The Daily Dad — Jan 17, 2024

Things you might want to know:

• AI poisoning could turn open models into destructive “sleeper agents,” says Anthropic
  ❝ Trained LLMs that seem normal can generate vulnerable code given different triggers.
• Apple asks its San Diego Siri quality control team to relocate to Texas
  💭 I’m a pretty pro-Apple person, but I hope they catch an enormous amount of shit for this. Asking even a single employee to choose between unemployment and moving to the toxic shithole that is Texas should be considered utterly un-Apple-y. Fix this shit, Tim Apple.

• Twin Galaxies, Billy Mitchell settle Donkey Kong score case before trial
  💭 It feels like I watched King of Kong back at the dawn of time, and Billy Mitchell is still fighting over his fucking score.
• YouTube appears to be reducing video and site performance for ad-block users
  💭 Thankfully, my ad-blocker of choice —1Blocker— is staying open step ahead of YouTube in this particular arms race.
• Hyperkin has made a handheld Sega Genesis that plays original carts
  💭 I’m pretty sure all my Genesis carts are long-gone. Learn from this, children: if you have a long-lived piece of physical media, hold on to it.

• The latest mini-console is this adorable Atari 400
  💭 Do a version based on the Atari ST and I will literally be unable to stop myself from ordering.
• Report: Deepfake porn consistently found atop Google, Bing search results
  ❝ Google vows to create more safeguards to protect victims of deepfake porn.
• Valve request takes down Portal 64 due to concerns over Nintendo involvement
  ❝ It’s not the use of Portal, it’s the use of an N64 SDK that’s the issue.
• Instagram’s founders are shutting down Artifact, their year-old news app
  💭 I had a positive feeling about Artifact for the first few months, but it was easy to see them beginning to thrash against the restraints of monetization… they were encrappifying the app at breakneck speed. By now, at the end, it’s pretty much useless. It won’t be missed.
• ★ Al Gore, Mac Nerd and Internet Pioneer
  💭 Gut-punch fact in the footnotes: Al Gore —a two-term Vice-President, thirty years ago— has now reached mandatory retirement age for Apple, where’s he’s been on the board for twenty years… and he’s still younger than Joe Biden and Donald Trump.
• ‘Daredevil’ Hits Reset Button as Marvel Overhauls Its TV Business
  ❝ Launched during the pandemic with a playbook to shoot $150 million-plus seasons with no pilots, the Disney unit is undergoing growing pains and seeing the logic of “traditional TV culture.”

• Mia Goth Accused of Kicking ‘MaXXXine’ Actor in Head
  💭 I don’t find Mia Goth interesting at all, but this… seems like pretty weak shit. She probably should have apologized for the infantile taunting, but other than that, this sounds like an extra looking for attention.
• Niklaus Wirth, Titan of Computer Science and Creator of Pascal, Dies at 89
  💭 I always wanted to learn Pascal, but I fell in love with GFA BASIC for a few years, and then stumbled across ColdFusion and PHP when I moved my interests to the cloud.

• OpenAI says it’s “impossible” to create useful AI models without copyrighted material
  💭 Duh, bumblefucks. No one’s questioning that you need to harvest vast swaths of Other People’s Prose to make you LLMs useful at all. What you’re not explaining is why you should get to do that for free. Or at all. As if your shitty, error-ridden riff on Eliza is a fixed point in a Doctor Who timeline.

• Echo brings the best of Netflix’s Marvel era energy to Disney Plus
  💭 I’ve only seen the first ep, but it was very promising, and a dramatic improvement over the rest of Disney+’s Marvel content. Which is pretty impressive, considered that I couldn’t possibly care less about Echo as a character.
• We tried meat from the GE Profile Smart Indoor Smoker, and it was delicious
  ❝ Finally… a taste of that the GE Profile Smart Indoor Smoker can do with beef tenderloin.

• I Found David Lynch’s Lost ‘Dune II’ Script
  ❝ It was only about halfway done, but the script David Lynch wrote for the sequel to his 1984 adaptation of Frank Herbert’s novel, “Dune,” was still better than “Dune Messiah.”
• Valve now allows the “vast majority” of AI-powered games on Steam
  ❝ New reporting system will enforce “guardrails” for “live-generated” AI content.
• Maverik’s Decision to Retire the Kum & Go Brand
  ❝ Acquirer envisions multi-regional status, aims to compete in Midwest: analysis
• Redditor hosts a grand opening for his Little Free Blockbuster
  ❝ A very creative Redditor hosts a grand opening for his Little Free Blockbuster. This looks like the party to be at…
• ‘Star Wars’: Mandalorian Movie a Go With Jon Favreau Directing
  ❝ ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’ will film this year, Lucasfilm announced.
• Massive manatee meet-up caught on video
  ❝ Manatees held a massive meet-up right near shore in Crystal River, Florida. According to the Southwest Florida…
• Elon Musk’s ironic bot army exposed
  ❝ Bluesky users are roasting Elon Musk for his blue-checked bot army of fake Xitheads. Musk famously complained…
• Make the indie web easier
  💭 I know some people want 2024 to be the year we bring back the independent web… and I’m all for it, don’t get me wrong. Every post to my Tumblr gets backed up on a web server under my control, so I’m a big believer in individuals owning and controlling a canonical representation of their content. But let’s just say it’s gonna be a challenge getting everyone to trade engagement for independence.

• 3 Body Problem | Official Trailer | Netflix
  ❝ There’s someone behind everything. You just have to dig. 3 Body Problem premieres on Netflix March 21st, 2024. From multiple Emmy Award-winning creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss (Game of Thrones), and Emmy-nominated Alexander Woo (The Terror: Infamy, True Blood) comes 3 Body Problem, a thrilling story that redefines sci-fi drama with its layered mysteries and genre-bending high stakes.
• Woman shows off her unusual talent: nose-whistling a tune at 44.1 decibels (video)
  💭 Well, that’s… a thing.

The Daily Dad — Jan 9, 2024

Things you might want to know:

• Kevin Feige Confirms All Marvel Films and TV Shows Are Part of the MCU Multiverse
  💭 The multiverse is both the raft keeping the MCU afloat, and a cinder block that could easily drag it to the bottom. Feige has already done something extremely impressive —he made movie theaters and movie budgets compatible with television-style, open-ended storytelling— but he still has to climb the final mountain: make the audience take the multiverse for granted, like superheroes themselves.
• Armed gang storms Ecuador TV station after state of emergency declared – The Guardian
  ❝ Gangsters unleashed wave of terror following move by President Daniel Noboa in response to gang leader’s prison escape
• Ed Brubaker’s ‘Criminal’ Ordered To Series By Amazon With Jordan Harper As Co-Showrunner
  ❝ Prime Video has given a series order to Criminal, a drama based on the multi-Eisner Award-winning graphic novel series created by Ed Brubaker, who writes the comic, and Sean Phillips, who illustrat…
• Archaeologists Keep Finding Evidence of a Mysterious Ancient Cult In Europe
  ❝ The discovery of a gilded belt buckle depicting a snake eating a frog was thought to be unique. However, similar evidence is popping up across Europe.
• Wave of Apple Generative AI Tools on Track for WWDC Debut
  ❝ Apple is on schedule to announce a series of generative AI-based tools at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June, Bloomberg’s Mark…

• RIP: David Soul of “Starsky and Hutch” died yesterday at age 80
  ❝ David Soul, best known for his role in the 1970s “Starsky & Hutch” television cop duo, died yesterday at the age of 80. The singer and actor, born as David…
• CES 2024: Withings Launches ‘BeamO’ Home Health Scanner
  ❝ Withings, known primarily for its lineup of iPhone-connected smart scales, today debuted the BeamO, a 4-in-1 home health checkup device. The BeamO…
• iPhone Survives 16,000 Foot Drop After Alaska Airlines Plane Incident
  💭 This is more impressive if you’re not familiar with terminal velocity.
• Apple Announces February 2 Launch Date for Vision Pro Headset
  ❝ Apple today announced that the Vision Pro headset will launch in the United States on Friday, February 2. The headset will be available at all…
• Measles erases the immune system’s memory
  ❝ The measles virus can usher in other infections for months, or even years.

• Is ‘Fables’ Actually in the Public Domain? And Can We Save It From Bill Willingham’s Iffy Politics? https://static.dc.com/dc/files/default_images/Vert_Essential_Fables_1_ce69fbz4uq_.jpg?w=640
  ❝ If true, this would be a huge boon to creatives who are ‘Fables’ fans. However, things are a bit murkier than Willingham’s cut-and-dried statement.
• Twitch Bans Implied Nakedness In Response To ‘Nudity Meta’
  💭 Twitch continues to find new ways to make its platform as unappealing as possible… puritanical and indecisive? Fuck right off.
• Michael Bolton Reveals Brain Tumor Diagnosis, Announces Break from Touring
  ❝ Michael Bolton recently underwent a serious procedure to address a brain tumor found by doctors. Here’s the latest on his condition.
• Portal 64 is an N64 demake of Valve’s classic, now available as a “First Slice”
  ❝ It’s shocking how good the Portal Gun feels on late 1990s tech.
• Bill Maher And Seth MacFarlane Clash Over Vaccine Mandates And “Natural Immunity”: “That Was Debunked”
  💭 Maher was never actually funny… his stand-up has always been weak shit, coasting along on his snide, inexplicable self-importance and little else. Actually clever/funny libertarians of my generation —Penn Gillette, Trey Parker— long ago figured out that simple contrarianism isn’t a philosophy, but Maher never will.

• Clicks for iPhone
  ❝ Clicks brings a REAL KEYBOARD to your iPhone. Enjoy the feel of buttons, type with precision and double your space to create. Available now. Ships worldwide.
• N O S ⋊ Ɔ I ᴚ ᴚ Ǝ ᗡ ⊥ ⊥ O Ɔ S
  ❝ John Cazale starred in only five films. All five were nominated for Best Picture. One of the best actors of all time, he was unafraid to play characters from a place of weakness. He made everyone on screen with him better. https://t.co/We6jlSxBfp pic.twitter.com/DiNSexoTsa
• Nigel Lythgoe Faces Second Sexual Assault Suit – Variety
  💭 Nigel, ol’ buddy… you need some witnesses for the defense. And I don’t mean the “Our friend Danny Masterson has always been a reliable co-worker and helpful comrade, meaning he couldn’t have raped all those girls” kind of witnesses. He needs the “Paula Abdul was tripping on Vicodin and vodka for at least ten years, and barely remembers her own name” kinda witnesses.
• You’ve seen Disney’s Mickey Mouse – here are the new morbid takes popping up as Steamboat Willie enters public domain
  ❝ Now that Steamboat Willie is in the public domain, expect to see a lot of fake Mickey Mouses across media in the next few years. Here are some of the first.
• Ban Facial Recognition in Stores
  ❝ Your face should not be scanned, stored, or sold just because you walk into or work at a store.
• Three Decades Later, Someone Has Finally Beaten Tetris On NES
  💭 ”Thirteen year old Blue Scuti”. I suddenly feel like we’re living an episode of Mythic Quest.

• Star Trek: Discovery’s cancelation wasn’t decided until after final season was filmed
  ❝ The rumors were true: Star Trek: Discovery’s fifth season wasn’t originally meant to be the final one.

The Daily Dad — Dec 31, 2023

Our final installment of 2023:

• Paula Abdul Sues American Idol and Producer Nigel Lythgoe Over Sexual Assault Claims
  💭 Holy hell. I am shocked. Paula says she has witnesses, so Nigel’s in deep shit. And if the claim is accurate, I would expect a lot of So You Think You Can Dance alums to come forward with complaints… if he was boldly moving on a forty- and fiftysomething B-lister like Paula Abdul, you can bet there will be a bunch of teenaged dancers who have stories, too.
• What Are ‘Missed Period Pills,’ and How Do They Work?
  ❝ Menstrual regulation—sometimes referred to as “missed period pills”—is a new front in women’s battle for bodily autonomy. Here’s how it works and what you need to know.
• Florida woman comes home to find her driveway was stolen
  ❝ A Florida woman came home from work to find she had been robbed — but it wasn’t your usual burglary. Rather than jewels or mail or holiday gifts, someone had…
• 17 relaxing video games to help you destress
  ❝ To aid those who could use some help winding down, we’ve rounded up a few games that purposefully deemphasize aggression but aren’t overly cute or so…
• I played 20 city builders in 2023, and these are the 4 I loved most
  ❝ If you’re looking for new city builders, start right here.

• Was the Civil War about slavery? YES.
  💭 I still remember the day I found out that (a) the “it was about states’ rights” scam was a thing, and (b) virtually everyone I worked with had fallen for it. I was nineteen, and had honestly never heard someone seriously argue the point. It was like a glimpse inside a very stupid alternate reality.
• Former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen accidentally cited fake court cases generated by AI
  ❝ Michael Cohen, the former lawyer for Donald Trump, admitted to mistakenly citing fake court cases generated by Google’s Bard AI chatbot.
• Microsoft’s Copilot app is now available on iOS
  💭 Microsoft is here to help Michael Cohen make his next mistake.
• New Research Reveals Ranged Weapons May Have Happened 10,000 Years Earlier Than We Thought
  ❝ Humans may have had access to long-ranged weapons 31,000 years ago. according to researchers who performed a ballistic analysis on a collection of ancient flint projectile heads.
• Man who is University of Wisconsin chancellor and also a porn star loses one of his jobs
  ❝ Joe Gow is out as a chancellor of University of Wisconsin-La Crosse after its board of regents learned he had a displeasing side hustle: producing and appearing in “porn”, including…

• Smell of women’s tears reduces aggression in men
  💭 That is… not my experience. Or that of my penis.
• Tom Smothers Made the Variety Show Cool: ‘I Didn’t Want to Do the Standard Bullshit’
  ❝ Tom Smothers, the counterculture comedian who died at 86, talked making variety shows subversive with pot jokes and politics in this lost interview.
• The Cockroach Cure
  ❝ Forty years ago, scientists did the impossible. Why doesn’t anyone remember?
• What happens if you put a black hole into the sun?
  💭 Well, duh. Obviously it comes, and washes away the rain.
• Online daters love to hate on Hinge. 10 years in, it’s more popular than ever.
  ❝ Hinge has tried its darnedest to fix online dating. Is the real problem us?

• How Frank Miller accidentally killed a Daredevil cartoon (and Marvel killed a book to avoid pissing him off)
  ❝ Frank Miller made Daredevil a success – and Marvel was keen to keep him as long as they could.
• Millennials value sex more in relationships than Gen Z
  💭 I’m suspicious of these kinds of surveys, since they capture how people wish to be perceived rather than how they actually fuck… I’d be surprised if the difference is all that significant. I mean, is Gen Z more concerned with appearing sexually sober than its Millennial elder sibling? Perhaps. But in the end, “horny” and “kinky” will consume all politics. Friction always wins.
• ‘Hell Camp’: Paris Hilton and the Troubled Teen Industry’s Abuse Epidemic
  ❝ Netflix documentary ‘Hell Camp: Teen Nightmare’ shines a light on the systemic abuse within youth treatment centers and wilderness programs.
• The Sun is shrinking 5 feet per hour
  ❝ Scientists reveal the Sun is not static but dynamically shrinking, part of a long-term pulsation that might be key to its life-giving energy. Over centuries, it’s a fascinating cosmic breath.
• Capybaras + Vaporwave = The Most Relaxing Video Ever
  ❝ If you need to relax after the hustle and bustle of the holidays, I’ve got the perfect video for you. Its YouTube title reads, “1 hour relax with capybaras and…

• André Braugher, star of ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ and ‘Homicide,’ dies at 61
  💭 Easily one of the most important, talented actors of his generation… we would have never had The Wire without Mr. Braugher’s Det. Pembleton and his weekly master-class in The Box. I would say his enormous gifts were wasted on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, but he seemed to be enjoying himself, and his fanbase broadened. I’m glad he got to do something so popular, after being so great in obscurity.
• This Clever New Idea Could Fix AirTag Stalking While Maximizing Privacy
  ❝ Apple updated its location-tracking system in an attempt to cut down on AirTag abuse while still preserving privacy. Researchers think they’ve found a better balance.
• Yes, it’s okay to compare Trump to Hitler. Don’t let me stop you.
  ❝ My very minor status as an authority on Hitler comparisons stems from having coined “Godwin’s Law” more than three decades ago.
• Swedish Researchers develop ‘electronic soil’ that speeds up plant growth
  ❝ Researchers from Linköping University in Sweden developed a ‘bioelectronic soil’ that can speed up the growth of plants in controlled agricultural farming…
• Popular Slay The Spire mod Downfall was hijacked to spread malware through Steam
  ❝ Slay The Spire mod Downfall was hijacked to spread malware that steals passwords via Steam.

• Doctor Who: Timeless Child Identity & Time Lord Origin Explained (Properly)
  ❝ The Doctor Who season 12 finale finally explained the mystery of the Timeless Child and rewrote the Doctor’s history in the series’ biggest retcon.
• NY Times copyright suit wants OpenAI to delete all GPT instances
  💭 In the next few years, generative intelligences will become just sophisticated enough to bring out the lawyers en masse, and one of two things will happen: virtually all of today’s machine learning leaders will be wiped out by lawsuits, or the industry will be rescued via legislation… “if China lets their datasets run wild while we corral our own, they’ll have a competitive advantage!”
• Tesla blamed drivers for failures of parts it long knew were defective
  ❝ Tesla records reveal the automaker has long known far more about the extent of defects than it has disclosed to consumers and safety regulators.
• The Best TV Shows You Missed in 2023—and Where to Watch Them
  ❝ From creepy Cronenberg adaptations to Cold War spy thrillers, 2023 was awash in great television. Here’s where you can binge it all.
• You can climb on giant Little Debbie snack sculptures at this park in Tennessee
  💭 I want to take Blossom here, but I’m afraid I’d lose her among all the oversized pastries.

• Amazon’s Prime Video will start serving ads on January 29 unless you pay extra
  💭 Dear Jeff Bezos and Rings of Power: very kindly go fuck yourselves. Love, Me.
• Reindeer Sleep and Eat Simultaneously, Saving Precious Time in the Short Arctic Summer
  ❝ While the animals chew their cud, they also enter a state of rest

The Daily Dad — Dec 25, 2023

Things you might want to know:

• One of the best Christmas specials is also the hardest to find
  💭 Olive the Other Reindeer has been an annual tradition in my home since its TV debut in 1999. I’m honestly not a big fan of Grown Up Drew Barrymore, but I feel it’s the closest thing to a classic that exists outside the realm of Rankin/Bass and Charles Schulz.
• Coin Tosses Are Not 50/50: Scientists Toss 350757 Coins And Prove Old Theory
  ❝ Look closely at the starting position if you want to win.
• The Crown’s Dominic West had to be corrected over eating asparagus
  ❝ It’s all in the fingers.
• I tried Apple’s alternative iPhone interface in iOS 17 — here’s what happened
  ❝ iOS 17 Assistive Access is a whole new look for your iPhone’s interface
• I tested Blu-ray vs Netflix and Disney Plus on the same movies, and the biggest difference surprised me
  ❝ It’s good ol’ fashioned discs vs the internet

• Every Bethesda Game Ever Released: A Full History
  💭 A minor aside: I owned Sword of Sodan on the Amiga. It was one of those games that Amiga owners would buy —like Shadow of the Beast— that weren’t actually fun in any way, but were so technically impressive that we couldn’t resist.
• The X-Men Will Rise to a New Relaunch Next Summer
  ❝ Mutantkind takes its first real post-Krakoa steps, starting with the vaguely titled From the Ashes.
• Stop Deleting Photos on Your iPhone to Free Up Storage and Do This Instead
  💭 So this article is full of “duh”, but I’ve found that lots of people have a thoroughly “duh” relationship with their phones, so… here ya go.
• I must’ve played at least 100 retro games this year—these are the 5 I’d still recommend to everyone today
  ❝ All of these games from the ‘80s, ’90s and 2000s have aged like fine wine.
• How to dig yourself out of credit card debt
  ❝ Plus, how to make sure you get your fair share of a mortgage investment in the case of a divorce.

The Daily Dad — Dec 23, 2023

Things you might want to know:

• Ryan Gosling Unveils ‘Ken The EP’ With New Christmas Version
  ❝ The EP includes a seasonal spin on his Barbie soundtrack hit, “I’m Just Ken (Merry Kristmas Barbie),” along with a video of Gosling, Mark Ronson, and Andrew Wyatt in the studio. Additional “I’m Just Ken” renditions include “In My Feelings Acoustic,” “Purple Disco Machine Remix,” and the original.
• Apple Wants to Partner With Major Publishers to Train AI – MacRumors
  ❝ Apple has approached several major publishers to establish deals that would allow the Cupertino company to train generative artificial intelligence…
• “Fentanyl exposure” is not a thing
  ❝ Illicit use of fentanyl has been linked to overdoses since the 1970s. In this video, Dr. Marino explains why accidental exposure is highly unlikely. Learn more about fentanyl overdose facts in this blog post!
• Google’s ChatGPT competitor Bard is nearly as good — just slower
  💭 For now, Bard is my go-to LLM front-end. It’s frequently wrong or confused —like all LLMs— but provides enough value to pull me back from time to time. And it’s free, which makes its annoyances a little less annoying.
• Police have unlimited warrantless access to Americans’ medical records via Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid and other pharmacies
  ❝ U.S pharmacy chains such as Walgreens, CVS and Rite Aid provide police warrantless access to customers’ medical records, reports Ars Technica. Some don’t even have legal professionals review the requests,…

• Raquel Leviss: Why the Heck Did I Return to Vanderpump Rules?!?
  💭 Because you’re a fame-whore, honey. Because you’re a fame-whore.
• The persistence of tradition: the curious case of Henry Symeonis
  ❝ Christmas is a time for tradition, and the University of Oxford is well known for diligently preserving its traditions for centuries. Many of these have long outlived the people who established the…
• Surgeon punches patient during operation
  ❝ A surgeon in China is in trouble after punching a patient three times in the head during an operation. Viral footage of the incident has outraged the nation and already…
• Joe Biden Pardons Federal Marijuana Possession Convictions
  ❝ On Friday, President Joe Biden announced that he’s pardoning federal and D.C. marijuana possession convictions.
• From the Depths of Wikipedia: none of the phrasing from the 2003…
  ❝ From the Depths of Wikipedia: none of the phrasing from the 2003 “Ship of Theseus” page on Wikipedia remains

• Jan. 6 rioter nabbed in Bumble dating app sting pleads guilty to assaulting officers
  ❝ Her strategy, she said, was to say, “Wow, crazy, tell me more,” on repeat until guys gave her enough to send their information to the FBI.
• South Park: Snow Day! Announces Release Date With New Trailer – IGN
  💭 Given how bad the Beavis & Butthead games were, South Park has had it pretty easy… The Stick of Truth was actually pretty damned good. So there’s at least a chance that Snow Day won’t be complete dog-shit… but I’m limiting my optimism until something bolsters it.
• Facebook Marketplace Is Being Ruined by Zelle Scammers
  ❝ I tried to sell a futon on Facebook Marketplace and nearly all I got were scammers.
• Apple’s Mac Mini M2 falls back to a low of $479
  💭 If you’ve already got a monitor/mouse/keyboard, this is an excellent deal.

• The Gilded Age renewed for a third season
  💭 I was completely unaware that there’s a subset of the audience that hate-watches this show; I’m mystified. Is it great television? Not really. But it’s as good as any latter season of Downton Abbey, and I enjoy seeing Cynthia Nixon play something so un-Miranda. I can understand being bored by TGA, but there’s nothing actually bad about it.
• Starfield will get updates every six weeks beginning in February 2024
  💭 I’m left shockingly cold by the opening minutes of Starfield, and haven’t even bothered to finish lift-off from the starting planet. It all just seems so generic, in contrast to the weirdness of Fallout 4’s opening, or the world-building and Big Plot Stuff that occupied the beginning of Skyrim. There’s only so much they can patch, but I hope they improve it.
• Bluesky posts are finally visible if you’re not logged in
  ❝ Bluesky remains an invite-only decentralized Twitter alternative, but now, you don’t need to be logged in to be able to see posts on the platform. The app has a new logo, too.