firehose

Anatomically correct, Travis Bedel

Wood, Paul Kaptein

Malaysia Airlines flight 370 is not the only craft to have vanished this week. A North Korean-flagged oil tanker, the Morning Glory, hasn’t been seen since illicitly loading up with some $25 million of crude at a Libyan port, earlier this week, then sailing away while under attack by armed sailors.

The Morning Glory had taken on 234,000 barrels of Libyan crude at the eastern port of Es Sidr, which is held by Libyan rebels. The Libyan navy tried to seize it and escort it to a government-held port on March 10, but it escaped while under escort, even though the navy fired on it. It was thought to be heading toward—or even eventually anchored in—Egyptian waters, although that isn’t known with certainty. Here is a photo taken of the tanker in Es Sidr on March 8, while officials were figuring out how to react.

According to the ship-tracking website Vessel Finder, the Morning Glory hasn’t signaled its location since the escape—in fact, it last officially transmitted its location March 1. On March 13, the ship became wholly illegal—a fugitive—when North Korea revoked its registration.

Es Sidr is controlled by a militia that says it is seeking autonomy from Tripoli, and meanwhile has refused for eight months to ship any oil on behalf of the central government. It has, however, wished to sell oil on its own, something it had not managed until now, since recognized shippers do not ordinarily work with rebel forces when the penalty could be lawsuits and black-listing over the long term. Tripoli’s standoff with its eastern regions had already cost Libya $8 billion by the end of 2013, according to its oil ministry.

Antics like those of the Morning Glory are almost unheard-of: Oil tankers, being flammable, are not known to get willingly into situations where they are fired on. Nor are they prone to going on the run, lending the scene the picture of a pirate cove.

Indeed, oil minister Omar Shakmak called the loading an “act of piracy,” and on March 11, an exasperated parliament fired prime minister Ali Zeidan and elevated defense minister Abdullah al-Thinni to the post on an interim basis.

An anonymous reader writes "The laptop has undergone many changes over the past decade. At various times, netbooks, ultrabooks, and Chromebooks have been en vogue. Over the past several months, we've seen signs of the next step in the laptop's evolution: Android/Windows dual-boot laptops. Several companies have built these machines already, including Asus and its upcoming Transformer Book Duet TD300. However, neither Google nor Microsoft seem to want such an unholy marriage of operating systems, and they've both pressured Asus to kill off the dual-boot product lines. Asus has now complied. 'Google has little incentive to approve dual-OS models, since that could help Microsoft move into mobile devices where Android is dominant. ... Microsoft has its own reasons for not wanting to share space on computers with Google, particularly on business-oriented desktop and laptop PCs that could give the Internet giant an entry point into a Microsoft stronghold. Computer makers that make dual-OS machines risk jeopardizing a flow of marketing funds from Microsoft that are an important economic force in the low-margin PC business.'"

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Pi vs. Pie — Grant Snider


Pi vs. Pie — Grant Snider

Pi vs. Pie, Grant Snider

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Protestors in Turkey redo the Ellen Selfie inside a police van

Bill Gates is the richest man in the world and one of its biggest philanthropist. In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Gates was critical of what he sees as a double standard when it comes to development.

Giving people access to something as basic as a working toilet can materially change their lives. Doing that kind of work on a large scale is very possible, but people still criticize development efforts for not doing enough. That needs to change, Gates says:

We take things like TV or Internet or a microwave or a refrigerator for granted, but moving people from basic lives to decent lives requires a lot less than that. You know, development sometimes is viewed as a project in which you give people things and nothing much happens, which is perfectly valid, but if you just focus on that, then you’d also have to say that venture capital is pretty stupid, too. Its hit rate is pathetic. But occasionally, you get successes, you fund a Google or something, and suddenly venture capital is vaunted as the most amazing field of all time. Our hit rate in development is better than theirs, but we should strive to make it better.

Gates is certainly correct about the hit rate for venture capital. For every massive success, like Sequoia Capital’s investment in WhatsApp, there are many deals that go nowhere. The Kauffman Foundation has been investing in VC firms for more than 20 years. In 2012, it looked at the returns and found that in the long run, firms returned 1.31 times what was invested. When a few exceptional performers are stripped out, the return rate is even worse. That’s despite billions of dollars invested.

As many as three-quarters of venture-backed startups fail outright.

On the other hand, 2.5 billion people worldwide lack safe sanitation and access to toilets. Food and water contaminated with fecal matter causes as many as 1.5 million child deaths a year.

Plenty of development projects don’t have the impact that they should, but even the failures or seemingly minor successes can have a real impact.

It's surprising what can bloom in this city with even the slightest provocation.

For months and months, protestors around the country took to the streets to complain of low wages at the nation's fast food chains. Portland was mum.

In Seattle, the hubbub swelled and stretched, to the point the city spurned an established incumbent to elect its first socialist city councilwoman in November. That councilwoman, Kshama Sawant, has been forceful (unbending, even ) in demands that the city increase its minimum wage to $15, now. (That campaign is called 15 Now.)

And Portland—progressive reputation and all—hadn't uttered a peep. The largest debates lately have been concerned, as usual, with the water system.

Then Nick Caleb, a 30-year-old Concordia University professor and attorney—somewhat on a lark—decided to run for city council against Commissioner Dan Saltzman on Monday, calling for a quixotic $15 an hour wage and a host of other reforms. And today, four days later, some of Portland's noisiest activists are engulfed.

At a news conference in front of Portland City Hall this afternoon, Caleb stood with another city council candidate (Sharon Maxwell, taking on Commissioner Nick Fish), and some of the city's most-vociferous voices, to formally launch his campaign and call for a $15 wage. The crowd waved 15 Now flyers, and a picket "showing support for workers" was announced tonight, outside the McDonald's at NE Grand and Weidler. Caleb and others said they'd been in contact with members of Sawant's campaign, and are working to emulate her success in the Rose City.

Just like that, Portlanders are ready to force these discussions. Or at least that's how it seemed this afternoon.

Aside from that $15, Caleb's ideas cohere with many of the debates that have bubbled near the surface for months now.

He advocated better citizen oversight over the Portland Police Bureau, echoing a common sentiment that brand new policies are ineffectual. He's promoting better environmental stewardship—yes in terms of the water supply (Caleb co-authored the public water trust initiative that's collecting signatures) but also by banning coal transport through the city.

And he's pushing a more compassionate approach to the thorny issues of homelessness and gentrification.

"Everyone has a right to the city," Caleb said today, to cheers.

Which brings us back to a hike in the minimum wage. Oregon's already ahead of the curve in some respects, since we tie our minimum wage to inflation. But, as Denis pointed out this week, that happy development came at a cost: cities no longer have the authority to set their own minimum wage.

That's not something Caleb was aware of until he was asked by the Mercury.

"It took me a whole 30 minutes to come up with a plan" after learning of the restriction, he said today. He poked fun at Saltzman, who told the Mercury he supports a minimum wage, but said Portland's powerless.

"We can be creative," Caleb said, pointing out the city can use its lobbyists to fight for the current minimum wage laws to be overturned. He also proposed taxing companies who employ low-wage workers, putting that money into a fund, and subsidizing wages through that pool.

Caleb's campaign won't accept any donations of more than $50, he said (Maxwell made a point of saying she would) and he pledged to spurn a typical commissioner's salary (more than $100,000), saying he'd take the wage of an average Portland worker (according to the Portland Business Journal, just under $47,000 in 2012), a concept he cribbed from Sawant.

He announced his candidacy late, Caleb conceded, thinking that it might be an "interesting learning experience." But in light of the support he's heard— the online messages, the signs and cheers, the guy who asked after the press conference if it'd be okay if he gave $100 for his wife and he, both—Caleb said: "I'm starting to believe, myself."

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i wish dominos pizza would stop acting like it is gods gift to the world

Are you in San Francisco next week? Here's some stuff you could do:

• Critical Proximity, a free mini-conference where game critics mingle and grouse... productively? There's a pretty diverse lineup of speakers here -- non-critics, critical bloggers, academics, developer-critics -- and, uh, Ian Bogost?
• Unwinnable Party, a bunch of games people invade High Tide, a (very) divey bar in the Tenderloin. As far as dive bars go, it's a pretty good dive bar, though.
• Agency Launch, basically an excuse to hangout with people (or play Netrunner?) while sipping somewhat pricey drinks in the "Death Star bar" (you'll understand) overlooking downtown San Francisco.
• The gay game industry group is hosting a night at The Stud bar, which is probably one of the more inclusive gay bars in the city. The first 100 drinks are on them.
• The annual Wild Rumpus party at Public Works, one of the few times when people actually dance. Good game curation too, and within a few blocks of burrito mecca down Mission St. (or hipster mecca on Valencia St.)
• Lost Levels is a free picnic unconference where anyone can give a talk or run a session. Bring a lunch and hangout!
• TIGSource regulars usually invade the local Denny's (on Thursday or Friday night?) for a mini art / work jam. I strongly recommend a "Moons Over My Hammy" sandwich or an Oreo milkshake.

Voice of America

US Officials: Missing Malaysian Plane May Have Crashed Into Indian Ocean Voice of America U.S. officials say the missing Malaysia Airlines jet with 239 people on board may have crashed into the Indian Ocean. Flight 370 disappeared one week ago and investigators have yet to find any firm evidence of what happened. Theories include piracy and a ... and more »

Artist Travis Bedel creates surreal anatomical collage art out of vintage scientific illustrations. Prints of his work are available for purchase.

via Colossal

A very cute, but insolent bunny growls, huff and stomps when the petting stops in these videos posted by SpicaSirius in 2013.

Then again, however, the bunny can also be very generous with the kisses.

via Tastefully Offensive

caseyanthonyofficial:

When you still have fries at the bottom of the bag

In her photographic installation “À petits feux” (“For small fires”), artist Myriam Dion burned hundreds of tiny holes in an 8-foot-wide photograph, creating intricate lace-like patterns throughout the image. We previously posted about Dion’s intricate cut newspapers.

via Inop avec un A comme op, My Modern Metropolis

Benchmark Capital is in ascendance, thanks to investments in Uber, Snapchat, Twitter, and Instagram. Thus the VC firm can afford to say ridiculous things like: "Our belief that this is more of a guild than a corporation. So, we try to think of it as artisans practicing a craft," as if they were 18th century woodworkers and not financiers hand-carving embellished valuations.

Buffet said he'd advise people to "stay away" from bitcoin because the cryptocurrency is a "mirage" without any intrinsic value, although it's an efficient way to transfer dollars.

U.S. officials announced plans Friday to relinquish federal government control over the administration of the Internet, a move likely to please international critics but alarm many business leaders and others who rely on smooth functioning of the web.

It’s difficult to think of a better way to launch a New York Humane Society adoption campaign than to feature good-looking shirtless men with ripped abs rapping about “Cats + Abs” while dancing around with 3-month kittens (named Merlin, Henya and Tony). The video, produced by Cosmopolitan, was written and performed by models Eduardo Ramos and CJ Richards aka #HandsomeForHire.

Big announcement!!! Merlin & Henya just went home TOGETHER!!! #catsandabs @cosmopolitan @cjrichardsnyc… http://t.co/9rmbEeT8SJ

— Humane Society of NY (@HumaneSocietyNY) March 13, 2014

via Uproxx

To commemorate the centenary of the Great War, the diaries of 3,987 British soldiers have been digitized and made available online. They contain first-hand accounts of trench warfare, gas attacks — oh, and that time two cats and a dog were suspected of being spies.

Read more...

hodad

Here’s one student’s final project. I haven’t looked at it yet. Is it D material?

http://imgur.com/a/sJKPO/layout/horizontal#0

Original Source

*Tumblr memes will always blow genuine blog-content out of the water when it comes to traffic stats

IF you stick this Nicholas Cage animation into gifmelter wow http://bit.ly/1elFK0g

offering a secret space that one can retreat to, the intimate shelter was influenced by the client's passion for children's literature and mythologies.

The post WSD architecture inserts writer’s shed into UK back garden appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Move over strippers, there's a new game in town.