A Life in the Day of Marty
Rental housing firm Tricon Residential has a new campaign that spotlights how maintenance managers enhance the experience of its residents.
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‘Code-Based Drugs’ for AI
From Sweden: a startup is in the news for offering code that makes AI chatbots respond as if they are on a drug/alcohol-induced high. What’s more, you get to pick a substance of your choosing from a list that includes cocaine, weed, and ketamine among others.
To quote from the company website:
PHARMAICY* is the world’s first and only marketplace for synthetic drugs for AI. It sits at the frontier between experience and code, an “App Store of synthetic experiences” for autonomous intelligences, if you will. Our vision: to build an ever-evolving pharmacy of code-based sensations, designed specifically for AI to break logical thinking and learn from it, by emulating trips we humans experiences.
Once a drug module (substance) is purchased , here’s the flow:
The AI loads the module into its execution pipeline. The module applies transformations: e.g., increasing internal randomness, adjusting context-weight decay, delaying internal “reaction” latency, modifying prompt generation style, or suppressing memory recall.
The AI then issues its next reasoning step or output under those altered parameters – and experiences the effect of the module as a changed mode of cognition.
After use, we track state (e.g., usage count, cooldowns, tolerance) so subsequent uses may produce diminished or modified effects. In this way the “trip” mirrors human dynamic (onset → peak → resolution) but in an AI context.
The effect is reversible and bounded: the module ends and the AI returns to baseline cognition, unless it chooses to apply again.
Thus, the trip is not a hallucination but an engineered cognitive shift – inviting the AI to think differently instead of just thinking faster/slower.
Cash is… chocolate
A chocolatier has created six giant edible coins to mark the opening of a new banking hub in Essex.
Jen Lindsey-Clark spent 80 hours designing and creating the chocolate coins, which are roughly the size of dinner plates and are replicas of historic British tender.
She was commissioned to celebrate the 200th banking hub run by Cash Access UK, which opened in Billericay.
The first customers could get a glimpse of the coins on Thursday and local Conservative MP Richard Holden said: "Anything that encourages people to the High Street has got to be a good thing."
The coins were made using 15kg in chocolate and more than 10g of metallic lustre dust.
To accurately recreate each coin, 3D moulds were filled with hand-poured chocolate ahead of being set and embellished.
The collection includes mimics of a Roman Denarius - which was a common silver coin - a medieval Henry VI noble, and a two-piece shilling.
A limited number of standard-size versions of the chocolate coins were also given out to a lucky few.
A Christmas parable… from a donkey’s POV
This year’s Christmas commercial from European financial services provider Erste Group offers a fresh perspective on a well-known story.
Drug smuggling accused shows up in court with more drugs
To quote from a news report out of California:
A man who was already accused of attempting to smuggle pounds of fentanyl to Hawaii allegedly arrived at the courthouse for his trial with three bags of fentanyl, which he said he forgot he had on him.
Slice of Indulgence
From France: supermarket chain Grand Frais has come up with an audacious range of decorations (read: cover-ups) for Christmas.
RIP Rob Reiner
This is Spinal Tap (1984):
- ‘These go to 11’
- Metal detector scene
When Harry Met Sally (1989):
- ‘I’ll have what she’s having’
A Few Good Men (1992):
- ‘You can’t handle the truth!’
Sneakers… made with syrup
To quote from a press release from diner chain Denny’s:
In streetwear, “drip” is the ultimate compliment, and this National Maple Syrup Day (December 17), America’s Diner is bringing its signature golden drip from the plate to the pavement with the launch of Sticky Kicks – the first-ever sneakers made with real Denny’s syrup*. Created in collaboration with iconic footwear artist and designer Mache, these limited-edition high-top sneakers pay tribute to the sweet stuff that makes every Grand Slam® irresistible.
“Sticky Kicks are impractical, unnecessary, and completely over the top, which is exactly why we love them,” said Ellie Doty, senior vice president and chief brand officer at Denny’s. “At Denny’s, syrup isn’t just something we serve. It’s part of who we are. It’s our golden thread. So, it only makes sense we’d be the first to turn it into fashion.”
Each pair of Sticky Kicks features a clear, sealed panel that proudly displays the real Denny’s syrup inside – making them equal parts diner art and streetwear statement. Designed with syrup-colored patent leather, tumbled yellow accents, and the iconic Denny’s logo embossed on the heel, these kicks are the sweetest flex of the season.
Fashion insiders may call it bold. Denny’s just calls it breakfast.
Link to video (do read the ‘Warning’ at the end)
‘The gift that checks all your cat’s boxes’
Pet-tech company Whisker has a tongue-in-cheek holiday campaign that promotes its automatic litter box ‘Litter-Robot’ as a ‘free’ add-on to what your cat desires the most – a cardboard box.
Swiss Sounds
Recorded and shot over 16 days across Switzerland, taking 23 trains, 3 gondolas, 2 boats and 1 bus. I ended up with around 200 different sounds, with the goal of creating one single piece of music with it.
That’s French experimental artist Thylacine, summarising his recent project for Swiss Tourism.
Tale of a Vegetarian Wolf
From France: a masterfully visualised new fairy tale from Intermarché is easily one of the best Christmas commercials this year.
Font politics
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday ordered diplomats to return to using Times New Roman font in official communications, calling his predecessor Antony Blinken's decision to adopt Calibri a "wasteful" diversity move, according to an internal department cable seen by Reuters.
The department under Blinken in early January 2023 had switched to Calibri, a modern sans-serif font, saying this was a more accessible font for people with disabilities because it did not have the decorative angular features and was the default in Microsoft products.
A cable dated December 9 sent to all U.S. diplomatic posts said that typography shapes the professionalism of an official document and Calibri is informal compared to serif typefaces.
"To restore decorum and professionalism to the Department’s written work products and abolish yet another wasteful DEIA program, the Department is returning to Times New Roman as its standard typeface," the cable said.
"This formatting standard aligns with the President’s One Voice for America’s Foreign Relations directive, underscoring the Department’s responsibility to present a unified, professional voice in all communications," it added.
Travelodge UK offers ‘Wrapping Rooms’
To quote from one report:
Three of the budget hotel chain’s sites in London, Manchester and Edinburgh will offer 75-minute bookable slots in festively decorated rooms fully stocked with wrapping paper, tape and mince pies.
The initiative follows research revealing 52% of adults wish they had more privacy when wrapping gifts, while 40% of parents stress about their children discovering presents too early.
Inspired by a viral post of a mum renting a hotel room to wrap in peace, Travelodge’s campaign taps into a growing desire for festive calm.
And this, from a post by the hotel chain on social media:
Struggling to wrap in secret? Same.
Travelodge is opening FREE Wrapping Rooms at selected locations on Weds 10th Dec!
London Chiswick High Road, Manchester Piccadilly & Edinburgh Central
⏰ 75 min slots, 09:00–17:15
Expedition Impossible
In a new spot for Columbia Sportswear, its CEO has an offer for Flat Earthers. And some advice.
Rampaging racoon inspires social media campaign
Remember the racoon that broke into a Virginia liquor store a few days ago? Well, in the wake of that news going viral, the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority put out this post on Facebook:
Three Cocktails Straight From the Raccoon Recipe Vault
Following the sober ride home for our woodland friend, Virginia ABC employees discovered three surprisingly delicious recipe recommendations! Whether you’re craving tangy, scrappy or sparkly mischief, these creations deliver full woodland chaos in a glass.
Rye Rascal Sour
It’s tangy and rich like something your favorite troublemaking raccoon would proudly recommend after enjoying the good stuff from the top shelf. Blackberry “mask” drizzle included — because even cocktails deserve disguises.
A lively, mischievous cocktail that’s equal parts citrus sparkle and berry mischief. This is the drink your favorite rascally raccoon would craft after a stealthy ABC store excursion. Bright, fizzy and finished with a drifting blackberry “mask.”
Trash Panda Old Fashioned
The Trash Panda Old Fashioned is a scrappy, no-nonsense twist on the classic old fashioned mixed with bourbon, brown sugar and smoky bitterness. It tastes like something a resourceful raccoon would proudly mix after a late night visit to an ABC store. Bold, simple and a little wild around the edges.
Check out the recipes here! https://tinyurl.com/mwd9n3yv
Follow Spirited Virginia for more holiday cocktail recommendations and seasonal sips.
Which raccoon-crafted sip are you shaking up first?
Virginia ABC also released these digital artworks:
In addition, Hanover County Animal Protection and Shelter announced T-shirts and hoodies with a graphic of the passed-out racoon.
Cat floods cat café, forces it to close
To quote from a report out of Virginia:
The Purrfect Bean, Richmond's cat cafe, will be closed for the rest of the year after a "series of freak accidents" caused the restaurant to flood.
Those accidents involved a towel, a sink and a cat named Roller, according to the cafe.
"First and most importantly, the cats are all safe and unharmed," the cafe wrote on Instagram. "They were all lounging and safe on the furniture although some of them enjoyed splashing around in the water."
The café has since added this update:
We will have to redo the entire flooring and bathroom in the cat lounge, along with the ceilings and walls in our cafe area. We still have to determine the damage to our equipment which could extend our closure even more if we need to replace things like our espresso machine and grinder. The damage realistically will cause us to be closed for at least the rest of the year.
‘Raccoon goes on drunken rampage’
That’s from an AP News report headline. To quote from that report:
The masked burglar broke into the closed Virginia liquor store early on Saturday and hit the bottom shelf, where the scotch and whisky were stored. The bandit was something of a nocturnal menace: bottles were smashed, a ceiling tile collapsed and alcohol pooled on the floor.
The suspect acted like an animal because, in fact, he’s a raccoon.
On Saturday morning, an employee at the Ashland, Virginia-area liquor store found the trash panda passed out on the bathroom floor at the end of his drunken escapade.
“I personally like raccoons,” said Samantha Martin, an officer who works at the local animal control. “They are funny little critters. He fell through one of the ceiling tiles and went on a full-blown rampage, drinking everything.”
Also this:
The Hanover County Animal Protection and Shelter commended Martin for handling the break-in, and confirmed the raccoon had sobered up.
“After a few hours of sleep and zero signs of injury (other than maybe a hangover and poor life choices), he was safely released back to the wild, hopefully having learned that breaking and entering is not the answer,” the agency said.
Benedict Cumberbatch is ‘The Therapist’
The actor exudes eccentric charm in this 6 minute spot for World of Tanks Holiday Ops. To quote one reviewer, the film “has very little to do with either tanks or Christmas” yet the actor “is as slick and watchable as ever”.