"This is the Voice of Moderation. I wouldn't go so far as to say we've actually SEIZED the radio station . . . "
by liberal japonicus I’m watching the UK meltdown over Peter Mandelson’s friendship with Epstein as well as Andrew Montbatten and am totally astonished that it seems siloed over in Europe. I’m at a loss which youtube videos and articles to share, but I open us this thread for your thoughts. A couple of things I’m … Read more
by liberal japonicus Just a quick post. Been reading a bit of Xi’s purge of the military. If it weren’t so deadly serious, would be pretty hilarious. For example, we have Xi’s Military Purge Makes War Over Taiwan More Likely in the same newsfeed as Xi’s military purges will make him wary of invading Taiwan. … Read more
by liberal japonicus From the creators of Jmail The creators (Riley Walz and Luke Igel) have expanded the project into a suite of “J-apps” to handle the different types of data in the 2026 release: Jmail.world: Continues to be the primary hub for emails. As of February 2, it has been updated with the latest … Read more
by liberal japonicus In the moral insanity post, we got to talking about what was up with ICE and Minneapolis, so this NYT Daily, with two reporters puts a lot of flesh on the bones of any speculation. The transcript is here. As the interview points out, ICE cooperation with local law was a given … Read more
by liberal japonicus In one of my favorite programs, Phineas and Ferb, one of the characters always asks the eponymous pair this question and they reply with what they have planned, including a time machine, a portal to Mars, and equipping Santa’s sleigh with a gift cannon. This flippant title is to introduce GftNC’s recommended … Read more
by liberal japonicus I’ve mentioned my frustration with Klein a few times, but I was grateful to hear his talk with Adam Tooze. I think the title is rather misleading which continues to hang on to the idea that the US is central, because most of the podcast is about China. Here is the transcript … Read more
by liberal japonicus Via Language Log, this jaw-dropping article analyzes video footage of appearances of Kim Jong Un’s daughter, Kim Ju Ae, to draw conclusions about her place in the North Korean inner circle. Using facial-recognition technology driven by artificial intelligence, Nikkei identified scenes in which Kim Ju Ae appeared out of 14,115 hours of … Read more
by liberal japonicus I feel like I’m channelling wj’s optimism when I say that this seems like reading Mene mene, Tekel, Upharsin on a nearby wall. Though it might be just to prevent myself from vomiting after reading it. David’s evolution as a columnist has also been one of the most visible intellectual journeys in … Read more
by liberal japonicus This article, with the headline Spanish Scientist finds cure for pancreatic cancer, concludes with the following: Such reactions reflect a broader tension in cancer research communication, namely the gap between legitimate scientific caution and public desperation for definitive cures, particularly for diseases with historically grim outcomes. Jeez, I wonder why?
by liberal japonicus In the previous post titled Moral Insanity, I shared the opening of The Cure at Troy, by Seamus Heaney, which is the story of Philoctetes, after a play by Sophocles. Nous astutely provided the lines after the part I quoted, and having figured out the verse block on the blog, I put … Read more