Arizona Game and Fish Department killed three mountain lions after at least one of them ate human remains near the Pima Canyon hiking trail near Tucson. The mountain lions did not kill the person and their identity and cause-of-death is still under investigation. Many people were displeased that the mountain lions were killed. From KOLD:

...Arizona Game and Fish consulted with national experts on mountain lions before making the final decision.

“I can tell you that the lions tore the clothes off the victim,” (Arizona Game and Fish Department spokesman Mark) Hart said. “That is an indication that they had figured out that a human being clothed is food.”

Game and fish successfully relocated a mountain lion in 2004 but in this case, the situation was different.

The lions had eaten human flesh, which is unusual, so relocating them may not make difference.

Lions can easily travel a hundred miles or more.

“If we found the best place we could put them, there’s always a risk that type of behavior would remain,” Hart said. And if they wandered back into a community “that would be catastrophic.”

image: "North American cougar (Puma concolor couguar) in Glacier National Park in the U.S. state of Montana" by National Park Service (Public Domain) Read the rest

http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/kAHdJ_GlPJs/three-mountain-lions-killed-af.html

DEPLOYMENTS COME AS IRAN TENSIONS FLARE AFTER U.S. AIRSTRIKE IN BAGHDAD

CNN was first to report today that “several thousand” United States soldiers are right now being deployed to the Middle East. The troops are from the 82nd Airborne Division, which had already been placed on an alert standby status prior to the U.S. assassination by airstrike of Iranian Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani as well as Naim Qassem, the second-in-command of Lebanon’s Hezbollah, in Baghdad yesterday.

Pentagon confirms 'Immediate Response Force' brigade of 82nd Airborne Div. is deploying to Kuwait. This will bring new US troop deployments to Middle East to about 18,000 since May.

 paul mcleary (@paulmcleary) January 3, 2020

CNN now reports, citing top U.S. military officials, that 750 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division had already been sent to Kuwait -- now that group of 750 soldiers plus an additional 3,000 or more troops will join up in the region to be placed on high alert status.

There are fears of retaliation by Iran or its many proxy military groups in the region. The thousands of new troops are expected to head to Kuwait first, then be dispersed to various locations if a new level of crisis heats up, in the aftermath of the U.S. airstrike near Baghdad airport on January 2, 2020.

Iran has vowed “harsh revenge” after the death of its top general in overseas military affairs. This does not sound good at all.

JUST IN: The US will deploy thousands of additional troops to the Middle East as tensions with Iran mount following the airstrike that killed Qasem Soleimani, a US defense official tells CNN.

Read the rest

http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/evRXs4SgG5s/iran-us-to-deploy-3000-or-mo.html

Filmmakers Zita Bernet and Rafael Sommerhalder, aka CRICTOR, created this delightful short as a cinematic holiday card. Read the rest

http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/xxWnHL-_MS4/wonderful-video-blowtorch.html

Nick Verzilli is surely furious: he muted the audio on the video he recorded of a USPS driver abusing his 40lb package of fancy computer bits.

At this stage of pervasive public and private surveillance, booting a box down the street like this must be either a prank or an attempt to get fired. For the rest, a reminder to load the dolly last.

Verzilli took questions on reddit and posted shots of the box as delivered.

You're only seeing this most recent instance. I've talked to him before and decided to stay out of his way in the future. He's one of the reasons I got the front porch camera in the first place

Read the rest

http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/6024_zqHqic/man-videos-postman-abusing-box.html

Not to be confused with that painfully mediocre Dave Eggers novel, Netflix's new reality show The Circle is basically the IRL version that Black Mirror episode where Bryce Dallas Howard obsessively ranks everything on social media to the point of extreme isolation. Except in this reality show, everyone starts off isolated in a (surprisingly nice) apartment, and with their online interactions as their only means of any communication. The players use a social media platform called "The Circle" which basically functions like Alexa's personal Facebook, except that it's very obviously being manipulated in real-time by some human production assistant who can intuitively parse for natural language, 'cause there's no way there's a voice-controlled AI technology advanced enough to respond to everyone's individual linguistic ticks like this.

My wife and I watched two episodes last night, and it is the epitome of terrible, trashy reality television. I hate everything about it. But what I hate most of all is that I'm kind of hooked.

The best and worst part of the show is that everyone is just … sitting in their rooms, talking to a TV with a voice assistant. They read everything out loud, and recite all their messages out loud, and the whole thing is super awkward. This forces the show to rely heavily on that bullshit melodramatic padded-out editing that reality TV shows are notorious for. Except you're not even getting drawn-out reaction cuts from everyone in the same room together; it's just people, by themselves.

But this is also kind of (disgustingly) fascinating. Read the rest

http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/BS9zd0cdsiE/netflixs-the-circle-is-m.html

One of the first things marketers learn in today's wired world is that there's no direct path to potential clients. Big companies are learning to laser-target their pitches to customers on the platforms they like best.

There's no reason start-ups of any size can't do the same, and the Become a Social Media Manager Certification Bundle gives you the tools to do just that.

Each of the courses in this online package is tailored to a different sphere of social media, which (despite the changing landscape) is still a wide-open frontier for marketers.

You'll get walkthroughs on how to generate solid leads on LinkedIn, tailor your message to Instagram and Twitter and even grow your brand organically on a blog. Whether you're managing the campaign for a local business or a growing media empire, you'll find an invaluable roadmap here for navigating the world of social media.

All 7 courses in the Become a Social Media Manager Certification Bundle are now 97% off the retail price.

You can't beat free! Get $70+ worth of premium Mac apps for free today! Read the rest

http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/-vuEY1tkNYw/7-courses-to-turn-you-into-a-s.html

BREAKING NEWS: There are reports in the Iraqi capital of missiles striking near Baghdad airport, after a series of explosions were heard.

Citing Iraqi security forces, Al Jazeera reported that rockets targeted a joint US-Iraqi counterterrorism military site in the area. Multiple news agencies in the region are reporting civilian casualties in the rocket attack.

Two SUVs were directly hit in the road leading in-out the civilian Baghdad International Airport , body parts everywhere according to witnesses on the ground pic.twitter.com/cvDyXOpWZY

 Steven nabil (@thestevennabil) January 2, 2020

Four rockets hit an Iraqi military base near Baghdad airport, Reuters reporting citing the police.

 Idrees Ali (@idreesali114) January 2, 2020

#Baghdad international airport on fire ! pic.twitter.com/D3d6Eibw7M

 Barzan Sadiq (@BarzanSadiq) January 2, 2020

WOW,

The rockets landed in Baghdad airport actually targeted JOINT AMERICAN - IRAQI counter-terror center, per Al Jazeera citing Iraqi security forces

 Ragip Soylu (@ragipsoylu) January 2, 2020

BREAKING Baghdad Airport currently closed to traffic but intense military activity after the fall of 4 missiles

 AIRLIVE (@airlivenet) January 2, 2020

One of the rockets fell inside air cargo zone, #Baghdad airport.

 Barzan Sadiq (@BarzanSadiq) January 2, 2020

Update: Iraqi sources tell al-Jazrera that 3 missiles hit the vicinity of Baghdad Airport.#Iraq https://t.co/uFEC5sRcOu https://t.co/Ow7Ian7hQL

 Baxtiyar Goran (@BaxtiyarGoran) January 2, 2020

Incidents near Baghdad International airport reported #breakingnews; At same time @EsperDoD "Iran & its proxy militias: we will not accept continued attacks against our personnel & forces in the region. Attacks against us will be met w/ responses in the time, manner, & place..."

Read the rest

http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/m-1gqNnW2G0/reports-of-4-missiles-striking.html

Ross LaJeunesse left Google last April after he advocated within the company for years for a human rights program that formalize free speech and privacy principles.

New, from me. Based on interviews with @RossforMaine, emails & documents. Execs at Google rarely break ranks but Ross’ experience pushing for real human rights accountability shows how Google can sideline internal critics, even trusted people near the top https://t.co/jtfqoqhL6D

 Nitasha Tiku (@nitashatiku) January 2, 2020

Ross “began lobbying for it internally in 2017 — around the time when the tech giant was exploring a return to China, in a stark reversal of its 2010 move that made its search engine unavailable there,” reports Nitasha Tiku in the Washington Post:

Now, the 50-year-old is alleging that Google pushed him out for it in April.

“I didn’t change. Google changed,” LaJeunesse, who was Google’s global head of international relations in Washington, told The Washington Post. “Don’t be evil” used to top the company’s mission statement. “Now when I think about ‘Don’t be evil,’ it’s been relegated to a footnote in the company’s statements.”

Within Google, China was seen as a booming market that represented concerns about the ways technology could be used to suppress free expression or enable surveillance. LaJeunesse modeled his human rights program on the way Google approached privacy and security issues, designing the team of employees, in functions such as supply chain, policy, and ethics and compliance, to help Google integrate, coordinate and prioritize human rights risk assessment.

A top Google exec pushed the company to commit to human rights. Read the rest

http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/4rFFuW_WWg0/former-google-exec-says-he-was.html

“Among the eight or so examples initially provided to Reddit are a handful of disturbingly clear images showing a sleeping baby, a security camera's view of an enclosed porch, and a man seemingly asleep in a chair.”

On Reddit, a Xiaomi Mijia camera owner reported receiving still images from other random peoples' homes when he tried to stream content from his camera to a Google Nest Hub. In response, Google removed Xiaomi's integration with its smart home products such as Google Home and Nest.

Android Police broke the story today, and published some photos that are pretty horrifying, privacy-wise, if legit:

This issue was first reported by user /r/Dio-V on Reddit and affects his Xiaomi Mijia 1080p Smart IP Security Camera, which can be linked to a Google account for use with Google/Nest devices through Xiaomi's Mi Home app/service. It isn't clear when Dio-V's feed first began showing these still images into random homes or how long the camera was connected to his account before this started happening. He does state that both the Nest Hub and the camera were purchased new. The camera was purchased from AliExpress and noted as running firmware version 3.5.1_00.66.

When attempting to access a video feed from his connected camera (as depicted in the video above), instead of the expected local video feed, he's provided a random, occasionally partly corrupted black and white still image from another home. Among the eight or so examples initially provided to Reddit are a handful of disturbingly clear images showing a sleeping baby, a security camera's view of an enclosed porch, and a man seemingly asleep in a chair.

Read the rest

http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/FxGSvBT9SGo/google-takes-away-xiaomis-ac.html

A post by the Sand Springs Police Department on Facebook kind of says it all: “OK 2020, it only took you 4.5 hours to get weird. Let’s slow down on the carjacking-goatnapping calls for the remainder of the year.”

In Sand Springs, Oklahoma, a man is reported to have stolen a pickup truck in which a passenger and a goat were resting.

Police say he drove the truck with the goat and the captive person all the way from Missouri to Oklahoma, doing meth and terrorizing human and animal the whole way, then later eventually letting them go and getting arrested.

No, wait.

It gets weirder.

There's a porno shop involved.

From the Associated Press:

According to an arrest report, two men in the truck parked outside of an adult video store in Carthage, Missouri, early Wednesday morning. The driver went inside the store and the passenger fell asleep. When the passenger awoke, a masked man was driving the truck and pointing a gun at his head, Tulsa TV station KOTV reported.

The carjacking suspect, 40-year-old Brandon Kirby, drove from Missouri through Kansas. During the 130-mile ordeal, Kirby took methamphetamine, pistol-whipped the victim and continually threatened him, according to the arrest report. He was eventually arrested in Sand Springs, Oklahoma, after he let the passenger and the goat out of the truck and the victim called 911, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol said.

Mr. Kirby was wanted for a burglary charge, reports NewsOn6.com, a local TV news source:

The arrest report said Kirby drove through Kansas, Missouri and then to Oklahoma, holding the victim against his will.

Read the rest

http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/ejWXwL80ZjM/police-nab-carjacking-goatna.html

A good website should be able to do a lot of things, and that means a good web designer needs to be just as versatile. If you're looking to break into this in-demand field but aren't sure where to start, give The Complete 2020 Learn to Design Certification Bundle a look.

It's actually a package of 10 courses, all designed to help get you working as a web designer in any company. You'll get beginner courses in all the essentials, but also deep dives into some of the latest platforms.

For example, there's a full walkthrough on Javascript, which provides a foundation for a guide to Javascript Console Object and its debugging possibilities. You'll also get a lot of know-how on graphic design, with special focus on Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. CSS, HTML Canvas and more are all covered here.

All in all, it's more than 80 hours of content leading to certifications that you can be sure will attract eyes to your resume. Lifetime access to the full 10-course bundle is now 98% off the original retail price. Read the rest

http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/quIfYtJRe20/from-css-to-photoshop-master.html

The fan-made hay sculpture's name is “Will-Hay Nelson.”

In Huddleston, Virginia, a woman who makes hay art sculptures every year decided to make one of Willie Nelson, and the internet went nuts about it. Turns out the country music legend kind of liked it, and shared it on his social media page (Link, and see screengrab above).

“Will-Hay Nelson” is (well, was) a 15-foot-tall hay sculpture of the singer that was created as part of an annual holiday tradition in Huddleston.

View this post on Instagram

Not the best video, just a screen recording off my phone but still pretty darn cool!!

A post shared by beth bays (@farmerbays) on Dec 31, 2019 at 4:52am PST

From the News-Advance:

For the past eight years, Huddleston native Beth Bays has debuted a new hay bale creation in late November or early December at her farm on Tolers Ferry Road. Past creations include characters from “The Wizard of Oz;” a drummer bear; a cow; an elephant; the Virginia Tech Hokie bird; and characters from “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”

However, this year’s creation — “Will-Hay Nelson” — has struck a chord in the community, Bays said.“This one seems to be everyone’s favorite by far,” Bays said. “My cousin joked that I might have to quit now because I’ll never be able to top this.”

Bays — who owns Buckscrape Farms — started making the giant hay sculptures as part of Bedford Farm Bureau Young Farmers’ hay bale decorating contest.

More: • Hay bale creation an annual tradition in Huddleston [newsadvance.com] Read the rest

http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/kP4xF-EwhEs/willie-nelson-becomes-a-hay-ba.html

Some news you may have missed on New Year's Eve -- a federal judge has rejected efforts by Elon Musk's Tesla to dismiss claims brought by two former California employees that the car factory where they worked was a racist environment. The judge's decision clears the way for a trial, which is scheduled for May 11, 2020.

“U.S. District Judge William Orrick in San Francisco found open questions over whether Owen Diaz and his son Demetric Di-az faced 'severe and pervasive racial harassment' in 2015 and 2016 at Tesla’s factory in suburban Fremont, which employs more than 10,000 people,” reported Reuters on December 31:

The plaintiffs, who are black, said they were subjected to repeated racial epithets dozens of times, as well as racist cartoons, and that supervisors engaged in or did little to stop the racism.

Orrick said Diaz could pursue claims that Tesla allowed and did not take reasonable steps to stop racial harassment.

He said punitive damages might be available if Tesla must have known about the harassment and “ratified” it, even if only lower level workers were directly involved.

“The n-word is perhaps the most offensive and inflammatory racial slur in English, a word expressive of racial hatred and bigotry,” Orrick wrote. “This case will proceed to trial.”

Tesla must face lawsuit claiming racism at California factory [reuters.com] Read the rest

http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/9gMtSMcPrqM/tesla-must-face-lawsuit-allegi.html

Legendary underground cartoonist R. Crumb in a rare video interview recorded a few months back during the Louisiana Literature festival at Humlebaek, Denmark's Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. From a summary of Crumb's comments:

“I was so alienated when I was young, that drawing was like my only connection to society. That was the only thing that I could see was going to save me from a really dismal fate of God knows what.” Crumb describes his social skills as a young man as being “completely nil.” At the same time, he was driven by his “fucked-up ego,” and he had to balance those two sides. Drawing became a way for him to deal with reality, and in the 1950s, where “being a comic-book artist was the lowest level of commercial art,” he pushed toward a more personal use of the medium: “At a certain point I decided I don’t want to be America’s best-loved hippie cartoonist. I don’t want that role. So I’ll just be honest about who I am, and the weirdness, and take my chances.” Consequently, Crumb alienated a lot of people with his often provocative content: “It was just too disturbing for most people, too weird.”

Crumb has an urge to question things and is acutely aware that he’s going to get hell for what he’s doing – even lose friends – but he is willing to take the heat for it. He feels that he plays with images, emphasixing the word “play.” Nowadays, he argues, there’s a tendency to take everything at face value – including his artwork: “The artwork I did that used those images and expressed those kinds of feelings, I stand by it… I still think that that’s something that needed to be said and needed to be done… It probably hurts some people’s feelings to see those images, but still, I had to put it out there.”

Read the rest

http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/4OELsxEKSxE/rare-new-video-interview-with.html

http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/jVnZYCv6JyQ/genius-billboard-advertising-t.html

The new decade has brought some remarkable changes to the enlightened, kinder and gentler tabloids.

http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/Xc51GUeQ0Ew/penis-fish-simon-cowells-m.html

Jazz trumpeter Jack Sheldon, singer of the Schoolhouse Rock! classics "I'm Just a Bill" and "Conjunction Junction," has died at age 88. With roots in the 1950s West Coast and bebop jazz scene, Sheldon became the longtime musical director of the Merv Griffin Show. In 1973, he became an ongoing contributor to Schoolhouse Rock!, voicing many of the series' most popular tunes.

(CNN)

image: "Jack Sheldon at Palo Alto CA Jazz Festival September 26, 1987" by Brian McMillen (CC BY-SA 4.0) Read the rest

http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/ml9bKRpOPpY/jazz-great-jack-sheldon-the-v.html

http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/tgcYX74ukhY/ai-generates-old-fashioned-zoo.html

If you've got more than one Apple device, chances are your nightstand is a cluttered mess of charging cables; and if you take them out with you on the daily, your bag probably also has a tangled mass of chargers for your iPhone, AirPods, Apple Watch and so on.

It's time to de-clutter your charging setup, and this 3-in-1 Apple Watch, AirPods & iPhone Charger is here to help.

Find a plug or USB and you've got everything covered with this one. It's easily portable and splits the signal from one charging source into three Lightning cables. Voila! Instant juice.

Even better, it's got short circuit protection and regulates the signal so that your gadgets don't get overheated or overpowered.

The 3-in-1 Apple Watch, AirPods & iPhone Charger is now priced at more than 55% off the MSRP. Read the rest

http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/FG8oq14WqCs/this-one-cable-can-power-your.html

Never tell me the odds of avoiding a DMCA takedown. Read the rest

http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/B99B6JOHer8/watch-all-six-star-wars-films.html