Ben Allan
@benallan.bsky.social
Subeditor / lamestream media left-wing govt mouthpiece / right-wing govt propagandist trapped in Dunedin, New Zealand. Opinions those of the Voice of the Mysterons. Used to program binary load lifters, very similar to your vaporators in most respects
Went to Predator: Badlands last night and it was lots of fun, but also wondering how many different planets Aotearoa has played now. We must be the hottest place in the world for the somewhat immersion-destroying experience of "Oh hey that's just here, but you stuck a couple of CGI peaks on it".
November 13, 2025 at 9:38 PM
Went to Predator: Badlands last night and it was lots of fun, but also wondering how many different planets Aotearoa has played now. We must be the hottest place in the world for the somewhat immersion-destroying experience of "Oh hey that's just here, but you stuck a couple of CGI peaks on it".
Reposted by Ben Allan
TV conspiracies: we’ve hacked their computers but they’ve perfectly cleaned up the evidence!
Real conspiracies:
To: conspirator
From: famous person
Attachment: evidence.png
Real conspiracies:
To: conspirator
From: famous person
Attachment: evidence.png
November 12, 2025 at 8:19 PM
TV conspiracies: we’ve hacked their computers but they’ve perfectly cleaned up the evidence!
Real conspiracies:
To: conspirator
From: famous person
Attachment: evidence.png
Real conspiracies:
To: conspirator
From: famous person
Attachment: evidence.png
Not a lot of people know that Health Star ratings are cumulative. Like a can of Coke is 0.5 stars out of 5, so if you drink 10 cans per day, that's maximum health.
November 12, 2025 at 9:12 PM
Not a lot of people know that Health Star ratings are cumulative. Like a can of Coke is 0.5 stars out of 5, so if you drink 10 cans per day, that's maximum health.
"I Think You Should Leave" has been very hit and miss for me (although the hits HIT), but maaaaan, the latest episode of "The Chair Company" was one of the funniest things I have watched in ages.
November 11, 2025 at 8:56 PM
"I Think You Should Leave" has been very hit and miss for me (although the hits HIT), but maaaaan, the latest episode of "The Chair Company" was one of the funniest things I have watched in ages.
New Zealand's population growth is low, as we can sense from this Stuff illustrative shot of a distinctively Kiwi crowd taken by Anton Kraev of Arkhangelsk, Russia.
November 11, 2025 at 4:14 AM
New Zealand's population growth is low, as we can sense from this Stuff illustrative shot of a distinctively Kiwi crowd taken by Anton Kraev of Arkhangelsk, Russia.
Catching up with Nosferatu (2024) and trying to think if pop culture offers another example of "we have classic story A that we keep remaking and also we have classic story B that we keep remaking that is just classic story A with the serial numbers not even half-arsedly filed off".
November 10, 2025 at 10:52 AM
Catching up with Nosferatu (2024) and trying to think if pop culture offers another example of "we have classic story A that we keep remaking and also we have classic story B that we keep remaking that is just classic story A with the serial numbers not even half-arsedly filed off".
May the Holy Trinity bless and watch over this house and all those who may dwell in it.
November 7, 2025 at 2:34 AM
May the Holy Trinity bless and watch over this house and all those who may dwell in it.
Every day I wonder "when will Disk Den finally be rid of this 'Black Adam' poster?" and every day the answer is "not today"
November 6, 2025 at 2:13 AM
Every day I wonder "when will Disk Den finally be rid of this 'Black Adam' poster?" and every day the answer is "not today"
America going well, I see. Once OCP gets their new law enforcement initiative up and running everything oughta be hunky-dory.
November 4, 2025 at 11:31 PM
America going well, I see. Once OCP gets their new law enforcement initiative up and running everything oughta be hunky-dory.
Reposted by Ben Allan
The Power Fantasy of Superman is you still have a staff job on a newspaper.
October 27, 2025 at 1:24 PM
The Power Fantasy of Superman is you still have a staff job on a newspaper.
Facebook now seems to be hitting me with new notifications that go "hey, remember this comment from your friend in the middle of a big fun discussion you had here years ago?", which really only serve to remind one how very terrible it has become since the days you actually *saw* your friends on it.
November 1, 2025 at 12:24 AM
Facebook now seems to be hitting me with new notifications that go "hey, remember this comment from your friend in the middle of a big fun discussion you had here years ago?", which really only serve to remind one how very terrible it has become since the days you actually *saw* your friends on it.
Feels like a lot of people are gearing up to waste a whooooole lot of money in the understanding gap between "It is amazing AI can produce video this approximate to the real thing" (it probably is!) and "The achievable level of approximation is still utterly functionally useless as entertainment".
October 29, 2025 at 11:52 PM
Feels like a lot of people are gearing up to waste a whooooole lot of money in the understanding gap between "It is amazing AI can produce video this approximate to the real thing" (it probably is!) and "The achievable level of approximation is still utterly functionally useless as entertainment".
Reposted by Ben Allan
I am on the phone with a kiwi, learning that some cricket matches are five days long. I find this fascinating but unacceptable.
October 28, 2025 at 5:46 PM
I am on the phone with a kiwi, learning that some cricket matches are five days long. I find this fascinating but unacceptable.
Reposted by Ben Allan
The German company that makes the mechanical ladder used in the Louvre heist has used the image to advertise, with the text 'When you need to move fast'
10/10 response, no notes
10/10 response, no notes
October 24, 2025 at 8:27 AM
The German company that makes the mechanical ladder used in the Louvre heist has used the image to advertise, with the text 'When you need to move fast'
10/10 response, no notes
10/10 response, no notes
Reposted by Ben Allan
Fundamentally every ending to ME3 asks you to concede that the Reapers are a bad solution to a real problem & propose an alternate solution to that problem. But the entire story up to that point was one long argument that the problem wasn't real except insofar as the Reapers caused it on purpose
legitimately one of the most insanely left-field endings to an rpg i can recollect
the entire series is about shepard finding ways for people to live together despite their differences and the ending is like "actually that's impossible. now choose your preferred explosion color"
the entire series is about shepard finding ways for people to live together despite their differences and the ending is like "actually that's impossible. now choose your preferred explosion color"
October 20, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Fundamentally every ending to ME3 asks you to concede that the Reapers are a bad solution to a real problem & propose an alternate solution to that problem. But the entire story up to that point was one long argument that the problem wasn't real except insofar as the Reapers caused it on purpose
Adding "Then you've got a guy who's prepared to get down and lap you" from Frankie McKay to the list of cricketing innuendo. (Have to find something positive to take out of this innings.)
#nzcricket
#nzcricket
October 20, 2025 at 7:32 AM
Adding "Then you've got a guy who's prepared to get down and lap you" from Frankie McKay to the list of cricketing innuendo. (Have to find something positive to take out of this innings.)
#nzcricket
#nzcricket
"I'm appalled that people in unions are working together" is an interesting take for the Public Services Minister to have, but it may be the case that her go-to idea of a union is the Taxpayer's Union, in which case it makes a lot of sense.
October 19, 2025 at 10:35 PM
"I'm appalled that people in unions are working together" is an interesting take for the Public Services Minister to have, but it may be the case that her go-to idea of a union is the Taxpayer's Union, in which case it makes a lot of sense.
Reposted by Ben Allan
we are in a self-awareness crisis
October 19, 2025 at 7:20 PM
we are in a self-awareness crisis
Call me a pedant but I don't know if you can really say "OK we're going back to the ceasefire now!" in the downtime between ... firings
www.bbc.com/news/live/c2...
www.bbc.com/news/live/c2...
Israel says it will return to ceasefire hours after carrying out strikes on Gaza - live updates
Hamas and Israel accuse each other of violating the peace deal, while hospital sources in Gaza say 44 people have been killed.
www.bbc.com
October 19, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Call me a pedant but I don't know if you can really say "OK we're going back to the ceasefire now!" in the downtime between ... firings
www.bbc.com/news/live/c2...
www.bbc.com/news/live/c2...
Have pulled Kid A out this arvo for the first time in probably 2 decades. I recall thinking when it came out (HYPE!) that it was a baffling load of mostly sonic wank that had to be considered a hugely disappointing follow-up to OK Computer. But now, all these years later, I can see that I was right.
October 19, 2025 at 12:52 AM
Have pulled Kid A out this arvo for the first time in probably 2 decades. I recall thinking when it came out (HYPE!) that it was a baffling load of mostly sonic wank that had to be considered a hugely disappointing follow-up to OK Computer. But now, all these years later, I can see that I was right.
I am worried we aren't implementing this technology fast enough.
October 16, 2025 at 11:54 PM
I am worried we aren't implementing this technology fast enough.
Movie executives apparently being baffled that both:
A) A Minecraft film would make so much money;
B) A Tron sequel led by Jared Leto would be a big winner in 2025
... seems to say a lot about both 1) the bizarrely ongoing mainstream non-grasp of games and 2) inflated movie executive salaries.
A) A Minecraft film would make so much money;
B) A Tron sequel led by Jared Leto would be a big winner in 2025
... seems to say a lot about both 1) the bizarrely ongoing mainstream non-grasp of games and 2) inflated movie executive salaries.
October 13, 2025 at 3:15 AM
Movie executives apparently being baffled that both:
A) A Minecraft film would make so much money;
B) A Tron sequel led by Jared Leto would be a big winner in 2025
... seems to say a lot about both 1) the bizarrely ongoing mainstream non-grasp of games and 2) inflated movie executive salaries.
A) A Minecraft film would make so much money;
B) A Tron sequel led by Jared Leto would be a big winner in 2025
... seems to say a lot about both 1) the bizarrely ongoing mainstream non-grasp of games and 2) inflated movie executive salaries.
Why is 24 blank?
In honor of spooky month, share a 4 word horror story that only someone in your profession would understand
I'll go first: Six page commercial lease.
I'll go first: Six page commercial lease.
October 12, 2025 at 11:32 PM
Why is 24 blank?
Two versions of reality on the same home page.
October 11, 2025 at 11:14 PM
Two versions of reality on the same home page.
Seeing Thiel's latest insanities, I guess the thing about there "no good billionaires" is it's impossible. Any good or even semi-decent person that had $1b dropped on them would get rid of most of it helping people (and still be wildly rich). Takes a deep weirdo who thinks wealth is the end itself.
October 11, 2025 at 6:09 AM
Seeing Thiel's latest insanities, I guess the thing about there "no good billionaires" is it's impossible. Any good or even semi-decent person that had $1b dropped on them would get rid of most of it helping people (and still be wildly rich). Takes a deep weirdo who thinks wealth is the end itself.