Heroic, masculine, patriotic, unquestioning, heroes unto death. That’s the monolithic portrayal of male service members in Hollywood. Once you’re in, you’re always in; you never truly retire. If war is too much to handle, expect shaming of masculinity, or portrayal as a coward. Better to die alone by your own hand, as many do. If…
It’s a cool November evening in Seattle, and The Crocodile is full of people. There’s lots of Native Pride and NoDAPL shirts, jeans, sweat and gleen to go around. Faces range from solemn to joyful. Anticipation is high. People are here to see some of the most revered and famous indigenous musical performers of the…
July 20, 1969 was a very important Wednesday. It was one that left the infamous broadcaster Walter Cronkite speechless and grinning for a moment. It was the day that two humans, in full NASA astronaut gear, descended to the surface of our moon in a landing vehicle while their compatriot orbiting overhead. It was the…
Today, we’re going to review how to fact-check information. For today’s example, I turn to the recent surge in interest over whether military-use artificial intelligence has murderous tendencies or not. First, the sensationalist headline: news agencies picked up a story during a simulation, a US Air Force drone using artificial intelligence had essentially attempted to…
My media diary is back! This time, though, we’re going to dig behind the scenes a little bit and find out what tradeoffs I’m making in privacy and security, and examine what data usage may be taking place downstream of my transactions. As before, I’m using a 24-hour clock, and since I’m writing this at…
There is something fundamental and instinctive about freedom of speech: we know and understand the imperative to be able to express ourselves without restriction. This instinct extends to our consumption of information: just as we have an unrestricted freedom in what food we may choose to eat—albeit not without financial considerations—we yearn for unrestricted freedom…
Not every morning is compelling, so I’m starting my clock during a friendly meetup the night before. Also, I use 24-hour or ‘military’ time. Here’s a converter if you need it. May 19, 2023 2100-2105: Following dinner with some friends who are visiting, I look up a few spots on Google Maps – a park,…