First-Person Tetris

An interesting spin on Tetris. Similar:Let there be light The Irish have a weakness for puns, …AestheticsMagnetic Scrolls Original Games Source Code Recovered!Here we have possibly the only surviving…CybercultureThings Past #StarTrek #DS9 Rewatch (Season 5, Episode 8) Odo confronts his reputation as a…Rewatching ST:DS9 Sisko, Dax, Odo and…Amusing[E-Mail is for Old People] –[E-Mail is for…

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…

Colossal Cave Adventure Playthrough (with my 11-year-old son)

  Similar:Yellow Journalism Did Not Cause the Spanish-American War (Role of Sensationalized Headlin… When a correspondent sent to Cuba to c…AestheticsWhy Student Athletes Continue to FailWhen student athletes were asked how muc…AcademiaMy son showed me #PacificRim.My son showed me #PacificRim. Liked the …CybercultureTake my feedback if you want to pass.I won’t be so assertive in…

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

Similar:I Made Cheerful Maze Game in ScratchWell, it’s cheerful unless you touch som…AestheticsHas Academia Ruined Literary Criticism? “Professing Criticism” proceeds on the…AcademiaReplacing Disputed Flags with Related ArticlesInstead of flagging links to questionabl…BusinessRemember Me (#StarTrek #TNG Rewatch, Season Four, Episode 5) Dr. Crusher vs The UniverseRewatching ST:TNG after a 20-year break….MediaAmLit Rescue — Scratch GameA student…

A playable game of Tabletop Pong

If that’s not good enough for you, try Similar:Why did I only blog 3 times in June 2001?What was I doing during the summer of Ju…CybercultureReady to teach another set of students what research is (and what it isn’t).AcademiaMr. Chen Goes to WuhanA Chinese media personality with over ha…CultureShort Reports: How To Write Routine Technical…

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:Blender Griffin, Part 3Okay, that’s enough work for one…

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:Things That Will Freak out Every OCD PersonA good collection. I’m only linking to i…AestheticsSupport the arts in your community! #augustwilson #radiogolfSupport the arts in your community! #aug…CultureHere are some real statements from Pope Leo that many people who have been sharing fake me…Pope…