Starting with a little social responsibility...
The enjoyable NPR show, "This American Life" has done a follow-up to its most popular episode, "The Giant Pool of Money" with their latest installment: The aptly named (and reminiscent of horror films) "Return to the Giant Pool of Money." It's one of the better and easier to understand attempts to figure out and explain what went wrong during the economic meltdown, the mortgage crisis, etc. The show has a whole slew of broadcasts on the economy, which entertain while they horrify. If you like the analysis, the people behind a lot of these shows have a blog called Planet Money that has a thrice-weekly podcast. At the very least, it's nice to know how the handbasket got started on its journey down and some of the sights I might have failed to notice along the way. How I miss the days when David Sedaris' "Santaland Diaries" was the most listened to episode...
In other economic news, does anyone want to buy a self-aware humanity-destroying computer and an army of endoskeleton robots? The "Terminator" franchise looks to be up for sale, continuing its history as franchise that's traded hands more times than any other major (I dunno how they define "major") film franchise. It's also one of the few times I can think of where someone (in this case, the lovable Harlan Ellison) got a cash settlement from a film company for possible idea theft. In this case, James Cameron was quoted in "Starlog" and other sources as having gotten the idea for "The Terminator" from two old "Outer Limits" episodes Ellison wrote, "The Soldier" and "Demon with a Glass Hand." While I voiced a desire for a continuation of "The Sarah Connor Chronicles," I wonder if "The Terminator" franchise isn't in need of either mothballing or a "Battlestar Galactica" style reboot at some point, with a head writer who has an idea of where the tale begins, what happens in the middle, and how it ends. At the moment, the Terminator timeline is about as easy to follow as a serving of spaghetti as it's being run through a Cuisinart. They've got the "look" down in almost every film (though "Terminator 3" remains my least favorite of the series), it's just the story and the structure of the plots that really need a sci-fi geek's adherence to some basic "rules" for the narrative to follow.
Maybe we'll get a new crack at the T-800 after they're done re-doing the "Conan" movies.
I've not seen "Superman/Batman: Public Enemies" yet, but this preview for the unfortunately named "Crisis on Two Earths" looks pretty good. Although I will say there is no Batman other than Kevin Conroy, and there is no Lex Luthor other than Clancy Brown. Still, it sounds as if James Woods will do a decent job as the bad guy du jour, so I'll most likely have a decent level of eagerness to pick this one up.
So while I wait for more animated comic book goodness, here's a few distractions for the viewing audience:
- We need to sell these at our booth next con season: Baby's first C'thulhu.
- Here's a blog that, at the moment, is showcasing a nifty selection of vintage video game art.
- Another classic game link. Some mad genius has composed a song, the lyrics of which are a walkthrough for Zork.
- The old "cups and ball" trick done with some quite striking visual trickery.
- It's been a while, but here's some bacon-related postings. For starters, the effects of bacon theft in passive-aggressive note form.
- And alert reader Xyber Druid shows us a baconized Nodwick.com, and adds the page to visit if you want to make any site more delicious!
- We end our bacony evangelizing with The Bacon Eater's Manifesto. And may all your days be hickory smoked...
- A game of gravity and getting a marble-like object to the goal without suffering oblivion comes to us in the form of Spin the Black Circle 2. Re-orient the playfield to guide your marble home.
- If origami isn't challenging enough, your life is about to change: Here's how to make a papercraft TRON helmet.
- We close with another gravity-shape-puzzle game, Cuber. Build barriers, bridges, and other constructs to keep the smiley-ball from falling off of the screen or into places it's better off not visiting.