Really enjoying this show. I tuned in for the vxTwitter talk but stayed glued for the Antiquities to Alt-Right pipeline. Wild!

Found myself listening to "Egg Punk" a lot recently. I'm not really even sure that definitely linked in that article is accurate. As far as I can tell it's kind of a mix of Devo, Dead Milkmen, a bit of hardcore and a dash of lo-fi drum machines and production. It's sort of a "you'll know it when you hear it" scenario for me at this point.

This Wesley and the Punks album seems to hit the spot. Tho, I'm honestly not sure if it's "Egg Punk" or an even more niche thing called "Internet Punk," as the title suggests. Who knows and who cares! I like it! I also recommend Prison Affair and their split with Snooper.

what an insane combination of words: French band AIR to play Paris airport rooftop with Phoenix for Amazon Music livestream on Twitch, July 17

the article is Bitcoin mining focused but really this can happen with any server farm. It is crazy that people are getting sick from noise pollution

Lots of articles are being written about the hacktivist group and the response but reading the actual chat logs is the best example of how hateful AND idiotic the Project 2025 people are. That said, it is still a legitimate threat to the future.

as always, an entertaining and insightful read on our current era of... whatever this is!

Take one look at this Pixel Mirror and you instantly get it. An image is transformed into a low-resolution, pixelated, version of itself. The actual product is meant to be worn as a necklace (retailing around ~$120USD) but this article wisely points out that its actually an incredibly useful tool for artists as well, reducing images to their simplified versions.

Do click through for more examples. They're all quite neat but the cloud just summed it up perfectly for me.

and they say the Internet doesnt have good things anymore!

really pleasant and insightful interview. do read.

Here's a fun one for ya, the United States military has a system for broadcasting "Emergency Action Messages" (EAM). According to Wikipedia these messages are intended to "directs nuclear-capable forces to execute specific Major Attack Options (MAOs) or Limited Attack Options (LAOs) in a nuclear war. " That sounds scary enough but there's a type of message that takes even higher priority than the standard EAM, called a Foxtrot Broadcast or "Skyking message." Maybe you've seen the film Crimson Tide and this rings a bell... I have not.

There's plenty of reading you can do about these messages, their usage and their format. Of course, if you just want to hear one, there's plenty of recordings.

There's nothing nefarious about these messages - aside from the fact that they're coded military communications - but it's just fascinating to remember that they are happening with such regularity and that with the right equipment, anyone can hear them. They aren't quite as fascinating as a Numbers station but they're still a fun rabbit hole to explore.

Encountered a piece of work from Sai Clayton over the weekend at the Zeitgeist gallery. It was part of a group show of printed works on paper and really managed to stand out. Then I wandered into Green Ray and there they were again as a huge banner across the shop. Funny how that happens.

Looking through their portfolio and Instagram - @sai_tries - there's a fascinating evolution of work to see. Scroll way back and you can see a very different style of illustration and expression that slowly morphs into these athletic poses wearing traditional masks. Really great to see that creative process playing out.

Ran across the works of Galen Gibson-Cornell this weekend at the David Lusk Gallery. I mention the location because seeing these pieces in person is a wildly different experience than seeing them on the screen. They are huge and have a chaotic feeling to them; each composed of posters stolen from the streets, sliced and woven back together into some brand new chaotic thing. I suggest clicking through each piece in the porfolio and maximizing the images as large as possible for proper immersion.

Also be sure to cruise over to his Instagram for more examples, including a poster suit!

I watch a great deal of Law & Order. I'm partial to the era when Jack McCoy becomes our Executive Assistant DA over Adam Schiff but I can't deny the enjoyment of the early seasons! Watching a bit of Season 1 last night I noticed that there were episodes that used Mike Post's infamous score during the episode, not just during the intro. This led me to the original intro, set to the pilot in 1990 (tho produced in 1988). It's different but it's still an enjoyable 90 seconds if you've consumed as much Law & Order as I know we all have.

Very excited to see the (limited) return of Every Frame a Painting. This trailer promises both a new collection of video essays and a short film. It's less than 30 seconds but one of the more exciting things I've seen in some time!

I'm going to assume you've seen all the essays from this channel but on the small chance you have not - go watch them all ASAP and, truly, like and subscribe.

The title - Turns out REST APIs weren't the answer (and that's OK!) - might feel a little click baity but this Dylan Beattie rundown of the history of REST, the somewhat pedantic usage of the term and the alternatives is actually quite fascinating.

The new Sayryn full-length caught my eye for the striking album art. Turns out, EGOR is responsible for the painting and has a great body of work to explore beyond that. I recommend also browsing through their Instagram to sense of scale on how large the creations are; certainly gives me additional appreciation for them.

Trufhfully, this one came my way via Instagram Ad - a petunia plant that has been "infused with bioluminescence." In other words, a flower that glows in the dark - for real! Given the source, my skepticism on the validity of it is cranked pretty high. Diving a little deeper into this Scientific American article about the creation, it seems that the Neonothopanus nambi mushroom was used for the bioluminescence and it's a legitimate fusion. Specifically:

The fungus feeds its light-emitting reaction with the molecule caffeic acid, which terrestrial plants also happen to make. By inserting the mushroom genes into the petunia, researchers made it possible for the plant to produce enzymes that can convert caffeic acid into the light-emitting molecule luciferin and then recycle it back into caffeic acid — enabling sustained bioluminescence.

The article goes on to say that people have complicated relationships with genetically modified plants but that the danger levels are low. “I cannot imagine any reason why this should be a concern,” says Diego Orzáez, a plant biologist at the Institute of Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology in Valencia, Spain. That sounds like famous last words!

Regardless, the plants are very interesting to see.

I've been friends with / a fan of Jeremy Okai Davis for over two decades. If you're not familiar with his work, take some time and get familiar - it's beautiful and poignant.

Aside from being a thoughtful and talented painter, turns out he's also a pretty entertaining emcee! His collaboration with Big Papa Warrior in DINO INTRO is just one track from a full-length record called Dinosaurs set for release on July 4th. Obviously it's a bit sillier than his painting work but it's good to see him let loose. Tune in, follow along, prepare for the full record!

Scientists have made a breakthrough in "soft robotics" - aka attaching skin-like tissue to mechanical parts. In this particular case, they've found a way to attach collagen gel to small V-shaped holes on the robotic surface that makes the whole endeavor feel more realistic and more resilient to breaking.

My knee jerk reaction is that I am not sure we need skin on robots. Can we just let robots be robots? I think the majority of people would be okay with that. If the intent here is to overcome the uncanny valley and make robots appear more humanlike.. couldn't we just give it some time and humans would naturally adjust?

In the grand scheme of developments lately, this doesn't seem to be so dire at first glance. It does make for a rather harrowing GIF.

The first minute is solid but when that intro kicks in, it really soars. Also, brevity really is the soul of wit.