Oran โอม
@oranv.com
wayfarer, civil engineer by training, transit map designer by trade. finding beauty in what’s otherwise unnoticed. Eng/ไทย. Seattle/Bothell, นนทบุรี/Bangkok, Santa Barbara.
Yeah, hi5 was a thing in Thailand. By 2009 when me and my friends were in university, many moved over to Facebook.
Hi5 was an early social platform, launched in 2003. Americans mostly ignored it. Big in Latin America & Southeast Asia with tens of millions of users at its peak, today it’s mostly social games & dating.
Check out your favorite websites with the #WaybackMachine: web.archive.org
🧵
#Wayback1T
Check out your favorite websites with the #WaybackMachine: web.archive.org
🧵
#Wayback1T
November 14, 2025 at 4:36 PM
Yeah, hi5 was a thing in Thailand. By 2009 when me and my friends were in university, many moved over to Facebook.
Reposted by Oran โอม
New: A judge in Washington has ruled images from Flock surveillance cameras are public records and that anyone can request them. Highlights the pervasiveness of this tech and just how much surveillance is being done. Very notable ruling
www.404media.co/judge-rules-...
www.404media.co/judge-rules-...
Judge Rules Flock Surveillance Images Are Public Records That Can Be Requested By Anyone
A Washington judge said images taken by Flock cameras are "not exempt from disclosure" in public record requests.
www.404media.co
November 12, 2025 at 3:22 PM
New: A judge in Washington has ruled images from Flock surveillance cameras are public records and that anyone can request them. Highlights the pervasiveness of this tech and just how much surveillance is being done. Very notable ruling
www.404media.co/judge-rules-...
www.404media.co/judge-rules-...
Reposted by Oran โอม
Hm now who else does that sound like
Something that’s so striking in these emails is how…unimpressive Epstein is. He comes off as a pompous, sub-literate lech. Yes everyone is so mortifyingly solicitous of him! All fawning and flattery! Why?????
November 13, 2025 at 3:47 AM
Hm now who else does that sound like
Reposted by Oran โอม
It is now Wikipedia official en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katie_W...
November 12, 2025 at 11:52 PM
It is now Wikipedia official en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katie_W...
Reposted by Oran โอม
Remember to support local news. And ask officials what they are doing with all that dynamite.
Otherwise we might be blissfully unaware of stuff like this.
Otherwise we might be blissfully unaware of stuff like this.
November 12, 2025 at 4:31 PM
Remember to support local news. And ask officials what they are doing with all that dynamite.
Otherwise we might be blissfully unaware of stuff like this.
Otherwise we might be blissfully unaware of stuff like this.
I’ve been using the new iPhone 17 for about a month and I miss the Touch ID from my SE. Face ID fails during three common cases.
Nighttime: I’m near sighted so I often pick up and hold it too close.
Glancing at phone on table: angle is too acute
Unlock during pull from pocket vs holding it right.
Nighttime: I’m near sighted so I often pick up and hold it too close.
Glancing at phone on table: angle is too acute
Unlock during pull from pocket vs holding it right.
November 12, 2025 at 4:34 PM
I’ve been using the new iPhone 17 for about a month and I miss the Touch ID from my SE. Face ID fails during three common cases.
Nighttime: I’m near sighted so I often pick up and hold it too close.
Glancing at phone on table: angle is too acute
Unlock during pull from pocket vs holding it right.
Nighttime: I’m near sighted so I often pick up and hold it too close.
Glancing at phone on table: angle is too acute
Unlock during pull from pocket vs holding it right.
Thailand’s second newest intercity motorway, the 96-kilometer long M81, connects Bang Yai (at Bangkok’s western outer ring road) and Kanchanaburi. We were so excited when plans to build it were announced back in 1997.
November 12, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Thailand’s second newest intercity motorway, the 96-kilometer long M81, connects Bang Yai (at Bangkok’s western outer ring road) and Kanchanaburi. We were so excited when plans to build it were announced back in 1997.
Reposted by Oran โอม
Typography lovers: this discussion about the poor kerning of Trumps latest garish installation is truly joyous!
huh, that's interesting. once you see the comparison, it becomes very obvious why one is better. would not have noticed it before
The font would appear to be English 111 Adagio CE, available for the highly presidential sum of just $39.75 USD
Note "The" is not kerned correctly
(see perspective-corrected still for reference)
Note "The" is not kerned correctly
(see perspective-corrected still for reference)
November 12, 2025 at 7:34 AM
Typography lovers: this discussion about the poor kerning of Trumps latest garish installation is truly joyous!
Reposted by Oran โอม
THIS IS NOT A DRILL
TRANSIT RIDERS HAVE TAKEN OVER THE CITY OF SEATTLE
TRANSIT RIDERS HAVE TAKEN OVER THE CITY OF SEATTLE
With basically all the ballots in the city of Seattle's mayoral election counted, Katie Wilson is now above 50 percent, with Mayor Bruce Harrell sliding to 49.6 percent. They're currently within the mandatory recount requirements, but machine recounts don't generally change things much.
November 12, 2025 at 12:27 AM
THIS IS NOT A DRILL
TRANSIT RIDERS HAVE TAKEN OVER THE CITY OF SEATTLE
TRANSIT RIDERS HAVE TAKEN OVER THE CITY OF SEATTLE
Reposted by Oran โอม
Piloting is a means of delay when you don’t have the political will for progress.
NEW STORY // Bothell Advances Citywide 20 MPH Residential Speed Limit
Story by Ryan Packer via @theurbanist.org // 🔗 www.theurbanist.org/2025/11/11/b...
Story by Ryan Packer via @theurbanist.org // 🔗 www.theurbanist.org/2025/11/11/b...
Bothell Advances Citywide 20 MPH Residential Speed Limit » The Urbanist
# Lowering speed limits on residential streets to 20 mph has already been implemented in cities like Seattle, Portland, and Tacoma, and has been associated with a significant drop in high-end speeding...
www.theurbanist.org
November 11, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Piloting is a means of delay when you don’t have the political will for progress.
Like an idol, the Suica Penguin is graduating (retiring) in 2026 after 25 years of adorning JR East’s IC card, numerous ad campaigns, and mascot merchandise.
The Beloved Suica Penguin Is Retiring in 2026
JR East announced on November 11 that the Suica Card Penguin will “graduate” at the end of the 2026 fiscal year
www.tokyoweekender.com
November 11, 2025 at 10:43 AM
Like an idol, the Suica Penguin is graduating (retiring) in 2026 after 25 years of adorning JR East’s IC card, numerous ad campaigns, and mascot merchandise.
Good to know Thailand’s wireless emergency alert system now works. This alert is about flood impact from high discharge rate in the Chao Phraya river and tidal surge causing water levels to rise in the Nonthaburi and Pathum Thani areas.
November 10, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Good to know Thailand’s wireless emergency alert system now works. This alert is about flood impact from high discharge rate in the Chao Phraya river and tidal surge causing water levels to rise in the Nonthaburi and Pathum Thani areas.
Reposted by Oran โอม
Wow! I am currently experiencing serious underwater-seismometer-envy. This is so cool.
The underwater seismometer network is so great, as evidenced from yesterday's EQ off-Tohoku.
Reposting unofficial visualization by x.com/kotoho76/sta...
Reposting unofficial visualization by x.com/kotoho76/sta...
November 10, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Wow! I am currently experiencing serious underwater-seismometer-envy. This is so cool.
What‘s happening to Japan? Let’s ask these bears what’s up.
…
🐻 Chiba will soon fall to us.
…
🐻 Chiba will soon fall to us.
November 10, 2025 at 1:54 PM
What‘s happening to Japan? Let’s ask these bears what’s up.
…
🐻 Chiba will soon fall to us.
…
🐻 Chiba will soon fall to us.
It cost us 108 baht/person to ride the MRT Pink Line + BTS Sukhumvit Line from Nonthaburi to downtown Bangkok. Round trip for two is 432 baht or half a tank of gas. Parking at the mall is free with validation. It takes just as long or faster even with traffic. They don’t make it easy to not drive.
November 9, 2025 at 4:40 PM
It cost us 108 baht/person to ride the MRT Pink Line + BTS Sukhumvit Line from Nonthaburi to downtown Bangkok. Round trip for two is 432 baht or half a tank of gas. Parking at the mall is free with validation. It takes just as long or faster even with traffic. They don’t make it easy to not drive.
Reposted by Oran โอม
"According to the publication, the communications could demonstrate willful infringement, potentially leading to enhanced damages of up to $150,000 per work, a massive increase from just $750."
The fact that it was ever at $750 is a slap in the face.
The fact that it was ever at $750 is a slap in the face.
“authors & publishers who filed a lawsuit against the Sam Altman-led firm have secured access to internal Slack messages… discussing the mass deletion of a pirated books dataset… A NY district court ordered OpenAI to hand over the communications regarding data deletion”
futurism.com/artificial-i...
futurism.com/artificial-i...
OpenAI in Danger After Authors Suing It Gain Access to Its Internal Slack Messages
Authors and publishers, who are suing OpenAI, secured access to internal Slack messages and emails discussing the deletion of pirated books.
futurism.com
November 9, 2025 at 9:02 AM
"According to the publication, the communications could demonstrate willful infringement, potentially leading to enhanced damages of up to $150,000 per work, a massive increase from just $750."
The fact that it was ever at $750 is a slap in the face.
The fact that it was ever at $750 is a slap in the face.
Reposted by Oran โอม
One aspect of US political history that I think is underplayed is that on several measures—health care, housing, transportation, basic assistance—by the late 60s/early 70s, the nation was headed in a similar direction as European social democracies. Domestic policy was ambitious & liberal.
And if that blew your mind, read up on the Family Assistance Plan, the proposal from Milton Friedman (!) that Nixon embraced -- would've been essentially a negative income tax for the poor in which they'd get cash payments.
The bizarre tale of President Nixon and his basic income bill
In 1969 President Richard Nixon was on the verge of implementing a basic income for poor families in America. It promised to be a revolutionary step – had the President not changed his mind at t...
thecorrespondent.com
November 7, 2025 at 2:05 AM
One aspect of US political history that I think is underplayed is that on several measures—health care, housing, transportation, basic assistance—by the late 60s/early 70s, the nation was headed in a similar direction as European social democracies. Domestic policy was ambitious & liberal.
Reposted by Oran โอม
this looks like a trick daffy duck would put up to get bugs bunny into "the oval office"
November 5, 2025 at 11:04 PM
this looks like a trick daffy duck would put up to get bugs bunny into "the oval office"
After the U.S. ended de minimis exemptions for import taxes this year, Japan and Thailand are following suit in 2026. All three countries cite the same reason, unfair competition from Chinese online retailers like Shein and Temu and goods that often do not meet local safety standards or are illegal.
November 5, 2025 at 9:48 AM
After the U.S. ended de minimis exemptions for import taxes this year, Japan and Thailand are following suit in 2026. All three countries cite the same reason, unfair competition from Chinese online retailers like Shein and Temu and goods that often do not meet local safety standards or are illegal.
Reposted by Oran โอม
The Airport Rail Link connecting BKK Suvarnabhumi Airport with central Bangkok will accept EMV contactless payment from Nov 8, the Department of Rail Transport announced at a press event today.
The setup looks even jankier than the MRT Pink/Yellow lines but still better than BTS having none.
The setup looks even jankier than the MRT Pink/Yellow lines but still better than BTS having none.
November 4, 2025 at 3:13 PM
The Airport Rail Link connecting BKK Suvarnabhumi Airport with central Bangkok will accept EMV contactless payment from Nov 8, the Department of Rail Transport announced at a press event today.
The setup looks even jankier than the MRT Pink/Yellow lines but still better than BTS having none.
The setup looks even jankier than the MRT Pink/Yellow lines but still better than BTS having none.
Seattle's 1989 Breda dual-mode articulated tunnel buses were also unreliable and overweight. They never ordered more beyond the initial 236-coach fleet. Though somehow, they found a second life as pure trolleybuses until finally retiring in October 2016.
People love to complain about how slow the doors are on the Siemens, but they forget how often thr first-gen (LRV2) Bredas had to be taken out of service bc of broken doors. Or that they were so heavy they shook nearby houses. Like so many Italian vehicles, they were beautiful lemons
SF Muni saying goodbye to its iconic Breda trams
www.sfmta.com/blog/bye-bye...
www.sfmta.com/blog/bye-bye...
November 4, 2025 at 2:18 PM
Seattle's 1989 Breda dual-mode articulated tunnel buses were also unreliable and overweight. They never ordered more beyond the initial 236-coach fleet. Though somehow, they found a second life as pure trolleybuses until finally retiring in October 2016.
Reposted by Oran โอม
What's so inspiring about Singapore is that you can have a world-class mass transit system, high-rise public housing, incredibly smart land use, extremely expensive car registration taxes, you can have all that, and still have an unremarkable car-centric street-level pedestrian experience.
November 4, 2025 at 3:08 AM
What's so inspiring about Singapore is that you can have a world-class mass transit system, high-rise public housing, incredibly smart land use, extremely expensive car registration taxes, you can have all that, and still have an unremarkable car-centric street-level pedestrian experience.
Reposted by Oran โอม
Kind Giant Panda🐼
ジャイアントパンダちゃんと待ち合わせですっ☆
ジャイアントパンダちゃんと待ち合わせですっ☆
October 3, 2025 at 12:35 PM
Kind Giant Panda🐼
ジャイアントパンダちゃんと待ち合わせですっ☆
ジャイアントパンダちゃんと待ち合わせですっ☆