firehose

Medieval Castle

This Medieval Castle print was modeled from two European castles that are both majestic and have some very interesting construction and incredible views.

Schloss Lichtenstein and Neuschwanstein Castle, both located in Germany.

Designed to print as either a single print on the MakerBot Replicator Z18 (Fantasy Castle.stl) or as a multi-part print on the MakerBot Replicator 2 – this castle will make a great item to your 3D print collection.

---

Every Thursday is #3dthursday here at Adafruit! The DIY 3D printing community has passion and dedication for making solid objects from digital models. Recently, we have noticed electronics projects integrated with 3D printed enclosures, brackets, and sculptures, so each Thursday we celebrate and highlight these bold pioneers!

Have you considered building a 3D project around an Arduino or other microcontroller? How about printing a bracket to mount your Raspberry Pi to the back of your HD monitor? And don’t forget the countless LED projects that are possible when you are modeling your projects in 3D!

Marvel’s Doctor Doom is one of my favorite villains. Victor von Doom has a fascinating history and though he often torments the Fantastic Four and the world at large, I can’t help but respect his intellect. Anyway! If you need to throw together a last minute costume, you could opt for making a quick Doctor Doom mask from cardboard and pairing it with a green scarf and dress or a suit. The cardboard doesn’t look too shabby and will certainly be lightweight and easy to wear. Instructables user gaudopippo shared his techniques and also helpful templates. All you need is cardboard, silver paint, a hole punch, glue, and an elastic band. This is something you could definitely pull together in less than an hour – depending on how long it takes the paint to dry.

View the complete how-to and get PDF templates at Instructables.

Read 22 remaining paragraphs | Comments

precious–pansexual submitted: Will you draw my dog

hows this

In 1926, the sole resident of Noman's Land Island, off the coast of Massachusetts, found a rock with ancient Norse writing. Is this the definitive evidence of Norse settlement that historians have been looking for?

In Jurassic World, the kids Zach and Gray take a ride on the Gyrosphere, which lets them drive through dinosaur habitats at their leisure. The only downside is that the wondrous technology that allows them to do this is explained to them by Jimmy Fallon.

Read more...

Fund on Etsy is a new crowdfunding platform launched by the popular online craft market. The service will help Etsy sellers fund new products, as well as offer buyers a new way to connect to the people they are buying from by letting them be involved in every step of the process.

The program is currently in a pilot phase, after which time Etsy will look at user feedback to decide the next step.

images via Etsy

If you’re one of the millions of users of a Samsung Galaxy phone, you might be a potential target for a malicious hacker.

 

In an interview with Digital Spy Ron Perlman spoke briefly about the Hellboy sequel, announcing that while he had “no news” to share “there’s always a chance.” The possibility of a third film based on Mike Mignola’s Dark Horse comic has been around for a while and a while (and a while), but Perlman says that the huge amount of positive responses have surprised and humbled him. “It should be sooner than later” he says. (We agree!)

When asked if Perlman would consider crowdfunding the film, he replied that he isn’t a fan of the idea.

 I wouldn’t want to be involved in crowdfunding. I don’t think it’s the fan’s job to fund a movie. I think it’s up to the people who do it professionally. I think it’s the fans job to sit back and buy popcorn and Coke and watch the movie and enjoy it.

He then went on to describe the movie that we will hopefully one day enjoy:

I know that Hellboy 3 was designed to resolve the dilemma of whether the beast of the apocalypse would live up to his oracle, his destiny, of destroying mankind or whether the beast we’ve seen nurtured all these years, who’s used his immense superpowers in the opposite way, to protect mankind. Which one would win out? The destiny part is irreversible and non-negotiable. So, something dramatic has to happen in the third  movie, to find out which Hellboy prevails.

(via Blastr)

—Please make note of The Mary Sue’s general comment policy.—

Do you follow The Mary Sue on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, & Google +?

And … action! #slimetimestartstomorrow pic.twitter.com/FBKCAP5zMs

— Paul Feig (@paulfeig) June 17, 2015

We love Paul Feig. We also think he’s one of the luckiest people ever, because he now has access to so much slime! Be that as it may, he posted the above photo on Twitter yesterday signaling the start of filming on his reboot of Ghostbusters! What’s more, some story elements have started emerging!

As reported by the Boston Herald, here’s the basic plot of the new film:

Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig will play unknown authors who publish a book asserting that ghosts are real. Their writing gains unwelcome attention a few years later, after Wiig lands a teaching position at Columbia University, and she’s soon laughed out of academia. The two later team with supernatural sleuths played by Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones, and save the day when ghosts invade Manhattan.

We also have word that everyone’s favorite green ghost, Slimer, will return for the reboot! They must be paying him a ton, as I’ve heard that Slimer was initially skeptical of a reboot. (I’m making this up, of course) They’re also apparently negotiating for original stars Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray to make cameos, and while we already know that Aykroyd would be down, Murray is proving more difficult pin down. No word on whether or not Ernie Hudson has been approached.

While the film is set in Manhattan (as the original films were), it is shooting primarily in the Boston area, so get ready to be covered in slime, Boston!

July 22nd, 2016 can’t get here soon enough!

(via Spinoff Online)

—Please make note of The Mary Sue’s general comment policy.—

Do you follow The Mary Sue on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, & Google +?

When she was 14 years old, her father committed suicide.^[5] Despite rumors, Manning is not related to football stars Eli and Peyton.

Link

Read 14 remaining paragraphs | Comments

professorthorgi:

I can’t stand these half page DC is doing, but sometimes they do lead to a hilarious coincidence. 

Such as, say for example, a character asking “Which one of you had weird sex on the couch last night,” followed by other characters turning and looking directly at Nick Lachey smuggly holding up a Twix bar.

I had no idea this Twix thing was happening, they split a full page in half.

I know it’s sad for the artist, they worked hard to make a cohesive page. But MAN, I laughed so hard that the ‘Weird Sex On The Couch’ page was full of TWIX.

Courtney shared this story from Super Opinionated.

---

I will be honest, I think some male gaze stuff is definitely in play overall in mainstream comics, and that’s not really a phrase I use lightly.

I am delighted to see more gay and bi-women in comics, but it makes no sense for that to be all of the lgbtq representation out there.

I know some disagree with me on this, but I am happy to see Harley and Ivy acknowledged as a couple. It’s been hinted at for years, in ways that range from campy to wonderful. I think they are super-high profile characters and that’s all great. 

But I also wonder. Why are so many villains? Why is their ‘sexiness’ often their primary visual attribute? Where are the corresponding gay and bi-males, not to mention characters on the rest of the gender spectrum? Where are the trans characters? It’s not enough to have, you know, a tiny handful of random characters representing the rest of the lgbtq communities. 

I haven’t read all of these stories, I am glad for more representation, I just am hoping for the sake of the characters and the readers that it is done with care and taste and consideration, and that other groups are also included. 

Courtney shared this story from Super Opinionated.

---

The relationship between James and his coach might be beyond repair at this point.

LeBron James had one of the best performance in finals history despite the Cavaliers' ultimate loss. He carried a shorthanded team to six games on sheer talent and will alone.

Behind the scenes, however, he was ignoring and at times disrespecting coach David Blatt as much as ever, according to ESPN's Marc Stein.

"There was LeBron, in one instance I witnessed from right behind the bench, shaking his head vociferously in protest after one play Blatt drew up in the third quarter of Game 5, amounting to the loudest nonverbal scolding you could imagine," Stein wrote. "Which forced Blatt, in front of his whole team, to wipe the board clean and draw up something else."

It's not the first report of James not acknowledging Blatt. Early in the season, rumors emerged that James was the one calling the plays. He actually acknowledged that he changed an end-of-game play call after his game-winner against the Bulls.

The relationship has not been good at any point, but tension reached its peak in the finals, with Stein saying James consulted with assistant coach Tyronn Lue instead of Blatt and called timeouts and plays on his own.

Normally not having the respect of a star player -- never mind one as influential as LeBron James is in Cleveland --would be a death sentence for a coach. That might not be the case for Blatt, simply because James is happy with having someone to "kick around," according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst:

"I think, at the end of the day, LeBron likes the freedom. He likes having Blatt to kick around, something he couldn't get away with with other coaches in the past," Windhorst said on SVP and Russilo. "I think LeBron is OK with him going forward. If David Blatt is OK with taking the abuse from the star player, which he does, David Blatt will be back. I think it'll be Blatt's decision more than anybody else at this point."

Reports of James' non-relationship with Blatt have been emerging all season, to the point where they have become impossible to shrug away as exaggeration. The Cavaliers made the finals, so Blatt's job should in theory be safe.

If things are as bad as they seem to be, however, it wouldn't be surprising to see a change in the offseason.

CHESTNUT HILL, MA—Moments after receiving their Super Bowl XLIX championship rings at team owner Robert Kraft’s home earlier this week, sources confirmed that New England Patriots players and coaches were horrified to find that the rings caused their fingers to instantly shrivel up and turn black. “Oh my God!” a horrified Julian Edelman screamed moments after slipping on the diamond-encrusted band, which immediately turned his ring finger into a shrunken, dried husk of charcoal flesh as spider-like tendrils of black rot rapidly spread up the wide receiver’s arm. “It’s burning me! It’s so hot! Wait, it’s—it’s not coming off! Oh, God, it’s not coming off! Help! Please help me!” At press time, as his players shrieked and clutched at their ashen, mutating arms, head coach Bill Belichick donned all four of his Super Bowl rings and could be observed cackling madly ...

One of these days, all this snappin' and jawin' between these two might up and spark a football game.

Texas will become among the country's latest athletic departments to sell beer and wine at football games.

Since everything that happens in the state of Texas is cause for Longhorns and Aggies to look down upon each other, a radio interview produced the following quote a day after that news:

A&M chancellor Sharp on alcohol at events: "Our athletic program has not reached the point where we require the numbing effects of alcohol."

— Gabe Bock (@GabeBock) June 18, 2015

That is a good and fine quote, regardless of anything that might or might not be true. Because while what Alabama did to A&M last year surely led some in College Station to seek the oblivion of the bottle, rival-jabbin' is always in style.

Now why don't y'all just kiss and/or play football again already?

Just like many pizza restaurants have attempted over the years, Amazon may soon be able to deliver to impatient American consumers in 30 minutes or less.

Amazon has quite publicly been working on a plan to deliver packages via drones since late 2013, although, in the US, the Federal Aviation Administration has not been overly receptive to these plans. On June 17, however, an FAA administrator told a congressional hearing that the agency plans to have its regulations for commercial drones in place within a year.

On the same day, Amazon said it would be ready to start drone operations once the FAA establishes those rules.

Amazon was not immediately available for comment on its plans for commercial drones. The company has previously said it wants to be able to deliver packages to members of its Prime discount shipping club within 30 minutes of an order. Amazon has also secured patents for drone delivery, including a system for ordering items to be delivered right to a person’s location, similar to a military air drop, but for the ketchup you forgot to bring to the cookout. Currently, new Prime members pay $99 per year for unlimited two-day shipping.

The FAA has been working with NASA to figure out how a drone delivery air-traffic control system would work. Like the complex system of controls in place for the thousands of commercial planes overhead at any given time, the FAA needs to codify a set of rules that will ensure drones won’t crash into each other, or any other obstacle, as they zip around at under 400 ft.

The FAA administrator at the hearing did not provide information on what the regulations might entail. A representative for the FAA told Quartz:

We’re currently evaluating the 4,500+ public comments we received on the proposed rule, and we intend to finish the FAA part of the rulemaking effort by the end of this year so it can go into executive coordination within the government. We expect the final rule to be in place within a year. It’s possible the provisions of the final rule could differ from those in the proposed rule in response to the public comments.

Tom Benson won an important court decision in the ongoing legal battle with his daughter and grandkids.

A New Orleans judge ruled that Tom Benson, the 87-year-old owner of the NFL's Saints and NBA's Pelicans, is competent enough to run his businesses and make decisions pertaining to the family trust. The court denied the petition filed this winter by Benson's adopted daughter and two grandchildren.

The court found that Benson "is able to make reasoned decisions as to his person and his property" and declined to intervene on behalf of the petitioners.

The case was brought to court by Benson's daughter Renee and her children Rita and Ryan LeBlanc earlier this year, part of an ongoing legal battle that stems from Benson's decision to transfer ownership of the two sports teams, along with other family assets, to his third wife, Gayle. They argued that Benson's health left him legally incompetent and unable to run the family trust.

In January, Benson fired his granddaughter Rita from her executive position with the Saints. He had initially planned to give Rita control over the team as part of a succession plan approved by the NFL. They sued, alleging that Gayle Benson was manipulating his business decisions while his health left him unable to make sound decisions on his own.

Benson issued a statement Thursday afternoon in the wake of the decision:

Gayle and I wish to thank the entire community for the overwhelming support that we have received during this trying time. Through it all, our fans and our sponsors showed unwavering support for our Saints and Pelicans.

We just finished minicamp in front of so many of our great fans and I cannot wait for training camp to start in late July.

On Monday, we will introduce our new Pelicans Head Coach Alvin Gentry. Our football and basketball teams are my focus and that is what has me excited.

And finally, I would like to personally and sincerely thank everyone that worked on this case on our behalf - the lawyers and the staff at the Saints and Pelicans. Now I say let's go win another Super Bowl and an NBA Championship.

Benson's legal battle isn't over yet. His attempt to replace the two sports teams in the trust was rejected by the trustees when he tried to replace those assets with unsecured promissory notes. Assets can be removed from a trust, but they have to be replaced with assets of equal value. The claim against Benson's move argues that it reduces the value of those two sports franchises (here's more on the legal battle over the teams). Further, Renee and her two children can appeal the judge's ruling in the competency hearing.

If you’re going to Comic-Con this year and like taking selfies, you’d better have long arms, or at least be friends with people who are. Because SDCC has announced that they are banning selfie sticks this year as one of several changes to their technology policies. Who do you think you are, SDCC? The Cannes Film Festival?

And yes, that also includes GoPro poles or anything else that would allow you to extend your camera from your hand. As Comic Book Resources reported, SDCC organizers consider them a safety issue, saying:

With so many people in attendance, protruding cameras or phones sticking up in the air are a definite hazard. If you’re caught with a selfie stick, you will be asked by security to put it away and not use it at Comic-Con.

However, there are other safety concerns to keep in mind as well that they don’t mention. For example, as TMS contributor Mindy Marzec discussed in her post, “I Was Sexually Harassed at Star Wars Celebration,” much of the incident involved alleged harassers attempting to get up-skirt shots using selfie sticks.

So, if you’re bummed about leaving your selfie stick behind when you go to SDCC this year, remember there are some pretty good reasons why they’re not allowed. Check out this, and all the other new tech rules at the SDCC Toucan Blog. And remember, you can still take selfies the old fashioned way.

(Image via Larry Miller on Flickr)

—Please make note of The Mary Sue’s general comment policy.—

Do you follow The Mary Sue on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, & Google +?

Chicago Tribune

Jeb Bush wary of using last name during speech Chicago Tribune Jeb Bush, former governor of Florida, speaks on the final day of the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla. Jeb Bush, former governor of Florida, speaks on the final day of the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla. (Brian Cassella, Chicago ... and more »

spaceexp:

Pluto rotation

via reddit

Bustle

South Carolina's Hate Crime Laws — Which Is To Say, Lack Thereof — Are ... Bustle Thus far, authorities believe that Wednesday night's Emanuel AME Church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina qualifies legally as a hate crime, and therefore, it's very likely that the case will be prosecuted as one if suspect Dylann Storm Roof goes to trial. and more »

Hank the Beer Tank is a very clever, fully portable kegerator that can travel easily around town for parties, tailgating, camping etc. and can operate off of 110-240V AC, or 12-24V DC.

You can plug me into just about anything. And while I am plugged in I use less power than a 60W light bulb. To serve beer. From a keg. Anywhere. I do this by using a super efficient inverter controlled compressor, power electronics, and a digital control unit. I am smart about sipping power, and I wont drain your battery, I will just turn off. Warm beer is always better than a car that won’t start. I carry CO2 with me to keep kegs pressurized and preserved. I can accommodate a sixtel keg of your favorite craft beer. I can cool it to 0F, but who wants a frozen keg? I am also half the size of most kegerators on the market, so I can fit in a small space in your home, truck, boat, or tent. Just don’t leave me outside, I don’t like the rain.

Founders Sebastian Ehreiser and Adam Koeppel are currently raising funds via Kickstarter in order to bring Hank the Beer Tank to market

images via Hank the Beer Tank

submitted via Laughing Squid Tips

"I just think he was one of these whacked-out kids. I don't think it's anything broader than that," said (U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, who said his niece, Emily, was in an eighth-grade English class with the shooter.) Graham is running for president. "It's about a young man who is obviously twisted."

On Wednesday night, the white and slightly built gunman was at the historic African-American church for about an hour, attending a meeting with his eventual victims, before the massacre, according to Charleston police Chief Greg Mullen.

Witnesses told investigators the gunman stood up and said he was there "to shoot black people," a law enforcement official said.

Investigators are looking into whether (this racist motherfucker) had links to white supremacist or other hate groups, a law enforcement official said. There's no indication so far that he was known to law enforcement officials who focus on hate groups.

In an image tweeted by authorities in Berkeley County, South Carolina, (the sack of shit) is seen wearing a jacket with what appear to be the flags of apartheid-era South Africa and nearby Rhodesia, a former British colony that a white minority ruled until it became independent in 1980 and changed its name to Zimbabwe.