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:Ideology shapes our view of reality, which affects what persuades us. EthicsMy outward-bound editor's graduation cap.PersonalSmalltalk through masks is hard; I really was glad to see so many familiar upper halves of…If you said hello to me recently and I d…CultureVisiting Ft Ligonier #sevenyearswar #history #localhistoryPersonalStar Trek: The Next Generation Rewatch I was in college…
Similar:How Facebook and Twitter control what you see about FergusonOn Twitter, I see tear-gassed civilians,…CultureQpid (#ST:TNG Rewatch, Season 4, Episode 20) Q and Vash and Robin Hood, SomehowRewatching ST:TNG Who doesn’t like se…MediaI'm not showing you my email inbox, or my laundry pile, or the state of my soul. Just…PersonalI'm happy with today's #steampunk control…
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:Spring office cleaning thoughts: 1) I used to print a lot. 2) I have enough tote bags. I used to print a lot. I have e…AcademiaSettling in for a jukebox show (not my favorite genre but the Go-Gos are fun).PersonalBrass desk lamp, with translucent green shade and glowing light bulb filament. #blender3dPersonalPrime Stage – "Twelfth…
Similar:When we play Star Trek Monopoly, I am the Captain’s chair. GamesEpilogue to Rossum's Universal RobotsMy big finish as Alquist in a Zoom-based…DramaThoroughly enjoying Collaborators at Quantum Theatre.PersonalOpening night of Sive.PersonalYes, I spent the last hour designing this brutalist pen holder for a virtual production of…AestheticsOverheard: "This is the best show I've ever seen at…
Peter was the lowest-ranked player to enter the tournament, but ended up tied for second place. Similar:Work-Life Balance, from 11(!) Years AgoI think I’m managing work-life balance p…AcademiaGeometry and color maps for wooden desk tray. #Blender3D #practiceThe blue image is a “normal map,” which …Aesthetics"Jewish priests do this. It's where Leonard Nimoy got the Vulcan…
Similar:Craiyon: The signing of the Declaration of Independence, starring Chewbacca.PersonalI Know How You're Feeling, I Read ChekhovReading Chekhov for a few minutes makes …AcademiaHitting the weekend with just 6 ungraded papers. #partylikeaprof Hitting the weekend with just 6 ungrad…PersonalThe YouTube "Blender3D to Unity UMA" tutorials blow through all the steps in a h…PersonalAnd again I…
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:Mars Panorama — 10yo with iPad Pretends Her Bed Is NASA Roverhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4rCkr0oA…Current_EventsDon't Be Cruel[M]angled syntax, disordered thinking, a…AcademiaTom Bissell writes a letter to Niko Bellic about Grand…
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:My meme about the distracted boyfriend memeAmusingSiblings gotta sib.PersonalThe Outsiders Closing after Friday Night's ShowCurrent_Events1 small shirt for a man, 1 giant leap backward for women: ColumnIdea for a scientist pull-cord doll: “Fa…AestheticsWhy Our Children Don't Think There Are Moral FactsIndeed, in the world beyond grade school…CultureIs Google Making Us Stupid?Nicholas Carr, in The Atlantic:…
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…
I am definitely on team revise-to-avoid-using-“they”-as-a-singular-pronoun, but the 2017 edition of the AP Stylebook (the industry standard writing guide for journalists) acknowledges the limited use of “they” as a singular pronoun. As always, the goal is clarity, not rigid adherence to a rule. They/them/their is acceptable in limited cases as a singular and-or gender-neutral pronoun, when…
California’s Ed Chau withdrew his proposed legislation that would have criminalized the willing sharing of “a false or deceptive statement designed to influence the vote” on any issue or candidate. (The Electronic Frontier Foundation objected to the bill: “You can’t fight fake news with a bad law.”) The bill would also make it unlawful for…
Similar:I just learned I only have months to live. This is what I want to say. – The Boston GlobeWhat a storyteller. Boston Globe jour…AwesomeData-Related Deaths, 1960-2019 (Excluding Fatalities Caused by Misreadings, Typographical … DesignOne of the benefits of teaching at a small college, with small classes…In a final reflection video for a freshm…AcademiaTeachers finding…
Similar:I'm not a big fan of Disney's corporate greed.I’m not a huge fan of Disney, largely be…AcademiaTeaching the First Amendment FreedomsIn an opening lecture, I briefly listed …CultureThe Religious Origins of Fake News and "Alternative Facts"A good exploration, in the light of curr…CultureThe disastrous voyage of Satoshi, the world’s first cryptocurrency cruise shipLast year, three…
Similar:Fact Check: No, an NPR story on the Trump supporters' attempted coup dated January 6, 2021…According to the Internet Archive, this …Current_EventsWhen your January term starts Dec 18. #partylikeaprofAcademiaWeaponizing Empathy: You reacted to the outrageous claim that I crafted specifically to ou…NRATV host Collins Idehen Jr (who goes b…CulturePracticing Intellectual, Evidence-based DisagreementThis is what a…