I was deeply amused by the Enhanced Games last week, an event which served as a crazed mirror image of modern athletics competition. It was put together to prove a point—that allowing athletes the full range of advantages in chemistry and equipment would herald a new frontier in sport.
For those of us expecting a Judge Dredd Lunar Olympics-style spectacle, the results were massively underwhelming. One world record was broken, barely. Most amusingly, the three athletes who chose to complete clean won their events, causing a mad scramble to check their body chemistry and ensure they were telling the truth—something of a reverse ferret from the usual testing regime. Ultimately, the organisers of the event managed to generate a conclusion directly inverse to the one they’d hoped to demonstrate.
A sidebar–it’s interesting to note that one medallist in the pool won by using a banned ‘supersuit’. The guy who so convincingly won the London Marathon earlier this year did so wearing shoes with experimental sole construction. Perhaps it’s tech, rather than chemistry, that the authorities should be worried about.
Wherever you are, whenever you are, however you are, welcome to The Swipe.
Rob is reading…
Reading? I don’t have time to read. I have far too many books to collect.
Rob is watching…
Two Weeks In August, a heated family melodrama which vibes on The White Lotus if all the protagonists came from Crouch End. Wince-inducing in all the right ways, the plot adds an intriguing intersection with Greek mythology. We’re two eps in and hoping the series leans more heavily into the strange.
Rob is listening…
To The Foo Fighter’s first UKTV appearance. 1997, TFI Friday, Monkey Wrench. Prepare to have your hairline raised.
Rob is eating…
A really big sandwich.
Rob’s Low-Key Obsession Of The Week…
Students of the US comedy scene may notice a few familiar faces in this choreographed lipsync of an indie classic from the early oughts. Even if you don’t, it’s a fun little bit which has had me whistling the chorus all week.
If you’ve never seen Don Hertzfeld’s REJECTED, please take ten minutes to enjoy. Who would have thought stick figures could be so darned creepy?
It is entirely possible that this Star Trek title generator was made specifically for me. I have wasted so much time dicking around with it this week.
The general reaction to Zuckerberg’s creepy Meta glasses is one of unrelievable ick—understandably so. But, as ever, the situation is never binary. If you’ll excuse the pun, take a look at this.
Cory Doctorow says the quiet part out loud—the reason most billionaires are pushing so hard for AI is that they’d rather not have to deal with those pesky annoying people-types at all. Jeez, I can be a bit hermetic in my approach sometimes, but I’m not actively advocating for the extinction of humanity just because they won’t do what I say…
Ooh, this gave me the chills. Howard Jones plays the piano with which he entertained the Live Aid crowd forty-one years ago. Apart from its place in music history, this particular joanna has a very famous owner.
I love to barbecue. I’ll cheerfully spend all day, marinading, smoking and generally nerding about in the pursuit of a good meal. Having other people around would just lessen and dilute the experience. Plus, I hate to share.
Would You Like To Come To A Barbecue?
Tim Worthington, king geek of UKTV culture, has a new book out on 70s and 80s kid’s telly, a period I know all too well. He’s invited some chums onto his podcast to chat about their favourite shows and characters. If you’re a big kid of a certain age, this is going to be catnip.
As a man wth documented interests in chairs, doors and corridors in SF, this listicle drew me in with no friction at all. However, no countdown is perfect and I was surprised to see a pivotal scene in Repulsion didn’t make the cut. Or are we just not talking about Roman Polanski any more?
A lovely long oral history of the community of artists, musicians and eccentrics who turned a sleepy Georgian college town into an indie rock epicentre. I still plan to visit and pay homage someday.
In conclusion. It’s gonna get colder and wetter next week so, if you can, try to get out and commune with a bit of nature, even if it’s just sitting in a park for a while. Trust me, it’ll do you some good.
In that spirit, let’s Outro with a tune from the new Boards Of Canada album, Inferno, which I can slap a big SWIPE ENDORSEMENT sticker on. The video is fan-made, but boy it hits the vibe of the song. Lovely stuff.
See you in seven, fellow travellers.
EXCUSES AND HALF TRUTHS 