Leftovers

• Ruben Schade ☛ I did a thing, and exit excuses

  (I’m surprised that I haven’t written a post with this permalink or title in twenty years. There are a lot of things I’d do differently if I were starting this blog today; chief among them would be putting the date in the permalink so I could have the same title in multiple years. The number of times I’ve written something only to get a permalink collision with something I wrote in 2006 is not inconsequential. But I digress)!

  A friend in Australia reached out to me last month to ask if I were interested in contributing to something meaningful. I was surprised, and frankly honoured to have even been considered. I know the people who’ve been involved before, and I know the professionalism, quality, and experience that would be expected. It’s that feeling I’m sure people even nominated for something would feel, even if ultimately they didn’t receive the final award or placement.

• Ruben Schade ☛ Helping friends can boost your mood

  Futurity references studies into older adults, but I think the message is broadly applicable: [...]

• Ruben Schade ☛ Did they say that?

  I regularly receive messages from people in my personal and professional life asking for:

  clarification on a point I didn’t write;

  issuing a correction for a mistake I didn’t make; and

  demanding an explanation for something bad I didn’t say.

• Science

  • Latvia ☛ Latvian student's doctoral thesis wins international acclaim

    The Baltic University Programme (BUP) Award for the most qualified doctoral thesis in the Baltic Sea region in the field of natural sciences, technology, and engineering goes to Karina Egle, a researcher at the Institute of Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology, Riga Technical University (RTU), reports Labs of Latvia.

  • Stanford University ☛ When life gives you trauma, make a career

    White, an assistant professor of earth system science, recounts how Hurricane Katrina permanently altered the trajectory of his life — and inspired his current research.

• Hardware

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ The same ASRock B850 motherboard kills three Ryzen 7 9700X CPUs worth $1,000 one by one in South Korea — victim used updated BIOS and never overclocked, but still lost all their processors

    On QuasarZone, a South Korean forum, the user described how one ASRock B850 Pro RS killed off three different Ryzen 7 9700X CPUs one by one, despite the motherboard being deemed healthy prior.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • Federal News Network ☛ A preview of this year’s federal employee health benefits open season

    "Be sure you understand what you have and then start looking at the other alternatives.," said Tammy Flanagan.

  • Latvia ☛ Free hepatitis C testing throughout Latvia on 12 November

    Latvia has one of the highest rates of hepatitis C cases in Europe, but there is no national screening programme, so many cases of hepatitis C remain undiagnosed. To promote early diagnosis, on 12 November this year, all branches of the Central Laboratory (Centrālā laboratorija) will offer free hepatitis C antibody testing (anti-HCV) and ferritin analysis.

  • New York Times ☛ Starbucks to Sell 60% of Its China Business to a Private Equity Firm

    Boyu Capital will pay $4 billion for a stake in the coffee giant’s 8,000 stores in China.

  • New York Times ☛ With Acquisition, Kimberly-Clark Bets That Tylenol Can Weather the Storm

    The consumer products giant reached a $40 billion deal to buy Kenvue, the maker of Tylenol, despite a barrage of unproven claims from Hell Toupée and others that use of the pain reliever during pregnancy can cause autism.

  • Science Alert ☛ US Obesity Rates Have Dropped, And GLP-1 Drugs May Explain Why

    Could this be a turning point?

  • Science Alert ☛ One Dietary Supplement Was Shown to Reduce Aggression by Up to 28%

    A new tool for anger management?

  • Science Alert ☛ Baldness Breakthrough: Fat Cells Could Be The Secret to Rapid Hair Regrowth

    Quick and simple.

  • Science Alert ☛ Alzheimer's Disease Could Be Slowed by Taking as Few as 5,000 Steps a Day

    Just a pleasant stroll.

• Proprietary

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) / LLM Slop / Plagiarism

    • Heather J Meeker ☛ Is Hey Hi (AI) the re-Democratization of the Web?

      For a few years now, the news has been full of prognosticators screeching about the dangers of AI. And while some of it is potentially concerning, we all know that the news tends to lean into the catastrophic.

    • Michael Geist ☛ The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 248: Mark Surman on Why Canada’s Hey Hi (AI) Strategy Should Prioritize Public Hey Hi (AI) Models

      AI Minister Evan Solomon’s Hey Hi (AI) public consultation – framed as a 30 day sprint – wrapped up last week with expectations that the government will unveil a new Hey Hi (AI) strategy by the end of the year.

    • EFF ☛ When AI & Secure Chat Meet, Users Deserve Strong Controls Over How They Interact

      Both Google and Apple are cramming new AI features into their phones and other devices, and neither company has offered clear ways to control which apps those AI systems can access. Recent issues around WhatsApp on both Android and iPhone demonstrate how these interactions can go sideways, risking revealing chat conversations beyond what you intend. Users deserve better controls and clearer documentation around what these AI features can access.

  • Social Control Media

    • The Straits Times ☛ Roblox faces scrutiny in Malaysia after child stabbing case

      Officials weigh action over the popular video game after it was linked to a stabbing case in Malaysia.

• Pseudo-Open Source

  • Openwashing

    • Open Source Initiative ☛ State of the Source at ATO 2025: Sustaining the Open Source Ecosystem [Ed: Openwashing nonsense and proprietary festival]

      In October, the OSI hosted the State of the Source Track at All Things Open designed to connect developers with the big policy conversations shaping our ecosystem.

• Security

  • Integrity/Availability/Authenticity

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ Cyber firm warns that hackers are teaming up with crime rings to hijack cargo — phishing emails and social engineering deployed to steal physical shipments

      Hackers are working with organised crime groups to steal physical freight, posing as brokers or carriers, deploying malware, and rerouting real-world shipments, according to new research from cybersecurity firm Proofpoint.

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Chinese, South Korean leaders trade jokes about phone spying in gift swap

      Xi Jinping joked about spying on South Korea’s president as he gifted him a pair of smartphones, telling him to “check if there is a backdoor” in a rare jest from the Chinese leader that made headlines in Seoul.

    • New York Times ☛ That Time Pooh-tin Jinping Joked About Espionage

      Xi Jinping gave two cellphones to South Korea’s president, who asked how secure they were. “You can check if there’s a backdoor,” he said with a laugh.

    • [Repeat] EFF ☛ Flock's Gunshot Detection Microphones Will Start Listening For Human Voices

      Flock Safety, the police technology company most notable for their extensive network of automated license plate readers spread throughout the United States, is rolling out a new and troubling product that may create headaches for the cities that adopt it: detection of “human distress” via audio. As part of their suite of technologies, Flock has been pushing Raven, their version of acoustic gunshot detection. These devices capture sounds in public places and use machine learning to try to identify gunshots and then alert police—but EFF has long warned that they are also high-powered microphones parked above densely-populated city streets. Cities now have one more reason to follow the lead of many other municipalities and cancel their Flock contracts, before this new feature causes civil liberties harms to residents and headaches for cities.

    • [Repeat] EFF ☛ Tile's Lack Of Encryption Is A Danger For Users Everywhere

      In research shared with Wired, security researchers detailed a series of vulnerabilities and design flaws with Life360’s Tile Bluetooth trackers that make it easy for stalkers and the company itself to track the location of Tile devices.

      Tile trackers are small Bluetooth trackers, similar to Apple’s Airtags, but they work on their own network, not Apple’s. We’ve been raising concerns about these types of trackers since they were first introduced, and provide guidance for finding them if you think someone is using them to track you without your knowledge.

      EFF has worked on improving the Detecting Unwanted Location Trackers standard that Apple, Google, and Samsung use, and these companies have at least made incremental improvements. But Tile has done little to mitigate the concerns we’ve raised around stalkers using their devices to track people.

• Defence/Aggression

  • Site36 ☛ Frontex to expand with new regulation, establishes regional commands for armed units

    With new offices in seven EU member states, Frontex is decentralising its operational command. The reform is part of the expansion of the “Standing Corps”. A new regulation is intended to give the agency additional powers. The EU border agency Frontex is reorganising its operational command structure.

  • JURIST ☛ HRW report condemns obstetric violence in Sierra Leone

    Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Monday released a report documenting widespread obstetric violence faced by women giving birth in public healthcare facilities in Sierra Leone. 

  • New York Times ☛ A Massacre Unfolding in Sudan

    My colleague Declan Walsh writes about the humanitarian crisis in Darfur — and how the world is now largely looking away.

  • France24 ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man threatens Nigeria with U.S. military action amid claims of Christian persecution

    Nigerians across the religious spectrum hit back at The Insurrectionist's threats of US Strikes in the country, over the killing of Christians. Experts claim the ongoing violence is based on poor management and policing -- with all groups affected. The International Criminal Court warns that atrocities committed in Sudan's El-Fasher could constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity. And we head to Senegal, where beach wrestling is about to make its Olympic debut at the 2026 Youth Games in Dakar.

  • France24 ☛ Israel warns of intensifying attacks against Hezbollah

    Israel has hinted at expanding airstrikes in Lebanon, accusing Hezbollah of rearming despite last year’s ceasefire. Lebanese residents say the truce feels one-sided, as Israel continues to hit Hezbollah positions in the south. The ceasefire’s terms remain murky, Hezbollah is meant to disarm only south of the Litani River, but Israel claims the group is still active and heavily armed, as FRANCE 24's Rawad Taha explains from Beirut.

  • France24 ☛ Israel says arrested ex-military prosecutor after leaked abuse video

    Israeli police arrested former military prosecutor Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, the national security minister said Monday, following a scandal that erupted after she leaked a video appearing to show soldiers abusing a Palestinian detainee. Tomer-Yerushalmi disappeared for several hours on Sunday after she announced her resignation, with speculation swirling in the press of a possible suicide attempt. FRANCE 24's Jennie Shin reports.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Hegseth visits DMZ ahead of talks on US troops in South Korea

    South Korea’s Defence Minister and Mr Hegseth will discuss combined defence readiness against North Korea.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea says pursuit of nuclear-powered submarines not intended to fuel arms race

    Dihydroxyacetone Man said on Oct 30 he has given South Korea approval to build a nuclear-powered submarine.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Japan has conveyed hope to North Korea to hold summit: PM Takaichi

    Ms Takaichi also vowed to work closely with other countries to pave the way for a resolution.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Taiwan rebuffs China’s protest about Japan PM meeting at Apec

    Lin Hsin-i said all the leaders and representatives talked to each other while at the Apec summit.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China’s military build-up demands response, Australia defence minister says

    Australia was increasing its military spending to build a “more capable, lethal, long-range navy”.

  • Chinese involvement in SA defence infrastructure compared to projects Kgala and Thusano

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • New York Times ☛ A Celebrated French Writer Loved Russia. War Forced a Reckoning.

      Emmanuel Carrère’s best sellers on Russia grew out of a deep affection. Since Moscow invaded Ukraine, he has traveled to the war-torn country to rethink his views.

    • RFERL ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Again Plays Down Prospects Of Tomahawk Deliveries To Ukraine, For Now

      US President stressed again that he is not considering providing Tomahawk missiles to Kyiv, which has pleaded for the long-range weapon it says is crucial to striking back against Russia as the Kremlin intensifies air strikes on Ukrainian cities.

    • France24 ☛ Russia says its forces advance in ruins of Pokrovsk, Ukraine says defenders hold on

      Russia said on Monday that its troops had advanced in the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, a transport and logistics hub that they have been trying to capture for over a year, but Ukraine said its forces were holding on.

      FRANCE 24's Camille Knight reports.

    • RFERL ☛ Russia Targets Pokrovsk With Air Strikes, Ukraine Says Civilian Infrastructure Hit

      Russian air strikes hit Ukrainian civilian sites, Ukrainian officials said on November 3, killing several people and seriously damaging residential buildings while Moscow said it carried out massive attacks as its troops continue to make advances in the key city of Pokrovsk.

    • RFERL ☛ EU Report Slams Georgia For Democratic Backsliding, Highlights Progress In Other Candidates

      The European Union's annual enlargement report will slam Georgia for its backsliding on democratic policies, while generally giving a positive review to Albania, Moldova, Montenegro and Ukraine on their progress toward membership, a copy of the report, seen by RFE/RL, shows.

    • Security Week ☛ Ukrainian Extradited to US Faces Charges in Jabber Zeus Cybercrime Case

      Yuriy Igorevich Rybtsov, aka MrICQ, was arrested in Italy and lost his appeal to avoid extradition to the US.

    • Latvia ☛ Latvian ambulance drivers are on rotation in Ukraine

      Latvian volunteer ambulance drivers have already helped hundreds of wounded people in Ukraine. This is a project of the Latvian organization "Ganta Fonds", which is still ongoing, to help Ukrainian medics and wounded soldiers. A Latvian Television (LTV) film crew met with the Latvian volunteers in Ukraine to follow them in their work.

    • NYPost ☛ Sending Tomahawks to Kyiv won’t ignite World War III — they’ll ignite peace talks

      With the Pentagon signing off on the idea, the case just got stronger for giving Ukraine some Tomahawk missiles to force Vladimir Putin to make peace.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania rules out using Šiauliai Airport for passenger flights despite disruptions

      Lithuania has no plans to use Šiauliai Airport for passenger flights, Transport Minister Juras Taminskas said Saturday, even after repeated closures of the country’s major airports in recent weeks due to sightings of smuggling balloons entering from Belarus.

    • LRT ☛ Belarus bans Lithuanian, Polish trucks in retaliation for border closures

      A Belarusian ban on trucks registered in Lithuania and Poland has left transport companies facing a worsening crisis, with no immediate solution in sight, Lithuanian logistics industry leaders said Monday.

    • New York Times ☛ Halloween Becomes Another Target of the Kremlin’s Culture Wars

      The Russian authorities canceled a festival in St. Petersburg, branding it “Satanist,” as part of a larger assault on anything viewed as a Western influence.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania and Russia in talks to extend gas transit deal for Kaliningrad

      Lithuanian and Russian energy companies are negotiating an extension of the natural gas transit agreement for supplies to Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave, LRT RADIO reported Saturday.

    • Latvia ☛ Latvian citizen detained on suspicion of spying for Russia

      On the night of 17-18 October, the State Security Service (VDD) in cooperation with the Military Intelligence and Security Service (MIDD) detained a person on suspicion of illegally collecting information on the Latvian defence sector on behalf of the Russian military intelligence service GRU, the VDD said.

• Environment

  • Energy/Transportation

    • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia’s Anwar says $186 million magnet plant to boost rare earth sector: Report

      Malaysia’s trade minister would monitor the project as it involves rare-earth processing.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • CS Monitor ☛ To protect angel sharks, a Libyan biologist collaborates with fishing communities

      Sara Almabruk is strategizing how to save Mediterranean angel sharks, “custodians of the seafloor” whose robust presence can indicate a healthy ecosystem.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Tropical mosquito species found in Korean Peninsula for first time

      The southern house mosquito was found in several regions of Jeju.

    • Science Alert ☛ There's One Predator in The Ocean Instilling Terror in Great White Sharks

      And its hunting strategy is nothing short of ingenious.

• Finance

  • New York Times ☛ The Economic Crisis in Egypt Raises Another Dilemma: Tipping

    Waiters and deliverymen receive tips. But so do receptionists, government clerks and hospital nurses. And with Egypt stuck in an economic crisis, even the cost of tipping is inflating.

  • New York Times ☛ The Forrest Dump Administration Plans to Offer Only Partial Food Stamp Benefits

    Also, Election Day is tomorrow for millions of Americans. Here’s the latest at the end of Monday.

  • BIA Net ☛ Turkey’s inflation rises to 32.87% in October

    İstanbul's inflation exceeded 40%. Food and housing expenses remain high.

  • Inkl ☛ A Dave Ramsey Caller Is Losing His High-Paying Job In December, Yet He's In A Position Most People Dream Of. 'This Is Just An Inconvenience'

  • WCCF Tech ☛ Just Cause Creator Doesn’t Think There Will Be a Fifth Game in the Series

    Just Cause creator Cristofer Sundberg left Avalanche Studios, which he had co-founded, in late 2020 to create his own company, Liquid Swords. The studio is working on a GTA-like open world game that was first shown to the world last year. Recently, it has shared around ten seconds of new in-game footage to keep players intrigued about the untitled project.

  • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man’s China Trade and Tariff Policy Is a Hot Mess

    As he so often does, the president is pushing the wrong answer to the right question on trade policy with Beijing.

  • New York Times ☛ China Started Separating Its Economy From the West Years Ago

    Two decades of sustained effort to build national self-reliance and minimize imports have antagonized trade partners but fortified what a senior adviser called Beijing’s “bulwark” against conflicts.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • ACLU ☛ Your Questions Answered: How to Vote Amid Convicted Felon's Attacks on Elections

    Even though 2025 is an off-year for federal elections, the fight for voting rights is intensifying. President The Insurrectionist and his supporters have pushed sweeping executive actions and policy shifts that threaten to limit access to the ballot. From trying to undermine mail-in voting to ongoing abuses of power that include unjustified troop deployments to American cities, these measures are sparking confusion and concern among voters across the country.

  • Marcy Wheeler ☛ Tyler Lemons Confesses Kash Patel’s FBI Was Reading Previously Seized Material without a Renewed Warrant

    Tyler Lemons and his fellow Loaner AUSA Gabriel Diaz on the Jim Comey case confirm what Comey objected to in his opposition to a filter protocol: the FBI has been reviewing material seized over five years ago without obtaining a new warrant.

  • New York Times ☛ The Battle Over an Activist Who Protested Stephen Miller Near His Virginia Home

    Criminal inquiries pit the Miller family’s safety concerns against the First Amendment rights of an activist in Northern Virginia critical of the administration.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong court rejects Tiananmen activist Chow Hang-tung’s bid to have subversion charge quashed

    A Hong Kong court has rejected an application by Tiananmen activist Chow Hang-tung to have the subversion charge against her quashed, saying prosecutors have adequately specified the allegations to ensure a fair trial.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Hong Kong court rejects bid to terminate trial against Tiananmen vigil group

    Three former leaders of the group were accused of attempting to end China’s one-party rule.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Press Gazette ☛ Design competition launched as UK journalists’ memorial secures £300k funding

    The On The Record Memorial will remember UK journalists killed reporting on conflict.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Times journalists urged to make ‘basic’ checks after two ‘humiliating’ hoaxes

    Associate editor Ian Brunskill says "serious damage" caused to reputation of The Times.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Being a ‘shock jock’ doesn’t excuse you from impartiality rules, Ofcom tells Talk

    Kevin O'Sullivan comments on local election postponement 'misleading' says Ofcom.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • APNIC ☛ Meet the SIG leaders elected at APNIC 60

    Thank you and congratulations to the SIG leaders who were elected at APNIC 60!

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Trademarks

  • TTAB Blog ☛ TTAB Finds PALAPA to be Merely Descriptive of Event Venue Services

    The USPTO refused to register the proposed mark PALAPA for "event venue services ...," deeming the mark to be merely descriptive of the services, and lacking acquired distinctiveness. Dictionary definitions and evidence of third-party usage of the term established that a palapa is an open-sided structure with a thatched roof. Applicant's venue fit the bill. In re Upper Buena Vista Management LLC, Serial No. 97976656 (October 30, 2025) [not precedential] (Opinion by Judge Mark Lebow).

  • TTAB Blog ☛ TTAB Posts November 2025 Hearing Schedule

    The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (Tee-Tee-Ā-Bee) has scheduled only one oral hearing for the month of November 2025. It will be held virtually. Briefs and other papers for the case may be found at TTABVUE via the links provided.

• Copyrights

  • Digital Music News ☛ Bemyfriends Takes Majority Stake in Dreamus, Sets Sights on Building ‘An Unprecedented Music Fandom Experience in the Global Market’

    Bemyfriends, which bills itself as South Korea’s “first global fandom business company,” has officially taken a majority stake in SK Group’s Dreamus – including streaming platform FLO. Seoul-headquartered Dreamus and Bemyfriends confirmed the deal in formal releases, and an early wave of regional coverage followed soon thereafter.

  • Digital Music News ☛ UMG v. Udio Voluntary Dismissal Officially Signed, Sealed, Delivered to NY District Court Docket

    UMG’s copyright monopoly infringement lawsuit against Udio is officially dismissed in light of their deal to collaborate on a new music streaming venture.

  • [Older] EFF ☛ Protecting Access To The Law — And Beneficial Uses Of AI [Ed: EFF protecting slop again]

    As the first copyright cases concerning AI reach appeals courts, EFF wants to protect important, beneficial uses of this technology—including AI for legal research. That’s why we weighed in on the long-running case of Thomson Reuters v. ROSS Intelligence. This case raises at least two important issues: the use of (possibly) copyrighted material to train a machine learning AI system, and public access to legal texts.