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The flag at the White House was only left at half staff in honor of Senator John McCain until just after midnight Monday morning. This breaks with the tradition that the flag remains at half staff for a sitting senator who dies until the day of internment. McCain's funeral is set for Sunday.In fact, if petty Trump had his way, the flag probably wouldn't have been lowered at all. But "the federal code states that the flag shall be lowered on the day of death and the following day for a sitting member of Congress," according to ABC News.Trump also ignored a question about his thoughts on McCain's legacy when asked by ABC.

It has been years since internet sensations Radiskull and Devil Doll have graced our screens. Joe Sparks has brought them back. It is time to do evil again!I AM THE RADISKULL!!!!!!

This inflatable bed is as comfortable as a regular mattress, and stores away in a corner of my closet. (more…)

Sacha Baron Cohen posed as a "billionaire playboy" as he interviewed O.J. Simpson in yesterday's finale of Who Is America?. Sacha's character gleefully hinted that he'd killed his own wife, and O.J. went along with it, joking about how lengthening a bungee cord would help get the job done. The interview was cringe-worthy, to say the least.

It would appear that indicted Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA)'s party boy lifestyle won he and his pals a cute name on 'the hill,' congressional aides knew them as 'the bro caucus.'Via Talking Points Memo:

Classic skateboarding movie with one of the absolute greats, Natas Kaupas.Full movie.

Around a month ago, Ebola popped back up in the Democratic Republic of Congo, scant days after the World Health Organization had declared that another outbreak of the disease had come to an end. Trying to contain the Ebola virus, which is transmitted via bodily fluids, can be a nightmare for healthcare professionals, especially in areas where medical resources and the infrastructure required to rapidly deploy field investigators, ship HAZMAT gear or refrigerate vaccines is non-existent. Doing it in a war zone? So much worse. But that’s where the latest outbreak is going down. Congo’s North Kivu Province is hotly contested by a number of militant groups, vying for control over the region’s mineral resources. There’s a lot of shooting. There’s a lot of blood. The local population, fearing for their lives, is highly mobile. This makes it hard to track Ebola or treat those who risk further spreading the virus. In the midst of this untenable situation, even those brave enough to risk their own lives to keep the disease at bay are now proving vulnerable.From The Guardian:

A study entitled "Alcohol use and burden for 195 countries and territories, 1990–2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016" has determined that no one should ingest any alcohol. It leads to death, kinda like life.Via The Lancet:

Popcorn didn’t always used to be a thing in Japan. As a matter of fact, when I arrived in 1990 (and for many years afterward) it was one of my please-send-me items for anyone willing to mail me a care package. A couple of years ago, though, something happened and now popcorn is accepted and more or less embraced by the Japanese snack culture. I still don’t come across the loose, pop-it-yourself-at-home kernels variety and I hardly ever see microwave popcorn, but pre-popped and already flavored bags, those are out there. Frito Lay Japan has a popular snack called Mike Popcorn, and it has some of interesting but not entirely surprising flavors. There’s butter soy sauce, sweetened soy sauce, and salted seaweed. All quite delicately flavored and delicious in their own way. Then I ran across shrimp popcorn. I love shrimp and I love popcorn. What could possibly go wrong? The answer is nothing. This savory shrimp-flavored popcorn was divine. It even made me go to the Mike Popcorn website to see what else they had. But I stopped before I got into the different flavors, because I was intrigued with how they're marketing popcorn in Japan. [caption id="attachment_655750" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Thersa Matsuura[/caption]It seems to touted as a healthy snack. They're pushing the "one bag has two-heads of lettuce worth of fiber" bit. I mean, not to disrespect iceberg lettuce and all, but we all know it’s mostly water. You want fiber, let's talk cabbages. Another cute -- and very Japanese -- idea is the list of different popcorn recipes that are recommended on the site. One of those that feels a little more healthy -- but I'm not sure I'd want to try -- is called the Fancy Morning Meal Basically, the recipe consists of plain yogurt sprinkled with chia seeds, nuts, fruit (in this case sliced bananas), coconut powder and, yes, you guessed it popcorn. They don't say, but I'm hoping they’re recommending the regular-flavored stuff, not the shrimp-flavored kind.Photos: Thersa Matsuura

Esteemed tricker Nick Fry lands his first amazing standing double backflip.

Sleepy wolf Alawa is "hands down the laziest howler we've ever known," writes the Wolf Conservation Center on its YouTube Channel.

Given a choice of which controller I’d rather use to play games, my response is always Xbox One. I like how beefy it feels run my hands. I bought one for playing Steam games with a while back and have never regretted the decision. I’ve never felt the urge to use it with my smartphone—I do my gaming on the go with a PS Vita or Nintendo Switch. But I totally get the appeal: Being able to rock emulators using physical controls or play games developed for Android without being driven mad by how lousy an input device a display can be at times, could be pretty sweet. Up until now, gaming on an Android device with an Xbox One controller was a wonky experience as there were mapping problems galore. Thanks to Google, that’s all about to change:From The Verge:Google is now officially supporting Xbox One controllers with Bluetooth in its latest Android Pie release. XDA-Developers reports that a Google engineer has closed a long standing bug report on the Xbox One controller mapping issues, noting that they’re fixed in Android Pie.“This bug should be fixed in P… therefore, marking this as fixed,” says the unnamed Google engineer. The fix has been placed into the core of Android Pie, so all releases of it will include it. A variety of games support Bluetooth controllers in Android, and CNET reports that even Fortnite will be getting support soon. That will make playing Fortnite on Android a lot more interesting on the go, especially if other game developers start to see mobile as more of an opportunity to include controller support.Image via Flickr, courtesy of Mack Male

We live busy lives, and while it would be nice to enter into a clean home every night, keeping your space tidy is one of those responsibilities that tends to fall through the cracks during the week. Thankfully, it's 2018, and robot vacuums are a thing. The ECOVACS DEEBOT Slim2 Robotic Vacuum Cleaner is perfect for keeping your living space clean, and you can start it remotely via your smartphone.Designed for hardwood floors, the ECOVACS DEEBOT removes hair, dirt, and debris with tangle-free suction and dry mopping. It can maneuver around obstacles and recharges on its own. Plus, you can schedule it for weekly or daily cleanings and activate it in a pinch with your smartphone, ensuring your space still gets cleaned whether you're stuck in traffic, running errands, or staying late at work.The ECOVACS DEEBOT Slim2 Robotic Vacuum Cleaner is on sale for $140, 29% off its usual retail price.

Law firms are singularly bad at technology, yet present a singularly delicious target to hackers. One particular vulnerability comes from all their abandoned domain names, which Gabor Szathmari writes "pose a significant cyber risk to the legal profession."

This is one of those genius "I can't believe this hasn't been done already" kind of things. An architect from Indiana has photoshopped recognizable modernist homes into the overly sentimental, idyllic world of a Thomas Kinkade painting, making for a funny mashup series.It all started with this tweet from another architect, Donna Sink, where she instigates, "Does anyone do paintings of Modern buildings in the style of Thomas Kincade?"https://twitter.com/DonnaSinkArch/status/1030653974637096961Indianapolis-based @robyniko answered her call, writing, "I'm in. Let's start off easy with one of Kahn's beautiful boxes (eg the Fisher house)..."Here's that one (the wishing well is a nice touch!):Then someone requested he do architect Philip Johnson's historic Glass House next. He calls his creation "Philip Johnson's Glass Cottage," (emphasis mine) a nod to Kinkade's use of cottages in his paintings:On this one, he writes, "Ok i really have to stop now. Merry Corbsmas:"But he didn't stop. He then tackled the Farnsworth House (which I included as the lead image above).A couple days later he was still at it. On this one, he writes, "Pack your bags for a rocky seaside getaway at the Gehryhaus! You'll love the *squints at copy* homey chain link fence & softly weathered *checks notes* corrugated steel siding while you eat a homemade breakfast in the soft glow of the *deep sigh* aggressively geometric sun room."You can follow how it all went down in this thread:https://twitter.com/robyniko/status/1031000496608292872(ArchPaper)images via @robyniko, used with permission

While walking the aisles of the supermarket this evening, a friend spotted some green tea-scented toilet paper, with lovely embossed tea leaves, too. Photo: Richard Pavonarius

Milo Yiannopolous is having a very bad week and just wants to eat his sushi in peace, you ungrateful bastards. A little backstory. Last week, Politicon (think Comic-Con but with less cosplay) announced the lineup for its 2018 convention to be held in October in Los Angeles. Milo was included in that lineup, with his appearance touted as an opportunity to “speak at length about the institutional Left’s systematic protection of sex offenders who share its politics, as well as his experiences being wrongly smeared as an advocate for a crime of which he is in fact a victim. The appearance marks his return to the front lines of the American culture wars.” Less than 24 hours later, Yiannopolous was disinvited from Politicon after social media threats of a boycott. One speaker, comedian Cameron Esposito, canceled her appearance after learning of his involvement and others threatened to do likewise. When Yiannopolous found out he was disinvited, he told Mediaite “I subject myself to this continuous hell because unlike the needy, vacuous, desperate grifters of conservative media, I actually care about my fans and the stuff I talk about. No amount of cancellations from now until the end of time will ever deter me from trying. Next!”
Fast forward to Friday night. Yiannopolous posted a short video of himself with his husband at sushi restaurant on Facebook. The comments were less than laudatory, accusing Yiannopolous of fleecing his aforementioned fans out of money they paid for the VIP membership to his website which promised a daily podcast that apparently hasn’t been updated for weeks, if not months. 
And that’s when Milo lost his shit. Such a snowflake![Photo: Wikimedia Commons]

The first season of True Detective was a sensation, arguably qualifying as some of the best television of all time. The show's second season? Not so much. While it wasn't bad, it wasn't particularly good either. Based on the trailer for the third season of the series, it looks like True Detective could be back on track. Staring Academy Award Winner Mahershala Ali, the third season of True Detective sill be hitting HBO, this January.

Someone opened fire at a Madden tournament in Jacksonville, Fla., killing two other attendees and hurting 10 more more. The shooter is also dead, said police, naming a 24-year-old Baltimore man as the only suspect. Horrific audio of the shooting (WARNING: it may autoplay at link) was captured on an internet stream of the tournament. At least twelve shots can be heard as panic spreads and victims shout for help. The video switches to gameplay footage before shots are fired, but a laser dot can clearly be seen moving across one of the two players moments beforehand.

Happy National Dog Day.Video: Nemo, Photo: Zuul.

Anyone can activate the shutter on a camera, but dialing that device to just the right settings for a picture-perfect shot takes skill. Whether you want to take better photos for the 'gram or earn some extra money with that fancy DSLR you just picked up, the Pay What You Want: Professional Photography Bundle can show you how for a price that you get to choose.Here's how the deal works: Pay whatever you want, and you'll unlock one of the collection's courses. Beat the average price paid, and you'll take all seven home instantly.Featuring more than 30 hours of training, this collection takes you from the basics of camera operation to the more nuanced elements of professional photography. You'll start by getting to know your camera and how to take better shots without relying on the automatic setting. Then, you'll move on to mastering exposure, posing models for better shots, and even wedding photography as you make your way through the courses.You can start taking better photos today with the Pay What You Want: Professional Photography Bundle, available for a price you pick.

Now photographer Cindy Sherman is getting in the weird pool float game.

Wait for the dolphins.

After announcing yesterday that the Arizona Senator and American war hero was discontinuing his treatment for glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, John Sidney McCain III has died. Senator McCain's office released this statement just moments ago. McCain served in Congress for 36 years and spent five years in the Hanoi Hilton as a POW in Vietnam. He was 81 years old.[Photo: Gage Skidmore/Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0]

As spotted by @2020fight on Twitter. How is this even possible? You can barely move in the United States of America but for all the flags. Flags on the walls, on posters and books. Flags on poles outside schools, like the one he had to walk past to get to this classroom. https://twitter.com/2020fight/status/1033162713378127873The original photo was posted by Alex Alar, the health secretary:https://twitter.com/SecAzar/status/1033142676424679425?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwMaybe Trump should kneel before it a while, so he at least knows what it looks like.I've created a useful graphic of the Trumpamerica Flag:

Yeah, right. Sarcasm Analysis using Conversation Context. Whatever, Ghosh et al.

More companies are heading to the Cloud, and they're in dire need of capable IT professionals to keep them connected. With even entry-level positions offering high salaries, now is the ideal time to switch to this field, but you'll need the right certifications before you can get started. Packed with more than 200 hours of content, the Ultimate IT Certification Training Bundle can prepare you to ace several of the industry's top certification exams.Across 11 courses, this bundle covers the concepts and techniques you'll need to know in order to earn IT certifications in networking, cloud computing, and security specializations, including CompTIA's Cloud+ and Security+ certification, as well as the MCSA certification in Windows Server 2016. You'll grow your knowledge in project management, network security, and a host of other skills as you make your way through the collection.The Ultimate IT Certification Training Bundle retails for $3,289, but it's on sale in the Boing Boing store for $39.

It's been years since the first of Christopher Nolan's Batman movies hit theaters, bringing with it one of the coolest rides in movie history: this Batmobile. In this video, Jay Leno talks to some of the folks involved in bringing the beast to life on the silver screen. Watchin it bomb around town for expecting motorists to see? Very cool.

Here’s a word I learned in English today: hair whorl. Wikipedia defines it as “…a patch of hair growing in a circular direction around a visible center point. Hair whorls occur in most hairy animals, on the body as well as on the head.” It’s curious that I’ve known the word in Japanese for a very long time now, but I had to look it up in English. The reason I know it in Japanese is because people actually say the word. Friends actually talk about their children’s hair whorls in casual conversation. Also, it’s used in a common idiom and in an curious superstition. Let’s start off with how to say hair whorl in Japanese. It’s a cute word: tsumuji. I think it has a nicer ring than hair whorl.Next, the idiom you sometimes hear people use is tsumuji wo mageru, or you could call someone tsumuji magari. Literally, bending or twisting one’s hair whorl. If someone does this, it means they’re being contrary, unreasonable, or unaccommodating. “My little brother is a tsumuji magari. He disagrees with everything I say.” Something like that. The superstition, on the other hand, is one you'll hear Japanese children giggling about. That is, you should never press on your friend’s hair whorl. Why? Well, the jury is out on which of the following will happen, but neither sound good. It’s said if you push on a person’s hair whorl, they’ll either go bald or come down with a bad case of diarrhea. Again, this is a childhood superstition, still, you might not want to go pressing on your hair whorl to test it out. Just in case.On a side note: the Japanese language seems to have quite a few ways to say someone is being contrary or difficult or just a pain in the ass. I talk about a mythical heavenly demon (amanojaku) and how this creature’s name is also a label for contrariness here.Photo: Thersa Matsuura

Somehow, Lionel Lebron, the man behind the Qanon 'Democrat pedophile cult' conspiracy theory, managed to meet with Donald Trump on Thursday inside the office of the President of the United States at the White House. Yes, really. (more…)

British-Australian I.T. developer Nathan Hague was traveling through Australia's Sydney airport when authorities forcibly detained him and seized his devices, according to reports. Hague says his laptop password was cracked, and his digital files were accessed by Border Force officers. (more…)

Hoo boy. (more…)

Why does the Russian embassy want to visit accused hacker Yevgeniy Nikulin so very badly, lawyers ask. Good question. (more…)

Every year, summer brings a merry-go-round of global music festivals. For the past 15 years, I've been keenly surfing the international weirdo festival circuit, from small parties to mainstream mega events. The one place I keep coming back to—and attended again this year—is the EDM festival, a psychedelic tribal gathering, called OZORA. OZORA

Tesla's Fremont, California factory is said to be running normally again, after a fire broke out Thursday around 5:20PM. No flamethrowers involved. (more…)

Joe Strummer would have turned 66 years old this week, had he not passed away. I still think about his music and miss him, every single day.

I own 24 of these Japanese mesh zipper bags. A set of 8 (four 9" x 7" and four 8" x 5.5") cost just $9 on Amazon (with free Prime shipping). They are very well made and great for travel. I use one bag for tools, one for cables and batteries, one for medicine and first aid, one for small gadgets, one for eyeglasses, and one to store receipts. Then I just put them in my suitcase. I also use them at home to organize small parts. Amazon was sold out for a while but they are available once again.

Putin's army pushed our buttons over the anti-vax agenda during the 2016 US election, and likely beyond. The Russians do this to help spread distrust in the government, distrust in vaccines and to sow general discord.Vaccines are good. Do not be fooled.Via the BBC:

There are many ways to rip off tourists in Rome, Prague, Paris, and other beautiful European cities. Scammers have tried most of these cons on me. The best way to deal with them is to walk away without saying a word.The Friendship Bracelet scam is where some guy starts wrapping string around your finger or wrist, effectively trapping you until they finish braiding an ugly bracelet and demand money for it:https://youtu.be/ujbBxJtTGB4https://youtu.be/6BsqaEf0CZoIn the Gold Ring scam someone will pretend to find a ring on the ground, give it to you out of kindness then suddenly insist that you fork over some money to reward their selfless generosity:https://youtu.be/qw1ZMhV8kLIThe Donation scam is where people, often pretending to be deaf come up to you and ask you to sign some kind of petition and then ask for money after you sign it. As a bonus, their confederate will pick your pocket:https://youtu.be/gP1LrMljttwhttps://youtu.be/5NzIm0JxjOMIn the Worthless Clothes scam some guy will try to give you crappy clothes under the ruse that they are very valuable then attempt to extort you:https://youtu.be/n3IX-e7s4z4

A black bear opened the door to a Colorado hotel and moseyed on in. It climbed on furniture and inspected the lobby while 300 guests were sleeping in their rooms. It finally left without causing a scene. Rather than run for cover, the person at the front desk silently taped the bear.The Stanley Hotel, in Estes Park, is famous for inspiring Stephen King's The Shining.Via AP

Harvard grad student Zainab Merchant is detained and invasively searched every time she flies; she's tried extensively to end this harassment, applying for Global Entry and Precheck, writing to her members of Congress, and trying to run through the DHS's Redress procedure. (more…)

There's one thing that Democratic and Republican leaders agree on: that left-wing policies like Medicare for all are bad news for the Democratic policy -- the only people who disagrees with them are voters, who overwhelmingly support these policies. (more…)

I keep this Zippo Axe/Saw/Mallet in my camper van. It comes in really handy. (more…)

For the second time in two years, America's prisoners have staged a mass, coordinated strike, demanding an end to slave labor for incarcerated people, channels for redress of grievances, an end to racial discrimination in the American penal system, access to rehabilitation programs, the reinstatement of Pell grants, the right of ex-prisoners to vote, and the right of rehabilitated prisoners to be paroled. (more…)

https://youtu.be/zsabcIRTc0wA vintage Russian T34 tank flipped off a ramp and capsized during a military parade in Kursk, Russia yesterday. Fortunately, nobody was hurt.

My friend Dustin Hostetler emailed me the video above with the subject line of "Do you like Elvis?"No, I don't like Elvis. (more…)

Austin Kleon, explaining why artists and people who love them should be single-issue voters and why that issue should be Medicare for All: "Bad health care has killed more American artists than I could list here without my fingers falling off." (more…)

Mark David Chapman who murdered John Lennon outside Manhattan's Dakota Hotel on December 8, 1980 was denied parol for the 10th time. Good. From the New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision's letter responding to Chapman's parole application: