I finally got around to watching Bodies on Netflix (2023), and it was excellent — brilliantly done and perfectly entertaining sci-fi nonsense.
Peanut M&Ms maybe the greatest thing ever created.
Lost in the Dark Forest of the Modern Internet
I recently stumbled across an interview with David Mitchell which opens with him declaring that the internet is as harmful to humans as nuclear weapons. Two things to note: first, this is a five-year-old video; second, he’s a comedian who often uses hyperbole to sharpen his point. But in this case, there was a sincerity to his tone that I found haunting.
We all know that at least some people want a change in the way the internet is presented and used — this is most evident in the emergence of the fediverse but the meteoric rise and sudden fall of the Gemini protocol a few years ago also exemplified the widespread desire for countercultural change. (I understand that some individuals will claim that Gemini remains popular, but those people, unfortunately, are delusional.)
I watched WarGames again today with some friends. It’s aged surprisingly well, and John Wood’s performance is absolutely spot-on.
I just watched Electric State on Netflix and really enjoyed it. It was delightfully silly, visually striking, and fully embraced its simple story.
I haven’t been able to have a fulfilling writing session in a few weeks now, and I feel like my characters might be frustrated with me. When I’m finally ready to dive back into the depths of my writing, I know I’ll probably spend the first day editing. That’s just how it goes after taking a break.
As I get deeper into chess, I can’t shake the annoyance at my current skill level. There’s always the hope, that everything will click into place soon. Though In hindsight, learning chess seriously at 44 might not have been the most practical decision, but I’m determined to keep going.
From War Games to Web Gains
For many years, particularly during my teenage years, I secretly aspired to be like David Lightman. However, considering the pickle he found himself in, I can’t help but feel relieved that my efforts fell short. Besides, Cheyenne Mountain is quite far away. I suspect that WOPR has been replaced by a big ring now, which means I probably never stood a chance anyway. This focus on grand aspirations led me to believe that WordPress would serve as the permanent home for Dandelion-Utilitarian.
Niceferatu.net
After some consideration, tinkering, and general messing about, I’m pleased to confirm that Niceferatu.net is real! It’s just a place for my comic posts. It’s not a very good comic—but hey, at least I’m trying. This project is mainly to help me improve my drawing skills, with the hope of one day creating something more longform (like The Denouement novel, but as a comic). Anyway, this should keep dandelion-utilitarian.com safe from being overrun by badly drawn and very dry vampire comics.
I’m now pretty deep in the weeds of micro.blog customisation. Having a good time. ☺️
This is me, testing filters. Plz ignore
It's all on Micro.Blog now.
I’ve transitioned both Dandelion-utilitarian.com and hexdsl.com to the Dandelion-utilitarian.net platform, powered by Micro.blog. This may sound a bit complex, but simply put, I’m a huge fan of Micro.blog and believe it’s the ideal platform for consolidating my content. While those of you who enjoyed the WordPress site might have mixed feelings about this change, I think it’s a better fit given my reduced focus on videos and other online activities. Micro.
A Tumble, A Timeout, and a Lesson in Less
I remember watching a Batman movie and hearing Alfred say something that stuck with me. It wasn’t even a good Batman movie—if I recall correctly, it was the 1997 offering, Batman & Robin. The film itself doesn’t matter, but the words did. I remember them as: “A gentleman never discusses his health or finances.” I’m almost certain this wasn’t an original Alfred-ism but rather a phrase with Edwardian roots. Still, it resonated with me, and over the years, it became something of a guideline—not with close friends or family, but in everyday interactions.
hmmmm link between dandelion-utilitarian dot come and dot net seems to have broken. Can’t actually remember how that works. i think friend Wing did something to fix it but honestly, don’t recall. Though, I’m getting on so well with micro blog, I may just switch the whole site over to it.
I think I’m warming to StageManager on MacOS, I’m going to give it another spin in iPadOS, see if I can embrace that life. 😄
I think I'm back 😁
I Had an excellent evening of writing. It’s been about a week since I have managed to gather the focus required but I am starting to feel more like myself and generally returning to my usual Zen-like state. I will likely feel more equipped to return to usual activities in a few days. Also, drafted a blog about health, moods, and personal goals. I’ll proofread it tomorrow and post it. If I think its worthwhile once I go through it again
Dog Nappies, now with a pocket for smokes! #art (?)
Apparently I have done 1000 chess puzzles… you would think I would be better at them by now. www.chess.com/awards/da…
Just watched “The Gorge”. Really liked it. Best Diablo movie ever. It knew what it was and embraced it. Only have nice things to say.
Fiction post: The Ghost.
The ghost sat alone in his chair as it slowly spun in the ambient draft of the cold office. He was contemplating the wasted hours spent playing video games, making videos, and trying to build a community. The ghost was alone because the body he had once been attached to was currently out in the world. He didn’t care where—it could have been anywhere, really. The ghost gave no thought to where the body had gone, only that it was absent.
The ghost dragged the mouse around the desk like a caveman dragging a rock along the wall of a cave to make rudimentary artistic etchings. The ghost had far less lofty goals; he simply scrolled through Reddit for a bit and then checked in on some of the more problematic social networks. After a while, feeling ghastly, the ghost decided to check the comments on his ghost-ship of a YouTube channel. The ghost still cared about the channel—the remnants of things that could have been. He reflected on the fact that he had once been a quadruple-Z-list internet person of interest. He wanted to feel good about that, to reclaim some of the faded glory and paint it onto his ghostly form in hopes of using it to become a body of his own—maybe even become somebody.