Literature on the deleterious effects of television on our minds has a long history. From garden-variety paranoia, to studies indicating an increase in passivity after viewing, to scathing social critiques like Neil Postman’s in Amusing Ourselves to Death, and literary condemnation through Bradbury’s “The Pedestrian” and Fahrenheit 451—the Box will forever live in infamy. With …
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This Week On Runicfire: March 25 – March 31
Monday sees two posts: a Space Edition of the usual links, and the piece on the effects of the Internet versus television as a medium originally scheduled for last Friday. Wednesday continues the media focus as I delve into the unusual face of propaganda in the United States. Dinner is served with a side of Noam Chomsky …
Monday Links: Space Edition
If someone tells you to get your head of out of the clouds, you have two options: plant your feet on the ground, or fly into space. This last Thursday, Phil Plait, the Bad Astronomer, posted a summary of the Planck mission data. Planck is a space telescope operated by the European Space Agency. Its …
Moving Today’s Post
Dear Readers, I have been fighting a cold all week, and while I’m feeling better, I have not had the opportunity to complete today’s post. I will be moving the subject I was going to discuss today to Monday. I will post new material on Wednesday and Friday as usual, as well as Monday’s links. …
The Renaissance Man Versus the Industrial Machine
In my continuing research for my novel, Rosaria of Venice, and its sequels, I came across an interesting book. It is titled, simply and appropriately, The Italian Renaissance, and is authored by J.H. Plumb. So far, it is at once the most concise and comprehensive resource I have found on the time period. I find …
This Week on Runicfire: March 18 – 24
This Monday’s links cover store mannequins, the Higgs boson, meteorites and water on Mars. Wednesday‘s post examines the Renaissance and its role at the root of modern Western civilization, and how today’s industrialization contrasts with the values of that period. And on Friday, a look at the effects of the Internet versus television as the new …
Monday Links: Mannequins, Higgs, Meteors and Martian Water
A clothing store in Sweden now features mannequins which represent the curvier (and more common) spectrum of the female figure. The reception of their decision is overwhelmingly positive. While I must comment on how the picture in the article appears to obscure the largest of the three mannequins in its photograph, I do believe this …
Fullmetal Alchemist: An Example of the Possibilities of Animation
I cannot say, as I did years ago, that animation is a maligned art form in America. The success of Pixar, Dreamworks and the rebirth of Disney have proven me wrong. Avatar: The Last Airbender spawned The Legend of Korra—both being beloved series which address contentious and mature topics. Still, it remains true that an …
Japanese Culture is Collectivist, American Culture is Individualist… or is it?
“Japan has a crappy culture,” my college roommate once said. The statement never sat well with me. The man watched animé and listened to J-pop, as did I. Such a sweeping criticism seemed disrespectful of the people who created the shows and music we enjoyed. All cultures have their downsides, …
This Week On Runicfire: March 11 – 17
This Monday’s round of links talk about how thinking harmless things are harmful makes you sick, the upside of pessimism and one man’s experience of growing up Catholic. Wednesday’s post will be partly about how culture affects sense of time, but mostly about how any one culture’s understanding of being human is woefully incomplete. And Friday I unleash …