Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Mikhail Klimentov

@leadergrev.bsky.social

3.7K followers 540 following 1.3K posts

video game newsletter at readergrev.com former editor at Launcher (RIP) current editor at The Washington Post mikhailklimentov.01 on Signal

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Mikhail Klimentov @leadergrev.bsky.social · Aug 14

For the latest Exit Interview, I chatted with @plante.bsky.social!

We talked about editing Polygon, sprinting to launch a podcast, AI, and the New York Times (among other things). This one's for the media sickos!
www.readergrev.com/p/exit-inter...

Exit Interview: Chris Plante

Polygon's former editor in chief talks about the business of running a major publication, and the challenges of launching a comparatively tiny solo project.

www.readergrev.com

3 10 48

Reposted by Mikhail Klimentov

mat olson @mathewolson.com · 9h

damning thread on how the IDF's propaganda arm is scraping 3D assets intended for things like games, films, or architectural purposes and kitbashing together supposed hamas bunkers and iranian nuclear sites. a genocide campaign propped up in part by someone's nephew who got too into blender.

Jack Sapoch @jacksapoch.bsky.social · 19h

NEW: Since October 2023, the IDF Spokesperson's Unit has released dozens of 3D animations illustrating alleged Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iranian sites

The style is now unmistakable: satellite zoom-ins, black & white wireframes, and red-textured houses - a new visual language of war

3 230 580

Mikhail Klimentov @leadergrev.bsky.social · 8h

I think I’ll always be a bit of a snob about some of the big indie bands because I think their breakout songs are often far from their best. Rebellion, by Arcade fire, also on the list, is another example!

Mikhail Klimentov @leadergrev.bsky.social · 11h

Of course they went with A-Punk smh

1 1

Mikhail Klimentov @leadergrev.bsky.social · 11h

Haven’t looked yet where’s Hannah Hunt

Rolling Stone @rollingstone.com · 1d

ROLLING STONE RANKS THE 250 GREATEST SONGS OF THE 21st CENTURY SO FAR 🚨

The 250 Greatest Songs of the 21st Century So Far

bit.ly

1 2

Reposted by Mikhail Klimentov

BeijingPalmer @beijingpalmer.bsky.social · 15h

the NYT's Harvard thing is genuinely weird. imagine being obsessed with the politics and social standing of a school you went to three decades ago

James Fallows @jfallows.bsky.social · 15h

Shocked, just shocked, by this important scoop on front page of today's NYT. /s/

Based on report that came out ... nine months ago

And behavior long predating that

("Skip a class? Perish the thought!!" Says anyone who ever worked on a college newspaper, which covers a lot of people in the media.)

NYT front page headline: "Harvard Finds Skipping Class Part of Culture."

14 20 180

Reposted by Mikhail Klimentov

Stephen Totilo @stephentotilo.bsky.social · 17h

SCOOP: Last year, Ubisoft cancelled an Assassin's Creed game set during Reconstruction. Was to feature a Black Assassin who, among other things, fought the rise of the Klan

Sources: Leadership nixed it over concerns re: U.S. political climate, backlash to Yasuke

www.gamefile.news/p/scoop-ubis...

Scoop: Ubisoft cancelled a post-Civil War Assassin’s Creed last year

Company leadership deemed the project too controversial for the moment, sources tell Game File

www.gamefile.news

190 940 3.3K

Reposted by Mikhail Klimentov

Ryan Teague Beckwith @ryanbeckwith.bsky.social · 2d

Editor in chief, city editor, features editor

26 130 950

Mikhail Klimentov @leadergrev.bsky.social · 2d

Received some information that feels ReaderGrev story-shaped but not in an obvious way. One of those days where it'd be nice to have an editor!

Mikhail Klimentov @leadergrev.bsky.social · 2d

Hey, hope all's well! Just following up.

Mikhail Klimentov @leadergrev.bsky.social · 2d

Sometimes I see a take that is so dull

1 2

Mikhail Klimentov @leadergrev.bsky.social · 2d

Huh! Kotick seems really interested in the media.

AmericanTruckSongs10 @ethangach.bsky.social · 2d

Bari Weiss' self-made success, brought to you by the worst people around www.nytimes.com/2024/08/11/b...

2 17

Mikhail Klimentov @leadergrev.bsky.social · 2d

This seems bad but I can’t really think of too many examples in which corporate ownership of an upstart outlet has ended well, so just give it like, 2 years.

max tani @maxtani.bsky.social · 2d

David Ellison’s note to staff on Paramount’s acquisition of the Free Press

1 3

Mikhail Klimentov @leadergrev.bsky.social · 3d

Turn me on with your electric eel

1 4

Mikhail Klimentov @leadergrev.bsky.social · 3d

Wow, the end of NRG-FNC — probably the most emotional post-game I can remember. So beautiful, it’s the sort of thing you watch for.

Reposted by Mikhail Klimentov

Mikhail Klimentov @leadergrev.bsky.social · 16d

Just remembered one of my favorite videos 🙂

youtu.be/FgM6F88JtRo?...

learning tricks

YouTube video by pierce

youtu.be

1 2

Mikhail Klimentov @leadergrev.bsky.social · 5d

Didn’t click into the article, first guess: Andrew Callaghan. I’m a genius.

Brian Grubb @briancgrubb.bsky.social · 5d

probably the most fun i've had reading something online in weeks

defector.com/name-a-28-ye...

Name A 28-Year-Old | Defector

Here is the challenge before you: Name a famous person who is 28 years old. Go ahead. No cheating, no looking it up. Off the dome. Pure, uncut 28-year-old naming. I bet you can’t do it. Zendaya? 29. ...

defector.com

Mikhail Klimentov @leadergrev.bsky.social · 5d

Handing these out to all the brave agents who nabbed Tyler Robinson (his dad)

Sam @samd.bsky.social · 5d

reddit occupied government

Ken Dilanian
@DilanianMSNBC
Follow
The challenge coins being handed out by @FBIDirectorKash. Seems someone put a lot of thought into this.

Mikhail Klimentov @leadergrev.bsky.social · 6d

PREDICTION: No it won’t. It’ll probably sell some non-round number amount. 5,089,721 copies. Something like that.

Insider Gaming @insider-gaming.com · 6d

PREDICTION: Battlefield 6 To Sell 5 Million Copies in First Week

insider-gaming.com/battlefield-...

PREDICTION: Battlefield 6 To Sell 5 Million Copies in First Week

It has been predicted by industry-leading analysts that Battlefield 6 sales will skyrocket from launch, hitting five million in one week.

insider-gaming.com

1 9

Mikhail Klimentov @leadergrev.bsky.social · 6d

Oh, is there TaylorSwiftball happening tonight? 🙄

Mikhail Klimentov @leadergrev.bsky.social · 6d

All that 2016 era “we get our comedy from the news and our news from comedians” stuff looks really stupid in hindsight. Lotta these comedians are dumb as fuck!

Mikhail Klimentov @leadergrev.bsky.social · 6d

calling supermutt DNA dogslop

Mikhail Klimentov @leadergrev.bsky.social · 6d

Small, intangible milestone ReaderGrev cleared recently is that internet strangers cite my work from time to time! I just... get new subscribers (!!!) out of thin air despite not publishing too often, and it's because someone, somewhere, shared my work. It's new! And nice.

1 1 13

Reposted by Mikhail Klimentov

Hugh Brechin @hughrbrechin.bsky.social · 6d

a spokesman for BrewDog said 'this is the one thing we didn't want to happen'

an excerpt from the National article reading 'the National reported in April this year that in a bid to help keep tree saplings alive by keeping deer out BrewDog erected a perimeter fence, but instead actually trapped the animals inside'

8 73 210

Reposted by Mikhail Klimentov

Mikhail Klimentov @leadergrev.bsky.social · 7d

NEW: I interviewed @ballatw.bsky.social (who doesn't use his account) about his decision to quit esports.

Conversation took an unexpected turn toward video game addiction, and I’m really glad it did.
www.readergrev.com/p/exit-inter...

Exit Interview: Arten 'Ballatw' Esa

The esteemed former Fortnite and Valorant caster talks about ditching his addiction to video games.

www.readergrev.com

5 7

Reposted by Mikhail Klimentov

Joshua J. Friedman @joshuajfriedman.com · 7d

One of my favorite anecdotes from THE PREHISTORY OF THE FAR SIDE: "That doesn't sound like the Jane Goodall we know."

A few days after this cartoon was published, my syndicate received a very indignant letter from someone representing the Jane Goodall Institute.
Not only did my syndicate and I both get read the Riot Act, there was a vague implication that litigation over this cartoon might be around the corner.
I was horrified. Not so much from a fear of being sued (I just couldn't see how this cartoon could be construed as anything but silly, but because of my deep respect for Jane Goodall and her well-known contributions to pri-matology. The last thing in the world I would have intentionally done was offend Dr. Goodall in any way.
Before I had a chance to write my apology, another complication arose.
The National Geographic Society contacted my syndicate and expressed a

desire to reprint the cartoon in a special centennial issue of their magazine. My editor, aware of what had just occurred, declined, explaining why.
Apparently, whoever it was that sent the inquiry from National Geographic was shocked. They told my editor that "that doesn't sound like the Jane Goodall we know." They did some checking themselves, and an interesting fact was eventually discovered: Jane Goodall loved the cartoon. Furthermore, she was totally unaware that any of this "stuff" was going on. Some phone calls were made, and the cartoon was not only reprinted in the centennial issue of National Geographic, but was also used by her Institute on a T-shirt for fund-raising purposes.
I've since had an opportunity to visit Dr. Goodall at her research facility in Gombe. It's a wonderful place (sort of like right out of National Geographic).
"To refer to Dr. Goodall as a tramp is inexcusable even by a self-described 'loony' as Larson. The cartoon was incredibly offensive and in such poor taste that readers might well question the editorial judgment of running such an atrocity in a newspaper that reputes to be supplying news to persons with a better than average intelligence. The cartoon and its message were absolutely stupid." —Excerpt from the above-mentioned letter that started the ruckus

28 2.2K 6.4K