Laser-etched Tesla "Souvenir of Wardenclyffe" vase Globe and Mail: Toronto Mayor Rob Ford's family are, variously, a drug kingpin, a gangster, and affiliated with the KKK Kickstarting a detailed plan to rob five banks simultaneously The Northern Lights, as seen from the Shetland Islands New York City adopts new International Symbol of Accessibility Caturday: Boing Boing readers share photos of their cats, in the Boing Boing Flickr pool F.T.C. eyes new antitrust inquiry into Google's online display ad business MEP explains the security problem with militarizing the Internet Compilation of Wally Wood's non-EC crime and horror comics Simpsons land coming to Universal Studios Florida Lamps made from cassette tapes Watch the latest hand-picked videos in Boing Boing's video archives After Justice Dept. press probes, a new chilling effect for US national security reporters Court rules that racist profiling by Arizona Sheriff was, in fact, racist profiling How to survive a Japanese monster attack Saudi student mistakenly suspected after Boston Marathon bombing speaks out Laptop with thermite self-destruct mechanism 3D-printable model of the cover of Joy Division's "Unknown Pleasures" America's most religious cities download lots of porn Tim Curry "recovering after major stroke" School safety officer throws student down flight of stairs Five nights of rioting in Sweden Copyright in space Germany, Canada and Britain the world's most-loved countries The Simonsound's music inspired by an imaginary monorail Incredible pipe cleaner thylacine and other animals Mind-controlled man makes 100+ calls to 911 in a month IceDice - fun family game with very pointy pyramid-shaped pieces Laser-etched Tesla "Souvenir of Wardenclyffe" vase
By Cory Doctorow on May 25, 2013 12:42 pm 
Rachel writes, "My chap and I are dedicated steampunks and geeks. My chap Andy also happens to be the owner of a very tidy laser cutter! Put the two together and you end up with our fabulous tribute to Nikola Tesla in the form of a beautiful laser etched vase entitled Souvenir of Wardenclyffe featuring a super illustration via Leo Blanchette.
Read in browser Globe and Mail: Toronto Mayor Rob Ford's family are, variously, a drug kingpin, a gangster, and affiliated with the KKK
By Cory Doctorow on May 25, 2013 12:22 pm The Globe and Mail, a respected national Canadian newspaper, has run an absolutely sensational and jaw-dropping investigative story chronicling the shady lives of the immediate family of Toronto Mayor Rob "Laughable Bumblefuck" Ford, including his brother, City Councillor Doug Ford.
Read in browser Kickstarting a detailed plan to rob five banks simultaneously
By Cory Doctorow on May 25, 2013 11:50 am Artist Ilona Gaynor produced a piece called "Under Black Carpets" that took the form of detailed plans for robbing five banks near LA's One Wilshire building, simultaneously. Gaynor worked with the LAPD and the FBI to produce a collection of fictional forensic evidence from these robberies, which were then exhibited.
Read in browser The Northern Lights, as seen from the Shetland Islands
By Xeni Jardin on May 25, 2013 11:07 am 
Boing Boing reader Keane Beamish shot this wonderful photograph of the Aurora Borealis in Unst, in the Shetland Islands to the north of Scotland. There are more northern lights photos, and wonderful landscape shots, in his photo set, here. Shared in the Boing Boing Flickr Pool.
Read in browser New York City adopts new International Symbol of Accessibility
By Cory Doctorow on May 25, 2013 11:00 am The new International Symbol of Accessibility replaces the old, static "disabled" icon, which depicted a rather static, object-like disabled person in a wheelchair -- the new ISA shows a person zooming dynamically in a wheelchair instead. It's been officially adopted in NYC:
After several years of petitioning for change, designers from Gordon College in Massachusetts have come up with an alternative to the traditional stick figure sitting back in a wheelchair.
Read in browser Caturday: Boing Boing readers share photos of their cats, in the Boing Boing Flickr pool
By Xeni Jardin on May 25, 2013 10:35 am 
Photo by Gouldina1, shared in the Boing Boing Flickr Pool.
Photo by David Glicksman, shared in the Boing Boing Flickr Pool.
Photo by Stuart Watson, shared in the Boing Boing Flickr Pool.
Photo by Doran, shared in the Boing Boing Flickr Pool.
Read in browser F.T.C. eyes new antitrust inquiry into Google's online display ad business
By Xeni Jardin on May 25, 2013 10:21 am Antitrust investigators at the Federal Trade Commission are looking into whether Google is abusing its market dominance in online display advertising,
reports the New York Times. Reports Edward Wyatt, "People who have been contacted in connection with the inquiry said that the F.T.C.
Read in browser MEP explains the security problem with militarizing the Internet
By Cory Doctorow on May 25, 2013 09:43 am The Dutch MEP Marietje Schaake has a fantastic, must-read essay on the problem with "cyber-war." She lays out the case for securing the Internet (and the world of people and systems that rely on it) through fixing vulnerabilities and making computers and networks as secure and robust as possible, rather than relying on weaknesses in security as vectors for attacking adversaries.
Read in browser Compilation of Wally Wood's non-EC crime and horror comics
By Mark Frauenfelder on May 25, 2013 09:41 am 
Wally Wood is one of the best comic book artists that ever lived. The more I study his work, the more admiration I have for his talent.
Wood is best known for his stories in EC's Weird Fantasy and Weird Science Fiction, but he was prolific and drew for other comic book publishers, too.
Read in browser Simpsons land coming to Universal Studios Florida
By Cory Doctorow on May 25, 2013 08:58 am Universal Studios Florida is opening a Simpsons themed area this summer. It'll mostly consist of facades and restaurants serving food inspired by the horrible cuisine of Springfield, as well as a pair of rides:
The expansive, new area within Universal Studios will be anchored by the mega-attraction, The Simpsons Ride, and will allow guests to enter the world of The Simpsons like never before.
Read in browser Lamps made from cassette tapes
By Cory Doctorow on May 24, 2013 11:26 pm 
Cassette Is Not Dead refurbs cassette tapes into handsome lamps. They operate on a barter economy -- send them 40 homemade mix-tapes and they'll send you a wallet made from one tape; send them 80 pre-recorded tapes and they'll send you a box lamp.
Read in browser Watch the latest hand-picked videos in Boing Boing's video archives
By Xeni Jardin on May 24, 2013 10:52 pm 
Among the most recent video posts you will find on our video archive page:
• Laptop with thermite self-destruct mechanism
• SIGGRAPH 2013 computer graphics technical breakthroughs
• Van Halen's "Eruption" guitar solo shredded by 14yo girl
• Apple "corporate tax evasion" product parody video: iRS
• Conversations with my 2 year old: a web video series.
Read in browser After Justice Dept. press probes, a new chilling effect for US national security reporters
By Xeni Jardin on May 24, 2013 10:43 pm 
"President Obama's conciliatory gesture toward the press this week — a review of Justice Department investigations involving journalists — struck some national security reporters as closing the door after the sources have already bolted," writes Elizabeth Haughey in the New York Times.
Read in browser Court rules that racist profiling by Arizona Sheriff was, in fact, racist profiling
By Xeni Jardin on May 24, 2013 10:37 pm A U.S. district court today ruled that
Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio's department violated the rights of brown drivers in the state by racially profiling them, and issued an injunction to halt the practice. It's the first time the Maricopa County sheriff's office has been found to be engaging in systematic racial profiling.
Read in browser How to survive a Japanese monster attack
By Xeni Jardin on May 24, 2013 10:09 pm 
Matt Alt, author of "Yokai Attack," gives a Pecha Kucha talk on how to survive some of the ickiest monsters from spooky Japanese fairy tales.
And below, Matt writes:
A few months back, I gave a talk about yokai to a group of students visiting Tokyo from the Oslo National Academy of the Arts.
Read in browser Saudi student mistakenly suspected after Boston Marathon bombing speaks out
By Xeni Jardin on May 24, 2013 08:55 pm Abdulrahman Ali Alharbi, the "easy-going, good humored" Saudi Arabian student who was the target of intense suspicion after the bombings in Boston, spoke out for the first time this week. In
an interview with The Islamic Monthly, he says media attention since the attacks "double injured" him.
Read in browser Laptop with thermite self-destruct mechanism
By Cory Doctorow on May 24, 2013 06:24 pm Caleb sez, "I wanted to try making something in the style of "Q" from the James Bond movies. My idea was to make an emergency self destruct system for laptops and portable hard drives. It turned out pretty well, it is always fun to watch stuff melt!"
I wanted to implement thermite as a self destruct mechanism inside the device.
Read in browser 3D-printable model of the cover of Joy Division's "Unknown Pleasures"
By Cory Doctorow on May 24, 2013 03:22 pm 
Michael Zoellner sez,
After watching Grant Gee's documentary "Joy Division" I wanted to print the iconic cover of their first album "Unknown Pleasures" in 3D. Unfortunately I could not find a single vector graphic or 3D model anywhere.
Read in browser America's most religious cities download lots of porn
By Rob Beschizza on May 24, 2013 03:07 pm Pornhub compared
Gallup's survey of religiosity to its own records of smut-seekers, and learned that residents of
America's most religious cities love themselves some porn. [Pando Daily]
Read in browser Tim Curry "recovering after major stroke"
By Rob Beschizza on May 24, 2013 02:58 pm Actor Tim Curry
suffered a stroke last night, but the 67-year-old is "doing great" and already recovering at home, according to reports. Get well soon, Tim!
• Rocky Horror Muppet Show
• Rocky Horror costumes
• LOLCats meet Rocky Horror
Read in browser School safety officer throws student down flight of stairs
By Rob Beschizza on May 24, 2013 02:46 pm [Update:
video removed.] This Chicago public school security guard was reportedly suspended after pushing a students down a flight of stairs.
Damn! [via
Sky News]
Read in browser Five nights of rioting in Sweden
By Rob Beschizza on May 24, 2013 02:41 pm "The
nightly riots began on Sunday in the north-western [Stockholm] suburb of Husby, a deprived, largely immigrant area. It is believed they were sparked by the death of a man nearly a week before, who was shot by police after he allegedly threatened to kill them with a machete." [BBC]
Read in browser Copyright in space
By Rob Beschizza on May 24, 2013 02:39 pm Glenn Fleishman at The Economist: Chris Hadfield has captured the world's heart, judging by the 14m YouTube views of his free-fall rendition of David Bowie's "Space Oddity", recorded on the International Space Station (ISS). The Canadian astronaut's clear voice and capable guitar-playing were complemented by his facility in moving around in the microgravity of low-earth orbit.
Read in browser Germany, Canada and Britain the world's most-loved countries
By Rob Beschizza on May 24, 2013 02:05 pm 59% of those polled view Germany positively, with 55% having warm fuzzies when they think of Canada or the UK. Everyone hates Iran, North Korea and Pakistan. The USA sits mid-table, more liked than not. China, India and Japan are the big slumpers, for some reason, compared to previous polls.
Read in browser The Simonsound's music inspired by an imaginary monorail
By David Pescovitz on May 24, 2013 01:42 pm 
The Simonsound, Simon James's '60s space age-inspired experimental music project, has issued a fantastic "radiophonic ride" aboard an imaginary World's Fair monorail. The two tracks on this Simonsound Tranist Authority release are compelling collages of electronic experimentation and oscillations made from vintage synths, manipulated tape, and acoustic sources.
Read in browser Incredible pipe cleaner thylacine and other animals
By David Pescovitz on May 24, 2013 01:23 pm 
Artist Lauren Ryan creates incredible animal sculptures entirely from pipe cleaners. My favorite is her palm-sized thylacine, a Tasmanian "tiger." The last confirmed thylacine died in 1936 but some crytpozoologists think they may not be extinct after all. Lauren Ryan's "Chenille Stems" (via The Anomalist)
Read in browser Mind-controlled man makes 100+ calls to 911 in a month
By David Pescovitz on May 24, 2013 01:09 pm Jimmy Shao of Sacramento, CA was arrested for calling 911 more than 100 times in one month. Shao says he won't stop until Congress investigates the shadow government who use satellites to control his mind and body.
"My brain, I can feel it starting.
Read in browser IceDice - fun family game with very pointy pyramid-shaped pieces
By Mark Frauenfelder on May 24, 2013 01:07 pm 
Lately Jane and I have been playing a game called IceDice. It consists of a bunch of plastic pyramids of various sizes, and a pair of dice with special markings, which are stored in a cute pyramid-shaped cloth zipper bag.
Read in browser Meet SparkTruck, an “educational build-mobile” for the twenty-first century.
Dreamed up by a group of Stanford d.school students and funded through Kickstarter, SparkTruck is a mobile maker space currently traveling across the United States. At schools and summer camps and libraries around the country, the SparkTruck team offers workshops to help kids “find their inner maker” as they design and build projects like stamps, stop-motion animation clips, and “vibrobots.”
[video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmRKXqDwieY&feature=plcp]
This might seem all shiny and new. And it is—but only in part. What’s so striking (and exciting) about SparkTruck is the way it combines old and new. It does so in the tools it gets kids using, which range from pipe cleaners to laser cutters. It does so in its educational approach, which combines cutting-edge (get it?) STEM and design pedagogy with the fundamentals of an old-school shop class. And it does so in its method, which combines the iconic, century-old technology of the bookmobile with the hot new form of the maker space.
In doing so, SparkTruck joins a growing number of libraries which are combining time-tested principles (like equal access to information) with new technologies (like 3-D printers), putting in maker spaces and media production labs alongside bookshelves and meeting rooms. As I’ve argued over on bookmobility.org, these combinations make sense because reading and making actually have a lot in common. They’re both creative processes that take existing materials and combine them in new ways. Getting people engaged in those kinds of processes—through imaginative thinking, contemplation, hands-on problem-solving, and collaborative learning—is what both maker spaces and libraries are all about.
Taking that commitment on the road with scissors and hammers and 3-D printers and a great big bookmobile-like truck, SparkTruck serves as a laboratory for new approaches, as well as a reminder that trying new things doesn’t have to (and probably shouldn’t!) necessarily mean tossing old ones out.
After all, what would those vibrobots be without classically crafty pipe cleaners and tongue depressors? And what would a library be without the creative, participatory, straight-up awesome experience of reading?
SparkTruck schedule [sparktruck.org]
How to arrange a visit from SparkTruck [sparktruck.org]
SparkTruck YouTube channel [youtube.com]
Signature: --Derek Attig, bookmobility.org
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