February 11, 2018

Changing the world doesn't look like changing the world

Austin Walker, EIC of Waypoint, gives a talk at NYU Game Center (youtube) (audio) addressing the role of games in a time of political struggle, followed by a Q&A with Frank Lantz (of Universal Paperclips fame). [more inside]
posted by juv3nal at 9:59 PM PST - 4 comments

"Furry hard!"

Cat curling is not just an Olympic sport (previously), it's also a fun thing to play at home! And because no good post is complete without dogs, please enjoy cats and dogs just trying to get along.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 8:29 PM PST - 16 comments

It’s probably better to not know what they’re saying

Cats will sometimes have chats.
posted by Going To Maine at 6:56 PM PST - 20 comments

What is dead may never die

Nation of Second Chances tells the stories of some of the people who received pardons from President Obama.
posted by queen anne's remorse at 6:49 PM PST - 4 comments

Doesn't take much to rip us into pieces

Tori Amos turned the narrative upside down when her 1992 sophomore album Little Earthquakes [~1h] became a mammoth hit. Cassette Side A: Crucify [video] , Girl, Silent All These Years [video], Precious Things, Winter [video], Happy Phantom [more inside]
posted by hippybear at 3:51 PM PST - 101 comments

The Demon and "Big Daddy" Don Garlits

He'll never be too old to tame a demon car.
posted by MovableBookLady at 2:18 PM PST - 11 comments

When the British Royal Family participated in the other games

It's A Knockout (1966-2001 in the UK), adapted from the French show Intervilles, was a strange hybrid of village rivalries, Eurovision and the Olympic Games. In 1987, a charity version [1] [2] [3], organised by Prince Edward and involving several Royals and many celebrities such as Sheena Easton and John Travolta, was televised. Of the presenters, some prospered while others passed away [1] [2] or were jailed. Despite large viewing figures, reviews were unkind and Edward was disappointed with journalists. Later, it transpired that Meatloaf and Prince Andrew fought by a moat over Princess Ferguson. Since then, Royals have largely shied away from reality TV, though Edward continued various media projects to this day.
posted by Wordshore at 1:23 PM PST - 21 comments

Ain't no rules says a dog can't run for governor of Kansas.

Three candidates have now registered for the Kansas governor race who are too young to vote. While most of these see themselves as radical outsiders, the most recent to throw his hat in the ring believes standards should be raised in candidate requirements:
“Maybe it’s 18 (years old), but just some way to make sure we don’t have like a dog run,”
[more inside]
posted by rum-soaked space hobo at 12:54 PM PST - 29 comments

We try not to have all our eggs in one basket.

It's not an uncommon problem in Alaska groceries: A whole shelf meant for bananas was almost completely empty one day last week at the Fred Meyer store in Midtown Anchorage. Keeping fresh produce that's grown thousands of miles away in stock here is a delicate system that grocers have been perfecting for years. Still, one 24-hour delay — recently, a cargo ship needing a repair and stuck in Tacoma, Washington — can send swift ripples through the food supply chain. [more inside]
posted by ChuraChura at 12:49 PM PST - 19 comments

Protests Erupt Across Canada After Gerald Stanley Acquitted

Canada is currently working to heal its relationships with First Nations people, but this was dealt a severe blow on Friday when a jury decided to acquit white farmer Gerald Stanley of all charges in the 2016 shooting death of Colten Boushie, a 22 year old indigenous man . [more inside]
posted by purplesludge at 10:15 AM PST - 110 comments

Battling RSI with a Dragon

Coding without a keystroke: The hands-free creation of a full video game
posted by Artw at 9:21 AM PST - 2 comments

Very long Read: Operation Elop by Harri Kiljander

The English language translation of Operation Elop is finally done! The contemporary account of the fall of Nokia is now available under Creative Commons license on Medium. (via)
posted by infini at 9:12 AM PST - 43 comments

“You don't look like a Magic player.”

Death By A Thousand Paper Cuts [TCG Player] “Most of us don't attend a tournament space to meet a boyfriend or be patronized and coddled. We just want to play Magic on the same footing as everyone else. One of the most intimidating facets of participating in a Magic tournament is being immediately “othered” simply by virtue of being female. It's hard to break into an in-group because we aren't “one of the guys.” We are rarely asked to play side games or trade, and we have far less social capital to influence meaningful interactions that will help improve our standing in the game. We are subjected to behaviors, microaggressions, and questions that make us feel awkward and uncomfortable. As a male, you might not see why asking “Did your boyfriend teach you to play?” is so harmful. But think about this: would you ask a male peer, “Did your girlfriend teach you to play?” Definitely not.” [more inside]
posted by Fizz at 7:49 AM PST - 38 comments

Canada's clearest home science videos

The Canadian National Science and Engineering Council has opened a video contest for young scientists to explain their work to the public. Some videos have surprisingly high production values. Learn about how our sense of touch works, how body implants are engineered, or how astronomical impact craters are dated.
posted by christopher.taylor at 5:04 AM PST - 1 comments

He bought quite a few lottery tickets

The Indestructible Alkemade
posted by Sebmojo at 4:41 AM PST - 7 comments

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