Below you will find pages that utilize the taxonomy term “Myself”
booking tickets for American high-speed(?) rail
Whenever I book travel for work, I pull up the Amtrak website to see if it would be in any way practical to add a rail component to the trip to replace flying (or driving, but it’s rare that I drive for work travel). Given the state of American rail, this is most often an exercise in disappointment. My only success story in four years at this job was when I attended a conference in Bordeaux; I flew into Paris and then took a low-cost OuiGo TGV for my trips between Paris and Bordeaux.
some Hypothesis (and other) updates for the blog
Shortly after last week’s mostly-successful experiment with Hypothesis, I noticed Chris Aldrich posting to Micro.blog about the software and started up a conversation. I’d followed Chris a few weeks before in trying to get more into Micro.blog (perhaps my favorite indie social media platform out there, though I’m also enjoying getting into Mastodon) by following academia and academia-adjacent folks, and was pleased to see an area of common interest.
It wasn’t until a separate conversation on Mastodon this morning that I remembered that my Hypothesis setup was dependent on my manually checking annotations on my website.
automation, agency, and « Au service de la France »
A few months ago, during a weekend where my family was out of town, I binge watched both seasons of « Au service de la France », a hilarious spy comedy available on Netflix. One of the running gags of the series is the (fictional) French secret service’s obsession with bureaucracy. So, for example, when the service suspects a mole in its midst, one of the responses is to make sure that every piece of paperwork is signed multiple times before being stamped twice.
embedding Hypothesis as a commenting system on Hugo static sites
As I’ve been working on updating this website and revamping my web presence over the course of the summer, one of the items on my to-do list has been to add a commenting feature to the website. I love Hugo, but the absence of any in-built commenting feature is definitely a downside. I’ve looked over various Hugo-compatible commenting systems, but I honestly don’t know how much commenting activity I’ll see, and I’ve been hesitant to pay a third-party platform to do all of this for me.
linkblog: my thoughts on 'This PC orchestra, built from 512 floppy disk drives, is wondrous to hear and behold - The Verge'
I remember the first Floppotron, and 3.0 continues to be delightful. I may have to show this in class next year.
link to ‘This PC orchestra, built from 512 floppy disk drives, is wondrous to hear and behold - The Verge’
linkblog: my thoughts on 'Ms. Marvel review: Kamala Khan’s new series feels like the MCU’s future - The Verge'
Very excited for this show. I hadn’t been all that concerned about the changing of Kamala’s powers, but this article brought up some good points about how that changes some of the messaging behind the character.
link to ‘Ms. Marvel review: Kamala Khan’s new series feels like the MCU’s future - The Verge’
émission sur le LEB
Ce weekend, j’ai regardé une émission sur la ligne ferroviaire Lausanne-Échallens-Bercher qui m’a beaucoup plu:
Quand j’ai vécu à Renens pendant quelques mois, c’était toujours un plaisir de voir passer une rame du LEB en me promenant sur l’Avenue d’Échallens. Je n’ai jamais eu l’occasion de voyager sur cette ligne, mais j’ai fort envie de retourner dans le Vaud pour l’essayer. Regarder des vidéos comme celle-ci (ou bien des vidéos « en cabine » qui montre les gares différentes ainsi que le paysage vaudois) me donne une nostalgie profonde pour le temps que j’ai passé tout près du LEB.
linkblog: my thoughts on 'Ted Lasso season 3 might be the show’s final one - The Verge'
I hope it will be the last. End it while it’s still good.
link to ‘Ted Lasso season 3 might be the show’s final one - The Verge’
linkblog: my thoughts on 'You’ll soon be able to use an iPhone as a Mac webcam - The Verge'
Just this weekend, I was trying to figure out if I could do this to improve some video quality. Neat!
link to ‘You’ll soon be able to use an iPhone as a Mac webcam - The Verge’
to anyone subscribed to this blog by RSS
I don’t know how many folks are subscribed to this blog via RSS, but if you are, chances are that you subscribed out of an interest in my professional writing. I’m making some big changes to the blog in part to give me the freedom to start writing on some other topics as well. You’ve probably seen some of these posts already, but I want to make it clear that it’s going to continue.
linkblog: my thoughts on '‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Is a Mashup of the Things That Make Up Star Wars'
I’m interested in this argument about Star Wars feeling like a TTRPG campaign setting. Throughout much of middle and high school, I played the Wizards of the Coast Star Wars TTRPG, and that made even the prequel movies beloved because they became a setting to explore rather than movies to be unsatisfied with.
link to ‘‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Is a Mashup of the Things That Make Up Star Wars’
XIII comic reference in Slow Horses series?
Since April, I’ve gotten sucked into the Slow Horses British spy series after really enjoying the Apple TV+ adaptation. I’ve been powering through all the full-length novels and am now reading 2021’s Slough House, which features a character who’s survived a bullet wound to the head. Her description stood out to me for one particular detail, though:
Her hair was different. Maybe that’s what death does to you. I twas still mostly red but now punkishly short, with a white stripe across her left temple where the bullet had passed…
small radio delights, everday cultural artifacts, and other thoughts on audio media
I’ve been a big fan of audio-only media for a big chunk of my life. I grew up listening to NPR radio shows like Car Talk and Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me on Saturdays while my dad drove us around to do errands. TV wasn’t allowed in my family on Sundays, but the NPR Sunday Puzzle was—depending on what time church was that year, we’d listen to it on our way to Sunday meetings.
linkblog: my thoughts on 'For All Mankind sets its alternate timeline sights on Mars in S3 trailer | Ars Technica'
So excited! This has been a great show, and this season seems topical.
link to ‘For All Mankind sets its alternate timeline sights on Mars in S3 trailer | Ars Technica’
linkblog: my thoughts on '30,000 New Users Signed Up for Mastodon After Elon Musk Bought Twitter'
Is this just mastodon.social? Seems like it, but that’s not the only instance getting a bump, and sloppy reporting to ignore how federated instances work—that’s one of the reasons we’re all moving there.
link to ‘30,000 New Users Signed Up for Mastodon After Elon Musk Bought Twitter’
linkblog: my thoughts on 'Sometimes in order to reconnect, you have to disconnect – Design Goodiness'
Between Enilda here and Josh Rosenberg’s recent decision to do something similar, I feel that I have a lot to learn from and think about.
link to ‘Sometimes in order to reconnect, you have to disconnect – Design Goodiness’
linkblog: my thoughts on 'Marvel Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Podcast Milana Vayntrub Ryan North'
Great news for a tough Monday! This is one of my favorite comics, I love podcasts, and North is writing scripts. Perfect combination.
link to ‘Marvel Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Podcast Milana Vayntrub Ryan North’
linkblog: my thoughts on 'A social media reset | Joshua M. Rosenberg, Ph.D.'
Admire what Josh is doing here. I’ve been rethinking my own social media presence recently and want to take some cues here.
link to ‘A social media reset | Joshua M. Rosenberg, Ph.D.’
linkblog: my thoughts on 'NFTs Are Here To Ruin Dungeons & Dragons'
Hard to think of a worse use of the OGL than this. I’m already grumpy about NFTs, but this is making me mad.
link to ‘NFTs Are Here To Ruin Dungeons & Dragons’
linkblog: my thoughts on 'Stromae’s Music Delves Into Dark Topics. His Return Is Right on Time. - The New York Times'
Pleased to see Stromae reviewed in the NYT—by someone who liveblogged Eurovision no less. Will be listening all afternoon, I’m sure.
link to ‘Stromae’s Music Delves Into Dark Topics. His Return Is Right on Time. - The New York Times’
linkblog: my thoughts on 'Tabletop Designers Rally to Support Trans Kids in Texas'
Shut up and take my money! This is why itch is one of my favorite game-related places on the internet.
link to ‘Tabletop Designers Rally to Support Trans Kids in Texas’
linkblog: my thoughts on 'Super Philosophers - Existential Comics'
The last panel is the real gem here.
link to ‘Super Philosophers - Existential Comics’
linkblog: just finished 'How Board Games Handle Slavery'
Came across this while explaining Puerto Rico to my games and learning class. I love board games, but we have to critically evaluate them just like any other medium.
link to ‘How Board Games Handle Slavery’
linkblog: just finished 'Belgium's new passport features comic faves | Boing Boing'
Anyone know an easy way to get Belgian citizenship?
[link to ‘Belgium’s new passport features comic faves | Boing Boing’](https://boingboing.net/2022/01/27/belgiums-new-passport-features-comic-faves.html?utm_source=rss
linkblog: just finished 'Netflix Reveals New Wallace & Gromit Movie, Chicken Run 2 Cast'
More Wallace and Gromit is always welcome.
link to ‘Netflix Reveals New Wallace & Gromit Movie, Chicken Run 2 Cast’
linkblog: just finished 'People spent 15 hours roleplaying a McDonald’s drive-thru on Twitter Spaces - The Verge'
The internet is dumb but sometimes in an amazing way.
link to ‘People spent 15 hours roleplaying a McDonald’s drive-thru on Twitter Spaces - The Verge’
linkblog: just finished 'Amazon is retiring Alexa — no, not that one - The Verge'
Why shut down Alexa rankings???
link to ‘Amazon is retiring Alexa — no, not that one - The Verge’
linkblog: just read 'Taika Waititi to adapt The Incal for the screen | Boing Boing'
Taika Waititi is doing a movie based on a Franco-Belgian comic, and I am very excited. I haven’t read this series, but it’s time to fix that.
[link to ‘Taika Waititi to adapt The Incal for the screen | Boing Boing’](https://boingboing.net/2021/11/04/taika-waititi-to-adapt-the-incal-for-the-screen.html?utm_source=rss
linkblog: just read 'Bugs Bunny's Official D&D Character Sheet Is A 15th-level Illusionist | Boing Boing'
A fun article that reminds me of my plans to create a Cleric of Trickery based on George Smiley for an upcoming 5e campaign.
link to ‘Bugs Bunny’s Official D&D Character Sheet Is A 15th-level Illusionist | Boing Boing’
linkblog: just read '42 years later, how 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' has endured : NPR'
Posting this for hoopy froods to read.
link to ‘42 years later, how ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’ has endured : NPR’
linkblog: just read 'A squeaky glove compartment accidentally sounds like light jazz | Boing Boing'
This delights me to no end.
link to ‘A squeaky glove compartment accidentally sounds like light jazz | Boing Boing’
linkblog: just read 'Shang Chi Director: American Born Chinese Series for Disney+'
Tentatively excited! Such a great comic—they’d better do it justice.
link to ‘Shang Chi Director: American Born Chinese Series for Disney+’
linkblog: just read 'The Melting Face Emoji Has Already Won Us Over - The New York Times'
I immediately connected with this emoji the first time I saw it. Also, I remember writing a paper in high school arguing that emoticons were legitimate “language.” The paper was horrible, but I still believe in that central thesis, and I think emojis are vindicating it.
link to ‘The Melting Face Emoji Has Already Won Us Over - The New York Times’
linkblog: just read 'The train that shrunk France… and Europe | Ars Technica'
TGV forever
link to ‘The train that shrunk France… and Europe | Ars Technica’
linkblog: just read 'Y: The Last Man's Collapsing Infrastructure Scariest Part'
So far, I’ve only watched the pilot and am not sure how far I’ll make it in the series, but this article reinforces my belief that 2021 can do more with the premise of the series than 2002 did.
link to ‘Y: The Last Man’s Collapsing Infrastructure Scariest Part’
linkblog: just read 'This chainless drive system could revolutionize e-bike designs - The Verge'
Keeping an eye on this! E-bikes are exciting.
link to ‘This chainless drive system could revolutionize e-bike designs - The Verge’
linkblog: just read 'Anne Hidalgo demande aux cyclistes de ne pas dépasser les automobilistes pour éviter de les humilier'
Passing a car through an intersection or keeping up with it in a roundabout is one of the greatest pleasures of commuting by e-bike.
link to ‘Anne Hidalgo demande aux cyclistes de ne pas dépasser les automobilistes pour éviter de les humilier’
linkblog: just read 'There's merch for long-time nuclear waste warning messages | Boing Boing'
This article is what got me to read the Wikipedia article in the last post, and now I want some of this merch (especially the “in this house we believe” one).
[link to ‘There’s merch for long-time nuclear waste warning messages | Boing Boing’](https://boingboing.net/2021/08/30/theres-merch-for-long-time-nuclear-waste-warning-messages.html?utm_source=rss
linkblog: just read 'Long-time nuclear waste warning messages - Wikipedia'
This is an unexpectedly fascinating Wikipedia article.
link to ‘Long-time nuclear waste warning messages - Wikipedia’
linkblog: just read 'Un manuel transfrontalier pour raconter l'histoire du Grand Genève - rts.ch - Genève'
Interesting story about efforts to write a story about the greater Geneva area that transcends national borders—and the project’s difficulty of transcending national borders. Reminds me of the time I was driving through Meyrin, took a wrong turn, and accidentally wound up in France—or when I would get from one side of the canton to the other during the awful rush hour by leaving Switzerland and taking a French autoroute around.
linkblog: just read 'Beauty Surge, a new short story by Laura Maylene Walter.'
Very interesting speculative fiction.
link to ‘Beauty Surge, a new short story by Laura Maylene Walter.’
linkblog: just read 'Ariol, vingt ans d'un héros de la bande dessinée jeunesse'
Great conversation in this podcast about the danger of dismissing comics as simply “easier to read.” I appreciated the discussion of the literacies needed to understand a comic.
link to ‘Ariol, vingt ans d’un héros de la bande dessinée jeunesse’
linkblog: just read 'How a French Novelist Turns the Tables on History - The New York Times'
Adding this to my to-read list.
link to ‘How a French Novelist Turns the Tables on History - The New York Times’
linkblog: just read 'trains are people'
I have been enjoying these posts from a Micro.blog user documenting his cross-countey Amtrak travels.
link to trains are people
linkblog: just read 'How Teenagers Are Rediscovering An Old Game About Authoritarianism | by Clive Thompson | Aug, 2021 | OneZero'
Papers Please is one of the finest and most moving games I have ever played. It deserves all the attention and all the praise.
link to article
some COVID Thanksgiving thoughts
Weird Thanksgiving. 1st since 2008 w/o family (b/c COVID) and 1st since 2013 w/o a morning run (b/c return of chronic back issues). Still so much to be grateful for—but also conscious this year how much “being thankful” isn’t quite enough. It helps me better appreciate what I have but doesn’t change what others lack. I could stand to do better with the former, but I have much more work to do for the latter.