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Category Archives: Columns
Kill The Boy
I've previously written how surreal it is to be aware of a life transition as it's occurring. Now, I'm finding myself - and my micro-generation - facing a different and more existential progression. So, if you've completely figured out your life by now, maybe this Blogcat's not for you.
As you grow up and graduate college there are 395 different questions Read more [...]
A Mobile Banquet
A few weeks ago, I went to Paris with three of my fellow prestigious H.O.L.P. alumni. All four of us have a creative bent and to a certain degree were all looking to be inspired by the city (in addition to hoping to consume prodigious quantities of wine and cheese ... mission accomplished on that front, at least). Paris is, after all, almost universally Read more [...]
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Posted in Columns, Creative Writing, Philosophy, Ryan
Bellemont Mill
I have always had a bit of a fascination with abandoned buildings. There is something visceral and oddly cathartic about seeing the way our constructs crumble into the dirt. Not only is it humbling to see how quickly the structures that we take for granted as solid and permanent turn to undistinguished piles of bricks, but there is a beauty to Read more [...]
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Posted in Columns, Creative Writing, Miscellaneous, Ryan
Tagged photography, The Last of Us, urban exploration
Social Tragedy on Social Media
On the night of Friday, November 13th, a series of coordinated terrorist attacks - suicide bombings and mass shootings - occurred in and just-outside of Paris. Responsibility for these attacks was claimed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), allegedly in retaliation for French airstrikes on ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq. All Read more [...]
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Posted in Columns, Josh, Miscellaneous
Tagged social media, terrorism
Farewell, Grantland
This past Friday, news came out that ESPN would be shutting down the sports and pop culture website Grantland.com, effectively immediately. The site, with its "free flowing" content that "occasionally touche[d] on mature subjects," was known for its overly long columns. In hind sight, they weren't nearly long enough.
Though this announcement Read more [...]
Original Soundtrack
Last weekend I went to the movies, for the first time in a long time, to peep the new drug-trade thriller Sicario, directed by Denis Villeneuve. It was enjoyable for a slew of reasons—the cast, the action-driven plot, and the beautiful desert settings. However, I found myself most intrigued by the film’s soundtrack. (Editors note: I realize Read more [...]
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Posted in Ezra, Miscellaneous, Music, Video
Infobesity: The Future of Sports Analytics
By the start of this upcoming NBA season, up to 20 teams will be employing wearable GPS devices created by the company Catapult, which will track player biometric data in real time. The championship Warriors were one of a number of teams to have used such devices already last season. The device, or variants on the theme, have already been employed Read more [...]
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Posted in Columns, Ryan, Sport
Tagged basketball, sports, statistics
Into the Abyss
More than two years ago, I wrote a blogcat about the SyFy channel. You can read the original here. I gave that article the title the "uncanny valley," after a well-known psychological phenomenon, describing the revulsion people tend to feel when they see something that almost-but-not-quite-perfectly mimics a human being (like creepy animatronics). Read more [...]
Play or Get Played
It is my opinion that The Wire is the greatest show in the history of television. Obviously I have not watched every show ever, so I suppose I can't know for sure, but I have watched and read about my fair share of TV, and I'm certainly not the only one to hold this belief. I just feel that when you combine its exactness, authenticity, humor, drama, Read more [...]
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Posted in Columns, Josh, Miscellaneous, Philosophy
NogFest Analysis: Individual Games
This Blogcat is the third and final chapter in my analysis of NogFest, a Pong tournament hosted by my friend Nog during the last weekend of May this year. If you need to get caught up on Part 1 (which focuses on the merits of shooting vs. serving) or Part 2 (which breaks down tournament-long player performance ), I encourage you to do so. Today's Read more [...]