Category: Various and Sundry

Producing Various and Sundry

Recommended Reading: Hostage Negotiation and the Business World

By Bjorn Munson | by Bjorn Munson

Hostage negotiation has always seemed interesting to me, and not just when Kevin Spacey and Samuel L. Jackson are doing it. Bourree Lam’s interview with veteran hostage negotiator Chris Voss in the Atlantic is fascinating in its own right. But, of course, they’re looking at how his experience translates to the business world, specifically asking for a raise and how to deal with the concept of “fairness.” Bet you find some ways it can help you…

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Various and Sundry Writing

Recommended Reading: The Unbuilt Three Sisters Bridge across the Potomac

By Bjorn Munson | by Bjorn Munson

For denizens of Washington, DC, or just those who are interested in how the region has grown, here’s a piece from Ghosts of DC about the proposed Three Sisters Bridge across the Potomac River. I love ultra-detailed local history because, even as you go through life, constructing your own narrative, there are other stories being written all around you. When I read something like this, it triggers my imagination for all sorts of alternate history about what…

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Various and Sundry

Speaking of that other Star Thing

By Bjorn Munson | by Bjorn Munson

I finally saw it today. You know, that space movie I was talking about the other day. I can now roam the Internet freely. I liked it. That’s about all I will tell you. If you liked the original trilogy, you should like it. If you liked the prequels, I still don’t see why you wouldn’t like it. In fact, if you were planning to see it, go ahead and see it already. Don’t you…

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Various and Sundry

Star Trek Fans: We Are Probably Doomed

By Bjorn Munson | by Bjorn Munson

I meant to post this earlier when the Star Trek Beyond trailer dropped, but holiday obligations meant I needed to stew with the implications for days. And alas, amid the season where I should be counting blessings and giving thanks, I have some geek-related dread. (I should note, that I am counting blessings and giving thanks as one might expect. Nothing Trek-related could be that impactful unless I was somehow involved in the creation of…

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Various and Sundry

Recommended Reading: Facebook’s Latest Quest

By Bjorn Munson | by Bjorn Munson

Julia Greenberg in a recent article in Wired talks about Facebook’s efforts to be more than a place to keep up-to-date with the doings of friends and family. Part of me feels like this is the formation of the new networks to replace the old triumvirate of NBC, ABC, and CBS (which vintage radio folks will point out are not as timeless as one might think: here’s looking at you, Mutual).

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Raves Various and Sundry

Complete Non-Secret: I love Mold-A-Rama so very, very much

By Bjorn Munson | by Bjorn Munson

In the tradition of the Internet and blogs collectively giving you information and confessions of greater interest to the person confessing than to you, the reader, I give you this glorious article that trigger some of my fondest memories of visiting Chicago. But whatever my personal connection, let’s face it: Mold-A-Rama is awesome. It’s only now, with 21st century hindsight, do I realize that, as I was getting models of the U-505 or perhaps a plastic…

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Various and Sundry

Star Trek Fans: We Might Not Be Doomed

By Bjorn Munson | by Bjorn Munson

Mondays, by Industrial Age tradition and Garfield, are generally considered the worst. However, this Monday, CBS had an extremely exciting announcement, at least to a certain strain of geeks such as myself: There will be a new Star Trek TV series! So, there’s a new Star Trek TV show, eh? If that’s so, why the tentative title above? Well, we have to wonder what kind of Star Trek is in store. I mean, technically, Space…

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Various and Sundry

Recommended Reading: On Millennials

By Bjorn Munson | by Bjorn Munson

While I’m wary about any attempt to: Place people into neat, cleanly definable generations Ascribe specific, seemingly inviolable characteristics to said generations Such articles are often good jumping off points for discussions about the past and the future… or maybe that’s just the psychohistorian in me. In any case, I found this piece by Fareed Zakaria about Millennials interesting, not in the least because it raises the point that they might actually be a product of…

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Various and Sundry

Recommended Reading: A Tale of Cops and Doughnuts

By Bjorn Munson | by Bjorn Munson

Cara Giaimo has a wonderful feature article all about the ongoing history of cops and doughnuts sprinkled with multiple anecdotes you didn’t realize you really wanted to know. Reading the article made me think of my own anecdote. When I was going to school in Maine, a local radio station (WBLM aka “The Blimp”) had a rambunctious morning show that would often feature the game “Cop or No Cop?” The format was delightfully straightforward. A listener would…

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