Happy V-Day: Valentines for Journalists

Valentines for Journalists. Similar: The Expensive Education of Mark Zuckerberg and Silicon Valley Because what he never managed to grok …BusinessYouTube distortion after the same clip is re-uploaded 1000 timesIn theory, technology lets people make a…AestheticsWhat My Journalism Class Looks Like on Election DayMy journos are out there, gathering news…AcademiaOne Author Breaks Down the Reality of…

Frisbee inventor dies at 90

Walter Frederick Morrison, the man credited with inventing the Frisbee, has died at the age of 90. —Guardian Similar:"We Need to Be More Vigilant With What We Trust From the Internet." –Fake PresidentFrom Buzzfeed: Sitting before the Sta…CybercultureAnyone capitalized in a standard how way without no lowercase pretension down.Fact CheckHow Bad Design Wrecked Steve Harvey's…

Peter West, Trying the Dark: Mammoth Cave and the Racial Imagination, 1839-1869

Interesting examination of role-playing, illusion, identity, and power in Kentucky’s Mammoth Cave, one small branch of which was the inspiration for the 1976/7 computer game Colossal Cave Adventure. In the middle decades of the nineteenth century, Kentucky’s Mammoth Cave was a popular tourist destination for travelers from around the United States and beyond. The cave…

Typography and Textuality

Zach Whalen is turning his dissertation into a blog-web-thing, in the hopes of developing a book-thing. In whatever form it takes, it’s an interesting approach to a textual study of video games. This study asks how the design and configuration of text in videogames contributes to their textuality. I argue that videogames are texts in…

The Superbowl, Technology, and the Police State (1984-2010)

There’s a dissertation in here. All I have the energy to do today is imply a connection. Using a police state to market technology in 1984: Using a police state to market technology in 2010: Similar:Why We’ll Never Live in SpaceAs much as I love escapist science ficti…BusinessIs your child texting about recursive acronym palindromes?…

The great global warming collapse

It is dangerous to use local weather events (such as a heavy or light winter) to make judgments about global climate. With that caveat, I’m blogging the following because I’ve noted a shift in the online discussion about “global warming,” or the more general “climate change”. This essay does a good job exploring the events…

Obligatory Snowpocalypse Photo

Here’s hoping I left gas in the snow-thrower. Similar:Grades submitted.AcademiaAccession #StarTrek #DS9 Rewatch (Season 4, Episode 17) Sisko rethinks his role as Emissar…Rewatching ST:DS9 Bashir reluctantly …AestheticsAll the Classroom’s a StageSome good observations in this essay. As…AcademiaI may or may not make a zapping sound under my breath while phasering your ticket. @prime_… AestheticsI’ve roughed…

Doom Iphone code review.

Fascinating software study of the Doom iPhone port.http://fabiensanglard.net/doomIphone/index.php Similar:A college tells faculty it's illegal to speak to student journalistsCongratulations, President Meadows. You …BusinessNo, Prince Philip did not dress as a palace guard to prank the queenI didn’t share this miscaptioned photo, …AmusingOther than #StarTrek memes, my favorite part of the web is how it's a…

ENG 111: Pop Up Scholarship

Our first few readings in my freshman writing course were personal essays, with a clear narrative.  We read an academic paper today, and there’s another assigned for Friday.  A few students are already reporting feeling a little lost in the detail. I gather this is because they are used to reading textbooks, where all the…

The Videogame History Timeline (beta)

I wish I’d seen this a few weeks ago, before my Video Game Culture and Theory class ended, but it’s still a welcome find. Similar:The GE Mascot That Proves They've Never Seen 'The Matrix'On a scale of 1 to 10, this definitely r…AestheticsHomeownership in America Has Collapsed—Dont Blame MillennialsYes, the article is interesting, but I’m…AmusingThe…

Pee-wee Gets an iPad

Pee-wee Gets An iPad! from Pee-wee Herman Similar:Fanciful Fun in Theatre Factory’s “The Fantasticks”A great review from Pittsburgh in the Ro…CultureGround-nesting Yellowjacket WaspsWhile my 16yo son was mowing the lawn wi…CultureWhite House Bars Times and Other News Outlets From BriefingKudos to the reporters from Time and AP …Current_Eventsthe history of computer games: from 'pong' to…

"Can We Tape?"

I usually carry a digital voice recorder with me.  In most states it’s legal to record a conversation if all parties consent, although Pennsylvania law requires that all parties to a conversation be notified that a conversation is being recorded. “It is always legal to tape or film a face-to-face interview when your recorder or…