What do people around the world think of Trump's response to the coronavirus in the United States? The New York Times showed a video of the things Trump has said about how the United States is handling the pandemic to people in other countries and asked them for their opinion. Most of the viewers were aghast, bemused, sad, or angry at Trump's boastful lies about how well he was dealing with the disease. Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/08/03/nytimes-shows-video-of-trump.html

Freeman Vines is a luthier in Fountain, North Carolina. For half a century, he's crafted beautiful guitars from wood taken from a tree used to lynch Black people. Vines deeply moving work is the subject of a new photography book, Hanging Tree Guitars, with tintype images by Timothy Duffy and essays by Zoe Van Buren and Lonnie Holle.

Duffy is the co-founder of North Carolina's Music Maker Relief Foundation, "founded to preserve the musical traditions of the South by directly supporting the musicians who make it, ensuring their voices will not be silenced by poverty and time."

From the description of the book, published by The Bitter Southener:

An artist, a luthier, and a spiritual philosopher, Freeman Vines’ life is a roadmap of the truths and contradictions of the American South. He remembers the hidden histories of the eastern North Carolina land on which his family has lived since enslavement. From tobacco barns, mule troughs, and radio parts he creates hand-carved guitars, each instrument seasoned down to the grain by the echoes of its past life.

Along with the book, the Foundation is also releasing a complementary album of blues and gospel songs about race in America.

Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/08/03/man-builds-guitars-using-wood.html

Over the years, I've become a fan of country music, from its Appalachian and Black roots to outlaw country and cosmic American. There's so much rich history and culture surrounding the genre(s) that I'm grateful for smart guides to the people, places, and stories behind the sound. Last month, I appreciated Elamin Abdelmahmoud's Rolling Stone piece "Rewriting Country Music’s Racist History." And over at Longreads, Aaron Gilbreath curated a collection of some great online writing about country music. Here are three of Gilbreath's picks:

"Push Play" (Chris Dennis, Guernica, April 6, 2020)

Dolly Parton is pure country but bigger than country, because she is bigger than life, and yet, you can’t talk about country music without talking about her. And are more sides to her career and influence than a hundred stories can contain. In this personal essay, one young man looks at his past tastes to explore the role Parton played in his ideas of masculinity and difficult coming out. “I think part of my magic, if I have any at all,” Parton once said, “is that I look totally fake but am so totally real.”

“Branded Man” (Andy McLenon and Grant Alden, No Depression, November 1, 2003)

Speaking of Bakersfield: When you sing ”Let’s go to Luckenbach, Texas, with Waylon and Willie and the boys,” let’s never forgot Merle Haggard. Yeah yeah, this song’s not about him, but country wouldn’t be country without him. For No Depression, the magazine that celebrated outlaw and underground country, two writers celebrated California’s rural poet, the son of cotton pickers, who brought a lot of poetry and rebellion to country, and made California a place for serious country music, as much as others had made it a place for pop songs and folk tunes.

Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/08/03/a-country-music-reading-list.html

TheBackyardScientist built out a 200 watt laser and mounted it on the roof of his car. In his YouTube description, he wrote three paragraphs about why this experiment did not endanger any airplanes.

Previously, he built a handheld 40 watt laser blaster:

Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/08/03/man-mounts-highly-dangerous-la.html

"As a result of a technical error in the Division of Taxation's automated refund check printing system, approximately 176 checks with invalid signature lines were printed and mailed to taxpayers on Monday 7/27/2020." said Jade Borgeson, Chief of Staff for the [Rhode Island] Department of Revenue.

The checks, mostly corporate tax refunds, were signed by Mickey Mouse and Walt Disney, neither of whom are authorized to do so.

According to Borgeson, "The invalid signature lines were incorrectly sourced from the Division’s test print files."

That's really goofy. What kind of Mickey Mouse operation are they running down there!

(NBC 10) Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/08/03/mickey-mouse-and-walt-disney-a.html

Terence Eden found a turntable [Amazon] that cost only lb30 (~$40): "I accidentally bought a load of vinyl records. So I decided to buy the cheapest, shittiest, turntable possible," he writes. For firty paands he even gets a USB port to rip the records directly to digital. Is it any good? Not really. It plays records 4% too fast and has the slight stereo shift that come with unbalanced tone arms. But it's not terrible, either, Eden reports. It's fine. Eden conducts a complete teardown on the device, which turns out to by mostly air in a plastic box.

Vinyl is not a great format for high-fidelity audio.

In the U.S., the cheapo Jensen "suitcase" turntable [Amazon, but don't] is actually cheaper than the widely-rebranded model Eden found shopping in the U.K. I tried one of the cheap suitcase models and it was just plain bad, requiring coins on the cartridge to keep the needle in the groove, etc. Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/08/03/30-record-player-is-fine.html

Following Trump's claim he could ban Tik Tok in the U.S. by executive order, Microsoft, which has signaled its interest in buying the Chinese social media site, reports that it has his personal permission to proceed with the deal.

Following a conversation between Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and President Donald J. Trump, Microsoft is prepared to continue discussions to explore a purchase of TikTok in the United States.

Microsoft fully appreciates the importance of addressing the President’s concerns. It is committed to acquiring TikTok subject to a complete security review and providing proper economic benefits to the United States, including the United States Treasury.

Microsoft will move quickly to pursue discussions with TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, in a matter of weeks, and in any event completing these discussions no later than September 15, 2020. During this process, Microsoft looks forward to continuing dialogue with the United States Government, including with the President.

Such a nice example of how Trump "wins". He threatens a blatantly unconstitutional and illegal course of action, everyone argues about it in a way that inchingly normalizes how he might it done, then it turns out the whole thing was just a head game, an unsolicited favor to a domestic company that then must publicly supplicate to him to seal the deal, setting a precedent for all future deals. Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/08/03/microsoft-says-its-got-trump.html

Located in Potomac, Maryland, this 7 bedroom home with 8 full baths and 3 half baths comes with 4 acres of property including a tennis court, a heated pool, and a miniature town in the basement. And it could all be yours for just $4.5 million!

Looks nice, right?

Here's the official listing:

A unique, first time offering of a magnificent, gated estate on four acres featuring 7 bedrooms/8 baths in the Main house, a two bedroom/1 bath guest house with full kitchen, and a pool house with full kitchen and bath. Also on the property is a lighted, newly resurfaced tennis court and heated pool. The four acres is already divided into two separate parcels. A driveway can be added to access the guest house for a private entrance. Opportunity to purchase 2 acre parcel next door for a total of 6 acres.

But once you've scrolled through 54 photos (talk about burying the lede), you come across this:

The listing boasts 15 storefront facades, though it doesn't mention this creepy Stan Lee wannabe on the motorcylce:

The town also comes with "real working parked cars." I'm not sure if that means they "work" at being parked, or if you can drive them out of the town, or if there's even an escape route from this strange place.

11610 Highland Farm Road, Potomac Maryland Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/08/03/this-4-5m-maryland-mansion-ha.html

https://boingboing.net/2020/08/03/very-serious-novel-includes-ni.html

CNN profiles 91-year-old James Hong, whose imdb filmography counts 439 roles, making him a top candidate as the most prolific actor in Hollywood. Hong says the true count is even higher: he's to be seen in at least 600 movies stretching back nearly 70 years.

Realizing that Hollywood wouldn't be able to provide the roles Asian Americans deserved, Hong set out to carve his own space. Along with actor Mako Iwamatsu, Hong helped organize an Asian American acting group in Los Angeles. Their first production was "Rashomon," a stage play based on two short stories written by Japanese author Ryunosuke Akutagawa and adapted into film by Akira Kurosawa. "That started the industry noticing who we were," Hong said. "We weren't just extras, or gimmick people. We were in a play that we organized. We were the main, lead people. We were the actors. And we commanded attention." That acting group turned into the legendary theater group, East West Players. "East West Players were formulated to showcase works by Asians, who wrote the play, who designed the stage, who act in the play," Hong said. "It was all done by Asian people, professional people."

Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/08/03/the-most-prolific-actor-in-hol.html

The summer of 2020 is the PERFECT time to auction off seized merchandise from the infamous Fyre Festival fraud. Dumpster fyres powers activate — form of t-shirts, hats, "tokens" and other shite souvenirs! Just don't expect a bargain. This merch is going for top dollar.

CNN:

The 126 minor items up for sale were seized by the federal government from Billy McFarland, the 28-year-old organizer of Fyre Festival, the 2017 event in the Bahamas that has become shorthand for scams in the age of social media.

"This Fyre Festival-branded clothing and other items that were seized from Billy McFarland were originally intended to be sold at the Fyre Festival itself but were kept by McFarland, with the intent to sell the items and use the funds to commit further criminal acts while he was on pre-trial release," US Marshal Ralph Sozio said in a press release.

"The proceeds from the sale of these items, all traceable to McFarland's $26 million fraud, will go toward the victims of his crimes," he said.

(CNN)

image via Gaston&Sheehan Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/08/03/get-yer-seized-fyre-festival-m.html

Building blocks are among a child’s first, and arguably, most important, toys. Once they start stacking one tentatively on top of another, the blocks not only spark waves of creativity, but actual real-world understanding of scientific principles like engineering and physics. It wouldn’t even be a stretch to call blocks on of the first true STEM toys.

Of course, the wonder of blocks never really goes away as through adolescence and even into adulthood, constructing models and other miniatures is an engaging and even soothing pastime for many. 

Architect Damien Murtagh definitely still feels that desire, even going so far as pioneering an entire modular building system so users can create their own scale model homes and buildings. Thus were born the Arckits, various building sets that can help children and adults develop fundamental design skills and spontaneous creativity through actual hands-on model building with no cutting, glue or other messes.

Little Architect Kids Model City Building Kit, 130+ pcs. - $44 after code

This kid-friendly set starts with 32 unique pastel-colored components to start creating skyscrapers, roads, parks and more, each unlocking the fundamentals of architecture. The Little Architect kit also includes a starter guide to create some step-by-step builds — or just wing it and fashion a cityscape of your very own. By using the code BUILDINGKIT5 at checkout, you can save $5.99 off the regular price.

Go Colors 2.0 Architect Scale Model House Building Kit for Kids, 160+ pcs. - $53 after code Go Plus 2.0 Kids Architect Scale Model House Building Kit, 160+ pcs. Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/08/03/these-architectural-building-k.html

Time management and self-motivation, the ability to stay on task and achieve in the office or when you’re working with home, is the true test of any person’s professional mettle. While that’s easier said than done, those skills can be taught and developed as you’ll find in The 2020 Work From Anywhere Hacker Bundle.

The collection brings together seven courses covering nearly 100 hours of material aimed at maximizing your abilities in core personal skills like time management, working remotely, writing, and more.

With courses like Time Management, Learn How to Get Stuff Done and 10 Soft Skills You Need, you’ll develop the skills that will enhance your productivity and efficiency, no matter where you’re working. The training will help you devise a personalized productivity plan to get your life in balance while you develop the people skills, communication, attitudes, and social and emotional intelligence to chart your own destiny professionally and personally.

With Critical Thinking and Communication Strategies, you’ll develop key innovations using analytical thought systems and creative thinking techniques to further your goals. With all that in place, Learn Advanced Writing Skills and Building an Online Business can help further sharpen your vision, push your goals forward and maybe even strike out on your own as a self-made, self-driven web entrepreneur of your own.

The training is regularly a $199 package, but right now, the entire path to understanding and working smart is available for only $29.99.

Prices are subject to change.

Do you have your stay-at-home essentials? Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/08/02/this-expert-led-training-can-h.html

It’s easy to be instantly dismissive about most Bluetooth speakers, especially small travel-sized units. Over the past few years, makers of every shape, size, and variety have started pounding out Bluetooth speakers, many barely able to sound much better than your smartphone speaker, let alone provide the bass and volume heft of legitimate portable speakers from name brands like Bose or Sony.

But buyers of the Earhoox Dual Bluetooth Speaker Set are usually so charmed by this cute little tandem that they don’t even realize the quality of this package until it’s blazing away on their favorite tracks.

And yes, this set includes two speakers, a pair of sound pumpers both equipped to trade-off solos and split the workload that can send lowlier speakers running. Crafted from brushed metal, PU leather and other premium materials, these six-inch powerhouses don’t look or feel like anything less than top-quality audio equipment.

Of course, it’s only after they’re synced to your smartphone or other Bluetooth-enabled device that their true colors really come to the surface. Each built around a formidable double magnetic 16 core speaker with bottom passive vibration film design and enhanced bass capabilities, these units each come together to deliver their parts in a great surround sound tag team. While most portable Bluetooth speakers strain to deliver the full depth of the music, these two are perfectly synchronized partners, pounding out dynamic stereo audio separated as it should be.

With 3 watts of power and 80dB intensity, these speakers have enough juice to be serving up your music while sitting on a desk, or hanging from the handlebars of your bike while trucking through the great outdoors.  Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/08/02/this-dual-bluetooth-speaker-se.html

Modern Jazz musician Olivier Cong's two-part song "Delusion" inspire designer Kachi Chan to create a black and white space-themed series of visuals. Prepare to leave your body!

Kachi has also done some gorgeous color work in the same vein, like Amelioration, a collaboration between visual designer Chan and fashion designer Matt Hui:

It's a story about one tries to breakthrough his shackles and express his true self underneath. The fashion piece is composed of 2 pieces, the outer one is a metallic-look cape made with reflective PU material; the inner is a soft, light tulle dress with controllable LED lights. The runway performance depicts the process of the metallic shell being broken through and the inner true self is revealed as the tulle dress. The video as part of the performance interacts with the fashion model to stage the process of transformation.

Image: Vimeo / Kachi Chan Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/08/02/watch-kachi-chans-spare-tri.html

Documentarian Errol Morris made an acclaimed documentary series on eccentric people 20 years ago, and now you can watch it online for free. First Person includes a fascinating ep on Mark's high school classmate and supergenius pal Rick Rosner (shown above).

The episode centers around Rick's fight over losing on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

What could possibly make a tormented teenage genius want to relive the horrors of high school … over and over again? Peek inside the mind of Rick Rosner to find out why the class Brainiac became a serial senior. And watch as Rosner prepares to take his place in the hallowed hotseat of TV game show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” in what could turn out to be Rosner’s ultimate revenge for nerds everywhere.

Image: YouTube / Errol Morris Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/08/02/errol-morris-has-uploaded-his.html

The always delightful Auralnauts have redubbed The Dark Knight Rises for 2020, with Bane urging all those he encounters to join him in wearing a mask.

This isn't the first time Auralnauts has done Bane outtakes:

Image: YouTube / Aralnauts Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/08/02/batman-nemesis-bane-urges-mask.html

In this tongue-in-cheek rendition to amuse their crew, The Edge does OK, and Bono has a couple of good moments, but the whole things falls apart a couple of minutes in.

Bono explains why they have never tried it till now:

There’s one annoying aspect of an Irish crew that has to be said. Wherever you go in the world, whatever venue you’re playing — whether it’s the Olympia, or 3 Arena, or Madison Square Garden — you walk into the venue and it’s a big moment, and you’ll hear a song that we said, "We’ll never, ever play this." And that’s right, "Stairway to Heaven." These professionals believe they play this better than the band. And you know, it might be true.

For a chaser, here's Heart blowing the doors off the song in front of the band's surviving members:

Image: YouTube / Dexmusic Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/08/02/watch-bono-and-the-edge-mung-u.html

This quick video clip got grabbed as we woke up today. The two speeds share very different versions of Electra

View this post on Instagram

Compare and contrast, please!! #puppy or #lion #dogsofinstagram #cute #yip #roar

A post shared by Electra (@electra___cute) on Aug 2, 2020 at 9:50am PDT

Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/08/02/does-my-puppy-roar-like-a-lion.html

Did you know that you are free to change your auto insurance at any time? Maybe you do know that, but don't want to deal with the inconvenience of changing providers. Or maybe you simply already think you have a great deal.

The fact is that your car insurance is one of those expenses that should stay under constant surveillance. Company rates shift constantly, so the carrier you’ve been with forever may not be offering you the best deal anymore. 

And cost isn't the only reason to make a change. Online insurance provider Clearcover helps set you up with the best plan at the best rates available, all right from your phone, laptop, or favorite digital device. You read that right: no speaking to a soul over the phone.

And with their digital claims services, you can file a claim right through the Clearcover app immediately after an accident, expediting the process to resolve the situation and move on.

If you’re in one of the eight states that Clearcover serves (Arizona, California, Illinois, Louisiana, Ohio, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin — with several more to come in late 2020), all you have to do is go to the Clearcover website, enter some basic information and see what they have to offer.

As a company, Clearcover's mission is to serve low-cost premium policies with top-rated technology. So while there are no guarantees that Clearcover will beat your current provider, it’s not uncommon for new Clearcover customers to save $500 or more annually compared to their previous plans and get better coverage. Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/08/02/heres-why-you-should-conside.html