Ancient and weathered barn wood are now in demand, thanks to the farmhouse chic that's all the rage in the home remodeling business. As this type of wood rises in popularity, it attracts something new and unexpected: thieves.

Near Cumberland River, there's a rustic tobacco barn house of Lois "Nan" Coffey. The doors are gone and the structure looks like "skeleton with missing bones" as thieves have stripped the precious wood from the house.

Nan and her family reported the incident to the authorities and placed cameras and floodlights in the property in case the burglars decide to come back.

And if they get bold, Nan says she still has a pistol hidden in the house.

"Well, sure, I'd fire at 'em," she said. "I'd love to get it out."

(Image Credit: Screenshot from Matt Stone/Courier Journal)

The price is really astronomical! I mean, who in the world would ever buy such a toy?

This vintage Star Wars Boba Fett (1979) action figure made by Kenner is one of three extremely rare action figures of the infamous bounty hunter that comes with a firing rocket pack.

The firing rocket pack doesn't work at all because "Kenner reconsidered it not only an eye-hazard, but the small ‘rocket’ could pose risk of choking by kids who didn’t know better."

According to the official Boba Feet Fan Club, there are no more than 30 of this item at this point (though perhaps buyers can find one at a lower cost).

However, the main difference that separates the one selling for $365,000 from the rest is a copyright mark embossed on the back of the leg.

The copyright mark also bears some significance: it means this little guys is a final sculpt that was ready for production. Moreover, it has a rocket that “has four sides instead of the more common eight, and it is said that it has the rarer “L-shaped” firing mechanism as opposed to the J-shape that other examples purportedly had.

Well, the seller might have all the rights to make that quote but I'm not really convinced.

More Pictures on Mike Shouts.

(Image Credits: Mike Shouts)

Amendments have been proposed to the recently legislated California Consumer Privacy Act which could give tech giants more leeway as to what they are able to do with the data they get from consumers. Moreover, the amendments open up loopholes that could be exploited by tech companies to the detriment of consumers.

In most cases, the amendments seek to add carefully worded exemptions to the law that would benefit business at the cost of consumer rights. But most upsetting to privacy folk is the withdrawal of an amendment by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-15th District) that incorporated changes that would enhance consumer data privacy rights.

Wicks' proposal would have given consumers more of a say of what is done with their personal data and more power to sue companies that break the rules. But the Assemblymember pulled the measure the day before the hearing because it was not going to get the necessary votes. If a measure is voted down it cannot be reintroduced in that legislative session.

(Image credit: chuttersnap/Unsplash)

If you're not sure what a self-referential object is, you will as soon as you see them. A can opener that you need a can opener to access. Fire extinguisher-shaped candles. The apology label looks useful as a sticker to put over sale prices when the sale is over -things I have learned in retail. -via Boing Boing

Mackenzie Coffman's cat Simon has become obsessed with a cat who lives in the building facing their apartment. Both cats sit in their windows and watch each other. Coffman put a sign in her window that said, "What is your cat's name? Love, Simon." The answer came back!

The next step was opening their windows so the cats could talk to each other. Coffman chronicled the relationship on Twitter, and when the post went viral, she wanted to let her neighbors know.

YALL DRAGGED THEO FOR SPELLING “YOURE” WRONG AND HE HAD SUMN TO SAY: pic.twitter.com/dCOtV0r4qW

— mac (@kenziecoffman) April 23, 2019

Everyone wanted to know if and when the cats will ever meet face-to-face. There's good news!

For everyone still following this, Theo and Simon will be meeting Thursday!! This is how Simon feels about it pic.twitter.com/T7W6Uv2mC3

— mac (@kenziecoffman) April 24, 2019

You can follow the entire story, which includes videos of Simon, on Twitter. Now that Simon and Theo are getting together, you have to wonder: Where's Alvin? -via The Daily Dot

PS: Both cats now have their own Twitter accounts. Follow Theo and Simon for more of their adventures.

A 6.3 earthquake rocked the Philippines on Monday, April 22, 2019. One of the most amazing videos of the earthquake so far is footage of water pouring out of the rooftop pool of a residential skyscraper in Manila’s Binondo district.

According to Gizmodo :

Manila Bulletin Online published two of the videos on YouTube, showing that the water only makes it halfway down the 625-foot structure before turning into a wind-swept mist.

The earthquake was centered about 37 miles northwest of Manila, and at least five people have died so far. A local airport terminal has been shut down and there’s major disruption to the area’s transportation lines.

Video courtesy of Michael Rivo via Manilla Bulletin Online/YouTube

The Bob Ross & Happy Little Tree Enamel Pin Set

With all the negativity out there in the world today sometimes we need a little reminder that beauty is everywhere. 

Don't focus on mistakes. Focus on the happy accidents in life with the Bob Ross & Happy Little Tree Enamel Pin Set from the NeatoShop. This joyful set, featuring Bob and a Tree, is sure to put a smile on your face. These pins are a wonderful reminder that you can do anything as long as you believe. Everyone is the artist of their own life. Make your life joyous and lively. Get crazy and make friends with a tree. 

Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more great buttons and pins. New items arriving weekly. 

Don't forget to also browse our huge selection of designs. Showcased art is available on a large assortment of apparel and products. We specialize in curvy and hard to find sizes. We offer t-shirts in up to 10 XL. We know that fun and fabulous people come in all shapes and sizes.  

Earthquakes are usually caused by the movement of tectonic plates in the Earth's crust. But recently, the Mars InSight lander has recorded the very first seismic signal but we have yet to determine its cause.

The new seismic event was too small to provide solid data on the Martian interior, which is one of InSight's main objectives. The Martian surface is extremely quiet, allowing SEIS, InSight's specially designed seismometer, to pick up faint rumbles. In contrast, Earth's surface is quivering constantly from seismic noise created by oceans and weather.

Earth's conditions are a bit different from Mars but despite the environment, InSight was well-equipped for these types of phenomena and so they were able to pick it up through the SEIS instrument, which is in itself a remarkable feat of engineering.

On Earth, high-quality seismometers often are sealed in underground vaults to isolate them from changes in temperature and weather. InSight's instrument has several ingenious insulating barriers, including a cover built by JPL called the Wind and Thermal Shield, to protect it from the planet's extreme temperature changes and high winds.

It was through a collaboration of efforts from various agencies that this groundbreaking event took place.

SEIS has surpassed the team's expectations in terms of its sensitivity. The instrument was provided for InSight by the French space agency, Centre National d'Études Spatiales (CNES), while these first seismic events were identified by InSight's Marsquake Service team, led by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology.

(Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

Eric Catalano, from Eternal Ink Tattoo Studio in Hecker, Illinois offered free tattoo services to survivors of amputation and cancer to make them feel whole again. 

His work has gone viral after appearing on social media and received an overwhelming request. He was so reluctant in accepting payments from people who have already suffered a lot pain, but there are lots of people out there who still needs his help. 

As a resolution, he set up Go Fund Me page so he can accommodate more folks and restore hope while providing for himself and his family.

Want to be part of the Eric’s journey? Visit Twisted Sifter

(Image Credit: Eric Catalano)

By comparing DNA extracted from Neolithic human remains found in Britain with that of people who were alive at Europe on the same era, a new study has found that the ancestors of the builders of Stonehenge “traveled west across the Mediterranean before reaching Britain.”

When the researchers analysed the DNA of early British farmers, they found they most closely resembled Neolithic people from Iberia (modern Spain and Portugal). These Iberian farmers were descended from people who had journeyed across the Mediterranean.

Read the rest of the story over at the BBC.

(Image Credit: Royal Pavilion & Museum, Brighton)

Depression cases have been growing in number around the world these past years. According to the World Health Organization, depression affects 300 million people worldwide. Also, according to them, around 800,000 people die each year due to suicide. That would be one person every 40 seconds. Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death in 15-29 years old. Already scientists are conducting numerous studies regarding this and how it can be solved. Then comes this weird helmet from BrainsWay, popularized by the now living meme Bre Hushaw.

Hushaw has been hearing from people all around the world who want to try it, or at least want to know how it works. Her life as a meme began when she agreed to an on-camera interview with the local-news site AZfamily.com for a story headlined “Helmet Approved by FDA to Treat Depression Available in Arizona.” The feel-good tale of Hushaw’s miraculous recovery from severe depression was tossed into the decontextualizing maw of the internet and distilled down to a screenshot of a young woman looking like a listless Stormtrooper.

Learn more about this depression helmet and how it works on The Atlantic.

(Image Credit: Bre Hushaw)

Bernard Palissy, a French potter and writer, used nature as inspiration in his masterpieces, as you can clearly see from every angle of his earthenware above, titled the Serpent Dish.

In my opinion, I think the blue color of the Serpent Dish portrays water as it is abundant on Earth. The various leaves represent plants and trees while the seashells illustrates the bounty of the ocean. Lastly, there's a snake at the center. It has lots of potential meanings based on symbolisms, but I prefer to see it as a guardian. 

What do you think?

Back in 1986, Marvel Comics came to the screen in the epic Howard the Duck, which was a miserable failure at the box office. I saw that movie in the theater. It was weird, creepy, and not at all entertaining. I cannot imagine anyone watching it twice. It's a bit late, but Howard the Duck finally gets an Honest Trailer. Meanwhile, the new Marvel movie Avengers: Endgame opens this weekend. My, they have come a long way since Howard the Duck! 

From Marius Hills to Olympus Mons and beyond toward Serenity Chasma, there are many places that one could visit in the solar system outside our home planet.

They may not be teeming with as much life as Earth is but the grandiosity of these is still a sight to behold. And to traverse them is more than just a challenge, it could be the thrill of a lifetime.

This might just be wishful thinking now until we are able to develop the technology to reach the other planets as quickly as we could go on a cross-country trip throughout America and without having to lose provisions or die along the way due to lack of oxygen or simply float away in space.

But when that does happen, you better make sure to visit these places in our solar system.

(Image credit: NASA)

Despite the anomaly that happened with SpaceX Dragon's spacecraft a few days ago, NASA will push through with its launch of a cargo version of Dragon. It will head for the International Space Station next week while the investigation continues on the Crew Dragon spacecraft.

NASA provided no updates during the briefing about the April 20 Crew Dragon anomaly that took place while testing the SuperDraco thrusters that are part of that spacecraft’s abort system.

The fact that NASA is, for now, proceeding with the cargo Dragon mission suggests the problem is isolated to the SuperDraco thrusters, which are not used on the cargo version of Dragon. However, industry sources say that the CRS-17 mission could still be delayed depending on what the ongoing investigation might turn up in the coming days, as well as any concerns raised by the station’s international partners.

(Image credit: NASA/Wikimedia Commons)