Foreigner is CJ Cherryh at her absolute best, a fantastic novel that's smartly written and with a well-realized world. It's got a couple of small hiccups, but this book shows why Cherryh is considered one of the foundational sci-fi writers of our time.
This is a (sadly small) list of studios and individuals who have vowed to not use genAI in their games. I can't say for sure it's every single studio because annoying articles don't get written about people who speak against AI, so I had to rely on social media.
Fortnite now allows creator-made games to sell in-game items — and immediately, the platform's most popular experience Steal the Brainrot has added $45 premium item bundles and a chance-based roulette wheel. ...
I have far too many books I've bought years ago that have been sitting around. These include a bunch from CJ Cherryh, Terry Pratchett, and Colson Whitehead, and a few others.
These are the best books I read in 2025, not necessarily the ones that came out this year. There's a surprise appearance by a Greek goddess, a book looking a Japanese terrorist attack, CJ Cherryh's sci-fi/fantasy mash-up, and a few more.
Dead Talent Society and Good News came out of nowhere and were incredible. I watched my first Wong Kar-wai and instantly fell in love, and a Stephen Chow movie makes an appearance, though probably not the one you're expecting.
What's so funny about this is 1. Bugonia is a remake of a Korean film, 2. the director of Weapons was immediately hired to make yet another Resident Evil movie, and 3. Marty Supreme was based on the life of a real person. He's 0/3 on his examples.
Umurangi Generation is a photography game with a unique style and a strong message. It's fun to explore these bright and vibrant worlds taking photos and seeing all the unique things going on. It's like stepping into Jet Set Radio. But there's always the feeling of something more, and more important, going on behind the scenes.
I can no longer in good conscious continue to upload videos to YouTube. In the last year, the company has "donated" to Trump's Epstein Ballroom, allowed back dangerous anti-vaxxers they previously banned back, are using AI to alter videos without the creator's consent or knowledge, and so much more.
Having loved Gate of Ivrel, I eagerly snatched up several more CJ Cherryh books from eBay. One of them was Heavy Time, part of her Company Wars sub-series in the greater Alliance-Union Universe. The third book in this sub-series, Downbelow Station won Cherryh her first Hugo, so I was excited for this. ...
What are perilla leaves? What are braised quail eggs? We're going to find out today with these two canned foods from Korea, and cook something to go alongside it.
He's got a point about movies growing on people, of course. However, a movie's opening weekend is most likely going to be its biggest. Also, it's generally agreed that Ares is terrible, this isn't the kind of film people will look back on in ten or twenty years and think "this is actually a hidden gem!"
Gate of Ivrel, an old sci-fi/fantasy mash-up by CJ Cherryh, whose work I've been really getting into lately. This is the first of the Morgaine Cycle sub-series in the Alliance-Universe series.
I'm about 75% through and loving it so far. There's very little action, its more of a character-drive story focusing on an agent from a futurist society (Morgaine) sent to a planet to close a series of gates used for intergalactic and time travel. She, along with 100 others she was sent with, were ambushed with her the only survivor. She goes through one of the gates herself in a desperate attempt to survive, and exits in what is to her only a few minutes, but in reality over 100 years have passed. She meets with Vanye, an outcast who killed his brother (in self-defense) who is terrified of Morgaine and the stories of old about her. She employs his help thanks to an ancient, honor-bound tradition, and the two set off to close the last gate at Ivrel.
Whatever tiny hope of correcting this died when Trump was re-elected. It's been game over for a while now. That's not to say we shouldn't try to make a difference where we can, but it's too late for Earth.
After several months of experimenting with different distros, I just yesterday made the full-time switch to Linux Mint. I'm pretty happy with it so far, I'm just wondering why I hadn't done it sooner.
Today we are building the 2011 HGFC version of Shining Gundam from the derisive Mobile Fighter G Gundam anime. We're also comparing this more modern figure with the original gunpla version of the Shining Gundam released in 1994. What are the differences, and which is better? In terms of boxes, there's no competition, at least.
The ads urge listeners to “join the mission to protect America” by becoming U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, but users of the music streaming giant have taken to social media and Spotify’s website to complain, and announce their withdrawal from the audio platform.
Are these the same users that that vowed to boycott Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Substack? Or are these the same users that vowed to boycott when Spotify started banking Joe Rogan and other rightwingers?
I've stopped using all of the above years ago, I'm no hypocrite, but I also know the number of people who will drop Spotify over this are a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of its massive user base. Nothing will ever change when it comes to big social media/tech companies like this because too many people don't actually care.
Taisun Peanut Soup is a delicious sweet treat. But not everyone feels that way. I was sad to see one of my favorite YouTubers, Atomic Shrimp, didn't like this. So today I'm going to show the positive side to this delicious treat.
Chroma Squad is a fantastic turn-based RPG that is both a loving homage to the Power Rangers. Rather than fighting evil as the Crayon Box of Justice, you instead play a manager of a new Super Sentai TV show hoping to become the greatest show on television. It's a formula that works fantastically.
With Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac around the corner, I thought it was time to look at a forgotten game created by Pac-Man creator Tōru Iwatani - Libble Rabble. This bizarre arcade game has you drawing ropes around enemies, and fighting eclectic monsters like scissors, fireballs, and demons.
Watch Dogs Legion is a great game thanks in large part to its incredible recruitment mechanic. It's got its flaws and limitations, but Legion laid the groundwork for what could have been a great feature going forward. Too bad Ubisoft killed Watch Dogs.
Astro Bot is one of my favorite games of all time. As someone who grew up with PlayStation and 3D Platformers, it does everything so perfectly, and is such a love letter to the genre, that you can't help but love it. But its mechanics are also rock solid. This is as close to a perfect game as we're ever going to see.
Over a decade ago, I wrote terrible Discworld fan fiction. It starred a gargoyle who wanted to go to the moon - and plenty of masonry puns. I can only apologize for what you're about to witness.
Luigi's Mansion 3 is an almost perfect game. The first half is an incredible experience, and the most charm I've ever seen in an Nintendo game. But the second half has some major flaws that holds it back.
My sister and I recently went to three separate Asian grocery stores in my area, and I picked up a bounty. In this video I show you these stores and explore some of my favorite foods from them and try new ones.
Ip Man 2: great kung-fu flick with fantastic acting, as expected from Donnie Yen and Sammo Hung. Equally great action. I had already seen Ip Man 4, so it was interesting to see how the film differs in its depiction of racism. It was more subtle and insidious in 4, but the overt hatred in 2 was no less infuriating.
Foreigner Review – Cherryh on Top ( joshgriffiths.site )
Foreigner is CJ Cherryh at her absolute best, a fantastic novel that's smartly written and with a well-realized world. It's got a couple of small hiccups, but this book shows why Cherryh is considered one of the foundational sci-fi writers of our time.
Video Game Developers That Have Spoken Out Against AI ( joshgriffiths.site )
This is a (sadly small) list of studios and individuals who have vowed to not use genAI in their games. I can't say for sure it's every single studio because annoying articles don't get written about people who speak against AI, so I had to rely on social media.
Every Video Game Developer That Uses AI ( joshgriffiths.site )
I was frustrated by the lack of articles listing every video game studio confirmed to be using AI, so I made my own. ...
As Fortnite Enables Third-Party Microtransactions, Steal the Brainrot's Developer is Slammed By Fans For Immediately Adding $45 Premium Bundles and Gambling-Style Mechanics ( www.ign.com )
Fortnite now allows creator-made games to sell in-game items — and immediately, the platform's most popular experience Steal the Brainrot has added $45 premium item bundles and a chance-based roulette wheel. ...
2026 Backlog of Stuff ( joshgriffiths.site )
I have far too many books I've bought years ago that have been sitting around. These include a bunch from CJ Cherryh, Terry Pratchett, and Colson Whitehead, and a few others.
The Best Books I Read in 2025 ( joshgriffiths.site )
These are the best books I read in 2025, not necessarily the ones that came out this year. There's a surprise appearance by a Greek goddess, a book looking a Japanese terrorist attack, CJ Cherryh's sci-fi/fantasy mash-up, and a few more.
The Best Movies I Watched in 2025 ( joshgriffiths.site )
Dead Talent Society and Good News came out of nowhere and were incredible. I watched my first Wong Kar-wai and instantly fell in love, and a Stephen Chow movie makes an appearance, though probably not the one you're expecting.
An Art Book Proves AI Will Never Create Art ( joshgriffiths.site )
In 2015, the City of San Diego pledged to end pedestrian traffic deaths. They've only increased. San Diego stands in a worse position today than 10 years ago
https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2024/11/12/vision-zero-san-diego-traffic-deaths-increas
Paul Thomas Anderson pushes back on the idea that the industry no longer greenlights original projects, naming his favorites from 2025 as examples: 'Weapons', 'Bugonia', 'Marty Supreme', etc. ( www.fortressofsolitude.co.za )
Umurangi Generation Review ( peertube.wtf )
Umurangi Generation is a photography game with a unique style and a strong message. It's fun to explore these bright and vibrant worlds taking photos and seeing all the unique things going on. It's like stepping into Jet Set Radio. But there's always the feeling of something more, and more important, going on behind the scenes.
YouTube is Awful. I'm Not Posting There Anymore. ( joshgriffiths.site )
I can no longer in good conscious continue to upload videos to YouTube. In the last year, the company has "donated" to Trump's Epstein Ballroom, allowed back dangerous anti-vaxxers they previously banned back, are using AI to alter videos without the creator's consent or knowledge, and so much more.
Thoughts on CJ Cherryh's Heavy Time ( joshgriffiths.site )
Having loved Gate of Ivrel, I eagerly snatched up several more CJ Cherryh books from eBay. One of them was Heavy Time, part of her Company Wars sub-series in the greater Alliance-Union Universe. The third book in this sub-series, Downbelow Station won Cherryh her first Hugo, so I was excited for this. ...
The Paradox Paradox Review - An Unfocused Sci-Fi Time Travel Adventure ( joshgriffiths.site )
The Glorious Misadventures of a Linux-illiterate ( joshgriffiths.site )
I - a complete Linux-illiterate - have spent the last seven months trying and mostly failing to get Linux to work on my desktop. ...
Truck Bro Almost Ran Us Over Yesterday ( joshgriffiths.site )
Perilla Leaves and Braised Quail Eggs | unCANny ( spectra.video )
What are perilla leaves? What are braised quail eggs? We're going to find out today with these two canned foods from Korea, and cook something to go alongside it.
Jeff Bridges Says It’s ‘Interesting’ to Consider Movies Like ‘Tron: Ares’ Box Office Failures After Just Opening Weekend: ‘Things Can Grow on You’ ( variety.com )
What book(s) are you currently reading or listening to? October 28
Still reading What If? by Randall Munroe. ...
‘Change course now’: humanity has missed 1.5C climate target, says UN head ( www.theguardian.com )
Warner Bros. Discovery puts itself up for sale ( www.nbcnews.com )
Warner Bros. Discovery, the owner of HBO, CNN and other streaming and studio businesses, said Tuesday it is putting itself up for sale
Windows 10 refugees flock to Linux in what devs call their "biggest launch ever" ( www.neowin.net )
Let's Build Gunpla - Shining Gundam ( spectra.video )
Today we are building the 2011 HGFC version of Shining Gundam from the derisive Mobile Fighter G Gundam anime. We're also comparing this more modern figure with the original gunpla version of the Shining Gundam released in 1994. What are the differences, and which is better? In terms of boxes, there's no competition, at least.
Users vow to boycott Spotify after streamer runs ICE recruitment ad ( www.newsweek.com )
The ads urge listeners to “join the mission to protect America” by becoming U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, but users of the music streaming giant have taken to social media and Spotify’s website to complain, and announce their withdrawal from the audio platform.
Sweet Peanut Soup | unCANny ( spectra.video )
Taisun Peanut Soup is a delicious sweet treat. But not everyone feels that way. I was sad to see one of my favorite YouTubers, Atomic Shrimp, didn't like this. So today I'm going to show the positive side to this delicious treat.
Chroma Squad - The Best Power Rangers Game Ever Made ( spectra.video )
Chroma Squad is a fantastic turn-based RPG that is both a loving homage to the Power Rangers. Rather than fighting evil as the Crayon Box of Justice, you instead play a manager of a new Super Sentai TV show hoping to become the greatest show on television. It's a formula that works fantastically.
Pac-Man Creator's Forgotten Game - Libble Rabble ( spectra.video )
With Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac around the corner, I thought it was time to look at a forgotten game created by Pac-Man creator Tōru Iwatani - Libble Rabble. This bizarre arcade game has you drawing ropes around enemies, and fighting eclectic monsters like scissors, fireballs, and demons.
Watch Dogs Legion’s Recruitment System is Fantastic ( spectra.video )
Watch Dogs Legion is a great game thanks in large part to its incredible recruitment mechanic. It's got its flaws and limitations, but Legion laid the groundwork for what could have been a great feature going forward. Too bad Ubisoft killed Watch Dogs.
What a Typical YouTuber Deal Looks Like, and Scam Emails ( spectra.video )
On my YouTube channel, Triple Iris, I get sponsorship deals from AAA game companies somewhat frequently. I also get a lot of outright scam emails. ...
Astro Bot is The Greatest Game I've Ever Played ( spectra.video )
Astro Bot is one of my favorite games of all time. As someone who grew up with PlayStation and 3D Platformers, it does everything so perfectly, and is such a love letter to the genre, that you can't help but love it. But its mechanics are also rock solid. This is as close to a perfect game as we're ever going to see.
I Wrote Terrible Discworld Fan Fiction 10 Years Ago ( spectra.video )
Over a decade ago, I wrote terrible Discworld fan fiction. It starred a gargoyle who wanted to go to the moon - and plenty of masonry puns. I can only apologize for what you're about to witness.
Luigi's Mansion 3 - An (Almost) All-Time Nintendo Great ( spectra.video )
Luigi's Mansion 3 is an almost perfect game. The first half is an incredible experience, and the most charm I've ever seen in an Nintendo game. But the second half has some major flaws that holds it back.
Exploring Asian Grocery Stores, and Trying New Foods! ( spectra.video )
My sister and I recently went to three separate Asian grocery stores in my area, and I picked up a bounty. In this video I show you these stores and explore some of my favorite foods from them and try new ones.
Weekly thread - What movies have you watched this week? 29/10/2025