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Howard Waldrop 1946-2024
Howard Waldrop, award winning speculative fiction author of stories such as The Ugly Chickens and Night of the Cooters died on 14 January age 77.
Waldrop was a true original and wrote many short stories that often played with alternative history or remixes of other SF and fantasy stories by drawing on a large and eclectic knowledge of history and genre. He never achieved wide popularity but he was well known and appreciated within the SFF community.
An image of Hercules, standing alone, carrying his club above his head
Steven Morris (The Guardian, 01/01/2024), "Cerne Abbas giant is Hercules and was army meeting point, say historians" (archive.org). Thomas Morcom and Helen Gittos (Speculum, Jan. 2024), "The Cerne Giant in Its Early Medieval Context" (PDF): "This huge, naked figure was cut into a Dorset hillside not, as many have supposed, in prehistory, nor in the early modern period, but in the early Middle Ages ... In this article, we propose an explanation for when and why he was originally cut as an image of Hercules." Hercules in the Old English Liber Monstrorum. Hercules in an Old English dream book. Hercules in Ælfric's Lives of Saints. Previouslies: 2021. 2019, 2007, and also 2007.
Ello? Goodbye.
Social Networking site Ello, is no more.
The earth-science equivalent of an urban legend
This is not to say that there is no climatological mystery to be explained. The countries of northern Europe do indeed have curiously mild climates, a phenomenon I didn't really appreciate until I moved from Liverpool to New York. I arrived in the Big Apple just before a late-summer heat wave, at a time when the temperature soared to around 35 degrees Celsius. I had never endured such blistering temperatures. And just a few months later I was awestruck by the sensation of my nostrils freezing when I went outside. Nothing like that happens in England, where the average January is 15 to 20 degrees warmer than what prevails at the same latitude in eastern North America. So what keeps my former home so balmy in the winter? And why do so many people credit the Gulf Stream? from The Source of Europe's Mild Climate
The foremost classical music satirist of all time
Peter Schickele, aka Professor Schickele, Head of the Department of Musical Pathology at the University of Southern North Dakota at Hoople, sometimes performing as P.D.Q. Bach, the "pimple on the face of music," longtime host of the public radio show Schickele Mix, died yesterday at his home in Bearsville, NY. He was 88.
It's not you, it's SERP
Research confirms that search is getting worse.
We all feel it. Some scientists have measured it. "We can conclude that higher-ranked pages are on average more optimized, more monetized with affiliate marketing, and they show signs of lower text quality." Link above is to an article on The Register. Link to original paper.
I didn't expect to be here. I'm small time.
Dorothy Gambrell of Cat and Girl (which has been running for almost 25 years now... pre·vi·ous·ly) has a new comic reflecting "on being listed in the court document of artists whose work was used to train Midjourney with 4,000 of my closest friends and Willem de Kooning."
I can't accept drum 'n' bass, we need jungle I'm afraid.
Brainy quiz show University Challenge gets pedantic over the difference between drum 'n' bass and jungle, and Nathan Filer calls for remixes of Amol Rajan's insistence that "We need jungle I'm afraid!!" The internet responds. My favourites: One Two Three Four. Amol explains his delight at going viral.
This 288-Million-Year-Old Fossilized Scrap of Skin Is the World's Oldest
This 288-Million-Year-Old Fossilized Scrap of Skin Is the World's Oldest. The remains, found in an Oklahoma cave, belonged to a lizard-like reptile.
Surprisingly It's Not Muscular Fan Struggles With Water Bottle
Baseball And The Algorithm:
The MLB YouTube channel has posted 291,289 videos. If you had to guess what happens in the video with the very most views, what would you say?
The Post Office Fujitsu Horizon scandal
Mr Bates vs. The Post Office
(video preview) is a dramatised account of the Post Office Fujitsu Horizon scandal [previously].
Full background of the case is available in 'The Great Post Office Trial' a series of BBC Radio podcasts from 2020.
At the end of 2023 not a single postmaster has been given full financial compensation, making the compensation scheme a second scandal in itself.
So few claims have been processed that the compensation pot has been reduced by half.
Meanwhile as the Post Office Horizon inquiry concludes, lawyers say enough evidence has emerged for police to consider prosecuting former Post Office executives, which may include Paula Vennells CBE, the former CEO of Post Office Ltd.
Jennell Jaquays, 1956-2024
Rebecca Heineman on Blue Sky today: "Until we meet again… Jennell Jaquays 10/14/1956 - 01/10/2024." Intro to a 2022 interview: "an accomplished artist whose works were published in many D&D and other products; her adventures the Dark Tower and Caverns of Thracia are held up to this day as examples of the best in dungeon design, and after working in the tabletop industry moved over to computer gaming where she worked on the Quake franchise." In 2017, she was inducted into the Gaming Hall of Fame. RPGGeek entry listing her many publications. Memorial threads at EN World, r/RPG, and r/OSR.
Finding Copernicus's grave
Copernicus's grave was lost for centuries. An unlikely discovery finally solved the mystery. A team of archaeologists discovered the remains of the 16th-century father of modern astronomy, who was the first to demonstrate that the Earth orbits the Sun.
Slow for everyone? Or just me?
I've noticed that MetaFilter pages are coming up slower than usual for me, here on the east coast of the US. It's regularly taking between 2 and 18 seconds for content to show. This is isn't the case for my connection on other web sites. So, I ran some page load measuring tools that try to get a sense for how things load from various places in the world.
Bloop blooped
Source of mysterious underwater BLOOP found.
The loudest sound ever recorded underwater, a mystery until now.
Previously.
I moved to Finland after reading it's the happiest place on Earth.
It's exceeded all my expectations.
Working in Finland has been easier than other roles I've held because there's less bureaucracy here. I don't need to ask permission to speak to different people in the company, and my values and opinions on my work are respected.
A Blind Crusader Can be King
After around a year and a half of work, this mod for Crusader Kings 3 has hit version 1.0. It converts the game's very graphical UI into plain text, and is thus screen reader accessible, thanks to OCR software.
The King and the Kickboxer
"Five years ago, an unusual image appeared on Instagram. It showed Mohammed VI, the 54-year-old king of Morocco, sitting on a sofa next to a muscular man in sportswear. The two men were pressed up next to each other with matching grins like a pair of kids at summer camp. Moroccans were more accustomed to seeing their king alone on a gilded throne. The story behind the picture was even stranger. Abu Azaitar, the 32-year-old man sitting next to the king, is a veteran of the German prison system as well as a mixed-martial-arts (mma) champion." From April of this year, The Economist's 1843 Magazine, "The mystery of Morocco’s missing king."
combine channels?
I want a single chronological list of posts -- blue, askmefi, meta, fanfare, whatever -- all pouring down and intermingled in the order in which they were posted. Let me just select or clear a checkbox for each channel that's possible to include in the combined list. Can we do that? Would others be interested in browsing like that?
Gold for Whom?
The ACLU of Delaware filed a complaint arguing that too many Deaf children are being referred to Deaf schools.
When the ACLU of Delaware filed a complaint against the Delaware Department of Education earlier this month, calling for the investigation into the Department's treatment of Deaf children, it raised some eyebrows. When they argued that the state was keeping Deaf students from the Least Restrictive Environment by sending them to the Deaf school, more eyebrows were raised. When they further argued that Listening and Spoken Language, a trademarked certification for oral-only education given out solely by AG Bell association, designated by some in the Deaf community as a hate group and who claim they can "make Deaf people hear", was the "gold standard" for Deaf education...well, you can imagine what happened next....
Ian Thorpe the Wombat Update
Ian Thorpe the swimming wombat has been released back into the wild. Just fyi.
You’re Supposed To Be Glad Your Tesla Is A Brittle Heap Of Junk
"Tesla cars are shoddily built pieces of shit liable to fall apart and malfunction in dangerous ways at inopportune moments. No, this is not a blog from 2012! It is also not a blog from 2015 or 2018 or 2022. On Wednesday, Reuters published a big, thorough investigative story documenting a pattern of major parts failures on low-mileage Tesla vehicles—and Tesla's organized years-long effort to obscure the pattern and offload its costs onto drivers, so as to sustain the illusion that it is a profitable company making cars that are not piece-of-shit death traps. The reason Tesla hasn't "worked all the bugs out yet" is that the company is run by people who hold established best practice in ideological contempt, and is defined by a tech-industry culture that fetishizes innovation and regards product quality as a third-order concern."
no one knows who created skull trumpet (until now)
YouTuber Jeffiot goes digging for the origins of skull trumpet / doot doot / mr skeltal, and ends up taking a trip to the early web heyday of animated gif art, and ruminating on creativity and legacy
Jon Solomon has done this for 35 years
Hold back against the darkness
Jon Solomon does the thing again. His 35th anniversary Christmas marathon is live on WPRB, going through 6 pm EST tomorrow. If you like off-of-center Christmas music, or are just looking for something to do in the next 20 odd hours, Jon Solomon is here for you.
Asteroid bits, fast spaceships, JuMBOs, a space battle, space cat video
December 2023 solstice from space.
Let's check in on humanity's solar system exploration before 2024 kicks in.
We Like Trains
Trimming With the Devil in Green Bay
wherein the Satanic Temple causes a free speech brouhaha at the National Railroad Museum by trimming a Christmas tree perfectly within the museum guidelines
Eruption has happened on Icelandic peninsula
As reported previously on the Blue, geologists were monitoring a buildup of magma under the Reykjanes peninsula, with earthquakes and other seismic activity reported in the region. Subsidence of said phenomena had researchers stating that risk of eruption had lessened - until the 18th, when said eruption finally occurred.
Gävlebocken 2023 - Carol of the Birds
The Gävle goat is back for 2023, and is facing a new peril. Jackdaws have descended on this year's sculpture and are pulling it apart to eat the seeds left within the straw. 2022's goat survived thanks to a double fence and 24 hour guards, what will it mean if this year's goat falls to natural forces instead of arson?
inside of these guys there's some bones
Are you afraid of sardines? Do you have a can of them stored in your cupboard waiting for you to get the courage to try them out? Don't worry, Matthew Carlson has a video for you explaining how to eat canned sardines. Watched that and you have some questions? He tries to answer them. Convinced and now you're hungry? He has reviewed and eaten 100+ different cans of sardines (and other fish) in the Canned Fish Files for you to choose from.
Substackers Against Nazis
Today, December 14, 2023, a group of Substack publishers (also known as creators or writers) sent an open letter to the founders of Substack by publishing it in their individual newsletters. After salutations, the letter begins, "According to a piece written by Substack publisher Jonathan M. Katz and published by The Atlantic on November 28, this platform has a Nazi problem. ... We, your publishers, want to hear from you on the official Substack newsletter. Is platforming Nazis part of your vision of success? Let us know—from there we can each decide if this is still where we want to be. Signed, Substackers Against Nazis."
You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch
On December 1, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan rejected Donald Trump's claim that he had "presidential immunity" that makes exempt from criminal prosecution. (Full decision.)
IMPOTUS is appealing the ruling in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, putting the case on hold. But Special Counsel Jack Smith is making some moves.
I’ve had a really good time on here. I’ve also had a really bad time.
2023 Will Go Down as the Year Twitter Died.
A multipart package from The Verge looking at Twitter, for better and for worse.
Jezebel is back
Jezebel has arisen from a fresh grave.
Previously the death knell of an influential, if not universally loved, staunchly feminist, and fond of snark has a resurrection story by way of Paste Magazine.
A Name For The Now
In a meta-analysis of Kyle Chayka’s New Yorker essay about “what to call our chaotic era”, MetaFilter / Kuro5hin’s own Rusty Foster goes (slightly) long in his Today In Tabs newsletter about how the right name for the current era is “the Jackpot” -pace William Gibson-, Cormac McCarthy, and keeping going.
You want year-end best-of album lists?
Following on the recent Rolling Stone best albums of 2023 posting and with a few media outlets yet to weigh in, a few more best-of lists from the media jungle, compiled for your reference and enjoyment.
Washington Post goes on strike Thursday
On Thursday, the Washington Post's workers are going on strike for 24 hours. They've worked now for 18 months without a satisfactory contract, there have already been layoffs, 240 staff have been offered buyouts, and the owners are now threatening more layoffs. The staff have asked people not to engage with Washington Post content on December 7 from midnight to midnight (a full day). They also encourage you to send a letter to the Post's leaders asking them to stop the cuts and give a fair deal to employees.