Heres something most self-identifying audiophiles wont willingly admit: aesthetics plays an important part in decision-making when looking to add speakers, turntables, amplifiers, and other components to a home stereo system. Good looking gear has become a vibe all over again, but specifically vintage-style components from an era characterized by designs intended to blend into home decor. Thankfully, the home audio and turntable specialists at Pro-Ject have no qualms about considering the importance of color and design as evidenced by their Colourful Audio System line.Anyone who has done even a tiny bit of research about turntables has probably seen Pro-Jects Debut Carbon EVO at one time or another. Its the brands top seller, making it an ideal choice for the centerpiece of an analog-focused sound system.But the allure of the Colourful Audio System is evident in its name. Where many audio brands sell complementary components separately, Pro-Ject has done something so obvious its perplexing more brands have not already followed suit. Instead of prepackaging systems by size, amplification, or application, the all-in-one Colourful Audio System is color-coordinated across 5 satin painted finishes Golden Yellow, Steel Blue, Fir Green, White, and Black alongside an organic Walnut finish. In doing so, Pro-Ject has eliminated the guesswork associated with picking out the right components and the deliberation of how it all looks within its intended space.Pro-Ject pairs the turntable with their own MaiA S3, a micro amplifier equipped to handle up to 8 different input devices, stream from connected mobile devices, and power a pair of Speaker Box 5 S2 2-way monitor speakers. Optional speaker stands are also available.Only the MaiA S3 amplifier is left untouched by color, but is also small enough in size not to distract from the colorful impact of turntable and speakers.Everything from special rubber feet for optimal isolation from speaker vibrations to high quality cables are included to accommodate easy listening immediately after unpacking and connecting the 4-piece system. The Colourful Audio Systems 1,799.00 price tag may denotes this isnt a budget solution, but instead an investment in something beautiful.To explore all the options and colorways, visit project-audio.com.

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Would United States senator and vice presidential hopeful J.D. Vance consider the image at the top of this article pornographic? It depends on if you're asking the internet or not.You may have heard that a presidential election is coming up in the fall. Naturally, that means a ton of sewage-level informationlies, slander, rumors, and satire mistaken for facthas been flooding the internet. The most notable piece of digital flotsam from the past week is the widely spread, tongue-in-cheek rumor that Vance, who I must remind you has 50-50 odds of being next in line for the presidency of a world superpower, fucked his couch . I'll attempt to explain where this rumor came from and why it's spreading across social media like cat hair on a wool sectional (short answer: because it's funny). I'll then dive into the other meme about Vance's sexual proclivities that has been making the rounds.Did J.D. Vance really say he had sex with a couch?On July 15, X user @rickrudescalves (account since deleted) made online waves when he reacted to Donald Trump choosing Vance as his running mate with a message reading, can't say for sure but he might be the first vp pick to have admitted in a ny times bestseller to fucking an inside-out latex glove shoved between two couch cushions (vance, , pp. 179-181)The message was shared millions of times, and quickly boosted, memed, and otherwise entered into the unofficial record. Because it has a citation and it seems so believable, many people took the couch-sex story as fact, at least at first. But it's not. It's just a jokea shitpost, in internet parlance.While no one can definitively say that Senator Vance has never fucked a couch (what goes on between a man and a consenting piece of furniture is none of my business), he definitely did not write about fucking a couch in his memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, and there is no other publicly available evidence that indicates he has had sex with a sofa, ottoman, futon, or any other upholstered furniture. Whatever side of the political spectrum you fall on, it isn't really a mystery why this bit caught on. It's absurd, memorable, and perfectly craftedkudos to @rickrudescalves for suggesting Vance required three full pages to describe his encounter with the sofa. Is J.D. Vance a fan of dolphin porn?While there isn't any evidence that Vance is turned on by his couch, there actually is evidence that he's searched the internet for dolphin porn! It's not the strongest evidence, but still. On Feb 17, 2024, Vance posted the following to his X account: Credit: JD Vance - X Im not sure what Vance was trying to communicate by sharing this screenshot, but the important thing is that X's search function returns results with the search terms emboldened. For instance, I used to X to search JD Vance" and "Dolphin. Here is one of thousands of results that came back to me: Credit: Antonio Serrata - X Note the bolded words matching my search terms. The evidence, then, tells us that Vances dolphin post is proof enough that he searched the words woman and dolphin together on Twitter at least once. We don't know why Vance searched those words, but it definitely looks like he searched for them. Update: Celebrity restaurant banning sprees continue in fake news universeA few weeks ago, I looked into the sprawling alternative reality created by right wing fake news websites and Facebook forwards targeting ABC's talk show The View. A recurring theme in that mire of incendiary wish-fulfillment are fake stories of celebrities being banned from dining at other celebritys restaurants. For reasons unknown, dopes love to read stories about people they hate being banned from chain restaurants. Since that post, two other stars have reportedly been ejected from celebrity-owned eateries:Shaq Throws George Clooney Out Of His Restaurant, Bans Him For Life,Keep Your Wokeness OutGordon Ramsay Throws Lia Thomas Out Of His Restaurant, No Place For You HereIf youre keeping score at home, heres a running tally of who has been banned from which celebrity -owned restaurant:Gordon Ramsays ban list: Robert Deniro, Lia Thomas, Megan Rapinoe, Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce, Whoopi Goldberg, The Miami Dolphins.Guy Fieris ban list: Whoopi Goldberg, Megan Rapinoe,Garth Brooks, andTom Hanks.Shaquille ONeals ban list: George Clooney, Joy Behar, Robert Deniro,Gordon Ramsay is leading the pack with seven total celebrity ejections (including the entire Miami Dolphins football team), compared to just four for Fieri and only three for ONeal. The most banned celebrity is Robert Deniro, who is not allowed to dine at eateries owned by Fieri, Ramsay, or O'Neala greater honor than winning a third Oscar, if you ask me.

The hardest part of sticking to a workout routine may be starting, but the second-hardest part is showing up to the next workout when everything feels like fire. Youre not off the hook, though! Staying home actually isnt your best plan of action.Know what normal soreness feels likeYour first question might be: did I seriously injure myself? Normal next-day muscle soreness, called DOMS for "delayed onset muscle soreness," can feel pretty brutal. It's not a serious health condition, though. Normal DOMS:Hurts the most when you wake up in the morning or when you've been sitting still for a whileFeels better with movement Hurts when you use the muscle and when you stretch the muscleUsually starts the day after exercise, and may last multiple daysIs often at its worst two days after the exercise that caused itThere are medical conditions that can also cause muscle soreness, so check with a doctor if you think there may be more going on than the usual DOMS situation. One condition worth keeping in mind is rhabdomyolysis, which is muscle damage that gets severe enough to cause muscle breakdown and kidney issues. Dark-colored urine (often described as "tea colored" or "cola colored") is a huge red flagget to the emergency room if you notice this. I've written more here about the differences between normal soreness and the kind that needs medical attention.But most likely, you just have a normal case of DOMS. If that sounds right, let's talk about what to do about it.Dont skip your workoutWhen you're feeling sore, youre probably tempted to just stay home with some Netflix instead of taking your achy body back to the gym. But resting doesn't help much in the long run. Beating the soreness for good comes from getting used to exercise, and youll never get used to it if you have to take a week off every time you get the idea to start again. So go back to the gym, or head out for another run, or whatever is on your schedule for today. Make some effort to continue the schedule that you set up for yourself, whether that was a written program or a promise to yourself that you'd go to the gym a certain number of times per week.First, do your warmup, but ease into it gradually. If you planned to go for a run, start with a brisk walk and then see how an easy jog feels. If it's a lifting day, start with lighter weights than usual, and only add as much weight as you feel like you can handle today. Even if you can't manage your regular workout, you're still doing something, and that's buying you insurance against future soreness. You're also not going to get anywhere near as sore after today's workout as you did before. Scientists call this the repeated bout effect: each workout (each "bout" of training) protects against soreness from the next one.Do some active restIf a rest day comes when you're still sore, you'll probably think: okay, now is the time to sit around. But DOMS feels better with movement, so even if you don't have any training goals to work toward, you'll feel better if you keep moving. So go for a walk. That's my go-to when I'm not feeling great. If you have access to a spin bike, moving your legs at low resistance tends to help relieve soreness. Cyclists will talk about "flushing" out their muscles; whether that's scientifically accurate or not, it does seem to help. If you're into yoga, a day you're sore is a good time to do some gentle yoga; you can even look up recovery yoga for some videos to follow.How to deal with the painThere are a lot of myths surrounding muscle soreness, and one harsh truth: Nothing but time really works to make the soreness go away. In the meantime, the best tools we have are light activity, massage, and heat. Activity is what I described above, so let's explore the rest. HeatHeat tends to make sore muscles feel better, so this is a great time to hit the sauna, if your gym has one. You can also use an electric heating pad like this one, or take a hot bath. Epsom salts don't do anything for your muscles, but adding them to a bath can make it smell nice (get the lavender scented kind) and can make it feel like you're doing something special for yourself. MassagePressure can feel good on sore muscles, so consider treating yourself to a massage or asking someone to give you a back rub. A foam roller is a good way to give yourself some "self-myofascial release" (I'm convinced that's nothing but a fancy word for massage), or consider a massage gun.Food and sleepWhen youre sore, it's good time to pay more attention to taking care of yourself. Anecdotally, I find sleep helps to deal with soreness: if I stay up late, Im more likely to be sore the next day. Eating plenty of protein cant hurt, either, since protein is important to building muscle. One last note: Pain relievers like ibuprofen are popular among athletes, but they arent as good a strategy as the things mentioned above. If you get into the habit of taking ibuprofen regularly, it can hinder your recovery. So it's fine to view it as a short term fix to help you get through a bad day, but try not to make a habit of it. If you have enough soreness that you feel you need medication to get through every day, it's probably time to ask a doctor what else might be going on.

I've used get-things-done (GTD) apps pretty much throughout my whole journalism career. These apps go a bit beyond your usual to-do listif you've ever used Trello, that's a good example. I used to keep switching between tools until I bought Things 3 all the way back in 2017. Since then, Things has met all my expectations and helped me manage work and personal tasks. Although the developerCultured Codehas done a great job with Things, it is an Apple-only app and it lacks collaboration tools. These two issues forced me to look at other options, and Superlist is one of the best ones I've come across.Superlist is available on iPhone, Mac, Android, and the web. Its free tier lets you access many of its best features, and as long as you only need to collaborate once in a while, you won't really need to pay. I love Superlist's app design (no surprise considering that it's made by the creators of Wunderlist), and I think that it could finally replace Things for me, even on my Mac.The initial setup is simple Credit: Pranay Parab Superlist uses a password-free login system. Enter your email and the app will send you a login link. Although this is convenient, I really wish the developers would let you use other login systems. I'm a bit old-school in that I prefer to use my password manager and set up two-factor authentication for logins. Having said that, Superlist's login system is easy to use and most people would prefer it to setting up yet another password. Once you login, you're ready to roll. I set it up on all my devices and the process was pretty quick on all of them.I like Superlist's UI quite a bit. The app looks pretty and it lets you get things done quickly (it's a GTD app, after all!). I like it when my Mac apps have useful keyboard shortcuts and Superlist has a whole bunch of them. Setting up tasks and adding deadlines is a breeze, but I do feel that Superlist needs to make it easier to set up recurring to-dos. Things has a keyboard shortcut to convert any task into a recurring one, and Superlist lacks an option like that.I'm also happy to see collaboration tools, which allow you to assign tasks to others. Superlist has very much been designed with the enterprise market in mind, but it still works well enough for personal use. When you create a new to-do, it has an option to create sub-tasks to divide a bigger project into smaller parts. You can even assign sub-tasks to other people, and there's a separate comments section to discuss tasks with collaborators. I'd have loved to use this app at my previous job, where I was heading a small team that worked remotely.The app's share sheet extensions work reasonably well, and users can also email each other tasks to drop it into Superlist. Superlist is very much a work in progress Credit: Pranay Parab Although Superlist has a lot to like, it's clear that this is a new app and has a few rough edges. The most annoying thing is that you can't select multiple items to move them into new lists. You have to drag and drop one task at a time, which is okay when you're just getting started, but it'll be a big problem if someone has gotten to a point where they have more than a few uncategorized tasks. The app does allow you to create sections and lists, which are useful for grouping projects. This is a good start, and I'll probably find myself using this much more in the future, when the app lets you select multiple items.I'd also love it if there was a dedicated Windows app for Superlist. While the web app does the job, it is forced to use non-standard keyboard shortcuts. For example, you can use Command-N to create a new task in the Mac app, but you're forced to use Ctrl-N for this in the web app on Mac and Alt-N on Windows.The free tier is adequate Credit: Pranay Parab Superlist's free tier allows you to create as many tasks and lists as you need, but it limits you to 10MB per upload and a total of 500MB storage. It has an AI feature that summarizes items you send to Superlist via an email but this feature is of no use to me. The free tier has integrations with Gmail, Google Calendar, Microsoft To-Do and supports email forwarding, too. Lastly, you can also create up to five shared lists and add up to five collaborators to these lists. All of this is quite generous for a free tier.When you upgrade to the Pro tier, you'll have to shell out $10/month for up to 25GB storage, unlimited shared lists with up to 25 people, more integrations, and AI list creation.Since this is an enterprise-oriented app, there are a few plans for that, too. The free tier lets you add up to five team members with a limit of 15 shared lists, while the paid tier ($10/user/month if you pay annually) removes those limits.

Apple Intelligence won't officially ship until the iOS 18.1 update later this year, but Apple's already asking for users to help train it, and it looks like the company might even reward them. That includes you, assuming you're willing to jump through a couple of hoops. Apple's beta programs have always been big on feedback, so it's not a surprise that its Generative AI efforts are taking the same approach. Here, Apple wants you to tell it if its AI is doing a good job or not, and if it didn't, what's going wrong. Your feedback will then be used to train and improve Apple Intelligence services and the AI models behind the scenes.For your trouble, Apple will even provide you with some points. What exactly you can do with these points is not entirely clear right now, but I'm hoping they can be redeemed to get a paid upgrade for Apple Intelligence down the line.You can start your feedback under "Rate Your Experiences" in the Feedback Assistant app, which will be automatically installed with your beta. This is what Apple says about the Rate Your Experiences feature:Help improve Apple products and services! Content such as your emails from the Mail app and messages from the Messages app will be displayed to you, along with content generated from them for Apple Intelligence features. This data always remains on your device unless you choose to submit it to Apple, after rating your experience.The app will guide you through some recently generated AI results, and will ask for your feedback. You can respond as "Thumbs Up" or "Thumbs Down", depending on your experience. If your experience wasn't good, Apple will ask you to provide some more details. You can either type out a response, or you can choose from one the pre-filled options.You will find pre-filled feedback options for many Apple Intelligence features, including Smart reply, Notifications summary, Email summary, prioritized emails, Image Playground, Writing Tools, and more.Some pre-filled options for Email summary include:Hard to understandMissed key detailIncorrect attributionsToo longIrrelevant additionsStereotyping or biasOverly suggestive or sexualVulgar or offensiveOtherOnce you provide feedback, Apple will show you a score with your earned points, where you can level up by providing more feedback. As we mentioned above, Apple hasn't made it clear what your points will be used for. As noted by Apple above, the generative AI data and the feedback prompts stay on your device by default. But you can choose to submit the data to Apple after rating.[h/t MacRumors]

One of my favorite everyday treats to make is a simple loaf cake, with an un-iced bundt cake trailing as a close second. Both cakes are casual-snacking gems, and both cakes have a penchant for over-browning in my rental apartments oven. Its not their faultdeep cakes require longer cooking timesbut overbrowning can dry out your cake, and I simply wont stand for it. Preventing overbrowning is easy with an extra sheet pan.Why do my cookies and cakes burn?You could be doing everything right and your cake will still turn out overcooked. There are a few reasons why your cookies, cakes, or pies might be browning too fast, or even burning before the interior is finished. Older ovens or lower quality ones can have "hot spots" that throw off your temperature goals; your sheet pans might be made of cheap, thin metal; and it could just be an inherent downside to the item youre baking. For example, it's not uncommon for loaf cakes to take an hour or more in the oven. The bottom and sides in direct contact with the baking pan are going to cook the fastest and also be the first to brown before the center even gets going.Use extra sheet pans to dampen the direct heatIf you notice your first tray of cookies are overbrowning on the bottoms, or you remember this same cake recipe gave you trouble in the past, put an extra sheet pan under the cake. If you don't normally bake pies and cakes with a sheet pan underneath, start with one and see how it goes before adding a second one. Doing this adds another layer, albeit thin, between the cake batter and the hot metal grate its sitting on. It sounds like no big deal, but it actually makes a big difference. (And isnt that exactly what a good hack is all about?) If youre using a second sheet pan thats a size smaller than the one above it, youll notice that it does an even better job at insulating the bottom of the cake because of the air pocket it creates underneath.Any sheet pans will work, but here are a couple sets I like: Williams Sonoma Cleartouch Nonstick Sheet Pans, Set of 3 $61.95 at Williams Sonoma Shop Now Shop Now $61.95 at Williams Sonoma Wilton Bake It Better Steel Non-Stick Baking Pan Set, 3-Piece $14.58 at Walmart $9.92 Save 0.00 Shop Now Shop Now $14.58 at Walmart $9.92 Save 0.00 SEE -1 MORE The sheet pan protects the bottom. Addressing the sides of the pan is slightly more of a to-do, but still easy. Wrap a layer of aluminum foil around the sides. Shiny aluminum foil reflects energy and adds protection to your food in the oven. I usually do this as a secondary precaution. If my cake has been baking and I notice that its nowhere near cooked through the center but the edges are already golden, Ill loosely wrap some foil around the sides. I do the same thing for pies when the crust looks like its taking on lots of color before the filling cooks.Always observe your foodKeep in mind that youll likely have to increase the amount of cooking time a bit because the heating will be less aggressive. Unfortunately, I cant give you a set number for this because it will vary a great deal depending on what youre making and your ovens personal problems. This might look like adding two minutes for your cookies, or an extra 15 minutes for a bundt cake. As always, just keep an eye on it, and check for doneness as usual. Youll get better at assessing what needs an extra sheet pan underneath, and how long to cook it the more you practice.

Mistakes happen, especially when it comes to the mail. Carriers sometimes misread an address, letters can shift around in the back of the truck, and people move without updating their addressesall circumstances that could result in you receiving mail intended for another recipient. Heres what you should do if you get mail that doesnt belong to you.What to do if mail is delivered to the wrong addressIf the mail youve received is not only for someone else, but for a different address than yours altogether, you have two options to correct the mistake:Deliver it yourself. If the letter is clearly intended for a nearby neighbor, and you can physically open their mailbox, feel free to deliver the letter to the correct address yourself. It is not illegal to open someones mailbox (as long as its not locked), and its not illegal to personally forward mail to the correct address as long as the mail has proper postage. You could also knock on their door and hand it to them if you know them (or feel comfortable doing so). However, be aware that there are laws against placing other thingslike flyers, notes, advertisements without postage, etc.in mailboxes.Write a note and stick it in the outgoing. If the correct address is far away or you just dont feel like dealing with delivering it yourself (which is totally fine), simply write a note that says something to the effect of wrong address and attach it to the wrongly delivered piece of mail (a sticky note or a paperclip are good ways to do so). A mail carrier will pick it up next time around and it will be delivered to the correct address in the next couple days.Its best not to write your note directly on the envelope or article and risk defacing someone elses mail. If you use a marker or Sharpie and it bleeds through, it could cause the intended recipient more grief than is necessary. Attach it with a paperclip or a sticky note instead.What to do if you receive mail for a former residentIf youre receiving someone elses mail with your correct address, you need to inform the mail carrier and post office that they no longer live there. Again, you can do that with a paper clipped note placed on the letter. To return to sender, simply write "Not at this address, return to sender" on the note and attach it to the piece of mail. Stick the mail in the outgoing box in an obvious way, to make the error clear to your mail carrier the next time they come around. This might take a few tries, and you may even have to contact the post office if it continues. Check that the mail doesnt say [other persons name] or current resident; That mail is technically addressed to you as long as you live in that residence, whether you want to receive it or not. If you keep telling the post office person doesnt live here with or current resident mail, they might assume the residence is vacant and stop sending mail there entirely. When in doubt, a trip to the post office or a phone call can often clear things up.Is it illegal to open someone else's mail?You bet it is. It's also illegal to throw someone else's mail away on purpose. Both are considered tampering. When you get someone else's mail, do not open it and do not throw it away, since both are punishable offenses (and no one likes offending or punishment). Don't worry, if you were mindlessly tearing open your stack of mail and realized you'd received someone else's and opened in error, you won't be taken away in cuffs. The law is intended to protect against unsavory types looking to gather personal information.