The New York Times reports on a new pest from abroad, Vespa mandarinia, AKA the murder hornet or the yak-killer.

With queens that can grow to two inches long, Asian giant hornets can use mandibles shaped like spiked shark fins to wipe out a honeybee hive in a matter of hours, decapitating the bees and flying away with the thoraxes to feed their young. For larger targets, the hornet’s potent venom and stinger — long enough to puncture a beekeeping suit — make for an excruciating combination that victims have likened to hot metal driving into their skin.

In Japan, the hornets kill up to 50 people a year. Now, for the first time, they have arrived in the United States.

Tracking the ‘Murder Hornet’: A Deadly Pest Has Reached North America [New York Times] Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/05/02/murder-hornets-invade-amer.html

Nebula-75 is a new "puppet lockdown drama" being made by some of the folks at Century 21, the Gerry Anderson studio that was responsible for "Supermarionation" programming in the 60s (and beyond), with such shows as Thunderbirds, Stingray, Supercar, and Fireball-XL5. Nebula-75 is also being filmed in "SuperIsolation" and Lo-Budget!

Nebula-75 charts the exploits of Commander Ray Neptune and the crew of the spaceship NEBULA-75 as they make their way across the stars, encountering strange worlds and forms of life hitherto unknown by mankind. It has been created and produced by a small group of filmmakers during the British lockdown on 2020. Although team members from around the world contributed remotely to pre and post production, the entirety of the filming for Nebula-75 was undertaken by a crew of three who happened to already live together in a small flat in London. Their living room was transformed into a makeshift movie studio – with bookshelves, cardboard boxes, and other household objects becoming the interior of the show's hero spacecraft. This flat was also fortunately home to many of the puppets, props, and costumes that have been accumulated over the course of different productions.

It might be a slight exaggeration--but not by much--that shows like Thunderbirds and Fireball-XL5, and the other Gerry Anderson shows of my youth, laid the groundwork for much of what still obsesses me today (sci-fi, space exploration, modeling, miniatures, making, and dreaming). These shows were like magic spells on my imagination that have never waned. Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/05/02/nebula-75-a-new-puppet-lockdo.html

It’s tough to know what to believe with certainty about the insidious nature of coronavirus, mostly because even scientists haven’t determined all the hard and fast rules of this surging illness.

One thing we do know with some assuredness is that cleanliness and avoidance is one of our most important weapons against infection. A recent study found that the virus can survive up to 24 hours on cardboard and up to two to three days on plastic and stainless steel.

But no matter how long the virus can live on a given surface, your risk of infection drops if you just don’t touch those infected objects. 

The Safe Finger Hook is a contactless keychain tool that makes sure your exposed fingers actually touch as few doors, handles, countertops, and tables as possible, thereby massively decreasing your chance of contracting the illness.

The Safe Finger is about 3.5 inches long, made of brass, and it’s ergonomically engineered to help you reduce germ exposure.

The Safe Finger is equipped with a door hook, a flat stylus tip, and a finger hole so it can open door handles, pull levers and sliding doors or act as your finger to press touchscreens at the bank, during store checkouts or whenever you need to digitally sign anything on a display.

Not only does a Safe Finger key reduce your direct contact with objects by over 99 percent, but its aluminum construction also resists and reduces bacteria infection by up to that same 99 percent, cutting your risk of infection to essentially zero. Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/05/02/reduce-exposure-to-germ-prone.html

"We've just come up a ridge here, and this whole little plateaux-ey thing is covered in Hecastocleis, and ... while we're looking, there's a plane wreck over there"

Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/05/02/relaxing-botany-tour-of-death.html

https://boingboing.net/2020/05/02/facetime-some-eels-because.html

These criminal hijinks reportedly occurred last week in Asiago, a town in the Province of Vicenza, Italy.

"Pay attention, they can shoot at you, Maria."

"They won't shoot."

"Mom, I'm doing a video!" Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/05/01/watch-thieves-attempt-and-bad.html

You’ve probably heard somebody say it the past few weeks. If you leave the house after quarantine without at least one new professional skill under your belt, you wasted a prime opportunity.

Of course, there are plenty of reasons a worldwide pandemic may not have been the best time to learn to be a web developer or how to edit video, but there’s no denying the opportunity is there to put a potentially impactful new bullet point on your resume.

LearnNow has been delivering top-flight online educational experiences for a quarter-century. Now, with this LearnNow Complete Developer and IT Pro Library offer, you can essentially open that vault of endless learning options — and pick the bone clean.

LearnNow is a go-to training resource for companies that want their employees to become versed in all the latest apps and digital procedures — companies like Microsoft, Intel, AT&T, and more. That’s why LearnNow has created a stockpile of more than 1,000 courses, covering almost any conceivable IT and software development training available anywhere.

With that kind of volume, you’ll not only be prepared to find instruction in the subject you want, but all kinds of associated training opportunities as well to truly flesh out the experience. The back catalog of LearnNow courses covers virtually any topic users ever need to learning, Whether you’re looking for cloud expertise with AWS or Azure, coding tutorials on Python, C# or others, app and hardware background like Linux training or SQL database proficiency, or skill-based courses in cybersecurity and more, they’re all here. Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/05/01/while-youve-got-time-unloc.html

Celebrated poet and publisher, Janaka Stucky (Ascend Ascend), has launched a very unique and promising project on Kickstarter. It's called Ekphrastic Beasts.

What the hell does ekphrastic mean? Ekphrastic writing "is the vivid, often dramatic description of visual art."

Janaka has teamed up with four illustrators, Ellie Gill, Jeremy Hush, Joe Keinberger, and Nathan Reidt. Each of them will dredge up creatures from the depths of their subconscious and render what they invoke. Janaka will then take that art and create the names, backstories, and stat blocks for each creature, suitable for play in 5e Dungeons & Dragons. Hence, Ekphrastic Beasts.

I'm in! Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/05/01/amazing-looking-artist-created.html

Archive.org contributor Windsinger is uploading their entire VHS collection of MTV recordings from the channel's finest era, from its launch on August 1, 1981 until 1989 (with a few 1991 episodes of 120 Minutes thrown in for good measure). It's remarkable how the channel has evolved (?) from its pioneering earliest days filled with new music, youth culture, and visual experimentalism to its current form.

"I've been collecting recordings of full, unedited, WITH commercials & especially the VJs for years," Windsinger writes. "I've found these videos from old websites, torrent sites, sharing things, The Original MTV VJs facebook page, and of course the Archive."

Above are the first four hours of MTV.

"80s MTV VHS Recordings 1981 to 1989 Collection" (Archive.org) Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/05/01/watch-a-slew-of-vintage-mtv-fr.html

No one really knows where Kim Jong-un is right now, but the New York Post and The Sun speculate that the supreme ruler of North Korea is at his seaside resort consorting with his "pleasure squad" of 2,000 sex slaves some as young as 13. "Foreign intelligence services think he's actually sheltering from the coronavirus pandemic in a secure luxury compound," reports The Sun:

The Pleasure Squad or Kippumjo began during the reign of North Korea's founder, Kim Il-sung, who is still considered the country's Eternal President, despite dying in 1994.

In the late 1970s, at the height of his power, he sent out his officials to scour the nation for its most attractive young women and girls to act as singers and dancers.

Some of them also began working as maids, but the most sexually attractive were ordered to become "comfort women" for powerful officials.

Many were aged around 13 and 14, and were sometimes even recommended for the sick service by their schools.

KCNA reports North Korea leader Kim Jong Un resuming public activity https://t.co/Xp8MwHCT5E pic.twitter.com/f8vbOlx1q2

 Reuters (@Reuters) May 1, 2020

Image: Korean Central News Agency/Flickr Public Domain. Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/05/01/kim-jong-uns-not-dead-hes.html

This is my ex-husband, Alex Jones, graphically describing how he'll kill his neighbor to f e e d my kids:

Homicidal.

Terrifying.

I lost my kids for tweeting about injustice.

This is UNJUST to my kids.

This is a mom's worst nightmare.

Court must act.

Help RT pic.twitter.com/vCxaVcros6

 Kelly Jones (@RealKellyJones) May 1, 2020

"I'm literally looking at my neighbors now. I'm going I'm ready to hang them up and gut them and skin them and chop them up. You know what, I'm ready. My daughters aren't starving to death... I will eat your leftist ass like corn on the cob." -- Internet tough guy Alex Jones Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/05/01/alex-jones-says-hes-ready-to.html

That is one very large furry baby.

Just a “Mama bear and cub taking a nap in my yard.”

What a surprise this must have been for IMGURian @BruceNorris.

Mama bear and cub taking a nap in my yard.

Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/05/01/watch-this-sleepy-mama-bear-an.html

MacRumors iPhone SE camera showdown helped me decide to wait.

Apple's new iPhone SE is reportedly the high powered, low-cost wunderphone but the thing that matters most to many of us is 'How does the camera compare?' It is pretty good.

The new iPhone SE sports the same CPU as the top of the line models but uses the camera hardware from the iPhone 8. MacRumors gives up a detailed study of how the extra CPU helps the older sensor.

In the end, you get something in between the best and what was. As everything is constantly being upgraded only you can decide what phone is the right one for you.

Camera Comparison: 2020 iPhone SE vs. iPhone 8 and iPhone 11 Pro Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/05/01/macrumors-reviews-the-iphone-s.html

“I will never lie to you. You have my word on that.”

Trump toady Kayleigh McEnany said this to Associated Press reporter Jill Colvin, during McEnany's first press briefing as press secretary on Friday

Seems legit.

McEnany also said that impeached President Donald Trump has never lied to the American people, which is of course another lie.

Clip below of the line in question:

"I will never lie to you. You have my word on that." -- Kayleigh McEnany during her first press briefing as press secretary (bookmark this) pic.twitter.com/PqUhRAWiun

 Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 1, 2020

Of course she means it.

Some reactions from skeptical Twitter below.

"I will never lie to you," Kayleigh McEnany said from White House briefing room podium

 Michael Tackett (@tackettdc) May 1, 2020

Remember this:

AP's Jill Colvin: "Will you pledge to never lie to us?"

Kayleigh McEnany: "I will never lie to you. You have my word on that."

 Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) May 1, 2020

Reporter: "Can you promise us that you'll never lie from the podium". Kayleigh McEnany: "Yes, I promise I will never lie from the podium. Also, did you know China developed COVID-19 as a biological weapon and aliens are real and also Biden kills babies and puppies?"

 Holly Figueroa O'Reilly (@AynRandPaulRyan) May 1, 2020

Reporter: “Will you pledge never to lie to us from that podium?”

Kayleigh McEnany: “I will never lie to you, you have my word as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh.”

 Randy Rainbow (@RandyRainbow) May 1, 2020

As @PressSec, Kayleigh McEnany vows, "I will never lie to you, you have my word on that."

https://boingboing.net/2020/05/01/i-will-never-lie-to-you-trump.html

“Music hath charms to soothe a savage breast, to soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak.” - William Congreve, 1697

We assume William Congreve didn’t have the ability to see the future, but he probably wouldn’t be shocked over 300 years later to see you singing along exuberantly to The Ramones at the top of your lungs in your car. Granted, he might be shocked about the car. But the singing...no, we’ve known about the therapeutic value of music for literally centuries.

With tech advances, we’re now at a point where the self-healing power of music can be served up right into your ears through your favorite apps. And we don’t mean Spotify. Streaming services are great and all, but only dedicated services like Humm.ly are designed to bring you spiritual well-being through the science of music therapy.

Endorsed by Grammy.com and a certified no. 1 App of the Day in the Apple App Store, Humm.ly is the first and only app to serve up more than 200 tracks of music and guided meditation created by board-certified music therapists and world-class music producers to help brighten your day, reduce stress and anxiety and help you sleep better.

Convinced music can change our mental state and impact our ability to connect with others, Humm.ly’s mood-based track sessions are created by playing music that matches someone's current mood, then shifts it gradually to the person’s desired emotional state. 

Whether you want to unwind and relax, relieve pain and spark joy, or conquer challenges and thrive, Humm.ly’s Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/05/01/humm-ly-uses-music-therapy-to.html

Well, looks like the reopening of Florida is going great, just great today.

Ron DeSantis opened Florida's beaches, and lifted other anti-COVID-19 restrictions throughout most of the state on Friday.

Friday is also the day Daniel W. Uhlfelder, a lawyer and resident in Walton County, launched his “Grim Reaper Beach Tour” of the state's beaches.

Here he is above, being interviewed on WMBB News 13.

Uhlfelder has been dressing up as The Grim Reaper in a hilariously shitty costume for a while now, and hanging out on beaches (social distancing!) to remind people that this shit is real.

Many of you have asked if I am willing to travel around Florida wearing Grim Reaper attire to the beaches and other areas of the state opening up prematurely. The answer is absolutely yes. Beginning May 1 we will hit the road here in state. Please retweet and spread the word. pic.twitter.com/UO7QKg161n

 Daniel Uhlfelder (@DWUhlfelderLaw) April 22, 2020

He says he is doing this to draw attention to how dangerous coronavirus is, and how people aren't taking precautions seriously.

Busy day pic.twitter.com/uBmjaHmp2r

 Daniel Uhlfelder (@DWUhlfelderLaw) May 1, 2020

Uhlfelder says he is most worried about people from hard-hit areas of the South.

Uhlfelder launched a website where people can contribute to his tour.

Stay home Florida pic.twitter.com/MV4fyAXvwu

 Daniel Uhlfelder (@DWUhlfelderLaw) May 1, 2020

More coverage from the Pensacola News-Journal, below.

holy shit pic.twitter.com/rVw24plXTp

 Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) May 1, 2020

How's reopening going in Florida, you ask? pic.twitter.com/PT6detKiYj

 Vera Bergengruen (@VeraMBergen) May 1, 2020

[via @VeraMBergen] Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/05/01/grim-reaper-visits-florida-bea.html

In the latest edition of High Weirdness author Erik Davis's essential e-newseltter The Burning Shore, he points us to this wonderfully rare live recording of a complete Kraftwerk concert from a 1975 performance in Canada. It's charging my battery and now I'm definitely full of energy. Erik writes:

...It captures the newly-christened touring quartet of Schneider, H"utter, Fl"ur, and Bartos stretching their electronic wings on their first full international tour. Delicate, playful, and unpretentious, having fun with their goofy machines and modest vocal chops, the group enters a low earth orbit with a “robot pop” sound that remains organic, improvisatory, and still friendly toward the flute. We open with the diaphanous cascades of “Kling Klang”, pass through the galactic drift of “Komentenmelodie 1”, and close with a 25-minute “Autobahn” that manages to both ride the groove and break down in all the right ways. The home-cooked rhythm rigs are particularly charming, constantly shifting timbres and patterns while forging the revolutionary conjunctio of electronics and The Beat. At a time when most prog bands were sludgy with cleverness, this music enacts a genuinely progressive marriage of kosmiche slop and electronic futurism, deployed with the lightest of radioactive touches.

image: "Kraftwerk concert in Z"urich, 1976" by Ueli Frey (CC BY-SA 3.0) Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/05/01/listen-to-a-rare-kraftwerk-liv.html

The Snarkout Boys & the Avocado of Death AND The Snarkout Boys & the Baconburg Horror, two of the most wonderful books ever written are available 'free' via Kindle Unlimited.

Absurdist literature for kids? I can not remember a time when I was not a huge fan of Daniel Pinkwater's incredible storytelling... and 'the Snarkout Boys' stories are my favorite.

Snarking Out, or the practice of making late-night pilgrimages to a third-rate theater showing fifth-rate movies at the end of their projectable lifespan, has always sounded like the best idea. A lot of interesting folks do it. Join Winston Bongo, The Mighty Gorilla, Nosferatu the parakeet, Chicken Man, and an incredible cast of characters in what served as The Master and Margarita for a youthful me.

The Snarkout Boys & The Avocado of Death Kindle Edition via Kindle Unlimited

The Snarkout Boys & The Baconburg Horror via Kindle Unlimited Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/05/01/weekend-reading-both-the-sn.html

https://boingboing.net/2020/05/01/facebook-may-lose-seal-of-appr.html

Today, Robert Fripp launched Music for Quiet Moments, a 50-week series of ambient tracks he'll be recording and releasing at home. If the first piece is any indication, this will be a welcome comfort. I found it seriously lovely and soothing. Healing, even.

About the series, Robert writes:

"Quiet moments are when we put time aside to be quiet. Sometimes quiet moments find us. Quiet may be experienced with sound, and also through sound; in a place we hold to be sacred, or maybe on a crowded subway train hurtling towards Piccadilly or Times Square. Quiet Moments of my musical life, expressed in Soundscapes, are deeply personal; yet utterly impersonal: they address the concerns we share within our common humanity."

Image: YouTube Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/05/01/robert-fripp-launches-weekly-a.html