8 min read

ReHacked vol. 242: She lived in a New York hotel for more than 40 years, Hayao Miyazaki's optimism dims in ‘The Boy and the Heron’, Nepal bans TikTok and more

ReHacked vol. 242: She lived in a New York hotel for more than 40 years, Hayao Miyazaki's optimism dims in ‘The Boy and the Heron’, Nepal bans TikTok and more
A photo captured by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Satoshi Furukawa shows a tool bag floating more than 200 miles above the Pacific Ocean. The bag slipped away from two astronauts performing maintenance on the International Space Station. Nov. 2, 2023. IMAGE COURTESY OF THE EARTH SCIENCE AND REMOTE SENSING UNIT, NASA JOHNSON SPACE CENTER / SATOSHI FURUKAWA

This time in the main topic I would like to share information about Unseen STL event.

On November 25th, Spine Indie Bookstore and Cafe (1976-82 Arsenal St.) will celebrate its second anniversary, or Spine-iversary, with a day of dabbling into everything that makes Spine such a great place.

From 10 am to 9 pm, expect music, storytelling, author readings, poetry, and… yes, you guessed it, Unseen STL history!

Unseen STL History Bonus Talks!
On November 25th, Spine Indie Bookstore and Cafe (1976-82 Arsenal St.) will celebrate its second anniversary, or Spine-iversary, with a day of dabbling into everything that makes Spine such a great place. From 10 am to 9 pm, expect music, storytelling, author readings, poetry, and… yes, you guessed it, Unseen STL history!

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Tokyo Weekender column

Visiting Real Life Locations From Haruki Murakami Novels in Tokyo | Tokyo Weekender

If you’re in any way familiar with Japanese literature, it’s unlikely that the work of Haruki Murakami has passed you by. He has 14 novels and five short story collections under his belt and his writing has been translated into over 50 languages. In 1995, he was awarded the prestigious Yomiuri Prize for Literature for The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, often considered to be his masterpiece.


7 Unusual Torii Gates in Japan | Tokyo Weekender

Red torii gates are an enduring symbol of Japan. The torii gates in Fushimi Inari Taisha are one of the country’s most visited tourist spots. Although red is usually the color of choice, there are exceptions with many simple stone or unpainted wooden torii gates. One example, of course, is the wooden torii gate at the entrance of Meiji Jingu. Occasionally, torii gates are painted other colors than red, and ever rarer still, made from other materials than wood or stone. Here are seven unusual torii gates in Japan we’ve picked out, plus a bonus structure which is an art installation.


All About Autumn Leaves: Japan's Fall Pursuit | Tokyo Weekender

In Japan, where 67% of the land is covered in forests, the leaves changing color in the fall is particularly impressive. Referred to here as koyo, it is a sight to behold, lighting up the scenery, making it glow with the colors of the inferno. Taking pictures, making TikTok videos, even painting a picture of the trees, all render you an autumn leaf-viewer. Picnicking under the trees to admire their color? Writing haiku while gazing at the red foliage? Anything goes.

The leaves might be at your local temple, in the nearby park, or even further afield, in places like mountains and hot springs in Hokkaido. The area doesn’t really matter, it’s the viewing that counts. In the past, however, it took more than a trip to the local park to participate in the activity. This article will look at the origins and traditions of Japan’s fall hobby.


Other news

Return To Office Mandates Can Take A Hike #career


Meta disbanded its Responsible AI team - The Verge #ai #politics

Meta has reportedly broken up its Responsible AI (RAI) team as it puts more of its resources into generative artificial intelligence. The Information broke the news today, citing an internal post it had seen.

According to the report, most RAI members will move to the company’s generative AI product team, while others will work on Meta’s AI infrastructure. The company regularly says it wants to develop AI responsibly and even has a page devoted to the promise, where the company lists its “pillars of responsible AI,” including accountability, transparency, safety, privacy, and more.


Polish court discovers secret cryptomining rigs hidden throughout building #security #blockchain

Officials at Poland’s Supreme Administrative Court in Warsaw discovered a number of high-powered cryptocurrency mining rigs hidden in the courthouse — including in a ventilation duct and beneath a raised floor — which had been powered by electricity from the court’s mains supply.

The devices had their own modems to connect to the internet, according to Polish news channel TVN 24, meaning they were not connected to the court building’s network.


AAIB says film lights caused window damage on Titan A321neo | Flightradar24 Blog #safety

In a newly released special bulletin, the UK’s Air Accident Investigation Branch says that damage to a Titan Airways A321neo’s windows was the result of heat generated by high powered film lamps used during a project the day prior to the incident flight. The high powered lamps led to deformation of the window pane and melting of the window seal.


Sweden plans new nuclear reactors by 2035, will share costs | Reuters #energy

Sweden's government said it aimed to build the equivalent of two new conventional nuclear reactors by 2035 on Thursday to meet surging demand for clean power from industry and transport and was prepared to take on some of the costs.

By 2045 the government wants to have the equivalent of 10 new reactors, some of which are likely to be small modular reactors (SMRs), smaller than conventional reactors.

Energy Minister Ebba Busch said the government was planning a "massive build out" of new nuclear power by 2045.

"It's decisive for the green transition, for Swedish jobs and at heart for the welfare of our citizens," she told reporters.


She lived in a New York hotel for more than 40 years. But her life was a mystery : NPR #interesting

"People who don't know, like tourists or friends, they say, 'Wow, you live in a hotel, in the heart of the city.' It's a big deal for them," she said. But the small space wears on Boyce: "Having lived here for such a long time, for decades, I can't stand this apartment."

"At the end of the day, I feel lucky I have my family and a wide circle of friends," she said. "But I see a lot of older people, like Hisako [Hasegawa], they are all alone."


NASA tool bag dropped by astronauts from International Space Station #space #interesting

Somewhere hurtling more than 200 miles above the planet's surface is one of Earth's newest satellites: a tool bag, and it's possible you might be able to spot it with a telescope or good pair of binoculars if you know where to look.

The white, satchel-like tool bag slipped away from two astronauts during a rare, all-female spacewalk Nov. 1 as they performed maintenance on the International Space Station, according to social media posts on X, formerly Twitter, from scientists and other experts familiar with the situation.


Hayao Miyazaki's optimism dims in ‘The Boy and the Heron’ - Los Angeles Times #art #culture #anime #cinema

When Hayao Miyazaki’s acclaimed new movie “The Boy and the Heron” made its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, one of the Japanese master’s biggest fans stepped on stage to introduce the long-awaited movie. “We are privileged enough to be living in a time where Mozart is composing symphonies,” said Oscar-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro. “Miyazaki san is a master of that stature, and we are so lucky to be here. He has changed the medium that he started in, revolutionized it, proved over and over again that it is a tremendous work of art.”

“Miyazaki, in my estimation, is the greatest director of animation ever, and he has made his films as full of dialogues and questions as he is,” continued Del Toro. “These are not easy films, but these are films that portray him so intimately, that you feel you’re having a conversation with him. And they are paradoxical because he understands that beauty cannot exist without horror, and delicacy cannot exist without brutality.”


PyPI has completed its first security audit - The Python Package Index #software #security

Findings

Overall, the auditors determined the Warehouse codebase "was adequately tested and conformed to widely accepted best practices for secure Python and web development," and that while the cabotage codebase lacks the same level of testing, they did not identify any high severity issues in either codebase.


YouTube will show labels on videos that use AI #internet

AI can be used for good and for evil, and on YouTube, the latter could mean posting videos that mislead viewers into thinking they are real. To avoid those situations, YouTube is now requiring creators to mark videos that are made using AI, and the platform will show labels to viewers.

Announced in a blog post today, YouTube will, in the “coming months,” require that creators disclose the use of AI in a video, which will result in a label being shown on videos that are “synthetic.”


A lot of damage in Grindavík - Iceland Monitor #nature #spreading #iceland

A lot of damage can be seen around Grindavík after the earthquakes and the formation of a deformation that is moving downwards towards the magma intrusion that is underneath the ground. This depression formation is now estimated to be over 1.2 meters in the northwest end of Grindavík.

A fissure passes through a large part of the town and passes through the road to the sports center. A hot water pipe has been broken in the earthquakes and the sports center seems to be sitting on a meter high pedestal.


Google Sues Men Who Weaponized DMCA Notices to Crush Competition * TorrentFreak #copyrights

While all non-compliant DMCA takedown notices are invalid by default, there’s a huge difference between those sent in error and others crafted for purely malicious purposes.

Bogus DMCA takedown notices are nothing new, but the rise of organized groups using malicious DMCA notices as a business tool has been apparent in recent years.

Since the vast majority of culprits facing zero consequences, that may have acted as motivation to send more. Through a lawsuit filed at a California court on Monday, Google appears to be sending the message that enough is enough.


To Free The Baltic Grid, Old Technology Is New Again - IEEE Spectrum #energy #technology #security

The Baltic countries—Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia—recently accelerated a plan to cut the electrical chains that keep them tied to Russia. A technical lynchpin to their planned escape from the Moscow-controlled synchronous AC power zone is a constellation of synchronous condensers: free-­spinning and fuel-free electrical generators whose sole purpose is to stabilize and protect power grids.


Nepal bans TikTok and says it disrupts social harmony | AP News #socialnetworks #society #health #psychology

Nepal’s government decided to ban the popular social media app TikTok on Monday, saying it was disrupting “social harmony” in the country.

The announcement was made following a Cabinet meeting. Foreign Minister Narayan Prakash Saud said the app would be banned immediately.

“The government has decided to ban TikTok as it was necessary to regulate the use of the social media platform that was disrupting social harmony, goodwill and flow of indecent materials,” Saud said.

He said that to make social media platforms accountable, the government has asked the companies to register and open a liaison office in Nepal, pay taxes and abide by the country’s laws and regulations.


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