The 790,000 subscribers to The_Donald have suddenly found themselves without a place to spread hate and harassment after Reddit shut down the subreddit earlier this morning, reports The New York Times. Reddit CEO Steve Huffman told reporters “Reddit is a place for community and belonging, not for attacking people. The_Donald has been in violation of that.”

From The New York Times:

Reddit said people in “The_Donald” consistently posted racist and vulgar messages that incited harassment and targeted people of different religious and ethnic groups on and off its site.

“The_Donald” has also heavily trafficked in conspiracy theories, including spreading the debunked “PizzaGate” conspiracy, in which Hillary Clinton and top Democrats were falsely accused of running a child sex trafficking ring from a pizza parlor in Washington.

Reddit said that as of Monday, it was introducing eight rules that laid out the terms people must abide by to use the site. Those include prohibiting targeted harassment, revealing the identities of others, posting sexually exploitative content related to underage children, or trafficking in illegal substances or other illicit transactions.

While the site had already banned many of these behaviors, the latest changes take a harder line on speech that “promotes hate based on identity or vulnerability.”

Image: Gage Skidmore - Flickr.com, CC BY-SA 2.0, Link Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/06/29/reddit-shuts-down-the_donald-f.html

Scambuster Jim Browning got access to a tech support scammer's computer and was able to find out his real name and monitor his communications with his boss and colleagues. He spooked them so much that it looks like they shut down operations, at least temporarily. I love Browning's laconic, bored-sounding voice as he talks to the increasingly panicked scammer. Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/06/29/man-learns-tech-support-scamme.html

If you're a professional illustrator, podcaster, or filmmaker, a $53 a month subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud is a fair price to pay. But if you're just interested in having a good vector graphics application, you can probably get by using Inkscape (free) or Affinity Designer (one time cost $50). Inkscape even runs on Linux computers. This video runs through the key features of each application. Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/06/29/two-free-or-cheap-alternatives.html

Spoken Word with Electronics is an audio series delivering to you a two side recording of unusual stories paired with vintage modular electronic sounds

Hello, everyone - Welcome back. Part of this week's show is on language. One great result of the recent protests is a reassessment of some of our worst phrases. "Master/Slave" is an ugly one, with a direct path to some of the world's most terrible history. Unfortunately, it's largely adopted into electronics as an example of one device maintaining control over countless other devices. It's been suggested a better phrase might be Leader/Follower, and in that way you realize "Master/Slave" also describes politics, too.

As language is finally being addressed on this shameful history of semantics, I offer one final discussion on "Master/Slave" as an EXPLANATION for how people are still following and supporting Trump. Electronic control can be their only defense. In sympathy, I call for us all to love Trump Supporters and seek to emancipate them from this mental prison.

Mind Control is an interesting subject. There's been an ongoing effort to control minds with technology, and some consider this to be happening right now. Today's episode discusses triggers in drum machines as an explanation for how Trump's very sharp signal clock controls his followers. He's a perfect drum sequencer. He keeps his messages monosyllabic and sharp. That's the best signal for opening up a drum to follow a controller. And the term for this in synthesis is, regrettably, "Master/Slave", in that the Master is the sequencer and the slave is the follower. Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/06/29/for-triggers-gates-clocks-a.html

It took a lot of time and tools to restore this corroded 1960s tin toy car into one that looks brand new.

Here's a hint for watching restoration videos like this: most of the restoration processes shown in the videos are shown in time-lapse, and you can speed them up even more by playing the videos at double speed. You won't miss out on anything and, in this case, you will save yourself 10 minutes. Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/06/29/toy-hot-rod-car-restoration.html

Hugo's is one of my favorite restaurants in Los Angeles. They have one on Santa Monica Blvd that Carla and I have been going to since the 1980s. There's also a Hugo's in Sherman Oaks that's been around for about 20 years, and we order takeout from it. About 15 years ago Hugo's opened two excellent taco stands, one near the Sherman Oaks restaurant. Today I read the sad news that both Hugo's taco stands had to shut down because of sociopaths who were so angry about the "no mask, no service" policy that they "screamed, cursed, and threw drinks," at employees, according to The Sacramento Bee.

Nabor Prado says Hugo’s Tacos employees have been on the front lines of the face mask controversy, KNBC reported. One man became so enraged he attacked workers.

“He got a cup of water and (threw) the water at my employee, which is unsafe and rude,” Prado said, according to the station. “It’s really sad to see grown up people doing childish things like that.”

Workers, who are mostly Latino, also have been called racial epithets by customers who have demanded refunds and thrown drinks through drive-up windows, the Los Angeles Times says.

“It’s just gotten more difficult to open every day in an environment where you’re treated with hostility and venom,” Kohne said, KTTV reported.

https://boingboing.net/2020/06/29/los-angeles-taco-stand-closes.html

Fox host Trace Gallagher questioned today whether, with Trump's miserable poll numbers (the national polls' average currently has Trump at 56.2 disapproval, 40.4 approval, according to FiveThirtyEight), he “might drop out” of the November presidential race.

Speaking to former New Hampshire Governor John Sununu, a Republican, Trace added that the “vast majority of Americans” are "not happy with the way the US is handling the coronavirus pandemic."

Sununu says there's "no chance" Trump will drop out, but that Trump is "going to be judged in November, not on how the pandemic was handled from January until now. They’re going to be judged on how it’s handled between now and the election.”

Sununu then has advice for Trump: “Stop saying the virus is going to go away -- let people know that this is a real second wave, let them know there may be a third wave.”

Via Raw Story Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/06/29/even-fox-wonders-if-trump-migh.html

Chiptune musician @atarimae_400 learned that the jingles played at some Japanese railway stations sound similar to the tones generated by a certain model of pocket calculator. So @atarimae_400 performed some of the melodies on his own adding machines.

As Kraftwerk sang, "I'm the operator with my pocket calculator." Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/06/29/japanese-railway-melodies-play.html

When you sit down on your couch to watch TV, the volume of options is truly staggering. However, a strange thing happens once you start cycling through page after page of Netflix suggestions and Amazon options. You invariably find yourself constantly considering the same set of giant Hollywood blockbuster films and major US television network offerings that you’ve watched for decades.

But c’mon...how many times do you REALLY need to watch every episode of Friends or The Office?

Topic is a streaming service curated specifically for smart, discerning viewers who look to veer off the beaten and over-trod path. They traffic in hand-picked series and films from around the globe, skimming the cream of the international entertainment world so you can get a look at all the best from every corner of the planet.

These are the neighborhoods Netflix, Amazon, and the others too often ignore, but with Topic, you can explore critically acclaimed series like Pagan Peak (Germany), Lambs of God (Australia), Salamander (Belgium), Arctic Circle (Finland), Vernon Subutex (France), State of Happiness (Norway), Asako I & II (Japan), Columbus (United States), The Broken Circle Breakdown (Netherlands), and Wuthering Heights (United Kingdom). 

Meanwhile, Topic is also making a name for itself as home to a growing host of Topic exclusive original series, including Rough Draft With Reza Aslan, What’s Your Ailment?! from Maria Bamford, Soul City, The Virtues, and The Second City’s Last Show Left on Earth. Everywhere you turn, Topic is serving up new favorite dramas, laugh-out-loud comedies, festival-featured documentaries, critically acclaimed indie films, provocative talk shows, and stellar shorts that you won’t see on the other services. Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/06/29/topic-is-an-international-favo.html

Police in West Sussex, England responded last week to reports that around 50 people carrying suitcases were spotted walking towards Ardingly Reservoir. Part of the reservoir is a nature reserve popular for organized watersports, fishing, and birding.

"“An area search carried out and the team could not locate anyone with suitcases…most bizarre," tweeted Inspector Darren Taylor.

I wonder if anyone saw Wilford Brimley in the area.

(Evening Express via Anomalist)

Team are currently responding to calls from members of the public in regard to approx 50 people walking towards Ardingly reservoir, carrying suitcases! pic.twitter.com/ozM8HURJjd

 Inspector Darren Taylor (@InspectorDarren) June 25, 2020

image: Antiquary (CC BY 4.0) Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/06/29/mysterious-group-carrying-suit.html

Videogame developer Phil Compile and 4-year-old son Ollie made this absolutely wonderful Super Mario stop motion animation using refrigerator magnets.

That’s so good! How long did that take??

 Garrett Cooper (@superdupergc) June 28, 2020

https://boingboing.net/2020/06/29/absolutely-wonderful-stop-moti.html

Randy Rainbow is back at it with another fabulous show tune: "Cover Your Freakin' Face." Brilliant, as always. Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/06/29/randy-rainbows-delightful-ne.html

This family was fishing on Marshmiller Lake in Wisconsin when they came across this bear cub swimming with a plastic container stuck on its head. Fortunately, this story has a happy ending.

Via EuroNews Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/06/29/watch-family-on-a-boat-rescue.html

Back in the ancient times of the 1980s, if you wanted your thoughts quickly translated into text and didn’t want to spend all day transcribing all those meticulously archived notes yourself, you either needed to hire a secretary or a stenographer.

Now, rather than spending thousands of dollars a year on an ultra-fast typist, technology and voice recognition has boiled that ability down to a trusty app. Dictanote (for the Chrome browser) lets you easily switch between using your keyboard and your voice to take any notes you want to keep.

Dictanote brings together the versatility of a fully-featured notebook with AI-based speech recognition, making it easy for anyone to let notes spill out in their own words while magically appearing on their screen.  Dictanote has built-in a Microsoft Word-type editor to help format notes, which are also downloadable as PDF or .docx files.

While we can all think of some time-saving practical uses for Dictanote, it’s especially useful for those who conduct interviews or sift through loads of information, like journalists, lawyers, podcasters, students or professional transcriptionists.

With Dictanote, it’s truly as simple as hitting the record button to dictate an email, meeting notes or even a to-do list. You can also just snap a picture of a sketch and then see that image translated to text with 90 percent accuracy. In fact, the makers of Dictanote claim their app outperforms most offline services, including the popular Dragon Naturally Speaking.

Dictanote even has a few tricks up its sleeve, like a set of voice commands that allow you to put some form and structure to your notes, all with the use of your voice. Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/06/28/type-with-your-voice-with-this.html

If you’re invested in learning a new craft or even just elevating your abilities in a current skill, you likely want access to as much information as possible to help expand your talents. Different learning courses can definitely aid that pursuit, but it’s often tough to know exactly what’s included in any coursework and whether it adequately covers the topics you want to know. 

Because if you don’t know it, how do you know you’ll get to know exactly what you need to know, you know?

The answer is...volume. In The Pro Photography and Photoshop 20 Course Bundle, we’ll get access to a virtual avalanche of photography training that’s truly exhaustive and ready to help address any of their picture-taking questions.

Not three, not five, not even a dozen courses, this bundle packages together 20 separate courses housing a colossal 120 hours of photography training that should set you up to learn all the steps and methods to take great pictures with every click.

Of course, it all starts with the basics, which is why the Photography Master Class is the perfect introduction. First-time students grasp concepts like exposures, aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and more so that by the end of the course, the Auto mode is off forever and they’re making the minute adjustments in Manual mode from now on that make all the difference.

Meanwhile, Photoshop, its Adobe companion app Lightroom, and open-source editor GIMP are industry-standard image editing software and these courses dig into every facet of how to navigate these feature-rich apps like a pro. Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/06/28/this-pro-photography-and-photo.html

Look, nobody wants to be talking about unclogging a toilet. There are few tasks more unsavory anywhere on a homeowner’s to-do list.

Unfortunately, everything that ends up swirling its way down your porcelain throne doesn’t always find its final destination in the sewage system below. If a child decides to flush half the contents of a bathroom counter, you’re likely looking at a call to a plumber and a bill that could end up topping $300. 

Or it could just be an incident so vile you don’t even want to get too close. Possibly ever again. We get it. So instead of dropping a huge chunk of change on a plumbing repair, the Toiletsaber lets you attack the problem yourself.

The Toiletsaber is a revolutionary new unclogging tool with a unique J-shaped, flexible head that makes maximum contact with tough visible clogs and swiftly and neatly clears the problem. And just like other sabers, the one is well over two feet long, assuring that you and your hands never need to get anywhere close to the scene of the crime.

The Toiletsaber head is designed to first rake any excess waste away from the waste trap, while the other side of the Toiletsaber can then snake through any remaining clog to clear the obstruction.

And as opposed to that disgusting plunger, the Toiletsaber wipes clean in seconds and its shatterproof, chemical resistant frame doesn’t become a breeding ground for gross bacteria.

The Toiletsaber is also lightweight and safe to use with any toilet without ever scraping or leaving any scratches behind. Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/06/28/plungers-are-disgusting-so-the.html

The masterclass concept is a simple one — get a foremost expert in their field to sit down and verbally walk through their area of expertise with a room full of eager young learners. It’s a sound practice...because how better to learn the true tricks of the trade than from an absolute stone-cold master of their craft?

Many tinkerers in the maker culture are in particular need of that guidance. With so many directions to take in DIY engineering and electronics, it’s easy to get lost or miss some simple, yet meaningful ideas. Last year, the 1st Maker Mind Meld Virtual Summit brought together 22 expert Makers to talk about how they turn electronics, software, wood, and plastic into entirely new creations.

If you’re interested in building and solving problems, but missed the summit, The Maker Mind Meld Masterclass is truly the next best thing.

This collection features the video presentations made by all 22 Maker Mind Meld experts, each focused on sharing their best advice and top strategies to help you become a better maker. Summit host and organizer Dr. Peter Dalmaris speaks with each expert as they explore their individual tech passions, including CSEduino, micro:bit. JSON, Internet of Things, and more.

Over more than 30 hours, you’ll go deep on everything, from electrical engineer Jon Evans talking about getting involved in open source projects, to creative technologist Gil Posnanski discussing why Making is important to humanity, to instructor Richard Park on how to teach IoT concepts.

Meanwhile, there are also several sessions that play more like how-to lessons for Making something cool of your own, including how Maker Mark Wilson created an Arduino version of the classic Flip clock or how engineer  Karsten Schulz made a computer processor with a B4 kit.  Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/06/27/watching-these-maker-mind-meld.html

Oh, the horror!

Wife trolls husband by screaming Alanis Morissette song for a month pic.twitter.com/G8H9jeLxdY

 The Dad (@thedad) September 14, 2018

Image: Twitter Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/06/27/wife-trolls-husband-for-a-mont.html

https://boingboing.net/2020/06/27/milton-glaser-legendary-graph.html

The no-contact door opener [Amazon] is a small brassy tool that levers open door handles, can be used to press buttons or as a stylus for payment systems, and is solid enough to subdue hysterical disease-spreading anti-maskers in grocery stores. It's small enough to fit on a keyring and has a wee hole for that purpose. There are many variations on the design to be found, but the one linked above is best because it's metal and many are just flimsy painted plastic.

I ordered three six-packs and that's what everyone's getting for their birthday this year. Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/06/27/contactless-door-opener-and-st.html