REVIEW: The Moon and Serpent Bumper Book of Magic by Alan Moore & Co. ❝ The relationship between the world and our consciousness, between the mind and our bodies, has been speculated about since the dawn of consciousness itself and the beginnings of a philosophy that could problematize that relationship. It’s a tricky thing to thread the needle between the world and the world of the mind without getting lost in how exactly one necessitates the other. However, it is exactly these issues that Alan Moore, Steve Moore and their gallery of artistic collaborators are attempting to work through 💬 I’ll definitely be getting this, in one format or another. I don’t share Moore’s political perspective, and I’m not even close to being all-in on his overall view of magic. But on a certain fundamental level —the connection between art, language, and mysticism— I find him highly persuasive.
The True Story of “Kid Nation,” the Wildest Reality TV Show Ever Made – Esquire ❝ 40 KIDS, NO PARENTS, A GHOST TOWN. WHAT COULD GO WRONG? The weird true story of Kid Nation, the Bush-era reality-TV experiment that dropped a bunch of children in the desert—then let the cameras roll. Years later, all of a sudden, the Internet got obsessed. THE WHEELS ON the bus went round and round and round and round, driving in circles though the desert outside Santa Fe. It was April 1, 2007… 💬 Wait. People are just now remembering that Kid Nation was a thing? It was simply a mildly diverting reality TV experiment, not some shocking event lost to time. We’re not talking about an artifact from 1807 here… it was 17 years ago, not pre-history.
If you can’t trust the voice of David Attenborough, what can you trust? ❝ The world’s best-loved naturalist has had his voice cloned – and misused – by AI. Soon, we won’t believe anything we hear unless we are in the same room as the speaker, writes Zoe Williams 💬 Depressingly, this isn’t one of those “what if?” things… it’s coming, it’s going to happen, and there will be no true positive outcomes. Best case scenario, all the theoretical benefits of AI dramatically outweigh the damage done by generative pseudo-intelligences.
More info, less activism
Scientific American editor-in-chief out after posting anti-MAGA rant ❝ The next editor-in-chief of Scientific American would be well-advised to make sure their criticisms of MAGA supporters aren’t too spicy 💬 Firing her was for the best. Unless someone is planning to put 40% of the population into reeducation camps, then engaging with them is the only way to right the ship of rationality on the rough seas of modern life. Like it or not, we’re stuck with these backward, blinkered fucks for a generation or three, and we can only save Us by first saving Them. As much as I sympathize with the urge to smack ‘em, we don’t need the editor of our respected publications driving them deeper into the cocoon of their own toxic stupidity. It’s time for the grown-ups to take charge.
Sophie Turner in Talks to Play Lara Croft in ‘Tomb Raider’ Series ❝ Sophie Turner is in talks to play video game character Lara Croft in a new live-action ‘Tomb Raider’ series from Phoebe Waller-Bridge at Amazon MGM. 💬 I didn’t like Angelina’s version, so Sophie’s couldn’t possibly be worse. And I will give Phoebe Waller-Bridge all the chances she needs to make it work.
In Memoriam: Thomas E. Kurtz, 1928–2024 ❝ CHM remembers the remarkable career and contributions of 2023 Fellow Thomas E. Kurtz, who passed away on November 12, 2024. 💬 He was the co-creator of the BASIC programming language, one of the single most influential things to ever enter my life.
“Your body, my choice”: The misogynist MAGA attack, explained ❝ Rape threats and other sexist posts are going viral after the election. It’s part of a pattern. 💬 That pattern is called “I’m a confused, aggrieved, petulant man-boy whose innate inadequacies have so emasculated me that I’m left lashing out at anything and anyone who reminds me just how deeply pathetic I am.”
What’s behind the global political divide between young men and women? ❝ Trump’s victory in the US shone a light on the growing political polarisation between young male and female voters happening all over the world 💬 Remember what I just said about confused, aggrieved, petulant man-boys? Yeah… that.
Two Worcestershire women jailed for role in global monkey torture network ❝ Holly LeGresley, 37, and Adriana Orme, 56 uploaded content of monkeys being tortured to online chat groups 💬 This… I mean.. what?! That’s… that’s a thing? That’s a thing that people pay money to see? Human beings never fail to shock the shit out of me. And monkeys, apparently.
I’ve always hated the Dual Shock and its descendants, so I’ve been an Xbox Man all along
Xbox Boss Says No ‘Red Line’ With Exclusives, Including Even Halo ❝ Phil Spencer says the future of Xbox and its games includes more platforms 💬 It’s not that Microsoft doesn’t make good consoles… the OG Xbox was better than the PS2, and the Xbox 360 was just as good as the PS3. But to the extent that it understands the games themselves, Microsoft only seems to “get” PC gaming… it has little-to-no corporate taste when it comes to console games. So when their hardware is underwhelming —the Xbox One— or too late to market —the Xbox Series X— they have little to keep them afloat.
