How can a nostalgic, branching-path story-game encourage my 100-level journalism students take risks and learn from their mistakes? Using the ChoiceScript programming language, which features a robust stats system that can remember and respond to player choices, I coded up a “writing your first news story for the student paper” scenario, which unfolds as a…
I was approached on LinkedIn with the opportunity to work to help train an AI, for an hourly wage that’s much higher than I would get for teaching an extra class at my university. I thought about it. I told myself it would help me do my job better if I have a clear sense…
Support the humans who make art in your community. Death of a Salesman. #wirerecorderlife #fountainpenlife #howdotheywhipcheese #nobodydastblamethisman #bernardwormrising Similar:I am very happy for these folks, who spent 20 or so years tweaking an insanely complex, co… AwesomeTop 8 events not to miss in DecemberMy daughter Carolyn appears as Young Est…CultureMoonBot (from the family steampunk bedtime…
Beautiful set. Support the humans who do arts in your community (instead of settling for AI sludge.) Similar:PICT's production of Jane Eyre has its first preview tonight.PersonalDo you get your news mostly from social media? I check NPR, Drudge, and news.google.com.Do you have a regular news-consumption r…CultureMy Father's Day adventure included replacing the family gaming…
Vibing to a park saxophonist as I code for an upcoming conference presentation, and wait to see The Coffin Maker. A neighbor is sending some distinctly fruity smoke my way. Similar:Kirk's manly, sensitive advice to young CharlieIn popular culture, Captain Kirk from th…CultureA #steampunk control panel in context. #blender3d #design #aesthetics #blender3dartAestheticsA familiar performer choreographed…
Details for a modular mid-range scoutship, from the #steampunk #neovictorian bedtime stories I used to tell my now-adult children. #blender3d Similar:Top deck of a #neovictorian #steampunk cruiser needs an airlock at the top of the spiral s… AestheticsOn the Trail of the Memex: Vannevar Bush, Weblogs and the Google Galaxy”Hypertext as mediated by the…
Proper commenting is an important part of coding any project, especially in an educational context. #ChoiceScript #journalism Similar:This winter I changed my weekday alarm tone to chirping birds. This winter I changed my weekday ala…AestheticsEvery few years, I Google the name of the kid who saw "The Empire Strikes Back" the night …HistoryAnother 10 sq…
My basement dehumidifier was flashing an error code. YouTube had a tutorial with a possible fix. The thing is running now. Waiting to see whether the error returns. Similar:Prime Stage Theatre Makes A Statement With Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” For Carolyn Jerz, who plays Viol…Culture‘Broken Age’ ReviewThis will be my self-reward when I finis…CybercultureI went down…
Joel Lipton, 10 years old at the time, wrote to Peanuts cartoonist Charles Schulz. Fast-forward to this past February, when Lipton and his wife were cleaning out their closet. […] “Dear Joel,” the letter reads. “I think it is more difficult these days to define what makes a good citizen then it has ever been…
Apple has apologized, but like writer Peter C. Baker, I’m not quite ready to let go of that really horrifying ad depicting a roomful of beautifully displayed musical instruments, sound gear, art supplies, and even toys being slowly squashed by a huge hydraulic press (ostensibly to highlight the creative potential of the latest iPad). Picture…
I’m very amused at this nerdy news story about some tension between a judge who asks for legible documents and a lawyer who files documents with flasher typography. While I recognize that language changes and the distinction between “font” and “typeface” is unimportant to the general public, I teach my journalism students that historically…
This friendly gangster was parked at WalMart in Johnstown yesterday. Similar:Is this the little girl I carried? Is this the little boy at play?PersonalFather-daughter bonding between takes.That’s a prop knife in my right hand. AestheticsThe daughter is in “Very Berry Dead,” a new play which opens this Friday and runs for two …The daughter is…
It’s unlikely to be at the forefront of the former president’s mind as he reflects on the verdict, but one immediate consequence is that Trump will probably lose the honorific title of “Mr” in the news pages of the UK’s Daily Telegraph. The Telegraph’s style guide states: “Defendants in criminal court cases … are to be referred…
Frog and Toad at the Mountain Playhouse with the daughter. Similar:To all these tools I've loved before…While cleaning out my desk at home I add…AestheticsTricking the eye to see 3D details in geometrically flat surfaces for my #steampunk #blend… AestheticsI'm in the timeline where the Borg are everywhere and Riker doesn't want to go b…PersonalIf…
She’s wearing a shirt with a frog. We are in town to see the Frog and Toad musical. This seemed logical. Similar:Pluto FlybyWhen I was about 10, I wrote to NASA and…Current_EventsTake a look at the moon tonight!I wish I had the time or energy to get o…AestheticsWilliam Shakespeare’s Star WarsBecause apparently I am not…
At the Johnstown Flood Museum. (May 31 1889 the neglected dam at the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club broke, unleashing devastation on the valley below.) Similar:Do Cultural Critics Have Any Value Left?[T]he Internet has dramatically changed …AestheticsA masked, socially distant museum visit. So nice to get away from syllabuses and email for… Ford built…
Your first #blender3d retractable #steampunk landing wheels will be your worst. But you have to start somewhere. Similar:Technical and Literary Writing: What’s the difference? « DekonztruktschonIn an advanced new media class, I’m intr…Academia“Thank you for being kind.” —Friday afternoon email from a student who’d been a little sal…PersonalBody Parts #StarTrek #DS9 Rewatch (Season 4, Episode…
My contribution to WAOB Audio Theatre’s plan to record all the proverbs. Similar:The Rhetoric of Anthems and the Drama of KneelingI don’t follow sports, so I don’t feel f…CultureHandshakes Really Do MatterMonday night handshake/eye contact pract…CultureOut for a walk during some downtime. Paused to appreciate this beautiful city of #Pittsbur…Out for a walk during…
Already facing scandal, the Washington Post‘s new-ish CEO and publisher, Will Lewis, has announced that the newspaper will be pivoting to artificial intelligence to turn around its dismal financial situation. […] The paper’s chief technology officer, meanwhile, announced to staffers that going forward, WaPo is to have “AI everywhere in our newsroom,” according to Tani. It’s unclear,…
Three different sized buildings. Still working on variations for the biggest one. #blender3d #medievalyork #mysteryplay Similar:Who cares about hyphens, commas and capital letters? You should.You’re a busy editor, fighting a deadlin…BooksFall 2020 Midterm Grades: SUBMITTEDPersonalI both like and hate that Canvas tracks the number of unmarked assignments that await me. …I both like and hate…