firehose

Late last year, Cards Against Humanity bought a private island in the middle of nowhere, Maine, and gave one square foot of it to each of their Holiday Bullshit subscribers. Here's how they pulled it off.

gemtech writes RadioShack has declared bankruptcy today. As reported Monday, the company has struck a deal to sell up to 2,400 of its approximately 4,000 stores to Sprint. From the article: "RadioShack said the remaining stores are expected to close. The company's franchise locations, as well as stores in Mexico and Asia, are not included in the deal. The bankruptcy announcement is no surprise. The New York Stock Exchange suspended trading of its shares on Monday. And RadioShack workers have told CNNMoney that some locations have already been converted to clearance stores."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Ed Friedlander reports that WotC has asked him to remove his D&D character generators. Ed ran the generators at his site, Pathguy.com, including a D&D 5E character generator. His Pathfinder RPG character generator is still running. Thanks to Slayyne for the scoop (who also reports that at least one other site has also closed). [Update: while the actual request has not been shared, others have reported that these are very amicable requests].

You can see his closing note here.

"After almost two decades, Wizards of the Coast has

It is the year 2015, and there are still people, including elected officials, who can't hang with the number 666. Because of Satan.

Read more...

Werner Koch, who has been maintaining the GPG e-mail encryption program since 1997, is going broke and considering quitting.

Updates to the article say that, because of the article, he has received substantial contributions to continue.

Slashdot thread. Hacker News thread.

EDITED TO ADD (2/7): Now, what to do with all that money. Slashdot thread. Hacker News thread.

Courtney shared this story from Super Opinionated.

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Dallas Morning News (blog)

Convinced of guilt: More than a dozen potential jurors dismissed because of ... Dallas Morning News (blog) Six potential jurors were dismissed Thursday during selection for the trial of Eddie Ray Routh, accused in the February 2013 shooting deaths of former Navy SEAL and 'American Sniper' author Chris Kyle and his friend, Chad Littlefield. UPDATED 3:30 p.m.. and more »

mo-gaa:

*thinks about my fav character*

chibi-masshuu:

Jean, my glasses!

Courtney shared this story from Super Opinionated.

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The online encyclopedia chews up and spits out bad facts, and its own policies are letting it happen.

Carasibana just shared an amazing Raspberry Pi project on Thingiverse, we just couldn’t wait to share!

When I first saw the PiGRRL released by Adafruit I knew that I had to build one, but I wanted to tweak it a little, then part way through my design process Adafruit upped their game and released the Super Game Pi!

But I had a problem, it was too large for my Printrbot! D:
So I designed this, my version of the Super Game Pi , which I call the Super Game PiSP, because I based the basic shape off of the PSP.

I had a few things in mind making it, namely:

It had to print on my Printrbot Simple Metal ( ~ 150mm ^3 volume )
I wanted to reduce the visibility of screws in the design ( my component mounting screws are internal )
I wanted a more rounded design
I wanted the battery to be internal
I wanted to use the Pi B+ ( and now it can use the Pi 2 B ! )
I wanted to use tac buttons , and not have to cut up a game controller PCB
So with those in mind I created this!

The electronics and setup are nearly identical to the guide for the Super Game Pi https://learn.adafruit.com/super-game-pi , except I used a Pi B+ , and tac switches instead of a hacked up game pad

I’ll post more detailed information later, but I want to get this released before I head to work!

Inspired by, but not directly derived from the Super Game Pi ( used it as reference for quite a few measurements )

We’re incredibly chuffed to see Carasibana’s Raspbbery Pi project – This is exactly the type of stuff we love to see! We release ALL of our designs with the intention that it will be customized. We always encourage you to customize it and make it yours. Making this project, specially to print on the Printrbot simple metal is a challenging problem that was seized and achieved by working within constrains and limitations. Very excellent work Carasibana. Thank you so much for being awesome!

Be sure to check out Carasibana’s projects.

Download available on Thingiverse

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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!

The Adafruit Learning System has dozens of great tools to get you well on your way to creating incredible works of engineering, interactive art, and design with your 3D printer! If you’ve made a cool project that combines 3D printing and electronics, be sure to let us know, and we’ll feature it here!

Stephen Curry hit 10 threes last night in an NBA game. But he wasn't good enough to beat a 10-year-old girl in a shootout.

As part of his preparation for the NBA Three-Point Shootout, Stephen Curry filmed five videos where he takes on challengers in three-point shootouts. He went 4-for-5, only losing to one challenger: 10-year-old Jaden Newman.

Newman, who went viral last January for a video when the then-9-year-old schooled varsity basketball players, was allowed to shoot from the high school three-point line while Curry shot from the NBA line. Sure, it's a handicap, but she was a 10-year-old going against one of the best shooters in the NBA. It's still incredible that she was even able to come close.

(Of course, they didn't show every shot the two players took, so we'll have to take Foot Locker's word for it.)

In his other four videos, Curry dominated Robert Horry, destroyed former 3-point champion Tim Legler, caught fire to best a strong performance from his dad Dell, and obliterated Kenny Mayne, as one would expect.

Curry also signed a permission slip for Newman so she could miss school to beat him:

"He's single. He's ready to mingle. He never wears pants."

Those swiping on Tinder in Eugene might note a unique, and ... well ... non-human potential match: Puddles, the Oregon Duck:

The idea is that if you match with Puddles, you could be his date to Sunday's game against Washington State. This isn't the first time they've had this promotion -- there was one in December for a volleyball game -- and that time, the winner and three of her friends earned front-row seats as well as a rose from the Duck. This time, however, there's also a cheesy John Mayer-themed video.

We have a couple of questions about this -- the Duck apparently identifies as male, is this contest only for women and men searching for men? The Duck's age in the ad is apparently 100, and normally you can exclude people based on age -- will the Duck only show up to swipers who were already searching for 100-year-olds?

Anyway, whoever wins a date with the duck is in for a wild time -- Puddles does have a tendency to strip:

Then things got raunchy pic.twitter.com/rQK1468DJ6

— Gio and Jones (@GioAndJones) January 13, 2015

serrae:

zakkorama:

"Now Colin, you’ve always been seen as a romantic lead to the ladies. How did you apply this to a gay context? Was it difficult for you? How did you-"

Hero.

Not just that he said it, but that he seemed really angry that he had to.

nitatyndall:

mercurialgurl:

kuvira-is-my-bae:

wonkistan:

Reader Chris passes along an article about differences in American Sign Language usage between white and African-American signers. Researchers investigating what they call Black ASL found significant variations in signs, signing space, and facial cues. They explain:

Black ASL is not just a slang form of signing. Instead, think of the two signing systems as comparable to American and British English: similar but with differences that follow regular patterns and a lot of variation in individual usage.

They hypothesize that these differences began in segregated learning environments, and continue to evolve in Black social spaces. The whole article is worth a read.

Thanks, Chris, and remember — you can submit Wonk-worthy links through our ask or via email!

ETA, 9/24/12: Many of you have brought up the use of the word “mainstream” in this infographic. Better choices definitely exist, since this word rings of othering. We appreciate your nuanced and attentive readership!

This is really cool!

this is awesome i was not aware of this

If you want more information, Dr. Joseph Hill has it: He’s Deaf himself and has a PhD in Linguistics from Gallaudet University, too, and created a really informative video about the history and structure of Black ASL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7ooYqdEdUY

(turn on Closed Captionings to understand the signs) 

Last year, 12-year-old Mikia Hutchings was faced with expulsion from her Georgia middle school and possible felony charges by the local sheriff’s department.

Her crime: writing the word “hi” on a locker room wall.

Her white friend graffiti’d even more words on the wall, yet the school handled their punishments quite differently. Mikia’s friend paid $100 in fines to the school and was suspended for a few days, but since Mikia’s grandmother couldn’t afford to pay the fine, the girl had to attend a disciplinary hearing with school administrators, spend a summer on probation and complete 16 hours of community service.

Her family has now filed a complaint with the Department of Justice, citing a violation of the Civil Rights Act.

Stories like Mikia’s are not uncommon.

A pioneering study just released by the African American Policy Forum and Columbia Law School’s Center for Intersectionality and Policy Studies shows that, when it comes to doling out punishments, school administrations are way harder on black girls than their white counterparts. Titled Black Girls Matter: Pushed Out, Overpoliced and Underprotected [pdf], the study delves into the blatant racial disparities that result in black girls being more likely to fall behind in their education.

Black feminist law professor Kimberlé Crenshaw, the lead author of the study, said in a statement:

As public concern mounts for the needs of men and boys of color through initiatives like the White House’s My Brother’s Keeper, we must challenge the assumption that the lives of girls and women—who are often left out of the national conversation—are not also at risk.

The study reveals many alarming statistics on how overpolicing and “zero-tolerance” policies lead to girls of color dropping out, going into low-wage work and, in some cases, ending up incarcerated.

As the chart above shows, black girls are suspended at a rate six times that of white girls (black boys are suspended three times more than white boys). The gap becomes even wider in the public school systems of major cities: In New York, black girls are suspended at 10 times the rate of white girls, while in Boston they’re suspended 11 times more. When it comes to expulsion, black girls in New York were expelled 53 times more than white girls and in Boston, 10 times more.

In the study, young girls of color often saw their zero-tolerance schools as “chaotic environments in which discipline is prioritized over educational attainment.” They were more likely to become detached from their education and less likely to earn a high school diploma.

In conjunction with the release of the study, the AAPF hosted a webinar on the criminalization of girls of color that had #BlackGirlsMatter and #WhyWeCantWait trending on social media Wednesday.

In their recommendations, the study’s authors address the dearth of research and advocacy surrounding black girls, and they urge schools to question punitive policies that ultimately lead to the detriment of black girls, their families and their communities. Policies should let black girls know that they belong in school, not out of it.

 Photos courtesy of the Black Girls Matter press kit

 

politicsprose:

INFOGRAPHIC: How to tell you’re reading a Gothic novel
(via The Guardian)

Apple has seen its digital music sales fall as free or cheap streaming competition grows, ranging from YouTube—which is testing a new streaming service—to Spotify, which now has more than 60 million active users and 15 million premium subscribers.

Now Apple finally seems to be preparing to fend off disruption. Building on its $3 billion acquisition of Beats last year, it is “actively working to launch a completely new paid streaming music service,” 9to5Mac’s well-sourced Mark Gurman reports. This echoes previous reports, such as last November’s by the FT, that Apple could be building a new streaming service into its platforms.

As Gurman details:

Rather than merely installing the existing Beats Music app onto iPhones, Apple has decided to deeply integrate Beats into iOS, iTunes, and the Apple TV. The company is currently developing new Beats-infused versions of the Music application for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch, as well as an updated iTunes application for computers that deeply integrates Beats functionality. A new Apple TV application is also in the works.

Spotify, which has built a strong community around its social music features, has been fine in weathering competition from Rhapsody, Rdio, and Beats Music itself, none of which have gained massive adoption. But Apple has a huge distribution advantage and is reportedly interested in competing on price—Gurman says Apple may charge $8 per month for its service, or 20% less than Spotify—which could quickly make it Spotify’s no. 1 competitor. (Apple declined to comment.)

Either way, a serious entry by Apple could come as the streaming music market is projected to explode. Credit Suisse forecast last year that global streaming-music subscriptions would rise from less than 20 million to almost 150 million by 2025. Streaming revenue is also expected to overtake digital and physical music sales within the next couple of years, and—the optimist’s case—may even drive industry growth again.

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The key question is whether Apple can deliver. The company has broadly struggled with many of its cloud-based and social services over the years. Its iTunes Radio product has not put any major dents in Pandora. iTunes Match, another music service, is misunderstood at best. Gurman also reports “internal problems” that may have already delayed the Beats-iTunes integration.

But it would be risky to underestimate Apple here. The company sold more than 280 million iPhones, iPads, iPods, and Macs last year. If Apple can smoothly integrate streaming music into its operating systems, and make paying for a premium subscription as easy as scanning your thumbprint, it could easily be a winner.

Read this next: 2015 is the year of the Apple Watch

el-hotel-bella-muerte:

twit light, the dark and mysterious story of Lord Byron

Horrible Histories is truly a blessing to British tv..

"No, I’m just a really pretentious poet."

So, when I go to the spa later this afternoon, do I want to take the novel about Lord Byron actually being a vampire? Or do I want to take the novel about Lord Byron dealing with vampires? (For those who want titles: Lord of the Dead vs. The Stress of Her Regard.)

shihlun:

Walead Beshty’s FedEx Sculptures series (2005 - present).

Walead Beshty constructs glass vitrines that are the exact dimensions of a FedEx box, and he then places the glass boxes into a FedEx box and ships it to the exhibition site. The glass sculptures then show the wear and tear of its travels through “space and time.”. This cracked surface is supposed to represent a record of the sculpture’s “hidden life” as though the sculpture were an exposure of a photograph. The FedEx boxes the sculpture is delivered in then becomes the base for the artwork. Beshty then gives the sculptures a title which consists of a record of the journey the box took to arrive at the exhibition.