New Tech Dif! and the cheeriest plasma you've ever heard.
28th July 2025
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Hello!
We're back! There's a new Technical Difficulties episode! The reverse trivia format returns as Chris, Gary, Matt and I consider the vibrating Churchill. We're starting blue. And also brown. And I trip up spectacularly.
We're back! There's a new Technical Difficulties episode! The reverse trivia format returns as Chris, Gary, Matt and I consider the vibrating Churchill. We're starting blue. And also brown. And I trip up spectacularly.
And in this week's Lateral! Luke Cutforth, Corry Will and Hannah Crosbie face questions about feather farmers, B-52 blinds and moist
municipalities.
This week's "good stuff I found on YouTube" section is three videos that either contain excellent disclaimers, or really should contain disclaimers:
- Bernadette
Banner tests a body hair removal recipe from 1905. This is delightful: a project that took five years of frustration before all the necessary parts were found, even though, in theory it should be easy. A very good "don't try this at home".
- Sunday Nobody has been doing short-form maker videos for a while, which means that his first long-form video seemed to appear from nowhere for me. And what a video! This is an odd form of clickbait: his Amazon delivery missiles aren't functional, they're art pieces, but by the time I realised where the video was actually going, I
was already impressed by the ever-increasing scale of the project, the editing style, and the jokes. The Gen-Z fast-cut editing may annoy some people (it got away with it by making me laugh), but I'd recommend giving this a try anyway. And it's yet another demonstration of just how high the bar is for makers on YouTube these days.
- I've performed scripted pieces to camera under some
pretty extreme conditions, but never while being dragged behind a motorbike. Not only does this have to be one continuous take, it has to be first-take: this is more dangerous, and more difficult, than any sort of camera shot I ever attempted. And it's relevant to the video and a great demonstration, too! The channel is from Canadian
motorcycling retailer FortNine, and it's accessible even to non-bikers: this is a perfect example of what they do. (Thanks to Ethan for sending this over!)
What about away from the world of video?
- I was absolutely
punched in the nostalgia by Geocities Backgrounds.
- Amsterdam is going to install "kitty steps" in canals to save cats from drowning. (Turns out that's an upsettingly common thing.)
- Tender: it's like Tinder, but it's only for pictures of your partner, and you can only swipe right. What a joy! And I'm surprised to find that it actually appears to be a real app for iOS? That's dedication: I'd have made this as a small little web toy, rather than going through all the hassle of putting it on an app store.
And finally: Popeye meets plasma speakers. There are plenty of people playing MIDI using electrical discharges, but I've never seen one where the composition was quite so joyful.
All the best,
— Tom
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