Colors.lol combines two things the web was made for: color scheme generators and uncanny generative text. Created as a fun way to discover interesting color combinations. Palettes are hand-selected from the Twitter bot @colorschemez. The randomly generated palettes match each color with an adjective from a list of over 20,000 words.Created by Adam Fuhrer. Read the rest

You need this. So do I.Ladies and gentlemutants, this is Daniel Matarazzo performing his ode to coronavirus, 'Super Bad Transmittable Contagious Awful Virus!.' It's a parody of Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, from the 1964 musical 'Mary Poppins.'I love this man and I love his song so very much.Tom Lehrer, reincarnated, and stuck at home during a pandemic.LYRICS:Now when a virus comes along that’s spreading like a plagueand POTUS and his lackeys have been nothing if not vagueWell then you’ve got to trust the CDC and listen wellUnless you want to bid our free society farewellThere is a...Super bad transmittable contagious awful virusAnd if we don’t act quick and social distance it will mire usIn a stretch of quarantine that lasts until July, aSuper bad transmittable contagious awful virus (And if ya gotta better cough in your armAnd if ya gotta better cough in your arm)Now back in 1918 Influenza had its runBut half their docs were busy overseas with World War IToday we have mass media and scientists to sayIf you don’t want this virus well then stay six feet away!Super damn important that we practice isolationCause we’re asymptomatic while it’s in incubationWe’ll overwhelm our hospitals if there’s not mitigationSuper damn important that we practice isolation(If we don’t do it then we’re all gonna dieIf we don’t do it then we’re all gonna die)And so I hope at last you take the lesson here to heart,cause it’s already scary and we’re only at the startIf you get bored just think of the immunocompromisedWho can’t go much of anywhere unless it’s sterilized Super bad transmittable contagious awful virusAnd if we don’t act quick and social distance it will mire usIn a stretch of quarantine that lasts until July, aSuper bad transmittable A super bad transmittable A super bad transmittable contagious awful virus! Read the rest

You do what you gotta do to get through this, people. Whatever it takes.Respect, IMGURian @nitrochief.Day 10 of isolation: feeding the ducks[via] Read the rest

In Germany, a court sentenced a 31-year-old Tunisian man to 10 years in prisonfor planning a biological bomb attack with the deadly poison ricin, which is isolated from the seeds of the castor bean plant. One can isolate a lethal amount of ricin from the plant's beans, under the right circumstances.The sentence was issued last Thursday, March 26, 2020. The arrests are believed to have prevented what would have been Germany's first biological attack, said police in Munich.Sief Allah H., 31, was found guilty of producing a biological weapon and of planning aserious act of violent subversion. From AFP:An Islamic State sympathizer, the perpetrator had ordered castor seedsand explosives on the internet in order to build the toxic bomb, aspokesman for the higher regional court in Duesseldorf said.(...) His German wife, 43, stands accused of helping him build the bomb, butshe is now being tried separately after the court accused her defenselawyers of attempting to spin out the case with a 140-page statementon Thursday [26 Mar 2020]. Her trial will resume on 1 Apr 2020.The couple "wanted to create a climate of fear and uncertainty amongthe German population," Judge Jan van Lessen was quoted by DPA assaying on Thursday [26 Mar 2020]. He added that they had producedenough ricin to potentially kill up to 13 500 people.The couple have been on trial since June last year [2019] followingtheir arrest in 2018 by an anti-terrorist squad that found 84milligrams of the toxin in their Cologne apartment. Read the rest

First of all: if you haven't watched Netflix's Tiger King documentary series yet, then what the hell are you waiting for? It's got everything: tiger, ligers, lions, and bears; gay polygamists who are also straight; murder cover-ups galore; lots and lots of meth; fucking tigers; straight polygamists who are really just harem cult leaders who also own tigers; mullets; tigers; country pop songs about tigers and the Deep State; more meth mouth; more tigers; more polyamory; more conspiracies; FBI entrapment schemes; strip club owners who are also narcs; that libertarian campaign manager who actually seems like a decent guy; the multiple employees with amputated limbs who also seem like decent people in spite of their tragic stories; more guns and explosions; and of course, tigers.But one thing it doesn't go into enough in its already-overpacked-seven-episodes is the Tiger King's alleged music career. While the series shows some clips from Joe "Tiger King" Exotic's country music videos, it doesn't explain who actually wrote and produced those songs, or let you hear any of them in their full WTF glory.Slate was fortunate enough to interview the songwriters involved in such hits as "I Saw A Tiger" — and if you've seen the show, you won't be surprised that they were kind of conned by Joe Exotic, too, just like everyone else around him.But perhaps even more glorious is that people like BJ Barham (above), one of my favorite alt-country singer/songwriters and the frontman for American Aquarium, has already taken to covering Joe Exotic's Tiger songs. Read the rest

Donald Trump has insisted that Plaquenil/hydroxychloroquine will cure COVID-19. The drug is commonly used to malaria, as well as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. While there have been some successful results with drug after treating patients infected by the novel coronavirus, there's just not enough reliable information available right now.But the President's endorsement of the drug has caused a bit of panic around it. First, there are people who have died after mistakenly taking related drugs. Now, according to Buzzfeed News, so healthcare providers are refusing to give the drug to people with conditions that it has been proven to treat:A 45-year-old woman with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) said she received an online message from her health care provider stating it will no longer refill her vital hydroxychloroquine prescriptions because that drug is being used to treat the "critically ill with COVID-19," the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.It gets worse. Here's the kicker:The letter thanked her for her "sacrifice."A sacrifice, it should be noted, that she had no choice in making — if it's even a sacrifice that actually works.Like Alabama denying treatment to people with "severe mental retardation," it seems that all the conservative fearmongering around the made-up "Obamacare Death Panels" is finally coming true under the Trump Administration's handling of the coronavirus epidemic.A Woman With Lupus Said Her Health Care Provider Is Stopping Her Chloroquine Prescription And Thanked Her For The “Sacrifice” [Tanya Chen and Dan Vergano / Buzzfeed News]What We Know — and Don’t Know — About Possible Coronavirus Treatments Promoted by Trump [Charles Ornstein / ProPublica]Image via Public Domain Pictures Read the rest

At this point, it's every single person's responsibility to reduce their own carbon footprint and transition to a more sustainable lifestyle. But if you consider the grim fact that the biggest culprit of greenhouse gas emissions from human activities in the U.S. is burning fossil fuels for electricity, things, like pivoting to metal straws and carpooling to work, seem painfully insignificant.Studies have shown that choosing clean energy can reduce your carbon footprint by over 40 percent, but it's not an easy feat. Even if you're willing to consider renewable energy options, having large solar panels installed on your roof is probably the first thing that comes to mind, and frankly, it's not something that everyone can afford to do. Luckily, it's not the only alternative power source for your home.What is Arcadia?Enter: Arcadia. A service that allows you to have a sizeable green impact at home and on your community. It breaks down the barrier to entry to supporting clean energy sources and helps you significantly cut down on your carbon footprint. Whether you're a homeowner or a renter, Arcadia enables you to make better choices by providing easier access to clean energy sources in your area, as well as finding ways for you to save on energy where possible. That means not only does it offer a way to help you save the environment, it helps you find ways to save money on your bills, too.How it worksWhen you join the platform, it asks you to connect your existing utility account to identify the clean energy plans available in your area. Read the rest

Trump on Sunday said he's extending COVID-19 social distancing guidelines until April 30.

A registered sex offender hosting a coronavirus party despite Maryland's ban on gatherings during the outbreak refused to shut down his 60-person drunken bonfire, cops say. The party host did not win the argument with police officers. Shawn Marshall Myers, 41, could face up to a year in prison and a $5,000 fine for violating the emergency order intended to slow the spread of the coronavirus, Fox 13 reported.From Southern Maryland News:On March 27, 2020, at approximately 10:55 p.m., officers from the Charles County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 15000 block of Lukes Lane in Hughesville for the report of a large group of people at a single location in violation of Governor Hogan’s emergency order which prohibits planned gatherings of more than 10 people in response to the COVID-19 emergency.When officers arrived, they observed approximately 60 people at a bonfire.This is the second time officers have responded to this house for a large gathering:On March 22, 2020, officers were dispatched to the house for a similar complaint. At that time, the homeowner, Shawn Marshall Myers, 41, was advised of the emergency order and he agreed to disperse the crowd. During the second incident, Myers refused multiple requests to comply with the emergency order.After conferring with the Charles County State’s Attorney’s Office, Myers was subsequently charged with two counts of failing to comply with an emergency order and is currently incarcerated at the Charles County Detention Center on a no bond status.The CCSO is reminding citizens of the emergency order and urging everyone to comply for the safety, health and well-being of all communities. Read the rest

"When they keep drinking this, there’s going to be more people poisoned."

Companies that don’t have their own in-house design teams (which means 99 percent of all companies these days) face lots of serious questions. Among those questions is how you keep up with all the design requirements of a 21st-century company without the personnel.It isn’t just a website or an annual product catalog anymore. It’s promotional materials, both physical and digital. It’s a fundamental brand identity building. And that doesn’t even scratch the surface on the design needs of a company that wants a robust social media or app presence.It can be a lot for the non-artist tasked with getting everything done. A Pro subscription to Canva is one of the tools that can help even graphically-challenged creators come up with beautiful, professional-grade work in a fraction of the time it would take otherwise.Canva is a design and marketing service that lets creators assemble attractive materials like posters, logos, presentations, flyers, cards and social media art in a matter of minutes. From over 60,000 templates across a variety of categories, users maneuver the easy-to-access interface and can literally drag and drop customized fonts, images, and even video content right into their project.With Canva, your library of available resources is truly massive. You can choose from over 4 million different photos and graphics to give your project the individual spark that it needs. Of course, if nothing grabs you, you can always upload your own images, fonts, and logos and import them right into your work. Meanwhile, Canva Pro’s nifty Magic Resize feature allows you to instantly crop, save and export your work or any part of your work to just the size and format you want for exporting. Read the rest

Ah, the righteous indignation of a surfer.EasyReaderNews:A Manhattan Beach surfer was issued a $1,000 citation Saturday morning after ignoring a lifeguard’s order that he not go in the water.“F… you. What are you going to do about it,” the surfer said to the lifeguard who confronted him, according to sources who were present during the encounter.A Manhattan Beach police officer responded by issuing the citation. Read the rest

Adult Swim has made all five seasons of Genndy Tartakovsky’s Samurai Jack available for free streaming on their site. You don't even need to register an account.If you're not familiar with the series, this 'splainer video should help. You may recognize Genndy Tartakovsky distinctive art style from his other popular series, Dexter's Laboratory.Image: YouTube Read the rest

Well I think I'm losing my mind, this timeThis time I'm losing my mind, that's rightSaid I think I'm losing my mind, this timeThis time, I'm losing my mind Read the rest

The Auralnauts are a comedy troupe that does video overdubs — most prolifically (and, in my opinion, hilariously) of Star Wars videos. Their latest masterpiece is this coronavirus rap performed by "Creepio" and "Fartoo," which digs deep into the Star Wars footage archives, even going as far as getting the Muppets involved in their hilarious but surprisingly helpful public service announcement. Read the rest

In case you’re one of those computer shoppers who instinctively turns up their nose at the very mention of the word refurbished, here are a couple myths worth dispelling.Refurbished equals junk somebody didn’t want. While desktops, laptops, notebooks, Chromebooks and tablets marked as refurbished may have been unboxed at some point, meaning they can never again be sold as new, that definitely doesn’t make them junk.Refurbished computers don’t work. In fact, the complete opposite is usually true. No matter why a computer ended up back at the manufacturer, each one was cleaned, assessed and had new components installed if needed to get the machine to meet or exceed original performance expectations. Unlike models that just rolled off an automated assembly line, a human actually checked out a refurbished computer and gave it the company’s seal of approval.Refurbished machines aren’t a deal. Well, take a look at the 22 good-as-new models served up here by some of the world’s top computer makers, each with discounts knocking as much as $1,300 off your final price and say that.Desktops and towers still pack a punchWith so many buyers focused on transportable tech, big savings are available on the workhorse of the computer industry: the trusty old desktop unit.The HP EliteDesk 705-G1 Mini PC ($229.99; originally $599.99) is the very definition of dependable and a solid choice for anyone seeking a reliable model to handle everyday computing chores like emailing and web surfing. Mini PCs were mocked for years for being underpowered next to their bigger desktop brothers, but between performance upgrades and space requirements in tight conditions these days, who’s laughing at a mini’s svelte profile now? Read the rest

Electric bikes aren’t toys. And they aren’t a fad. In fact, more and more communities are starting to catch on that e-bikes are a lot more than an amusing gadget for the tech geek.Following a six-month study, Johnson County, Kansas, home to many Kansas City suburbs, became just the latest U.S. community to allow electric bikes access to the county’s paved trails. E-bike advocates were able to show officials the health and ecological benefits of opening up access to e-bikers, a move that undoubtedly brings a smile to the face of Mike Radenbaugh.Radenbaugh started Rad Power Bikes back in 2007 -- and over the past 13 years, he’s built the Seattle-based company into the largest and fastest-growing e-bike maker in North America.And when you dig into exactly why Rad is watching more and more people adopt the e-biking lifestyle, there’s really one simple reason at its center: it just makes sense.Practically speaking, bike riding gets users outside to enjoy the great outdoors -- all while the bike’s compact electrically-powered motor gives riders a little assist when they’re running out of stamina or need extra help on a hill or lengthy straightaway.Opening up the throttle on your Rad Power Bike is as simple as a button press, offering some much-needed extra support to your pedaling when you most need it. Even if you’re totally spent, just open it all the way up and you can stop pedaling completely, cruising along at up to 20 miles an hour without an ounce of exertion. Read the rest

Last month, I covered the unreal tabletop fantasy village that Real Terrain Hobbies and Goobertown Hobbies built using buildings from Tabletop World, two Croatian sculptors who pretty much make the best resin-cast fantasy buildings in the world.Now, Neil of Real Terrain is building a gaming board and terrain features worthy of the Tabletop World buildings that he and Brent so meticulously painted.Here are his first two videos documenting the process. The first is of him building the actual board, the second is him beginning to add paint, the ground cover, and vegetation. These videos are something of a masterclass in terrain making.One thing that Neil shares in the second video is a great tip for all miniatures painters and terrain makers. As he begins to put the watered down paint onto his foam rock formations (in gray, brown, green, and black), he has to remind himself that it's going to look kind of awful, like it might not be working, before he's done. This is something that often frustrates and scares newbies. Often, basecoats and early layerings of paint can look bad and you can become fearful that you're on the wrong track. As you gain more experience painting and weathering, you realize that it takes time to build up your colors, and that, for things to look realistic, you need many different colors and sometimes some of those colors look wrong when first applied. Things in nature are not a single color. Your minis and terrain look best when they have a complex of color. Read the rest

Whether you're living in a city that has already taken measures to reduce plastic bag use, the small silver lining of the pandemic has inspired you to make changes, or you've already started living a greener lifestyle, reusable produce bags are a great addition to your shopping routine. And if you're going to invest in a product like this, why not do that with a brand that gives back, too?Lotus Trolley Bag makes these reusable, washable, eco-friendly, multipurpose produce bags and is a member of 1% for the Planet, meaning that a percentage of their sales goes to high-impact non-profits that protect our oceans.This set of 9 food-safe, BPA-free bags includes 3 different color-coordinated sizes (12" x 8", 12" x 14", and 12" x 17") that will cover all your fruit and vegetable shopping needs. The 120 GSM non-woven fabric they're made of is double stitched on the sides for strength—the large can support a watermelon!—yet they're so light you'll hardly notice them in your purse or pocket on your way to the store. And while you're at the store, they're super easy to use, too, thanks to their tare weight labels that make it a cinch to accurately weigh out your produce minus the weight of the bag itself. Speaking of cinches, the bags cinch closed with ease and then stay that way with the help of secure locks attached to the drawstring that work just like ones you'd find on a hooded coat.But possibly the coolest thing of all about these bags is how reusable they are. Read the rest

Anyone who's ever gone to Burning Man is undoubtedly already familiar with the N95 mask, the particle filters that also protect from inhaling playa dust. And Burners are also familiar with "radical self expression." So, it comes as no surprise that the happy mutants over at Burner-friendly Grassy Knoll Industries have taken it upon themselves to make an otherwise plain-looking mask better — by turning it into a "Catface." Whiskers and all. They describe it as "Quarantine Couture." Even if you have no plans to "cattify" a mask, you should go read the instructions because parts of it are pretty funny. Cats not your thing? There are other fun mask ideas in their "Social Distancing Can Be Fun" Facebook page. Read the rest

Ben of Questing Beast has begun reading all of Gary Gygax's 1979 roleplaying game masterwork, the AD&D Dungeon Masters Guide, on YouTube, After the first two videos, at around four hours in, it look like he's up to page 33. He estimates it'll take some 40 hours to read the entire book.Of all of the D&D books, spanning four decades, the DM Guide had the most profound impact on me and will always hold a special place in my nerdy little heart. I'm sure many other RPGers of my generation (and beyond) feel the same way.Image: YouTube Read the rest

On Friday, Sonic Youth uploaded 12 of their previously unreleased live shows to their Bandcamp archives. The concerts span the bands career, from the late 80s to their final US show in 2011.Lee Ranaldo writes of the project:We have a couple of engineers and archivist people that we work with. But we’re still all interested in it, we’ve been maintaining a massive archive that continues to grow. Steve Shelley has been really active in it, and the rest of us a little bit less so, but I’ve been pretty active in helping put together the last bunch of packages that come out. In this case, this guy from Russia just said: “Hey, I’ve got this tape of the show” that we had never heard before, and he wanted to put it out. We kind of batted the idea back and forth of whether we wanted to go that route, and in the end, we gave him our blessings to do it. We’re working on an archival project around Sister right now, which is a massive thing we’ve been working on for a while. And two or three other things as well, something around NYC Ghosts & Flowers, and something around a particular concert we did at the Pompidou Center in Paris with Brigitte Fontaine and Areski [Belkacem] that we’ve been trying to cut the legal tape on and release for like a decade.Read more about the releases on Spin.H/t Red CellImage: Album cover art Read the rest

Click here to see the first post in this series on baking sourdough started from nothing but flour and waterAfter starting a new sourdough starter not long after sheltering-in-place at my parent's place about 12 days ago, I have baked my second loaf of bread!I've been baking with sourdough for well over a decade. My aged OG sourdough starter is currently in hibernation, however, at my brother's house in Northern California while I am in Southern California. I wanted to bake, but did not have a starter. I decided to make one. View this post on Instagram 10 seconds of steam coming out of a fresh loaf of #sourdough from my 12 day old #sourdoughstarter #boingboingA post shared by Jason Weisberger (@jlw) on Mar 28, 2020 at 9:58am PDT The first loaf I tried with the starter showed that it was almost but not quite mature enough for me really enjoy what I was baking. It reminded me of a prior experience baking with my OG starter when it had not been treated well. Care of a starter is pretty easy, just feed it every day.I gave the starter another 5 days or so of daily feedings.I made some more sourdough pretzels while I waited.Last night I put up a smaller sized loaf of bread. I want to conserve flour as it has been the only thing I've had a hard time finding. Hell, I am using some aged whole wheat...I combined 1 ¼ cup of bread flour and ¾ cup of 2015 expired Gold Medal whole wheat in the big blue bowl. Read the rest

I have been loving Shieldwall, a strategy game where you and your Roman legion attempt to kick the crap out of other Roman legions!This game reminds me of a 3D Starcraft, with (thus far) a lot less complexity. You start with one base and attempt to take others from other CG teams!More bases result in more resources for you to spend, so get to work!I bought it on Steam for less than $10.Shieldwall on Steam Read the rest

Dr. Miguelito Loveless is my favorite TV villain of all time. He is the Hans Gruber of the small screen.Dr. Loveless was portrayed by Michael Dunn. Read the rest

ProPublica: Some state plans make clear that people with cognitive issues are a lower priority for lifesaving treatment. For instance, Alabama’s plan says that “persons with severe mental retardation, advanced dementia or severe traumatic brain injury may be poor candidates for ventilator support.” Another part says that “persons with severe or profound mental retardation, moderate to severe dementia, or catastrophic neurological complications such as persistent vegetative state are unlikely candidates for ventilator support.”"Useless eaters," as the Nazis called them. Read the rest

Dealing with all the COVID-19 fallout is one of the new realities of our ever-changing world — and that isn’t likely going away anytime soon. It’s also prompted a rash of existential questions for parents. Questions like how do I protect my kids? Or how do I soothe their fears?And there’s also one of the most nerve-racking questions: How do I suddenly become an experienced elementary school teacher and actually try to homeschool these mini-terrorists I created while schools are shut down and our lives are in chaos?Great question. If you’d like to follow the advice of one University of Connecticut professor, don’t try. We think that might be a short-sighted view. Instead, turn your home captivity into an opportunity to expand their minds organically.Any of the DIY projects below will engage your minds, activate their problem-solving skills and super-subtly encourage a career in a lucrative STEM career so they can afford to take care of you when you’re old in style. In the short term, each should also take them hours to accomplish. Enjoy the silence.Get ‘em started on the basicsAny curriculum starts with the basics, so if you want to get them started, you need the right introductory materials. It doesn’t get more foundational than understanding elementary circuitry, and the Circuit Scribe: DIY Circuit Kits ($32.99; originally $58.99) can kickstart their interest. Using regular paper and a steel sheet, kids will take the reins to fashion their own lights, buzzers, motors and other base-level electronics projects. Read the rest

Osprey Games has made the PDF version of their popular game, Frostgrave, free in a gesture of support for self-isolating gamers who might be interested in the award-winning skirmish-level fantasy miniatures game. Frostgrave is normally a two-player game of wizards and their warbands duking it out over treasure and other spoils in the ruins of the frozen city of Frostgrave. But there have been some solo adventures in the Dark Alchemy supplement and the recent Perilous Dark supplement. As part of their shut-in bundle, Osprey is also giving away Dark Alchemy for free, along with the three solo scenarios from Perilous Dark. You use the code FGV2020 on check-out to get the free deal.Frostgrave is one of my favorite tabletop miniature games and I can't say enough good things about it. I've never played solo, but I became tempted when Perilous Dark was released. Now that we're all trapped in our wizard's towers, under siege from tiny, glowing invisible monsters, it seems like a good time to give solo Frostgrave a roll. I've got an Explosive Rune spell with "COVID-19" written all over it.Here's a bit more about the free PDF deal from Frostgrave's creator, Joseph McCullough.Image: Cover art for Frostgrave: The Wizard's Conclave Read the rest

If you're already incredibly bored in your social distancing situation, now is a great time to pick up a hobby. Actually, now's a great time to pick up multiple hobbies, and nothing will make that easier (or nicer to look at) than this very cool AquaSprouts® Fountain: Aquaponics Water Garden.What the heck is an "aquaponics water garden"? Well, we'll tell you. By combining fishkeeping and hydroponic gardening, aquaponics does things that neither can do alone, dramatically reducing waste (saves up to 90% of the water usually needed!) and maintenance of both the plant care and fish care side of things. Aquaponics recycles fish waste to provide vital nutrients for growing plants, leaving the water clean and clear without the need for additional filters or frequent water changes.That's one of the highest-tech low-tech innovations we've ever seen, and AquaSprouts (4 stars on Amazon and a top 2020 aquaponic aquarium brand on FishkeepingForever.com) brings it to you in a stunning fountain design that you can display indoors or out, all year long. In addition, it can be used as a hydroponic system or a simple water garden as well. Grow a variety of flowers, herbs, and veggies to enjoy at home and add some fish friends to talk to during your self-quarantine (who are we to judge?).Even if your track record with plants and/or animals is ... less than perfect, you're golden with AquaSprouts. There's no daily watering, fertilizing, weeding, or green thumb required. And, unlike traditional aquariums and water gardens, once it's up and running, the AquaSprouts requires minimal water changes and no filters or fertilizers. Read the rest

Olivia Wood is a video game writer, narrative designer, and editor, specializing in interactive narrative. She works for Failbetter Games in London, UK. Her credits include Sunless Skies (writer, narrative designer and editor), Sunless Sea: Zubmariner (writer, narrative designer and editor), Sunless Sea (writer and editor), Fallen London (writer, narrative designer and editor), Where the Water Tastes Like Wine (contributing writer), The Mystery of Kalkomey Isle (design consultant and editor), Cheaper than Therapy (writer, designer and developer), and Lethophobia (writer and designer). She first worked in the video game industry at the age of 18 as a quality assurance technician for games including Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver and Timesplitters 2. Her work in writing and editing (narrative) in the video game industry was recognised by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts in 2017. She strives to share her knowledge of video game writing, narrative design and interactive narrative through giving talks and interviews and also via narrative consultancy and writing services.This interview features conversation about her favorite adventure games, narrative, and writing.Jeffery Klaehn: What about adventure games most interests you, as a writer and also as a player?Olivia Wood: There's been a history of puzzles in adventure games feeling at odds with the narrative. I actually don't love calling them 'puzzles' in this context. Puzzles to me are more about something with its own set of internal constraints and rules that gets progressively complicated and iterated upon. I prefer to think of what are traditionally called 'puzzles' in adventure games as 'problems.' Read the rest

Yayoi Kusama's Infinity Mirrored Room--The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away is now available to view online through The Broad Museum's Instagram feed.Take an opportunity to delve into the spiritual aspects of Kusama's exploration of eternity—paired with aural selections curated by The Broad, including drone, electronic, ambient, and pop music. Featuring deep cuts by celebrated musicians and sound artists from Los Angeles and beyond, the Infinite Drone series presents a new, contemplative way of experiencing The Broad’s most popular artwork. View this post on Instagram Experience an immersive environment of light and sound in the spirit of Yayoi Kusama's Infinity Mirrored Room—The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away. Take an opportunity to delve into the spiritual aspects of Kusama's exploration of eternity—paired with aural selections chosen curated by The Broad, including drone, electronic, ambient, and pop music. Featuring deep cuts by celebrated musicians and sound artists from Los Angeles and beyond, the Infinite Drone series presents a new, contemplative way of experiencing The Broad’s most popular artwork. Today’s musical artist is: 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗮 𝗦𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗻 The Oval Window (2018) Los Angeles-based artist and composer Geneva Skeen (@geneeves) is influenced by écriture féminine, alchemical metaphors, and a range of musical traditions ranging from holy mysticism to industrial. She works with recordings, digital presets, voice, and mixed instrumentation. Her performances, publications, and installations focus on the contrast between facing the finite resources of our physical landscapes and their infinite digital representations. She is a recipient of the Touch Mentorship program and a member of VOLUME, a curatorial collective focused on sound-based practices. Read the rest

I don't know why I made this. Read the rest

Politico asked 34 "macro thinkers" to share some of their thoughts on what the world will look like after we crawl from the wreckage of this thing. Some are hopeful, optimistic. Some, not so much. Definitely good food for thought. Here are a few excerpts.Mark Lawrence Schrad is an associate professor of political science and author of the forthcoming Smashing the Liquor Machine: A Global History of Prohibition.A new kind of patriotismWhen all is said and done, perhaps we will recognize their sacrifice as true patriotism, saluting our doctors and nurses, genuflecting and saying, “Thank you for your service,” as we now do for military veterans. We will give them guaranteed health benefits and corporate discounts, and build statues and have holidays for this new class of people who sacrifice their health and their lives for ours. Perhaps, too, we will finally start to understand patriotism more as cultivating the health and life of your community, rather than blowing up someone else’s community. Maybe the de-militarization of American patriotism and love of community will be one of the benefits to come out of this whole awful mess.Eric Klinenberg is professor of sociology and director of the Institute for Public Knowledge at New York University. He is the author, most recently, of Palaces for the People: How Social Infrastructure Can Help Fight Inequality, Polarization, and the Decline of Civic Life.Less individualismThe coronavirus pandemic marks the end of our romance with market society and hyper-individualism. We could turn toward authoritarianism. Read the rest

This little ditty from Devotchka's 2018 album This Night Falls Forever, is both beautiful AND timely. The masks. The coming storm. the promise to be there for one another.Love it.Image: YouTube Read the rest

Many Americans are facing unexpected changes in their professional lives that have left them with quite a bit of downtime. It's stressful and frustrating, but the best thing to do is focus on controlling what you can control. If you have extra hours on your hands, you can be productive with them. Use them to invest in yourself by learning a new in-demand skill set or improving upon the one you're already familiar with.It's easy to do that at your own pace, from the comfort of home, with Integrity Training: Online Workforce Courses. Offering proven on-demand training for corporate, government, and education employees, Integrity membership gives you lifetime access to all 600+ current courses with completion certificates covering a wide variety of topics, including IT certification, project management, business, and soft skills, sales and marketing, design, big data, programming languages, blockchain development, and more.Across all subject matter, you'll learn from field experts with 15+ years of experience and multiple certifications from Microsoft, CompTIA, PMI, ITIL, Cisco, VMware, Mile 2, and more. You can access online courses 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, from pretty much any device, plus you'll receive certified content, unlimited graded practice exams, and completion certificates.With good reviews—like this one from HR director Molly Tompkins: "The sheer number of courses available at this price is incredible. The courses are high quality and well worth the money."— and an affordable price, you can be sure you're getting a great value.By keeping your mind sharp and continuing to advance your skillset, you'll become more marketable than you were before and that could give you a big boost when it comes to job hunting or applying for a promotion. Read the rest

On Friday, Disney announced that Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort will remain closed until further notice. Previously, the parks and resorts were to be temporarily closed only until April 18, 2020.[via @frankpallotta] Read the rest

"[Trump is] so attentive to the scientific literature & the details & the data. I think his ability to analyze & integrate data that comes out of his long history in business has really been a real benefit.”Bizarre words from Deborah L. Birx, M.D. She assists the Office of the Vice President Mike Pence in the Trump regime's response to COVID-19 as the White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator.Watch and cringe."[Trump is] so attentive to the scientific literature & the details & the data. I think his ability to analyze & integrate data that comes out of his long history in business has really been a real benefit” -- this is shocking, hackish stuff from Dr. Birx. pic.twitter.com/c2phsRYaJs— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 27, 2020Are we in North Korea? Moscow?What is even going on?As Aaron Rupar said, this is “shocking, hackish stuff from Dr. Birx.”Christ, what a suckup. What is going on, America. Read the rest

This right here is some seriously weird data from Nielsen today, about the sorts of things Americans have been purchasing as the coronavirus outbreak, and corresponding fear, spread.As CNN Business's Nathaniel Meyersohn observed, the latest Nielsen sales data for week ending 3/21 is “insane.”• Spiral hams: +622.1% from same time last year• Baking yeast: +647.3• Oat milk: +513.1%• Shelf-stable tuna: +245.6%Why did I not think to purchase a spiral ham.I have everything else on the list, not oat milk, but shelf-stable milks.I don't have a spiral ham.I am regret.Latest @nielsen sales data for week ending 3/21 is here and boy is it insane.Spiral hams: +622.1% from same time last yearBaking yeast: +647.3Oat milk: +513.1%Shelf-stable tuna: +245.6%— Nathaniel Meyersohn (@nmeyersohn) March 27, 2020Related reporting on Nielsen data:Panic Buying Triggers 23% Growth in Retail Sales Says Nielsen Read the rest

“They are putting us directly in harm’s way while profiting greatly. We cannot let this be considered normal.”

Apple and the CDC have released this app to help you self-diagnose in the event you are wondering if you have COVID19.I think most of the world imagines every tickle in their throat as the beginning of the end.COVID19 Screening tool for IOS Read the rest

To do far less than my part in helping families in quarantine/home isolation, I'm offering a FREE download of the first book in my book series for kids, The EMU Club Adventures: Alien Invasion in My Backyard, for anyone who wants it. Free. No charge.Info for downloading the pdf of the book is at THIS LINK.The book was first released in 2015, and here are a few endorsements:"Ruben Bolling is one of my cartooning heroes, and The EMU Club Adventures is seriously, mysteriously funny!"- Jeff Kinney, Diary of a Wimpy Kid"There's no mystery—the EMU Club is a hit! This is a fun, funny adventure that kids will love to read."—Lincoln Peirce, Big Nate"The EMU Club inhabits exactly the world I always hoped to live in when I was 12, when the answer to questions like 'Where did I put my toy' led inevitably to alien conspiracies and secret underground tunnels. A book for the curious and adventurous!"- Cory DoctorowI hope your kids have some fun with it. Maybe you will too.In a week, I'm going to provide a link to download the second book in the series, Ghostly Thief of Time. Also for free. Read the rest

The LEGO Mandalorian Battle Pack comes with 4 Mandalorian shock trooper minifigs!The speeder bike is cool, but 4 Mando minifigs for this price is a steal.LEGO Star Wars Mandalorian Battle Pack 75267 Mandalorian Shock Troopers and Speeder Bike Building Kit; Great Gift Idea for Any Fan of Star Wars: The Mandalorian TV Series, New 2020 (102 Pieces) via Amazon Read the rest

This might be the same compilation of British Drivers Swearing that Mark posted in 2016, but that video was copyright-striked by "Bad Drivers of Northamptonshire" so it's impossible to know for sure. In any case, it seems unlikely that there is only one compilation of British Drivers Swearing in existence. So enjoy it, you shitting Peugeot. Read the rest

Forbes senior contributor, TJ McCue, has been keeping an updated list of various corporate and maker/makerspace initiatives to 3D print filter masks and face shields for healthcare workers.As I said in my earlier posts, there is a rallying cry, a peaceful, but intense call to arms, if you will. People all over the world are seeing that many of our biggest players are struggling or faltering and they are stepping in to fill the breach. This is not insignificant, but also this is not unprecedented in the 3D printing world. This is actually the norm for makers and hackers (the good kind); they are helpful and immensely generous, especially in the face of true need. I have written about this industry and its players for many years and I am always moved to tears of joy by the people and organizations who stand up for others and deliver to help solve a problem that 3D printing is uniquely able to solve. I want to tell you about a few of them during the challenging times we face in the Coronavirus.Read the whole piece and see the initiatives TJ has collected to date.Image: Face shield design from Prusa Research Read the rest

Enjoy the microscopy in this video ab0ut adorable tardigrades (aka water bears or moss piglets). One cool fact about these hardy 500 micron critters: each of their eyes is a single photoreceptive cell.Image: YouTube Read the rest

The House of Representatives just passed the CARES Act, a $2 trillion coronavirus/COVID-19 stimulus and relief bill, by voice vote. It’s now headed to the White House for impeached president Donald Trump's signature.The coronavirus bill promises direct payments of $1,200 to every United States resident with a social security number who makes up to $75,000 per year. Residents who make up to $99,000 a year will get smaller checks.Residents who make more than $99,000, you will receive nothing. Good luck, everyone.[IMAGE: CSPAN]House just passed the coronavirus bill, which will give a direct payments of $1,200 to every US resident with a social security number who makes up to $75,000 per year. < $99K will get smaller checks, > $99K no check https://t.co/aAxoxIyaMr— Sarah Mimms (@mimms) March 27, 2020.@RepThomasMassie objected to the vote because of a lack of quorum. The Chair determined there was a quorum present. H.R. 748 passed by voice.— House Press Gallery (@HouseDailyPress) March 27, 2020House approves the $2 trillion #CoronavirusReliefBill. It now comes here to the @WhiteHouse where @POTUS has said he'd immediately sign it. pic.twitter.com/HKZfZ7XFgM— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) March 27, 2020WASHINGTON (AP) - House OKs $2.2T rescue package for virus-ravaged economy and health system, rushing it to Trump for his signature.— Matt Lee (@APDiploWriter) March 27, 2020That’s it. In less than one minute, the relief package has passed over Massie objection— Garrett Haake (@GarrettHaake) March 27, 2020That really was an empty, dangerous and expensive gesture, pulling 200-plus people back to the Capitol #coronavirus— Patricia Zengerle (@ReutersZengerle) March 27, 2020C-SPAN's cameras are outside the Capitol as members leave after the vote. Read the rest

The Russian gearheads of Garage 54 outfitted a car with nine mufflers to almost entirely dampen the exhaust system. While you may not hear this Max Max mobile coming, it's hard to miss. Read the rest

Years ago, Philip Anderson, founder of the great Cinefile Video store in Los Angeles, and designer Bob Bianchini created a genius line of t-shirts that combined the names of auteur directors with the iconic logos of excellent bands: Herzog/Danzig, Bunuel/Bahaus, etc. Today I just noticed this fantastic Stanley Kubrick shirt that references Kraftwerk's Radio-Activity album!See them all at Cinemetal T-Shirts. Read the rest

Matt Novak reports that the first teenager to die in the U.S. from Covid-19 coronavirus infection was uninsured and denied treatment at the urgent care clinic he tried to check into. They told him to go to another hospital; he went into cardiac arrest on the way. A 17-year-old boy in Los Angeles County who became the first teen believed to have died from complications with covid-19 in the U.S. was denied treatment at an urgent care clinic because he didn’t have health insurance. ... “He didn’t have insurance, so they did not treat him,” [R. Rex] Parris said in a video posted to YouTube. The staff at the urgent care facility told the teen to try the emergency room at Antelope Valley (AV) Hospital, a public hospital in the area, according to the mayor.Parris is the mayor of Lancaster, California. From the transcript of his remarks:"The Friday before he died he was healthy. He was he was socializing with his friends. By Wednesday he was dead. He had gone to an urgent care for an HMO he didn't have insurance so they did not treat him and sent him to AV (Antelope Valley) hospital. En route to hospital he went into cardiac arrest. When he got to AV hospital they were able to revive him and keep him alive for about six hours but by the time he got there it was too late" Read the rest