The horror... the horror.
It's official, teenagers are taking over Churchill Downs. Soon the place will be like the food court at your local mall. We should probably enjoy the old hallowed running grounds while we can, until selfies and duck faces taking over.
Surprisingly teens weren't the most shocking thing about the Kentucky Oaks. That belonged to this guy furry:
Since this is the internet...
Original photos via Jamie Rhodes - USA TODAY Sports.
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I read something today where somebody said that women needed a Wonder Woman movie so they would have a role model.
And my first thought was, I mean, a Wonder Woman movie would be nice, but as a woman, just so you know, I’ve been appropriating your male-standardized role models my whole life. Takin’ them as my own. That’s right, dudes. Ladies have been stealing yo shit. Like, fo evah.
And, for a fact, I know it’s not just women. You think people of color watched movies and TV and thought, oh dang, there’s nobody I can look up to because nobody looks like me? Maybe for a little while, but then you get past it. (You don’t get over it, you just get past it. That’s a difference. Yeah, I give a shit that there weren’t enough women scientists on the Enterprise, but my caring isn’t going to change that, so you work with what you have when you have it, y’all. I’m not going to wait around and wish and hope until media creates a character specifically for me to identify with. I’d be waiting for a long time.)
When you’re underrepresented (or just misrepresented) in the media, you don’t just sit there and pout and whine and not look up to characters because they aren’t like you. You ignore the parts that aren’t and admire the parts that are. You think black kids didn’t identify with Harry Potter? You think girls didn’t? You think we/they only identify with characters that are also women/people of color/other things? You think wrong, douchecanoes.
We want to identify with the hero, so we do. Yeah, it’s unfair that hero doesn’t look like me, but I’m taking it anyway. Stealin your heroes all over the place.
And maybe white males haven’t had enough experience doing that yet. Maybe we need a Wonder Woman movie so that some boys can learn to admire some heroic characteristics of a woman.
(Also, just gotta mention, I personally need a Wonder Woman movie specifically because I would look great in a Wonder Woman costume.)
The second blockbuster Apple v. Samsung patent trial has ended, and it looks like a Pyrrhic victory for Apple.
The Cupertino company can notch a second win, but with far less damages than it requested. Apple wanted $2.2 billion, and the jury awarded it $119.6 million, or just over 5 percent of what Apple had requested.
And Samsung wasn't the only infringer in court, the jury ruled. While Samsung was found to have infringed three of the five Apple patents used in court, Apple was also found to have infringed one of two Samsung patents. Samsung was awarded $158,400.
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While recording an album in South Africa last week, Badu “hopped a helicopter” and flew into Swaziland, where she performed at a birthday party for King Mswati III, Africa’s last absolute monarch. She sang for the King, later even visiting one of his sprawling palaces, and presented him with gifts. Meanwhile, just 20 minutes down the road—in a kingdom where political parties are banned and criticism of the government is against the law—seven Swazis were arrested for wearing t-shirts that criticized the King. In the same prison, an iconic journalist and human rights lawyer are jailed in leg irons. (Disclosure: the lawyer, Thulani Maseko, is scheduled to speak on May 13 at Human Rights Foundation’s upcoming Oslo Freedom Forum).
Badu’s management refused to answer repeated requests for comments, but Badu gave a lengthy response to the Dallas Morning News. She claimed the visit “was harmless,” that “she thought nothing of it,” that—despite information widely available on Google and Wikipedia—she “went into a situation not completely knowing the political climate of the kingdom.” She also said that “all the money that I got from the trip I gave to all the servants” in the house where she stayed, which contradicted a previous statement saying that she was not paid.
The PR disaster unfolded on Twitter. Badu first brushed HRF and other human rights groups aside, retweeting a comment that she “owes nobody an explanation of why she performed in Swaziland.” After her timeline began to erupt with commentary, she started attacking her critics. She called an Africanist at the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights a “monkey” and others “idiots.” She proceeded to tweet that she would even play in North Korea for “the people.” When asked about the activists that were jailed for wearing t-shirts with political slogans, she replied that “treason is a crime in any country.” When a Swazi told Badu that he was “directly affected by Mswati’s oppression,” she fired back, saying “U on twitter tho, oppressing me.”
Rather than taking a break, Badu spent a solid eight hours tweeting non-stop at anyone and everyone who brought up her appearance in Swaziland. She failed to disclose that she was brought there by Jacob Arabo, a convicted felon who spent years in U.S. federal prison for lying to federal investigators after being accused of laundering hundreds of millions of dollars of drug money. Arabo, undoubtedly in Swaziland to score a shady business deal, wasn’t alone in bringing Badu to the King. According to a government-owned paper, her show was sponsored by Salgaocar, an Indian mining giant that operates a huge iron ore facility in a Swaziland nature reserve. Badu has not made a comment about her corporate sponsor, which has come under heavy fire for corruption, water pollution and grotesque environmental damage.
We messaged Badu privately, offering a potential way forward, suggesting that she could denounce Mswati’s dictatorship, and perhaps say a kind word in solidarity with Swaziland’s political prisoners. But instead, she dug in deeper, arguing that the Swazi regime is an important part of African culture and that criticism of the king and his ancient custom is tantamount to racism. George Ayittey of the Free Africa Foundation reminds us that the Swazi monarchy is a British colonial creation that gives a bad name to African kings, who were historically go-betweens with religious functions. Traditionally, he says, such leaders did not hold absolute political power, drive Rolls Royces and Maybach limousines, fly around in private jets, collude with foreign resource-extraction conglomerates or stash their massive fortunes in Swiss bank accounts.
If Badu bristles under criticism for entertaining King Mswati, she’ll really be frustrated by the world’s reaction when she performs at a concert this May sponsored by the dictator of The Gambia. After seizing power in 1994 military coup, Yahya Jammeh is best known for spending millions of dollars on private parties, for promising to inflict “the ultimate penalty” on homosexuals, for warning the UN that gays are “a threat to human existence,” for claiming that he can cure AIDS in three days, and for executing and disappearing hundreds of his critics. After her Swazi quagmire, perhaps Badu will reconsider her scheduled performance in The Gambia, where she would provide cover for yet another despot, this one a lot more murderous than King Mswati.
Some argue that artists are apolitical and can play no role in the struggle for human rights. What’s clear is that many have actually taken the side of the oppressor: Badu joins Kanye “Kazakhstan” West, Hilary “Million Dollar Chechnya” Swank, Dennis “I’m not responsible for my North Korean adventure because I was drunk” Rodman, and—the queen of dictator clients—Jenny “from the Eastern Bloc” Lopez, who raked in $9 million over two years performing for five tyrants in various post-Soviet states, including Turkmenistan. Just as these artists provide cover for autocrats, others have actively pursued an agenda of support and solidarity with dissidents. During the 1980s, the influence of international artists on South Africa’s apartheid regime made racial injustice the trending topic decades before Twitter existed. Or consider the power artists had in casting Chile’s military dictatorship as a ruthless monstrosity that deserved sanctions and isolation.
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Ms. Lotterhos also noticed that the red marks were in a characteristic drip pattern. She traced it back to the cocktails that the group made during her bachelorette party. “We were making fresh margaritas on the boat and some lime juice inadvertently dripped onto my knees," recalled Lotterhos. Research led to her to a self-diagnosis that the blisters were Phytophotodermatitis, or ‘Margarita burn.’
The drip-like burns, or phytophotodermatitis, on Erika Lotterhos' leg. (WOFL)
WOFL spoke to Dr. J. Matthew Knight, a dermatologist who confirmed Lotterhos’ conclusion. "Phytophotodermatitis is a phototoxic eruption of the skin. It basically is like a sunburn and when you have some sort of photosensitizer, in this case limes, followed ultraviolet light, ultra violet A, it activates the substance and you end up with a really bad sunburn-like reaction," the doctor explained. “We've see it a million times before. It has this particular pattern to it and we say, “Ah ha! You've been drinking limes.’ Or, ‘You’ve been drinking Coronas haven’t you?’"
On Friday, the Food and Drug Administration published new draft guidance that could effectively put an end to high-powered lasers in the United States. It will not be formally approved until the 90-day comment period has passed.
The move is likely in response to the growing threat of laser strikes against aircraft. Since early 2014, the FBI has offered a $10,000 reward to anyone who reports a laser strike to federal authorities, leading to an arrest. Since the FBI began keeping track in 2004, there have been more than 12,000 reported incidents nationwide—and the incident rate continues to climb.
Earlier this year, a California man was sentenced to 14 years in prison in a lasering incident, believed to be the harshest such sentence in the United States, and possibly in the world. Pilots say that being struck with such lasers can be terrifying, causing temporary blindness and sometimes lingering headaches.
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BikePortland had an interesting scoop yesterday about how the Oregon Department of Transportation is the first in the nation to purchase data from the people behind the popular cycling/running mapping app Strava. The idea is that the state can use route data to better understand how people are using the transportation system and plan accordingly.
From bikeportland.org's Jonathan Maus:
If all goes according to plan, the data could revolutionize how ODOT makes decisions about their policies, plans, and projects. At the very least, forging boldly into the realm of "big data" and pushing the boundaries of bicycle planning marks an important step for an agency that's facing a very different future and actively looking to shed its old-school, highway-first reputation.
It's an intriguing, creative notion, and probably far cheaper than the state spearheading a project to gather its own GPS data. But the Strava buy has created a fierce debate online, with some advocates leery or upset by ODOT's move. They point out Strava is largely targeted at athletes, who can test themselves against other riders' speed on a specific stretch of road. The data, then, might not reflect how everyday riders use the transportation system.
What's more, critics point out there are potential inequities at play, given the barriers to smart phones that run the Strava app. Twitter is twittering away with calls for ODOT to treat the new ride data skeptically. Much of that discussion, on my feed anyway, is coming from Portland advocate/writer Elly Blue.
According to bikeportland's story, ODOT's aware that Strava doesn't represent the vast majority of cyclists. But it also helps fill a hole in researchers' knowledge of bike patterns.
And while this dearth of data continues to plague the active transportation field, the proliferation of GPS devices and smartphones, and the popularity of apps like Strava and Portland-based Ride With GPS, are creating a huge and valuable user database. That being said, there is a major drawback to using Strava data: it's not representative of all bicycle users. Not even close. Most Strava users tend to be serious riders on training rides. But as anyone can see on the Strava Global Heat Map, there's still much to be learned by analyzing where Strava users ride.
It's hard to argue with advocates' concerns about inequity. Still, I'm all for leveraging what little data is available to create a better system—so long as that leverage is appropriately couched. The Strava data shouldn't be treated as a biblical reflection of cycling in the state, in the same way the Hawthorne Bridge bike counter isn't considered a pure reflection of who's riding in the city on a given day. But both have merits.
For a notion of the type of info ODOT planners are working with, check out the super-interesting Strava heat map of rides taken in Portland.
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I had this saved a zillion years ago from Lillian’s old blog, which she baleeted, so photo credit is ??? (although photo credit is HOBVIOUSLY Betty Cooper’s devious brilliant brain)
Actor Kevin Spacey plays a nefarious role in the next Call of Duty, according to an teaser video posted on the official Call of Duty Instagram account.
"Ideas don't determine who is right. Power determines who is right. And I have the power. So I'm right," the CG character based on Spacey's appearance said in his voice.
Earlier today, a promotional mini-documentary for the 2014 Call of Duty game from publisher Activision and news organization Vice focussed on the rise of private military corporations (PMCs) over the past two decades. "In the next Call of Duty, the world's most powerful military is not a country. It's a corporation," the promotional video stated.
According to Vice, PMCs are drawing soldiers away from national armies with higher rates for shorter employment periods. And, that these organizations will fight for human-rights groups to terrorists if the price is right.
Activision also posted a teaser page for the next Call of Duty game earlier today that is in development by Sledgehammer Games. The site includes three hidden links to web articles about PMCs and states that an unveiling is set for 10 a.m. ET on Sunday, May 4.
Sledgehammer Games will mainly focus on current systems such as PlayStation 4, Xbox One and modern PC architecture. This year's game ushers in the new three-year-long development cycle for each title, where Sledgehammer, Infinity Ward and Treyarch take turns on annual Call of Duty game development.
firehosegreat
CNN |
Indiana MERS patient in good condition Chicago Tribune The first known person in the country to be diagnosed with Middle East Respiratory Syndrome remains in good condition and is expected to return home soon, Indiana officials said this morning. Representatives from the Centers for Disease Control and ... 1st US MERS Patient Could Leave Hospital SoonABC News MERS Patient Is Well, Does Not Seem to Have Infected OthersNBCNews.com MERS patient in good condition, could soon go on home isolationFox 59 WTHI -SFGate -ConsumerAffairs all 1,649 news articles » |
firehosennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooope
firehose#kony2014draft
Could the Bills be making a run at Clowney? Can Kony Ealy play defensive tackle? Has Kahlil Mack been the Texans' target at No. 1 all along? Who knows, that's why they call 'em rumors!
The Houston Texans apparently know who they would like to take with the No. 1 overall pick, but that's assuming they keep it. The organization has rumored to be looking to trade down for some time, with the Atlanta Falcons being the most-rumored trade partner. However, the Buffalo Bills may also be readying a run at the No. 1 pick in hopes of acquiring of Jadeveon Clowney, according to NFL.com's Ian Rapoport.
The Atlanta Falcons remain a team to watch after meeting with Clowney twice in the last two weeks. A potential sleeper in the mix? The Buffalo Bills, who, according to Rapoport, may attempt to move up from No. 9.
Easier said than done, of course. The clear understanding is that any team that wants to get to No. 1 will have to pay dearly for it.
The Bills would have to move up from the No. 9 overall pick, meaning they would have to offer something much heftier than the dowry that Texans reportedly requested from the Falcons. Clowney may be a once-in-a-generation talent, however, and he'd look good opposite Mario Williams.
Kony Ealy is projected by some to be a first-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, though others (like retired defensive end Stephen White) are less enthralled by his prospects. Rapoport pointed out potential reason for the disparity in evaluations about the Missouri product:
One factor that may get #Mizzou DL Kony Ealy drafted higher than people think: I hear some teams want to put 15 lbs on him and make him a DT
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 2, 2014
Ealy checked in at the NFL Combine at 6'4, 273 pounds, so an extra 15 would put him around the 300-pound mark, perfect for 3-4 defensive end or a three-technique defensive tackle. According to Rapoport, Ealy's potential on the interior defensive line could draw the eyes of New York Giants(No. 12), St. Louis Rams (No. 2, 13), Chicago Bears (No. 14) and Dallas Cowboys (No. 16).
Speaking on Sportscenter on Friday, ESPN's Adam Schefter threw out a curve ball, saying, "I do not believe Khalil Mack can be dismissed from the conversation at the No. 1 pick." The Texans reportedly know who they would like to take, and rumors have thus far centered on Clowney and quarterback Johnny Manziel.
Mack is a consensus top-five pick, however, so it's not a stretch to believe he could go No. 1 overall. White described him as one of the more polished players in the draft:
Mack is very athletic, almost like a basketball player on the field, the way he changes speeds, stops and starts, and the way he changes direction. You won't see much, if any wasted motion, whether he is dropping into a zone, playing the run or rushing the passer. Even his power rushes look damn near effortless, as much as running over a guy can look effortless.
Mack may not have the stratospheric ceiling of Clowney, but then again the Texans already have an All-World defensive end in J.J. Watt. Mack may be a better fit for Romeo Crennel's defensive as an outside linebacker, and the team wouldn't have to worry about overlapping talents.
Dominique Easley was considered a likely top 10 draft pick at one point during his Florida career, but serious injuries to both knees -- most recently, a torn ACL this past September -- sapped him of a lot of his draft hype. However, that doesn't mean he'll be falling past Day 1.
Source: Patriots, Seahawks, 49ers, Bears, Cowboys likely landing spots for Dominique Easley: http://t.co/bAqLnvmrYD
— Doug Kyed (@DougKyedNESN) May 2, 2014
According to the NESN report, the New England Patriots are very interested in snatching up the defensive tackle at No. 29 overall, but that's assuming he falls that far. The Bears and the Cowboys own mid-round picks and are in need of interior help. The San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks pick after the Pats but could look to trade up to acquire one of the best pass-rushing defensive tackles in this year's class.
Easley is riding high off a strong pro day last month.
The Rams have more work to do than most to prepare for Day 1 of the NFL Draft, owning the No. 2 and No. 13 overall picks. It's almost a certainty at this point that they'll be targeting a wide receiver with one of their two picks, and team seems to have a lot of interest in Texas A&M wideout Mike Evans, setting up a visit with him Friday.
#Rams are privately working out Texas A&M WR Mike Evans today, one of their last before the draft. They have No. 2 and No. 13 #Intrigue
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 2, 2014
Evans seems to be the consensus best receiver available after Sammy Watkins. He'd make a big difference on a team in desperate need of pass catchers. Unfortunately for the Rams, he is projected to fall smack in the middle of their first two picks. Evans is mocked to go No. 7 overall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in SB Nation's latest mock draft, which means that the Rams would have to reach for him at No. 2 or trade up from No. 13 to acquire him.
oh my fucking god
Everyone go home. The internet is over.
From his grave, Magritte is CRYING with laughter.
firehoseMoreland Farmers Pantry beat
With the fight for marriage equality in Oregon firmly in the hands of a federal court—and looking like it might turn out favorably—the advocates who'd been ready to hit the ballot on same-sex marriage this fall announced plans today for a fresh effort.
They'll be taking on the Protect Religious Freedom Initiative—a measure that would enshrine discrimination by letting businesses withhold services that might be used for not only same-sex marriages but also civil unions. The new campaign, called Oregon United Against Discrimination, is a sibling of sorts to the marriage campaign, Oregon United for Marriage, and will rely on the same organizers and donors and endorsers.
And timing is everything. The discrimination measure, backed by the Oregon Family Council, is expected to win clearance for signature gathering at some point this month—and would need nearly 90,000 signatures by July 3 to make the November ballot.
Oregon United Against Discrimination is starting up now to make sure that never happens, launching its first advertisement this morning.
The measure is among a handful of attempts nationally to seek legal limits on discrimination in the name of religion—sweeping bills in Arizona and Kansas being more infamous examples.
And Oregon's is the only one that would actually go before voters—making it a bellwether that, if it's successful, could be repeated in other states.
The campaign against the measure, in a release today, pointed to a Washington Post poll that says 81 percent of respondents nationally oppose such discrimination. The campaign also reminds us that 55 percent of Oregonians now say they support marriage equality.
firehose' A cosplayer expressed concern that the Facebook cosplay gallery for the inaugural Cherry City Comic Con in Salem, Oregon, featured significantly more women in costume than men. Displeased by the dismissive reply from the administrator of the Facebook page, she sent a private message asking for a refund of her convention registration fee, explaining, “I don’t think this will be a safe place for female cosplayers.” Organizer Mark Martin posted that request on his personal Facebook page with the response, “despite the no touch policy, the family friendly policy, the 3 security guards at all times, and the fact that you’re bat-shit crazy? Refunded!” '
IDW
Darwyn Cooke just can’t get enough of Richard Stark’s Parker.
The writer/artist has already adapted four (five, if you consider that one adaptation, The Outfit, is a combination of two) of the novels author Donald Westlake wrote under the name Richard Stark. Now, Cooke is teaming up with IDW to illustrate new, deluxe editions of those novels starting in June with the first in the series, The Hunter. Attendees at the Toronto Comics and Art Festival next week will have the opportunity to grab The Hunter a bit early, in the form of a super-fancy limited edition.
Each book in the series–and they’re being released in chronological order–will include 10 painted Cooke illustrations. He’s also overseeing the typography. The TCAF edition of The Hunter will come with a special dust jacket and have a signature plate. Cooke will be a special guest at the convention.
In an IDW press release, Cooke said:
Adapting Donald Westlake’s novels into graphic novel form has been incredible, a dream come true, and providing paintings that illustrate this seminal crime classic…well, it scratches a completely different kind of itch, but one just as creatively fulfilling.
This marks the first time the Parker books have been released in deluxe, hardcover editions. Since the series’ debut in 1962, the books have always been published in paperback.
[Click Images To Enlarge]
The Hunter will be available in bookstores June 10.
firehosea self-described “Scalia groupie”
As the 6.3% of Americans who are still unemployed know, looking for a job can be an incredibly frustrating process, where dozens of resumes are met with rejection or, even worse, a deafening silence.
But reading a pile of poorly constructed applications can be a drag too, according to several employers who have complained about it recently. One of the biggest mistakes job-seekers make is failing to pay thoughtful attention to each application, they say. Online tools make it easy to send out a flurry of applications at once, but have a tendency to create quantity, not quality.
Jason Fried, the founder CEO of the software company Basecamp, writes that the qualities he looks for in potential employees include clear thinking and a proven ability to execute. But according to a piece he wrote at Inc, the single most important quality, and the best indicator of future success, is the amount of effort the jobseeker puts into getting the job.
The job description for a recent design opening was simply “Send relevant work samples, and anything else that will make you stand out, to jason@basecamp.com. Extra effort and personal touches will be looked upon favorably.”
Despite that directive, Fried writes, only 10% of the applications showed an intriguing amount of effort.
More common is a standard resume, a cover letter, or a link to a sparse LinkedIn profile. Much better is someone who picks good work examples and can explain how each was created.
Micky Drexler, the legendary CEO of J. Crew, made a similar point at an interview this week at the Milken Institute Global Conference, written up at LinkedIn. “I always look for those resumes that aren’t manufactured,” Drexler said.
Particularly for entry-level applicants, he says, there’s a misconception: They think that listing trips abroad, touting volunteering, and stretching or overstating accomplishments is more likely to get them a second look. In fact, it’s more likely to get them ignored because they’re following a well-established and boring roadmap.
Instead, he suggests, candidates are better off ignoring the advice of career centers to scrub waitress jobs from their CVs. The better course is to find a way to include and explain work experiences that show honesty, directness, and evidence of drive and ambition, he says.
None of this is to suggest that people try resume gimmicks or start cold-calling the company’s CEO. It can actually be as simple as demonstrating a real interest in the particular job opening.
Julie Zhuo, who heads product design at Facebook, says she doesn’t find lists of skills or a fancy degree all that compelling when she’s looking for people, according to a recent interview with First Round Review. Prestige is apparently not enough.
“Sometimes, designers without traditional training possess an ingenuity that you don’t usually see,” Zhuo said. “We’re really just looking for people who have that element of extreme proactivity. Even if they did go to a great school, they should have experience stretching themselves on projects both inside and outside of the classroom. Great candidates take the initiative to experiment, design and build on their own.”
Particularly impressive are people that don’t just do jobs that are assigned to them, but also solve problems.
“You want someone who sees there’s a problem and wonders why no one has come up with a hack to fix it or a tool to make it easy yet,” Zhuo said. “Then they go and design that tool. Do they include that in their professional submissions? If they do, that’s a good sign.”
Zhuo’s point is particularly important, and backed up by Google HR head Laszlo Bock, who deemphasizes GPA and school prestige when hiring. It’s not just the work and its quality that matters, but the thought process that goes into it.
Getting a great job, it turns out, requires the same qualities that top performers show once they have one. Effort, intentionality, and care.
Back in January we posted about the hilariously bizarre animated portrait GIFs that photographer Romain Laurent has been creating for his “One Loop Portrait a Week” project. Laurent is still at it and has created quite a few more offbeat portraits. You can follow along on his Tumblr blog. For more of Laurent’s photography, see our previous coverage.
GIFs by Romain Laurent
via Colossal
So not only is this (via Miki800) the “brick” style Game Boy, but artist Vadu Amka put a brick texture on the console with resin. I love the ivy crawling up the Game Boy wall, and the Triforce scratched into it.
BUY Game Boy games, upcoming releases
firehose'According to the lawsuit, both Nash and Altius have not communicated with the backers since July 2013. The Attorney General’s office is seeking restitution for consumers, as much as $2,000 per violation of the Consumer Protection Act in civil penalties, and money to cover the state’s costs and attorneys’ fees.
“Consumers need to be aware that crowdfunding is not without risk,” Ferguson said in a statement. “This lawsuit sends a clear message to people seeking the public’s money: Washington state will not tolerate crowdfunding theft. The Attorney General’s Office will hold those accountable who don’t play by the rules.”'
Kickstarter's response:
“Tens of thousands of incredible projects have been brought to life through Kickstarter. We want every backer to have an amazing experience, and we’re frustrated when they don’t. We hope this process brings resolution and clarity to the backers of this project.”
firehoseBRANDIT COINAUL
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
firehose#soundstudies
Vancouver-based comedian Dave Shumka compiled a supercut of some of the best non-lyrical vocal hooks from 1990s alternative rock hits for CBC Music. The video includes pop scatting from artists like Beck, Pavement, The Breeders and Blur.
The 1990s were the glory days of alternative rock. Artists had a lot to say, though, come to think of it, they didn’t always say it with words.
via Dave Shumka
firehosehey GN
A bus that once rode in Willie Nelson’s tour caravan is currently for sale on Craigslist. The listing for the semi-legendary ride has been floating around the net tagged as Nelson’s bus, but really, it’s Paul English’s bus. English is Nelson’s longtime best friend, the drummer in Nelson’s band, and was the subject of Nelson’s song “Me And Paul,” so having access to his bus would sort of be the next best thing to Nelson’s actual bus—though it probably wouldn’t have as many secret weed cubbies. Still, according to one of the bus’ former drivers, “Willie rode that bus when he played dominoes,” so that’s something.
The bus is currently sitting out in Tyler, Texas and is listed for $36,000, though it’s expected to go for more. It’s known as “The Scout,” and is one of ...
firehosethe only way to stop a bad guy with a gun: "a lady looked out her window at the right time"
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WASECA, MINN. – John David LaDue had it all figured out. He would kill his mother, father and sister and then create a diversion to keep first responders busy while he went to Waseca Junior/Senior High School to wreak havoc.There, the 17-year-old planned to set off pressure-cooker bombs full of nails and metal ball bearings in the cafeteria. Students who weren’t maimed or killed would be gunned down in the halls, he told police...LaDue had planned and practiced for 10 months, refining the chemicals in his bombs to try to find a more lethal combination. He set off “practice bombs” on the playground at Hartley Elementary School, Faith United Methodist Church, Oak Park and high school softball fields. Some of those bombs were found in March, raising concerns.The criminal complaint said LaDue told police that he originally planned the attack for April 20, the anniversary of the Columbine High School massacre that killed 13 people in Littleton, Colo., in 1999. That was thwarted because that day was Easter Sunday and there was no school...LaDue said he had an SKS assault rifle with 400 rounds of ammunition, a 9mm handgun with ammo and a gun safe with more firearms, all in his bedroom at home. He gave an officer the key to the gun safe and the key to his guitar case, where he said they’d find his notebook.He told police that he planned to kill his parents and sister with a .22-caliber rifle because it would make less noise than some of his other firearms. Then, he said, he planned to go to the surrounding countryside and start a fire. While police and firefighters were busy, he would go back to the school with bombs, firearms and ammunition. He planned to set off pressure cooker bombs in recycling boxes near the water fountains in the cafeteria and would shoot school liaison officer Jared Chrz “so that he did not stop him from his plans for killing more students,” the document said.LaDue told police that “if he had brought a gun with him to the storage unit … he would have shot the responding officers,” the complaint said.Seven firearms and three completed bombs were found in LaDue’s bedroom, the complaint said. Another three bombs, along with chemicals and other materials, were found in the storage unit. LaDue also had 60 pounds of metal ball bearings...
LaDue was described by Waseca schools Superintendent Tom Lee as a “good kid,” who was quiet and a B student who made the honor roll. He was never in trouble at school and never had any dealings with Chrz, Lee said...“This little boy was shy, he never talked, always followed the leader,” she said. “I’m absolutely amazed...Lee said there hadn’t been any reports in junior or senior high school that LaDue had been bullied...“John was normal in every aspect. He was courteous. … He asked questions and followed instructions very well. He loved music and his guitar and did really well. He was polite and said thank you after every lesson.”
Chelsie Schellhas was washing dishes Tuesday night when she noticed a boy with a backpack and a fast-food bag walking through her back yard toward the nearby MiniMax Storage Units. “He walked through the puddles when there was a perfectly good road he could have walked on,” she said. “It just didn’t seem right to me..."
firehosevia Albener Pessoa
Renowned comic book writer Gerry Conway:
And so, as we could have predicted, Amazon wrecks Comixology.
What has it been, less than a month since Jeff Bezos bought the most promising tool for renewing the mass distribution of comics in the digital era? I’ll give the man this: he’s moved faster to undermine an existing technology for the benefit of his own company than General Motors did when it sabotaged Los Angeles’s public transit Red Line for the benefit of the bus fleet they wanted to sell the City of Angels. Job well done, Jeff.
