Simon
@simonxix.com
📚cultural & critical studies 📽️film critic 🐧open source developer 🐦birder 😐he/him
🔗 https://simonxix.com
🔗 https://simonxix.com
Reposted by Simon
When the clock strikes midnight on January 1, creative works from 1930 & sound recordings from 1925 will enter the public domain in the US, like:
💄 Dizzy Dishes, first Betty Boop cartoon
🕵️♀️ First 4 Nancy Drew novels
🚂 The Little Engine That Could
🎩 Morocco
🍑 Georgia on My Mind
and many more!
🧵👇
💄 Dizzy Dishes, first Betty Boop cartoon
🕵️♀️ First 4 Nancy Drew novels
🚂 The Little Engine That Could
🎩 Morocco
🍑 Georgia on My Mind
and many more!
🧵👇
December 26, 2025 at 2:01 PM
When the clock strikes midnight on January 1, creative works from 1930 & sound recordings from 1925 will enter the public domain in the US, like:
💄 Dizzy Dishes, first Betty Boop cartoon
🕵️♀️ First 4 Nancy Drew novels
🚂 The Little Engine That Could
🎩 Morocco
🍑 Georgia on My Mind
and many more!
🧵👇
💄 Dizzy Dishes, first Betty Boop cartoon
🕵️♀️ First 4 Nancy Drew novels
🚂 The Little Engine That Could
🎩 Morocco
🍑 Georgia on My Mind
and many more!
🧵👇
"I wish the ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had fucking happened."
The Lord of The Rings movies were rated PG-13. By current rules that means that each film could contain one use of the word "Fuck". Which line are you altering to insert the most useful swear word?
"fly, you fucks!"
"fly, you fucks!"
The Lord of The Rings movies were rated PG-13. By current rules that means that each film could contain one use of the word "Fuck". Which line are you altering to insert the most useful swear word?
"I am no man, you fuck!"
"I am no man, you fuck!"
December 26, 2025 at 10:13 AM
"I wish the ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had fucking happened."
Reposted by Simon
December 25th. The day the Fellowship departs Rivendell to destroy the One Ring.
Whatever you celebrate, may you have the courage to take the first steps to defy and endure against the dark, and rekindle light into the world.
Whatever you celebrate, may you have the courage to take the first steps to defy and endure against the dark, and rekindle light into the world.
December 25, 2025 at 3:52 PM
December 25th. The day the Fellowship departs Rivendell to destroy the One Ring.
Whatever you celebrate, may you have the courage to take the first steps to defy and endure against the dark, and rekindle light into the world.
Whatever you celebrate, may you have the courage to take the first steps to defy and endure against the dark, and rekindle light into the world.
Did you know you can just buy tiny standees of anyone?
December 25, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Did you know you can just buy tiny standees of anyone?
Reposted by Simon
Merry Christmas
It's a Wonderful Life, Guy from It’s a Wonderful Life, Who Convinces Another Guy to Open the Gym Floor So Everyone Falls in the Pool www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/its...
It's a Wonderful Life, Guy from It’s a Wonderful Life, Who Convinces Another Guy to Open the Gym Floor So Everyone Falls in the Pool www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/its...
It’s a Wonderful Life, Guy from It’s a Wonderful Life, Who Convinces Another Guy to Open the Gym Floor So Everyone Falls in the Pool
EXT. — THE VASTNESS OF SPACE
A star, representing the angel ALBERT, shoots across the sky. It stops at a distant GALAXY. As the heavenly bodies tal...
www.mcsweeneys.net
December 25, 2025 at 2:36 PM
Merry Christmas
It's a Wonderful Life, Guy from It’s a Wonderful Life, Who Convinces Another Guy to Open the Gym Floor So Everyone Falls in the Pool www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/its...
It's a Wonderful Life, Guy from It’s a Wonderful Life, Who Convinces Another Guy to Open the Gym Floor So Everyone Falls in the Pool www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/its...
Reposted by Simon
props to this christmas lad I’ve just spotted on @flightradar24.com
December 25, 2025 at 1:48 PM
props to this christmas lad I’ve just spotted on @flightradar24.com
Reposted by Simon
Extremely funny to call the pope “holier-than-thou”
December 25, 2025 at 4:05 AM
Extremely funny to call the pope “holier-than-thou”
Reposted by Simon
The most honest part of It’s A Wonderful Life is when Bert the cop tries to murder George Bailey just for causing a scene in public
December 25, 2025 at 6:52 AM
The most honest part of It’s A Wonderful Life is when Bert the cop tries to murder George Bailey just for causing a scene in public
Begging the BBC to let someone other than Mark Gatiss have a pop at A Ghost Story For Christmas.
December 24, 2025 at 10:40 PM
Begging the BBC to let someone other than Mark Gatiss have a pop at A Ghost Story For Christmas.
Reposted by Simon
Playing that Indiana Jones game and you get to do all the iconic things that Indy does in the films such as showing a croissant to a priest.
December 24, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Playing that Indiana Jones game and you get to do all the iconic things that Indy does in the films such as showing a croissant to a priest.
At the end of MICKEY'S CHRISTMAS CAROL, Scrooge (a duck) brings a prize turkey to Bob Cratchit's house for dinner.
the muppet christmas carol demarcation between 'animals for talking' and 'animals for eating' is very troubling
December 24, 2025 at 6:31 PM
At the end of MICKEY'S CHRISTMAS CAROL, Scrooge (a duck) brings a prize turkey to Bob Cratchit's house for dinner.
Reposted by Simon
Listen to our final thoughts on the turbulent Mission: Impossible franchise. We return next year to cover a different blockbuster franchise.
The Impossipod wraps up: @simonxix.com & @jimgr.bsky.social discuss the overall trajectory of the #MissionImpossible franchise, what the directors went on to do, the politics, their franchise rankings, & how this ties into wider thoughts on blockbuster franchise filmmaking: buff.ly/MsIOxWa #filmsky
The Impossipod | Podcasts | TAKE ONE | Episode 9: Outro
Simon and Jim wrap up The Impossipod series with a discussion about the overall trajectory of the Mission: Impossible franchise, what the directors of these films went on to do, the politics of these…
buff.ly
December 24, 2025 at 10:09 AM
Listen to our final thoughts on the turbulent Mission: Impossible franchise. We return next year to cover a different blockbuster franchise.
Reposted by Simon
Yes. We're spending £476m on the militarisation of Calais - where babies are being tear gassed.
The fact people are hearing this for the first time is exactly why I made it the subject of the Christmas Day message.
We could be spending that money instead on a fair and managed migration system.
The fact people are hearing this for the first time is exactly why I made it the subject of the Christmas Day message.
We could be spending that money instead on a fair and managed migration system.
The UK government is spending £476m tear-gassing babies?
Someone needs to get real if they're to be taken seriously.
Someone needs to get real if they're to be taken seriously.
The Telegraph highlighting - yet missing - two vital points here.
1) We're not calling for £476m to be spent. It already is - this is about diverting it to actually helping.
2) Why "cruelty" in question? The £476m we're spending is part of an operation tear gassing babies.
1) We're not calling for £476m to be spent. It already is - this is about diverting it to actually helping.
2) Why "cruelty" in question? The £476m we're spending is part of an operation tear gassing babies.
December 24, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Yes. We're spending £476m on the militarisation of Calais - where babies are being tear gassed.
The fact people are hearing this for the first time is exactly why I made it the subject of the Christmas Day message.
We could be spending that money instead on a fair and managed migration system.
The fact people are hearing this for the first time is exactly why I made it the subject of the Christmas Day message.
We could be spending that money instead on a fair and managed migration system.
Playing that Indiana Jones game and you get to do all the iconic things that Indy does in the films such as showing a croissant to a priest.
December 24, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Playing that Indiana Jones game and you get to do all the iconic things that Indy does in the films such as showing a croissant to a priest.
Reposted by Simon
Merry Christmas all! @simonxix.com & I bring you our last episode of ‘TAKE ONE Presents’ for the year, and it’s our wrap up episode of The Impossipod, where we take a step back to reflect on the franchise as a whole and give our series rankings.
The Impossipod wraps up: @simonxix.com & @jimgr.bsky.social discuss the overall trajectory of the #MissionImpossible franchise, what the directors went on to do, the politics, their franchise rankings, & how this ties into wider thoughts on blockbuster franchise filmmaking: buff.ly/MsIOxWa #filmsky
The Impossipod | Podcasts | TAKE ONE | Episode 9: Outro
Simon and Jim wrap up The Impossipod series with a discussion about the overall trajectory of the Mission: Impossible franchise, what the directors of these films went on to do, the politics of these…
buff.ly
December 24, 2025 at 12:39 PM
Merry Christmas all! @simonxix.com & I bring you our last episode of ‘TAKE ONE Presents’ for the year, and it’s our wrap up episode of The Impossipod, where we take a step back to reflect on the franchise as a whole and give our series rankings.
Listen to our final thoughts on the turbulent Mission: Impossible franchise. We return next year to cover a different blockbuster franchise.
The Impossipod wraps up: @simonxix.com & @jimgr.bsky.social discuss the overall trajectory of the #MissionImpossible franchise, what the directors went on to do, the politics, their franchise rankings, & how this ties into wider thoughts on blockbuster franchise filmmaking: buff.ly/MsIOxWa #filmsky
The Impossipod | Podcasts | TAKE ONE | Episode 9: Outro
Simon and Jim wrap up The Impossipod series with a discussion about the overall trajectory of the Mission: Impossible franchise, what the directors of these films went on to do, the politics of these…
buff.ly
December 24, 2025 at 10:09 AM
Listen to our final thoughts on the turbulent Mission: Impossible franchise. We return next year to cover a different blockbuster franchise.
Reposted by Simon
The Impossipod wraps up: @simonxix.com & @jimgr.bsky.social discuss the overall trajectory of the #MissionImpossible franchise, what the directors went on to do, the politics, their franchise rankings, & how this ties into wider thoughts on blockbuster franchise filmmaking: buff.ly/MsIOxWa #filmsky
The Impossipod | Podcasts | TAKE ONE | Episode 9: Outro
Simon and Jim wrap up The Impossipod series with a discussion about the overall trajectory of the Mission: Impossible franchise, what the directors of these films went on to do, the politics of these…
buff.ly
December 24, 2025 at 10:01 AM
The Impossipod wraps up: @simonxix.com & @jimgr.bsky.social discuss the overall trajectory of the #MissionImpossible franchise, what the directors went on to do, the politics, their franchise rankings, & how this ties into wider thoughts on blockbuster franchise filmmaking: buff.ly/MsIOxWa #filmsky
Reposted by Simon
Essentially, I think that LLM-generated dialogue only makes sense if you believe that the product of writing is words.
But the product of writing isn't words, any more than the product of justice is prisoners, or the product of love is weddings. The product of writing is meaning.
But the product of writing isn't words, any more than the product of justice is prisoners, or the product of love is weddings. The product of writing is meaning.
I had five fascinating conversations for this RPS piece, gathering perspectives on genAI chatbots in games, as seen in Where Winds Meet. Thanks to @meghna.bsky.social, @pyrofoux.bsky.social, @maxkreminski.bsky.social, and @chrisgardiner.bsky.social www.rockpapershotgun.com/horrible-bor...
"Horrible", "boring", and "cheap": Experts pan new chatbot NPCs, but some leave room for optimism
We speak to a collection of developers and AI experts about the potential impact of LLM-powered NPCs in videogames.
www.rockpapershotgun.com
December 23, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Essentially, I think that LLM-generated dialogue only makes sense if you believe that the product of writing is words.
But the product of writing isn't words, any more than the product of justice is prisoners, or the product of love is weddings. The product of writing is meaning.
But the product of writing isn't words, any more than the product of justice is prisoners, or the product of love is weddings. The product of writing is meaning.
Reposted by Simon
I think it's sweet that the oldest surviving printed book in the world - the Diamond Sutra - is also the oldest creative work explicitly released into the public domain, with a colophon at the end that says it was created for universal free distribution.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamond...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamond...
Diamond Sutra - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
December 23, 2025 at 9:48 PM
I think it's sweet that the oldest surviving printed book in the world - the Diamond Sutra - is also the oldest creative work explicitly released into the public domain, with a colophon at the end that says it was created for universal free distribution.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamond...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamond...
Reposted by Simon
amazes me that labour twats have the gall to whine on about how their tweaks to minimum wage etc aren’t being lauded by the populace while they’re doing stuff like this
"City of London Police said a 22-year-old woman has been arrested for displaying a placard in support of proscribed organisation, Palestine Action, contrary to Section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000."
Read her sign again:
Read her sign again:
December 23, 2025 at 11:52 AM
amazes me that labour twats have the gall to whine on about how their tweaks to minimum wage etc aren’t being lauded by the populace while they’re doing stuff like this
Reposted by Simon
notice how she wasn't even supporting palestine action.
she was supporting the hunger strikers.
she was supporting the hunger strikers.
Greta Thunberg arrested at protest supporting Palestine Action hunger strikers
Greta Thunberg arrested at protest supporting Palestine Action hunger strikers
Greta Thunberg arrested at protest supporting Palestine Action hunger strikers
www.independent.co.uk
December 23, 2025 at 12:14 PM
notice how she wasn't even supporting palestine action.
she was supporting the hunger strikers.
she was supporting the hunger strikers.
Reposted by Simon
call us old fashioned but, if you've built a machine that makes child porn, we really don't care if can do anything else.
unplug the machine.
unplug the machine.
December 22, 2025 at 7:45 PM
call us old fashioned but, if you've built a machine that makes child porn, we really don't care if can do anything else.
unplug the machine.
unplug the machine.
Reposted by Simon
