Category: Misc

– Superman For All Seasons, Book Three, Fall.

To support or seek help, please know there are places such as https://t.co/LUw6woJElo and https://t.co/OW50Kobpzz that are doing great work.

— Zack Snyder (@ZackSnyder) May 23, 2017

Veterans Day celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans and coincides with Armistice Day commemorating the conclusion of World War I.

One juxtaposition of our capacity for war and peace is in the Christmas Truce of 1914 (learn more), dramatized in this 2014 Sainsbury’s ad:

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Update: I’m still alive and still working on the podcast.  There has just been several other good priorities and diversions over the show lately.

The next episode is about 2/3rds there.  I’ve got the history and the science.  I still have to finalize the squishy human-stuff.

Great new responsibilities mean I’ve got less and less time, but still plugging away.  Some RRSSS for your consideration:

• Clark Kent Videogame Pitch | Impractical Jokers – I’d play it
• Batman Cosplay breaks records | Guinness – Costume gadgets
• St. Paul’s – Christopher Wren talk | Gresham College – “If you seek his monument…”
• Creating [Joker’s] Supercar from Scratch | Great Big Story – Kit car developer of Joker’s ride
• 10 Things We Didn’t Know 100 Years Ago | SciSchow – Perspective on Wonder Woman in World War I or Superman’s debut 78 years ago
• Arrival (2016) | Villenueve – Starring Amy Adams, based on a short story by my favorite scifi writer, Ted Chiang
• Nocturnal Animals (2016) | Ford – Starring Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Michael Shannon
• Playing God | RadioLab – Ethical dilemmas of triage
• The Girl Who Doesn’t Exist | RadioLab – Being born in the U.S. on a farm without papers like Clark Kent
• Faking Your Own Death | Point of Inquiry – Industry, ease, and costs of faking your death like Clark Kent might
• Bring on the female superheroes! | TED – It’s time
• Researches Develop Tech To Read Closed Book | Associated Press – Superman power application becomes reality, “I can see your ID tag in your breast pocket…“
• IBM’s Watson Cut A Trailer | IBM – AI-driven presentations in MOS (Jor-El’s history lesson, Zod’s dreamscape)
• Is Inbreeding Really That Bad? | PBS Gross Science – Restarting the Kryptonian race
• The Plane Highway in the Sky | Wendover Productions – How we lose track of planes (and Superman) in the sky
• Why Can’t Mules Have Babies? | MinuteEarth – Human-Kryptonian Hybrids
• Faint Young Sun Paradox | MinuteEarth – Lost portions of deep history
• Elon Musk: How To Build The Future | Y Combinator – Fatalism and other Lex Luthor parallels
• How the Mona Lisa became so overrated | Vox – Historical critical reception
• Why Some People Are More Altruistic | TED – Humble lack of self-centered view, attainable by more of us
• .62 Politicians’ Mental Health | Sparks – The Goldwater Rule forbids the unethical mental diagnosis from afar (not personally examined, without consent)
• .63 Mental Health Stigma | Sparks – The stigmatizing effect of irresponsible mental diagnosis
• Undead Genes: Genetic Activation After Death | STBYM – Superman’s resurrection power and topic of an upcoming episode
• Batman v. Superman Dawn of Justice Analysis | MediaMatters – See below
• Speed of Cliche Sayings | Daily Mail – See below

Batman v. Superman Dawn of Justice Analysis | MediaMatters

MOSAIC Episode 49 will be out “when it’s done” but hopefully before the end of this month.

It may be a while until I have time to prepare an episode or record next.  I’ll be traveling for work, I have new additions for a new edition due, vacation plans, etc.  I’d like to do a Flash focused episode or Suicide Squad spotlight.  Maybe.  The courts get busy before people start disappearing on their Summer breaks, so my attention is a bit split.  There’s a ton of stuff to enjoy from the Ultimate Edition trailer, Rebirth, to Suicide Squad spots and merchandise, to Rick Famuyiwa filmography, etc. so you’re spoiled for choice!

Please support the DC TV Podcasts: Spinal Cort Research Fundraiser, this Saturday, June 11th.This is a great cause and a fun podcast event!

Here’s some RRSSS:

• Why I Broke Up With The Little Mermaid | Jesse Eisenberg
  • Little Mermaid: Cry with the Saints | Myths & Legends Podcast
  • Silicon Valley people need thicker skin | Nick Denton, Gawker | Recode
  • Existentialism – Philosophy #16 | CrashCourse
  • Artificial Intelligence | Elon Musk | Recode
  • We are already cyborgs | Elon Musk | Recode
  • Is life a video game? | Elon Musk | Recode
• Collisions: Crash Course Physics #10 | CrashCourse
• What Are You? | Kurzgesagt
  • Do You Really Have a New Body Every 7 Years? | SciShow
  • Does The Human Body Really Replace Itself Every 7 Years? | BrainStuff
• Returning Home From Life In Space | Great Big Story
  • Event Horizon: How Space Changes Your Perspective On Life | Great Big Story
  • Who Governs Space? | Completely Optional Knowledge
  • The Astronaut Who Got Sued By NASA | Motherboard
  • This is What Outer Space Does to Your Body | Great Big Story
• Deciphering the Secrets of Codex Seraphinianus | Great Big Story
  • How the Voynich Manuscript Works | Stuff You Should Know
• BvS Word Frequency Analysis of Proper Nouns (Theatrical Subtitles)
• How Much everyone Working On a $200 Million Movie Earns | Vanity Fair
• King Tut’s dagger was ‘made from a meteorite’ | CNN
  • Raw Craft with Anthony Bourdain – Episode Four: Bob Kramer | Raw Craft
  • A Sword Fit For Kings: Forging Real Life Valyrian Steel | Great Big Story
  • Ulfberht swords | Wikipedia
  • Damascus steel | Wikipedia
  • NOVA Secrets of the Viking Sword | PBS
• Solution to the Grandfather Paradox | MinutePhysics
  • 3 Surprising Creativity Tests feat. Vsauce! | BrainCraft
  • How does laser cooling work? | Physics Girl
  • Is energy always conserved? | Physics Girl
  • 6 Algorithms That Can Improve Your Life | Note to Self
  • Professor Povey’s Perplexing Problems | Thomas Povey
  • How Does CatDog Poop? (Because Science w/ Kyle Hill) | Nerdist
  • How Superheroes Phase Through Walls Is All Wrong! | Nerdist
  • Is Quantum Tunneling Faster than Light? | Space Time
• What’s the Value of a Life? | BrainCraft
  • The Buried Bodies Case | Radiolab
• The Dark Souls of Idea Channel Episodes | PBS Idea Channel
• Superman vs Muhammad Ali | Denny O’Neil & Neal Adams
• Meet The Artist ’15: Rick Famuyiwa | Sundance Film Festival

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Not sure when I’ll have time to record next.  It would be thematic to do a Martha episode for Mother’s Day but I’ve other commitments the next few weeks.  I have a bunch of notes about Lara and Martha but not compiled enough for an episode yet.

Though Lara is only in the Krypton sequence, she’s given more to do with more significance than you might initially think.  Even as she expresses doubt and fear, she’s ultimately the one who makes the active decision to launch Kal-El after bravely completing the first natural birth on Krypton in centuries.  Lara is the one that faces her husband’s killer and his threats at sentencing and has to face the end of Krypton a widow and without her child.  Some interesting stuff in that before and after when you unpack it.  Martha, meanwhile, is a strong and nurturing mother who eventually needs an episode because there’s so much to say.  For now, simply:

Happy Mother’s Day!

So until next time, an extra helping of RRSSS to help tide you over.  (Also be sure to check out all the other great DC podcasts out there!)

Superman – Character Development, Approach, Psychology, etc.

• Overcoming Bad Inner Voices | School of Life
  • The Case For Optimism | TED Radio Hour
• How to Get More Grit in Your Life | Freakonomics
  • The Power And Problem Of Grit | Hidden Brain
  • Being Malcolm Gladwell | Freakonomics
  • Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance | Angela Duckworth
  • Why an Entire Field of Psychology Is in Trouble | SciShow
• Early Christian Schisms – I: Before Imperium – Extra History | Extra Credits
  • Proverbs | The Bible Project
• Who IS Sherlock Holmes? – Neil McCaw | TED Ed
  • Captain America’s Biggest Flaw | Desmond Drake
  • Captain America: The Secret DARK History Of The First Avenger | Screen Rant

Appreciating DC Films through Science, History, Philosophy, Film, etc.

• Myths and Truths About Tornadoes | Stuff You Should Know
  • 186: Prom – Act 1: Tornado Prom | This American Life
  • What Was Operation Plowshare? | Stuff You Should Know
  • Does Kin Selection Explain Altruism? | Stuff You Should Know
  • Nostalgia is not the most toxic impulse | Stuff You Should Know
• Should We Give Homeless People Homes | The Inquiry
• World Peace and Other 4th Grade Achievements | John Hunter
• How To Understand A Picasso | Evan Puschak
• Should you trust unanimous decisions? – Derek Abbott | TED-Ed
• .44 An Unusual Pattern | What’s The Point
• Do Invincible Creatures Exist? | Completely Optional Knowledge
• Episode 29: Traffic | Hidden Brain
• Episode 12: Omnibot | Flash Forward
• Does grammar matter? – Andreea S. Calude | TED-Ed
• Vigilantism and Lynching | Engaging Etymology
  • Masked Vigilantes: Heroes or Hoaxsters? | ABC News
  • “You’re quoting Shakespeare” – Rob Brydon | Telegraph
• Why is being scared so fun? – Margee Kerr | TED-Ed
• How To Fake Your Own Death – EPIC HOW TO | AWE Me
  • Frozen Faith: Cryonics and The Quest to Cheat Death | Motherboard
• The Science of Rendering Photorealistic CGI | Filmmaker IQ
• Humans: New & Improved | Imaginary Worlds
• Speed of sound in movies | Lindybeige
• The Great War | The Great War

Miscellaneous

• BATLEXANDER MANILTON (Hamilton + Batman Parody) | Turtle Cameron
• HAMILTON Ham4Ham with J.J. Abrams 5/4/16 | Howard Sherman
• DC Legion of Collectors: DC TV Teaser | DC Entertainment
• Sneak Peek at DC Universe: The Exhibit | WB Studio Tour
• MasterChef Australia | Ten
• Triangle of Power | 3Blue1Brown

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Have an episode on Superman’s characterization ready to record, but didn’t have time to this weekend (we got to see Hamilton).

While I’m eagerly anticipating Suicide Squad, I’m not intending to do marketing material breakdowns like with Batman v. Superman.  I’ve got my hands full already with BvS for now.  I’ll probably do at least one related episode before it comes out though.

Anyways, in the meantime, here’s some RRSSS:

• Stop, Look, Listen (Criticism) | Where There’s Smoke
• On The Edge | Radiolab
• Justice League Universe Podcast | Sam Otten
• How deterrence is changing, explained by Defense Secretary Ash Carter | Vox
• Beyond Tolerance | TED Radio Hour
• Myths and Legends Podcast | Jason Weiser
• How Feasible Is Rebuilding Japan After Godzilla Attacks | Nerdometrics
• What Kind of Person Becomes a Violent Jihadi | The Inquiry
• Supertall 101 | 99% Invisible
• In Defense of Ignorance | This American Life
• Decoders – Adam West | Reply All
• The Power And Problem Of Grit | Hidden Brain
• Superman (Five for Fighting cover) | Mike Massé

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We’re less than a week away! So I’m going dark, but hope to leave you with a few fun things to check out while your biding your time when you’re not rewatching Young Justice, catching up on Supergirl and Flash, and more. I’m doing a jury trial and grading exams, so no planned MOSAIC episodes before Batman v. Superman. Just enough time to make brief comments on each link. Enjoy the RRSSS until we meet again!

Randomly Related Slightly Salient Stuff

• Zack Snyder on spoilers | Opie
• Zack Snyder on spoilers | MTV
• Batman v Superman : Dawn of Justice Rap Video | Jorel Blu
• Man of Steel Kryptonian Writing System | Darren Doyle
• Henry Cavill says his Clark Kent in ‘Batman V Superman’ is from the comics | inSing TV
• Karl Marx on Alienation | BBC Radio 4
• Episode 35: Imagining Wonder Woman | Imaginary Worlds
• Episode 36: Why They Fight | Imaginary Worlds
• Infographic: Superhero Movies Until 2020 | ComicsAlliance
• NASA Wants to Make a Supersonic Jet With No Boom | WIRED
• What Makes An Idea Go Viral? – Seth Godin | TED
• Why Did Humans Become The Most Successful Species On Earth? – Yuval Harari | TED
• Is bilingual better? | The World in Words
• Glowing life in an underwater world – Edith Widder | TED
• Jason Silva on Transhumanism: Are We Decommissioning Evolution? | Big Think
• Neil deGrasse Tyson Met Superman – CONAN on TBS | Team CoCo
• 107: One Man Two Heroes | Fatman on Batman
• 22: Originals: How To Spot One, How To Be One | Hidden Brain
• Classical music for bros: The origins of NFL’s Theme Music | Studio 360
• 05: Micro But Mighty | Flash Forward
• Do Animals in the Wild Get Drunk? | Completely Optional Knowledge
• Turn and Face the Strange (Authenticity) | Where There’s Smoke
• 687: Buy This Passport | Planet Money
• 2016 Episodes | RadioLab
• Five Fallacies | Idea Channel
• Even More Fallacies! | Idea Channel
• 582: When the Beasts Come Marching In | This American Life

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Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  I’m out of town until January and off-line for the immediate future, but wish you and yours an awesome holiday.  DC is picking up steam so there is so much to enjoy if you’re traveling or have some free time.  Just some RRSSS until we meet again!

Superman Stuff

• Batman v Superman Dawn of Justice Trailer #2 Reaction Mashup Epic | epictrailersonly
• Batwing prototype from Batman vs Superman by SOAP STUDIO | Budget Stark
• Supergirl | CBS
• Frank Miller Wants To Write A Superman Comic With Batman As The Bad Guy | BleedingCool

Appreciating Man of Steel through Science, Psychology, Philosophy, Film, etc.

• Why we should go to Mars | Robert Zubrin
• Let’s Not Use Mars As A Backup Planet | TED
• Overview | Planetary Collective
• HISTORY: Wabi-sabi | School of Life
• The ethical dilemma of self-driving cars – Patrick Lin | TED-Ed
• Is It Evil? Ep. 5: Decisive Machine | Codebreaker
• Quantum Computers Explained – Limits of Human Technology | Kurzgesagt
• What if You Were Shoryukened? | Vsauce3
• Could You Rip Out A Spine? | Vsauce3
• What If The Earth Were Twice As Big? | Life Noggin
• What Pisses Scientists Off the Most When They Go to the Movies? | Completely Optional Knowledge
• Would You F**k An Alien? • Debatable | Buzzfeed
• Controversy under Neuroscience and Law w/ David Eagleman | Big Think
• The Way It Is? (Taste) | Where There’s Smoke

Miscellaneous Stuff

• Snyder Star Wars Tweets
• The Bible of Zack Snyder | Charles Gerian
• Human Intelligence: A Holiday Tale | Studio 360
• A Justice Christmas | The Black Cat
• Linus Christmas Monologue | Peanuts Christmas

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