TIL that when casting Walter White for Breaking Bad, the role was originally offered to John Cusack and Matthew Broderick. It wasn't until after they turned it down that the executives saw Bryan Cranstons X-Files episode and cast him for the role. [source, comments]

TIL Confucius believed people would naturally follow and support the virtuous ruler without needing harsh laws and spent 12 years traveling around China looking for a ruler who would listen to his ideas. He never found one [source, comments]

Capitalism breeds innovation

TIL that in 2018, Swaziland changed its name to Eswatini, and this was partially to prevent confusion with Switzerland. [source, comments]

Song of the day 🌍😇: https://open.spotify.com/track/4Q3hBy0MbmIPLeQcPP0HcX?si=Olhu6pnoSfuLBH0lNVjCpQ

The Economist poses the important questions these times: ja nee, is klar

SUDAN WAR: WHO GAINS?

Sudan’s grim civil war has now raged for over 6 months and claimed the lives of more than 9,000 civilians. That’s the official toll, but it’s feared the real number could be far greater. The deadly conflict looks like a straightforward power struggle between the Sudanese Army and the Rapid Support Forces militia, but there’s a lot at stake for other countries. Here’s a look at who stands to gain and lose from this devastating war.

Hear Us Roar: https://t.me/AfricanStream

Song of the day 🚕🔥: https://open.spotify.com/track/2Yqe6OYSTI5AKuWtLW5Uh1?si=EDoZMnDXTq6ZqWSff-JKbA

Good Idea: Do not legalize client-side chat scanning.

https://tutanota.com/blog/chat-control-criticism

Seriously, this is a slippery slide into "We" by Samjatin...

🤖💬Several EU member states, including Germany, Austria, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Estonia, and Slovenia, have opposed the current CSAR draft. They argue that the proposed client-side scanning, also known as chat control, which would involve mass surveillance and undermine encryption, is disproportionate and illegal.

The legal experts of the EU Parliament's Scientific Service have concluded that CSAR's chat control provisions would violate fundamental rights, particularly Articles 7 and 8 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights.

TIL that China's population actually decreased by 850,000 in 2022 as it has a birth rate of -0.6 per thousand in the said year. [source, comments]

Good idea: End corporation personhood
https://youtu.be/Y888wVY5hzw

Die Berliner Bodenpreise sind in den letzten 15 Jahren um das Achtfache gestiegen: https://interaktiv.tagesspiegel.de/lab/ausgebaut-berlins-explodierende-bodenpreise-machen-wohnungsbau-unbezahlbar

TIL: President Franklin D. Roosevelt never invited Jesse Owens to the White House following his triumphs at the 1936 Olympics. In Germany, Owens had been allowed to stay in the same hotels as whites at a time when African Americans in many parts of the United States had to stay in segregated hotels. [source, comments]