Previously:
The Japanese word “Kara”
- 🎶 Karaoke (カラオケ) = “Empty orchestra” → singing over instrumentals.
- 🥋 Kara-uke (空受け) = “Empty block” → defense with calmness, no force.
- 🥋 Karate (空手) = “Empty hand” → martial art of unarmed combat.
Salman Rushdie reads from Edward Said’s After the Last Sky book
Salman Rushdie reads from Edward Said’s After the Last Sky, a book about how Palestinian identity is lived through repetition and shared codes. One striking example is a letter from a self-proclaimed Palestinian karate champion, using karate as proof of belonging. Said notes that such repetition—being a “Palestinian karate expert” becomes a way of insisting on existence. At the same time, he shows how this identity is invaded by outside definitions and how women’s voices are often left out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sf0J9KlHank
Bus telolek - The horn DJs - Indonesian underrated djs
I learned about the bus telolet culture in Indonesia, where kids gather along highways shouting “Om Telolet Om!” (which means “Sir, honk the horn!”) to passing bus drivers. In response, the drivers play their custom multi-tone horns, called telolet, which create melodic and often playful rhythms instead of simple honks. This was a roadside game but niow became a viral internet sensation since 2016, even inspiring famous DJs to sample the sound in their tracks. Today, it’s still alive, especially with tourism buses, showing how something as ordinary as a bus horn can turn into a joyful cultural phenomenon.
NIST Finalizes ‘Lightweight Cryptography’ Standard to Protect Small Devices
Traditional algorithms like AES or SHA-256 are too resource-intensive for many small devices. The new standard offers efficient, compact, and secure cryptography. It’s designed to resist side-channel attacks. The standard is built around a group of cryptographic algorithms in the Ascon family. Ascon was developed in 2014 by a team of cryptographers from Graz University of Technology, Infineon Technologies, and Radboud University.
| Algorithm | Function | Key Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| ASCON-128 AEAD | Encrypt + Authenticate | Efficient, side-channel resistant AEAD |
| ASCON-Hash 256 | Fixed-size hash digest | Lightweight integrity checks |
| ASCON-XOF 128 | Variable-length hash output | Tailored performance vs. security |
| ASCON-CXOF 128 | Labeled XOF for domain separation | Collision-resistant across devices |
Banana peel for plants
You can chop up a banana peel, leave it in a jar of water overnight, and then use that water (not the peels) to waqter your plants. This can repeat about once a month. This works because banana peels contains nutrients like potassium, phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium into the water, which support strong roots, and better flowering. It’s a natural fertilizer, but it’s best not to overdo it since too much can cause mold or disturb the balance of the soil.