And gentlemen on Coruscant now a-bed shall think themselves accursed they were not here. Therefore do not miss the conclusion to William Shakespeare's magnum opus, Star Wars. His third play in the series, The Jedi Doth Return, is now available from Quirk Books.
We have previously seen the Bard's first two plays: Verily, A New Hope and The Empire Striketh Back. Now in this thrilling conclusion inscribed by Ian Doescher, Lord Vader and Master Luke engage in one last battle. You haven't lived until you've read Elizabethan Ewokese.
In the past few years, food contamination scandals have alarmed people in China. In response, the company Baidu has developed chopsticks that test for purity food touched on the tips. When the chopsticks are linked to a smartphone app, they provide data about the oils detected in foods. The chopsticks can determine whether the oil is fresh or recycled--the latter of which may be toxic.
Baidu says that its chopsticks will be also be able to determine the PH levels in food and the calorie values. At a recent exhibiton at a technology conference, Baidu CEO Robin Li referred to his chopsticks as "a new way to sense the world."
This is Sir Jarlsberg. Like chap-hop rapper Mr.B, he's a man out of time. Sir Jarlsberg is from the European Middle Ages and he's here to lay some class on us. He has style, grace, and a mastery of the musical genre known as hark hop. Women adore him and men envy him.
So heed his words in this song "Teach Thee How to Curtsy" from his album Hark Thou. He'll show you how to curtsy in a way that will mark you out as a person of sophistication. Afterward "all thy maidens [will] love thee."
A couple in Australia owned a piece of land on the southwestern coast of Australia. They wanted a unique vacation home design for it, so they approached Modscape, an architectural firm near Melbourne. Modscape produced this design concept: a house that's hanging off the edge of the cliff, giving a panoramic and perhaps terrifying view of the ocean.
Modscape proposes anchoring the house to the cliff with steel pins driven into the cliff face. Prefabricated modules would hang off the pins. Residents would enter the home through the carport, which is at surface level. An elevator provides access to lower levels which offer an unobstructed view of the raging seas below.
All of this sounds really expensive. Perhaps the owners should try to find a builder who's willing to improvise and user cheaper materials.
Professional photo shoots of babies are cute. Leaving them naked for the shoot gives the images a natural ambience. That's probably what Al Ferguson was looking for when Kirsty Grant photographed him with his newborn son Ted.
But once you become a parent, black and white images of naked babies aren't charming. They're alarming. A baby without a diaper is a time bomb. Which is precisely what Ferguson learned:
And Ted detonated just as the photographer snapped her shutter. His father wrote:
During the shoot I felt his tummy muscles tense up and in that moment I knew what was about to happen. Unfortunately, it was just a moment and before I could do anything Ted exploded from his bum.
A warning to Mr. Ferguson: you have seen only the beginning of it. There will many, many more poop explosions in your life.
The Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman is well-known for his enormous public sculptures of animals, such as ducks, rabbits, snails, and toads. This particular rabbit is in Taoyuan, Taiwan. He's napping on an airport hangar at a defunct naval base. Hofman's plastic and wood bunny would stand 82 feet tall if he stood up.
Taiwan's government commissioned the sculpture for the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, an event focusing on the cycle of moon. Moon Rabbit, a figure in folklore throughout East Asia, is a central part during the festival. He is a traditional symbol of kindness and generosity. The Wall Street Journal shares two tales of this rabbit:
Of the many folktales associated with the festival that celebrates the brightest full moon of the year, one involves three fairies who disguise themselves as miserable old men and ask some animals for food. When they approach the rabbit, it has nothing to offer the “old men” but instead leaps into a blazing fire and cooks itself for them. The fairies are so moved by the rabbit’s sacrificial spirit that they grant it immortal residence in the “moon palace.”
Another tale says the rabbit was a pet to Chang Er, who was forced to leave her husband on earth after accidentally swallowing a pill of immortality and became a goddess on the moon.
What time is it? If you're at this skate park in Lugano, Switzerland, you don't have to check your watch or phone. Just look down into the pipe and see where the shadow is. The architects at the Moscow-based Zuk Club designed it like a sundial. As the shadow moves across the park, it notes the hour on an array of vibrant colors. You can see more photos at Web Urbanist.
It's like a chocolate-chip cookie shot, except with a lot more caffeine. In fact, I don't see why espresso couldn't be served in chocolate chip cookie shots, preferably ones dipped in chocolate, then wrapped in a waffle ice cream cones, then dipped in chocolate again.
There's a common proverb on the internet: "Don't read the comments." Often online comments may make you despair for humanity.* This is especially true for recipe blogs, where comments commonly demonstrate an inability to follow instructions or general objections to the concept of food. Mallory Ortberg of The Toast has helpfully listed all of them so that you need no longer gaze into the abyss. Here is a sampling:
“I didn’t have any eggs, so I replaced them with a banana-chia-flaxseed pulse. It turned out terrible; this recipe is terrible.”
“Could you please give the metric weight measurements, and sometime in the next twenty minutes; I’m making this for a dinner party and my guests are already here.”
“Have you thought about making a sugar-free version of this?”
“Can you give us a calorie breakdown for this?”
“a warning that if you cook this at 275°F for three hours instead of at 400°F for twenty-five minutes its completely ruined. do you have any suggestions?”
“I didn’t have buttermilk, so I just poured baking soda into a container of raspberry yogurt. It tasted terrible.”
“If you use olive oil for any recipe that’s cooked over 450°F, the oil will denature and you will get cancer. This post is irresponsible. You should only use grapeseed oil you’ve pressed yourself in a very cold room.”
“I just started Paleo yesterday, and I’m wondering if there’s a way to make this without the ingredients.”
“Have you considered making a version of this margherita pizza for your readers who are trying to avoid gluten, dairy and nightshades? What if I shoved a roll of basil leaves in my mouth, do you think that would taste good?”
“If you don’t soak the seeds for at least fourteen hours before using, the phytic acid will give you cancer. Just thought you should know.”
Jessica Siskin, an artist in New York City, creates Rice Krispie treats that will make you pause and stare in wonder before gobbling them up. They're not just desserts, but works of art. From her studio dubbed "Mister Krisp," she takes custom orders, making special treats for birthdays and other celebrations.
My suggestion: a 1:1 scale sculpture of Clayton Rindlisbacher, the inventor of Rice Krispies.
This talented pooch is ready for the circus! He remains perfectly still with a treat on his nose and another one precariously balanced on the end of a straw. When he is released, he immediately leaps into action. Good dog!
Aaron Seldomridge, 22, of Ephrata, Pennsylvania, has autism. It's very difficult for him to communicate verbally--especially with strangers. When his mother takes him to restaurants to interact with people, Seldomridge generally uses a picture menu rather than speaking.
The baristas at his local Starbucks have a picture menu, but were willing to go further. They worked with him to develop his social skills so that he could order his chai independently. Seldomridge began by coming in with his mother and using a picture menu to get chai. Now he comes in by himself and speaks his order out loud.
It's made a difference to him and his parents. Lancaster Online reports:
Aaron’s regular chai runs take just minutes, but they leave a lasting impact: He gets a chance to practice new skills and feel connected to a green-aproned community committed to helping him grow.
Aaron’s parents, Janiece and Jeffrey, of Narvon, especially appreciate seeing their son treated like a “regular” by people who don’t look at him strangely if he flaps his arms or shrieks with excitement.
Chris Hallbeck has excellent advice. Eat a full meal before heading to the dealership lest you accidentally purchase an ice cream truck as soon as you see one. And avoid the free samples offered by the salesman. Just because a side view mirror feels good in your hand isn't a good reason to buy an entire sports car.
Voltron: Defender of the Universe was one of the first anime series to thrive on American television. It was my first encounter with anime when I was a child. I instantly recalled it when I saw this robot lion key made by Randy Padama. The five pilots who formed the Voltron Force used them to unlock the ancient robot lions that assembled to form the giant robot Voltron.
To the best of my knowledge, Padama's replicas won't do that (though you are welcome to experiment), but they will keep 16 gigabytes of information saved for you and accessible through a USB port.
