Afternoon Tea 2.24.2021 - Uncanny Peaks & Valleys

Chinese spyware uses NSA code, intimidates HK activists in Germany, and has spent a non-trivial amount on FB to propagate Uighur misinformation, who also played defense for Turkey against the Kurds. Hong Kong’s stock market has a transaction tax, nonfungible tokens might be the future for art, music, or collectibles, and for fuck’s sake, Believe Women. It’s Wednesday February 24th 2021, and this is the Tea.

Chinese spyware code was copied from America’s NSA (Reuters) & China has tried to intimidate Hong Kong activists in Germany, Berlin says (Reuters) Hong Kong’s First Trading Tax Hike Since 1993 Pummels Stocks (Bloomberg) A trio of China related stories that are oddly related to norms clashing across boundaries. First, Snowden was right in that tools developed for national defense will inevitably end up in the hands of the enemy. Second, China really doesn’t care where you are if it decides to bully you. Last, but the opposite of least, the Hong Kong stock exchange has increased its “stamp-duty.” Wait wait, the Hang Seng has a financial transaction tax?!

Profits from propaganda: Facebook takes China cash to promote Uighur disinformation (PressGazette) & Sheryl Sandberg and Top Facebook Execs Silenced an Enemy of Turkey to Prevent a Hit to the Company’s Business (ProPublica) Facebook is meddling in forces far beyond its comprehension, and causing harms we’ll probably not understand for decades to come.

My story of working with Governor Cuomo (Lindsey Boylan - Medium) & The Lies Hollywood Tells About Little Girls (Mara Wilson - NYT) I don't know how many times I can make the same comment over and over, so…Believe women, please. 

Queens Republican district leader arrested for role in Capitol insurrection (Queens Daily Eagle) The photo attached to this story is going to be my only answer when people reply “What do you mean there are Republicans who live in Queens? It’s New York City?” now and forever.

Lawyers Who Were Ineligible to Handle Serious Criminal Charges Were Given Thousands of These Cases Anyway (ProPublica) I had no idea Maine had no government employed Public Defenders. This is horrifying.

The influencer politicians are coming (RestOfWorld) Influencers must disclose their relationships and paid sponsorships from clients. How about if they’re your spouse? This situation is a canary in the coal mine for how weird influencer relationships are going to get if this stuff isn’t regulated.

What Is Top Shot? (Irrelevant Investor) & Inside ‘NBA Top Shot,’ the Digital Highlights Marketplace Worth Millions (Bleacher Report) This one is the first novel use of blockchain since bitcoin and the wave of ico start-ups a few years back. They’re like bitcoin, but if btc was a basketball card, highlighting a specific play or move by a player you love. Then you can sell or trade it to other fans. Yes it’s already insane, a LeBron dunk Top Shot just sold for $208,000. This is the biggest use case for NFT (Editor’s Note: explained below) that I’ve seen so far.

The Psychology Behind the Boom in Collectibles (A Wealth of Common Sense) ‘Nyan Cat’ Crypto Art Sells for 300 ETH ($560,000) (HypeBeast) Beanie babies & hologram cards for the crypto era may have emerged: NFT. A “nonfungible token,” it gives you the irrevocable and permanent right to a digital…thing. Just like Top Shot, there are NFTs for music, art, and soon, in-game NFTs for Fortnite and other games popular with streamers. If you’re actually interested in this pyramid of dorky ass concepts, “a coat check ticket, a magic spell” here, is the best non-jargon filled explanation that still goes surprisingly deep into detail.

“Buffy” Star Nicholas Brendon Won’t Comment On Joss Whedon Allegations Until He Gets Surgery For His Paralyzed Anus And Penis (Dlisted) You’d think these words were made up. I wished they were as well. They are not.

Frogger is coming to the Peacock streaming service as a game show (The Verge) If there's not a bonus level where you have to move with the arcade machine I'm gonna be so mad.

Song of the Tea: Of course, there’s more Daft Punk. Daft Punk is one of very few artists who were quite difficult to remix. But, over the years a few people found a way to thread the needle and innovate on perfection. Here are two Acceptable Daft Punk Remixes, one released yesterday, the other released 10 years ago.

A stunningly good Japanese DJ @sa2ba2oya2 fusing “Something About Us,” one of the tracks that’s playing at my wedding, with “Plastic Love” by Mariya Takeuchi, a classic Japanese pop standard that became one of the load-bearing vibes used in the vaporwave movement. No, seriously. 

Domenico Torti produced (in my opinion) the only house edit of a Daft Punk track that is actually superior disco house to Daft Punk than the source material. Voyager is one of my most favorite songs, but I can’t deny not much goes on in it. This Wild Style Edit changes that, with the best stutter-fading I’ve ever heard outside of a DJ battle, coming in at ~4:50.

Yours,