In the News

Here is some stuff in the news today...

RIP Leonard Nimoy. Sob. His final tweet: "A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP." Sobbbbbbbbbbbb.

[Content Note: Guns; death; self-harm] Last night, at least eight people, including the shooter, were killed at multiple crime scenes in rural Missouri. Details about what appears to be a shooting spree are sparse at the moment, but police have promised to provide more information today. What we know at this point: "Police say that a juvenile girl called the police at approximately 10:15 p.m Central on Thursday to report a 'disturbance' at the home. When she heard gunshots, she immediately fled to a neighbor's house. Police found two bodies at the home. Later, five other bodies were found at three other residences in Tyrone." The shooter is thought to be a 36-year-old man.

Aliza Worthington on "The Incredible Oscar Moment Almost Everyone Missed." Just go read the whole thing.

[CN: Religious intolerance] Shaker KatherineSpins sent this chart/article on the state of religious freedom around the world along with the note (which I'm sharing with her permission): "It's interesting and I'm spending time staring at it. I am all for freedom of religion, with the important detail that it needs to include freedom FROM religion—and I'm not sure where that fits into this particular chart. It's not the same thing as hating someone for their religion, and I think the two may be elided in this analysis."

Madrid's Prado museum is working with Estudios Durero, a Basque design company specializing in the fine arts, "to create elaborate 3-D replicas of key works" of art for their new "Touching the Prado" exhibit. Instead of relying on standard 3-D printing, Estudios Durero "have developed a technique that they call 'Didú,' which allows them to produce works that are both rich in texture and color. 'You have to remember that not everyone who is registered blind can see nothing at all,' said Cristina Velasco, the head designer at Estudios Durero. 'Many have some at least a little vision. For this reason, we knew we had to replicate the original colors as closely as possible. This ruled normal 3-D printing out as even the most advanced 3-D printer still cannot come anywhere near reproducing the colors and shades of a masterpiece.' While keen to keep the exact details of their process a secret, Velasco explained that it involves taking a high resolution image of a painting and then working with the blind and partially sighted members of the team to identify which details need to be emphasized to provide reference points for a blind person's hands. For instance, the eyes of a painted figure always need to be made concave rather than convex to provide a universal reference point for blind viewers."

[CN: War on agency] This is really terrific news: "Four Oregon lawmakers Thursday introduced the Comprehensive Women's Health Bill, intended to ensure access to affordable, full-spectrum reproductive health care for every woman and transgender man in the state. The bill, if passed, would make Oregon the first state in the nation to ensure every state resident is covered for every type of reproductive health care, including abortion, under all forms of insurance. Backed by a handful of local groups, the bill is part of a larger progressive legislative effort announced Thursday that will also tackle sexual assault and domestic violence issues."

Oh great: "The Supreme Court's About to Hear a Case That Could Make Partisan Gerrymandering Even Worse." The best thing about that outcome is how partisan gerrymandering could make the Supreme Court even worse.

I love this so hard: Bolivian old ladies' handball league to stay fit and socially active. "Before each match, the [women, some of them great-grandmothers] warm up while singing songs from their childhood and the match itself incorporates native Andean music."

Cool: "The Photography at CERN Is Helping Solve the Mysteries of the Universe," and, in turn, "some really interesting questions are raised about the nature of photography."

And finally! Here is a beautiful tale of Rolo the rescue dog who found his forever home with a human who understands him. Having rescued two dogs with "behavior problems" who became dogs that everyone loves to pieces, this one hit me right where I live. ♥