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Star Wars, Geek Culture And Visioning The Future

Carl Setzer

I’ve spent the evening troubleshooting stuff on my son’s computer, and binge watching Star Wars stuff on Youtube. This got me thinking: Star Wars, Star Trek and all such stuff really are envisioning the future. Geeks are all about loving, and creating the futures we envision.

It’s really fascinating to me how these myths play out and inspire us, challenge us towards a tech-centric future. Inspiration, building and growing drive. A critical element for this future building I’m so enthralled with.

With that, here’s the Rogue One trailer. The Star Wars universe is a buzz with speculation building out of this and the reported leaked script for episode 8.  It’s been a delight to play in this space. I adore this stuff deeply. What about you? Let me know.

A meditation on fear 

Carl Setzer2 Comments

Fear cannot be beat 
With fear’s heavy hammering
Only love will win

Vlog update: August 11, 2016 – Evolution of “The Media”

Carl Setzer

 

Side note: I know I need to have the camera sideways, but am still getting the hang of that layout. It is rather awkward.

Some thoughts on “Serious academics take the media seriously”

Carl Setzer

I found this post over at Small Pond Science fascinating. As a fan of science, if not a scientist, and deeply interested in social media’s presence in our society, Terry’s McGlynn’s post is very relevant. Terry calls out an anonymous article over at The Guardian basically dismissing efforts by scientists to engage with their work in the world of Facebook & Twitter.

I, for one, think there’s great value in the public debate. Not everything on social media is fluff. And, if it’s to be taken seriously, we need to encourage more, not less engagement by scholars online.

The Olympics, costs and benefits

Carl Setzer

Though I love the Olympics, the institution faves a major problem. The massive costs of hosting a Games almost never balance out against benefits.

This article considers the financial impacts upon cities which host the Olympics.

A fitting postscript to my post yesterday.

After considering such details as infrastructure investment, marketing and meeting the expectations of the International Olympic Committee, most often the Games cost more than they earn. In some cases the loss is massive.

My first thought: the IOC must start considering the long-term impact. With that, they must seek to mitigate the effects of over-enthusiastic boosters. They struggle with a perception of boondoggle. Several cities’ citizens shut down bids for games.

I feel it important to note that LA actually pulled s profit from the games. Utilizing their existing infrastructure, the cost control worked nicely. The article actually notes several hosts who successfully navigated development and execution. Key considerations for anyone desiring to host a Games.

I see an Olympics as several months of headache with little upside. Most of the promised benefits never materialize. I’m not alone. Seattle’s few attempts to garner support to bid to host a Games failed miserably. And that’s happened elsewhere, too.

Anyone wanting a Games near me must account for this study before I give my support. And I love the Olympics.

Abandoned Olympic Venues

Carl Setzer
I adore the Olympics. Pageantry and drama, magical moments brought out by ages dedication, training and sacrifice. I love stories of humanity resisting adversity. None better exist.
Counterbalancing this, images of waste, neglect, rotting decay. These images tell another story of the Olympics. A sadder story.
Often hosting the Games gets presented as this transformative event. Great economic rewards heralded. I wonder how often such manifests. How much positive actually happens, and how much of the investment crumbles into dust.