firehose

Triumph of Death, 16th century

Antoine Caron, Allegory of War, 16th century

dogtraffic:

A senior editor at Buzzfeed threatened a college student.

I just reblogged a post referencing this.

Buzzfeed has a bad reputation as a website, but Logan Rhoades took it way past the line. This week, a website called Taco Ben (where a college student ate and reviewed every item on the Taco Bell menu) released a quiz titled, “What Taco Bell Item Are You?" that picked up minor steam on the internet through Facebook, Reddit, etc. The official Taco Bell twitter even said how much they liked it. It was a pretty neat time.

The next day, Buzzfeed happened to release a blatant rip-off Taco Bell quiz. It’d hadn’t even been 24 hours? (If you would like proof, Carter, who is the creator of the quiz, can provide dates). Logan Rhoades, who is a senior editor at Buzzfeed, was responsible for publishing it. If you notice as well, their tagline “In Taco Bell We Trust” is exactly like the tagline of the Taco Ben jingle, which can be heard at the end of their FAQ videos.

Did Buzzfeed copy Taco Ben’s idea? Very likely, given the circumstances and how Logan’s excuses don’t add up.

However, the point of the matter is the picture above. Logan Rhoades harassed and threatened Carter, the creator of the quiz. He very clearly said he would slander him with his profile pictures off Facebook, which include other people including her girlfriend, parents, and friends.

This is ABSOLUTELY unacceptable behavior from a man who is in a position of responsibility and should be acting professional.

Please, I never ask to spread things around, but this is disgusting behavior. Logan Rhoades is acting like a child. Please reblog this, take the picture and post it wherever you can, go on the Buzzfeed quiz and make a comment. Make people see this and make Logan Rhoades know this is not any kind of acceptable joke.

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This is so cool! Via Digital Trends.

GoPro cameras are getting everywhere these days. Quadcopters, straps, flexible suction cups and other such accessories mean the only thing between you and some stunning GoPro-shot footage is your imagination.

The latest say-what? footage to hit the Web is the work of three ISS astronauts – the European Space Agency’s Alexander Gerst and NASA’s Steve Swanson and Reid Wiseman – who had the idea of putting a GoPro inside a water bubble, apparently as part of an experiment “exploring water surface tension in microgravity” (well, they had to offer some kind of reason for having a bit of fun with a GoPro and a liquid blob).

Shot back in the summer but only just released, the video, complete with its easy-listening soundtrack, shows the astronauts carefully inserting the GoPro into the floating sphere of water.

Once inside, we’re treated to snippets of footage reminiscent of those ‘dream sequence’ shots in old movies involving wavy dissolves.

Read more.

tlhIngan writes When moving from an iPhone to something else, if you were an avid user of iMessage, you may find your messages missing, especially from iOS-using friends. Indeed, it has been such a problem that there are even lawsuits about it. While Apple has maintained that users can always switch off iMessage, that only works if you still have your iOS device. Unless one also has other iOS devices or a Mac, they may not even realize their friends have been sending messages that are queued up on Apple's services via iMessage. Well, that problem has been resolved with Apple creating a deregistration utility to remove your phone number from the iMessage servers so friends will no longer send you texts via iMessage that you can no longer receive. It's a two-step process involving proof of number ownership (via regular SMS) before deregistration takes place.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

The San Francisco 49ers cornerback that drew a Hall-Mary-nullifying penalty says he wasn't acting when he fell to the ground.

The San Francisco 49ers survived in overtime against the New Orleans Saints to earn a 27-24 victory, but had it not been for a pass interference call at the end of regulation, the game would have never reached extra time.

Drew Brees connected with tight end Jimmy Graham on a Hail Mary that appeared to be the game-winner for the Saints, but it was nullified by an offensive pass interference call on Graham who gave 49ers cornerback Perrish Cox a push.

Many believed that Cox embellished to earn the flag, and Graham wasn't too happy with the penalty either. The tight end was adamant that he didn't push off and suggested that Cox flopped to earn the call, saying "that's why I left basketball." Cox told Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports though, that the push was legitimate and that he would have intercepted the pass had he been allowed to stay upright.

"Man, look here, that wasn't a flop at all," Cox told FOX Sports by phone before he and his teammates headed to the airport for the flight home from New Orleans. "If they want to call it that, well, if he didn't push me, it would've been an (interception). People can say what they want. Everybody is entitled to their opinion, but we came out with the victory and that's all that matters."

The 49ers kicked a 35-yard game-winning field goal in overtime to secure the 27-24, which only fueled the frustration of those that thought it was a successful Hail Mary nullified by overacting. Former head of NFL officiating Mike Pereira called it a "clear" penalty after the game and said that it "needs to be called every time."

Do you recognize this gentleman? You might.

Yeah, we thought you might. He does this sort of thing ALL THE TIME. It's kind of what he's known for. Well, that, and this:

(via Reddit)

Alabama and Nebraska appear to lead the way.

The New York Times has unveiled another neat college football map, surveying Facebook data from every county in the United States to find out where people care about college football the most.

Be sure to click on through for the county-by-county numbers.

Unsurprisingly, the most college football-heavy areas of the country come in the South, although the Midwest region also has a number of states with strong affinities for the sport. The map ranges from a light pink to purple, and the most purple states (the ones who care about college football the most) appear to be Alabama and Nebraska, with Oklahoma, Kentucky, Arkansas, South Carolina, Ohio and Iowa right behind. The parts of Michigan, Wisconsin, Mississippi, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Florida where the states' major college football programs reside also show as a dark purple.

Perhaps the most surprising, at first, is Texas, with brief blotches of purple around Lubbock, Waco and College Station. It's a big state with a lot of people, however, and many are more focused on high school football than the collegiate level.

For more maps, check out our 25 that explain college football.

The NFL's most visible cornerback praises the Giants' rookie wide receiver.

Though New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. has only played in five regular season games, he has garnered considerable attention for his strong play and unbelievable hand-eye coordination. Now the rookie can add Richard Sherman's respect to the list.

Despite the Giants' loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, Beckham was one of the team's lone bright spots in the 37-17 defeat. While regularly lining up against Sherman, arguably the best cornerback in the NFL, he hauled in seven passes for 108 yards, including a 44-yard bomb where he shook free of the All-Pro on a nasty double move.

After the game, Beckham sought out Sherman at midfield. Rather than receiving a mere handshake, the receiver ended up with his opponent's jersey and his respect.

"'You're the real deal. You just have to keep working,'" Sherman said, according to Beckham. "And he was kind of telling me some of the things that were going on and some of the things he was seeing. He said, 'You're going to be a great player. Keep working.'"

Praise from an NFL veteran is music to a rookie's ears. That goes doubly when coming from a player of Sherman's caliber, who is one of multiple Seahawks to send compliments to the Giants' first round pick.

"I thought Beckham was really good," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. "He really came out of there and he was the big factor early on ... I thought he showed that he was a really good football player [Sunday], and they've got a great one in that kid."

Beckham has 25 receptions for 370 yards and three touchdowns on the season.

The former high school football star says he won't allow his kids to play the sport, presumably because of its violent nature.

LeBron James might have been a star football player in high school, but his children won't be. The Cavaliers star and one-time all state wide receiver told ESPN's Chris Broussard over the weekend that he doesn't t allow his sons to play football.

Broussard didn't elaborate on this tweet and so no reason as to why LeBron doesn't let his kids play football is provided. But the implication here is pretty clear: in LeBron's eyes, football is a dangerous sport, one that he doesn't want either of his two sons getting involved in.

James is not the first public person to take this stance. In January President Barack Obama said that, if he had sons, he would't let them play football, either.

LeBron played football until his senior year in high school; a broken wrist he suffered that summer took him off the football field and he never returned. In the three years before that, though, he caught 27 touchdown passes and amassed more than 1,900 receiving yards. He's also often joked about wanting to give playing in the NFL a shot and has been heavily involved with the Ohio State program. He's made appearances at Browns practices and games this year, too.

Photo via Timothy T. Ludwig - USA TODAY Sports

We've been sleeping far too well over the last couple of weeks. Thanks for changing that, Mario Williams!

All hail Zuul!

Mario Thrilliams

Make a deal with Mario, go on ...

Yes it's 2014 and we're making Last Action Hero references!

We're sorry.

We're really, really sorry.

We saw this Getty Images photo from Sunday night's Leafs-Sens game in Ottawa pop up in our SB Nation Photo Tool™ and we had a lot of questions.

(For example: Why is there a Detroit Lions fan in Ottawa? What does Phil Kessel do for a living?)

The most pressing concern: WE NEED TO SEE THE SELFIE. Luckily, our friends at Sporting News were already on the case and pointed us in the right direction.

@PKessel81 thanks for the selfie Phil!!!! pic.twitter.com/kAnmBxIMH6

— Kristin Provincial (@krisprovincial) November 10, 2014

Kristin, this is your finest photographic moment. We wish we could say the same for you Phil.

Just two days after receiving a $50 million extension, Carson Palmer suffered a season-ending knee injury Tuesday.

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer is out for the year after an MRI confirmed he suffered a torn ACL during the team's 31-14 victory over the St. Louis Rams, per Jay Glazer of Fox Sports.

Palmer, 34, suffered the injury after very minimal contact when Rams safety Mark Barron forced him to step up slightly in the pocket and his left knee buckled. He walked to the sideline with help, but stumbled when he got to the sideline and was subsequently carted to the locker room.

Palmer said he cried like a baby last night. Hadn't cried since Chris Henry passed away.

— Kent Somers (@kentsomers) November 10, 2014

Head coach Bruce Arians remained confident that the team could still win a Super Bowl with Drew Stanton at quarterback, but also displayed some vulnerability in admitting it was a road he'd rather not take.

Arians: "It's a bump in the road. It's been a bumpy-ass road. I'd like to get the potholes fixed."

— Darren Urban (@Cardschatter) November 10, 2014

The injury was to the same knee Palmer suffered severe damage to as a member of the Cincinnati Bengals in January 2006, which required surgery to repair.

Just two days before the injury, the Cardinals announced a three-year, $50 million extension for Palmer with $20.5 million guaranteed through the 2015 season. The team has the option to opt out of the contract in 2016 without owing any additional money to Palmer. Coincidentally, Palmer received a long-term extension from the Bengals just 10 days before suffering his knee injury in 2006.

With Palmer now done for the year, the 8-1 Cardinals will be in the hands of quarterback Drew Stanton, who signed with the team in 2013. Stanton finished 3 of 5 for 85 yards Sunday, including a go-ahead touchdown pass to John Brown in the fourth quarter.

LET THE ULTIMATE JEOPARDY BATTLE OF FIRE AND LASERS BEGIN.

2014 has been an excellent year for Jeopardy, and it's about to get great again.

In February and March, Arthur Chu won almost $300,000 and got people talking about sportsmanship and game theory with his buzzer-mashing, category-jumping, Daily-Double-hunting style. He was, for a few weeks, sports' most dominant and intriguing competitor, and our favorite by far:

The most dominant figure in sports right now: Arthur. pic.twitter.com/9xEKedWO66

— SB Nation (@SBNation) February 28, 2014

Arthur's streak ended at 11 games. Julia Collins' went way further. With no real strategy except knowing absolutely everything, Julia became one of Jeopardy's greatest contestants ever. We kept increasingly hysterical tabs on her run, which reached 20 wins:

That streak is second only to the titanic Ken Jennings, and Julia's final winnings of $429,100 are third all-time (yo, Jeopardy, update your leaderboard) for non-tournament contestants, just barely behind second-place Dave Madden.

Two captivating champs in the same season! What could be better? I'LL TELL YOU WHAT COULD BE BETTER, SELF. WHEN THEY FACE EACH OTHER.

These familiar faces return for the #TournamentOfChampions Monday. Get ready to watch. #Jeopardy! pic.twitter.com/blK6Get4Qt

— Jeopardy! (@Jeopardy) November 7, 2014

Jeopardy's annual Tournament of Champions -- featuring the season's top 15 contestants (including automatic entries for top College and Teacher champs) begins Monday night and lasts for two weeks. The roster includes some sharp, fun contestants, but none quite like 2014's most dominant.

Arthur and Julia will surely be separated in the initial rounds, but will hopefully continue their success and meet for an Ultimate Jeopardy Battle of Fire and Lasers (UJBOFAL).

LET'S GOOOOOOO. (Here's when Jeopardy is on for you.)

The Voynich Manuscript is one of the most obsessed-over historical enigmas. A medieval book dating from the late 15th or 16th century, its strange, flowing script has never been deciphered, its origins never determined. The 113 plant illustrations it contains seem to depict no flora found on Earth, and throughout its vellum pages are visuals of the cosmos, a small army of naked women cavorting through pools of water, and the arcane alphabet that has so frustrated linguists and cryptographers.

As the Yale Daily News reported last week and aficionados discovered online, new high-resolution scans of the manuscript were recently posted at Yale University’s Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library site. Digital versions were previously available to the curious through the Beinecke, but the new scans are even sharper, and in sequential order you can closely examine each page. As the library explained to Hyperallergic, recent conservation work addressed folds and curls that had previously blocked some pages, and new scanning equipment made the color more accurate and didn’t require so much securing with straps on the delicate pages.

In 1912, the manuscript started to make its way into contemporary conscious when it was acquired by antique book dealer Wilfrid M. Voynich, who for the rest of his life tried and failed to derive meaning from the manuscript apparently about the natural world. Believed to have been created in Central Europe, its path over the centuries is unclear — at one point in the 17th century it was reportedly sent to Athanasius Kircher, scholar of the scientific and the strange. It arrived at Yale in 1969 impressively intact, housed now in the Beinecke as the star obscurity among an incredible trove of rare texts. There its curvy writing in brownish-black ink, flowers sometimes sprouting animal parts like something from a deranged herbal, and zodiac charts beckon code breakers.

Some still speculate it is all a hoax, but carbon dating at least confirms its age, and even this year researchers are attempting to puzzle out the meaning from this book no one can be read. A linguist at the University of Bedfordshire in the UK proposed sounds to match the symbols, declaring he had decoded 14 of them. Meanwhile, researchers at Delaware State University argued the manuscript may have its origins in central Mexico after analyzing the nature of the bizarre plant illustrations.

You can find a full description at Yale’s Voynich catalog record, and perhaps form your own theory of how a book that seems so fluidly written, so packed with intended meaning, can become a complete mystery.

h/t Clive Thompson

The complete scans of the Voynich Manuscript are online at Yale University Library. 

Conflict Kitchen, the social practice eatery in Pittsburgh, has come under fire from the Israel advocacy organization B’nai B’rith International over its current programming on Palestine. The restaurant’s menu and programming focus on the food and culture of countries where the US is engaged in a conflict, an effort to foster understanding between populations whose governments are at odds — but not everyone is eating up their culinary diplomacy. After a deluge of right-wing media coverage, the organization temporarily closed the restaurant on Friday after receiving a letter containing death threats.

In response to the letter from B’nai B’rith, the Heinz Endowments, which is chaired by Teresa Heinz Kerry (the wife of US Secretary of State John Kerry) and provided a $50,000 grant to Conflict Kitchen last year to help it relocate and develop new programming, appeared to disavow its support for the organization. “I want to be especially clear that its current program on Palestine was not funded by the endowments and we would not fund such a program, precisely because it appears to be terribly at odds with the mission of promoting understanding,” Heinz Endowments president Grant Oliphant wrote in a letter quoted in a B’nai B’rith release from October 31. But a follow-up statement from Oliphant, posted on the Heinz Endowments website, tempered the message: “Just to be clear, the Endowments has a long and proud history of supporting arts organizations whose work can be challenging or controversial, and I stand firmly with our staff in carrying that tradition forward.”

“The real story on our Palestinian version is that it is the most popular iteration to date, with 300–400 people a day coming to the restaurant,” Conflict Kitchen co-founders Jon Rubin and Dawn Weleski wrote in a blog post responding to the recent press. “Our public is approaching us with trust, support, and open minds.”

Media coverage of the affair has been sensationalist in tone, with headlines like “Anti-Israel restaurant receives funding from John Kerry’s wife’s foundation” (Fox News), “Report: John Kerry’s Wife Funds Radical Anti-US, Anti-Israel Eatery” (Breitbart), “Kitchen Nightmares” (Washington Free Beacon), and “Kerry’s Wife Funds Anti-Israel Pop Up Restaurant” (Breaking Israel News).

Attacks on Conflict Kitchen have revolved around two issues. Its Palestine-themed programming launched with a September 30 talk that featured West Bank-raised, Pittsburgh-based doctor Nael Aldweib and Ken Boas, a University of Pittsburgh professor who is also the chair of the board of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions-USA. That event drew criticism from Pittsburgh’s Jewish Chronicle for not including an Israeli perspective.

“Promoting understanding is at the core of Conflict Kitchen’s mission,” Rubin and Weleski wrote. “We have demonstrated this in the past by presenting the food, culture, and viewpoints of Iranians, Afghans, Cubans, North Koreans, and Venezuelans.  We believe that presenting the viewpoints of Palestinians promotes understanding of Palestinians.”

Subsequent attacks on the organization have centered on the text printed on their food wrappers, which include excerpts from interviews conducted in Palestine. One passage, quoted very selectively in the Washington Free Beacon, reads:

How can you compare Israeli F-16s, which are some of the best military planes in the world, to a few hundred homemade rockets? You’re punishing the Gazans who have been under your siege for eight years already. You’re attacking, arresting and killing guilty and innocent people alike. You have 1.8 million people in an area half the size of New York City, but without proper housing, water or infrastructure, and no way to make a living. They are banned from dealing with anyone outside Gaza. You’ re pushing them to the absolute extreme. So what do you expect? Palestinians are not going to just let you in and drop their arms. No, they’re going to kill and they are going to die.

“Conflict Kitchen’s goal is to increase the curiosity and understanding about the people who live in countries our government is in conflict with by directly exposing our customers to these cultures and viewpoints,” Rubin and Weleski wrote. “Another goal is to raise the public profile of the minority Afghan, Iranian, Cuban, Venezuelan, and Palestinian communities who live and work in our region, thereby creating a more accurate depiction of Pittsburgh’s cultural diversity. These new accusations will not alter Conflict Kitchen’s goals with our current Palestinian version.  Rather, they strengthen why our mission to increase curiosity and understanding is more important than ever before.”

Conflict Kitchen was launched by Rubin, a Carnegie Mellon University art professor, and Weleski, a multidisciplinary artist, in 2010. Past programs have been devoted to Afghanistan, North Korea, Cuba, Iran, and Venezuela. In spite of the current media hysteria, the restaurant’s customers remain enthusiastic.

“Absolutely love the concept and the food here,” Yelp reviewer Elizabeth H. of Belle Mead, New Jersey, wrote on October 19. “Recently went to try their Palestinian food — the fattoush was excellent. Always have plenty of vegetarian options. People who work here are knowledgeable and love to talk when it’s less crowded. Favorite place to eat in Oakland.”

musermatt:

SO I JUST UNLOCKED THIS “CONCEPT ART” IN BIOSHOCK INFINITE

drib-drab:

Sir Thomas More, The Book of Fortune, 221

Lord Of The Tweeds.

J. R. R. Tolkien, 1955.

tedikuma:

Another comic I started last night. This one is basically about what it was like being African American in high school, minus the supernatural transformation at the end.

bibidebabideboo:

ikushun 読んだら３日以内に絶対うんこもらすブログ (2014-11-06 - 読んだら３日以内に絶対うんこもらすブログから)

two ships.

Argus vs Tater Tot

[video]

zaku-guy:

Zaku’s at war