawei orders for its growing 5G system, but the Covid pandemic and China's virtual annexation of Hong Kong has clarifed matters. Read the rest
Nintendo's replica NES looks like an elaborate marketing tease, but it's real and will be offered for $200 from August 1, reports The Verge. Yes you can have a pony."Recreate classic Super Mario Bros. gameplay with this cool LEGO Nintendo Entertainment System! Place the Game Pack in the brick-built console. Turn the handle on the retro TV to make 8-bit Mario move across the screen. And place LEGO Mario from the LEGO Super Mario Starter Course in the slot on top so he reacts to the on-screen enemies, obstacles and power-ups, while the original game’s theme tune plays!"I'm looking forward to the official Toyota-Nintendo branding hookup, whose obvious name surely does not escape you. Read the rest
Covid might finally kill off something that's long been on death row: the penny. Virtually worthless yet relatively expensive to make, the 1c coin complicates an ongoing coin shortage and production needs to be switched to more valuable denominations.It costs the U.S. government about 2 cents to produce every penny. Pennies aren't even worth our time. Wake Forest University economist Robert Whaples has calculated that the typical American worker earns a penny every two seconds. It takes most of us more than two seconds to fumble around with change or pick a penny off the ground, which explains why there are so many pennies on the ground. Money is supposed to be the medium of exchange, not dead weight. Canada murdered its penny a few years ago. Britain recently decided not to officially kill its penny, but is no longer minting new ones. Read the rest
In 1943, the U.S. established a camp for German prisoners of war near the village of Stark in northern New Hampshire. After a rocky start, the relations between the prisoners and guards underwent a surprising change. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll tell the story of Camp Stark and the transforming power of human decency.We'll also check out some Canadian snakes and puzzle over some curious signs.Show notesPlease support us on Patreon! Read the rest
You probably have a lot of items in your home that you'd hate to lose to theft or damage. While certainly no one ever hopes to fall victim to a natural disaster or home invasion, you need to be prepared just in case it does happen. When it comes to choosing a reliable renters insurance, it might be worth looking outside the more traditional options. Like Lemonade, for example. This trending technology-driven insurance company has a primary goal of making the lives of both renters and homeowners easier (and headache-free).How Lemonade is differentIf you've ever had the unfortunate experience of submitting a typical insurance claim, you understand the frustration the process strikes up: endless back and forth between agents, a lot of fine print to decipher, and of course — the endless wait for the much-needed funds from your claim to process Lemonade wants to put an end to all that financial and emotional toil: its state-of-the-art service is intuitive, the customer service is impeccable, and best of all, your claims could be processed in as little as three seconds.Here's how Lemonade works: powered by AI technology, you can get set up with a customized insurance plan tailored to your individual needs. Just answer a few questions, and you'll be able to review a plan that you can further adjust — and you pay immediately for it (no paperwork or call wait times to deal with). Lemonade also works by a flat fee, with rental insurance starting as low as $5 a month and homeowners insurance available for $25 a month. Read the rest
Go get that bad boy.The cats of kagonekoshiro are enjoying a lazy summer afternoon in Japan, hunting crows that bother them in the garden.More photos at kagonekoshiro.com. Read the rest
Her name is Luca, and look at her go on those new wheels!She's a little french bulldog.My parents dog. She’s about 4 years old and due to a neurological disorder her hind legs decided to crap out on her. Luckily she’s a brick shithouse and is loving her new ride. Thing handles like a champ, it’s the Lincoln of doggy wheelchairsGo see the entire video here. Read the rest
Unhinged Trump tweets in three, two, one...A judge on Monday released Mary L. Trump, PhD from a gag order.This means the president’s niece may speak freely about Donald and the rest of the family, and promote her book about the Trump she calls 'The Most Dangerous Man In The World.”Mary Trump and Simon & Schuster won the lawsuit that sought to stop publication of “Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man,” which hits bookshelves tomorrow. Said Mary Trump's attorney Ted Boutrous: “The court got it right in rejecting the Trump family’s effort to squelch Mary Trump’s core political speech on important issues of public concern.The First Amendment forbids prior restraints because they are intolerable infringements on the right to participate in democracy. Tomorrow, the American public will be able to read Mary’s important words for themselves.”Justice Greenwald has denied the Trump family’s effort to block Mary Trump’s book. Link to decision here. https://t.co/OpJE4ihEqM. 1/3— Ted Boutrous (@BoutrousTed) July 13, 2020My statement: “The court got it right in rejecting the Trump family’s effort to squelch Mary Trump’s core political speech on important issues of public concern. The First Amendment forbids prior restraints because they are intolerable infringements on the right to . . . 2/3— Ted Boutrous (@BoutrousTed) July 13, 2020BREAKING: Mary Trump and Simon & Schuster WIN the lawsuit seeking to block publication of “Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man,” which hits bookshelves tomorrow. Read the rest