firehose

He hinted that the return to the ring has helped him cope with unspecified personal issues. "I've got some things going on in my life so that (boxing has) sort of saved me from myself," Rourke told Russian TV. "And for a man like me, it's better to live in fear than go on in shame." Rourke prepared in a dressing room in front of a shrine featuring candles, images of saints, and photographs of his dogs. Rourke said he had been in mourning for his recently-deceased Chihuahua.

“Under the Bush administration, the Justice Department disappeared here in terms of federal civil rights enforcement. You could see the shift to counterterrorism at the ground level after Sept. 11,” says Mary Howell , a New Orleans civil rights attorney who has been working on police misconduct cases for more than three decades. “Now they’re back doing criminal prosecutions of police and the civil rights investigation, which is huge.” Many of the New Orleans officers being criminally prosecuted — several of whom have been convicted — were involved in grisly killings of innocent city residents in the chaotic days after Katrina. A separate civil rights investigation by the DOJ recently concluded that the New Orleans Police Department has engaged in excessive use of force, unconstitutional arrests and racial profiling. An independent monitor is expected to be appointed to make sure the department follows through with reforms in training, policies on the use of force, and accountability to the public.

“Electric Love” is an animated music video for the television show Bob’s Burgers that features Stephin Merritt and Kenny Mellman singing a love song about inventor Thomas Edison and an elephant named Topsy–which the show alleges Edison had electrocuted—but the actual history of the event is a bit more complicated. The video is part of a series of animated music videos featuring songs from the show being covered by other artists.

The song was originally performed by the characters Mr. Fischoeder (as Edison) and Gayle (as Topsy) with Gene and Tina acting out the voices as part of the third season episode “Topsy,” which aired in the United States on March 10, 2013.

The former Ravens running back is now available to sign with any team.

The NFL was forced to reinstate running back Ray Rice by Judge Barbara Jones, making him eligible to return to the field after missing 11 games during the 2014 season, per multiple sources. The NFL has agreed not to pursue any further punishment for Rice, saying it accepts the ruling "as binding", per Andrew Brandt.

After the conclusion of an appeal hearing that featured testimony from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, the league lifted its indefinite suspension, which it levied on Sept. 8, an increase of Rice's original two-game suspension.

That was the same day TMZ obtained and published video of him punching then-fiancee Janay Palmer in the face. The Baltimore Ravens terminated Rice's contract within hours and insisted they did not see the tape until TMZ released it.

Since its release, the NFL echoed the Ravens' sentiment that it had not seen the video detailing the assault. Goodell maintained that stance throughout the process. The hearing took place in early November after the former Ravens running back filed a grievance against the league for wrongful termination.

On Nov. 6, Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome provided a particularly damning piece of testimony for the NFL, saying that Rice told Goodell he hit Palmer on June 16. Goodell claimed he wasn't aware of the strike to the face and instead asserted Rice offered little transparency.

Because he no longer has a contract with Baltimore, Rice is now a free agent who can sign with any team. Whether a team will risk the negative backlash that comes with signing him after the public hailstorm remains to be seen.

Here's the NFLPA released a statement following the news:

"This decision is a victory for a disciplinary process that is fair and transparent. This union will always stand up and fight for the due process rights of our players. While we take no pleasure in seeing a decision that confirms what we have been saying about the Commissioner's office acting arbitrarily, we hope that this will bring the NFL owners to the collective bargaining table to fix a broken process. It is clear that this decision should force the NFL to embrace neutral arbitration as part of a necessary due process in all cases. The players thank Judge Barbara Jones for her time and thoroughness in this matter."

Rice released his own statement following the decision, via the NFLPA:

"I would like to thank Judge Barbara Jones, the NFL Players Association, my attorneys, agents, advisors, family, friends and fans - but most importantly, my wife Janay. I made an inexcusable mistake and accept full responsibility for my actions. I am thankful that there was a proper appeals process in place to address this issue. I will continue working hard to improve myself and be the best husband, father and friend, while giving back to my community and helping others to learn from my mistakes."

Courtney shared this story from Super Opinionated.

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Courtney shared this story from Super Opinionated.

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Courtney shared this story from Super Opinionated.

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submitted by Parkwoodian [link] [50 comments]

The Mega Man comic has been chugging along comfortably for the last three years under the Archie Comics label, which has been undergoing a slow evolution with some genuinely new and surprising ideas and storylines. Writer Ian Flynn and a team of talented artists have been recreating the stories of the original NES Mega Man games with a mix of reverence for the original material and willingness to take the lore in some unexpected directions that make it the perfect video game comic adaptation.

A major theme in the comics – one which has been touched upon in companion stories and design documents over the years – is the Robot Masters’ freedom of will. While each has their own sentient personality, they have limited free will, and everything they do has to be related to their primary function. Dr. Wily, being the paper-thin dastardly villain that he is, reprogrammed his most powerful robots, most of whom were built for physical labour or research, for a new, single purpose: to destroy Mega Man.

Issue #43 shows what happens when Needle Man confronts that order, in sobering fashion. It’s best I just let the pages speak for themselves.

…

…Well that was horrific, wasn’t it?

This might be the last thing one would expect when opening up a brightly coloured comic based on the digital hero of your childhood, but my god, what storytelling. Mega Man’s pleads for Needle Man to change, as Mega Man himself had – just as he changes the colours that denote his equipped weapon in the same panel. Needle Man’s resignation at his life’s narrow and predetermined purpose. Mega Man’s moment of hesitation and pity, before taking the shot. The way Needle Man looks helpless at the end, without any of his spiky accoutrements. And Rush’s crestfallen expression at the end? Whoa. What is happening to my 8-bit memories?

I’m not really sure whether I can say this sequence makes Mega Man an unreserved recommendation; I’m sure not everyone wants something as heavy as this in their stories about robots and cackling mad scientists. But Archie Comics have been pushing the envelope like this for a while – whether it was by forcing Archie to kill his zombified father, marrying Sabrina the sometimes-teenage witch to Cthulhu, or having Archie himself die in defence of gay lead character Kevin Keller.

But the Mega Man comics are some of the best examples of their new direction. It gives a incredible new insight into the dozens of characters we’ve grown up to love, and given them powerfully human motivations. It’s shocking, really, when you realize how faithful this sequence is to the original lore of the Robot Masters – it’s just the logical expansion of what these characters would have to wrestle with once they escaped the two-megabit shackles of their source material.

So rest in peace, Needle Man. I don’t imagine Mega Man is happy with his “help people” directive when it comes to this.

Jonathan Ore writes about arts and culture, usually with a focus on video games, comic books, and television. He’s an associate editor at Toronto-based nerd siteDork Shelf. He’s also social media, photo/video and arts & entertainment jack-of-some-trades at CBCNews.ca. You can find him on Twitter @Jon_Ore.

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Gumhead, Vancouver

Fresh off last week's amazing 1-word interview, Marshawn Lynch has changed the game again.

"It was 'Yup' last week, it's 'No' this week."

He does not want to give interviews. He does not want to pay fines for not giving interviews. Can't wait to see what we get next week!

(h/t @cjzero)

That's a bold strategy, Cotton.

Mark Sanchez got a monkey off his back -- er, butt -- on Thanksgiving, leading the Eagles to a convincing 33-10 win over division rival Dallas on the two-year anniversary of the play that made him the laughing stock of the league. And what daring, innovative game plan did Chip Kelly implement to allow his blossoming backup quarterback to post a 102.2 passer rating?

Don't buttfumble.

"I mean, it sucked," Sanchez told Philly.com while reminiscing on the infamous play from Thanksgiving 2012. "I ran into some guy's butt and dropped the ball on the turf, and they scored. It's like my favorite holiday. It's not cool. That was really a bummer. But the game plan was 'Try not to do that,' and we accomplished it."

So simple, yet so effective. Why didn't Rex Ryan think of that?

The result was an efficient 20-of-29, 217-yard day for Sanchez, who threw for one touchdown and ran for another. He allowed the Eagles' run game do the heavy lifting and didn't force things himself. Sanchez did have one fumble, but it was recovered by a teammate and, more importantly, it wasn't off of anybody's butt.

"It's just been an incredible journey," Sanchez said. "The whole thing -- playing in this league, wearing a Jets logo, wearing an Eagles logo. This is an absolute dream come true. The best of times, the worst of times, still a lot of people would love to be in this position, no matter what. I'm very thankful. I'm very blessed."

Congrats, Mark. We'll always be thankful for buttfumble, though.

★★★

Click here to use FanDuel promo code SBNATION8, earn 100% deposit bonus

In a story Nov. 26 about evangelicals with gay children, The Associated Press erroneously reported a statement by the Rev. Al Mohler about same-sex attraction. Mohler said same-sex attraction can't change through secular therapy but can change through the Gospel, not that same-sex attraction can never change.

FERGUSON, Mo.(Reuters) - A group of people in Ferguson, Missouri, on Friday attempted to enter a main thoroughfare of the St. Louis suburb to clean up stores damaged in this week's racially charged rioting but a line of police blocked them from entering the area. West Florissant Avenue is home to a Walgreen Co store and other businesses that were looted or burned on Monday after a decision by a grand jury not to indict a white police officer in the shooting death of an unarmed black teenager in August.

askaqueerchick:

Presents are nice and all, but let’s not forget about the REAL reason for the season:  Persephone’s descent into the underworld.

Francis Alÿs, Nightwatch, 2004.  

Surveillance cameras observe a fox exploring the Tudor and Georgian rooms of the National Portrait Gallery at night.

thedatingfeminist:

The police accountability petition needs a LOT more love, people!

The Brown family supports body cams on cops to help foster police accountability.

If you’re in the US, you should sign these petitions as well:

investigate Michael Brown’s death - naacp.org

bring Darren Wilson up on federal charges - whitehouse.gov

bring Darren Wilson up on federal charges - change.org (this one can also be signed from outside the US)

bring Darren Wilson up on federal charges - colorofchange.org

t-ii:

Civil rights attorney/MSNBC legal analyst Lisa Bloom points out that Darren Wilson’s cross-examination was a joke

patrickthomson:

look the fuck out, mother brain

Officers approached the man after he had been shot, but noticed cylinders in his vehicle, which was nearby, and discovered he was wearing a vest they thought may be rigged to explode. Officers retreated and a bomb squad was called. It was later determined the items were not explosive. "Anytime you have cylinders like this with someone attacking government buildings, you have to think of explosive devices," Acevedo said in describing the officers' caution. Acevedo declined to identify the gunman, only saying he had a criminal record. It wasn't clear what the man's motive was. He said the fire at the consulate was extinguished before any significant damage was done to the building. The federal courthouse's guard house was shot several times, as was police headquarters, which he said was "extensively damaged." No injuries were reported from the gunfire.

Darren Wilson is currently in discussions with the Ferguson, Missouri police department on the terms and conditions of his departure, attorney Neil Bruntrager said this week. "The last thing he wants is to put other police officers at risk," the attorney added.

Read 3 remaining paragraphs | Comments

Robotic missions into space may be able to go much further, but there's something special about a spacecraft that's designed to not just send knowledge about space back to us, but to actually send us up into it. This chart sketches out the history of the spacecraft that have done just that.

Read more...

1. It has a soccer robot.

If that's a Brazuca it'll never go anywhere in a straight line, but if it isn't an official Adidas ball it'll be vaporized by FIFA stormtroopers in a matter of seconds, anyway. Definitely sport-ish, though, especially since J.J. Abrams movies already look like overly long Nike World Cup ads.

2. It has racing.

There's no reason whatsoever to fly X-Wings just a few feet off the surface of a lake besides "it looks cool as hell," and maybe "there's a NASCAR race they're about to fly over, and this is their cool approach shot for the boys in the broadcast truck." Look close enough and you'll see a Bass Pro Shops sticker somewhere on one of those X-Wings. The Rebellion doesn't pay for itself, which is why pilots shout out sponsors after shooting down TIE fighters.

3. Giving nerds what they want is a sport. You think this isn't? Ohhhhh, just wait and see how real a sport it'll be. The entire purpose of this reboot will be to avenge the three leaden George Lucas prequels by doing what each of those refused to do: give longtime fans precisely what they wanted to see. Jar Jar Binks will be absent, or possibly destroyed in the first 30 seconds of the film. Lightsabers will have 500 different blades; the more evil the character, the more unnecessarily complex the blade will be. You want the antiseptic CGI universe of The Phantom Menace gone? Nothing in this trailer looks like it's been washed EVER, including that dirty little bootleg soccer robot. You want none of the long-winded, soulless dialogue of the Lucas films? BOOM. J.J. Abrams might not even let people use conjunctions before being attacked by dirty-helmeted stormtroopers. Make no mistake: this is a sport, and he's gonna win right down to the last lens-flare.

[/woooooosh]

[/lens flare]

WKRC TV Cincinnati

Suspect opens fire on Austin Texas police WKRC TV Cincinnati AUSTIN, Texas (CBS) -- Police in Austin, Texas, asked residents to avoid part of the downtown area early Friday morning as they responded to a reported shooting incident. A tweet sent by the Austin Police Department said officers were responding to a ... and more »

Courtney shared this story from Super Opinionated.

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South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone have applied their trademark animation to the teachings of Alan Watts, a noted British-born philosopher who helped popularize Buddhism and other tenets of Eastern philosophy among Western audiences. Archival teaching by Watts can also be heard as a weekly podcast curated by his son, Mark.

via Open Culture

So many fun projects to build this season! Make sure you have the right tools to get them done. With over 100 tools in our store to help lend a hand to your DIY projects we’ve put together a wish list with some of our favorite tools to help you choose the perfect gift for your tinkering friend or make it yourself!

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Available At Adafruit

Ladyada’s Electronics Toolkit: Starting out on your electronics adventure?
Want to wield the mighty soldering iron?
Tired of saying “I’d totally get into electronics if I only knew what tools to get…”?

Working with substandard equipment is a terrible way to learn electronics: a lot of frustration with too little success. The right tool set will keep you progressing without the stressing.

This toolbox contains carefully selected hand tools that will last you for many many years. (Read more)

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Mitutoyo – Absolute Digimatic Digital Calipers, 6 in.: The most useful tool we’ve ever laid our hands on. We thought we’d use them just for electronics but then we got our hands on these calipers and had so much fun we started measuring everything.

They’re indestructible – which is good because we don’t know what we’d do without them – and ultra precise which is super helpful when measuring components or when trying to decide what diameter blueberry you prefer the most.

They have a capacitive sensor instead of a rack and pinion, so they never go out of alignment even if, say, you accidentally drop them (a few times). One button converts the measurement from millimeters to inches which is perfect for measuring components. (Read more)

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Toool Emergency Lock-Pick Card: Some people say “a college education opens doors” but for thousands of dollars less you can open any door you wish using this ever-handy emergency pick card.

Designed and produced by The Open Organisation Of Lockpickers, this ISO-compliant wallet-sized card can be kept easily on your person without hassle or fuss, but should the need arise for picks in a pinch, simply snap the card apart and you have a nine-piece toolkit at your disposal!

Comes with: two feeler hooks, a half-diamond, a wavy rake, a sawtooth rake, and a double-bump rake. The ‘frame’ of the card snaps apart into three tensioners. (Read more)

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Bus Pirate – BPv3.6: Interfacing a new microchip can be a hassle. Breadboarding a circuit, writing code, hauling out the programmer, or maybe even prototyping a PCB. We never seem to get it right on the first try.

The ‘Bus Pirate’ is a universal bus interface that talks to most chips from a PC serial terminal, eliminating a ton of early prototyping effort when working with new or unknown chips. Many serial protocols are supported at 0-5.5volts, more can be added. (Read more)

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Extech EX330 12-function autoranging multimeter: If you’re looking for one of the best multimeters, we’re proud to now offer our personal favorite! The Extech EX330 “12 Function Mini MultiMeter + Non-Contact Voltage Detector. Autoranging DMM with NCV detector and Temperature function”. This product is the winner of EEVBlog Multimeter Shootout (Extech press release) & Dave’s site here and on top of that, its been our daily-use multimeter for over 3 years. It’s compact, has auto-off, tons of features and a temperature probe for checking thermal properties, soldering iron calibration and perhaps even a DIY reflow control

Compact auto-ranging multimeter features extra large 4000 count display and built-in non-contact AC voltage detector. Advanced function include Frequency (nice for checking UART baud rates, crystal oscillators), Duty Cycle, Capacitance and Temperature (is your power supply overheating?), Diode test and continuity beeper. Rubber holster protects meter. UL listed Cat III – 600V. Includes test leads, Type K temperature probe, two AA batteries and tilt stand. UL listed. Large display and a host of features. (Read more)

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Midnight hacker – Pocket electrician: The Adafruit “midnight hacker” is a Leatherman Squirt ES4 and a very handy, unique key-chain size multi-tool. The E4 sets you up with 20GA, 18GA, 16GA, 14GA and 12GA wire strippers and electrical wire cutters to handle all kinds of precise jobs. The gripping edges on the ES4’s spring-action pliers help you get a firm grasp on fuses, small cables, and many hard-to-reach items. (Read more)

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Soldering

Digital Genuine Hakko FX-888D (936 upgrade) – FX-888D: Known by engineers for making excellent quality tools & soldering irons! This is a genuine Hakko FX-888D with digital temperature control! We worked hard to get the best and a great price, these are not Chinese/Taiwanese knock-offs. This iron is an upgrade to the venerable Hakko 936 – smaller footprint but more powerful for a faster heat up time.

The Hakkos have quality construction, this iron is the last one you’ll need for decades. Heats up in 30 seconds, with a calibrated temperature control knob gives precision heat to minimize cold solder joints. Once you know you’re on the path of electronics, this is the iron you’ll want beside you on your desk.
(Read more)

MORE OPTIONS
Hot Air Soldering Rework Station w/ Three Nozzles – Quick 957D
Adjustable 30W 110V soldering iron – XY-258 110V
Adjustable 50W 110V Soldering Iron
Deluxe Solder Stand with Solder Roll Holder
Soldering iron stand
Solder sucker
Panavise Jr. – PV-201

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Microscopes

USB Microscope – 5MP interpolated 220x magnification / 8 LEDs: As electronics get smaller and smaller, you’ll need a hand examining PCBs and this little USB microscope is the perfect tool. Its smaller and lighter than a large optical microscope but packs quite a bit of power in its little body. There’s a 5.0 megapixel sensor inside and an optical magnifier that can adjust from 20x (for basic PCB inspection) to 220x (for detailed inspection). Eight white LEDs are angled right onto whatever you’re examining so you get enough lighting to see, and are smoothly adjustable via a dial on the side. (Read more)

MORE OPTIONS
USB Microscope – 5MP interpolated 220x magnification / 8 LEDs
WiFi Portable Microscope – Usable With Android/iPad/iPhone
TV Microscope – 25x & 400x magnification / 8 LEDs
Aluminum USB Microscope with Precision Stand
Articulated Arm Stand for USB Microscope

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Screwdriver Sets

65 Piece Ratchet Screwdriver and Tool Bit Set: Look, over there at that thing! Take it apart! You can now attack just about every kind of box or enclosure that needs undoing with this ratchet screwdriver set. This set is fine quality and excels at disassembling and assembling larger hardware and makes a good companion to our smaller 38-piece set.

What drew us to this tool box is its comprehensive selection of bits, the two rubber screwdriver handles (one small and one large, neither are thin or slippery), that the large screwdriver has a built in ratchet, the magnetic bit holder (which is not hollow so you don’t have to get annoyed when bits fall through into the handle, tough CR-V alloy steel bits, and the very nice box to hold it all! Each bit is also stamped with the name/size. Both handles come with an extension so you can get into nooks & crannies. (Read More)

MORE OPTIONS
Precision Torx Screwdriver Set (6 pieces)
Precision screwdriver set (6 pieces)
38 Piece Screwdriver Set

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AND MORE

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Adafruit Holiday Shipping Deadlines 2014

Here are your 2014 shipping deadlines for ordering from Adafruit. Please review our shipping section if you have specific questions on how and where we ship worldwide for this holiday season.

The Adafruit Shipping Department works hard to get your orders out as quickly as we can, but once they’re in the hands of our carriers they’re out of our control.

Carriers have been struggling to keep up with the sharp rise in online orders. Last year UPS, FedEX, and USPS all experienced delivery delays.

So all the Adafruit Shippers say: Please be sure you get your gifts early! Order as soon as you can! Once you place your order we’ll ship like the wind!

UPS ground (USA orders): Place orders by Friday 11am ET – December 12, 2014 – There is no guarantee that UPS Ground packages will arrive in time for Christmas.

UPS 3-day (USA orders): Place orders by Wednesday 11am ET – December 17, 2014 – Arrive by 12/24/2014.

UPS 2-day (USA orders): Place orders by Thursday 11am ET – December 18, 2014 – Arrive by 12/24/2014.

UPS overnight (USA orders): Place orders by Friday 11am ET – December 19, 2014 – Arrive by 12/24/2014.

Please note: We do not offer Saturday or Sunday service for UPS or USPS.

Thursday, Dec. 25, 2014, Christmas, no UPS pickup or delivery service.
Thursday, Jan. 1, 2015, New Year’s Day, no UPS pickup or delivery service.

United States Postal Service, First Class and Priority (USA orders): Place orders by Friday– December 12, 2014 – Arrive by 12/24/2014 or sooner.

USPS First class mail international (International orders): Place orders by Friday – November 21, 2014. Can take up to 30 days ore more with worldwide delays and customs. Should arrive by 12/24/2014 or sooner, but not a trackable service and cannot be guaranteed to arrive by 12/24/14.

USPS Express mail international(International orders): Place orders by Friday – December 5, 2015. Can take up to 15 days or more with worldwide delays and customs. Should arrive by 12/24/2014 or sooner.

Gift Certificates are always available at any time.

When in doubt contact us!