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
The federal government cannot “take over cities,” but that didn't stop Trump from threatening it today, and sending a message of hate and fear. "Numbers are going to be coming down even if we have to go and take over cities," said impeached U.S. president Donald Trump today, in a word salad series of lies about violent crime."Number are gonna be coming down even if we have to go in and take over cities ... We're not supposed to, we're supposed to wait for them to call, but they don't call."Video follows.Trump on rising violent crime in big cities: "Number are gonna be coming down even if we have to go in and take over cities ... We're not supposed to, we're supposed to wait for them to call, but they don't call." pic.twitter.com/DqSoefN6L9— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 13, 2020It's important to say that Trump legally can't do things he threatens, like revoke universities' tax exempt status to punish their speech or "take over" cities. That's because he's trying use threats to do illegal shit to achieve authoritarian ends the Constitution bars. https://t.co/lJXziMEdXG— Dan Friedman (@dfriedman33) July 13, 2020JUST IN: President Trump says federal government may "take over cities" to combat rising crime: "Numbers are going to be coming down even if we have to go and take over cities." pic.twitter.com/yaaCLn5IW1— The Hill (@thehill) July 13, 2020 Read the rest
The average US household replaces their mattress about every seven years. So if it’s been more than that, or even a lot more than that, it might be time to invest in a new slumber HQ.And most sleep experts will tell you the right mattress really should be looked at as an investment. Because if you’re not happy with the place you spend nearly a third of your life...well, let’s just say the results won’t be pretty.The makers of the GhostBed Luxe 13-Inch Cooling Mattress say their brainchild is like a hug from a gentle ghost. While that might creep out a lot of prospective customers, they also call the GhostBed the coolest bed in the world -- and during these summer months, that’s probably a lot more likely to earn some smiles and interested glances.The heart of the GhostBed is that dual-stage core and surface cooling tech, the only mattress of its kind employing this method for keeping you and your bed cool and comfortable all night long.If you can imagine touching a popsicle box fresh from the freezer, then you’ve got an idea of what to expect from the Ghost Bed. The first two layers -- the Ghost Ice Fabric and Cooling Fiber -- are instantly cool to the touch, a top inch of cool burst airflow technology fiber to cool your body down.Next, two layers of gel memory foam and a Ghost Ice Layer form around you for that “GhostHug” vibe, which also relieves aches and pains while sensing heat and adjusting to keep your sleep environment cool. Read the rest
As new coronavirus case numbers surge throughout California, the state today imposed a sweeping rollback of its reopening plans. “We’re going back into modification mode of our original stay at home order,” governor Gavin Newsom said. “This continues to be a deadly disease.”NEW: #COVID19 cases continue to spread at alarming rates.CA is now closing indoor operations STATEWIDE for:-Restaurants-Wineries-Movie theaters, family entertainment-Zoos, museums-CardroomsBars must close ALL operations.— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) July 13, 2020Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday announced one of the most drastic rollback of any U.S. state’s reopening plans, and said he plans to close indoor operations statewide for restaurants, wineries, movie theaters, zoos and card rooms. Bars are going to have to close their operations, period.Newsom says state officials repeatedly said California's reopening would be more like a “dimmer switch” than an on or off switch. From the New York Times:And the governor said that in at least 30 of the hardest counties, business would be forced to close indoor operations for fitness centers, places of worship, non-critical offices, hair salons and barbershops and malls. Roughly 80 percent of the state’s population lives in the affected counties, Mr. Newsom said.California was averaging more than 8,000 new cases a day as of Sunday, more than double what it was a month ago. The state has seen 331,626 cases, the second highest tally in the nation, and more than 7,000 deaths, according to a New York Times database. Read the rest
The fried chicken chain KFC is closing dining rooms at the restaurants it owns in Florida because of the state's accelerating outbreak of COVID-19. Today, Florida is reporting 12,600 new coronavirus cases. Reuters cites a letter sent from KFC to its Florida franchisees earlier today:The letter, from KFC U.S. Chief Operating Officer Monica Rothgery to franchisees on Monday, said its own Florida restaurants would operate only drive-thru and suggested owner-operators consider doing the same in “hot spots” where new cases are surging, including Arizona, California, Florida and Texas.KFC is a unit of Yum! Brands. The company did not immediately reply to a request for comment.Florida recorded more than 12,600 new coronavirus cases on Monday, its second-highest daily total since the outbreak began, coinciding with the state’s attempt to revive tourism and attract visitors to the recently reopened Disney World. More at Reuters:Yum's KFC closes dining rooms at company-owned restaurants in Florida[image: KFC] Read the rest
If there’s any knock on most smartwatches, up to and including the industry-leading Apple Watch, it’s probably that the bands aren’t...well, they aren’t usually the greatest. While Apple is certainly making strides in the watchband game, most models are just as black, boring and nondescript as you’d expect from a tech company. And where many watch bands truly fall apart is when they’re pushed during daily use, as water, strain, sweat and more all work to literally make cheap bands start falling apart.The Active Strap from Nomad is built to withstand the rigors of the modern world and look good while doing it.Designed for everyday life, the Active Strap is not only engineered to fit most Apple Watch models, but it’s also crafted from some of the finest German leather anywhere. For over 120 years, Heinen leather comes from a special tanning process that makes it extremely water-resistant and durable, so athletes and outdoor enthusiasts never have to worry about their band giving out.In fact, the Heinen leather is also infused with natural lipids for a thoroughly hydrophobic strap that easily wipes clean. It’s also engineered with ventilation channels, so no matter how hard you go or how much sweat, dirt, sand, or even saltwater the Active Strap battles, it’s always ready to look stylish and cool with a quick brush.Including the stainless steel hardware, the Active Strap both works and plays hard, regardless of your Apple Watch model. Designed for all the Apple Watch varieties dating back to the Apple Watch Series 1 in 2016, you’d be hard-pressed to find an Apple Watch that this band didn’t work with beautifully. Read the rest
Twitch just un-banned Donald Trump. The impeached U.S. president's official Twitch channel [Link] had been suspended for two weeks for violating the streaming video platform's rules against hateful conduct. “Like anyone else, politicians on Twitch must adhere to our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines,” Twitch previously said. “We do not make exceptions for political or newsworthy content, and will take action on content reported to us that violates our rules.”Excerpt from reporting by The Verge:Trump’s account, which was used to broadcast new and past campaign rallies, was banned for racist comments made by the president on two occasions. Twitch pointed to remarks at his recent rally in Tulsa, where he referred to criminals as “hombre[s],” and remarks from a rebroadcast of the 2015 event announcing his candidacy, when he called Mexican immigrants criminals and “rapists.”The ban came days after Twitch swore it would crack down on harassment, as streamers began sharing stories of harassment and assault within the industry. By banning Trump, Twitch seemed to indicate that no one is above the rules.The question now is how much longer Trump can last on Twitch. Should his campaign continue to broadcast rally streams, it’s sadly probable the president will make additional disturbing racist comments — bannable offenses under Twitch’s guidelines, which prohibit any language that promotes harassment based on race, gender, and other personal characteristics.Read more at The Verge:Twitch unbans Trump after two-week suspension for ‘hateful conduct’ Read the rest
For all their obvious similarities, language learning apps will often each take unique approaches to teaching a foreign tongue. Or, in the case of many services, a whole bunch of foreign tongues. While some providers give you access to training across overwhelming menus of more than 150 different languages, the people behind the Busuu Language Learning system have settled on only 12. English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, Polish, Turkish, Russian, and Arabic. That’s it. While that comes as an obvious disappointment for those with their heart set on learning Fijian, Lithuanian or Tok Pisin, the creole-based language spoken throughout Papua New Guinea, Busuu’s focus on the fundamentals has paid off, with more than 100 million learners worldwide.Crafted by an in-house team of education and linguistic experts, Busuu has fashioned more than 1,000 fully optimized lessons aimed at getting new speakers proficient in the four main language skills — reading, writing, listening, and, of course, speaking. So unlike language systems that only focus on spoken word training, Busuu gives you a well-rounded immersion in all aspects of your new language.One of Busuu’s strongest advantages is that massive 100 million-strong community, which allows students to advance their learning through practice directly with native speakers around the world. For example, you can send off written work in your new language and get a native to critique you almost instantly.Meanwhile, Busuu has also crafted their service to couple that old-school, one-on-one personal training method with all the advantages of a high-tech world. Read the rest
This LEGO Ideas version of the International Space Station pretty much made my 10-year-old nephew's head explode.Complete with astronaut minifigs and a mini-Space Shuttle, this 864 piece kit is pretty hard to turn away from.LEGO Ideas International Space Station 21321 Building Kit, Adult Set for Display, Makes a Great Birthday Present, New 2020 (864 Pieces) Read the rest
I used to buy Gildan T-shirts, but after Carla bought me Calvin Klein t-shirts, I noticed a big difference in the quality of the fabric. The Calvin Klein cotton feels a lot better! And occasionally Amazon has the shirts on sale. Right now you can get a 5-pack for a really good price. I just bought a combo pack that includes three white shirts and two gray ones. Read the rest
"I will kill everybody! Accept it! Die in the name of Jesus!" screamed a passenger Saturday night on an Alaska Airlines flight heading to Chicago from Seattle. Two passengers helped subdue him while the plane returned to Seattle's Sea-Tac airport. From The Seattle Times:The incident occurred shortly after Alaska Airlines Flight 422 took off at 11:10 p.m., said Peter McGraw, spokesperson for the port... “The man became extremely belligerent and physically aggressive during the ascent,” Ray Lane, external communications manager for Alaska Airlines, said in an email.Video from a passenger shows the man walking in the aisle and shouting that he would kill everyone on board “in the name of Jesus.” Nobody was injured and were booked on later flights. The man was arrested while police investigate further. Read the rest
Spoken Word with Electronics is an audio series delivering to you a two side recording of unusual stories paired with vintage modular electronic soundsHi, everyone - Welcome back to the show. This week, the topic is on Time Keeping, and asks: What's your favorite Riot? My favorite riot is mythically referred to as "The Calendar Riots". It was a reaction across the British Empire for a government theft of eleven days from September 1752. Specifically September 2nd would immediately be followed by September 14th, with September 3rd-13th deleted. People stormed through villages demanding these stolen eleven days, and the possible loss of experiences, be returned. Some say the riots didn't happen, and I think that makes the riots even better. You can't control an invisible riot, and a riot that never happened is one that never stops.As to why, The British were one of few standouts on shifting from the flawed Julian Calendar to the more accurate but less pagan Gregorian one. The solution on shifting to the Gregorian was sloppy. The Calendar Act is an interesting moment at controlling a population through decrees. Jump into our Time Capsule and bounce back to 1752. Hear an actual Riot Act declared (reference audio), and consider The Calendar Act in modern times as a new effort for Time Made Great Again by the Trump Administration. "Clock, You're Up!"SPOKEN WORD WITH ELECTRONICS #18: The Calendar Act of 1750 & The Fake or Real Calendar RIOTS of 1752In this era of Covid, "Give Us Our Eleven Days" sounds resonant. Read the rest
A 1% mortality rate might not seem like much, but the death rate for COVID-19 is just the tip of a massive iceberg that the US economy is heading towards full-steam ahead.From Franklin Veaux's Quora post:For every one person who dies:19 more require hospitalization.18 of those will have permanent heart damage for the rest of their lives.10 will have permanent lung damage.3 will have strokes.2 will have neurological damage that leads to chronic weakness and loss of coordination.2 will have neurological damage that leads to loss of cognitive function.So now all of a sudden, that “but it’s only 1% fatal!” becomes:3,282,000 people dead.62,358,000 hospitalized.59,076,000 people with permanent heart damage.32,820,000 people with permanent lung damage.9,846,000 people with strokes.6,564,000 people with muscle weakness.6,564,000 people with loss of cognitive function.His conclusion: "The choice is not 'ruin the economy to save 1%.' If we reopen the economy, it will be destroyed anyway. The US economy cannot survive everyone getting COVID-19."Image: Jumpstory / CC0 Read the rest
"Americans have gone from having access to most of the world to being banned from most of it," writes Indi Samarajiva for Medium Politics. "An American passport is now worthless."The world now looks at Americans as unhygienic, arrogant, willfully ignorant, science hating, magical thinking, untrustworthy, selfish rule-breakers.The most reliable projections are saying 200,000 dead and 50 million infected by election day in November. Even these projections struggle to account for completely irrational federal actions like denigrating masks, pushing to reopen early, and pushing students back into schools. This is not the absence of public health, this is its opposite.It is, in effect, governance by COVID-19. Not a failed state. A plague state.Even after election day, Donald Trump will still be in power for nearly 3 months, until January 20th. Besides impeaching a dead-duck President, there’s nothing America can do but wait, while COVID-19 grows ever stronger. Grows completely out of control. In a pandemic, days matter, hours matter. A year is entirely too late.America will be lucky to exit this pandemic with less than a million dead and 100 million infected. The living will be lucky to exit their country within the next five years. Read the rest
New Zealand lifted restrictions on social distancing and public gatherings after reporting no new cases for 2 weeks. They are also keeping their borders closed.How did New Zealand managed to contain the virus, when so many others, most notably the United States, have failed miserably? Pretty simple, they agree to take the necessary precautions to keep the disease from spreading. From the BBC:New Zealand first went into lockdown on 25 March, setting up a new four-stage alert system and going in at level four, where most businesses were shut, schools closed and people told to stay at home.After more than five weeks, it moved to level three in April, allowing takeaway food shops and some non-essential businesses to re-open.As the number of community cases continued to decline, the country moved into level two in mid-May.The move to level one comes ahead of time - the government had originally planned to make the move on 22 June, but it was brought forward after no new cases were reported for 17 days.Image: Devonport, NZ in 2003 by Mark Frauenfelder Read the rest
What could have been a disaster turns out to be a joy ride for this screaming passenger. Found on reddit, it's not clear where or when this took place. Read the rest
The New York Times reports that researchers in Singapore have invented a device that fits in a window and can reduce loud noises from the outside by 10 decibels. “If you sit in the room, you get that same feeling like when you flick on the switch of noise-canceling earphones,” says Bhan Lam, a researcher at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore that developed the Anti-Noise Control Window.Their results were published on Thursday in Scientific Reports. The prototype is not yet the most practical device in real world conditions, but it points the way toward the development of technologies that may help ease the strain of noisy city living.Borrowing from the same technological principles used in noise-canceling headphones, the team expanded the concept to fit an entire room by placing 24 small speakers in a window. The speakers emit sound waves that correspond to the incoming racket and neutralize it — or, at least some of it. Read the rest
The Lincoln project, a political group founded by Republican nevertrumpers, released an ad this weekend that takes a look at Trump's claim that he's a law and order president.Trump’s campaign manager is a felon.His deputy campaign manager is a felon.His national security advisor is a felon.His foreign policy advisor is a felon. His personal lawyer is a felon.His long time advisor is a felon.It’s not a campaign, it’s a criminal enterprise.Image: YouTube Read the rest
There's a reason that the United States has the highest Covid-19 death toll in the world with more than 135,000 coronavirus fatalities so far. And there's a reason that Florida broke the record for highest cases of coronavirus in one day. Just take a look at this video, taken at an anti-mask rally at a restaurant in Windermere, Florida (but of course), and you'll see the broken logic that is behind "freedom" defenders' rights to spread and catch coronavirus. Rather than give up their "freedom" by simply wearing a mask, they'd rather risk losing a bigger freedom by filling hospitals to full capacity (as they did in, er, Florida), shutting down international travel (because other countries are turning Americans away who try to enter), shutting down cities and states with a high coronavirus caseload, and obliterating our economy. With that kind of logic, Americans should be permitted the freedom to drive drunk or race cars on public streets. Read the rest
I had no idea there was such a thing as tactile Rubik's Cubes. Here's Big Wendy, an accomplished Rubik's Cube artist, making a portrait of Rubik's Cube inventor Erno Rubik using 400 tactile cubes while blindfolded. She says, "The actual portrait took me around 7 hours to finish and the prep took around 3." Read the rest
Ghislaine Maxwell, the alleged pimp and procurer for pedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, is being regularly moved to keep her alive, according to The Daily Mail, which also wants you to know she isn't "Cruella De Vil."Maxwell’s allies have told The Mail on Sunday that she:Is not the person who introduced billionaire Epstein to Prince Andrew;Fears dying of Covid-19 while in prison;Insists she and Epstein had not met in person for 15 years;Weeps over friends who have lost jobs because of their association with her;Has not had a haircut in a year and is being moved ‘from cell-to-cell’ for her own safety.The Mail is a notorious fabricator even by the dismal standards of U.K. tabloids, with recent form for misleadingly edited photographs, outright fake news and even falsifying its own historical stories. The point is that it is about the last outlet you'd expect an anonymously-sourced woe-is-her sympathy piece about Ghislaine Maxwell to appear right now. To paraphrase the Bolsheviks, who fucks whom? Read the rest
Even among the many global varieties of alcoholic beverages, tequila comes with an exceedingly complicated history. I mean, it’s not like bourbon spawn articles like 19 People Share The Reason They’ll Never Drink Tequila Again or 11 Reasons Why We Have A Love / Hate Relationship With Tequila.Look, we get it. Tequila and its unmistakable burn is absolutely an acquired taste. But just like other connoisseurs, the men and women who truly get excited at the prospect of top-shelf tequila know their stuff -- and appreciate when it’s offered.If you’re a tequila fan or think you’ve got it in you to become a tequila fan, these CaliFino 100% Ultra Premium Blue Weber Agave Tequila varieties not only give you a window into the wide world of tequila experiences, but they’re all between 10 to 15 percent off right now.Tequila varieties are all classified by how long they’ve been aging in barrels -- and sourced from the highlands of Arandas, Jalisco, Mexico, CaliFino has collected some of the most distinctive tastes and tequila styles anywhere.Blanco is un-aged tequila bottled shortly after distillation -- and CaliFino Blanco ($32.99, 10 percent off) brings all that raw passion to the glass, with a fresh, crisp agave smell and a smooth, full bodied taste accented by hints of vanilla and sweet lime citrus.Meanwhile, Reposado is aged less than a year, which is long enough for CaliFino Reposado ($36, 10 percent off) to pick up traces of the lightly toasted American white oak barrels, offering a taste with deep hints of baked agave and sweet fruits. Read the rest
Police in Allentown, Pennsylvania, were filmed brutalizing a black suspect this weekend. One officer knelt on the man's neck, the same form of "restraint" used to kill George Floyd in May. An investigation is underway, according to Allentown Police Department, which has refused to name the officers involved.GRAPHIC VIDEO: @AllentownPolice held down this man’s face to the pavement and then one of its officers placed their knee on his neck!! This happened yesterday and is exactly what led to #GeorgeFloyd’s death. We need this officer’s name and badge # NOW. #ICantBreathe pic.twitter.com/3qSlKGSgF4— Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) July 12, 2020After all that's happened this summer, it isn't just bad tactics, police brutality or racial violence. He's sending a message to all that see it: talk of defunding or reforming us is a joke and my knee is the punchline. Read the rest
Now for something completely different. Listen to Japanese Zen Buddhist monk Yogetsu Akasaka take beatboxing to a whole new place.VICE:The 37-year-old went viral in May, after posting his “Heart Sutra Live Looping Remix,” a video that’s relaxing like ASMR, and engrossing like a DJ set. With the loop machine, he layers sounds and chants all coming from one instrument — his voice.screengrab via Yogetsu Akasaka Read the rest
The Washington Redskins will "retire" its name today, according to a report in Sports Business Daily. Its owners long declared their intention to keep the racist moniker irrespective of criticism, but this summer's widespread unrest over police violence rattled the team's advertisers and sponsors, who in turn liquefied the ground under their feet. The move comes 11 days after stadium naming-rights sponsor FedEx’s public statement asking for a change to the controversial moniker. The new nickname will not be announced immediately because trademark issues are pending, the sources said, but insiders were told today that the “thorough review” announced July 3 has concluded. The team felt it was important to remove any doubts as to the future of the name, one source said.Fans seem to be ready for a switch, with many saying they're eager to become Redtails, in honor of a famous squadron of black WWII fighter pilots.For the #Redskins name change, I am all for the Washington Redtails. Redtails was the nickname given to the Tuskegee Airmen - the first black military aviators. This name would honor black American history & heroism instead of degrading Native Americans. pic.twitter.com/cAiF1XbfZ1— Scott Challeen (@ScottChalleen) July 13, 2020 Read the rest
Meditation seems simple. Just sit on the floor, clear your mind, and zen out. But have you tried sitting cross-legged on the floor without moving for even 10 minutes? It starts getting mighty uncomfortable after a while. And if you’ve got a few years on you, the knees and thighs are going to be barking loudly if you aren’t positioned or your posture is off.Much like your bed is the key to better sleep, the right meditation cushion is the key to a better, more comfortable session of self-reflection and clarity. Walden confidently calls their high-end pillows the best meditation cushions on Earth, created as a way to support each user’s spiritual mind and body journey.More practically, Walden figures if you’re comfortable, you’re much more inclined to make a meditation session part of your daily habit. That’s why their Walden Meditation Cushion is engineered to provide better stability and balance throughout your body while you go deep inside your mind.These cushions aren’t just some dime-store throw pillows either. Walden cushions are made by expert craftspeople in New York City and are constructed with premium state-of-the-art, durable materials for a superior experience.Crafted using gel-infused memory foam as well as organic and hypoallergenic buckwheat hull sourced locally, a Walden cushion helps raise your hips, allowing for a firm, yet comfortable position without detracting from your mental pursuits.Each cushion adapts to your particular body type with a water-resistant, antimicrobial zippered shell covering with easy-to-clean coating to make sure your cushion lasts forever. Read the rest
Unless you’re doing a lot better than most of us these days, having a personal masseuse on call isn’t really financially doable. And of course, how many masseurs are still doing house calls or accepting visitors during all this time of medical uncertainty?With skilled human hands mostly out of play right now, it falls to mechanical help in your own hands to handle bringing soothing relief to aching, tired muscles and joints. Since they debuted 10 to 15 years ago, massage guns pounding deep tissue pain into submission have become almost standard issue equipment to quell inflammation. But unless you’re one of those Rockefellers we talked about earlier, you probably aren’t ponying up for the Cadillac of massage guns, the $700 Theragun.Not to worry. We found deals on 10 massage guns that will help quiet aching body parts — and won’t even cost you half of the Theragun’s price.Handheld Massage Gun for Deep Tissue Percussion - $74.99; originally $88.88If you need a post-workout recovery, this handheld unit should be able to help, digging deep into strained muscles to find deep relaxation. With five replaceable heads to target specific body areas, this gun is also cordless with up to three hours of battery life on a single charge.Aduro Sport Elite Recovery Massage Gun - $79.99; originally $199.99With six intensity levels to adjust massage pressure, this unit with an ultra-quiet motor is ready to attack different muscle groups with just the right amount of power and pressure. Read the rest
With the cancelation of live events for the foreseeable future, the rave community has been facing serious withdrawals. No hypnotizing light shows to get lost in, no desert playground to run around in, and no trading kandi with strangers.In an attempt to comfort the EDM community, famous event organizer Insomniac, whose festivals include the Electric Daisy Carnival, has been hosting virtual raves.But, it may have done little to soothe a raver's EDM heart.Ravers aching to get back into the scene pulled up to Insomniac and Restless Beats' “Park ‘N Rave” event at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports in Chandler, Arizona on June 26 and 27.In a way, this socially distanced version of raving seems more luxurious than it is traditionally. One guest described her experience on edmmaniac.com saying,“Our personal dance floor was ample space for us to set up our viewing station. We were allowed to bring our own lawn chairs, blow up couches, air beds, and beer pong tables. As a grandma raver, being able to chill from time to time between sets without leaving my group or having to walk away from the stage was awesome. Guests were also encouraged to bring decorations, so many personalized their space with tapestries, flowers, Christmas lights, totems, and flags that made it feel like a camping festival. There was so much space for flow arts! I saw so many hoopers, levi wanders, glovers, and staffers doing their thing without being afraid to run into people!Being able to bring our own food and alcohol was a real game changer! Read the rest
An instantly infamous gun-toting St. Louis couple, filmed menacing protestors passing by their mansion, are already well-known for bizarre and threatening shenanigans by locals. Jeremy Koher reports that they likewise threatened one of their neighbors with guns, are relentless litigators, and were accused of trying to use HOA rules to get a gay couple kicked out of the neighborhood. The man reportedly sued his own dying father. In an ongoing suit against Portland Place trustees in 2017, the McCloskeys say they are entitled to a 1,143-square-foot triangle of lawn in front of property that is set aside as common ground in the neighborhood’s indenture. It was that patch of green protesters saw when they filed through the gate. Mark McCloskey said in an affidavit that he has defended the patch before by pointing a gun at a neighbor who had tried to cut through it. ...One of the rules prohibited unmarried people from living together. Several neighbors said it was because the McCloskeys didn’t want gay couples living on the block. The trustees voted to impeach Patricia McCloskey as a trustee in 1992 when she fought an effort to change the trust indenture, accusing her of being anti-gay.Their own lawyer, Albert Watkins, became part of the story when reporters noticed his website bio boasted that a client's accuser committed suicide after Watkins was done with her.Addendum: I never expected this tweet to take off so much, but the attention to the site appears to have led him to remove the last line of the fourth paragraph: “The woman committed suicide thereafter.” Read the rest
"Go home. Go home," says marathoner and running vlogger Kofuzi, trying to shake off an unfamiliar farm dog who wants to join in on his daily run in Dyersville, Iowa. "Go, go on! I'm going to be on a busy road later, you can't go. Come on." He continues to argue with the dog, but his conversation falls flat as the frisky pup keeps following him. He says his new running buddy kept up with him for 2 1/2 miles out of his 11.46-mile run, and after all his efforts trying to ditch the dog, admits that he was a little sad once the dog stopped following him. Read the rest