Category: Link List

I’m from St. Louis and choose to live here. While I don’t agree with the article in its entirety, I do think it hits on some of the pain points the region faces.
https://washingtonmonthly.com/magazine/maraprmay-2016/the-real-reason-middle-america-should-be-angry/

In a weird way this was both expected and unexpected.
https://www.reddit.com/r/dataisbeautiful/comments/843zzy/the_average_faces_of_42_different_subreddits_oc/

I talk to people a lot. I often worry about looking like a goober. This is a helpful and healthy guide to appearing confident (even if like me you’re internally screaming when presenting publicly) 🙂
https://i.redd.it/72ykszmke5k01.png

The Jedi embody a form toxic masculinity in which emotions should be controlled, hidden, and not discussed. That leads to their downfall at the hands of Darth Vader. ¹

“That passage gives us some clues as to the real reason why Anakin Skywalker can’t handle grief or loss. He’s been well-trained by the Jedi to stifle his emotions and hide his vulnerabilities. He’s never learned how to process and work through painful emotions in healthy ways. The results are as predictable as they are dysfunctional; Anakin is left completely unprepared for tragedy, and like too many young men in our own culture, he eventually lashes out in anger and leaves behind a trail of horrific violence.”
One of my favorite things from the new Star Wars film, The Last Jedi, was the message that we should learn from the past, but not ensconce the people present as heroes. The Jedi did some bad/stupid things and yet for years popular culture has been enamored with their zen-like understanding of the universe. Useful, but flawed. The starchy ‘on a pedestal’ style of the Jedi order should die, but the lessons should live on.

Luke: “We are what they grow beyond”.

Apply this to religion, patriarchy, Christopher Columbus, etc.
http://popculturedetective.agency/2018/the-case-against-the-jedi

“Some thoughts on what can be lost, and what can’t be, when we share what we love.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESyJop31cmY

SAVE HILL VALLEY! (and the history of video games)
https://uncrate.com/video/saving-lost-video-games/

I’v always been a fan of folks over at Penny Arcade. I have taken my family to PAX. The guys at PA aren’t perfect, but they seem like good people who are continuously improving themselves. These two recent comics and notes are evidence of that.
https://www.penny-arcade.com/news/post/2018/03/07/toxic-masculinity (discussion)
https://www.penny-arcade.com/news/post/2018/03/09/everything-old-is-new-again1 (discussion)

This video of Fred Rogers testifying before the Senate Subcommittee in 1969 should be annual viewing for all.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKy7ljRr0AA

There’s many little robots inside you. Growing up I always thought nano machines would look like little metal robots. As I read and learned more, I have a feeling that our future nanobots will be organic – highly modified, but based on CGAT vs the microprocessor. I think humans might one day surpass the biological machines that live in the body, but that day is not today. This is some impressive evolutionary engineering.
https://www.reddit.com/r/specializedtools/comments/7te9zy/dna_polymerase_iii/

That giggle at the beginning kills me. 11-year-old kids man. Dealing with this shit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiQaIaI9xmk

Spike Jonze is one of my favorite directors. Particularly for his shorter works. My fandom extends to seeking out a DVD of his collected works (which is now woefully out-of-date). His latest music video (and incredibly small advertisement) does not disappoint.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=305ryPvU6A8

One of the larger teams I support at work recently deployed a significant feature to the last two (and largest) Wikipedias. It feels good.
https://blog.wikimedia.org/2018/04/17/wikipedia-page-previews/

I went and saw Hamilton this past week. I didn’t quite understand the hype and purposefully avoided listening to the soundtrack. ² I can confirm that it did not disappoint. It is easily one of my top 4 theatre productions.

Jackie and I are a few episodes into Brooklyn Nine-Nine, which is co-created by Michael Schur who also created Parks and Recreation and The Good Place. I don’t know why we missed this show, but I’m happy that I have 5 seasons to catch up on.

I don’t know what to believe is real anymore.
http://prostheticknowledge.tumblr.com/post/173230067806/image-inpainting-for-irregular-holes-using-partial

I bought Skyrim (again) for the Nintendo Switch. This was one of the first games Kari and I played together. She would sit on my lap at my computer and tell me where to go and what to do. When the game got scary I’d tell her to look away as I beat up the monsters. I wonder if Kori will be as interested to play with me?

My dad and I went to a book signing by John Scalzi. He was as thoughtful and funny in person as his online persona – and obviously as witty as his writing. It was also a special event as science fiction, and John’s books in particular, are a bit of a bonding experience for my dad and I. My dad got to ask John a question and I had him sign our book “Mike + Chris”. []The question my dad asked John was if he had read the book Earth Abides, which my dad considers one of his favorites next to Old Man’s War – one of John’s first books. The answer was, “No, but I’ll look into it.” and, “Thank you that means a lot.”[/efn_note] If you like good books, check out Scalzi.

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