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Hot on the heels of an impressive Classic Space creation, Michał Kaźmierczak brings us this chunky beauty of a spaceship — the military transport Hercules.

There’s some lovely color blocking and striping on display here, but it’s the jagged recessed area filled with dark gray greebles which steals the show. Nice work on the tiny trans-yellow windows up front too — done with regular 1×2 plates “split” with some gray tape.

As well as the great build itself, Michał has deployed some good photo-editing skills to launch the ship up into space where it belongs…

This is not a radical proposal — it’s actually simple common sense.

This week, Alton Sterling was shot by the police — his “crime” was either having a gun (which, as the NRA frequently tells us, is perfectly legal) or selling CDs, which may have been illegal, but did not to be dealt with with violence. It’s telling that no one can even say what he did wrong to justify his execution.

Yesterday, Philando Castile was killed for having a broken brake light, right here in my state, in Roseville.

Both murders were caught on video. I expect none of the police officers will face any serious penalties for murdering black men.

But I have a serious question about these incidents. Why are the police armed? Do you need a gun to issue traffic citations? I remember when the police would send a representative to my public school — that “Officer Friendly” crap — and they always had a great big scary handgun strapped to their hip. Why? Were they concerned that a firefight might break out in the fifth grade?

All those policemen patrolling the streets, looking for parking infractions or speeders or jaywalkers…they don’t need guns to do their job. Given that many of them are turning out to be bullying cowards, having a gun is even a detriment to their role of defending the law and the public peace.

So disarm them. Keep a few weapons back in the police station that can be issued to deal with specific situations in which they are necessary, but for the most part, guns are totally inappropriate for the job at hand. This would have a number of beneficial effects. For one, the swaggering assholes who need their firearm to be tough would quit, and good riddance to them. For another, the police would actually have to take non-violent approaches to confrontations seriously. Maybe they’d live up to the title of “peace officer”.

I know what the arguments against this proposal will be: but then civilians will be more heavily armed than the police! After all, Philando Castile had a handgun — which he openly declared, and had a permit for — so what is the policeman to do?

That’s easy. If he were scared, the appropriate response would have been to run away, and call for assistance. But in this case, there was no sign that the man in the car was a threat. All escalation was caused by the armed policeman. Except for the fact that the policeman drew a gun and shot the man, this whole incident should have ended with a warning or ticket given to the driver, and everyone would have gone on their way.

You know what else tells me that the police don’t deserve to be armed? What they did with the murdered man’s girlfriend. They had just shot the man, she was weeping and worried about her daughter, and they handcuffed her and took her to the police station, when they should have been helping her get to her boyfriend’s side at the hospital. That made no sense. She was not a threat. She had done nothing wrong, other than maybe having a car with a broken taillight. Yet they treated her like the criminal, after murdering her boyfriend in front of her.

I’m white, and I don’t trust the police. They’re out of control everywhere. It’s time to change.

Chris McVeigh is on target with his latest build of NASA’s space probe Juno. Just as the actual space probe enters Jubiter’s orbit this week after a five-year cruise, Chris releases his own version of the famous space probe built from LEGO. This LEGO version is a great representation of Juno,  with accurate shaping and colouring although a much smaller price tag.

In a lovely twist, Juno has carried three aluminium LEGO minifigures with her on the journey to Jupiter. Our original post about the launch of Juno and her minifigure passengers was back in 2011 so it’s great to hear of the successful mission.

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In some ways, I never left the Laundry Wars. I can still smell the killing fields now, fabric softener mingling with sweetly rotten blood. In the daylight you could hear the WUBBA WUBBA WUBBA of the washing machine, but from basecamp it seemed like a dream. But, in the night, in the quiet, the WUBBA WUBBA came from inside your own head - closer than reality ever could be.

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Everyone knows Paul Hetherington is no stranger to phenomenal Batman-themed dioramas. Even so, I was completely blown away by Paul’s latest Batman build. This thing is brimming with clean lines, super-sharp details, and even moving parts! The 1950s Batman logo looks like a sticker rather than LEGO brick and the dual-distanced skyline is simply inspired. The Art Deco theater gives me chills it’s so good. Even the lamp posts look like tiny pieces of art. Seriously, look at a closeup photo and tell me you’re not going to start redecorating your living room in brown, black, and gold today. I know I am!

Paul explained that he modeled his Gotham theater off of the Marbro Theater which used to stand in Chicago. He also posted a terrific video showing all of the amazing power functions. Check it out here:

Check out more photos of this amazingly-detailed build on Flickr.

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Hmmm….this doesn’t seem to be working so well. I clearly need a bigger blanket.

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danismm:

Barnaul, Russia in the late 1960s

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Then, one day, Jesus Chrysler will come.

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Hey geeks-- we've been doing some testing and software stuff this week and it's created a lot of issues with bad ads and RSS feed bugs. We are working to get everything ironed out, but if you see something buggy, please let me know. If something has changed for the worse on your end, it is not intentional!

Photo credit Bryan Snyder/Caters News, via the Telegraph.

This illusion won second place in the annual competition for the Best Illusion of the Year.

As you watch it, keep in mind that this is a competition for optical illusions, NOT for sleight-of-hand or video tricks or other stage "magic."  That's a real mirror, showing the reflected cylinders and the hands of the operator.  The entire illusion is based on the neurophysiology of optics, and the human mind's interpretation of what the eye sees.

If you can't figure it out When you give up, the basis for the illusion is explained in this video.

This is beautiful. Guess what? Dictionaries understand dictionaries.

By the way, the @smarick fellow seems to be taking this smack upside the head in good grace, but it’s amazing to me how many people are furious at the notion of using “they” as a singular pronoun.

““Gay Pride was not born of a need to celebrate being gay, but our right to exist without persecution. So instead of wondering why there isn’t a Straight Pride movement, be thankful you don’t need one.””

- Anonymous (via reginamiills)

electthis:

On National Gun Violence Awareness Day, we have to keep in mind that for young voters, gun safety is not a controversial issue. The overwhelming majority of millennials believe that the process to own a gun should be much more rigorous. Look at this stat. and there’s no question. Young people have made up their minds about gun safety.

William H.Keith Jr.


David R.Deitrick


David R.Deitrick


William H.Keith Jr.


William H.Keith Jr.


William H.Keith Jr.


William H.Keith Jr.


William H.Keith Jr.

70sscifiart:

Art by William H.Keith Jr. and David R.Deitrick, from the RPG game The Traveller, via @hws5mp

teaberryblue:

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The fact that Sir Patrick Stewart and Sir Ian Mckellen are best friends in real life makes me so happy

x

HOW ARE THEY REAL

#squadgoals

Never stops making me smile. I want someone like this in my life. 💜

Okay so the best thing,the best thing about Sirs Patrick & Ian being best friends is that they met because of the X-Men movie.

I saw Sir Patrick speak a year or so ago and someone asked him about their friendship.  He told this story about how I think they’d once or twice worked on the same production but had had very little interaction, and that when he’d been a kid, he’d utterly looked up to Sir Ian, who had had an established theater career at a very young age. 

People assume that they’ve been friends since they were young, which makes sense given the sort of work they’ve done and their career trajectories, but no. Sir Patrick basically had a giant hero-crush-from-a-distance on Sir Ian for most of his life AND THEN on the set of X-Men, their trailers were put next to each other and they were significantly older than anyone else on the set, so they started spending their downtime together. 

And became inseparable.  And this is amazing. 

So everyone who wants a friend like this, you have time.

Holy bananas, Batman! monstrophonic has posted this absolutely stunning, detailed, 1966 Wayne Manor. The facade is just gorgeous, with the mottling and detail work. The landscaping is foreboding, with that sweeping angle up to the front of the house.

But wait, there’s more!

Turn it around to reveal an incredibly detailed interior, including what appears to be an awesome upgrade of the official Classic Batcave set. There are bats in the attic, teddy bears by the luxurious bed, and visitors in the formal living room. While there doesn’t appear to be a fire pole or quick means to the batcave, there’s a lovely hidden staircase to sneak around with!

Let’s discuss this batcave. It’s lit, and contains the classic batmobile (which you can find for yourself in 76052 LEGO Batman TV Series Batcave), along with another surprise guest scientist and innovator to help Batman figure out how to make the batmobile and batcopter even better.

An anonymous reader writes from a report via The Stack: A 2014 version of the World-Check database containing more than 2.2 million records of people with suspected terrorist, organized crime, and corruption links has been leaked online. The World-Check database is administered by Thomson-Reuters and is used by 4,500 institutions, 49 of the world's 50 largest banks and by over 300 government and intelligence agencies. The unregulated database is intended for use as "an early warning system for hidden risk" and combines records from hundreds of terror and crime suspects and watch-lists into a searchable resource. Most of the individuals in the database are unlikely to know that they are included, even though it may have a negative impact on their ability to use banking services and operate a business. A Reddit user named Chris Vickery says he obtained a copy of the database, saying he won't reveal how until "a later time." To access the database, customers must pay an annual subscription charge, that can reach up to $1 million, according to Vice, with potential subscribers then vetted before approval. Vickery says he understands that the "original location of the leak is still exposed to the public internet" and that "Thomas Reuters is working feverishly to get it secured." He told The Register that he alerted the company to the leak, but is still considering whether to publish the information contained in it.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Brexit to the right



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From Biloxi, Mississippi.  Topless.

Paulette Leaphart left her hometown of Biloxi, Mississippi, on April 30, intent on walking to Washington, D.C. -- a journey of 1,034 miles -- and arriving by June 27, her 50th birthday, a milestone her doctors weren't always confident she would reach.

She strides with a sense of purpose, acknowledging that her body is forever changed. Leaphart was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer in January 2014. She underwent a double mastectomy and wears the scars as emblems of her struggle.

Accompanied by her youngest daughter, 8-year-old Madeline, Leaphart is traveling the entire route topless.

She wants to make sure Congress understands her experience and recognizes that her plight isn't unusual... 

Here's the crux:

"I trained for this. When I got sick, I had to sell my cars. That made me walk to the doctor," Leaphart says, the memory still vivid. "I'd walk the 5 miles there, recover for an hour or two, then walk the 5 miles back."

Cancer treatment had an effect on her mouth. Many of her teeth are now chipped or broken, her molars useless.

"I need to get my mouth fixed, but do you know how much they want? Ten thousand dollars," Leaphart says, the number spilling from her lips with acrimony.

And this:

A deputy of the Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office eases out of his vehicle, parked along Jefferson Davis Highway in Virginia. He and another officer have come to talk to Leaphart about her decision to walk bare-chested...

The officer's initial concern stems from social norms based on gender -- the idea that she should be wearing a shirt because she is a woman. The officers respectfully but firmly
insist that she wear a shirt...

Leaphart no longer has nipples. That's why she is allowed to walk around shirtless. In most states, indecent exposure is defined as exposing the genitals (breasts and nether regions). She explains this to almost every officer she meets. While respectfully challenging the police's reasoning, she also confronts society's definition of what it means to be a woman.

She made it, and is scheduled to meet with some legislators.

She has found the purpose for her pain, and as she stands on the steps of the Capitol building on her birthday, she utters three words: "Thank you, God."

More details at ESPN.  Credit for both photos to Latria Graham.

I ran across the word while reading a story by Charles Kuralt, and despite my Pennsylvania German heritage, I had to look it up.

A distelfink is a stylized goldfinch, probably based on the European variety.  It frequently appears in Pennsylvania Dutch folk art.  It represents happiness and good fortune and the Pennsylvania German people, and is a common theme in hex signs and in fraktur. The word distelfink (literally 'thistle-finch') is the German name for the European goldfinch.

Next step: look up fraktur:

Fraktur is both a style of lettering and a highly artistic and elaborate illuminated folk art created by the Pennsylvania Dutch...

And then to understand why the "goldfinch" looks so odd, I had to look at photos to see that the European goldfinch looks way different from the American ones that are at our feeders all the time.

In 2013 India’s Ministry of Environment and Forests forbade the keeping of captive dolphins for public entertainment:

“Whereas cetaceans in general are highly intelligent and sensitive, and various scientists who have researched dolphin behavior have suggested that the unusually high intelligence; as compared to other animals means that dolphin should be seen as ‘non-human persons’ and as such should have their own specific rights and is morally unacceptable to keep them captive for entertainment purpose,” the ministry said.

Via Reddit.  Props to the Indian government.

Found in a Burmese amber mine:

The two new samples, weighing in at only 0.06 and 0.3 ounces (1.6 and 8.51 grams), contain bone structure, tracts of feathers, and soft tissue. They are the first Cretaceous plumage samples to be studied that are not simply isolated feathers, according to study co-author Lida Xing of the China University of Geosciences...

Skin, muscle, claws, and feather shafts are visible in both samples, along with the remains of rows of primary asymmetrical flight feathers, secondary feathers, and covert feathers. All are similar in arrangement and microstructure to modern birds.

More at National Geographic. 

The percent of American households owning guns is at a near-40 year low in the latest CBS News poll released this month. According to the survey, which was conducted among 1,001 Americans in the aftermath of the Orlando nightclub shooting, 36 percent of U.S. adults either own a firearm personally, or live with someone who does. That's the lowest rate of gun ownership in the CBS poll going back to 1978. It's down 17 points from the highest recorded rate in 1994, and nearly 10 percentage points from 2012.

Different national polls tend to show slightly different rates of gun ownership... But the downward trend in gun ownership remains consistent across the national polls.

But gun purchases, as measured by FBI firearm background checks, are at historic highs... Many gun rights advocates argue that these figures mean that the overall number of gun owners is growing... But the declining rates of gun ownership across three major national surveys suggest a different explanation: that most of the rise in gun purchases is driven by existing gun owners stocking up, rather than by people buying their first gun. A Washington Post analysis last year found that the average American gun owner now owns approximately eight firearms, double the number in the 1990s.

More details at The Washington Post.

Minions, it thrills my geeky little heart to see you Agent Carter fans ordering her iconic red hat as a cake:

Ooooh. Aaaah.

 

But I must admit, it's also a thrill to pull a new pun out of my hat, so....

Looks like someone...
[SUNGLASSES]
...busted a cap.

Thank you, thank you verramuch. And hey, that was just off the top of my head.

(Your groans are music to my ears, people.)

 

This sweet Bettie Boop miss practically writes itself:

"Boop-Oop-A....

 

"...WHOOPS."

 

It would probably be indelicate to mention how many times I've warned you all about the horrors of cupcake cakes (ptooie!), so I won't. Instead, I'll just let Mary's pictures tell the story:

It was supposed to be this.

 

Instead:

o.0

So take a card from the sand-covered mutant elephant, my friends, and NEVER FORGET.

 

Thanks to Jessica S., Anita S., & Mary B. for mastering the elephant of surprise.

*****

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Google's Project Zero team has discovered a heap of critical vulnerabilities in Symantec and Norton security products. The flaws, the team says, allow hackers to completely compromise people's machines by simply sending them malicious self-replicating code through unopened emails or un-clicked links. According to a Fortune report, the vulnerabilities affect millions of people who run the company's endpoint security and antivirus software -- all 17 enterprise products (Symantec brand) and eight consumer and small business products (Norton brand). Dan Goodin, reporting for Ars Technica:The flaws reside in the engine the products use to reverse the compression tools malware developers use to conceal their malicious payloads. The unpackers work by parsing code contained in files before they're allowed to be downloaded or executed. Because Symantec runs the unpackers directly in the operating system kernel, errors can allow attackers to gain complete control over the vulnerable machine. Tavis Ormandy, a researcher with Google's Project Zero, said a better design would be for unpackers to run in a security "sandbox," which isolates untrusted code from sensitive parts of an operating system.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Reader citadrianne shares a Motherboard article: There are big "no trespassing" signs affixed to most of our electronics. If you own a gaming console, laptop, or computer, it's likely you've seen one of these warnings in the form of a sticker placed over a screw or a seam: "Warranty void if removed." In addition, big manufacturers such as Sony, Microsoft, and Apple explicitly note or imply in their official agreements that their year-long manufacturer warranties -- which entitle you to a replacement or repair if your device is defective -- are void if consumers attempt to repair their gadgets or take them to a third party repair professional. What almost no one knows is that these stickers and clauses are illegal under a federal law passed in 1975 called the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act . To be clear, federal law says you can open your electronics without voiding the warranty, regardless of what the language of that warranty says.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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