Mix the paranoia of 1984, the absurdity of Brazil, the pathos of Chekhov, the social commentary of Moliere, and a healthy dose of “When Mike and Carol swap jobs, the Bradys are on a collision course for wackiness.” Quantum Theatre’s “Collaborators” is a fascinating study of power, integrity, and compromise. (Sound designer Joe Pino directed…
Similar:Added multiple swappable upper storeys. Next I will make slightly fewer variations of a sl…Added multiple swappable upper storeys. …AestheticsMore #steampunk control panel goodness. This section features a nice retro pixelboard text…One of many steampunk control panels I’v…AestheticsPreppers for the win. Kinda.The euphoria of getting my grades in Fri…PersonalMy Father's Day adventure included replacing the…
A good exploration, in the light of current interest in “fake news,” of the troubled relationship between conservative Christianity’s understanding of truth and secular experts’ understanding of facts. (Mainstream Protestantism and Catholicism have negotiated this difference much more smoothly.) But it wasn’t Christianity, or religious faith itself in general, that helped make Republican voters more likely…
Analyzing humor, as E.B. White famously said, is like dissecting a frog; few people are interested and the frog dies of it. Nonetheless, writing humor is a highly logical exercise — fit idea X into form Y for humorous result Z — and can therefore be broken down in ways that more slippery kinds of…
Similar:Seeing the premiere of a play based on the life of a Holocaust survivor who ended up as a …PersonalEnjoyed making a 3D print of the captain’s chair from the #steampunk bedtime stories I use…Enjoyed making a 3D print of the captain…PersonalSkin of Evil (TNG Rewatch, Season 1 Episode 23)My rewatch reflection on the…
Art conveys significance; however, much of that significance is constructed by the receiver. That’s why I care less about what a work of art “means” and more about what it “does.” Understanding what a work of art does requires interpretation. The context of a work of art can contribute to the significance of the artwork in surprising…
Similar:Family catch and eat octopus with six tentacles during Greek vacationI keep a silly personal blog devoted to …Personal"No, no, the drink, the drink,–O my dear Hamlet,– The drink, the drink! I am poison…PersonalT-Shirts for student journalists who recently leveled up to “staff writer”(with bear signe…PersonalThe Case for Breaking Up With Your ParentsI already…
Similar:First time experimenting with depth of field. The pilot's perch in a fancy #steampunk crui… AestheticsAn unreal Mars skylineThat awesome image showing Earth, Venus …AestheticsComing up for the girl is another classic show: The Fantasticks.So looking forward to seeing her in this…CultureMy mother-in-law invited me to try out the 60- year-old tape machine that…
Phllip Lopate writes a good essay on the challenges of writing a celebrity profile. My take: Just as Plato argued that ideal leaders would be so well-balanced that they would not desire to lead (and thus would not have the power-lust that would enable them to rise above their competitors), it follows that ideal celebrity profile writers would be…
“Doctor dragged off United flight was felon who traded prescription drugs for secret gay sex with patient half his age and took them himself – and he needed anger management, was ‘not forthright’ and had control issues, psychiatrist found,” wrote The Daily Mail this week of Dr David Dao, in probably the longest headline ever…
The language in the official United response to the “re-accommodation” incident deserves some analysis . Flight 3411 from Chicago to Louisville was overbooked. After our team looked for volunteers, one customer refused to leave the aircraft voluntarily and law enforcement was asked to come to the gate. We apologize for the overbook situation. If you “refuse…
Slate has a good article about William “Captain Kirk” Shatner’s involvement with a Twitter incident that involved Autism Speaks, the alleged connection between vaccines and autism, and the ready availability of easily Googled but unreliable “information.” Shatner is a celebrity, which means that he has outsized influence. That he would use his platform to lend…
Similar:What gives you comfort? I collect lights. Some of these have magnets!!AmusingThe spoils.PersonalPippin! Last show today at 2pm.CulturePreppers for the win. Kinda.The euphoria of getting my grades in Fri…PersonalJust a #neovictorian avatar in spats and a tailcoat, checking out the back porch and bridg… AestheticsThe third Google hit for " #steampunk control panel" is a…
Similar:FULL BLOOM (Aug 31-Sep 2)PersonalBasic details for #medievalyork city walls for a forthcoming scholarly theatrical project….Basic details for #medievalyork city wal…PersonalElmo? Yes, I do mind. I learned far more from Bert.Like plenty of people my age, I grew up …AestheticsHow long has Google Docs let you pop up a window with your current word…
Peter was the lowest-ranked player to enter the tournament, but ended up tied for second place. Similar:When Robert Pinsky Wrote a Video Game[F]or a brief time in the mid-nineteen-e…CultureTook the whole day off and spent part of it making #greebles with #Blender3D because reaso…AestheticsNot bad for a couple hours of work. #blender3d #blender3dart #steampunk #neovictorianNot…
Similar:In January 2001, I was blogging about Bill Clinton's #WhiteHouse security deposit, anachro…In January 2001, I was blogging about …AcademiaGo not to the elves for counsel, for they will say both no and yes.First runner-up for the girl’s Halloween…AestheticsAnnie — Cabinet TomorrowMy 10yo daughter Carolyn played Annie in…AmusingIntegrating Quotations in Research Papers: Citing Sources EffectivelyTouched…
This short film reminds us why art matters. Spend 8 minutes watching it. Two heart-wrenching twists, at 5:26 and 5;48 (and the story continues during the closing credits). Similar:The Declaration of IndependenceI recorded a recitation of the Declarati…CultureUnemployment rates for recent college grads: Overall, 5.8%; Computer science, 6.1%; Comput…The market is rough for college grads,…
A letter, published a few weeks ago, in which the inventor of the World Wide Web discusses personal security, fake news, and political transparency. Today marks 28 years since I submitted my original proposal for the world wide web. I imagined the web as an open platform that would allow everyone, everywhere to share information,…
Similar:The truth hits Thorvald. Loved PPT PlayTime’s online presentation of Ibsen’s A Doll’s Hous…Personal5 Ways to Avoid Being Rude (According to 100-Year-Old Etiquette Rules)If you are a gentleman, never lower the …Culture“People are much more frightened than they are bigoted,” making his economic message reson…No actor says “My character does this an…BusinessSherlock Holmes and The…
Facebook wants you to spend more time on Facebook, so why should they promote links pointing to content that exists outside of Facebook? Facebook’s approach to content control means that communities that use Facebook have to play by Facebook’s rules. Users have limited ability to communicate with Facebook’s administrators when there’s a problem, as we’ve seen…