Interesting Links

Just a collection of interesting, useful, or cool pages I've found.

Cool Stuff

Catch all category until I get enough non-video links to make sections. They are cool, of course.

• The Ultimate Oldschool PC Font Pack
• Found this absolute treasure trove of old PC fonts neatly packaged up in modern formats while I was working on this site. Organized in categories, available in multiple sizes. Text previews and full character maps. And obviously, a bit of inspiration towards this theme.
• Arise // Bash Static Site Generator
• The static website generator this site is built with. It's not big, it doesn't have a bunch of plugins or modules, nor many options - but that was just right. I understand how it all (mostly) works, I have built my own extensions to it (plugins? not sure they even have a name in Arise) and it had just the features I needed - fully functional Markdown folders to HTML site builder a full Github Action deployment workflow built in bash, to get me started on some new knowledge in a few areas.

Video

Lots of channels to link, may as well give them a section of their own.

Long Format Video Channels -- Technology

Long form content, typically 20-40 minutes, with some leaning towards an hour or more.

• BobbyBroccoli
• Deep dive documentary videos on science and business scandals. Nortel, cold fusion, America's Missing SuperColider and more.
• The Serial Port
• The history of computing, especially early communications and the internet. Museum style content - collecting, investigating, and restoring old servers, building retro BBSes and ISPs, and interviewing engineers who were part of creating this equipment.
• Michael MJD
• Vintage software and operating systems. Unlike The Serial Port, the focus is on 80s-00s software, and not only running it on appropriate vintage hardware but also cramming it into oddball places -- Like Mac OS 9 on a Wii?
• Technology Connections
• Deep, deep dives into how common but underappreciated modern technologies work. Refrigerators, dishwashers, stove controls, turn signal blinkers, Christmas lights - You never know what you'll get.

Disaster Channels

A category of their own, channels that offer tasteful, not sensationalized explanations of natural disasters, industrial accidents, train crashes, etc. Lots of channels do this, but I've got a short list of channels with a good mix of accuracy, respect, and some humor. One qualifing feature that I noticed a while after collecting this list -- If any of these channels covers an event I've already watched on another channel, I'm still going to watch it again for the unique perspective and potential fresh details.

• The Raven's Eye
• Light on the comedy but well researched and tactfuly covered stories. Better than the others at finding unusual, not commonly covered events.
• Plainly Difficult
• On the other end of the comedy spectrum. Bit of light mockery of really dumb design or operational decisions, and some amusing cartoon illustrations to go with the stories, but still a strong focus on respect of any lives lost, as well as the aftermath of each event.
• Fascinating Horror
• Something of a balance between the two - more on the dry side, but still excellent attention to detail and story telling.
• United States Chemical Safety Board (USCSB)
• A federal agency that has no business producing content this good. 10-20 minute videos deep diving into chemical safety incidents that the USCSB has investigated. A nicely narrated animated segment showing the event blow-by-blow, and then a series of clips from various experts weighing in on what went wrong, and what they had to do to fix it.

Industry Details

"How things work" for various fields that I have nothing to do with, but find interesting sometimes. Strong overlap with the above, but they get there own category because of the videos they each make on general background information, as well as specific incidents.

• Mentour Pilot
• A pilot who covers aviation incidents historical and current. This channel almost exclusively reports on fully investigated incidents with public reports to review, and is very low on speculation. Probably the channel I watch with the most typical "YouTube Hype" and style, but that's mostly limited to production style and thumbnails -- The content itself is high quality and low drama. Very technical, very good at breaking down technical explanations in easy to understand ways. Excellent production quality and lots of good simulator footage created for each incident.
• Casual Navigation
• Mostly cargo shipping information, and strong on the basic principles and other explainer videos, much lighter on the disaster content. Clear narration, and clear and simple animations showing the concepts they discuss.
• Oceanliner Designs
• Strong focus on late 19th / early 20th century shipping and liners. Some disaster content, other content just covering interesting historical details or unique ships. Lots of Titanic content. All beautifully illustrated - The host has a side business creating and selling very detailed ocean liner diagrams, and he works with a good 3d artist.