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:Even in the U.S., Chinese Students May Have Tiananmen ‘Amnesia’But now that he was at college in Americ…CultureInside the utopian, brick-loving world of LEGO's adult fandomI used to enjoy…
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:What kids do when Dad won't hand over the iPod So I’m not being selfish… this is …EducationIt's been nice knowing you, iPad3 It’s been nice knowing you, iPad3, but…TweetsTweet: Came around the corner and…
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:The Decline of Wikipedia: Even As More People Than Ever Rely on It, Fewer People Create ItI’m getting ready to introduce my freshm…CybercultureWhen a Textbook Plagiarizes…
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:The Most Disastrous Typos In Western History The Most Disastrous Typos In Western H…BooksNewspaper For Sale: The Growing Threat of News Deserts in Western PennsylvaniaAs circulation has declined, local newsp…BusinessCelebration of Writing My freshman…
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:Bad Writing Costs Businesses BillionsThis is thinkpiece rehtoric rather than …AcademiaWe were pretty even for about 25m, but I let him get my queen, and I had no hope after tha…PersonalHe checkmates me in two moves. I lasted about a half hour, and went down…
Next up: Stage Right summer musical theater camp starts Monday! Similar:Pictures from opening night of @pictclassictheatre Jane Eyre. (Show runs through the rest …Personal700-year-old picture of 'Mickey Mouse' found in Austrian church”Walt Disney first sketched his characte…ArtWhat have my students learned about creative nonfiction writing? During class they are col…What have my students learned about…
Testing a tool to automate connections between iOS apps. Similar:Your Brain Does Not Work Like a ComputerThe brain-as-computer is a powerful meme…HealthSuch deep roots you have: How Little Red Riding Hood's tale evolvedDid all these stories spring from a comm…HomeVerizon Forced Me to Remove Parentheses, Quotation Marks, and Apostrophes from a Customer …When I finally…
Similar:More split-screen actinghttp://youtu.be/EGgeZWskEs8DesignThe Siege (#StarTrek #DS9 Rewatch, Season 2, Episode 3) Sisko defends DS9 while Kira tries…Rewatching ST:DS9 Picking up where s2…CultureMy "Writing About Literature" Students Are Sampling Text Adventure GamesI’m having my students play Adam Cadre’s…CultureLe règne des robotsÉcrite en 1920 et jouée pour la première…CybercultureI may or may not make a zapping sound…
Submitted revisions of 6 video tutorial scripts & drafted 5 more. Also, scored 3 boxes of leftover reception cupcakes and 1 of brownies. Similar:No I didn’t exactly *plan* to spend my Sunday evening tweaking the pedestrian access to th…AestheticsYes, I spent the last hour designing this brutalist pen holder for a virtual production of…AestheticsAllergic to…
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:Juror's CreedWhile researching my obligations for #ju…CultureTweet: Came around the corner and saw my kids huddled on…Came around the corner and saw my kids h…TweetsHabits for happiness: tips for looking on the bright side of…