Various and Sundry

The Future of Retail is, if not Bright, Using Those Vintage-style Light Bulbs

By Bjorn Munson | by Bjorn Munson

Well, maybe. Retail is the era of omnipresent online shopping needs to have some extra experiential spice of its own. And it’s no secret that retail’s “biggest season” is upon us. Much digital ink is being spent on analysis as folks try and find trends. I’m a fan of “Small Business Saturday,” but and would note: In fact it was considering how small businesses are actively working to be experiences and potentially third places that…

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Various and Sundry

Was that a kawoosh? Stargate is coming back to TV!

By Bjorn Munson | by Bjorn Munson

You heard it right, someone is dialing the gate and a new Stargate TV show is coming through the wormhole. And no, as fans will patiently explain, they’re not talking about the 1994 movie, they’re talking about the multiple shows that started in ’97 and ran for a surprisingly long time as I posted about back in 2022. But for fans, of course, there have been no new chapters for a depressingly long time. So…

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Various and Sundry

The Muppets Remember Jim Henson

By Bjorn Munson | by Bjorn Munson

On May 16th, 1990, Jim Henson a writer, director, puppeteer, and all-around friend of imagination, died suddenly. There was a public memorial less than a week later and another one in July. Then, 35 years ago this night, November 21, 1990, the Muppets did their own remembrance on CBS. I had forgotten about it, but thanks to writer and de facto pop culture historian Mark Evanier, I was reminded of it earlier this year and…

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Various and Sundry

‘Tis the Season for Cyber Security

By Bjorn Munson | by Bjorn Munson

If you’re in a workplace like mine, you probably get a lot of seasonal online safety tips… but what if you aren’t? So in the spirit of remembering some handy tips as all the holiday deals start dominating our inboxes and site next week, check out some of CISA’s guides for shopping safely: Note I saw both of these pages were labeled “ARCHIVED CONTENT” which CISA cautions may mean “outdated information,” but a) it’s from…

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Acting Voiceover

Partial Veil: Kickstarter with a Deadly Twist

By Bjorn Munson | by Bjorn Munson

You all may recall last year that I got an opportunity to play the good-natured Deputy Ray Lester in the freaky-natured horror podcast Partial Veil. Well, besides picking up some darn fine awards and acclaim, Partial Veil has continued with season two and now they’re looking for funding for said season with a twist: they’re giving some great swag as well as the chance to shape what happens in season three. Check out the Kickstarter…

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Various and Sundry

Remembering

By Bjorn Munson | by Bjorn Munson

In a more philosophical mood today, which is not unsurprising on Veterans Day (probably known better as Armistice Day and Remembrance Day for some readers). For most of the organizations I’ve worked for over the years, I have worked with a lot of veterans. In our current times where the United States is feeling far less united, I take heart that all the veterans I know came from very different walks of life. And now?…

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Writing

Do You Even Sci-Fi, Tech Bro?

By Bjorn Munson | by Bjorn Munson

This year’s sci-fi offerings on screen have included some truly dickish tech bros from Nicholas Hoult’s self-assured Lex Luthor in the latest film version of Superman to Samuel Blenkin’s infuriating Boy Kavalier in Alien: Earth. Even if you haven’t seen interviews with tech titans professing their love of science fiction and related geekery, this video may prove to be more validation than surprises.

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Various and Sundry Writing

Babylon 5 Has Some Thoughts on Fascism

By Bjorn Munson | by Bjorn Munson

Evidently, events in this timeline have caused many to revisit Babylon 5, the 90s TV space opera aided by the immortal Video Toaster. And you know what? That’s a damn good reason and if you need a reminder, there’s YourFutureSelf’s video… BUT WAIT! Before you watch, if you haven’t seen Babylon 5, it has some serious spoilers that might detract from the enjoyment of the series unfolding. For you, there are two viewing guides to…

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Various and Sundry

Location, Location, Spooky Location

By Bjorn Munson | by Bjorn Munson

Okay, so last week, I shared an article about some creepy places to visit and, to my mind, film six to seven scenes of your indie horror opus. But what if you just want to engage in some movie tourism, spooky style? This compilation article (list-icle?) from Jonathan Carey, et al, from Atlas Obscura gives you a bunch of places to visit in person where you may have previously visited on screen, whether it’s getting…

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Acting Various and Sundry

The Hosts with the Most… Horror

By Bjorn Munson | by Bjorn Munson

It could be that growing up with both Count Gore De Vol and Count Floyd, I have a soft spot for “horror hosts,” those usually hyper-local curators of horror films good, bad, and ugly. Tea Krulos has a nice longer piece for Atlas Obscura that delves into not only the horror hosts, but the mission they serve in preserving frightening film history. Enjoy! And remember: there’s just a few more shocking days until Halloween!

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