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:How 'A Wrinkle in Time' Changed Sci-Fi ForeverI read this book for the first time just…BooksTexas School Censors All Of ‘Huck Finn’ Except The N-Words (Satire from The Onion)Is…
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:Maybe I'll just delete these QUARTER OF A MILLION spam comments.Not kidding — 254,460 spam comments in …CybercultureTweet: Came around the corner and saw my kids huddled on…Came around the corner and saw my kids…
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:Ferengi Love Songs #StarTrek #DS9 Rewatch (Season 5, Episode 20) Rom ♡ Leeta; Zek ♡ Ishka;…Rewatching ST:DS9 Much pew is pewing …Amusing"Shakespeare in Love" with the…
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:To Learn More, This High-Schooler Left The ClassroomNick Bain, 17, was in class one day when…CultureQuebec teen discovers ancient Mayan ruins by studying the starsThis sounds like the plot of a Young Ind…CultureThesis…
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:“People are much more frightened than they are bigoted,” making his economic message reson…No actor says “My character does this an…BusinessIn Defense of DistractionIf you’re a fan of lifehacking, you’ll a…CultureAfter your shift at the protocol station, join me in the officers' lounge, just up…
Next up: Stage Right summer musical theater camp starts Monday! Similar:The Course of True Fun Never Did Run Smooth: A Midsummer Night's Dwarf Fortress ReflectionI am in rehearsals to play Oberon in a c…CultureDon't Be Cruel[M]angled syntax, disordered thinking, a…AcademiaMy kids are in a tree. How's your Friday?PersonalIn December 2001 I was blogging aboutIn December…
Testing a tool to automate connections between iOS apps. Similar:The Declaration Of Independence, 240 Years Later (NPR)When in the Course of human events, it b…CultureClassroom Project: Students Get 1 Hour to Propose, Shoot, Edit, Publish DocumentaryStudents created this in 60 minutes. …HomeKirby Delauter SagaLet’s hope many, many more journalism st…HomeWhen a Blogger Shares a Too-good-to-be-true…
Similar:Controlling behavior of HQ CEO hijacks what should have been a puff piece about popular HQ…A few minutes ago I heard about HQ for t…BusinessHealing the WebThe lessons I learned in just over an ho…BusinessBecause Internet: the new linguistics of informal EnglishI’m planning to begin my online Shakespe…CultureHow Will Historians of the Future Run MS…
Submitted revisions of 6 video tutorial scripts & drafted 5 more. Also, scored 3 boxes of leftover reception cupcakes and 1 of brownies. Similar:Ready to teach another set of students what research is (and what it isn’t).AcademiaUntil next term, I have zero more unmarked assignments. #fistpumpUntil next term, I have zero more unmark…AcademiaOutsiders. Four sold…
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:My Minecraft-obsessed tween made this blocky foam pig at art camp. Next up: Stage Right summer musical th…Aesthetics10 Rules of Internet – Anil DashA very useful, concise summary of web-en…BusinessIt's been nice knowing you, iPad3…