Phil's Newsletter #31
Previously on Phil’s Newsletter: I designed some better supports for my bed, we defeated Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie: The Game.
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This week’s guest on OpenCV Weekly was my old co-conspirator Vikas Reddy, who has started a new company around virtual video production called Lighttwist. It was fun to talk about the old days, and see some state of the art video tech. The episode will be up on the OpenCV YouTube channel soon. Phil’s pro wrestling shirt of the week: Good God Almighty
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This Must Be Love
I have a new cassette player. It was late, I was feeling nostalgic, and it was too beautiful. This new addition to my production studio is a TEAC A-103, and has the most gorgeous backlit VU meters you’ve ever seen. The thing was released in 1977, making it possibly the only electronic item in this apartment older than I am. Weird thought.
I have always been a sucker for a pretty face. Earlier this morning I had to repair a cassette tape, which caused me to (metaphorically)(as far as you know) shit a brick because for a moment I was sure the TEAC was busted. It was not, but you can follow my epic journey repairing Phil Collins “Hello, I Must Be Going” on Twitter.
One More Night
Saturday is our Season Finale of RetroStrange Movie Night. We started this thing ONE YEAR AGO, when everyone was trapped inside by this plague that still ravages the land and I still had a living father and grandfather. We’re calling a wrap on Season 1 this weekend, in the best way we know how: By honoring our favorite That Guy, the late, great, Dick Miller.
This episode will start early, 5:30pm PDT, for the benefit of our Midwest and East Coast friends- and so we can make right the little SNAFU last week where I got drunk and passed out before the second feature. Mea culpa.
Rest assured, Movie Night shall return after a hiatus of currently indeterminate length. We just can’t quit you.
Another Day In Paradise
I printed out a another oddly-satisfying object, in the form of these delightful stackable crates designed by brainchecker on Thingiverse.
Against All Odds
Thanks to the advent of save states on Switch, John and I took down Simon and rescued Cindy in time for her to go shopping in the NES classic River City Ransom. Continuing an alarming trend being that I produce audio and video for the living, the audio on this episode is a bit low. But we got some pit deaths in for good measure! Turns out if you pit a boss in this game it doesn’t count! Ain’t that a kick in the teeth?
We will be playing more Kunio-Kun games soon.
The Least You Can Do
This is not a drill: They Put the Motherfucking Normandy in No Man’s Sky
This week I read about legendary game dev Danielle Bunten Berry, creator of M.U.L.E. and The Seven Cities of Gold, both absurdly influential multiplayer games from the early 80s
Word of the Week: inosculation, when trees become so intertwined they form a new, hybrid, organism
An interview with Patrick Haggerty, the driving force behind Lavender Country
Former Facebook executives admit they used the tobacco industry’s playbook for addictive products.
Colette Arrand at Fanbyte is doing the lord’s work: An Oral History of Dave “The Animal” Batista’s Dick
Quick thread on how you’re getting ads for stuff you haven’t searched but recently talked about or saw with your friends/family. Spoiler: No, your phone isn’t listening to you
John Oliver roasts the SF Board of Supervisors, and rightfully so because they are clowns of the highest order
via Matt Bogart, Grimace Project is an awesome emotion-visualizer app, great for art reference. No, not THE Grimace.
Sorry for the lateness of this one. It’s been a long *checks notes* life. I’ll catch you next week. Be careful out there.
— Phil Nelson
Wizard Tower Gamma, San Francisco
05.27.21