Everything is better in LEGO.

Where are the other 1/2 of Earth's heroes? The ones not eliminated by Thanos 'snap' should have been there already right? Read the rest

Fast rising Democratic Presidential candidate and US Senator from the state of Massachusetts, Elizabeth Warren wrote Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez entry in Time Magazine's list of 2019's most influential leaders.

Time:

The year 2008 was a reckoning. While millions of Americans lost their livelihoods to Wall Street’s greed, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez lost her dad to lung cancer, and her family fell off a financial cliff. She watched as our government bailed out Wall Street while it ignored families like hers. She learned the hard way that in America today, Washington protects the powerful while leaving hardworking people behind.

Her commitment to putting power in the hands of the people is forged in fire. Coming from a family in crisis and graduating from school with a mountain of debt, she fought back against a rigged system and emerged as a fearless leader in a movement committed to demonstrating what an economy, a planet and a government that works for everyone should look like.

A year ago, she was taking orders across a bar. Today, millions are taking cues from her. She reminds all of us that even while greed and corruption slow our progress, even while armies of lobbyists swarm Washington, in our democracy, true power still rests with the people. And she’s just getting started.

Warren, a Senator from Massachusetts, is a Democratic presidential candidate

I've been using this 10.5" cast iron griddle at my brother's place, and it is just great.

I keep a #9 cast iron skillet on my stove at almost all times. My brother prefers a cast iron griddle. I can see the attraction.

The griddle is great all the things I do with a skillet, and also serves as a pizza stone. The lack of sidewalls can make grease management a bit more of a chore, however when making pancakes or otherwise looking to get under and flip frying items things become a lot easier. I didn't notice how much angling around and dickery goes into using my skillet.

Eggs over easy are a lot easier to wrangle.

I have a #8 'Chicken Pan' that is essentially a very deep walled skillet (with a self-basting lid) that I use for fried chicken. I could use that for deep frying, and a griddle for everything else... however I'm awfully fond of my skillet.

I have a griddle I picked up at a cast iron flea market ages ago, and never bothered to refinish. My brother has this Lodge item and it is wonderful. It will serve for generations.

Lodge 10.5 Inch Cast Iron Griddle. Pre-seasoned via Amazon Read the rest

"Tra la la" my ass. Read the rest

It is sad that any institution, especially such a revered sandwich shop as Langer's Deli, would behave so terribly.

DailyDot:

A famous Los Angeles sandwich shop, Langer’s Deli, is facing calls for a boycott after the owner kicked out two women for kissing in his restaurant.

The woman and her date who experienced aggressive discrimination at Langer’s Deli have chosen to remain anonymous but gave friends permission to share their story. One friend, writer and critic April Wolfe, took to Twitter to share what happened to her friends, posting a screenshot of the Facebook post that details how they were kicked out.

“My date and I had finished eating and we shared a kiss in our booth. Suddenly a man with a walkie-talkie was standing at our table. He introduced himself as Norm Langer and told us that he ‘can’t have this in his restaurant because some of the customers don’t understand.’” When the woman told him that she lived nearby and used to love this deli but would never eat there again, Langer told her she was being “selfish and inconsiderate of how other people felt.”

Image via Josh Lim/Wikipedia Read the rest

Since May of 2013 I've enjoyed this Vivere double hammock and its space-saving steel stand.

The price dropped to around $90 on average last year. It has been down to $70-ish once or twice, but I've gotten so much service from this kit, I think it was a deal at $140. Here is my first review.

I have once replaced the hammock itself! I fault myself, and not the hammock due to my leaving it in the sun, wind, and rain for a few years. I now respectfully take the replacement hammock down at night and bring it in. Several years of use and the replacement looks good as new. I am sure if you care for yours it will last as well.

The stand is good as new. Even in the salty sea air, it has merely developed a patina. I have kept this hammock about 200ft from the Pacific Ocean.

My daughter and I frequently use the hammock. I love it for recovering from any illness, and sleeping outside at night. My kid likes to watch YouTube videos in out, as WIFI easily reaches the deck.

Vivere Double Hammock with Space-Saving Steel Stand via Amazon Read the rest

Evidently that wasn't all, folks.

Animation Scoop:

Looney Tunes Cartoons is a series of new short form cartoons starring the iconic and beloved Looney Tunes characters. With a crew of some of the premier artists working in animation today, each “season” will produce 1,000 minutes of all-new Looney Tunes animation that will be distributed across multiple platforms — including digital, mobile and broadcast.

Looney Tunes Cartoons echoes the high production value and process of the original Looney Tunes theatrical shorts, with a cartoonist-driven approach to storytelling. Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig and other marquee Looney Tunes characters will be featured in their classic pairings in simple, gag-driven and visually vibrant stories. Each cartoon will vary from one to six minutes in length and, from the premise on through to the jokes, will be “written” and drawn by the cartoonists, allowing their own personality and style to come through in each cartoon.

Looney Tunes Cartoons is produced by Warner Bros. Animation and features veteran Looney Tunes voice cast members, including Eric Bauza, Jeff Bergman and Bob Bergen. Sam Register (Teen Titans Go!) and Peter Browngardt (Uncle Grandpa) serve as executive producers.

Reasonable folks in El Sobrante do not like living with a symbol of hatred and oppression out in the open. A petition asking the idiot who cemented a swastika in his yard to remove it has been created. A protest has been planned.

Mr. Swastika thinks it is funny that fighting Nazism isn't just a local thing. I hope he likes cleaning egg off his cars.

SF Chron:

Johnson, reached by phone, said he hadn’t seen the petition, but he didn’t sound impressed.

“It sure is funny that all those people signing the petition don’t even live in this neighborhood,” he said.

Care2’s website notes that less than a third of the people who have signed the petition live in California.

Since news stories about the swastika appeared, Johnson’s car and two pickup trucks have been egged, he said. He suspects neighbors. The answering machine on his phone has been filled with insults and threats, he added, and lots of people have driven past and taken photographs.

Johnson covered the swastika with “blankets and stuff to calm things down,” but he hasn’t removed the offending symbol — though he held out the possibility.

“I haven’t decided what I’m going to do,” Johnson said. “There’s been a lot more (reaction) than I expected. Everybody’s on my butt about this.”

Clearly, the petition won't work but it helps keep the heat on. Read the rest

Always check for droids. Read the rest

When I struck out looking for this video I was hoping I'd find some really complex contraption inside old ice cream trucks. Read the rest

I am not enthusiastic about Google Stadia's chances.

Ars:

Google says you'll need 35Mbps to play at maximum settings—that's 4K resolution, high dynamic range (HDR), and 60 frames per second (fps) with 5.1 surround sound. As PC Gamer noted last week, that adds up to 15.75GB per hour, which would use up an entire 1TB monthly data allotment in 65 hours of game time.

Stadia will work at lower resolutions, with Google recommending 20Mbps for 1080p/60fps with 5.1 surround sound, and 10Mbps for 720p/60fps with stereo sound. That's 9GB and 4.5GB per hour, respectively, potentially using up a 1TB data cap in 114 or 228 hours.

GO BEARS!!!!!!

Read the rest

The 2321 piece LEGO Voltron is the first non-Star Wars set I've really, really wanted in a long time.

Make no mistake, this is Lion Force Voltron, and it looks awesome!

Amazon is offering one-day delivery in my area, so it'd still arrive in plenty of time for a Father's DAy build.

LEGO Ideas Voltron 21311 Building Kit (2321 Pieces) via Amazon Read the rest

Suspension of disbelief is real, yo.

WPXI:

“I’m thinking this lady must have vaped this THC oil and got a high level in her system and (it) made her stop breathing, like a respiratory failure,” Montegut, who has served as coroner since 1988, told The Advocate.

However, experts are doubtful. There are no reports of teens or adults dying solely from marijuana, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

“We know from really good survey data that Americans use cannabis products billions of times a year, collectively. Not millions of times, but billions of times a year,” Keith Humphreys, a former senior policy adviser at the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, told The Advocate. “So, that means that if the risk of death was one in a million, we would have a couple thousand cannabis overdose deaths a year. Let’s assume (that the woman died from THC) is a fact. What do you conclude from that? It doesn’t justify really anything from a policy viewpoint. It’s just so incredibly unlikely.”

Montegut stands by his report.

"I'm 100 percent sure of the readings we've found,” he told WWLT. “I definitely did some research before I came to the conclusion that this was the cause of death."

As a kid I was a dial pad virtuouso. Thanks, YouTube!

Image courtesy of Amazon Read the rest

My Great Pyrenees and I are looking for options to beat the heat. Read the rest

Watch live video from Fight_for_the_Future on www.twitch.tv

Today is the one year anniversary of the FCC repeal of net neutrality going into effect!

Senators who support an open Internet are going to the floor to attempt to force a vote on the Save the Internet Act, the bill to overrule Ajit Pai and restore open Internet protections. Fight for the Future is hosting an epic all-day livestream featuring celebrities, policy experts, small business owners, musicians, US veterans, and guest hosts reading from thousands of comments submitted by Internet users like you.

Check it out and submit yours at EpicLivestream.com Read the rest