The Hollywood Hills home that was the TV and real life abode of Ozzie and Harriet Nelson is now on the market for $6.5 million. Airing from 1952-1966, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet featured many exterior shots of the family's actual house. (Recently, it was also used as Ari Gold's residence on Entourage.) The current owner of the 1916 home is Law & Order: SVU star Christopher Meloni who purchased it in 2014. The home features many amenities, including a ghost, likely that of Ozzie Nelson who in 1975 reportedly died in the bedroom. From Architectural Digest:It should be noted that—possibly as a result of Ozzie’s death—numerous previous owners have reportedly complained that the property is haunted. Spooky incidents include Ozzie’s model train, which runs on a track near the ceiling in the pub room, inexplicably running on its own in the middle of the night; and the smell of rose-scented perfume.image: Hilton & Hyland Read the rest

"Revvin' up your engine, listen to her howlin' roar. Metal under tension, beggin' you to touch and go."Next up, a deepfake with Tom Cruise as Luke Skywalker?(Thanks, Emmett K!) Read the rest

In hopes of minimizing the spread of coronavirus in their community, the Cheyenne River Sioux have established a series of checkpoints on state highways that run through tribal reservations in South Dakota. As Truthout explains:Commercial drivers and South Dakota residents are being allowed to travel on tribal lands, but non-state residents are only allowed entry onto the reservations if they can provide proof of tribal membership or proof that they live there. Non-state residents are also being banned from hunting or fishing on tribal lands.These, of course, are far more active measures than anything that South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has done so far in this pandemic. And this clearly made her upset, or possibly embarrassed, because she wrote a letter to tribal leaders stating:I request the Tribe immediately cease interfering or regulating traffic on U.S. and State Highways and remove all travel checkpoints. If the checkpoints are not removed within the next 48 hours, the State will take necessary legal action.Under normal circumstances, there may be a valid argument about what some would consider the vigilantism on display here. However, when it comes to Native American land rights and legal jurisdictions, things get complicated. But they've been putting up with this shit for a while now, and many of them have a keen understanding of how things with the US government — namely, that it won't do shit to help them, except when it wants something, which usually ends up hurting the members of the tribe. Read the rest

I keep the Kitchen IQ Edge Grip 2-Stage Knife Sharpener next to my knife block and run a knife through the "Fine" slot almost every time I cut something. The ceramic rods are arranged at a pre-set angle, which makes it easy to get a serviceably sharp knife. The bottom of the sharpener has a V-channel so you can set it against the edge of a counter. That way you won't smack your knife against the countertop when it slides out of the sharpening slot.The "Coarse" sharpening slot has carbide blades that will sharpen dull knives in just a few strokes. Just don't use it every time because it eats up your knife blades quickly. Read the rest

Will dogs obey commands from robots? In IEEE Spectrum, Evan Ackerman writes that "Yale University’s Social Robotics Lab led by Brian Scassellati presented a paper taking the first step towards determining whether dogs, which are incredibly good at understanding social behaviors in humans, see human-ish robots as agents—or more specifically, whether dogs see robots more like humans (which they obey), or more like speaker systems (which they don’t)." Spoiler: The dogs do respond to the robot's commands much more frequently than they obey the voice from the speaker system, even if the experiment appeared to baffle the animals.From IEEE Spectrum:We asked [lead researcher Meiyin] Qin whether she thought it would make a difference if the robot was more or less humanoid, how much of a face it had, whether it smelled like anything, and other traits that dogs might associate with human-ness. “Since dogs are very sensitive to human social cues, the robot being a humanoid or not may make a difference,” Qin says. “However, if a non-humanoid robot behaved like an agent (e.g., behaved like a dog, or exhibit any social behaviors), dogs may also respond in a social manner.”She explained that, in terms of whether the robot has eyes or not, or smells like a person, these factors could also impact how dogs respond to the robot. But Qin adds that the researchers need further evidence to give a more affirmative answer. “Whether the robot moves or not could affect the dogs differently,” she says. Read the rest

The Night Watch is a 1642 painting by Rembrandt. It hangs in The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Today, the museum posted the "largest and most detailed ever photograph of The Night Watch on its website, making it possible to zoom in on individual brushstrokes and even particles of pigment in the painting." I've been exploring it and it's incredible!The Rijksmuseum’s imaging team led by datascientist Robert Erdmann made this photograph of The Night Watch from a total of 528 exposures. The 24 rows of 22 pictures were stitched together digitally with the aid of neural networks. The final image is made up of 44.8 gigapixels (44,804,687,500 pixels), and the distance between each pixel is 20 micrometres (0.02 mm). This enables the scientists to study the painting in detail remotely. The image will also be used to accurately track any future aging processes taking place in the painting. Read the rest

The 75-issue Sandman comic book series was of course Neil Gaiman's first big foray into fame. What began as a story in the DC Comics Universe about Morpheus, the Avatar of Dreams, eventually spawned its own separate interconnected comic book universe, as well as DC's adult imprints like Vertigo (RIP). It's a sprawling story about dreams, passion, and stories that's absolutely worth reading (if you somehow haven't already).Audible will be releasing an audio drama adaptation of the first 3 graphic novel collections — Preludes & Nocturnes, The Doll's House, and Dream Country — on July 15. And the casting so far looks pretty phenomenal, including Neil Gaiman himself as the narrator.The US @Audible preorder link is https://t.co/N2k9dhF60gThe UK link ishttps://t.co/478Sfuu1z7And there's James McAvoy, @OfficialKat, @michaelsheen, @BebeNeuwirth, @rizwanahmed, @josielawrence1, @andyserkis and so many more... pic.twitter.com/yyzGhyfvP8— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) May 13, 2020Here's the official synopsis from Amazon:When The Sandman, also known as Lord Morpheus—the immortal king of dreams, stories and the imagination—is pulled from his realm and imprisoned on Earth by a nefarious cult, he languishes for decades before finally escaping. Once free, he must retrieve the three "tools" that will restore his power and help him to rebuild his dominion, which has deteriorated in his absence. As the multi-threaded story unspools, The Sandman descends into Hell to confront Lucifer (Michael Sheen), chases rogue nightmares who have escaped his realm, and crosses paths with an array of characters from DC comic books, ancient myths, and real-world history, including: Inmates of Gotham City's Arkham Asylum, Doctor Destiny, the muse Calliope, the three Fates, William Shakespeare (Arthur Darvill), and many more. Read the rest

"Lumen in the Land of Nanite" is a real-time Unreal Engine 5 demonstration running live on PlayStation. The new UE5 has two technologies: "Nanite virtualized micropolygon geometry, which frees artists to create as much geometric detail as the eye can see, and Lumen, a fully dynamic global illumination solution that immediately reacts to scene and light changes." Read the rest

Tomorrow, Thursday (5/14), I'm honored to be moderating a free online conversation with two brilliant women whose work is a light in the darkness during these uncertain times. My friend Ann Druyan is the executive producer, writer, and director of Cosmos, the iconic TV show she co-created with her late husband and collaborator, astronomer and science communicator Carl Sagan. From her work as creative director of the Voyager Golden Record to her numerous books, most recently Cosmos: Possible Worlds, Ann has spent her life sparking curiosity and wonder about the universe and our place in it. Ann and Carl's daughter, Sasha Sagan, is the author of the new book For Small Creatures Such As We, a lovely, inspiring memoir exploring the intersection of science and spirituality in a secular home. The title is from a quote found in the pages of Contact, a novel written by Ann and Carl: "For small creatures such as we the vastness is bearable only through love." Like her parents, Sasha has the passion, wisdom, and talent to simultaneously instill awe, hope, and skepticism through her creative work.The conversation, hosted by the Jewish arts and culture organization Reboot, takes place at 2pm PT. Pre-register on Zoom and Facebook Live. From the event description:The Interplay of Science and Ritual in a Time of FluxOver the eons, our relationship to science and ritual has been inextricably linked to our understanding of our place in the universe. Join Emmy Award-winning writer, director, producer Ann Druyan and her daughter, author Sasha Sagan, in conversation with Boing Boing co-founder David Pescovitz to talk about emerging philosophies that can provide hope as we struggle to adjust to our new normal on Earth. Read the rest

200 goats escaped from an enclosure in East San Jose and quickly conquered its East Foothills neighborhood Tuesday evening, according to reports from the street. A local resident, Terry Roelands, told reporters that he regularly employs the goats to clear brush behind his house, but this time they broke free and descended upon the city."When I got back from the store all the goats had broken through the fence and were recking havoc on our street," wrote Zach Roelands on Twitter. "This is the craziest thing to happen all quarantine."Tag yourself; I'm the goat grabbing a quick snack 41s in. Read the rest

I despise everything about Las Vegas -- the garish resorts, the horrible city planning that makes it no fun to walk anywhere, the overpriced "fine dining," and the oppressive layer of sterile corporatism that guarantees no surprises or delight. But that's just me, some people love the place. I wonder if Vegas aficionados are going to still love it when they saunter back in the newly reopened casinos and discover that the buffets are gone, 6-foot physical distancing policies are enforced, gambling areas are divided up with plexiglass barriers, and employees are required to wear facemasks and gloves?[via Hollywood Reporter]CoronavirusBy https://www.scientificanimations.com - https://www.scientificanimations.com/wiki-images/, CC BY-SA 4.0, LinkLas Vegas photo by John Such on Unsplash Read the rest

There's a lot of overlap between the friends of mine who are fervent video game enthusiasts, and those who are the most belligerent anarcho-syndicalists / anarcho-communists / other Revolutionary Leftist sects — and they have all been singing the praises of "Tonight We Riot," the video game that even Variety calls, "an unapologetically political, socialist game about worker liberation in the face of overpowering capitalism." The official description reads:A revolutionary crowd-based retro brawlerIn a dystopia where wealthy capitalists control elections, media, and the lives of working people, we’re faced with two choices -- accept it or fight for something better.Tonight We Riot doesn’t have just one hero. Instead, you play as a movement of people whose well-being determines the success of your revolution.Essentially, it's a retro 8-bit throwback to games like "Streets of Rage," he game is the brainchild of Pixel Pushers Union 512, a worker-owned video game cooperative out of Texas. Except instead of controlling one character with a melee weapon and a limited life, you get a chance to control the entire rioting crowd as they work together to lob molotov cocktails at the bootlicking mechs sent by the evil capitalist overlords determined to quash their solidarity.I'm not much of a gamer myself, but I might have some free time on my hands soon with this quarantine, and this looks pretty damn delightful to me. You can check it out on Nintendo eShop, Itch.io, Steam, or Good Old Games. Read the rest

I only stumbled upon this because I got married in Dorset, Vermont, and did a double-take when I saw the headline. Apparently "knob" is a British word for "biscuit" but it's funnier to think about Ye Olde Dorset Dick-eating Contest. As the BBC explains:The biscuits have been made by Moores of Morecombelake for more than 150 yearsOriginally, they were made from leftover bread dough with added butter and sugar, hand-rolled and left to dry in the dying heat of the ovenIt is thought their name comes from the hand-sewn Dorset knob buttons that were also made locallyThey can be eaten with Blue Vinny cheese, dipped in tea or cider, or taken with honey and cream - known locally as thunder and lightningAs far as the exciting events of this riveting contest:But this year 100 competitive eaters live-streamed their attempts to swallow the savoury spheres.Kate Scott, from Shaftesbury, necked eight and a half of the thrice-baked treats to claim the crown.Sure, okay.The knob-eaters raised more than £1,200 for the local Weldmar Hospicecare. Unfortunately, the knob-throwing festival has been postponed until 2021, as it's more difficult to judge online.Coronavirus: Dorset knob-eating contest held online amid lockdown [BBC] Read the rest

Ahmed Arbery, the unarmed black jogger chased down and killed by two white men in Georgia, was recorded checking out a construction site at some point before he was shot dead in the street. After the footage was used to imply Arbery was at fault for his own lynching, the owner of the construction site says Arbery committed no crime and condemned those suggesting otherwise. The owner confirmed nothing was taken from the site.The February 23 footage, captured moments before Arbery's death, appears to show him looking around but never touching anything -- and eventually, walking away."I don't want it to be put out and misused and misinterpreted for people to think that I had accused Mr. Arbery of stealing or robbery, because I never did," Larry English, the homeowner told CNN's Chris Cuomo Tuesday night."By the time Larry saw the video, Mr. Arbery had been killed," English's attorney, Elizabeth Graddy, said.This is an important detail, as one of the killers claimed Arbery resembled a suspect he'd seen on security video at a break-in.Greg McMichael, 64, and his son Travis McMichael, 34, were finally arrested and charged with murder Thursday after footage of the killing itself went viral. A local prosecutor, reportedly a former employer of the elder McMichael, had told police not to arrest them on the scene and declined to press charges. McMichael has extensive connections to local law enforcement. Read the rest

The New York City Department of Transportation reports that it's been 58 days since a pedestrian has been killed in the city, a new record that was made possible because the city is under lockdown.I've been watching this live video camera feed of Times Square for the last week or so and it is remarkable to see how empty it looks. Read the rest

Brilliant.“My Corona project, inspired by a post on here. I also want to give a shout-out to lots of free time and alcohol for playing their part.”IMGURian @SoLong18, we salute you.Watch the full video here.[via IMGUR] Read the rest

The premise of 1995's Waterworld [Amazon] was flawed in that there isn't enough water in the ice caps to raise sea levels 7500m, as is established in Waterworld canon. But I wanted to see what that would look like, so here is a map of planet earth with the sea level raised 7500m, based on topographical data published by NASA.As you can readily see, only parts of the Tibetan plateau remain above the waves. That said, while the world as we know it is gone, that's a lot dry land—an achipelago spread over an area larger than the British Isles or Japan. It seems unlikely that it would be hard to find, let alone be lost to myth or rumor.Here's the striking intro scene from the movie, which shows the Universal Studio logo -- planet Earth -- being inundated. Even as a voiceover narrates that the melting of the ice caps put the world under water, it shows the world completely under water with ice caps still remaining. This could be interpreted as an easter egg, showing that the films' creators know the water couldn't have anything to do with melting ice caps. Read the rest

A joint advisory from the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) warns that Chinese hackers are targeting U.S. based COVID-19 research entities. The "public service advisory" from FBI and CISA says China-linked hackers are attacking "U.S. organizations conducting COVID-19-related research,” and that this "jeopardizes the delivery of secure, effective, and efficient treatment options."Here is the advisory, at cisa.gov.Here's an excerpt:UNCLASSIFIED People’s Republic of China(PRC) Targeting of COVID-19 Research Organizations The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) are issuing this announcement to raise awareness of the threat to COVID-19-related research. The FBI is investigating the targeting and compromise of U.S. organizations conducting COVID-19-related research by PRC-affiliated cyber actors and non-traditional collectors. These actors have been observed attempting to identify and illicitly obtain valuable intellectual property (IP) and public health data related to vaccines, treatments, and testing from networks and personnel affiliated with COVID-19-related research. The potential theft of this information jeopardizes the delivery of secure, effective, and efficient treatment options. The FBI and CISA urge all organizations conducting research in these areas to maintain dedicated cybersecurity and insider threat practices to prevent surreptitious review or theft of COVID-19-related material. FBI is responsible for protecting the U.S. against foreign intelligence, espionage, and cyber operations, among other responsibilities. CISA is responsible forprotecting the Nation’s critical infrastructure from physical and cyber threats. CISA is providing services and information to support the cybersecurity of federal and state/local/tribal/territorial entities, and private sector entities that play a critical role in COVID-19 research and response. Read the rest

In an interview with Time magazine published yesterday, President Trump's failson-in-law and shady-assed advisor Jared Kushner suggested maybe postponing the November election.That is not allowed, unless Congress says 'yes' to the plan.That was Tuesday. On Wednesday, Kushner attempted to walk back his comment about how he's 'not sure' he can commit to a date for the 2020 presidential election. Why does he have anything to do with whether we get to vote in November?Because a crime family is in charge of America, and nothing matters.Here is the original video report in TIME:Jared Kushner Admits There's 'Risk' in Reopening the Country Too SoonExcerpt:When asked if there was a chance the presidential election could be postponed past November 3 due to the pandemic, Kushner said that isn’t his decision. “I’m not sure I can commit one way or the other, but right now that’s the plan,” he said.“Hopefully by the time we get to September, October, November, we’ve done enough work with testing and with all the different things we’re trying to do to prevent a future outbreak of the magnitude that would make us shut down again,” Kushner continued. “I really believe that once America opens up, it’ll be very hard for America to ever lock down again.”Cool, cool. Very cool and normal.Jared Kushner talks about the prospect of canceling an election as casually as most people do about their dinner plans https://t.co/moRgAD95Rf— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 13, 2020Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner to Time magazine on whether the November presidential election will be postponed. Read the rest

A group of unmasked shoppers attacked a Target employee escorting them from the store, reports the Mercury News, breaking his arm and earning themselves battery charges. It's the fourth such incident at the Van Nuys store, and the first to result in serious injury.The incident occurred on the morning of May 1 in a Target in the San Fernando Valley neighborhood of Van Nuys, the Los Angeles Police Department said. The police released surveillance video of the incident on Monday. Two customers had been ordered to leave the store because they didn’t have masks, and security guards were escorting them toward the exit. One of the customers then turned and attacked the guards.I occasionally blog about the "exonerative tense", a style of news-writing that poses as impartial (or necessary to avoid legal liability) but echoes the weird, implicitly victim-blaming language of police reports. Here's a beauty from CNN today: Read the rest

Ankle bracelet time for Manafort

In a tweet posted around midnight, Alameda County officials said that they've been in talks with Elon Musk's Tesla, and authorities have agreed the electric carmaker can take steps “in preparation for possible reopening as soon as next week.”Tesla has only one U.S. electric vehicle assembly plant, and it's in Fremont, California, which is in Alameda County. Tesla did not immediately comment Wednesday, but around the same time the county issued its statement, Elon Musk tweeted a photo of “Ice cream sundae in a martini glass,” with the text: “Life should be lived.” Yes, that's the point of public health orders. To keep people alive during a coronavirus pandemic.Let them eat ice cream, Musk seems to be saying.More from Reuters:The county said it would work with police in Fremont “to verify Tesla is adhering to physical distancing and that agreed upon health and safety measures are in place for the safety of their workers as they prepare for full production.”On Monday, Musk said production was resuming in Fremont, defying an order to stay closed and saying if anyone had to be arrested, it should be him.On Tuesday, Musk won Trump’s backing. “California should let Tesla & @elonmusk open the plant, NOW. It can be done Fast & Safely!” Trump wrote on Twitter.On Tuesday, employee-parking lots at Tesla’s factory in Fremont, California were packed with cars. Trucks could be seen driving in and out of the factory grounds. Tesla shares were up in premarket trading Wednesday 2.1% Read the rest

Democrats also propose $50 monthly discounts with low-income broadband fund

Current and former moderators will be paid at least $1,000

In a court filing, the FBI revealed the name of an official at the Saudi embassy long-suspected to have directed support to two 9/11 hijackers. The release of the official's name was a mistake, reports Michael Isikoff, a "flabbergasting" slip-up that belies nearly two decades of efforts by U.S. administrations to conceal the extent of Saudi involvement in America's worst terror attack.“This shows there is a complete government cover-up of the Saudi involvement,” said Brett Eagleson, a spokesman for the 9/11 families whose father was killed in the attacks. “It demonstrates there was a hierarchy of command that’s coming from the Saudi Embassy to the Ministry of Islamic Affairs [in Los Angeles] to the hijackers.”Still, Eagleson acknowledged he was flabbergasted by the bureau’s slip-up in identifying the Saudi Embassy official in a public filing. Although Justice Department lawyers had last September notified lawyers for the 9/11 families of the official’s identity, they had done so under a protective order that forbade the family members from publicly disclosing it. Now, the bureau itself has named the Saudi official. “This is a giant screwup,” Eagleson said. Read the rest

In 1932, Yorkshireman Maurice Wilson chose a startling way to promote his mystical beliefs: He would fly to Mount Everest and climb it alone. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll follow Wilson's misguided adventure, which one writer called "the most incredible story in all the eventful history of Mount Everest."We'll also explore an enigmatic musician and puzzle over a mighty cola.Show notesPlease support us on Patreon! Read the rest

Tom the Dancing Bug, IN WHICH William Barr advertises his services as Attorney General for presidents injured by investigations into their actual corruption

What’s the biggest website in the world? Wait, let’s amend that question...what’s the biggest website in the world other than the site that helps you find all the other sites?Once you take Google out of the equation, the biggest site on the entire interwebs is the Google-owned home for all manner of video, YouTube. In fact, YouTube has more monthly traffic than Facebook, Twitter, and Amazon combined.Therefore, if you’re going to create content, specifically video content, it only makes sense to put it in front of the largest audience on the web anywhere. However, if you’re unclear about exactly how to wrangle all those eyeballs to your product video or promotional work, the training in The Complete Content Creator Bundle for YouTube package can help you carve out a right path to viewer riches.With this 10-course, 50-plus hour package of instruction, expert trainers will help you understand YouTube, what drives its metrics, and ultimately how to bring hundreds, hundreds of thousands, or even millions to your online door.Of course, you can’t bring people to videos that don’t exist, so three of the courses in this bundle focus on some of the world’s most popular video editing software. Coursework here will get you up to speed on how to edit videos like a pro using Adobe Premiere Pro and Adobe After Effects, Final Cut Pro X, and Camtasia. Now that you’ve got content, the lion’s share of the training in this bundle focuses on tips for optimizing your YouTube channel and utilizing all the battle-tested methods for bringing interested viewers to your videos. Read the rest

Boing Boing pals, magician Ferdinando Buscema and writer Erik Davis (High Weirdness), have created a really lovely and provocative little four-minute “visual meditation” based on the PK Dick essay, How To Build A Universe That Doesn’t Fall Apart Two Days LaterFerdinando says he put the piece together "to alchemize the anxiety and distill something magical from unhappy times."Image: YouTube Read the rest

When Little Richard died a few days ago, everyone was quick to rightfully hail him as the true king of rock and roll (which he was always quick to crown himself). But he was also the queen (which he would also sometimes declare).David Bowie is often identified as the great leopard messiah who made unapologetic gender fluidity acceptable in rock and roll, but he (and countless others) got their inspiration --and costume and makeup tips-- from Little Richard. James Brown, Bowie, Prince, Elton John, Marc Bolan, Jagger, Plant, Rundgren, Alice Cooper, and all the rest of them, even John Waters' mustache, owe an immense debt to Little Richard (who...um...owes his own great debt to Esquerita). Richard had nearly as much of an impact on the style, preen and swagger, and the transgressive posturings of rock and roll as did his music.Hail the Queen!Read a bit more on the subject (and see some cool pictures) in this article in The Guardian.Image: Anna Bleker, Public Domain Read the rest

The cartoonist Richard Sala passed away this week at the age of 61. I always loved his work and own many of his comic books.Cartoonist Daniel Clowes wrote a beautiful tribute to his friend, Richard Sala:Richard was a very complicated guy, totally unlike anyone I've ever met. He could be gregarious and charming, always energetic and animated in conversation, but also crippled by terrible anxiety and profoundly agoraphobic. Over the years, it got harder and harder to get him out of the house. I basically forced him to meet me for lunch every Friday, and we did that right up until the COVID quarantine, but toward the end, that was the extent of his social life (except for the vast hours he spent online — a true lifeline). He would always show up five minutes late, furious about traffic, wearing a thick, black work shirt and his famous bucket hat, which curiously covered a full head of thick hair. He would close his eyes tight while ordering, as though trying to solve a complicated math equation, and then chop his ham and eggs into weird goulash, which he never finished.It is with great sadness that we share the news that our dear friend, the cartoonist Richard Sala, has passed away at the age of 61. We are still processing, and will say more soon, but our hearts are with his close friends and family who are grieving this insurmountable loss. pic.twitter.com/19p2GuUUn6— Fantagraphics Books (@fantagraphics) May 9, 2020Daniel Clowes wrote a loving tribute to his best friend, cartoonist Richard Sala, who passed away on May 1st. Read the rest

Here's a cool 1971 performance of Kraftwerk on Beat Club. This short-lived long-haired lineup included Florian Schneider, who passed away last week, the late Klaus Dinger (Neu!), and Michael Rother (Neu! and Harmonia).And here is Michael Rother's eulogy to Schneider in Uncut.“Florian had a unique metal construction onstage on which he assembled his effect units and a mixer. He played an electrified violin which he ran through a fuzz box and a wah-wah pedal, and a flute which he treated with delay and a unit that changed the pitch to one octave down. Especially this flute, and the way Florian played it like a crazy fast-forward bass, was thoroughly exciting and unheard before. Unfortunately, the sound engineers who did the recordings at Beat Club (TV) and Radio Bremen didn’t understand that Florian’s contributions to our sound were much more interesting and vital than my guitar playing, and so they put Florian too low in the audio mix.“The trio with Florian, Klaus Dinger on drums and myself on guitar only lasted for 5 or 6 months but I remember some truly exciting concerts, and everything that followed in my musical life had a connection to this beginning with Ralf and Florian. After we separated in July 1971, Klaus and I continued as a duo (Neu!) and Florian got back together with Ralf Hütter. Read the restAnd here's an even earlier 1970 lineup with Schneider, Dinger, and Ralf Hütter.Image:YouTube Read the rest

Back in the 3rd millennia BC, Mesopotamians measured by cubit, which was approximately the 18-inch length of the forearm from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger. A few hundred years later, we got to the measuring tape...and those, ladies and gentlemen, are the big highlights in the evolution of human measurement.Oh sure, we figured out feet and yards and things — and somebody eventually patented a spring return tape measure that truly changed the game. But when you get right down to it, the art of measuring stuff hasn’t advanced a whole lot over the course of human civilization.Of course, we’ve now entered the third epoch of measurement enlightenment with the birth of the Rollova 2.0 Digital Ruler, a handy little device that’s as big a jump in measuring from here to there as that old cubit method.The Rollova removes the need for a tape measure or that wooden ruler you used in grade school. Instead, it’s a pocket-friendly, slyly smart gadget that measures...well, virtually anything.Just fire up the Rollova, then roll it along the length you want to measure. Whether it’s a flat surface, curved, or a textured object with all kinds of weird angles, the Rollova doesn’t get thrown. Its stainless steel body and 10,000-to-1 high-contrast ratio OLED screen spring to life, showing you the exact length of your measurement in any method you choose.Whether you cling to the old Imperial system of inches, feet, and yards, or ride for the new and improved metric system of meters, the Rollova digitally tracks your distance and shows it to you. Read the rest

It was an unparalled thrill to have Boing Boing's own Rob Beschizza on the Cool Tools podcast! Read the show notes at the Cool Tools website. Read the rest

I worked as an engineering intern for a couple of summers when I was in college. I shared a cubicle with a draftsperson named Laura. She was obsessed with two things -- being a member in good standing of an outlaw motorcycle gang, and her drafting materials, especially her mechanical pencil. I liked her very much, but one time I made the mistake of borrowing her pencil while she was on a cigarette break. When she came back and discovered me using it she was so mad I thought she was going to stab me with it. I remember her describing the pencil as her "bread and butter." I promised I wouldn't use it again and we got along wonderfully for the rest of the summer. I'm 99% percent sure the pencil she owned was an Alvin Draft-Matic 5mm. They are available on Amazon, and reviewers love them. I bought one a few years ago and is a pleasure to use and not get hollered at. If you want to be truly-bad ass, you can get a set of 3 in various lead thicknesses, stored in a "leather-look" pocket pouch. Read the rest

OMG pic.twitter.com/S3Y2mpnDYd— Greg Hogben (@MyDaughtersArmy) May 12, 2020As a wise man once said, it's funny cause it's true.See below for the full clip from Jimmy Kimmel Live!Now THIS video has been doctored... @RealDonaldTrump #JimmyKimmelLiveFromHisHouse #StayHome @DrFakenstein pic.twitter.com/ue10HBjmj9— Jimmy Kimmel (@jimmykimmel) May 12, 2020 Read the rest

On Jalopnik my friend Jason Torchinsky is writing about his experience ordering a $900 electric car from China using Alibaba. It has been an incredibly long and complicated process, involving lots of red tape. Including extra charges and document filing fees the price of the car is now close to $3500. Nevertheless, it's a really cool looking a little electric car. Read the rest

Jalopnik's Jason Torchinsky bought his first new car on Alibaba. He paid $930 for the electric Changli NEMECA, batteries not included. The batteries, likely lead-acid, were an additional $350. Then came all the fees to bring the car from China to the USA and get it through customs. The final total for the car is closer to $3,300 which is still less expensive than the comparison vehicle: a golf cart. From Jalopnik:What’s frustrating and amazing about all of this is just how difficult it is to find any accurate information about the total cost of shipping something like this from China to America. There’s more information out there for “real” cars, which, legally, the Changli is not, at least in America.Even though for many elderly rural Chinese people this car—and many other ones very much like it—are absolutely used like real, usable cars, the truth is it’s far closer to a golf cart. It’s only got a 1.1 hp (possibly 1.6? I’ll try to dyno it when it arrives) motor and is much smaller and lighter than even the smallest and lightest of cars you can imagine.It’s about 800 pounds, about half the weight of my Nissan Pao, which is about half the weight of almost everything else out there. It’s small.In fact, on official documentation, it’s described, bafflingly, [as a four-wheel electric tricycle.]Yes, a four-wheel electric tricycle. You know, like a biped with a third leg, or a five-legged quadrupedal dog."This Is How Much Buying The Cheapest New Car In The World Really Costs" (Jalopnik) Read the rest

A smart-thinking Boston police officer played a recording of a peacock meeting call on his phone to coax an escaped peacock into a backyard where it was easily picked up by animal control.From the Boston police department official website:At about 6:00 AM on Monday, May 11, 2020, while on patrol in the area of the Franklin Park Zoo, District B-2 (Roxbury) officers were approached by a concerned citizen that an animal had escaped from the zoo. Additional officers arrived at the scene and were met by an extremely large, slightly intimidating, and quite beautiful, male peacock. An officer on scene relied on his quick wit to track down a peacock mating call on his cell phone, successfully luring the bird into a fenced-in yard where he waited patiently for the arrival of Boston Animal Control. Image: courtesy of the Boston Police Department Read the rest

Island in the Zoom is Weezer singer/guitarist Rivers Cuomo's online hangout during the COVID-19 lockdown. Above is his Saturday piano performance of Nirvana's "Heart-Shaped Box." Read the rest

Nananana Naaaa:))In this short video we see a man in the back of a police car singing James Brown's "I Feel Good". The police officer driving the car turns around and asks, "Hey, what are you so happy about? I'm taking you to jail." The arrestee explains that being in jail gives him a 24-hour reprieve from his wife. The snappy answer elicits a chuckle from the officer. Read the rest

Camila's Tex-Mex, near St Louis, Missouri, installed a piñata in the shape of the Covid-19 virus with a caricaturized face of a Chinese man on it, reports The Riverfront Times. The backlash was swift and severe, and the restaurant took down its Facebook page in shame, but not before trying to pass off the caricature as being Hispanic:According to the customer who originally posted the photos to Facebook, employees allowed people into the restaurant Monday night due to poor weather conditions, despite the fact it is located in St. Louis County and therefore remains under lockdown orders that prohibit dining in. The photos show a complete lack of social distancing, with at least fifteen people, some of them children, crowded around two tables in close proximity to one another.Image: Facebook screengrab Read the rest

The tourist office of English resort town Blackpool tweets at "@visitBlackpool" but has changed its name to "DoNotVisitBlackpool" following confusing government advice concerning the coronavirus pandemic lockdown.Visit Blackpool has rebranded as Do Not Visit Blackpool to discourage visitors as lockdown restrictions are eased.The tourism body changed its name on social media after the prime minister outlined new guidance on Sunday.Council leader Simon Blackburn said Boris Johnson's message meant there was "nothing we can do" to stop visitors, but he urged people to stay away.The Cabinet Office said people "can travel to open space, irrespective of distance".It's very Scarfolkian, isn't it? Looking forward to Clacton-On-Sea rebranding itself as "Fuck right off." Read the rest

A decade ago, many movies had a blue tint added to them, apparently meant to convey a spooky or thrilling vibe. But there's also an extreme yellow tint to certain films, the latest example being the new Netflix movie Extraction. (Trailer above.) What's the deal with the mustard-colored movies? At the Matador Network, Elizabeth Sherman writes about the "yellow filter" and why some people find it offensive:[...] It’s almost always used in movies that take place in India, Mexico, or Southeast Asia. Oversaturated yellow tones are supposed to depict warm, tropical, dry climates. But it makes the landscape in question look jaundiced and unhealthy, adding an almost dirty or grimy sheen to the scene. Yellow filter seems to intentionally make places the West has deemed dangerous or even primitive uglier than is necessary or even appropriate, especially when all these countries are filled with natural wonders that don’t make it to our screens quite as often as depictions of violence and poverty [...]Yellow filter goes hand in hand with films that depict mostly negative stereotypes about living in the country in question, all while centering the journey of a white hero: Some combination of gangs, extreme poverty, drug use, and war seems to pop up in most of the movies that use yellow filter. Not only is it ugly and overused, but it reinforces stereotypes about people in countries that Americans still tend to think of as the “developing world.” "Why does ‘yellow filter’ keep popping up in American movies? Read the rest

Somecomputerguy says: "I go from cold boot to playing Lunar Lander on my recently repaired SEL 810A computer. This computer was released in 1967, and was used by the CIA, research facilities, and large corporations. My SEL 810A ran a natural gas pipeline station from 1969 to 2006, so 37 years." Read the rest

The difference between an antipiracy curtain on the high seas and a refreshing mist on the Vegas Strip? About fifty degrees celsius. Read the rest

Magic experience designer Ferdinando Buscema and High Weirdness author Erik Davis, both Boing Boing contributors, created this wondrous illusion--a "visual meditation" on the ongoing pandemic, disorder, and the opportunity emerging from the entropy. In the piece, Ferdinando manipulates the cards while Erik takes us on a trip with his words. Italian mentalist Francesco Tesei made the video with a soundtrack by Bluetech. Read the rest

According to a new CNN poll, only 36% of Americans trust what President Donald Trump says about the coronavirus pandemic. But his approval rating is the highest it's ever been in this particular poll, 45%.Also: 24% of Republicans don't think enough is being done to prevent a second wave of coronavirus, but only 15% are afraid of a second wave and 14% of the death toll that would result. The virus has had a disproportionate impact on the African American community, and the poll finds a majority of black adults say they know someone who has been diagnosed with coronavirus, 54% say so compared with 38% of white adults and 36% among Latino adults. African Americans are also far more apt to give the government negative marks for its efforts to prevent the spread of the virus, with 79% saying the federal government is doing a poor job stemming the spread, compared with 55% of Latinos and 50% of whites.It frustrates me to see journos, three years in and months from the next election, still surprised and confused that Trump's supporters know that he's lying and love him all the more for it. It seems incomprehensible to most media folks why they like this. The term 'media bubble' is inadequate, because bubbles can be easily burst. Ours is a floating world, remote and impervious.Consider the journalistic "despite", a term you'll see in headlines and ledes informing you that the writer's understanding of reality is the exact opposite to what reality is. Read the rest

This was yesterday, but it'll be now for a long time. This appears to inaugurate a new YouTube channel from David Lynch, master filmmaker and artist. Read the rest

This makes Alex Jones surprisingly more palatable, but doesn't really impact Chuck E. Cheese's standard level of creepiness either way. Read the rest