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Planned Parenthood wants people to know that its doors are still open, even as the coronavirus epidemic sweeps the United States. In addition, despite the attempts by Texas, Ohio, and Louisiana to classify some abortions as 'nonessential' surgeries that must be delayed, clinics in Ohio and Louisiana remain open, and the announcement in Texas on Monday has activated abortion rights advocates and their lawyers, according to the New York Times. [more inside]
posted by katra at 10:54 PM PST - 29 comments

The brides wore sneakers. The officiant read a Love in the Time of Cholera passage from his apartment window four floors above. Everyone was sobbing and trying to keep a distance. The whole event happened in just three minutes. [more inside]
posted by roger ackroyd at 5:58 PM PST - 21 comments

A cityscape so luscious you could almost eat it. Wayne Thiebaud is an American painter widely known for his colorful works depicting commonplace objects—pies, lipsticks, paint cans, ice cream cones, pastries, and hot dogs—as well as for his landscapes and figure paintings. [more inside]
posted by ecorrocio at 4:05 PM PST - 13 comments

When so much of the world is focused on stories that can create anxiety, it might be helpful to take a breather and enjoy a few photos of adorable pups on National Puppy Day (previously). The date, March 23, was first set aside in 2006 by the author Colleen Paige, before other groups and organizations followed suit. The idea is to call attention to puppies in need of adoption and the abuses found in puppy mills, but also to celebrate these furry little companions. In the spirit of the day, I am once more obligated to share some images of pups from around the world.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 1:55 PM PST - 14 comments

World of Horror is a procedurally generated roleplaying game set in a universe of cosmic horror, drawing inspiration from classic Japanese PC adventure games of the 80s and 90s. With a stark aesthetic, choose-your-own adventure storybook gameplay, and an ever-shifting narrative, it evokes both the dread of cosmic horror literature, and the graphical style of horror manga artist Junji Ito. The game has released recently in early access on most digital storefronts (Steam linked here), but has a demo available through itch.io. You can watch the trailer here, along with some reviews, thoughts, and playthroughs below the jump. Content warning: Flashing lights in some videos. Some animated scenes of gore and disturbing imagery in preview content. _{System availability: Win and MacOS for Steam currently, coming to Switch and PS4 later in 2020.} [more inside]
posted by codacorolla at 12:46 PM PST - 9 comments

Lake Superior (Wikipedia) is the world’s largest freshwater lake, and its largest island is Isle Royale (Wikipedia), whose largest lake is called Siskiwit (Google maps), whose largest island is called Ryan (Google maps). Ryan Island is reportedly home to a seasonal pond called Moose Flats that, when flooded, contains its own island—Moose Boulder. This makes it “the largest island in the largest lake on the largest island in the largest lake on the largest island in the largest lake in the world.” At least, that's how it was represented on Wikipedia and Atlas Obscura, until an intrepid mother and son unraveled a geographic hoax (Atlas Obscura). This temporary/ mythical island is not yet included in Andrew Pekler's Phantom Islands interactive sonic map (also via AO). [more inside]
posted by filthy light thief at 11:17 AM PST - 23 comments

Why Is an Empty Shampoo Bottle So Easy to Knock Over? (The Physics Teacher): Then, finally, using the empty shampoo bottle, Licini explains (Youtube): “But the empty bottle is much more annoying than all that. Because the mass is so light, that means it’s going to have a large response to impact. And, because the center of mass is so high [above the base], it’s going to topple over easily. So, in this case, it only takes an angle of about three degrees in order to knock that bottle over. So, much less stable than any of the other configurations.”
posted by not_the_water at 9:38 AM PST - 25 comments

“ So what claim do those airlines have to public assistance? If they are going to be on the receiving end of a massive public bailout, it’s time first to admit that deregulation has been a colossal failure and begin to reverse its course. And if the federal government is going to assume financial responsibility, it should do so only on the grounds that the airlines will be again treated as public utilities, providing a narrowly defined public service that society needs to function.” It’s Time to Nationalize the Airlines (American Prospect) “Only democratic government can ensure the planned wind-down of fossil fuel production in accordance with climate safety goals,” she writes. “With room for private profit cut out of fossil fuel extraction and production, the powerful entrenched opposition of the energy sector would crumble.” A Moderate Proposal: Nationalize the Fossil Fuel Industry (New Republic) Previously: Big Oil Has Never Been Cheaper, Let’s Buy it (and wind it down)
posted by The Whelk at 8:43 AM PST - 50 comments

Tamogotchi traditionally live for a maximum of 24 days before the spirit of death visits them and they ascend into heaven. With inconsistent care and feeding, it can be even less, with an average lifespan of around 10 days. However, a community of hackers has gathered to share strategies for giving your Tamogotchi eternal life, with a range of strategies from manipulating the in-game clock to minor physical alterations on the Tamogotchi's circuit board all the way up to soldering it into permanent debug mode, where a Tamogotchi can never die.
posted by Copronymus at 8:31 AM PST - 14 comments

Ring of Honor Wrestling has cancelled all live events through May 31st. To fill that finisher-kickout-finisher-kickout loop shaped hole in your heart, the company has made several classic matches free on YouTube, featuring current and former stars like CM Punk, Daniel Bryan (nee Bryan Danielson), Samoa Joe, Seth Rollins, AJ Styles, Kevin Owens (nee Steen), and even close friend of Sami Zayn, noted orphange operator, El Generico. Check below the fold for SO MUCH WRESTLING! [more inside]
posted by Ghidorah at 7:25 AM PST - 8 comments

Featuring books by writers like Angela Y. Davis, Naomi Klein and Mike Davis, on subjects like Puerto Rico after the hurricane, disability and capitalism, ecosocialism and disaster capitalism, these ten free ebooks from Haymarket Books could not be more relevant right now. All you need to do to get them is create an account; only a valid email address is necessary. If you want more, there's also a selection of books 50% off for Women's History Month.
posted by MartinWisse at 5:32 AM PST - 2 comments