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Melty Cities

The non-memetic Art of Apple Maps.

March 27, 2014 at 5:50PM

(The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Sun without warmth yesterday, then warmth without sun today. C'mon, guys. Get it together.

ART The strange beauty of Apple Maps, back when they were melty and surreal and made you feel slightly queasy.

(The Minnesota Star Tribune)

The artist said:

All that's true, but of course artlessly mimetic is what you want when you're lost and looking for landmarks.

At least Apple Maps haven't ruined things like the new Google Street View, which was designed by people who think I want to see lots of pictures at the bottom of the screen.

In related art news: Billions of Blue Blistering Barnacles! A new Tintin book en route - and it's another "lost" story with actual Herge contributions.

Right here.

And there's more: A look at "The Art of Atari," a book about the box art of gaming's "golden age." Some fine high-80s illustration there, and an amusing reminder of the disconnect between the games and the art. The box:

(The Minnesota Star Tribune)

The game:

(The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Via hardcoregaming. This reminded me of my modern assumptions about the depth and breadth of the internet. I looked for screen captures of the game and had no doubt I would find them, but an exhaustive review of a 34-year-old game.

SCIENCE! NASA says they've discovered a new object in our solar system:

How did it remain undetected for so long? Wasn't the big arrow a giveaway?

(The Minnesota Star Tribune)

GAMING Monopoly is soliciting new rules. I recall our house rule had to do with putting all fines into a pile in the center of the board, and when you landed on Free Parking you raked it all in. Not sure how this comports with the pure, cut-throat capitalism of the game; it suggested a Tammany-Hall style disbursement of public funds.

BURN Some aloe vera for the gentleman. From FiveThirtyEight:

Statistics follow. Then:

Snort. That's all, folks; have to finish a column. See you around.