Octopus Selfies, French Tacos, and Mysterious Pizza ๐๐ฎ๐
Plus more music for your enjoyment ๐ง
A Note From The Editor
As per request, Iโm including some music today. These are all mixes that I listened to on Mixcloud, my preferred DJ mix streaming site. If you like any in particular, let me know! If you want to hear more of what Iโm listening to lately, check out my favorites on Mixcloud
Here are my selections:
A nice summertime funky chillout mix: https://www.mixcloud.com/paullinney50/not-long-now-a-summer-place-mix/
Perhaps youโd prefer some deep techno/dub/ambient: https://www.mixcloud.com/Dekmantel/dekmantel-podcast-330-sapphire-slows/
Upbeat and futuristic Garage & grime: https://www.mixcloud.com/RadioPrimaveraSound/the-selector-after-dark-josey-rebelle/
Disco & funky house vibes: https://www.mixcloud.com/dublab/dj-kerry-the-basement-042321/
Finally, my last suggestion is for some liquid drumโnโbass: https://www.mixcloud.com/unit_grooves/spread-some-liquid-love-april-2021/
Aesthetics
An octopus takes a selfie. From the photographer:
I placed my camera near its den and the octopus started interacting with it. It came completely out of the den and to our amazement it started shooting pictures!
1st Place Wide Angle Ocean Art 2020 Gaetano Dario Gargiulo - Underwater Photography Guide
Photographer Captures the Timeless Neo-Noir Side of New York City
This photo gallery really captures a mood very well.
Are shipping containers for homeless people in L.A. humane? - Los Angeles Times
TL;DR: Probably yes. And definitely more humane than living in a tent!
Culture
The Unlikely Rise of the French Tacos | The New Yorker
Apparently in French, โtacosโ can be singular. And itโs nothing like you expect. The write up, though, is quite the multi-cultural saga!
The Forever Wars Helped Warp Citizen-Soldiers Into Warriors
Salient take on how the US militaryโs culture is leaning into โwarriorโ mindsetโthis changes what it means to wage war from a โsometimesโ thing to an โalwaysโ thing.
Ted Chiang: Fears of Technology Are Fears of Capitalism
Very interesting consideration: most of the things that we worry about from technology (robots, AI, etc) stem from our way of lifeโs vulnerability to the pitfalls of unchecked capitalism.
What Bears Can Teach Us About Our Exercise Habits - The New York Times
TL;DR: bears and humans both try to take the flattest path to save calories (read: be lazy). As a result, weโre more likely to run into bears when hiking.
The Mysterious Case of the F*cking Good Pizza
A curious journalist pulls the thread of a clickbait restaurant title offered on Uber Eats and finds out how deep the rabbit hole goesโฆ
The Last Time the Suez Canal Was Blocked a Utopian Communist Micronation Was Formed at Sea
The title speaks for itself! For a more detailed history, check out the next link: Great Bitter Lake Association - 99% Invisible
Technology
Why a more feminist internet would be better for everyone | MIT Technology Review
TL;DR: more control for us as the users, and probably more mental health too.
Exploiting vulnerabilities in Cellebrite UFED and Physical Analyzer from an app's perspective
The team behind the Signal app once again publishes a ridiculous yet important press release. Their target this time is the device that cops and spooks use to slurp data from seized phones.
The result is hilarious: they single-handedly have cast doubt on any data from a Signal userโs phone and undermined Cellebriteโs entire business model!
A seemingly small change on a huge scale can have a meaningful effect. I hope Apple also adds an option for a neutral-gendered voice in the future (e.g. X)
How beauty filters took over social media | MIT Technology Review
Beauty filters are hugely popular AR tech, and are changing the way young people (especially girls) think about their looks. Platforms (FB, Snap) regulate them a little bit, but itโs unclear what the result of all this will be.
TikTok wants to keep tracking iPhone users with state-backed workaround | Ars Technica
One of the most cyberpunk things happening now is that Appleโs corporate endorsement of privacy, and the resulting conflict with the Chinese government (CCP).
TL;DR: CCP objects to Appleโs anti-tracking measures, and is trying to provide a workaround.
How Spotify is Killing the Open Podcast Ecosystem | KAY SINGH
Spotify is becoming one of the biggest podcast publishers. In doing so, itโs privatizing one of the most vibrant pieces of the public Internet: Podcasts. The result will likely be monoculture, homogeneity, and a loss of choice for the consumer.