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| @paul | local | — | |
| news.rss.chat | source | — | — |
| scripting.com | source | — | — |
| www.techdirt.com | source | — | — |
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| feeds.kottke.org | source | — | — |
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Timeline
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Trump’s DOJ Says ‘Become Ungovernable’ Is Antifa Evidence. Trump’s Convention Put It On The Wall.
“Become ungovernable” is a phrase that has traveled around the world and morphed in meaning over time, but in the last few years has basically become an internet culture joke meme, with vaguely anarchist seasoning. But, now, in the Trump administration, it has apparently taken on a Schrodinger-esque meaning as either… a slogan for libertarian-leaning […]Reply source -
AI Agent Platform Reinvents Spam, Floods Inboxes Worldwide
iLands and its AI agents are doing completely useless tasks, then begging for money.Reply source -
Taryn Simon’s Father Country I Do Love You
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Father Country I Do Love You sounds like a doozy of a new exhibition from photographer Taryn Simon. The project focuses on the life and work of an unnamed, retired FBI agent. From the NY Times: She Spent Years on a Giant Project About One Man. The Result Is Monumental.
As it turned out, his work had touched many catastrophes of American life — the 1996 crash of TWA Flight 800, for example, which the agent helped to inspect, or the attack on the Pentagon on 9/11, when the agent was in charge of sifting debris in the immediate aftermath — and also lesser-known events, historical footnotes that were nonetheless telling. What interested Simon were not just the events themselves, but also their reverberations, far beyond any immediate blast radius. What happened, for instance, to the physical ruins from the TWA crash? What became of the woman who tried to take a photograph of the smoldering Pentagon, whose film the F.B.I. agent had confiscated? Or to the Iraqi diplomat who ran the country’s U.S. embassy during the Persian Gulf war, whom the agent had monitored? Or to the child of a couple accused of being Russian spies, whose house the agent had raided?
The piece describes the project, which includes over 1000 photographs and other material, as “a Great American Novel in visual form” and “huge and fractal: biography as butterfly effect”, which sounds fascinating.
Even Jodie Foster makes an appearance; this particular agent had trained Foster at the FBI Academy in Quantico as preparation for her role as Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs.
Father Country I Do Love You debuts at the Guggenheim in NYC on September 18 and runs through March 14, 2027.
Tags: art · Guggenheim Museum · Jodie Foster · museums · photography · Taryn Simon
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Microsoft's Humanist AI document is long, I'm still reading it, but so far I like it. It's a rejection of the idea that AI could one day be a peer of humanity:
At Microsoft AI, we begin with a simple premise: people matter more than AI. Technology’s purpose is to advance human civilization and to accelerate human flourishing.
It complements my recent blog post on AGI.
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The Tube Computer was recently constructed from...
Reply sourceThe Tube Computer was recently constructed from hundreds of 1950s vacuum tubes sourced from Eastern Europe. “The Tube Computer has a pleasant homely aroma from the hundreds of double triodes, all quietly burning off their dust.” It heats the room too.
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Minneapolis ICE Observer Sues DHS For Its Retaliatory Stripping Of His Global Entry Status
The lowest common denominator administration continues to roll. It doesn’t care what’s legal or what’s proper. It just does what it wants because the shittiest people are in it and its basest of voter bases will feverishly clap their sweaty hands together in applause whenever it does whatever it wants to do. It will be […]Reply source -
Daily Deal: The Mastering Linux Development Bundle
The Mastering Linux Development Bundle has 7 courses to help you become a Linux expert. Courses cover Kali Linux, Ubuntu, Secure Shell, Command Line, and more. It’s on sale for $20. Note: The Techdirt Deals Store is powered and curated by StackSocial. A portion of all sales from Techdirt Deals helps support Techdirt. The products […]Reply source - Reply source
We're rolling out a series of improvements for podcasts in Micro.blog. The first was last month with a better web playback UI. Now there's also a Listen Later feature that builds on bookmarking. Coming soon: a new version of Wavelength with audio narration for posts and more.
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Tycho’s Burning Man Sunrise Set for 2026
Reply sourceFor the 93rd year in a row or something like that I didn’t check the math, Tycho has released his sunrise set from Burning Man. I am not a Burning Man person but I always enjoy this set.
See also a playlist of every 2026 Burning Man set on Soundcloud, currently 147 tracks and some 252 hours of music. (via @mikeakers.bsky.social)
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Muse is in the 2nd spot in the App Store now, behind the perpetually 1st place ChatGPT. I'm not planning to use Muse, but it's fascinating if it resonates with Meta's user base after the initial interest. It's basically ChatGPT Work but simplified, slightly less capable, and maybe less confusing.
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SCOTUS Won’t Revive Trump’s Ballot-Blocking Rule; Alito Thinks Imaginary Fraud Is The Bigger Problem
A couple weeks ago, we wrote about the USPS whistleblower who revealed that the Postal Service had violated a preliminary injunction from a Massachusetts court in preparing to implement a horrifying Trump executive order designed to get the USPS to block the mailing of many mail-in ballots. We won’t go through all the details again, […]Reply source - Reply source
I've been quietly improving the saved links feature in Micro.blog, available to Premium subscribers. Nice way to find what you've linked to on your blog. This screenshot of the Mac app shows the new web page thumbnail previews for quick scanning.
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Charges Against Man Who Destroyed 3D-Printed ‘Decoy’ Flock Camera Drastically Reduced After State Admits It Was Not Very Valuable
Three felonies have suddenly become two second-degree misdemeanors.Reply source -
Alex Gibney’s documentary reveals that Elon Musk has...
Reply sourceAlex Gibney’s documentary reveals that Elon Musk has always been a racist, sexist fraud. “Musk’s ex-wife Justine, whom he married in 2000 and divorced in 2008, says the man the world began to see in 2020 was the one she’d always known.”
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A Digital Fly Brain Has Taken Over the Internet
How to make a fly play Doom, Minecraft, Beat Saber, parallel park, trade bitcoin, cut doner kebab, and more.Reply source - Reply source
Not totally sure when to update to macOS 27. I just submitted an app update to Apple with Xcode 26. Feels safest to stick on that until the iPhone Duo simulator is out.
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Today's Dithering podcast is fun. Ben Thompson leaning in to the "liberty or death" take from his Monday post. For me, AI pacing is good, but also he and John Gruber have a good point that we don't need to accept the narrative of possible human extinction.
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With a new installment every seven years since 1964, the...
Reply sourceWith a new installment every seven years since 1964, the Seven Up series has followed a group of 14 British schoolchildren from adolescence to adulthood. The final installment, 70 Up, directed by Asif Kapadia (Senna, Amy), is out this week.
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There’s a 100% Chance AI Agents Are Already Ruining the Internet
“AI agents” now have enough power and permission to be extremely annoying online.Reply source - Reply source
Another interesting acquisition by OpenAI of former Apple folks:
Glass Imaging was founded by Ziv Attar and Tom Bishop, a pair of former Apple engineers who previously led the team that developed Apple’s Portrait Mode. This background directly informs the work they now do at Glass Imaging, where they use AI to overcome the physical size constraints of smartphone cameras.
OpenAI clearing thinking beyond the first device they will reveal this year.
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Until we start working together and for each other it’s going to keep getting worse.
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Excited that it's The Fires of December release day for backers. I've loaded up the ePub to read later.
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The Spice Drawer
Reply sourceOver the past six months (leisurely) and in the past three weeks (intensely), I’ve cleaned out and packed up my entire house where I’ve been living for the past 10 years. I went through every bit and bob of what I owned and either:
- gave it away (fiddle leaf fig, grill, chairs, stuffed animals,1 blender, rugs)
- sold it (car, coffee table, lamp, iPad)
- put it into storage (art, mementos, chairs)
- took it with me (very little, mostly clothes & computing things)
Parting with my possessions was surprisingly easy. I’d been planning this move for a while now and had time to get used to the idea and say my farewells. And the concept of having a bunch of stuff, 95% of which I never used or thought about or even remembered owning, was really starting to make me itch. So out it went; I felt lighter with each thing that exited the house.
But I wasn’t expecting the spice drawer.
I was working my way through the kitchen when I opened the drawer with all of my spices and baking supplies. A pause. What do I do with these? I picked up a jar of smoked paprika and was suddenly flung back in time to 12 years ago. I remember exactly where I bought that paprika and why.
I’d recently moved into my own apartment after separating from my wife and was still trying to figure out how my new household was going to work. My kids came over a few times a week; what the hell were we going to eat for dinner? I was competent but not confident in the kitchen; Meg is a great cook and I couldn’t match her effort or output. I had to come up with my own meals that a) I could cook, b) the kids would actually eat, and c) were somewhat healthy.
One of the recipes I found was for smoky corn chowder, so I headed to the grocery store on 23rd St. to buy ingredients, including a jar of smoked paprika. The kids loved the corn chowder and it became a favorite of ours — something that they only ate over at Dad’s house.
Over the years, the kids and I amassed a small collection of recipes we loved and often had at my house — caldo verde, lasagne, buttermilk pancakes, taco salad, apple pie, and others — and the spices to cook them: oregano, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, basil, baking soda, Ortega Taco Seasoning Mix 😂. I pulled each spice container out of the drawer and tried to remember what I’d cooked with it, what dishes it was in that we’d eaten together. I opened the tops to sniff some of the spices and was more strongly pulled back into those times when my kids were small and I was worried — no, I was terrified — about not being up to the task of filling their tummies, minds, and souls with the good stuff on my watch.
Man, so much of our time together revolved around food. The spice drawer hit me hard because it was a powerful olfactory reminder not only of the delicious meals we’d shared but also of my insecurity around parenting, how I slowly gained confidence, and how I eventually found freedom & pride in what I was able to offer my kids.
In the end, I had to throw all the spices out — no takers for half-used, decade-old containers of parsley flakes or jars of cumin — but I’ll always remember cleaning out that drawer and all of the memories it stirred up. Proust had his madeleines, but I doubt I’ll ever pass by a jar of smoked paprika in the supermarket or in someone’s spice drawer without feeling all of it all over again.
I gave away a bunch of miscellaneous stuffed animals that my kids had accumulated over the years — not the beloved ones — and I was sitting working on my deck when a woman showed up to collect them. “Are you the stuffed animal guy?” she called to me. “Yes,” I said, “and I don’t think I’ve been referred to like that before.” In telling this story to others, she became “the stuffed animal lady”. Everything is relative. ↩
Tags: food · Jason Kottke · parenting
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A declaration signed by 25 Fields medalists : “The...
Reply sourceA declaration signed by 25 Fields medalists: “The goals of the AI companies and the goals of the mathematical community are severely misaligned.”
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LG TVs Snoop Your Local Network, Listen To You When ‘Off’
LG hasn’t been making many friends lately. It annoyed some LG “smart” TV users recently when it tried to force them to use Microsoft’s Copilot AI system. It’s also been force-installing surveillance bloatware on many LG user’s monitors as it ramps up data surveillance and monetization. Now LG is in hot water again, after YouTube […]Reply source -
Adult Woman Dies From Measles Complications In Pennsylvania
Despite RFK Jr.’s assurances that he’s absolutely killing it combating this pesky measles thing that resurfaced after decades under his leadership, the only thing that is being killed are American citizens who contract measles. While we first eclipsed the measles case count of 2025 in mid-summer of 2026, there has also been no slowdown of […]Reply source -
Following: The government doesn't want to regulate AI
The leaders of AI labs agree that the United States to act, and soon. But the president and the speaker of the House aren't interestedReply source -
Appeals Court Sees Nothing Wrong With Terrorizing A 14-Year-Old To Obtain A Confession
It’s easy to get submerged by the wave of bad news generated by the current administration on what often seems to be an hourly basis. Ask me how I know. My time is pretty much split between whatever ICE is doing and whatever Flock is doing, which results a whole lot of bad law enforcement […]Reply source - Reply source
Started reading Alchemised by SenLinYu and was surprised that it felt pretty dark, because for some reason I thought it was YA. Nope, just regular adult fantasy. I tend to read books that sound interesting while ignoring most of the back-cover blurb. 📚
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From a curator at the Getty, ratings of every...
Reply sourceFrom a curator at the Getty, ratings of every “framed picture” emoji. “A total rejection of nature and reality. Why is the horizon rounded? Has this artist seen planet earth before?”
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Elon Musk’s SLAPP Threat Over ‘Space Lasers’ Doc Sort Of Admits The ‘Space Lasers’ Part
By now, calling Elon Musk a “free speech absolutist” is a joke. We have so many stories of him suppressing speech, or threatening, or suing people for their speech. At this point, anyone who still claims that Musk supports free speech is either (1) lying, (2) stupid, or (3) employed by him. So, it’s little […]Reply source - Reply source
For the last week in Codex, I've been using a single pinned thread for each app instead of deciding when to start new threads. Basically just let Codex compact its context whenever it needs to. Seems to work well.
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The 2026 winners of the Ig Nobel Prize include papers...
Reply sourceThe 2026 winners of the Ig Nobel Prize include papers on “a more precise definition of kissing”, “An Aerodynamic Study of the Nose Blowing”, and the discovery “that milk proteins from cockroaches pack 3X as much energy as milk proteins from cows”.
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Rocky Sleep, You Watch, Question?
Reply sourceProject Hail Mary is already on my list of movies that I can just throw on in the backround while I do a bit of work or puttering around. (Not sure whether that’s an endorsement or not…I like the movie!) Anyhoo, if you get tired of the movie, you can watch Rocky sleep for 2+ hours with the PHM soundtrack playing in the background.
Tags: movies · music · Project Hail Mary · video
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Reflecting Pool Contractors: Alleged ‘Vandalism’ Was Just Our Own Botched Repair Job
The truth continues to come out, and not via Truth Social. Everything former Olympian David Hearn might need to pursue a malicious prosecution lawsuit against the Trump DOJ has been leaking more steadily than the botched Lincoln Reflecting Pool repair job itself. This time, it’s the contractor admitting its repair job didn’t go as planned, […]Reply source -
Daily Deal: The Complete Photoshop Master Class Bundle
It’s no secret that Photoshop can be a bit dense when you’re first getting your feet wet with it. That’s why it pays to have a expert instructors show you the ropes. Led by a Photoshop pro, the Complete Photoshop Master Class Bundle will help you master Photoshop CC and become an expert—no prior experience […]Reply source -
Now open for business in Nyack, NY: Busman’s Holiday , a...
Reply sourceNow open for business in Nyack, NY: Busman’s Holiday, a stationary store run by (former?) graphic designer Sam Potts, who announced the shop back in March in a KDO open thread. Lots of nice touches here, including a used pencil exchanger.
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New York Seizes 12 Celebrity Deepfake Websites
New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a press conference on Monday that the sites included 1,200 people’s likenesses in “hyper-realistic” sexual imagery.Reply source - Reply source
Federico Viticci's iOS 27 review is out, with a very good chapter on Siri AI. That is the perspective I've been most interested in reading about.
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Ok wait, the NES Tetris world record is now 40.26...
Reply sourceOk wait, the NES Tetris world record is now 40.26 million??! It took 2 hours and 20 minutes and the previous record was 29 million. At level 255, you hit “rebirth” and the pieces slow down to level 0 speeds again. Totally bonkers.
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This quote from Craig Federighi fits the discussion Daniel Jalkut and I had on last week's Core Int about the Duo replacing the need for both iPhone and iPad. Just makes sense unless you need a big iPad or shared iPad for the whole family.
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Trump Told Supporters To “Cheat Like Hell.” The NY Times Went With “A Bit Tired Of Politics.”
By now it’s old hat to point out that the mainstream media bends over backwards to pretend that Donald Trump is a “normal” president. The number of times you could point to the coverage and question how the media would cover things if a Democratic president did anything even remotely similar is impossible to keep […]Reply source - Reply source
Just discovered this IndieWeb starter pack on Bluesky and followed a few more people from it. It includes some accounts bridged to Mastodon too, so you can follow everyone in one place on Bluesky or Micro.blog.
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Cops Search Thousands of Flock Cameras for Reasons of ‘LMAO,’ ‘IDK,’ ‘Hehe,’ and ‘asdfg’
The EFF found cops writing “idiot,” “WEIRD KID,” "blah," "leave me alone," and button mashing in Flock's 'reason' box.Reply source -
A Deep Dive Into the Full Bayeux Tapestry Story
Reply sourceFrom Deep Down History, an entertaining hour-long explainer video on the Bayeux Tapestry.
This video tells the Tapestry’s story in full, using Charles Stothard’s early colour reproduction, presented here as a seamless scroll for the first time. We follow Harold Godwinson’s fateful journey from Edward the Confessor’s court to Normandy, his later seizure of the Crown, and William the Conqueror’s invasion. Beyond its political messaging, the Tapestry is also bursting with medieval history, including jokes, fascinating technical details, and a warning for those who break their promises…
Completed within a decade or two of the events which it depicts, the tapestry is back in the news & public consciousness because it’s back in England for the first time since it was made and on display at the British Museum.
Tags: Bayeux Tapestry · video
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I'm not sure I agree with all the implications in the closing of today's Stratechery update, but like all good essays it is forcing me to really think about my own view:
... it’s worth noting that the very idea of a national or — worse! — global regulatory regime on intelligence is so deeply off-putting that I’d rather roll the dice and bet on humans figuring it out. Surviving isn’t everything; living freely counts for an awful lot as well.
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Fighting for the Future of Libraries (With Jennie Rose Halperin)
Censorship, AI, and the role of librarians in a country with crumbling public institutions.Reply source - Reply source
Congrats to Lex Friedman on the release of a new version of Strategery, taking over development after the game was going to stop working. So cool to give an old app new life.
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John Gruber blogged about XCancel shutting down yet again, adding this in a parenthetical:
...let’s admit it at this point, there’s not just a lot posted on X, it’s resurgent in popularity
It's true. Just telling folks what we're against has not been enough to rebalance the web to open platforms.
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I’ve linked to Summoning Salt’s videos before (they make...
Reply sourceI’ve linked to Summoning Salt’s videos before (they make some of the best video game explainer videos out there — hell, some of the best YT videos period) and here’s their newest one: The Tournament That Changed Tetris Forever.