You can order the device here, but it only really works with a Samsung phone right now. The summary on this site is easier to follow. Basically, you take a photo with your phone, the image is uploaded to a server, a neural net generates a description of the image, and then the printer produces a receipt that includes the summary of the photo and a date at which you can view the photo itself.
Sunday, April 30, 2023
The Memogram is a camera that gives you a written description of the photo you took, and a date at which you'll actually be able to view the photo
You can order the device here, but it only really works with a Samsung phone right now. The summary on this site is easier to follow. Basically, you take a photo with your phone, the image is uploaded to a server, a neural net generates a description of the image, and then the printer produces a receipt that includes the summary of the photo and a date at which you can view the photo itself.
Projected NFL draft picks were paid to wear Hot Pockets-filled pocket squares
Oh baby sign me up pic.twitter.com/W87bQ8yOYP
— Matt Mitchell (@olboyunclemitch) April 27, 2023
Here's the pocket squares in action:
Basically nothing happened in the Formula One race today, except a whole bunch of people almost got run over right on the last lap
A whole bunch of people erroneously assumed no one would pit that late in the race:
Here's Ocon's onboard view:
Was doing the trackside commentary so haven’t been tweeting this weekend but could see this unfolding and actually tried to deliver a warning Ocon was due in if they could hear the tannoy. Huge breakdown in communication and set-up should never have started #F1 #AzerbaijanGP https://t.co/PurFtxH6jl
— Chris Medland (@ChrisMedlandF1) April 30, 2023
Here's Ocon's onboard view:
Return of the Jedi-era Harrison Ford talks abut his first movie role
Since I’m seeing Return of the Jedi on the big screen tonight I’m obligated to share this clip from my favorite Harrison Ford interview ever (from the original 1983 release). pic.twitter.com/vjrjdGlGnB
— Jackson Boren (@JacksonBoren) April 30, 2023
(Reminds me of Anthony Perkins in the clip.)
China is trying to stop poachers from using electricity to mass-capture earthworms
The dried remains are popular in herbal medicines, but the use of electric devices is so effective, that ecosystems are being damaged:
With a device called “an earth dragon device” 地龍儀 to capture earthworms, “a battery, two wires, inserted in the ground, earthworms immediately crawl out, it’s blood-chilling to watch.” In some places, it only takes 20 minutes to catch five or six pounds of earthworms, and a fully charged battery can work continuously for five hours. In the land that has not been “electrified” previously, a day of electrocutions bringing up two or three hundred pounds of earthworms is no problem....Although farmers know that the presence of earthworms benefits the soil, there are few ways for many rural people to earn money faster and easier than with electro-captured earthworms.
(More from SCMP last year.)
Today's news and jokes
Fans attempting to buy the “No Frank Ocean Merchandise” sign at Coachella pic.twitter.com/NKIpRnSkw1
— Frank Ocean Daily (@TeamFrankDaily) April 18, 2023
Saturday, April 29, 2023
Fired NYPD police officer blames positive drug test on use of hemp soap
He's appealing his firing.
Don't worry Hemp contains no THC and makes up about 2% of the soap, crucial to smooth after feel. U won't fail drug test either.
— Dr. Bronner's (@DrBronner) May 5, 2017
Hellish pyrotechnics display at Botev Plovdiv’s soccer match against Levski
🔥 Welcome to Hell! 🔥
— Metodi_Shumanov (@shumanskoo) April 29, 2023
Botev Plovdiv’s pyro show against Levski in the Bulgarian league tonight pic.twitter.com/0VbTBO4s2M
More views:
Today's news and jokes
.@richardrushfield hit the #BarbieMovie installation at #CinemaCon. His first analysis from Vegas... https://t.co/m70vD6BoHZ pic.twitter.com/eg9AbS8jrN
— The Ankler (@TheAnkler) April 25, 2023
Friday, April 28, 2023
It's time for my favorite annual art show, Famicase 2023
The latest addition to the Boxos Corp family of games.
— Zach Roy - #hireDOOM (@Senor_Doom) April 28, 2023
"Oh no..... My Groceries....."
Cartridge for My Famicase Exhibition 2023 at METEOR in Tokyo.#famicase pic.twitter.com/QIvl0T3WOc
A few highlights from what I've seen so far (designers have just started posting their submissions):
Today's news and jokes
OMG pic.twitter.com/Yd5HiwoukL
— no context college football (@nocontextcfb) April 28, 2023
Was hoping he'd suplex Goodell but alas pic.twitter.com/AAaEktYf4k
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) April 28, 2023
For "Zero History" fans
[kramer flies in door] they’re gay, Jerry! pic.twitter.com/iN0jjuzp0I
— BUM CHILLUPS AKA SPENCER HALL (@edsbs) April 23, 2023
One of the books I've reread the most.
Thursday, April 27, 2023
New Humble Bundle is the ultimate collection of cosplay guides
Starts at $1 for two books including the classical guide to sewing a perfect jacket.
The first wave of Super 7's GI Joe Ultimates is on sale
at Entertainment Earth. Two options: Buy the entire first wave and one is free, or buy a four-pack of BATs and one of them will be free.
Today's news and jokes
🚨 | NEW: Rishi Sunak’s police escort now consists of actual officers running beside his car… as well as pedal bikes pic.twitter.com/5TrNo2HXyt
— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) April 24, 2023
Wired looks at the names of hacker groups
[Why] did I find myself referring to them as "the hacker group known as Kimsuky, Emerald Sleet, or Velvet Chollima"?
...
A few days ago, Microsoft's cybersecurity division announced it was changing the entire taxonomy of names it uses for the hundreds of hacker groups that it tracks. Instead of its previous system, which gave those organizations the names of elements—a fairly neutral, scientific-sounding system as these things go—it will now give hacker groups two-word names, including in their description a weather-based term indicating what country the hackers are believed to work on behalf of, as well as whether they're state-sponsored or criminal.
That means Phosphorous, an Iranian group that Microsoft reported this week has been targeting US critical infrastructure like seaports, energy companies, and transit systems, now has the less-than-fearsome name Mint Sandstorm.
...
Many of the new names sounded so absurd that I actually double-checked Microsoft hadn't published the new labeling system on April 1. Periwinkle Tempest. Pumpkin Sandstorm. Spandex Tempest. Gingham Typhoon.
So many more names (and plenty discussion about the merits of the naming systems).
Wednesday, April 26, 2023
Two killed and three others shot at a cockfight on Oahu
AP:
Police in Hawaii have vowed to step up illegal gambling enforcement after one of the most serious shootings in state history called attention to the dangers that come with cockfighting, which has deep roots in the islands and remains popular despite being illegal.
...
Authorities say investigating cockfights is difficult in part because they are highly organized events on private property and their illegal nature and the large amount of money wagered means they often have links to organized crime.
...
[A former Maui police chief said], “It’s something that is so huge and so popular in Hawaii that it really can’t be controlled by law enforcement”
Disturbing new allegation about the former San Francisco fire commissioner who was supposedly the victim of a random attack by a homeless person
He's alleged to be the person who has committed multiple attacks such as in the video below, and also alleged to be falsely exaggerating his injuries to avoid being questioned:
Attacked ex-S.F. commissioner accused of "terrorizing" homeless with bear mace. https://t.co/PHCBH9PTut pic.twitter.com/ude8ZiRf1i
— San Francisco Chronicle (@sfchronicle) April 26, 2023
"Who Was Rupert Murdoch’s Two-Week Fiancée?"
NYT:
In 1988, she was involved in an imbroglio at a society gala on the dance floor of the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco. Reuters described the melee as “a shoving match between two San Francisco socialites” .... “She pulled my hair,” [the victim] said in an interview for this article. “She scratched me.” [She] pleaded no contest to misdemeanor assault and was ordered to donate $3,000 to a shelter for abused women, Reuters reported at the time.
...
[Her] life began to turn around when she became a Christian, she told the network, adding that she had started doing volunteer work as a chaplain for police departments in Marin County. In 1999, she wed ... a former percussionist in the rock band Santana. The fact of that marriage, which lasted about a year
...
Her third marriage was to ... a radio and television entrepreneur in Modesto, Calif., who had started out as a disc jockey and country singer. [She] appeared at his side on the cover of ... a 2005 album .... In the photo, [she] is dressed in a police uniform with a priest’s collar, her hand on her husband’s shoulder.
And of course:
not sure I believe this but I am sure there are like eighty different competing reasons he got canned and I love each of them in their own special way https://t.co/ySSvQMVnFf
— kilgore trout, blue check blocker (@KT_So_It_Goes) April 25, 2023
Today's news and jokes
I was way off.No cheating: guess the “controversial” photoshoot location pic.twitter.com/qXAJMiNLpt
— Evan Rytlewski (@Evanryt) April 22, 2023
Make a food bank donation for a chance to win a Pan Am-style Star Destroyer bag
You can also donate here: https://t.co/Lf5c2JUICT If you use this link, put "Kristen Hidalgo" in the comments box and *DM me your receipt* as I don't see this donation as they come in.
— Kay Hidalgo (@manraysky) April 25, 2023
Good point!! The event is May 17! So that will be the last day for contributions!
— Kay Hidalgo (@manraysky) April 25, 2023
McFarlane and Super7 toys in today's one day sale
Including 26% off Super7 Splinter and 44% off McFarlane Geralt.
Alaskan high kick and wrist carry at the 2023 State Native Youth Olympics; the battle sport of Jugger; Katelyn Ohashi takes on the US Marine obstacle course
More information about the events here. And a few more random sports clips I saved--extremely specific volleyball drills, the growing (?) sport of Jugger, and Katelyn Ohashi takes on the US Marine obstacle course:@eggskimo45 2023 State Native Youth Olympics
♬ original sound - Greg
Tuesday, April 25, 2023
Funny summary of an attempted lawsuit by a very famous celebrity lawyer
From Matt Levine's April 24 newsletter, which has a lengthy write-up of the legal shenanigans:
Ultimately this defense worked, and the judge dismissed [the extremely famous celebrity lawyer]’s lawsuit. I love that a famous US lawyer learned of Swiss companies defrauding a Venezuelan company out of billions of dollars, and his natural first reaction was to go to a US federal court to get it to order those companies to give him the money instead. “If a US lawyer notices anyone stealing any money anywhere in the world, that money belongs to him, and a US court will enforce his rights to it” is not 100% wrong as a description of US law, which explains a lot about the extraterritorial application of US law, the hegemony of the dollar system, and the entrepreneurial American legal culture. But it is not 100% right either, and it did not work out for [the extremely famous celebrity lawyer].
Alabama just rescinded its recruitment of a basketball player after his arrest, but I guessed wrong as to why the player was arrested
The player had announced his transfer to Alabama's basketball program, but got arrested, so Alabama canceled those plans. The details of what were found in the car indeed sound bad. But can you guess which of the details justified the arrest?:
[The player] told police there was a loaded firearm under the passenger seat where he was sitting, and an officer noticed a rolling tray, a baggie containing some 20 grams of marijuana and a half-rolled blunt in the passenger side floorboard, police said.
Officers found two more loaded weapons and another baggie containing 12 grams of marijuana that police said belonged to [the player's companion].
In Alabama, as of Jan. 1, a permit is no longer required to carry a concealed handgun or to carry one in a vehicle.
...
[The two men] were both charged with second-degree possession of marijuana and released after posting $500 bond. The driver was not charged.
Today's news and jokes
Bandai has re-released its series of capsule toy figures from the Chōjū-giga scrolls. https://t.co/dK7eeHDImh pic.twitter.com/eaXHNSsepL
— Mulboyne (@Mulboyne) April 24, 2023
Some Marvel Legends in the one-day sale
One day sale at the BBTS includes Marvel Legends Hickman Professor X, Iron Man with an alternate hologram head, and more.
Sketch cards for sale
Tuesday Stock Update (with pictures!): pic.twitter.com/R0vKaHuYa9
— Gavin Guidry (@gavinguidry) April 25, 2023
Fun idea for an art commission: a Nick Fury and MODOK commission where an artist drew the scene and a writer added a short narrative
Did a sketchbook collaboration-commission with @TheKyleStarks this weekend…! Drawing came first (Kyle)…then the words (me). pic.twitter.com/6BFiG1jpKx
— Matt Kindt (@mattkindt) April 23, 2023
Monday, April 24, 2023
New Humble Bundle promises the "ultimate guide to ChatGPT and AI Chat Bots"
Starting at three books for $1. Maybe some instant artifacts, like "Alexa Skills," but my impression is the LLMs are and will be increasingly useful for coding.
The first 150 pages for the substack comic by Niko Henrichon and Brian Vaughn were posted as a free download
Available for download (some good art). Also at the link, a photo of a pretty great Al Jafee original fold-in.
Today's news and jokes
Listen I'm not happy that disneyland's giant animatronic dragon exploded but it is kind of funny that there's so much video coverage of it on tiktok from literally every possible hypothetical perspective
— Jenny Nicholson (@JennyENicholson) April 24, 2023
Someone is like, "imagine coming over the drop on Splash Mountain and seeing that thing on fire," scroll to see a POV video of people coming over the drop screaming about how the dragon is on fire pic.twitter.com/FCWmpNNvYq
— Jenny Nicholson (@JennyENicholson) April 24, 2023
"The Game of Kings: Book One" by Dorothy Dunnett is $1.99 today
at Amazon:
Combining all the political intrigue of Game of Thrones with the sweeping romanticism of Outlander, Dorothy Dunnett’s legendary Lymond Chronicles have enthralled readers for decades and amassed legions of devoted fans
Wikipedia page for the series.
Vending machine dispenses an ARG
I am absolutely excitebike to announce that Training Module 2 has launched at the CXD Hub in Findlay Market!! This little alternate-reality game has been a dream of mine, and while I’m still learning and iterating, I am also pretty heckin proud 🥰 Check it out! pic.twitter.com/yeTMQmldnd
— Okapikid (@Okapikid) April 21, 2023
Cincinnati Magazine (the article from last year describes Training Module 1 of the ARG):
For $10, you’ll receive a small box containing the first module of your Field Agent Training Program. Filled with puzzles, clues, and riddles, the cards build an experience straight out of a conspiracy fiction novel. No spoilers, but if you decide to enroll, plan to spend plenty of time investigating Findlay Market.
Here's the creator's Reddit thread about the project, and the ARG's website.
*Previously: Seattle's cryptid vending machine.
Sunday, April 23, 2023
Around a dozen masked individuals stormed the stage at the at the LA Times Festival of Books to disrupt an archaeologist's talk
LAT:
Critics have accused Hansen of wanting to develop the area to increase archaeological tourism in a way that would harm the local population, many of whom are Indigenous.
Hansen, whose proposals have won support from a number of Maya leaders, has said that his proposals are environmentally sustainable, would provide jobs for Indigenous communities and would mitigate the influence of what he called the “mafias” operating in the region.
The LAT had a long, vivid article about the area and the archaeologist last month, headlined, "Jaguars, narcos, illegal loggers: One man’s battle to save a jungle and Maya ruins":
For four decades Hansen and a group of more than 40 archaeologists and specialists have worked at El Mirador to preserve the enormous cultural wealth of the Maya empire, which dominated a region that encompasses swaths of Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador.
...
In 1983, while traveling in a small plane from Las Flores, Hansen, his wife, Jody, and his daughter Micalena crashed in the middle of the jungle. Everyone got out alive, but the episode brought home that, while the region’s perils are constantly close by, help is very far away.
...
Their work here has pulled Hansen and his team into a fierce debate over how best to sustainably preserve the biosphere around the site, as well as the impoverished communities that live off the jungle’s bounty.
...
“I am not leading any imperialist invasion,” he said. “We are simply trying to suggest that there is a viable, superior economic alternative for the impoverished communities through controlled, restricted eco-tourism, as opposed to poaching, looting, logging, oil drilling and money laundering by corrupt forces that do not want the conservation and protection of this area.”
A look at the think tanks that have "found remarkable success among Republicans to relax regulations that prevent children from working long hours in dangerous conditions"
WaPo (I guess the think tank believes parents and kids can make some decisions for themselves):
a confederation of conservative state-level think tanks that practice what leaders call the “Ikea model” of advocacy, its president said during the group’s 2013 conference. Affiliates such as the FGA display prefabricated policy projects for state officials, then provide the tools — including research and lobbying support — to push proposals through legislative and administrative processes.
...
The FGA-backed measures maintain existing child labor safety protections “while removing the permission slip that inserts government in between parents and their teenager’s desire to work,” ... the foundation’s vice president, said in a statement.
“Frankly, every state, including Missouri, should follow Arkansas’s lead to allow parents and their teenagers to have the conversation about work and make that decision themselves,” said ... a visiting fellow at the Opportunity Solutions Project.
Super7 Ultimates 2001 figures are 39% off
at Entertainment Earth. The TMNT mousers/accessory pack is also 39% off.
Today's news and jokes
(ebay had several when I looked.)This Pikmin shirt I bought has the little guys carrying away one of the buttons and I think that’s fantastic. pic.twitter.com/LcpgrbP01Y
— Caspian Whistler (@cazwis) April 22, 2023
I enjoyed Cory Doctorow's new travelogue/thriller "Red Team Blues"
Unlike James Bond, who mostly sneaks around so that he can shoot a lot of people, the hero of Red Team Blues mostly sneaks around so he can trace and expose the flow of illegal money (thus provoking a lot of people into shooting each other). But like a good James Bond story, the plot of Red Team Blues is largely beside the point, and serves to help the reader imagine going on a rewarding business trip. The page-turner's at its best as a vivid travelogue for the central coast of California--the hero's equally at home in the burnt out husk of a Mendocino village, the picturesque college town of San Luis Obispo (this is the inn that gets a mention), and the grim encampments of San Francisco. Everywhere he goes, he knows how to find appropriate gear, eat delicious food, and make interesting allies. And the ladies absolutely throw themselves at him.
The book's available at Amazon (release date 4/25), and here's the accompanying book tour info.
Saturday, April 22, 2023
Twitter today was like a MMO with the owner as a Looney Tunes-style foe
dril is fighting elon pic.twitter.com/5QeISk4h2I
— kevin (@KevBeirne) April 22, 2023
A lot of funny people still on Twitter:
"The new Aloha Stadium has hit another delay and will likely not be ready until the 2028 football season"
"It was only last month when the governor announced that the stadium would be delayed until 2027."
"Jaylen Brown Spreads Hilarious Conspiracy Theory With Spelling Mistake On Playoff Sneakers"
Jaylen Brown’s shoes for tonight pic.twitter.com/SSlO6N1Px3
— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) April 21, 2023
"The sneakers appear to refer to a long-running conspiracy theory that it was the Mayans, not Dr. James Naismith (whose name Brown spelled wrong) who should be created with the creation of the game of basketball." (Background on Brown.) (Reddit applies modern commentary to the Mayan game.)
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