March 31
Kicked Out: gay erotic romance set at a boarding school in the '70s
The winters are long at Napier Academy, an elite boys' boarding school. And as Spaulding Stockwell turns eighteen, he couldn't be lonelier. His best friend Lawrence is pushing him away, and forget finding a girlfriend in Nowheresville, New Hampshire. But when he catches the eye of the school's charismatic star athlete, George "Ender" Endicott, his life takes an unexpected turn. As Ender's tutor, Spaulding becomes embroiled in a steamy affair that jeopardizes all he holds dear. He knows he’s playing with fire…but Ender is impossible to resist. [more inside]
The winters are long at Napier Academy, an elite boys' boarding school. And as Spaulding Stockwell turns eighteen, he couldn't be lonelier. His best friend Lawrence is pushing him away, and forget finding a girlfriend in Nowheresville, New Hampshire. But when he catches the eye of the school's charismatic star athlete, George "Ender" Endicott, his life takes an unexpected turn. As Ender's tutor, Spaulding becomes embroiled in a steamy affair that jeopardizes all he holds dear. He knows he’s playing with fire…but Ender is impossible to resist. [more inside]
March 30
Infinite Adversaries: a fighting game generated and narrated by ChatGPT
Inspired by the "Choose Your Own Adventure" book series, Infinite Adversaries asks ChatGPT to generate perpetual, randomized encounters, pitting you against a never-ending army of imaginary enemies. You're given an option of weapons, and from there ChatGPT imagines an adversary, location, and a set of possible actions (along with their outcomes). As you decide what to do, ChatGPT narrates the results. If you survive, your prize is another adversary. [more inside]
Inspired by the "Choose Your Own Adventure" book series, Infinite Adversaries asks ChatGPT to generate perpetual, randomized encounters, pitting you against a never-ending army of imaginary enemies. You're given an option of weapons, and from there ChatGPT imagines an adversary, location, and a set of possible actions (along with their outcomes). As you decide what to do, ChatGPT narrates the results. If you survive, your prize is another adversary. [more inside]
March 24
Tales From The Town: Volumes 1 & 2
Tales From The Town (previously on projects: 1, 2) is my ongoing weekly story series about a small, strange town (latest episodes appear here every Saturday; earliest episodes can be found here). About half the stories follow the adventures of four siblings growing up in a weird, rambling, semi-haunted house, and the rest feature various vignettes about the other inhabitants of the town. It recently reached its 101st episode and to celebrate I've released two free anthologies of the stories from the first two years of the series. Volume 1 (Summer, then Winter) collects the first 52 (standalone) episodes, while Volume 2 (The Lodger Suite), which was an attempt at an ongoing episodic story, collects the next 40 or so. [more inside]
Tales From The Town (previously on projects: 1, 2) is my ongoing weekly story series about a small, strange town (latest episodes appear here every Saturday; earliest episodes can be found here). About half the stories follow the adventures of four siblings growing up in a weird, rambling, semi-haunted house, and the rest feature various vignettes about the other inhabitants of the town. It recently reached its 101st episode and to celebrate I've released two free anthologies of the stories from the first two years of the series. Volume 1 (Summer, then Winter) collects the first 52 (standalone) episodes, while Volume 2 (The Lodger Suite), which was an attempt at an ongoing episodic story, collects the next 40 or so. [more inside]
March 19
March 10
Sunny Disposition
Sunny Disposition is the latest EP from Corwin Bolt & the Wingnuts. We also recorded a Tiny Desk Contest video for one of the songs, "Pile of Diamonds". [more inside]
Sunny Disposition is the latest EP from Corwin Bolt & the Wingnuts. We also recorded a Tiny Desk Contest video for one of the songs, "Pile of Diamonds". [more inside]
March 7
A conference about empiricism and software engineering
If someone explained to you that they find bugs in their code by wiggling a dowsing rod at the screen you might have questions. But a lot of modern software development is no more evidence based than that; if you're part of a programming team "doing agile", you might have more in common with that bug-dowser guy than you realize. I'm organizing a small conference focused on presenting new evidence-based practices and novel empirical results in software engineering. It's called Never Work In Theory. [more inside]
If someone explained to you that they find bugs in their code by wiggling a dowsing rod at the screen you might have questions. But a lot of modern software development is no more evidence based than that; if you're part of a programming team "doing agile", you might have more in common with that bug-dowser guy than you realize. I'm organizing a small conference focused on presenting new evidence-based practices and novel empirical results in software engineering. It's called Never Work In Theory. [more inside]
March 5
A ChatGPT Primer for Writing Teachers (and other academic humanists)
Academics, like the rest of the world, have been talking a lot about ChatGPT. College writing instructors—people in the field of writing studies or composition and rhetoric—are particularly worried about (1) the possibilities of plagiarism and (2) the questions automated prose generators raise for the notion that writing is form of thinking. This informal 5000-word longread primer, with an extended bibliography for further reading, summarizes some of the technical operations of LLMs for a humanist audience and links those technical questions to larger pedagogical and philosophical concerns. Feedback welcomed!
Academics, like the rest of the world, have been talking a lot about ChatGPT. College writing instructors—people in the field of writing studies or composition and rhetoric—are particularly worried about (1) the possibilities of plagiarism and (2) the questions automated prose generators raise for the notion that writing is form of thinking. This informal 5000-word longread primer, with an extended bibliography for further reading, summarizes some of the technical operations of LLMs for a humanist audience and links those technical questions to larger pedagogical and philosophical concerns. Feedback welcomed!
March 2
60 Years In Space
In 2015 I started making an extremely crunchy hard sci-fi TTRPG based on a board game, High Frontier. I’ve just released all 1800 pages of it on itch.io. The first 100 pages of the core rules are free to download and people seem to like it. [more inside]
In 2015 I started making an extremely crunchy hard sci-fi TTRPG based on a board game, High Frontier. I’ve just released all 1800 pages of it on itch.io. The first 100 pages of the core rules are free to download and people seem to like it. [more inside]
February 28
February 27
Corky Lee and the Work of Seeing
For N+1 magazine, I wrote an essay in which I look at radical photographer Corky Lee's archive as a way to talk about the last 50 years of Asian American movements, political economy, class and gender. [more inside]
For N+1 magazine, I wrote an essay in which I look at radical photographer Corky Lee's archive as a way to talk about the last 50 years of Asian American movements, political economy, class and gender. [more inside]
February 22
Lirdle - Like Wordle, but with one lie per answer
Yet another Wordle clone, but this one is designed to be maddening in the way a debugging session can be. For each answer you give, it picks one square at random and assigns it the wrong answer. [more inside]
Yet another Wordle clone, but this one is designed to be maddening in the way a debugging session can be. For each answer you give, it picks one square at random and assigns it the wrong answer. [more inside]
February 21
Word Searches for Dad
My dad Perry is really into word searches. I decided to build a website for him called perryspuzzles.com. We are both happy with the result. 32 different categories with puzzles like The Empire Strikes Back, Better Call Saul, and one dedicated to my friends at metafilter. If the puzzles aren't hard enough, you can always enter into ludicrous mode. If 5000+ puzzles isn't enough, you can make your own and share it with your puzzle loving friends. Your feedback is greatly appreciated and I hope you enjoy.
My dad Perry is really into word searches. I decided to build a website for him called perryspuzzles.com. We are both happy with the result. 32 different categories with puzzles like The Empire Strikes Back, Better Call Saul, and one dedicated to my friends at metafilter. If the puzzles aren't hard enough, you can always enter into ludicrous mode. If 5000+ puzzles isn't enough, you can make your own and share it with your puzzle loving friends. Your feedback is greatly appreciated and I hope you enjoy.
February 19
My portrait of COVID Toronto in maps
I needed to exercise to be productive and take care of myself, but curiosity and the availability of technological tools turned that into a project of exploration, map-making, and collaboration with friends. [more inside]
I needed to exercise to be productive and take care of myself, but curiosity and the availability of technological tools turned that into a project of exploration, map-making, and collaboration with friends. [more inside]
February 13
An alphabet of vintage Romance Comics for Valentines' Day
This is a Twitter thread of genuine old comics covers I threw together taking us all the way From All-True Romance via Negro Romance and Teen-age Temptations to Weird Love and beyond. Artists whose work you'll see include Frank Frazetta and Jack Kirby. [The Teen-age Temptations cover is quite violent, so be aware of that before you open it.] [more inside]
This is a Twitter thread of genuine old comics covers I threw together taking us all the way From All-True Romance via Negro Romance and Teen-age Temptations to Weird Love and beyond. Artists whose work you'll see include Frank Frazetta and Jack Kirby. [The Teen-age Temptations cover is quite violent, so be aware of that before you open it.] [more inside]
February 10
Rock Scissor Paper Machine
This is a re-creation of the rock scissor paper gambling machines that used to be all around the streets of Seoul back in the 1990s. [more inside]
This is a re-creation of the rock scissor paper gambling machines that used to be all around the streets of Seoul back in the 1990s. [more inside]
February 9
AD 79: Year of Vesuvius
In AD 79, Italy's mount Vesuvius erupted, covering Pompeii and Herculaneum in hot ash and lava. This was not, however, the only important event of that year. One emperor died, another succeeded, farmers farmed, politicians plotted, lawyers advocated, businessmen cut deals, life went on. In this podcast, we will follow the seasons of a typical year at the height of Rome's power from the perspectives of people high and low.
In AD 79, Italy's mount Vesuvius erupted, covering Pompeii and Herculaneum in hot ash and lava. This was not, however, the only important event of that year. One emperor died, another succeeded, farmers farmed, politicians plotted, lawyers advocated, businessmen cut deals, life went on. In this podcast, we will follow the seasons of a typical year at the height of Rome's power from the perspectives of people high and low.
February 5
The Dreams Of The Waiting Prince
The Dreams Of The Waiting Prince, Before The Occasion Of His Ascension, During The Period Of His Seclusion, In The High Palace Of Eternal Solitude, Above The Clouds Of The Empire’s Reality, Beneath The Many Moons Of The Empire’s Imagination is the story of a lifetime and the history of an empire told entirely in 150 dreams (which can be read either as stand alone fables or in order as a single narrative), with illustrations and artwork by Virginia Frances Sterrett (1900-1930) and Frances MacDonald (1873-1921). [more inside]
The Dreams Of The Waiting Prince, Before The Occasion Of His Ascension, During The Period Of His Seclusion, In The High Palace Of Eternal Solitude, Above The Clouds Of The Empire’s Reality, Beneath The Many Moons Of The Empire’s Imagination is the story of a lifetime and the history of an empire told entirely in 150 dreams (which can be read either as stand alone fables or in order as a single narrative), with illustrations and artwork by Virginia Frances Sterrett (1900-1930) and Frances MacDonald (1873-1921). [more inside]
February 3
Weekend Collection: A weekly curated collection of essays and reviews
This substack provides a weekly collection of links to essays and reviews from the archives of my favorite cultural magazines. Each collection is chosen around a specific topic to hopefully provide something interesting and thought-provoking for readers to explore and be entertained.
This substack provides a weekly collection of links to essays and reviews from the archives of my favorite cultural magazines. Each collection is chosen around a specific topic to hopefully provide something interesting and thought-provoking for readers to explore and be entertained.
January 30
Mondrian's Toothpicks
Spent the last week executing an idea I had earlier this month: a stained glass piece based on the Toothpick Sequence, a simple mathematical ruleset about line-drawing that generates complicated results. I ended up going with four color scheme for the collection of rectangles and squares, and so: Mondrian's Toothpicks.
Spent the last week executing an idea I had earlier this month: a stained glass piece based on the Toothpick Sequence, a simple mathematical ruleset about line-drawing that generates complicated results. I ended up going with four color scheme for the collection of rectangles and squares, and so: Mondrian's Toothpicks.
January 29
Isle of Beasts
A narrative strategy game inspired by King of Dragon Pass and A Dark Room. Your people are exiled to an island full of strange creatures, and you must figure out how to survive, building a new society in the process.
A narrative strategy game inspired by King of Dragon Pass and A Dark Room. Your people are exiled to an island full of strange creatures, and you must figure out how to survive, building a new society in the process.
January 26
The Real Problem With the New Dungeons and Dragons License is Capitalism
I made this YouTube video because I think the controversy around the new OGL is a great moment to really look at how capitalism attacks the commons and how collective resistance is a path to create economic democracy. Plus it seemed like a great chance to spread some communist propaganda to nerds!
I made this YouTube video because I think the controversy around the new OGL is a great moment to really look at how capitalism attacks the commons and how collective resistance is a path to create economic democracy. Plus it seemed like a great chance to spread some communist propaganda to nerds!
January 24
Stage Magician Plays (PNGTubing)
I've turned my stage magician self into a PNGTuber (like a VTuber but more lo-fi) to stream games and talk stage magic! I'm currently exploring the stage magic in the Ace Attorney series (& other games), regularly playing Genshin Impact, and trying out random games from time to time! I stream Tuesday/Thursday/Sunday evenings AEDT (UTC+11) or you can catch up to VODS on YouTube.
I've turned my stage magician self into a PNGTuber (like a VTuber but more lo-fi) to stream games and talk stage magic! I'm currently exploring the stage magic in the Ace Attorney series (& other games), regularly playing Genshin Impact, and trying out random games from time to time! I stream Tuesday/Thursday/Sunday evenings AEDT (UTC+11) or you can catch up to VODS on YouTube.
January 19
Dither All the Things - Atkinson Dithering for the Web
I think we can all agree that web pages today are too colorful, which is why I have created a web component that crushes your images down to crisp, pixel-perfect dithered black and white. This blog post features an interactive demo - dither your own images and party like it is 1985!
I think we can all agree that web pages today are too colorful, which is why I have created a web component that crushes your images down to crisp, pixel-perfect dithered black and white. This blog post features an interactive demo - dither your own images and party like it is 1985!
January 17
Hampster Invaders
I've always thought Hampster Dance looked a bit like a Space Invaders game andI finally built that idea. Cuban Boys spotted my dev thread and suggested including their novelty hit single Cognoscenti vs Intelligentsia, so you get a blast of that after the first wave.
I've always thought Hampster Dance looked a bit like a Space Invaders game andI finally built that idea. Cuban Boys spotted my dev thread and suggested including their novelty hit single Cognoscenti vs Intelligentsia, so you get a blast of that after the first wave.
January 11
Bandcamp Tempo Adjust
Bandcamp Tempo Adjust is a web extension that allows you to detect and adjust the tempo of tracks on Bandcamp. Available for Chrome and Firefox
Bandcamp Tempo Adjust is a web extension that allows you to detect and adjust the tempo of tracks on Bandcamp. Available for Chrome and Firefox
January 10
News and Weather
This application starts your day with news and weather from weather.gov based on your zip code. [more inside]
This application starts your day with news and weather from weather.gov based on your zip code. [more inside]
January 6
Arrppier Suphder, ik Voby Tok
Arrppier Suphder (Wonderful About Spiders) ik Voby Tok is an AI assisted translation and visual regeneration of the children's picture book classic Spiders Are Wonderful (Toby Vok, 2011) into a language far beyond our own, for audiences in realms not yet known. [more inside]
Arrppier Suphder (Wonderful About Spiders) ik Voby Tok is an AI assisted translation and visual regeneration of the children's picture book classic Spiders Are Wonderful (Toby Vok, 2011) into a language far beyond our own, for audiences in realms not yet known. [more inside]
January 5
Accurate reproduction of an ancient Egyptian chair from the 18th Dynasty
As part of a personal project to gain greater understanding of ancient Egyptian joinery techniques, I've made a replica of an Egyptian chair on display in the Brooklyn Museum of Art. [more inside]
As part of a personal project to gain greater understanding of ancient Egyptian joinery techniques, I've made a replica of an Egyptian chair on display in the Brooklyn Museum of Art. [more inside]
January 2
Red Letter
Confusing times of incredible inequality, constant war, politics at impasse and the bankruptcy of bromides. While we've seen a resurgence in activism in recent years, spurred in part by racist police violence and impending climate change, many of the past theoretical tools that people have used to make revolutionary change have been declared off-limits. Many of us live in capitalist societies that have enforced an anticommunist doctrine with velvet gloves and iron fists. We want to make Left Theory accessible again. Bite-sized. Daily. Like a revolutionary wordle.
Confusing times of incredible inequality, constant war, politics at impasse and the bankruptcy of bromides. While we've seen a resurgence in activism in recent years, spurred in part by racist police violence and impending climate change, many of the past theoretical tools that people have used to make revolutionary change have been declared off-limits. Many of us live in capitalist societies that have enforced an anticommunist doctrine with velvet gloves and iron fists. We want to make Left Theory accessible again. Bite-sized. Daily. Like a revolutionary wordle.
Persuasion Strategies: Canadian Campus Fossil Fuel Divestment Campaigns and the Development of Activists, 2012–20
On December 2nd, I successfully defended my PhD dissertation in political science at the University of Toronto: "Persuasion Strategies: Canadian Campus Fossil Fuel Divestment Campaigns and the Development of Activists, 2012–20". It discusses the fossil fuel divestment movement at Canadian universities, and how organizing these campaigns influenced the student organizers who led the movement. [more inside]
On December 2nd, I successfully defended my PhD dissertation in political science at the University of Toronto: "Persuasion Strategies: Canadian Campus Fossil Fuel Divestment Campaigns and the Development of Activists, 2012–20". It discusses the fossil fuel divestment movement at Canadian universities, and how organizing these campaigns influenced the student organizers who led the movement. [more inside]
December 30
jamstats: data analytics for roller derby games
The CRG roller derby scoreboard captures a ton of cool data, but it's kind of tricky to work with. I made Python tools to suck out all that juicy data and build plots: penalties per team and per skater, time to initial pass, mean net points per jammer, and lots more. I made it dead simple to use. [more inside]
The CRG roller derby scoreboard captures a ton of cool data, but it's kind of tricky to work with. I made Python tools to suck out all that juicy data and build plots: penalties per team and per skater, time to initial pass, mean net points per jammer, and lots more. I made it dead simple to use. [more inside]
December 25
Chef Lemons: Citron Noël Trois
I did the album and track cover designs for this Christmas album (much of which was recorded on my guitar and bass). Beyond that, I was just privileged to get a front-row seat to the recording process and provide input on musical and design decisions at various points throughout. [more inside]
I did the album and track cover designs for this Christmas album (much of which was recorded on my guitar and bass). Beyond that, I was just privileged to get a front-row seat to the recording process and provide input on musical and design decisions at various points throughout. [more inside]
December 22
Face To Face: Portraits of People of Color Before Photography
This is an online version of an exhibition held at Houghton Library in the summer of 2022, set in a virtual recreation of the library's exhibition space. The exhibition highlights 40 examples from Houghton collections of early modern portraits of named people of color from around the world.
This is an online version of an exhibition held at Houghton Library in the summer of 2022, set in a virtual recreation of the library's exhibition space. The exhibition highlights 40 examples from Houghton collections of early modern portraits of named people of color from around the world.
December 15
lowercase t: A Very 8-Bit Christmas
I just released a mini album just in time for Christmas. I take some traditional Christmas carols, then arrange and filter them through 8-bit chipsets, and then sprinkle in some of usual gitchcore sounds. It's free to listen as much as you want, and PWYW starting at 5.
I just released a mini album just in time for Christmas. I take some traditional Christmas carols, then arrange and filter them through 8-bit chipsets, and then sprinkle in some of usual gitchcore sounds. It's free to listen as much as you want, and PWYW starting at 5.
December 13
Advent Calendar
There's a little drawing of a door or window to open with a surprise inside as an advent calendar over at my instagram this month.
There's a little drawing of a door or window to open with a surprise inside as an advent calendar over at my instagram this month.
December 12
The Library Workers' Field Guide to Designing and Discovering Restorative Environments
I just defended my dissertation and one of the main offerings is a toolkit of resources for library workers to design and discover restorative environments. Since MeFi is a place full of people who either are librarians, or who love them, I thought it might be a good fit for announcing here.
I just defended my dissertation and one of the main offerings is a toolkit of resources for library workers to design and discover restorative environments. Since MeFi is a place full of people who either are librarians, or who love them, I thought it might be a good fit for announcing here.
Psychedelic Drug Legislative Reform and Legalization in the US
I co-authored an article in JAMA Psychiatry investigating the rapidly increasing range of US state legislation and ballot initiatives aimed at psychedelic drug reform. [more inside]
I co-authored an article in JAMA Psychiatry investigating the rapidly increasing range of US state legislation and ballot initiatives aimed at psychedelic drug reform. [more inside]
December 9
This Is What Democracy Look Like... Somewhere
I've always been fascinated by how elections are run around the world. Democracy in the US is crumbling, but it's not always clear what the alternative could be. So I decided to start a podcast where I ask average people how democracy works in their country, and whether they understand and/or trust it. Do they feel like they are truly represented? What other groups or institutions count as part of the democratic process (e.g., the military, students, unions, etc.)? Does federalism always lead to a 'state's rights' kind of scenario? The result is the DEMOCRACY IN... PODCAST. [more inside]
I've always been fascinated by how elections are run around the world. Democracy in the US is crumbling, but it's not always clear what the alternative could be. So I decided to start a podcast where I ask average people how democracy works in their country, and whether they understand and/or trust it. Do they feel like they are truly represented? What other groups or institutions count as part of the democratic process (e.g., the military, students, unions, etc.)? Does federalism always lead to a 'state's rights' kind of scenario? The result is the DEMOCRACY IN... PODCAST. [more inside]
December 8
Everybody Wins, the greatest board games ever made
I've done a book. This one's called Everybody Wins and it's an overview of the rise of modern board games over the last four decades, using the German 'Spiel des Jahres' game of the year award as a lens. The publishers have done a gorgeous on it, and it's released in the UK today, and then in March in the USA. Ebook out now, audiobook to follow. It's a big, chunky coffee-table tome and I'm really pleased with the way it's come out, both as a piece of history and as reviews of 44 very different award-winning titles, ranging from household names to mostly forgotten footnotes. [more inside]
I've done a book. This one's called Everybody Wins and it's an overview of the rise of modern board games over the last four decades, using the German 'Spiel des Jahres' game of the year award as a lens. The publishers have done a gorgeous on it, and it's released in the UK today, and then in March in the USA. Ebook out now, audiobook to follow. It's a big, chunky coffee-table tome and I'm really pleased with the way it's come out, both as a piece of history and as reviews of 44 very different award-winning titles, ranging from household names to mostly forgotten footnotes. [more inside]
December 5
on algorhythms: consent and control
A video essay musing on Star Wars: Andor, Noam Chomsky, algorithmic bias, and stochastic terrorism. [more inside]
A video essay musing on Star Wars: Andor, Noam Chomsky, algorithmic bias, and stochastic terrorism. [more inside]
December 2
Microvague made a record
Back in February I made a record under my Microvague pseudonym. I have demos of a couple more songs spinning up now for a new album this winter, so this is probably one of Red Shadow's last moments in the sun. For a quick taster of the kind of [twangly/singer-songwritery] thing what it is, here's Lazy Jayne on bandcamp to stream.
Back in February I made a record under my Microvague pseudonym. I have demos of a couple more songs spinning up now for a new album this winter, so this is probably one of Red Shadow's last moments in the sun. For a quick taster of the kind of [twangly/singer-songwritery] thing what it is, here's Lazy Jayne on bandcamp to stream.
Get your holiday cards done early this year!
This holiday card maker makes it easy to create and send out a card to your friends and family. [more inside]
This holiday card maker makes it easy to create and send out a card to your friends and family. [more inside]
December 1
Newsletter about passages in fiction
I've started a newsletter about influential passages in fiction as they relate to the craft of writing. One post every Tuesday. Each a five-minute read. [more inside]
I've started a newsletter about influential passages in fiction as they relate to the craft of writing. One post every Tuesday. Each a five-minute read. [more inside]
November 28
Fun book with computer programming stories
Princeton University Press just published "You Are Not Expected to Understand This": 26 Lines of Code that Changed the World. And they brought in 29 different authors -- "technologists, historians, journalists, academics, and sometimes the coders themselves" to share stories about "how code works -- or how, sometimes, it doesn't work -- owing in no small way to the people behind it." (And in general, I really liked how they focused on the humanness of it all.) So here's my new rollicking interview with the book's editor, Slate's Future Tense editor Torie Bosch. I also wrote the book's ninth chapter, about how a 1975 comment in some Unix code became “an accidental icon” commemorating "a momentary glow of humanity," that ultimately provided the book with its cheeky title. (And I’m also responsible for the book’s index entry for "Linux, expletives in source code of...")
Princeton University Press just published "You Are Not Expected to Understand This": 26 Lines of Code that Changed the World. And they brought in 29 different authors -- "technologists, historians, journalists, academics, and sometimes the coders themselves" to share stories about "how code works -- or how, sometimes, it doesn't work -- owing in no small way to the people behind it." (And in general, I really liked how they focused on the humanness of it all.) So here's my new rollicking interview with the book's editor, Slate's Future Tense editor Torie Bosch. I also wrote the book's ninth chapter, about how a 1975 comment in some Unix code became “an accidental icon” commemorating "a momentary glow of humanity," that ultimately provided the book with its cheeky title. (And I’m also responsible for the book’s index entry for "Linux, expletives in source code of...")
November 14
Daily MRRP!
It's a cat blog that I've just realized I've kept going for three years now. It started out as an attempt to document the mrrp! sounds made by our cat Dr. Wily, but gradually became a general cat documentation blog that includes our older cat, Bonus Cat. [more inside]
It's a cat blog that I've just realized I've kept going for three years now. It started out as an attempt to document the mrrp! sounds made by our cat Dr. Wily, but gradually became a general cat documentation blog that includes our older cat, Bonus Cat. [more inside]
November 6
Shirley Jackson's daughter sings The Grattan Murders.
In the Netflix adaption of Shirley Jackson's classic horror novel The Haunting of Hill House, the ghostly Poppy sings a gory old murder ballad to a member of the trapped family - a scene which I believe also appears in Jackson's source novel. That song has many names, but Jackson herself knew it as The Grattan Murders, and sometimes sang it to her delighted children as a lullaby. One of those children recently read my PlanetSlade piece about the real-life 1893 Indiana family massacre which inspired the song and got in touch, offering to sing it for me in her mother's trademark style. Here's the video.
In the Netflix adaption of Shirley Jackson's classic horror novel The Haunting of Hill House, the ghostly Poppy sings a gory old murder ballad to a member of the trapped family - a scene which I believe also appears in Jackson's source novel. That song has many names, but Jackson herself knew it as The Grattan Murders, and sometimes sang it to her delighted children as a lullaby. One of those children recently read my PlanetSlade piece about the real-life 1893 Indiana family massacre which inspired the song and got in touch, offering to sing it for me in her mother's trademark style. Here's the video.
November 5
Immune To Consequences
Over the last year and a half I wrote twelve songs about twelve Blaseball players on the Kansas City Breath Mints. I commissioned cover art and compiled them into an album, which is out today on Bandcamp. Each song's page has background information about the player, for those unfamiliar with Blaseball in general or the Mints in particular. [more inside]
Over the last year and a half I wrote twelve songs about twelve Blaseball players on the Kansas City Breath Mints. I commissioned cover art and compiled them into an album, which is out today on Bandcamp. Each song's page has background information about the player, for those unfamiliar with Blaseball in general or the Mints in particular. [more inside]
November 3
Finishing my grandfather's work: stained glass menorah
A few years ago my parents gave me my Grandpa Milt's old stained glass stuff, including a large unfinished menorah piece. I've spent the last two weeks finally tackling the logistically and emotionally complicated job of repairing and elaborating on his piece to create a finished work. This is a summary with photos of that process. I also created an exhaustive step-by-step process thread on the fly as I worked through the whole thing.
A few years ago my parents gave me my Grandpa Milt's old stained glass stuff, including a large unfinished menorah piece. I've spent the last two weeks finally tackling the logistically and emotionally complicated job of repairing and elaborating on his piece to create a finished work. This is a summary with photos of that process. I also created an exhaustive step-by-step process thread on the fly as I worked through the whole thing.
November 2
More “More Info” for Netflix (desktop web)
This Chrome extension adds a small missing feature to Netflix’s user interface that may help you discover and explore things you’d like to watch. You can now click a “More Info” button to view the information page for a title Netflix suggests in the “More Like This” section. [more inside]
This Chrome extension adds a small missing feature to Netflix’s user interface that may help you discover and explore things you’d like to watch. You can now click a “More Info” button to view the information page for a title Netflix suggests in the “More Like This” section. [more inside]
October 31
21st Halloween Cartoon
Greetings succubi, incubi and mid-levelcubi! The 21st Annual Jabo Halloween Cartoon is now alive and kicking and screaming and yelling. So carve out some time from your hectic havoc, toss those computer glasses and wreck your eyesight on some mildly amusing scrawlings. The full catalog of catastrophic cartoons can be unveiled here. Happy Halloween y Dias de los Muertos!
Greetings succubi, incubi and mid-levelcubi! The 21st Annual Jabo Halloween Cartoon is now alive and kicking and screaming and yelling. So carve out some time from your hectic havoc, toss those computer glasses and wreck your eyesight on some mildly amusing scrawlings. The full catalog of catastrophic cartoons can be unveiled here. Happy Halloween y Dias de los Muertos!