Leaked emails reveal that Amazon.com is stockpiling products made in China over fears that coronavirus will harm its supply chain — after the company said the outbreak will cause 'no interruptions' to operations.

Business Insider reports that Amazon reached out to a number of suppliers last week to quickly increase its inventory of products made in China.

In the email, Amazon said the move is to "prepare for possible supply chain disruptions due to recent global events originating in China,” and told third-party sellers they should be taking "precautions" to protect their seller account performance ratings.

Novel coronavirus 2019-nCoV originated in Wuhan, China, and has killed over 900 people and infected more than 40,000 as of today. The outbreak is causing economic shock and closed factories throughout the country.

“The move shows the urgency Amazon is working with to prevent any potential supply chain disruptions it could face due to the coronavirus outbreak in China, where the bulk of its products are sourced from,” reports Eugene Kim for Business Insider:

"Amazon issued off-cycle orders to you last night in order to prepare for possible supply chain disruptions due to recent global events originating in China," Amazon said in one of the emails viewed by Business Insider.

Amazon told these suppliers that the new orders are for products sold in the US but made in China, and that the change is in response to the coronavirus outbreak. In one of the emails viewed by Business Insider, Amazon said it's placing "stock-up purchase orders for several weeks of supply," and that it's giving the suppliers 5 extra days to ship the products to Amazon's warehouse.

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/10/amazon-stockpiling-made-in-chi.html

The San Antonio Zoo in Texas has a special offer for Valentine's Day. For $25 it will name a pre-frozen rodent after your ex and feed it to snake, reports WNEM News.

If your ex isn't worth $25, you can name a cockroach ("sourced from professional roach breeders") for $5 and the zoo will feed it to another hungry animal.

From WNEM:

Even if you (or your exes) don't live in Texas, you can still participate in this "feeding frenzy" because the zoo will be live-streaming the event on Facebook.

You must submit the first name of your ex on the zoo's website by Feb. 13.

(Image: jo.sau, CC-BY-2.0, modified) Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/10/zoo-will-name-a-rat-or-roach-a.html

One hundred U.S. soldiers have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries following the Iran missile strike on an American military base in Iraq about which Donald Trump lied, 'no injuries.'

From CNN:

That's an increase of at least 36 cases from the end of January when the Pentagon said 64 service members had been diagnosed with injuries.

The Pentagon and President Donald Trump had initially said no service members were injured or killed in the Iranian missile attack, which was retaliation for the January 2 US drone strike that killed a top Iranian general.

Several Pentagon officials told CNN last month that the number of diagnosed cases is likely to continue to change. Approximately 200 people who were in the blast zone at the time of the attack have been screened for symptoms.

At Davos last month, Trump said brain injuries aren't as serious as physical combat wounds, demonstrating a complete lack of understanding of the injuries our troops suffered in Iraq as a result of the Iranian missile attack.

"No, I heard that they had headaches, and a couple of other things, but I would say, and I can report, it's not very serious," Trump replied to a reporter during a press conference.

Read more at CNN: Over 100 US troops have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries following Iran strike

[PHOTO: US DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE. A picture of the destruction left at Al Asad base in Iraq after it was struck by Iranian missiles.] Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/10/trump-said-no-injuries-bu.html

Dogs traveling through the Osaka Itami airport in Japan will soon be able to kick up their paws before boarding their flight. The domestic-only airport is setting up an outdoor canine lounge where pups can take a shower, have a drink, and find relief at the flushable pee pole. It isn't clear when their grand opening will take place.

Although rare for dogs to get the spa treatment at an airport, New York's John F. Kennedy has Itami beat with a "pet oasis" for all kinds of animals (birds, cats, dogs, horses...) called ARK. Started three years ago, ARK, which takes in animals, including those needing to be quarantined, for a longer amount of time, will take pets on a walk, feed them, give them a bath, and even perform vet services.

Source: Reuters

Image: Taro the Shiba Inu / Flickr Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/10/an-osaka-airport-is-opening-up.html

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/10/watch-this-wrestler-dive-off-a.html

I watched the Oscars last night, and found it to be a pretty dull affair. But one thing that caught my attention was the great-looking art and character design I saw in the very short clip from "Hair Love," the 6-minute film that took home the best animated short film award. This morning I found "Hair Love" on YouTube, so I watched it and loved it -- excellent art, music, and story!

Image: YouTube screenshot Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/10/watch-hair-love-2020-oscar.html

Five years after the nuclear explosion at Chernobyl, scientists discovered a fungi known as Cryptococcus neoformans growing in the wreckage. Humans had known about this particular strain since the late 1800s, since it's known to cause some nasty infections in our decidedly non-fungal human bodies.

Now, after letting the fungus hang around in the radioactive wasteland for a few decades, they've discovered something else: that C. neoformans can actually thrive on that radiation.

From the Express:

The fungi, named Cryptococcus neoformans fungi, contains large amounts of melanin – a pigment found in skin which turns it dark.

The copious melanin levels absorb the harmful radiation, turning it into chemical energy, in the same way plants convert carbon dioxide and chlorophyll into oxygen and glucose via photosynthesis.

While the idea of a radiation-eating fungus sounds like the plot of sci-fi horror film and/or further proof that our reality is broken, some scientists actually believe this process (known as radiosynthesis) can be beneficial to humans. If harvested correctly, it could potentially be used to create a powerful sun-resistant cream to help protect astronauts from radiation; in fact, they've already tested it at the International Space Station. Other scientists have proposed that this fungus could help to store energy, as a biological alternative to solar panels, or somehow serve to help patients undergoing chemotherapy.

So maybe instead of a sci-fi horror film, we're headed more towards a cool biopunk symbiote scenario? Here's hoping, anyway.

Chernobyl news: Fungi discovered in nuclear reactor which EATS radiation [Sean Martin / Express]

Fungi found in Chernobyl feeds on radiation, could protect astronauts [Abrar Al-Heeti and Jackson Ryan / C-Net]

Image: Pxhere (Public Domain)

  Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/10/theres-a-new-radiation-eatin.html

Yes, things will get nuttier, because now he has impunity.

In this Fox News clip pulled by Aaron Rupar of Vox.com, impeached and unhinged president Donald Trump blurts out that he'd like to re-write American criminal law on drug dealing so that it resembles authoritarian systems like China, where people identified as drug dealers are executed.

"Countries with a powerful death penalty, with a fair but quick trial, they have very little if any drug problem. That includes China."

Here's the clip.

Trump suggests he'd like to model American criminal law on drug dealing on authoritarian systems like China, where dealers are executed: "Countries with a powerful death penalty, with a fair but quick trial, they have very little if any drug problem. That includes China." pic.twitter.com/9WprysjJAX

 Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 10, 2020

And from someone who knows about authoritarian regimes...

This is the classic authoritarian line. Give the murderers badges and give the thieves cabinet posts, then say crime is solved. And a fair trial in a dictatorship is an oxymoron. https://t.co/wrxmiBkLI0

 Garry Kasparov (@Kasparov63) February 10, 2020

More reactions from Twitter.

Trump speaks on how he would like to have more people killed fairly and quickly but he is not sure America is ready for that yet. Maybe in 2021? https://t.co/mDf9GS0Zx6

 Connor Ratliff (@connorratliff) February 10, 2020

Seems like there was a time when Republicans were *against* brutal authoritarian communist dictatorships. Guess it was just envy all along. https://t.co/MNLttrAn46

 David Roberts (@drvox) February 10, 2020

Trump lauds more efficient criminal justice system in China.

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/10/killemall.html

Most Western music is based on a twelve-tone octave with the smallest interval being a half step (or half tone, or "semitone") up or down. Microtonal music contains intervals smaller than a semitone. (Imagine playing notes between the keys on a traditional piano.) You can hear microtonal music compositions in the work of modernist and experimental composers, from Charles Ives and Claude Debussy to Wendy Carlos and Aphex Twin.

Tolgahan Cogulu is a Turkish musician known for designing an adjustable microtonal guitar and performing unique arrangements of Anatolian folk music and Ottoman maqam music. Most recently though, he took a cue from his young son and built a fantastic microtonal guitar from LEGO! Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/10/classical-guitarist-built-a-mi.html

Only 5 women have ever been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director — and only one of those nominations happened in the past decade.

So this year, Natalie Portman decided to make a point. She wore a Dior-designed cape to the award show that was embroidered with the names of the women who were snubbed for Best Director nominations, including Lorene Scafaria (Hustlers); Greta Gerwig (Little Women); Lulu Wang (The Farewell); Melina Matsoukas (Queen & Slim); Alma Har'el (Honey Boy); and C'eline Sciamma (Portrait of a Lady on Fire).

As Portman explained to the Los Angeles Times, "I wanted to recognize the women who were not recognized for their incredible work this year in my subtle way."

Natalie Portman embroidered her Dior cape with all of the female directors who weren't nominated for #Oscars. Check out her explanation here. pic.twitter.com/kyyo2wVMZf

 Amy Kaufman (@AmyKinLA) February 10, 2020

I don't normally pay much attention to the Oscars, in part because I know that it's always going to be a disappointing Old Boys Club showing of the exact same kinds of movies every time. And, well, that's exactly what Portman's pointing out here. There are plenty of cynical things I could say about celebrity gossip and performative protest and all. But right now, I think it's just important: fuck yeah Natalie. Good on you. Here's hoping that it makes even a little bit of difference.

Image: Gage Skidmore (CC 2.0) Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/09/natalie-portmans-oscars-outf.html

We’re going to let you in on a little secret: You don’t need to dish out hundreds of dollars on a professional designer or spend an exorbitant amount of time learning the Adobe Suite in order to get pro-level designs for your company or project—regardless of whether you’re trying to build a website or create a viral video for your latest and greatest product.

PixTeller PRO makes it easy to create your own engaging images and animated videos without any previous experience in design, and a 3-year subscription is available for over 80% off.

This subscription grants you unlimited access to 134,000 templates, 1.5 million photos, and over 100,000 shapes with no red tape or royalty fees to worry about.

You’ll be able to create and customize images for use on everything from websites and social media to print and YouTube, and it’s easy to quickly find what you’re looking for thanks to powerful search functions.

It’s also easy to quickly customize your images and videos in order to match your brand’s unique style and message.

Stop overpaying for professional designers and video producers and sign up for a 3-year subscription with PixTeller PRO for just $49.99. Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/09/produce-your-own-professional.html

Why DO outhouses classically have crescent moons on their doors or their sides? Is is an ancient hold-over from when boys outhouses had suns on them and girls had moons? Is it a decorative way of bringing in ventilation and light? Is it an allusion to "mooning?" A cut-out to act as a handle for opening the door?

Hah. The answer is far less interesting than any of that. But hey, did you hear about the time that a fart ended up getting 10,000 people killed?

Image: YouTube Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/09/the-real-reason-why-outhouses.html

To promote the new season of her show, the British comedy Sex Education (now streaming on Netflix), Gillian Anderson does a nearly four minute ASMR video. In her character of Dr. Jean Milburn, Anderson purrs and whispers, scratches and tickles the mics, open, pours, and sips wine, and does a number of other classic "braingasm" audio tricks. For X-Files fans and nerdy boys n' girls who've crushed on Anderson for decades, it might all be too much.

Image: YouTube Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/09/gillian-anderson-does-asmr-to.html

If you’re getting into home repair, woodworking or a whole bunch of those DIY dude-approved pastimes, you’ll soon find that the need to assemble a vast array of power tools can quickly turn into a mild addiction...and an expensive one at that.

In most cases, each hyper-specialized tool can set you back $100, $200, $500 — or more. And once you’ve amassed this armada of tool power, you’ve still got to find space to house it all.

The folks at Power8 decided to address that issue with the Create+, an award-winning, multi-function power tool kit that could best be described as what might happen if your favorite workbench got with a Transformer.

Billed as the world’s smallest combo tool kit (clocking in at 2 feet x1.5 feet and less than a foot high), this space-saving collection uses its clever Unigrip system to handle a wide range of power tool needs from a handful of customized power batteries and tool heads.

From its base configurations, your hammer drill, circular saw and orbital jigsaw Voltron up with the included bench-top to become a drill press, table saw and scroll saw. Heck, even your hands-free work light morphs into a lantern for smoother, more consistent lighting as you work.

Everything here is multi-purpose, which streamlines your need for more tools while also clearing a whole bunch of room in your workspace.

You can check out the feeling of owning a fully-stocked workshop with this eight-function garage helper, now $50 off its regular price, down to just $499. Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/09/the-power8-create-combo-tool-k.html

A huge collection of flora and fauna illustrations have just entered the public domain. Hyperalleric writes:

Had he lived in our time, Thoreau would’ve been thrilled to know that the Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL), the world’s largest open-access digital archive dedicated to the natural world, is now offering more than 150,000 high-resolution illustrations for copyright-free download.

These public domain images belong to an archive of more than 55 million pages of literature about earth’s species of flora and fauna. They include animal sketches, historical diagrams, botanical studies, and scientific research collected from hundreds of thousands of journals and libraries across the world. Some of the illustrations date back to the 15th century.

The library sees the sharing of these documents as part of combating the climate crisis:

“To document Earth’s species and understand the complexities of swiftly-changing ecosystems in the midst of a major extinction crisis and widespread climate change, researchers need something that no single library can provide — access to the world’s collective knowledge about biodiversity,” the library says on its website.

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/09/150000-nature-illustrations-f.html

TV actor Robert Conrad, best known for his portrayal of Jim West on the very quirky, proto-steampunky 60s sci-fi Western, The Wild Wild West, has died. He was 84.

When I was a kid growing up in the late 60s, I loved The Wild Wild West, although frequently, I had no idea what was going on. I basically hung around for the goofy Batman-like super villains and the crazy steam-driven contraptions. Here's an example of the show at its wackiest.

Read the Robert Conrad obit on Deadline.

Image: Public Domain Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/09/robert-conrad-star-of-the-w.html

Etsy has made it easier than ever to sell homemade crafts and vintage goods directly to your target demographic with practically zero overhead. With a community and vibe that’s similar to eBay, Etsy should be on your radar if you’re interested in earning either a passive or full-time income selling everything from artwork to artisan goods online, and here’s why:

First, Etsy lets you organize your entire business and track sales online, through a series of tools that allow you to download customized inserts, create promotional materials with your logo on them, and more.

Second, Etsy offers a distinct community of customers who are most likely to buy your hand-made and artisan products (as opposed to sites like eBay that sell virtually every type of object on the planet).

Third, you’ll have access to a comprehensive eCommerce platform that will cut costs and allow you to focus more on keeping your customers happy.

Fourth, Etsy makes it easy to set up an account and start reaching potential customers right away—as opposed to sites that force you to find individual customers through a series of obnoxious messages.

Finally, the fees for setting up an account and selling your products are minuscule when compared to most online vendors—ranging from just 50 cents to 75 cents per item depending on size and category.

If you’re interested in making money with your creative endeavors online with Etsy, check out the Launch Your Etsy Store: 3-Course Bundle, which offers a comprehensive overview of everything this platform has to offer—through instruction that teaches you how to set up an account, launch your store, market your products to your key demographic, and much more. Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/09/5-reasons-to-sell-on-etsy-and.html

While presenting the Oscar for live-action short film in 1988, Pee-wee Herman is interrupted by "giant robot mechanical monster," aka ED-209 from the 1987 film RoboCop. Then things get weird... in a good way. Just watch:

(Pee-wee Herman) Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/09/at-the-1988-oscars-pee-wee-he.html

NASA is reporting on their Voyager Twitter feed that the Voyager 2 spacecraft is once again operational.

Here's the skinny: My twin went to do a roll to calibrate the onboard magnetometer, overdrew power and tripped software designed to automatically protect the spacecraft.

Voyager 2's power state is good and instruments are back on. Resuming science soon. https://t.co/4buDM32bap pic.twitter.com/4T856Lpxjm

 NASA Voyager (@NASAVoyager) January 29, 2020

Good vibes! Voyager 2 continues to be stable, and communications between Earth and the spacecraft are fine.

My twin is back to taking science data, and the team at @NASAJPL is evaluating the health of the instruments following their brief shutoff. https://t.co/LmsWQ7wPat pic.twitter.com/xyhM1G8sTD

 NASA Voyager (@NASAVoyager) February 6, 2020

Kind of astonishing that 70s space tech that is 11.5 billion miles away from home is still talking to us. The Voyager 2 ran into trouble in late January and became unresponsive.

Read more on JPL's website.

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/08/voyager-2-is-back-up-and-runni.html

MetalBallStudios, a YouTube channel that does 3D-rendered, animated size comparisons, has a new video comparing the sizes of buildings and other structures found in science fiction and fantasy media.

Image: YouTube Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/02/08/comparing-the-sizes-of-fiction.html