iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Xander ✺ @spectralcodex.com · 03/04/2026

🧵 I'm experimenting with Threads a little more these days since it's way more Taiwan-centric and generally better vibes than some other places. For anyone also using the service you can find me there with my IG handle: www.threads.com/@synapticx

An abandoned Taiwanese courtyard house in Tainan County, 2014. The courtyard is partially submerged due to subsidence and there is green algal scum everywhere. The reflection of the main hall can be seen in the reflection.

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Xander ✺ @spectralcodex.com · 22/02/2026

The same post on Threads somehow racked up 342k views (and counting) 😲

Screenshot of the original post on Threads showing 21.3k likes, 299 comments, 2.4k reposts, and 6.4k private sends.

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Xander ✺ @spectralcodex.com · 20/02/2026

Here's a screenshot of the map as of today. Every point has a corresponding entry with additional information, although data quality varies quite a lot. Some of these places are long-vanished, but the remnants of many of these still exist in some form or another.

A screenshot of a map of Taiwan populated by hundreds of clustered data points representing former Shinto shrine sites from the Japanese colonial era.

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Xander ✺ @spectralcodex.com · 28/11/2025

Searching for ruins in Taiwan on Google Maps, found this instead: very affectionate black doggo! 🐕

Screenshot of Google Maps showing a fun location: affectionate black dog in Huang Harbor.

Screenshot of a Google Maps review showing pictures of a cute black dog and a caption, in Chinese, roughly "super cute and knows how to be adorable".

Screenshot of a Google Maps review showing pictures of a black dog and the caption "enthusiastic little cutie".

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Xander ✺ @spectralcodex.com · 25/11/2025

Spectral Codex just surpassed 5,000 mapped locations, most of them here in #Taiwan. Historical sites, abandoned places, photo hotspots, and more. Hundreds already include photos and field notes; many others are still simple stubs, awaiting further documentation. 👁️ spectralcodex.com

Screenshot of a mapping project roughly centered on Taichung. Hundreds of points of interest are visible on the map.

Screenshot of a mapping project focused on central Tainan. Many points of interest are marked in this important historical area.

Screenshot of a mapping project centered on Hualien County. Hundreds of points of interest are displayed as well as the control surface of the app showing filters.

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Xander ✺ @spectralcodex.com · 18/11/2025

Even the down detector website is down 😆

A screenshot of downforeveryoneorjustme.com showing an internal server error due to a Cloudflare outage on November 18th, 2025.

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Xander ✺ @spectralcodex.com · 08/11/2025

A map of population decline in Taiwan from 1980 to 2020 from an article by Di Hu in the International Journal of Geo-Information. Local populations sometimes peaked in the 1960s, particularly in eastern Taiwan, so that decline is already baked-in by 1980. Not surprised to see Yunlin here!

Two maps of population decline on the main island of Taiwan. On the left is a map of cities and counties while the map on the right is more granular, showing individual districts. Population decline is mostly seen in central Taiwan.

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Xander ✺ @spectralcodex.com · 28/10/2025

Snapshots from a quick visit to Hawaii Cinema (โรงหนังฮาวาย) in Bangkok. Despite the abandoned appearance it was still operational when I visited in 2018, though it wasn't showing conventional films. From a scan of reviews on Google Maps it might finally be out of business as of 2025. #TheaterHunt

Oblique exterior shot of Hawaii Cinema in Bangkok. It is mostly a dusty ochre color with a marquee visible over the entrance. The sky is hazy and mostly grey, while power lines stretch across the scene.

Looking up from street level at the impressive facade of Hawaii Cinema. Empty metal frames show were movie posters would have been displayed back in the day.

Looking across the street at the entrance to Hawaii Cinema in Bangkok. There is a prominent red postal box in front and the aquamarine-bordered marquee stretches across the building behind intervening power lines.

A scene from the lobby of Hawaii Cinema. The name of the theater appears in red Thai lettering and there's dust and debris strewn around. A beam of sunlight graces the name of the theater.

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Xander ✺ @spectralcodex.com · 18/10/2025

Truly incredible footage of the overflow being shared on Threads. Not sure about the sourcing of these. If you're interested in following the story live you'll have to pop over there; the videos are unreal.

Water levels behind a landslide dam in Taroko Gorge on October 18th, 2025. The road tunnel is almost completely submerged.

Water flowing down the Central Cross-Island Highway in Taroko Gorge.

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Xander ✺ @spectralcodex.com · 18/10/2025

New photos posted to the Taroko National Park (太魯閣國家公園) Facebook page reveal water coursing through Jinheng Tunnel (靳珩隧道) and cascading down the bridge at its eastern entrance. Engineers from the highway bureau are currently working to mitigate the potential for dam collapse.

A photo from Taroko Gorge on October 18th showing aquamarine water levels up to the highway behind a landslide dam. Marble cliffs tower overhead.

A waterfall coursing off a highway bridge running through Taroko Gorge on October 18th, 2025. A tunnel mouth is visible and the span of the bridge runs from right to left. The perspective is looking upstream.

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Xander ✺ @spectralcodex.com · 17/10/2025

Eastern Taiwan's ill-fated Taroko Gorge is under evacuation orders due to a landslide barrier lake that formed today (8/17). The debris is 25 meters tall and as you can see in the attached photo of the Swallow's Grotto (via the national parl FB page), water levels were already high this afternoon.

Photographic survey of Swallow's Grotto in Taroko National Park. Bright aquamarine water fills the canyon on the left, a debris pile is visible up ahead, and the trail surface and tunnels are on the right.

Photo from the Taroko National Park Facebook page.

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Xander ✺ @spectralcodex.com · 15/10/2025

Taichung from the rooftop of one of the tallest buildings on Taiwan Boulevard 🏙️

The view from the rooftop looking south along Meicun Road in Taichung. The Sogo department store building is visible at bottom right.

Looking west along Taiwan Boulevard. The ridge on the skyline is Dadushan.

Looking north from the rooftop of a tall building on Taiwan Boulevard in Taichung. Part of what is probably the elevator room can be seen on the right.

Looking across the rooftop of a tall building on Taiwan Boulevard. Blue pipes snake across the scene.

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Xander ✺ @spectralcodex.com · 07/10/2025

Went for a spin around Changhua City to knock off a bunch of historic sites from my list and so many of them are in the midst of restoration. Really cool to see the city take its abundant cultural heritage so seriously (only a little sad I couldn't document the original condition of those sites).

Japanese colonial era granary currently under reconstruction. It's a rugged old building, half-demolished, with a round rooftop and ventilation on top to keep grain cool. There are tarps and sheet metal fencing in the foreground.

Part of the Changhua Railway Village with the green construction site notice mounted on a red brick wall. The skies are blue and serene with white clouds. Behind the wall is some kind of rugged, dilapidated structure, possibly an old residence.

An old military dependents' village in Changhua City currently under construction. There is a shovel and wheelbarrow in the foreground and the two-storey residences in the background show evidence of being recently resurfaced.

An old Japanese colonial era wooden house allocated to civil servants in Changhua City. Only the top is visible; the body of the building is obscured by red brick walls and a partial sheet metal fence above.

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Xander ✺ @spectralcodex.com · 07/10/2025

Yesterday the boss of the cafe I visited generously gave me this Taiwanese salted egg yolk pastry (蛋黃酥) divided into two pieces 🥮

A Taiwanese salted egg yolk pastry cut into two pieces and situated on a small white plate on a wooden table top. The background shows the context, a cafe, with chairs and tables and other patrons around.

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Xander ✺ @spectralcodex.com · 26/09/2025

A few snapshots from Chenguang Theater (晨光戲院) in Xincheng, just north of Hualien City. It was established in 1963 and likely catered to the military personnel stationed at nearby airbases. I wasn't able to access the projection room before it was demolished in 2023. spectralcodex.com/xincheng-che...

A bright red car parked under an awning in front of a rugged looking rural cinema in Hualien County, Taiwan.

The former ticket window at a rural theater in Hualien County. One window is sealed with wood, the other has cracked glass, and there's garbage and debris strewn around in front.

The interior of an abandoned cinema in rural Hualien County. Heaping mounds of rope, likely from a nearby fishing harbour, occupy the foreground, while lush green foliage sprawls beneath a break in the rooftop.

The former stage of a rural theater in Hualien County. The rooftop has broken open from neglect and plant life and vines grow everywhere sunlight reaches, giving the scene a very post-apocalyptic vibe.

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Xander ✺ @spectralcodex.com · 17/09/2025

A few shots from a morning ramble around Wanhua District, Taipei: 1) Xinfu Market (新富市場); recently revitalized. 2) Jiyi Temple (集義宮); a center of Taiwanese folk beliefs. 3) Renji Sanatorium (仁濟療養院); Taiwan's first mental health facility? 4) Wanhua Chen Residence (萬華陳家古厝); neglected and overgrown...

The central courtyard in a Japanese colonial era wet market showing grey pebble-washed walls and small glass and wood windows.

Stone carvings surround the entrance to a temple. Yellow lanterns hang from the ceiling inside and there are various altars visible in the darker interior.

A simple red brick building with three palm trees out front. It is a hot and hazy day with a blue sky and wispy clouds beyond the black tiled rooftop.

An abandoned Minnan-style courtyard house in the back alleys of Wanhua. There is a car parked to the right and almost everything is overgrown.

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Xander ✺ @spectralcodex.com · 16/09/2025

The original Canon logo from 1934 is really cool. I only just learned the name of the company originates with Guanyin AKA Kwanon (觀音) and only became "Canon" in 1947.

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Xander ✺ @spectralcodex.com · 14/09/2025

How's this for obscure? I went searching for traces of an old cinema in Tuku, Yunlin County, and found this plaque hidden behind some of the claw machines that now occupy the former lobby. I was standing on a chair to get this shot. Right-to-left it reads Mingxing Theater (明星戲院)!

A scene from inside a claw machine parlor in rural Taiwan. There is a gold on black plaque faintly visible behind goods on top of the claw machines.

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Xander ✺ @spectralcodex.com · 09/09/2025

Here's an archival photograph of the banner next to the theater (which is on the right with the nameplate partly visible). Have a glance at the modern photos and you'll see everything matches up, albeit with years of renovations.

An undated black and white photo of the side of Guanghua Theater in Tainan. It is a street scene with a banner displayed showing a traditional opera troupe. The theater nameplate can be partly seen on the right.

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Xander ✺ @spectralcodex.com · 30/07/2025

Nearly 35 degrees in Taipei this afternoon... I'm out getting lunch on YouBike and it's a tough slog 🔥🔥🔥

Another temperature map from the CWA showing 34.7 degrees in Taipei.

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Xander ✺ @spectralcodex.com · 30/07/2025

Crossposted from TVBS on Threads: the scene in Hualien, Taiwan, as the tsunami from the M8.8 earthquake in Kamchatka arrives.

A screen capture from TVBS News showing the sea and a rocky beach with two rescue workers and a dog in the foreground and around 8 people watching for the tsunami to arrive.

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Xander ✺ @spectralcodex.com · 30/07/2025

Heading to the office this morning and it feels unusually hot. I'm not hallucinating, it is already 32 degrees in Taipei at 9am! 🔥

A weather map of temperature in Taiwan. Taipei hit 32 already, Taichung is at 25.1, Kaohsiung at 28.7.

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Xander ✺ @spectralcodex.com · 26/07/2025

One of the more creative permutation of Taipei's many tiled apartment blocks. This one is on Rui'an Street Lane 208 (瑞安街208巷).

Looking up at a tiled apartment block in Taipei. The building has many wavy concrete extrusions covered with ivory-colored tile while the body of the building is a ruddy orange-brown. Plants burst from the balconies on the lower levels.

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Xander ✺ @spectralcodex.com · 23/07/2025

A little weekend mapping project: fetch ~500 administrative boundary data from Overture Maps, convert to FlatGeobuf, and display on my existing MapLibre/Protomaps-based application. No Google Maps involved here! Incidentally I've found more than a few locations situated in the wrong district...

Screenshot of a mapping application showing Taichung City with 400+ points on the map.

Screenshot of a mapping application showing Hengchun with 27 points on the map.

Screenshot of a mapping application showing Zhongzheng District with 60 points on the map.

Screenshot of a mapping application showing Xiulin with 31 points on the map.

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Xander ✺ @spectralcodex.com · 19/07/2025

Google Maps Street View in southern Taiwan (Tainan/Kaohsiung/Pingtung) now displays an anime-style girl instead of the usual yellow pegman 😻

A zoomed in view of Google Maps with the usual yellow pegman replaced by some kind of anime girl in purple.

A zoomed in view of Google Maps with the usual yellow pegman replaced by some kind of anime girl in purple. This screenshot shows the character from behind.

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Xander ✺ @spectralcodex.com · 09/07/2025

New reaction meme unlocked 🫠

A screenshot from a Tommy Sabbatical video where he's saying "I'm too white to enjoy this" to a snack vendor on the beach in Kinmen.

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Xander ✺ @spectralcodex.com · 06/07/2025

Typhoon #Danas is bearing down on Taiwan right now. The preparations:

A bamboo basket with xiaolongbao, little dumplings filled with meat and soup.

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Xander ✺ @spectralcodex.com · 22/06/2025

Here's a historic photo of Taichung Temple (臺中寺), undated but plausibly from the 1920s or thereabouts. After the war this temple was repurposed for use by government agencies and demolished by 1980. The rediscovered building was likely built years after this was taken, but certainly prior to 1945.

A historic photography of Taichung Temple, a Soto Zen Buddhist monastery, undated but plausibly from the 1920s.

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Xander ✺ @spectralcodex.com · 22/06/2025

On the scene at a surprise discovery in the back alleys of Taichung. Just yesterday demolition workers revealed this old Zen Buddhist structure previously hidden behind metal sheeting. Some pretty intense public interest here this morning; city councilors are inspecting, media reporting.

A mysterious reinforced concrete building recently unearthed in the back alleys of Taichung. It is square and minimalistic with a Buddhist swastika carved over the entrance. Debris is all around in the foreground.

A crowd of onlookers in the alleyway leading to a mysterious building in Taichung.

Taichung city councilors conferring outside a newly unearthed building.

The newly rediscovered structure from the nearby rooftops. A lone photographer is capturing the scene down below.

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Xander ✺ @spectralcodex.com · 11/05/2025

Wandering through Chinatown in Toronto and randomly captured this scene yesterday 👀

A street scene at Spadina and Dundas in Toronto. A Chinese man in rather old fashioned garb is waiting at the crosswalk while a newer TTC streetcar pulls up in the background.

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Xander ✺ @spectralcodex.com · 29/04/2025

Canadian politics, gigachad edition 🤯

Screenshot of a Globe and Mail election results graphic showing Liberal Bruce Fanjoy leading with 50.6% of the vote over Pierre Poilievre with 46.1% and 257 out of 266 polls reporting. Still not called yet.

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Xander ✺ @spectralcodex.com · 14/04/2025

This 2004 quote by indie filmmaker Jim Jarmusch has long been a fave of mine, working at the edge of copyright as I have for so long, but it takes on new life in the age of LLMs and generative AI. If there's really no going back... how do we make our theft authentic?

A poster with this Jim Jarmusch quote in highlighted orange and blue text on a yellow background:

"Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable; originality is non-existent. And don’t bother concealing your thievery - celebrate it if you feel like it. In any case, always remember what Jean-Luc Godard said: “It’s not where you take things from - it’s where you take them to."

It is originally taken from MovieMaker Magazine #53, Winter, January 22, 2004.

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Xander ✺ @spectralcodex.com · 13/04/2025

My site now has a search feature! You can also filter by region or theme to narrow results. Technical details: this is a Pagefind implementation, completely static, using the astro-pagefind integration. Overriding parts of the default UI with Tailwind feels like a bit of a kludge but hey, it works.

Screenshot of the Spectral Codex website showing off the search bar and search results dropdown.

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Xander ✺ @spectralcodex.com · 02/04/2025

Finally got around to requesting data deletion from 23andMe today. It's been a wild ride over the years; I ordered a kit back when I was knee-deep in my evolutionary biology undergrad, curious about my mysterious origins, and actually forked out $500 to find out I'm a bog-standard white person 🍞

A screenshot from 23andMe reading:

"Hey Alexander!
you have more Neanderthal DNA than 42% of other customers.
Neanderthals were prehistoric humans who interbred with modern humans before disappearing around 40,000 years ago."

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Xander ✺ @spectralcodex.com · 20/03/2025

Been thinking about this meme a lot 💀

Da share z0ne meme: "JUST WALK OUT
you can leave!!!
work
social thing
movies
home
class
dentist
clothes shoppi
too fancy weed store
cops if your quick
friend ships
IF IT SUCKS... HIT DA BRICK!!
real winners quit"

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Xander ✺ @spectralcodex.com · 16/03/2025

Dear Google, Fuck you 🖕

A screenshot of the Google Chrome interface reading: "This extension was turned off because it's no longer supported
Chrome recommends that you remove it. Learn more about supported extensions

uBlock Origin"

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Xander ✺ @spectralcodex.com · 11/03/2025

Kinda impressed with myself that I located this former shipyard on the left bank of the Tamsui River in Bali District just north of Guandu Bridge in just a few minutes. The apartment block on the opposite bank is a perfect match, as is the outline of Yangmingshan from this vantage point.

Screenshot from a Taiwanese city pop MV showing oversaturated colors and purple tones. It's a shot from a shipyard facing a river with a big apartment block on the opposite bank. There is a ship to the left and the band are obscured by a car with the hood popped open.

Screenshot from Google Maps circa 2010 showing the same spot in the previous from but in Street View.

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Xander ✺ @spectralcodex.com · 02/03/2025

Today I went on a pilgrimage to the tomb of Taiwanese folk hero Liao Tianding (廖添丁) in Bali. Also drove up into the hills around Guanyinshan to visit the cave where he made his last stand, according to legend anyway. Pretty nice little hike!

The altar of a Taiwanese temple. There is a huge cloud of incense smoke on the left and an idol standing tall in the middle. This is folk hero Liao Tianding.

An older statue of Liao Tianding in the former temple near his tomb. Here he is presented with a ton of swagger, hands on his hips and a serious look on his face.

Ropes running up a gully in the mountains of Taiwan. There is lush foliage all around and green moss growing on tumbled stones.

A small cave with an altar to Liao Tianding in front. A small plaque identifies the site and worshippers have presented beer, kaoliang, and cigarettes as offerings.

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Xander ✺ @spectralcodex.com · 24/02/2025

This was the tallest building in the city when it was constructed in the late 80s/early 90s. The rooftop karaoke club was astrology-themed, sing your heart out beneath the stars! There were also two cram schools, one around the ninth or tenth floor, where urban explorers now leave notes in chalk.

An abandoned karaoke club on top of a ruined skyscraper. There is an atrium but the glass enclosure broke long ago and the scene is one of complete devastation.

The entrance to a karaoke box with the name Taurus, after the astrology theme of the entire club. A utility gloved hand holds the door in place.

The broken down and partly flooded remnants of a cram school on the upper levels of an abandoned skyscraper in central Taiwan. There is scum and mud all over the floor.

A chalkboard in an abandoned cram school covered with chalk marks from recent urban explorers who passed through here.

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Xander ✺ @spectralcodex.com · 24/02/2025

I spent nearly four hours combing through something like 16 floors of horrors, decay, and debris. This was an entertainment complex so it also featured twin theaters, numerous arcades, and an entire floor with private rooms for watching films on videotape (a typical getaway for high school romance).

One of two theater halls in an abandoned skyscraper in central Taiwan. All the seating has been stripped out. The silver screen is visible in the darkness.

One of two theater halls in an abandoned skyscraper in central Taiwan. All the seating has been stripped out. Broken tiles like the seating area while the former projection booth is illuminated with a flashlight at the back.

A broken down Back To The Future pinball machine in the arcade outside an abandoned movie theater in a skyscraper in central Taiwan. There is broken glass and debris all over the floor and more arcade machines in the background.

A poster for Dark City, the movie, but in Chinese, taped to a wall in an abandoned skyscraper in central Taiwan.

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Xander ✺ @spectralcodex.com · 23/02/2025

Abandoned karaoke club in a doomed skyscraper in #Taiwan. The building was heavily damaged in the 921 Earthquake and eventually condemned. This one has been on my bucket list for a long, long time, so I'm glad I was able to sneak a peek before it is reduced to dust and memory forever. #urbex

Entrance to a seedy karaoke club in an abandoned skyscraper. The name is written in gold Chinese characters and there is a decapitated white statue looking like a Greek god on the right.

The decapitated head of the Greek statue in the previous photo tossed in a basket now resting on the bar of a seedy karaoke club in an abandoned skyscraper. There is a thick layer of dust on the bar.

Inside the tape room at a seedy karaoke club in an abandoned skyscraper. The walls are teal and the shelves are black. Videotapes litter the floor because one shelf tipped over, possibly in one of the many earthquakes that damaged and ultimately condemned the building. The names of songs are written on the site of one of the shelves.

The window at the front of a seedy karaoke club in an abandoned skyscraper. "KTV" is featured in big letters in reverse. There are dust covered couches in the front of the frame.

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Xander ✺ @spectralcodex.com · 23/02/2025

Abandoned rooftop waterpark in Taichung. The top levels of this iconic building suffered a fire in the 90s but too many people live below to actually demolish the building. Fragmented ownership explains so many situations like this in Taiwan. #urbex

The nameplate of a semi-abandoned building in Taichung as shot from the rooftop. It is purposefully left as an exercise to the reader to puzzle out. The characters 中英 are readily visible.

First glance at an abandoned rooftop wayerpark. Sections of slide are disconnected and laying around and scum grows in what was once a recreational pool.

A closer look at the scummy pool in an abandoned rooftop waterpark. The scorched underside of a restaurant or karaoke bar is overhead. Blue tile abounds.

Another look at a former restaurant or karaoke bar overlooking the rooftop pool at a semi-abandoned building. Blue and green tile covers some surfaces and scraggly vegetation clings to life at bottom left.

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Xander ✺ @spectralcodex.com · 19/02/2025

Everything I've cooked since I made a resolution to make one meal at home every day.

Screenshot from Zelda: Breath of the Wild showing Dubious Food and the capture "It's too gross to even look at. A bizarre smell issues forth from this heap. Eating it won't hurt you, though... probably."

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Xander ✺ @spectralcodex.com · 07/02/2025

I asked a follow-up question, essentially "examine PRC claims to Taiwan under international law and evaluate them on merit". Maybe it's Perplexity using some extra secret sauce but... these answers seem pretty good to me overall. Sources: GTI, Lawfareblog, CSIS, jstor, etc.

Screenshot from a Perplexity/Deepseek answer about PRC claims to Taiwan:

The People's Republic of China's (PRC) claims over Taiwan are complex and multifaceted, with some elements having more legal merit than others under international law. Let's examine the key aspects of the PRC's position and analyze their validity:
Succession of States Theory
The PRC claims it is the successor state to the Republic of China (ROC) and thus inherits sovereignty over all ROC territories, including Taiwan. This argument has some basis in international law, as the PRC did replace the ROC in most international bodies, including the United Nations16. However, this theory is complicated by Taiwan's continued de facto independence and separate governance since 1949.
UN Resolution 2758
The PRC frequently cites UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 as evidence of its sovereignty over Taiwan. However, this interpretation is an overreach15. The resolution primarily addresses China's representation in the UN, recognizing the PRC as "the only lawful representatives of China to the United Nations"16. It does not explicitly address Taiwan's status or sovereignty.

Screenshot from a Perplexity/Deepseek answer about PRC claims to Taiwan:

One China Principle
The PRC's insistence on the "One China" principle forms the core of its claim. While this principle is widely acknowledged diplomatically, it's important to note that many countries' "One China" policies are intentionally ambiguous and do not necessarily equate to recognition of PRC sovereignty over Taiwan2.
Territorial Integrity Argument
Beijing often frames potential military action against Taiwan as an internal matter, citing territorial integrity. This argument relies on the premise that Taiwan is already part of China, which is contested1. International law generally prohibits the use of force, with exceptions for self-defense or UN Security Council authorization.
Deeper Analysis
Legitimate Concerns:
Historical claims: The PRC's position is partly rooted in historical claims to Taiwan, dating back to the Qing Dynasty and the outcome of World War II13.
International recognition: The PRC's position is strengthened by the fact that most countries officially recognize it as the sole legitimate government of China16.
Strategic interests: While not a legal argument, the PRC's desire to control Taiwan is driven by legitimate strategic concerns about its maritime security and regional influence.

Screenshot from a Perplexity/Deepseek answer about PRC claims to Taiwan:

Problematic or Propagandistic Elements:
Misinterpretation of UN Resolution 2758: The PRC's expansive interpretation of this resolution goes beyond its actual text and intent153.
Disregard for self-determination: The PRC's position largely ignores the principle of self-determination and the wishes of Taiwan's population15.
Selective application of international law: The PRC often invokes international law when it supports its position but disregards it when it doesn't, particularly concerning the use of force14.
Oversimplification of Taiwan's status: The PRC's stance doesn't account for the complex historical and political developments that have shaped Taiwan's current status7.
Conclusion
While the PRC's claims to Taiwan have some basis in historical and legal arguments, they are not unequivocally supported by international law. The situation is further complicated by Taiwan's decades-long de facto independence, its fulfillment of criteria for statehood under the Montevideo Convention, and the principle of self-determination56.
The international community's approach to this issue remains largely pragmatic, balancing recognition of the PRC with unofficial relations with Taiwan. This ambiguity in international relations reflects the complex and contested nature of Taiwan's status under international law.

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Xander ✺ @spectralcodex.com · 07/02/2025

I'll attach a screenshot from that section. 52 sources were consulted, mostly expected ones (Wikipedia, MoFA, SCMP, Taipei Times, Focus Taiwan, BBC, The Diplomat). The constitutional crisis part seems mostly sourced from Global Taiwan Institute.

Screenshot of Perplexity's output to a question about Taiwan's political status:

Current Political Dynamics
President William Lai Ching-te leads the government, representing the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)1. However, his administration faces substantial challenges from the opposition-controlled legislature, where the Kuomintang (KMT) and Taiwan People's Party (TPP) coalition has recently passed significant amendments affecting governmental operations2.
Constitutional Crisis
A serious constitutional crisis has emerged in early 2025 due to recent legislative amendments:
Judicial Paralysis
The Constitutional Court has been effectively paralyzed by new requirements mandating 10 justices for hearings and 9 for constitutional rulings, while only 8 justices currently serve after the legislature rejected President Lai's nominees2.
Legislative Control
The opposition has passed three significant bills that:
Alter election and recall procedures
Modify constitutional court operations
Change government funding allocations1

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Xander ✺ @spectralcodex.com · 06/02/2025

Apropos of nothing, my favorite of those "the street finds its own uses for things" type memes from Cyberpunk 2077.

A very low-tech way to charge a cellphone from an outlet on a wall using a piece of paper folded and then punctured by the plug to hold everything in place. There is an ironic "Cyberpunk 2077" overlay in the lower part of the image.

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Xander ✺ @spectralcodex.com · 02/02/2025

Riverside bike rave in Taipei this afternoon... still going strong under Yuanshan Bridge!

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Xander ✺ @spectralcodex.com · 01/02/2025

Maybe you've seen those classic tiled Taiwanese bathtubs before, but you probably haven't seen one as deluxe as this outdoor pool! It's in front of the Japanese colonial era residence later appropriated for use by the Keelung Fortress Commander in the aftermath of WW2... newly reopened as a café!

A large outdoor pool lined with multicolor tile. There are old stones around and a lawn surrounding.

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Xander ✺ @spectralcodex.com · 29/01/2025

Did you know there's an old movie theater overlooking Ningxia Night Market in Taipei? The interior has been completely gutted but you can still make out traces of the seating, projection room, and toilets at the back.

The bare entrance to Yuanman Theater at Ningxia Night Market. The name of the theater is in red over metal shutters. There is a door to the left. Everything else is bare and dusty.

Main hall of a gutted old theater in Taipei. The seating and everything else has been completely removed, leaving only bare concrete.

A dimly lit view of the former projection room of an abandoned and gutted theater in Taipei.

Former site of some toilets at the back of an abandoned and gutted theater in Taipei. The tile wall has holes where plumbing used to run. The floor is bare concrete.

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