Rewatching ST:TNG When Picard is up in the middle of the night amusing himself with his archaeology hobby, he’s annoyed to find that Stellar Cartography has taken communications, library systems, and the replicators offline. When he heads down there, the officer in charge is taking some sensor readings that are so delicate they can be…
Objective news reporting is an ideal. Wherever humans are involved, there will be bias. There’s nothing intrinsically wrong with journalism that reports with a particular slant, but informed consumers of news who want to understand a complex issue aren’t served by one-sided media coverage that flatters and amplifies their world view. This chart sorts popular…
If you said hello to me recently and I didn’t seem interested in smalltalk, but just raised my eyebrows, made friendly sounds, and drifted on, I hope I didn’t seem indifferent. I really was glad to see so many familiar upper halves of faces at the Lamp Theatre last night, but it was also kind…
The role of mainstream journalists is significant, and, overall, their record has been far less than stellar. Too many, whether in a one-on-one interview or at larger sessions with a number of reporters, have failed to push back in a way that matters. Trump is such a facile talker — one who specializes in dazzling…
Rewatching ST:TNG The Enterprise-D visits Deep Space Nine, so that the producers can take advantage of the beautiful promenade set and jam in a guest appearance from DS9’s Dr. Bashir. O’Brien doesn’t appear in this episode, but he’s mentioned in a brief and completely unnecessary scene where LaForge complains the pasta on DS9 “tastes like…
Similar:My mom’s Lionel train set (a gift from her father in 1948) had been in storage for 35 year… My mother wants me to thank John at …AestheticsKirk's manly, sensitive advice to young CharlieIn popular culture, Captain Kirk from th…CultureJournalists are vital to the health of a free nation. #firstamendnent #freepressPersonalTricking the eye to see…
For decades, champions of the video game industry have touted gaming’s cultural impact as the equal of literature, film and music. Traditionally, the classic works from those mediums have been preserved for study by future generations, and amid gaming’s global rise in relevance, a group of video game scholars and advocates is pushing to preserve…
Similar:Captain Gearheart inspects progress on his #neovictorian #steampunk æther cruiser. Now fea…AestheticsReplica of George Washington’s field camp. @fortligonierReplica of George Washington’s field cam…PersonalMore #steampunk control panel goodness. #blender3d #blender3dart #aestheticsAestheticsI voice the role of Electron Jones in this audio detective series. The first episode was r…Making this illustration in Blender3D wa…PersonalI think I’ve mentioned I…
Similar:I'm not showing you my email inbox, or my laundry pile, or the state of my soul. Just…PersonalJust submitted final grades for the compressed course that began the day after fall grades…PersonalElevator shaft on a #steampunk #blender3d cruiser, just because. #design #aesthetics #blen… AestheticsI apologize for this one. R2-D2 stars in Andrew Lloyd Weber's musical…
Rewatching ST:TNG Picard is in sickbay with a gaping hole in his chest. Crusher can’t save him. In a white void, Picard meets a familiar figure, Q, who claims to be God, and conjures up a vision of Picard’s father (who is *so* disappointed), and voices from Picard’s past — people he says have died…
Similar:Trying Out the Zaggmate Keyboard/Case for iPadI was at a meeting yesterday in our IT d…DesignHow Bill Gates pulled off the swift Common Core revolutionWhile I appreciate the efficiency of uni…CultureThe Mystery of Charles Dickens by Joyce Carol OatesDickens is so brilliant a stylist, his v…AestheticsFinished Reading The Chronicles of PrydainWe could hardly stop…
Similar:A friend asks: "Would it be bad form to point out the typos in my class materials?" My ans…After I posted my grades for this term, …AcademiaTop deck of a #neovictorian #steampunk cruiser needs an airlock at the top of the spiral s… AestheticsI just bought Diamond City.GamesParents Dedicate New College Safe Space In…
My friend from high school passed away a few days ago. What an amazing preacher. So intelligent, so approachable, so passionate. What a loss to the Diocese of Lansing and everyone who knew and loved him. I am laughing through my tears at his aside, “I want to smack ’em!” (I knew him…
Rewatching ST:TNG Troi wakes up, looking like a Romulan. When Subcommander N’Vek tells her she’s impersonating the imperial intelligence officer Major Rakal, and that she’ll be killed if she doesn’t play along, he invites her to use her empathic powers to see whether he’s lying. He’s not. He’s using the assumed authority of “Rakal” to…
A conspiracy theory featuring a news story that NPR posted early on Jan 6 2021 and then updated after the pro-Trump demonstration turned into an anti-democracy riot was shared widely last year. My meme explaining the concepts of time-stamps and updating a breaking news story didn’t get shared nearly as much. People who already believe…
Rewatching ST:TNG LaForge gets a little too involved when investigating the disappearance of a lieutenant posted on a remote relay station. On a routine supply mission near the Klingon border, the Enterprise-D finds only a friendly dog and a mystery. The plot requires the details of the mystery to remain fuzzy so that LaForge has…
Similar:Fake News Can Be Deadly. Here's How To Spot ItWe are all vectors by which fake news ca…Current_EventsJuror's CreedWhile researching my obligations for #ju…CultureUnfinished pine and not so ornamented, for the workshops and service areas of my fantasy #…PersonalRecording my lines for a student escape room project.PersonalPope Leo XIV names AI one of the reasons…
Some of my amazing colleagues have collaborated on an amazing NEH-funded summer institute that provides teachers in grades 6-12 with resources for teaching about genocide. The event, scheduled for summer 2022, includes units on the erasure of Native Americans, an empathy-building Narrative 4 storytelling workshop, and more. There’s a stipend for participating in this event,…
Similar:Modern Masterpieces of Comedic Genius: The Art of the Humorous Amazon Review, Part DeuxI love me a good Amazon mock review. Her…AestheticsThe problem I just learned about calls for tea in the big mug.CultureAn Unexpecting MinorityTruthfully, I expected my new department…AcademiaThey've got magic to do. Carolyn is the Leading Player. (Pippin, Oct 21-29) AwesomeTwelfth Night…
Similar:My parents doing their daily crossword. I’m spending a few days visiting my …PersonalSeton Hill students Emily Vohs, Elizabeth Burns, Jake Carnahan-Curcio and Carolyn Jerz in …Seton Hill students Emily Vohs, Elizabet…AcademiaThe Ongoing Obsession with Shakespeare’s True IdentityI’ve never been all too keen on Shakespe…AcademiaWhat's in this old box from the student newspaper office? Why,…