South Korean football club apologizes for filling stands with 'sex dolls.’ By Jack Guy and me. #SouthKorea @cnnsport https://t.co/XMkLrxJZut— Sophie Jeong (@sophieyjeong) May 18, 2020In South Korea, the soccer team FC Seoul filled out its empty arena with sex dolls posed as fans. The game was closed to the public due to COVID-19 restrictions. After real fans watching the match online spotted the curious figures, FC Seoul issued an apology and claimed it was an honest mistake and that they hadn't noticed the figures holding up signs with the name of a sex toy company. From CNN:"The female mannequin dressed in a white short sleeve t-shirt, the breast excessively stood out, and the nipples were protruding, but you didn't know they were an adult product?" wrote another fan on Instagram. "You are kidding me."FC Seoul explained that although the dolls were made to look like real people, rather than conventional mannequins, it had checked they were "not at all related to adult products" before agreeing to install them, and had been told they would be mannequins of the kind commonly used to model clothes. Read the rest

Two men wearing watermelons over their heads robbed a Sheetz convenience store in Louisa, Virginia. After asking for community help, police posted they arrested at least one of the melonheads. From the Louisa Police Department Facebook:On May 6, 2020, at 2135 hours, two subjects arrived at the Sheetz in a LIFTED 2006 Black Toyota Tacoma wearing hollowed-out watermelon rinds with holes cut out for the eyes into the store where they proceeded to commit a larceny.UPDATE: an arrest has been made, thank you to the community for all your assistance.Larceny InvestigationThe Town of...Posted by Louisa Police Department- Virginia on Saturday, May 16, 2020 Read the rest

For the last 18 years Bruce Sterling has been writing an unpaid blog called "Beyond the Beyond" for Wired. But now, writes Cory Doctorow, "Beyond the Beyond is done. Wired publisher Conde Nast is in such deep financial trouble that they're realizing minuscule savings like those to be gleaned from shutting down an unpaid blog." Bruce just posted his farewell column at Wired.com:I’m even proud and happy that I managed to spare the readers so much of my own mental compost in this blog. The chosen, curated material that made it on to this blog was maybe one percent of the vast heaps of rubbish I was overturning. I could have stuffed this blog with two hundred times as much “content,” and if I’d lived for two hundred years, I would never have lost interest in my sky-blackening sandstorm of off-the-wall topics. Every day was a gift, and full of grist for the mill.In conclusion, people may wonder “what next” — well, I’m still active, or even hyperactive, on Twitter, Tumblr, Flickr, Pinterest, Medium and Ello. But those platforms are not my “weblogs” — they’re social media, or image-sharing sites. I find them cozy mostly because I’m indolent, and they’re not as much work as a weblog. It’s easier to quip about the same-old same-old than it is to explore the frontiers.If I was a young person, and starting over today, I would not experiment with a weblog supported by a West Coast US technology magazine. Instead, I would try something more youthful in spirit, less conventional, more beyond-the-beyond. Read the rest

In the latest edition of The Margins newsletter, Ranjan Roy tells the story of his friend who owns a pizzeria. He charges $24 for a deluxe pizza but, for one reason or another, Doordash lists the pizza for $16. As an experiment, he ordered 10 pizzas from his own pizzeria and had them delivered to a friend's house. Sure enough, a Doordash driver came to his pizzeria and paid $240 for the pizzas.Trade 1We went over the actual costs. Each pizza cost him approximately $7 ($6.50 in ingredients, $0.50 for the box). So if he paid $160 out of pocket plus $70 in expenses to net $240 from Doordash, he just made $10 in pure arbitrage profit. For all that trouble, it wasn't really worth it, but that first experiment did work.My mind, as a combination trader and startup person, instantly had the thought - just run this arbitrage over and over. You could massively even grow your top-line revenue while netting riskless profit, and maybe even get acquired at an inflated valuation :) He told me to chill out. Maybe this is why he runs an "actual business" while I trade options while doing brand consulting and writing newsletters.But we did realize, if you removed the food costs this could get more interesting.Trade 2The order was put in for another 10 pizzas. But this time, he just put in the dough with no toppings (he indicated at the time dough was essentially costless at that scale, though pandemic baking may have changed things). Read the rest

iRaspian is a Linux OS for the Raspberry Pi that looks a lot like the Mac OS X operating system. It also comes with Mac OS 9.2 and Windows 95 emulators. Read the rest

Gizmodo's George Dvorsky compiled a gallery of the weirdest images ever taken on mars and I immediately clicked through to ensure that the squirrel was included. The squirrel (above) was included. Read the rest

Laura Curren, county executive of Nassau County, N.Y., offers some wise tips for playing tennis safely as the pandemic continues. The two key takehomes are "kick but don't touch other people's balls" and "bring your own balls." Read the rest

Kazuki Ikeda shot this video of deers relaxing in a park in Nara, Japan, a city famed for its park full of relaxing deers. [Previously] Read the rest

Harley-Davidson leveraged itself up the eyeballs as its brand tired and its business turned into a maze of protectionism and politics. Then the pandemic hit."Most people blame me, the millennial," says Ryan Kluftinger, introducing a 14-minute, excellently-produced mini documentary. " ... but it wasn't me that let the poisoning happen. That started forty years ago." Read the rest

Richard Simmons gave his heart to the world. It was no small feat to be an energetic & effeminate fitness celebrity in the homophobic ‘80s, and yet he still rose to prominence and encouraged self respect at every size many years before it was cool. Richard’s videos didn’t just have us grapevining for our lives, he encouraged us to get there by loving ourselves.But now that Richard has retired from the limelight to live a well-earned private life and we’ve long since worn out our VHS copies of Sweatin’ To The Oldies, where to turn for that special brand of campy lo-fi cardio? What if you’re not a hardcore exercise fiend trying to get into a titty flex contest with Terry Crews and are instead just looking for a fun way to keep that ass in motion while sheltering in place?Legendary punk singer and Violence Girl author Alice Bag’s “Fit for the Apocalypse” workout videos on YouTube are a good place to start. Each episode is the length of a punk song, which isn’t always enough time for a proper workout but, you know, just stream them all consecutively and jog in place while you scrub through to the action. After years of being punished by crappy club music in every spin class ever, this is the exercise soundtrack you’ve been yearning for. Squat and punch along to cool new punk bands like the Linda Lindas and Amyl & the Sniffers or lunge to classics like The Tissues. Along with standard aerobics moves like the grapevine, get ready for new Alice Bag signature classics like "The Hallelejuah" and the “Tit-sa.” Read the rest

LMFAOOOOOOOO I AM IN TEARS??? pic.twitter.com/UWq0kaBIHT— Teflon Juan, M.S.Ed ?? (@realjaycollins) May 16, 2020In this footage, fear is the mind-killer. Read the rest

In a remarkably short time, drones have infiltrated every facet of life. Even now, in the age of COVID-19, drones are being employed by engaged groups to help enforce social distancing guidelines and help stop the spread of the virus.From business delivery to mapping to videography to pure-and-simple enjoyment flights, drones are everywhere, with over 1.5 million crafts registered with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. And more than two-thirds are recreational drones, just helping enthusiasts take to the skies and enjoy the freedom of flight.Unlike other drones that can require a steep learning curve before you master the stick, the Shift Red Drone is billed as the drone you can fly solo...as in, one-handed, with your thumb serving as your primary flight tool. With the Shift’s unique and intuitive flight controller, you don’t need to use two hands. You just slip your fist around the ergonomically comfortable controller, position your thumb atop the video-game-style joystick and bring the Shift to life. The sensor fusion technology precisely recognizes the drone’s 3D locations and speeds for responsive and dynamic, yet stable flight control.Pilots are even protected with an Emergency Stop function that kicks in once the craft gets out of range, putting the Shift into an automatic hovering mode until it re-connects with the controller.Users can toggle through eight different auto-pilot modes, which make it a lot easier to shoot high definition video or conduct clear and stable real-time streaming video feeds. The Shift’s internal tracking technology keeps the camera focused on your subject as it recognizes movement with gimbal features to smooth out blur when pivoting or tilting. Read the rest

If you’re like many Americans, you’ve probably learned a little something about yourself during our new quarantine lifestyle. One takeaway from our decidedly unusual times probably won’t come as a huge shock...but it turns out that despite all the problems and hassles of our new normal, thousands of people really enjoy the freedom of working from home.That’s fine if you’re got an employer who’s good with it, but if you’re unemployed or looking for a career change at the moment, you might find working from home still isn’t simple. For the most part, finding great remote flexible jobs can be tough and takes a lot of time that you should be working.To alleviate that headache, FlexJobs is an employment service that works to boil down all the best freelance and remote job opportunities out there down to the ones that work best for you. Founded in 2007, FlexJobs has access to more than 30,000 remote, freelance, part-time, and flexible jobs in over 50 career categories, each hand-screened and vetted by FlexJobs’ trained researchers. When a job is added to the site, it’s also accompanied by staff-written job summaries, company descriptions, and other useful information about the business itself. Unlike those shady businesses that require an investment before you get paid or are only trying to find direct sales affiliates, FlexJobs has the 411 on over 40,000 legitimate organizations who hire for remote, freelance, part-time, and flexible schedule positions without the fear of getting scammed.Being a FlexJobs member has other privileges as well, including access to job search checklists, award-winning career content, 1-on-1 career coaching, resumé reviews, expert skills tests, video introductions, and more. Read the rest

Too much happens in a week. Our lives all move so fast that it’s basically impossible to stay on top of everything that crosses our paths over a seven-day period. That’s why we want to give you a do-over. We’ve gathered together 40 killer items, including many at discounts of almost $170, and we’re giving you another shot to pick them up. From your car to your tech to your kitchen to you, there are a bunch of life hacks here to help get your fast-approaching summer started in the right direction.Look goodYou can get the quarantine look under control with The Cut Buddy Beard-Shaping and Hair-Trimming Guide ($11.99; originally $14.99), a Shark Tank winning tool that helps you perfectly trim and shape your hairlines. The Barb 'Xpert by Franck Provost Beard and Moustache Tool ($10.99; originally $15) is a highly sharpened soft-touch pair of mustache scissors that let you easily even out the hair of your mustache and beard, while The Barb 'Xpert by Franck Provost Beard Grooming Shampoo ($14.99; originally $29) is specially developed with a non-greasy feel to cleanse and revitalize all beard types.But if you need to attack on all fronts, this 4-in-1 Men's Electric Razor ($39.99; originally $99.99) can do it all, packing advanced 4D floating technology so the precision blades adapt to the contours of your face, neck, and jawline.Feel goodIf you had a rough night drinking, the DHM Detox Herbal Supplement ($22.99 for a 10-pack; originally $33.99) is a formula of herbal extracts and natural ingredients that helps break up the “hangover feeling” by reducing the negative after-effects, including nausea, brain fog, and headaches. Read the rest

In Search of Tomorrow is slated to be a four-hour-long love letter to the sci-fi films of the 1980s. It is currently being crowdfunded on Kickstarter and has raised almost $470,000 dollars to date, with 32 hours left to go. It is being produced by the same folks who crowdfunded and produced the documentary on 80s horror films, In Search of Darkness.In Search of Tomorrow will take viewers on a year-by-year deep dive into the many awe-inspiring worlds of ‘80s Sci-Fi movies, breaking down the most iconic and eccentric films you know and love (and many you may have forgotten or missed), and examining the science, technology, and artistry behind the fiction.The completed feature will be more than four hours long and feature insights and anecdotes from an extensive collection of experts and iconic talent, including filmmakers, actors, special-effects and visual effects masters, tech advisors, authors, influencers, and visionaries. Not only will they tell their own stories, but they will share opinions about their own favorite Sci-Fi movies.Learn more of their Kickstarter page.Image: Promotional poster Read the rest

Blogger Dave Strickson has been keeping an up-to-date list of all of the BBC 1 Peel Sessions that are currently available online. There is nearly a thousand sessions of music to date. Some of the artists include David Bowie and The Spiders from Mars, Roxy Music, Joy Division, New Order, The Cure, Siouxsie & The Banshees, The Smiths, The Fall, Echo & The Bunnymen, Nirvana, Hole, Jack White, Elvis Costello, Cocteau Twins, The Jesus & Mary Chain, Sonic Youth, The Wedding Present, The Raincoats, Nick Drake, T-Rex, Buzzcocks, Can, Billy Bragg, Fairport Convention, Pulp, The Breeders, The Fugees, The Kinks, The Specials, The Slits, and Thin Lizzy.[Via Brooklyn Vegan]Image: YouTube Read the rest

The EDC ethos has been around for...well, forever. But it’s entirely possible that you’ve never heard the term EDC before. Of course, the idea that some items are part of your Every Day Carry assortment isn’t new, but in recent years, the thought of each person assembling their own unique version of Batman’s utility belt has taken on new meaning.It’s not enough to just have your keys, an old pocket knife and a few loose slips of paper down at the bottom of your pocket anymore. We’ve each got a bunch of items we’ve got to tote around each day -- so our EDC stuff has to be compact, important, and rugged enough to survive the knock-around world we all find ourselves in.That’s the philosophy behind the Anywhere Tools Everyday Carry Bundle, a 12-in-1 collection of portable, streamlined, and highly functional hand tools that we may not necessarily need every day -- but the day you DO need them, you’ll be really glad they’re there.Anywhere Tools are created by Keyport, a company dedicated to fashioning customizable, modular tech and tool items that all fit within the Anywhere Pocket Clip. Like a Swiss Army knife, the Keyport system is all about solving as many common daily problems as a tightly-packed EDC can solve.Crafted from steel, anodized aluminum and polycarbonate, the modules include a traditional pocket knife; a multi-function tool that serves as a bottle opener, a flathead and Phillips head screwdriver, a cord cutter, or a box opener; a pocket flare featuring a 27-lumen flashlight with a bright front beam and one-of-a-kind lamp mode; and Anywhere Pocket Clips that can hold cash or keep your items secured. Read the rest

AI can't flow, but Biggie somehow has it from beyond the grave. Join the subreddit associated with this channel at https://reddit.com/r/VocalSynthesisThe voice in this video was entirely computer-generated using a text-to-speech model trained on the speech patterns of The Notorious B.I.G. Read the rest

Andrew Cotter, who has found lockdown fame narrating the mundane adventures of his two dogs Olive and Mabel as if they were golfers at the apex of a tense match, went for a walk."No point in shaking yet, you're still in the water." Read the rest

The United States Department of Veterans Affairs said Friday that it will not stop use of hydroxychloroquine, an unproven malaria drug pushed by Trump, on veterans with COVID-19.“VA has not endorsed nor discouraged the use of hydroxychloroquine in COVID-19 patients and has left those decisions to providers and their patients,” the VA told The Associated Press:As of Friday, 11,883 veterans are confirmed to be infected with the coronavirus and 985 have died of COVID-19, according to VA statistics.From The Associated Press:In responses provided to Congress and obtained by The Associated Press, the VA said it never “encouraged or discouraged” its government-run hospitals to use hydroxychloroquine on patients even as President Donald Trump heavily promoted the drug for months without scientific evidence of its effectiveness.Still, it acknowledged that VA Secretary Robert Wilkie had wrongly asserted publicly without evidence that the drug had been shown to benefit younger veterans. The VA, the nation’s largest hospital system, also agreed more study was needed on the drug and suggested its use was now limited to extenuating circumstances, such as last-ditch efforts to save a coronavirus patient’s life.In the first week of May, 17 patients had received the drug for COVID-19, according to VA data obtained by the AP. The department declined to say how many patients had been treated with hydroxychloroquine for the coronavirus since January, but a recent analysis of VA hospital data showed that hundreds of veterans had taken it by early April.“VA has not endorsed nor discouraged the use of hydroxychloroquine in COVID-19 patients and has left those decisions to providers and their patients,” the VA said. Read the rest

The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that federal and state regulators in the U.S. are preparing to file antitrust lawsuits against Google, saying the company abused its dominance of online search and advertising to crush competition and maximize profit.Both the federal and state investigations are said to be focused on Google’s ad business.The WSJ report cites unidentified people familiar with the probes in a story about the upcoming offensive by the U.S. Justice Department and the attorneys general in several states.From the Associated Press (not paywalled):The Justice Department may file its case as early as this summer while Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton may take action in the fall, along with his peers in other states, according to the Journal.U.S. Attorney General William Barr has previously said he hoped to decide whether to pursue an antitrust case against Google by the summer. Texas and other states announced they were looking into Google’s business practices last September.Google acknowledged it has ongoing discussions with the Justice Department and Paxton without elaborating on the nature of the talks. “Our focus is firmly on providing services that help consumers, support thousands of businesses, and enable increased choice and competition,” the company said in a statement.READ MORE: Justice Department, State Attorneys General Likely to Bring Antitrust Lawsuits Against Google [WSJ]Report: Google facing onslaught of antitrust cases in US Read the rest

Tom Nook himself made a special announcement on Twitter Friday. The real-life musicians who play the in-game theme music for Animal Crossings: New Horizons had come together for a virtual performance of it!Best comment: "What do you mean 'The musicians behind the main theme', where is that dog with the guitar?"My reaction to the concert?[Announcement]The musicians behind the main theme of #AnimalCrossing: New Horizons have come together virtually for this special performance! We hope you enjoy it! #ACNH pic.twitter.com/QP8nLbyD1U— Tom Nook (@animalcrossing) May 15, 2020screengrab via Nintendo/YouTube Read the rest

Want to try an interesting little science experiment at home? This looks fun.Alka Seltzer, oil and water in a glass become a lava lamp of sorts.Alka Seltzer, oil and waterLooks like some food coloring may have been involved, too. Read the rest

He's using big boy words today, isn't he.Impeached and manifestly unfit U.S. President Donald Trump is being mocked around the world today for boasting about America's new ‘super duper missile.’Does it go, 'PEW PEW'?Donald Trump bragged about the new "super duper" missile which he says will be 17 times faster than current capabilities.At a Space Force event the President said the US is working on “super duper missiles.”The Pentagon directed questions for clarification to the WH, and Press Sec referred to the President’s comments and back to DOD. A Pentagon spox finally provides an answer? https://t.co/iqb6rb7udD— Sara Cook (@saraecook) May 15, 2020“I call it the super duper missile.”An actual quote by the sitting president of the United States. pic.twitter.com/LqoC589W9k— Brian Klaas (@brianklaas) May 15, 2020President Trump teased what he called a new weapon that could attack at such a high speed it would overwhelm an enemy's defenses. "I call it the Super Duper Missile," he said. It wasn't immediately clear what missile the president was describing. https://t.co/zc7qKM8Fta— NPR (@NPR) May 15, 2020 Read the rest

• “Miss Piggy,” “Kermit The Frog,” and all your favorite Muppets will be there.The beloved humans behind The Muppets are gathering for a special live internet broadcast today to honor the late Jim Henson, who died 30 years ago today.TUNE IN, FREE!TODAY, May 16, Saturday, 4pm ET.muppetguystalkiing.com/JimFrank Oz tells Boing Boing:We’ll be answering questions about Jim and his work because that day is the 30th anniversary of Jim'spassing and we just want to talk about him.THE INFO: May 16, Saturday, 4pm ET. It will be live-streamed and free. It’s also going to be a fundraiser for those non-medical hospital workers battling Covid 19. You gotta be there.May 16, Saturday is the 30th anniversary of Jim Henson’s passing. We can’t let this day go by without remembering him. At 4 pm ET the Muppet Guys will be talking about Jim and his work . Go to https://t.co/NOH0VE8aQI. It’ll be live-stream. I think it’ll be worth your time.— Frank Oz (@TheFrankOzJam) May 16, 2020IMAGES courtesy The Jim Henson Company and Disney Read the rest

• In the future, everything will be eaten by Mark ZuckerbergFacebook is acquiring Giphy in a deal valued at roughly $400 million. The GIF-sharing service was valued at ~$600 million in its latest funding round.Giphy will keep its branding and will be integrated with Instagram.Facebook made it official on the Facebook blog.A lot of people in our community already know and love GIPHY. In fact, 50% of GIPHY’s traffic comes from the Facebook family of apps, half of that from Instagram alone. By bringing Instagram and GIPHY together, we can make it easier for people to find the perfect GIFs and stickers in Stories and Direct. Both our services are big supporters of the creator and artist community, and that will continue. Together, we can make it easier for anyone to create and share their work with the world.We’ve used GIPHY’s API for years, not just in Instagram, but in the Facebook app, Messenger and WhatsApp. GIPHY will continue to operate its library (including its global content collection), and we’re looking forward to investing further in its technology and relationships with content and API partners. People will still be able to upload GIFs; developers and API partners will continue to have the same access to GIPHY’s APIs; and GIPHY’s creative community will still be able to create great content.We’re so excited to share some news – GIPHY has been acquired by @Facebook and is joining the @Instagram team! ?Read more here: https://t.co/U6AYQ16cEQ pic.twitter.com/ATjEY1VK3K Read the rest

A criminal hacker group that breached a major entertainment law firm says it will release documents on President Donald Trump if it doesn’t receive $42 million in ransom.The hackers are identified as a known criminal gang. They did not offer proof that they have damaging information about Trump. But they released a large set of stolen files from the law firm, Grubman Shire Meiselas & Sacks, which are reported to be legitimate by NBC News.The law firm said that Trump is not a client and has never been. A spokesperson for the firm said it wasn't clear which of its clients have been compromised.The group uses ransomware — a type of malicious software — to break into a victim’s networks and encrypt them, demanding a fee to unlock them. If the victim doesn’t pay up, the group slowly leaks out unencrypted versions of files stolen from those networks to prompt payment.The criminal group posted on its blog a threat to publish files related to Trump.“The next person we'll be publishing is Donald Trump. There's an election race going on, and we found a ton of dirty laundry on time,” the group wrote, giving a one-week deadline. “And to you voters, we can let you know that after such a publication, you certainly don't want to see him as president.”Read More:Criminal group that hacked law firm threatens to release Trump documents[NBC News] Read the rest

Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle.IMGURian @steenerbeener has been observing this sweet little robin wiggling on her birdie babies in the nest:Our Robin stayed on her nest for most of the day today. She only darts off to get a bite to eat. I think that must mean she has eggs in there, but we can’t see them with this camera angle. She checked on the eggs a couple of times. Lots of that cute wiggling too!Love to see the wiggles.More of those wiggles Read the rest

Delightfully weird and lovingly crafted. I love this. “I have been putting dollhouse doors as outlet covers around my house,” says IMGURian cristinaf.I have been putting dollhouse doors as outlet covers around my house Read the rest

No explanation given by Trump-controlled State Department

Ever since the days of the Apple II and the Macintosh, if you used Apple products, you knew the score. Apple has their own way of doing things — and as a user, you either get on board with their proprietary exclusivity...or you go find a new device.Even today, handling simple operations like backing up files, moving media, or just saving text messages usually have to go through other Apple apps like iTunes, an unnecessary extra step in our click-and-drag world.Assuming you’re not looking to jailbreak your iPhone or iPad and void your warranty, the iMazing iOS Device Manager is a smart workaround to streamline all the data management you need to be done without getting tripped up in unwanted process steps.With a 4.5 out of 5-star rating from Macworld, who call iMazing “the device manager we’ve been waiting for,” this is the all-purpose tool for handling your files your way, transferring files between any Mac or PC and any iOS device wirelessly or via USB.Managing music, photos, video, ebooks or other files is click-and-drag simple — and you won’t get bogged down funneling through iCloud, iTunes or another Apple content management system. iMazing will also save, export, and print your iPhone messages with ease.iMazing is also on the backup case as well. You can set up automatic or manually archived backups, all meticulously maintained, stored, then discarded when no longer needed. If you get a new iPhone, iMazing lets you choose whether you want to copy everything over from your old device or cherry-pick only the best to make the move. Read the rest

$3 Trillion Coronavirus stimulus bill called ‘HEROES Act’

Yesterday, we learned that Michelin-starred restaurant The Inn in Washington, DC had seated elegantly-dressed mannequins at their tables to fill the void left by half-capacity restrictions. Turns out, the Open Hearth restaurant in Taylors, South Carolina hit on the same idea but their approach matches the eatery's more casual atmosphere. From UPI:[Proprietor Paula Starr] Melehes said she ordered "the G-rated kind" of inflatable dolls from Amazon, dressed them up like customers and seated them at tables that would be off-limits to diners."My grandson told me they look kind of creepy," Melehes said. "But, I think, when people walk in, they're going to laugh." Read the rest

Monday, May 18, is the 40th anniversary Joy Division singer Ian Curtis's death by suicide. Former Joy Division (and current New Order) members Bernard Sumner and Stephen Morris will pay tribute on that day with "Moving Through the Silence," a livestream of performances and conversations organized by Headstock, the UK musical festival organization that raises awareness about mental health issues. From the event description:The Killers frontman, Brandon Flowers, will be talking about the influence of Joy Division on the band. Other interviewees include Ian Curtis's friend Mark Reeder, and there will be a special appearance from Maxine Peake. Headstock’s broader mission to ‘use music to change the conversation on mental health’ will be further supported with performances from Elbow, LoneLady, and the Lottery Winners, as well as acclaimed Irish rock band Kodaline. Also performing; Jennifer Hardy, poet Oliver Lomax, and the Royal Northern College of Music’s Northern Session Choir.The event will be streamed via https://unitedwestream.co.uk/ - and can also be accessed via https://www.facebook.com/UnitedWeStreamGM/The event is free to view, but donations are strongly requested, with 70% of the donations going to the mental health charity Manchester Mind. The remainder will be divided between Nordoff Robins and the Mayor Of Greater Manchester’s Charity.More about our chosen charity, Manchester Mind: https://www.manchestermind.org/. Read the rest

Last month, engineer Shane Wighton of Stuff Made Here impressed the Internet with his curiously engineered wooden basketball backboard that helps the ball into the hoop. (Video below.) His latest version, above, employs computer vision and robotics to track the ball and tilt the backboard to direct the ball through the basket. Read the rest

Electric word, life. The Prince estate is streaming this killer Prince & The Revolution set recorded in Syracuse, NY during the legendary 1985 Purple Rain tour. While this footage has been available other ways, it's a killer show and wonderful to see it again in high quality. Only available on Prince's official YouTube channel until Sunday night, it's a fundraiser for the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization. Meanwhile, the audio recording of the show, circulating as a bootleg for ages, has also been officially released for legit streaming. (Pitchfork) Read the rest

Retro cool doesn’t get much cooler than the Polaroid. Even in the age of smartphone cameras with digital images that can be texted to friends almost the second after they’re taken, there’s still something old-school awesome about a camera that spits out a real, tangible photo you can hold in your hand.When Polaroid dropped the original OneStep way back in 1977, it was an instant smash and the true start of the point-and-shoot photography age we still live in today. Now, Polaroid is back with the Polaroid OneStep 2 to carry on the legacy of instant cameras and spread the wonder of photos that develop in front of your eyes.This revived OneStep 2 has a few technological advantages over its 1970s cousin, but for the most part, it’s still the same camera America loved a half-century ago. The endearingly boxy design with a simple one-button operation keeps the camera firmly planted in its analog roots. However, the OneStep 2 has a rechargeable USB-powered battery, a built-in flash, and — in its biggest nod to modern photography — a selfie timer.Best of all, the OneStep 2 uses Polaroid’s new battery-free i-Type film, which loads easily and produces those cool, soft, desaturated images that look just like they popped out of a 1977 model. In addition to the i-Type film that only works with newer model Polaroids, the OneStep 2 also takes 600 film, which is compatible with Polaroids from the classic era.While the Polaroid doesn’t have the bells and whistles of a DSLR, its breezy retro charm and joy-inducing images make it a revival gadget that actually feels like a fun trip to the past. Read the rest

Astro Teller is the head of X, the "Moonshot Factory" that first launched as an R&D division of Google. iHeart Radio invited Astro to be part of a fantastic podcast series of virtual commencement speeches for 2020 graduates (and the rest of us) that they collected from the likes of John Legend, Bill & Melinda Gates, Hillary Clinton, George Lopez, Mary J Blige, and several dozen more. I've recently been working with the folks at X, and their celebration of weirdness, radical creativity, and urgent optimism is very real. And it's infectious. Listen to Astro's speech above. From his blog post:On the one hand, this is an incredibly daunting time. On the other, we have a once-in-a-century opportunity to hit the reset button, let go of conventional ways of thinking, and rebuild the world in radically better ways. This shift in perspective might feel difficult, even premature. However, the alternative — to try to claw society back towards an old normal that wasn’t working that well in many ways — is far worse. And counterintuitively, those of us who are newer and fresher in our fields, like the Class of 2020, may have some of the strongest tailwinds as we search for new approaches to the world’s most pressing problems. We’ve seen many times over the years at X that strategic naivete is actually a superpower.One of my messages for graduates is to not worry that they don’t know the answers. The mental freedom and flexibility they have, and their willingness to learn and experiment, is going to be a secret to success in a world where there are no ready answers and no playbook. Read the rest

Look at you with your mouth watering; look at you with your mind spinning over the new DEVO Energy Dome face shields.Join the Devolution with these DEVO dome face shields. We're sure the Energy Domes have special powers to combat COVID-19. People are saying. Get a memo to the President, stat!Pair your Dome and shield with a matching DEVO face mask. Only US$70 for the lot. Sure that's money you don't have because you're out of a job and spending 3x the usual on Lysol and Wonder Bread, but who can put a price on devolving in style? The end times have never looked so fabulous.Image: Product photography Read the rest

Courtesy of the Funk Turkey, who explains his methodology:Using lyrics.rip to scrape the Genius Lyrics Database, I made a Markov Chain write AC/DC lyrics. This is the end result- "Great Balls".The Bot did not write the sick riffs, however. But it definitely works for an AC/DC tune. Read the rest

From Global News:A Colombian advertising company is pitching a novel if morbid solution to shortages of hospital beds and coffins during the coronavirus pandemic: combine them.ABC Displays has created a cardboard bed with metal railings that designers say can double as a casket if a patient dies.[…]The beds can hold a weight of 330 pounds (150 kilograms) and will cost about $85 each, Gómez said. He said he worked with a private clinic on the design, which he hopes will be put to use in emergency clinics that might become short on beds.At least one doctor was skeptical of how sturdy a cardboard bed might be. He also warned that any corpses should first be placed in a sealed bag before being put in a cardboard coffin to avoid potentially spreading the disease.What stage of Dystopian Hell is this?Colombian company creates hospital beds that can double as coffins [César García / Global News] Read the rest

This interview presents a conversation with Eisner Award-winning comic book creator Michael Allred (Madman, iZombie, Red Rocket 7, X-Ray Robot, Silver Surfer, X-Statix, Bug! The Adventures of Forager) about BOWIE: Stardust, Rayguns & Moonage Daydreams.Jeffery Klaehn: Please tell me about BOWIE: Stardust, Rayguns & Moonage Daydreams. Michael Allred: It's a visual biography about how David Bowie exploded into superstardom with the invention of his Ziggy Stardust persona. His whole life is represented, but the bulk of it focuses on the amp up to "Ziggy-Mania" with the goal to make it as visually interesting as possible, using the music and visual iconography as inspiration.JK: How would you say music has influenced your art and sensibilities over the course of your career to date?Michael Allred: It's massive. Music injects imagery into my head. It keeps me loose, lights me up, and fuels me.JK: What's Bowie and his music meant for you?Michael Allred: Bowie was the first musical entity I discovered on my own. Looking for comics at the local drugstore, a rock mag with Bowie on the cover jumped out at me. It was so compelling I bought the just-released "Rebel Rebel" single, and I was hooked. A crash course and lifetime addiction to all things Bowie followed.JK: What are your favorite Bowie songs and albums?Michael Allred: After buying that first single I started with the Diamond Dogs album and bought everything leading up to that with my paper route money all in a very short period of time. Read the rest

El truco fue realizado por el usuario de TikTok fckjoshy, cuya cuenta está llena de contenido similar para entretener a sus 3,3 millones de seguidores. https://t.co/wOlBEdve6B pic.twitter.com/nloSSeMsE8— Vivian Ruiz Barrera (@RuizVivianArlet) May 15, 2020TikToker Josh Popkin (3.3 million followers) thought it would be great fun to "accidentally" dump a large plastic bin milk and cereal on the floor of a New York subway car in the middle of a pandemic, reports Insider. Watch the video and decide for yourself if the spill was intentional or not.From Insider:The Metropolitan Transportation Authority retweeted the video and called the prankster's actions "despicable.""A new low: Pulling a prank on essential workers in the middle of a global pandemic," the MTA said. "And making essential workers clean up your mess. Despicable."A new low: Pulling a prank on essential workers in the middle of a global pandemic. And making essential workers clean up your mess. Despicable. https://t.co/hMu8g5cJY9— MTA. Stay Home. Stop the Spread. (@MTA) May 13, 2020The Daily News reports that police have opened an investigation, adding that, "the cereal incident is far from the first time Popkin has shown contempt for essential workers and subway crews during the pandemic. The day before he posted the cereal video, he posted another clip of him walking around a Duane Reade while wearing a ripped face mask that left his mouth exposed. He chided an employee for kicking him out of the store." Read the rest

To support the pro-democracy movement, a gelato shop in Hong Kong has introduced a new ice cream flavor of ice cream called "tear gas." And it's not easy to swallow (literally). One customer who had been tear gassed at a protest said the ice cream, made of black peppercorns, tastes a lot like the real thing.From NBC:"It feels difficult to breathe at first, and it’s really pungent and irritating," she told the Associated Press. “I think it’s a flashback that reminds me of how painful I felt in the movement, and that I shouldn’t forget.” An ice cream shop in Hong Kong is selling a tear gas flavoured ice cream - the main ingredient is black pepper.It's meant as a sign of support for the pro-democracy movement which has dissipated since the #COVID19 pandemic.Latest world news: https://t.co/tRWF6dxtrt pic.twitter.com/KqpupBgfAi— SkyNews (@SkyNews) May 15, 2020 Read the rest

If a website called Do Not Draw a Penis senses that you are trying to sketch a penis it will erase it. Otherwise, it attempts to describe what you are drawing. It's pretty easy to sneak a penis in by having it after you draw something it identifies. Read the rest

How to more cases than anybody in the world pic.twitter.com/VA9bPJiQ6i— Sarah Cooper (@sarahcpr) May 15, 2020It's really amazing how Sarah Cooper is able to reveal the extreme idiocy of Trump's utterances just by lip-syncing him. Read the rest

View this post on Instagram a fun game ? collab w cyber bb @404lokoA post shared by Aiden :) (@aidenarata) on May 13, 2020 at 4:29pm PDTI've shared some of Aiden Arata's other delightful digital quarantine art, and once again, she does not disappoint. But if I want to win, I guess I'm going to have to take up knitting.Top image: Ms Crowley's Classroom / Flickr (CC 2.0) Read the rest

A recent Rasmussen survey reveals that "nearly one-in-four GOP voters would prefer someone else" other than Trump to be the Republican presidential candidate this year. The survey also found that "Democrats are quite happy with the ongoing media coverage of the coronavirus. But Republicans continue to put their faith in Trump and see the media coverage as just another tool to attack him."Image: Jumpstory/CC0 Read the rest

After falsely claiming on Monday that the Obama administration never left "any kind of game plan" for a possible pandemic, Mitch McConnell did what most of the GOP would consider unthinkable. He uttered the three words "I was wrong." "They did leave behind a plan, so I clearly made a mistake in that regard," he continued on Fox last night.From CNN:The document, whose existence was publicly revealed by Politico in March, is called the Playbook for Early Response to High-Consequence Emerging Infectious Disease Threats and Biological Incidents.The playbook contains step-by-step advice on questions to ask, decisions to make and which federal agencies are responsible for what. It includes sample documents that officials could use for inter-agency meetings. And it explicitly lists novel coronaviruses as one of the kinds of pathogens that could require a major response.Additionally, outgoing senior Obama officials also led an in-person pandemic response exercise for senior incoming Trump officials in January 2017 -- as required by a new law on improving presidential transitions that Obama signed in 2016.Last week, Obama described the Trump administration's coronavirus response as "an absolute chaotic disaster" during a private call with people who worked for him in the White House. Read the rest

Cory Doctorow explained modern monetary theory to me last year while we were in my kitchen. It changed my attitude towards balanced budgets and national deficits. If you would like to read Cory's explanation of modern monetary theory, he wrote it on his website today.If governments are the source of money, then they don't tax us in order to spend. They spend (which puts money into the economy) and then tax back.If the government runs a "balanced budget" that means it's taxing as much money of out existence as it is spending into existence, leaving behind no money for the rest of us to save or spend. Balanced budgets starve the private sector of the money it needs to operate.He also recommends this podcast interview with Stephanie Kelton, author of The Deficit Myth: Read the rest