2023-02-18
Readings
A drug that may cure (or at least reduce expression of) Autism, in pill form: https://scitechdaily.com/a-drug-that-cures-autism-neuroscience-study-yields-promising-results/
Musical notation, fonts, and the origin of some things that have become symbols:
Some forms of microlasering are difficult in real-world circumstances because of random stuff in the air; a more durable system was discovered for laser droplets (which is a topic I’m new to, still learning about it): https://phys.org/news/2023-02-liquid-laser-robust-air-tunable.html
Dangers discovered in contrast fluids used in some kinds of MRI imaging: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-02-nanoparticles-rare-earth-metal-mri.html
I don’t know how much we should actually worry about the stated effects of this (declining fertility in both genders and testosterone in men), but it suggests we should be concerned that we generally haven’t tested chemical exposure enough before accepting new practices/products:
I see the development of “ethical use licensing” as negative, even when tied to generally opensource projects; it’s unfortunate to see this stuff being tied to AI development as in here: https://techxplore.com/news/2023-02-ethical-artificial-intelligence-hindering-advancement.html
Thoughts
Video attached here; it reminds me of how easy it is to waste money as part of a company (or a project of any kind), and how it’s hard to understand that from the outside and attach inappropriate expectations (particularly as a donor). I don’t entirely sympathise with the “Minecraft Online” server operators here; they clearly have management issues. But I think SalC1 may not get how common these difficulties are, and how hard it is for a non-sustained purpose-directed donation to be used well.
I’ve been annoyed by signs that say things of the sort “by doing X, you agree to Y”, not always by the specifics of X and Y, but rather by the content. It doesn’t seem the sort of thing that really constitutes an agreement, it’s too easy for someone to not notice the sign (or perhaps not speak the language), and there’s an asymmetry exposed by imagining someone wearing a T-shirt saying “by admitting me you waive all your contract-by-sight designs on me”.
Current Events
Ukraine - Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues to create a disaster in slow motion. Right now Ukraine is preparing to deploy some new weapons, while Russia is glacially advancing at great cost in eastern provinces. Nederlands expelled some Russian diplomats.
Nicola Sturgeon, first minister of Scotland, indicated she will step down shortly
Bangaladesh’s presidential election hit a short-circuit provision, with Chippu being the only candidate to actually get a nomination; this has been the way things work there for the last 22 years, with his political party, the Awami League, having held the majority of parliament for about the last 15 years
Further high-altitude devices have been shot down over the Americas since the well known US and South American events, most recently one in Yukon, Canada
China and the Philippines are clashing over naval boundaries, significantly because China is not fully committed to international treaties on the topic
Reviewlets
Tam Sang Thai Kitchen (NYC Restaurant) - One of my favourite Thai restaurants in the city, particularly for their dumplings and their red curry dishes.
JBL Clip 4 (wireless waterproof bluetooth speaker) - I bought this to listen to the news (or music, or whatever) in the shower, and so far it’s doing a great job. Easy to charge, has a giant clip to attach itself to my shower rack, and as of yet it hasn’t had issues with getting rained on. Reasonable sound quality too.
Excession (scifi novel, culture series) - I had to order a physical copy of this as it’s not available electronically; it’s the first in the series to glance north and south along history. And it is full of interesting ideas - ships contemplating other forevers - that could easily be full novels by other authors. I’m enjoying it immensely
Returnal (video game) - A tough, weird first-person sci-fi shooter, it’s an amusing diversion. Often unfair, it’s the sort of game that trains you not to mind that so much
Amusements
The MTA put out a compilation of sounds from the NYC subway:
Since giving my puppy to one of my sisters, I’ve been watching a lot of Samoyed videos on the internet again; some of them have surprisingly high production values (despite usually being very silly). I’m guessing there’s a very devoted niche audience there.
Admiring how well Robin Williams did standup comedy:
Recent Music
Dumb Ways to Die - Tangerine Kitty - This initially got its fame by being featured in a public safety video (maybe in Australia?). Dark humour and easy listening cheery music are too-rare a combination
People are Vomit - The Used - A good song, but not produced very well. High-energy, but the recordings I can find are not as exuberant as the song deserves. Figuring out why is a fascinating puzzle
A Smile To Make You Weaker at the Knees - You Me At Six - A solid song, with a lot of little stylings that make it a lot better than the melody would have it be. The stylings range from vocal things to bold pauses and variance between repeat sections; this is the musical equivalent of a general that’s much better at tactics than strategy
I Watch My Life on TV - Beborn Beton - They’ve done a lot of music I like and this feels like their entire back catalogue, gently stirred together. Pleasant, nothing particularly new