Boing Boing

Thank you for reading -- After eight years on Boing Boing, the John Wilcock story will conclude next week! -- From John Wilcock, New York Years, by Ethan Persoff and Scott Marshall -- (See all Boing Boing installments) Read the rest

“The risk to the American people remains very low,” Trump said, flanked by VP Pence and US public health officials.

On Vsauce2, Kevin Lieber explains the mathematical magic that enables mentalists to confound audiences by correctly guessing the number they've picked. Even though I know how it's done, it still confounds me. Read the rest

Writer William Mersey was sent to prison for tax fraud, and spent time at New York City's Rikers Island a few months ago. In this Daily Beast article, he describes what life at Rikers will be like for rapist Harvey Weinstein.I suspect the shock of being found guilty of rape in the third degree and sexual assault in the first degree Monday and immediately cuffed and taken into custody by court officers is what led to the heart palpitations that caused the ambulance transporting him to Rikers to be diverted to the prison ward of Bellevue Hospital. Weinstein, who’d avoided any time behind bars until now, should steel himself; there are more shocks to come once he recovers from his post-conviction fit of the vapors.When I left the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) for Rikers, I was handcuffed, shackled at the ankles, and placed in a tiny, claustrophobic plastic cubicle in the back of a Ford van to bump and bruise my way to the inmate island. He should hope he’s tied to his seat and not given a rough ride like I was.Photo of Rikers Island by U.S. Geological Survey, conversion to PNG by uploader (Herr Satz). - The National Map Seamless Server, layer New York City (Mar 2006), latitude 40.79930093 to 40.78455349, longitude -73.89361276 to -73.86990631.Converted from GeoTIFF to PNG using GIMP., Public Domain, Link | Photo of Harvey Weinstein by Georges Biard, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=63418391 Read the rest

Trump's campaign filed a lawsuit against The New York Times today, claiming unspecified "millions" of dollars in damage for a 2019 op-ed, reports CNBC:Among other things, the suit alleges that the newspaper “has engaged in a systematic pattern of bias” against Trump’s campaign, which is designed to damage the campaign’s reputation and cause it to fail.A Times spokesman said, “The Trump Campaign has turned to the courts to try to punish an opinion writer for having an opinion they find unacceptable.”“Fortunately, the law protects the right of Americans to express their judgments and conclusions, especially about events of public importance. We look forward to vindicating that right in this case,” the spokesman said.Photo by Stéphan Valentin on Unsplash Read the rest

Learning to ride a bike is one of those quintessential childhood experiences that's as rewarding as it is scary. Prep your precious babe for success by starting them early with the world's lightest balance bike, the Brilrider FLIGHT.For the uninitiated, balance bikes are no-pedal bicycles that propel forward by pushing off the ground with the feet, a la the Flintstones. Stopping, too, is accomplished by foot, which kids tend to do naturally anyway. (Hands up if you're stopping like that to this day... *raises hand*)They're way easier for a toddler to learn than a traditional bike + training wheels setup, thanks to their uncomplicated design that eliminates intimidation while helping little ones gain confidence and independence as they focus on simply balancing. Most babies can balance by the age of 2, so once they get their road-legs they'll be set for a faster transition to a standard bike, no training wheels required.The incredibly lightweight frame of the Brilrider FLIGHT was designed with children as young as 12 months in mind; made with airplane-grade aluminum, it's tough, durable, and insanely easy to maneuver. That's a bonus for parents, too, since you'll likely be the one hauling it around. Also a bonus? Tool-free assembly and quick-release adjustments of the handlebars and seat.Speaking of the seat, kids benefit from its 11" starting position. This means not only is the Brilrider sized better for learners—allowing for full control and walking of the bike—but even if they were to fall, there's a much shorter distance to the ground. Read the rest

The U.S. military announced late Tuesday that a U.S.-ROK Armed Forces in Korea soldier stationed at Camp Carroll in South Korea has tested positive for coronavirus. A USFK soldier stationed at Camp Carroll tested positive for COVID-19, marking the first time a U.S. service member has tested positive for the virus. We’re implementing all appropriate control measures to protect the force. https://t.co/kkfEIuW7Jb— U.S. Forces Korea (@USForcesKorea) February 26, 2020This is the first time the DoD has confirmed a U.S. service member has tested positive for the virus.From Reuters tonight:South Korea reported 169 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, including a U.S. soldier, as health authorities readied an ambitious plan to test more than 200,000 members of a church hit hardest by the country’s outbreak. The new cases pushed the total tally to 1,146, with the numbers expected to rise as the government widens its testing.Of the new cases, 134 were from Daegu city, where a branch of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, which has been linked to outbreaks, is located, the Korea Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (KCDC) said.The U.S. military reported its first case of the coronavirus on Wednesday, in a 23-year-old soldier based in Camp Carroll, about 20 km (12.4 miles) from Daegu. The camp is also near a disability centre that has had its own outbreak of the virus. More from Twitter tonight as news breaks.Reuters: U.S. SOLDIER STATIONED IN SOUTH KOREA TESTS POSITIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS - U.S. FORCES IN KOREA— Vincent Lee (@Rover829) February 26, 2020BREAKING: US service member tests positive for coronavirus in South Korea https://t.co/RxedAB8khh Read the rest

It's downright majestic is what it is.Listen to this cockatiel sing the legend of zelda ocarina of time lost woods song, with a bok choy leaf on his birb head. View this post on Instagram Majestic . #cockatiel #cockatiellove #cockatielsofig #cockatielsofinstagram #petsagram #オカメインコ #앵무새 #calopsita #featheredfriends #majestic #trendsetter #leafyboy #bokchoyhat #birb #birbmemes #birdsofinstagramA post shared by Crumpet and Dumpling 🐦 (@crumpetdumpling) on Feb 23, 2020 at 8:23am PST Here's what the original sounded like, in case you don't know.The birb is something else. His name is crumpetdumpling and he has a little Instagram. Read the rest

Designer Harikrishnan's inflatable latex trousers suggest "anatomically impossible" proportions. They're so weird, silly, and so delightful.Follow Harikrishnan on Instagram. View this post on Instagram Let’s put him in a Vase. @joshuajsmall in red and ivory inflatable trousers. 📷 @rayxchung . Special thanks to @supatex for their amazing range of latex. . . . . . . #fashionshow #fashionpost #fashionstyle #fashionstylist #runwayfashion #faahiondaily #fashionweek #outfitinspiration #emergingartist #ootd #faahionforward #mensfashion #mensfashionpost #britishfashioncouncil #igfashion #fashionstatement #fashionstudent #emergingartist #emergingdesigner #styleformen #pfw #londonfashionweek #A post shared by Hari (@harri_ks) on Feb 4, 2020 at 10:00am PST View this post on Instagram Editorial for @pictonmag shot by @yanghanphoto styled by @zzzy.leee makeup @margherita.lascala.makeup hair @kikuchikanae Assistant Lucretia yang Model Isabel @prm_agency . . . . . . . . . . . #editorial #editorialphotography #ootd #ootdfashion #ootdfash #elegant #fashionable #stylish #outfitpost #stylist #fashionblog #dazedfashion #dezeen #dustmagazine #sickymagazine #fashionphotographychannel #vogue #voguemagazine #vogueindia #idmagazine #vmagazine #editorialstyling #jeanpaulgoude #faahionart #toxickidstudio #photozine #formmagazineA post shared by Hari (@harri_ks) on Feb 20, 2020 at 3:02am PST Here's a profile of their work on Dezeen.Excerpt:"I got the idea when I was playing with my dog and I started thinking about how exaggerated objects must look from such a low angle," explained the designer, who goes by the single name Harikrishnan."The thought of him seeing me as a giant figure or not seeing my head at all was intriguing, so I decided to reimagine the people around me through the game of distortion – detached from the stereotypical, pre-determined notions of the human perspective." Read the rest

“Rioters roamed the streets with iron rods and wooden sticks, demanding to know whether people were Hindus or Muslims. Mosques were damaged and shops were set ablaze”

Players of tabletop car combat games like Gaslands, Car Wars, and AutoKill will likely rejoice at the news that Jon Favreau and Seth Green have just signed a deal with Quibi to create Micro Mayhem, a series of stop-motion car combat shorts using die-cast toy cars as the stars.Green is obviously no stranger to the world of stop-motion, having been one of the primary creative voices behind the long-running Cartoon Network series Robot Chicken. He’s also produced stop-motion shows like SuperMansion, Buddy Thunderstruck, and Titan Maximum, and as you can see from the end-credits tags on the videos above, he and his Stoopid Buddy Studios have been hooked up with these guys for years already. While Favreau has typically worked in live-action, he also has some experience with stop-motion, having used it in his 2003 film Elf to recreate the look of Rankin/Bass Christmas classics like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.Several years ago, this video was posted to YouTube. It was likely a floater to prove the concept and to gauge audience reaction.Quibi, which launches on April 6, 2020, is a new mobile-only platform promising daily content at 10 minutes or less.More info on Slashfilm and Deadline.Image: YouTube Read the rest

Happy birthday to the late George Harrison, born Feb 25, 1943. Okay, as he revealed toward the end of his life, he was actually born at 11:50pm on Feb 24, but close enough.Enjoy this video from the Concert for Bangladesh at Madison Square Garden, 1971. It's his duet with Leon Russell, performing "Beware of Darkness" from Harrison's 1970 record, All Things Must Pass. Words to live by.[H/t Jayme McLellan]Image: YouTube Read the rest

Is it just us, or does it feel like winter hasn’t been as horrendous as usual this year? Well, stats show it’s actually been one of the warmer winters on record so far this year for many eastern U.S. cities in January and February. But, almost on cue, weather experts warn signs of a serious cold snap could be on the way as we head into March.Knowing that this might be a really good time to book a trip to South Palm Beach. Or Las Vegas. Or, heck, anywhere warm. With that in mind, we’ve got a few options.Dollar Flight Club Premium: 1-Yr Subscription - $9 (Originally $69)If you want to maximize your travel budget, you can’t do much better than a year of Dollar Flight Club for just $9. With this subscription service, you’ll get email alerts about the cheapest flight deals as soon as they go live...before everybody else moves in and gobbles them all up. Just set up your account, pick your home airports and wait for the deals. In addition to those spot discounts, Dollar Flight Club premium members also enjoy exclusive weekend warrior flight deals, partner perks and booking support, all in an ad-free experience.Matt's Flights Premium Subscriptions - $25 (Originally $49.99) Airlines make pricing errors all the time. They also slide super-discounted flights on to the schedule with zero notice. Matt’s Flights keeps a sharp eye on all those carrier moves, then loops you in instantly so you can take advantage. Read the rest

In 2007, James Grundy dropped his pants in a pub and exposed his genitals to onlookers. James Grundy is now the Conservative Party member of parliament for Leigh, footage of the incident has been obtained, and it is time to apologize."I apologise for my actions and for any offence caused."Back to basics. Read the rest

This dancer makes gliding seem effortless and might have given Michael Jackson a run for his money.But lest we forget: Read the rest

I've been wanting a Teenage Engineering op-1 for years, but I can't justify paying $1300 for something I might not use a lot. But the Behringer TD-3 synthesizer, at about 1/10th of the price, looks like it's as much fun as the op-1.It's a remake of the Roland TB-303 Bass Line that came out in 1981. According to Wikipedia, the TB-303 "was a commercial failure and was discontinued in 1984. However, cheap second-hand units were adopted by electronic musicians, and its 'squelching' or 'chirping' sound became a foundation of electronic dance music genres such as house and techno [this song being the one that started it all]. It has inspired numerous clones." Read the rest

MetalBallStudios made this animated video that helps you envision the size of various named asteroids by placing them in Manhattan.[via Laughing Squid] Read the rest

If you use Adobe Photoshop, you're likely to know how it differs from Illustrator. But what if you're designing a game – should you use Flash Professional (aka Animate), Flash Builder, or one of their other 50-plus apps? What's the difference between Lightroom and Bridge? What is Scout good for? When YouTuber Humtog last looked, he didn't see a simple explainer guide that answers these types of questions on Adobe's site, so he made this video, which covers 50 apps in 10 minutes. Not a lot of detail, of course, but it can help you sort out which might be best for you and where to take a deeper dive. Read the rest

Snazz up your older model grocery-getter with these skull headlight covers! I have no idea if they are DOT approved but they're sure to turn some craniums. (See what I did there?) Skullspiration writes that they are designed by Est2rad Custom in Watsonville, CA but the eBay search link in the post show products from the Russian Federation so... your mileage may vary.(via Weird Universe) Read the rest

The Smithsonian Institution has just released 2.8 million images (2D and 3D) into the public domain via a new Smithsonian Open Access online platform where anyone can browse and download high-res files. And then reuse them! Or remix them! For whatever! For free! From Smithsonian:Featuring data and material from all 19 Smithsonian museums, nine research centers, libraries, archives and the National Zoo, the new digital depot encourages the public to not just view its contents, but use, reuse and transform them into just about anything they choose—be it a postcard, a beer koozie or a pair of bootie shorts.And this gargantuan data dump is just the beginning. Throughout the rest of 2020, the Smithsonian will be rolling out another 200,000 or so images, with more to come as the Institution continues to digitize its collection of 155 million items and counting...Spanning the arts and humanities to science and engineering, the release compiles artifacts, specimens and datasets from an array of fields onto a single online platform. Noteworthy additions include portraits of Pocahontas and Ida B. Wells, images of Muhammad Ali’s boxing headgear and Amelia Earhart’s record-shattering Lockheed Vega 5B, along with thousands of 3-D models that range in size from a petite Eulaema bee just a couple centimeters in length to the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant, estimated at about 29 light-years across.Smithsonian Open Access Read the rest

The head of Iran's coronavirus government task force who urged the public not to freak out about the epidemic while coughing and sweating profusely has tested positive for the illness himself, authorities said Tuesday. New cases of COVID-19 originating in Iran are now rapidly popping up across the Middle East.The coughing and heavily sweating Iraj Harirchi told journalists at a televised news conference in Tehran only one day ago that “the situation is almost stable in the country.”Coronavirus has infected more than 80,000 people around the world, and has led to an estimated 2,700 deaths, mostly in China. From the Associated Press:Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour confirmed Harirchi had the virus. Harirchi himself posted an online video saying he had it and that he had quarantined himself at his home. He promised that authorities would bring the virus under control.“I wanted to tell you that, rest assured that with efforts of your servants at the Health Ministry ... and backed by you people, the government and all elements of the establishment, we will be victorious in our combat against this virus within the next few weeks,” Harirchi said.On Monday, however, he had offered a far different assessment while repeatedly wiping his brow while standing beside government spokesman Ali Rabiei.“Currently the situation is almost stable in the country and we could manage to minimize the problem,” Harirchi said. He also said that “quarantines belong to the Stone Age.”The World Health Organization named the illness COVID-19, referring to its origin late last year and the coronavirus that causes it. Read the rest

In Switzerland today, a 70-year old man tested positive for the coronavirus in the southern canton of Ticino, right next to the border with Italy, say Swiss health authorities. This is the first case of COVID-19 in Switzerland, and authorities say the man was likely exposed in Italy. “The infected person was in Italy about ten days ago and participated in an event near Milano,” the Swiss health ministry said in a statement.From Reuters:Officials told a media conference it was not clear at which event the man had been infected. People the man had been in contact with were currently being identified and put in quarantine for 14 days.Europe’s biggest outbreak is currently in Italy, with more than 280 infections and seven deaths. It began spreading on Tuesday from its origins in the northern regions of Lombardy and Veneto, to central Tuscany, the coastal region of Liguria and Sicily in the south. Iran's coronavirus death toll is now at 16, the highest number of deaths from the outbreak outside China. Dozens of nations, including South Korea and Italy, are stepping up emergency measures to try and slow the global spread of coronavirus.More:Coronavirus isolates Iran, strains South Korea, Italy Read the rest

Wriggles & Robins's "Max's Journey to the Moon" is a delightful stop motion animation created from 600 pancakes. They released it today in celebration of National Pancake Day, aka Shrove Tuesday. Read the rest

A woman who was heavily intoxicated was arrested on a Saturday flight from Frankfurt to Washington, D.C., after she tried to smoke a cigarette in the plane bathroom, and blurted out that her whole family was recently killed in a car accident, none of which was true, say federal prosecutors.Dana Mustafa threatened to “stab everyone on the plane. Then kill myself,” while handcuffed on the flight to from Germany to Dulles International Airport, authorities claim.“What’s the point of living?” she is recorded as saying.A half-empty liter bottle of Absolut vodka was found in her purse.Excerpt:From the Washington Post:She made her first appearance in Alexandria federal court Monday afternoon, charged with assaulting an officer. She does not yet have an attorney.Mustafa first attracted attention on the evening United Airlines flight when she set off the smoke detector in the lavatory, according to court records. Flight attendants told her she could not smoke on the plane and took her back to her seat.She was crying loudly and smelled of alcohol, according to the criminal complaint, and told the flight staff that she was flying home to see her family but that they had just been killed by a drunk driver. She punched the television monitor in front of her seat and threw a coin at the bulkhead, according to prosecutors.Read more:Woman drunkenly threatened to ‘stab everyone’ on flight to D.C., falsely claimed family tragedy, prosecutors say[washingtonpost.com]PHOTO: Dana Mustafa was arrested on a flight to Dulles International Airport from Germany on Saturday night, after authorities say she drunkenly threatened to stab everyone on board. Read the rest

As we enter the teen years it appears I have lost my ability to pick the most awesome presents.I fail to understand how a Lava Lamp is more exciting than a machete. It is likely more affordable.Regardless, I am not going to force the kid to play with a machete. Enjoy your lamp!Schylling 2121-4002 Pink/Purple 14.5" Classic Motion Lava(r) Lamp Silver, 20-Ounce via Amazon Read the rest

Covid-19 is a lab-concocted version of the common cold that's been weaponized to make Trump look bad, says Rush Limbaugh.From HuffPost:Right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh claimed on his show Monday that the potentially lethal coronavirus afflicting several countries is nothing more than a “common cold” blown out of proportion by the media to take down President Donald Trump ― even as he also asserted it was a “bioweapon” created by China in a laboratory.“It looks like the coronavirus is being weaponized as yet another element to bring down Donald Trump,” Limbaugh said at the start of his lengthy, misinformation-filled rant.“Now, I want to tell you the truth about the coronavirus. ... I’m dead right on this. The coronavirus is the common cold, folks.”Image: by Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0, modified, Link Read the rest

In the 1870s, new farmsteads on the American plains were beset by enormous swarms of grasshoppers sweeping eastward from the Rocky Mountains. The insects were a disaster for vulnerable farmers, attacking in enormous numbers and devouring everything before them. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll describe the grasshopper plagues and the settlers' struggles against them.We'll also delve into urban legends and puzzle over some vanishing children.Show notesPlease support us on Patreon! Read the rest

In Reader's Digest, Megan Kennett writes about the time a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agent at JFK asked her if she was bringing any fresh fruit or vegetables into the country. Instead of truthfully answering "no" she said told the agent she had gotten rid of a smashed banana and that's why her suitcase might smell like a banana. As soon as she said that, "the agent stood up, took my passport, and then started to walk away, looking at me only once to say, 'Follow me.' That was it. No explanation, no going back."She was taken to a holding room:The banana police then brought me to what I like to call “agriculture jail,” which is a holding room for the USDA. Here, as with the agent, no one spoke to me or explained what was happening—or gave me back my passport... After a while, an agent behind the desk called my name and handed me my passport. “Can you tell me what’s going on?” I inquired. “Take your bags to the secondary agriculture check,” was the reply. So, that was a “no.”Kennett was finally cleared to go when a more thorough search revealed that she was not in possession of a banana. But she says she was added to a watch list of banana smugglers and every time she traveled for the next year she and her family were escorted to “agriculture jail” and sent through secondary screening.Photo by Alberto Bigoni on Unsplash Read the rest

While mobile devices are all but essential and the center of so many individual universes these days, find one person who loves their wireless plan with that type of passion.Check around. We’ll wait…Didn’t find anybody, did you? That’s because most wireless plans are designed for the convenience of the provider and will nickel-and-dime you into the poor house if you step outside their terms of service.Instead, you can dump service plans and contracts entirely with a prepaid six-month Tello Value talk, text and data plan. You can get one now for just $49, over 40 percent off the regular price.With a Tello plan, you can make and receive unlimited calls and texts across Sprint’s nationwide 4G LTE network. You can even call Canada, Mexico or China with your minutes and Tello will even throw in a free hotspot. You’ll also get up to 2GB per month of data — and if you go over your limit, you’ll automatically kick over to unlimited 2G data service with no extra charges.If you want international calling or texting, you can add a Pay As You Go feature. And after six months, you can upgrade or downgrade your plan as needed.It’s worth it just to be out from under the yoke of an expensive, restrictive service plan. Regularly $84, you can get it right now for just $49 with this offer. Read the rest

Boing Boing pal and best-selling urban fantasy author, Richard Kadrey, posted this video to Twitter and said to watch it. When Richard tells you to do something, you do it. Watch this (with the sound on) and you will see why. Incredibly beautiful and awe-inspiring.Incredible 😮 pic.twitter.com/PFDbVWPIvc— Blade City (@BladeCityKnives) February 21, 2020The dancer is a Taiwanese man who goes by the name of Titos Firedancer. You can see more of his sword dancing videos on his Facebook and Instagram pages.Image: Screegrab Read the rest

Behold the chipsteak, here presented in an extremist British incarnation but also popular in the United States until about that time. Perhaps it's time for a chipsteak renaissance? Meet Major Stuart Benest (1915-2002), proprietor of the Benest supermarket in Millbrook, Jersey, U.K. in the late 1970s, who offers a very convincing argument. He's a Monty Python character brought to life and quite wonderful.From 1977, here's a very special Benest's of Millbrook advert. What makes it special and different to the rest? Well, the owner of arguably the most famous Channel Island voice ever, makes an in-vision appearance.So spend the next minute in the company of Major Benest and his dulcet tones, as he gleefully showcases the type of grub you could have enjoyed on a Channel Island table in 1977. All made under relentless supervision...If you enjoyed this ad, you're in luck: there's an entire mini-documentary about the supermarket and its incredible booming-voiced advertisements. Read the rest

A tourist filming deer in Nara, Japan, captured footage of one taking exception to a little girl nearby. The girl is pursued until she falls over. The deer, having prevailed, does not press its advantage.BONUS: Below, a stag chases a man around a tree in a London park. Eventually, the man realizes his only hope is to climb the tree. Read the rest

Actor Matthew Lillard, who stars as Shaggy in the 2000s-era Scooby Doo movies and various animated shows since, explains how he mastered the character's raspy voice. Read the rest

From the Welcome to Twin Peaks fan site:Always eager for fun on social media, Kyle MacLachlan today (Feb 24) decided to launch his brand new TikTok account in the most Twin Peaks way ever. At exactly 11:30 AM (Pacific Time) on Twin Peaks Day, the actor shared a video of him reenacting FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper’s arrival in town at the very same time, only 31 years later with a few more grey hairs. This time, he’s not behind the wheel of his 1981 Dodge Diplomat… but on his exercise bike in front of a hand-painted cardboard backdrop full of Douglas firs. Yes, they’re really something. @kyle_maclachlan Diane, it’s 11:30 am, February 24th. Entering the town of #TwinPeaks…and TikTok.Tag me in your duets today and I’ll share some of my favorites 🌲☕️🚗 ♬ original sound - kyle_maclachlan With his first TikTok video, the actor is inviting Twin Peaks fans on the popular short-form video-sharing platform to share their duets using Coop’s famous opening monologue for a chance to get featured. There’s a Laura Palmer wrapped in plastic and a number of fans holding a damn fine cup of coffee, but so far, this duet by @withdropsofjupiter as Audrey Horne in the backseat takes the cake! @withdropsofjupiter #duet with kyle_maclachlan Audrey’s a little restless... are we there yet, Agent Cooper? 🌲🌲🌲 #twinpeaks #twinpeaksday #FrostedFeelings #fyp #coop ♬ original sound - kyle_maclachlan Read the full post here. Read the rest

"This innovative cane includes a built-in speakers, voice assistance, Google Maps, a Bluetooth system that makes syncing to other devices possible, and high-end sensors that alerts the user through vibrations when above-chest-level obstacles are within proximity--something a regular cane cannot provide."Read the rest here.Image: WeWALK Facebook Page Read the rest

In the early days of the web, everyone wanted a .com domain for their site. As a result, all the good ones got snapped up. But .com no longer has the cachet it once did. In fact, many new businesses and individuals are opting for other top-level domain extensions. One of the most memorable is the .tech extension. It's short, it's memorable, and most importantly, it resonates very well with the field of technology. For example, a website on .tech clearly calls out that the website is about technology There are tons of great names on .tech available now, and you owe it to your company to at least check for your dream brand. Right now, you can save on your next domain for your next big idea with $7.99 for 1 year (down from $49.99), $24.99 for 3 years (down from $149.97) and $39.99 for 5 years (down from $249.95).Start searching for the perfect domain extension here and get your .tech site online today. Read the rest

[UPDATE: CNN reports "Harvey Weinstein was taken to New York's Bellevue Hospital Monday night after feeling chest pains and having heart palpitations and high blood pressure on his way to Rikers Island, his attorney Donna Rotunno said."]Serial rapist Harvey Weinstein is behind bars, according to this NBC News report. The rapist did not take his walker with him. The rapist will be sentenced on March 11.Image: YouTube Read the rest

This morning, I launched a new series of posts that I'm going to be writing on Adafruit on the history of cyberpunk science fiction and how it has evolved, how it has influenced culture and technology, what it got right (and wrong) about the near future in its fictional speculations.In 1992, I wrote a post on The Well BBS entitled “Is there a cyberpunk movement?” The post was an attempt at summarizing what cyberpunk was, both as a literary genre, and how its depictions of near-future worlds were imploding onto the present of early 90s high-tech nerd culture (hackers, gamers, industrial/electronic music, tech artists, and cyberpunk zine publishers).Apparently, the post struck a nerve as it quickly spread beyond the confines of The Well, was dubbed a “cyberpunk manifesto,” and ended up in the pages of Mondo 2000 magazine, Rudy Rucker and Mondo 2000’s book The User’s Guide to the New Edge, and as lyrics on Billy Idol’s 1993 record, Cyberpunk (but those are all stories to be told here later in the series).The text of my post is a little dated, but here’s the gist of what I was trying to encapsulate:* In a cyberpunk world, global megacorporations are more powerful than governments.* Individual hackers and “high-tech low lifes” can wield disproportionate amounts of power within cyberspace and beyond.* The new “stage” for the human drama has shifted from the “real world” to a virtual one, one inside our networks and our minds. The new frontiers for human society–technology, art, culture, and warfare– have moved into cyberspace. Read the rest

12,000 years of civilisation and humanity has only just invented the spaghetti bolognese scissorspic.twitter.com/QNQsswQ944— James Felton (@JimMFelton) February 21, 2020While the fellow above has impressive technique, we must recognize the great Buster Keaton who blazed the trail for all of us 100 years ago. From The Cook (1918): Read the rest

Lawyers have their legalese. Academics have their own intra-academialogical post-linguistic theories. And it was only before the MBAs joined the fray with their own self-important syntax. If you've ever been in the sleek office setting of a start-up or some tech-savvy corporation, you've heard it. You may have even picked up on its tics to help you sound smarter, too; after all, that's how it works.Molly Young has a great new piece at Vulture about this phenomenon, which she has coined "Garbage Language." Her article is full of insight not only into the ways that we do and don't communicate, but also how that reflects the other issues inherent in these kinds of office cultures:[G]arbage language works because garbage is what we produce mindlessly in the course of our days and because it smells horrible and looks ugly and we don’t think about it except when we’re saying that it’s bad, as I am right now.But unlike garbage, which we contain in wastebaskets and landfills, the hideous nature of these words — their facility to warp and impede communication — is also their purpose. Garbage language permeates the ways we think of our jobs and shapes our identities as workers. It is obvious that the point is concealment; it is less obvious what so many of us are trying to hide.[…]When we adopt words that connect us to a larger project — that simultaneously fold us into an institutional organism and insist on that institution’s worthiness — it is easier to pretend that our jobs are more interesting than they seem. Read the rest

Back in November, I shared a piece about the "Real Media Salaries Spreadsheet" that was started by one of my colleagues and publicized the incomes of more than a thousand people working in media.Now the New York Times has published a great new piece about this movement, on the breakdown of the taboos around pay transparency:Open discussions of pay lay bare some of the basic contradictions that govern so many workplaces, which claim to embrace their workers like family while insisting, all the while, on professionalism and discretion. They are communities whose members care about one another and yet also know that their respective right to belong is based on their utility, perceived or actual. To ask a co-worker her salary — especially one who has worked at an institution for years — opens up deeper, unsettling questions. How valued are you in this community? Are you more valued than I am, or beyond what I perceive as your worth? Or have you undervalued yourself, been timid, clueless, exploited?The article does a fair job of approaching the issue from different differences, including the social and professional comfort involved with even trying to change the expectations around salary secrecy, and the actual data that reveals what happens when money matters are aired out in the open:[U]sing data from a happiness survey that has been conducted in Norway since 1985 … Perez-Truglia found that the newfound accessibility of other people’s pay led to a significant increase in the happiness gap: Higher-income earners were happier than they were before the information was widely available, and lower-income workers were less happy. Read the rest

In some weird alternate fantasy universe, this song would to taught to school children so that they could memorize their Hermetic fundamentals.Image: YouTube Read the rest

My friend Mark Casale and I were talking about Captain Beefheart last night (as we are often want to do) and were yucking it up over the surreal late-night TV commercial for the Beef's 1970 record, Lick My Decals Off, Baby (which I posted about last month).This prompted Mark to ask me if I'd ever seen the bizarre promo video for Cat Steven's 1976 song, Banapple Gas. I'd never even heard of the song. It was a track on Steven's ninth studio record, Numbers. Numbers was composed as a concept album, subtitled "A Pythagorean Theory Tale."[Numbers] was based on a fictional planet in a far-off galaxy named Polygor. The album included a booklet with excerpts from a planned book of the same name written by Chris Bryant and Allan Scott. The booklet features pen-and-ink illustrations drawn by Stevens.The concept of the album is a fantastic spiritual musical which is set on the planet Polygor. In the story there is a castle with a number machine. This machine exists to fulfill the sole purpose of the planet – to disperse numbers to the rest of the universe: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 (but notably not 0). The nine inhabitants of Polygor, the Polygons, are Monad, Dupey, Trezlar, Cubis, Qizlo, Hexidor, Septo, Octav, and Novim. As the last lines of the book say, they "followed a life of routine that had existed for as long as any could remember. ... It was, therefore, all the more shocking when on an ordinary day things first started to go wrong." Read the rest

Well, that's good. We can all rest easy now.Tweeted impeached and manifestly unfit U.S. President Donald Trump just now:The Coronavirus is very much under control in the USA. We are in contact with everyone and all relevant countries. CDC & World Health have been working hard and very smart. Stock Market starting to look very good to me!Yeah. No.Previously today:The Dow Jones Industrial Average plummetted more than 1,000 points as news of a spreading coronavirus outbreak suggests wider coming damage to the global economy. These are literally the people in charge of our government’s response to #COVID19. This is a verified account, not a parody. He is the Acting Deputy Secretary of DHS. #TheBestPeople https://t.co/YxVlH5a9Em— David Hobby (@strobist) February 24, 2020Dow fell 1,032 points on Monday; worst day in 2 years. https://t.co/qOP7f0zQGF— Dan Berman (@DHBerman) February 24, 2020Trump eliminated a position called Senior Director of Global Health Security. That person used to work in the NSC to coordinate responses to global health emergencies and potential pandemics.— Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) February 24, 2020FYI: This map from ⁦⁦@JHUSystems⁩ is 100% free to use to track the spread of #NovelCoronavirus #COVIDー19 worldwide. Just in case that comes up... https://t.co/9j6o2X7ToD— Laura Santhanam (@LauraSanthanam) February 24, 2020For weeks I’ve been saying that WH “happy talk” on #COVIDー19 #Coronarivus would keep up the markets for only so long; happy tweets can’t stop the virus: only a well run and sharp response can https://t.co/Tgu25muwbo Read the rest

The Dow Jones Industrial Average plummetted more than 1,000 points as news of a spreading coronavirus outbreak suggests wider coming damage to the global economy. Today's stock market drop was the worst for the Dow in two years, and wiped out all gains so far in 2020. From AP:Nervous investors scrambled for safety, loading up on gold, U.S. government bonds and other safe-harbor assets. The price of oil fell sharply on expectations that demand for energy would tumble. The Dow lost 1,031 points, or 3.6%, to 27,960. The S&P 500 fell 111, or 3.4%, to 3,225. The Nasdaq fell 355, or 3.7%, to 9,221. (...) Technology companies were among the worst hit by the sell-off. Apple, which depends on China for a lot of business, slid 3.4%. Microsoft dropped 2.6%. Banks were also big losers. JPMorgan Chase fell 2.1% and Bank of America slid 4.4%. Related Boing Boing posts from earlier today:• How coronavirus impacts climate change and the US housing market• The stock market is plunging today, but two things are up: the price of gold, and weed use among seniors Read the rest

Italy today confirmed over 150 cases of the disease.

Italy coronavirus deaths now stand at 7, with 220 people infected. Italian villages are now on lockdown in Europe's worst flare-up of COVID-19.WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus today says word “pandemic” does not yet fit the facts.“We must focus on containment while preparing for a potential pandemic,” he told reporters in Geneva, and says the world is not yet seeing an uncontained spread or large-scale deaths.The epidemic in China peaked between Jan. 23 and Feb. 2 and has been declining since, the WHO said.Dr. Mike Ryan, head of WHO’s emergencies program, told reporters it was still possible to contain the virus and that it might appear each year like the flu.“The virus may settle down into an endemic pattern of transmission, into a seasonal pattern of transmission, or it could accelerate into a full-blown global pandemic,” he said in Geneva on Monday. “And at this point, it is not possible to say which of those realities is going to happen.” The outbreak has spread beyond China's Hubei province to at least 29 countries or territories, with two dozen confirmed deaths, according to a Reuters tally.Read more:Coronavirus kills seventh person in Italy, pandemic fears grip Wall Street [reuters]If true, this revelation by Conte ("mismanagement of security 'protocols' in one hospital") can maybe justify the astonishing outbreak and rapid death toll of #Coronavirus in Northern Italy. Hospitals and GPs surgeries are the perfect scenarios for the virus to spread (and kill).— Antonello Guerrera (@antoguerrera) February 24, 2020Coronavirus halts 'Mission: Impossible 7' filming in Venice, Italy https://t.co/pSw8XUC4dH Read the rest

Twentieth Century Flicks is the world's oldest surviving video rental store. The offer 20,000 films (yes, many on VHS too) and even have screening rooms. This shop embodies much of what I miss about how I experienced media growing up before the dark times... Before the modern Web. Be kind, rewind.Directed by Arthur Cauty.Previously on Boing Boing:• "Only one Blockbuster Video Store left standing" Read the rest

Gerald Corrigan, 74, went outside his house at midnight to check his satellite dish after the TV signal failed. It was a trap: he was shot in the dark with a crossbow bolt, which punctured internal organs and led to his death three weeks later from sepsis. His killer was Terence Whall, 39, convicted today of Corrigan's murder.Police suspected Whall, a local with a crossbow collection, but had no evidence to tie him to the crime. How was he caught? His partner's car was mysteriously torched, which led police to contact its manufacturer, Jaguar Land Rover, which sent them its backed-up telematics records.The vehicle was driven to Corrigan's house the day before the killing, then to a nearby beach, then back to Whall's residence. On the day itself, the car was driven to the beach an hour before the attack. It was next started about 12 minutes after it.The system recorded the trunk being opened and closed twice, before and after Corrigan was shot.Image: Family photo (handout) / Crown Prosecution Service Read the rest