The Latest from Boing Boing

Absurd creature of the week Wired writer, Matt Simon, writes about weird animals. This includes but isn't limited to: badass snails, which is a phrase I never thought I'd type and will likely never type again, a fish with antifreeze for blood, and an asshole bug that eats its mom from the inside out. You can follow Matt on Twitter for more updates on the bizarre from the animal kingdom. Read the rest... Rats weren't behind the Black Death Don't blame rats for the Black Death. Scientists now think it was Asian giant gerbils that carried the fleas that spread the plague. Read the rest... Tiny models of vintage synthesizers Artist Dan McPharlin's "Analogue Miniatures" series are tiny models of mostly-imagined electronic musical instruments "hand-made from framing matt-boards, paper, plastic sheeting, string and rubber bands." More here and here. (via Juxtapoz) Read the rest... Farm and Field Lockback is a handsome pocket knife Core77 reviews the very nice looking Farm & Field Lockback pocket knife. Now I know what I want for my birthday. Read the rest... Photos of a high-end weed store in Aspen, CO Aspen, CO is the most expensive towns in the United States. The median price for homes or condos is $4,570,633. So it's not surprising Aspen has the most upscale weed store in the country. Read the rest... Want to own some of Winston Churchill's blood? Now's your chance. On March 12, you can bid on a vial of Winston Churchill's blood. Then all you'll need, ahem, is some toil, tears, and sweat! Read the rest... Teen remotely unlocks and starts car using $15 worth of electronics components A 14-year-old boy at a five-day "car-hacking threats" summer camp made a gadget from parts purchased at RadioShack to remotely infiltrate a connected car. Read the rest... Please Don't Tell My Parents I'm a Supervillain A humorous take on the YA superhero novel! Penelope wants to become a superhero, just like Mom and Dad, but things don't quite go according to plan in Please Don't Tell My Parents I'm a Supervillain. Read the rest... Birdman score is coming soon on vinyl I am thrilled that jazz drummer Antonio Sanchez's mindblowing original score for Birdman will see a vinyl release on April 7! Read the rest... Lego slippers They're $12.50/pair from Thinkgeek: one size, red or blue, 3X2 only, and have thick enough soles to cushion even the most violent Lego/bare-foot impact. (via Geeky Merch) Read the rest... High school lacks French teacher, uses Rosetta Stone software instead For three months, Howard S. Billings high school in Chateauguay, Quebec has lacked a French teacher so the students are using Rosetta Stone language education software instead. Read the rest... Grim meathook future, Singapore style Charlie Stross's "Different Cluetrain" is a set of theses describing the future we live in, where capitalism not only doesn't need democracy -- it actually works better where democracy is set aside in favor of a kind of authoritarian, investor-friendly state. Read the rest... This video captures exactly what it's like to order a coffee in San Francisco This PBS video is basically a play-by-play of the last time I got a latte. Created by Steve Goldbloom and Noah Pink and produced by Nic Pollock for “PBS: Everything But The News.” [via] Read the rest... Video: snake eats whole egg Probably would taste better with a dollop of sriracha. Read the rest... Music:"Boogaloo Down Broadway," The Fantastic Johnny C (1967) "Come on baby, it ain't hard to do, You've been doin' it ever since you were two!" Read the rest... 8-bit gamer duvet cover Pixel Nostalgia ($100): also available as a rug, print, tee or tote. (via Crazy Abalone) Read the rest... GAMAGO t-shirt: Kaiju vs. a Google-esque Bus After four years of a t-shirt hiatus, our old pals at GAMAGO teamed up with Headline Shirts to reissue four classic designs and one new one: "Kaiju Bus," depicting a great beast in San Francisco devouring a familiar-looking shuttle bus. GAMAGO at Headline Shirts Read the rest... The dystopian future of quantified babies A group of design students from a Swedish university published an insightful academic paper last year spoofing all the baby health trackers now pitched to parents. Read the rest... The beauty of an energy-free treadmill I've been coveting the world’s best manual treadmill, the EcoMill ($7,000). But until I have a spare seven grand, I have to run with conventional electric mills. Read the rest... Small-town 911 calls can be weird, fascinating and heart-warming Police blotter sites aggregate only the saddest reports of meth-addled America. A better way to consume local police news: unedited dispatch logs. Read the rest... TOM THE DANCING BUG: The First Scientist Tom the Dancing Bug, IN WHICH the very first scientist very quickly is introduced to the second scientist. Read the rest... Ryan Burke's otherworldly photos are better than sci-fi A photographer and makeup artist based in New York City, Ryan Burke creates characters from the best sci-fi series you've never seen. Read the rest... Grasshopper Jungle takes angst to its allegorical limit Not all young adult novels are for adults1, But this one is. Grasshopper Jungle isn't Andrew Smith's first novel, but it is the one that's thrust him forward as one of the best voices in the genre. Read the rest... Video has everything: nerdy pick-up lines, a kitten, a ukelele Did you know that "fuck" is a legitimate word in Scrabble? Enjoy stand-up comedian DeAnne Smith's, cute, catchy video. Read the rest... 3D Edward Gorey picturebook Kudos to the Kennedy Library at California Polytechnic Unversity for their sweet Vine, showing off the rare book The Tunnel Calamity, by Edward Gorey. Read the rest... Crowdfunding an Abomination with Gary Whitta (Star Wars, The Book of Eli) Gary Whitta is an award-winning screenwriter who wrote The Book of Eli and worked on the first Star Wars standalone film. Read the rest... I have journeyed to the soul of chocolate and I bring you good tidings Cold brewed coffee is a revelation of complex, bittersweet, intense flavor. Cold-brewed chocolate? Even better. (Holy. Crap.) Read the rest... Think you have the right to demand police identify themselves? Look closer. Police officers are required to display and provide their identification on request—except when they aren't. There is no federal mandate, nor much punishment, for officers who stay anonymous.Read the rest... Maker Mayhem: Low Moments in How-To History, Part #14 Pill Bottle Gifts: Rainy day projects for a crafting addict. Read the rest... Billboards tell the stories of professionals who can't afford London anymore The London is Changing project collects the personal stories of professional people who are leaving the city because it has been remade as a playground for the global rich. Read the rest...