“And Did Those Feet:” William Blake in Bradford
counterpunch.org/2025/08/01/an…

"The Kennedy Assassination in November 1963, the expanding quagmire of Vietnam, Nixon and Agnew’s corruption, Watergate, recession and inflation damaged the American Dream, perhaps irreparably. Good riddance, I thought back then, it was all a charade, a cover for inequality, racism and empire. And today, just when we thought the American Dream was dead and

“And Did Those Feet:” William Blake in Bradford - CounterPunch.org

^{Stephen F. Eisenman (CounterPunch.org)}

David Hockney’s world vibrates in living color
https://www.csmonitor.com/Books/2025/0731/david-hockney-25-exhibition-catalog?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub

Posted into WHAT THE MONITOR IS READING NOW @what-the-monitor-is-reading-now-csmonitor

David Hockney’s world vibrates in living color

In “David Hockney,” the artist’s work jumps off the page, pulsing with life. A retrospective and a book capture his vitality and inventiveness.

^{Heller McAlpin (The Christian Science Monitor)}

Alaska beckoned. A young adventurer trades screen time for wilderness savvy.
https://www.csmonitor.com/Books/Author-Q-As/2025/0731/ben-weissenbach-north-to-the-future?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub

Posted into WHAT THE MONITOR IS READING NOW @what-the-monitor-is-reading-now-csmonitor

Alaska beckoned. A young adventurer trades screen time for wilderness savvy.

Ben Weissenbach found himself tamed by the Alaskan wilderness, schooled by skilled outdoorspeople, and rescued from hubris by an eagerness to learn.

^{Tanya Raghu (The Christian Science Monitor)}

Nyala antelope (Tragelaphus angasii)

A male nyala antelope stands alert in golden grasslands. His chalky white markings make for surprisingly effective camouflage, confusing a predator’s ability to clearly distinguish shape or direction. Prey to lions and leopards, they’re known for their exceptional hearing, sense of smell and sight – if they sense danger, they will alert others with a high-pitched bark.

Photograph: Chantelle Melzer

@photography
#photography
#SouthAfrica
#antelopes

This is your regular reminder that apps aren’t “vetted by Apple”. They check them for a handful of violations to do with in-app purchases and how the app requests permissions. They’re not lawyers sifting through privacy policies to decide if they look ok, and they’re most definitely not doing any reverse engineering. App Review barely even run apps for more than 2 minutes.

To keep repeating this when there’s years of evidence to the contrary is irresponsible. It tricks users into assuming every app has an Apple seal of approval, where they don’t need to second guess if it’s safe to upload their ID to a social network that just showed up out of nowhere, or talk about sensitive topics with the trust that it stays private.

Most apps are trustworthy, but they didn’t get to that position because of Apple.

Matrix Is Not Safe for EU Data Privacy

wire.com/en/blog/matrix-not-sa…

Matrix has long been promoted as the future of secure, decentralized communication. Backed by an open protocol, a vibrant developer community, and bridges to legacy systems, it promises interoperability and freedom from vendor lock-in. But when viewed through the lens of EU data privacy law, Matrix, and its commercial champion, Element, poses significant and underappreciated risks.

Why Matrix Fails EU Data Privacy Standards | Secure Messaging Risks

Matrix's UK ties, metadata leaks, and opaque governance expose EU organizations to GDPR and Schrems II risks. Learn why Wire is the safer, compliant choice for secure communication.

^{Alex Henthorn-Iwane (wire.com)}

Love visiting arcades inside video games!

Here’s one in RoboCop: Rogue City.

Small Modular Reactors: Déjà Vu All Over Again
counterpunch.org/2025/08/01/sm…

"Storm clouds began to form in America’s Atoms for Peace construction program during the late 1950s. Clear-headed analysts identified many pitfalls in constructing commercial atomic power reactors that continue now, 70 years later. This February 10, 1958, opinion piece in Time Magazinewas not just prescient for the failure of the Atoms for Peace program, but

Small Modular Reactors: Déjà Vu All Over Again - CounterPunch.org

^{Arnie Gundersen (CounterPunch.org)}

Rainbow boa (Epicrates cenchria)

The iridescent scales of a rainbow boa glisten as it encircles a wet branch in humid woodlands. These snakes are non-venomous, and due to their iconic oil slick sheen are highly sought-after for the pet trade. This, along with deforestation, means that numbers are dwindling.

Photograph: Thomas Marent/Minden/naturepl.com

@photography
#photography
#snakes

Battlefield 6 多人實機感覺有點威耶...

youtube.com/live/YrNJNJTkQJ4?s…

Puro orchid (Teagueia puroana)

A newly discovered orchid species survives frozen conditions in the eastern Andes of #Ecuador. This species was found on the Puro Reserve by researcher Lou Jost, and is one of the rarest orchids there, growing on the low branches and trunks of isolated and small trees.

Photograph: Lou Jost

@photography
#photography
#flowers
#orchids