Ken Andrade
@k808a.com
Technically one of those mainlanders who moves to Hawaii for a while and then leaves. Except it took me 42 years.
Former (but not really recovering) journalist, news aggregator, contract researcher & webmaster.
Former (but not really recovering) journalist, news aggregator, contract researcher & webmaster.
There’s a coffee shop in Atami that sells an Americano, but the English translation says "Weak Coffee." Pretty sure it’s a translation accident, not a sly dig, but kinda true nonetheless 😀
November 26, 2025 at 6:42 PM
There’s a coffee shop in Atami that sells an Americano, but the English translation says "Weak Coffee." Pretty sure it’s a translation accident, not a sly dig, but kinda true nonetheless 😀
Yup:
"...few individuals crave incivility when they go into a shop or restaurant. But plenty of them would like to just get on with the activity at hand, without having to watch how far they are from a member of staff in case they get sucked into a conversation."
www.economist.com/business/202...
"...few individuals crave incivility when they go into a shop or restaurant. But plenty of them would like to just get on with the activity at hand, without having to watch how far they are from a member of staff in case they get sucked into a conversation."
www.economist.com/business/202...
The 10-4 rule for interacting with customers
Is Target’s new policy bonkers, businesslike or a bit of both?
www.economist.com
November 17, 2025 at 10:40 PM
Yup:
"...few individuals crave incivility when they go into a shop or restaurant. But plenty of them would like to just get on with the activity at hand, without having to watch how far they are from a member of staff in case they get sucked into a conversation."
www.economist.com/business/202...
"...few individuals crave incivility when they go into a shop or restaurant. But plenty of them would like to just get on with the activity at hand, without having to watch how far they are from a member of staff in case they get sucked into a conversation."
www.economist.com/business/202...
Not much more than a dusting, but as the first snow of the season, I'll take it!
November 10, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Not much more than a dusting, but as the first snow of the season, I'll take it!
When the robotic gate voices won’t stop arguing which track is better
November 9, 2025 at 10:04 PM
When the robotic gate voices won’t stop arguing which track is better
There are sweet potatoes, and then there are sweet potatoes so sweet they can be a dessert item. So good to be near an HMart
November 2, 2025 at 12:18 AM
There are sweet potatoes, and then there are sweet potatoes so sweet they can be a dessert item. So good to be near an HMart
Some people who bought $3,500 refrigerators are now learning they actually got really expensive kitchen billboards
arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025...
arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025...
Samsung makes ads on $3,499 smart fridges official with upcoming software update
Update introduces two ways for the fridges to show ads.
arstechnica.com
October 28, 2025 at 7:34 PM
Some people who bought $3,500 refrigerators are now learning they actually got really expensive kitchen billboards
arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025...
arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025...
If you click on it, you are rewarding its creators. First be sure you want to do that.
"For now, there’s decent money in it for slop merchants."
www.theatlantic.com/technology/2...
"For now, there’s decent money in it for slop merchants."
www.theatlantic.com/technology/2...
A Tool That Crushes Creativity
AI slop is winning.
www.theatlantic.com
October 26, 2025 at 7:25 PM
If you click on it, you are rewarding its creators. First be sure you want to do that.
"For now, there’s decent money in it for slop merchants."
www.theatlantic.com/technology/2...
"For now, there’s decent money in it for slop merchants."
www.theatlantic.com/technology/2...
Just in time for Halloween! Endorsed by the dog we're dogsitting -- she went running around the house looking for the source :) www.allaboutbirds.org/news/listen-...
Listen In on the Distinctive Voices of Owls
Hoots, whinnies, barks, and moans—we collected some of the most evocative owl sounds you might hear in North America.
www.allaboutbirds.org
October 26, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Just in time for Halloween! Endorsed by the dog we're dogsitting -- she went running around the house looking for the source :) www.allaboutbirds.org/news/listen-...
Respecting the time-honored traditions of autumn 🙂
October 19, 2025 at 11:48 PM
Respecting the time-honored traditions of autumn 🙂
The western 'burbs of Chicago aren't the last place I'd expect to see a JDM luxo-van, but close. Yet there it was.
October 1, 2025 at 6:11 PM
The western 'burbs of Chicago aren't the last place I'd expect to see a JDM luxo-van, but close. Yet there it was.
Imagine waking up to this. Fountaining isn't the largest today, but still the size of a 30-story building
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tk0t...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tk0t...
October 1, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Imagine waking up to this. Fountaining isn't the largest today, but still the size of a 30-story building
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tk0t...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tk0t...
The case for streaming keeps eroding.
"These services rely on you not having other alternatives. Remind them that you have other options. Invest in physical media. In this age of constant subscriptions and renting, ownership is its own little act of resistance."
www.trillmag.com/entertainmen...
"These services rely on you not having other alternatives. Remind them that you have other options. Invest in physical media. In this age of constant subscriptions and renting, ownership is its own little act of resistance."
www.trillmag.com/entertainmen...
Netflix, YouTube, and Spotify Are Changing—Are We Watching the Downfall of Streaming?
At what point do we have to admit that streaming is becoming a scam?
www.trillmag.com
September 23, 2025 at 6:51 PM
The case for streaming keeps eroding.
"These services rely on you not having other alternatives. Remind them that you have other options. Invest in physical media. In this age of constant subscriptions and renting, ownership is its own little act of resistance."
www.trillmag.com/entertainmen...
"These services rely on you not having other alternatives. Remind them that you have other options. Invest in physical media. In this age of constant subscriptions and renting, ownership is its own little act of resistance."
www.trillmag.com/entertainmen...
When something arrives from interstellar space, it would be strange if there were nothing strange about it. Refreshingly rational discussion about what we know so far.
www.planetary.org/articles/stu...
www.planetary.org/articles/stu...
Studying a distant visitor: What we know about Interstellar Object…
Key highlights from an interview with Dr. Bryce Bolin, lead author of a study on Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS.
www.planetary.org
September 22, 2025 at 6:22 PM
When something arrives from interstellar space, it would be strange if there were nothing strange about it. Refreshingly rational discussion about what we know so far.
www.planetary.org/articles/stu...
www.planetary.org/articles/stu...
Reposted by Ken Andrade
I’d pretty much given up looking for really good pineapple since we came to the mainland, so this was a tasty surprise
September 21, 2025 at 4:19 PM
I’d pretty much given up looking for really good pineapple since we came to the mainland, so this was a tasty surprise
Cool to see 3D printing of buildings finally going mainstream: “We’re not just doing one-off demos any more—real production is happening.”
www.enr.com/articles/613...
www.enr.com/articles/613...
3D Printed Concrete Finds Its Footing
Slow but steady growth in the use of 3D printed concrete in construction brings in new firms and users, as the nascent industry finds the right market niches for a continually evolving technology.
www.enr.com
September 20, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Cool to see 3D printing of buildings finally going mainstream: “We’re not just doing one-off demos any more—real production is happening.”
www.enr.com/articles/613...
www.enr.com/articles/613...
Might be a rut, OK it's definitely a rut, but it’s a tasty rut, and it's a rut I am happy to inhabit: planked grilled miso steelhead, homegrown shiso and oden veg.
September 19, 2025 at 11:23 PM
Might be a rut, OK it's definitely a rut, but it’s a tasty rut, and it's a rut I am happy to inhabit: planked grilled miso steelhead, homegrown shiso and oden veg.
There's no spontaneity like forced spontaneity :(
"Baristas have been warned that they will be “written up” if they don’t write a personalized message on every single cup, even during peak hours, they said."
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/09/b...
"Baristas have been warned that they will be “written up” if they don’t write a personalized message on every single cup, even during peak hours, they said."
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/09/b...
The Starbucks Turnaround That Has Baristas and Customers Steamed
www.nytimes.com
September 14, 2025 at 12:34 AM
There's no spontaneity like forced spontaneity :(
"Baristas have been warned that they will be “written up” if they don’t write a personalized message on every single cup, even during peak hours, they said."
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/09/b...
"Baristas have been warned that they will be “written up” if they don’t write a personalized message on every single cup, even during peak hours, they said."
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/09/b...
And the thieves are everywhere: "Economists may soon start to think of brainrot as a means of theft. Increasingly, the discipline is modelling attention as a resource, alongside land, labour and capital."
www.economist.com/finance-and-...
www.economist.com/finance-and-...
Can you make it to the end of this column?
Understanding the new economics of attention
www.economist.com
September 13, 2025 at 5:09 PM
And the thieves are everywhere: "Economists may soon start to think of brainrot as a means of theft. Increasingly, the discipline is modelling attention as a resource, alongside land, labour and capital."
www.economist.com/finance-and-...
www.economist.com/finance-and-...
Fascinating bit of untold history here:
www.civilbeat.org?p=1731073&mc...
www.civilbeat.org?p=1731073&mc...
Kirstin Downey: Most Prisoners In Hawaiʻi's WWII Internment Camp Were Korean
While hundreds of Japanese-Americans were the first held at Honouliuli, many more Koreans followed.
www.civilbeat.org
September 5, 2025 at 10:14 PM
Fascinating bit of untold history here:
www.civilbeat.org?p=1731073&mc...
www.civilbeat.org?p=1731073&mc...
Didn't know there was a universal hand symbol for 'WTF' www.wsj.com/us-news/flyi...
Flying a Plane Is Fun Until You Enter Restricted Airspace
For private pilots, there’s nothing like the shame of getting pulled over midflight by fighter jets. And it’s happening more often than you think.
www.wsj.com
September 2, 2025 at 5:44 PM
Didn't know there was a universal hand symbol for 'WTF' www.wsj.com/us-news/flyi...
Some native plants can be mistaken for weeds, but the wildlife knows. This guy spent a good 5 minutes going over these flowers.
August 29, 2025 at 4:24 PM
Some native plants can be mistaken for weeds, but the wildlife knows. This guy spent a good 5 minutes going over these flowers.
Idly fascinated by the NWS' use of the word "interests" as a noun in this context:
"...Interests elsewhere in the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and the central Bahamas should monitor the progress of Erin...."
Could have said "people" but chose "interests" -- why?
www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh...
"...Interests elsewhere in the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and the central Bahamas should monitor the progress of Erin...."
Could have said "people" but chose "interests" -- why?
www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh...
August 17, 2025 at 12:59 PM
Idly fascinated by the NWS' use of the word "interests" as a noun in this context:
"...Interests elsewhere in the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and the central Bahamas should monitor the progress of Erin...."
Could have said "people" but chose "interests" -- why?
www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh...
"...Interests elsewhere in the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and the central Bahamas should monitor the progress of Erin...."
Could have said "people" but chose "interests" -- why?
www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh...
Tracks my experience. It's not whether you look at a screen, it's what you're looking at on the screen.
"...in some cases, screen use could even help you drift off."
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/17/w...
"...in some cases, screen use could even help you drift off."
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/17/w...
Why Do Screens Keep You Up? It May Not Be the Blue Light.
www.nytimes.com
August 17, 2025 at 12:32 PM
Tracks my experience. It's not whether you look at a screen, it's what you're looking at on the screen.
"...in some cases, screen use could even help you drift off."
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/17/w...
"...in some cases, screen use could even help you drift off."
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/17/w...
If you feel a need for more post-apocalypse skills - really, who doesn't nowadays :) - you know why I jumped at the chance when I learned of a beginner blacksmith class nearby. Bending red-hot metal to your will brings a visceral satisfaction that's hard to describe.
mscaitlinsschool.com/index.html
mscaitlinsschool.com/index.html
August 16, 2025 at 7:19 PM
If you feel a need for more post-apocalypse skills - really, who doesn't nowadays :) - you know why I jumped at the chance when I learned of a beginner blacksmith class nearby. Bending red-hot metal to your will brings a visceral satisfaction that's hard to describe.
mscaitlinsschool.com/index.html
mscaitlinsschool.com/index.html