Anyone who grew up in the late '80s and early '90s—Gen X, I’m looking at you—grew up in a world that was dominated by 8-bit graphics. Back in the day, computers and video game systems had a limited amount of processing power so the graphics had to be simple.That meant the heroes that we played with such as Mario from Super Mario Brothers or Link from The Legend of Zelda, had to be super simple looking and we had to fill in the rest with our imaginations.Video graphics have come a long way over the past 30-plus years, but people still love the old designs because it takes them back to a simpler time. This has led to an 8-bit movement where people use their creativity to make art within the confines of the limited medium.Some people also use the limited 8-bit soundscape to create music that’s reminiscent of the old games. Sure, computer game music may be much more sophisticated these days, but is there anything better than the soundtrack to the original Tetris? Would Super Mario Brothers be the same with a sophisticated soundtrack? I think not.Swedish artist Johan Karlgren, who goes by the name Pappas Pärlor, creates pixelated 8-bit-looking art and then inserts it into everyday scenes. The interesting thing is that his 8-bit art isn’t done with computer graphics, but Perler beads.Perler beads are small, plastic beads that one places on a grid, and when the picture is done, they are melted with a household clothing iron. The beads are a fun hobby for kids who love to see the melting beads ooze their way into a fully-formed picture.Although they weren’t originally intended to make 8-bit art, because the beads are placed on a grid when they melt together the designs look like they came straight out of a Nintendo Entertainment System. Super Mario 3 Tanooki Suit Perler Beads Timelapsepic.twitter.com/Ywed4B3y47 — Soma \ud83d\udc9c\ud83c\udf19 | AlleyCat \ud83d\ude38\ud83d\udc08\u200d\u2b1b (@Soma \ud83d\udc9c\ud83c\udf19 | AlleyCat \ud83d\ude38\ud83d\udc08\u200d\u2b1b) 1584560959 Karlgren recreates iconic images from comics, cartoons, video games and movies with the beads and then adds them to the scenarios, turning the mundane into the whimsical.What’s Karlgren’s big inspiration? “Anything that makes me feel something,” he told Bored Panda. “It could be anything from childhood memories to politics or people doing awesome stuff that I wanna interpret.” See on Instagram For Karlgren, his work is the byproduct of having a good time. “I don’t really choose what to create. My work is sprung from playing, and I’ll try to go with the ideas that come up in my head,” he said.One of the hallmarks of Karlgen’s work is taking drab places such as a parking lot or other types of urban infrastructure and livening them up with the addition of one of his Perler bead creations. "It's something that makes me happy, and hopefully other people [when] seeing it as well," he told Newsweek.Karlgren is a father of four and started posting his creations on Instagram back in April 2014. Since then, his fun, old-school designs have earned him more than 144,000 followers. Here are some of his coolest, and funniest 8-bit designs.8-Bit Joker See on Instagram "Rose!" See on Instagram Raiders of the Lost Fence Knob See on Instagram Mario Kart: Snow Speeders See on Instagram "Here's 8-Bit Johnny!" See on Instagram The Man of Steel See on Instagram That Creep Can Roll See on Instagram Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man See on Instagram Anthony Adams Rubbing Hands Meme See on Instagram "I Said God Damn!" See on Instagram "Take My Money!" See on Instagram Darth's Day Off See on Instagram Jaws See on Instagram "Go Ahead, Make My Day." See on Instagram Mini Bernie See on Instagram Tony Montana See on Instagram The Homer Meme See on Instagram This article originally appeared on 02.25.22

If you were to look at Megan Montgomery's Instagram account, you'd see a beautiful, smiling woman in the prime of her life, her youth and fitness the envy of women the world over. You'd even see some photos of her with her husband (#datenight), with comments saying things like "Aww, gorgeous couple!"But beneath her picture-perfect feed was the story of a woman in an abusive relationship with her husband—one that would start with his arrest shortly after they got married, and end 10 months later with him shooting her to death in a parking lot. In a Facebook post, one of the people who was out with Megan the night of her murder detailed how her estranged husband had come to their table, put his hand on her neck and shoulder, and escorted her out of the building.She went with him willingly, but anyone familiar with abusive relationships knows that "willingly" is a subjective term. He had reportedly threatened mass violence before. Perhaps she was trying to protect the people she was with. Perhaps staying felt more dangerous to her than going with him.The couple reportedly had a volatile relationship from the start, and at one point both had restraining orders against the other. Regardless, she was killed by the man who had claimed to love her, an ex-cop who had been arrested for domestic violence and had been bailed out multiple times prior to that evening.Feminist News wrote the gist of Megan's story on Facebook, sharing photos from the couple's wedding to illustrate how invisible domestic violence can be to those outside of it. "THIS is the face of domestic violence," they wrote.But what was perhaps most striking about the post was the deluge of comments from women describing their own experiences with domestic violence. Comment after comment explaining how a partner always made them think the abuse was their fault, how restraining orders were repeatedly violated, how they were charmed and loved into questioning whether the verbal abuse or physical violence was really that bad. Story after story of how they didn't see it coming, how slowly and insidiously it escalated, how terrifying it was to try to leave.Those of us who have not been in abusive relationships don't always understand why people don't leave them. But the dynamics of abuse—the emotional manipulation, the gaslighting, the self-esteem destruction, the fear and shame—are well documented.Unfortunately, those dynamics can prove deadly. Domestic violence murders have been on the rise in recent years, going up 19% between 2014 and 2017. And sadly, our justice system does not protect domestic violence survivors as well as it should.Part of the challenge of prosecuting in domestic violence cases is that victims are not always willing to cooperate, either out of fear or shame or embarrassment, or unhealthy loyalty. According to some estimates, domestic violence victims recant their testimony up to 70% of the time. That's why some are pushing for evidence-based prosecution without requiring victim testimony, much like we try murder cases.But some, like University of Maryland law professor Leah Goodmark, argue that pushing for more law enforcement hasn't proven to reduce domestic violence rates. Addressing issues of poverty, childhood trauma, attitudes toward gender equality, and other risk factors for domestic violence may be more effective by stopping violence before it starts.While abuse happens to both men and women, women are more likely to be victims and much more likely to be murdered by a partner. Thankfully, there are many resources for domestic violence survivors to seek help, whether you're trying to determine if your relationship is abusive or trying to figure out if, when, and how to leave. The National Domestic Violence Hotline (www.thehotline.org or call 1−800−799−7233) has a wealth of information on domestic violence and what to do about it. The website even has a live chat where you can get your questions answered and receive assistance making a safety plan for you and your family.If you are afraid of your partner or other loved one, there's something wrong. No one should live in fear of the people who are supposed to love them the most.This article originally appeared on 12.16.19

Brian Gordon is a cartoonist. He's also a dad, which means he's got plenty of inspiration for the parenting comics he creates for his website, Fowl Language (not all of which actually feature profanity). He covers many topics, but it's his hilarious parenting comics that are resonating with parents everywhere. "My comics are largely autobiographical," Gordon tells me. "I've got two kids who are 4 and 7, and often, what I'm writing happened as recently as that very same day." Gordon shared 15 of his oh-so-real comics with us. They're all funny 'cause they're true. Let's get started with his favorite, "Welcome to Parenting," which Gordon says sums up his comics pretty well. "Parenting can be such tedious drudgery," he says, "but if it wasn't also so incredibly rewarding there wouldn't be nearly so many people on the planet."Truth.I hope you enjoy these as much as I did.1.All comics are shared here with Gordon's express permission. These comics are all posted on his website, in addition to his Facebook page. You can also find a "bonus" comic that goes with each one by clicking the "bonus" link. Original. Bonus.2.Original. Bonus.3.Original. Bonus.4.Original. Bonus.5.Original. Bonus.6.Original. Bonus.7.Original. Bonus.8.Original. Bonus.9.Original. Bonus.10.Original. Bonus.11.Original. Bonus.12.Original. Bonus.13.Original. Bonus.14.Original. Bonus.15.Original. Bonus.I love Gordon's comics so much because they're just about the reality of parenting — and they capture it perfectly.There's no parenting advice, no judgment, just some humor about the common day-to-day realities that we all share.When I ask him about the worst parenting advice he's ever received, Gordon relays this anecdote:"I remember being an absolute sleep-deprived wreck, sitting outside a sandwich shop, wolfing down my lunch quickly beside my 1-month-old son, who was briefly resting his lungs between screaming fits.A rather nosy woman walked up to me and said, all smugly, 'You should enjoy this time while they're easy.' It was the exact worst thing anyone could have said to me in that moment and I just wanted to curl up on the sidewalk and cry."Who hasn't been on the receiving end of totally unneeded and unwanted advice? That's why Gordon's comics are so welcome: They offer up a space for us to all laugh about the common experiences we parents share.Here's to Gordon for helping us chuckle (through the tears).This article originally appeared on 07.11.16

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A federal judge ruled on Monday that Google was acting illegally by holding a monopoly in search and text advertising. The tech giant was found guilty of paying billions of dollars to tech companies to make Google the default search engine and keep its dominance among other search engines, violating Section 2 of the Sherman Act.  The ruling is viewed as a landmark case won by federal authorities in their continued battle against big tech’s dominance in the market. “This victory against Google is an historic win for the American people. No company — no matter how large or influential — is above the law. The Justice Department will continue to vigorously enforce our antitrust laws,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.  The case against Google dates back to 2020 when it was initially filed by the Department of Justice and attorneys general from a handful of states. In 2023, the Justice Department released a statement charging Google with “anticompetitive conduct,” such as buying out competitors and forcing website publishers to conform to Google’s tools. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta issued the decision detailing the claims against Google after reviewing evidence and testimonies from tech executives from last year’s 10-week trial. In the decision, Mehta credited the platform as the “best search engine,” but found that the company spent more than $26 billion in 2021 to have Google as the default engine on cellphones and tech gadgets. By paying big sums to tech developers and manufacturers, Google maintained its dominance amongst other search engines. Mehta concluded, “Google is a monopolist, and it has acted as one to maintain its monopoly.” Competing search engines, such as DuckDuckGo, celebrated the ruling for condemning Google’s practices. “Google will do anything it can to avoid changing its conduct. However, we know there is a pent up demand for alternatives in search and this ruling will support access to more options,” DuckDuckGo said on X.  In response to the ruling, Google’s president, Kent Walker, stated that the company plans to appeal Mehta’s decision. “This decision recognizes that Google offers the best search engine, but concludes that we shouldn’t be allowed to make it easily available,” Walker said. A jury trial for the lawsuit is set for early September 2024. The post Google’s Found Guilty for Illegal Monopoly on Internet Search appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.