Tuesday, November 26, 2019

News: The Strange Liberal Backlash Against Woke Culture


https://newrepublic.com/article/155681/strange-liberal-backlash-woke-culture?utm_source=digg





Learned a new word: cynosure.  The center of attention.

This piece was well written, with appreciable analysis and examples.

"Or does he only know what academia and elite discourse and social media have taught him"

A good quote.  Will the truth set us free?

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

News: Why do Grackles congregate in parking lots at night

https://www.kut.org/post/why-do-grackles-flock-grocery-store-parking-lots-dusk

So yeah, the shade trees give them room to sleep in groups, and the open space helps them escape if predators show up.  The parking lots are ideal grackle habitats.  There's usually some french fry producing restaurant nearby, and they love french fries.

News: Kpop's dark side

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2019-11-06/k-pop-s-dark-side-assault-prostitution-suicide-and-spycams

Well the premise of this wasn't a surprise really, a dark underbelly.  There were a few shockers.  The part about targeting young runaways was particularly revolting to me.  If only there were kpop songs about that.  So yes, the contrast between what kpop lyricizes and what actually happens, will it get more stark yet?

But yeah, this article seems pretty well researched, even if it is mostly a compilation of several stories.  Mostly the people who are found guilty resign and the machine rolls on.  There are no signs of reform, really. 

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

News: Soft wheat makes good biscuits

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2018/11/better-biscuits-south-thanksgiving/576526/

the south has soft wheat which is great for making biscuits

other parts of the country have hard wheat and that flour is good for making bread, but not biscuits.  higher gluten content traps co2 which helpd bread rise.

ok, cool!

Sunday, November 3, 2019

News: Filmmaker bared his soul, ruined his life

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/30/magazine/caveh-zahedi-documentary-film.html




In other words, subjecting reality to art doesn’t make it less real or less true. It makes it more real and more true.

That’s the goal of art, she said, her voice catching a little: to tell other people what it feels like to be alive.

“The central trope of all my films, I think, is: ‘You want this. You don’t get it. The thing you get instead is better,’ ” he said. “And that’s the central trope of life.”

Those are few quotes from the story.  Well, it is an advertisement.  I might watch some of his films, maybe even the show, called The Show About the Show.  Maybe.

 Or maybe not.  I might just think about this character, who seems to have traded his success as a filmmaker in for his success as a person.  I mean, being a good filmmaker has destroyed several of his relationships.  So, that might mean he is a bad filmmaker.  I don't know.

But yes, it is thought provoking.  I'm curious to see if he kills himself when the show ends, as he says.  I'd like to hear more from his students.  I'd like to hear more about the author of this piece, so we can measure their objectivity.  

News: Los Angeles fires

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-50212582

Some power lines went down and parts of the city burned.

My friends are ok, though.

News: Why America isn't equipped for the new rules of war

https://www.technologyreview.com/s/614570/america-isnt-equipped-for-shadow-war-disinformation-sean-mcfate/

This article is insane.  This guy is pushing for us to break all kinds of laws, the spirit and the letter, to colonize other countries.

Other people are using troops without insignia, why don't we? Is this the monkey and the bridge.

He has some points, unpreparedness, etc.  I'm more interested in defense, not just blowing shit up.  But he also says he has a lot of leadership in the military behind his ideas.  That sounds l ike a coup.

News: Canada sleepwalks into the future

https://www.politico.com/news/2019/10/21/canada-election-political-challenges-052249

This article makes notice of a few interesting things.  Canada caught between China and the USA, not too much difference in the candidates, no real debate.

Maybe Canada is doing the smart thing, not making any waves, biding its time until a real decision has to be made.  Or maybe there needs to be systemic change, real debate, real participation.  Neither of these things are considered by this article, so hell, whatever

It was at least a bit thought provoking in its vapidity.



News: NBA faces substantial loss over China dispute

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-50091931

So some guy tweeted something, he worked for an NBA team, then the whole team got blocked or unsponsored or whatever.

Free speech and free hong kong, its gonna cost ya.

Lotta drama.  This was interesting, but also this is the kind of stuff that makes me not want to read the news.  None of the people actually making decisions have any input.  Let's hear what they have to say, let's understand them.  Instead they are veiled behind their nations, their businesses, their own stories.  I want their story to be shared. Or else, let's not read about it.

News: Acidic paper is destroying books

https://lithub.com/the-little-known-slow-fire-thats-destroying-all-our-books/
turns out that old weathered look is a book on its last legs

lotta books out there like this

this is the age of the printed word, and most of it will destroy itself

this message will self destruct in ten seconds


News: Modern-type depression

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2019/10/modern-type-depression-japan/600160/

Well it does smell a bit like racism but ok. 

People get bummed out, stressed out, overwhelmed, and they take a leap of absence.  Sounds normal to me.  Why would you work yourself to death? Should your life not be important.

I know that's not what they said. but it should be about human lives rather than Japanese lives.  There isn't enough context, in my opinion.

But yeah, this seems to be built on an interview with one person.  I need interviews with lots of people.  Full transcripts of each, lets not make any generalizations if we don't have to.

News: Kincade fire moves

https://www.sfgate.com/california-wildfires/article/Kincade-Fire-live-updates-Sonoma-County-Lake-Napa-14571154.php

So, this is out of date.  The fire has been contained.  Thankfully the people I know there are safe, and I hope everyone is safe.


News: Shroud explains why he likes his new streaming platform

https://www.dexerto.com/entertainment/shroud-explains-why-he-already-likes-mixer-more-than-twitch-1186809

Basically all the trolls stayed at twitch, and only the fans followed him to the new place.

The quality of the community is good for now, but could go downhill as people move over and the population grows.  Just have to wait and see.

Blog: Best Modern Open Source Code Editors for Linux

https://itsfoss.com/best-modern-open-source-code-editors-for-linux/

Well I read this a while ago and can't remember much, except that I want to check this list again to see what I want to install.  Probably the one they call their favorite, I think it was the third one down.

News: My secret life as an underage massage therapist

https://narratively.com/my-secret-life-as-an-underage-massage-therpaist/

Well, it is kind of what you would expect.  Except that her parents argue, they need money, she works when she is yonug.

Some people are creeps.

She ends up getting burned out.

Then she gets a job as preschool teacher.