Tired brain can’t quite process this Wired summary of a scholarly paper, but I enjoyed how the good writing helped me peek into a field I know so little about. Time moves as it does because humans are biologically, neurologically, philosophically hardwired to experience it that way. It’s like a macro-scale version of Schrödinger’s cat.…
The unavoidable truth is that first draft of history is no longer written in tomorrow’s newspaper. Instead, it’s tapped out on new and social media, which is thick with rumor and conspiracy. There’s little journalists can do about crap on the internet; taking aim at disinformation is like firing a machine-gun at an unruly flock…
Another of the many, many reflections on the big story of the weekend. In 1984, George Orwell famously described a totalitarian political order in which people were kept as docile subjects in part by a daily ritual called “Two Minutes Hate” in which the population directs all of its pent up fury at “Goldstein,” a possibly…
My social media network includes people who fully supported the narrative voiced by Phillips and magnified by social media outrage, who now feel the shifting narrative proves how hard “the media” work to excuse the misbehavior of smirking, entitled, racist bullies. (But they might agree the Hebrew Israelites went too far.) My social feed also…
With the Enterprise in drydock for a computer refit, Riker ends up in the holodeck, fascinated by the sultry hologram he asks the computer to create so someone will admire his trombone talents.
Similar:Adobe Shockwave interfereres with my system, blocks my attempts to remove it, and replaces…Does Adobe Shockwave fit your definition…BusinessParadise Lost #StarTrek #DS9 Rewatch (Season 4, Episode 12) Sisko Uncovers a Conspiracy on…Rewatching ST:DS9 Continuing from P…EthicsMonument Valley: Minimal story, but an engaging world and a satisfying ending.I was in no rush to finish the beautiful…AestheticsWe…
I was in college and grad school during the original run of Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–1994), and followed the series very closely. During the last couple of seasons of Deep Space Nine (1998–99), my wife and I had our first child, I started a tenure-track job, and I fell out of the TV-watching…
I gather the purpose of these consoles — maybe a dozen, scattered on pillars throughout the school’s Lowe Dining Hall — was to call for service? I seem to remember seeing some text on at least some of the consoles. I’m curious! Similar:10 Rules of Internet – Anil DashA very useful, concise summary of web-en…BusinessIn…
Similar:Big Calculator: How Texas Instruments Monopolized Math ClassMy math education predated the widesprea…BusinessWho Watches the Watchers (ST:TNG Season Three Episode 4) Rationalist, talky mythbustingRewatching ST:TNG after a 20-year break….EthicsTaking Harassment Seriously Requires Serious DistinctionsEditor and columnist Jonah Goldberg ques…CultureThe disinformation system that Trump unleashed will outlast him. Here’s what reality-based… Highlights from a column…
Once upon a time, local newspapers could depend upon a steady stream of local classified ads — people advertising looking to hire a handyman, or to sell their old sofa or used car. The income from local ads in locally-owned newspapers would go back to the communities, in the form of the paychecks for the…
Rewatching Star Trek: The Next Generation after a 20-year break. The Enterprise visits a sexist planet run by women, where… well, that’s about it. There’s nothing particularly science-fictional about the plot, except that the Enterprise is tracking a space-freighter and looking for space-survivors who disappeared years ago near this space-planet. There’s nothing strategic about the…
From Buzzfeed: Sitting before the Stars and Stripes, another flag pinned to his lapel, former president Barack Obama appears to be delivering an important message about fake news — but something seems slightly…off. Similar:A Few Good Men at the Pittsburgh Public TheatreFantastic performances, powerful writing…CultureEthics (#StarTrek #TNG Rewatch, Season 5, Episode 16) Leaky cargo…
The girl tried to weird me out with a video of the Latvian “blblblblbl ah ah” guy. I retaliated with Devo’s “Whip It” and Max Headroom, then finished her off with “Now is the time on Sprockets when we dance.” Similar:Three more performances of Jane Eyre. Closes Saturday night! @pictclassictheatrePersonalWhat Is Gamergate, and Why? An…
In “Datalore,” an encounter with Data’s more human-like “brother” showcases Brent Spiner’s acting talents and the optical FX crew’s mad split-screen skillz. While I enjoyed the plot twists and character bits as they happened, as a work of science fiction this episode offers little beyond popcorn “evil twin” fare.
The opening captain’s log lampshades an unprompted, random visit to Data’s home planet. The “Data practice sneezing” scene is silly, but the character development subtly allies Data’s desire to be human with Wesley’s desire to be respected by adults. The scene also accustoms us to the idea that Picard uses Wesley to deliver in-person messages, which kinda sorta helps explain why in this episode Wesley ends up where he needs to be to witness just enough to suspect Lore, but not enough to prove anything to the dumb-as-a-fencepost adults.
Similar:#Blender3D practice: #Steampunk control panel #trimsheethttps://youtu.be/4j7qAzaDg3w …AestheticsBag a Bot DayAt midnight tonight, participants in the…Current_EventsAnother 10 sq cm of #steampunk control panel. Trying to add a subtle pattern to the light-…One of many steampunk control panels I’v…AestheticsVolunteering at our local food bankEthicsShe’s wearing a shirt with a frog. We are in town to see…
My 20yo son, who plays a lot of Star Wars battle simulations, was very taken with the music and story. I had read about this game when it came out, so some plot points were spoiled for me, but I still teared up at the end. You can find it for a very reasonable price…
Rewatching Star Trek: The Next Generation after a 20-year break. The first of (far too) many “trapped on the holodeck” episodes. Exhausted while preparing for a high-stakes diplomatic ritual, Picard takes a break in a virtual-reality simulation of a 1940s detective novel. I remembered enjoying Brent Spiner’s portrayal of Data adapting to the noir setting,…
Sometimes people get the name of my school wrong. On a whim, I searched Google for “dennis jerz seton hall” and found a recent letter to the editor that referenced one of my handouts: Verify or Duck: Good Journalists Confirm Details They Didn’t Witness Dennis Jerz of Seton Hall University writes “Good journalists confirm details they…
Similar:Home Soil (TNG Rewatch: Season 1, Episode 17)The concept was good, and the production…PersonalA student who had often been frustrated during my class used this poem in her final reflec… PersonalMy son just handed me my serving of noodles in the butter substitute container. Recycling.AmusingTop deck of a #neovictorian #steampunk cruiser needs an airlock at the…
Similar:Amazing birthday cake, created by Jane Eyre herself, Karen Baum. (Thank you @kaboom1250!)PersonalJust a #steampunk captain inspecting the æther power orbs. #Blender3D #Unity3D #design #ae…AestheticsAfter the haircut. The girl seems to like it.PersonalMore #Blender3D practice. Additional details for a steampunk control panel. Just because.AestheticsSigma Tau Delta English Honors Society induction ceremony. Congratulations new members. #s…PersonalMy…