Mastodawn

The word ‘town’ shares its origin with German ‘Zaun’ (fence) and Dutch ‘tuin’ (garden), even though their forms and meanings are quite different.

They all stem form Proto-Germanic *tūnan, whose meaning is reconstructed as “fenced area”.

Over the course of 2000 years, they’ve grown apart.

My new graphic shows nine unexpected but true cognates in English, German, Dutch, Frisian, and Swedish.

fremandolasse 1d ago

Environment | The Guardian US 1d ago

‘An equal and habitable world is possible’: academics set out sweeping vision for planetary survival https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jun/04/world-inequality-lab-equality-academics-planetary-survival #Environment #WorldNews #ClimateCrisis #Inequality

‘An equal and habitable world is possible’: academics set out sweeping vision for planetary survival

Global report provides an alternative to climate breakdown, political extremism and economic tensions

The Guardian

fremandolasse 1d ago

Climate crisis | The Guardian 1d ago

A good life for the 99% isn’t a pipe dream: it can be done. Here’s how https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jun/04/a-good-life-for-the-99-isnt-a-pipe-dream-it-can-be-done-heres-how #Inequality #Europe #WorldNews #Poverty #Society #ClimateCrisis #GlobalEconomy #IntergovernmentalPanelOnClimateChangeIpcc

A good life for the 99% isn’t a pipe dream: it can be done. Here’s how

Our plan is radical – but by transforming how we live on a finite planet, nearly everyone gains, says Thomas Piketty and researchers from the World Inequality Lab

The Guardian

fremandolasse 1d ago

clobrda 1d ago

Something that news media wn US don’t report. Why? #TrumpCorruption https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/04/protests-in-albania-grow-over-jared-kushner-backed-luxury-resort?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Protests in Albania grow over Jared Kushner-backed luxury resort

Conservation groups say work has begun in protected coastal area, while prime minister insists project will bring jobs and investment

The Guardian

fremandolasse 1d ago

clobrda 1d ago

#tiananmen square must not be forgotten! https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/04/tiananmen-square-massacre-preserving-memory?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

‘Every year I get new pictures’: the fight to preserve the memory of Tiananmen

Amid growing censorship at home under the rule of Xi Jinping, efforts to document the massacre of 4 June, 1989, are intensifying abroad

The Guardian

Well, well, well... look who comes crawling back. 😂 The data is in, and the AI hype cycle is hitting a massive reality check. 55% of executives now admit they regret replacing human workers with AI. Even worse? 29% of companies have already had to rehire for the exact roles they cut. https://emeraldbook.org/news/may-3126-2/

Companies Are Quietly Rehiring Workers They Fired for AI – Emerald Book

◆ Emerald Pages ◆ feature / economy The Great AI Boomerang: Google, Meta, Klarna & More Are Quietly Rehiring the Workers They Fired Emerald Book Publication May 31, 2026 8 min read 29% of firms have already rehired for AI-cut roles, while 55% of executives regret replacing workers with AI. From Big Tech to fast

Emerald Book – Growing the Black Economy

fremandolasse 1d ago

kottke.org 3d ago

Star Wars was a mashup — they pulled from westerns, samurai movies, Flash Gordon — but perhaps the biggest homage was lifting an entire scene from The Dam Busters (1955) for the Death Star attack. "Some of the dialogue is nearly identical." https://kottke.org/26/06/star-wars-influences-dam-busters

Star Wars Influences: Dam Busters

The original Star Wars movie was a mashup. George Lucas and his collaborators pulled from everywhere: westerns, samurai movies, Flash Gordon, and a 1955 war

kottke.org

fremandolasse 1d ago

David on Formosa 1d ago

Chinese authorities have blocked the mothers of protesters killed during the 1989 Tiananmen Massacre from visiting the graves on the 37th anniversary of the massacre

"For years the Chinese authorities have sought to erase the public’s collective memory of the bloody events of 4 June 1989, but this latest prohibition is an attempt to stamp out even the personal memories of the victims’ families." - Sarah Brooks, Amnesty International

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2026/06/china-heartless-ban-on-tiananmen-mothers-visiting-cemetery-signals-escalating-repression/

#China #CCP #Tiananmen #HumanRights

China: ‘Heartless’ ban on Tiananmen Mothers visiting cemetery signals escalating repression

Responding to reports that Chinese authorities have barred the mothers of protesters killed in the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown from visiting their loved ones’ graves on this week’s anniversary of the atrocity, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director Sarah Brooks said: “Banning the relatives of people killed in the Tiananmen crackdown from visiting their loved ones’ graves […]

Amnesty International

fremandolasse 2d ago

Taiwan Maps and Dataviz 2d ago

274 PLA aircraft sorties and 72 median line crossings were recorded around Taiwan in May 2026. Activity remains lower than in much of 2025, but the quieter periods seen earlier this year have largely disappeared as operations returned to a near-daily pattern.

#Taiwan #MilitaryAviation #datavisualization #china #military