Zork: The Great Underground Empire

A blogger has started chronicling a journey through the classic 1980s computer game, Zork. Before King’s Quest and its successors took the realm of adventure gaming into colorful graphics, adventure titles were solely text. Infocom specialized in these during the 80s, including the Zork series, Planetfall, and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. But Zork,…

Stop Clubbing, Baby Seals

Similar:Qpid (#ST:TNG Rewatch, Season 4, Episode 20) Q and Vash and Robin Hood, SomehowRewatching ST:TNG Who doesn’t like se…MediaReuben Klamer, designer of Trek's "phaser rifle" and Milton-Bradley's "The Game Of Life" d…Although more modern-looking rifles appe…AestheticsListening to the Text: The Medieval Speech BubbleFrom a culture where silent reading was …AestheticsAn English professor tries to help…

Tolkien v. Orwell: Who understood modern surveillance best?

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…

It’s Finally Ironic (You’re Welcome, Alanis)

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:Bob Dylan's Nobel Prize Acceptance Speechhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TlcPRla…CultureBooks Wield a Dangerous PowerWhile we might point to violent video ga…BooksStar Wars: The MusicalThe Walls are Closing In   It’s all …DramaThe grandmaster…

The Pixar Theory

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 trium…

The contrast between KTVU’s treatment of its triumphs vs errors reminds us of the difference between journalism vs public relations. Similar:Classroom collaboration marketplaceWhile I am uncomfortable with the whole …BusinessTweet: For an anatomy project, my #geekling made a Vulcan…For an anatomy project, my #geekling mad…TweetsProto iPads and Paper Coexist in Classic Star TrekRewatching the classic…

Woman’s work : Columbia Journalism Review

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:Ground-nesting Yellowjacket WaspsWhile my 16yo son was mowing the lawn wi…CultureNarnia board game — enjoyable family activity (but it's weird that the Pevensies compete …It’s weird…

A quick primer on semicolons

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:Marketers package female empowerment to sell productsThis article makes an excellent point. T…BusinessFacebook Announces $300 Million Project, Allegedly to Support Local JournalismOnce upon a time, local newspapers could…BusinessEmail (finding the right tone as…

What kids do when Dad won’t hand over the iPod

So I’m not being selfish… this is a parenting strategy. Similar:Terminated for Reading an Allen Ginsberg Poem?In February two students complained abou…CultureVideo ResumesI’m thinking of asking students in a med…BusinessCarolyn made it to the next round of the 2017 PPT Shakespeare Monologue contest. Finals ar…CultureMobile is a "really punishing format" for indies, says inkle's Jon…

My Minecraft-obsessed tween made this blocky foam pig at art camp.

Next up: Stage Right summer musical theater camp starts Monday! Similar:When you see a show alone often you can get really good seats. Idaspe @quantumtheatreCultureCarolyn as Hodel and Peter as Lazar in the Stage Right homeschool Fiddler on the Roof.PersonalHello, there, mini.Hello, there, mini. Let’s restore you fr…TweetsGoogle Stops Scanning Student Gmail Accounts for Ads…