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:This is Ralph. Ralph is a concept, created by you while reading this.AmusingMy Ouya arrived.My Ouya arrived — a Kickstarter-funded …CybercultureJustin Bieber and the Beatles: They both liked to…
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 vs. Faulty ParallelismI just touched up a handout on Parallel …HumanitiesCarolyn Gombell Is Not a Real Person: #JusticeforCarolyn Is a Campaign Against Twitter Ref…Fascinating use of social media. To be c…Current_EventsIt's been nice…
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:Seton Hill University's New Media Journalism Program Named One of Pittsburgh Magazine's "1… Journalism — New Media » It’s the i…Academia“Oh, that I were a glove…
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:Emily Dickinson Manuscript for "The Chariot"A new Emily Dickinson archive is online….CultureBing's AI chatbot helped me solve a technical problem, then showed me manatees, then denie…I was searching for how to change the…
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:Encounter at Farpoint (Season 1, Episode 1: ST:TNG Rewatch) Picard gathers his crew, hates…Rewatching ST:TNG after almost 20 years….CultureChoosing Carolyn's HeadshotWhich of these headshots do you like bes…AestheticsRethinking TV news, Part III: First, kill the stand-upI’ve told my journalism students that TV…DesignGetting a little bit…
Next up: Stage Right summer musical theater camp starts Monday! Similar:Opening night. They've got magic to do! CultureThe YouTube "Blender3D to Unity UMA" tutorials blow through all the steps in a h…PersonalPresenting at #NEMLA session 8.1 Friday. “Hacking English: Examining a multimedia sandbox …AcademiaThe Feynman TechniqueTo master a topic, pretend you are teach…DesignNight Terrors (#StarTrek…
Testing a tool to automate connections between iOS apps. Similar:The Rule of Capek's Robots: A public lecture, in which the word “robot” is traced, precurs… HomeEmail Tips: Top 10 Strategies for Writing Effective EmailAfter reading a clickbaity Bloomberg art…HomeThe Dadliest DecadeThe eighties, at least, were drenched in…HomeGirlhood 2014They don’t even seem to want to…
Similar:The Current War (Quantum Theatre Musical)Waiting for The Current War to start. I …AwesomeErmahgerddon: The Untold Story of the Ermahgerd GirlDeciding against the coonskin cap, Golde…AmusingBottled Authors: the predigital dream of the audiobookThere was no way to preserve sounds befo…AcademiaEmail (finding the right tone as a writer) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXlgO…CybercultureBogus hit-and-run story about Vice President Kamala Harris…
Submitted revisions of 6 video tutorial scripts & drafted 5 more. Also, scored 3 boxes of leftover reception cupcakes and 1 of brownies. Similar:I am not really sure why I have kept it up this long. I have no immediate or foreseeable p… CultureMore #steampunk #neovictorian goodness. Bring the wood polish. #design #aesthetics #blende… AestheticsChess…
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:Tweet: For an anatomy project, my #geekling made a Vulcan…For an anatomy project, my #geekling mad…TweetsRT @PhilKomarny: A floppy disc… In #context htt…RT @PhilKomarny: A floppy disc… In #co…TweetsJuror's CreedWhile researching my obligations for #ju…CultureMaybe…