Building a Robotic Dalek Pumpkin

—Building a Robotic Dalek Pumpkin (Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories) Via boingboing. Similar:Happy Father’s Day One of my favorite pictures of my fa…Current_EventsStudent: “Just wanted to let you know that your class has benefited me outside of just lit…In my online class on literary dystopia,…Academia‘There’s a certain madness to it’ … fans await new chord in John…

Fantasy Congress

We The Creators of this site, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish Fantasy Congress for the United States of America. In this game, we…

Wishes

—Wishes (Despair, inc :( ) Similar:It's reckless and dangerous for a leader with a habit of doubling down in the face of crit…Today my Facebook feed featured memes th…Current_EventsThe Tyranny of Now (Appreciation of Harold Innis)As a grad student at the University of T…CultureDo you really keep a diary?ALGERNON Do you really keep a diary? I’d…AmusingOh…

Thinking that Goes beneath the Surface

A month in hyper-space can scatter the brain. Traditional books offer readers respite from hyperactivity. The book’s definitive, closed, linear argument lets mind and sensibility enjoy moments of inner harmony. Linear text offers the kind of contemplative thinking that goes beneath the surface. –Heim, Electric Language: A Philosophical Study of Word Processing. New Haven: Yale…

A Place to Read

A place to read? How many students come to scholastic grief because they never find one? Last year the daughter of a friend flunked out of a huge state university because, she claimed, she could never actually read anywhere. The dorm room? Her roommates were all fun and games. The library? Far too noisy. In…

U.S. Cryptographers: 'FrpX-K5jE-Oc4n-e5Dn'

In a carefully phrased, 128-bit encoded announcement that has challenged U.S. security agency procedures, top officials of the National Cryptography and Information Security Council warned that “FrpX-K5jE-Oc4n-e5Dn” if “Ha4d-87gH-uiH3-gB5r-g8Bh” late Monday. —U.S. Cryptographers: ‘FrpX-K5jE-Oc4n-e5Dn’ (The Onion (Satire)) Similar:In December 2001 I was blogging aboutIn December 2001, I was blogging about …AmusingI have a daughter who does…

Universal sues video-sharing websites

Universal Music, the world‘slargest record company, has launched the established media industry‘sfirst legal action against user-generated internet sites in the wake of its distribution deal last week with YouTube, the most popular video-sharing website. —Joshua Chaffin —Universal sues video-sharing websites (FT.com) Note that YouTube isn’t the one being sued. YouTube actually cut a deal with Universal.…

Participation Inequality: Encouraging More Users to Contribute

In most online communities, 90% of users are lurkers who never contribute, 9% of users contribute a little, and 1% of users account for almost all the action. —Jakob Nielsen —Participation Inequality: Encouraging More Users to Contribute (Useit.com) Similar:Is Google Making Us Stupid?Nicholas Carr, in The Atlantic: As the …BooksA Video Game About Changing What Happens…