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Looking back and forward
A quick check on 2011′s resolutions, and casually making resolutions for 2012.
Postman on TV
In class this semester, one of the books we’ve read has been Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman. The central message of Postman’s book takes its cues from Marshall McLuhan, arguing that the dominant media of an era seriously affects its social discourse. Specifically, Postman decries television (in 1984) for replacing the golden age [...]
The Pale King
I actually read The Pale King back in April, when the book came out, and wrote this little review then, but somehow it got lost in the pipeline and the summer and wherever else such things disappear to. In any case, here it is now, for your consumption. When David Foster Wallace died in 2008 [...]
Martini, beverage of kings
In a post that really doesn’t require much in the way of explanation, The Awl has compiled a list of beverages that no one should order in public. The item “___tini” attracted much attention, as the commenters initially believed the authors were coming out against the beloved martini (though, to clarify, they were coming out [...]
The cost of eating healthy
Interesting graphic on the serious costs of trying to eat healthier. Some of the food prices seem off. How they’re getting salmon for $7.50/lb I do not now.
Slut Walk
It’s true that most of the interesting things in life are unplanned. You just stumble upon them. With Katie out of town this weekend, I had planned to take Gaza-dog on a walk, and sit outside with coffee and a book indefinitely. It was mostly how we spent last night, and there was no reason [...]
Super prospects
Trying to capture something fun on Twitter before it’s overwhelmed by, well, the rest of Twitter is no small feet, and so forgive the typos as I throw up a hasty post before I can’t find the relevant tweets anymore. So friend of the blog Craig Calcaterra (@craigcalcaterra) and TheFightins.com blogger @DashTreyhorn were talking about [...]
A mathematical world
On various science-fiction movies and tv shows that take place in some distant future, inevitably some kind of offhand remark is made about the state of childhood education. That is, some eight year-old will complain about not wanting to do his calculus homework, and the audience is wowed (or something) about how advanced even the [...]
The lonely art of the crossword inker
Garson Hampfield is a crossword inker. He’s self-effacing, philosophical, and enthusiastic. Don’t know what a crossword inker is? Don’t worry: he explains. I admit: I didn’t realize this was a joke until he mentioned Gutenberg. This is really a near perfect satire of the documentaries of niche interests.
Heisenberg uncertainty principle becomes less certain
I just finished up Graham Farmelo’s outstanding biography The Strangest Man, The Hidden Life of Paul Dirac, Mystic of the Atom. I won’t go into detail about the book except to say that it’s probably the first biography I’ve actually enjoyed. Admittedly, I attempt very few of them, the most recent being this one, which [...]
Jon Stewart likes pizza a lot
I no longer watch the Daily Show as regularly as I once did, but this is the best Jon Stewart bit I’ve seen in a while. Stewart on Trump, Palin, pizza, New York, and Robert Deniro: The Daily Show – Me Lover’s Pizza With Crazy Broad Tags: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The [...]