Leftovers

• BSD

  • Eerie Linux ☛ Installing *BSD in 2025 part 3 – A critical look at NetBSD’s installer – eerielinux

    The first part of this series was about FreeBSD’s installer and the second covered OpenBSD’s installation program.

    This is a longer article and it has the most images that I ever included in one. While writing the other two articles didn’t take me too long, this one has has occupied several evenings / nights over the course of about three weeks.

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ Stunning Images Reveal The Sun's Surface in Unprecedented Detail

    Poetry in motion.

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Developed a Kind of 'Living Concrete' That Heals Its Own Cracks

    Miraculous.

  • Science Alert ☛ This Type of Fiber Could Have Weight Loss Benefits Similar to Ozempic

    And it's found in everyday foods.

  • Science Alert ☛ Uploading The Human Mind Could Become a Reality, Expert Says

    Can our brains live forever online?

• Hardware

  • Hackaday ☛ Hot Rod Backyard Bath On Steel Spring Legs

    In a fusion of scrapyard elegance and Aussie ingenuity, [Mark Makies] has given a piece of old steel a steamy second life with his ‘CastAway Tub’. Call it a bush mechanic’s fever dream turned functional sculpture, starring two vintage LandCruiser leaf springs, and a rust-hugged cast iron tub dug up after 20 years in hiding. And put your welding goggles on, because this one is equal parts brute force and artisan flair.

  • Hackaday ☛ Building A Wireless Motorized Fader For Lighting Control

    Motorized faders are very cool, and you can find them in everything from expensive mixing desks to high-end video editing decks. If you want to build your own wireless motorized fader controls for your own projects, you might like this project from [Ian Peterson].

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Intel's lackluster Arrow Lake appears to have a refresh inbound — Arrow Lake Refresh appears in reference document

    A leaked W880 motherboard document references an defective chip maker Intel Arrow Lake-S Refresh chip, pointing to a refresh of the defective chip maker Intel Core Ultra 200S processors.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea’s police looking into death of newborn baby on flight from Philippines to Incheon

    The mother of the infant is said to be a Filipino woman in her 30s.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China bans all poultry imports from Brazil on bird flu case

    China is the biggest buyer of Brazilian chicken meat.

  • Rlang ☛ Simulating Stochastic Scenarios with Diffusion Models: A Guide to Using techtonique.net’s API for the purpose

  • Rlang ☛ Which patient is going to survive longer? Another guide to using techtonique dot net’s API (with R + Python + the command line) for survival analysis

  • New Yorker ☛ How to Think About COVID-19 Vaccines in the Era of R.F.K., Jr.

    The coronavirus may no longer be a leading danger to our health. That doesn’t mean it can’t hurt us, or that we don’t need to protect ourselves.

  • France24 ☛ France’s lower house approves assisted dying bill with 305 votes in favor [Ed: When capitalism fails people]

    France’s lower house of parliament on Thursday approved a bill to legalise assisted dying, marking a significant step in a long-running national debate. The bill passed with 305 votes in favour and 199 against. However, the proposed legislation remains more restrictive than similar laws in countries like the Netherlands or Belgium. Under the French proposal, assisted dying would only be available to individuals suffering from a serious and incurable illness that is both life-threatening and in its advanced or terminal stage. Eligible patients must also be experiencing constant physical or psychological suffering.

• Proprietary

  • TheWaveWarden Spline, spectral morphing wavetable Synthesizer plugin (mac, linux, win)

    TheWaveWarden Spline is a new wavetable Synthesizer for macOS, Linux, and Windows with spectral morphing oscillators.

    Music producers who work with a lot of freeware will certainly know TheWaveWarden Odin 2, an open-source Synthesizer that is very similar to Reason Studio’s Thor. The developers have now continued the project and brought it to a higher quality level for modern music producers.

• Defence/Aggression

  • JURIST ☛ Fighting threatens indigenous civilians in Indonesia’s West Papua: report

    Escalating violence in Indonesia’s West Papua region is threatening the security of the largely indigenous population amid intensified clashes between Indonesian security forces and separatist rebels, Human Rights Watch (HRW) warned Thursday.

  • Hackaday ☛ Disarming A Nuke… Twice

    Since the tail end of World War II, humanity has struggled to deal with its newfound ability to harness the tremendous energy in the nucleus of the atom. Of course there have been some positive developments like nuclear power which can produce tremendous amounts of electricity without the greenhouse gas emissions of fossil fuels. But largely humanity decided to build a tremendous nuclear weapons arsenal instead, which has not only cause general consternation worldwide but caused specific problems for one scientist in particular.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • France24 ☛ At least seven dead after Russian bridge collapses onto railway

      At least seven died when a highway bridge collapsed in Russia's Bryansk region near Ukraine, emergency services said. The collapse sent several heavy trucks crashing onto a moving passenger train below. Rescue operations are ongoing.

    • RFERL ☛ Russia Launches Fresh Air Strikes On Kyiv Amid Uncertainty Over Peace Talks

      Air-raid sirens blared anew over the Ukrainian capital as Russia launched fresh air strikes early on June 1 amid uncertainty over whether negotiators from the two countries will meet for a second round of direct talks on June 2.

    • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea gets a weapons bonanza from Russia

      It's been rewarded for supplying Moscow with manpower, artillery and drones in Russia's war in Ukraine.

    • New York Times ☛ North Korea Gets a Weapons Bonanza From Russia

      Kim Jong-un seized on Russia’s need for support in its war against Ukraine. His reward is a rapidly modernizing military that threatens the delicate balance of power on the Korean Peninsula.

    • RFERL ☛ Multiple Deaths Reported In Russian Train Derailment Blamed On 'Illegal Interference'

      At least seven people were killed when a passenger train crossing a bridge in western Russia derailed late on May 31 because of what local officials labeled as “illegal interference.

    • The Straits Times ☛ China bristles at France’s Macron linking Ukraine defence to Taiwan threats

      China’s embassy in Singapore said comparing the Taiwan issue to the Ukraine issue is “unacceptable”.

• Environment

  • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man’s Proposed Budget Would Cut the Ecosystems Mission Area and Much of Its Work

    From bee science to understanding the impact of a warming world on plant life, here’s what the Ecosystems Mission Area does.

  • New York Times ☛ Landslide at Quarry in Indonesia Kills at Least 14

    Another 11 people are missing and believed to be dead. Officials had warned for years that the quarry was not meeting safety standards.

  • JURIST ☛ Indonesia fighting threatening indigenous civilians: report

    Escalating violence in Indonesia’s West Papua region is threatening the security of the largely indigenous population amid intensified clashes between Indonesian security forces and separatist rebels, Human Rights Watch (HRW) warned Thursday.

  • The Straits Times ☛ India monsoon floods kill five in north-east

    Rivers swollen by the lashing rain – including the mighty Brahmaputra and its tributaries – broke their banks.

  • The Straits Times ☛ 6.1-magnitude earthquake hits Japan’s Hokkaido, JMA says

    No tsunami warning has been issued.

  • New York Times ☛ Hegseth, at Security Forum, Vows to Strengthen America’s Asian Alliances

    In a world rattled by Hell Toupée’s tariffs and his scorn for Western allies, the defense secretary struck a rare note of continuity on security partnerships.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China says US ‘should not play with fire’ on Taiwan, slams Hegseth speech

    The US Secretary of Defence said China was “credibly preparing” to use military force to upend the balance of power in Asia.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China is ‘preparing’ to use military force in Asia, US says

    US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Saturday warned that China was “credibly preparing” to use military force to upend the balance of power in Asia — remarks that earned a sharp rebuke from Beijing.

  • New York Times ☛ M.I.T. Class President Barred From Graduation Ceremony After Pro-Palestinian Speech

    According to the school, the student delivered a speech, which denounced M.I.T.’s ties to Israel, that had not been preapproved.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia moves to clean up its street food scene with shiny new kiosks topped with solar panels

      The S$46m MyKiosk project helps street hawkers set up stall legally, in a safe and clean environment, but faces criticisms over low traffic and poor earnings, water and electricity supply

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • Science Alert ☛ Sloths The Size of Elephants Roamed America, Before Abruptly Vanishing

      Genes tell their story.

    • Science Alert ☛ The Ocean Is Getting Darker, Threatening All That Lives Within

      It's dark enough down there as it is.

• Finance

  • New York Times ☛ How Inflation Is Hitting a New York City Breakfast Staple

    At a bodega in the East Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn, the price of the breakfast staple (on a roll) recently rose to $5, up from $4.50.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Koreans rally for presidential hopefuls days before vote

    Tens of thousands are expected to rally in Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Square and Seocho neighbourhood.

  • New York Times ☛ ​South Korea’s Election Likely to Reset Ties With China

    Both of the main candidates support the alliance with the United States, but the front-runner favors diplomacy with North Korea and China to improve strained relations.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea’s presidential front runner Lee Jae-myung backs nuclear power — for now

    Lee supports extending the life of existing nuclear plants, but opposes new reactors.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Man jumps into display of China’s Terracotta Army

    The warriors are a major tourist attraction in Xi’an, capital of the northern province of Shaanxi.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Man jumps into display of China’s Terracotta Army, Chinese officials say

    A domestic tourist climbed over a fence and jumped into a section of the world-famous display of China’s Terracotta Army, damaging two ancient clay warriors, authorities said Saturday.

  • Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

    • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea election hit by misinformation

      Many of the claims focus on foreign interference, tapping into local fears of meddling by China.

    • The Straits Times ☛ China displaces old foe Japan in South Koreans’ minds ahead of vote

      Conspiracy theories have since run rampant among the South Korean right, fuelling the distrust.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • New York Times ☛ Gay-Themed Forum Is Canceled in Malaysia

    The public criticism from the government and online attacks that prompted its organizers to back down are the latest examples of the increasing influence of religious conservatism.

  • JURIST ☛ Colombia urged to close gap between LGBT rights laws and lived realities amid rising violence

    While Colombia has made notable progress in protecting the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and gender-diverse (LGBT) individuals, the country must urgently address widespread discrimination and violence still faced by these communities, a UN human rights expert has warned Friday.

  • JURIST ☛ HRW condemns conviction of Kyrgyz whistle-blower as part of widening crackdown on critics

    Human Rights Watch (HRW) voiced alarm on Friday over the conviction of Kyrgyz whistleblower Zhoomart Karabaev, calling it a troubling example of how Kyrgyzstan’s justice system punishes those who dare to expose corruption.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • New York Times ☛ Aide to Rep. Nadler Is Handcuffed Amid Confrontation With Federal Agents

    Captured on video, the episode occurred in the congressman’s Manhattan office, shortly after the aide observed agents detaining immigrants outside a courtroom.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Patents

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Intel scores key jury ruling in $3 billion patent monopoly duel with VLSI — ruling threatens prior patent monopoly verdicts

    Intel secures a jury verdict confirming that Fortress Investment Group controls VLSI Technology, a decision that may overturn more than $3 billion in patent monopoly infringement awards from defective chip maker Intel to VLSI.

• Gemini* and Gopher

  • Personal/Opinions

    • you have to like it better than being loved

      This poem has been my constant companion since I first encountered it in undergrad. It's kept me going when I was tempted to give up on myself, and it's bludgeoned me when I believed being unable to quit art meant I didn't deserve love.

      A friend recently lent me a copy of Julia Cameron's THE ARTIST'S WAY: A SPIRITUAL PATH TO HIGHER CREATIVITY. I have always been skeptical of anything linking spirituality and art, but this was the same friend who recommended THE BOOK OF JOY and who nudged me to check out an Episcopal church. In short, I trust her judgment.

      (Her exact words were Peak Episcopalian: "I'm not trying to sell you on my church, but it sounds like you'd enjoy an Episcopal service.")

      Cameron recommends two primary practices as the cornerstone of "unblocking" one's inner artist: the Morning Pages and the Artist Date.