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:What It Means If You're A 'Paragraph Texter'A very fluffy article that does a good j…CultureOne in a Billion: email tips – Google Search In the grand scheme of things, this …CybercultureTrump’s war on the media is driving students to journalismTwenty-one-year-old political science st…AcademiaWendy's Bests Internet Troll, Then Unwittingly Posts Completely Unrelated, Obscure Racist …I…
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:I'd love to do a shift at these gorgeous #neovictorian workstations, created in…
Similar:I'm really enjoying seeing how my students are responding to Hamlet.As part of a class assignment, one stude…AcademiaTaking Harassment Seriously Requires Serious DistinctionsEditor and columnist Jonah Goldberg ques…CultureSoldiers and Sailors Memorial and Museum Another visit to Pittsburgh with my his…CultureMy new inspiration as I work on my syllabuses I applaud you, person who, halfway…
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:What It Takes To Change Your Brain's Patterns After Age 25Most of our brain’s patterns are solidif…HealthFirst time experimenting with depth…
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:Remember Me (#StarTrek #TNG Rewatch, Season Four, Episode 5) Dr. Crusher vs The UniverseRewatching ST:TNG…
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:Shy Preschooler Won't Say Her Lines in "Peter Pan" Rehearsal (Stage Right! Greensburg)Little Maggie isn’t so sure she wants to…DramaMask up.PersonalHidden Spaces, New Possibilities I’ve often had dreams about returning …CultureBefore the haircut. PersonalCarolyn's Theater Bio for Prime Stage's The Outsiders (Mar 6-15) Actor biography sample Program bi…BooksSurprised and delighted to find that Scratch 3.0 runs…
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:Recording my lines for a student escape room project.PersonalI came of age playing too many CD-ROM point-and-click adventure games to ignore these stee…I came of age playing too many CD-ROM po…AestheticsRossum's Universal Robots (Act 1) Artistic ProsperityThe first act of Artistic Prosperity’s v…Culture"No, no, the drink, the drink,–O my dear Hamlet,– The drink, the drink!…
Similar:T-Shirts for student journalists who recently leveled up to “staff writer”(with bear signe…PersonalDuet (#StarTrek #DS9 Rewatch, Season 1, Episode 18) Kira is convinced an ailing Cardassian…Rewatching ST:DS9 Kira is convinced s…CultureWide-angle view of a villain’s secret lair. #blender3dAestheticsMy virtual army of grey capsules is just barely smart enough to follow my avatar around. #…My virtual…
Rewatching Star Trek: The Next Generation after a 20-year break. This low-stakes, character-driven rom-com pulled off everything it set out to do — fill out the romantic backstory between Riker and Troi, showcase Patrick Stewart’s comic timing, and set up an apparently unrelated B plot as the surprise resolution to the A plot. In her…
Rewatching Star Trek: The Next Generation after a 20-year break. The powerful, unpredictable Q conjures a Napoleonic scenario from Picard’s mind and takes the rest of the bridge crew there, leaving Picard on the Enterprise. Memorable not for the fuzzy-faced toy soldiers that get way too much screen time, but for a Shakespeare quote battle…
Similar:The Most Toys (#StarTrek #TNG Rewatch, Season Three, Episode 22) Data Abducted by Eccentri…Rewatching ST:TNG after a 20-year break….Art"The Nightmare of Prince Prezelsky"Leigh, Peter, Carolyn and I had fun reco…AmusingChess with my son. As usual, it didn't go well for me.GamesThe daughter opens another show. This weekend only.The daughter opens another show. This we…PersonalThey figured…
Similar:Arsenal of Freedom (TNG Rewatch, Season 1, Episode 21)With an A-plot that comments on the Cold…CultureAnother 10sq cm of background details for a #steampunk project. #blender3d #blender3dart #…AestheticsStill in her make-up from her scene as Marley's ghost, with script in hand standing i…PersonalI've completed my second set of 25 #neovictorian control panels, which I'll eventually…