From Radio Republic: In which we give in to the Halloween Spirit

Archiving articles from my Radio Republic column, Drinking Coffee as the World Goes By:

"20 years ago, Ozone Disco Club in the Morato area became the scene of one of the worst club fires in recent history. Many of the club-goers that night died near the entrance, trapped by inward-swinging doors, the heat, and smoke inhalation."

Read more at https://www.radiorepublic.ph/in-which-we-give-in-to-the-halloween-spirit-balete-drive-and-goodah-the-resto-where-ozone-formerly-was/

From Radio Republic: Empty Boots at the Gate

Archiving articles from my Radio Republic column, Drinking Coffee as the World Goes By:

"But this, the issue of gatekeepers, is something people should think about. When we say gatekeepers, we’re talking about people or entities whom we trust to be the ones to tell us what good music is. Be it Casey Kasem, Francis Reyes, or any other DJ or music figure that we consider has a finger on the pulse of whatever music scene they’re in, they are gatekeepers. They steer us to what’s new, what’s happening, and what is, presumably, the Next Big Thing."

Read more at https://www.radiorepublic.ph/empty-boots-at-the-gate/

Twitterbots. Duh.

What surprises me is that there is a big hullabaloo over this. It's obvious that twitterbots, fake news sites, and fake Facebook accounts would be the new tools of propaganda. The question is, what will Facebook, Google, and Twitter really do about it?

https://www.engadget.com/2016/11/20/twitter-bots-rampant-during-election/

More positive news for Alzheimer's sufferers and their families

I'm trying to find words, but I'll let the article do it:

"The protein, called tau protein, normally functions as a stabilizer for the microtubules that act as rails for transporting materials around the cell. As New Scientist reported, studies have suggested problems with the tau protein is somehow linked to Alzheimer’s. The protein can clump together in twisted tangles and could be releasing Alzheimer’s-inducing toxic chemicals."

It's another step in beating debilitating diseases like Alzheimer's, and that's a very welcome thing.

http://futurism.com/manipulating-one-brain-protein-could-allow-us-to-prevent-alzheimers/

The Mechanics of Non-Violent Resistance

Given how local and international events have been lately, this is an interesting article to read.

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/cross-check/how-to-resist-an-unjust-regime-nonviolently/