On Wednesday during a "Justice for George Floyd" protest, a late-night dance party broke out in downtown Oakland. Thousands of masked people took to the streets in this peaceful past-curfew street fête.Robb Benson:After several nights of violent confrontations with the police & the announcement by Minn Attorney General Keith Ellis of the elevation to 2nd degree murder for Derek Chauvin and aiding & abetting 2nd degree murder for the officers who were silent, Oakland responds to the City's curfew with a dance party. #Justice4GeorgeFloydDay 6 of Oakland #GeorgeFloyd protest: Oakland going dumb. 3 hours past curfew. pic.twitter.com/ygY87qCnfB— Sarah Belle Lin (@SarahBelleLin) June 4, 2020Also, people really miss dancing. pic.twitter.com/5A007k8ge2— Shane Bauer (@shane_bauer) June 4, 2020screengrab via Robb Benson Read the rest
This dongle allegedly converts "household" -- i.e. 110v AC power -- to 3.5mm. It's misdescribed and is for photographic use (if it were intended to be jammed in the mains, the prongs would have holes) but it makes me think a splendid purpose would be for the gadget mafia to use to issue death threats to people. If you find one of these on your doorstep or, God forbid, your pillow, you have displeased them. Spotted by Chris Satterfield on Twitter: "it adapts camera strobe triggers."UPDATE: Male to Male power cords are still listed at Amazon, but are out of stock. Read the rest
Université de Sherbrooke engineers demonstrated a wearable robotic third arm that weighs about the same as a human arm. According to Evan Ackerman writing in IEEE Spectrum, waist-worn hydraulic limb "is gentle enough to pick fruit but powerful enough to punch through a wall." From his interview with project lead Catherine Véronneau:IEEE Spectrum: Can you describe the experience of wearing the robotic arm, especially when it’s moving dynamically? What does it feel like? How quickly do you get used to it? Catherine Véronneau: That’s a good question, and it is something that really needs to be explored and studied in the future! But, for now, it is still not too bad having this arm on my hips, since it’s only 4.2 kg (without payload) and it is located near my center of mass (to reduce inertia). I get used to it quickly, and I can compensate for some of the movements (x, y, and z translational movements), but I still have some remaining issues to compensate for torsion movements (like if the arm is hitting a tennis ball with a racket), which is funny! We also noticed that the harness needs to be rigidly connected to the body, because if there is some backlash between the harness and the body, it can be uncomfortable."Robotic Third Arm Can Smash Through Walls" (IEEE Spectrum) Read the rest
Donald Trump's former Chief of Staff John Kelly today confirmed that Trump was lying when he said he demanded the resignation of former defense secretary Jim Mattis.Said Kelly:“The president did not fire him. He did not ask for his resignation. The president has clearly forgotten how it actually happened or is confused."“Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people — does not even pretend to try. Instead, he tries to divide us,” Mattis wrote in a statement published by the Atlantic, which Trump later criticized in a tweet.From the Washington Post's Josh Dawsey:“The president did not fire him. He did not ask for his resignation,” Kelly, a retired Marine Corps general, said in an interview. “The president has clearly forgotten how it actually happened or is confused. The president tweeted a very positive tweet about Jim until he started to see on Fox News their interpretation of his letter. Then he got nasty. Jim Mattis is a honorable man.”Mattis tendered his resignation in 2018, citing his disagreement with Trump’s decision to pull U.S. forces out of Syria.On Wednesday, he released a statement criticizing Trump’s handling of protests that have erupted across the country following the killing of George Floyd in police custody last week.Mattis accused Trump of deliberately trying to divide Americans, taking exception to his threats of military force on U.S. streets, and praising those demanding justice following death of Floyd, an African American man living in Minneapolis. Read the rest
Former Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen said today in an interview with ABC News anchor Martha Raddatz, "We are at an inflection point, and the events of the past few weeks have made it impossible to remain silent." Mullen: "It sickened me" to see "security personnel—including members of the National Guard—forcibly and violently clear a path through Lafayette Square to accommodate the president's visit outside St. John's Church." Watch the interview clip here.JUST IN: Former Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen to @MarthaRaddatz: "We are at an inflection point, and the events of the past few weeks have made it impossible to remain silent." https://t.co/sG73egNmRc pic.twitter.com/bIFBxVknbK— ABC News (@ABC) June 4, 2020JUST IN: Mike Mullen to @MarthaRaddatz: "It sickened me" to see "security personnel—including members of the National Guard—forcibly and violently clear a path through Lafayette Square to accommodate the president's visit outside St. John's Church." https://t.co/sG73egNmRc pic.twitter.com/i2MaQkK3sE— ABC News (@ABC) June 4, 2020Latest Trump publicity shot looks like scene from The OmenLatest Trump publicity shot looks like scene from The OmenEpiscopal Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde denounces Trump’s abuse of St. John's Church as a prop Read the rest
On Twitter today, Tesla and SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk called for the federal breakup of Amazon.Okay. Noted.Musk's reply is in this thread by a guy who is mad that Amazon won't let him self-publish his as yet unpublished 'true fact exposed' book about the coronavirus pandemic.Oh fuck me. I can’t believe it. They censored it. pic.twitter.com/GfPEr7OiV2— Alex Berenson (@AlexBerenson) June 4, 2020 Read the rest
“My Nanny sewed catnip into a toy bunny for my cat and she absolutely loves it,” says IMGURian @kittydetonator.My Nanny sewed catnip into a toy bunny for my cat and she absolutely loves it Read the rest
YouTuber Jake Paul (whose brother Logan Paul we've written about many times before, don't miss the rat-tazing incident) has been arrested for being present on camera with looters in an Arizona shopping mall during recent protests.pic.twitter.com/kwsQ2jyMm1— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) May 31, 2020From ABC 15 in Arizona:Police said Thursday that 23-year-old Jake Joseph Paul was identified as being present among hundreds of tips and videos sent to officials. He reportedly unlawfully entered and remained inside Scottsdale Fashion Square mall when it was closed. Officials say Paul, who has a large following on YouTube, “was present after the protest was declared an unlawful assembly and the rioters were ordered to leave the area by police.”Paul has been charged with criminal trespassing and unlawful assembly, both misdemeanor charges.However, Paul tweeted on Sunday: “To be absolutely clear, neither I nor anyone in our group was engaged in any looting or vandalism.” He says they were there to film and “share our experience and bring more attention to the anger felt in every neighborhood we traveled through…” Young Mr. Paul has over 20 million YouTube subscribers, you can make some real money with numbers like that.His profile on YouTube says, "The squad 'Team 10' & I are always making comedy vids, acting, doing action sports & going on crazy adventures."Read more:Online influencer Jake Paul charged after Scottsdale lootingLogan Paul finally booted from YouTube ad program after tasering dead ratLogan Paul says he posted video of him in a silly hat near a corpse to draw attention to the harsh reality of suicide Read the rest
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison kindly obliged to a homeowner's request to keep off his grass during a press conference. The man, who had just reseeded his lawn, gave the PM a thumbs up, and the PM returned the gesture. Read the rest
First, watch part one, in which Julie Nolke travels back in time from April to the pre-pandemic era and freaks out her earlier self. Then, watch this video on which today's Julie Nolke travels back in time to give April's Julie Nolke a heads-up on what's to come. Nolke is donating all the revenue from the video to the George Floyd Memorial Fund and other programs assisting people of color. Read the rest
The New York Times celebrated the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre by publishing a column calling for a similar crackdown here in the U.S. It has not gone down well. Critics are horrified that the paper of record would amplify a call for military action against largely black protestors and there is a reported "rebellion" in the NYT newsroom. On social media, parodies unravel the Times' vacuous both-sidesism by posing absurdity in its classy, restrained op-ed format.From Pixelated Boat:From Brian Lockhart:The Dahmer one, up top, is by myself. Below, the one everyone is posting in some form or other: good old Palps.Here's a few more:If you spot any good ones , add them in the comments. Read the rest
The title of this YouTube video, posted by Reuters, says "NY Police officers filmed hitting cyclist after a citywide curfew took effect." It's not clear whether the officers are actually beating up a man for simply riding his bike after 8pm, or if he did a worse "crime." Either way, three cops are aggressively using batons on a man who is not resisting and does not look like a threat. Read the rest
Little Richard and Dick Cavett have a wonderful conversation in this 1970 episode of Cavett's show. About three minutes in, Little Richard talks about how he "gave The Beatles their start in 1962," when he took them on tour, but this fact was not reported because Little Richard is Jewish. (Interestingly, JTA wrote that Little Richard was "fascinated with Judaism for decades — so much so that he might have even observed Shabbat.")Image: YouTube Read the rest
To paraphrase one YouTube commenter, innovative acoustic guitar maestro Luca Stricagnoli is the only guy permitted to play a Zeppelin song at Guitar Center. Don't miss his manipulation of the tuning pegs during the song. Read the rest
Watching these two idiots argue is like watching two milk-drunk kittens clumsily bat at each other. Scroll to about 4:50 in the video.From Mediaite:As the interview got heated, Giuliani blasted Morgan for not defending the president because he “knew Trump wasn’t racist” before calling him a “disgrace” and a “liar.” In a scathing rebuke, Morgan then branded Giuliani “mad” and “unhinged” over his “abusive” comments.“Rudy, I’m sorry but you sound completely barking mad,” Morgan said. Do you know that? You’ve completely lost the plot!”“You’re the one who got thrown off television here, cause you had ratings of about two!” Giuliani replied. “So don’t tell me I’ve lost anything. Read the rest
View this post on Instagram Our country is crippled and on its knees, begging to be heard and pleading for change. Where is our compassionate leader? The leader who unifies and inspires our country at our most painful time when we need it the most. The leader who steps up and takes full accountability for our country and embraces every color in it. The leader who picks our country up off its knees and says you have my word - we got this - and together, change will happen. Where are you? Because we’re all here. Maybe one day that galvanizing leader will emerge. Either way, the process to change has already begun. #normalizeequality #blacklivesmatterA post shared by therock (@therock) on Jun 3, 2020 at 7:33pm PDTIn an impassioned 8-minute speech, Dwayne Johnson (AKA The Rock) asks Trump, "Where are you?"Our country is crippled and on its knees, begging to be heard and pleading for change.Where is our compassionate leader?The leader who unifies and inspires our country at our most painful time when we need it the most.The leader who steps up and takes full accountability for our country and embraces every color in it.The leader who picks our country up off its knees and says you have my word - we got this - and together, change will happen.Where are you?Because we’re all here.Maybe one day that galvanizing leader will emerge.Either way, the process to change has already begun. Read the rest
Pegged on SEGA's 60th anniversary, the company announced a tiny version of their Game Gear 8-bit handheld console first released in 1990. It will sell for 4,980 yen (US$50). From IGN:The Game Gear Micro is currently only available to preorder in Japan and will launch on October 6th. At time of writing, there has been no news of a Western release for the device.The console has a one-inch screen, and will arrive in four colour schemes, each with a different set of four games preloaded...Game Gear Micro (Sega.com) Read the rest
Dozens of former employees of Facebook blasted Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook in an open letter for the way it handles (or doesn't handle) political speech that is inaccurate and damaging. "Facebook’s leadership must reconsider their policies regarding political speech, beginning by fact-checking politicians and explicitly labeling harmful posts," the letter begins. And later: Facebook "is a betrayal of the ideals Facebook claims."The letter is in reaction to Trump's recent misinformed and hostile posts about both the George Floyd protests and his warning last week that mail-in ballots will rig the election. Twitter did something about them while Facebook did not.From The New York Times:Mr. Zuckerberg has been under fire since Twitter added labels to several of Mr. Trump’s tweets last week for the first time to indicate they were inaccurate or glorified violence. On Wednesday, Snap, which makes the Snapchat app, said it would stop promoting Mr. Trump’s Snapchat account after determining that his public comments off the site could incite violence.Facebook has taken no action on posts in which Mr. Trump made inaccurate statements about mail-in ballots in the November election or his aggressive messages about protesters after the death of George Floyd, an African-American man killed in police custody in Minneapolis.Mr. Zuckerberg has since faced strong internal pushback for the inaction. The dissent has spilled out across internal message boards, with some Facebook employees resigning in protest, while others staged a virtual “walkout” this week and refused to work. On Tuesday, Mr. Zuckerberg defended his position, saying Mr. Read the rest
Spanish police arrested Nacho Vidal — a porn star with a side hustle making penis candles — for suspected manslaughter following a "mystic ritual" in which participants smoked the psychedelic venom of the Colorado River Toad. According to Vidal's attorney Daniel Salvador, the fellow who died, photographer Jose Luis Abad, had "previously tried that substance and wanted to try it again" in a "comfortable" setting. Vidal "considers himself to be innocent" and insists the death was accidental. From the BBC News:The actor, who has featured in hundreds of pornographic movies, had been under investigation for 11 months over the death of the photographer, Spanish police said.Mr Vidal and the two other suspects were arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and violating public health laws. All three were released provisionally.Investigators said they had discovered toad rituals were being carried out regularly on grounds they offered medicinal benefits.But the "apparently harmless ancestral ritual" posed a "serious health risk", attracting people who were "easily influenced, vulnerable or who were seeking help for illnesses or addictions using alternative methods", a police statement said.(Thanks, Gil Kaufman!)image: "Colorado River Toad" by I, Wildfeuer (CC BY-SA 3.0) Read the rest
After cowering in the White House bunker didn't work out for Trump, nor the ridiculous photo-op that followed it, the building itself is being surrounded by shabby fortifications: a fence to prevent protestors getting too close to the executive mansion. More fencing going up around the White House complex early this morning pic.twitter.com/VLBRnx1lgz— Betsy Klein (@betsy_klein) June 4, 2020"More fencing going up around the White House complex early this morning," writes CNN's Betsy Klein. "In addition to the new fencing, which now extends past the EEOB down 17th Street, @abdallahCNN reports that additional concrete barriers have been installed behind existing fencing at 17th and Pennsylvania Ave. NW."From Stonekettle: "We've reached the 'Walling yourself off so enraged citizens don't drag you out of the palace' stage of Making America Great Again."The funny thing about Trump is that you know that he has asked for a moat. Less funny is that he doesn't trust the Secret Service to keep him safe. Read the rest
The New York Times today printed a call for the U.S. military to crush protests against police brutality. Today is also the anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre in Beijing, when the Chinese government sent tanks in to clear demonstrators and showed the world what happens when military power is turned against against the public. Embedded below is NBC News's coverage of the slaughter.Reporters at the Times understand the cost in human life and suffering that a military crackdown on U.S. soil would entail. Many of them have spoken out against the publication of the piece. They know that the Times' published call for violence may well be answered (President Trump himself openly praised what happened in Tiananmen Square). And they know that their lives—and most especially the black lives of Times workers—have been put at risk.The leadership of the Times could not care less. They live in a floating world far from the contemporary anguish of American life or even the fears of their own employees. They stay close to power and avoid detail in favor of abstraction at all costs. Americans will die for their narcissitic and mendacious belief that until something is published by the paper of record, it hasn't been given enough exposure for others to reject. So dream of something you know it would not publish. Let it consume you, no matter how furious or ferocious or dreadful. Hammer it into the stone of your mind and remember that this is what was meant when we were told the revolution would not be televised. Read the rest
This video depicts a giant gnome statue being unveiled by a man in Ekeberg Park in Oslo. The gnome is holding a similarly enormous buttplug. The man is suspended by hooks in his own flesh, by an out-of-shot crane. The gnome, buttplug and veil are red? Not sure what else to say, really. DIREKTE: Skulpturen, populært omtalt som «analplugg-gnomen», blir avduket i Ekebergparkens skulpturpark. Video: Per Ervland Read the rest
East Bay artists: got mural-painting skills? I've been informed by a friend-in-the-know that a loosely organized group has formed to cover up pre-primed window boards with art in downtown Oakland, California. They're looking for help and supply donations. Read on.Redditor mtweiner shares some details:We have 2-3 dozen spots boarded and primed, ready for any artists who want to come through. Most folks are out 10a-3pmish every day, starting at 13th & broadway.Meet us at the Tribune Tower if you'd like to volunteer! Supplies can be provided for any artists who would like to join in. Spaces are ready to be painted!...for those of you asking about donations, we currently don't have a specific fund set up. If you're local, any spray cans, ladders, poles, brushes, or paint you have around that you would like to donate please swing by 13th & Broadway - theres a building open collecting supply donations. Same goes for Tribune Tavern on Franklin & 13th. Calling all Oakland Artists! We need help painting murals downtown from oakland art/image by @dimebagdarla, used with permission Read the rest
Apparently, Charlie Brooker has put Season 6 of Black Mirror on hold because he fears that reality has caught up with the dystopian series. Picking up on that, a Madrid ad agency, called Brother, came up with a mock ad for the show. It reads:“Black Mirror 6th Season. Live Now, everywhere.”Black Mirror. Season 6 pic.twitter.com/v2sZiqFAPZ— Faisal Almalki (@faisalalmalki) June 2, 2020Image: Twitter screengrab Read the rest
With everything happening in the last few months, we all but guarantee no one has been thinking about their taxes. That’s understandable — because, beyond all of our current concerns, nobody enjoys the whole tax filing process during even the best of times.Unfortunately, Benjamin Franklin was right — taxes truly are as inescapable as death. And while the U.S. tax filing deadline was extended by three months while the nation worked its way out of the COVID-19 nightmare, your 2019 tax form still needs to be filed with Uncle Sam by July 15. And if you find you have any questions about your eminent filing, well...don’t count on turning to the Internal Revenue Service for help these days.However, you can still turn to trusty tax e-filing services like TurboTax to help point the way to a successful return. TurboTax is already used by over two-thirds of all online tax fliers — and deluxe users are guided through the entire tax preparation process so they get full advantage of every favorable tax law with every entry double checked along the way.All a new customer has to do is answer a few quick questions, upload an image of their W-2, verify the information, then sit back as TurboTax searches out deductions and credits you deserve -- from more than 350, in all -- ensuring you’ll always receive the maximum refund possible.TurboTax is always up to speed, so if you have questions about mortgage interest, property taxes, charitable deductions, medical expenses, child credits and more, you’re covered. Read the rest
Just now in Alta, Norway: Huge mudslide dragging several houses into the sea. pic.twitter.com/xR4t5zLI7m— Jan Fredrik Drabløs (@JanFredrikD) June 3, 2020This video of farmhouses and land sliding into the ocean is like a nightmare that keeps getting worse.Image: Twitter Read the rest
Jim Mattis was Trump's first defence secretary, serving from 2017-2019. He quit and promised he would not be quiet forever, but also said it would be improper to criticize a sitting president. When protests over George Floyd's death at the hands of the police sprang up, many wondered if he would finally speak. He finally spoke.The protests are defined by tens of thousands of people of conscience who are insisting that we live up to our values—our values as people and our values as a nation. We must reject and hold accountable those in office who would make a mockery of our Constitution. ... Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people—does not even pretend to try. Instead, he tries to divide us.We are witnessing the consequences of three years of this deliberate effort. We are witnessing the consequences of three years without mature leadership. We can unite without him, drawing on the strengths inherent in our civil society. This will not be easy, as the past few days have shown, but we owe it to our fellow citizens; to past generations that bled to defend our promise; and to our children. ... Instructions given by the military departments to our troops before the Normandy invasion reminded soldiers that ‘The Nazi slogan for destroying us … was “Divide and Conquer.” Our American answer is “In Union there is Strength.”’ We must summon that unity to surmount this crisis—confident that we are better than our politics.” Read the rest
The New York Times today published a column by Sen. Tom Cotton calling for the U.S. military to violently suppress nationwide protests over the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man killed by police in Minneapolis. These rioters, if not subdued, not only will destroy the livelihoods of law-abiding citizens but will also take more innocent lives. Many poor communities that still bear scars from past upheavals will be set back still further.One thing above all else will restore order to our streets: an overwhelming show of force to disperse, detain and ultimately deter lawbreakers. It is completely mad that the Times would publish such an piece, even as an op-ed. It does so from a floating world which has no idea how quickly or how hard it could be brought crashing to the ground. It invites violence against everyone, from all quarters of power, and America will pay for it in blood.I have lots of friends who work at the NY Times and do amazing work. This destroys all of their credibility. It's one thing to post opposing views. But this is not that. This is blatant support for fascism. pic.twitter.com/ZJkO7jeFzG— Mike Masnick (@mmasnick) June 3, 2020i feel compelled to say that i disagree with every word in that Tom Cotton op-ed and it does not reflect my values. this piece does though https://t.co/Vrlw3NVtBH— Charlie Warzel (@cwarzel) June 3, 2020where’s the red line for the NYT do we think pic.twitter.com/AGZHfIzz7W— Jason Wilson (@jason_a_w) June 3, 2020I truly, truly cannot believe the New York Times published a piece calling for military force to be used against civilians. Read the rest
Most parents know that giving their kids educational toys and other projects will expand their minds. But what many might not realize is that physical play is actually building their mental abilities as well. Studies are still in beginning stages, but some early research supports the theory that kids who get the chance to get outside, run around and play are not only getting important health benefits, but that physical playing also increases memory retention and cognitive development.That’s what prompted the creation of the Zubi Flyer Hackable Frisbee, a STEM-based toy that couples futuristic technology and challenging gameplay with a kid’s natural love for running, jumping and generally covering every physical inch of ground they can.Right out of the box, the Zubi Flyer looks like a frisbee -- and if your kid takes it outside, it’ll cut through the air just like your old-school Wham-O. But there’s a lot more happening here than just a soaring plastic disk. Once you screw the Zubi’s circuit board into place, you can push buttons or use the magnet wind to bring the Zubi Flyer to life and play 12 different games with full lights and sound.Playing Hot Potato, Copycat, Pong and more, kids will have their memory tested and their minds expanded -- and they can all be played while you’re throwing the frisbee.Of course, the games are just the start of the Zubi Flyer’s exploration. Once it’s connected to a computer, kids can effectively hack it, adjusting games, modifying the light and sound patterns or even creating games of their own. Read the rest
• Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison increased the charge against Derek Chauvin, and charged Thomas Lane, J. Kueng and Tou Thao with aiding and abetting second-degree murder in the death of George Floyd.On Wednesday, three additional Minneapolis police officers were charged in the killing of George Floyd, and charges against Derek Chauvin were elevated to second degree murder.READ THE AMENDED CRIMINAL COMPLAINT: [PDF LINK]All four officers seen on the video in which George Floyd dies a violent death have been charged in connection with George Floyd’s death.Tou Thao, Thomas Lane and J Alexander Kueng face aiding and abetting second-degree murder.Derek Chauvin’s murder charge, previously third-degree, has been upgraded to second-degree unintentional murder.18/ And the latest, today, June 3: Attorney General Keith Ellison elevated charges against Chauvin to second-degree murder, and three other officers will be charged with aiding and abetting murder. https://t.co/velVW8xTgb— Star Tribune (@StarTribune) June 3, 2020FAMILY’S REACTION: This is a bittersweet moment. We are deeply gratified that @AGEllison took decisive action, arresting & charging ALL the officers involved in #GeorgeFloyd's death & upgrading the charge against Derek Chauvin to felony second-degree murder. #JusticeForGeorge pic.twitter.com/jTfXFHpsYl— Benjamin Crump, Esq. (@AttorneyCrump) June 3, 2020My colleague @davidschaperNPR pulled the amended criminal complaint. Derek Chauvin now charged with second degree murder in the killing of George Floyd. When Floyd said "I'm about to die," after pleading for breathe, Chauvin and two other officers continued to hold him down. https://t.co/FJYE81okMa— Leila Fadel (@LeilaFadel) June 3, 2020BREAKING: Minnesota's Attorney General Keith Ellison is upgrading the charges against former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd to 2nd degree murder. Read the rest
Parents can send their family's questions in about protests, racism and diversity HERE.CNN: The 60-minute special "Coming Together: Standing Up to Racism. A CNN/Sesame Street Town Hall for Kids and Families" will air on Saturday, June 6, at 10 a.m. ET.The show will talk to kids about racism, the recent nationwide protests, embracing diversity and being more empathetic and understanding.Big Bird will join CNN commentator Van Jones and CNN anchor and national correspondent Erica Hill to moderate the event. They will be joined by "Sesame Street" characters -- including Elmo, Abby Cadabby and Rosita -- and other experts answering questions submitted by families...How to watch: The town hall will air on CNN, CNN International and CNN en Español. It will stream live on CNN.com's homepage and across mobile devices via CNN's apps, without requiring a cable log-in.You can also watch on CNNgo, and subscribers to cable/satellite systems can watch it on-demand.image via CNN Read the rest
Bout ready to just give up pic.twitter.com/PKxykWu2nn— Peter R. Quinones (@PeterRQuinones) May 24, 2020Covid-19 physical distancing has sparked a new trend among Catholics with a sense of humor: baptism by water pistol.The telltale sign that this child is a girl might not be the christening gown, but the pink water gun. Interesting too, because historically pink was associated with the masculine (it was considered a variant of red) and blue was attributed to the feminine (because The Virgin Mary was most often depicted wearing blue). So this just goes to show that the Catholic church can, in fact, to some degree, change with the times.Image: Jumpstory / CC0 Read the rest
Her name is Keke Palmer. She is amazing. She's an actor in Los Angeles, and an activist. Watch the entire video.Watch all of this. pic.twitter.com/YHq0QhXrnw— Gadi Schwartz (@GadiNBC) June 2, 2020“Control this area?” Keke Palmer asked the guardsman. “What is it to control, man? March with us. It would send a huge message if we just march. Just march with us. March the whole round with us.”The National Guard member's name is Koenig. She literally brings a group of Guardsmen to their knees at a George Floyd and Black Lives Matter protest in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 2, 2020.I love all you guys.— Keke Palmer (@KekePalmer) June 3, 2020I love @KekePalmer. She’s out in the streets of LA talking with the National Guard. pic.twitter.com/7iZ2tvubXn— Anthony Dominic (@alloveranthony) June 2, 2020.@KekePalmer's pleas led to a beautiful moment between National Guardsmen and protestors. https://t.co/W0XkylVT7E— ESSENCE (@Essence) June 3, 2020Keke Palmer Is Being Praised For This Video Of Her Confronting The National Guard At A Black Lives Matter Protest https://t.co/JJH6F5YRAe— BuzzFeed (@BuzzFeed) June 3, 2020Keke Palmer urges National Guardsmen to join George Floyd protest https://t.co/Uh2KK7BL1j pic.twitter.com/IeG5ZKc7YZ— Page Six (@PageSix) June 3, 2020 Read the rest
The White House released this photo of the Trumps in a church. The idea is to show Donald and Melania as serious Christians after the bungled Bible photo-op, but they just look like characters from a reboot of The Omen. Read the rest
Kpop fans have subverted neoNazi calls to get #whiteoutwednesday trending on Twitter.kpop stans ruining every white supremacist hashtag. i truly love to see it. #whiteoutwednesday pic.twitter.com/zctCl4FaDN— fico (@fantasfico) June 3, 2020 gotta love the kpop stans for taking over #whiteoutwednesday and #WhiteLivesMatter so hard they change the category the #’s are under ? pic.twitter.com/0DuQm6jIQW— ˗ˏˋ ALIX ˎˊ˗ (@My_Meatloaf) June 3, 2020 Thank you, kpop fans! I hate nazis. Read the rest
i have to share this bc i cannot stop watching it! #BlackLivesMattter protest in Loiza #PuertoRico ??‼️- if this doesn’t move you idk what to tell you ! pic.twitter.com/5f1G3uVNz3— pelua? (@xcc_l) June 3, 2020 Here is what a protest in Loiza, Puerto Rico looked like yesterday. Read the rest
A personal hero, Bill Nye is now available as a Funko Pop!This one goes next to my Mr. Rogers.Funko Pop! AD Icons: Bill Nye - Bill Nye The Science Guy via Amazon Read the rest
Trump and Barr keep saying Antifa is the cause of violent outbreaks that are taking place alongside peaceful police brutality protests, but the FBI released a report saying it found no evidence of antifa activity on May 31 in Washington DC. However, the FBI did note that a far-right group “called for far-right provocateurs to attack federal agents, use automatic weapons against protesters.”From The Nation:Antifa, short for “anti-fascist,” is a type of militant anti-racist, anti-nationalist organizing that does not rely on the justice system to confront the far right. Groups associated with antifa have destroyed property and committed violence in the past, but the fact that the FBI’s situation reports cannot find any evidence of such involvement now suggests that fears about such groups may be exaggerated.The report did warn that individuals from a far-right social media group had “called for far-right provocateurs to attack federal agents, use automatic weapons against protesters.” (The Nation is withholding the name of the group in order to not disrupt any potential law enforcement investigations.) Read the rest
It's game over for those holding out hope Zoom would do more for user privacy: the company's CEO explicitly cited law enforcement as why it will not offer encrypted calling to free (i.e. undocumented) users.Yuan said free users won’t enjoy that level of privacy, which makes it impossible for third parties to decipher communications.“Free users for sure we don’t want to give that because we also want to work together with FBI, with local law enforcement in case some people use Zoom for a bad purpose,” Yuan said on the call.Google Duo and Apple Facetime are already encrypted, and these companies are no enemies of the state. Zoom's position is not just cooperative but collaborative: assume they are already working with law enforcement to make general surveillance of Zoom as simple and pushbutton as possible. Read the rest
If you want to add a fun new trick to your magic performance routine, watch this video, which explains how to escape from plastic handcuffs, Houdini style! Read the rest
Residents of Magangué, Colombia recently broke the compulsory quarantine to visit Jesus Christ who was hanging out in a tree. Praise be to pareidolia. From a El Tiempo via Google Translate:"It looks clear and everyone is praying to him and asking him to cure the land of this evil and to protect Magangué," says Agustina Díaz, a town clothing merchant, who closed her store in the center of town for the pandemic.What worries local authorities is that the image is becoming a point of pilgrimage and worship and people are taking to the streets en masse, ignoring the health emergency in the country. Read the rest
ICYMI: GOP senators avoid answering whether there was an abuse of power, after police clear peaceful protestors with tear gas. #mtpdaily @SenRonJohnson: “I didn’t really see it.”@SenPatRoberts: “I don’t have any comment. Thank you.” pic.twitter.com/drOgtZrMcg— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) June 3, 2020MSNBC reporter Casey Hunt asked Republican senators what they thought of Trump's gassing and grenading of people peacefully protesting the murder of George Floyd. “I didn’t really see it.”“I don’t have any comment. Thank you.”"...""I'm late for lunch.""I didn't watch that closely enough to know what happened there." Read the rest
Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NAID), says we should have a coronavirus vaccine by the end of the year. But with less than half of Americans willing to get the vaccine, who knows how effective it will be in eradicating Covid-19.A recent poll by Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that only 49% out of 1,056 Americans asked said they would definitely get the Covid-19 vaccine. To get herd immunity, we need at least 70%–90% of the population to get vaccinated, according to Johns Hopkins. The most popular reason for not wanting to get the vaccination is fear of side effects from the shot. Others shrug off the future vaccine as something they don't think will do much good. And then there are those who think they will catch the disease from the shot itself.From Popular Science:The most common concern cited by far ... is one that some people express about every vaccine: potential side effects. Again, it’s absolutely true that there are some side effects to vaccines. But in the vast majority of cases, these are minor reactions. Often they’re symptoms that mimic the disease itself, like a fever, since the body is mounting an immune reaction against the virus—that’s how vaccines work, after all.Of those who say they wouldn’t get a coronavirus vaccine, more than 40 percent said they would be concerned about getting COVID-19 from the vaccine itself, which is scientifically not a possibility. Read the rest
NYPD forced an Associated Press film crew to stop covering protests in New York City, the news agency reported today, pushing and threatening to arrest the journalists in lower Manhattan. The AP describes it as the latest act of aggression against media by police during protests against the killing of George Floyd.Portions of the incident were captured on video by videojournalist Robert Bumsted, who was working with photographer Maye-E Wong to document the protests in lower Manhattan over the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.The video shows more than a half-dozen officers confronting the journalists as they filmed and took photographs of police ordering protesters to leave the area near Fulton and Broadway shortly after an 8 p.m. curfew took effect.An officer, using an expletive, orders them to go home. Bumsted is heard on video explaining the press are considered “essential workers” and are allowed to be on the streets. An officer responds “I don’t give a shit.” Another tells Bumsted “get the fuck out of here you piece of shit.” Did you know the NYPD's annual budget is $5.6bn? The only other force with a budget this big appears to be London's Metropolitan Police. Together the two forces have a similar budget to the Iranian military. Either alone would rank in the top quartile of the world's armed forces."Get the fuck out of here you piece of shit," NYPD officers to clearly identified @AP reporters, as they shove media and force them to stop covering NYC protests. Read the rest
Yesterday, Ella Jones became the first black, and first female, elected mayor of Ferguson, Missouri where an uprising kicked off in 2014 after a white police officer shot and killed Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, and was not indicted. From the New York Times:Ms. Jones, 65, and her opponent, Heather Robinett, 49, had both vowed to continue changes enacted after the 2014 shooting of Mr. Brown, including a federal consent decree, a legally binding agreement requiring reforms to a police department.“I’ve got work to do — because when you’re an African-American woman, they require more of you than they require of my counterpart,” Ms. Jones said after her victory, in a video (below) posted online Tuesday night by the journalist Jason Rosenbaum of St. Louis Public Radio. “I know the people in Ferguson are ready to stabilize their community, and we’re going to work together to get it done.”image: Ferguson City Council directory Read the rest
In 1984, Leonard Nimoy produced and starred in "Star Trek Memories," a TV special in which he reminisces about Star Trek: The Original Series and the first two Star Trek movies, and teases the forthcoming Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984). Never one to be outdone, Captain Kirk released "William Shatner's Star Trek Memories" straight to video a decade later. Watch that below.(via r/ObscureMedia) Read the rest
A bit of a cliffhanger, although I feel like the cat is not particularly impressed by the rat's flashy fighting style.Also, the way they trot off together makes me think there may be a Tom & Jerry dynamic at play here. Read the rest