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[thewormpress]

If a robot is designed to look like a person, it is given distinct secondary sex characteristics. Even AI, not housed in human(oid) bodies, become man or woman at their creator’s whim. It may seem a silly quirk that we insist on sorting the computer people by a trait applicable only to humans, but I don’t think that’s the full story.  In fact, I would argue that gender relations have shaped our very concept of what AI and robots should be.

[thewormpress]

Even now, in the year of our Luigi 2019, there is still no sign of a new Nintendogs game for smartphone.

It’s the ideal IP for the platform! A move so obvious, so simple even I can see it! Nintendogs has all the ingredients to be a smartphone hit and I’m about to explain why.

[thewormpress]

Look, I know. I can imagine with crystal clarity what your face looks like right now. “Really?” your eyebrows seem to say as they travel ever further towards the stratosphere. “This is the hill you are willing to die on?”

To that I say: bear with me for a hot second while I invite you to join me among the lush highland dunes of films whose critical reception I get vocally angry about whenever anyone hands me alcohol at parties.

Oblivion is a great film. There, I said it. I am not even willing to soften it to “Oblivionhas its moments” or “Oblivion was not nearly as bad as everyone said it was”.

In my humble opinion, Oblivion is the most underrated film to come out in the year 2013. I don’t actually know which other underrated films, if any, came out that year, but I’m pretty sure Oblivion would still be at the top of the list even if I did.

And I am going to explain why that is. In detail, with with words. Strap in (and beware the spoilers, I guess).

[thewormpress]

Remember that month in 2018 where you couldn’t swing a dead Spider-Man around without hitting at least two hot takes on how some character other than Thanos was the reason half the universe was dead? Well, the heat has died down now and there’s no risk of anyone attempting to argue with me, so it’s time for my extremely unbiased opinions on whose fault it is that I have to sit through two movies of this bullshit.

[thewormpress]

Dear Ms. Mantel,

It could well be said that we live in a golden age of historical fiction. Phillipa Gregory is fast approaching world domination; streaming services and awards ceremonies positively teem with ambitious period dramas; sale figures for scythes are through the roof.

But despite this outpouring of enthusiasm for the past — perhaps as a distraction from our present day troubles — there has been one glaring omission. Ms. Mantel, it has now been seven years since Bring Up The Bodies was published. Do you know what Thomas Cromwell did in seven years? Of course you do. For the benefit of less informed readers, I’ll tell you what you already know: he did a whole bunch of shit and then got executed.

But I do understand the immense pressure you must be under. I also understand that finishing a trilogy with its protagonist’s inevitable death may seem a depressing prospect. You can’t be relishing the thought of having to follow Thomas Cromwell through another 600+ pages only to end with a beheading. Plus, you’ve got at least two more wives to get through first. That’s a 100% increase in wives.

So I’ve put together a list of ideas that you might want to include in the final book. A one-stop inspiration station, if you will. No need to thank me.