
Most of us know that "if you want a job done right, do it yourself." We don't always have the time to do it ourselves, though. If someone can do the job 70% right, it's a prime task for delegation.

At least that’s what Alex Winter, a.k.a. Bill S. Preston, Esq., told Yahoo! Movies UK recently.
After the Bill & Ted franchise, Winter focused more on directing, but he is excited to reprise his iconic role:
“[Bill & Ted] will be 40-something and it’s all about Bill and Ted grown up, or not grown up,” Winter tells us. “It’s really sweet and really f—ing funny.
“But it’s a Bill & Ted movie, that’s what it is. It’s for the fans of Bill & Ted. It fits very neatly in the [series]. It’s not going to feel like a reboot. The conceit is really funny: What if you’re middle-aged, haven’t really grown up and you’re supposed to have saved the world and maybe, just maybe, you kinda haven’t?”
“There’s many versions of ourselves in this movie,” he continues. “[It’s] answering the question: ‘What happened to these guys?’ They’re supposed to have done all this stuff, they weren’t the brightest bulbs on the tree, what happened 20 years later? To answer that question in a comedic way felt rich with possibility.”
So, like, who out there is, like, totally excited??

Photographed at Dragon Con 2014 by Flickr User Hiro Protagonist2004.
[Source: Hiro Protagonist2004 | Tardis Fashion | Via FG]

Over at The Toast, Mallory Ortberg adds to her ongoing alt-history series of movies, books and TV shows penned by Objectivist Ayn Rand (previously ). The results are characteristically superb.
I’ve written before about how useful I believe the bittorrent protocol is, and today I wanted to share something with you guys that you may not have known about (I’m pretty with it, as the kids say, and I didn’t even know about this until a couple of weeks ago): Bittorrent Bundles. The BT Bundles are all legal, official, and released by artists to promote and share their work with their audience. Instead of paying for server space and bandwidth, artists seed files, and let the bittorrent community do the rest.
You can find tons of bundles at https://bundles.bittorrent.com/. Here’s Moby’s Innocents, De La Soul’s Smell the Da.I.S.Y, and Thom Yorke’s newest solo work, Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes . Most of the artists release a couple tracks for free, with the option to pay them for the full album. These are incredibly fast torrents, too, because so many people seed them.
Whenever someone tries to argue that torrents are just for piracy, I show them the BT Bundles, because it’s such an effective way for artists to promote themselves and share their creations with their audience.
PROLOGUE
And thus did the number of women calling themselves "feminist" rocket. RT @DawnHFoster: LADIES. MAKE YOUR CHOICES. pic.twitter.com/512S3JAYeE
— John Scalzi (@scalzi) September 25, 2014
ACT I
GUY: I WILL NOT DATE YOU IF YOU ARE A FEMINIST Woman: Great! Thank you. GUY: YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO REACT THAT WAY Woman: Oh, but I AM.
— John Scalzi (@scalzi) September 25, 2014
ACT II
GUY: OH HEY THERE BABY YOU LOOK LIKE YOU COULD USE COMPA- Woman: I'm a feminist. GUY: NOOOO THE BURNING MAKE IT STOP (flees) (Woman smiles)
— John Scalzi (@scalzi) September 25, 2014
ACT III
GUY: HEY THERE BAB- Woman: Feminist. GUY: LIKE A REAL FEMINIST OR ARE YOU JUST TRYING TO GET RID OF ME Women: Why not both?
— John Scalzi (@scalzi) September 25, 2014
ACT IV
GUY: HI THER- Women: Feminist. GUY: THIS WHOLE BAR CAN'T BE FULL OF FEMINISTS (Every women in bar nods) GUY: HAS THE WORLD GONE MAD
— John Scalzi (@scalzi) September 25, 2014
ACT V
GUY: I STRUCK OUT AT THE BAR BUT I HAVE THIS LOTION AND MY HAND Guy's Hand: Feminist. GUY: OH COME ON Lotion: Me too. GUY: NOOOOOOOO
— John Scalzi (@scalzi) September 25, 2014
fin

*That red stuff is what people still think economic reality is and the gray stuff is the actual reality. Americans, not even in the contest

"Do you think anyone will notice they’re just cardboard cutouts?"
"Look, we’ve already stretched the budget to £10.50, they’ll just have to deal with it."



This is Sam Pepper. If you don’t know who he is, Sam is a successful YouTube prankster with over 2 million subscribers. He recently uploaded a video titled “Fake Hand Ass Pink Prank" where he pinched unsuspecting girls’ butts without their permission. None of this was done with the girls’ consent…meaning Sam Pepper sexually harassed and assaulted these women.
This is no longer a “simple, harmless prank” but rather a very serious matter and offence. If you haven’t seen the video yet, you can watch, dislike, and report it HERE. You can also take the pledge to help stop sexual violence at itsonus.org. Please do not let Sam get away with this kind of behavior. He crossed the line and needs to be held responsible for his disgusting actions.
This piece of garbage, right here, should be prosecuted for this.
Was informed I have ruined science fiction by being all social justice warrior-y. Responded by say BWA HA HA YES I DID SUCK ON IT LOSERS.
— John Scalzi (@scalzi) September 21, 2014
AND I AM ABOUT TO RUIN TELEVISION TOO. AND VIDEO GAMES. THERE WILL BE NOTHING BUT RUIN IN MY WAKE BWA HA HA HA HAH HA
— John Scalzi (@scalzi) September 21, 2014
Oh, and then I muted them, so their subsequent pathetic mewlings would go unseen by me. CRY IN THE DARKNESS, LITTLE MANLINGS.
— John Scalzi (@scalzi) September 21, 2014
@scalzi AND YOU WILL KNOW THEM BY THE TRAIL OF MRAS
— Chris Kluwe (@ChrisWarcraft) September 21, 2014
THE VERIFIED MIRACLE OF SCALZI: Despite having sold no books ever, I have STILL managed to ruin science fiction. I MUST BE A WIZARD.
— John Scalzi (@scalzi) September 21, 2014
SO MANY MANLY MAN WRITERS HAVE SOLD MORE BOOKS THAN I AND YET I HAVE STILL CRUSHED THEM UNDER MY BOOT HEEL WHICH IS COVERED IN GLITTER
— John Scalzi (@scalzi) September 21, 2014
BEHOLD ONE OF THE GLITTER BOOTS WITH WHICH I HAVE STOMPED THE MANLY MAN WRITERS DESPITE NOT SELLING ANY BOOKS EVER pic.twitter.com/nOWiGWprIR
— John Scalzi (@scalzi) September 21, 2014
Seriously though I would totally fucking wear those glitter combat books. MAYBE THE NEXT TIME I RUIN THE HUGOS BY BEING NOMINATED FOR ONE
— John Scalzi (@scalzi) September 21, 2014
I bought a book by @scalzi and instead of words it was full of glitter. 10/10 would recommend.
— Casey (@BirdTypeGlitch) September 21, 2014
@scalzi Your scepter, milord. pic.twitter.com/j2ZTgyDXtc
— Ferri (@FJonP) September 21, 2014
@scalzi [P] I bought a book by @scalzi; my penis inverted and I got a job as a doormat outside of a Curves. Looking forward to the sequel.
— Paul and Storm (@paulandstorm) September 21, 2014
I bought a book by @scalzi; every man within five feet of me now spontaneously menstruates
— Charlotte Moore (@cavaticat) September 21, 2014
I read a book by @scalzi once, and my penis literally fell off. I've regrown it since, but now it's all glittery.
— Sebastian Spinczyk (@InnerPartisan) September 21, 2014
If I read a @scalzi book during winter, snow turns to glitter.
— Christopher Turkel (@zizban) September 21, 2014
I read a @scalzi book, and now I find myself acting as if women and minorities are people! O.o
— Joel Short (@StoryWonker) September 21, 2014
@scalzi Excellent work, gamma-slave. I shall petition the Empress of Feminism to increase your rations of vegan nutri-biscuits.
— Laurel Halbany (@neverjaunty) September 21, 2014
In short, if you're a dudebro who thinks I've ruined science fiction, I am DELIGHTED to have ruined it for you. RUN BEFORE MY GLITTER, BOYS
— John Scalzi (@scalzi) September 21, 2014
P.S.: Need tips on how to clean up glitter. This shit is EVERYWHERE, man.
— John Scalzi (@scalzi) September 21, 2014
Jag blev ledsen av senaste avsnittet av Masters of Sex (2×10). Det har jag i och för sig blivit flera gånger den här säsongen, men då av bra anledningar – starka scener där något sorgligt hände karaktärer jag bryr mig om. Igår blev jag ledsen på grund av dåligt omdöme i hanteringen av makt och sex.
Läkaren Austin Langham har börjat jobba som talesperson för bantningspillret Cal-O-Metric. (Jävligt konstig sidohandling, för övrigt.) Chefen för företaget är en kvinna, Flo Packer, som är tänd på honom och väldigt tydlig med detta. Austin är inte lika förtjust, så att säga. Austin är, för er som inte är bekanta med honom, tv-seriens player som var otrogen mot sin fru sådär en miljon gången innan de skilde sig, och Flo verkar tycka att då kan han väl lika gärna ligga med henne också – och om han inte gör det kan han säga hej då till sitt jobb. Så i senaste avsnittet bjuder Flo hem Austin och börjar kladda på honom. Medan Austin försöker prata sig ur situationen tar hon på honom och struntar i vad han säger. Han försöker förklara att när en man inte är intresserad så fungerar inte utrustningen, varpå Flo fortsätter att gräva i hans byxor och nöjt konstaterar att den verkar fungera utmärkt.
Det gjorde mig så himla obekväm för att det kändes som att de gjorde lite skoj av en väldigt obehaglig situation. Skulle det ha funnits en skämtsam ton i en scen där en kvinna hotas med sparken av sin manliga chef om hon inte ligger med honom? Knappast. Jag undrade en stund om jag överreagerade, om jag läste in något som inte fanns där. Masters of Sex har sina problem, men jag tror fan bättre om dess skapare och manusförfattare än att de ska höhö:a om sexuella övergrepp. Men sedan kom den jävla katten. Scenen hemma hos Flo slutar nämligen med att kameran riktas mot en soffa, där Flos katt ligger och spinner. Uppenbar skojton.
Och jag fattar inte. Ska det föreställa lite roligt för att Flo inte är idealsnygg som de flesta av Austins tjejer? Ska det föreställa lite roligt att Austins ”utrustning” sviker honom genom att fungera även när han inte vill? Ska det föreställa lite roligt att Austin kanske är attraherad av Flo, trots att han inte vill vara det? Jag fattar inte vad som är meningen. Förväntas jag ha en liten gnutta sympati för Flo, som uppenbart är ensam och olycklig och viftar med sin makt för att få Austin att ge henne den bekräftelse hon vill ha? Blä.
Efteråt ser Austin obekväm ut. Han säger att det var en engångsgrej, varpå hans chef upplyser honom om att det lär bli återkommande. Och jag undrar hur serien ska styra upp den här skiten i kommande avsnitt, om de ändå ska lyckas göra något vettigt av den här skärningspunkten av sex, makt och kön där de just trampade så himla snett. Det är inte okej att skildra sexuellt tvång som skämt, bara för att den som utsätts är en man som vanligtvis ligger med allt som rör sig.
Har ni sett avsnittet? Uppfattade ni också det som att de gjorde sig lite lustiga över situationen, eller var det bara jag?
Last night I wrote the following on the Twitters, regarding the Lock In TV deal, and the fact that it means I have three TV development deals at one time:
I'm not gonna lie to you, folks: Now that the news is out, I'm kind of quietly freaking out over here.
— John Scalzi (@scalzi) September 16, 2014
By "quietly freaking out" I mean I'm NOT running up and down the halls of this hotel, kermit-flailing my arms and screaming like a fool.
— John Scalzi (@scalzi) September 16, 2014
I'm also not saying I WON'T, at some point, Kermit flail all over the place. Maybe at tomorrow's event at Gibson's in Concord, NH at 7pm?
— John Scalzi (@scalzi) September 16, 2014
So tonight at the Concord event, I was asked if I was going to do the Kermit Flail. And so I did. Here it is.
A thing of beauty, it is.
A slightly longer version, with added context, is available here.
Credit for both to BoffoYuxDudes.
Update: Addendum:
Via @gnuconsulting, this is strangely hypnotic. http://t.co/2pWvCn0mVU
— John Scalzi (@scalzi) September 17, 2014
Quiet dignity, man.

We've mentioned before that knowing a few words in the native language can help improve your travel experience. Knowing some of the local slang can help, too—though it's a bit tougher. Natalie Holmes at Conde Nast Traveler lays out local slang for a few major international cities.