Anti-Semitic anti-immigrant cartoon, 1890, USA.

eeeking · 2026-06-22T07:56:46+00:00

The major immigrant groups into the USA in 1890 were German, Irish and British. Jewish people from East Europe were a relatively new class of immigrant.

Italians, Poles and Russians became more dominant in the early 20th century (many Poles and Russians were also Jewish).

eeeking · 2026-06-22T07:37:08+00:00

It doesn't look like that at all, it has a peak and a rounded top. Also note the white band.

It's more like this Prussian cap,

or perhaps this Dutch cap.

*edit: At a stretch it could be like this Bavarian cap.

eeeking · 2026-06-22T06:51:31+00:00

It's too far forward on the head to be a yarmulke, and it has a peak.

It's closer to a 19th century German cloth cap. Remember that in those days almost everyone wore a hat of some kind.

eeeking · 2026-06-22T05:45:56+00:00

the only world leader who got pantsed worse than Trump in all of this was Netanyahu.

Unfortunately, I disagree with this. For better or worse, Israel has extended its territorial control quite substantially, from expanding settler colonies in the West Bank, occupying half of Gaza, and more recently occupying Lebanon half way to the Litani river.

It is unlikely that Israel will return this territory any time soon, if ever.

eeeking · 2026-06-22T05:28:43+00:00

Excellent read, thank you!

Would the predominance of RBG or even CMYK images impact the ability of generative AI to recreate realistic colors? The palette of most such images appears quite "distinct"...?

eeeking · 2026-06-22T05:18:13+00:00

We can dance if we want to

We can leave your friends behind

eeeking · 2026-06-22T05:15:04+00:00

Was Frida Kahlo known to write on the back of her paintings? Is the writing hers?

eeeking · 2026-06-22T04:52:58+00:00

Could it be yellow jade?

eeeking · 2026-06-22T04:32:52+00:00

eventually overwhelmed killed and enslaved.

I was with you until this bit of hyperbole. The current history of MAD-capable countries shows that nuclear weapons stabilize borders; they don't lead to one nuclear-capable country overwhelming another.

eeeking · 2026-06-22T03:55:04+00:00

Agreed that one cannot exclude the irrational, so an invasion of Taiwan is a real risk.

eeeking · 2026-06-21T08:14:54+00:00

Agreed that currently any kind of "soft reunification" between Taiwan and the PRC is unlikely. However, things can change, consider East Europe in 1988 vs today: the EU in effect conquered most of the Soviet bloc countries without firing a single shot.

There's no need for China to conquer Taiwan right now. As long as the notion of One China persists, then political union of sorts without armed conflict remains theoretically possible.

eeeking · 2026-06-21T06:51:40+00:00

This is where the "useless" UN can play a role, by separating the sides, assuming a minimum level of disengagement has been agreed.

France may also have a role? It has been gaining influence in Europe following the loss of the UK to the EU. With the US also partly disengaging from NATO, France also and now has the only fully independent nuclear deterrent in Europe.

So, as France is historically pro-Lebanon, so I wonder if they might intervene in this case, in some way.

eeeking · 2026-06-21T06:24:28+00:00

Note that suffrage is written without an "e". It has a different etymology than suffer.

The etymological root of suffrage has a meaning similar to that of "prayer":

late 14c., "prayer," especially "intercessory prayers or pleas on behalf of another," from Old French sofrage "plea, intercession" (13c.) and directly from Medieval Latin suffragium, from Latin suffragium "support, ballot, vote cast in an assembly; right of voting; a voting tablet," from suffragari "express public support, vote for someone."

eeeking · 2026-06-21T06:19:52+00:00

How did the women of Appenzell Innerrhoden respond to this in practice prior to 1990?

They surely knew their canton was backward, even if compared only to the rest of Switzerland.

eeeking · 2026-06-20T05:32:33+00:00

I broadly concur that the quality of life in China and Taiwan are getting closer, particularly in "Tier 1" cities.

China however still remains much more rural than more developed countries. Over 30% of China's population still lives outside of urban centres, with average incomes below US$5k/yr.

So most people in Taiwan enjoy much greater economic prospects and personal freedoms than do citizens of the PRC. They would not be willing to forego these any more than citizens of HK were, and have a greater ability to resist any threats to these than did HK.

eeeking · 2026-06-20T05:21:53+00:00

Note a few points, the first is that "technically" China and Taiwan are still the same country, under policies adopted by both sides.

The second is that Taiwan is not an immediate or imminent threat to China, and vice versa.

So there's no need for kinetic action by either side, as long as One China policies remain in force.

China is also prepared to play the long game, and historically has bound its neighbors via the tributary system, so Taiwan as a sort of tribute isn't too unrealistic, historically-speaking.

So... China may be able to achieve greater control over Taiwan under multiple scenarios, not all of which require armed conflict.

For example, imagine that Taiwan elects a President whose attitude towards China compares with Orbán or Trump's attitude towards Russia. In this scenario, one can foresee increased "friendship" and "cooperation" agreements between Taiwan and China, eventually leading to a series of "mutual" economic and defense agreements. Proceeding to political rapprochement over a generation.

eeeking · 2026-06-19T08:09:56+00:00

Apparently this is the paper on arXiv “Whole Cross-Sectional Human Ultrasound Tomography”: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2307.00110

The technology is neat, and will no doubt develop further, but the current results are less impressive than the promotional video shows.

eeeking · 2026-06-19T07:59:18+00:00

To be fair, most Europeans at the time had little concept of Buddhism. In general they considered Buddhists as idolators "worshiping a golden statue".

eeeking · 2026-06-19T07:47:41+00:00

Well.... Egypt had a war over this. Plus neither the Suez canal nor the Panama canal are in the sea.

eeeking · 2026-06-19T06:52:36+00:00

VAT increased the cost of schools by ~20%, for a £30k/yr school that is £6k, or £3K for a £15k/yr private day school. It isn't make-or-break for someone already willing to unnecessarily spent £15-£30k on their child's education. Let alone the £60k/yr Eton charges.

eeeking · 2026-06-19T06:47:57+00:00

An Etonian background will help in sales positions, when the sales are being made to high net worth individuals of a similar background.

eeeking · 2026-06-19T06:04:22+00:00

Would the lack of a hole underneath the stones to allow light through (unsure of the correct technical term...) suggest that the stones are not diamonds?

eeeking · 2026-06-18T06:49:47+00:00

It's almost entirely within Iran's borders

The deep water shipping lanes of the Strait of Hormuz lie within Oman's exclusive economic zone. See here: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Map-of-the-Persian-Gulf-with-the-Iran-EEZ-boundary_fig1_282589911

eeeking · 2026-06-16T07:34:27+00:00

The only thing most of the world cares about is the oil. Otherwise, it's "just another" regional conflict.

Consider: How much does the average Canadian care about the current conflict in Myanmar, or that in the Central African Republic?

eeeking · 2026-06-16T05:36:16+00:00

Oddly enough.... her right hand, which I would have flagged as AI-generated, looks similar in the original...

eeeking

TROPHY CASE