Interesting set of observations exploring the limits of omniscience and the sheer scale involved in watching an entire population. Failures in empathy lead to misinterpretation of anonymous rebellion in plain sight. Tolkien’s most potent and intimidating image of centralized surveillance, the Eye of Sauron atop a tower, taking in the whole world, has resonated with…
This project looks promising. I’ve donated the money I was going to spend on a haircut. We’re keeping our UI super simple. The experience is entirely sound and story: Writing + Voiceover + SFX + Music. With either a spoken word or a simple tap on the screen you can listen to the drama unfold…
A recent Pew study (Smartphone Ownership 2013) found that blacks were about 10% more likely than whites to own smartphones, and that young urban people regardless of income are very likely to own smartphones. (With older people, a smartphone is more of a luxury.) It’s little wonder, then, that phone-friendly Twitter has been such a…
These are shoe-holding racks at a local indoor play area, where I took my daughter and a friend for a few hours. Why buy six different rainbow-colored shoe-holding racks, if you’re not going to arrange them in the proper order? I really wanted to pick up the purple one and at least put it in…
Sample, improved lyrics: “An old man turned 98 /He won the lottery, and died the next day (from a severe paper cut from his lottery ticket).” Similar:Making Interactive Fiction Mainstream: ReadersJon Ingold describes the gamelike storyt…AestheticsAnd so it begins.Books'Thought Leader’ gives talk that will inspire your thoughtsSaving this for the next time I assign a…AmusingClues…
Rewatching the classic Trek episode “The Conscience of the King,” which features a Shakespearean acting troupe. In one scene, McCoy writes a report on a wedge proto-iPad… …but in the very next scene Kirk scrawls on a piece of paper. This episode also features characters doing computer searches, using an exposition-friendly voice interface to call…
At least three journalists left NBC, after the network aired a tape of George Zimmerman, edited in a manner that substantially altered its content. Filed in Seminole County, the suit adds that “NBC News saw the death of Trayvon Martin not as a tragedy but as an opportunity to increase ratings, and so set about…
Jon Negroni creates a meta-narrative to connect every Pixar movie, using Boo as the still point in the turning universe. Every Pixar movie is connected. I explain how, and possibly why. Several months ago, I watched a fun-filled video on Cracked.com that introduced the idea (at least to me) that all of the Pixar movies…
The contrast between KTVU’s treatment of its triumphs vs errors reminds us of the difference between journalism vs public relations. Similar:Parallel structure in writing: Use it!These comic panels cover the issue well….HumanitiesI'm no longer surprised, but still want to document.This is really noteworthy. Today the Pre…Current_EventsMy Minecraft-obsessed tween made this blocky foam pig at art…
Last week, the Fox-afiliated KTVU fell for a prank, repeating offensive fake names for the pilots involved in the crash of Asiana Flight 214 last week. [S]even-year veteran KTVU producer Brad Belstock closed his @producerBB Twitter account after his last Friday tweet just moments after the names were read aloud on the air by Tori Campbell.…
Francesca Borri writes of being a freelancer and a woman covering the war in Syria. (When my life gets hectic, a story like this helps me keep some perspective.) Similar:Astaire Unwound (Ceiling Dance from "Royal Wedding")My high school physics teacher, Admiral …AestheticsThe Big Goodbye (TNG Rewatch, Season 1, Episode 11) When a holodeck glitch taints…
Is your Sunday feeling incomplete because you haven’t read anything about punctuation today? This explanation of the semicolon should help. You’re welcome. Similar:Sherlock Holmes and The Woman (WAOB Live Virtual Performance)I was happy to play Watson. The daughter…BooksRobots Are Coming for Our PoemsThe robots are quickly and surely coming…AestheticsBeautiful News Writing: "Rampaging rooster attacks girl."I…
My wife is something of a hoarder. Now, as it happens, I have saved my half of the slip of paper that I tore so that we could write down each other’s phone numbers back when we were about 22, but she saves old catalogs and phone books (phone books!) from years ago. Sometimes, when…
So I’m not being selfish… this is a parenting strategy. Similar:How to DisagreeIf we’re all going to be disagreeing mor…EssaysCaptain, the Fake News Detectors are Offline! Slate has a good article about Willi…CybercultureAstaire Unwound (Ceiling Dance from "Royal Wedding")My high school physics teacher, Admiral …AestheticsInterface changes make it a little harder to work with Google's…
Next up: Stage Right summer musical theater camp starts Monday! Similar:The boy is visiting the Prohibition exhibit @HistoryCenter while I continue at NeMLA.PersonalYes Virginia the Musical coming to ConnellsvilleCarolyn Jerz may be only 11 but is alrea…Current_EventsWriting Tips for Critical Thinking Critical Thinking Matters Pers…AcademiaStudents Produce Breathtaking 3D Simulation of 17thC LondonThe haze effect lying…
Testing a tool to automate connections between iOS apps. Similar:Verizon Forced Me to Remove Parentheses, Quotation Marks, and Apostrophes from a Customer …When I finally found a way to contact Ve…HomeThe Dadliest DecadeThe eighties, at least, were drenched in…HomeThe Rule of Capek's Robots: A public lecture, in which the word “robot” is traced, precurs… …
Similar:Added a splash of color to this section of a #neovictorian #steampunk control panel (for m…AestheticsStill shot from a flyover video that's been taking about 3 minutes to render each fra…AestheticsAngel One (TNG Rewatch, Season 1, Episode 13) Sexist Amazon chief flips Riker leitmotif, t…Rewatching Star Trek: The Next Generatio…AmusingA Man Alone (#StarTrek #DS9 Rewatch,…
Submitted revisions of 6 video tutorial scripts & drafted 5 more. Also, scored 3 boxes of leftover reception cupcakes and 1 of brownies. Similar:My mom’s Lionel train set (a gift from her father in 1948) had been in storage for 35 year… My mother wants me to thank John at …Aesthetics"Know that I glory in…
Blogging this so I can find it when I teach my “News Writing” class this fall. People do like to prank journalists with fake names. In this case, the reporter did what you’re supposed to do — get confirmation — but sheesh. KTVU reports fake racist names of Asiana Airlines 214 pilots from NTSB intern…
I recently bought a new phone. since then, I have answered an incoming call in my car. It felt awesome. Similar:It's been nice knowing you, iPad3 It’s been nice knowing you, iPad3, but…TweetsRT @JordanFor: One of the counters from the Civil…RT @JordanFor: One of the counters from …TweetsJuror's CreedWhile researching my obligations for #ju…CultureMaybe I'll…