First-Person Tetris

An interesting spin on Tetris. Similar:I have two scenes in a horror film. My head appears in a third scene.During Fall Break, I filmed my scenes fo…AestheticsFacebook Puts a Downer on UpworthyFacebook Inc. changed its newsfeed algor…BusinessReaders Are Liars: The 1928 Study That Predicted the Future of NewsThe invention of the telegraph and the s…BusinessRediscovering…

What Type are You?

Why did Brian Wilson use Cooper Black on the cover of Pet Sounds? Why did Obama use Gotham for his election propaganda? It has long been apparent that typefaces reflect the character of the person using them, and that type choice, as well as the words that are typed, is a powerful conveyor of meaning. At…

Nil by mouth

Afer extensive treatments for cancer, including the removal of part of his jaw, film critic Roger Ebert is still critiquing movies and writing, but he is unable to speak; he also can’t eat or drink. His recent column reflects on life without a mouth. One day in the hospital my brother-in-law Johnny Hammel and his…

The Turtlenecked Hairshirt

Ian Bogost has stirred up some discussion with his post on how digital humanities has challenged the humanities at large.  I’ve been very happy with the level of support I’ve received from my English colleagues, my humanities colleagues, and the dean, but all interdisciplinary, hybrid, and emerging fields rub against the sharp edges of the…

My 11yo Son and I Play Adam Cadre's 9:05 (Interactive Fiction Playthrough)

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A playable game of Tabletop Pong

If that’s not good enough for you, try Similar:Updated a post about Sarah Rush — the "launch when ready" crew member from 1979 Battlesta…I recently noticed that a blog post I cr…AmusingThe Last Soviet CitizenInteresting reflection on the collapse o…CultureLife Support (#StarTrek #DS9 Rewatch, Season 3, Episode 13) Bashir keeps the gravely injur…Rewatching ST:DS9 An…

What art thou, Pez?

What are thou, Pez, that must needs be dispensed? T’ be merely wrapped would leave thee so incensed? T’were better still to leave the fingers sticky, Than be vomited up by the likes of Mickey. — Mark Janello Curtis Allina, 87, Put Heads on Pez Dispensers Similar:little drops — Why Dove's "Real Beauty Sketches" Video…

Deus Ex Memories

I’ve just finished my final training run as a nanotech-augmented super-agent. Nasty terrorists holed up in the ruins of the State of Liberty have captured one of my fellow agents, and it’s my job to get him out. In real life, it’s 2002, and I’m just a guy in Wisconsin. My four-year-old son is asleep…

Video Game Culture and Theory

My online three-week course will start tomorrow morning. It will lean heavily on blogging, so chances are I’ll be a bit more productive than usual in that area. Video Game Culture and TheoryThis course isn’t about learning how to “win” a game, nor is it about programming or design. In fact, according to a recent…

Ms. Pac-Man: Feminist Hero

It’s a spoof, but it’s well-researched and contains plenty of insight. Similar:Feeling Like an Impostor at 49I reminded my Shakespeare students that …AcademiaJournalism 101: I fixed this meme for you.I can sympathize with the sentiment, but…CultureThis is what happened when a KDKA-TV journalist showed biasSocial media platforms are full of peopl…CultureYour Brain Does Not Work…