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Cole Carini, a 23-year-old Virginia man who turned up at hospital missing his hands and peppered with shrapnel, claims he was hurt in a lawnmower accident. the FBI, however, says he's a misogynist who fantasized about blowing up hot cheerleaders and was trying to assemble a bomb.On June 2, Cole Carini of Richlands, Virginia, showed up at the Clinch Valley Medical Center with a missing hand. Several fingers on Carini’s other hand were also gone, and he had shrapnel wounds to the neck and throat. ... When investigators got to the residence, they found a trail of blood leading from a red minivan parked in the driveway to the front door of the house, and up the stairs to a second-floor bedroom, according to the affidavit. After stepping over a “flesh colored substance that...looked like a piece of human skin,” cops found a plastic bottle filled with triacetone triperoxide, or TATP, a “substance used in the creation of improvised explosive devices,” inside a footlocker. Beside the footlocker was a box filled with rusty nails, and a plastic container, the top of which had been “peeled back in a manner consistent with an explosion,” the affidavit says. The blinds in the room were damaged, and a chunk of flesh was stuck to the ceiling. And here's the penned fantasy they claim is relevant:“He casually walked through the shopping mall, his jacket concealed deadly objects,” the letter read, parts of which were illegible. “He was doing it and was assured it must be done. Read the rest

After work on the Golden Gate Bridge's sidewalks to bolster their wind resistance, nearby residents of San Francisco are complaining that the 1.7 mile-long structure makes a creepy droning noise when it's windy. The mysterious and unsettling tone is heard in videos posted by Alberto Martinez, Mark Krueger and @reedm. It's a spectacular example of engineering neglect.Anthony J.:“Engineers designed new sides for the sidewalk to help with wind resistance but didn’t take into account the EXTREME sound it creates when wind passes through it. The bridge sings crazy songs now it’s so trippy. It hurts the ears and unbearable it’s that loud.”Anthony J.:“Engineers designed new sides for the sidewalk to help with wind resistance but didn’t take into account the EXTREME sound it creates when wind passes through it. The bridge sings crazy songs now it’s so trippy. It hurts the ears and unbearable it’s that loud.” pic.twitter.com/GWdVia1GNS— Mark Krueger (@markkrueg) June 6, 2020Can someone explain me why is this eerie sound has been going on for an hour in #SanFrancisco #presidio #sound #eerie #whatisthis #2020SoFar #2020BingoCard pic.twitter.com/gS4ui2WSxh— Alberto Martinez A (@betogilardino) June 5, 2020TIL: The Golden Gate Bridge has just become the world’s largest wind instrument.No, but seriously:There is now a permanent creepy 3-tone dissonant soundtrack flooding San Francisco thanks to some recently completed bridge construction. pic.twitter.com/05ImVT7Im7— ʀeeᴅ (@reedm) June 6, 2020Photo: Ed Dunens (CC BY 2.0) Read the rest

Itch.io today announced the Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality, a collection of 744 games worth $3,400. You can download and experience the lot for a minimum donation of $5.We live in a time of racial injustice, inequality, and police brutality against black people. We hope that everyone takes a stand in any way that they can. We’ve partnered with creators from all across our platform to support organizations that are working directly with those affected.We reached out to our community and an unprecedented number of creators donated over 740 projects to be part of what we believe is the largest bundle ever. Over $3,400 of paid works are available Pay-what-you-want with a minimum donation amount of $5. All proceeds will donated to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and Community Bail Fund split 50/50. Please note: No Steam (or other external keys) will be given for bundle purchases. Only direct downloads will be available on the itch.io page.If you’re looking for more ways to help try here: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/$234,000 raised in about 6 hours! ? I've bumped the goal to $500k. Thank you so much to those who bought the bundle and the those who donated their projects.BTW, 185 new projects have already been submitted and will be added tomorrow!https://t.co/31vXCJjkk1— leaf @ itch.io ? (@moonscript) June 6, 2020The servers seem to be having some trouble: if it doesn't come up for you, drag this URL to your bookmarks and try it again later: https://itch.io/b/520/bundle-for-racial-justice-and-equality Read the rest

This was on Fox News, as reported by a number of reporters and viewers: a chart showing upticks in the S&P 500 stock index after killings of black people and the acquittal of the police offers filmed beating Rodney King. The defense is that it's a fact. Facts can't be racist, can they? There's no element of choice in how facts are identified, put in context and presented, is there? Maybe Fox News is actually critiquing capitalism!I have revised the old joke from The Simpsons to bring it up to date. ↓2. Here’s the video of the graphic as it aired on Fox News this evening. pic.twitter.com/Iww2DnzkkI— Yashar Ali ? (@yashar) June 5, 2020Someone pitched this. Someone dug up these data. Someone made this graphic. Someone approved this. @SusanLiTV fronted it. pic.twitter.com/ltmbEMPDf5— David Gura (@davidgura) June 6, 2020 Read the rest

Father’s Day is June 21st, otherwise known as the roughest shopping day of the year. Don’t get us wrong, Dad deserves an awesome gift for all the great things he gave you. But let’s be honest — buying for your father is often a chore. Your gift has to take into account what he already has, what he wants, what he’ll use, and what will actually elicit a smile. And if it also sends the message that he was a pretty great Dad and you feel lucky to have him...well, that’s bonus points.To help streamline the process, we’ve assembled 40 cool Father’s Day ideas into this handy gift guide. And on top of that, you can also get an additional 15 percent off when you use the code GIFTFORDAD15 during checkout. On top of the fun gift, he’ll also give you props for being smart.And a hint to all you dads out there — send this link to your kids with a couple of helpful suggestions. They’ll appreciate your usual well-reasoned guidance. As always.For the well-groomed DadPopeye Shaving Gift Set - $42.49 after discount; originally $61.99 It’s a collection worthy of The Sailor Man himself, a three-step shave regimen of pre-shave oil, shave cream, and a post-shave lotion that’ll clean up the scruffiest of sea dogs. Well, blow me down!Brutus Beard Company 3-Piece Gift Set - $33.99 after discount; originally $50.99The beard deserves all the treatment Dad gives the hair on his head, so this all-natural, chemical-free assortment featuring a 3-in-1 beard wash cleaner, a beard balm conditioner and some beard oil to maintain a manly mane that holds, feels soft and looks well-groomed. Read the rest

Even in horrible economic times, a few simple rules hold unshakably true. And one of those rules is that if you possess an in-demand skill, you’ll always find work — and often, at a top market salary, to boot.If you understand Big Data and how to find order from the chaos of massive stockpiles of raw information, you can land a six-figure salary. Even now. And if you know how to program machines to think and respond for themselves, you’re in an even better position to make a very comfortable living.If you’re unsure about your career future or just want to change your tax bracket, the training in The Complete 2020 Big Data and Machine Learning Bundle can hand you everything you need to start down the path toward life as a Big Data analyst or machine learning engineer.Across 10 courses hosting almost 70 hours of content, this instruction explains the ins and outs of these exploding job fields, even for those who have no experience with statistics or advanced technology.Half of the courses here look deeply into the process of using big data, the vast amounts of structured and unstructured information that most businesses collect on a daily basis. Of course, you’ll never get on top of that tidal wave with your eyes and a ream of spreadsheets, so these courses examine the key analytical tools and language data experts use to organize findings and extract mining for all that unprocessed data. The training covers industry-leading processes and software like Scala, Hadoop, Elasticsearch, MapReduce and Apache Spark, all valuable means to unlock the secrets hidden inside that mountain of numbers. Read the rest

“We, the National Football League, believe Black Lives Matter.”

This is sure an interesting Friday, with Reddit and Facebook and now Amazon CEOs and founders speaking about Black Lives Matter and the protests surrounding the police killing of George Floyd.“I got this email from a customer and wanted to share my response,” writes Bezos on Instagram.He's responding to an Amazon customer who is upset the company is selling “Black Lives Matter” themed items.“I have to disagree with you. 'Black Lives Matter' doesn't mean that other lives don't matter. Black Lives Matter speaks to racism and the disproportionate risk that Black people face in our law enforcement and justice system,” writes Jeff Bezos in the post. View this post on Instagram I got this email from a customer and wanted to share my response.A post shared by Jeff Bezos (@jeffbezos) on Jun 5, 2020 at 3:05pm PDT Reddit to honor Ohanian's request to appoint Black director, and address anti-Black hate'Black lives matter' —Mark Zuckerberg, who says Facebook may change policy on state violence, voter suppression Read the rest

Roger Stone was convicted of witness intimidation and lying to Congress.

Yes, we regret to inform you that Large Adult President Donald Trump said something stupid again on the Twitters.Tweeted the impeached Donald:...We should be standing up straight and tall, ideally with a salute, or a hand on heart. There are other things you can protest, but not our Great American Flag - NO KNEELING!NO KNEELING. Read the rest

"Black lives matter," said Mark Zuckerberg today."We're building a voter hub to double down on our previous get-out-the-vote efforts,” wrote the Facebook founder and CEO in a lengthy blog post on Friday after a week of protests throughout the U.S.“In 2016, we ran one of the largest get out the vote efforts in history. I expect us to do even better in 2020." Huge if true. Skeptical, based on all we know.From the Facebook blog post:Mark ZuckerbergI just shared the following note with our employees, and I want to share it with all of you as well.---As we continue to process this difficult moment, I want to acknowledge the real pain expressed by members of our community. I also want to acknowledge that the decision I made last week has left many of you angry, disappointed and hurt. So I am especially grateful that, despite your heartfelt disagreement, you remain focused on taking positive steps to move forward. That can't be easy, so I just want to say I hear you and I'm grateful.I believe our platforms can play a positive role in helping to heal the divisions in our society, and I'm committed to making sure our work pulls in this direction. To all of you who have already worked tirelessly on ideas to improve, I thank you. You're making a difference, and together we'll make a difference. And while we will continue to stand for giving everyone a voice and erring on the side of free expression in these difficult decisions -- even when it's speech we strongly and viscerally disagree with -- I'm committed to making sure we also fight for voter engagement and racial justice too. Read the rest

• Founder to leave Reddit, saying resignation can be ‘act of leadership’• Reddit promises to update content moderation policies to “explicitly address hate” within weeksEarlier today, we told you that Reddit's Alexis Ohanian was resigning from the Reddit board, asked the company to fill his seat with a Black candidate, and said he'd donate further proceeds from Reddit to anti-racism causes beginning with a $1M pledge to Colin Kaepernick's “Know Your Rights Camp.” Now, Reddit has responded.Reddit community demanding change in hate speech policy. Exciting times.https://t.co/2dt5JB4avE— Alexis Ohanian Sr. ? (@alexisohanian) June 5, 2020Reports Hannah Murphy at the Financial Times:In a lengthy statement later on Friday, Steve Huffman, Reddit’s chief executive, said that the company would “honour” the request by Mr Ohanian that his successor be a black candidate.He added the company would update its content moderation policies to “explicitly address hate”, adding that the timeline would be “weeks, not months” if moderators of individual forums engage in the process.“[Our] current policy lists only what you cannot do, articulates none of the values behind the rules, and does not explicitly take a stance on hate or racism,” he said. “We will update our content policy to include a vision for Reddit and its communities to aspire to, a statement on hate, the context for the rules, and a principle that Reddit isn’t to be used as a weapon.”Read more: Reddit pledges to appoint black director after Ohanian quits[ft.com] Read the rest

This interview presents a conversation with Xeric Award-winning Canadian cartoonist Kevin Mutch about The Rough Pearl (Fantagraphics, 2020), his new graphic novel which addresses issues surrounding the intersection of class and race privilege in the “precariat” creative communities in and around New York City.Jeffery Klaehn: Thanks for the interview, Kevin!! Please tell me about The Rough Pearl.Kevin Mutch: The Rough Pearl is an autobiographical fantasy — a mixture of truth and fiction in roughly equal parts — about a would-be artist named Adam in New York City in the 1990s. He has a crappy adjunct teaching job, a wife who makes a lot more money than him, and an ill-advised crush on a student. And he seems to be losing his mind — he keeps seeing zombies and aliens and ghosts!Adam is someone who grew up being told that the world was full of possibilities, but he’s come to see that it isn’t that way anymore (if it ever was). He had all these romantic ideas about being an artist, living in New York, being with beautiful women, and now he realizes all of those dreams have become impossible — until suddenly they all become possible again, all at once.Unfortunately, he’s been having a harder and harder time determining what’s “real” and what isn’t — either he’s going crazy or he’s bleeding into parallel universes, the book is sort of ambiguous about that, heh — so he has a very difficult time navigating all of this. Read the rest

We live in a disposable era. If you can’t fix a broken item with a wrap of duct tape, there’s a very strong likelihood that its next destination is the trashcan. However, that probably leads to a trigger-finger death sentence for many household items that could be saved with just a bit more ingenuity. Before you toss broken sunglasses, ceramics, splintered wood, or anything that’s taken some minor damage, the sneaky resourceful Sugru Moldable Glue might just be able to bring it back from the dead.Sugru comes out of the package soft and malleable like Play-Doh, but after a little molding, it can be shaped to stick permanently to all kinds of materials, including ceramics, glass, metal, wood, rubber, and most plastics and fabrics. With its versatility, Sugru can be pressed into service to fix all kinds of broken, torn, or frayed items or used in a host of creative DIY projects. Sugru is freezer-proof, heatproof, dishwasher-proof, weatherproof, waterproof, UV-resistant, and electrically insulating, so its applications are as vast as your imagination.Once you expose it to air, you’ve got 30 minutes to mold the Sugru into its desired shape. Just wrap it or contour it the way you want, let it set for 24 hours, then it’s ready to go. Sugru doesn’t dry like a rock, retaining some flexibility while preserving the bond to the item, so it won’t crack or get brittle.You can use this high-tech putty to fix a refrigerator shelf, earbuds, leaky hoses, or even torn shoes or clothing. Read the rest

I live in a house with three other people, who have long hair. A lot of it ends up going down the bathroom sink and clogging the drain.I used to use Zip-It drain cleaners, but I recently tried a Drain Weasel and found it to be much better at getting all the gunky hair out of the pipe.The business end of the Drain Weasel has a tip of velcro-like fabric. You stick it down the drain and then turn the crank. It will grab all the hair.The drain cleaning wands are meant to be replaced after each use but the Drain Weasel people said you can clean off the tip, if you dare, and re-use it. As a cheapskate, I cleaned off the tip and it looks good as new, ready for the next clogged sink. Read the rest

A psychedelic pharmaceutical company is asking the FDA to allow it to run a commercial LSD trial to treat people with anxiety, reports Vice. MindMed's CEO is hopeful that his company will get permission to run the trial (dubbed "Project Lucy"), since the FDA has already approved trials with psilocybin and MDMA.From Vice:MindMed is proposing a high-dose LSD treatment (200mcg or about two tabs) for people with anxiety. Currently that can’t happen anywhere in the world due to LSD’s Schedule I status, except for Switzerland, where Dr. Peter Gasser has been doing this research for over 10 years.LSD is still a banned Schedule I substance in Switzerland, but in part because of its unique history as the birthplace of LSD, the ministry of health granted Gasser special permission to use it in his research. In 2007, he began the first controlled trial of LSD.“When the patient takes the substance, he or she is supervised by a therapist the entire time. They come to the office at 8:30 a.m., they get the drug, and then they stay until 8:30 p.m. That’s 12 hours in our facility in which they are supervised. We watch them, and we guide them through the experience,” Gasser told VICE News.Image: Jumpstory / CC0 Read the rest

Brandon E. McCormick says he brought a hunting bow and a large knife to a Salt Lake City protest because he wanted to protect the police. Instead of protecting cops, he was beaten by protestors when he drew his weapon on them and has been charged with three felonies. If he gets convicted and sent to prison, he won't have to acclimate to life as an inmate. From The Salt Lake Tribune:Now the 57-year-old Taylorsville man, who has spent nearly two decades of his life behind bars in California and once was convicted of battery against a public safety officer, faces three felony counts for, widely shared video has shown, aiming his weapon at protesters....McCormick, whose Facebook page says he is originally from Barstow, Calif., has shared his views before on the social media website, posting racist memes and talking about wanting to go back in time to “take out” former President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton when they were “in the crib.”In a May 21 post, McCormick shared with his followers that "if you didn’t grow up during the cold war and or you and or your anaesters [ancestors] are here ileagely [illegally]. You shouldn’t be alloud [allowed] to vote!!!!” (Bracketed spellings have been corrected.)Image: YouTube Read the rest

This video for Elvis Costello's new song, No Flag, is like a blast from the 1980s, and yet it's also tailor made for 2020.From Rolling Stone:Although he recorded the track in February, according to a statement, the song is fitting for the current frustrations plaguing the world. “No time for this kind of love/No flag waving high above,” Costello sings. “No sign for the dark place that I live/No God for the damn that I don’t give.”He recorded the track in three days in Helsinki, Finland at Suomenlinnan Studio, which is about a 20-minute ferry ride away from downtown. “I wanted to go somewhere nobody knew me,” Costello said in a statement. “So, this is ‘The Helsinki Sound.'” Read the rest

Why is it that, according to WHO, 80% of the population have mild or no symptoms from Covid-19, while another 15% are so severe they need oxygen, and the last 5% require ventilators? Scientists think it might have to do with genetics, including your blood type. According to a new study published in medRxiv, people with Type A blood who have Covid-19 are linked with having a 50% higher chance of ending up on oxygen or a ventilator.From The New York Times:Variations at two spots in the human genome are associated with an increased risk of respiratory failure in patients with Covid-19, the researchers found. One of these spots includes the gene that determines blood types.Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study.The findings suggest that relatively unexplored factors may be playing a large role in who develops life-threatening Covid-19. The new study is currently going through peer review.Image: By Zappy's Technology Solutions / Flickr Read the rest

From Hamilton, Ontario, it's The Vaudevillian, an old-timey ragtimey troupe! Below, a clip from last week with the band now as a duo. They say that "as well as performing at festivals and theaters around Canada, they host interactive Washboard Workshops and interactive Musical Spoon Workshops all across the country and to date have taught over 1400+ participants in this past year alone."(Thanks, Bob Pescovitz!) Read the rest

“I will use future gains on my Reddit stock to serve the black community, chiefly to curb racial hate”

“Hopefully George is looking down right now and saying this is a great thing that’s happening for our country.”

At least two of the three men charged this week with plotting violence at a Las Vegas anti-racism protest participated in “Boogaloo” groups on Facebook, an FBI criminal complaint says. In response, Facebook is making it harder to find user groups associated with the term “Boogaloo,” the company said on Friday. The term has been appropriated by white supremacist accelerationists who want to stoke a “race war” or the collapse of society and government, or some combination of both.Facebook will no longer recommend such groups to members of similar associations, a spokeswoman for the world’s largest social media network said told Joseph Menn at Reuters: Facebook appeared to have been an important factor for organization. According to the federal complaint, all three indicted men were part of a Nevada Boogaloo Facebook group and met at ReOpen rallies, which were organized on Facebook— Jay Hart (@JayHart909) June 4, 2020A series of reports this year by researchers and media have drawn attention to the loose movement and its propagation on social media. In April, an advocacy group called the Tech Transparency Project warned that Boogaloo followers were discussing taking up arms while promoting protests to “liberate” states from coronavirus restrictions.On May 1, Facebook banned the use of Boogaloo and related terms when they accompany pictures of weapons and calls to action, such as preparing for conflict.The specific terms Facebook is was acting against are evolving, it said on Thursday. To evade the scrutiny, many have switched to terms such as “Big Igloo” or “Big Luau” while maintaining the same discussions about weaponry, future wars and conspiracy theories. Read the rest

A man on a bike accosts a group of activists who are putting up flyers asking for justice for George Floyd. He grabs a young girl's arm and takes something out of her hand. “She has nothing, do not touch her, sir!” a woman shouts. He then rams his bike into the person shooting the video. Police are supposedly searching for him. Read more details at The Baltimore Sun. Read the rest

In mid-March, 33-year-old Daniel Thorson checked himself into a silent Buddhist meditation retreat in a remote part of Vermont. On May 23, two-and-a-half months later, he left the retreat and tweeted, "Did I miss anything?"After leaving the retreat, he stopped at a market, and that's when he realized things were amiss. “I would turn a corner in the grocery store, and someone would be there, and they would recoil,” he said. “...At first, I was, like, ‘Whoa, what did I do?’”From The New York Times:It stunned him to discover that the many and various topics that interested him — global warming, electoral politics, the health care system — had been subsumed by a single topic of conversation, the coronavirus. That feeling of confusion deepened when, during his first week back, American cities erupted in protests over the death of George Floyd.“While I was on retreat, there was a collective traumatic emotional experience that I was not a part of,” he said, on the second day. “To what degree do I have to piece it back together?”...He had looked forward to plunging back into his online world, a setting he had always found “nourishing.”But when he reviewed two and a half months of posts from people he admires, he found, to his shock, that they were only talking about one thing. “Everything else is gone,” he said. “There’s nothing about the election! It’s amazing! The Australian wildfires, what happened there? Didn’t Brexit happen?”His story is like the real-life version of Julie Nolke's Explaining the Pandemic to My Past Self videos. Read the rest

Schadenfreude fuels the tabloids.

Boing Boing welcomes Real Tested CBD as a sponsor!We at Real Tested CBD are continually striving to bring you information about the best CBD brands and their respective products available in the market. The CBD industry is thriving due to new-found awareness amongst the consumers. Thanks to the Internet and the laws allowing legal use of CBD and hemp-based products. At Real Tested CBD, we run thorough lab tests on each brand and product on our platform, and it includes checking the authenticity of their claim to be a CBD product. Plus, we also test these products for any traces of industrial pesticides and solvents. Today, we bring you another review of one of the most popular brands in the CBD industry.CBDfx is a manufacturer of CBD products and oils from Chatsworth, California. They carry a wide variety of CBD products extracted from full-spectrum, broad-spectrum, and isolate hemp plants. These products include CBD oils, CBD vape juice, CBD capsules, CBD products for pets, and more. Here are our reviews of six of their products. It’s always better to review before you buy!CBDfx’s Hemp Gummies 40 MgImage Source: RealTestedCBDOur top choice to review a CBDfx product is their Mixed Berry Hemp Gummies. It is an excellent CBD product that comes from broad-spectrum hemp extract. It is a non-GMO product that is 100 percent vegan and gluten-free.These yummy gummies contain 40 mg of hemp-based cannabinoids, and our lab results found this claim to be spot on – kudos to CBDfx. Read the rest

Walmart is removing guns from shop floors, according to Fox News and CNN. The move was prompted by nationwide protests over the killing of an unarmed black man, George Floyd, by cops in Minneapolis.The company has faced criticism over its decision to continue selling guns after 22 people were killed in a mass shooting at Texas Walmart and two store managers were fatally shot at a Mississippi Walmart in August.The retailer amended its policy in September, asking customers to not openly carry firearms in its stores. It stopped selling assault-style rifles in 2015 and in 2018 stopped selling firearms to anyone younger than 21.If you've been wondering all these years what it would take for big box stores to stop selling guns, the answer is "lots of black people suddenly interested in guns." Read the rest

Experimental fashion designer Anouk Wipprecht—most famous for her Robotic Spider Dress from a few years ago—has now created the Proximity Dress to help with physical distancing during the pandemic. The 3D-printed electromechanical dress poofs out when triggered by proximity and thermal sensors detecting someone getting too close to the wearer. From 3D Printing Media Network:Each dress extends itself using a robotic 3D printed hip mechanism, built into the dress, and a resin 3D printed transparent collar with integrated sensors. The dress also works as a perfect application case study for 3D printing. The hip mechanisms that are holding the servos to the mechanic hip parts are 3D printed using SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) nylon PA-11 to endure more stresses. The 3D printed transparent collar, which has a more aesthetic use, is 3D printed using an Objet Connex 500 multimaterial polyjet 3D printer and the VeroClear material from Stratasys.“I haven’t made dresses for myself in a long time,” Anouk posted, “and I got a bit fed up with people in public not considering the current distancing suggestions, so this one I’m keeping…” Read the rest

T.C. Sottek writes that this week's protests, marked by soaring levels of police violence against demonstrators, show that we have a responsibility to record them when we can. Last night's horrific attack on an unarmed, elderly man by Buffalo police is only the latest and sharpest example of a lie—the officers claimed he tripped—exposed by video.You have a right to record the policeEveryone in the United States — citizen or resident — has a constitutional right to record police who are performing their public duties. The police don’t have the right to stop you as long as you’re not disrupting their business, and they aren’t allowed to confiscate your phone or camera just because you were recording them. This is the consistent opinion of federal courts and the Supreme Court, which affirmed in 2014 (in a 9-0 decision) that cops need a warrant if they want to seize and search your cellphone.Many excellent tips. Extra batteries! Read the rest

The Huffington Post reports that law enforcement has siezed hundreds of coronavirus masks to prevent protestors from wearing them in public.The U.S. Postal Service tracking numbers for the packages indicate they were “Seized by Law Enforcement” and urge the mailer to “contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for further information.”The U.S. Postal Inspection Service did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.It’s not entirely clear what law enforcement entity seized the masks or why.Without masks, protestors have less protection against coronavirus (and may even be breaking the law). They are therefore less likely to protest and more likely to fall ill if they do. View this post on Instagram Update! Law enforcement has seized these masks and are not stating why! When your called to support you step up or step back. Sending energy and prayers to those on the front lines! Right on community appreciation to all of you interested in supporting please hit up @thepalmtreepapi if your interested in supporting! @mvmnt4blklivesA post shared by Movement-Ink (@themovementink) on Jun 3, 2020 at 4:44pm PDT Read the rest

Two officers from Buffalo police department were suspended late Thursday after footage of them shoving an elderly man spread on social media. The man, who was unarmed and clearly unthreatening to the officers, was seriously injured and taken to hospital. Buffalo police claimed he tripped and fell. Only the footage, which shows the man unconscious and bleeding from a head injury and one ear, forced the truth from them.BREAKING: Buffalo’s police commissioner orders immediate Internal Affairs investigation into this incident: 2 officers shoving an elderly man, who walked up to them, to the ground. @news4buffalo reports the man suffered a laceration & possible concussion pic.twitter.com/qbTvXAAPLH— David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) June 5, 2020Buffalo Police Department Captain Jeff Rinaldo told CBS News later Thursday night that "the Police Commissioner has immediately suspended two officers without pay in connection with the incident observed in the video." Rinaldo said the department has launched an internal affairs investigation. Buffalo Police originally told reporters in a summary of the protest that "one person was injured when he tripped and fell."This is what they do when they know the cameras are rolling. Think what they do when they know they aren't. Read the rest

On Wednesday during a "Justice for George Floyd" protest, a late-night dance party broke out in downtown Oakland. Thousands of masked people took to the streets in this peaceful past-curfew street fête.Robb Benson:After several nights of violent confrontations with the police & the announcement by Minn Attorney General Keith Ellis of the elevation to 2nd degree murder for Derek Chauvin and aiding & abetting 2nd degree murder for the officers who were silent, Oakland responds to the City's curfew with a dance party. #Justice4GeorgeFloydDay 6 of Oakland #GeorgeFloyd protest: Oakland going dumb. 3 hours past curfew. pic.twitter.com/ygY87qCnfB— Sarah Belle Lin (@SarahBelleLin) June 4, 2020Also, people really miss dancing. pic.twitter.com/5A007k8ge2— Shane Bauer (@shane_bauer) June 4, 2020screengrab via Robb Benson Read the rest

This dongle allegedly converts "household" -- i.e. 110v AC power -- to 3.5mm. It's misdescribed and is for photographic use (if it were intended to be jammed in the mains, the prongs would have holes) but it makes me think a splendid purpose would be for the gadget mafia to use to issue death threats to people. If you find one of these on your doorstep or, God forbid, your pillow, you have displeased them. Spotted by Chris Satterfield on Twitter: "it adapts camera strobe triggers."UPDATE: Male to Male power cords are still listed at Amazon, but are out of stock. Read the rest

Université de Sherbrooke engineers demonstrated a wearable robotic third arm that weighs about the same as a human arm. According to Evan Ackerman writing in IEEE Spectrum, waist-worn hydraulic limb "is gentle enough to pick fruit but powerful enough to punch through a wall." From his interview with project lead Catherine Véronneau:IEEE Spectrum: Can you describe the experience of wearing the robotic arm, especially when it’s moving dynamically? What does it feel like? How quickly do you get used to it? Catherine Véronneau: ​That’s a good question, and it is something that really needs to be explored and studied in the future! But, for now, it is still not too bad having this arm on my hips, since it’s only 4.2 kg (without payload) and it is located near my center of mass (to reduce inertia). I get used to it quickly, and I can compensate for some of the movements (x, y, and z translational movements), but I still have some remaining issues to compensate for torsion movements (like if the arm is hitting a tennis ball with a racket), which is funny! We also noticed that the harness needs to be rigidly connected to the body, because if there is some backlash between the harness and the body, it can be uncomfortable."Robotic Third Arm Can Smash Through Walls" (IEEE Spectrum) Read the rest

Time heals all wounds? Marvel at this 33-day time-lapse of a wound healing. The human body is magic.(Thanks, Harlow Sparks-Pescovitz!) Read the rest

Donald Trump's former Chief of Staff John Kelly today confirmed that Trump was lying when he said he demanded the resignation of former defense secretary Jim Mattis.Said Kelly:“The president did not fire him. He did not ask for his resignation. The president has clearly forgotten how it actually happened or is confused."“Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people — does not even pretend to try. Instead, he tries to divide us,” Mattis wrote in a statement published by the Atlantic, which Trump later criticized in a tweet.From the Washington Post's Josh Dawsey:“The president did not fire him. He did not ask for his resignation,” Kelly, a retired Marine Corps general, said in an interview. “The president has clearly forgotten how it actually happened or is confused. The president tweeted a very positive tweet about Jim until he started to see on Fox News their interpretation of his letter. Then he got nasty. Jim Mattis is a honorable man.”Mattis tendered his resignation in 2018, citing his disagreement with Trump’s decision to pull U.S. forces out of Syria.On Wednesday, he released a statement criticizing Trump’s handling of protests that have erupted across the country following the killing of George Floyd in police custody last week.Mattis accused Trump of deliberately trying to divide Americans, taking exception to his threats of military force on U.S. streets, and praising those demanding justice following death of Floyd, an African American man living in Minneapolis. Read the rest

Former Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen said today in an interview with ABC News anchor Martha Raddatz, "We are at an inflection point, and the events of the past few weeks have made it impossible to remain silent." Mullen: "It sickened me" to see "security personnel—including members of the National Guard—forcibly and violently clear a path through Lafayette Square to accommodate the president's visit outside St. John's Church." Watch the interview clip here.JUST IN: Former Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen to @MarthaRaddatz: "We are at an inflection point, and the events of the past few weeks have made it impossible to remain silent." https://t.co/sG73egNmRc pic.twitter.com/bIFBxVknbK— ABC News (@ABC) June 4, 2020JUST IN: Mike Mullen to @MarthaRaddatz: "It sickened me" to see "security personnel—including members of the National Guard—forcibly and violently clear a path through Lafayette Square to accommodate the president's visit outside St. John's Church." https://t.co/sG73egNmRc pic.twitter.com/i2MaQkK3sE— ABC News (@ABC) June 4, 2020Latest Trump publicity shot looks like scene from The OmenLatest Trump publicity shot looks like scene from The OmenEpiscopal Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde denounces Trump’s abuse of St. John's Church as a prop Read the rest

On Twitter today, Tesla and SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk called for the federal breakup of Amazon.Okay. Noted.Musk's reply is in this thread by a guy who is mad that Amazon won't let him self-publish his as yet unpublished 'true fact exposed' book about the coronavirus pandemic.Oh fuck me. I can’t believe it. They censored it. pic.twitter.com/GfPEr7OiV2— Alex Berenson (@AlexBerenson) June 4, 2020 Read the rest

“My Nanny sewed catnip into a toy bunny for my cat and she absolutely loves it,” says IMGURian @kittydetonator.My Nanny sewed catnip into a toy bunny for my cat and she absolutely loves it Read the rest

YouTuber Jake Paul (whose brother Logan Paul we've written about many times before, don't miss the rat-tazing incident) has been arrested for being present on camera with looters in an Arizona shopping mall during recent protests.pic.twitter.com/kwsQ2jyMm1— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) May 31, 2020From ABC 15 in Arizona:Police said Thursday that 23-year-old Jake Joseph Paul was identified as being present among hundreds of tips and videos sent to officials. He reportedly unlawfully entered and remained inside Scottsdale Fashion Square mall when it was closed. Officials say Paul, who has a large following on YouTube, “was present after the protest was declared an unlawful assembly and the rioters were ordered to leave the area by police.”Paul has been charged with criminal trespassing and unlawful assembly, both misdemeanor charges.However, Paul tweeted on Sunday: “To be absolutely clear, neither I nor anyone in our group was engaged in any looting or vandalism.” He says they were there to film and “share our experience and bring more attention to the anger felt in every neighborhood we traveled through…” Young Mr. Paul has over 20 million YouTube subscribers, you can make some real money with numbers like that.His profile on YouTube says, "The squad 'Team 10' & I are always making comedy vids, acting, doing action sports & going on crazy adventures."Read more:Online influencer Jake Paul charged after Scottsdale lootingLogan Paul finally booted from YouTube ad program after tasering dead ratLogan Paul says he posted video of him in a silly hat near a corpse to draw attention to the harsh reality of suicide Read the rest

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison kindly obliged to a homeowner's request to keep off his grass during a press conference. The man, who had just reseeded his lawn, gave the PM a thumbs up, and the PM returned the gesture. Read the rest

First, watch part one, in which Julie Nolke travels back in time from April to the pre-pandemic era and freaks out her earlier self. Then, watch this video on which today's Julie Nolke travels back in time to give April's Julie Nolke a heads-up on what's to come. Nolke is donating all the revenue from the video to the George Floyd Memorial Fund and other programs assisting people of color. Read the rest

Google official says “no sign of compromise” of either campaign

The New York Times celebrated the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre by publishing a column calling for a similar crackdown here in the U.S. It has not gone down well. Critics are horrified that the paper of record would amplify a call for military action against largely black protestors and there is a reported "rebellion" in the NYT newsroom. On social media, parodies unravel the Times' vacuous both-sidesism by posing absurdity in its classy, restrained op-ed format.From Pixelated Boat:From Brian Lockhart:The Dahmer one, up top, is by myself. Below, the one everyone is posting in some form or other: good old Palps.Here's a few more:If you spot any good ones , add them in the comments. Read the rest

The title of this YouTube video, posted by Reuters, says "NY Police officers filmed hitting cyclist after a citywide curfew took effect." It's not clear whether the officers are actually beating up a man for simply riding his bike after 8pm, or if he did a worse "crime." Either way, three cops are aggressively using batons on a man who is not resisting and does not look like a threat. Read the rest

Little Richard and Dick Cavett have a wonderful conversation in this 1970 episode of Cavett's show. About three minutes in, Little Richard talks about how he "gave The Beatles their start in 1962," when he took them on tour, but this fact was not reported because Little Richard is Jewish. (Interestingly, JTA wrote that Little Richard was "fascinated with Judaism for decades — so much so that he might have even observed Shabbat.")Image: YouTube Read the rest

To paraphrase one YouTube commenter, innovative acoustic guitar maestro Luca Stricagnoli is the only guy permitted to play a Zeppelin song at Guitar Center. Don't miss his manipulation of the tuning pegs during the song. Read the rest

Watching these two idiots argue is like watching two milk-drunk kittens clumsily bat at each other. Scroll to about 4:50 in the video.From Mediaite:As the interview got heated, Giuliani blasted Morgan for not defending the president because he “knew Trump wasn’t racist” before calling him a “disgrace” and a “liar.” In a scathing rebuke, Morgan then branded Giuliani “mad” and “unhinged” over his “abusive” comments.“Rudy, I’m sorry but you sound completely barking mad,” Morgan said. Do you know that? You’ve completely lost the plot!”“You’re the one who got thrown off television here, cause you had ratings of about two!” Giuliani replied. “So don’t tell me I’ve lost anything. Read the rest

View this post on Instagram Our country is crippled and on its knees, begging to be heard and pleading for change. Where is our compassionate leader? The leader who unifies and inspires our country at our most painful time when we need it the most. The leader who steps up and takes full accountability for our country and embraces every color in it. The leader who picks our country up off its knees and says you have my word - we got this - and together, change will happen. Where are you? Because we’re all here. Maybe one day that galvanizing leader will emerge. Either way, the process to change has already begun. #normalizeequality #blacklivesmatterA post shared by therock (@therock) on Jun 3, 2020 at 7:33pm PDTIn an impassioned 8-minute speech, Dwayne Johnson (AKA The Rock) asks Trump, "Where are you?"Our country is crippled and on its knees, begging to be heard and pleading for change.Where is our compassionate leader?The leader who unifies and inspires our country at our most painful time when we need it the most.The leader who steps up and takes full accountability for our country and embraces every color in it.The leader who picks our country up off its knees and says you have my word - we got this - and together, change will happen.Where are you?Because we’re all here.Maybe one day that galvanizing leader will emerge.Either way, the process to change has already begun. Read the rest