Someone needs to tell him life is on the record pic.twitter.com/NPhxjQdcid— ALASTAIR CAMPBELL (@campbellclaret) March 19, 2020Recount assembled Trump's statements about coronavirus -- all downplaying it, some calling it an outright hoax -- and put them in a nice calendar so you can see the exact point where we were always at war with Eastasia.Facts First: From January until last week, Trump consistently minimized the risk the coronavirus posed to the country. He claimed to have the virus under "control," that the number of US cases would go "down, not up," that the virus might "disappear" through a "miracle" or something of the sort, that the virus might well vanish by April with the warmer weather, that the media and Democrats were overhyping the situation, and that "this is their new hoax," leaving it unclear whether he was calling the virus itself a hoax.The pundits who praise him after a single becalmed press event are worse than Trump. They know he'll immediately exit the stage to go back to ranting on Twitter or at one of his rallies. They know what they're doing, too, and why they're doing it: for access, prestige, professional advancement, and all the other perks of the courtier. Read the rest

The famous canals of Venice have been looking clearer since Italy went on lockdown to slow the coronavirus pandemic. From CNN:"The water now looks clearer because there is less traffic on the canals, allowing the sediment to stay at the bottom," a spokesman said."It's because there is less boat traffic that usually brings sediment to the top of the water's surface."While water pollution may not have decreased, air quality has improved, according to the spokesman."The air, however, is less polluted since there are less vaporetti and boat traffic than usual because of the restricted movement of residents," he said.And the result? Invasion of the dolphins.Thought I’d spread abit of positivity for you guys. Since the lockdown of Venice without the pollution from boats the water has been begun to clear up and a dolphin has been spotted in the canal for the first time in nearly 60 years! #venice pic.twitter.com/dbq4mGhfnp— Jack (@NotLacazette) March 17, 2020After a week of lockdown... The canals in Venice are all clear and full of fishes. Kinda gives you the idea what will happen to Earth without Humans! pic.twitter.com/FVc7N8vmty— TheSpaceAcademy.org✨🔭 (@ThespaceAcad) March 17, 2020Life, uhhhh, finds a way, I guess. Or we're just in the ending/opening act of 12 Monkeys.As Italy quarantines over coronavirus, dolphins appear in Venice canals [Anagha Srikanth / The Hill]Dolphins and swans appear in Venice canals a week after city locks down to prevent coronavirus spread [Bonnie Christian / Evening Standard]Image: Public Domain Read the rest

Spread the word: In this time of darkness, folks are starting to put their holiday lights back up! House Beautiful:In the midst of a global pandemic, people are looking on the bright side of life–literally. As COVID-19 continues to spread and the need for social distancing increases, Twitter users are calling for people to put their Christmas lights back up. With school and work closing, restaurants shutting down, and events being cancelled, many people are feeling the scary effects of the Coronavirus. And for parents with kids home from school for an indefinite period, the need for a light at the end of the tunnel is especially significant, which is why a call to get the Christmas lights back out is taking the internet by storm. I mean, if you're going to be stuck in your home, you might as well make it look pretty, right?A friend just shared that an elderly neighbor came to her house and asked her husband to turn on the Christmas lights because there's so much darkness and scariness now. So, there are bright dancing Christmas lights now on in their neighborhood. #coronakindness— Lisa St. Regis (@LisaStRegis) March 15, 2020My youngest son was bored today and said, "can we put Christmas lights on our tree outside to cheer us up?" Great idea buddy. Lights are on tonight as a sign of hope and the sweet mind of my 10 year old. #Rhodeisland #hope #lovemysons #Christmas #Cumberland pic.twitter.com/qhVjeuLc02— Mike Griffin (@rhodyknowsbest) March 16, 2020(To note: I'm ahead of the curve on this one, because I never took mine down.) Read the rest

On March 11, 2020, the hooflickers of the Pembroke Pines Police Department in Florida posted an ominous message to their Twitter page, warning residents about a rogue heffer who had been let loose upon their quiet community. This female brown cow with a white head was renowned for her speed and fence-jumping skills, and also apparently liked pools.For several months a loose cow has been seen wandering in the area of Sheridan & I-75. It has evaded capture by both our officers & assisting cow herders since January. If you know the owner of this cow, or if you know its whereabouts, contact the PPPD at 954-431-2200. 🐄 pic.twitter.com/S4QrBYYeIa— Pembroke Pines PD (@PPinesPD) March 11, 2020The specifics of the cow's alleged crimes of "MOOving violations" and "UDDERing false checks" are not currently known to the public at this time. The law-breaking bovine has since been apprehended, and is currently awaiting trial.This fugitive cow has avoided police capture for months in South Florida [Wells Dusenbury / South Florida Sun Sentinel]Image: Public Domain via Pexels Read the rest

Think of all of the real-world pleasures of the past we might rediscover while we weather Coronapocalypse 2020. Like "deep listening" to music. Clear your schedule for the next three hours. Choose three full albums, whether from your collection or your streaming service of choice. Put them in an ordered queue as though you were programming a triple feature. ...most of us are half-assed when it comes to listening to albums. We put on artists’ work while we’re scrolling through Twitter, disinfecting doorknobs, obsessively washing our hands or romancing lovers permitted within our COVID-free zones. We rip our favorite tracks from their natural long-player habitat, drop them into playlists and forget the other songs, despite their being sequenced to be heard in order.It doesn’t have to be this way. There was a time when listeners treated the mere existence of recorded sound as a miracle. A wonder, a kind of time travel. Priests warned of early wax cylinders being tools of the devil. Vintage images from the space age show couples seated around their high-fidelity systems as if being warmed by a fireplace. Read the rest in the LA Times.Photo by 𝓴𝓘𝓡𝓚 𝕝𝔸𝕀 on Unsplash Read the rest

VPN protection is a necessity in this security-conscious world of ours. But many VPN deals only cover a predetermined number of devices, which means families or businesses can ultimately have a tough time making sure every laptop, tablet, smartphone, and other enabled devices all stay secure.Syfer took a different approach to VPN coverage with the Syfer Complete Cybersecurity Router. Rather than protecting each device, this service focuses on cloaking your entire home or business Wi-Fi network, essentially throwing up a big shield over every device tethered to your connection.This tiny black box is less than 6 inches long, but when it’s plugged in and connected to your home or business router, it works like a VPN over your entire network. All your data is encrypted, essentially making all the activity on your connection invisible to hackers or any other malicious actors trying to access your information or monitor your movements online.And unlike other VPN services, this doesn’t just mean your phone, laptop and tablet are protected. Everything that accesses the web and can be infiltrated by a hacker is covered, from smart home systems to baby monitors to security cameras to smart TVs.But Syfer protection doesn’t stop there. Powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning, Syfer allows you to set your own security level, ranging from basic adblocking that disrupts data collection by advertisers and digital marketers up to daily signature updates to protect your network from viruses, ransomware, malware or any other outside threats.Syfer also employs TunnelShaper technology, which helps make sure your security precautions don’t get in the way of home streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and others. Read the rest

It's hard to believe some of the shocking responses some people are having to the coronavirus pandemic.I mean, wow.Some young people who are still partying on spring break in Miami, despite public health warnings to basically stay at home and physically distance from one another, were interviewed by CBS News.I repeat:Wow. “If I get corona, I get corona. At the end of the day, I'm not gonna let it stop me from partying”: Spring breakers are still flocking to Miami, despite coronavirus warnings. https://t.co/KoYKI8zNDH pic.twitter.com/rfPfea1LrC— CBS News (@CBSNews) March 18, 2020I can't even.Says Aaron Rupar of Vox, “CBS’s interviews with spring breakers in Miami who refuse to stop partying despite a pandemic are like deleted scenes from Idiocracy.”CBS’s interviews with spring breakers in Miami who refuse to stop partying despite a pandemic are like deleted scenes from Idiocracy pic.twitter.com/mnNOJ5MkZ4— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 18, 2020[via @GreatDismal] Read the rest

Oh no, not this crap again

Twenty-four human beings have traveled from Earth to the moon. Fewer than half of them remain.Astronaut Al Worden, who flew to the moon in 1971 as a member of the Apollo 15 crew, has died. The retired astronaut was 88.Worden circled the moon alone on that mission, while his two crewmates test-drove the first lunar rover. From NASA:Worden served as command module pilot for Apollo 15 with Dave Scott and Jim Irwin. During the mission Worden became the first human to carry out a deep space walk. He logged 38 minutes in extravehicular activity outside the command module, "Endeavour."During 1972-1973, Worden was Senior Aerospace Scientist at the NASA Ames Research Center, and from 1973 to 1975, he was chief of the Systems Study Division at Ames.BELOW, "Cycle," a poem by Al Worden:Umbilicals Breaking free Being born Eternity.Growing Up Getting wise Being worldly No surprise.Learn to fly Getting wings Rise above Those earthly things."Reactions to and official announcements of his death, below.Houston, Texas March 18, 2020 – It is with great sadness that the family of Colonel Al Worden, (USAF Ret.) CMP Apollo 15 share the news that “Al” died in his sleep last night. The family thank you all for your kindness, thoughts, and prayers. pic.twitter.com/K82iUyVbjm— Alfred M Worden (@WordenAlfred) March 18, 2020"Only 24 humans have left Earth orbit and journeyed to the moon. I'm one of the them. It's an exclusive club so small that I am still surprised they let me in." Read the rest

Ben McAdams of Utah is the second member of Congress to officially test positive for the new coronavirus

In case you needed any more proof that America desperately needs more cybersecurity specialists, look no further than the U.S. Congress. Just this week, the release of a year-long congressional study of America’s cyber defense capabilities showed the nation was still “ill prepared” to fend off cyberattacks and requires a full overhaul of its entire cyberoperations strategy.Whether you’re the U.S. military, an American company or just an organization that doesn’t want to fall prey to hackers and other cyber-criminals, you’re undoubtedly looking for trained and qualified professionals up to the task of keeping your digital systems safe. The training in The A-to-Z Cybersecurity Developer Bundle offers hours of introductory and advanced instruction in the areas where security specialists need it the most.This 10-course, 170-hour massive collection is as comprehensive as security training comes, packed with basic training as well as in-depth advanced tactics for handling most of the challenges an IT security expert faces on the job.A pair of courses spend almost 60 hours on ethical hacking and penetration testing, ensuring students have the most up-to-date training available in identifying system vulnerabilities and how to exploit those flaws to ultimately make any system as impervious as possible to attack.Three of these courses are directly designed to help new students pass three critical CompTIA security exams — CompTIA PenTest+ (PT0-001), CompTIA Security+ (SY0-501), and CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) — each an elite certification for any aspiring IT pro.Meanwhile, another 46 hours of coursework will lead students toward accreditation in three more important cybersecurity roles as a Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), or Certified Information Systems Security Pro (CISSP). Read the rest

Don't be like Wez. Know your poop-roll prognosis for the coming coronapocalypse. Read the rest

Immigration and Customs Enforcement to halt most arrests until after coronavirus crisis

Tesla has agreed to cut down on the number of active workers inside Elon Musk's electric vehicle factory in Fremont, CA, but authorities say they have yet to comply with other coronavirus lockdown measures, like not making more cars right now.“Tesla needs to comply with the health order,” said a county spokesman Wednesday.The factory in Fremont is the only Tesla auto factory in the United States, and more than 10,000 people work there.From Reuters:“They told us they had gone from about 10,000 individual employees to about 2,500,” he said. “It sounds to me like they very well could still be making cars. We are continuing to stress to them that they must move to minimum basic operations, if they are still making cars.”Basic operations include maintaining the value of inventory, ensuring security and processing payroll and employee benefits.Alameda County, where the factory is based, is one of six covered by an order from regional officials to “shelter in place,” which limits activity, travel and business functions to only the most essential, and advises people to stay home except for the most crucial reasons. The county sheriff’s office said on Tuesday afternoon Tesla was not considered an essential business under that order and cannot continue to operate its factory normally.Reuters witnesses on Wednesday morning saw thousands of cars in the factory’s employee parking lot in Fremont, California, and employees were going to work as several 18-wheeler container trucks were seen pulling into the factory grounds. Read the rest

Republican Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida today became the first member of Congress to test positive for coronavirus.“I'm feeling much better,” said Diaz-Balart in a social media update on Wednesday. “However, it's important that everyone take this seriously and follow CDC guidelines in order to avoid getting sick & mitigate the spread of this virus. “We must continue to work together to emerge stronger as a country during these trying times.”More on the congressman's website.I'm feeling much better. However, it's important that everyone take this seriously and follow @CDCgov guidelines in order to avoid getting sick & mitigate the spread of this virus. We must continue to work together to emerge stronger as a country during these trying times. pic.twitter.com/g5W5vSQIyH— Mario Diaz-Balart (@MarioDB) March 18, 2020Me siento mucho mejor. Sin embargo, es importante que todos tomemos esto en serio y que todos sigamos las instrucciones del CDC para evitar lo más posible esta enfermedad y su propagación. Sigamos trabajando juntos para emerger más fuerte como nación de estos tiempos difíciles. pic.twitter.com/9X8AXROoGR— Mario Diaz-Balart (@MarioDB) March 18, 2020 Read the rest

$21 billion is a lot of money—the kind most of us can't even fathom. That absurd amount is the estimate of how much Americans are overpaying for car insurance every year according to the Zebra, a trusted, independent source for industry research. Chances are, you're one of those Americans, which isn't great news. But here's the silver lining: you can absolutely do something about it. A recent survey by the Zebra revealed that drivers who know more about insurance tend to pay less.So even if you don't have a big event on the horizon —moving, getting married, changing jobs, having kids, or, ya know, buying a vehicle — motivating you to look into your car insurance, it would be a great investment of your time to educate yourself a bit about how it all works and how you can get some desirable rate quotes, easily and safely.For example, though you may know that your deductible is the max amount you pay out of pocket for repairs before your insurance company pays anything, you may not know what or who exactly covers damage in an accident with an insured motorist vs an uninsured motorist. Hint: Insured = their liability coverage; uninsured = your uninsured motorist coverage (which is optional in some states). And not understanding how coverage works can lead you to pay for things you don't need or skipping things that would save you money in the long run.If you're intrigued by the possibility of lowering your car insurance rates but bummed you'll have to wait for your policy term to end, you'll be pumped about this: You can switch car insurance providers at any time. Read the rest

My friend Dean Putney sent me a link to this new video series called "Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems" and I like the videos so much that I asked Dean to write a bit on how it signifies what is going on right now. Here's what he said:It feels like I haven’t met someone new on the Internet in a while. The start of this video series my mom posted on Facebook introduced me to children’s book author and illustrator Mo Willems in a wonderful way –-- drawing calmly in his home studio while we all observe social distancing. He talks to the camera, playfully gives you time to find your craft materials, and shows you some of his treasured original drawings from an early book in the brightly colored drawers behind him.People everywhere are reaching out increasingly over the Internet to provide this kind of calm and support as we all deal with something new and unexpected. This was the stuff that made being online so exciting when it still felt good to log in.But presumably these people existed before now. And the tools they’re using to make such important messages were there too -- they’ve gotten so good that you can whip up a video or a chat room pretty quickly. This raised a lot of questions for me: Is it just that people needed time and space for new projects? Have these sources of joy retreated from view as the open online became more hostile? Read the rest

US Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt has made entrance to all National Parks free for now. (Of course, some parks and facilities are closed so check before going.)"This small step makes it a little easier for the American public to enjoy the outdoors in our incredible National Parks," Bernhardt said. "Our vast public lands that are overseen by the Department offer special outdoor experiences to recreate, embrace nature and implement some social distancing."However, an organization of retirees from the National Park Service disagree. From CNN:Chair Phil Francis of The Coalition to Protect America's Parks argues that "to suggest to the public that gathering at national park sites is acceptable ... is irresponsible to the visiting public and employees.""National parks welcome visitors from around the world," Francis writes. "Many National Park Service employees interact with members of the public daily."image: Chinle Formation, Arizona by Doug Dolde (public domain) Read the rest

It’s impossible to overstate the impact of pod brewing on the coffee-crazy consumer market. Over the past decade, the single-cup quick-and-easy pod brewing systems have taken over every kitchen and workplace breakroom on the planet. Keurig sold over 10 billion of its single-serving K-Cups in 2018 alone.Unfortunately, there’s a problem with all those pods. Despite being made of recyclable plastic, they’re too small to be picked out by sorters in most recycling plants, meaning many of those pods just end up in world landfills. There’s even an estimate that there were enough coffee pods in landfills to circle the world about 12 times. And those numbers were calculated back in 2014.If you’re hopelessly addicted to your pod brewer, but cringe at the thought of further befouling our already beleaguered planet, Woken is there for you. Their 60-pack of espresso pods not only come in three popular flavors, but they’re each housed in their own 100 percent compostable and fully biodegradable pod.Made from Terrablend biocapsules, Woken pods can be used in Nespresso Original Line and a host of other compatible brewing machines then composted responsibly. Each pod will break down naturally in about 90 days and return to our eco-system.And while the thought of ending your contribution to the world’s plastic problem is a happy one, the taste is the primary reason you buy — and this collection gives you a sampling of robust flavors to enjoy.The assortment varies in flavor intensity with notes of chocolate, nuts, and fruit. Read the rest

Have you stockpiled enough toilet paper to last you through a lock-down? This calculator will help you determine that. Read the rest

Above, watch the first episode of Cats, biologist, naturalist and TV presenter Roger Tabor's wonderful BBC documentary series from 1991 that explores the history of the house cat around the world.And a bonus below, Tabor's 2011 short "The Secret Life of Cats: Report and Documentary":(via r/ObscureMedia) Read the rest

Teenage Engineering, maker of the very cool OP-1 keyboard synthesizer, has neat pocket synthesizers which are perfect to play with as you take breaks throughout the day.With PO-33, sample any sound source using line in or the built in microphone. Melodic mode lets you play chromatic melodies and drum mode lets you play drums, sequence it all and add effects on top.Unique to PO-32 Tonic [drum synthesizer and sequencer] is its wide range of sonic capabilities. Users can even use the standard desktop version of sonic charge microtonic to shape sounds, generate patches and pattern data, and have that transferred wirelessly back to the PO-32 tonic.The PO-35 offers 8 voice characters: Neutral, Autotune, Retro, Noise, Robot, Fifth, Vocoder, and Synth. Read the rest

Italy suffered its worst day of the coronavirus outbreak Tuesday, recording 475 deaths. The epicenter of the pandemic in Europe, Italy is further along an infection curve other countries in the west appear to be following, and its healthcare system has buckled under the weight of 35,000 cases.Italy has been on lockdown for almost two weeks as authorities try to halt the progress of the virus.People have been asked to stay indoors - but the number of deaths has continued to spiral.The WHO's emergencies director, Mike Ryan, said this was probably due to the "astonishing" number of cases within the health systems, as well as the high number of elderly people in the population at large."The first vaccine trial has begun, just 60 days after the genetic sequence of the #coronavirus was shared. This is an incredible achievement.We commend the researchers around the world who have come together to systemically evaluate experimental therapeutics"-@DrTedros #COVID19— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) March 18, 2020 Read the rest

Suburban Chicago restaurant The Beacon Tap is offering a free roll of toilet paper with each carryout or delivery order. Normally, restaurant providing toilet paper with their food would be an ominous promotion but in these times, it's boosted business! From NBC Chicago:"[We were] trying to figure out ideas, and one of our other general managers over at Cafe Touché said 'Hey what about this?'" (General Manager Tommy) Riemer said. "I immediately made a phone call to Trimark (which supplies toilet paper to the Beacon Tap) ... and ordered as much as I could so we could offer it to customers as a little comic relief."Riemer ordered 300 rolls. He said the response from customers has been "amazing" and he has already given out 80 rolls. image: GorillaSushi (CC BY-SA 2.0) Read the rest

Police in Murcia, Spain caught a Tyrannosaurus rex violating a coronavirus lockdown. The cops were kind enough to let the dinosaur off with a warning. From CBR:On the first released video, filmed by a neighbor, the T-Rex wannabe is clearly taking out the garbage. In the second video, however, it seems as if the T-Rex was making a break for a nearby park. The video was accompanied by John Williams' Jurassic Park theme. pic.twitter.com/Mvjovkzvw3— E. R.R.E. (@Elire72) March 16, 2020 Read the rest

Karl Rock, a YouTuber who posts tourist tips for travelers to India, uses a hidden camera to film people running recreational drug operations in their restaurants. Rock says:For some reason, drug dealers think I look like a drug user, so I often get approached in India and asked if I want to buy drugs. Mumbai and Goa are real hotbeds for drug selling to foreign tourists. It's not as common in Delhi, where I live.I don't do drugs, and this video is a warning not to go with these dealers and buy their product. It's no doubt fake product and you're putting yourself in a dangerous situation if you go down some dark alleyway with them. Not to mention you have no idea what these guys are selling you! Buying drugs in India is incredibly dangerous.One dealer says to him, "Weed and heroin. You like ketamine? You guys like LSD?" He reminds me of Easy Andy from Taxi Driver: Read the rest

That Japanese Man Yuta went on the streets of Japan to ask people if they thought the Olympics should be canceled, or at least postponed. Most people interviewed said it should be postponed until an effective vaccine is available. Second most common opinion is to wait and see what plays out. Read the rest

Here's a humorous PSA (or Public Information Film, as it was made in the UK) from 1946 that teaches us the proper way to sneeze. The actor and director, Richard Massingham, was known for his roles as a bumbler in PSAs during the 1940s and '50s. Posted on YouTube by UK's National Health Service, they have a disclaimer: "This is a historical video. This video is not subject to any ongoing clinical review, and information in it may not be clinically accurate. This video does not constitute current medical advice." Still, a hankie is better than a hand. Read the rest

Baby Yoda. Read the rest

Day 2 and my starter is looking really good!After 24 hrs of sitting the ½ cup of water and ½ cup of Signature Select pre-sifted All-Purpose enriched and bleached flour looked like a blob of wet flour. I added another ½ cup of each, mixed it up and set it back on the counter.24 hours later the blob had fluffed up quite a bit and doubled in size. I had not expected to see this much activity fast -- but I have baked a lot in this kitchen over the last 6 or 7 months or maybe the air here is packed with good yeasts.I added another ½ cup of warm water and a ½ cup of flour. Tomorrow I will probably use 1 cup of the starter for something non-risky like pretzels and continue to feed the mother.UPDATE:About 2.5 hrs after I fed the starter it looks pretty great. I will make pretzels later:Previously:Day One Sourdough Starter Read the rest

Tax-dodging rock star Bono wrote a new ballad about the novel coronavirus. View this post on Instagram for ANYONE who this St. Patrick’s day is in a tight spot and still singing. For the doctors, nurses, carers on the front line, it's you we’re singing to. BonoA post shared by U2 Official (@u2) on Mar 17, 2020 at 2:28pm PDTThe lyrics to the song, in part:Yes, I don’t know you, no, I didn’t think I didn’t care/You live so very far away, just across the square/You can’t touch, but you can sing across rooftops/Sing on the phone, sing and promise me you won’t stop/Sing your love be known.P.S.: Read the rest

Astrobrights sells 89gm tactical paper by the ream [Amazon] for those of us with a pressing need for large amounts of stealthy milspec cellulose-lignin sheeting in standard workplace dimensions. P.S. The Uniball Signo Broad is the best white pen.MORE: Actually tactical paper. Read the rest

What a damning indictment of Fox News from the Post video team here. pic.twitter.com/r8Fz8vo5KV— andrew kaczynski🤔 (@KFILE) March 18, 2020In this video, assembled by the Washington Post's media team, Fox News hosts and their rhetoric is contrasted just a few days apart. Then, they were claiming coronavirus was either nothing to worry about or an outright hoax; now they are solemnly telling people to look out for themselves as the virus rages.How Fox News has shifted its coronavirus rhetoricOver the past month, many Fox News anchors and personalities have gone from doubting the seriousness of the coronavirus pandemic to calling it a public health crisis.One of the funny things about the Nuremberg Trials is that, for all their flaws, they replaced grimmer plans. The British wanted to summarily execute high-ranking Nazis after the war; perhaps thousands of people.“The guilt of such individuals is so black that they fall outside … any judicial process,” said Anthony Eden, reflecting Winston Churchill's intent to mass-murder even the talkers and bullshitters of the German right.The Soviets talked us out of it. Julius Streicher got his trial. Read the rest

Qanon grifters see a new opportunity in the coronavirus scare: anyone self-isolating or quarantined can be described as under "house arrest" for all the usual Qanon fantasy crimes. Oprah Winfrey, among the many thusly targeted, blasted the conspiracy theories with oxygen by publicly denying them on Twitter.Oprah Winfrey has been forced to deny rumours that she has been arrested for sex trafficking after fake news reports emerged online.The presenter’s name has been trending on Twitter since the seemingly baseless rumours began, and now Winfrey has reassured fans she is just “sanitising and self distancing with the rest of the world” amid the coronavirus pandemic.She wrote on Twitter: “Just got a phone call that my name is trending. And being trolled for some awful FAKE thing. It’s NOT TRUE. “Haven’t been raided, or arrested. Just sanitising and self distancing with the rest of the world. Stay safe everybody.”Accordingly, the imaginary sex crimes of Oprah Winfrey rise high among the trending topics this morning.Tracked down the source of the Oprah sex trafficking arrest hoax, and it's just this weirdo talking in a parking lot for ten minutes. Now it's the top trending topic. pic.twitter.com/TMW4pXcgxq— Respectable Lawyer (@RespectableLaw) March 18, 2020 Read the rest

It only took 10 years, but with the long-awaited adoption of Qi charging standards by Apple back in 2017 for the iPhone X, the era of wireless charging has now truly taken over. With wireless charging options available in everything from smartphones and smartwatches to tablets and earbuds, we’re now seeing charging pads showing up everywhere.Apple even promised its own wireless charging pad dubbed the AirPower before quietly killing the project last year when it “could not achieve [their] high standards.” But that doesn’t mean other companies weren’t already rushing to satisfy that power demand with their own versions of a killer charging pad.Now that you’ve probably already built up a small treasure trove of Qi-enabled tech, the AirZeus 3-in-1 Fast Wireless Charging Pad stands as an heir apparent to the AirPower legacy and should probably get your attention.Just like its Greek god of thunder namesake, the AirZeus hurls power like lightning, simultaneously charging a Qi-compatible phone, smartwatch, and earbuds at blistering speeds.Simply place your Qi-enabled devices on the AirZeus and let the power flow. The unit is tailored to deliver up to 7.5 watts of power to your iPhone, the maximum safe charging rate for the device. Under those conditions, you can fully charge your completed dead phone in under two hours.The AirZeus is even powerful enough to deliver a charge through phone and watch cases made from materials like leather or glass. In fact, if your case is less than 2 millimeters thick, you’ll have no problem getting uninterrupted power to your device. Read the rest

TechDirt has shared this heartwarming little tale in the face of a global pandemic. A hospital in Bescia needed a special valve for a ventilator which costs US$1,000. Even at that jaw-dropping price, the manufacturer was still unable to supply the critical part (due to global demand). So, the hospital tracked down someone with 3D printing experience and asked him to try and 3D print the part. Then things got shitty....the original manufacturer ... refused to share the relevant 3D file with Fracassi to help him print the valve. It even went so far as to threaten him for patent infringement if he tried to do so on his own. Since lives were at stake, he went ahead anyway, creating the 3D file from scratch. According to the Metro article, he produced an initial batch of ten, and then 100 more, all for free. Fracassi admits that his 3D-printed versions might not be very durable or re-usable. But when it's possible to make replacements so cheaply -- each 3D-printed part costs just one euro, or roughly a dollar -- that isn't a problem. At least it wouldn't be, except for that threat of legal action, which is also why Fracassi doesn't dare share his 3D file with other hospitals, despite their desperate need for these valves. As one commenter points out, there may be legit reasons why 3D printing a part may not be safe, not tested, and there may be a reason why the part was so expensive to begin with. Read the rest

Sláinte! I took this EarthCam screengrab of Irish pubs in Dublin just before 11 p.m. on St. Patrick's Day! What's wrong with this picture?See more empty streets from around the world over at Reddit. Read the rest

Tom the Dancing Bug, IN WHICH various animal-themed Super-Fun-Pak Comix are offered for your enjoyment

Governor urges state residents to “Stay home for Nevada”

The Florida, Illinois, and Arizona Democratic primaries were held Tuesday, and Joe Biden swept to victory in all three. The Democratic presidential primary has been thrown into a surreal new world hit by the coronavirus pandemic. At the time of this blog post on Tuesday night, Biden is projected to have won Arizona, the last of the three states to report in. And with that 3-way win, there is building pressure on Bernie Sanders to abandon his campaign.From AP:Using a livestream to address supporters from his home state of Delaware, Biden seemed ready to move past the primary. He paid tribute to the Vermont senator for advancing key issues like affordable health care and combating climate change.“Sen. Sanders and his supporters have brought a remarkable passion and tenacity to all of these issues. Together they have shifted the fundamental conversation in this country,” Biden said. “So let me say, especially to the young voters who have been inspired by Sen. Sanders, I hear you. I know what’s at stake. I know what we have to do.”With the exception of North Dakota and the Northern Mariana Islands, Sanders hasn’t scored a victory since Super Tuesday on March 3. He made no immediate move on Tuesday to contact Biden, according to people familiar with the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak for the candidates. During remarks early in the night, Sanders said little about the future of the race and instead focused on the coronavirus outbreak. Read the rest

Right now, 27 percent of Americans would need to beg, borrow or steal if they were faced with an unexpected debt over $400. That’s a frightening number — and even more frightening still if you’re among that 27 percent.With so many facing such precarious financial times, it’s never been more important to have a complete understanding of your money. And we don’t just mean knowing what’s in your wallet right now. You need to have complete command over your cashflow, knowing exactly what is coming into your accounts, what’s going out, and, more importantly, why it’s going out.Wallet is a personal budgeting app that can crystalize your view of your money, helping you bring all of your transactions into one place so you can create a financial plan that actually works for your life.With Wallet, users take a birds-eye view of their account picture. Once synced, all your bank account information and other financial statements feed directly into Wallet and automatically update in the app in real-time. Wallet can help you set up a budget taking all of your monthly expenses into account, so you’ll always know what you have and what you don’t.But Wallet isn’t just an expense tracker. Wallet actually helps you spot trends in your spending so you can identify necessary purchases as well as those that probably shouldn’t continue. Shopping lists focus your money on needed expenditures like food, transportation or regular bills while helping you cut out impulse buying that detracts from your long term goals. Read the rest

Donald Trump has won the Republican presidential primary in Illinois, and in so doing, secured exactly enough delegates to win the GOP nomination for 2020.AP was first to report the news on Tuesday night, around 8:30pm Eastern time.BREAKING: With his projected win in Illinois, President Trump will reach the delegate threshold and is now the presumptive Republican nominee, ABC News projects. https://t.co/gLsMga9Z8Z pic.twitter.com/og3eUhN0Ap— ABC News (@ABC) March 18, 2020WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump wins Republican presidential primary in Illinois, securing enough delegates to win GOP nomination.— Jill Colvin (@colvinj) March 18, 2020President Trump has clinched the Republican nomination.https://t.co/E3KhCZjESV pic.twitter.com/YNT7WliBd0— CBS News (@CBSNews) March 18, 2020BREAKING: Donald Trump has now earned enough delegates to secure the 2020 Republican presidential nomination. https://t.co/05vDysPcTC— NPR (@NPR) March 18, 2020President Trump has crossed the delegate threshold Tuesday night to be the Republican Party's presumptive presidential nominee in 2020, @NBCNews projects. https://t.co/1jmecoUdJv— MSNBC (@MSNBC) March 18, 2020 Read the rest

Kitchen appliances wear out. When they do, it usually means it's time to toss it and buy a new one. But in recent years, it's become easier to buy replacement parts, thanks to eBay and Amazon. This trend has kept my Bialetti Moka Express stovetop coffee maker alive and well.My Moka is one of my favorite possessions. I use it a couple of times a day. I have the 6-cup Moka, which I bought in December 2014. (I use it to make one-regular sized cup of coffee, not six espresso sized cups.) I've made over 2,000 cups of coffee with it. I get excited every time I use it.The handle melted off a few years ago when my daughter left the burner on. A replacement handle kit is available, but I opted to make one from a bamboo cutting board. You can buy 3 replacement rubber seals and an aluminum filter.It's harder to find a replacement safety valve. I have one, scavenged from another Moka, if I need it. But they rarely wear out. When I find it acting up, it's because it's dirty and needs cleaning. Here's a good troubleshooting guide.If you want a coffee maker that outlives you, it's hard to beat this one. Read the rest

BREAKING: AP calls Illinois for Joe Biden, his second win this evening in the 2020 Illinois Democratic primary.Biden had 65% of the vote in Illinois tonight when The Associated Press called the state’s Democratic presidential primary with a small percentage of precincts reporting.Bernie Sanders had 27% support. The state of Illinois has 155 pledged delegates at stake. It is the sixth-biggest prize in the Democratic nomination contest.Earlier tonight, Biden won Florida.More at AP.Joe Biden has won the Illinois primary, stretching his delegate advantage in the 2020 race.More live results https://t.co/rY9D4wOVi2 pic.twitter.com/LrRfCpnqCm— POLITICO (@politico) March 18, 2020BREAKING: Joe Biden is projected to win the Illinois primary, according to the AP. https://t.co/Hb9z7AU9BG pic.twitter.com/R3xQ4bxkCA— NPR (@NPR) March 18, 2020Breaking News: Joe Biden won Illinois, building up his delegate lead over Bernie Sanders with his 2nd victory tonight. Follow more live results and analysis. https://t.co/p6CP0AanxQ— The New York Times (@nytimes) March 18, 2020BREAKING: Joe Biden has won the Illinois primary, according to a projection from the AP. #IllinoisPrimary https://t.co/4gEcqwWLAn pic.twitter.com/snXuOSfbnF— HuffPost Politics (@HuffPostPol) March 18, 2020 Read the rest

Breaking News: Democratic presidential candidate and former US Vice President Joe Biden is projected to have won Florida, one of 3 states holding presidential primaries today.It's a Biden blowout, too.At this time, Biden is projected to win big in Florida against his Democratic opponent, Vermont senator Bernie Sanders -- 61 percent to 23 percent, with 3/4 of precincts reporting at the time of this blog post.Observations from political reporters and others, as the news broke around 8pm Eastern on Tuesday night.BIDEN BLOWOUT: @JoeBiden is the winner of the Florida primary, the CNN Decision Desk projects, pummeling @BernieSanders in a state with 219 delegates on the line.— Jeff Zeleny (@jeffzeleny) March 18, 2020Joe Biden wins Florida, @NBCNews projects.— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) March 18, 2020BREAKING: Joe Biden has won Florida, and decisively, as he continues to grow a delegate lead that gets him closer to winning the Democratic presidential nomination.— Matt Viser (@mviser) March 18, 2020BREAKING: Joe Biden is projected to win the Florida primary, according to the AP. https://t.co/TfB1Q5NwOZ pic.twitter.com/DkKIxSdktC— NPR (@NPR) March 18, 2020FL Dem primary phone pollWhiteBiden 66%Sanders 23%BlackBiden 75%Sanders 18%In the '16 FL Dem exit poll (different from tonight's poll, but just for reference), Sanders lost black voters 81-18% and whites 53-43%.— Steve Kornacki (@SteveKornacki) March 18, 2020Biden wins Florida, @AP projects: https://t.co/IvcVsnM5uV— Ken Thomas (@KThomasDC) March 18, 2020.@JoeBiden projected to win big in FLORIDA 61 percent to 23 percent with 3/4 of precincts reporting. Read the rest

• Taoiseach addresses Ireland on St Patrick's Day to warn of coming hardship• Today: 354 cases confirmed in Ireland• Predicted: 15,000 Covid-19 cases in Ireland within 2 weeksOn what he called “A St. Patrick’s Day like no other,” Ireland's Taoiseach Leo Varadkar warned the nation that the expanding “crisis will last months and cause enormous economic damage.” From Ireland's RTÉ News:Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said the coronavirus emergency is likely to go on well beyond 29 March and could go on for months into the summer. In a special Ministerial Briefing broadcast, he said that "this is the calm before the storm and the surge will come".His address comes after 69 new cases were confirmed in the Republic, bringing the overall number to 292.A further ten cases have been confirmed in Northern Ireland, bringing the total there to 62. Overall there are 354 cases on the island of Ireland.Mr Varadkar said it is believed that there could be 15,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in this country by the end of the month.Here are the Irish leader's remarks in full, and video.Lá Fhéile Pádraig shona daoibh!This is a Saint Patrick’s Day like no other.A day that none of us will ever forget.Today’s children will tell their own children and grandchildren about the national holiday in 2020 that had no parades or parties, but instead saw everyone staying at home to protect each other.In years to come, let them say of us, when things were at their worst, we were at our best. Read the rest

Animorphs was a YA sci-fi series that took the mid-90s Scholastic book fair circuit by storm. Written by K.A. Applegate, the books focus on a group of kids who gain the ability to transform into any animal they touch — but only for two hours, or else they're stuck that way. Naturally, they meet and befriend an alien named Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill (or "Ax" for short) who also has this same ability, and recruits them to join his guerilla resistance efforts to stop an invasion by a race of slug-like alien parasites who can crawl into peoples' ears and take over their brains.Wikipedia informs me that there were 54 books in total in this series, although the latter half was ghostwritten, as tends to happen with these sorts of things. They all sported the same uncanny-valley-bad-90s-CGI-cover art of someone morphing into an animal. I remember being pretty obsessed with the series as a kid, and their quarterly-or-so release schedule was a great way to satisfy my voracity for reading. I don't know how well they actually hold up, but even The Paris Review recently sang their nostalgic praises. And, well, kids fighting against an evil fascist empire that's essentially invisible other than the fact that it hijacks the brains of parents and authority figures is, erm, still a pretty relevant concept. I also hear they dealt pretty well with trauma and complicated moral questions, which I vaguely recall as well. I definitely remember the body horror and food horror and surprising amount of death and violence for a kids' book. Read the rest

Instead of watching your stocks go up and down right now like a terrifying roller coaster, let's see what some Certified Financial Planners have to say about investment planning for a plumber-turned-jumping-pan-dimensional-warrior.Public Domain Image via Pexels Read the rest

That nasty price-gouging dude who hoarded over 17K bottles of hand sanitizer (to jack up the price and sell them on Amazon), a) has donated all of it to charity, and b) has had a song written about him. It's called "Family Businessman" and it's by Tennessee duo Good Cop/Rad Cop — enjoy!screengrab via YouTube(Reddit) Read the rest

Fearful that I may run out of chocolate during the shelter-in-place mandate, I revisited this Mariano Tomatis's demonstration of how to magically create chocolate out of nothing.Here is his explanation of this wonderful phenomenon, known as a missing square or vanishing area puzzle. (Thanks, Ferdinando Buscema!) Read the rest