#Classics of Outdated Technology

[techsnostalgia]

The story begins not with malice, but with extensibility. Microsoft introduced technologies like Browser Helper Objects (BHOs) with Internet Explorer 4 (1997). BHOs were essentially DLL files (Dynamic Link Libraries) that could hook directly into the browser, allowing third-party developers to add features and interface elements – toolbars being a prime example.  

[lordlyhour]

Love buying second-hand books online. went and bought myself a classic scifi book because I've owned the sequel to it for years, but never saw the original, and when it arrived, it had its original price sticker. and it's like. golly, bud, I sure did spend more than 37 and 1/2 P for you.

[prismit]

oh yeah btw it's wild to me how much better battery life on devices used to be. like if you take a fully charged nintendo switch, turn it off, and don't touch it for a few months, it'll probably be dead somehow by the time you check it again. meanwhile my classic ds has been sitting in my drawer for at least a year, but when i turned it on it was still fully charged and the battery indicator on the menu screen didn't even change from green after leaving it running for a few hours. i want to go back

[prince-liest]

The thing with Alastor versus Modern Stuff for me specifically comes down to his relationship with music. Because a lot of the jazz and blues artists that WE consider to be among the greats came after his time?

Not even "would he like Frank Sinatra", I mean- Ella Fitzgerald started her career in 1934, just missing Alastor, and she's considered the Queen of Jazz; Al probably died associating that title with Bessie Smith. Did he listen to any songs Louis Armstrong put out post-1933?

To be perfectly honest, I still hold with my original opinion that Alastor isn't actually, like, inherently against modernity. Every time we see him portrayed as such, it's in the context of Vox. He definitely doesn't like television and video, and actively derides those things, but when it comes to other modern advancements... like, yeah, he's not shown owning a cell phone, but at no point is he derisive (or really shown to care at all) of anybody using one. He doesn't even denigrate Angel Dust's "show and tell" of his adult films. We do see Vox calling Alastor outdated and old, but how much of that is an accurate representation of Alastor's genuine perspective on modernity, and how much of it is Vox being a salty bitch that Alastor doesn't like his specific brand of "modernity" and seeing himself as equivalent to progress?

Overall, Alastor strikes me as a guy with some nostalgia for his own era and the classics (which I think is true for most of the characters in hell: I mean, Sir Pentious is still out here flying fucking blimps, and then there's all of Cannibal Town), but not someone who actively eschews modern technology and media. I think he just really fucking doesn't like Vox, who has painted himself as the face of modern tech development in the pentagram and has a monopolistic stranglehold on modern media.

So I think he probably listens to and enjoys a lot of the tunes that came after his death!

[cassettefuturism]

A brief introduction to Cassette Futurism

Cassette Futurism is a subgenre of science fiction that's characterized by outdated technology from the 70s-90s like cassette tapes, VHS, early computers, floppy disks, telephones, polaroids, game consoles and other analogue technology, architecture and music reimagined in a retro-futuristic style.

The genre also includes general appreciation for the actual technology and aesthetic of the time period, which also includes references and callbacks to 70s-90s pop culture.

The exact origin of Cassette Futurism is hard to pinpoint but we know its popularity began to see a rise in the 2010s on websites like YouTube, Instagram, Twitter and Tumblr.

The genre most likely branched out from other movements that involved nostalgic elements like Cyberpunk and Vaporware.

All of them have similar key elements such as:

• Retro-tech aesthetic

• Neon-lit color schemes

• Distorted, glitchy visuals

• Synth-heavy soundtracks

Examples of Cassette Futurism in media:

Movies

• Solaris (1972)

• Star wars (1977-)

• Alien & Aliens (1979)(1986)

• Back to The Future Part I & II (1985)(1989)

• Deadpool and Wolverine (2024)

TV Shows

• Classic Doctor Who (1963-1989)

• The Mandalorian (2019-)

• Infinity Train (2019-2023)

• Loki (2021-2021)

• The Book of Boba Fett (2022)

AniManga

• Akira (1988)

• Ghost In The Shell (1995)

• Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995-1996)

• Cowboy Bebop (1998-1999)

• Lycoris Recoil (2022)

Video Games

• Half Life (1998)

• Portal series (2007)(2011)(2022)

• Alien: Isolation (2014)

• Bomb Rush Cyberpunk (2023)

• Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet

Community:

Wiki

Subreddit

Facebook Group

Aaaaaaand that's about it, thank you for reading this far and I hope you all have a wonderful day.

And remember, The Future is saved 200KB at a time.

[butchherbertwest]

That's actually such an interesting thought to me, because we ultimately get to see so little of the Re-Animator characters outside of the very specific context of the movie. We only get very small glimpses, if anything, of their interests and hobbies. But while there isn't much to go on in that regard, I feel like there are a couple things I would expect from them in a modern setting.

I think Herbert would use very limited technology - an older phone, maybe a flip phone, probably doesn't use a laptop except when necessary, etc. This would sort of add to the eccentric academic vibe he's got to most people, and people may think he's a bit of a technophobe. They're not exactly wrong, but it's specifically because he knows that eventually he'll have to be doing some illegal activities to further his reagent, and he wants to avoid incriminating location data, etc.

I think Dan is very simple in regards to technology, only really having basic stuff (as far as modern standards go), and that's part of the appeal of living with him for Herbert. He has a cell phone, but not the most recent model, probably has some bluetooth speakers in the house (though I personally feel like he'd definitely have a record collection), etc. No digital security stuff or anything like that to worry about.

I feel like Megan would keep up with news a lot, partially to keep up in dinner conversations with her dad and his guests. In this case, she might have read about Gruber's death before Herbert arrived, and meeting Herbert could cause her to start thinking it's odd how vague everything about Gruber's death is.

Herbert might have to sabotage some security cameras around the morgue, though. Or maybe Miskatonic is a pretty outdated school, tech-wise, and that's part of why he chose it. Less security to worry about.

YES MODERN REANIMATOR HEADCANNONS THANK YOU! Gonna tag this with everything so ppl see these are GOOD.

I love these a LOT. I definitely think Herbert would also be a bit behind the times, technology wise, for tracking and personal preference reasons. I can imagine him with a BlackBerry EASILY

I definitely think dan is one to appreciate older stuff, mainly because it’s simpler and is, if not easier, then nicer, to use because of all the buttons. I can imagine him being pretty attached to a secondhand laptop. I definitely think he would have a record collection too, or even a CD collection. (Kinda projecting there bc I ❤️ CDs but I think he would too) I think Dan and Herbert would both find Bluetooth to be a bit strange (especially Herbert) so imagine them like sharing wired headphones..

I can also imagine dan in a Subaru. Envision with me.

I also feel like Megan would be pretty with it, a social media user in a classic casual middle class girl way, not super attached but definitely keeping up.

Technology aside, I love to imagine them in different outfits and stuff. the stuff we see them in the movies was modern for when it was made, but retro now, which definitely makes me (among others) think they’d be super cool with retro fashion lol even if it’s not accurate but STILLLL. I love imagining Herbert in a graphic tee even tho I think it’d be a rare occurrence

I have so much more!! Especially about how the story would work in modern times,,,, maybe for another post tho heheh

[dmonsieur]

Yall Dino Golzine from Banana Fish Analysis; Big TW and dont be mad at me (or be).

Well well. I dont really know how to start, my last character analysis was in 2023 after I read No Longer Human– and compared it to Dazai Osamu from BSD. Amyways, its published on a lost blog

:(.

My main reasons for analyzing one of the most hated characters in the entire anime universe; aka Dino Golzine, is driven by his relationship with Ash, his "striking" personality ?? and because if someone was going to be terribly evil but have a pet cat and take care of flowers, I had to analyze it (seriously, I thought that no one who appreciates the beauty of flowers could be that evil...).

Anyway, the last thing I'll say is I apologize for my English and my clumsy expressions even though I've been speaking it for...my whole life., jokes on me.

(...)

This analysis will focus on the events that took place in the manga, so we're talking about the 1980s and what was done before it.

—Taking context—

Okay so, It is said that Dino is a man well into his late 50s or early 60s, so, he was probably born in the middles 1920s—in Corsica (France).

People of this generation lived through an economic crisis at a very young age (1929), they lived through the rise of fascism and Nazism and went to World War II in their 20s, only to find themselves after the war facing another very long and horrible economic crisis. This generation also experienced technological progress and contributed to the restoration of Europe and the United States after the war, in addition to being characterized for having remained resilient and having overcome these difficulties in their younger years.

So in relation to Dino, I think he was a person who lived this first hand, whether participating as a soldier or in the mafia from a very young age, it's not like there's any way to escape a world war. A generation raised on violence, hopelessness, discipline, and patriotism can have a profound impact on people.

It is known that many Europeans immigrated to the United States because it was an emerging world power, so that is a good reason why Dino ended up there at God knows what point in his life.

—The "Mafia" thing—

No mafia is the same, especially the Unione Corse It is not known for fitting the cinematic stereotypes of Italian mafias (to begin with, they are French), and this is clearly reflected in the manga.

I think it's a bit bold to say that the criminal organization in manga and anime is unrealistic just because it's not stereotypical.

Dino has no family, no wife, no children, he is homosexual, which was not well regarded at that time, but I think he did not inherit his wealth but made it himself from scratch, at least that's how he appears when he is seen as a lonely man who wants to leave his entire empire to Ash, and he talks about everything as if it were his and only his.

—Personality—

Dino is creepy, it's what the whole fandom wants to read.

But seriously, he is terribly polite and always well dressed, with good manners and expressions that are sometimes... outdated? He seems to value the neatness and aesthetics of things and people alike, not just in appearance, but in essence. This can be seen in how his mansion is externally set in 18th century France, and each room has a different "theme" (I read an analysis of this here), also in the way he seems to appreciate the different types of alcohol he consumes daily, classical music and pieces of art. I dare say there are several references to his fondness for boys in the sculptures in the hallways and even the main fountain. I forgot to mention the topic of flowers and plants, because in one scene of the manga you can see that he really cares about their well-being, and not just for monetary purposes. I see him as the guy who plays classical music for his flowers or tries to keep his bonsai from getting sad or something like that, fr.

In any case, he has a strange mania of wanting to make economic profit from absolutely everything, even everything mentioned above, it seems to have indirect economic purposes, classical capitalism.

He values providing a good image, having a certain status, and deeply hates being seen bad in front of important people, I think this is very clear when the Unione decides to replace him and he feels so powerless that even though he tries to contain himself, he ends up killing his replacement.

He becomes deeply bothered and driven mad by the feeling that he can't, that he doesn't control everything. He is sometimes seen letting himself be carried away by his obsessions and anticipation of desires for power, both status and possession over Ash.

Note* He probably drinks and smokes so much not only for pleasure but because of the stress that comes with power and these kinds of...mishaps. Wine and tobacco have a similar effect of making someone feel calm and happier.

—Twisted tastes—

Well well well. I think this may be one of the most delicate parts, I'm going to talk about certain things that involve minors so if someone wants to skip this part, go ahead.

But if not.

Dino is homosexual, but he is also knew for liking young boys. In Banana Fish artbook terminology, I believe it says something like "Golzine is a Shotacon", which in Japan refers to people who are attracted not only to children, but to young people and even adults who have certain childlike features, it would explain why Dino still likes Ash when he's technically an adult, or why he likes Eiji sexually despite being around his 20s (because yes, it says in the boom that he admitted to finding Eiji beautiful). I'd say, based on these two guys, Yut lung and —again— the book, he likes young guys with an androgynous face and a mysterious aura.

Anyway, he likes children, it's inevitable, he's a pedophile, non exclusive, but still a pedophile, I would say that because of his market niche, I don't think he likes children who are too little as toddlers, we never get to see a child that small at the Club Cod.

Until Ash, he doesn't seem to think of children as human beings but as capital, since they only lasted a few years at the club. He seems to view his boys as sex toys to be discarded, and he fetishizes and objectifies them to the fullest, using them as bargaining chips and all that stuff that its seem.

—Relationship with Ash—

Yall, the icing on the cake now.

When Ash is brought to him, it is because he catches Dino's attention. Ash was the boy who was making profit the most, the most valued as beautiful, so of course Golzine had to have him for himself, because Ash was like an expensive and exclusive object that should only be in the hands of the most powerful.This was the theory, but then he realized that Ash was smart, charismatic and that he could get even more benefit from him.

For a man like Dino, having someone who fuels his ambition and power together was the key to making him obsess over Ash and fall in love with him. It's really like a vicious cycle, having a guy who is your —almost— perfect sexual fantasy, which in turn increases his income in various aspects of his business, and that somehow managed to complete some aspect of his personal life, because for Dino, Ash became something like his son and his boyfriend at the same time, his family.

Honestly, I think Dino fetishized Ash wholeheartedly, let's be honest, but he found everything Ash did sensual, even opposing him. Dino found similarities with Ash and Mozart's Figaro, having fantasies about him when he saw Ash dressed as an aristocrat, because those are the things that drive him crazy deep down.

Owning Ash was like winning in life, and his greatest act of love was leaving him all his money and the business he built over decades for him.

—The suicide scene—

There is a lot of talk about this, and I will be no exception, although I won't go into much detail.

When Dino does it, he does it because he was dying, because he wasn't the kind of person to just sit back and let Fox beat him, or let Ash win. But I honestly think he felt like dying because he had seen his business literally go up in flames, Dino is very mentally strong, but because of his personality, I doubt he could handle losing millions, losing his status, and probably being killed by his own foundation at that point, besides losing Ash. All of this would mean losing the control he once had, and that's an extremely hard thing to deal with.

—Catz apreciations—

They look like my cats so they are cute.

[d-criss-news]

Darren Criss Is Betting Big on Maybe Happy Ending, the Musical You're About to Fall in Love With

Darren Criss on the Timelessness of MAYBE HAPPY ENDING

Darren Criss has danced up the corporate ladder as J. Pierrepont Finch, stripped down to his skivvies as a queer East German rock star and tackled the “profane poetry” of David Mamet. And still, he says, there’s one thing he hasn’t done: “I haven’t taken any risks on Broadway.”

That ends this season with Maybe Happy Ending, a new musical on a mission to draw audiences to the Belasco Theatre without the benefit of a recognizable title, popular source material or songs that have already spent time on the Billboard Hot 100. “It's a really, really hard market right now to be making art,” Criss says to Broadway.com Editor-in-Chief Paul Wontorek, chatting at So & So's Neighborhood Piano Bar. And commercial Broadway theater? It’s “tedious, expensive and a gamble.” So naturally, Criss is going double or nothing as both star and producer of Broadway’s next thrilling crap shoot.

Maybe Happy Ending takes the trappings of a classic love story and inserts futuristic robots with outdated software. Criss plays Oliver opposite Helen J Shen’s Claire—a pair of Helper-Bots who, on a quest to contact their former owner, evoke a kind of Millennial-Gen Z mismatch. But rather than getting swept away by love, the two retired machines take the concept itself and try to break it down to its zeros and ones. As Criss explains, “[It’s] two computers trying to computationally synthesize and process what love is and why human beings do this.”

The musical was a hit when it debuted in Seoul, South Korea nearly a decade ago, and now, writers Will Aronson and Hue Park have a crafted an English-language version that Criss thinks has the potential to ascend to the proverbial Heaviside Layer of musical theater. “This is the seminal version that I hope can last in perpetuity for the ages,” he says, adding confidently, “I do feel like this is a timeless piece.”

Original musicals have the most challenging road on Broadway. But when you look to grassroots successes like Urinetown, or Dear Evan Hansen, or even The Prom—which ran in New York for less than a year but inspired a starry film and a slate of regional and international productions—you see how quickly an unknown quantity can become canon. “People are always like, ‘There’s no one creating original things,’” Criss says. “They are. It’s just really, really hard to produce them because you really have to believe in something hard enough to be OK with the risk.”

The fact that Maybe Happy Ending has earned that belief from some of the theater’s heaviest hitters is telling. Director Michael Arden, hot off a 2023 Tony Award for his revival of Parade, chose the piece as his next musical. And producers Jeffrey Richards and Hunter Arnold, with nearly 20 Tony Awards between them, have given Arden free rein to make a capital “B” Broadway meal of it.

The show’s cast is deceptively modest (Marcus Choi and Dez Duron complete the four-hander), but there’s nothing minimalist about Arden’s vision for Maybe Happy Ending or the high-tech space he’s worked out with set designer Dane Laffrey. In short, “They don’t f**k around,” says Criss. “This show is very technologically advanced. I think it's kind of the ace in the hole that people aren't expecting.” He tosses out comparisons to Miss Saigon’s descending helicopter and The Phantom of the Opera’s haunted chandelier—emblems of the bygone ‘80s megamusical. In an era of subtlety and economy (think recent Tony winners Kimberly Akimbo or The Band’s Visit), this, Criss promises, is “a big-a** mother**king spectacle.”

It's another bold, all-in move from the Maybe Happy Ending team, but Criss is determined to hedge no bets this time around. He looks back at his Broadway resume: How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (“Glee was white-hot and I was going in for three weeks after Daniel Radcliffe”); Hedwig and the Angry Inch (“People love that show. With or without me, it would be just fine”); American Buffalo (“A beloved and respected American play”).

“They're all classics to some degree,” he concludes. “This is not that.” Of course, understanding what Maybe Happy Ending is not is less of an issue than getting audiences to understand what it is. Right now, Criss says, there are rumblings around town that it’s “the cute little robot show.” The thought puts a mischievous grin on his face: “You have no idea.”

[realunderlake]

Fantasy Ideology Part 1: Magic

I don't know if this is anything, but sometimes I like to think about the ideological and social impacts about elements of fantasy worldbuilding.

Like, take magic for example. There are generally different ways it's presented in fantasy fiction. Sometimes, it requires an innate aspect of being to use (a la the force in Star Wars, or however the heck harry potter magic works.) Sometimes this innate aspect is heritable, and sometimes it is completely random. Other times, magic is something that requires rigorous study. And yet, we seem to have one broad conception of magic in most fantasy media: Wizards sitting off in their tower, doing spells and stuff. Most settings don't think about how magic would impact the world that much, and instead make the world a bland, medieval Europe pastiche.

But lets look at magic from a social perspective, taking the classic DnD approach of "A wizard can be taught magic, though it generally takes a long time, and they should start from adolescence." You know what Magic is then comparable to? Because it's not a university professor... It's a Knight. For much of human history, aristocrats were warriors, because learning to be a *good* warrior, who used the most high tech stuff (whether that be chariots, or the couched lance) took a lot of effort, and you had to start pretty young, similar to how magic works. Thus, the social consequences of magic should be obvious, magic should be something that is used by the upper classes of a society, as they are the ones that are able to invest the time and energy into mastering it.

Perhaps however, as technology advances, magic becomes more widespread. Rather than having to painstakingly craft your own equipment, you can get it mass produced. Rather than working on outdated theories of physics (Aristotelian perhaps) you can observe the effects and costs of magic in a much more scientific way, increasing the effectiveness, and perhaps lowering the barrier to entry. Magic would be less blacksmithing, and more welding.

But in an instance like that, the ruling classes would not simply give up this power that they have, unless they have a reason to do so. Perhaps a king supports an up and coming magical bourgeoise to counteract the power of the magic-wielding noble class, for example. A good example of this is in the webnovel Mother of Learning, where the social forces have driven magic to be more equally available, after a devastation of the magic using ruling class through a combination of calamitous war, and the magical equivalent of the black death. In this gap of experienced mages, most of the polities have begun to allow "middle class" non-mage families into magical academies to bolster their ability to fight in the next continent-spanning conflict. This in turn has led to a backlash by the magic-wielding aristocracy, who have engaged in power struggles with the central government of the kingdom in which the story takes place, with many of these "Nouveau Riche" mages taking the side of the monarchy which has formed an unsteady alliance with these more progressive voices.

In any setting that puts some thought into how magic works in it's society, magic should be, by necessity, controlled by the ruling class. Whether that be because the ruling class are the only ones with the means to produce mages due to the required investment, or because those with the power to warp reality itself have decided that they, quite reasonably, want to be in charge.

Most wizards are written as weirdos off in towers because of Lord of the Rings, and because of cultural assumptions from Europe. But crucially, Europe never actually had wizards, and Gandalf was an angel, not a mortal man.

Even in settings where magic is not something trained, but instead something innate, there would be some method by which mages interact with society on a systemized level. Having them be simply random hermits makes no sense. Ars Magica, the TTRPG, for example, has a situation where most mages have a magical "gift", but said gift also makes it impossible for them to be liked or trusted by normal people. Despite this handicap, the Order of Hermes in that setting controls a good amount of political clout, with powerful Covenants being able to ignore the rulings of kings, and the Tribunal of Transylvannia basically co-ruling much of the Kingdom of Hungary with it's actual king.

These interactions of magic with class dynamics has interesting implications for the developments of ideologies. Will access to magical education be seen as a proletarian struggle in the development of socialism? Will Aristocracy persist for longer periods due to the inherent bias of the elites literally having magic? Can liberalism exist in a society where some people can warp reality with a snap of their fingers? Will it do *even better*, due to the radical individualist message meshing with the individual power held by magic?

Interesting Questions.

[crazy-pages]

The more I read economics literature about automation trends and globalization trends (the actual economics term, not the rabid racist term) and their economic impacts on developed economies, the more I realize that the fundamental picture we have been sold these things is a lie.

The general picture of automation revolutions is that they present some way of doing work more efficiently and/or to create a better product, and so market forces simply demand it. And we have to figure out how to deal with all of the lost jobs which are resulting from this. Because even in a socialist utopia, surely it would be absurd to continue forcing people to use old and outdated technology to do work less efficiently just so they could have work to do, right? Maybe the socialist utopia will take care of people displaced by this work better, but the displacement will still happen.

Except then I start reading about the actual history in the actual economics of automation revolutions (I recommend Blood In The Machine for a history of the Luddites and the automated textile revolution in Britain). And that's not what happens even a single time. These automated revolutions increase the cost per unit to create a good! They make the quality worse! And the existing workers get displaced, and replaced with oppressed or even outright enslaved labors who make nothing in worse conditions! They didn't even actually reduce the amount of labor involved significantly, they just started working orphan slaves 80-90 hours a week rather than artisan workers doing 30-35, to "reduce" the labor involved by reducing the number of laborers. It seems like no one benefits from this. So why is it happening!?

Well the answer is simple. The machine looms were less efficient, created lower quality products, and were worse for every single person in every sector of the economy ... except insofar as that they enabled a more unequal economy. The textile industry itself made less profit. The world itself had worse and less textiles. But the machine loom owners specifically made more money, because machine rooms enabled more control over workers in ways which could be used to relegate them to an even smaller share of the smaller profits. And they didn't outcompete others by being better, they did it through regulatory capture, illegal business practices, outright fraud, and by having a pre-existing place of power in their society.

The same applies to the classic story of Ford and his great automobile factory model. Sure it produced a lot of cars at low prices, but what the history doesn't tell you is that a bunch of other automobile companies which weren't using the factory model were putting out their own cars similar cost. Sure they weren't scaling up as fast, but everyone involved was making good money and the market kept on producing more companies to fill the gap. Ford made the decision to sell to a new lower cost car market sure, but he did not make a better profit margin per dollar of car purchases than his competitors did. He made significantly worse actually because he had such hideous turnover at his factories, and his cars were of lower quality than non-factory line cars aimed at the same market could be.

So why the hell did the entire automobile industry follow in his wake? Well, because he personally was making an insane amount of money. The factory line model let him simplify the production chain in a way which cut out a lot of people who previously been making good salaries, and it let him replace well paid laborers with dirt cheap labor. (Despite the hubbub about how good Ford's factory jobs paid, they only paid well relative to other no skill no training work available. They paid much worse than the skilled laborers he fired had made.)

And the people who controlled how the car manufacturing process worked were the people who would stand to make money by switching over.

The same is true for globalization. When a berry monopoly which controls 60% of all berry sales in the US does so by importing berries from South America, from varieties optimized for durability rather than flavor, that isn't cheaper than growing them at home. Not even with the higher cost of labor in the US. Not even if you actually paid farm hands a good wage rather than by abusing undocumented workers who can't fight back as effectively. The transport costs are too high.

All across the US food sector we have examples of food monopolies exporting produce production overseas in ways that make the final product more expensive for the customer, and lower quality at the same time. Why!?

Well because it allows them to access even more vulnerable labor markets. So even though the whole pie shrinks, the company owners get a bigger enough cut of the pie to make up for it.

The lie of automation and globalization of work and the damage it does to developed economies is just that, a lie. It is not economically predestined for this stuff to happen. Alternatives are not predestined to be competed out of the market. Unless, of course, ownership of profits is concentrated in only a few hands. Unless what's being competed for isn't net profit or net service provided or net quality of goods, but how much profit you can localize in capital owners.

If that's the actual competition, and of course it is because the people making decisions for companies also own those companies, only then does job automation and the presence of exploitable overseas labor devastate economies.

If laborers actually owned their places of business piecemeal, the motivation for these kinds of economic shocks would largely dry up. Like, sure, labor saving devices get invented sometimes and you need less people to do the same work. And sure, sometimes work can be done overseas for cheaper because standards of living at lower or because there's some comparative economic advantage. But that is not actually what is happening most of the time this stuff occurs.

If there's one thing I've learned studying this stuff, it's that genuine examples of net gain automation are less common than we think, and tend to be implemented on fairly slower timelines. Same for globalization of work. What is very common is ways in which already unequal systems of ownership and decision making and profit can be made more unequal. And the only fix I can imagine is fundamentally changing and democratizing how businesses operate, and how we handle concepts of ownership.

[mask131]

Why the Time Bandits remake makes me feel an angry despair (2)

I will, to relieve my burning soul, do a brief breakdown of the trailer and point out the exact problems I have with this remake. Let us begin with the handling of the main villain. "Pure Evil" (which is the name they chose in the remake for Evil / The Evil Genius - and I do regret they did not kept the Evil Genius naming because it was such a clever pun, as he was indeed a carcature of the mad scientist while also being a "genius" in the Latin sense of the term, an embodiment, a personification of the concept of evil, the spirit of evil).

Sigh... And they turned him into your random Devil-stand-in, living in an offbrand Hell and who is just adorned with jeweled bones. Even his minions have just the "classical demons" look.

How much of a poor, broken imagination is that? Who had the idea of taking the clever design of the original villains and turn it into just "random Christian hell"?

Yes the original movie had a God and Devil in it... But the marvel of the original was that God and the Devil were areligious, or non-religious if you prefer. No religious imagery whatsoever, the characters are referred to as "The Supreme Being" and "The Evil Genius". Why? Because Time Bandits never was about religion!

Time Bandits is literaly about imagination and the opening of the mind to the wonders of the world, versus the down-to-earth, mindless materialism that leads to things such as all-consuming technology and the destruction of the environment. LITERALY. This is why The Evil Genus, his lair, and his minions look like this:

Young Kevin lives in a world of consumerism. He is surrounded by parents who only care about buying new cooking items and fashionable machinery - only for all of it to be faulty or not working, and constantly needing buying or repair. By following the Bandits into the world of history that he uses, in his own life, as a form of escapism from the dumbness and idiocy of his parents' universe, he is escaping these dreadful and broken modern times by returning to the "old times" before all of this - Ancient Greece, the Middle-Ages, the Napoleonian Times... Only to be LITERALY hunted down by the embodiment of everything evil with consumerism and of technology gone wrong.

The Evil Genius IS a mad scientist and insane inventor whose magic relies on creepy machines and strange technologies. His own supernatural powers manifest in such a way that he looks like an occult robot or an esoteric automaton. He doesn't just shoot lightning out of his fingers - they literaly open up to throw tiny missiles. The dialogue and worldbuilding makes it VERY clear: one of the reasons the Evil Genius despises the Supreme Being is because during the early days of Creation he focused on things like butterflies and slugs, while the Evil Genius would have started with "lasers and digital clocks". The department the Time Bandits came from was literaly the one in charge of trees, shrubs and the like. God is nature, the Devil here is an insane, lifeless technology and mindless science which very obviously is a sterile environment in ALL the senses of the word (The Evil Genius is stuck in a barren wasteland, he keeps destroying everything around him without re-creating anything, and when he finally talks of his grand plans for the world it is just... switching things around. Turning seas into desert, and mountains into rivers, etc, etc, and just swapping everything, showing how sterile of an imagination he has).

In fact, the entire reason he wants the map is to gain knowledge of modern technology, because he is convinced that with the knowledge of things such as computers and micro-chips he will take over the world. Which was already hilarious back then, the way he spoke about the cutting-edge technology as somehow being more important than stuff like how the suns and galaxies work ; and is even more hilarious today because of how precisely outdated it all is today.

Speaking of outdated things, this is literaly part of the charm of this movie, which DOES age better precisely because of its "old-timey" feeling. I mean, consider again the design and the character of the Evil Genius:

Only a few words to say: "Vintage/retro H. R. Giger". How cool is this? The Evil Genius design was literaly parodying AND paying homage to the Giger way of mixing organism and technology in a creepy way, and this paid of MARVELOUSLY during the final battle, as the Evil Genius unleashed all the horror of his technology body:

The Evil Genius design and concept is one of the ultimate takes on the "technological evil in a fantasy world" concept. (And the following movie in the "Imagination trilogy", Brazil, LITERALY depicts a world where the Evil Genius won). But now, in the remake we have...

Random skull demon guy? Cheap Sauron? Generic fantasy evil overlord? Come on!

This also makes me worry about something... Is the remake going to remove all traces of ambiguity?

One of the powers of the original movie was that it relied on the ambiguity on whether all of this was real or not precisely by using the imagery of the Evil Genius' domain as paralleling Kevin's home-life.

Why are the minions of the Evil Genius all wrapped in plastic? Because Kevin's parents wrap all their furniture in plastic.

And the ambiguity literaly EXPLODED in the final scene where the Evil Genius and Kevin are face to face, because we literaly see that the Fortress of Ultimate Evil has GIANT STONE LEGOS in it, foreshadowing that Kevin will wake up in his Lego-filled room.

How are they going to explain that in the remake, with Pure Evil's minions being classical demons and his domain being a sort of gigantic volcano? Is Kevin going to check out medieval hellish imagery? Are his parents going to be fervent Christians? I... I literaly don't know.

[I know that the ambiguity is dissolved in the very end and it is all real anyway, but that was still part of the marvelous process of the movie. You start out "Oh it is all real fantasy okay", but then as you go along you pick up the clues and you go "Oh wait, it IS in his mind, that's his mindscape, okay" only for the last minutes to seemingly confirm it is all a dream... before showing you it was not! And so you go "Wait, it was REAL? WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS?". The movie has you start out accepting in a normal way that it is all real, but by the end, when it tells you the exact same thing, you are completely baffled by the revelation.]

You have this clever take on what a villain in a kid's own fantasy/imagination might be, the embodiment of everything that opposes and crushes Kevin's own imagination (technology, consumerism, his own parents - it is no wonder the Evil Genius disguises himself as Kevin's parents mixed with their favorite TV show precisely to trick the Bandits into giving him the map). This DOES reflect how this great fantasy adventure is ABOUT Kevin first and foremost.

Versus... Random God vs Devil Christian battle I guess?

[techsnostalgia]

In the beginning, the disconnect between box art and gameplay was vast. The Atari 2600, Intellivision, and their contemporaries rendered worlds in simple blocks and rudimentary sprites. Hardware limitations meant graphics couldn't convey complex scenes or detailed characters. Box art had a crucial job: bridge the gap between primitive pixels and the player's imagination.

[dayofphylosophyorideology]

Xueheng School

The Xueheng School (学衡派), also known as the Critical Review Group, was a significant intellectual and cultural movement in early 20th-century China. Active primarily in the 1920s and 1930s and centered around the publication Xueheng (Critical Review), this school played a prominent role in the debates surrounding cultural modernization, Confucian revival, and the confrontation between Chinese tradition and Westernization during the Republican period. The Xueheng School was rooted in traditional Confucian thought but was also influenced by Western philosophical and scholarly methods, aiming to synthesize the best of both civilizations. It stood as one of the key conservative counter-currents to the radical modernist and anti-traditionalist tendencies of the New Culture Movement.

The Xueheng School emerged in the aftermath of the May Fourth Movement (1919), a broad intellectual, cultural, and political campaign that sought to reject Confucianism, feudal values, and traditional Chinese culture in favor of science, democracy, and Western modernity. Many leading intellectuals of the time, including Chen Duxiu, Hu Shi, and Lu Xun, advocated wholesale Westernization and the abandonment of what they viewed as outdated Confucian norms.

The Xueheng School arose in response to these trends, arguing that Chinese tradition, particularly Confucianism, held enduring value and should not be discarded. Its formation was also facilitated by the return of a group of Chinese scholars from the United States, many of whom had studied at Columbia University under the guidance of the American philosopher John Dewey, although they would ultimately diverge sharply from Dewey’s pragmatism. This group included leading figures like Mei Guangdi (梅光迪), Wu Mi (吴宓), Liu Boming (刘伯明), and others, who formed the intellectual nucleus of the Xueheng movement.

The school took its name from its journal, Xueheng, which was launched in 1922 at National Southeastern University (later renamed National Central University, now part of Nanjing University). The term xueheng can be translated as “weighing scholarship” or “measuring learning,” reflecting the journal’s commitment to critical and balanced academic inquiry.

Xueheng served as the platform through which the school disseminated its ideas. Over its many issues, the journal featured essays, reviews, translations, and polemical writings that engaged with a wide range of subjects, including philosophy, literature, ethics, history, education, and cultural critique. The editors sought to counteract the extreme iconoclasm of New Culture thinkers by defending the intellectual merits of Chinese classical civilization.

At the heart of the Xueheng School’s philosophy was a deep reverence for Confucian values, seen not as relics of a feudal past but as the foundation of Chinese civilization and moral order. The School emphasized the spiritual and ethical dimensions of Confucianism, particularly the ideas of ren (benevolence), li (ritual propriety), and zhongyong (the doctrine of the mean). They argued that these principles could and should form the basis for modern Chinese identity and social reform.

Unlike the more dogmatic revivalist movements, the Xueheng School did not propose a simple return to the past. Rather, it advocated a selective and critical synthesis of Chinese tradition and Western modernity. The members believed that Western science and technology could be adopted without dismantling the ethical and philosophical foundations of Chinese culture. This approach marked them as cultural conservatives, but not reactionaries; they sought to modernize without Westernizing.

Another defining trait of the Xueheng School was its commitment to scholarship and philology. Many of its members were trained in classical studies and applied rigorous methodologies in their examination of Chinese texts, history, and thought. This scholarly rigor stood in contrast to the rhetorical radicalism of their ideological opponents. The School thus often stressed academic integrity, textual criticism, and the importance of a liberal arts education grounded in classical learning.

Wu Mi (吴宓) is often considered the most emblematic figure of the Xueheng School. A deeply traditional scholar who had studied abroad, Wu was both a poet and a professor of literature. He was committed to the preservation of classical Chinese education and the humanities, and he was a vocal critic of the excessive utilitarianism and scientism he saw in New Culture intellectuals.

Mei Guangdi (梅光迪), another central figure, was trained in English literature and advocated for a refined literary culture rooted in both Chinese and Western classics. He worked to introduce Western literary criticism into Chinese scholarship but resisted the cultural relativism and moral nihilism he associated with some aspects of modern Western thought.

Liu Boming (刘伯明) was instrumental in promoting philosophical education in China. His writings frequently addressed issues of metaphysics, ethics, and pedagogy, reflecting his belief in the cultivation of moral character as the ultimate aim of education.

Other notable figures associated with the Xueheng School included Shen Zhongying (沈仲英), Hu Xianxiao (胡先骕), and Liang Shuming (梁漱溟), although the latter often diverged from core Xueheng positions and is more commonly associated with the Rural Reconstruction Movement.

The Xueheng School was deeply involved in intellectual polemics with the proponents of the New Culture Movement. One of their primary targets was Hu Shi, whose promotion of vernacular Chinese (baihua) and radical empiricism they saw as a threat to China’s cultural continuity. Wu Mi and others published a series of critiques arguing that abandoning classical Chinese would sever modern Chinese from its rich literary heritage and undermine linguistic precision and aesthetic expression.

The School also criticized Lu Xun and Chen Duxiu, particularly for what they viewed as nihilistic or destructive tendencies in their thought. The Xueheng scholars often argued that these reformers mistook the temporary failings of Chinese institutions for intrinsic flaws in Chinese culture itself.

These debates were not merely academic. They reflected profound ideological divides over China’s path to modernization—whether it should entail cultural self-affirmation or cultural self-negation. The Xueheng School provided a rare and articulate voice for the former view.

The influence of the Xueheng School waned by the mid-1930s as the political situation in China deteriorated and ideological struggles gave way to military conflict and national crisis. However, its legacy continued in several significant ways.

First, the School helped preserve classical studies and traditional Chinese thought during a time when they were under severe attack. Its members trained a generation of students who would carry on the study of Confucianism, Chinese literature, and history even in later decades.

Second, the Xueheng School’s ideas anticipated many of the cultural nationalist arguments that would become prominent in the mid-20th century, particularly during the war against Japan and in the post-1949 period among Chinese scholars abroad.

Third, in contemporary China, there has been a revival of interest in the Xueheng School, especially in academic and philosophical circles that seek to reassess the legacy of modernization and revalorize China’s own intellectual traditions. The journal Xueheng itself was revived in the 21st century under the auspices of Nanjing University, where it continues to publish scholarly work on Chinese philosophy, history, and culture.

The Xueheng School represents an important episode in the broader intellectual history of modern China. While it failed to dominate the mainstream narrative of the 20th century, which was heavily shaped by revolutionary ideologies and rapid Westernization, its influence persists in the long-standing debate between tradition and modernity, as well as in current efforts to articulate a “Chinese path” to modernization that is rooted in native values.

Scholars today increasingly recognize the value of the Xueheng School’s nuanced and scholarly approach to cultural questions. Its insistence on critical engagement rather than blind reverence or rejection offers a model for cultural self-understanding that is relevant not only to China but to any civilization grappling with globalization and identity.

[vintageairplanehub]

What Is Considered a Vintage Airplane? Key Characteristics of Classic Aircraft Model

A vintage airplane is a term that generally refers to an aircraft model that was built between the early 1900s and the 1980s. These airplanes are often celebrated for their historical importance, unique designs, and the pivotal roles they played during a certain period in aviation history. While there is no agreed-upon definition of what specifically qualifies an airplane model as "vintage," there are a few characteristics that most enthusiasts and experts agree on.

One of the primary characteristics of a vintage airplane model is its age. Typically, any aircraft that was manufactured more than 40 years ago is considered vintage. However, the term can also apply to airplanes that were built more recently but are replicas or restorations of older models. The technology and materials used during the construction of these planes are often outdated by today's standards, which adds to their vintage charm.

Another defining feature of a vintage airplane is its design. These airplanes often have unique shapes, construction methods, and engineering that set them apart from modern aircraft. For instance, many vintage airplanes feature fabric-covered wings, radial engines, and tailwheel landing gear, which are uncommon in contemporary aircraft. These design elements not only make vintage airplanes visually striking but also reflect the technological limitations and innovations of their time.

Several vintage airplane models stand out for their historical significance and the roles they played during pivotal moments in aviation history. For example, the World War 2 aircraft model P-51 Mustang is one of the most iconic vintage airplanes. Since its speed, agility, and long-range capability plays a crucial role in securing air superiority for the Allies during World War II. Its sleek design and powerful Rolls-Royce Merlin engine made it a favorite among pilots and aviation enthusiasts alike.

Another notable vintage airplane is the big airplane model Douglas DC-3. Introduced in the 1930s, the DC-3 revolutionized air travel by making commercial flights more reliable and accessible. Its robust design and capability to land on short, unpaved runways made it an all-around aircraft used not only for passenger transport but also for military operations during World War II.

The vintage airplane model Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is yet another example of an aircraft that has earned its place in history. This heavy bomber was instrumental during World War II, particularly in the European theater. Its durability, withstanding severe battle damage and still returning home, earned it a reputation as one of the most reliable bombers of the war.

The appeal of vintage airplanes goes beyond their importance. For many enthusiasts, these aircraft represent a golden age of aviation—a time when flying was seen as an adventure, and each flight was a testament to human ingenuity and bravery. Restoring and flying a vintage airplane is a way to preserve this legacy, keeping the history and stories of these aircraft alive for future generations.

Preservation of vintage airplanes is a passion for many. Organizations around the world dedicate themselves to restoring and maintaining these aircraft, ensuring that they remain airworthy and can be enjoyed by future generations. Air shows and museums often feature vintage airplanes, providing an opportunity for people to see these incredible machines up close and even witness them in flight.

In conclusion, vintage airplanes are more than just old machines—they are flying pieces of history. Whether it's a World War 2 aircraft model like the P-51 Mustang or a big airplane model like the Douglas DC-3, these airplanes embody the spirit of a bygone era of aviation. For those who appreciate history, craftsmanship, and the thrill of flight like me, vintage airplanes hold a special place in the skies and in our hearts.

[hauntedparaclassics]

“Ghost Adventures” Investigate the Real ‘Poltergeist’ House in New Sneak Peek

April 10, 2025 - Written by Kelli Marchman McNeely

Alright, paranormal junkies, get ready to fire up your EMF readers. Zak Bagans and the “Ghost Adventures” crew are back for a brand-new season! And they’re kicking things off with a bang – or should we say, a spectral slam! This season, they are diving headfirst into some seriously legendary haunted locations. The first stop is a big one: the actual Poltergeist House! Yep, you read that right. And we’ve got a sneak peek!

This Season

Zak, Aaron Goodwin, Billy Tolley, and Jay Wasley are embarking on a mission to document the afterlife in some of the most iconic and chilling spots. This isn’t your casual ghost hunt, folks. They’re talking about groundbreaking investigations shrouded in paranormal legends, which come with spine-tingling tales of ghostly activity that’ll have you sleeping with the lights on.

And they’re not messing around with outdated tech. The team is locking themselves down in these spooky locales, armed to the teeth with the latest scientific gadgets and technology. They are out to capture some solid physical evidence of the paranormal and try to better understand these supernatural mysteries. You know Zak – he’s not leaving until he’s got some answers (and probably a few demonic scratches).

The Season Premiere

The season premiere is a special two-hour event titled “Poltergeist House Curse,” a landmark investigation. The “Ghost Adventures” crew is stepping inside the legendary Poltergeist House in Simi Valley, California, for the first time. If you’re a horror movie fan, you know this place. It’s the actual location where parts of the classic 1982 film Poltergeist were filmed. To top it off, it’s been shrouded in rumors of a real-life curse for decades.

Zak and the team are diving deep into this mystery, trying to uncover the truth behind the chilling tales. Did real-life events somehow intertwine with the fictional storyline of Poltergeist, potentially unlocking some ancient and lethal darkness? After their initial lockdown leaves them with more questions than answers (which, let’s be honest, is pretty standard for these guys), Zak believes a terrifying relic from the 1982 film itself might hold the key to understanding the sinister energy that still haunts this seemingly normal suburban California home. You know Zak’s gonna get up close and personal with whatever creepy artifact he can find!

Tune in April 16th

So, when can you get your dose of paranormal investigation goodness? Mark your calendars for Wednesday, April 16th, at 10 PM Eastern/Pacific time. You can catch the two-hour season premiere on the Discovery Channel. And if you happen to miss it (maybe you were busy hiding under the covers?), you can stream it the next day on discovery+ and Max.

Get ready to join the conversation on social media by using the hashtag #GhostAdventures and following “Ghost Adventures” on Facebook, X, and Instagram.

Source: HorrorFuel

[sneakyswag]

Working on a reploid oc whom I love very much. I offer you all some lore if you want 👉👈

Also this is kind of in an au so

This all makes probably zero sense whatsoever but I’m gonna try to put my thoughts into words.

His name is Beta. A robot created in the OVER-1 era. (I know the timeline is non existent apparently. I’ve changed a few things. Instead of rescuing all of these MMX, MMZ, MMBN characters, you rescue the classics instead with OVER-1 ofc).

Beta has incredible combat skills. Not on par with Zero’s or X’s, but incredible for his mental age. Beta was found in a capsule in the jungle. Found by X and Axl who were on a mission. (Perhaps the jungle aka opening stage in X8).

X and Axl, upon finding him, are wary of him. Keep in mind, Beta was supposed to wake up in late 20XX (I guess)

Ok ok. HUGE SIDE NOTE.

Beta was created with the blueprints of OVER-1. And hc that OVER-1 was based off of the blueprints for X. Beta was created by Forte, Rock and Roll with the help of Kalinka and Dr Lalinde (holy crossovers, I know 😭).

Beta was created without the knowledge of Dr Light, Wily or Cossack. They never knew of his existence. Rock had wiped his memories of creating Beta completely in fear of Dr Light finding out. Roll sealed the memories away. Bass didn’t. Bass kept the memories because at this point, it’s his son.

Beta was sealed away and Dr Lalinde or Kalinka never spoke of Beta again. Bass would check on him from time to time. Talk to the capsule with Treble by his side. He was proud of his creation. Although Rock, Roll, Lalinde and Kalinka helped, it felt like his. This was his son. Whom will help save the world.

Beta resembles Bass in a huge way. He has white hair (or light blonde I’d have to see), yellow eyes edit: they look better as light blue so, black face marks, same shape as Bass’, although he could always remove them or cover them up. His armor is black with yellow, blue and a hint of white I’d have to work on it. Beta is roughly 5’4 almost 5’5. His primary weapon is actually his hands.

See, his hands can generate an energy orb somehow and he can throw it at people. It’s dangerous, sure, but very powerful. Said orbs can be charged up but will leave Beta with little energy afterwards, making him vulnerable. His secondary weapon is a butterfly knife. He acquired it from the Maverick Hunters when X and Axl found him and took him in. It’s similar to saber technology except obviously, it does what a butterfly knife does.

Beta was supposed to wake up in late 20XX to help OVER-1 with anything that was happening. Sort of like what Protoman did. Watched from the sidelines and became support for Mega Man. Except, he wasn’t working for Wily or anything you know. But the capsule had sealed him for way longer WAY longer than he needed to.

Beta’s personality is nervous, anxious, kind, caring, intelligent, analytical. Beta isn’t all anxious, though. He knows when it’s okay to be scared and when it’s not, he tries his best to control it. He tries to analyze situations as best as he can. Thinking of many possible scenarios.

One thing. Just because he’s my original character doesn’t make him perfect. He has his flaws. My gosh, quite a few of them, actually.

Since he likes analyzing situations and practically every possible scenario, he’s slow. He’s slow in realizing something might be charging at him or trying to strike him. He lacks confidence. So much that he fails to strike his enemies when he finally gets confident enough to hit them. His design was also very outdated so he got modified with the X8 era armors.

Beta tends to panic easy. When he figured out that there has been multiple wars going on and seeing that he was in 21XX obviously scared the life out of him. What’s worse is that OVER-1 wasn’t there. He wasn’t anywhere to be found. It was his purpose. To help OVER-1, I mean. And now that he’s not there, it struck something in him.

X and Axl helped calm him down but man. This dude was a mess.

On a more positive note, aside from incredible combat skills and powers I suppose, he’s easy to talk to and get along with. He tries to see the good in everyone. Similar to how a child would. Because, well, mentally, he’s still developing. Yeah, he’s been in a capsule for years, but he needs to develop outside of it. Cuz the world isn’t perfect like the simulation in his capsule he did to make good choices. Beta has an interest in music. He likes any instrument and knows how to play, but he absolutely loves the piano. It’s his go to. It helps him relax.

Beta likes comics and cheesy romance movies. All he wants is to help people out. So what better way than to be a hunter? He’s not a pacifist per se but he’ll try to negotiate with the enemy first rather than just attacking. It’s what [who?] would’ve wanted.

The boy has many issues. Figuring out his past, who he is, all he has is a name. OVER-1. That’s it. It’s who he was supposed to help. But couldn’t. He was too late. He slept in the capsule for far too long. Beta has many dreams. He always sees four people. Three women and two men. They’re working on him. He can never see their faces clearly. He wakes up before he can. He’s frustrated. He manages to befriend Axl and realize that they have so much in common.

This is just a rough little thing. If you read it all ily <333