May 20, 2021
Civilization Battles Royale
The Civilization Battle Royale Mark II was an alternate history of the planet narrated from August 2015 to December 2018, first by "TPangolin" and later by team "Blue Cassette," based on a game of Civilization V (previously) with 61 different computer-controlled civilizations and no* human players. Also available in audio form. [more inside]
"For a day or two, nothing happened. I mean, nothing."
"Milo’s habits are simple and revolting." Maria Farrell writes about her "hugely fluffy and dolphin-smiling Samoyed dog, Milo" and of the inconvenience of his bowel movements ("He has absolutely no concept of gastrointestinal cause and effect....For a while, there, Milo’s daily rhythm was primed perfectly to require a straining squat precisely as we passed the entrance to the local Tube station at the height of rush hour."). And then there's what he ate at her brother in law’s fortieth birthday party... Warning for lots of dog poop description.
Racist. Sexist. Boy.
A Set of Twelve Possibilities
The Woman in the Window is Amazing, Actually
Tepid reviews for the moody Netflix thriller are all missing the point. In The Woman in the Window—the dark adaptation of A.J. Finn’s controversial bestselling thriller, streaming now on Netflix—director Joe Wright not only steals, but violates images and makes the mélange of film references profane, detached, and artificial. It’s a seedy movie with bizarre cinematography, unhinged editing, unusual acting, and a nonsensical narrative. It faced multiple release delays and, when it finally dropped last week, critical dismissal. Vulture described it as “incredibly silly,” while Rolling Stone wrote that “[the] playbook consists of ‘ape Hitchcock,’ followed by blank pages.” But perhaps it’s because of those choices and not in spite of them that The Woman in the Window is one of the most brilliant films of the year.
The VFX Of Flight Of The Navigator
Captain Disillusion's intern Alan goes deep on Flight of the Navigator. You may know Captain Disillusion from his many debunkings/explanations of viral videos. His long-suffering intern Alan has made an appearance over the years, including a virtuoso talk at Blender Conference 2018.
Now, with the Captain away, Alan does a 40-minute deep dive into the 1986 movie Flight of the Navigator, specifically its effects, which as he explains in great detail are not - as many believe - all computer generated. He's brought along some props and visited some locations as well. [more inside]
Sinead O'Connor Remembers Things Differently
...the overreaction to O’Connor was not just about whether she was right or wrong; it was about the kinds of provocations we accept from women in music. “Not because I was famous or anything, but because I was a human being, I had a right to put my hand up and say what I felt,” O’Connor said....O’Connor has seen a little bit of herself in women who came after her — in Amy Winehouse and Britney Spears. “What they did to Britney Spears was disgusting,” she said. “If you met a stranger in the street crying, you’d put your arms around her. You wouldn’t start taking photos of her, you know?” Amanda Hess (New York Times soft paywall; Archive.org link) interviews Sinead O'Connor ahead of the June 1st release of her new memoir, Rememberings. [Content warnings: trauma and abuse]
The pipeline was fine. The flow of gas was not impaired.
What was hacked was the company's billing system The cyber attack that shutdown the Colonial pipeline causing a gas panic and stoking fears of gasoline shortages, didn’t actually shut down the pipeline. It impacted the billing system at the Colonial Pipeline Co., which shut it down because they were worried about how they’d collect payments.
A most natural collaboration
Nikole Hannah-Jones Denied Tenure at UNC
Nikole Hannah-Jones, the Pulitzer-winning lead author of the 1619 Project, was denied tenure at the University of North Carolina. Following a conservative backlash against her, the university’s board of trustees took the highly unusual step of failing to approve the journalism department’s recommendation to grant her tenure (NYTimes). [more inside]
now that's some bass
14 year old Indian beatboxer, Shashwat, from Madhya Pradesh, India. His amazing Indian Evil Bass Prodigy video. Wait for it. His Insta: Immortal.
10 of the Meanest Board Games Ever Made
10 of the Meanest Board Games Ever Made [SLYT 13min 8 sec] Collaborative board games are the norm, but outright combative, nay vengeful, and/or mean ones, can really test the boundaries of a social circle. "We accept no responsibility for any friendships ruined after watching this video." [more inside]
Pinch / clench
Among a collection of upcoming improvements for people with disabilities is an amazing demo of AssistiveTouch features on Apple Watch supporting people with limb differences.
"It is not always a happy thing."
The editors of manga anthology Young Animal Comics have reported that Kentaro Miura, creator of the seminal dark fantasy manga Berserk, passed away on May 6 of an aortic dissection, at the age of 54. [more inside]
Fansubbing BookStory
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