The first and most important lesson of the past few years is obviously the fact that competence is a moral issue, rather than simply a practical one. It is the mechanism that allows you to act in the world, to impose yourself on it. There can therefore be no meaningful morality without competence. Without it, we cannot secure the good. We can only wish for it. And that wish will be forlorn, deprived as it is of the measures by which it could be asserted.

So the aftermath of the Internet exploding is inevitably going to come with ambivalent, and even bittersweet, feelings. Many of us are probably going to miss the amazing sense of connection we have with people all around the globe and the book recommendations, free recipes and gardening tips, but, to no less an extent, are probably going to be extremely relieved to no longer be quite so pressured by corporations to be rampantly interested in our own surfaces or be beset by the constant lingering sense that we are arguing with people we've never met about a version of ourselves that doesn't exist. Yes, having go into the city to our bank to transfer some money, just like we did during the 20th Century, will be a pain. But I am looking forward to being able to relax while eating some salty snacks without worrying about the way their residue sticks to my thumb and makes my online banking app impossible to open. It's a case of swings and roundabouts. from What Will Life Really Be Like After The Internet Gets Incinerated? by Tom Cox [The Villager]

anime food · anime food · anime food · anime food · anime food · anime hamburgers · anime hamburgers · anime sky · anime rain · anime architecture · anime stairs · anime signage · anime power lines [prev] · anime backgrounds · anime hair · anime eyes · anime glasses · anime trains · anime computers · anime floppy disks · anime brands

Waterfront real estate for $450,000. 4 bedroom, 1 bath. 360 degree ocean views. 2.5 miles off shore at the mouth of the Potomac River.

Smith Point Lighthouse isn't for the faint of heart (or stomach). Getting there, about three miles from shore, requires a journey by boat that can take up to an hour on a choppy day. The entrance consists of two corroded ladders wobbling with every gust of wind. A railing with missing rungs hovers above the tempestuous waters below. More photos here. Previously & Previously

One of the best things to come out of Oklahoma is the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation Twitter account. Sarah is stepping down as the leader of the OKWildlifeDept twitter account. We will all miss her a lot.

In these few short years, America's newly opening landscapes—residential, rural, and the fastest routes between them—were given a visual identity by the federal government. If olive drab and its ilk were the colors of Tom Brokaw's Greatest Generation, then the hues of the first revision were those of America's well-branded internal expansion. Every mailbox, park sign, and highway mile-marker was another tiny flag planted by a growing nation, proclaiming its new success with the same methods and military sensibility that had recently secured it a starring role on the international stage. Though they're brighter and friendlier, the colors and rules that dictated the look of American infrastructure's mid-century boom are every bit as ordered as a dispatch from the Quartermaster Corps. from Americhrome [The Morning News]

AMS Standard 595

Welcome to the website dedicated to preserving the Civil War history & record of the men of the 13th Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteer infantry. The site was launched June 2, 2008. Since that time over 60 pages of detailed history have been added. These pages include newspaper stories, soldiers letters, diaries, memoirs, photos, and post-war reminiscences.... Content warning for language, racism, and violence.

It cost a recruit $12.50 for the privilege of enlisting in the exclusive 4th Battallion of Rifles, but before considering the fee, the applicant needed to be approved by a vote from members of the Boston Militia group. In spite of the cost there were plenty of applicants & there was no problem filling each company to its full compliment of men. The four rifle companies of the Fourth Battallion, Companies A, B, C, & D, became the nucleus of the 13th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteers (...) Many of these men chose to go directly to the seat of war as privates in the 13th rather than wait for a chance at an officer's commission with another organization.(...) "They are a damned insubordinate lot," said brigade commander General John J. Abercrombie when asked what kind of troops they were. Amongst the material gathered here is this outstanding story attributed to (Union) Lieutenant Edward Rollins: Dr. Stringfellow's Slaves

Wind River Pride organizes an annual pride festival and advocates for LGBT+ people in central Wyoming. Last year their annual pride parade was disrupted by a far right group, they did not let that stop them this year.

BEAST IN BLACK - Power Of The Beast [Single Link, YouTube] – Contains: Falsetto, power metal, colorful outfits, spiky bits, AND SUPER EURO BEAT.

The awkward, inspiring, completely out-there inside story of 'Napoleon Dynamite'. Twenty years later, the proud weirdos who made the movie look back on their deadpan classic.(WaPo gift link, archive)

Mosqpedia is an encyclopedia of winners of the triennial Abdullatif Al Fozan Award for Mosque Architecture, focused on contemporary ideas in mosque design and construction. The award also has a YouTube channel with short documentaries in a variety of languages, including English, that discuss the architects' design decisions.

- The "winners" link is from the entry for the Naji Hamshari Mosque in Amman, Jordan. - Not all of the mosques are modernist; many are in a more traditional style, like this one.

Supreme Court Upholds Ban on Sleeping Outdoors (NYT)

Supreme Court Says Ban on Homeless Camping Does Not Violate Constitution (WaPo) Supreme Court Allows Policy Targeting Homeless People (NBC) Supreme Court Rules Cities May Enforce Laws Against Homeless Encampments (LA Times) Supreme Court Gives Cities More Power to Crack Down on Homeless Camps (CalMatters) Supreme Court posts get a Supremes song: here's 'Tumbling Tumbleweeds.'

"The Supreme Court on Friday reduced the authority of executive agencies, sweeping aside a longstanding legal precedent that required courts to defer to the expertise of federal administrators in carrying out laws passed by Congress. The precedent, Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council, is one of the most cited in American law. There have been 70 Supreme Court decisions relying on Chevron, along with 17,000 in the lower courts. The decision threatens regulations in countless areas, including the environment, health care and consumer safety." Supreme Court Overrules Chevron Doctrine, Imperiling an Array of Federal Rules (NYT; archive)

SCOTUSBlog on the likely effects. Elie Mystal: "Conservatives have now completed their generational goals of overturning Abortion, Affirmative Action, and Chevron. If y'all don't think Obergefell and gay marriage is next on the chopping block, you must read the New York Times."

Bloomberg article "We work hard to live up to our Mission and Values every day and represent the values of the communities and customers we serve. We have heard from customers that we have disappointed them. We have taken this feedback to heart."

"Going forward, we will ensure our activities and giving tie directly to our business. For instance, this means we will: 1. No longer submit data to the Human Rights Campaign 2. Refocus our Team Member Engagement Groups on mentoring, networking and supporting the business 3. Further focus on rural America priorities including ag education, animal welfare, veteran causes and being a good neighbor and stop sponsoring nonbusiness activities like pride festivals and voting campaigns 4. Eliminate DEI roles and retire our current DEI goals while still ensuring a respectful environment 5. Withdraw our carbon emission goals and focus on our land and water conservation efforts" This is the company that owns PetSense. Apparently this is a product of a campaign on Twitter by "Robby Starbuck" brought about via the company's webpage comment field.

In the Grand Hall, miles of new grout secure 29,000 Guastavino ceiling tiles, while in the south concourse a glass roof now protects original brickwork (miraculously intact despite flooding). All throughout Michigan Central Station, stonework has been refreshed or replaced, lighting faithfully reproduced, and period details revived thanks to some 1.7 million hours of work. "They poured their memories and love for Detroit into this project" [Architectural Digest] previously

Some things might be classics because they're just plain good. There was a lot of crap published around the same time, and most of it has rightly been forgotten, but some was great even by the standards of today. Like, maybe if you published Pride and Prejudice today, it would be received as "ah yes, this is an excellent entry in the niche genre of Regency-era romance. The few hundred committed fans of that genre will be very excited, and people who dabble in it will be well-advised to pick this one out". But as I said above, I don't think the Iliad meets that bar. from Book review: the Iliad [A Reasonable Approximation]

Why this sunken island is changing the way we think about myths. Legend has it a jealous husband used a wave curse to sink Teonimenu into the ocean forever. Scientists have worked out what really happened.

President Biden debates a rapist and convicted felon with the future of the world on the line. Some national and international sites to watch the debate online.

While I hold my hand over my eyes, I need those brave members of Metafilter to peek between their fingers and tell me all is well.

Back in April a group of transit riders protested in front of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority headquarters. Their demands? If the MBTA's subways and trains can't be reliable they should at least be made more relatable by decorating them with large googly eyes. And now after months of campaigning, five of the T's trains and trolleys have been made a little friendlier.

I have chosen to shape this personal collection with a few criteria given the availability of various carabiner models. My primary interest and expertise is in tree climbing, which uses locking carabiners almost exclusively. As such, I primarily focus on the acquisition of locking carabiners, but non-lockers have been produced in far greater numbers, for much longer. Non-lockers tend to highlight changes or dead-ends of carabiner design and seem to keep showing up in my collection... plus I'm not one to toss aside a carabiner even if it's a little boring.

Terminology Guide Categories: Triple-Action Twist Lock; Twist Lock; Slide Lock; Screw Lock; Other Locking; Multi-Gate; Non-Locking; Gated-Hook; Accessory; All Carabiners Virtual Exhibits Other Thoughts

there are one million checkboxes, and checking a box checks it for everyone [via rockpapershotgun]

Pushpum green energy project puts Yakama tribe in a bind. "Problems arose when the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the agency in charge of permitting hydro energy projects, offered the Yakama Nation what tribal leaders considered an impossible choice: disclose confidential ceremonial, archaeological and cultural knowledge, or waive the right to consult on whether and how the site is developed. This put the Yakama Nation in a bind.

Disclosing exactly what made the land sacred risked revealing to outsiders what they treasured most about it. In the past, disclosure of information about everything from food to archaeological sites enabled non-Natives to loot or otherwise desecrate the land." "The Yakama Nation feared similar outcomes if it fully participated in FERC's consultation process over the Goldendale development. But there are alternatives. The United Nations recognizes Indigenous peoples' right to affirmatively consent to development on their sacred lands. A similar model was included in state legislation in Washington three years ago, but Gov. Jay Inslee vetoed it. The requirements of the consultation process are poorly defined, and state and federal agencies interpret them in a broad range of ways. In the case of Pushpum, critics say that has allowed FERC to overlook tribal concerns. " "THE CONCERNS OVER FERC's engagement with the Yakama Nation are part of a wider discussion of U.S. government protections for tribal privacy and cultural resources. Speaking at a tribal energy summit in Tacoma in June 2023, Allyson Brooks, Washington's state historic preservation officer, said that even though the consent language was vetoed by the governor, state law for protecting confidentiality around tribal cultural properties is still stronger than federal law, which only protects confidentiality if a site is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. In Washington, if a tribal historic preservation officer says, "'X marks the spot; this is sacred,' we say, 'OK,'" Brooks declared. "

The inner ear bones from this close relative of ours suggest both that they had Down syndrome and that they were cared for by their community.

This money is an absolute lifeline," said Jaime Green, superintendent of Trinity Alps Unified in Trinity County, where more than 70% of the land is owned by the U.S. Forest Service. "If it doesn't get renewed, thousands of people in rural communities will lose their jobs, thousands of children will be harmed. It's mind boggling to me that we're in this position. The Secure Rural Schools program, [see USFS payment history] which brings extra money to counties with large swaths of untaxable public land, faces an uncertain future in Congress as it awaits renewal. Despite bipartisan support, the program has yet to pass on its own or as part a larger funding bill. If it doesn't pass, it will expire.

An interview with the Director of the Rural Schools Collaborative, Taylor McCabe-Juhnke:

"In many rural communities, public schools are the largest employers, and, often, these schools are the last vestige of public infrastructure that engages the people of a given community. Therefore, the role of the teacher in a small town is often outsized. We believe that rural America is approaching a very tough intersection—a crossroads where the undermining of public institutions meets what is a very real rural teacher shortage."

The National Rural Education Association is proud to release Why Rural Matters 2023: Centering Equity and Opportunity — the 10th in a series of reports analyzing the contexts and conditions of rural education in each of the 50 states [and source of post-title statistic.]

There are many faces of rural: from remote Indigenous reservations in the West, to small towns in the Great Plains and Midwest, to the Mississippi Delta and Southern "Black Belt," to Appalachia and New England. Rural can look different in each state: a town of a few thousand people, or tiny communities located several hours or even days from the nearest city, as is the case in parts of Alaska. Meeting the needs of nearly 10 million children is a challenge and an obligation that demands and deserves collective attention across the United States. Fulfilling that obligation requires educators, policymakers, caregivers, students, citizens, and employers to deepen our understanding of rural education issues and to move beyond simplistic and often harmful notions about rural schools and their communities.

Students at Echo Glen High School, who are incarcerated at a children's prison in Snoqualmie, Washington, have been making short films about their lives. To protect their privacy you usually do not see the students' faces or hear their voices.

In "Walk One Mile," the youth came up with images to expand on a poem written by one of their fellow students. "Letter to God" is also based on student poem; in this one you see one of the youth, as she was old enough to choose to be filmed (she said there was already plenty of bad stuff about her out there, so she'd like to have some good stuff). In "Please Understand," the students were given whiteboards to say what they would like people to know about them. The animated "Reflecting Resilience" has interviews with the students.

Cannon Films Promo Reel '86 - Half of These Were Never Made! [slyt] Shows planned upcoming films from Cannon Films when they were arguably at their Golan-Globus height in the mid-eighties. Mostly shlock, but some surprisingly serious films in there. (Also, it was more like about two-thirds of them were made, although many of those sank without a trace.)

I was going to make a big post listing all of them and which ones were made, but YT commenter @robmclean4352 already did in the top-voted comment. (Don't know if it's possible to link directly to a comment; I'm pretty sure that it's not kosher to copy-and-paste something like that.)

Schoolhouse Rock! Rocks is a tribute album released in 1995 containing cover tracks by major local bands, including one of the last recordings made by Blind Melon's Shannon Hoon before his death (3 is a Magic Number).

Track listing "Schoolhouse Rocky" - Bob Dorough and Friends "I'm Just A Bill" - Deluxx Folk Implosion "Three Is a Magic Number" - Blind Melon "Conjunction Junction" - Better Than Ezra "Electricity, Electricity" - Goodness "No More Kings" - Pavement "The Shot Heard 'Round the World" - Ween "My Hero, Zero" - The Lemonheads "The Energy Blues" - Biz Markie "Little Twelvetoes" - Chavez "Verb: That's What's Happening" - Moby "Interplanet Janet" - Man or Astro-man? "Lolly, Lolly, Lolly, Get Your Adverbs Here" - Buffalo Tom "Unpack Your Adjectives" - Daniel Johnston "The Tale of Mr. Morton" - Skee-Lo

Kittie is back with a new album, Fire. Metal Hammer says: "A supremely assured return from a band who are intent on creating something fresh, new and exciting."

Previously.

The following message is for workers from the planet BARBARBARA currently stationed on EDITÉ-FRIGNIM or "EARTH." It's by Peter Serafinowicz, and it involves our fantastic plans to construct human replicas and Eiffel Towers. Now, stand by for our fantastic leader, ARPOOVIAN SHEBBER-SHENTY!

. . I was sure I first saw this video linked from Metafilter, but a search didn't reveal its post. I had figured that it probably got hit by an account wipe. Which would have meant that it's no longer a double, thus there was no reason not to post it again! But... on preview, the old post did turn up, from EXISTENZ IS PAUSED here. Thanks, wild E.I.P.! So, this is a double, but it's a double after eleven years, so I'm posting it under the recently relaxed attitudes towards ancient doubles. It's another classic by Peter Serafinowicz, and it's been lodged in my brain since I first saw it. I still often can't resist playing it at MST Club.

The Real Story of the Crisis at the Washington Post (The Atlantic gift, Brian Stelter)

included within a recent announcement by the the Internet Archive is a list of banned books. this is a great resource! started reading & only got as far as Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe [gbooks]. there's apparently also a film. looking forward to exploring further! thank you Internet Archive folx ❤️❤️❤️

A desire for a loud car with a modified muffler is predicted by being a man and higher scores on psychopathy and sadism.

...for their meal - and apparently it is becoming more common in Britain.' Guardian: 'Some people may think they are able to justify their actions morally. "It may be reasoning that restaurants make so much profit that they won't miss a few pounds, or: 'They charge too much anyway, they're ripping me off, I'm just reciprocating,'" he says. Others, says Beattie, may put the emphasis on those they are close to: "'OK, the waiter might get into a bit of trouble, but hey, I'm treating my family.'" Or they may view it as a minor indiscretion in the scheme of things: "Hey, you think this is bad? Look at politicians! They're always cheating and stealing! This is nothing in comparison."'

Related: * In a plot twist - the psychology professor interviewed in the Guardian admits to previously being in a 'dine and dash'. * BBC: Dine-and-dash couple jailed and fined. * Law Society Gazette: 'Dine and dash' solicitor struck off. * BBC: Restaurant to charge upfront due to 'dine and dash'. * Yahoo News UK: Rise in 'dine and dash' customers blamed on police 'not taking action'. * BBC: Dine and dash hitting business hard - restaurateur.

When I first told friends about the latest turn my reading had taken, I got a lot of blank stares at first but soon fell into a delightful text exchange with a friend who has a Ph.D. and who also read Morning Glory Milking Farm. She sent me a link to Hermione Granger–Draco Malfoy fanfic that she said had taught her a lot about BDSM. I started to realize that, though many of us may be out here walking around with the latest literary fiction from Riverhead or Pantheon in our tote bags, our phones runneth over with stories of men with tails and two dicks. from Falling for a Minotaur [The Cut; ungated] [Text is probably NSFW]

One of a swelling series in The Cut's Summer of Smut

Los Angeles History Project: Raymond Chandler's L.A. a.k.a. The Los Angeles History Project: Trouble in Angel City Youtube link 28m alt link: American Archive of Public Broadcasting 31m

In 1988, Los Angeles PBS affiliate produced this half hour video telling of a particular 1930s scandal, the likes of which were inspiration to a hungry writer of pulp fiction, Raymond Chandler. Narrated by Richard Widmark. The story covers a bit of the Clifford Clinton bombing. Clinton, a L.A. restaurant owner and aspiring reform politico, drew the ire of Mayor Frank L. Shaw. Shaw sent Captain Earl Kynette, leader of the LAPD intelligence squad, to intimidate Clinton by bombing his house, and attempting to kill private eye Harry J. Raymond, who was in the employ of Clinton. The tricks failed and the aftermath upended Shaw and his administration.

A cursed movie intermission reel from Peter Serafinowicz. (3 minutes)

The Longform podcast has ended after 12 years. The final two episodes have been posted, including an interview with John Jeremiah Sullivan and a bonus mailbag episode in which the three hosts - Aaron Lammer, Max Linsky, and Evan Ratliff - discuss the end of the show and receive some questions and messages from the audience. The New York Times talked to the hosts last week. The web site, Longform.org, from which the podcast sprang in 2012, was known for recommending longform writing from 2010 to 2021. As discussed in the mailbag episode, their plan is to leave the archives of both the web site and podcast up and available for readers and listeners to enjoy.

BreakTime – I made a game. It's called BreakTime. It's Breakout (aka Brick Breaker) running inside Google Calendar. Your meetings are bricks. It (optionally) declines the meetings you destroy.

How this remote Indigenous community has reduced every resident's power bill by 70 per cent. An Indigenous-owned solar farm, the first to be connected to a power grid, has been opened in the Northern Territory remote community of Marlinja.

Around the sun, into orbit, towards the asteroids, to the moon and back again It's been too long since an update on humanity's space exploration. Let's catch up. There's a lot going on:

Sun NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory imaged Sol firing off two strong solar flares. The European Space Agency (ESA) published close-up footage of the Sun taken by the Solar Orbiter. Venus Researchers used Magellan spacecraft data from the early 1990s to determine that Venus probably has some ongoing volcanic activity. On Earth's surface Construction on the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile is nearly finished. In Texas SpaceX wants to produce one Starship rocket per day in their impending StarFactory. From Earth to orbit Successes: after months of delays, Boeing's Starliner finally launched and carried two astronauts to dock with the International Space Station (ISS), albeit with persistent helium leaks and thruster problems (previously). SpaceX launched and for the first time successfully splashed down a Starship. SpaceX reports it now carries 87% of orbital tonnage. A Long March 2C rocket carried a Franco-Chinese satellite, the Space Variable Objects Monitor (SVOM), into orbit to study gamma ray bursts. NASA's first Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment (PREFIRE) cubesat rode a Rocket Lab Electron rocket from Māhia, New Zealand into orbit, followed by another. Rocket Lab also orbited a South Korean Earth observing satellite as well as a solar sail experiment. GOES-U, the fourth and final satellite in the Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) – R Series, rode a Falcon Heavy into orbit. South Korea confirmed a North Korean launch failed to reach orbit. In Earth orbit "For the first time in history, three different crewed vehicles, Starliner, SpaceX's Dragon, and Russia's Soyuz, were all simultaneously docked" at the ISS. Zebrafish on the Tiangong space station are "showing directional behavior anomalies, such as inverted swimming and rotary movement." (video) NASA has delayed Starliner's return indefinitely. Leaks on the ISS are a persistent problem. The Hubble space telescope lost another gyroscope. An astronaut wants to help. Back down to Earth The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is working on making its space missions free of debris. A video clip shows a Chinese rocket falling near a village. NASA confirmed that SpaceX debris fell on North Carolina. Earth's moon Chang'e-6 (嫦娥六号) blasted off from Earth, traveled to the moon, then landed in the South Pole–Aitken basin, taking a selfie, and planting a flag made of stone. Two days later its ascender lifted off, carrying two kilograms of lunar material, which it delivered to its orbiter, which then transported the stuff successfully to the Earth's surface. (mix of official video footage and animation) Lunar plans: Roscosmos and the China National Space Administration (CNSA) announced their intention to build a nuclear power plant on the moon by 2035. A Japanese billionaire canceled his planned lunar trip. Mars The ESA and NASA agreed on a shared Martian rover project. NASA awarded nine companies grants to develop feasibility studies for Martian missions. To the asteroids Beyond the orbit of Mars, heading to its first asteroid, NASA's Psyche spacecraft fired up its electric thrusters. A research team applied AI to Hubble data and found more than 1,000 new asteroids. Saturn NASA approved funding for the Dragonfly mission to Titan. In the Kuiper belt Voyager 1 restarted sending data all the way back to Earth. (previously) Way, way beyond the solar system The James Webb space telescope imaged the farthest known galaxy, JADES-GS-z14-0.

"Within a week of actual research, we just threw out the term information literacy," says Yasmin Green, Jigsaw's CEO. Gen Zers, it turns out, are "not on a linear journey to evaluate the veracity of anything." Instead, they're engaged in what the researchers call "information sensibility" — a "socially informed" practice that relies on "folk heuristics of credibility." In other words, Gen Zers know the difference between rock-solid news and AI-generated memes. They just don't care. from Google studied Gen Z. What they found is alarming. [Business Insider; ungated]

Includes: 13 slang words Gen Zers are using in 2024 and what they really mean

While investigating the heinous Osage murders for his new book, David Grann also came to know the victims' faces: One day in 2012, when I was visiting the Osage Nation Museum, in Oklahoma, I saw a panoramic photograph on the wall. Taken in 1924, the picture showed members of the Osage Nation alongside white settlers, but a section had been cut out. When I asked the museum director why, she said it contained the image of a figure so frightening that she'd decided to remove it. She then pointed to the missing panel and said, "The devil was standing right there."

The Breeders play a pared-back, acoustically-centered set of four songs from 1993's enduring and definitive grunge-pop masterpiece Last Splash LP. No Cannonballs allowed, though; this was recorded amongst the peaceful redwoods and rocks in California's Big Sur, about 100 yards away from a small audience of surprised hikers. It's Glorious.

Sarah Brown on scented candles and perfume descriptions. One of the all-time greats [of fever dream copy] was Byredo announcing their Palermo perfume back in 2010 with this: "With clacking oars the Phoenicians arrived millennia ago to found their center of ancient exchange. Under golden Roman yoke the port gained gleaming palaces and mosaics. Ostrogoths, Vandals, and Byzantines alternately wrecked and rebuilt." Take Jessica DeFino's quiz on whether you can distinguish actual perfumes from fake: "Picture a Barbie melting in a hot car: vanilla, candy floss, white summer florals, hedione, cashmeran, ambroxan, musk, strawberry, ginger. The artificial epitome of sex."

"Japanese scientists have found a way to attach living skin to robot faces, for more realistic smiles and other facial expressions. [...] The prototype may appear more Haribo than human-like. But the researchers say it paves the way to making convincingly realistic, moving humanoids with self-healing skin that will not easily rip or tear." (BBC, paper)

I can't believe I get to insert my favorite Alan Turing quote, which has been in my profile forever, but my moment has come: "No engineer or chemist claims to be able to produce a material which is indistinguishable from the human skin. It is possible that at some time this might be done, but even supposing this invention available we should feel there was little point in trying to make a 'thinking machine' more human by dressing it up in such artificial flesh."

AMC's Interview with the Vampire has been renewed for its third season in the run up to the final episode of season two this weekend. [Note: all links may contain spoilers!]

Despite rave critical and audience reviews, IWTV has struggled to gain traction, which may be partially due to AMC's lack of marketing and poor scheduling which has resulted in the show not being eligible for the 2024 Emmy season. It may also have something to do with the way the show has always been unapologetic about its queerness, as well as the complex traumas faced by its main characters. But it's clear AMC is definitely hoping for more from these vampires. They've invested in the entire catalogue of Anne Rice's IPs (including the recently greenlit show about the shadowy supernatural organization The Talamasca, and the sadly lackluster Mayfair Witches) and with the news that IWTV will soon be coming to Netflix in the US, I know I'm hoping the future stays bright for these nasty children of darkness! (For anyone who wants to watch or rewatch the series, please join us on FanFare to discuss it and lie together on the floor while we're overcome with emotions.)