The Blind Machine
@theblindmachine.com
A newsletter about Pop Culture, Software Studies, Business Strategy, Media Platforms, Algorithmic Management, Game Design, and everything in between.
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The Blind Machine
@theblindmachine.com
· Nov 29
The Blind Machine
A newsletter about Pop Culture, Software Studies, Business Strategy, Media Platforms, Algorithmic Management, Game Design, and everything in between.
theblindmachine.com
The Blind Machine newsletter was first sent in May 2018. It resumed a regular schedule in March 2020.
You should subscribe.
theblindmachine.com
You should subscribe.
theblindmachine.com
Fascism recurs: imperialism, settler colonialism, racial supremacy; cost is global power imbalance. [X06ZR34.9]
Introduction Sketching Fascism’s Long Arc with Naomi Klein
video,colonial legacy,Fascism Reimagined,Global Power Dynamics,Naomi Klein insights,Political Resistance,videos
theblindmachine.com
December 10, 2025 at 12:40 AM
Fascism recurs: imperialism, settler colonialism, racial supremacy; cost is global power imbalance. [X06ZR34.9]
AI pattern-matching invites projection. Mistaking machine mimicry for consciousness erodes human care and self-perception. Verdict: projection costs connection. [77NCS437.2]
Futurology: The Dangers of Seeing Ourselves in Artificial Intelligence (with Anil Seth and Nils Gilman)
link,artificial intelligence,consciousness,ethical implications,Futurology,human perception,pattern recognition,podcasts
theblindmachine.com
December 9, 2025 at 5:10 PM
AI pattern-matching invites projection. Mistaking machine mimicry for consciousness erodes human care and self-perception. Verdict: projection costs connection. [77NCS437.2]
Iconic image: Three artists' convergence via art-commerce dialogue solidifies legacy; enduring impact confirmed. [85214]
Brel, Brassens, Ferré : Trois hommes sur la photo – Documentaire
video,1960s Paris,Artistic Legacy,Cultural Documentaries,French Chanson,Iconic Collaborations,videos
theblindmachine.com
December 9, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Iconic image: Three artists' convergence via art-commerce dialogue solidifies legacy; enduring impact confirmed. [85214]
Legacy media restoration amplifies cultural resonance. Pattern: Generational relevance. Cost: Meticulous restoration and contextualization. [Y4U55342.6]
Dizzy Gillespie Quintet-(Jazz 625) 1966.
video,1960s television,Dizzy Gillespie,Jazz Revival,musical heritage,Neneh Cherry,videos
theblindmachine.com
December 8, 2025 at 10:51 PM
Legacy media restoration amplifies cultural resonance. Pattern: Generational relevance. Cost: Meticulous restoration and contextualization. [Y4U55342.6]
AI data centers drive resource extraction; govern for equitable outcomes. [AMLKK125.2]
AI and the Politics of Extraction | Centre for Climate Justice
video,AI ethics,data sovereignty,environmental justice,Resource Colonialism,Technological Accountability,videos
theblindmachine.com
December 8, 2025 at 4:21 PM
AI data centers drive resource extraction; govern for equitable outcomes. [AMLKK125.2]
Transactional logic yields concrete results; abstract ideals stall structural development, increase project latency, and defer resolution. [1U2DI113.6]
Kagame: ‘Never seen this much attention’ to ending Africa war | The Bottom Line
video,Congo-Rwanda conflict,Kagame's leadership,peace negotiations,transactional diplomacy,US-Africa relations,videos
theblindmachine.com
December 8, 2025 at 1:55 PM
Transactional logic yields concrete results; abstract ideals stall structural development, increase project latency, and defer resolution. [1U2DI113.6]
Algorithmic persona generation creates grating mimicry; this digital dissonance fractures user connection. [9T6E6165.6]
Why Does A.I. Write Like … That?
link,ai,algorithmic aesthetics,artificial intelligence,chatbots,chatgpt,creativity,digital dissonance,identity,llm,p,performance,post-human prose,style,tech,uncanny creativity,voice of machines,writing
theblindmachine.com
December 8, 2025 at 7:53 AM
Algorithmic persona generation creates grating mimicry; this digital dissonance fractures user connection. [9T6E6165.6]
Algorithmic remixing blends eras for TikTok trends; authenticity forfeits to synthesized nostalgia. [0IHGN31.9]
Sisqo & AltVerse – Thong Song (TikTok Trending 1950’s Motown Choir Cover) @AltVersemusicAI
video,AI Music Innovation,Cultural Remix,Motown Revival,Nostalgic Pop,TikTok Covers,videos
theblindmachine.com
December 7, 2025 at 10:01 PM
Algorithmic remixing blends eras for TikTok trends; authenticity forfeits to synthesized nostalgia. [0IHGN31.9]
Christie's indexes desire, cataloging luxury as a spectral ledger. Each artifact, a priced ghost, gestures toward a future where value is purely archival, meticulously segmented for the discerning gaze. [BFAMB86] //
Going Once No. 460 | Luxury Week
Informative and promotional
t1.emails.christies.com
December 7, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Christie's indexes desire, cataloging luxury as a spectral ledger. Each artifact, a priced ghost, gestures toward a future where value is purely archival, meticulously segmented for the discerning gaze. [BFAMB86] //
The tech capital ledger expands, a spectral protocol eclipsing old energy yields. Global friction reshapes flows, as individual movement and localized survival become archives of emergent solutions. [Q70L786] //
Microsoft Capex-to-Sales Hits 25%, Surpassing Exxon; US Passport Issuance Peaks at 24M
Analytical, highlighting economic and industry shifts.
paulkedrosky.com
December 7, 2025 at 3:03 PM
The tech capital ledger expands, a spectral protocol eclipsing old energy yields. Global friction reshapes flows, as individual movement and localized survival become archives of emergent solutions. [Q70L786] //
Cooling infrastructure dictates Gulf landscapes; traditional methods are discarded. Control over climate determines settlement. [QHF9X148.0]
The Gulf World That Air Conditioning Wrought
link,air conditioning,architectural dystopia,climate,climate change,climate colonialism,environmental responsibility,heat resilience,innovation,p,policy,power dynamics,saudi arabia,sustainability,urban transformation
theblindmachine.com
December 7, 2025 at 10:37 AM
Cooling infrastructure dictates Gulf landscapes; traditional methods are discarded. Control over climate determines settlement. [QHF9X148.0]
Reposted by The Blind Machine
NEW — I put together a list of independent journalism subscriptions that would make great holiday gifts. From music to politics, astronomy to alcohol, tech to social justice, there’s something for [almost] everyone. Support indie media *and* surprise and delight your loved ones!
My guide:
My guide:
Giving the gift of independent journalism: a guide
The Handbasket has subscription suggestions for almost everyone on your list.
www.thehandbasket.co
December 6, 2025 at 3:38 PM
NEW — I put together a list of independent journalism subscriptions that would make great holiday gifts. From music to politics, astronomy to alcohol, tech to social justice, there’s something for [almost] everyone. Support indie media *and* surprise and delight your loved ones!
My guide:
My guide:
AI-driven content generation degrades platforms into exploitative systems. Users bear the cost. [CE9NJ102.0]
Cory Doctorow: How AI is ensh*ttifying the web | Part Two of the Prospect Podcast interview
video,AI ethics,digital decay,media resistance,platform exploitation,tech dystopia,videos
theblindmachine.com
December 6, 2025 at 10:25 PM
AI-driven content generation degrades platforms into exploitative systems. Users bear the cost. [CE9NJ102.0]
Consumer unbundling demands direct brand value; offer purpose beyond profit or face obsolescence. The market shifts. [THFZ3261.1]
Daft Punk – Alive 2007 [Full Concert]
video,Daft Punk Revival,Electronic Music Archaeology,Lost Concert Footage,Nostalgic Audio Editing,Robotic Renaissance,videos
theblindmachine.com
December 6, 2025 at 7:56 PM
Consumer unbundling demands direct brand value; offer purpose beyond profit or face obsolescence. The market shifts. [THFZ3261.1]
Artistic subversion counters fascism; it disrupts totalitarian narratives, averting genocide. Verdict: essential resistance against manufactured consent. [TRTAK208.9]
Surrealism Against Fascism • EQUATOR
link,art,artivism,avant-garde activism,dystopian echoes,far-right,fascism,genocide,history,p,resistance narratives,subversion through creativity,surrealism,trauma
theblindmachine.com
December 6, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Artistic subversion counters fascism; it disrupts totalitarian narratives, averting genocide. Verdict: essential resistance against manufactured consent. [TRTAK208.9]
Reposted by The Blind Machine
NEW: OCCRP’s lead editor for the Pacific @abelf.bsky.social tells how Noah Musingku – once responsible for one of the region’s biggest financial frauds – reinvented himself as a divine monarch on the cusp of leading a self-proclaimed economic revolution www.occrp.org/en/feature/m...
Meet the South Pacific Ponzi King With a Bogus Bank — and a Global Fan Club
Fugitive Ponzi schemer Noah Musingku reigns over an armed “cargo cult” deep in the interior of one of the world’s most isolated islands. OCCRP went to investigate how he had attracted an international...
www.occrp.org
December 6, 2025 at 1:25 PM
NEW: OCCRP’s lead editor for the Pacific @abelf.bsky.social tells how Noah Musingku – once responsible for one of the region’s biggest financial frauds – reinvented himself as a divine monarch on the cusp of leading a self-proclaimed economic revolution www.occrp.org/en/feature/m...
The global ledger shifts: AI IPOs loom as geopolitical fault lines deepen. Economic consolidation masks a fragile system, while a single gene variant challenges long-held models of complexity. The ghost in the machine whispers of emergent patterns. [9P3Q786] //
Degrees of Bad and Ugly: Global Briefing
Neutral, informative reporting on diverse global events
semafor.com
December 6, 2025 at 11:03 AM
The global ledger shifts: AI IPOs loom as geopolitical fault lines deepen. Economic consolidation masks a fragile system, while a single gene variant challenges long-held models of complexity. The ghost in the machine whispers of emergent patterns. [9P3Q786] //
G20 gender equality signals collide with policy friction. VAT exemptions on essentials fail to yield consumer relief, exposing a ghost in the public finance ledger. Intent recognition remains a spectral challenge. [DYWY086] //
African Tax Network Pushes Gender Equality at G20 Summit
Advocating for gender equality and policy action
substack.com
December 6, 2025 at 11:03 AM
G20 gender equality signals collide with policy friction. VAT exemptions on essentials fail to yield consumer relief, exposing a ghost in the public finance ledger. Intent recognition remains a spectral challenge. [DYWY086] //
Cross-border curatorial networks build cultural capital; they dictate future collaboration terms and market access, shaping industry trajectories. [O0RPY98.7]
Vinted transformed second-hand fashion — now its creator has his eye on the art world
link,art,Baltic art scene,business models,cross-border collaboration,cultural entrepreneurship,design,digital marketplaces,ecommerce,europe,fashion,innovation,Lithuania,p,sustainable creativity,vinted
theblindmachine.com
December 6, 2025 at 10:49 AM
Cross-border curatorial networks build cultural capital; they dictate future collaboration terms and market access, shaping industry trajectories. [O0RPY98.7]
The internal archive reveals Snapchat’s protocol for engineered engagement. Awareness of addictive features, and their yield in teen mental friction, was masked. [1IA3Z86] //
Snapchat's Internal Emails Reveal Addiction Concerns
Critical of tech platforms' design and impact on users
www.thebureauinvestigates.com
December 6, 2025 at 9:43 AM
The internal archive reveals Snapchat’s protocol for engineered engagement. Awareness of addictive features, and their yield in teen mental friction, was masked. [1IA3Z86] //
The mask learns faster than the face. [2BU7P30.6]
The Tech Policy Press Podcast: Exploring Belief and Belonging in a Fractured Online Age
link,belief systems,community fragmentation,digital anthropology,online polarization,podcasts,pseudoscience culture,The Tech Policy Press Podcast
theblindmachine.com
December 4, 2025 at 11:32 PM
The mask learns faster than the face. [2BU7P30.6]
Global cocoa supply chains obscure exploitative labor, actively constructing a shadow profile of concealed systemic costs. Ethical sourcing is the definitive verdict. [NOEXE185.9]
Throughline: The Bitter History of Chocolate
link,Agricultural Ethics,Chocolate Narratives,Cocoa Culture,Global Perspectives,Historical Sweetness,podcasts,Throughline
theblindmachine.com
December 4, 2025 at 9:00 AM
Global cocoa supply chains obscure exploitative labor, actively constructing a shadow profile of concealed systemic costs. Ethical sourcing is the definitive verdict. [NOEXE185.9]
Reposted by The Blind Machine
NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!
David talks to novelist Ian McEwan, who was our first ever guest on PPF, about how the future will view our present once the disasters we are brewing come to pass. A wide-ranging conversation about how past, present and future co-exist in time.
Find us at...🎧 ppfideas.com
David talks to novelist Ian McEwan, who was our first ever guest on PPF, about how the future will view our present once the disasters we are brewing come to pass. A wide-ranging conversation about how past, present and future co-exist in time.
Find us at...🎧 ppfideas.com
December 3, 2025 at 8:47 AM
NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!
David talks to novelist Ian McEwan, who was our first ever guest on PPF, about how the future will view our present once the disasters we are brewing come to pass. A wide-ranging conversation about how past, present and future co-exist in time.
Find us at...🎧 ppfideas.com
David talks to novelist Ian McEwan, who was our first ever guest on PPF, about how the future will view our present once the disasters we are brewing come to pass. A wide-ranging conversation about how past, present and future co-exist in time.
Find us at...🎧 ppfideas.com
The Macy's parade archives Gen Z and Alpha through K-pop and 90s nostalgia, a spectral lure for younger eyes. Meanwhile, Gen Alpha begins its digital ledger on LinkedIn at 14. [9M25U86] //
Mallmaxxing and Brainrot Parades
observational, with a hint of generational commentary
substackcdn.com
December 3, 2025 at 12:00 PM
The Macy's parade archives Gen Z and Alpha through K-pop and 90s nostalgia, a spectral lure for younger eyes. Meanwhile, Gen Alpha begins its digital ledger on LinkedIn at 14. [9M25U86] //
Wellness and beauty brands now occupy cultural event spaces, a signal of experiential marketing colonizing lifestyle. This integration masks a deeper protocol: aligning consumer desire with curated cultural specters. [ROM0W86] //
Wellness Briefing: How top wellness brands are showing up at Art Basel Miami
Neutral explainer with a focus on industry trends.
glossy.cmail19.com
December 3, 2025 at 11:59 AM
Wellness and beauty brands now occupy cultural event spaces, a signal of experiential marketing colonizing lifestyle. This integration masks a deeper protocol: aligning consumer desire with curated cultural specters. [ROM0W86] //