Category Archives: Apocalypse Soon

Recursive Nerdery

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As some folks might recall, Minecraft was a favourite at our house, and from time to time it comes back and there’s lots and lots of building and fun.  I think it still is one of the more amazing and enjoyable games you can find out there, and really lets you use your imagination.  So I started to follow the games’ creator on Twitter, because I’m a nerd and that’s just what you do.  Naturally I was pretty interested about his recent mention that he was launching a new game. 

It’s called 0x10c.com (who knows how to pronounce that, but whatever) and you can read the thirty words that are known about it at this point here.

The thing that is boggling my mind is the revelation that while it’s a space game where you fly around in a spaceship and do things, you will essentially be required to program your own computer before your spaceship will do anything.  He’s building a fully functional 16-bit computer INTO the game.  Everyone will have one.  You have to use the in-game computer to operate your in-game spaceship.  You might be able to hack into other people’s in-game computers, build in-game networks, develop an in-game Internet, start an in-game online music company selling in-game songs… anyway you get the idea.  This kind of recursive nerdery is really baking my noodle at the moment. While he promises that non-programmers will still be able to play and enjoy the game, I can’t help but think that folks like me would just be the helpless sheep waiting to be slaughtered by the elite 13 year old nerds with far greater skills than mine.  In fact, there are a host of nerds who right now CAN’T WAIT for the creator of this game to start developing it, so they can start developing thjngs for this in-game computer.  Does anyone else find this ridiculous?

This kind of nested matryoshka doll kind of thing is what will eventually end us all in an as-yet-unknown, but certainly fiery noisy and painful way.  The universe doesn’t like recursion that much.  Sitting there, using your comically oversized and underpowered brain (a computer) to use your actual computer that connects to many many computers (the Internet), in turn connecting to a computer running this game, in which you then use a game computer to connect to other game computers, at some point the universe says “Enough, ok I messed up, let’s start over.” and we are done for.

Or it could just be a lot of fun.  One or the other.

Buzzing Death Robots

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The guys that work soo hard on stuff like this today are the engineers of tomorrow’s armageddon.  Seriously.  Did you have to work quite so hard on the menacing re-formation bit when flying through a window?  I mean seriously, just add some scenery and a grimy, frightened rebel fighter crouching under the window clutching his gun and you have the sizzler reel for a really good science fiction movie.  Why do we need this?  Will we all even live long enough to regret this?

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQIMGV5vtd4

Yes, it’s still unspeakably cool.

via Techcrunch

Hey, cool! Also, JESUS CRIPES what the hell is that thing?

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One thing that has always bothered me when scientists discover a truly badass scary new thing living on this world and they say, it’s habitat is now limited to a small area of so-and-so place, how can we be sure that this frigging nightmare terror is on the decline, and not just finished CONQUERING it’s little corner of Out-of-the-way-Land, and is thinking of expanding it’s empire?  It would kinda suck in three years when we all live on floating rafts with Kevin Costner because the entire Earth is covered with ravenous giant insects and we look back and say, you know, dang it, we could have avoided all of this with a single well placed napalm strike of that little isolated valley?  Pass the sea cucumber, Kevin.

Anyway, here is the largest damn thing I have ever seen eating a carrot that also isn’t adorable.  Ick.

Anyway, apparently this is the heaviest whatever the hell it is, it’s wonderful and special and I can’t help but think I want it deaddeaddead.  So much for the wonders of nature for me I guess.

There’s another picture here, but it won’t make you forget the first one any better.  Talk about the willies.

Pizza IS a vegetable, of course.

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Thank heavens the US Congress is really taking this whole childhood obesity problem seriously, and will soon be passing some laws to make sure that kids eat more vegetables.  The solution was embarrassingly easy, and they can’t believe they didn’t think of it before now:  Write a little law, and bam, pizza IS a vegetable!  Done.  I’m sure that failing to resist those lobbying corporations that keep you all fat will have no adverse financial consequences later on, like health care.

Good job!

Healthy Schools Campaign

Associated Press

Boing Boing

 

Guy on a Buffalo

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There is no introduction needed for the Guy on a Buffalo, but I will say that watching this video cured my gout, and restored my skin to it’s regular pallor.  Wow.  Don’t miss episode two, either.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJ4T9CQA0UM&NR=1

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5Lmkm5EF5E&NR=1

Hey what’s this in the weeds? It’s a baby? Awesome!

Toronto Neighbourhood Attempts to be Child-Free

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Here’s a link to a CBC Radio program that has an interview with a childless couple from the downtown neighbourhood of Liberty Village that is trying to get a bylaw passed that would prevent couples from buying a home in the 4 block area immediately surrounding their own home.  I wish them luck in their efforts to rid themselves of screaming rugrats.

 Toronto Neighbourhood tries to ban children

 

Note that the program is completely satirical, making fun of cold ridiculous yuppie snobs.  It’s done pretty well, the comments are about 50% between people who get it and people who really don’t. Also, good for you for zooming in to read this.