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I doomscroll for money, but you're doing it for free! If you want to stop paying the hidden costs, this handy guide might shake out out of the not-so-ludic loop The recent onslaught of dystopian stories related to the coronavirus pandemic, combined with stay-at-home orders, have enabled our penchant for binging on bad news. But the habit is eroding our mental health, experts say.Karen Ho, a finance reporter for Quartz, has been tweeting about doomscrolling every day over the past few months, often alongside a gentle nudge to stop and engage in healthier alternatives.The three main tips are "Time yourself", "Remind yourself why you wanted to look at your phone" and "Create new habits that replace doomscrolling." I can recommend pizza for the last one there! Just huge slabs of Detroit-style pizza shoveled in like VHS tapes into the slot. Read the rest

In this footage, a supercomputer's CPU cores -- nearly 900 of them -- are neatly lined up in the Task Manager. The Doom logo appears, generated by code that targets each core. Then Doom itself plays, each "pixel" generated by thrashing a core with just the right amount of busy work.Max Holt: Finally got it working and looking decent! But can it run Crysis?... Done by taking the original pixels, then parsing to black and white and scaling down to 56x32 pixels. I spent quite a lot of time finding a good function to scale the brightness to try to make the contrast good.An amazing illustration of how much power modern computers have. Read the rest

Remember engineer Shane Wighton of Stuff Made Here who impressed the Internet with his robotic basketball backboard that helps the ball into the hoop? Now he's built a robot that cuts his hair. Using a combination of physical sensors and computer vision, it gave him a pretty great looking mullet! I also appreciate its Flowbee-like vacuum attachment that lifts the hair up for cutting while also keeping the process nice and tidy. Read the rest

This year marked the 75th birthday of the great Bob Marley (1945-1981). As part of the celebration, Bob Marley and Rita Marley's son Ziggy Marley, 51, just recorded a full concert of his father's music. Watch above! (The performance was recorded at a studio in Los Angeles with clear partitioners between the band members.) According to Rolling Stone, Marley's platinum birthday year will be commemorated by numerous events and releases including "the 12-part documentary series Bob Marley: Righteousness as well as soccer doc Rhythm of the Game, new videos for “No Women, No Cry” and “Three Little Birds,” the unearthing of live performances and a SiriusXM station dedicated to the reggae legend." Read the rest

Enjoy the unique comedy stylings of Leonard Cohen! He's quite funny although I keep waiting for him to break into song or, at the very least, do an impression of Dustin Hoffman. The clip is included in the 1965 documentary Ladies and Gentlemen... Mr. Leonard Cohen, which also included his reading of "The only tourist in Havana turns his thoughts homeward" that I posted about previously. You can watch the full documentary here: Read the rest

COVID-19 has led to a coin shortage for businesses as customers are going cashless to avoid touching anything. To help bring more coins into circulation, Wisconsin's Community State Bank is offering a $5 bonus for every $100 in coins you turn in. The maximum bonus is $500. (As comparison, Coinstar takes 11.9% of the money you exchange unless you opt for a gift card.) From CNN:"We knew we needed to figure something out. We hate the idea of telling our customers, 'No, we can't give you one of the services we're proud to provide,' so we came up with a creative way to get things done," Community State Bank Vice President Neil Buchanan told CNN. "Just because this hasn't been done before doesn't mean it isn't going to work -- and it has already made a huge difference."Just days after launching the program, hundreds of people have dropped off their spare change, already resulting in an "incredible impact" on local businesses that were struggling because of the shortage, according to Buchanan.image: Roman Oleinik (CC BY-SA 3.0) Read the rest

"Ducks annihilate a bowl of peas" promises the title to this footage, and it is not an empty promise.Previously in Ducks Eating Peas. Read the rest

David Doel of The Rational National shares the story of a recent Canadian "hate crime" that involved vandalism of a Toronto-area war monument to the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Galician). The cenotaph was spray-painted with the phrase "Nazi War Memorial."Per the CBC, the cops later walked back the hate crime part:On Friday, Halton police walked back their original statement and apologized, saying the "initial information" indicated that the group being targeted was "Ukrainians in general," or members of this specific cultural centre."At no time did the Halton Regional Police Service consider that the identifiable group targeted by the graffiti was Nazis," police said in a news release."We regret any hurt caused by misinformation that suggests that the Service in any way supports Nazism."Images: YouTube / Kontakt TV / Wikimedia Commons Read the rest

Going to the grocery store used to just be a daily chore you had to fit into your schedule. But now, a trip to the grocery store can actually be dangerous, especially for the elderly or those with compromised immune systems.Which is why Sam’s Club has started an actual concierge service, allowing members on Tuesday and Thursday mornings to drive up to a Sam’s location, get help from a staffer entering items through the Sam’s Club app, then waiting as another worker gathers their order and brings it to their car.As the old commercial goes, membership has its privileges. Even if you don’t need that level of service, it’s nice to know that premium Sam’s Club members can expect that level of attention. And now, you can not only sign up for a one-year membership to the exclusive warehouse store club, you can basically do it for free.If you want to become a new Sam’s Club member, you can sign up now for just $45, which gives you access to their overwhelming supply of grocery, household, electronics, furniture, and other critical goods in their nearly 600 warehouse club locations in 44 states.Of course, we already said it was basically free. And it is. Within 10 days of signing up, you’ll receive a $25 eGiftcard via email. After the purchase of $20 or more at SamsClub.com, you’ll get a second eGiftcard for $20, effectively paying for the cost of your entire membership.If you’ve ever been through a Sam’s Club, you already know the volume discounts available on literally thousands of goods, which makes an effectively free membership a must, particularly for any large or growing families. Read the rest

Designer Takayuki Sato wanted to turn his artist logo into a sci-fi short, and the result is "Portal."He says:This is my personal project created for learning and for exploring new creativity. Like the short films I've made so far, I love creating imaginary worlds, looking for moments of beauty and adding the illusion of light. This time, the logo of OTAS.TV, which is my artist logo, becomes the "portal" and after passing through it, we will travel to the unique world I imagined and created freely. I hope you enjoy it.Image: Vimeo / Takayuki Sato Read the rest

Quackometer checked out a gadget that purports to "protect" users from 5G. It's probably a scam, as 5G is as safe as any other radio transmission and you don't need protection from it. But what's in the box, exactly? Turns out it's a battery-powered light and a copper tube. Whatever the copper device is doing, it is not electrically connected to the battery. Those wires have a gap and so no voltage is applied. And even more curious, the copper coil is not insulated from the copper tube device. So, it is not clear what function this could have. It looks purely decorative. The markings on the copper device suggest this is no more than a 2 inch long piece of 15mm domestic copper plumbing pipe with some end caps stuck on each side. It does nothing.I bet they didn't even deburr the copper pipe ends under the endcaps! [via Input Mag] Read the rest

According to a recent press release, KFC wants to become a "restaurant of the future" by "crafting the 'meat of the future,'" with help from a Russian company called 3D Bioprinting Solutions. This initiative, "arose among partners in response to the growing popularity of a healthy lifestyle and nutrition, the annual increase in demand for alternatives to traditional meat and the need to develop more environmentally friendly methods of food production."If all goes to plan — which is definitely a thing that happens in the Hell Year 2020 — KFC will begin to sell the world's first lab-grown chicken nuggets in Moscow in the fall.These lab-grown nuggies will of course still feature the same blend of 11 spices and herbs that made them famous, while combining chicken cells with plant material, "allowing it to reproduce the taste and texture of chicken meat almost without involving animals in the process." It's not clear if they'll be vegan friendly, or if they're meant to vaguely compete with fully plant-based meats like the Beyond or Impossible Burger.The press releases — shared verbatim across companies — includes some thoughts on the project's environmental sustainability as well:Biomeat has exactly the same microelements as the original product, while excluding various additives that are used in traditional farming and animal husbandry, creating a cleaner final product. Cell-based meat products are also more ethical – the production process does not cause any harm to animals. Along with that, KFC remains committed to continuous improvement in animal welfare from the farm and through all aspects of our supply chain, including raising, handling, transportation and processing. Read the rest

On of the things I love about Squidmar Miniatures is that Emil is always trying unique, unusual, and just plain kooky stuff to make his miniature painting channel more entertaining and fun. Chalk this one up to kooky.In it, he paints the bust of a medieval knight while dressed in a set of 14th century armor. Given the weight and the heat, he's exhausted even before he starts painting and it's not long before he starts removing the helmet, the gauntlets...Some of the YouTube comments are great:"Now to take it to the next level: Painting a dragon, as a dragon.""When you realize the bust of the knight has no arms.""You should make a series called 'painting an X dressed as an X.' That would be cool."Image: YouTube Read the rest

Spotted this while flying over the High Desert this weekend. It’s just north of Black Rock City, home to Burning Man from BlackLivesMatter While flying over Nevada's Black Rock Desert a week ago, Redditor Nick Howard captured this aerial footage of a giant "Black Lives Matter" mural in the dust.One commenter on Reddit figured out its location — it's not far from where Burning Man's temporary Black Rock City can be found every summer (though, not this summer):It’s due East of where the city usually is by a few miles. Just North of Pahsupp Mountain. Rough coordinates 11TLF 2198 2473No word on who's behind the mural!image pieced together from screengrabs via Nick Howard/Reddit Read the rest

I loved the movie Memento, about a man on a mission who has severe short-term memory loss. Every morning when he wakes up he had no memory of the hundreds of days preceding it, and so he develops a bunch of processes to bring him up to speed each day and keep him on mission. The movie was based on a short story called "Memento Mori" by Jonathan Nolan, and I read it when it came out in Esquire magazine in 2001.Here's an excellent reading of the short story, which runs about 30 minutes. Highly recommended.[via The Browser] Read the rest

Use code ADHNRSNZ to get these excellent noise-canceling Bluetooth over-ear headphones for a great price. Both my daughters have a pair and use them for hours a day. The batteries last a long time, and the noise canceling is comparable to my Bose wired noise-canceling headphones. Read the rest

University of Washington engineers developed a tiny, wireless, and steerable videocamera that can be worn by insects or minuscule micro-robots to stream live video. The device weighs just 248 milligrams. Evan Ackerman writes in IEEE Spectrum:The system was successfully tested on a pair of darkling beetles that were allowed to roam freely outdoors, and the researchers noted that they could also mount it on spiders or moths, or anything else that could handle the payload. (The researchers removed the electronics from the insects after the experiments and observed no noticeable adverse effects on their behavior.)The researchers are already thinking about what it might take to put a wireless camera system on something that flies, and it’s not going to be easy—a bumblebee can only carry between 100 and 200 mg [...] Insects are very mobile platforms for outdoor use, but they’re also not easy to steer, so the researchers also built a little insect-scale robot that they could remotely control while watching the camera feed. "A Bug-Sized Camera for Bug-Sized Robots and Bug-Sized Bugs" (IEEE Spectrum)"Wireless steerable vision for live insects and insect-scale robots" (Science Robotics) Read the rest

If data is worth saving to an external drive, shouldn’t it also be important enough to protect?Since setting up shop in the UK over a decade ago, iStorage has become one of the top makers of encrypted, easy to use and affordable portable data storage devices. And while not everyone needs multi-level security in place before someone accesses their files, iStorage products make steel-trap protection a standard feature in all of their flash drives, hard drives and even cloud services options.datAshur PRO 256-bit Encrypted USB 3.0, 8GB Flash Drive - $70.95; originally $79datAshur PRO² 256-bit Encrypted USB 3.2, 16GB Flash Drive - $79.95; originally $89Flash drives usually live up to their name, used for quick data transportation and transfers. But that pocket-sized convenience has its security downsides as well, including vulnerability to malware, tampering, hacking or just outright theft. With the datAshur PRO and PRO², you get an assortment of protection measures to make sure no one compromises or steals your data ever. In addition to built-in full disk AES-XTS 256-bit hardware encryption, both models also feature keypad protection. Set a unique PIN of up to 15 digits — and without that PIN, no one gets to your information. The stick auto-locks the moment you unplug and with the brute force hack defense mechanism, all data permanently deletes with 10 incorrect login attempts. Better to be gone than fall into the wrong hands!The PRO is available in sizes from 8GB to 128GB, while the PRO² with faster read and write speeds is available from 16GB to 512GB. Read the rest

Here is an example of the fake crowd noise the Mets are experimenting with at Citi Field.A low murmur, then a cheer when Fargas connects, then a louder cheer when Nimmo makes a nice catch. pic.twitter.com/otLZbFTXBk— Tim Healey (@timbhealey) July 15, 2020The Mets are shown here experimenting with simulated crowd noise, filling their empty stands with the cheering ghosts of the pandemic. Reporter Tim Healey adds...New info on the fake crowd noise:* Every team is using it* MLB is giving clubs the sounds (but teams can have their own) & a touchpad device to use it* There are 75 effects/reactions* MLB-provided sound is derived from audio recorded for "MLB The Show" at real MLB gamesIn the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the entertainment-baudrillardian complex. Read the rest

A historic move in North Carolina: The city council of Asheville has unanimously approved reparations, through investments, for its Black citizens.Forbes:The topic of reparations, which has gained renewed attention in light of recent racial justice protests, got a civic boost this week in Asheville, N.C., as the City Council voted to apologize for the city's historic role in slavery, discrimination and denial of basic liberties to Black residents and voted to provide reparations that will benefit them and their descendants..."Hundreds of years of black blood spilled that basically fills the cup we drink from today,” Councilman Keith Young, one of two Black council members and the measure's chief proponent, said according to the Citizen-Times, adding “it is simply not enough to remove statutes."The resolution does not mandate direct payments, but instead calls for investments in areas where Black residents face disparities, including boosting minority home ownership and access to other affordable housing, increasing minority business ownership and career opportunities, developing strategies to grow generational wealth and closing the gaps in health care, education, employment and pay.image via Canva Read the rest

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

President Trump announces intent to appoint Sebastian Gorka to National Security Education Board

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