two chaps with things on their mind
… there’s a good tradition of recut movie trailers that turn iconic movies into something very different. “Scary Mary” — Mary Poppins as a horror movie — leaps to mind.
Then there’s the reverse — “The Shining” as a heartwarming movie about building family. Now here’s a new twist … the real events of 2016, compiled as a horror movie …
I am a massive fan of Charlie Brooker. Though not so much of his TV series ‘Black Mirror’. (Let’s call them highs and lows … but … that said … someone in China has definitely been paying attention. Continue reading “The Future Is So Last Year”
Personally, I remain unconvinced. Just as you sign up to buy a pair of Bose, Wireless headphones, Amazon points out that actually ‘frequently’ their customers slap down another $399 to buy a pair of Sony Wireless headphones. Seriously?
… Big Science is hiding all-natural cures for everything! Nothing natural can harm you! Combine those widespread beliefs with some true but unhelpful info — Lava kills cancer on contact! — and you can end up in some odd places … Continue reading “Towards A People’s Science”
… but it could be streaming already …
In 1989, UK TV viewers experienced a revolution — satellite channels broke the wired TV monopoly. US viewers have been used to a wider variety for years. But now some of the best shows around — Westworld, Stranger Things, Transparent — are on media channels new to everyone. And if you’re watching them, you’ve had to change the way you watch. Continue reading “It’s The Content – Not The Pipe”
Among the soul-searching prompted by Donald Trump’s overturning of electoral predictions, ‘looking outside your bubble’ seems important. As media channels become increasingly siloed, it requires more conscious effort to see the point of view of others. Fortunately, some media are taking steps. Take for example the article ‘ Is Civilian Control of the Military in Jeopardy?‘ from ‘The American Conservative’
… well, not always, and so no, this is not another hate-Trump fest. But it is undeniable that his election has generated substantial verbiage, some of it very sharp indeed. Still, as they almost said in public school, sometimes what’s most needed is a sound trashing. Take this little gem of a hatchet job, that earned the twin honour of both a spluttering 3 am tweet from its ur-subject, and a spike in Vanity Fair subscriptions.
Continue reading “Burying The Hatchet – In Trumps Signature Eatery”
… if A Massive OS Company Makes An Empty Apology For Its Malware-Like Updates, Is It Sound?
For those who fought the highly-pressured Win10 update, preferring to stay with what we have, thank you, it seems stable this time, but got forcibly upgraded anyway, are we at all interested that Microsoft now says, hmm, maybe we were a little aggressive? Continue reading “Softies Gone Soft In The Head?”
… whatever happened to that idea? We used to do it. Such a lot. And then there was curiosity. I mean they say it killed the cat – but we are human.
… well, there’s this … Continue reading “Experimentation”
… the experience is so common it’s banal. Frustrated yelling at some system that just does not understand you, from Siri to your bank-by-phone system. But what if the system controls more than access to accounts? And what happens as globalisation renders your regional accent a liability … when the system cannot recognise variations outside the country of manufacture? Continue reading “If You Think Your Bank’s Voice Recognition Is Poor, Consider This…”
