If folks here are interested in helping to test the soft Am I Evil? GN backer launch, then please let me know. This page is far enough into the woods that I can probably safely post links right here in the comments.
If you’re a regular here, then you don’t need to have been in on the crowdfunder to help beta test the launch.
Of course I’ll help. I assumed that was a given.
Thank you! Not surprising, but absolutely appreciated 🙂
RIP Rico Browning, aka the Creature from the Black Lagoon. He was the last of the classic Universal Monsters actors.
I’m tired of snow
I don’t know what changed, but I can finally get to the site normally! 😀
I’m not tired of snow but I am tired of dampness, hopefully spring will start drying the ground out.
Agreed. Florida is nice because (with the solar heat that I finally got installed on my pool) we have been able to swim in February. On the other hand, I fight a constant battle with mold in my house and every time I get off a plane from anywhere else, I can immediately feel the intense moisture in the air on my hands like I’m some clammy handed jackass (and that’s in the climate controlled airport).
Bloody hell Bob Odenkirk has a one man show tour that is coming to a local theatre in April.
Well the first episode of S3 of The Mandalorian watched.
It certainly gave my sub woofer a workout.
After Andor it feels a bit of an anti-climax, still fun though.
I’ve already seen some strong reactions. Won’t see this one until next week, so I imagine its secrets will have been spoiled by then.
T Cat likes to call TLoU the “Yeast & Mold” show. 😀
I’d say the case for a hot dog being a sandwich is stronger.
I’m in the cereal = soup camp.
Isn’t a hot dog a pita?
If your tea bag breaks, does your tea become soup?
Is your hot chocolate soup until you’ve properly stirred it? Is it soup if you add marshmallows?
Is ice cream soup?
Well it’s an emulsion, so more like butter than soup.
But Rocky Road or Chocolate Chip cookie Dough?
I’m assuming that the cereal is soup argument is based primarily off of gazpacho being soup. As gazpacho is neither cooked nor served at a hot temperature, it gives free reign to call anything in a bowl in liquid format a soup. Thus, ice cream is just a liquid at even lower temperatures in a bowl and, therefore, soup. Being, at some point or other, “cooked” before being frozen, it might even have a better claim to being soup than gazpacho.
All told, I wonder it wouldn’t be easier to just claim that gazpacho isn’t soup than to dicker over what else constitutes soup?
Disclaimer: After spending a year in Spain as an exchange student, I love gazpacho. It is awesome and delicious.
Off to the city this morning, while the husband takes kitty in to the vet to get her arthritis shot. Kitty loves getting needles
Am I Evil? email away!
I’m glad you tell us here. I always have to search for the email as it never seems to come to my in box.
:-/ Was it in your spam folder?
I’ve also posted to FB, but I’m bad at the FB and its algorithms.
I still haven’t gone back to FB. I’m mad that I’ll lose some of my status
No, it seems to go straight into my trash folder and ignores the inbox or spam folder entirely
I don’t have it in either folder.
My bad. It was in my Inbox. I just didn’t see it in the deluge of email I’ve been getting.
So Carry on Screaming was released the year I was born.
I’m rather happy about that useless bit of information.
The husband and I are gonna play some Caverna on line with a friend in BC today. I love modern technology . . . sometimes
Crap joke for the day:
A woman meets a man in a bar.
They talk; they connect; they end up leaving together..
They get back to his place, and as he shows her around his apartment.
she notices that one wall of his bedroom is completely filled with soft,
sweet, cuddly teddy bears.
There are three shelves in the bedroom, with hundreds and hundreds of cute,
cuddly teddy bears carefully placed in rows, covering the entire wall!
It was obvious that he had taken quite some time to lovingly arrange them
and she was immediately touched by the amount of thought he had put into
organizing the display.
There were small bears all along the bottom shelf.
Medium-sized bears covering the length of the middle shelf.
And huge, enormous bears running all the way along the top shelf.
She found it strange for an obviously masculine guy to have such a large collection of Teddy Bears,
She is quite impressed by his sensitive side.
But doesn’t mention this to him.
They share a bottle of wine and continue talking and,
After awhile, she finds herself thinking,
‘Oh my God! Maybe, this guy could be the one!
Maybe he could be the future father of my children?’
She turns to him and kisses him lightly on the lips.
He responds warmly.
They continue to kiss, the passion builds.
And he romantically lifts her in his arms and carries her into his bedroom.
Where they rip off each other’s clothes and make hot, steamy love.
She is so overwhelmed that she responds with more passion,
More creativity, more heat than she has ever known.
After an intense, explosive night of raw passion with this sensitive guy, they are lying there together in the afterglow.
The woman rolls over, gently strokes his chest and asks coyly,
‘Well, how was it?’
The guy gently smiles at her, strokes her cheek, looks deeply into her eyes,
And says: ‘Help yourself to any prize from the middle shelf.’
Hey Nomad Scry, I hope you and yours are safe and warm. Egads.
This is only our second winter in northern Vermont. Last winter we had snow almost everyday but only about a foot of accumulation overall. This winter we actually had the Christmas snow melt off entirely, but it’s gotta be 2 ft in the yard and over 5ft where the roof snow slides off.
So of course I’ve seen Hellraiser movies (the first 3, at least), but I’d never ready any Clive Barker. The Hellbound Heart – – the novella upon which the movie was based – – is actually damned good. Good storytelling, but excellent writing style. And different enough from the original movie that it isn’t repetitive to get through. It’s also been a long time since I’ve seen any of them.
Maybe when I’m done I’ll suffer through Hulu ads and watch the Hellraiser reboot.
Snow!
Snow!
The news said this winter has been the sixth snowiest on record.
The only Barker I’ve read was Imajica. I remember that it was a lot more sexual and a lot more fantastic than I was expecting.
He isn’t shy about sex-related stuff in Hellbound Heart either, but it’s never a distraction. The main point is what you know from the movies: the puzzle box, the cenobites, the human guy who escaped them and is trying to rebuild his body on earth.
I prefer to follow authors over genres – – I’m definitely willing to try out more Clive Barker. I’ve added Imajica, The Thief of Always, Weaveworld, and The Great and Secret Show to my reading list.
Things are not always what the headlines mmake them seem.
It’s got to do with “Rec Leagues” who tangle with what are in essence semi-pro teams. Even at the grade school level. In fact it is even worse at that age level.
I tangled with that when my kids played T-ball/Softball.
To try and make things even and build up the sport, Rec leagues will often try to enforce rules that distribute experience across all the teams. Certain coaches however will find ways to cherry pick the best most experienced players and keep them together Year after year.
That was the case of the team in the article. They formed outside the Rec league and had played together for several years. They were told that due to not having enough gyms, only city Rec league teams could use the City gyms and there WAS a rule already in place that said if they wished to join the rec league as an already formed and very experienced team, they could but would have to play “up” to keep things competitive. As there was no Girls team there next level up, they were allowed to play in the boys league. Also, they could sit the tournament out or play but they would not be eligible for the trophy. Again, not because they were girls but because they were in essence, an All-Star team.
They were told all this and they agreed to it before they joined.
So… not so much the victims here.
Happy Birthday to Lo Pan, welcome to the long in the tooth crowd.
Happy birthday Lo!
Do eternal ancient gods have birthdays?
Hope you are awash in all the green eyes you desire.
A lot of the Eastern seaboard of the USA got much less snow this year:
Thank you, everyone. And thanks especially to Ryah, who put me in touch with the cover artist and the first interior artist – – who eventually put me in touch with Kyle, who completed the art interiors.
Chess.com changes their AI bots every month. Mittens, in January, seemed to be one of the more interesting.
This month it’s all famous women in history such as Jane Goodall, Amelia Airheart, etc.
(The husband plays regularly, that’s how I know this)
The Big Lebowski was released 25 years ago today in the US:
I do hope everyone enjoys the Am I Evil? book. It was a lot harder to complete than I’d ever anticipated, but I’m pleased with the final outcome.
I’m not sure how to promote it, because I don’t currently have a Point of Sale plan, or a way to get it onto comic shop shelves. So I don’t want to do a media blitz and drum up interest, only to have to tell people, “Yeah, thanks, I can’t get you a copy.”
Once you have a plan to get it on sale, whether through Ingram or other form, then you’ll have to think about how to promote it. Besides the usual social media blitz, because of it’s ties to the rock world, I would suggest a press release to various rock media (i.e. Rolling Stone, Hall of Fame, some of the better known radios stations, (MTV?) etc.) I would also approach various R & R podcasters to try to get interviews.
Again, all this would need to wait until you have a marketable version, both print and e versions.
Also, for local only, talk to your comic store. I know one or two in Calgary that do consignment based sales so they might be willing to take a few on that basis.
Also, see if Diamond Head themselves are willing to promote it on their social media sites and possibly in interviews.
Finally!
The graphic novel is good. I quite enjoyed it.
Ok, not finally
Because it’s not available for purchase, promoting it is not really something you can do. I know, for something like the Aurora Awards, it wouldn’t be eligible until it was available to the wider public. (Yes, I checked).
Ok, I’m really done now.
This is why one of the main characters is named Reah 🙂
The Auroras hadn’t occurred to me, but I guess we would be eligible with a Canadian artist?
I wonder what the Russians are using for their missile silos
Okay I’ve seen some reviews of this weeks Mandalorian was visually too dark, didn’t have a problem myself, but I was sitting in a half lit room when watching.
The lighting was fine for us. However, the show is a bit of a hot mess this season
I’ve liked both episodes so far. I get that the first was rather silly. Seems to me that they are still trying to build the narrative. My only real critique would be the episodes really need to run a full hour because this season feels like watching a 3-hour movie in 20 min intervals.
Looks like you are getting your wish, well for episode 3 at least:
Ming the Merciless finally got Dr. Zarkov! Noooooooooooo!
When the story was that R.L. Stine revised his books to be more aligned with the current zeitgeist it was (IMHO) a non story. He has every right and it was likely a good call on his part. However, the new story seems to be that Scholastic made the changes without even letting him know about them. That is an issue. I understand he probably signed away certain rights to his works with the publisher, but to not let the author know when you are making alterations is pretty crappy.
The larger issue: If any artist wants to Lucas-revise their work, then they should always feel empowered to do so. But – – artists need to use the Lucas case as a warning of how your “improvements” can go too far and detract rather than improve.
Yes, I’d worry about the sensitivity-revisions going too far, but I also think that no kids’ book publisher should push materials that are going to make kids feel bad about themselves.
This particular story: Fucked up. Whatever the contract, get the creator’s input – – or at least notify them – – if you want to update their works.
The husband and I are both in the city this afternoon
We got the Everything Everywhere All At Once DVD from the library and chose that over Mandalorian ep2 tonight.
This movie is way more bonkers than I expected. Great stuff. It lives up to the hype.
You have chosen wisely.
At least in THIS demension you have.
I did struggle to push play on the DVD player with my big, floppy fingers.
• Worrying you’ve accidentally packed 3 kilos of cocaine and a dead goat as you stroll through “Nothing to declare”
• Being unable to stand and leave without first saying “right”
• Not hearing someone for the third time, so just laughing and hoping for the best
• Saying “anywhere here’s fine” when the taxi’s directly outside your front door
• Being sure to start touching your bag 15 minutes before your station, so the person in the aisle seat is fully prepared for your exit
• Repeatedly pressing the door button on the train before it’s illuminated, to assure your fellow commuters you have the situation in hand
• Having someone sit next to you on the train, meaning you’ll have to eat your crisps at home
• The huge sense of relief after your perfectly valid train ticket is accepted by the inspector
• The horror of someone you only half know saying: “Oh I’m getting that train too”
• “Sorry, is anyone sitting here?” – Translation: Unless this is a person who looks remarkably like a bag, I suggest you move it
• Loudly tapping your fingers at the cashpoint, to assure the queue that you’ve asked for money and the wait is out of your hands
• Looking away so violently as someone nearby enters their PIN that you accidentally dislocate your neck
• Waiting for permission to leave after paying for something with the exact change
• Saying hello to a friend in the supermarket, then creeping around like a burglar to avoid seeing them again
• Watching with quiet sorrow as you receive a different haircut to the one you requested
• Being unable to pay for something with the exact change without saying “I think that’s right”
• Overtaking someone on foot and having to keep up the uncomfortably fast pace until safely over the horizon
• Being unable to turn and walk in the opposite direction without first taking out your phone and frowning at it
• Deeming it necessary to do a little jog over zebra crossings, while throwing in an apologetic mini wave
• Punishing people who don’t say thank you by saying “you’re welcome” as quietly as possible
• The overwhelming sorrow of finding a cup of tea you forgot about
• Turning down a cup of tea for no reason and instantly knowing you’ve made a terrible, terrible mistake
• Suddenly remembering your tea and necking it like a massive, lukewarm shot
• Realising you’ve got about fifty grand’s worth of plastic bags under your kitchen sink
• “You’ll have to excuse the mess” – Translation: I’ve spent seven hours tidying in preparation for your visit
• Indicating that you want the last roast potato by trying to force everyone else to take it
• “I’m off to bed” – Translation: “I’m off to stare at my phone in another part of the house”
• Mishearing somebody’s name on the second time of asking, meaning you must now avoid them forever
• Leaving it too late to correct someone, meaning you must live with your new name forever
• Running out of ways to say thanks when a succession of doors are held for you, having already deployed ‘cheers’, ‘ta’ and ‘nice one’
• Changing from ‘kind regards’ to just ‘regards’, to indicate that you’re rapidly reaching the end of your tether
• Staring at your phone in silent horror until the unknown number stops ringing
• Hearing a recording of your own voice and deciding it’s perhaps best never to speak again
• The relief when someone doesn’t answer their phone within three rings and you can hang up
• Filming an entire fireworks display on your phone, knowing full well you’ll never, ever watch it again
I must be at least partially British.
(By lineage, I am).
Same.
That’s goodbye for me.
I was supposed to get a shingles vaccine yesterday but doctor’s office was out and didn’t call me to reschedule. It’s a good thing I was in the city anyway with the husband or I would have been rather upset.
Only for 70-79 years old over here.
Really? I just got my first one at my checkup in December as my doc indicated it was recommended now that I’m 50. Getting my second in a couple more months.
Apparently, I will be a resident of Taylor Swift as well. *cough*
CW: The Mandalorian S3E2
Just doing a test by rewatching the episode on my old 4K tv that doesn’t have HDR. Apart from the colours being less vivid it still looks very pretty, you really don’t miss much watching it in SDR.
Oh and I’m watching it via Roku streaming stick+ which is still getting updates years after Panasonic stopped releasing firmware updates for the TV.
I had a coworker at the vaccine place who talked about her experience as an adult with Shingles.
So – – this is a good reminder.
My father in law had shingles and it broke him. I’m not quite old enough to get the vaccine yet but I’m getting it as soon as I can.
Watched the Edward Norton Incredible Hulk
1) it’s better than I remembered
2) it ties into She Hulk more tan I would have though5 had I not watched it
3). The end sequence makes it more cannon then I remembered
They finally came to take him away. RIP, Napoleon XIV:
So dug out my old chromecast, the first one that google released. Still works but boy does it get toasty after a few minutes of use, I could warm my hands on the dongle.
I’ve only just begun to investigate short fiction markets again.
I was horrified to see how many mags now actually charge authors to submit now. I can see some of the ways they justify it – – but – – no.
Oscar Isaac
Oscar the Grouch
Oscar Meyer
Oscar De La Hoya
Oscar Wilde
These are the Oscars.
(We no longer mention Oscar Pistorius, who may be paroled next month.)
Felix Unger: “Oscar, Oscar, Oscar. . .”
Sadly, I have never educated myself on the Odd Couple. It’s available on a Pluto, so maybe I’ll give a go this evening.
I wouldn’t recommend a straight watch through. Season 1 was a little different and (IMHO) not as good. It’s not like it had any great story arcs or anything and the plot of the show is simply explained in the opening credits.
This was one of my absolute favorites in late-night reruns, but thinking back, it really can’t have aged well.
IIRC, a bunch of season 1 episodes were just recreations of parts of the movie.
And IIRC, at some point, it became just a silly excuse to have early 70s celebrity guest stars.
So recently been playing a lot of Last of Us part 2.
The shock was spoilt before the game released but bloody hell I’m enjoying the Abby segments. Making me look forward to S2 of the tv series.
I just hope they don’t copout and actually find an actress who is jacked so to speak.
So you got over your initial objection? I remember you were so mad about a particular plot point that you swore you’d never play the game.
I’m glad you are playing it. It is an incredible game. And the end is as impactful as the first part. I really hope there will be a part 3 that wraps things up.
Yeah, it was on offer on the PSN store and I thought I should really give it a try. Glad I did.
That bit I objected to was still shocking, but story was more nuanced than I was expecting.
The season finale of The Last of Us tv series seemed to go by in the flash.
T Cat loved it. We had a great conversation about the ending.
Yeah, John and I had a discussion on whether who was right or wrong at the end.
There were a couple of good episodes this season, but I definitely thought the finale was the most interesting.
The cat is having trouble getting the hang of this whole time change thing. Her feeding schedule is quite off according to her.
For my taste in fantasy novels, this is one of the best lists I’ve seen.
Going by that rule, I got 49. There were a few on there that I’d started and never finished.
I read sixty. Considering some of them were series (i.e. Dragon Riders books), it counts as more than that in actual numbers.
58, although a bit more if you count individual books in a series.
83, if you I only count the whole series if I read 1 or more books. I didn’t count series that I own but haven’t read yet.
And, yes, I think it is a pretty good list.
I only managed 50 on that list. Several I’ve got on my “to read” and quite a few that I just have no interest in.
And, of course, many things I’ve read that didn’t make that list, though any list like this has to be finite.
54. I’m more of a science fiction reader. Speaking of which, there were an awful lot of what I would consider hard core SF books on that list of Fantasy novels.
I noticed that I’d only read the first novel for a significant percentage of the seriesiesies…ies. I got 82 with another 72 that I want/intend to read.
Crap joke for the day:
A man called home to his wife and said, “Honey I have been asked to go fishing up in Canada with my boss & several of his Friends. We’ll be gone for a week. This is a good opportunity for me to get that Promotion I’ve been wanting, so could you please pack enough Clothes for a week and set out my rod and fishing box, we’re leaving from the office & I will swing by the house to pick my things up” “Oh! Please pack my new blue silk pajamas.”
The wife thinks this sounds a bit fishy but being the good wife she is, did exactly what her husband asked. The following Weekend he came home a little tired but
otherwise looking good. The wife welcomed him home and asked if he caught many fish? He said, “Yes! Lots of Salmon, some Bluegill, and a few Swordfish. But why didn’t you pack my new blue silk pajamas like I asked you to Do?”
The wife replied, “I did. They’re in your fishing box!”
I am trying to do too many things all at once.
I watched the first 3 available episodes of the Odd Couple. To turn a phrase, it’s odd. There’s no real intro to the characters or even to the show. It just… Starts.
Felix. In the 2000s, he’d have been flaming. Now, they’d do something clever with intentionally crossing stereotypes. But here, he is just a divorcee who likes home ec and tidiness. It’s kinda refreshing.
Wasn’t this a movie before it was on TV?
Or was it a Broadway show?
Seems like the TV show was a spin-off .
I suddenly remembered I had the internet.
“ The series is based on the 1965 play The Odd Couple written by Neil Simon, which was also adapted into the 1968 film The Odd Couple.”
I’d recommend the Matthau/Lemmon Odd Couple movie as the place to start.
Speaking of flashbacks…
Last night I caught an episode of the X-Files.
Probably haven’t seen any of this in over a decade. Still excellent in its ability to set a mood.
This particular episode “Drive” is the one that featured a Bryan Cranston and was written by Vince Gilligan. Years later when he was casting for Breaking Bad he remembered Cranston in that role and was so impressed with him that he stuck to his guns about hiring him even that the network was firmly against putting a “goofy, comedic actor” in the role of a chemistry teacher gone wrong.
Queensryche last night!
Unrelated, I think my Dell is well and truly done now. Thankfully, I (think) I got everything essential backed up, and I am on a new laptop.
Still a drag. And if I can help it, the end of my relationship with Dell.
What is the make and model of the new laptop?
Watching the latest episode of The Mandalorian and I would love to know if Doctor Pershing’s spectacles are available in the real world.
I think Christopher Nolan is dreaming (see what I did there?).
Maybe the studios never used that term before his movies?
Reading the article, I don’t think that Nolan is claiming that he invented the “reboot”, just that the concept of “reboot” wasn’t firmly established when he created his Batman series. To paraphrase “I had to find my own way to reimagine Batman, as it wasn’t common practice at the time.”
He may not be claiming to “invent” it, but his language is pretty clear: “there was no such thing conceptually as a ‘reboot.’ That idea didn’t exist when I came to look at Batman. That’s new terminology.”
Even if it wasn’t a common term, the “concept” of remaking a film series was well established by 2005. Examples include Godzilla (1985) and Planet of the Apes (2001). I will give him that the majority of films considered a reboot of a film series (not even tackling reboots of TV series as existing terminology) are after 2005. So it may not have been common. I still think he was overstating the situation at the time.
Disclaimer: I really like Nolan as a director and he has made some absolutely groundbreaking movies that really have been game changers (such as Memento). It’s only in this case that I don’t agree with him.
I’m only one episode in, but I didn’t think it was that bad.
Van Damme, I haven’t watched anything Willow since the 80s.
Dame Edna, me neither.
Today’s episode of The Mandalorian was the best of the season so far. But it was the story line without The Mandolorian that was the best of the episode
It certainly gave an interesting take on a post-war New Republic
It felt like it belonged in Andor rather than Mando.
They are expecting another stupid hot summer this year so we got a quote to have AC installed in the house.
The hoops you need to go through when you live in a townhouse. Hopefully we’ll get board approval soon.
There’s a Gizmodo article about it that was fascinating, but I’m not posting the link. While the article title preserves the spoiler….the frickin’ link itself has as part of the link text. You had one job!
Anyway, there’s all kinds of reason I shouldn’t be enjoying this season of Picard, especially after the first two seasons, but I can’t help but enjoy it anyway and it’s clear that’s thanks to Terry Matalas.
Off to the city this morning
The husband is expecting an Amazon delivery today. Now, every ten minutes I get “is it here yet?”
Does anyone want a slightly used husband?
Can’t he login and track the parcel?
Of course he can. He’s just being a brat
My Dad was very left wing, in his youth he joined the communist party, yet he loved John Wayne movies, especially this one:
Happy St. Paddy’s Day, to whomever will be celebrating. Just remember it was the New York Irish who ate corned beef and cabbage, because it was a cheap meat option for its time. Actual Irish will know you’re a tourist if you order it there.
(So I’m told.)
One of the priests at my wife’s church (back when she cared about such things) was from Ireland and he said much the same thing. I’m Irish, but from Northern (Protestant/Orange) Ireland, so my family didn’t really care one way of the other for St. Patrick’s Day.
My ancestors were those New York Irish! They came here just over 100 years ago.
And click the link to the “over 40” article at the bottom.
I had to google AARP.
I joined AARP because the annual savings on Audible was more than the cost to join. Little did I know that joining AARP isn’t a means of getting wonderful discounts, but rather a way of putting yourself on a monumentally large set of mailing lists, resulting in a shitstorm of junk mail, the likes of which I have never before beheld.
It’s pretty great, is what it is!
T-Pain covering War Pigs.
It’s locks chopping day
So, I’m reading a Wolverine Origins book. I’m having a lot of trouble getting my head around how evil these CANADIAN scientists and soldiers are.
I bet they take the last Timmy’s donut from the box and don’t even eat it.
Speaking of evil Canadians, I need to get my passport updated. Did we decide on a date range to be pursued by the royal mounties?
I thought we decided the first weekend of September, the long weekend
Me as well, booked time off from work on that weekend.
Labor Day!
*Labor Day, bub. (Tying it back to evil Canadians and Wolverine)
Evil Canadians who also seem to use Imperial measurements instead of the metric system. You can tell this book was written by an American who didn’t do his research
My initial thoughts are to fly out Thursday night and leave the following Tuesday. Is that the majority plan?
Let me know what everybody’s doing then we can decide on an itinerary
We’re leaning toward something similar, though maybe a Monday evening flight to come home.
Then again, this will be Mrs. from Texas first trip with us as empty nesters, so we may stay a couple extra days to explore on our own after the festivities.
I predict we’ll be travel on Thu and Mon, but let me confirm that.
CP: I Want To Take You Higher — Sly & The Family Stone
I’ve never looked into it, but I’m curious about how the Penn brothers all became stars. Was it all piggybacking on Sean’s success? Some kinda industry nepotism? Talent and good luck?
Whatever it was, Michael Penn ended up with a handful of great acousticky songs. No Myth, of course, but also Long Way Down and Walter Reed. Macy Day Parade is aight. (any others?)
Misleading headline:
“Writers Guild of America Considers Letting AI Write Hollywood Scripts”
The article actually says that the WGA wants to ensure that no software company or AI gets to claim authorship on a script. That’s a good decision on their part, because the use of AI in scriptwriting/editing/refining is inevitable. Like it or not (I’m in the “not” camp, but future generations won’t care).
Interesting. Yeah, AI is going to open up a whole pandora’s box of issues, some good, some bad. I was talking to my daughter about writing boring college essays. The possibility exists to say, have ChatGPT create an outline for any subject, then suggest subtopics for each outline heading. One could have it do the hard skeleton of a paper and then you could fill in the blanks. Sort of a hybrid method. I don’t really think of this as “cheating” as the college student is using a technology they will have access to in their future job. On the other hand, what cognitive skills are lost when we let machines do the heavy lifting?
Absolutely. If we start letting our kids use calculators in school they will never learn to do math in their heads the way they need to. Oh, sorry, a few technologies behind on that one.
Ah yes, the old quip saying you won’t always have a calculator to hand…
Pretty sure my iPhone just sniggered.
I used to know how to get everywhere. If I went once, it was burned into my brain.
Now, I am completely dependent on online maps to get anywhere.
I signed up and already forgot about it. I may never, ever use it.
This is the dumbest Star Wars. The characters’ actions are inconsistent and incomprehensibly stupid. It’s insulting.
I will say this: Kudos to them for the actor cameo.
Till they grow back, I no longer look like a bald Brezhnev.
Surrendered to the inevitable and ordered a 2TB SSD for my PS5, was getting tired of the shuffle of deleting games so I could install other games.
ikr?
I was looking for a bigger one. Considering the size of recent games, I expect 2TB won’t be enough.
Looks like $370 for a 4TB. I haven’t purchased a P5 yet, but I’m wondering if it would be better to get the diskless one for $100 less and put that toward a 4TB SSD. I’ve waited this long, I’ll probably wait for the refresh.
Some requirements from Sony:
SuperSpeed USB 5 Gbps or later. 250 GB minimum, 8 TB maximum capacity.
Not all devices are guaranteed to work with the PS5 console.
You can’t connect the drive through a USB hub.
Two or more USB extended storage drives can’t be connected at the same time. You can connect multiple USB drives to your console, but you can use only one at a time.
There’s apparently a “pivotal” post-credits scene at the end of John Wick 4. I don’t know when we’ll see this one.
Saw They Might Be Giants in Nashville last night.
Brilliantly entertaining show. I forget how clever/funny they are. The banter in between the songs is as entertaining as the music itself.
I haven’t read the Wired article, which is apparently Brandon Sanderson profile that turned savage. I’ve never read any Brandon Sanderson – – in fact, I’ve heard some unpleasant things about him – – but his response here is beautifully-written and incredibly classy.
OK, I don’t think it was as vicious as anyone’s saying, but I can where Sanderson himself might not be pleased. I also didn’t find his portrayal of the family unflattering. . . and is he wrong for noting that a large percentage of attendees at a Fantasy Convention are pasty dudes with body odor? I mean?
Did he cross a line? Probably, but it’s not as egregious as the general reactions. Kudos still to Sanderson for his classy response.
I have two thoughts. I wouldn’t able to be as sanguine as Sanderson, not after sharing my home and family with the writer.
And the writer, despite protesting he likes fantasy, doesn’t seem to understand that the words are ONLY in service of the story.
Those were the days my friends, we thought the would never end…
Only scary thing was removing the white plastic panel from the bottom of the PS5. It looks easy in the YouTube videos, mine needed a bit more force to shift. Still all done now…phew!
Whoa!
CW: Romeo and Juliet
The DiCaprio one.
Anybody who thinks Paul Rudd does not age really needs to compare him in this and the latest Antman film.
Could be a risk associated with frequent trips to the Quantum Realm.
Wow, I forgot he was in that.
My all-time favorite Paul Rudd moment…. is a Dumbass Memory:
https://www.vulture.com/2019/04/paul-rudd-has-the-worst-date-story-of-all-time.html
I have no Paul Rudd comment. Can I still play?
It’s tough to paddle when you’re Rudd-erless.
It makes me sad they won’t be renewing Let the Right One In.
Yeah, I was enjoying that one.
Sad to learn of Tom Sizemore’s fate:
https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/27/entertainment/tom-sizemore-end-of-life-decision/index.html
If folks here are interested in helping to test the soft Am I Evil? GN backer launch, then please let me know. This page is far enough into the woods that I can probably safely post links right here in the comments.
If you’re a regular here, then you don’t need to have been in on the crowdfunder to help beta test the launch.
Of course I’ll help. I assumed that was a given.
Thank you! Not surprising, but absolutely appreciated 🙂
I’m in to help in any way I can.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/ricou-browning-the-gill-man-in-creature-from-the-black-lagoon-dies-at-93/ar-AA183wta
RIP Rico Browning, aka the Creature from the Black Lagoon. He was the last of the classic Universal Monsters actors.
I’m tired of snow
I don’t know what changed, but I can finally get to the site normally! 😀
I’m not tired of snow but I am tired of dampness, hopefully spring will start drying the ground out.
Agreed. Florida is nice because (with the solar heat that I finally got installed on my pool) we have been able to swim in February. On the other hand, I fight a constant battle with mold in my house and every time I get off a plane from anywhere else, I can immediately feel the intense moisture in the air on my hands like I’m some clammy handed jackass (and that’s in the climate controlled airport).
Bloody hell Bob Odenkirk has a one man show tour that is coming to a local theatre in April.
Well the first episode of S3 of The Mandalorian watched.
It certainly gave my sub woofer a workout.
After Andor it feels a bit of an anti-climax, still fun though.
I’ve already seen some strong reactions. Won’t see this one until next week, so I imagine its secrets will have been spoiled by then.
T Cat likes to call TLoU the “Yeast & Mold” show. 😀
I want to find a carousel that plays The Cure.
I would just love that cover. 😀
https://getpocket.com/explore/item/inside-david-bowie-s-final-years?utm_source=pocket-newtabInside&fbclid=IwAR3eFVNtwFE1Kgg37rIM0viDMCymj7xNPgIqSdF3wOzM1lyQ4aWZpXCIN1E
Seems like a fascinating look at 21st Century Bowie.
CP: Jump Jive An’ Wail — The Brian Setzer Orchestra
https://www.killerklownsthegame.com/
It looks good anyways. I wonder if it will actually deliver.
Okay, that sounds like V’Ger when the big nasty spaceship shows up.
CP: Headfuck Rollercoaster — Parasite Inc.
OMG, I wrote a review of this album in 2018. I even liked it, but I have zero recollection of it.
Somewhere between In Flames and Dark Tranquillity.
https://www.npr.org/2023/03/01/1159798950/psychologist-daniel-levitin-dissects-pink-floyds-dark-side-of-the-moon
Dark Side of the Moon is 50 years old today.
What a surprise, it’s snowing
Catchy:
https://youtu.be/pM8rDroaz-E
That’s some fancy pickin’!
An introduction to Chilean snacks:
https://t.co/ooS9aj6X5o
I’m surprised they left out the Rambo cartoon:
https://www.adampknave.com/2023/03/01/cartoon-thoughts/
I have no great opinion on Hook:
http://dlvr.it/SkFMTy
US Presidents with mullets:
https://www.upworthy.com/every-us-president-but-with-mullets
Go to Google and search for Grogu
Cute
So is breakfast cereal soup?
I’d say the case for a hot dog being a sandwich is stronger.
I’m in the cereal = soup camp.
Isn’t a hot dog a pita?
If your tea bag breaks, does your tea become soup?
Is your hot chocolate soup until you’ve properly stirred it? Is it soup if you add marshmallows?
Is ice cream soup?
Well it’s an emulsion, so more like butter than soup.
But Rocky Road or Chocolate Chip cookie Dough?
I’m assuming that the cereal is soup argument is based primarily off of gazpacho being soup. As gazpacho is neither cooked nor served at a hot temperature, it gives free reign to call anything in a bowl in liquid format a soup. Thus, ice cream is just a liquid at even lower temperatures in a bowl and, therefore, soup. Being, at some point or other, “cooked” before being frozen, it might even have a better claim to being soup than gazpacho.
All told, I wonder it wouldn’t be easier to just claim that gazpacho isn’t soup than to dicker over what else constitutes soup?
Disclaimer: After spending a year in Spain as an exchange student, I love gazpacho. It is awesome and delicious.
Off to the city this morning, while the husband takes kitty in to the vet to get her arthritis shot. Kitty loves getting needles
Am I Evil? email away!
I’m glad you tell us here. I always have to search for the email as it never seems to come to my in box.
:-/ Was it in your spam folder?
I’ve also posted to FB, but I’m bad at the FB and its algorithms.
I still haven’t gone back to FB. I’m mad that I’ll lose some of my status
No, it seems to go straight into my trash folder and ignores the inbox or spam folder entirely
I don’t have it in either folder.
My bad. It was in my Inbox. I just didn’t see it in the deluge of email I’ve been getting.
Received!
CP: River — Anonymouz
Flight simulators from 1979-2023:
https://youtu.be/cXQea59lorw
I had Flight Simulator for the Atari ST, the manual was thick enough to choke a whale.
I bought Flight Simulator 4.0 for my 486 PC. Finding a PC joystick back in the day was hard.
I remember them being slow and hard.
*snicker*
The snow is piled as high as the front porch and the next storm is due to start at 2am.
Ok, that first new Mandalorian episode was dumb as shit. Nothing anyone did made any goddamn sense.
I’m fully in for the season, but come on now.
I really hope this season isn’t just a series of fetch quests culminating in Mando taking a bath.
in still other writing news, I’ve posted my monthly MHOF column:
https://www.metalhalloffame.org/metal-legacy-the-ballad/
I’ll promote on Monday, but have a read, if you’re inclined.
Goodbye to Tom Sizemore:
https://variety.com/2023/film/news/tom-sizemore-taken-off-life-support-brain-aneurysm-1235538021/
So Carry on Screaming was released the year I was born.
I’m rather happy about that useless bit of information.
The husband and I are gonna play some Caverna on line with a friend in BC today. I love modern technology . . . sometimes
Crap joke for the day:
A woman meets a man in a bar.
They talk; they connect; they end up leaving together..
They get back to his place, and as he shows her around his apartment.
she notices that one wall of his bedroom is completely filled with soft,
sweet, cuddly teddy bears.
There are three shelves in the bedroom, with hundreds and hundreds of cute,
cuddly teddy bears carefully placed in rows, covering the entire wall!
It was obvious that he had taken quite some time to lovingly arrange them
and she was immediately touched by the amount of thought he had put into
organizing the display.
There were small bears all along the bottom shelf.
Medium-sized bears covering the length of the middle shelf.
And huge, enormous bears running all the way along the top shelf.
She found it strange for an obviously masculine guy to have such a large collection of Teddy Bears,
She is quite impressed by his sensitive side.
But doesn’t mention this to him.
They share a bottle of wine and continue talking and,
After awhile, she finds herself thinking,
‘Oh my God! Maybe, this guy could be the one!
Maybe he could be the future father of my children?’
She turns to him and kisses him lightly on the lips.
He responds warmly.
They continue to kiss, the passion builds.
And he romantically lifts her in his arms and carries her into his bedroom.
Where they rip off each other’s clothes and make hot, steamy love.
She is so overwhelmed that she responds with more passion,
More creativity, more heat than she has ever known.
After an intense, explosive night of raw passion with this sensitive guy, they are lying there together in the afterglow.
The woman rolls over, gently strokes his chest and asks coyly,
‘Well, how was it?’
The guy gently smiles at her, strokes her cheek, looks deeply into her eyes,
And says: ‘Help yourself to any prize from the middle shelf.’
Hey Nomad Scry, I hope you and yours are safe and warm. Egads.
This is only our second winter in northern Vermont. Last winter we had snow almost everyday but only about a foot of accumulation overall. This winter we actually had the Christmas snow melt off entirely, but it’s gotta be 2 ft in the yard and over 5ft where the roof snow slides off.
So of course I’ve seen Hellraiser movies (the first 3, at least), but I’d never ready any Clive Barker. The Hellbound Heart – – the novella upon which the movie was based – – is actually damned good. Good storytelling, but excellent writing style. And different enough from the original movie that it isn’t repetitive to get through. It’s also been a long time since I’ve seen any of them.
Maybe when I’m done I’ll suffer through Hulu ads and watch the Hellraiser reboot.
Snow!
Snow!
The news said this winter has been the sixth snowiest on record.
Nomad, you missed the opportunity to say Snap!
https://search.yahoo.com/search?p=snowblind+styx&fr=iphone&.tsrc=apple
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crDTz1skj9c
And inevitably…
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6VCFrAqVpvg
The only Barker I’ve read was Imajica. I remember that it was a lot more sexual and a lot more fantastic than I was expecting.
He isn’t shy about sex-related stuff in Hellbound Heart either, but it’s never a distraction. The main point is what you know from the movies: the puzzle box, the cenobites, the human guy who escaped them and is trying to rebuild his body on earth.
I prefer to follow authors over genres – – I’m definitely willing to try out more Clive Barker. I’ve added Imajica, The Thief of Always, Weaveworld, and The Great and Secret Show to my reading list.
WTF:
https://t.co/We41cXCswV
Things are not always what the headlines mmake them seem.
It’s got to do with “Rec Leagues” who tangle with what are in essence semi-pro teams. Even at the grade school level. In fact it is even worse at that age level.
I tangled with that when my kids played T-ball/Softball.
To try and make things even and build up the sport, Rec leagues will often try to enforce rules that distribute experience across all the teams. Certain coaches however will find ways to cherry pick the best most experienced players and keep them together Year after year.
That was the case of the team in the article. They formed outside the Rec league and had played together for several years. They were told that due to not having enough gyms, only city Rec league teams could use the City gyms and there WAS a rule already in place that said if they wished to join the rec league as an already formed and very experienced team, they could but would have to play “up” to keep things competitive. As there was no Girls team there next level up, they were allowed to play in the boys league. Also, they could sit the tournament out or play but they would not be eligible for the trophy. Again, not because they were girls but because they were in essence, an All-Star team.
They were told all this and they agreed to it before they joined.
So… not so much the victims here.
Happy Birthday to Lo Pan, welcome to the long in the tooth crowd.
Happy birthday Lo!
Do eternal ancient gods have birthdays?
Hope you are awash in all the green eyes you desire.
A lot of the Eastern seaboard of the USA got much less snow this year:
https://t.co/oOa1S3wJcd
Happy birthday, Lo!
Happy Lo day!!!!
Lo happy Day!
Indeed!
Here is today’s useless trivia question.
What place in pop culture history do the words “heavy early“ come from .
Somehow I expect Ed to get this without the need of any hints.
Heavy Early> Does this have anything to do with flying turkeys?
Ha!
+ 50 for Jack!
CP: Welcome to Wrexham — Giouse Greco
No time to really read it, but this seems like a fascinating article:
https://slate.com/culture/2023/03/peak-tv-over-golden-age-hbo-streaming.html
Bookmarked
CP: Kill the Wabbit — Ozzy Fudd
Freebird on bagpipes:
https://youtu.be/27in81lrf6M
Occhh, this bird ye cannae change.
How very DickvandykeinMaryPoppins of you.
In this ‘ole wide world there’s no ‘appier bloke.
A nod is as good as a wink to a blind horse.
The Am I Evil? Graphic Novel has gone public!
Thank you, everyone. And thanks especially to Ryah, who put me in touch with the cover artist and the first interior artist – – who eventually put me in touch with Kyle, who completed the art interiors.
W00t!
HaZaah !!!!
Yes I am!
How a chess bot drive players mad:
https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/chess-bot-ai-mittens-site-down-b2267987.html
Ah Mittens
Chess.com changes their AI bots every month. Mittens, in January, seemed to be one of the more interesting.
This month it’s all famous women in history such as Jane Goodall, Amelia Airheart, etc.
(The husband plays regularly, that’s how I know this)
The Big Lebowski was released 25 years ago today in the US:
https://youtu.be/dooSFIvLn-Y
Well..
https://hackaday.com/2016/02/05/you-sank-my-dysprosium-periodic-table-battleship-game/
Clever!
Organic synthetic natural artificial intelligence:
https://scitechdaily.com/organoid-intelligence-revolutionary-biocomputers-powered-by-human-brain-cells/
I do hope everyone enjoys the Am I Evil? book. It was a lot harder to complete than I’d ever anticipated, but I’m pleased with the final outcome.
I’m not sure how to promote it, because I don’t currently have a Point of Sale plan, or a way to get it onto comic shop shelves. So I don’t want to do a media blitz and drum up interest, only to have to tell people, “Yeah, thanks, I can’t get you a copy.”
Once you have a plan to get it on sale, whether through Ingram or other form, then you’ll have to think about how to promote it. Besides the usual social media blitz, because of it’s ties to the rock world, I would suggest a press release to various rock media (i.e. Rolling Stone, Hall of Fame, some of the better known radios stations, (MTV?) etc.) I would also approach various R & R podcasters to try to get interviews.
Again, all this would need to wait until you have a marketable version, both print and e versions.
Also, for local only, talk to your comic store. I know one or two in Calgary that do consignment based sales so they might be willing to take a few on that basis.
Also, see if Diamond Head themselves are willing to promote it on their social media sites and possibly in interviews.
Finally!
The graphic novel is good. I quite enjoyed it.
Ok, not finally
Because it’s not available for purchase, promoting it is not really something you can do. I know, for something like the Aurora Awards, it wouldn’t be eligible until it was available to the wider public. (Yes, I checked).
Ok, I’m really done now.
This is why one of the main characters is named Reah 🙂
The Auroras hadn’t occurred to me, but I guess we would be eligible with a Canadian artist?
Nice:
https://youtu.be/xVuIVP6Pef8
The newest MST3K season is on PlutoTV!
The newest MST3K season is on PlutoTV!
Floppy disks refuse to die:
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/03/why-the-floppy-disk-just-wont-die/
I wonder what the Russians are using for their missile silos
Okay I’ve seen some reviews of this weeks Mandalorian was visually too dark, didn’t have a problem myself, but I was sitting in a half lit room when watching.
The lighting was fine for us. However, the show is a bit of a hot mess this season
I’ve liked both episodes so far. I get that the first was rather silly. Seems to me that they are still trying to build the narrative. My only real critique would be the episodes really need to run a full hour because this season feels like watching a 3-hour movie in 20 min intervals.
Looks like you are getting your wish, well for episode 3 at least:
http://bit.ly/3mGvAXH
My latest job has me working closely with pharmaceutical companies from a human factors standpoint. We were all glad to see this article.
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/eli-lilly-caps-cost-insulin-35-month-rcna72713
Yeah, basic human decency seems to have won the day.
Speaking of cheesy movies:
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/bert-i-gordon-dead-director-cult-cheap-sci-fi-classics-1235346478/
RIP Bert I. Gordon. Kudos to him for hitting 100.
Goodbye to Topol:
https://t.co/yJrTayiKEL
Ming the Merciless finally got Dr. Zarkov! Noooooooooooo!
When the story was that R.L. Stine revised his books to be more aligned with the current zeitgeist it was (IMHO) a non story. He has every right and it was likely a good call on his part. However, the new story seems to be that Scholastic made the changes without even letting him know about them. That is an issue. I understand he probably signed away certain rights to his works with the publisher, but to not let the author know when you are making alterations is pretty crappy.
https://geektyrant.com/news/rl-stein-responds-to-reports-of-goosebumps-book-series-revisions-saying-its-not-true
The larger issue: If any artist wants to Lucas-revise their work, then they should always feel empowered to do so. But – – artists need to use the Lucas case as a warning of how your “improvements” can go too far and detract rather than improve.
Yes, I’d worry about the sensitivity-revisions going too far, but I also think that no kids’ book publisher should push materials that are going to make kids feel bad about themselves.
This particular story: Fucked up. Whatever the contract, get the creator’s input – – or at least notify them – – if you want to update their works.
The husband and I are both in the city this afternoon
We got the Everything Everywhere All At Once DVD from the library and chose that over Mandalorian ep2 tonight.
This movie is way more bonkers than I expected. Great stuff. It lives up to the hype.
You have chosen wisely.
At least in THIS demension you have.
I did struggle to push play on the DVD player with my big, floppy fingers.
Bytesize recap of Last of Us:
https://youtu.be/edBQL_Bu4Dc
JL doing comedy fine, but the trailer was painfully unfunny:
https://t.co/XLy3VL6tyz
Well…
What it’s like to be British
• Worrying you’ve accidentally packed 3 kilos of cocaine and a dead goat as you stroll through “Nothing to declare”
• Being unable to stand and leave without first saying “right”
• Not hearing someone for the third time, so just laughing and hoping for the best
• Saying “anywhere here’s fine” when the taxi’s directly outside your front door
• Being sure to start touching your bag 15 minutes before your station, so the person in the aisle seat is fully prepared for your exit
• Repeatedly pressing the door button on the train before it’s illuminated, to assure your fellow commuters you have the situation in hand
• Having someone sit next to you on the train, meaning you’ll have to eat your crisps at home
• The huge sense of relief after your perfectly valid train ticket is accepted by the inspector
• The horror of someone you only half know saying: “Oh I’m getting that train too”
• “Sorry, is anyone sitting here?” – Translation: Unless this is a person who looks remarkably like a bag, I suggest you move it
• Loudly tapping your fingers at the cashpoint, to assure the queue that you’ve asked for money and the wait is out of your hands
• Looking away so violently as someone nearby enters their PIN that you accidentally dislocate your neck
• Waiting for permission to leave after paying for something with the exact change
• Saying hello to a friend in the supermarket, then creeping around like a burglar to avoid seeing them again
• Watching with quiet sorrow as you receive a different haircut to the one you requested
• Being unable to pay for something with the exact change without saying “I think that’s right”
• Overtaking someone on foot and having to keep up the uncomfortably fast pace until safely over the horizon
• Being unable to turn and walk in the opposite direction without first taking out your phone and frowning at it
• Deeming it necessary to do a little jog over zebra crossings, while throwing in an apologetic mini wave
• Punishing people who don’t say thank you by saying “you’re welcome” as quietly as possible
• The overwhelming sorrow of finding a cup of tea you forgot about
• Turning down a cup of tea for no reason and instantly knowing you’ve made a terrible, terrible mistake
• Suddenly remembering your tea and necking it like a massive, lukewarm shot
• Realising you’ve got about fifty grand’s worth of plastic bags under your kitchen sink
• “You’ll have to excuse the mess” – Translation: I’ve spent seven hours tidying in preparation for your visit
• Indicating that you want the last roast potato by trying to force everyone else to take it
• “I’m off to bed” – Translation: “I’m off to stare at my phone in another part of the house”
• Mishearing somebody’s name on the second time of asking, meaning you must now avoid them forever
• Leaving it too late to correct someone, meaning you must live with your new name forever
• Running out of ways to say thanks when a succession of doors are held for you, having already deployed ‘cheers’, ‘ta’ and ‘nice one’
• Changing from ‘kind regards’ to just ‘regards’, to indicate that you’re rapidly reaching the end of your tether
• Staring at your phone in silent horror until the unknown number stops ringing
• Hearing a recording of your own voice and deciding it’s perhaps best never to speak again
• The relief when someone doesn’t answer their phone within three rings and you can hang up
• Filming an entire fireworks display on your phone, knowing full well you’ll never, ever watch it again
I must be at least partially British.
(By lineage, I am).
Same.
That’s goodbye for me.
I was supposed to get a shingles vaccine yesterday but doctor’s office was out and didn’t call me to reschedule. It’s a good thing I was in the city anyway with the husband or I would have been rather upset.
Only for 70-79 years old over here.
Really? I just got my first one at my checkup in December as my doc indicated it was recommended now that I’m 50. Getting my second in a couple more months.
Interesting.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/who-can-have-the-shingles-vaccine/
It can be bought privately for the over 50s, but that costs around 200 quid.
Ugh. I’m too emotional cuz that would’ve ruined my whole day.
Why you should read Steel Claw:
https://bit.ly/3JpjYRO
Why did I agree to a project over the weekend? Some of us are quite silly.
A fun project, I hope?
nope. Actual work
I will briefly live inside Taylor Swift.
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/glendale-taylors-version-city-changes-170936689.html
(Get your mind out of the gutter, you!)
Apparently, I will be a resident of Taylor Swift as well. *cough*
CW: The Mandalorian S3E2
Just doing a test by rewatching the episode on my old 4K tv that doesn’t have HDR. Apart from the colours being less vivid it still looks very pretty, you really don’t miss much watching it in SDR.
Oh and I’m watching it via Roku streaming stick+ which is still getting updates years after Panasonic stopped releasing firmware updates for the TV.
CP: Shake It Up – Taylor Swift
*cough*
Shake it Off not Shake it Up…
Slinks off in a sheepish fashion.
Shake it Up is a song by the Cars.
I have never lived in Ric Ocasek.
I offered to get the husband this but, for some reason, he turned me down.
https://www.amazon.ca/Strings-Acoustic-Double-Busuyi-Guitar/dp/B08M42G83B/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=Sleekguitars.com&qid=1678573950&sr=8-6
They would require some serious multitasking.
That not they.
Looks impossible to hold with one neck always jabbing you.
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/shingles/public/shingrix/index.html
I had a coworker at the vaccine place who talked about her experience as an adult with Shingles.
So – – this is a good reminder.
My father in law had shingles and it broke him. I’m not quite old enough to get the vaccine yet but I’m getting it as soon as I can.
Watched the Edward Norton Incredible Hulk
1) it’s better than I remembered
2) it ties into She Hulk more tan I would have though5 had I not watched it
3). The end sequence makes it more cannon then I remembered
They finally came to take him away. RIP, Napoleon XIV:
https://bestclassicbands.com/jerry-samuels-obituary-napoleon-xiv-3-10-23/
That song was a big part of my whole “Dr Demento, nerd persona” in high school.
Thank you Jerry Samuels.
OK, the new Killing Joke song is as good as anything they’ve ever done. Damn!
https://www.slicingupeyeballs.com/2023/03/11/killing-joke-full-spectrum-dominance/
So dug out my old chromecast, the first one that google released. Still works but boy does it get toasty after a few minutes of use, I could warm my hands on the dongle.
I often warm my hands on the dongle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5vRbPu4kcc
Started watching this 1992 documentary about Plan 9 From Outer Space. It’s soooo dated, but I don’t know, I’m fascinated by this terrible movie.
Crap joke for the day:
I was arguing with a guy at a bar. He said he was a big pop star in the 80s.
I didn’t believe him, but he was adamant…
Hubby decided to stay up late last night. We have things to do so I’m getting him up in half an hour. I expect a grumpy husband today
It’s -20 tight now. There’s something to be said for ignoring the day and just crawling back into bed with the husband
I broke my teapot.
You don’t get a more British tragedy than that.
Time to switch to booze.
The author Rachel Pollack is near the end of her life:
https://mastodon.social/@neilhimself/110011189963940704
Very sad. I need to read “The Unquenchable Fire.”
The Oscar winners, for those of us who skipped it:
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/2023-oscars-winners-list-1235349224/
I’ve only just begun to investigate short fiction markets again.
I was horrified to see how many mags now actually charge authors to submit now. I can see some of the ways they justify it – – but – – no.
https://litmagnews.substack.com/p/submission-fees-are-wrong
Oscar Isaac
Oscar the Grouch
Oscar Meyer
Oscar De La Hoya
Oscar Wilde
These are the Oscars.
(We no longer mention Oscar Pistorius, who may be paroled next month.)
Felix Unger: “Oscar, Oscar, Oscar. . .”
Sadly, I have never educated myself on the Odd Couple. It’s available on a Pluto, so maybe I’ll give a go this evening.
I wouldn’t recommend a straight watch through. Season 1 was a little different and (IMHO) not as good. It’s not like it had any great story arcs or anything and the plot of the show is simply explained in the opening credits.
This was one of my absolute favorites in late-night reruns, but thinking back, it really can’t have aged well.
IIRC, a bunch of season 1 episodes were just recreations of parts of the movie.
And IIRC, at some point, it became just a silly excuse to have early 70s celebrity guest stars.
So recently been playing a lot of Last of Us part 2.
The shock was spoilt before the game released but bloody hell I’m enjoying the Abby segments. Making me look forward to S2 of the tv series.
I just hope they don’t copout and actually find an actress who is jacked so to speak.
So you got over your initial objection? I remember you were so mad about a particular plot point that you swore you’d never play the game.
I’m glad you are playing it. It is an incredible game. And the end is as impactful as the first part. I really hope there will be a part 3 that wraps things up.
Yeah, it was on offer on the PSN store and I thought I should really give it a try. Glad I did.
That bit I objected to was still shocking, but story was more nuanced than I was expecting.
The season finale of The Last of Us tv series seemed to go by in the flash.
T Cat loved it. We had a great conversation about the ending.
Yeah, John and I had a discussion on whether who was right or wrong at the end.
There were a couple of good episodes this season, but I definitely thought the finale was the most interesting.
The cat is having trouble getting the hang of this whole time change thing. Her feeding schedule is quite off according to her.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYNFqmu2toI
Accurate
Once again, the country limiter strikes 😉
Strangely it is watchable from the UK.
I get to have a filling done this morning. Lucky me
I actually have the novelisation somewhere in the house:
https://youtu.be/7PH7uaAwBlM
https://www.listchallenges.com/rfantasy-top-novels-2023/list/7
It counts even if you’ve only read one.
For my taste in fantasy novels, this is one of the best lists I’ve seen.
Going by that rule, I got 49. There were a few on there that I’d started and never finished.
I read sixty. Considering some of them were series (i.e. Dragon Riders books), it counts as more than that in actual numbers.
58, although a bit more if you count individual books in a series.
83, if you I only count the whole series if I read 1 or more books. I didn’t count series that I own but haven’t read yet.
And, yes, I think it is a pretty good list.
I only managed 50 on that list. Several I’ve got on my “to read” and quite a few that I just have no interest in.
And, of course, many things I’ve read that didn’t make that list, though any list like this has to be finite.
54. I’m more of a science fiction reader. Speaking of which, there were an awful lot of what I would consider hard core SF books on that list of Fantasy novels.
I noticed that I’d only read the first novel for a significant percentage of the seriesiesies…ies. I got 82 with another 72 that I want/intend to read.
Crap joke for the day:
A man called home to his wife and said, “Honey I have been asked to go fishing up in Canada with my boss & several of his Friends. We’ll be gone for a week. This is a good opportunity for me to get that Promotion I’ve been wanting, so could you please pack enough Clothes for a week and set out my rod and fishing box, we’re leaving from the office & I will swing by the house to pick my things up” “Oh! Please pack my new blue silk pajamas.”
The wife thinks this sounds a bit fishy but being the good wife she is, did exactly what her husband asked. The following Weekend he came home a little tired but
otherwise looking good. The wife welcomed him home and asked if he caught many fish? He said, “Yes! Lots of Salmon, some Bluegill, and a few Swordfish. But why didn’t you pack my new blue silk pajamas like I asked you to Do?”
The wife replied, “I did. They’re in your fishing box!”
I am trying to do too many things all at once.
I watched the first 3 available episodes of the Odd Couple. To turn a phrase, it’s odd. There’s no real intro to the characters or even to the show. It just… Starts.
Felix. In the 2000s, he’d have been flaming. Now, they’d do something clever with intentionally crossing stereotypes. But here, he is just a divorcee who likes home ec and tidiness. It’s kinda refreshing.
Did you know? There was an 80s revival with Ron Glass as Felix and Demond Wilson as Oscar.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083454/?ref_=tt_ch
But it was just the same scripts as the original, reshot with new actors.
https://m.imdb.com/title/tt3595776/?ref_=nm_flmg_t_2_wr
And a 2015 revival with (the boring) Perry.
Wasn’t this a movie before it was on TV?
Or was it a Broadway show?
Seems like the TV show was a spin-off .
I suddenly remembered I had the internet.
“ The series is based on the 1965 play The Odd Couple written by Neil Simon, which was also adapted into the 1968 film The Odd Couple.”
I’d recommend the Matthau/Lemmon Odd Couple movie as the place to start.
Speaking of flashbacks…
Last night I caught an episode of the X-Files.
Probably haven’t seen any of this in over a decade. Still excellent in its ability to set a mood.
This particular episode “Drive” is the one that featured a Bryan Cranston and was written by Vince Gilligan. Years later when he was casting for Breaking Bad he remembered Cranston in that role and was so impressed with him that he stuck to his guns about hiring him even that the network was firmly against putting a “goofy, comedic actor” in the role of a chemistry teacher gone wrong.
Queensryche last night!
Unrelated, I think my Dell is well and truly done now. Thankfully, I (think) I got everything essential backed up, and I am on a new laptop.
Still a drag. And if I can help it, the end of my relationship with Dell.
What is the make and model of the new laptop?
Watching the latest episode of The Mandalorian and I would love to know if Doctor Pershing’s spectacles are available in the real world.
Looks like you can get pretty close.
https://www.amazon.com/Steampunk-Vintage-Sunglasses-Eyewear-Protection/dp/B07MBMKQPK/ref=sr_1_27?keywords=steampunk%2Bglasses&qid=1678910912&sr=8-27&th=1
Aaaaand, another director’s hubris suddenly leaps out and slaps us across the face.
https://geektyrant.com/news/christopher-nolan-says-that-there-was-no-such-thing-as-a-reboot-before-his-dark-knight-trilogy
I think Christopher Nolan is dreaming (see what I did there?).
Maybe the studios never used that term before his movies?
Reading the article, I don’t think that Nolan is claiming that he invented the “reboot”, just that the concept of “reboot” wasn’t firmly established when he created his Batman series. To paraphrase “I had to find my own way to reimagine Batman, as it wasn’t common practice at the time.”
He may not be claiming to “invent” it, but his language is pretty clear: “there was no such thing conceptually as a ‘reboot.’ That idea didn’t exist when I came to look at Batman. That’s new terminology.”
Even if it wasn’t a common term, the “concept” of remaking a film series was well established by 2005. Examples include Godzilla (1985) and Planet of the Apes (2001). I will give him that the majority of films considered a reboot of a film series (not even tackling reboots of TV series as existing terminology) are after 2005. So it may not have been common. I still think he was overstating the situation at the time.
Disclaimer: I really like Nolan as a director and he has made some absolutely groundbreaking movies that really have been game changers (such as Memento). It’s only in this case that I don’t agree with him.
I’m only one episode in, but I didn’t think it was that bad.
https://geektyrant.com/news/disney-cancels-lucasfilms-willow-series-after-one-season
Dalam shame, I enjoyed that series.
Damn shame, I enjoyed that series.
Sham dame, I haven’t watched it yet.
Van Damme, I haven’t watched anything Willow since the 80s.
Dame Edna, me neither.
Today’s episode of The Mandalorian was the best of the season so far. But it was the story line without The Mandolorian that was the best of the episode
It certainly gave an interesting take on a post-war New Republic
It felt like it belonged in Andor rather than Mando.
By the numbers. Fascinating.
https://climate.nasa.gov/
They are expecting another stupid hot summer this year so we got a quote to have AC installed in the house.
The hoops you need to go through when you live in a townhouse. Hopefully we’ll get board approval soon.
Do you just have swamp coolers in the windows?
I would be terrified of the electric bill.
https://getpocket.com/explore/item/the-evolutionary-mystery-of-left-handedness?utm_source=pocket-newtab
Bookmarking
And March 16 National Panda Day. Who knew?
https://www.discovery.com/nature/celebrate-national-giant-panda-day–pictures
CW: Shadow and Bone S2E1
It’s back baby!
CP: Cloudbusting — Kate Bush
Latest Picard through quite a few gut punches.
There’s a Gizmodo article about it that was fascinating, but I’m not posting the link. While the article title preserves the spoiler….the frickin’ link itself has as part of the link text. You had one job!
Anyway, there’s all kinds of reason I shouldn’t be enjoying this season of Picard, especially after the first two seasons, but I can’t help but enjoy it anyway and it’s clear that’s thanks to Terry Matalas.
Off to the city this morning
The husband is expecting an Amazon delivery today. Now, every ten minutes I get “is it here yet?”
Does anyone want a slightly used husband?
Can’t he login and track the parcel?
Of course he can. He’s just being a brat
My Dad was very left wing, in his youth he joined the communist party, yet he loved John Wayne movies, especially this one:
https://t.co/KdagGi4i8o
Another slice of computer history:
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/03/plato-how-an-educational-computer-system-from-the-60s-shaped-the-future/
Happy St. Paddy’s Day, to whomever will be celebrating. Just remember it was the New York Irish who ate corned beef and cabbage, because it was a cheap meat option for its time. Actual Irish will know you’re a tourist if you order it there.
(So I’m told.)
One of the priests at my wife’s church (back when she cared about such things) was from Ireland and he said much the same thing. I’m Irish, but from Northern (Protestant/Orange) Ireland, so my family didn’t really care one way of the other for St. Patrick’s Day.
My ancestors were those New York Irish! They came here just over 100 years ago.
The plot thickens…
https://geektyrant.com/news/willow-showrunner-says-that-series-has-not-been-cancelled
Goodbye to Lance Reddick:
https://www.tmz.com/2023/03/17/the-wire-star-lance-reddick-dead-dies/
That was a shock!
Way too young. He was fantastic in The Wire, and of course, in John Wick.
A different version of playing tabletop rpgs (nsfw)
https://tabletopless.org/
Oh, is that what you meant by D12?
It gives new meaning to “casting magic missile” 😉
Three episodes in now…. This season is a mess.
But just look at Doctor Pershing’s Spectacles!
Total agreement. Good character too!
I wouldn’t say he was wasted, because that storyline has potential.
I’m one with the Force, and the Force is with me.
Now that’s how you do Star Wars!
Rewatched Rogue One tonight.
The Women of UFO, one of them is Benedict Cumberbatch’s Mam:
https://youtu.be/nzzH3CVvbXI
The French had some weird trains:
https://www.google.com/search?q=sncf+x3800+picasso&sxsrf=AJOqlzW8v-8p9rLZ9em_mRzxQGQNbRTCJQ:1679163611798&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi7jOf0i-b9AhVOY8AKHYAVAWMQ_AUoAXoECAEQAw&biw=1517&bih=730&dpr=0.9
TIL: The lost shoe in My Neighbor Totoro is the same lost shoe as in Spirited Away.
(This is deep geeking, I know)
Morning
My tea this morning has a slight coffee taste. I’m not impressed
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gNACd_u8aI
If I ever direct a Cyberpunk movie, this is the Synthwave song the band will be playing in the bar.
Don’t forget your sunglasses.
https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/24-surprising-ways-to-injure-yourself-when-youre-over-50
And click the link to the “over 40” article at the bottom.
I had to google AARP.
I joined AARP because the annual savings on Audible was more than the cost to join. Little did I know that joining AARP isn’t a means of getting wonderful discounts, but rather a way of putting yourself on a monumentally large set of mailing lists, resulting in a shitstorm of junk mail, the likes of which I have never before beheld.
Amassing Assloads of Recycled Papers.
Absolutely
What in the bloody hell is this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4nMjyT4epA
It’s pretty great, is what it is!
T-Pain covering War Pigs.
It’s locks chopping day
So, I’m reading a Wolverine Origins book. I’m having a lot of trouble getting my head around how evil these CANADIAN scientists and soldiers are.
I bet they take the last Timmy’s donut from the box and don’t even eat it.
Speaking of evil Canadians, I need to get my passport updated. Did we decide on a date range to be pursued by the royal mounties?
I thought we decided the first weekend of September, the long weekend
Me as well, booked time off from work on that weekend.
Labor Day!
*Labor Day, bub. (Tying it back to evil Canadians and Wolverine)
Evil Canadians who also seem to use Imperial measurements instead of the metric system. You can tell this book was written by an American who didn’t do his research
My initial thoughts are to fly out Thursday night and leave the following Tuesday. Is that the majority plan?
Let me know what everybody’s doing then we can decide on an itinerary
We’re leaning toward something similar, though maybe a Monday evening flight to come home.
Then again, this will be Mrs. from Texas first trip with us as empty nesters, so we may stay a couple extra days to explore on our own after the festivities.
I predict we’ll be travel on Thu and Mon, but let me confirm that.
CP: Soul Vaccination — Tower of Power
Fascinating, powered by gravity:
https://youtu.be/rPm_3EaeR5c
Interesting.
Thanks
Totally agree, but maybe shoot that final scene first and then bulk up:
https://t.co/nYutIFaC7W
The faux outrage about this amuses me. Why anyone thinks that Druckman and Mazin won’t stick to the spirit of the show…. *shrugs*
……. Deep sigh for humanity…..
So finished The Last of Us part 2 last night.
It has some sections that could probably have been deleted to make the game shorter without effecting the plot, but great game.
Didn’t hate Abby, enjoyed playing her segments.
Oh that ending was well done.
Yes, that ending was excellent. It’s why I feel that in many ways part 2 is a better game than the first.
I have hopes about part 3. But as Druckmann said, he’ll only do part 3 if the story is right.
Nice rendition of Wayfaring Stranger by the two main voice actors as the credits were rolling
https://youtu.be/culhHcdh71M
CP: I Want To Take You Higher — Sly & The Family Stone
I’ve never looked into it, but I’m curious about how the Penn brothers all became stars. Was it all piggybacking on Sean’s success? Some kinda industry nepotism? Talent and good luck?
Whatever it was, Michael Penn ended up with a handful of great acousticky songs. No Myth, of course, but also Long Way Down and Walter Reed. Macy Day Parade is aight. (any others?)
Misleading headline:
“Writers Guild of America Considers Letting AI Write Hollywood Scripts”
https://gizmodo.com/ai-chatgpt-screenplay-hollywood-writers-guild-1850251985
The article actually says that the WGA wants to ensure that no software company or AI gets to claim authorship on a script. That’s a good decision on their part, because the use of AI in scriptwriting/editing/refining is inevitable. Like it or not (I’m in the “not” camp, but future generations won’t care).
Interesting. Yeah, AI is going to open up a whole pandora’s box of issues, some good, some bad. I was talking to my daughter about writing boring college essays. The possibility exists to say, have ChatGPT create an outline for any subject, then suggest subtopics for each outline heading. One could have it do the hard skeleton of a paper and then you could fill in the blanks. Sort of a hybrid method. I don’t really think of this as “cheating” as the college student is using a technology they will have access to in their future job. On the other hand, what cognitive skills are lost when we let machines do the heavy lifting?
Absolutely. If we start letting our kids use calculators in school they will never learn to do math in their heads the way they need to. Oh, sorry, a few technologies behind on that one.
Ah yes, the old quip saying you won’t always have a calculator to hand…
Pretty sure my iPhone just sniggered.
I used to know how to get everywhere. If I went once, it was burned into my brain.
Now, I am completely dependent on online maps to get anywhere.
I signed up and already forgot about it. I may never, ever use it.
But here I am, for you other Mastodonners: https://mastodon.social/@jackmangan
I’m at https://mastodon.social/@ryah
Imaginative, I know
@vanamonde@mastodon.social
If your avatar is a pie and ice cream, then I just followed you
It is.
I noticed The Mangan hasn’t followed us. 😉
He is now.
Mastodone!
CP: Jack Merritt’s Boots – The Young’uns
..and it’s goodbye to Eric Brown:
https://t.co/u4BvMHbRDY
This is the dumbest Star Wars. The characters’ actions are inconsistent and incomprehensibly stupid. It’s insulting.
I will say this: Kudos to them for the actor cameo.
Till they grow back, I no longer look like a bald Brezhnev.
Surrendered to the inevitable and ordered a 2TB SSD for my PS5, was getting tired of the shuffle of deleting games so I could install other games.
ikr?
I was looking for a bigger one. Considering the size of recent games, I expect 2TB won’t be enough.
Looks like $370 for a 4TB. I haven’t purchased a P5 yet, but I’m wondering if it would be better to get the diskless one for $100 less and put that toward a 4TB SSD. I’ve waited this long, I’ll probably wait for the refresh.
Some requirements from Sony:
SuperSpeed USB 5 Gbps or later. 250 GB minimum, 8 TB maximum capacity.
Not all devices are guaranteed to work with the PS5 console.
You can’t connect the drive through a USB hub.
Two or more USB extended storage drives can’t be connected at the same time. You can connect multiple USB drives to your console, but you can use only one at a time.
Corsair MP600 PRO LPX 2TB M.2 NVMe PCIe x4 Gen4 SSD
It comes with a heat sink, £174 in the UK, I would guess a lot cheaper in the US.
The 4TB model is more than twice the price of the 2TB model.
That is usually how it works.
This was the one I was looking at. Apparently, it was recommended for the PS5 in the comments. https://www.amazon.com/WD_BLACK-SN850X-Internal-Gaming-Solid/dp/B0B7CQ2CHH/ref=sr_1_3?crid=XUJBW0Q8T4RP&keywords=m.2%2Bgaming%2Bssd%2B4tb&qid=1679688728&s=electronics&sprefix=%2Celectronics%2C160&sr=1-3&th=1
Off to the city later this morning.
Seattle?
There’s apparently a “pivotal” post-credits scene at the end of John Wick 4. I don’t know when we’ll see this one.
Saw They Might Be Giants in Nashville last night.
Brilliantly entertaining show. I forget how clever/funny they are. The banter in between the songs is as entertaining as the music itself.
I hope no one brought their racist friend.
https://www.reddit.com/r/brandonsanderson/comments/1200dzk/on_the_wired_article/
I haven’t read the Wired article, which is apparently Brandon Sanderson profile that turned savage. I’ve never read any Brandon Sanderson – – in fact, I’ve heard some unpleasant things about him – – but his response here is beautifully-written and incredibly classy.
The Wired article: https://www.wired.com/story/brandon-sanderson-is-your-god/
OK, I don’t think it was as vicious as anyone’s saying, but I can where Sanderson himself might not be pleased. I also didn’t find his portrayal of the family unflattering. . . and is he wrong for noting that a large percentage of attendees at a Fantasy Convention are pasty dudes with body odor? I mean?
Did he cross a line? Probably, but it’s not as egregious as the general reactions. Kudos still to Sanderson for his classy response.
I have two thoughts. I wouldn’t able to be as sanguine as Sanderson, not after sharing my home and family with the writer.
And the writer, despite protesting he likes fantasy, doesn’t seem to understand that the words are ONLY in service of the story.
Those were the days my friends, we thought the would never end…
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/03/egad-7-key-british-pcs-of-the-1980s-americans-might-have-missed/
I remember when I thought the wood would never end too.
Instant beer, no alcohol though:
https://newatlas.com/lifestyle/powdered-beer/
That’s not beer. That’s beer flavored water.
First drink of the day!
First drink of the day!
Wow.
That’s been a minute ago.
CP: bang — Haru Nemuri
Cyberpunk is still alive:
http://dlvr.it/SlR76S
*applause*
Since the husband is currently playing the Cyberpunk 2077 on the computer, I could have told you that
I’m playing it too. 😀
Arguing against a manned Mars mission;
https://idlewords.com/2023/1/why_not_mars.htm
Goodbye to the guy who formulated Moore’s Law:
https://t.co/ZckiHzyI9X
He’s not wrong.
https://www.billboard.com/music/rock/neil-young-blasts-ticketmaster-fees-letter-1235292063/
His rant won’t accomplish anything, but I’ve still got his back on this.
New George Hrab tune is fun(ky)!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3nhqEey01k
Well now:
https://t.co/Hef2KrTI0c
TMZ.
New SSD installed and formatted on the PS5.
Only scary thing was removing the white plastic panel from the bottom of the PS5. It looks easy in the YouTube videos, mine needed a bit more force to shift. Still all done now…phew!