Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Alasdair Swanson @alasdairswanson.bsky.social · 7h

The boy of that family was the one that lovingly described the chest burster scene in Alien in such lurid terms that I was actually a bit disappointed when I eventually saw it.

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Alasdair Swanson @alasdairswanson.bsky.social · 7h

This and Asylum which the family upstairs watched with me aged about 12.

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Alasdair Swanson @alasdairswanson.bsky.social · 7h

I have this minute learned the term 'circumstancial friendship' and the last few decades have clicked in a very unsettling way.

Alasdair Swanson @alasdairswanson.bsky.social · 16h

Love that song. Here's its composer, Duster Bennett, apparently a friend of Green (or enough of a friend that Green gave him a guitar, anyway).
www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5WK...

Jumping At Shadows

YouTube video by Duster Bennett - Topic

www.youtube.com

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Reposted by Alasdair Swanson

Dan Whitehead @danwhitehead.net · 19h

BBC Archive just uploaded The Lonely Shore (1962), a surreal 15-minute short that takes the form of a scientific report from an abandoned and desolate future Britain. Written by Jacquetta Hawkes, an actual archaeologist, and directed by Ken Russell, an actual madman.

1962: An Expedition to Post-Apocalyptic Britain | Monitor: The Lonely Shore | BBC Archive

YouTube video by BBC Archive

www.youtube.com

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Alasdair Swanson @alasdairswanson.bsky.social · 19h

My twitch all morning (which no-one has mentioned that I've seen) is the "unbalanced quotation marks' here

Ian Martin @ianmartin.bsky.social · 21h

There is, however, one Boris Johnson book that was written WITHOUT using Metal Mickey. And goodness me, what a fine gift it would make for anyone. Available at all good - and shit - booksellers.

www.bloomsbury.com/uk/unhinged-...

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Reposted by Alasdair Swanson

Ian Martin @ianmartin.bsky.social · 21h

There is, however, one Boris Johnson book that was written WITHOUT using Metal Mickey. And goodness me, what a fine gift it would make for anyone. Available at all good - and shit - booksellers.

www.bloomsbury.com/uk/unhinged-...

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Alasdair Swanson @alasdairswanson.bsky.social · 21h

So bland the estate agents had a feature picture of a plant.

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Alasdair Swanson @alasdairswanson.bsky.social · 21h

Presumably he tells an assistant what to type into it

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Alasdair Swanson @alasdairswanson.bsky.social · 21h

I was a geek who liked Tron because the computer world was radically different to the real world and it was ultimately about hubris - MCP wants to be a god and is brought down by an actual one. Neither sequel has been about anything other than "program wants to be human for no expressed reason".

Gizmodo @gizmodo.com · 1d

A new report suggests that the disastrous opening weekend for the Jared-Leto-starring sequel may lead to Disney pulling the plug on the Grid once and for all.

'Tron' Might Really Be Doomed After 'Tron: Ares'

A new report suggests that the disastrous opening weekend for the Jared-Leto-starring sequel may lead to Disney pulling the plug on the Grid once and for all.

gizmodo.com

Alasdair Swanson @alasdairswanson.bsky.social · 1d

I've said for a long time that if they're going to give us colour and b/w animations then have the b/w be as faithful as possible to the camera script and telesnaps and let the colour version go as wild and big budget style as the animators can manage.

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Alasdair Swanson @alasdairswanson.bsky.social · 1d

Spider Pool brings back ancient internet memories

Désespérer @decervelage.bsky.social · 1d

Jack McDermott’s “crazy house” was constructed in the Hollywood Hills from cast-off movie sets in the 1920s. Today only a retaining wall - which once overlooked the notorious “spider pool” - survives.

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Alasdair Swanson @alasdairswanson.bsky.social · 1d

Next Who Bluray season arrives Monday which means *another* six DVDs go into the "what do I do with all these Doctor Who DVDs?" box. It's quite a big box now.

Alasdair Swanson @alasdairswanson.bsky.social · 1d

It's been on my radar for a while and Kaleidescope were having a sale so I thought why not. It was literally while I was taking the picture that I went "I know that name", I don't know why the connection never clicked until now.

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Alasdair Swanson @alasdairswanson.bsky.social · 1d

This just got forced through the door and turned out to be *way* bigger than expected.

The book Prime Minister, You Wanted To See Me?: A History of Week Ending by Ian Greaves and Justin Lewis. It's A4 and 670 pages so quite a chunk.

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Alasdair Swanson @alasdairswanson.bsky.social · 1d

See I like Doctor Who (and I mostly watch it because when it was cancelled I was still a teenager) but being involved in the fandom in the 1980s put me off fandom in general and Who fans specifically.

I have since discovered that all fandoms create deranged subgroups and am glad to be merely casual

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Alasdair Swanson @alasdairswanson.bsky.social · 1d

One reason I hate the internet more each day: my wife sent me alink to a jewellery website and my script blocker brought me up a list of 26 sites or domains this front page contacts.

A list of 26 websites and domains contacted by the front page of a shop webpage.

Alasdair Swanson @alasdairswanson.bsky.social · 1d

Yes! When people ask why I'm so against private healthcare I advise them to look at the vets and imagine that for humans. I have a cat getting teeth extracted on Friday -- it'll be around £1500 all up. Consolidation of practices into corporations is probably the ultimate cause (yay capitalism!)

Arr David @arrdavid.bsky.social · 1d

If you ever wondered what privatised healthcare for yourself would be like, look at the vet market and multiply it by 10.

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Alasdair Swanson @alasdairswanson.bsky.social · 1d

Every attempt to deepen and brooaden the mythos of the doctor and the time lords has been to the detriment of the show.

Neil Norman And His Cosmic Orchestra @fubsyshabaroon.bsky.social · 2d

Tell me your most unhinged Doctor Who opinion. I mean, if you’re a fan, they’re likely all unhinged anyway.

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Alasdair Swanson @alasdairswanson.bsky.social · 1d

I'm sure the flash can't be covered with black tape or paint.

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Alasdair Swanson @alasdairswanson.bsky.social · 1d

I keep seeing pictures of Tony Caunter in Blakes 7 so here he is in Doctor Who instead.

Morgan (Tony Caunter) faces the Doctor (Jon Pertwee) in the 1971 Doctor Who story Colony In Space.

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Alasdair Swanson @alasdairswanson.bsky.social · 2d

This evening I've been playing with fingerpicks. Not playing guitar with them, just playing with them. Bloody awkward things.

Some metal thumb and fingerpicks on a table in front of a bunnikins cup of tea (yes really)

Alasdair Swanson @alasdairswanson.bsky.social · 2d

The house he was born in, in India Street, is now a lovely little by-appointment museum that a friend and I went round a few years ago.

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Alasdair Swanson @alasdairswanson.bsky.social · 2d

Change a letter, ruin a song.
Born to be Mild

Goon Pod @goonpod.bsky.social · 2d

Change a letter, ruin a song.
Got To Get You Into My Wife

Tilt Araiza @tiltaraiza.bsky.social · 2d

Change a letter, ruin a song.
I Can Pee For Miles

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Alasdair Swanson @alasdairswanson.bsky.social · 2d

I built this. Would not build again.

The back of a 3-d globe jigsaw on a chair

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