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https://www.themarysue.com/khalifa-shamoon-assassin-email/

Scam emails are a bit of an art form when done properly. Anyone can send you an email about some kind of new medicine or your bank account being locked (even if you don’t have an account at that bank), but it takes a true wordsmith to draft a letter about being a lost relative with a million zillion dollars and, of course, royalty from a far off land.

Like… outer space?!

pic.twitter.com/7y9qLAteWp

— Dr Yuliya Yurchenko (@YPYurchenko) October 28, 2021

Kirstin Munro, an assistant professor at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, brought a new kind of scam email to Twitter’s attention, one with potential deadly assassin-like consequences if you don’t answer.

New kind of scammer email just dropped. pic.twitter.com/XqU6QAuJKH

— Kirstin Munro (@kmunroutrgv) October 28, 2021

Clearly, Khalifa Shamoon doesn’t realize what decade this is. We are long past the days of just deleting bizarre scam emails that automatically go to our spam folders. We’re millennials. We share that shit on Twitter and craft together humorous responses.

I’m not stuck in the room with Khalifa, Khalifa’s stuck in the room with me

Twitter is, apparently, full of assassins in training who are ready to go up against someone who’s got an, admittedly, kinda cool assassin name.

“Dear Khalifa,
Your first mistake was warning me, the second was telling me your name.
I’ll see you soon.
Game on.”

— what? bobcats *are* scary (@AnarchoBob) October 28, 2021

My reply would be “you better not fucking miss”

— ART RAFFLE PINNEDReiko Ayanami️ (@ReikomaniaVT) October 28, 2021

Or some are just familiar with Fire Emblem. 

Dear Khalifa.

You get 25 turns. After that, I will comence my attack. pic.twitter.com/WsclWevwuA

— TakeshiHanataro (@TakeshiHanataro) October 28, 2021

Some, however, have the sense to propose a team-up of sorts – via bank routing numbers, of course.

“Most fascinating. You see, I too am a top assassin, and there has been an amount paid with your name on it. It seems someone is cleaning up loose ends. Please, send me your bank routing number, so we can track this to the source.”

— Helen Heinrich (she/they) (@HelenHeinrich1) October 28, 2021

Others couldn’t believe the audacity of the assassin sending an email. Whatever happened to stealth? At the very least, if you decide to turn your back on the organization and not kill the target, don’t announce it via Gmail!

Always go for a union assassin. They are trained well.

— Riyadh Elalami (@Riyadhelalami) October 28, 2021

Make my death quick and easy, please

Because we’re all a little tired, aren’t we? Especially with the way the past two years (oh my god, it’s almost 2022) have been going. For every “we engage in combat at dawn” response was one that awaited the sweet embrace of a, hopefully, badass death.

Lol saving this just in case I ever get that email

— ʚɞ (@lilfayelamb) October 29, 2021

“Dear Khalifa, I am $13000 in debt and work 55 hours a week. Please hurry with the planned assassination so I don’t have to worry about cooking dinner tomorrow as the oven is also broken. Thank you “

— Diamond Joe Quimby (@AngelGodiva) October 29, 2021

“Nah sis, just go ahead and end me. Make sure I don’t see it coming.

Kind regards.”

— The Konata Guy (@NightmareSnake) October 28, 2021

I know enemies to lovers fic when I see it

“Are you really bad the way I was told?”

I mean there has to be a reason why a warning email was sent first, right? Khalifa could’ve just gone for the kill but they’ve had a change of heart. Do they have to kill again? They’re probably tired of it. The endless violence. The bloodshed.

But there’s something they see in you, something that urges them to reach toward you.

I can change her. https://t.co/HKSb4HjQYO

— Yours Truly, Commander Shepard (@YTCShepard) October 29, 2021

It’s not a scam.

It’s love.

Enemies to lovers, 150k, assassination attempts, pinning, slow burn

— OlliePoppy (@OlliePopke) October 28, 2021

Assassin fic is not typically my jam but the scammers are def just pulling from AO3 now https://t.co/0SFaCyo6NQ

— Con-EEK! (@ConStar24) October 29, 2021

Ok who’s been feeding the scam bots Ao3 fic plots https://t.co/wrSQsdl8l2

— Edgar Allan Bitch (Saf) – Radioactively Ghost Pale (@edgar_a_bitch) October 28, 2021

Of course, having this change of heart comes at a price.

This kind of sounds like the start of a fantasy romance book
They send you a email, you two start talking. And they can’t help but fall in love with you, cuz there is something special about you…You two have crazy adventures and they try to keep you safe from the assassin guild

— Ataucei (@ataucei) October 28, 2021

As long as we can bring my wife and find a good home for our cats, I’m game.

Just link me to your hefty assassin bank account, first. It’s not a scam, I promise.

(Image: Focus Features)

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The post “An Amount Has Been Paid to Assassinate You,” Says Scam Email That Reads Like an Enemies to Lovers Fanfic first appeared on The Mary Sue.

https://www.themarysue.com/new-house-of-gucci-trailer/

Growing up with an Italian mother meant that things like House of Gucci really get me excited about my Sicilian roots. In a new trailer detailing the downfall of the Gucci family and the murder of Maurizio Gucci by his ex-wife, Patrizia Reggiani, we get to see more of this cast of Academy Award winners and nominees shine. Honestly, Lady Gaga as Patrizia Reggiani is something I probably would have dreamt for as a kid, and lucky me, Ridley Scott just gave it to me with no questions asked.

The Gucci family is a story of wealth, power, greed, and deceit that culminates in the death of Maurizio Gucci after the family tried to change with the times while still remaining true to themselves. It is an over-the-top story that is a real thing that happened in our fashion history, and the trailer for Ridley Scott’s look into their family looks just as dramatic.

Twitter loves to laugh and praise

Twitter is mixed between praising Lady Gaga and making fun of the Italian accents in the trailer and I bravely say that both reactions are correct.

Just got to watch the new #HouseOfGucci trailer coming out tomorrow and all I have to say is…

Ms. @ladygaga has another Oscar nomination coming her way.

— Alex Goldschmidt (@alexandergold) October 27, 2021

House of gucci is italian dune

— Natalie Walker (@nwalks) October 28, 2021

house of gucci boldly asks: what if a miniseries was a movie

— stasis baby (@HarronWawker) October 28, 2021

The new #HouseOfGucci trailer!!!! pic.twitter.com/ZjEsIkSiIv

— Sara Clements (@mildredsfierce) October 28, 2021

Jared Leto in House of Gucci pic.twitter.com/54NBn1PZTs

— hannah strong (@thethirdhan) October 28, 2021

The “House of Gucci” trailer is making me long for the subtle Italian acting of Waluigi.

— Louis Virtel (@louisvirtel) October 28, 2021

This Thanksgiving, we can spend time with our family but also spend time with our Italian family and dive into the murderous history of the Gucci empire. Because I personally can’t wait to try to dress up like Lady Gaga in this movie for a Comic-Con next year. I feel like that’s what my life has been leading to.

(image: MGM)

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 —The Mary Sue has a strict comment policy that forbids, but is not limited to, personal insults toward anyone, hate speech, and trolling.—

The post New House of Gucci Trailer Shows the Downfall of Gucci first appeared on The Mary Sue.

https://www.themarysue.com/facebook-rebrands-itself-as-meta/

It’s been a disastrous month for social mega giant Facebook, as whistleblower Frances Haugen leaked documents to the Wall Street Journal, resulting in a series of bombshell exposés about the company. Haugen shared that Facebook’s chief drivers were creating anger and sowing division among its users, and that those in charge stoked online vitriol for clicks and engagement.

In adding to making the world less safe, Facebook and Instagram were found to cause and exacerbate anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues, especially in teenage girls. The company is well aware of these issues, and is committed to doing nothing to stop them.

In light of all this horrific press, one would think that Facebook would implement new policies or change their algorithms, but founder Mark Zuckerberg is not doing either of those things. Instead, he’s pivoting to a new company name: Meta. In a video announcement, Zuckerberg said, “It is time for us to adopt a new company brand to encompass everything that we do, … From now on, we’re going to be metaverse first, not Facebook first.”

Zuckerberg continued, “Building our social media apps will always be an important focus for us. But right now, our brand is so tightly linked to one product that it can’t possibly represent everything that we’re doing today, let alone in the future.”

Okay but … what exactly is it? Zuckerberg demonstrated a variety of VR and AR applications, where your avatar can do … things! With products and tech made by Facebook Meta! What exactly those things are and how one would use them remain deeply ensconced in Silicon Valley vague-speak. The main thing that Zuck referenced was enhanced safety and privacy features, which is a dead giveaway that they’ll be selling off our data to the highest bidder. Very normal, cool stuff!

Great work, everyone.

(via NPR, image: screencap)

• Sony is now using the PlayStation PC label for its PC games. (via The Verge)
• A Boston surgeon is being fined for leaving the operating room to eat lunch in his car, where he fell asleep and slept through the procedure. (via The Boston Globe)
• Denis Villeneuve always envisioned Dune as a trilogy, says there will be no director’s cut of part one. (via The Playlist)

Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele star as the hellishly funny demons of a teen named Kat in Wendell & Wild:

• Benedict Cumberbatch talks taking over for Iron Man as Spider-Man’s mentor in No Way Home. (via comicbook.com)
• How B.J. Novak became a stock photo superstar. (via NY Times)
• Here’s a look at systemic inequality in fictional magical academies. (viaTor)

Only 57 shopping days ’til Christmas!

Hope you’re having a kickass Thursday, Mary Suevians!

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—The Mary Sue has a strict comment policy that forbids, but is not limited to, personal insults toward anyone, hate speech, and trolling.—

The post Things We Saw Today: Facebook Ignores Problems, Rebrands Itself as “Meta” first appeared on The Mary Sue.

http://nerdywithchildren.com/best-science-books-for-kids-by-age/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=best-science-books-for-kids-by-age

From elementary to high school, we found the best science books for kids to help inspire them.

Science and reading go together like quarks and gluons. Every scientist I know is a serious reader, and a lot of them became scientists because of something they read. The books on this list are great ways to ignite a lifelong interest in STEM, no matter what year of school your kid is in. As always, the age categories here are rough guidelines. Nothing bad will happen if your middle school aged kid reads a book on the elementary school list.

Elementary School

Basher Science Series

Illustrator Simon Basher and a variety of co-authors have created a series of science books that are adorable and create excitement about science. My daughter read the Dinosaurs: The Bare Bones book so many times our copy went extinct. Basher’s kawaii-style illustrations get into some pretty obscure scientific territory at times. I don’t recall ever seeing a drawing of an alpha particle in any of the books about science I read as a kid, much less one where the alpha particle is personified as a standoffish kawaii guy surrounded by a wall of paper. Mr. Basher is a hard worker—he’s illustrated about 50 books, including books on fascinating non-science topics like grammar and punctuation.

Fun with Nature

Every naturalist starts by learning about the nature of their own neighborhood. This is a terrific book for young people who are just starting to explore the natural world. There are sections about insects, reptiles, amphibians, trees and mammals living in American suburbs and rural areas. The book explains what each critter looks like, what they eat, how to identify their poop, and other facts that your elementary school student will be happy to share with anyone within the sound of their voice. In the tree section, the book explains how to identify and take care of different kinds of trees, as well as what their seeds look like. Each section has cool projects to do, including how to make a chipmunk swimming pool, which is something I didn’t know chipmunks would be interested in. The book has lots of scrapbook pages, so your kid can start their own collection of interesting leaves, eggshells, sticks, lichen, and other samples, and maybe not leave their nature collections hither and yon like a certain kid that I know. This book is part of a series of Take Along Guides, including books on Birds, Nests, and Eggs and Wildflowers, Blooms, and Blossoms. 

First Human Body Encyclopedia (DK First Reference)

If you and your kids want to learn the basics about anything, I don’t think you can go wrong with DK’s reference books. The ones I’ve seen have all been great, and the First Human Body Encyclopedia is no exception. Each two page spread covers a different topic, like How Muscles Work, or Inside the Intestines, and provides a thoughtfully designed combination of pictures and text that sheds light on both the inside and outside of the human body. There’s also sections on important processes like healing, aging, and the ever-popular topic of where babies come from.

Middle School

Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World

This colorful book has one-page biographies of 50 scientists, starting with Hypatia of Alexandria. The capsule biographies describe what each woman did, why it’s important today and outline some of the obstacles they faced. It gets across how careers in science can start, which is a good subject for middle school students who may have trouble finding their entry point into science. Many institutions in STEM still aren’t friendly to girls and women—the stories in this book might give your daughter the inspiration she needs to keep her interest in science alive during tough times. The book rounds out with a timeline and information about lab equipment.

How Stuff Works

The How Stuff Works book is an offshoot of the excellent Howstuffworks.com website. This book explains (surprise) how items and systems that your kids use every day work. Knowing how something works, like, say, a virus, is empowering and interesting for its own sake. Let me get up on my soapbox for a second here: People are afraid of what they don’t understand, and people who don’t understand what’s going on around them are afraid all the time. That’s no way to live. You can’t make it so your kids are happy, but you can pass along a foundational knowledge of how the stuff around them works. Combine this knowledge with an understanding that expertise is real, and that it’s possible for them to gain expertise, and you’ll have given your kids an adamantium/vibranium alloy shield against people who would take advantage of them. 

The Way of the Hive

The Way of the Hive, formerly published as Clan Apis, is the only graphic novel on this list, but it earned the spot. It tells a great story about Nyuki, a young bee learning how to be a bee. Nyuki and her friends are philosophical bees, and Jay Hosler’s imagining of bee beliefs is very cool. He also drops a lot of science about bees, and does it so subtly that the reader won’t know how much science has been dropped on them until much later. The art is very much in the same tradition as Jeff Smith’s Bone (in our article on Best Graphic Novels for Kids). Jay Hosler has made a couple of other science-themed graphic novels: Evolution: The Story of Life on Earth, Last of the Sandwalkers, and Optical Allusions, starring Wrinkles the Wonder Brain!

High School

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

William Kamkwamba is a young engineer who grew up in rural Malawi, where starvation was never far away. Kamkwamba writes with real urgency about waiting for the corn crop to be ready so that he and his family could eat. Despite these grim conditions, he did have a couple of resources available that changed the course of his life: abandoned farms full of abandoned farm equipment and a library supported by the US Agency for International Development. Guided by books he checked out from the library, Kamkwamba scavenged old farm machine parts and used them to build a wind turbine that provided his family with electricity for the first time. William Kamkwamba is the best example that I can think of what an engineer can and should be: someone who uses the forces of nature to solve problems. His story has also inspired a young readers edition, a documentary, a picture book and a movie.

The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe

This giant coffee table book introduces readers to the building blocks of all that is. This book got its start when author Theodore “Theo” Gray built a table based on the periodic table of the elements, which is a fascinating project in its own right. Each element in the book has a two-page spread, which features how they were discovered, what kinds of items they are in and where they fit in human history. Each visible element is pictured in great photos, and the invisible ones like Flerovium (or Ununquadium) are represented by the logos of the research institutions where they were discovered. The book is a tribute to the elegance and explanatory power of the periodic table. The Elements is part of a trilogy, which continues with Molecules: The Elements and Architecture of Everything and Reactions: An Illustrated Exploration of Elements, Molecules and Change in the Universe.

The post Best Science Books for Kids by Age appeared first on Nerdy With Children.