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Stephen Collins on baking bread during lockdown – cartoon

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  • Life and style

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Lockdown has made us see the natural world anew – let's not waste it | Gaby Hinsliff

The pandemic is giving us a lesson in life, hope and death. It’s one we should never forget

Back in the days when we all still hurried oblivious through crowded city streets, the names chalked on the pavement must have been easily missed. But now a long-running campaign by rebel botanists across Europe to highlight overlooked nature in the city, scribbling names and plant details alongside a pretty weed growing through a wall or a tree spreading overhead, has unexpectedly found its niche.

Going for a walk is the only real freedom many have had for weeks, and with no particular place to go but out, there is finally time to notice nature creeping through the cracks: the birdsong no longer drowned out by traffic; the daffodils in front gardens giving way to frothy peonies; a fat supermoon hanging heavy on the night horizon.

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Irish support for Native American Covid-19 relief highlights historic bond

  • GoFundMe page for Navajo and Hopi aid lists many Irish names
  • Choctaw Nation sent donation in 1847 for potato famine victims

The list of recent donors reads like an Irish phone book. Aisling Ní Chuimín, Shane Ó Leary, Sean Gibbons, Kevin Boyle, Kevin Keane, Clare Quinn, Eamonn McDonald, on and on down a GoFundMe page that by Friday had raised $3.15m of a $5m goal.

The individual amounts are not remarkable – $10, $20, $30, some exceeding $100 – but the story behind the donations stretches back two centuries and encompasses a singular act of generosity that forged a bond between Native Americans and Ireland, a bond now renewed in the coronavirus era.

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First Indians arrive home after weeks stranded abroad

Repatriation flights and naval warships help return some citizens after long delays

Relieved Indians are arriving at airports across the country on the first flights to bring home those stranded abroad, and others are en route on naval warships, in an extensive repatriation effort labelled the vande mataram (long live the motherland) mission.

Photos from inside a plane landing at Chennai airport showed the flight crew, who were tested for Covid-19 beforehand, wearing protective suits and smiling behind masks and visors.

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'You can't ask the virus for a truce': reopening America is Trump's biggest gamble

With states opening even as Covid-19 rages on, the president is rolling the dice on his career – and tens of thousands of lives

On Monday the Republican governor of Nebraska, Pete Ricketts, a close ally of Donald Trump and frequent visitor to the White House, opened his daily coronavirus briefing with a big announcement. “Today is May 4,” he said, “the first day of loosened restrictions statewide.”

With his declaration, Ricketts placed Nebraska at the vanguard of America’s reopening. Churches can now open their doors to worshippers, wedding bells and funeral dirges will be heard once more, hospitals can reschedule elective surgeries, and most Nebraskans will be able to resumehaving their hair cut, nails manicured, bodies massaged and skin tattooed.

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Thousands turn out for VE Day parade in Belarus despite Covid-19 concerns

Country’s leader Alexander Lukashenko boasts of holding only parade in former Soviet Union

Thousands of people, including elderly veterans of the second world war, turned out for Belarus’s Victory Day military parade despite the coronavirus pandemic.

Images from the parade showed crowds packed on to parade bleachers as the country’s leader, Alexander Lukashenko, boasted of holding the only parade in the former Soviet Union to mark the defeat of Nazi Germany.

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Gangs take bigger risks to smuggle drugs into lockdown Britain

Consignments are being moved in bulk across borders as Covid-19 cuts off normal routes, say police

Organised crime groups are taking increasingly audacious risks as they attempt to smuggle large quantities of drugs into lockdown Britain, senior police figures say.

Analysing the latest operations of transnational criminal networks, the National Crime Agency’s head of drug threat said that police were making more significant seizures during the pandemic than normal.

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Weddings and coronavirus: couples forced to cancel but face massive bills

They believed insurance would cover the pandemic but have received demands for thousands

Couples who have been unable to get married because of the coronavirus lockdown have had their wedding insurance claims rejected – in some cases despite being assured they were covered before buying their policy.

The Guardian has heard from people who have lost thousands when claims were turned down by provider WeddingPlan Insurance.

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Coronavirus cycling boom makes a good bike hard to find

Would-be cyclists keen to exercise during the lockdown have cleared stores of their stock

Isabel had not ridden a bike since university 10 years ago when lockdown motivated her to seek out two wheels. But half a dozen cycle shops in south London gave her the same answer: no chance. We’re out of stock.

One or two said they could sell her a high-spec racing bike for a price in the region of £1,000. The others advised her to place an order, wait a couple of weeks for the bicycle to be delivered from the manufacturer, then another week or so for it to be built by the store. And there was no option to try before buying.

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Young men more likely than women to break lockdown rules – UK survey

Researchers call on government to do more to explain need for physical distancing

Young men are more likely than young women to break lockdown rules, research suggests.

A team of psychologists led by Dr Liat Levita from the University of Sheffield surveyed 2,000 13- to 24-year-olds in the UK to examine the impact of the pandemic on young people.

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What kind of face mask will best protect you against coronavirus?

Your questions answered on what type of mask to wear to cut the risk of getting Covid-19

Yes. Different types of mask offer different levels of protection. Surgical grade N95 respirators offer the highest level of protection, preventing the user from becoming infected with Covid-19, followed by surgical grade masks. However, these masks are costly, in limited supply, contribute to landfill waste and are uncomfortable to wear for long periods. So even countries that have required the public to wear face masks have generally suggested such masks should be reserved for health workers or those at particularly high risk.

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How to understand Covid-19 antibody testing in 10 steps

Inaccuracies in the testing, such as false negatives and false positives, are potentially harmful

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Coronavirus live news: thousands turn out for Belarus VE Day parade, as Russia infections near 200,000

Belarus leader holds parade prompting safety concerns as other nations curb WW2 events; Russia records 10,000 new Covid-19 cases; Spain’s daily death toll continues to fall. Follow the latest updates

A child was among sixteen migrants rescued four miles off the coast of France when their makeshift vessel bound for Britain ran into difficulties in the middle of the night, authorities said.

The group was picked up 3.8 miles off the French port of Calais after calling for help, French maritime authorities confirmed to AFP. A French maritime surveillance vessel rescued the migrants at around 5am and transported them to the Channel port of Dunkirk, where they were handed over to border police.

Vladimir Putin has told Russians they are invincible when they stand together, as he sought to send a message of unity after the country’s tally of Covid-19 cases reached the fifth highest in the world.

Addressing the nation in a speech as he presided over Victory Day celebrations, a sombre Putin invoked the memory of the country’s veterans who fought in the second world war.

We are united by our shared memory, hopes and aspirations, as well as a sense of shared responsibility for the present and the future. We know and strongly believe that when we stand together, we are invincible.”

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Global report: Trump says Covid-19 will 'go away without vaccine', expects US death toll to top 95,000

Mike Pence’s press secretary tests positive to coronavirus; China reports one new case; Russia reports 10,000 new cases for sixth day in a row

Donald Trump has said coronavirus will “go away without a vaccine” and is expecting 95,000 or more deaths in the US, as Mike Pence’s press secretary tested positive for coronavirus.

The president’s comments, at an event with Republican lawmakers, capped a horror week in the US, in which it was revealed unemployment had risen to 14.7%, up from 3.5% in February, with 20 million people losing their jobs in April.

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UK plans £250m boost for cycle lanes and fast-track e-scooter trials

Campaigners call for redesign of transport system to help prevent bounce-back in air pollution

The government is expected to unveil a £250m investment in UK cycle lanes to encourage commuters to ride to work instead of using public transport, as part of the effort to prevent a resurgence of coronavirus.

Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, is expected to make the funding announcement during his appearance at the Downing Street coronavirus briefing on Saturday.

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Multiplex 10: The Web Series is FUNDED on Indiegogo!

We’ve passed our goal and greenlit one more episode of Multiplex 10: The Web Series, so we’ll get back into production as soon as the Indiegogo campaign ends. But we’re not done yet! We have exactly one stretch goal: for every $2,500 over the base goal, we will produce at least two more minutes of … Continue reading Multiplex 10: The Web Series is FUNDED on Indiegogo!



  • News and Updates


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Amsterdam's "Cat Boat" Is A Floating Cat Sanctuary

Welcome to the one and only cat sanctuary that floats! A true hidden gem in Amsterdam. 

De Poezenboot (translated in English to 'The Cat Boat') first began not on a boat at all. In 1966, a woman in Amsterdam, known as v. Weddle, found a stray mother cat with kittens and took on the task of caring for them. Soon enough, more and more cats began to come and be taken under her wing. 

Fast forward to two years later in 1968 and the first boat was born! V. Weedle had a large house with a terrace but was soon becoming too small for the cats so she bought a boat on the canal! The boat was named 'The Tjalk' and was completely furnished and made suitable for all the cats. And as soon as the floating santuary was open people came to help care for all those stray cats -- the first volunteers. 

Written in the history of De Poezenboot, "The Tjalk has served faithfully for about 10 years and was replaced by an Ark at the end of 1979. And because the Ark was specially built on the yard for the shelter of cats, this boat met all the requirements we set for it. "

And in 1987, the foundation was founded, "Stichting de Poezenboot."

De Poezenboot is home to so many beautiful cats but is also working to help cats find a forever home with a family. You can donate to their cause here. 

Follow 'The Cat Boat' on Instagram




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Trees Cocooned in Spiders Webs Were Spotted After The Massive Floods In Pakistan

The floods that submerged one-fifth of Pakistan's territory took more than six months to recede.

One of the most affected regions was the Sindh region, located in the western corner of South Asia. 

At their peak, the floodwaters were up to 20 feet deep. About 20 million people were displaced.

But apparently, people were not the only ones seeking shelter from the devastating floods. 

One of the unexpected side-effects of the flooding has been that millions of spiders climbed up into the trees to escape the rising floodwaters, turning them into futuristic-looking trees cocooned in spiders' webs.

The people living in that area claimed they have never seen this phenomenon before but were glad to discover that those cocooned trees were actually significantly reducing the numbers of mosquitos and thereby, the risk of malaria. 

It is thought that the mosquitoes were getting caught in the spiders' webs which would be one blessing for the people of the area, facing so many other hardships after the floods. 

Check out some of the stunning photos, released by the department of international development.




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Fifteen Cats From Tech Support Who Are Busy Making An Update To Your PC (Memes)

"Don't worry, I'm from tech support...Just lemme get a closer look."

Well...it seems like these cats are more interested in all those mouses and cookies hiding in your computer.  




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Disney Launches a Collection Of Cloth Face Masks Featuring Her Beloved Animal Characters

People all over the world are now being advised to wear face masks to slow the spread of coronavirus. 

Luckily, Disney is here to bring a spark to this new corona fashion wear, especially for kids who are more frightened these days. 

In a statement on its home page, the company expressed its commitment to serving the communities during these challenging times by creating a new line of family-friendly reusable cloth face masks featuring its timeless stories and beloved characters.  

Disney announced it will donate one million cloth face masks for children and families in underserved and vulnerable communities across the U.S. and pledged to donate all the profits to the non-profit organization, Medshare, which specializes in redistributing medical supplies to hospitals in need. 

From Baby Yoda to Winnie The Pooh and Mickie Mouse, the masks are aimed at kids and kids at heart who can finally have a chance to let out their inner character. 

You can purchase a four-pack of face masks for $19.99 in small, medium, and large sizes. 

Check out some of the cool designs. 




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Purrfect Combination Of Creepiness And Cats ("Creepy Cat" Comic)

Artist Cotton Valent has created a brilliant cat comic series called, "Creepy Cat."

Creepy Cat is the purrfect combination of creepiness and cats! Honestly, what more can you want in life? The story begins when Flora, the human, moves into an old house. Turns out, the old house is occupied by a "creepy cat." And that is where their story begins! 

You can follow the amazing series on Manga Mutiny! We love "Creepy Cat!"




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Maine Coon Bonds With Newborn (Video)

According this is video, there are 7 stages in which a Maine Coon slowly falls in love with a newborn. Or at least in this case.

What are the stages?

Stage 1: "Ewww, what is it?"

Stage 7: "I'll take it from here, thanks."

Just kidding, but not really. Watch the see the delevoping love between the two! 




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Mirror mirror on the bowl




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When bears practice traffic safety




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Bad People




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Somebody Built The Cutest "Cheers" Bar For A Squirrel

When @JoshuaPotash shared this cute video on twitter, people couldn't handle the thought of a cute little squirrel going to a place where everybody knows its name.




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Excited Elephants Run To Greet New Rescued Baby Elephant

This video is from 2017 but it just makes us feel so warm and happy that we had to let it surface once more! 

The video is only a bit over a minute but filled with a lot of emotions, excitement, and love, that you can just feel. 

Elephants are truly remarkable animals, so intelligent and gentle, you can just tell they have a big heart. 






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Cat Brilliantly Outsmarts His Giant Dog Brother

When @DacotaLameHumor shared this cute video with the caption "My cat just locked up my dog lmfaooo", people on Twitter saw it as one more proof of cats' superiority over dogs. 





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Antibodies From a Llama Named Winter Could Help Scientists Find a Treatment For COVID-19

The hunt for an effective treatment for COVID-19 has led one team of researchers to find an improbable ally for their work: According to US and Belgian scientists, a four-year-old llama named Winter who lives in a secret location in Belgium could hold the key to a cure and help scientists find a treatment for COVID-19. The team — from The University of Texas at Austin, the National Institutes of Health and Ghent University in Belgium — reports their findings of a potential avenue for a coronavirus treatment involving llamas on May 5 in the journal Cell.





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Model Hosts The Cutest Wedding Ceremony For Her Dog And His Bride

28-years-old model, Emily Ratajkowski, and her husband are the loving owners of Colombo, the cutest good boy.   

They have all spent their quarantine days with their close friends, Josh Ostrovsky, founder of the Fat Jewish meme account, his wife, Caitlin King, and their dog, Happy.

On Saturday, Emily decided to hosts a special wedding ceremony for Colombo and happy - 'quarantined together so why not marry our children".  
Ratajkowski shared plenty of behind-the-scenes footage on Instagram from the ceremony, including individual images of Colombo and Happy posing while wearing dog cones as the "the groom" and "the bride", respectively.

Congrats, Colombo and Happy! 




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Mega Cuteness: Tiny Crocheted Couches With Matching Little Granny Blankets

Our pets are our children, and they deserve to be spoiled as such.

That's why we had to share with you these tiny crochet cat couches created by the crafty people on the subreddit r/crochet.

Sure, you could go and just buy a cat bed without exerting much effort, but they're not as fun or cute as this too cute to handle cat couch.

So, if you're looking for a new crochet project to tackle, this has got to be it! 

The couches are shaped with thick foam and polyester filling to really give it that comfy sofa look.

There are a few craft stores online who are offering the crochet patterns if you like. 





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Common Animal Sounds In Languages Around The Globe

This is neat! We've never given much thought as to what "sounds" languages around the world would give certain animals. 

Not to sound naive but we definitely thought "meow" was universal for the sound a cat makes... turns out, not so much. 

Creator of this super interesting and well-drawn graphics is freelance illustrator James Chapman. You can follow his Tumblr, Instagram, Facebook and/or Twitter to be kept up-to-date with these fanasinating graphics! Did you know, in English, we say dogs go "Woof," but in Romanian they go "Ham Ham?"

Just something to think about. 




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You should've thought about it...




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Top 25 Memes of The Week - Cheezburger Users Edition #143

Huzzah! It's the moment we've all been waiting for -- Cheezburger's classic LOLCats

Your ultimate source for the newest, and cutest, cat memes! All of which are created by our very own users! If you want to check out more cat memes that we know will make you laugh, check out Lolcat. If you have some funny ideas and would like to submit them, take a look at our Meme Builder

We love our user's original cat memes! 




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Cats Are Also Very Good Boys And Girls (21 Pics)

We know when you hear the words, "good boy/girl" you think of doggos. But we're here to change that perspective. 

Dogs, as wonderful as they are, aren't the only good boys and girls in the domestic pet world and we've got the proof! 

Cats. As crazy as they are sometimes, and sometimes just straight up jerks, cats can also hold tight onto that good boy/girl title. 

Here are our honorable 21 good cats that deserve recognition! If you've got a good boy/girl at home we want to see them and hear their story in the comments below! 





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People Photoshop "Zoom Calls" Screenshots Of Cats Stunned By Other Cats In Steamy Position

In days when face-to-face interaction is so 2019 and millions of people all over the world are zooming in with other people, it is only natural that the people on the internet will find a way to get the cats involved too. 

So, they created a fake screenshot of a zoom call by taking a pic of a cat in a steamy position, put it in a video call frame, and adding a photo of another cat shocked by it. 

And the result? Simply brilliant. And hilarious. 






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Brutally Honest Handmade Graphs About Animals

The talented Instagrammer, Chaz Hutton has found a creative way to describe the perils of life with a series of brutally honest graphs to make you chuckle.

We have gathered the funniest ones he created about animals. 




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Interesting Facts About Donkeys On Their Special World Day

Found on every continent except Antarctica, donkeys are some of the most well-bred and well-known animals in the world. 

World Donkey Day is a show of respect for one of the most enduring and respectable animals in the Equidae family. 

Throughout history, it has served throughout the world as both a mount and a beast of burden in some of the most challenging terrains and forbidding climates, and has done so with pride and endurance. 

But how much do you know about these surprisingly deep and intelligent creatures? 

Here are some fun facts you probably didn't know. 






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Healthy And Sizable Wholesome Animal Collection (44 Pics)

Let's bask in the warm sunshine that is wholesome and silly animal photos.

Let the images soak into your skin and heart, and just let that warmth spread to every inch of you. 

It's what you need. It's what we all need. And if for some reason this measurable dump of wholesomeness doesn't satisfy you, there's always more wholesomeness to be found. 




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it sucks being an artist in quarantine.

i'm apparently part of a band now? i mean none of us live close to each other but i'm making contributions to this group's songwriting and like i'm the only guitarist so,, i probably have to stay but it's stressful when you're trying to write your own songs for your own projects and then there's all this school stuff hanging over your head and it's like you're procrastinating on literally everything.
i'm painting my own killjoy mask. i got a party poison one but i'm doing one for myself too.might go crazy and cut the sleeves off a denim jacket i never wear and use all that fabric for patches for uh. crust punk jeans or something. maybe i'll learn to play in drop d tuning, maybe i'll go in the basement when people leave and teach myself a good ol fashioned screamo scream. learn to play the solo for demolition lovers and go nuts, do that song both guitar and singing. figure out how to use the multitracker thing i have and learn how to actually record stuff. i can't be "productive" by societal standards right now. i gotta create. i don't like how we live in a culture of guilt with that type of stuff. if art is supposed to come out of world crises there shouldn't be any shame in that.




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Jake pitts has a twitch (BVB guitarist) and also a random rant from my creativity

Its JakePittsOfficial if you wanted to find it
I was watching his old vlogs he did, from like 4 years ago
it got me thinking

So i was watching one of his streams earlier and someone mentioned how BVB and him have inspired them to start playing guitar, or bass, or whatever and he said something like "you guys say that we inspire you and that amazes me. See, if you really get after this and do a lot with this, you can inspire the next generation, and they inspire the next generation, and so on." and it just got me thinking because like, i wrote a song, yall saw Raise Hell (if you didnt self promo here it is https://www.mychemicalromance.com/news/raise-hell-3517406 ) and I really like the whole sound i have planned for it. But see i dont ahve anything to put that sound in it other than my voice and shitty programs that my Chromebook allows but now i really really want to like, start a band or at least start sharing shit ive made.
My dad has a bass guitar in his garage and he said he'd clean it up and let me use it and now i want to do that. I gotta stick with it though.

I randomly get inspiration to write a song or a melody and sometimes ill just start recording and let shit flow and usually it isnt good but like, sometimes it is. Trial and error.
Raise hell was just an awesome thing that came to mind almost fully put together. I had the chorus and the intro playing in my head before they were written.
The rest just pulled together as i was typing the lyrics down.

Im watching this video and he walked up to the stage and its fucking huge. I know what being up on a stage like that feels like, though technically not as a show. It was just hype at the end of a stay away camp week.
Still.

I liked that feeling. It was terrifying as all fucking hell but like as soon as i got my ass over the stage fright and actually danced to the music playing i was losing my fucking mind.
It was so fun and so cool and such an amazing feeling.

I really want to get out there
I want to play music
I want to show off my art
I want to express myself and let other people see it.

I couldnt fucking care less about what people think of me. Honestly. As long as i have those few good friends i know wont leave me, Im good.

I really, really reallly really want to be up on a stage, singing my fucking heart out to a song i wrote and hearing people sing it back to me.

Its not even the self-hype or whatever its called, its just the yearn to share the shit ive made.

I really want that.

I want that so badly.

Now I just gotta figure out how the hell to do that.




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Birthdays

hhhuhauap

its my little sisters birthday today, and everytime i hear the word "two" im like "rhYmEs WiTh HaIkYUU!!"

my birhtday is in 12 days i think nt including today,, , but ye

how are yall today??




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These LED Shades Will Blind You With Science

Unless you’re particularly fond of looking at the back of 88 individual WS2812B LEDs, these “RGB Goggles” from [Mukesh Sankhla] won’t offer you much of a view. But from an outsider’s perspective, the smartphone-controlled glasses certainly make a statement. Just don’t try to operate any heavy machinery while wearing them. …read more




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The Auto-Bartender

It’s the end of the academic semester for many students around the globe, so here comes the flurry of DIY projects. Always a great time to check out all the cool hacks from our readers all over the world. One project that piques our interest comes courtesy of [Jason Ummel] …read more




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Open Laser Blaster Shells Out More Bang for the Buck

[a-RN-au-D] was looking for something fun to do with his son and dreamed up a laser blaster game that ought to put him in the running for father of the year. It was originally just going to be made of cardboard, but you know how these things go. We’re happy …read more




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Beautiful Free-Form LED Clock Recreates 20-Year-Old Weekend Project

Here at Hackaday, we love a good clock project. And if it’s an artistically executed freeform sculpture, even better. But tell us that it’s also a new spin on a classic project from two decades ago, and we’re over the moon for it. Case in point: [Paul Gallagher’s] beautiful recreation …read more




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BNA: Brand New Animal Anime Casts Takehito Koyasu

Koyasu plays Silver Fox executor Boris