Judy Greer: Maggie Gyllenhaal Made ‘Quirky’ Lead Actresses Cool ❝ Judy Greer explained how Maggie Gyllenhaal in ‘Secretary’ made ‘quirky’ lead actresses part of the zeitgeist. 💬 Judy, darling… c’mon. Maggie Gyllenhaal is quirky. You’re cute and funny and charming as fuck, and unless they really de-glammed you for the role, you’d have been way too hot for Secretary. In that role, you’d have intimidated Spader’s character so much he’d have never hired you in the first place. For selfish reasons, I’d love to have seen you try, of course… but that casting went exactly as it should.
Battling Infectious Diseases in the 20th Century: The Impact of Vaccines ❝ The number of infected people, measured over 70-some years and across all 50 states and the District of Columbia, generally declined after vaccines were introduced. 💬 It’s sobering to realize that if Fox News and the Wall Street Journal pulled themselves out of the MAGA nosedive, they could turn into legitimate heroes of the American Experiment.
I still think the movie should have been called The Good, The Bad, and Eli Wallach Needs A Bath
Clint Eastwood’s Box-Office History Prove ‘Juror #2’ Worth ❝ Clint Eastwood’s box office history proves that Juror #2 was worthy of a theatrical release and Warner Bros. should have given him one. 💬 When you see the inflation-adjusted numbers of Eastwood’s studio output over the last seventy years, it’s kind of astonishing. He’s a low-key titan of the film industry, taking Woody Allen-sized budgets and semi-regularly turning them into modest blockbusters. And just as an aside: Unforgiven is in my top 10 movies of all time.
Dog-sitter films explicit OnlyFans content in client homes, raising privacy concerns ❝ A Nova Scotia woman says she was shocked to discover her bathroom floor and swimming pool were the background of explicit videos posted by her dog-sitter on an adults-only website. 💬 I’ll consider this news when she starts fucking her canine clients. Until then, here’s a thought… quit lurking around OF and maybe you won’t see shit you don’t want to see.
ba-WOOSH!
Flush Toilet Finder | jRustonApps ❝ Flush Toilet Finder is the quickest, simplest way of finding a public bathroom or restroom. 💬 Fuck Yelp… this is the hyper-local, user-generated recommendation database we need. We all need a personal George Costanza, directing us to the best toilet in our cities.
Max tries its hand at procedural in first teaser for medical drama The Pitt ❝ Max tries its hand at procedural in first teaser for medical drama The Pitt 💬 Such is my sentimental love for the first half of ER’s run that I will absolutely give this show a chance. And even if it starts off weak, the show’s structural conceit —all 15 episodes are set during a single hospital shift— is novel enough to keep me hanging around for a bit beyond the pilot.
Former comedian Russell Brand ended up selling “magical amulets” for “EMF protection” ❝ I’ve watched with fascination and disgust as Russell Brand has transformed over the years from actor, to spiritual guru and conspirituality grifter (which includes hawking cryptocurrency), to—immediately following rape allegations—right-wing Jesus loving Christian MAGA darling… 💬 The frustrating thing about Brand is that he’s legitimately talented and smart. Most MAGA figures are knuckle-dragging know- and do-nothings, but Russell can produce everything from the filthiest comedy to melodious recitations of Shakespeare without batting an eye. Which almost makes his turn worse, because it’s so clearly cynical and defensive… he’s hiding among the dipshits and morons to protect himself from the repercussions of a couple decades of substance-addled sex-addiction. And it’s working.
We wouldn’t want anyone thinking she’s sexy, now would we?
Sexual Scene At Sabrina Carpenter’s Show Stirs Debates ❝ “She has such a young fan base and to traumatize them like that is so sad.” 💬 Screw every single one of these haters in the orifice of their choice. I’m hardly a fan of Carpenter’s music, but get over yourselves, you entitled, whining little bitchlets… all the pop and rock music ever made had —and always will have— a young fan base, and who gives a flying, flipping, fantastical fuck? Tipper Gore would love you neo-Puritanical freaks, and that ain’t a compliment.
What you actually got from those comic book ads ❝ X-Ray Specs? Amazing fighting techniques? Magic tricks? A monkey? These videos show off what actually arrived when you ordered something from a comic ad. 💬 As a former kid who spent untold hours staring with wide-eyed curiosity at those ads, I appreciate that someone finally answered all of my unspoken questions.
Tripping on magic mushrooms to treat anorexia nervosa ❝ In another promising study on the medical use of psilocybin, the hallucinogen in magic mushrooms, researchers have shown that psychedelic therapy can help with treatment-resistant eating disorders.
23 Wild Porn Sex Acts That Don’t Work ❝ “Stopping and changing positions every three minutes is a good experience.” 💬 Porn is indeed a bad example of good sex. But the people crying the loudest about porn being a bad example are the kind of people no one would ever want to have sex with. Unclutch your pearls, you tedious vanilla dumbasses.
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.
“Don’t be certain of anything” Bertrand Russell’s 1951 guide to fighting fanaticism is more relevant than ever ❝ How philosopher Bertrand Russell’s ten commandments for intellectual freedom offer a powerful antidote to modern political extremism. 💬 That first one is all-important, and something I preach almost daily. Activism is a contagion that propagates itself via the unwarranted certainty of vacuous people… expertise traffics in knowledge and trust, not advocacy.
Syndicated Comics ❝ DC Compact Comics line has been a huge hit and all 15 more titles are coming in the format in 2025, including even more evergreen classics
27 Sex Confessions, Kinks, And Fantasies ❝ “I want to get really sweaty with Steve Harvey and Dr. Phil, and after we finish hooking up they shave each other’s mustaches off we do it all again.”
Police Freak Out at iPhones Mysteriously Rebooting Themselves, Locking Cops Out ❝ Law enforcement believe the activity, which makes it harder to then unlock the phones, may be due to a potential update in iOS 18 which tells nearby iPhones to reboot if they have not been in contact with a cellular network for some time, according to a document obtained by 404 Media. 💬 As it turns out, yes, Apple did quietly add a new anti-cracking feature to iOS 18, and fuck you very much if you don’t like it.
10 video games that are actually funny ❝ Video games are hilarious. Don’t believe me? Here’s our list of the best examples of video game comedy, including Disco Elysium, Portal, and more.
Explore the deep and distant past of Intellivision ❝ Sure, you know the story of Nolan Bushnel and the early days of the video arcade game Pong. And as a kid (or parent) maybe you ate pizza while watching…
Halo 2 at 20: Remembering My Favorite Xbox Game Ever – IGN ❝ I was lucky enough to cover Halo 2 for Official Xbox Magazine before, during, and after its release, and so I thought I’d take this special 20th anniversary moment to share a few behind-the-scenes memories from what is, to me, the single greatest Xbox game ever.
TIL that the dunk tank has extremely racist origins ❝ Unbelievable but also not. 💬 I was blown away. But less-so as I thought about it, since so many sadistic public rituals seem ideally designed for a minority target.
Pizza with a side of cocaine ❝ Police became curious about the best-selling but inordinately-expensive special pizza offered by a Düsseldorf restaurant, so they ordered a “number 40” for themselves.
Pandering news hosts called out ❝ Patience with mainstream media hosts telegraphing an unreality our eyes and ears tell us is untrue seems to be wearing thin.
Law enforcement reports successful Tor deanonymizations in Germany ❝ User complacency and the complicity of internet service providers has enabled police to ID suspects in Germany. 💬 It doesn’t seem like this was a matter of slicing through the obfuscated onion as much as social engineering and meatspace surveillance.
90 Day: The Last Resort Season 2 Cast Has Been Unveiled 💬 The choices here aren’t as obvious as the ones they made for season 1, but still… I can’t wait to see a few of these relationships disintegrate, and I’ll be pleasantly surprised if one or two actually improve by going through the process.
Iconic Gun-Makers Gave Sensitive Customer Information to Political Operatives ❝ At least 10 gun industry businesses, including Glock, Smith & Wesson, Remington and Mossberg, secretly handed over names, addresses and other data to lobbyists, who used the details to rally firearm owners to elect pro-gun politicians.
Tiny device quickly detects dicky tickers ❝ A tiny gadget can detect biological signs of imminent heart failure within minutes, much more quickly than currently-used methods, and has potential as a personal diagnostic tool.
I really, really wish I’d been able to enjoy this. I loved the book, but the show turned me off from the first ep
Good Omens will wrap with a single 90-minute episode ❝ Creator Neil Gaiman has exited the series in the wake of sexual assault allegations. 💬 Yikes. I guess it’s a good thing I never became invested in Good Omens. But this doesn’t bode well for the Gaiman property I do want to see continue under his direct stewardship: The Sandman.
This new graphic adaptation of DRACULA is absolutely gorgeous ❝ JH Williams III is a comic book artist renowned for his elaborate layouts and luscious paints on works such as Batwoman, Promothea, and The Sandman: Overture. 💬 Williams is one of my favorite living, active artists. He can do everything from Perez-ish cartoon-realism to Sienkiewicz-like otherworldly distortions.
Tim Pool backs off podcasting to focus on non-existent family ❝ Professional beanie wearer Tim Pool was revealed to have been a useful idiot for a Russian influence campaign, and must now influence himself 💬 The truly depressing thing about all of this is that morons like Pool are getting rich precisely because they are usefully stupid, and speak to an audience of similarly convenient dullards.
Stuffies & Lovies That Have Been Loved Too Much ❝ Too Much Love is a project from Katja Kemnitz in which she photographs the beloved dolls & stuffed animals of young children 💬 Y’all should see what grown-up girls do to their childhood stuffies… some of them are well past “stuffed animals” and well into the realm of sexy biohazards.
His pitch was ridiculous looking, and thus awesome
Moldovans vote to join European Union ❝ Yes won by less than 1%. Russia reportedly spent vasts sums to thumb the scales and very nearly succeeded. 💬 I fell for the first wave of disinformation, which sold the idea that joining the EU had been defeated in overwhelming fashion. It was pretty surprising, seeing that things went very differently in reality.
Adobe shows off 3D rotation tool for flat drawings ❝ Project Turntable uses machine learning to craft posable 3D models from 2D vectors. 💬 Now this I consider an appropriate application of generative AI. You feed it your own creation, and it extrapolates a targeted variation of your creation. It’s walking a fine line, yes, but since it doesn’t take an imaginative and individuated human out of the process, I think it’s more useful than destructive.
How to change the iPhone used with iPhone Mirroring ❝ The macOS 15 Sequoia software and iOS 18 updates make controlling your iPhone from your Mac possible — but it can be confusing on how to select from multiple iPhones. Here’s how to do it.
Fuck you, Donnie boy
Exonerated Central Park Five sue Donald Trump for ‘demonstrably false’ debate remarks ❝ The men formerly known as the Central Park Five before they were exonerated filed a defamation lawsuit against U.S. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Monday. 💬 I would love to see those guys in particular stick it to that orange piece of shit.
Apple Passwords’ Generated Strong Password Format ❝ This post briefly summarizes part of a talk I gave in 2018. All information in this post has been accessible on YouTube since then. There is no new information or news in this post.
Revisiting the richest of the slasher franchises, A Nightmare On Elm Street ❝ We run the series on A Nightmare On Elm Street, a slasher franchise with more depth in one blade-finger than most of its peers. 💬 I’m not sure it’s “the richest”, but it’s the only one of the major horror franchises of which I’ve seen more than half of the entries. I feel like that says something.
This is what passed for “social media” thirty years ago
Ward Christensen, BBS inventor and architect of our online age, dies at age 78 ❝ Christensen kick-started online culture by inspiring thousands of hobbyist communities. 💬 I only spent, I dunno… three years?… on bulletin board systems before I moved on to the more expensive —but also more rewarding— experiences on services like Compuserve. The free exchange of demos and music and photos and —usually pirated— apps over a landline was an amazing thing, but when I stop to think about it, I didn’t do much actual interacting on BBSs. I waited in line —the average BBS had no more than one or two phone lines attached, so you had to queue up and keep trying to connect— so I could download my goodies and then wander away… I didn’t talk to anyone while I was there.
Apple Unveils New iPad Mini With A17 Pro Chip and Apple Intelligence – MacRumors ❝ Apple today announced a significant upgrade to the iPad mini, now featuring an A17 Pro chip and support for the company’s new Apple Intelligence… 💬 The iPad mini remains one of those products that I would own if I had infinite resources, but for which I have no ongoing, meaningful use. It would be awesome to have an iPad small enough to slip into a shoulder bag on the way out the door, but a Pro Max phone is big enough 90% of the time, and I already have it with me.
‘I, Robot’ Director Says Elon Musk and Tesla Ripped Off His Movie ❝ ‘I, Robot’ director Alex Proyas accused Elon Musk and Tesla of copying his designs for the film for the company’s recently unveiled prototypes. 💬 Does it actually surprise anyone that the world’s richest dumbfuck would prey on someone else’s visual designs to bolster his meager imagination?
Check Your Mac’s Battery Cycle Count – MacRumors ❝ A key indicator of your MacBook’s battery health is its cycle count. Keep reading to learn what it means and how you can check it for yourself.
Ukraine military recruiters raid bars, restaurants looking for men not registered for conscription ❝ Ukrainian military recruitment officers raided restaurants, bars and a concert hall in Kyiv, checking military registration documents and detaining men who were not in compliance, media and witnesses reported Saturday. 💬 So today I learned that draft-aged American men were required to keep their draft cards on their person throughout WWII and Vietnam… going out without one would leave one subject to arrest under the right circumstances. I see no evidence that it ever went as far as the sort of “draft raids” being performed in Ukraine, but I now understand a little more why protestors were making such a big deal of burning their cards.
Time has run out for for That ’90s Show ❝ Time has run out for for That ’90s Show 💬 …and that time was during development. I love Red and Kitty as much as anyone, but the rest of this thing was a complete shit-show.
Your iPhone is probably a satellite phone. Here’s how it could help you. ❝ Cell towers in space are more capable than ever of helping people on the ground. 💬 Being lost and out of contact is one of my primary —and completely ludicrous— fears, so I’ve been lusting after this feature since the launch of the iPhone 14.
R.I.P. Kris Kristofferson, singer, movie star, and icon of Americana 💬 Other people almost always sang his songs better than he did, and he was never the best actor in any movie, but that kind of decades-long proximity to and influence over so many talented people speaks to the enormous extent of his capabilities.
Eminem is going to be a grandpa, and fans are having an existential crisis ❝ Eminem, the prolific U.S. rapper known for hits like Lose Yourself, his former alter ego Slim Shady, and for being one of the most controversial yet best-selling artists of the early 2000s, has just revealed he’s going to be a grandpa. 💬 …this… is not good. Yikes.
MTV’s nostalgia problem, explained by The Challenge ❝ Unfortunately, “Challenge” OGs like Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio and Chris “CT” Tamburello can’t restore the show’s edge. 💬 The Challenge isn’t quite as vicious today as it was in the past, but MTV’s problems run far, far deeper.
Zachary Levi Endorses Donald Trump for President ❝ Zachary Levi endorsed Donald Trump for president at a rally in Michigan on Saturday. 💬 Zachary Levi is an idiot. Chuck is a fun show I will continue to watch. See, it’s not that hard.
Will DirecTV and Dish Merge? Satellite TV Operators NearDeal ❝ DirecTV and Dish Network — two longtime rivals that have explored joining up at various times for decades — may be headed to the altar. 💬 I’m continually surprised to learn that Echostar still exists.
‘F1’ could be the last Apple TV+ theatrical release ❝ Apple TV+ is continuing to step back from high-profile theatrical releases of its movies, with the forthcoming “F1” racing drama seen as one more test after a series of flops.
OpenAI as we knew it is dead ❝ The maker of ChatGPT promised to share its profits with the public. But Sam Altman just sold you out. 💬 Yet another shocker.
1 Simple Trick to Stop Panic Attacks Instantly ❝ You probably have one simple item in your kitchen right now that can provide quick relief. 💬 I’m going to try this one out some time. Hopefully not anytime soon.
The Schwan’s truck was once as welcome a sight as the ice cream man
Minnesota-based company Yelloh, once better known as Schwan’s, announces November closure ❝ Once the operator of the largest fleet of freezer trucks in the U.S., Yelloh announced Monday it will wrap up operations in November. Until recently it was known as Schwan’s Home Delivery, famed for its iconic yellow trucks. 💬 Ouch. I used to love Schwan’s stuff… their frozen oatmeal raisin dough made the best cookies this side of homemade, and I remember enjoying their bratwurst too.
The biggest news from Meta Connect 2024 ❝ Meta revealed its Quest 3S VR headset and updated styles for the Ran-Ban smart glasses. Meta AI gets updated voices, and the new Orion AR glasses preview the future. 💬 The Quest 3S is a great alternative to a Quest 2, but I’d probably recommend that anyone with $600 buy a full Quest 3 instead.
My favorite MOD from the early 90s. And no, it’s not THAT Moby.
Furnace is a multi-platform chiptune tracker ❝ We’ve come a long way since Soundtracker on the Commodore Amiga! Furnace is a new tracker—a highly-technical music-making app remiscent of player piano rolls sliding through The Matrix… 💬 Back in my late teens and early 20s, I spent many hours collecting music to play inside any number of weird-looking, hopelessly complicated tracker apps. Despite that —and despite owning an Atari ST with built-in MIDI ports— I didn’t try my hand at actually creating music until I scored a free copy of ACID on Windows.
Rapper Fatman Scoop died of heart disease, medical examiner says ❝ The Connecticut state medical examiner’s office has determined that hip-hop artist Fatman Scoop died of heart disease 💬 When “fat” is part of your brand, “died of heart disease” is something approaching an inevitability.
Satellite images suggest test of Russian “super weapon” failed spectacularly ❝ All that’s left of the Russian missile silo is a big hole in the ground. 💬 Americans truly have no idea how much our government achieves because of the vast wealth at its disposal and the “overbearing” regulations we apply… but all you have to do is look at Russia’s long history of techno-mishaps and engineering failures to see that trying to save a buck while not giving a shit about consequences will usually lead to failure or utter disaster.
The electronic hobby kits from the 1985 Radio Shack catalog
An archive of RadioShack Catalogs (1939-2011) ❝ Flip-through every RadioShack electronics & computer catalog. These catalogs include vintage electronics, stereos, speakers, CB radios, tube radios, computers, communication equipment, electronic test equipment, gadgets, technology & more!
Kyle Chandler will shine his light as Hal Jordan ❝ It’s been reported that Emmy-winning actor Kyle Chandler has been cast as Hal Jordan in Lanterns live-action series. 💬 This is… not bad. Although I’m not excited to hear the show described as something like “True Detective with space cops”.
Apple’s 80% Charging Limit for iPhone: How Much Did It Help After a Year? – MacRumors ❝ With the iPhone 15 models that came out last year, Apple added an opt-in battery setting that limits maximum charge to 80 percent. 💬 TL;DR: Don’t waste your time. Just charge the damned thing as you like, and save up some cash for a battery replacement in a few years.
