I’ve been thinking a lot about the shifting baseline concept as applied to everyday life. People in their 20’s now have no memory of highly functional systems, products (from blenders to sweaters) that were so well made you could hand them down across generations, or even helpful customer service.

Pas pire. Le Mot (@WordleFR) #1604 3/6 ⬛🟨🟨⬛🟩 ⬛⬛🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 wordle.louan.me

Get yourself there with a crusty baguette.

Chikamaru is an elusive underground dweller and unofficial mascot for Saitama Prefecture. He loves Saitama Prefecture and alcohol, even though he has a low tolerance. He came up to the surface with Liver-kun, his best friend.

Nobel prize winning economist Daron Acemoglu wrote: “The handful of people unleashing this technology on the world are guided by an ideology of control (over humanity) and by a conviction that machines are uniformly better than humans.”

Groan.

Kyoto University Hospital is running the first human trial of TRG-035, a drug that grew brand-new teeth in mice. Humans grow two sets and stop. The drug aims to give us a third.

Huh. Hard to imagine a tech topic being on the agenda of international high-level talks even 10 years ago, and yet here we are. Uncharted dark waters.

The Insane Growth of China’s High-Speed Rail Network Between 2008 & 2024 Why can't the US, UK or Canada do the same? Facts about the lines: brilliantmaps.com/high-spee...

"Travel Pillows That’ll Make You Feel Like You’re in First Class" No they won't.

Started watching Legends, a six-part thriller about a drug cartel sting operation set in gritty Thatcherian times -- an era also brought back to life by the excellent soundtrack. Good ensemble cast led by Steve Coogan.

“You’re going to get massive confusion and duplication.”

FREE LINK > "Molecular glue," the technology used in the pancreatic cancer treatment that's extending Senator Ben Sasse's life, is driving billion-dollar pharma deals. Robert Langreth explains why > www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...

Enjoying @bakergeorget.bsky.social's review of the new Oakridge Mall on CBC BC Radio, and wondering how the Time Out Market measures up to the one in Montreal -- which has a very clubby vibe and is also not cheap. May need to take a gander.

Delightful, if a bit Midsommar-ish.

Take that, MET Gala. Absolutely fabulous.

So much to learn, and so well written as per usual. Love the footnotes doing deep dives into a particular point. Also "whatever label won the algorithm that week" is 👌.

And since the article doesn't have a link to Colbert's YouTube channel:

Already at the stage of pitying robots. Surely they feel the same for humans. 🤖

📍 Okayama, Japan 🇯🇵 — Local Time 09:00:09 AM

A scene straight from the dinosaur era.

A new alarming record every day. Take care of yourself and of each other.

The ECUAD grad show is on until May 27. As every year, the 2026 crop features quite a few promising emerging artists. ecuad.ca/ecu-event/th...

Oh yay, Google AI, totally trusting you for everything.

Bahaha. Stephen Colbert guest hosts a community TV show with some funny results. Bit of a reverse SNL Bronx Beat vibe with the 2 original hosts on helium. Things that shouldn't be eaten are eaten. And Jack White is the bored musical director / sidekick. Need more of this.

Happy birthday to forever cool Paul Weller. The energy jumps off the screen in this blurry video.

Sounds promising.

Good morn Oh I see, another Bluesky existential drama going on.

Running ultras or multiple yearly marathons involves hours of exertion, much of it at a draining pace. A small study found a surprisingly high incidence of precancerous polyps in young extreme runners, sparking controversy and concern.

VANCOUVER ISLAND: “An advocacy group is reminding people to keep their pets safe after several sightings of cougars, including one with kittens, have been reported on the South Island.” cheknews.ca/south-island... - @cheknews.ca #Esquimalt #Langford #Saanich #VancouverIsland #Wildlife #YYJ

Cautionary tale for Canada, where data centres are also being enthusiastically i̸m̸p̸o̸s̸e̸d̸ introduced.

Sad to hear about Dennis. Was wondering why I wasn't seeing him on The Drive, where he took good care of the community. A celebration of Dennis' life is happening on May 31st.

Goes without saying, don't be this dumb.

All right. 🧩 Puzzle #1033 🤔 14 guesses ⏱️ 1m 12s 🔗 alphaguess.com/1033

👀

Promise of summer.

This David Byrne performance on one of the last @colbertlateshow.bsky.social couldn't be more apropos. CBS will go down in history as a shill for a madman's regime. Freedom of expression my foot.

"Everlane, a company that promised shoppers affordable and ethically defensible clothing, may be over as customers have known it." Ahem, Everlane wasn't exactly affordable.

Razorbills have the slickest design in the animal kingdom. They look like they were made by Yves Saint Laurent

This is a fantastic cartoon. Simply outstanding. Artist: Marian Kamensky (Austria) #Iran #IranWar

And yet more concerning news from Google 🕵️

Bold move by my favourite local Asian grocery store.

If you're in Paris in June, you could enjoy this installation that will transform the Pont-Neuf.

Sounds about right 😒

Et tu, Gmail.

Not now Google.

No more fumbling for coins when visiting Victoria.

Thank goodness, regular doomscrolling is back.

The normalization of far-right ideas continues as Curtis Yarvin and Lauren Southern are invited to a glitzy tech conference in Vancouver - which several Canadian politicians also attended. Full story here, no paywall: thetyee.ca/News/2026/05...