Headed to the beach this summer? Bring home a shakerful of seaside terroir with these easy steps for DIY salt. https://modernfarmer.com/2019/07/how-to-make-fresh-sea-salt/

"A new project aims to catalogue hundreds of ancient symbols, drawn from long-gone civilizations like the Mayans, the ancient Egyptians, and the Aztecs, as well as present-day indigenous communities." https://www.fastcompany.com/90377403/see-the-worlds-oldest-emoji-in-this-new-archive-of-650-ancient-symbols

TIL Ancient Peruvians were dyeing textiles with indigo long before Egyptians https://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-oldest-indigo-dye-20160915-snap-story.html

I just gave notice.

No matter how much you hate a job, there's always reluctance to say goodbye.

(But I'm happy to say I'll be going back to work for an old client, whom I liked.)

So, you want to build a CubeSat? https://orbitalindex.com/archive/2019-07-30-Issue-23/

Robotic contact lenses are here. The devices allow users to zoom in by blinking, and may pave the way for prosthetic eyes. https://thenextweb.com/science/2019/07/29/scientist-have-made-a-contact-lens-that-lets-you-zoom-in-by-blinking/

"If you’re not sure if a job is right for you, try staring into a broken mirror and saying the name of the school 666 times. If the mirror starts to bleed, you’re definitely on the right track." https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/how-to-apply-for-an-academic-job-and-also-summon-the-ancient-mesopotamian-demon-pazuzu

Financial fraud detection systems get smarter with AI

Fintech risk management systems are getting a makeover. By adding machine learning technologies to their traditional rules-based fraud management systems, banks hope that they can do better at catching real criminals while declining fewer legitimate credit card transactions. ML technologies, though, have their own gotchas.

https://www.hpe.com/us/en/insights/articles/financial-fraud-detection-systems-get-smarter-with-ai-1907.html

How Energy Bars Became America's Favorite Snack Food https://www.outsideonline.com/2377741/snackification-american-diet

J. Michael Straczynski reveals painful origin story in Becoming Superman https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/babylon-5-creator-j-michael-straczynski-details-a-painful-origin-story-of-his-own

What’s your favorite status-checking website to check for “Is Site down?” Any particular reason for the preference?

These days, due to the gooseberry’s dwindling popularity, they are sometimes referred to as “the forgotten fruit.” https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/gooseberry-show

"Both skepticism and wonder are skills that need honing and practice. Their harmonious marriage within the mind of every schoolchild ought to be a principal goal of public education." -- Carl Sagan
https://www.brainpickings.org/2016/11/09/carl-sagan-demon-haunted-world-ignorance-compassion/

When temperance advocates won the ban on absinthe in 1915, many of them saw it as the first step in a broader anti-drinking campaign. https://daily.jstor.org/the-trouble-with-absinthe/

Stéphane Breitwieser robbed nearly 200 museums, amassed a collection of treasures worth more than $1.4 billion, and became perhaps the most prolific art thief in history https://www.gq.com/story/secrets-of-the-worlds-greatest-art-thief

Don’t pay the ransom: That’s the message from the aptly named #NoMoreRansom initiative. But why won’t U.S. law enforcement play? #cososec https://securityboulevard.com/2019/07/3-candles-on-no-more-ransoms-cake/

What CIOs need to know about 5G
If you've been ignoring 5G, start paying attention. It may not be time yet to orchestrate a 5G implementation, but it's certainly time to think about your plans.
https://www.hpe.com/us/en/insights/articles/what-cios-need-to-know-about-5g-1907.html

My Amazon review of _Becoming Superman: My Journey From Poverty to Hollywood_ by J. Michael Straczynski #cosobookclub #babylon5

5 stars

"Hey jms, what shaped your creativity?" Oh. Now I know. Wow.
https://amzn.to/2LItHpy