May 2009
24 posts
Quality of Light is not a Value Judgement
duncandavidson:
Between hard and soft, there’s a range of words and phrases you’ll hear photographers use. Clean light, harsh light, light that wraps, and even light that has pop. There’s no real magic definition of what these words mean. At best, we’re just reaching for adjectives that can convey a fuzzy approximation of what we see. Whenever we hear a good phrase from another photographer,...
April 2009
16 posts
1 tag
Will I remember everything?
I just browsed through some of the early photos and videos of Xander. It feels like such a long time ago. I wouldn’t actually remember much of the first several weeks of Xander’s life were it not for the video clips to remind me all the things Susanne and I did. It almost feels like I didn’t gain any experience or learn any lessons from taking care of a baby, and it makes me wonder if I will...
2 tags
Thoughts on “End the University as We Know It”
There is an op-ed piece by Mark Taylor in yesterday’s New York Times titled “End the University as We Know It.” This has raised a lot of discussion among grad students in my department and among some of my Facebook contacts who are academics. Here are my thoughts on the six recommendations that Taylor advances.
Increase interdisciplinary teaching/research
In general, I agree with the importance...
“Overall, 52 percent think a television is a necessity. That is the lowest figure...”
– I guess I’m in the 48% of the population. It would be interesting if the survey question asked whether TV as a large screen to project content was a necessity versus TV as a service (over-the-air, cable, or satellite) was a necessity. [Via Floyd Norris Blog | NYTimes.com]
“Bossnapping” wave sweeps France →
It took me a little longer than I care to admit to realize that the story was about kidnapping bosses, as opposed to bosses taking naps in their offices. Probably due to what I think about a lot throughout the day. [Via FP Passport]
Life without TV Service, Day 9
It’s been nine days since we eliminated our DirecTV service, and it’s been really nice. Over the weekend, we streamed a lot from Food Network, which has a pretty good set of shows available online, although they are not compatible with Boxee RSS feeding configuration. Last night, I watched The Family Guy and The Simpsons on Hulu through Boxee.
Whenever we watch shows online, I connect my MacBook...
Random Thoughts on Fatherhood, Part I
My paternity leave is quickly coming to its end. It’s amazing how almost fifteens have just flown by. I’ve been meaning to document and share my thoughts and reflections on fatherhood since January, but I’m just now actually getting around to it. Here are some to start with:
I’m definitely going to miss not seeing him constantly once I start working. I am and will forever be grateful that the...
Is Google Making Us Dumber? Yes, Virginia, there... →
What a brilliant concept and such a low-cost way to capture and demonstrate the state of the internets! [HT: TP]
Spokane to detonate squirrels tearing up parks →
I thought this was a sensationalist headline, but it’s not…
Sharing Google Reader Items…
I’ve started to talk about “work” stuff through Google Reader sharing here. So, this log will be mostly free of academic commentary.
“Rather than everyone here having to learn Chinese — I understand it’s a rather...”
– Texas State Rep. Betty Brown (via skidder) (via marco)
I went from Moonhyuk (文赫) to Moonhawk. Does that help?
Life without a TV Service, Day 1
We cancelled our DirecTV service last week, and the service was terminated today at about 10:30AM. Of course, DirecTV tried hard to not lose us as a customer, but all they succeeded in doing was having me put the account on “hold” for the next six months. (That just means I don’t have to send the equipment back for now.)
This will in part be an experiment for the family, as we are not completely...
The Moving Target of Raising a Baby
So, the bottom line is that new parents of a baby cannot and should not become complacent. Xander and I have been on a good routine with his feeding lately: puréed fruits with rice cereal and half a Yo Baby yogurt in the morning; oatmeal with puréed sweet potatoes and assorted puréed veggies and fruit purée for lunch; and oatmeal with mashed avocado and assorted puréed veggies and fruit purée for...
