"This is the Voice of Moderation. I wouldn't go so far as to say we've actually SEIZED the radio station . . . "
Liberal Japonicus 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
by liberal japonicus This is the second post from this podcast by Hasan Minaj, with the transcript for the podcast linked here. Jacob Soboroff’s second book is Firestorm: The Great Los Angeles Fires and America’s New Age of Disaster and he recounts a very strange anecdote that has been knocking around in my head. Minaj … Read more
by liberal japonicus Discuss It’s a pleasure – and a duty – to be with you at this turning point for Canada and for the world. Today, I’ll talk about the rupture in the world order, the end of a nice story, and the beginning of a brutal reality where geopolitics among the great powers … Read more
by liberal japonicus Going to make two posts from this podcast by Hasan Minaj, but following up on nous’ suggestion of https://podscripts.co/, I found https://www.podchaser.com, which had a transcript for the podcast I want to talk about, where Hasan Minaj interviews Jacob Soboroff about two books he’s written. (Unfortunately, the transcript is raw, so you … Read more
by liberal japonicus This is an illustration from issue 372 of Sino-Platonic papers (pdf link) which consists of S. Robert Ramsey’s book The Japanese and Their Language: How the Japanese Made Their Language and It Made Them. Sino-Platonic papers is “a monograph series…[whose] chief focus of the series is on the intercultural relations of China … Read more
by liberal japonicus I was a bit surprised to see Ezra Klein interviewing James Talarico, who is running for the Senate seat of Texas currently occupied by John Coryn, but after listening, I can see that Talarico hits some of Klein’s sweet spots. Some things about where I’m coming from on this. Because I didn’t … Read more
by liberal japonicus Following up on my comment about whatever it is that the US did in Venezuela and what it means to China, some discussion, a couple of links and other stuff as background. This Guardian article and this BBC piece lay out the basics. I don’t have any inside information or special insights, … Read more