1984: The Canadian Edition 2026-10-26 My government (Canada) is trying as hard as possible to become an overreaching, surveillance state. This is based off the recent push for Bill C-221, which has already made its way past the House of Commons, and is now set before the Canadian Senate. Bill C-22 gives the government new powers to force digital services—including telecom companies, messaging apps, and more—to help with government surveillance. Worse, it allows Canada’s Minister of Public…

Translated from Japanese into English by Margaret Mitsutani. This is book two in a trilogy that starts with Scattered All Over the Earth. It picks up right where we left off in the first book. The novel is more of the same, so if you didn't like the first book, don't even bother with continuing. I had an amazing reading experience again. Characters from the first book who didn't have their own perspective yet, receive one here. On top of that we get two new characters with their own point of…

The Syriac alphabet is a set of 22 consonants; there are no vowels. It was created in the 1st century CE as an offshoot of cursive Aramaic.Written from right to left, (and occasionally vertically), the vowel sounds were implied by context. In the 8th century, diacritical marks were introduced to represent vowel sounds.There were three variations of the script, one of which, the oldest and classical version called "Estrangela" is shown here. As the oldest version, Estrangela does not usually…

As folks who have visited my blog over the last few years might know, I’ve been analyzing Marvel stories about white supremacy, particularly ones featuring the KKK-inspired supervillains Sons of the Serpent. One of their last appearances was in 2015, and it was inspired by Donald Trump’s first presidential run. For Captain America: Sam Wilson #1-2 (December 2015 – January 2026), scripter Nick Spencer and penciler Daniel Acuña reprise the Sons of the Serpent as “anti-immigrant terrorists.”…

Introduction Adapting Max Porter’s Lanny was always going to be a bit like trying to bottle fog. The novel slips through your fingers the moment you attempt to pin it down; less interested in narrative than atmosphere, less concerned with character than voice, it drifts between gossip, folklore, memory and myth until the village itself begins to feel alive. The challenge facing adaptor Bea Roberts and director Nancy Medina was never simply how to tell the story, but how to recreate the…

9725/21644The penultimate RHLSTP recording tonight and the emotions are heightening. The audience were delighted to see the surprise guests, Jim Howick and Mat Baynton and then James Acaster came on and told us all everything that is going to happen in Traitors this week and who wins. The audience all agreed to keep it secret, but this is the sort of thing you get if you come to the live shows.Ha ha, not really. But he did tell us about some of the funny stuff that happened on the show that…

It’s a touch damp out there today. It’s Monday. everybody’s getting back on X The Everything App. And by “everybody” I mean: Platformer writer and Kevin Roose podcasting bestie Casey Newton, with evident and well-earned shame, because he feels that “it’s important I engage with [the AI crowd], even if doing so makes me feel like I’m coworking inside a Port-a-Potty.” Rusty Foster https://www.todayintabs.com/p/desiring-machines Nope. Hannah Hauxwell (1926-2018) lived alone and maintained a farm…

I went to see a comedy show, and first, the theater it was at now has a rooftop bar. And my friend and I were like yes. The view was amazing, it was a crisp fall day where there's a chill but it's not too chilly and there is something about a rooftop that is so fun. The show was great too. We went to see Atsuko Okatsuka and one of the things I forget about watching a comedy show in person, rather than the taped special, is that you get to hear the laughter move across the crowd. Hear where it…

DRAFT An article on enclosure, grassroots power, and why building commons means learning from both failure and success. Two stories, one struggle – On the Oxford riverbank, live-aboard boaters are caught in a struggle over mooring, access, responsibility and who gets to decide how shared space are used. In the Fediverse grassroots communities face a related struggle over digital space, moderation, ownership and who gets to shape the networks we depend on. At first glance, these look like…

Spooking: Monsters, Mayhem, and MarqueesAnd a Hand-Made Puppet Shall Lead Them --- Do click and enlarge the Beast. He’s a model, so are cars, so’s the street itself … would we have it any other way? Much appeal of Harryhausen was fans figuring they could do what he did at home. That’s how he started after all, in the family garage with a tabletop and stuff bought at the hardware. His was Dreaming the Possible Dream as lots loving his work would. More than a few made films like Ray did, enough…

While leafing through and culling my old notes in Joplin as one does from time to time, I came upon one containing just this link and nothing else. No title, no further commentary: https://www.keiththomsonart.com Once the page loaded, I knew instantly why I’d stashed it. The artwork is so beautiful it deserves a post here all to itself.

Often what’s missing isn’t data. It’s insight. Just as often, what’s missing isn’t good ideas. It’s clarity.

Welcome back to the Gridiron Deep Dive everybody, where we’re doing a bit of a hybrid piece today. Not quite byte sized, but not longform either.If you read last week’s post about Kelly Holcomb and the Browns’ performance in their 2002 wild card playoff game (which I highly recommend. It’s a good one!), you’re bound to have noticed that you heard the name Dennis Northcutt a lot of times.Dennis scythed through the Pittsburgh secondary that day, to the tune of six catches and 92 receiving yards…

Brennan Kenneth Brown: Snow is flat and indifferent. Every morning from my window I see the left-behind stitched seams of a magpie's anisodactyl feet, and the blunt commas of a jackrabbit's paws. And the long, wavering sentence of boot prints walking home late. The afternoon sun melts all of it down to slush, then grass, and by nightfall it is a fresh white page once again. That is the Internet I want. Always being added to, reborn, to remember us briefly and imperfectly. A place to let the…

Entropy Arbitrage Newsletter Social Media Sewing Recipes Mini-Server, Part 37 Clearer Licensing Library Updates Next While I’ve used the day before, I think that Intersex Awareness Day always warrants calling out on a Monday. Specifically, some unknown number of people start their lives with their doctor taking it upon themselves to perform unnecessary surgery if they don’t recognize the shape of a baby’s genitals. Did the doctors choose the right model for the results? Sometimes, but not…

A couple samples and

Early Sunday afternoon at LGM. If today’s election in Serbia offers potential grounds for optimism, Brazil should take care of that. The main thing to add to the first round post is that the first round result was better than expected for Bolsonaro, and we should probably adjust our priors from “tossup, maybe ever so slight lean to Lula” to “Bolsonaro is the clear favorite.” His 2 point victory was a surprise, as Lula was expected to win the first round, with Bolsonaro expected to pick up a…

I’ve been buying CDs from charity shops for a few years now. You find all sorts of hidden treasures, and you’re giving money to a local cause rather than a streaming service. Used cassettes and LPs are fun too, though you have pay close attention to their condition or you’ll get something warped, scratched up, mouldy, or some unfortunate combination of the above. Paying close attention… huh, what a concept. Turns out this does apply to CDs too. I’ve thus far had no issues with scratched discs,…

Here’s a good find. A Bandcamp with three releases from this Stockholm solo-project from the mid-2000s. I can’t say I remember listening to the music from this electro-pop band at the time. There were so many amazing band at the time and sadly so many went under my radar. But I’m making it up as the years go by. Shiney Friend recorded three EPs. The first one is a self-titled from 2003 that included the songs “You’ve Got the Sound”, “City Station”, “The Finest Apples”, “Hundred Kisses” and…

Do you want to use a third-party keyboard for your Mac, or do you want something with Touch ID for all your unlocking and Apple Pay needs? Or can you have both? ~ Link: Finding a Better Keyboard Setup, by Matthew Haughey, A Whole Lotta Nothing

Gidon KremerKremerata BalticaPages of a Biography Gidon Kremer violinGeneva Lewis violinAndrew Pushkarev vibraphone, tubular bellKremerata BalticaPages of a Biography, Passacaglia, Darf ich…recorded January 2024Studio Residence Paliesius, IgnalinaEngineers: Vilius Keras, Aleksandra KerienėKaleidoscope of Lost Timerecorded September 2020at the Reformation Church, RigaRecording engineer: Varis KurmiņšCover: Fidel SclavoExecutive producer: Manfred EicherRelease date: October 30, 2026 Gidon Kremer…

Wise Vengeance’s folk, fed only through hunt, desired other sustenance. But they did not know about other foods not since the ancient First Meal. Their hunt brought them east to where they entered Lady of Rain’s forest realm. They chanced upon folk wandering the woods. All strangers warmly greeted. Lady of Rain’s folk and Wise Vengeance’s sat and spoke with each other. They told of their lives spent with their Children apart from other People. As the day grew long a meal was gathered from all…

I’ve noticed that in recent years, Halloween decorations have grown increasingly macabre. In my neighborhood, at least, grinning Jack o’lanterns and innocuous ghosts are being replaced by ghoulish skeletons (both human and animal,) gravestones, knife-wielding devils, and various other ugly monstrosities. Last year, a house near me put in their yard such a revolting handmade display of chopped-up doll parts covered in unsettlingly realistic-looking fake blood that some neighbors complained…

By Nate TremeHighland Paranormal SocietyOSRLevels 1-2 The valley is a remote region in the shadows of the Dogtooth mountains—colloquially ‘the Dogteeth.’ While the Dogtooth Outpost is a relatively new settlement, some older civilizations’ ruins are scattered about the region. The Outpost is intended as a starting point players venture out from. Perhaps they are locals, passing travelers, or recent arrivals seeking work. They could have been sent to investigate the graverobbing or put a stop to…

More pub explorations in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne as I set about using the Metro to visit a few areas of the city either side of the river. My day began with grey skies and showers as I wandered from my hotel to Wetherspoon's The Mile Castle. By the time I emerged 45-minutes later there was blue sky and sunshine. Everything is better after a couple of Lavazza coffee refills and a Spoons breakfast. I purchased a £7.50 Day Saver ticket from the machine in the Metro station and set out to make the most…

The New York Yankees have broken baseball analytics with the promotion of designated hitter Homer Nunn, a player who has never recorded a hit, drawn a walk, or safely touched first base in his entire professional career.Nunn strikes out in one hundred percent of his plate appearances. His career batting average is .000, his on-base percentage is .000, and his WAR is somehow 12.4. He achieves this through a singular talent: fouling off fifty consecutive pitches before striking out looking on…

It’s no secret that the Hollywood Comet loves musicals. In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is … Continue reading →

WHAT’S IN THIS ISSUE FREE Webinar:T1D and ADMITTED to the HOSPITAL with Dr. Irl Hirsch, 10/28/26 EASD 2026: New Pumps, Less Bolusing and Sensors Beyond Glucose Whose Data Is It Anyway? Dexcom, Abbott and CGM Data Rights New Survey Explores Diabetes-Related Nerve Damage and Treatments CGM Data Could Reveal More Than Glucose Levels?

I’ve probably mentioned this issue before, but in September 2025 I came across the perfect illustration of it, so here we go: That’s an 1860 commercial building designed by John Kellum, one of New York’s better mid-1800s architects. I’m reasonably sure that’s Tuckahoe marble veneer, both because of its appearance and because that was a popular white stone of that era in New York. A fair amount of ornament was recently replaced as part of a renovation, and the new stone looks to have been carved…