In case the various posts on Star Trek or my mentions of writing a space opera radio show hadn’t clued you in already, my geek quotient is reasonably high. So yes, not only am I aware of Dungeons & Dragons, I have played Dungeons & Dragons and, in fact, have served as a Dungeon Master. As far as I’m concerned, that’s not a bad thing for writers or storytellers in general (see also these pieces on…
Reading a recent article by Bryce Covert about the demise of Toys “R” Us reminded me of other cases that ring similar bells about heavily indebted companies that went into bankruptcy like Hostess and American Airlines. All said cases make me wonder what the place of private equity should be (see Covert’s article for some questions raised). And in case you want an argument for private equity much as it exists, listen to an interview with David Rubenstein of…
Because I posted a number of videos by CGP Grey last week and because you want to know more about Skanda-hoovians (You know you do) Enjoy!
Even if I hadn’t studied primatology in school, I’d still like Lunarbaboon: his cartoons are so often fun and poignant. Case in point: this particular entry that’s perfect for Father’s Day. Thanks to all the dads out there.
My local primaries were not particularly interesting, but I found Maine’s primary elections very interesting to watch because they were using ranked-choice voting. What is ranked-choice voting, you ask? Why not explain it with dinosaurs? Or, you could look at this longer piece by CGP Grey: I like this because it also explains how ranked choice voting (here called “alternative vote/instant runoff voting”) is not the end-all, be-all panacea, yet has advantages over “first past…
In case anyone had any concerns, but I survived last weekend. I mean, the Nation’s Capital was demolished, but Jabberwocky Audio Theater had fun. I even got a chance to look in on this guy who helped me with some timey-wimey stuff back in the day. Also, Russia built a space battleship. It was an exciting weekend.
I’m currently getting ready for Escape Velocity this weekend, which is sure to be full of delightfully zealous fans. Well, unless you get arrested by Klingons at an inopportune moment. But this video reminds me how fandom takes many forms and friends and family can join in the fun regardless of whether they’re fans of the topic in question or not. Enjoy!
People think I joke about Lego sets being a highly fenced item. Okay, they also wonder what it means “to fence” something. Do people really not know that terminology? Mickey Spillane’s ghost just choked on a salted peanut. I may have consumed too many hardboiled detective tales in my youth. Anyway, criminals love Legos precisely because so many other people love Legos — and are willing to pay for said Legos. Cops know that criminals…
If you didn’t check out the incredibly cool 360-degree video Google Doodle earlier this month, get a smartphone or tablet and check it out. It’s a wonderful tribute to a storyteller who I think would very much embrace virtual reality, augmented reality, and the various emerging techniques storytellers are trying.
So I was just posting about pilot season this morning, it seemed only right to mention the other end of the lifecycle. As is usual, Vox has a rundown of all the shows that have been cancelled or come to a natural end, those that have been renewed, and your favorite show which is on the bubble. I’m mainly concerned about the uncertain fate of The Expanse, but it probably is better situated on a…