PJH Studios

Author: Patrick

  • Dog college

    Dog college sounds fun.

    “The most important thing is they’re doing what they love,” says Ruth Desiderio, the center’s volunteer and outreach coordinator leading the public tour I’ve joined in on. The dogs, she explains, indicate their interests and aptitude through apparent eagerness and ambivalence, and are allowed to proceed accordingly. If a dog relishes the challenge of sniffing out a hidden human, but reacts with fear to loud, sudden banging sounds–perhaps they’re destined for wilderness over urban search and rescue. If they love to smell and be rewarded, but crave routine, then a long-term post in the lab could be the perfect fit. 

  • Ross Chastain wall ride

    Nascar season started last weekend so let’s rewatch one of last year’s memorable moments–Ross Chastain using the wall to slingshot his car across the finish line. Unsurprisingly, Nascar banned the maneuver.

  • XOXO 2024 Festival

    XOXO Festival is a one of a kind art, media, and technology conference in Portland. Its speakers are well known in various online and offline circles, and the talks inspire a liveliness and curiosity.

    One talk, by Cabel Sasser, from the 2024 XOXO iteration tells about a painting in a McDonalds that leads to a discovery of a prolific, unknown talent.

  • Cheez It Snap’d White Cheddar chips

    Cheez It Snap’d White Cheddar chips are a crunchy cracker variation of Cheez Its. They offer that salty snack fix with enough flavor to satisfy, but not hang around or taste too artificial.

  • Competitive authoritarianism

    Competitive authoritarianism will transform political life in the United States. As Trump’s early flurry of dubiously constitutional executive orders made clear, the cost of public opposition will rise considerably: Democratic Party donors may be targeted by the IRS; businesses that fund civil rights groups may face heightened tax and legal scrutiny or find their ventures stymied by regulators. Critical media outlets will likely confront costly defamation suits or other legal actions as well as retaliatory policies against their parent companies. Americans will still be able to oppose the government, but opposition will be harder and riskier, leading many elites and citizens to decide that the fight is not worth it. A failure to resist, however, could pave the way for authoritarian entrenchment—with grave and enduring consequences for global democracy.

    In Foreign Affairs, The Path to American Authoritarianism

  • Venn diagram of Trump authoritarian actions

    Venn diagram of Trump authoritarian actions, by Christina Pagel.

    Categories overlapped and mapped:

    • Undermining Democratic Institutions & Rule of Law; Dismantling federal government
    • Dismantling Social Protections & Rights; Enrichment & Corruption
    • Suppressing Dissent & Controlling Information
    • Attacking Science, Environment, Health, Arts & Education
    • Aggressive Foreign Policy & Global Destabilization

  • SNL lonely Island medley

    So many contributing to the Lonely Island medley for the SNL 50th anniversary concert. Spot them all! Gaga does Dick in a Box with Samberg. Chris Parnell, T-Pain, Bad Bunny. Eddie Vedder as a pirate.

  • Bitcoin fortune buried in a garbage dump

    It sounds like a joke, but there’s (bitcoin) treasure to the amount of $775 million in a UK garbage dump. The guy who lost the bitcoin is now trying to buy the dump.

  • Smuggling arbitrary data through an emoji

    Smuggling arbitrary data through an emoji – clever nerdery here. I’d imagine this gets fixed in places that would be susceptible to malicious code.

  • Redwood Empire Grizzly Beast Bourbon

    Grizzly Bear is a bottled in bond straight bourbon whiskey from California. At 90 proof it’s full bodied, leans on the sweeter side of bourbon with cherry, maple, and brown sugar, with a long finish.

    This is my second bottle, and definitely one of my go tos for a drink. I still need to try Redwood Empire’s other offerings, which include high rye and other blends.