While looking up something else on YouTube, I came across Santa Claus, the world's first Christmas movie! This British silent film, a little over a minute long, was made in 1898 and was directed by George Albert Smith, a "stage hypnotist, psychic, magic lantern lecturer, Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, inventor" and noted film pioneer. It was considered a technical marvel in its time and definitely worth a watch.Michael Brooke of BFI National Archive reports that the movie had "considerable technical ambition and accomplishment for its period," and that it "uses pioneering visual effects in its depiction of a visit from St. Nicholas." He also writes that it is "believed to be the cinema's earliest known example of parallel action and, when coupled with double-exposure techniques that Smith had already demonstrated in the same year's The Mesmerist (1898) and Photographing a Ghost (1898), the result is one of the most visually and conceptually sophisticated British films made up to then."In this picture you see two children being placed in bed by a maid, lights are then shut off. Santa Claus enters the room from the fireplace and proceeds to trim the tree. He then fills the stockings that were previously hung on the mantle by the children. After walking backward and surveying his work, he suddenly darts at the fireplace and disappears up the chimney. This film surprises everyone and leaves them to wonder how old St. Nicholas disappears. Read the rest

The staff at Vilnius Airport in the capitol of Lithuania decided to celebrate the holidays a little differently this year — by creating a Christmas tree out of the various objects they'd confiscated from passengers. Scissors, guns, blades, lighters, and a tree-topping star made of cheese knives. Basically it looks like the set piece for a death metal band's touring holiday stage show.Check out the creativity of the Aviation security officers at Vilnius Airport! A tree made of confiscated items. "Knives, scissors, lighters, blades, and all sorts of other dangerous goods – this Christmas tree has them all." https://t.co/OAOyHxUKmo pic.twitter.com/WTwaPhP2gJ— Lithuania Travel (@LTtravelUSA) December 11, 2019In an interview, the director of the Lithuanian Airports Security and Safety Department, Vidas Kšan, said that the tree does not include any food or liquids, which comprise a large portion of their confiscated items. Instead, the airport donates these, usually sending about 7 tons of food to charity each year. If Google Translate is actually correct (which, who the hell knows), the most commonly confiscated items are gas dispensers and electroshocks. I'm guessing that means portable plastic gas canisters, and tasers—which is still kind of a weird combination, especially for an airplane. Read the rest

Sleep masks work wonders on the sleepless. A hot towel on the face is one of the best sensations of a spa treatment. So we're not sure why eye massagers aren't more of a thing - even though just talking about how this latest model works relaxes us.It's called the Aurai Eye Massager, and let's get one thing straight: It's far more than a simple sleep mask. The massager itself resembles a set of VR goggles, though it's a bit lighter. The strap fits comfortably around the head, and the rig is attached to a reservoir that pumps water into a molded, soft compress inside the mask.The compress fits just about any head shape, molding to your eyes as the water circulates through the mask. It rolls over your eyes in gentle waves, releasing tension in the muscles of your face and the eyes themselves.As it does this, it can change temperature. Warm water can be especially good for eyestrain or dryness, while cool settings can help with those dark circles and age lines around the eye.The Aurai Eye Massager is on sale now for nearly half off the retail price, but you can take an extra 15% off by using the discount code HAPPYHOLIDAYS. Read the rest

Sometimes it's easier to focus on needs rather than wants. And the one thing that almost everyone needs these days is power. Power for smartphones, tablets and any of the other gadgets we use on a daily basis.That's why getting this pack of three 10-Ft. MFi-Certified Braided Lightning Cables is kind of a no-brainer.Each cable is 10 feet long and made of durable, braided nylon. Unlike your typical plastic-coated cords, it resists tearing and fraying, and is a lot less likely to tangle up.As for the interior, each cable is MFi-certified, meaning it's rated to work seamlessly with all of your Apple devices. And, the pack comes with a 14-day warranty for an additional dose of security.Best of all, the 3-pack is already on a deep discount at more than 80% off retail - but you can take an extra 15% off that final cost by using the holiday coupon code HAPPYHOLIDAYS. Read the rest

Le Creuset offers this Han Solo Carbonite Signature Roaster. It's enameled cast iron and sells for $450. The product description points out that "the lid’s interior has been embossed with the word “France” translated into Aurebesh, the most recognizable written language of the Star Wars galaxy." Most importantly though, they claim it is dishwasher safe. Read the rest

On Christmas Eve, 1968, astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and Bill Anders, the first humans to orbit another world, delivered a Christmas Eve message from above the lunar surface. From NASA:"We were told that on Christmas Eve we would have the largest audience that had ever listened to a human voice," recalled Borman during 40th anniversary celebrations in 2008. "And the only instructions that we got from NASA was to do something appropriate.""The first ten verses of Genesis is the foundation of many of the world's religions, not just the Christian religion," added Lovell. "There are more people in other religions than the Christian religion around the world, and so this would be appropriate to that and so that's how it came to pass."The mission was also famous for the iconic "Earthrise" image, snapped by Anders, which would give humankind a new perspective on their home planet. Anders has said that despite all the training and preparation for an exploration of the moon, the astronauts ended up discovering Earth. Read the rest

Photographer Eric Brummel created this magnificent time-lapse video of the Milky Way in which the sky is stabilized so you can experience the Earth's rotation. He captured the footage at Font's Point, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California. From Universe Today: Eric created this time-lapse by using a star-tracker with his camera. A star-tracker rotates the camera at the same speed as the Earth, but in the opposite direction. It has the visual effect of stabilizing the sky. Usually, star-trackers are used to stabilize the camera during a long exposure, to avoid blurry or streaked stars in the image. (via Daily Grail) Read the rest

Alive From Off Center was PBS's pioneering TV series that featured experimental video and performance pieces by artists like Ann Magnuson, the Brothers Quay, Jonathan Demme, Bill Irwin, and Laure Anderson. For me, the program, which aired between 1985 and 1996, was a wonderful introduction to many avant-garde artists and filmmakers. Above is Laurie Anderson's "What You Mean We?" that first aired on September 6, 1986. Here's a New York Times article about the episode from the time: "TV: Laurie Anderson Performs"(via r/ObscureMedia) Read the rest

A Roman Catholic church in the rural community of Cow Island, Louisiana dumped 100 gallons of holy water from a crop duster airplane onto the people and their land below. From NPR:"I've blessed some buckets for people and such, but never that much water," (Rev. Matthew Barzare of St. Anne Church) said.The pilot had instructions to drizzle certain parts of the community, including churches, schools, grocery stores and other community gathering places...The idea was first proposed by a parishioner who is studying to become a missionary who was looking for a way to spread both community togetherness and holy water across Cow Island.And the more Barzare considered it, the more it made sense."Most parishes have a central location, but my area that I have to cover is a good 30 minutes to the next church, and so by plane, we realized, it might be the easiest way to sprinkle people's fields, rather than me going in a car to different locations," he said. Read the rest

The holidays can be a boozy time of year for many people. Even though I'm on four different medications with labels stating that I shouldn't drink alcohol while taking them, I still like the occasional nip—I mean, If I don't wash the pills down, I'm technically not drinking while taking the meds, right? Going in for a bit of spiked eggnog, homemade Irish cream in your coffee or a bit of dark rum in a mug of hot chocolate are obvious choices for blustery, cold, northern hemisphere revels. However, I don't think that anyone can argue that such traditional concoctions can be a little boring (not that you'd care after three or four rounds.) If you're looking for some fabulous new drinks to liquor you, your loved ones and friends up for the holidays, Texas Monthly has some outstanding suggestions to take for a spin.From Texas Monthly:Whether you’re toasting friends and family in celebration or calming your nerves at the very same social obligations, the holidays inevitably present many opportunities for alcohol consumption. This year, instead of drinking to excess, consider adding some mocktails to your repertoire—or at least have them ready for any teetotaler guests. We asked four of the state’s best bartenders to share their current favorite creations with us for the yuletide season. And with a “nice” mocktail for every “naughty” cocktail, you can be sure there’s something delicious for everyone to sip.There's a number of absolutely delicious drinks on this list that could make your holidays a helluva lot more jolly. Read the rest

Willie Nelson's Martin N-20 guitar, affectionately known as Trigger, has seen some shit. Happily, the majority of the shit it's seen has been in the name of making countless music lovers, the world over, happy. Over the years, Willie's finger-pickin' playing style has worn second soundhole into the guitar (not to mention the other carnage that this poor instrument has somehow survived.)To keep Trigger alive and playable, Texas-based luthier, Mark Erlewine, gives the iconic instrument a whole lot of TLC during the guitar's annual checkup. Read the rest

What a terrific perk, after five years of working at Fantasy Flight Games, employees gets their likenesses added to a game. Below are four examples from the Shadow of the Beanstalk Android sourcebook: View this post on Instagram As some may know, after five years of working at FFG our employees are put into one of our games as a thank you for their amazing work. Today, we would like to share a couple of the fantastic employee-art pieces that appear in Shadow of the Beanstalk, the Android sourcebook for Genesys! #Android #Genesys #RoleplayingGames #TabletopGames #LifeAtFFGA post shared by Fantasy Flight Games (@fantasyflightgames) on Dec 3, 2019 at 1:14pm PSTFive more examples are collected at Board Game Atlas. Read the rest

When it comes to smoking methods, dabbing is still a fringe exercise. Which is puzzling, because inhaling from a wax concentrate is pretty potent.It might have something to do with the gear involved, which - up til now - has meant you can't really take the show on the road. The Very Happy Dab Kit aims to change all that.This all-in-one pack contains all the items you need for a clean, easy hit, plus a few gadgets even experienced dabbers might not have at home. They include the essential butane torch and vapor glass (with a titanium tip and mouthpiece), but also a nectar collector, dab pad and containers for your concentrate of choice.It's all bundled together neatly and securely in a hardshell container. All the gear is tightly packed and protected against most impacts, but it's also smell-proof from the outside - a definite plus.The Very Happy Dab Kit is currently on sale for 14% off the MSRP, but you can take an extra 15% off that final price by using the discount code HAPPYHOLIDAYS. Read the rest

Ahh, Kef Bir and Exogol, sure to become cherished locations in Star Wars lore, are now the featured destinations in Star Tours. Disney says Star Tours now offers more than 100 storytelling combinations, but "for the next few months we’ll exclusively feature the destinations inspired by Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker."If you'd like only a glimpse of the new destinations, enjoy this promotional video:And if you'd like the full experience, find someone to shake your chair, and enjoy:Speaking of Star Tours, here's a lengthy editorial arguing that Star Tours is a better attraction than Galaxy's Edge's Millennium Falcon:The themes of Star Tours include things like “the bad guys just hijacked my vacation,” being a tourist in the galaxy, and how one person can make a difference in the grand scheme of things (even if they didn’t realize it). Comparatively, Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run’s themes are much more shallow, including “I flew the Millennium Falcon,” smuggling to enrich yourself, and targeting guests for ridicule.(Via Polygon.) Read the rest

Former MTV Veejay Martha Quinn is now a deejay and blogger for iHeart80s. On Friday, she posted a bunch of holiday videos from her MTV days, including this gem that reunites the Monkees for a weird medley from Christmas Eve 1986. She writes:This Monkees video is historic for Monkees fans as it reunited Monkee Mike Nesmith with Monkees Peter Tork, Davy Jones and Micky Dolenz!In the world of MTV this video gives a peek into a new era. We’re welcoming VJs Carolyn Heldman and Downtown Julie Brown, but by this time we’d said good-bye to original VJs JJ Jackson and Nina Blackwood which was part of the transformation to MTV phase 2, that would include Head Banger’s Ball host Adam Curry, VJ Kevin Seal, and Yo! MTV Raps hosts Ed Lover and Doctor Dré. This was our last Christmas video.But guess what…out of the blue along would come something called “The Internet” and “YouTube.” Thanks to them we can enjoy these videos all over again!!Eighties fans will enjoy following Martha on Twitter. Read the rest

From the University of Saskatchewan:Wild pigs typically weigh between 120 and 250 pounds. They have around six piglets per litter, per year.They are adapted to very cold temperatures, and can breed in any season, living in pigloos burrowed into the snow. Sexually mature within four-to-eight months, they feed on all common types of farmers’ crops, including corn, wheat and canola. They also eat insects, birds, reptiles and small mammals.“The growing wild pig population is not an ecological disaster waiting to happen—it is already happening,” said USask’s Ryan Brook, lead researcher for the Canadian Wild Pig Project, a Canada-wide research program, and Aschim’s supervisor.Even the New York Times is getting in on the pigloo action (although it has yet to be noted on the Times First Said Twitter bot):Many experts thought the pigs couldn’t thrive in cold climates. But they burrow into the snow in winter, creating so-called pigloos — a tunnel or cave with a foot or two of snow on top for insulation. Many have developed thick coats of fur.Now they are poised to invade states along the border, threatening to establish a new beachhead in this country.“It’s concerning that Canada isn’t doing anything about it,” said Maggie Nutter, one of 80 concerned ranchers and farmers who met recently near Sweet Grass, Mont., to discuss the potential swine invasion. “What do you do to get them to control their wild hog population?”It seems that not even an AR-15 nor a Jason Isbell song can stop these feral hogs from burrowing. Read the rest

Who are these people that have time for a job, social life, and actual healthy meals? With a nutrition segment on seemingly every talk show and entire networks devoted to food, it can sometimes seem like we've never left our mother's house and her constant admonitions to "eat your vegetables!"And okay, she was right. But things were a lot easier when she was feeding them to us. Being an adult requires buying these things, planning your meals for the week so they don't go bad, and (worst of all) actually cooking them.Which is why we turn to takeout, let's face it. But Daily Harvest might just be the thing that slowly replaces it - or at least relegates it to the occasional guilty pleasure it should be.We've all heard of those meal deliveries that show up at your front door, ready to cook. And while some of them may indeed be healthy, Daily Harvest does them better by actually being easy to make. Everything is perfectly portioned and takes one step to prep. Like, five minutes or less kind of easy.Setting up a plan with Daily Harvest takes about as much time as prepping one of their meals. You can pick from Sweet Potato + Wild Rice Hash harvest bowl, Cold Brew + Cacao Smoothies, Pumpkin + Chai Oat Bowls and over 65 more items, built on organic fruits and vegetables frozen at their peak to lock in peak season freshness.Once they arrive, stick them in the freezer and heat them up or blend them as required. Read the rest

TMI: It's not just applicable to the stuff your best friend posts online about their kidney stones. There's too much information in general, online and everywhere. Too many opinions, facts, strategies and stories - but that doesn't mean some of it isn't worth knowing.That's likely why BookNotes is getting solid reviews on the App Store. Its mission is to take all those books you say you'll get around to reading and give you the gist in 15 minutes or less.BookNotes' library of book summaries includes titles from Eckhart Tolle, John Gray, Tim Ferris and other heavy hitters in the business and self-help world. It's also got fiction classics like 1984 and The Great Gatsby. There's even a few original mini-books, plus summaries of top Netflix documentaries like Inside Bill's Brain: Decoding Bill Gates.They're all distilled into tightly-organized snippets that give you the key ideas, plot summaries, and takeaways. And since they're also available on audio, you can soak up a great book on every daily commute.You can access the app from any device, and a lifetime subscription is now a full 90% off the retail price. Get your own BookNotes account and start getting the information you need, when you need it. Read the rest

Yesterday was the first night of Hanukkah. From the International Space Station, astronaut Jessica Meir tweeted the image above and the following: "Happy Hanukkah to all those who celebrate it on Earth! #HappyHanukkah" Read the rest

David Rush now holds the Guinness World Record for the most juggling catches in 60 seconds. Rush had the record before, with 556 catches, until Michael Ferreri snatched it with 558. Now, 586 catches later, the record is Rush's once again. From UPI:Rush also decided to take on his own record for speed juggling using the slower cascade pattern of juggling and managed 502 catches in one minute, beating his own 2016 record of 428 catches.The Idaho man, who has broken more than 100 Guinness records to promote STEM education, said the speed juggling records were the most difficult that he has attempted. Read the rest

A classic robotics video from Boston Dynamics in 2015.Think of how much more developed the robots are now!Yikes.[YouTube] Read the rest

GROOT. GINGERBREAD.Says IMGURian @cdeniseeriksson, 'I made a gingerbread Groot!'This years christmas gingerbread project! It took me 5 weeks, 1 for planning and 4 to build. It has a wire mesh structure underneath to fill out the shape, since it’s 1:1 scale. Truly spectacular.I don't wanna eat him. But I would.Scroll down in her gallery for the excellent video!I made a gingerbread Groot! Read the rest

The US Navy has issued a policy banning the social media app TikTok from government-issued mobile devices, saying the China-owned video messaging service is a “cybersecurity threat.” Authorities will block devices with the app from the Navy Marine Corps Intranet.From Reuters:A bulletin issued by the Navy on Tuesday showed up on a Facebook page serving military members, saying users of government issued mobile devices who had TikTok and did not remove the app would be blocked from the Navy Marine Corps Intranet.The Navy would not describe in detail what dangers the app presents, but Pentagon spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Uriah Orland said in a statement the order was part of an effort to “address existing and emerging threats”.TikTok did not return a request for comment. The Navy would not describe in detail what dangers the app presents, but Pentagon spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Uriah Orland said in a statement the order was part of an effort to “address existing and emerging threats”. https://t.co/wR0UHoqCi6— Alex Ptachick (@alexptachick) December 23, 2019I don't think any dystopian sci-fi I've read predicted this kind of future scenario.US government needs to ban an application with ties to a foreign state (China) because otherwise their own Navy personnel would willingly install it on their own phones.https://t.co/Ounql9rgqU— Zeh Fernando (@zeh) December 21, 2019Following five consecutive Russian military selfie bans, this is the largest military digital media ban (not regulation) that we know of. Russian bans didn’t work, so the real question is: how will this be monitored and prosecuted at scale. Read the rest

New York billionaire and 2020 US presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg is working with former Facebook and FourSquare executives on technology systems for Bloomberg's campaign. Hawkfish’s executives from Silicon Valley include longtime Facebook Chief Marketing Officer Gary Briggs, who recently posted on his social media page that he is now a digital director at “Mike Bloomberg 2020,” and Jeff Glueck, former CEO of location-tracking firm Foursquare. CNBC reports that right after he founded a technology company named Hawkfish that was incorporated just this past spring, the firm began working on races in Virginia and Kentucky, where Democrats scored key victories in November:Hawkfish will be the “primary digital agency and technology services provider for the campaign,” Julie Wood, a Bloomberg campaign spokeswoman, told CNBC. She added that the firm “is now providing digital ad services, including content creation, ad placement and analytics” for their campaign. It will also help Democratic races across the country in future election cycles, she said.The company’s existence has not been previously reported. Bloomberg’s campaign disclosed details about the company after CNBC pressed the campaign about its recent hiring spree.Bloomberg, a billionaire former three-term mayor of New York, started building the company early in 2019, before he decided to seek the Democratic presidential nomination, the campaign aide said. While the campaign declined to say how much Bloomberg has invested in the company, Bloomberg has said he will spend over $100 million on anti-Trump digital ads. His campaign has already spent at least $13 million on Facebook and Google spots. Read the rest

Google and Apple remove app

On Thursday, the Oxbow Prairie Horizons School in Saskatchewan, Canada staged their annual student Christmas concert. The show, "Santa Goes Green," pissed off parents in the town where oil is one of the major industries. Here's a description from the Santa Goes Green sheet music:Melting ice caps, global warming, surfing reindeer! The North Pole is going green this year and everyone is excited – everyone, that is, except Santa who likes things just the way they are. Solar panels, LED light bulbs, new power sources? It all sounds a bit inconvenient to him. Mrs. Claus, the elves, toys and reindeer have their hands full! From CBC:(Mike Gunderman, whose daughter was in the show,) said the concerns raised were not directed at the children. He said they did a great job singing and performing, but he felt it was "the wrong message to send at the wrong time of the season."Especially when our industry is suffering right now," he said. "It's a tough time for everybody." Audrey Trombley, chair of the South East Cornerstone Public School Division where Oxbow Prairie is located, apologized to anyone who was offended by the concert, saying there was never any intention to make the show political. "There was no political agenda," said Audrey Trombley, chair of the division's Board of Trustees. "The teacher chose the song because of the rhythm and the beat, and thought the kids would like it."image: cover detail of Santa Goes Green sheet music book (Hal Leonard) Read the rest

Ram Dass -- counterculture icon, psychedelic pioneer, and spiritual guide -- has died at age 88. After turning on with his Harvard psychology colleague Timothy Leary in the early 1960s, Ram Dass (formerly Richard Alpert) became an intrepid explorer of higher consciousness and dedicated his life to teaching what he learned to the world. From Tricycle:In Be Here Now, Ram Dass‘s first book for the masses, which has sold over 2 million copies since publication in 1971, he offered seekers an engaging, unconventional, slightly zany roadmap for finding a spiritual path and a more enduring connection to higher consciousness than a tab of acid could bring. From then on, in close to a dozen books and countless teachings, retreats, and podcasts, Ram Dass continued to share the wisdom of a journey that had long gone beyond personal transformation to embrace a cosmic worldview and social agenda...“My life has been a dance between power and love,” he observed after the massive cerebral hemorrhage in 1997 that left the charismatic, preternaturally articulate teacher groping for words. “First part, till Harvard: power, power, power, power. Up until drugs, I thought power was the end all and be all, because I was a little individual. Then drugs: love, love, love, love. My first mushroom trip was so profound that I saw radiance was inside, and I said, ‘I’m home, I’m home, I’m home.'” Read the rest

"China flight systems jammed by pig farm’s African swine fever defences." That headline from the South China Morning Post sums up this strange story. Gangs in China reportedly send drones to drop material infected with Swine Flu on pig farms. Then, the gangs buy the meat on the cheap and sell it to unwitting customers. (Swine flu rarely passes to humans.) From the South China Morning Post:The farm, in northeastern China, was ordered last month to turn in an unauthorised anti-drone device installed to prevent criminal gangs dropping items infected with the disease, according to online news portal Thepaper.cn.The device came to light after a series of flights to and from Harbin airport complained about losing GPS signals while flying over Zhaozhou county in Heilongjiang in late October. In some cases, the ADS-B tracking technology – which determines an aircraft’s position via satellite navigation – failed.(via Daily Grail)image: "Main symptoms of swine flu in swine" (Public Domain) Read the rest

Matt Shea has served as a state representative for Washington since 2008. He's also a violent religious separatist and a member of the extreme right-wing Patriot Movement. Shea was an ardent supporter of Cliven Bundy, the Mormon extremist who lead a face-off with the government over cattle-grazing fees and an admitted act of arson, and later joined in on the armed occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. He also has a history of violent road rage, and has been accused of physical abuse by multiple ex-wives. And then there was that whole thing with child training camps for an impending race war.Somehow, none of that has disqualified him thus far from serving in the Washington State House of Representatives. But that might change, thanks to a new report from an independent investigation into his activities. From NPR:Independent investigators commissioned by the Washington State House of Representatives found that Shea, as a leader of the Patriot Movement, "planned, engaged in, and promoted a total of three armed conflicts of political violence against the United States government" between 2014 and 2016.The report also concluded that Shea was involved in training young people to fight a "holy war." He created a pamphlet called Biblical Basis for War and advocated replacing the government with a theocracy and "the killing of all males who do not agree."Chat messages showed Shea, a lawyer who was first elected in 2008, condoned intimidation of opponents, political activists, government officials and Muslims. Read the rest

Ever since the glorious disaster that was Cambridge Analytica and the entire political climate of 2016, Mark Zuckerberg has been making the rounds from press outlets to private meetings with Republican donors to Congressional testimonies to more private meetings with Republican donors, all with increasing frequency. But he has yet to grant an audience to the Guardian since they broke the initial story with whistleblower testimony.So naturally, the Guardian enlisted the help of Botnick Studios to create a neural network trained on some 200,000+ words from Zuckerberg's interviews, speeches, and blogposts over the last three years. And they interviewed that instead.Perhaps unsurprisingly, this "Zuckerbot" sounds about as convincing as the real Zuckerberg — which is to say like an eerily fabricated alien simulacrum of a human being. For example, here's how it describes the purpose of Facebook:First, I want to thank you all for being a part of my mission. The purpose of Facebook is to bring about internet for people in the digital room. It is about advertising dollars to people who pay to be able to pay. We believe in building $8bn of voice on the platform for dads who are hungry for coffee.And on his secret meetings with Donald Trump:Is anything ever secure? Is anything ever secret? Guess what? The answer is a clear maybe. Or maybe not. I am going to say quiet words in your face just like I did with him and Congress. You can’t expect me to tell you a secret that I didn’t share with him but I am confident that we are sharing the same infrastructure. Read the rest

Kíla's music has been a huge part of my life for decades.In January of 2015, I was preparing to travel to Costa Rica, and Nicaragua to take some time away from the damp of a British Colombian winter and undertake a bit of travel writing. I'd read online that Kíla had a new album ready to pop. I was desperate to have a copy of it to use as my soundtrack for my 14-day trek. Contacting the band via Twitter and, later, by email, I explained to them how important their music was in my life and that, a trip to a new continent needed to be accompanied by their new music.Three days before I was set to fly away from Vancouver Island, a small parcel from Ireland showed up in the post: it was a CD copy of Suas Síos. I quickly ripped it to throw on my iPhone and sent them an emailed thank-you which I'm pretty sure wasn't nearly eloquent enough to capture my gratitude.The woman, who is now my partner in life, was working in Costa Rica as a dive master. We've been together for close to five years now, and married for almost three of those. I consider Suas Síos the album and, consequentially, Suas Síos the song, to be good luck charms, of sorts. I never leave the house for a pop down to the shop or an adventure like our upcoming trip to Morocco, without them.I hear tell that Kíla's got a new album on the way. Read the rest

While attempting to dock in Cozumel, Mexico, the Carnival Glory struck the Carnival Legend, and then narrowly missed a third ship. Turn up the volume on the video to hear the eyewitnesses' excitement at getting video turn to horror at realizing their own danger, and then return to enthusiasm for getting more video."You got the video?""He's going to hit us next!""Why are you yelling?!""He's going to hit us, get your videos."Carnival Glory just crashed into Carnival Legend and almost crashed into Oasis of the Seas at the Cozumel cruise port. #FoxNews #RoyalCaribbean #CarnivalLegend #CarnivalGlory #OasisoftheSeas pic.twitter.com/5ITBCfz99L— Matthew Bruin (@BruinMatthew) December 20, 2019ABC has a statement from the cruise line:"We are assessing the damage but there are no issues that impact the seaworthiness of either ship. We have advised guests from both ships to enjoy their day ashore in Cozumel," the statement added.Here's the overhead view of the collision:#carnivalglory 10 year anniversary cruise just crashed. License and insurance please! #carnivalcrash #10yearanniversary #cozumel #oopsie pic.twitter.com/s2gNUHcWSR— Wendy Brewer (@WendyBrew5967) December 20, 2019And here's a close up of the damage:Crazy from Carnival Glory - crashed into Carnival Legend as it attempted to dock in Cozumel pic.twitter.com/qJffndnHf6— christian maxey (@cmaxeyy) December 20, 2019 Read the rest

The Hellboy 25th Anniversary show opened December 14th at Copro Gallery. The artwork above is by Dos Diablos; David Igo, Kelly O'Neill, Anthony Mestas; and Natalie Hall. Here are a few more gems from the show:Mike Mignola.Chet Zar.Amilcar Fong, Casey Love.Bill Sienkiewicz. Read the rest

A good vaporizer is a preferred method for casual smoking for a reason. There's just something about the operation that's calming, and definitely preferable to lighting up.Combine that with CBD, and you've got a daily ritual that can not only melt your stress but chronic aches and pains too. This Jane West CBD Vape Pen is a great intro to cannabidiol that comes pre-loaded with a flavorful batch of the stuff.The pen itself is completely portable, less than five inches long. The battery is long-lasting and, like most Jane West gear, it delivers a clean puff consistently.This particular pen is actually a kit, and it comes pre-packed with 200 mg of CBD hemp farmed in Colorado, blended with rose terpenes that give it a smooth, aromatic edge. As with all CBD products, make sure you're at least 18, and check with your doctor and your state laws before purchasing.Best of all? The Jane West 200mg CBD Vape Pen is currently on sale at a full 34% off the MSRP. Read the rest

Though I keep buying the damned things, I've never liked any of the portable bluetooth (or airplay) speakers I've gotten: they're all too large, too daft, too boofy or too tinny, too fancy, too hinky. So when I was handed the JBL Go 2, my mind immediately turned to regifting it. I'm glad I didn't, though, because it's perfect. It's the right size, it's cheap, it works, it's waterproof, it can survive a drop, it doesn't look stupid, and it sounds good. That something with such basic and useful function hits all these notes makes it a perfect last-minute stocking stuffer. It's straightforward enough for technophobes, but even hard-to-shop-for gadget lovers will dig it as a no-nonsense EDC sidearm. If you order it today, it'll arrive before Christmas, at least on Amazon Prime. They're at Best Buy too, but only in black.The power switch, volume and pairing controls are embossed on the metallic rubbery finish, while the the non-waterproof AUX and USB ports are hidden under a flap. I got about 5 hours of playback on a charge. The box is about three inches square and an inch deep. It fits in my jean pockets but packed a good, bassy punch.The only thing I don't like is the big white JBL logo painted all over it. Annoyingly, while it comes in white, the logo is then dark gray. JBL Go 2 [Amazon]JBL Go 2 [Best Buy] Read the rest

"Anybody can be a creator.""All you need is something to say."Those are great platitudes when you're building up the confidence to start your YouTube channel or vlog, but let's be honest: If you want to be heard, you need to look and sound presentable first. And we're not just talking about your diction and wardrobe.Luckily, you don't need to shell out thousands for a professional movie camera. The guys behind the world's foremost microphone makers have introduced the Shure MV88+ Video Kit, which can turn any smartphone into a versatile shooting rig.It includes a Shure microphone, phone clamp, and mini-tripod that configures into modes that are ideal for selfies, field shooting, interviews or nearly any situation you want to capture. The mic pairs up with your smartphone by Lightning cable or USB — just set the gain levels and you're ready to go. Presets can help you quickly deal with crowd sounds, acoustic music or any kind of ambient noise.The entire rig is now available for almost 20% off the retail price. Pick it up and start creating content that's actually going to turn heads. Read the rest

Tammy and the T-Rex features Denise Richards (Tammy) and Paul Walker (Michael) as young loverbirds. After Michael is badly wounded by Tammy's ex-boyfriend, a mad scientist seizes his brain and inserts it into a robotic T-Rex. The movie was filmed with an R rating in mind, but the violence was removed for its initial release. That missing footage has now been reinserted to form the "gore cut." Birth Movies Death explains:While the body count in the kids’ version is (and I suspect I’m recalling correctly here) zero, the “Gore Cut” sees nearly ten minutes of additional footage added to the film, dotting the running time with deaths but mostly contributing two absolutely wonderful added/extended sequences. The best is a sublime bit of surgical slapstick in which Michael’s brain is profoundly mishandled on its way to its dinosaur housing, creating a surprising amount of chaos in a surprisingly small operating theatre. The other comes mid-film, as Michael’s Rexed-out rage increases and he rampages through a high school kids’ party. High schoolers get stomped on, chomped, and killed in more inventive ways I won't spoil, with a surprising quantity of blood spilled and laughter released. It’s amazing this material was cut, given how expensive it must have been, but on the other hand, it’s amazing the movie was even produced in the first place. The gore cut will be streaming on Shudder in January. Read the rest

A recent Boston Police report has revealed the probable plot to Ben Affleck's next crime movie:A 29-year-old male from South Boston, had stolen a box truck loaded with at least $10,000 worth of lobsters from a local lobster company located in Charlestown. Employees of the company were in the process of loading the truck at the dock when the suspect jumped into the cabin of the truck and sped off. Several employees of the lobster company gave chase in a second box truck and caught up with the suspect on Medford Street near Main Street. The suspect refused to stop but instead deliberately crashed the stolen truck into the second box truck. The employees of the lobster company were able to detain the suspect until police arrived on scene.To recap: someone left a truck running with $10,000 of lobster in it. And another guy just … got into the truck and drove away. So the employees hopped into another lobster truck and chased after him. The thief ultimately crashed into the truck that was chasing him, and the employees held him there until Boston's Finest showed up.The company in question turned out to be Buy New England Lobsters. Boston Magazine spoke with Peter Lagorio, the company's sales and marketing manager, who said, “It’s probably the most Boston thing that’s ever happened.”The fahkin Boston Fish Guys could not be reached fuh comment.Foiled Lobster Truck Heist in Charlestown “Was a Very Boston Experience for Everyone Involved” [Spencer Buell / Boston Magazine]Image via Wikimedia Commons Read the rest

Want to class up your walls? There comes a time when we all must move out of the dorm room and its comfortable movie posters. A time when we might even consider purchasing actual art by actual living artists.Believe it or not, there's tons of great art out there — and you might not even have to drop a month's rent to get it. Here are eight prints by artists with a distinctive voice, all priced way down for the holidays.Giant Art "In Trouble She Will" by Agnes CecileThis hypnotic figure is the work of Silvia Pelissero, better known in her native Italy by her nom de art Agnes Cecile. The massive 54" square print comes with stretchers and hardware to mount it appropriately in any room that needs a strong focus.MSRP: $552.00Sale Price: $441.99"Daughter" by Jenny Liz Rome (Framed Print White)This piece by Canadian artist Jenny Liz Rome was inspired by her experiences as a mother. It's a great fit for bedrooms, living spaces or anywhere that needs a touch of warmth.MSRP: $129.00Sale Price: $103.20Giant Art "Casual Fridays" by Hidden MovesHere's a curious visitor from Rhys Owens' "Hidden Moves" series of paintings, ready to hang out in your living room and spread a little whimsy. At 72" by 48", it may be casual, but it won't go unnoticed.MSRP: $552.00Sale Price: $441.99Giant Art "Space Cadet" by Hidden MovesWelsh artist Rhys Owens captures quiet cool with this large-scale print. Read the rest

In my latest podcast (MP3), I conclude my serial reading of my novella Party Discipline, which I wrote while on a 35-city, 45-day tour for my novel Walkaway in 2017; Party Discipline is a story set in the world of Walkaway, about two high-school seniors who conspire to throw a "Communist Party" at a sheet metal factory whose owners are shutting down and stealing their workers' final paychecks. These parties are both literally parties -- music, dancing, intoxicants -- and "Communist" in that the partygoers take over the means of production and start them up, giving away the products they create to the attendees. Walkaway opens with a Communist Party and I wanted to dig into what might go into pulling one of those off.Here's part 1 of the reading, here's part 2, and here's part 3.We rode back to Burbank with Shirelle on my lap and one of my butt-cheeks squeezed between the edge of the passenger seat and the door. The truck squeaked on its suspension as we went over the potholes, riding low with a huge load of shopping carts under tarps in its bed. The carts were pretty amazing: strong as hell but light enough for me to lift one over my head, using crazy math to create a tensegrity structure that would hold up to serious abuse. They were rustproof, super-steerable and could be reconfigured into different compartment-sizes or shelves with grills that clipped to the sides. And light as they were, you put enough of them into a truck and they’d weigh a ton. Read the rest

Slate has dubbed the 2010s as the decade of Citizens United, the Supreme Court decision that paved the way for unlimited, anonymous corporate election spending. In 2010, the year of Citizens United, the largest political donors were Robert and Doylene Perry ($7.5m for Republicans); in 2019, it was Sheldon and Miriam Adelson ($122m).In the intervening years, we've seen dark money groups and Super PACs -- nominally independent of political candidates -- effectively run campaigns. Often these are helmed by former staffers or close family members of the candidate, making a mockery of the idea of independence. Despite this, courts have been reluctant to intervene, even when there's blatant coordination.Of course, the majority of dark money and Super PAC funds go to right wing candidates (mostly Republicans, but also finance/pharma/coal/oil-friendly Democrats). The right wing project is intrinsically elitist, grounded in the idea that some people were born to rule and that politics (monarchy, markets, theocracy, or other mechanisms) exist to elevate those people to a position of authority over the rest of us. This is a foundationally undemocratic idea, based on the subjugation of majorities by minorities, and the only way to effect it within a democracy is to convince the turkeys to vote for Christmas, by feeding them scare-stories about socialism, big government, taxation, freeloaders, abortion, white supremacy, homophobia, transphobia and misogyny. Citizens United unleashed a torrent of unlimited money used to fill every media channel, from Fox to Facebook, with disinformation campaigns aimed at getting low-information voters to cast ballots for candidates who will ruin their lives. Read the rest

Former Republican Governor of Kentucky Matt Bevin pardoned 28 prisoners on his way out of office, including Micah Schoettle, convicted of repeatedly raping a nine year old girl over a two year period, often while her sister was present. Bevin told a conservative talk-show host that he believed Schoettle had been falsely accused and convicted, citing his understanding that child rape survivor's hymen was intact (a peer-reviewed study of girls who survive rape found that only 2.1% of them had visible damage to their hymens; Bevin told an interviewer "This is perhaps more specific than people would want, but trust me, if you have been repeatedly sexually violated as a small child by an adult, there are going to be repercussions of that physically and medically").The rape survivors and their families now live in fear of their attacker, who, because of his pardon, will not have to register as a sex-offender.It's not clear why Bevin pardoned as many criminals as he did, or how he chose them, but at least some of them are related to GOP donors who hosted fundraisers to pay off his campaign debts. A partisan group of Kentucky lawmakers have called for an investigation into Bevin's pardons.Bevin was a trumpian official who often trafficked in conspiracy theories and disinformation while campaigning and in office. He served a single term before being narrowly defeated by Andy Beshear, a Democrat whose father was Steve Beshear, who served as Kentucky's governor for 8 years before Bevin took office. Read the rest

So you're building a brand. Ideally, you've got a website, but that's only half the battle. As any online marketer can tell you, the real work comes in getting that site to come up in internet searches, and come up prominently.That requires a lot of groundwork and more than a little technical know-how - both of which are laid out in the Pro Google SEO & SERP Certification Bundle.This 10-course package is a boot camp for any aspiring digital-age marketer, but it's also a road map to the top of Google's SERP (Search Engine Results Pages). There are courses that give a broad overview of marketing strategy before others dive into SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and how it's used in a variety of ways.You'll get strategies on how to build effective backlinks and navigate Google's Shopping and Merchant Center, to name just a few. You'll even learn how to gear your SEO toward emerging technology like voice search.The entire bundle is now on sale for 98% off the cost of the individual courses - and you'll get lifetime access to all 10. Read the rest

This commercial packs a lot of narrative into 29 seconds. Fred feeds Santa, Barney burglarizes Fred's home to steal food, and Santa convinces Fred to forgive Barney. Well, Fred seems to forgive Barney, but watch him only pretend to eat a mouthful of cereal at the end:Spotted by Michael Blaiklock, who has correctly been haunted by the implications of the commercial for years:Does anyone else remember this Fruity Pebbles Christmas commercial where, at the end, Fred Flintstone just starts chewing without ever putting the cereal in his mouth?? I‘ve thought about this for years. pic.twitter.com/Uk4FS2esoE— Michael Blaiklock (@LILmookieB) December 19, 2019 Read the rest

i have at least 75 answers to this question, this is one of them https://t.co/1zGgRRVjTv pic.twitter.com/mHxuUOjE5i— Jon Bois (@jon_bois) December 13, 2019SB Nation asked for recommendations for the best sports gifs of the decade, and boy they got some terrific responses.Elite skill:The exact opposite:Extreme effort:Irrepressible exuberance:Unwarranted confidence:Live broadcast moments both goofy:and mysterious:Enjoy many more responses here. Read the rest

Consider your every waking moment to be haunted, from this point on. Image via Pexels Read the rest

We'll say this about smoking: The act of asking somebody for a light is a minor bonding ritual all its own — and a great chance to make a first impression.And if it takes you a while to find a bon mot, don't sweat it: That's why they made these eye-catching throwback lighters.They're made by the guys at TSHOMX, and there is clearly a lot of work put into each one. We'd classify them as retro, but even old favorites like the flip-top Zippo didn't have this much swagger or attention to detail. They're each made from brass, hand-forged with a variety of distinctive covers and accents.Each one normally sells at retail for $99, but they are all nearly 25% off right now. Not only that, you can take an extra 15% off that final price by using the holiday coupon code MERRYSAVE15. Take your pick, and enjoy the attention. (Bear in mind that lighter fuel for these is sold separately.)Handcrafted Brass Carved Lift Arm Kerosene LighterThe cowhide cover on this one is classy, but we love the centerpiece. The intricate gearwork makes it the perfect accessory to your outfit at the steampunk cotillion.Classic Lighter with Eagle Coin SleeveFor something a little more understated, try this model in basic black. The centerpiece is an eagle coin, rustic but polished.Brass Carved Flint Wheel Kerosene LighterHere's the same gearwork accent and cowhide cover with a different lighting mechanism. The striker is a flint wheel operation, perhaps more familiar to the Zippo crowd. Read the rest

Whether you're an industry professional, IT worker or a budding entrepreneur, your worth boils down to one main thing: expertise. What you don't know can hurt you, and what you do know can only help your resume - and your bottom line.Granted, it can be hard to keep your skillset up to date in today's changing economy. That's where services like Whizlabs become invaluable.What's Whizlabs? Think of it as an on-demand vo-tech university, only a lot more expansive, accessible - and affordable. A subscription to the service gets you access to not just training, but certification in fields that are vital to today's workplace.That includes courses in cloud computing, cybersecurity, project management, marketing, and data analysis. They're all designed to allow you to operate on a range of platforms, and since the service is updated regularly, you know you're ready for the next big thing.A lifetime membership to Whizlabs Online Certifications is now over 90% off the MSRP. Read the rest

Doctors who accept pharma industry gifts (which can range from free coffees to lavish dinners to six-figure speaking fees) claim that they're not influenced by these bribes/gifts, which is possibly why doctors are taking more pharma bribes than ever.Now, an empirical study by Propublica draws on mandatory disclosure data on pharma gifts as well as prescribing data to show that "Doctors who receive money from drugmakers related to a specific drug prescribe that drug more heavily than doctors without such financial ties."The sample size is large. The effect size is large. The effects are consistent across multiple drugs. The size of the gift needed to change prescribing behavior is bewilderingly small. It's not the first such study, but it's an important, empirical addition to our understanding of the problems with this practice. Obviously, the pharma industry wouldn't spend all that money if they didn't think it made a good return on their investment, but industries often spend lavishly on useless things for long periods (for example, think of all the firms that entrust hedge funds with large sums of money, despite the fact that hedge funds generally underperform relative to a simple index-tracker). It's nice to have some outside validation.For some drugs that are household names, it was more common for prescribers to receive a payment than not to. More than half of doctors who prescribed Breo, an expensive asthma drug, to Medicare patients received payments involving the drug in 2016. This was also true for Invokana and Victoza, both of which are diabetes medications. Read the rest

In 2017, a string of reports revealed that data-brokers were acquiring and linking titanic sets of location data from apps and mobile carriers and mining that data (and sometimes selling it outright). The carriers promised they'd end the practice, but they were lying. A year later, fresh reports surfaced of both app- and carrier-derived location data being sold, often by companies whose lack of elementary security meant that the data was effectively available to anyone. Then we learned that carriers were supplying fine-grained, realtime location data that was ending up in the hands of bounty hunters, skip tracers, and crooks and stalkers (naturally Ajit Pai's FCC had helped them get away with it0.Now, the New York Times has obtained a file of app-derived location data of the sort amassed by brokers, composed of 50b location "pings" from 50m Americans' devices.In an extraordinary piece of journalism, the Times shows just how easy it is to positively identify people in the data-set and then follow them: whether that's senior political officials, celebrities, protesters, cops, or the families and friends of all of the above. The writers describe how they were able to identify overnight visitors to the Playboy mansion, follow journalists as they talked with sources, and watch who came and went from massage parlors, methadone clinics, the White House, and more. They followed a tech exec as he left his employer's campus and interviewed for a job at its major rival, and tracked the children of police officers as they went to school and to friends' houses. Read the rest