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Telepathy. ESP. The ability to communicate thoughts, feelings, or experiences without using our known sensory channels is a timeless superpower. Soon, advances in neuroscience, molecular biology, and computer science will make some kinds of synthetic telepathy possible. Meanwhile though, methods to treat brain disorders through magnetic stimulation of brain circuits could enable crude (or eventually not-so-crude) mind control. National Institutes of Health neuroscientist R. Douglas Fields -- author of Electric Brain: How the New Science of Brainwaves Reads Minds, Tells Us How We Learn, and Helps Us Change for the Better -- wrote a brief essay for Scientific American surveying the present, past, and possible future of this strange field. From Scientific American:Neuroscientist Marcel Just and colleagues at Carnegie Mellon University are using fMRI brain imaging to decipher what a person is thinking. By using machine learning to analyze complex patterns of activity in a person’s brain when they think of a specific number or object, read a sentence, experience a particular emotion or learn a new type of information, the researchers can read minds and know the person’s specific thoughts and emotions. “Nothing is more private than a thought,” Just says, but that privacy is no longer sacrosanct.......The prospect of “mind control” frightens many, and brain stimulation to modify behavior and treat mental illness has a sordid history. In the 1970s neuropsychologist Robert Heath at Tulane University inserted electrodes into a homosexual man’s brain to “cure” him of his homosexual nature by stimulating his brain’s pleasure center. Read the rest

French conglomerate LVMH -- owner of Louis Vuitton, Givenchy, and Christian Dior, and other luxury brands -- is converting its perfume production lines to crank out hand sanitizer. And no, they won't be selling high ticket hand sanitizer bottles in their boutiques. "These gels will be delivered free of charge to the health authorities," the company announced. "LVMH will continue to honour this commitment for as long as necessary, in connection with the French health authorities."(BBC)image: Louis Vuitton 200ML Travel Case Read the rest

In this charming video, a hoss enjoys dipping its head beneath the surface of a pond and blowing bubbles like a kid with a milkshake.If you would like to enjoy another clip like this, turn to page G5P_oZFjrb. If you would like this clip ruined for you, turn to page lHytjEj7B9g. Read the rest

In 2014, reddit user u/damburglar posted this abandoned recreation of Edward Hopper's 1942 painting Nighthawks. That it's a plainly-rendered 3D model seems to make it even creepier. [via]Here's one from Maxim Leyzerovich:pic.twitter.com/y2Rd8H6Mxx— Maxim Leyzerovich (@round) March 16, 2020 Read the rest

Thousands of runners participated in a half-marathon in Bath, England this weekend despite warnings from public health experts that it could expose runners to the novel coronavirus. Organizers of the event, which usually attracts crowds of more than 10,000, refused to cancel it despite hundreds of cases in the U.K. and a growing tally of the dead.Bath's MP Wera Hobhouse was among thousands condemning the decision to go ahead.She called for the event to be cancelled saying protecting "the most vulnerable in our city from a further spread of the infection must be the priority". On the Bath half marathon's Facebook page some 1,800 people left comments, with a large number against the decision to go ahead. The newspapers over in the UK are presenting the pandemic as if it were The Blitz, an opportunity to show Wartime Spirit and to enact War Measures and indulge the immortal British boomer fantasy that life there was never better than when the Germans were making the rubble bounce.So we end up with 10,000 people in a slow-moving crowd spending hours grinding their bodies to gasping exhaustion during a viral pandemic, all to show 2019-nCoV What For. Read the rest

Artist and entrepreneurial prankster Danielle Baskin is at it again. This time, Danielle has created a line of cling-on faux stained glass windows that you can slap up on any commercial plane window for inflight prayer and reflection. "Now, isn't that special?," sayeth the Church Lady.She writes on Facebook:Made faux stained glass for plane windows so you can pray during your domestic flights.This is a flexible film that clings to glass. There’s no adhesive, so you can easily take this on and off your window to improve your in-flight prayer experience.It also protects against any germs that might be on windows! It's infinitely washable with soap and water or can be sprayed with disinfectant.Rolls up easily for travel.The windows are available in five sizes (to fit your aircraft of choice) at her Magic Store .See more coverage of Danielle's work on Boing Boing.Images used with permission of the artist Read the rest

Multi-talented musician, artist, and graphic designer, John Bergin, has just released a new Blackmouth recording. Blackmouth is John, his long-time collaborator, Brett Smith, and Jarboe (formerly of Swans). The trio's first album was released in 1999. The current record is a deluxe edition featuring 26 tracks and includes the 1999 recording. Here is the first video from the album.Previous coverage of John Bergin on Boing Boing:John Bergin goes pop-art post-apocalypse in new Wednesday comicMoving Paintings From InsideImage: YouTube Read the rest

I ended up supporting a particular marble, emotionally investing in its success, then being sickeningly disappointed upon its inevitable defeat, by a different marble. They call this "Marbula One" racing, with a marble rally series to go with it. Read the rest

The New York Times has an excellent, harrowing story about Matt and Noah Colvin of Tennessee — two of the many people who have tried to exploit the coronavirus panic for profit. The Colvin Brothers saw the chaos coming, and thought to buy up all of the hand sanitizer they could find. The plan, of course, was to control the supply in anticipation of a growing demand. This way, they could mark the price up and make a hefty profit margin. It's in the nature of our system: greed is smart, and should be rewarded.But online retailers like Amazon (not usually known as the arbiter of a moral marketplace) and eBay got wind of these price-gouging strategies, and decided to do something about it:The next day, Amazon pulled his items and thousands of other listings for sanitizer, wipes and face masks. The company suspended some of the sellers behind the listings and warned many others that if they kept running up prices, they’d lose their accounts. EBay soon followed with even stricter measures, prohibiting any U.S. sales of masks or sanitizer.Now, while millions of people across the country search in vain for hand sanitizer to protect themselves from the spread of the coronavirus, Mr. Colvin is sitting on 17,700 bottles of the stuff with little idea where to sell them.In other words: they punished people for manipulating supply-and-demand in a time of great need, Amazon and eBay by cutting off the suppliers, so they can't sell the supplies they have, which in turn makes the demand grow. Read the rest

But will it make breakfast? The fun starts at the 1:47 mark.(Pee-wee Herman, Geekologie)screenshot via YouTube Read the rest

"It's no worse than the flu!" yells an angry man at a TV news crew in a parking lot. "I don't even blame the chinese!"Facts as they stand: the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, has a mortality rate at least 8 times that of flu (South Korea, the lowest at 0.77%) and much higher elsewhere (China, 3.6%), with the curve heavily weighted to seniors and people with underlying health conditions. For example, flu mortality for the elderly is about 1.5%, but COVID-019 mortality for the elderly is in excess of 14%. Coronavirus (COVID-19) is unequivocally worse than flu. Read the rest

Over at Slate, Dan Kois offers an incisive look at the status quo frustrations that have long affected daily American life — and how they're now disappearing, because we're in a crisis. To some people, this will of course conform to their aspirational perspective of the country: that the American system has always been great and good, and the fact that people (and corporations) do good deeds in times of crisis is proof that free market capitalism is perfect and thus good.But what if we always offered paid sick leave to hourly employees? What if the Internet wasn't throttled by providers eager to make another quick buck? What if we never had to deal with the arbitrary airline limits on liquids, just to reinforce the TSA security theatre performance?What if kindness and empathy were the rule, and not the exception?Up until now activists and customers have been meant to believe that the powers that be could never change these policies—it would be too expensive, or too unwieldy, or would simply upset the way things are done. But now, faced suddenly with an environment in which we’re all supposed to at least appear to be focused on the common good, the rule-makers have decided it’s OK to suspend them. It’s a crisis, after all. Everyone’s got to do their part.[…]But it’s also worth asking if we are willing to allow governments and corporations to return to business as usual. When everything’s back to normal, will we accept cities cutting off their poorest residents’ water, or evicting the sick, or throwing someone in jail because they can’t afford to pay a fine? Read the rest

Let's go ahead and assume you never thought you'd own a lamp that can chill a bottle of Albariño. And if that lamp that's also a cooler were also a Bluetooth speaker, it's even less likely the idea crossed your mind, but here we are. The Dutch company Kooduu designed a multifunction accent piece that looks great in any indoor—or outdoor—space and gives your gathering a level of chic ambiance you didn't know was missing.Functioning as an LED lamp with warm yellow illumination, a 10-watt wireless speaker with 180-foot Bluetooth range, and a wine cooler and/or plant stand, the Synergy Pro comes in three sizes (small and medium both hold 1 bottle of wine; large holds 2) and can be mixed or matched however you please to create a focal piece in your room or offer surround sound for your playlist.Yup, you can DIY a whole unexpected sound system in your living room, on your patio, or in your screen house: Through the built-in antenna, each lamp can be coupled to other Kooduu products. The genuine leather handle makes it easy to move around, and the rechargeable battery boasts up to 8 hours of playtime to keep the party going all evening or ensure your sleep cast runs through the night. It can help you chill things out or pump things up, and look like artwork while doing so.Normally starting at $159.99 for the small size, the Kooduu: 3-in-1 Designer Lamp, Speaker & Cooler is available for 10% off when you use the coupon KOODUU10, lowering the final starting price to $143.99. Read the rest

Learning to code can be intimidating. It always takes some time and attention to develop any new skill, but for one with as many approaches as programming, it can be particularly nerve-wracking, especially when you’ve never dipped into those murky waters before.Even if you fall into that absolute beginner category, the package of training in The 2020 Comprehensive Programming Collection offers up some solid primers on the basic languages, tools, and methods for building websites, creating apps and basically becoming a one-person digital content machine.Ask a hiring manager the no. 1 skill they want to see on the resume of an IT job applicant and it’s knowledge of JavaScript. So this collection of nine courses starts with The Complete Beginner's JavaScript Course, introducing you to the basics of this core programming language.While JavaScript serves as the backbone of web page building, it’s also instrumental in creating apps. It’s training that will serve you well in the four bundle courses centered around creating your own working apps. iOS App Development for Beginners and Intro to Java for Android Development will get you familiar with Android Studio and Swift, the two primary platforms for tailoring an app specifically to Android and iOS users.You’ll expand that foundation with Discover React for Web Applications as you use the React JavaScript library for building cool interactive user experiences; and Develop an AR App for the Retail Industry, where you actually build a working augmented reality app that will show you how virtual furniture will look in your very real-world settings. Read the rest

And just like that a star was born—Egg McMuffin Rat #subwaycreatures pic.twitter.com/vCeVirHRUK— Rick (@SubwayCreatures) March 13, 2020He's lovin' it. And I have to say, what's not to love. (That's a rhetorical question.) Read the rest

Out of toilet paper? Incapable of cleaning your butt without it? Got a well-stocked woodworking shop? Make your own from wood pulp! Quilted Northern's funny advert for "artisanal" toilet paper was satire in 2016, but now suggests a quality method for keeping your rear end America-clean during the coronapocalypse.In all seriousness, many of you can clean your butt with the water in the toilet using your hand, which you then wash separately and thoroughly with soap. Or you can do what I do: eat a pound of psyllium husks and graphite dust every morning and poop mysterious gray cylinders. They won't flush, to be sure, but work quite well as control rods in third-generation pressurized heavy water reactors. Hey, it's better than ending up in a no-candu situation. Read the rest

My BFF, Alberto Gaitán, posted this on Facebook.Not medical advice, just a first-person account.This, from a girl from Wuhan who took care of her mother without getting infected herself:https://m.weibo.cn/1260881931/4470252005665688February 10 02:56 from the iPhone editedYesterday morning, I went to the (Wuhan) Union Hospital West Campus for an examination (see the previous blog). CT showed that I did not get the new coronavirus.The attending doctor praised my protection work after knowing that I had taken care of my mother for five days, and ran back and forth in various hospitals in the city for more than ten days without being infected.So today I will tell you how I did it, and I hope to help people like me who have to take care of their sick families.I wore a jacket with a smooth surface. I don't know if it's better. I just think that a smooth surface is easier to take care of, and it's easier to wipe the surface with alcohol. But there is also an article that says it's better to wear down clothes? ? I don't really know.I wore a hoodie inside the jacket, a usual one with a hood. Every day when I go out, I tie my hair first, wrap it with a shower cap, then put on the hood of my sweatshirt, and fasten the girdle of the hood.I wore two masks, with an inner layer of n95 and an outer layer of ordinary medical masks. Read the rest

From The Brick Experiment Channel comes this test: "Let's see how Lego-compatible stainless steel axle deforms or breaks when high torque is applied. The test bench is made using only plastic Lego parts. Enjoy!"Spoiler: the steel piece barely holds form at 5 Newton metres of torque, gives slowly at 9, and twists like warm candy at 15. Read the rest

I wrote An Baile na mBan: a story of mothers, monsters, and war a few years ago for an anthology called Hidden Youth: Speculative Fiction from the Margins of History. Originally published by Crossed Genres Publishing, the anthology focused on sci-fi/fantasy stories of adolescent protagonists from historically marginalized communities from before the 1920s. This story was loosely inspired by the tragic discovery of a mass grave at an Irish nunnery for single mothers, and thus involves pretty much all of the horrible things that might relate to that:Set during the Irish War of Independence, An Baile na mBan tells the story of 16-year-old Caoimhe, a Traveller girl who has been paying off her debts to the Catholic Church by working at the nunnery that took her in while she was with child—and by stealing their supplies and selling them on streets. When one of her black market customers takes an interest in Aisling, the young Protestant girl who recently arrived at the home, he offers Caoimhe a chance to reunite with her daughter in exchange for a favor. But the club-footed man isn't all that he seems, and neither are his plans for Aisling's child. Or his stake in the war that rages through the land.In case you aren't familiar with Travellers, they're a distinct ethnic group in Ireland, with their own language and culture that goes back hundreds of years. Unfortunately, they still deal with a lot of discrimination today, because the ladder of oppression is always ugly and complicated. Read the rest

The great thing about living your best life is that it means something different to each individual. So while you may not need new socks or a fishing camera, other people are clamoring for it. To prove the point, we’ve assembled 25 of the best deals we were able to scrounge up this week. Some you’ll probably love. Others, you’ll never need. But while we all don’t covet the same things, we can all share a deep appreciation for a damn good deal.The great outdoorsWith spring almost here, time to consider what you’ll need for getting out and enjoying a quick weekend road trip or just going out for the day and basking in the glory of the land.The STAG Ski, Bike & Base Unit Bundle ($494; originally $549) can cart all your equipment anywhere with a roof-positioned rack set for two 40-pound bikes and four snowboards or up to five pairs of skis.And even the youngest family members can get in some pedal time too with the Brilrider FLIGHT: World's Lightest Balance Bike ($83.95; originally $159), a tough, durable and insanely light two-wheeler that can get kids even as young as 18 months up and riding.With a minimalist look, a bunch of useful pockets and pouches and 100 percent weather-resistant, the VENQUE Explorer Bag ($169.99; originally $199) has enough room to stow just about everything as your A-1 travel companion. And if those adventures involve some angling, the GoFish Cam Wireless Underwater Fishing Camera ($239.99) Read the rest

Here’s a cool factoid about company branding and the importance of iconic imagery that you probably never considered. Brands that do a poor job of branding themselves to the public definitely pay the price. In fact, it’s a literal price...as in, salaries 10 percent higher than their better-branded competitors.Not only does the lack of clear, effective brand identity hurt you with customers, but even prospective employers also end up being dubious that you’re a company that has the goods. So if your branding efforts are at all shaky, you can shore those up right now with a Designs.ai premium plan subscription.As a Designs.ai user, you’ll have access to the full resources of their brand know-how as they craft a company logo for you that’s instantly identifiable and visually compelling. Enter some basic company information, offer a few of your preferences and Designs.ai swings into action, producing loads of potential logo ideas for you in a matter of seconds.From there, Designs.ai’s simple interface makes it easy to start weeding through your options, finding the one you like, then making any color or stylistic tweaks or outright changes to get it looking exactly the way you want.Once you’re locked down your decision, Designs.ai will export your logo into a full array of high resolution, fully scalable file formats so your new company image can be used in any medium, from print and digital to video and beyond. On top of that, a Designs.ai premium plan also entitles you to full mockups of how your new logo will look on a host of promotional merchandise, including everything from hats, jackets and the ever-popular t-shirts to pens, coffee mugs and more. Read the rest

It was 1993. I was working on my book Media Virus, and about to return home to LA from San Francisco, when Timothy Leary called to ask if I could make room for a “friend in need” who needed a ride. That friend turned out to be Genesis P-Orridge. I had known of Gen through his music and reputation alone, and was frankly a little afraid to meet him. If the “coyote” boys I knew in the Temple of Psychick Youth were modeling themselves after him, I could only imagine how fierce Gen might be. But when I pulled into the parking garage where we supposed to meet, and saw the diminutive Genesis P-Orridge standing there with his two gorgeous young daughters and all their suitcases, my perception of him changed entirely. And over the next eight hours, so did my perception of world. Gen had just been quasi-exiled from England after a video he had made for Channel 4 (in which he carried out a mock abortion and ate the fetus), went viral in the tabloids. While Gen was in Thailand, the authorities ransacked his place, seized his archives, and made it clear he was no longer welcome in the UK. So he flew to California instead, essentially homeless, and was feeling pretty out of sorts as we drove. As his two daughters fought in the back, he told me, “If only people realized I was also a regular dad with two kids fighting in the back seat.” The rest may as well have been straight from the tweets of QAnon. Read the rest

White House physician says after an “in-depth discussion” Trump took some form of coronavirus testing, and he’s negative.Impeached U.S. President and noted pathological liar Donald John Trump, after coming into close contact with coronavirus last weekend, has tested negative for the contagion that causes the potentially deadly disease COVID-19, according to his physician who administered a test last night. Seems worth noting that Trump's physician is not an M.D., as is customary, but a doctor of osteopathy. Hope the negative results are and remain true -- and that he remains in good health during the coronavirus pandemic. But there's a long history of false statements to contend with.And lots of weird missing facts and weasel words.No word on when exactly the test was administered, precisely what test... the preliminary one that global epidemiologists and public health experts are using, or the confirming/secondary one? Lots of missing details.Reporting and reactions from journalists and others on Twitter, below.Trump’s #COVIDー19 test is negative: pic.twitter.com/7dgRBlH2JV— Nicholas Wu (@nicholaswu12) March 14, 2020President Trump after coming into close contact with coronavirus last weekend tested negative for the contagion, according to his physician who administered the test last night.— Steve Holland (@steveholland1) March 14, 2020Trump’s test is negative for coronavirus, per memo from White House physician.— Josh Dawsey (@jdawsey1) March 14, 2020Here's our updated story with President Trump's negative test result https://t.co/8FChKwKKUV— Chris Megerian (@ChrisMegerian) March 14, 2020TRUMP TEST NEGATIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS. Despite contact with multiple individuals who came back as positive, the president’s physician provided this result. Read the rest

Genesis Breyer P-Orridge -- the pioneering performance artist, musician, and occultist -- died this morning. S/he was 70-years-old. Gen's daughters Caresse and Genesse released the following statement:Dear friends, family and loving supporters,It is with very heavy hearts that we announce thee passing of our beloved father, Genesis Breyer P-Orridge.S/he had been battling leukemia for two and a half years and dropped he/r body early this morning, Saturday March 14th, 2020.S/he will be laid to rest with h/er other half, Jaqueline “Lady Jaye” Breyer who left us in 2007, where they will be re-united.Thank you for your love and support and for respecting our privacy as we are grieving.Caresse & Genesse P-Orridge#s/heisher/eforeverHere's the New York Times obituary: "Genesis Breyer P-Orridge, Musician, Artist and Provocateur, Dies at 70"(Image: Seth Tissue, CC BY-SA 2.0, modified) Read the rest

The top security risk to any company’s vital IT systems isn’t hackers or malware. It’s basic, pure and simple human error, according to CompTIA, the industry’s most respected trade association.Even though 75 percent of companies have cybersecurity training for their employees, less than 45 percent say their staff has adequate security expertise. It’s just another reason why the IT pro entrusted with safeguarding all those systems is so vital.CompTIA provides the security certification programs that drive the industry — and you can receive top-level training from premier instructors to pick up a virtual armload of those certifications with The CompTIA Cyber Security Pathway Certification Prep Bundle.In all, this collection features in-depth training in the exact knowledge needed to pass seven different CompTIA security certification exams, an industry-standard accreditation that proves you’re fully versed and up to speed in all the disciplines that matter for an IT security expert.Your training begins with courses in passing IT Fundamentals, then the CompTIA A+ Core 1 and Core 2 exams, the best starting point foundation for anyone with IT career aspirations. From there, the coursework veers solidly into the security realm, including certification prep in CompTIA Security+ covering risk management, identifying threats and how to spot system intrusions; and CompTIA Network+, with all the background needed to manage and secure a thriving business network.Next, CompTIA PenTest+ explains ethical hacking and testing for system vulnerabilities; then CompTIA CySA+ looks at security analytics and how exactly to respond to a cyber incident. Read the rest

I picture this blonde raccoon with a languid, slightly inebriated voice demanding — and promptly receiving — more cherries. Read the rest

A group has been formed on Facebook to help facilitate the open-source development of medical hardware (such as ventilators, filter masks, non-contact door openers, etc) to help fight the global coronavirus pandemic. Here's the statement on their page:COVID19 is currently spreading exponentially, in a mostly unchecked fashion, throughout the world. Infection doubling rates are as high as 2-3 days. Under simplistic models, such unchecked growth means the disease infects most of the world in months. Current statistics indicate that 15-20% of people who get it require hospitalization for respiratory failure for multiple weeks, and often need intense healthcare from medical professionals who are at severe risk treating these highly infectious patients. If infections proceed at their current pace across the globe, we will not have enough supplies like ventilators, respirators, PPE, etc. to meet demand.This group is being formed to evaluate, design, validate, and source the fabrication of open source emergency medical supplies around the world, given a variety of local supply conditions.This is an example of the sorts of projects being shared and discussed there:And this, a 3D printable device for opening door handles without touching them.Here is the link if you have something to contribute and want to join.[H/t Goli Mohammadi]Image: YouTube screengrab Read the rest

Jonathan Frakes, the actor and director associated most strongly with his Star Trek role as bearded lothario William Riker, has many other feathers in his cap. Here he poses some important questions to consider in the twilight of the American republic. Read the rest

Or is it "listen the world burn by"? Either way, some folks are taking their unexpected isolation time at home to make coronavirus-specific playlists. Here are the ones I'm aware of, thanks to in-the-know pals:album/song images via Google search Read the rest

Careers in IT are diverse and varied, but one of the most important is one you may not have ever considered — just how do all those networks and systems and devices get all that power, anyway? The work of a smart, knowledgeable electrical power engineer is how.Armed with the training in The Introductory Electrical Master Class Bundle, students will not only have a better idea about how all of our information systems stay juiced up but how electrical distribution works across buildings, cities and even countries as well as how the impact of new power technologies like solar energy can be applied everywhere.Complete Electric Circuits Course for Electrical Engineering starts at the absolute ground level for beginners, walking learners through the basics of electrical circuits, critical theorems, capacitors, inductors and all the crucial background knowledge any electrical specialist needs before current ever starts flowing.The Complete Electrical Substations for Electrical Engineering course expands that vision, outlining how power is distributed through area substations and all the components that make it happen from circuit breakers and grounding systems to transmission lines and main units.The Complete Electrical Design Engineering Distribution Course starts applying those principles on a broader level, explaining how electrical engineers work out a building’s lighting scheme from wiring to regulating to fixtures. You’ll even use design and drafting software like Autocad and Dialux to start creating digital environments that will be ready to work in the real world.Of course, some structures need more power than others and the electrical requirements for an industrially-heavy machine shop are far different than an average business. Read the rest

Creative writing can be a nerve-racking endeavor. It’s just you, your thoughts and that very, very blank page or word doc. You might have an idea for the story you want to tell, but what form does that story take? A novel? A short story? An article? Maybe even a blog post?Writing your story isn’t as simple as simply writing your story. However, you can start answering those tough questions and steering your creative output in the right direction with the truly massive Ultimate Creative Writing Course Bundle.It’s a 10-course package that includes an almost ridiculously giant 1,500 hours of hands-on training. Yeah, 1,500. That’s over 62 days worth of materials aimed at making you a better writer. Of course, we don’t advise taking it all at once (you’d be mighty tired by the end!), but it’s nice to know how much quality instruction is available to devour at your own pace.After you explore the mindset of professional writers and test yourself out in a variety of creative projects with the introductory Creative Writing course, then you can start digging into a whole universe of writing sub-genres.If you want to write the next Great American Novel, Novel Writing can help you shape plotlines, characters, scenarios and more. If you’re more interested in telling real-world stories, you can flex those muscles and find out what makes for a solid news story with the Freelance Journalism course. Or if you’ve ever had dreams of writing about life on the road, there are a pair of Travel Writing and Travel Blogging courses that can light the way for that pursuit. Read the rest

Televangelist Kenneth Copeland urges you to put your hand on that television set and he, or rather Jesus, will cure you of COVID-19. Amen. Read the rest

In this 1910 film, a housefly perched (glued?) on a matchstick, demonstrates fantastic feats of insect strength and agility. From the British Film Institute:This truly delightful (or singularly repellent) film is the work of Percy Smith, pioneer of a particularly engaging early form of natural filmmaking. 'The Acrobatic Fly' is one of a series of Smith films on similar subjects around this time, and near identical to, though briefer than, a sequence in his 1911 release 'The Strength and Agility of Insects', which also features similarly impressive accomplishments by a scorpion, a flea, a grasshopper and a praying mantis. Viewers might worry about the techniques used to secure such performances, but Smith always insisted that his stars were none the worse for their moment in the spotlight. Learn more about Percy Smith at the British Film Institute's Screenonline site. (via r/ObscureMedia) Read the rest

If you shoot videos for your business or just for fun, it’s practically inevitable that you’ll eventually start wanting to up the production values. For most vlog style videos, it’s not like you need Star Wars-level special effects or anything. But even trying to change out your background digitally with a simple green-screen effect requires extra space, precise lighting and...yeah, a really big green screen.Instead, XSplit VCam has packed in green screen capabilities and other simple effects to instantly up the quality of your videos with their easy to use app.And we definitely mean easy to use. Just choose your camera source, pick one of the assorted possible backgrounds, and in seconds, your video is transported to any locale with a professional-grade appearance that can often look seamless to the untrained eye.XSplit VCam also gives you loads of options for getting that background just so. You can insert a GIF, JPEG, a website or even a YouTube video as your background, so your video can take on virtually any feel you want to project. Or if you like the look of your current cam shot, but maybe would like to hide some of the clutter and mess going on in your office or living space, you can add a subtle blur effect to give your video the look of a DSLR style portrait effect that draws viewer attention to you and not your background.No matter whether you’re recording videos or live streaming, XSplit VCam is compatible with a full assortment of services like Open Broadcaster Software (OBS), Steamlabs, and XSplit Broadcaster. Read the rest

In December of 2019, Ahmet Zappa and longtime Zappa “vaultmeister” Joe Travers released a 6-CD collection of the Hot Rats Sessions to celebrate the 50th anniversary of this ground-breaking, now classic Frank Zappa solo record. This LA Times piece chronicles the enduring impact of this recording and how it inspired the entire genre of jazz-rock fusion.Long before novelty hits like “Valley Girl” and his televised jousting with the would-be music censors of Tipper Gore and the Parents Resource Music Center, Zappa was already a musical force to be reckoned with. “Freak Out!,” his 1966 doo-wop-meets-dada-rock debut with the Mothers of Invention, was cited by Paul McCartney as inspiration for “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” Zappa repaid the compliment in 1968 with “We’re Only In It for the Money,” which pilloried “Sgt. Pepper’s” with its cover and all things Summer of Love with its music.“Hot Rats,” however, was completely different. Raw yet refined, accessible yet sophisticated, “Hot Rats” introduced what would come to be known as jazz-rock fusion, but with the added allure of Zappa’s intriguingly idiosyncratic take on classical music. Its beautifully layered textures were the result of previous experiments with variable-speed recording. For all its organic innovation, though, it was both a critical and commercial failure, topping out at No. 173 on the Billboard album chart. It did well in Europe, however, and eventually became one of the Zappa catalog’s most consistent sellers.Listening to Hot Rats today, you have to remind yourself that this was 19-freakin'-69. Read the rest

In February 2002, Yoko Ono took the stage with the B-52's during a New York performance of "Rock Lobster." The story about how she got there is fascinating and I'm surprised this is the first time I'm hearing of it. It begins in June 1980 when John Lennon heard the song and was inspired to start making music again after a long creative lull. The song's unusual backing vocals reminded him of Yoko Ono's style.John Lennon, in a 1980 Rolling Stone interview: "I was at a dance club one night in Bermuda... Upstairs, they were playing disco, and downstairs, I suddenly heard 'Rock Lobster' by the B-52's for the first time. Do you know it? It sounds just like Yoko's music, so I said to meself, 'It's time to get out the old axe and wake the wife up!' We wrote about twenty-five songs during those three weeks, and we've recorded enough for another album."Writer Brian Scott MacKenzie:"Rock Lobster" lit a fuse of inspiration that flared into Lennon’s 2-LP set Double Fantasy (1980), plus a posthumous release, Milk and Honey (1984). Without the B-52's, our world might lack "Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)," "Watching the Wheels," "Woman," "(Just Like) Starting Over," and "Nobody Told Me."Atlanta Magazine (2013):"I said, 'That’s Yoko!,'" Lennon recalled that fall in an interview with the BBC. "I thought there were two records going at once or something. Because it was so her. I mean, this person had studied her... I called her and I said, 'You won’t believe this, but I was in a disco and there was somebody doing your voice. Read the rest

Philip Roth's 2004 alternate history novel about a Charles Lindbergh -ed Nazi takeover of the United States, The Plot Against America, has been adapted as a 6-part HBO miniseries. Created by David Simon and Ed Burns (the duo behind The Wire), it debuts on Monday, March 16, 2020 and stars Winona Ryder and John Turturro.BBC has a review, giving it 3 out of 5 stars. Conclusion: "The Plot Against America has high, half-realised ambitions. Preaching to its audience didn’t have to be one of them." I'm going to watch it anyway. Read the rest

A hit movie with a trailer that is comically horrible. I guess the trailer doesn't matter.This movie was a huge thing during my childhood. I was never into slasher flicks. RomComs are scary enough. Read the rest

On the planet Wasp-76b, it rains iron. Researchers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) and colleagues observed the planet, 650 light years from Earth, using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope in northern Chile. On the planet's "hot side" that faces it star, temperatures can be above 2,400°C. It's a good thing the residents of Wasp-76b carry tungsten umbrellas. From ESO:“One could say that this planet gets rainy in the evening, except it rains iron,” says David Ehrenreich, a professor at the University of Geneva in Switzerland. He led a study, published today in the journal Nature, of this exotic exoplanet. Known as WASP-76b, it is located some 640 light-years away in the constellation of Pisces.This strange phenomenon happens because the 'iron rain' planet only ever shows one face, its day side, to its parent star, its cooler night side remaining in perpetual darkness. Like the Moon on its orbit around the Earth, WASP-76b is ‘tidally locked’: it takes as long to rotate around its axis as it does to go around the star.On its day side, it receives thousands of times more radiation from its parent star than the Earth does from the Sun. It’s so hot that molecules separate into atoms, and metals like iron evaporate into the atmosphere. The extreme temperature difference between the day and night sides results in vigorous winds that bring the iron vapour from the ultra-hot day side to the cooler night side, where temperatures decrease to around 1500 degrees Celsius. Read the rest

A Toronto Star article profiles married couple Manny Ranga and Violeta Perez, who drive around to Costcos and load their pickup with hand sanitizer bottles and disinfectant wipes, then resell the items on Amazon at quadruple the purchase price. They claim to have made over $100,000 so far by gouging.From the article:The couple say they’ve made a bundle in the past three weeks hitting up every Costco store in the region each day, buying up as many Lysol wipes and liquid cleaners as they can — spending thousands of dollars at a time — and then reselling them, mostly on Amazon, to private individuals and companies....Ranga, 38, said one six-pack of wipes that goes for $20 at Costco can fetch four times that online. (A check of Amazon on Thursday showed that a six-pack was going for $89 under their seller name “Violeta & Sons Trading Ltd.”) Read the rest

The Drive reports that "the stars of Discovery Channel's Diesel Brothers television show are being ordered to pay $851,451 for their role in producing and selling modified diesel pickups that wreaked environmental havoc in the state of Utah."They were found guilty of stripping emissions equipment from diesel pickups. The trial was initiated by Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment, which purchased a modified truck from the Diesel Brothers and tested it for emissions. The "results showed it emitted 36 times more pollution and 21 times more particulate matter than if it was equipped with proper emissions systems," reports The Drive.The federal judge in the case also said the gentleman, known as "Heavy D" and "Diesel Dave," are also on the hook for the plaintiffs' $1.2 million legal fees and that the fines can't be avoided through bankruptcy. Read the rest

At r/Seinfeld, MrJonLott writes:At the Raynham flea market 2 years ago I found a DVD with 80 minutes of previously unseen Seinfeld bloopers. These are different from the official DVD bloopers, which are already on YouTube. This DVD was in a bootleg case with a bootleg design, and a simple unvarnished disc inside. I ripped the footage from the DVD and uploaded it raw to YouTube. Forgive the video quality; the DVD has low-grade video.The DVD was produced in 2000, which makes me think it's a bootleg of a blooper DVD made for the cast and crew of Seinfeld in 1998 or 1999, to be shared in the days before internet. There is nothing else on the disc. Read the rest

In this segment of Curiosity Show we are presented with an illusion involving two playing cards. In just a couple of minutes we get an entertaining lesson in art history, perspective, and vision. Read the rest

Netflix just released the third season of its anime Castlevania adaptation, and I certainly never expected to be so excited such a thing. Sure, I played the games a little bit as a kid. But I don't usually go in for that much anime, or that many video games adaptations.This one, however, is written by Warren Ellis and directed by Adi Shankar, and it was been a consistently enjoyable ride. Ellis himself acknowledges that he's never played the "vampire jump game" at all, and just used Wikipedia to figure out the relationships worth mining to tell a good story. And at that, he succeeded. The dialogue is hilarious and crass; the bloody, brutal action sequences often make me squee with delight; and the characters are all complex enough to make you want to spend time with them, even when they're absolutely awful people. Hell, this show might have the most empathetic and sympathetic depiction of Dracula I've ever seen — which is impressive for a dude who starts a global war to feast on humans.I'm only halfway through season 3 — which adds Bill Nighy and Lance Reddick to an already-excellent cast that includes Richard Armitage, James Callis, Alejandra Reynoso, and Jamie Murray — and I'm eager to finish the rest.If you're looking for something to keep you occupied during your self-quarantine, and you don't mind a lot of blood and cursing, I highly recommend it. If the plot-based trailer above doesn't intrigue you, then perhaps this will: Read the rest

In 1997, The Notorious B.I.G. (aka Biggie Smalls) visited the Manhattan offices of The Source, then the most influential hip hop publication in the world. Biggie was there for a photo shoot and took off his size 52 pleather belt to change clothes. He told Source writer Rigo “Riggs” Morales to hold on to the belt and he'd grab it later. Biggie forgot. A couple weeks later, Biggie was killed in a drive-by shooting. A few years later on his last day at the magazine, Riggs instructed the office's incoming resident, writer Aliya S. King, that Biggie's belt was never to leave that room. Over two decades, none people were charged with keeping the belt safe. Over at Level, King tells the tale of Biggie's belt and why it matters so much to her:It didn’t feel like a monumental relic or symbol of hip-hop history. It wasn’t one of Big’s infamous Coogi sweaters or the Versace sunglasses that he wore or shouted out in his rhymes. It was a no-name brand size 52 belt. And yet, Riggs decided it needed to stay in that spot.“That belt doesn’t leave this office,” Riggs said to me.I nodded.“Not under any circumstances,” he continued. “It stays right there. Right on that hook. Unless Big himself comes here to get it, it doesn’t move.”“I got it.”“If you move offices or if you leave The Source, the belt stays here. You can tell the next person who moves in here.” Read the rest

“Pornhub is donating its March proceeds from Modelhub to support Italy during this unfortunate time," the company said on Twitter:Model earnings will remain untouched, this is coming straight from Pornhub's share. Italy will also have free access to Pornhub Premium throughout the month. Forza Italia, we love you!pic.twitter.com/8ckeikKKnv— Pornhub ARIA (@Pornhub) March 12, 2020It's kind of wild that a porn site has already done more to fight coronavirus than the US President Who Has Sex With Porn Stars, but here we are.Pornhub offers free premium service in Italy to ease coronavirus pains [Joe Tacopino / NY Post]Image: Public Domain via Pexels Read the rest

From Politico:The U.S. government proclamation initiating the ban targets 26 European countries that comprise a visa-free travel zone known as the Schengen Area.The United Kingdom, which is home to Trump Turnberry and Trump International Golf Links, and Ireland, which is home to another Trump-branded hotel and golf course at Doonbeg, do not participate in the Schengen Area. Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania are also not part of the Schengen Area. All three of the resorts are struggling financially.To be fair, this is probably not a deliberate gerrymandering scheme; the Trump Organization simply doesn't have any property in the designated area. Presumably, the argument in favor of blocking travel to that part of Europe has to do more with open borders; while Ireland might still be part of the EU, at least the water keeps things separate.Trump’s travel ban sidesteps his own European resorts [Ryan Heath / Politico]Image: Whoisjohngalt/Wikimedia Commons (CC 4.0) Read the rest

And we're done! We (along with John, who loved that this was serialized) would like to thank everyone on Boing Boing, and all readers, for following this story over the pace of a page or two every month. The obvious question: What's next? Answer: There will be a Kickstarter -- likely around June -- to fund a complete volume, along with extensive notes and extras. Why, it's the perfect addition to any academic library, hip comic book shelf, counterculture gift, or journalism course syllabus worth its Real News salt, naturally! You can follow on Twitter for info (Scott or Ethan) -- You can also follow this project's Kickstarter profile. Additionally, we're aware of the many of you who have purchased a Book One of the series. Your patience and support will not be ignored! We'll have a Book Two available in the Kickstarter, along with a Complete Volume (Books One and Two together). In the meantime, here's an ad for Book One - Get one before it's gone - Genuine thanks, Ethan and Scott. Read the rest

The video below shows a customer in a vehicle at a Burger King drive-through window. The restaurant is clearly ablaze, with smoke billowing from the roof and fire alarms shrieking. Staff, who have evacuated the building, call for her to move away from the burning structure. The customer demands a refund.MAN EMPLOYEE: "Is anyone still inside?"WOMAN EMPLOYEE: "Move! It's on fire!"CUSTOMER (emerging from car): "I don't give a fuck! I just moved! Now give me my money! That's what I'm asking for!"MAN EMPLOYEE: *Incoherent anguish*CUSTOMER: "Y'all were just laughing in there. Now you come out here and act all serious? You're fucking stupid!"MAN EMPLOYEE: [*further incoherent anguish*] stupid motherfucker.CUSTOMER: You ... this is why you work at Burger King. That's why you work at Burger King making $13 an hour homes! Exeunt right. Read the rest

Ever since their debut in 2016, the audio world has been chasing Apple’s AirPods. Launched with all the cache of a major Apple product along with its obvious integration with iPhones and iPads and these earbuds were essentially the tech equivalent of a rich kid born with a silver spoon in his mouth.But the thing about rich kids is that they don’t come cheap. And at $160 a pair, neither do AirPods. But sometimes, you just want earbuds that’ll be great in the sweaty confines of the gym. Or sturdy enough to survive a daily commute. Or capable of delivering quality audio even after they’ve been floating around at the bottom of your bag for a while.You need reliable, knock-around earbuds that still provide quality sound at preferably a much cheaper price. That’s the sweet spot in the market staked out by AirSounds — and their Pro True wireless earbuds are just the ticket for shoppers who don’t need a studio-level experience, but do demand trustworthy performance at an affordable price. Right now, with their added price cut, a pair are only $34.99, less than 25 percent of the cost of new AirPods.This latest version of the AirSounds pack in all the latest new innovations into this constantly improving earbud favorite. On top of the quality sound, wireless charging, voice assistant capabilities, and advanced Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity, the new Pros are also sporting a new and improved, more ergonomic design, a more seamless connection to your device and even battery life status indicators that update you every time you connect. Read the rest