The video below is a bit of a departure from my usual science fare. It shows the construction of a bookstand modeled on one found in Thomas Jefferson’s office at Monticello, and it was a lot of fun to make.
Add comment January 3rd, 2010
Recently I caught this video describing some of the new captioning features on YouTube, and it spurred me into finally captioning all of the Tabletop Explainer videos. One of the coolest things was a new “automatic timing” feature. To produce captioning, all you need is a transcript. You just upload the transcript, and Google will synchronize the text with your video’s audio–no need to enter time codes. To see it in action, watch the video below. It should jump straight to the automatic timing description.
Add comment December 5th, 2009
In addition to serving as Professor Farnsworth’s research assistant, interning with Navy JAG’s Appellate Defense Division, and a few paying development jobs, I’ve been working on something else in my “spare time.” I’ve been playing this one pretty close to the vest because experience has taught me that this type of project doesn’t always reach maturity. That being said, time to share. It’s a rather heady collaboration between the non-profit eCitizen Foundation, the Berkman Center, and some folks over at the Media Lab. We’re attempt to do one thing well, open-source-distributed-human-evaluation of web content. Here’s a rough scope I put together that we’re discussing with a developer later today. I’d love your feedback, esp. if you think you might be a user.
Add comment August 4th, 2009
This has been an amazing summer. In fact, the last year has been pretty darn cool. I left teaching to attend Boston University Law School last fall, and to say that I’ve been busy would be an understatement. CommunityCOUNTS did it’s part in the election, and I’d like to think that its Ask The President forum helped nudge the administration into launching its first online town hall. My work even got a nod in the ABA’s Student Lawyer.
Overall, law school has been quite enjoyable. I participated in the ABA’s client counseling and negotiation competitions, and I’ve made many good friends. I developed a code-based study routine I call the LawBot. Basically, I codify black-letter law into if-then statements. I figured, that since you never learn anything as well as when you teach it, I should teach a computer how to take my tests. My notes may have looked like computer code, but they were darn useful.
My favorite part of law school, however, has been the summer. I’ve gotten the opportunity to work with my favorite professor (Ward Farnsworth) on a new text, and I’ve had the chance to get my hands dirty interning with the Navy’s Criminal Defense Appellate Division in DC. For those Futurama fans out there, no, this Professor Farnsworth does not own an intergalactic shipping company. He is the author of The Legal Analyst: A Toolkit for Thinking about the Law and a really great guy. In fact, The Legal Analyst was recommended to me before I even decided where I was going to law school. It’s a great read, and I wish more of my classes were like those taught by Professor Farnsworth.
Anywho, I’m back in Boston and working for Farnswoth finding cases for a criminal law text he’s writing, and in a moment of down-time, I thought I’d remedy my long silence. I’m such a bad blogger. I blame twitter.
Add comment August 3rd, 2009
So for those of you curious about what I was doing down in DC the two weekends ago, here’s a little highlight video put out by the organizers. If you look very carefully, you’ll see me in the B-roll.
Also, you can find more videos here.
Add comment March 11th, 2009
I’ve really been neglecting this blog, and for that I’m a little sad. Luckily no one reads it. So it’s not like I’m letting anyone down. Anywho, yesterday in a fit of insomnia, I finally gave in to peer pressure. Below you’ll find my “25 Things” note. If you don’t know what I’m taling about, you aren’t on Facebook. Here’s an explanation. The phenomenon is really a derivative of an old blogging challenge. So it seemed right to post it here as well.
1) I was once told that blogging about my job was disrespectful. That week, a few of the things I had “complained” about magically got fixed.
2) My first job was a summer internship for the DOD. Soon afterwards, I decided I never wanted to work for the military. Now I really want to be a JAG (as well as 50 other things ;).
3) I once had a living room apartment. My “room” was separated from the rest of the apartment by a shower curtain, and my bed was an air matters. I didn’t have a TV, radio, or computer. I did, however, learn to love running, and the Sunnyvale library.
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1 comment February 11th, 2009
Okay, this is just getting wicked awesome! Twittervotereport.com is soooo winning the Golden Dot this year. My hats off to the entire team. It’s just the coolest thing I’ve seen in so long. Be sure to make a twitter vote report today, and while you’re at it, why not Video You Vote too? Also, if you see any problems at your polling place in need of immediate assistance, call 1-866-Our-Vote.
Add comment November 4th, 2008
So if you’re curious what’s been taking up my free time, here’s the answer–communityCOUNTS, both dot com and dot us. Dot com is my turnkey solution for small media outlets, and dot US is my attempt to change the way we interact with the presidential candidates. You’ll remember dot US from this great NPR interview. Now I’m trying to build up interest with the video below. Please, share it with your friends.
Add comment August 28th, 2008
For those of you interested in such things, “Yes” I will be finishing the relativity series. It’s just that the animation will take a little time, and I’ve had other priorities. Until then, however, enjoy this latest Explainer.
Now you can find out where you are even if you don’t have GPS. Learn how to find south along with your latitude and longitude using only a few household items. I should note, that in using the home-made quadrant cited, the precision of your findings will be rather low. Don’t worry, you’ll be within a few hundred miles. ;)
Transcript: (more…)
2 comments August 13th, 2008
This September I will be attending Boston University full-time as a law student, and I expect this will effect the focus of my blogging. So I’ve decide to go with a more general name, settling on “Tilts at Windmills.” It seems to me this could have been the blog’s title all along. Of course, this means a URL change too. No longer am I blogging at “/edblog” from here out, it’s just “/blog”.
“Why law school?” you may ask. The short answer, “I think I can do more with the law.” Only time will tell if I’m right about that.
So be on the lookout for some wicked-cool legal postings, but don’t worry, I won’t forget my roots. I have a mile-long list of would-be Tabletop Explainer episodes, one of which should be produced this week. Unfortunately, it’s not the next in the relativity series. It’s a how to I plan on entering in a video competition. Heck, I have to pay for law school somehow.
Add comment August 11th, 2008
