Category: Our Universe

Culture on My Mind – Hobbes in Bloom County

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Culture on My Mind

Culture on My Mind
Hobbes in Bloom County
June 25, 2021

Growing up, I loved reading the comics pages in my local newspaper, the Standard-Examiner. It’s the third largest newspaper in Utah, coming in behind The Salt Lake Tribune and Deseret News, and while the funnies fluctuated over the years, one of my staples was Calvin and Hobbes during its 1985 to 1995 syndicated run.

There was something magical about a boy and his imagination just having fun. 

So, you can only imagine that I was amused to see Berkeley Breathed pay tribute to Bill Watterson’s creation and legacy in Bloom County. Bloom County ran from 1980 to 1989 and examined cultural and political events through the viewpoint of a fanciful small Middle American town. The children think and speak like adults and the talking animals often act as satirical foils. To be honest, it was a bit above my level in the ’80s, but it became particularly poignant when it was revived by Breathed in 2015 on Facebook. 

That’s where this tribute to Bill Watterson, Calvin and Hobbes, and the power of imagination was presented earlier this year. I hope it touches your soul like it did mine.

 

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Culture on My Mind is inspired by the weekly Can’t Let It Go segment on the NPR Politics Podcast where each host brings one thing to the table that they just can’t stop thinking about.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

Culture on My Mind – They’re Baaaack!

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Culture on My Mind

Culture on My Mind
They’re Baaaack!
October 15, 2021

The Dragon Con American Sci-Fi Classics Track is back! After the shenanigans of a live-action Dragon Con and a little time off to recover – the analgesic creams seem to have done the trick – Joe and Gary have brought the atomic batteries to power and the YouTube turbines back up to speed.

On October 7th, they were joined by Kevin Cafferty, the Cadavers (namely, Nicole and Ryan), Beth van Dusen, and Michael Bailey to talk about horror sequels. To celebrate the spookiest time of the year, these brave explorers plumbed the depths of the Horror Hall of Fame to honor all the horror properties that came back for a second, a third, or even a 13th life. Only sequels needed apply, for reboots and re-imaginings were not welcome in this livestream.

 

Going forward, these Classic Track Quarantine Panels will be held once per fortnight. (That’s once every two weeks, he said with a wink). If you want to play along at home, pick up your internet-capable device and dial up the YouTube channel and/or the group on Facebook. If you join in live, you can also leave comments and participate in the discussion using StreamYard connected through Facebook, YouTube, and Twitch.

Join these fine folks on October 21st as they have more fun with Halloween, and keep every other Thursday open as the American Sci-Fi Classics Track explores the vast reaches of classic American science fiction.

The episode art each week is generously provided by the talented Sue Kisenwether. You can find her (among other places) on Women at Warp – A Roddenberry Star Trek Podcast.

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Culture on My Mind is inspired by the weekly Can’t Let It Go segment on the NPR Politics Podcast where each host brings one thing to the table that they just can’t stop thinking about.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

Culture on My Mind – Behind the Scenes of Nautilus

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Culture on My Mind

Culture on My Mind
Behind the Scenes of Nautilus
October 8, 2021

This week, the educational side of YouTube is on my mind. Specifically, I’m looking at a slice of submarine history with the Submarine Force Library and Museum in Groton, Connecticut.

The Submarine Force Library and Museum is home to the USS Nautilus (former SSN 571), the first nuclear-powered submarine in the world which now serves as a National Historic Landmark to educate visitors about the United States submarine force. The museum sits downstream from Naval Submarine Base New London on the Thames River, which is where I served for part of my submarine career. In normal times, it receives approximately 250,000 visitors per year.

The museum has a tour route through the forward compartment of the Nautilus, offering an in-person look at life on a nuclear submarine, including where sailors would eat, sleep, and work. In early 2021, Commander Brad Boyd presented a series of videos that go beyond the normal tour route and offer a substantial amount of historic and experience-based information.

I went through sub school with Brad and we served together at two duty stations. I was very pleased to see the news in 2018 when Brad took over as the Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of Historic Ship Nautilus, and this series was part of a larger effort to keep the museum in the public eye during the pandemic. It was a smart move during a tough time to run a public attraction.

Brad was recently relieved as OIC and sent on to his next duty station. I wish him and his family the best of luck. I know he’ll do well in the future.  

This series of eighteen videos represents a great way to learn about history and life in the Silent Service. 

Episode 1 – Nautilus Introduction and Overview

Episode 2 – Nautilus Torpedo Room

Episode 3 – Nautilus Wardroom

Episode 4 – Staterooms

Episode 5 – Operation Sunshine

Episode 6 – Attack Center

Episode 7 – Sonar, ESM, and Ship’s Office

Episode 8 – Control

Episode 9 – Radio & Interior Communications

Episode 10 – Crew’s Mess

Episode 11 – Storerooms and Battery

Episode 12 – Berthing and Chief’s Quarters

Episode 13 – Gallery and Storeroom

Episode 14 – Berthing

Episode 15 – Underneath the Superstructure

Episode 16 – Escape Trunk

Episode 17 – Sail

Episode 18 – Bridge

 

You can find the Submarine Force Museum on YouTube, Facebook, and their official site. If you’re ever in Groton, Connecticut, it’s also worth an in-person visit.

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Culture on My Mind is inspired by the weekly Can’t Let It Go segment on the NPR Politics Podcast where each host brings one thing to the table that they just can’t stop thinking about.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

Culture on My Mind – The Physics of Bowling Balls

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Culture on My Mind

Culture on My Mind
The Physics of Bowling Balls
October 1, 2021

This week, I have Veritasium on my mind. I love to go bowling even though I’m not particularly good at it. Bowling is fun and (before the pandemic) gives me a great opportunity to chat with friends in the time between throws.

I have seen a lot of these ball movements over the years, but I didn’t have enough information to understand why the physics worked like they did.

Veritasium did the work.

Happy Friday. See you again soon.

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Culture on My Mind is inspired by the weekly Can’t Let It Go segment on the NPR Politics Podcast where each host brings one thing to the table that they just can’t stop thinking about.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

Rabbit Rabbit – October 2021

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Rabbit Rabbit
October 2021

Rabbit, rabbit!

Since at least 1909, a superstition has lived in North American and the United Kingdom that if a person says or repeats the word “rabbit” upon waking up on the first day of the month, good luck will follow for the remainder of that month.

Elements of the tradition exist in the United Kingdom, New England, and even in various First Nation cultures.

While I’m not necessarily endorsing the superstition, it provides a way to look in depth at each month of the year, from history and observances to miscellaneous trivia. The topic this month is October.

History

October is the tenth month of the year, but it used to be the eighth in the old calendar of Romulus.

Roman observances for October include one of three Mundus patet (October 5th), Meditrinalia (October 11th), Augustalia (October 12th), October Horse (October 15th), and Armilustrium (October 19th). None of these correspond to dates on the current Gregorian Calendar.

Anglo-Saxons also referred to October as Ƿinterfylleþ, because at this full moon (fylleþ) winter was supposed to begin.

Observances

October hosts a lot of month-long observances, including Black History Month in the United Kingdom, the Month of the Holy Rosary in the Catholic Church, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Health Literacy Month, International Walk to School Month, Medical Ultrasound Awareness Month, Rett Syndrome Awareness Month, World Blindness Awareness Month, World Menopause Month, and Vegetarian Awareness Month.

The United States, in grand tradition, adds a slew of observances.

In general for the United States, October hosts American Archives Month, National Adopt a Shelter Dog Month, National Arts & Humanities Month, National Bullying Prevention Month, National Cyber Security Awareness Month, National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Filipino American History Month, Italian-American Heritage and Culture Month, Polish American Heritage Month, and National Work and Family Month.

Then, they add a bunch of health-related observances, including American Pharmacist Month, Dwarfism/Little People/Short Stature/Skeletal Dysplasia Awareness, Eczema Awareness Month, National Dental Hygiene Month, National Healthy Lung Month, National Infertility Awareness Month, Liver Awareness Month, National Lupus Erythematosus Awareness Month, National Physical Therapy Month, National Spina Bifida Awareness Month, and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Awareness Month

Oh, we’re not done yet.

They also have a few food-related observances, too: National Pizza Month, National Popcorn Poppin’ Month, National Pork Month, and National Seafood Month.

Finally, because I love it so, the month ends with Halloween. Get spoopy, friends.

Trivia

  • October’s birthstones are tourmaline (a stone of reconciliation, humanity, and grounding) and the opal (a stone of love, passion, desire, and eroticism).
  • The western zodiac signs of October are Libra (until October 22) and Scorpio (October 23 onwards).
  • The month’s birth flower is the calendula.
  • The French have been known to shorten octobre to 8bre for… reasons?

Rabbit Rabbit is a project designed to look at each month of the year with respect to history, observances, and more.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

Debrief: Dragon Con 2021

Michael Falkner1 Comment

Debrief: Dragon Con 2021
Atlanta, GA – September 2 through September 6, 2021

Just like that, Dragon Con 2021 is in the books! And, wow, it was a weird year.

Attendance was reported at 42,000 and you could definitely feel it. Thanks to the pandemic precautions – proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 test along with a 100 percent masking requirement – and attendance caps (including limits on daily sales), the crowds were significantly thinner. Let me tell you, though, I could get used to an attendance cap at Dragon Con. Maybe 65,000 to 70,000 in normal times?

Despite the smaller crowds, we did a lot of good work this year for the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta, raising $120,000 for that charity. That’s $10,000 more than we pulled together in 2019 with just over double the weekend crowd.

It was also a getaway that I really needed. With everything that’s been going on recently, I needed to see the geek family and get my mind orbiting around a lot of fun and creative things. I mean, let’s face it, I’ve missed these people.

It’s important to note that the Marriott and Hyatt were flooded with partiers at night who weren’t wearing face masks. It seemed that, once the sun went down, enforcement went out the window. Since I’m seeing several reports of attendees popping positive for COVID-19, panelists who refused to wear masks on panels, and vendors who went unmasked at their booths, I wholeheartedly recommend that everyone get tested for COVID-19 (both rapid and PCR if you can) and limit the spread as much as possible in the meantime.

There were a lot of naked respiratory orifices at Dragon Con 2021. Far. Too. Many.

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Culture on My Mind – Dragon Con Shenanigans 2021

Michael FalknerLeave a comment

Culture on My Mind

Culture on My Mind
Dragon Con Shenanigans 2021
September 2, 2021

The Dragon Con American Sci-Fi Classics Track recently spent some time telling the good tales about Dragon Con and teasing a bit of what’s to come this year.

I joined Sue Kisenwether, ToniAnn Marini, Denise Lhamon, Jeff Burns, Sherman Burris, Darin Bush, Chris Cummins, Kevin Eldridge, and John Hudgens to… well… geek out. 

 

If you want to keep up with the Dragon Con American Sci-Fi Classics Track in the off-season, the best ways to do that are on the YouTube channel and the Facebook group. If you join in live, you can also leave comments and participate in the discussion using StreamYard connected through Facebook, YouTube, and Twitch. (Be sure to authorize StreamYard to work with Facebook if you play that way.)

If you want to join us for real life panels, we’ll be at Dragon Con 2021 over Labor Day Weekend in Atlanta, Georgia.

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Culture on My Mind is inspired by the weekly Can’t Let It Go segment on the NPR Politics Podcast where each host brings one thing to the table that they just can’t stop thinking about.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

Donald Blane Cox – October 12, 1956 – August 22, 2021

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Donald Blane Cox
October 12, 1956 – August 22, 2021

Blane Header

[Reprinted from the public obituary, courtesy of the Cook Family Funeral Home]

Donald Blane Cox, 64, of Silverdale, Washington, peacefully passed away on Sunday, August 22nd after a life well lived, if all too short. Born in Willet, California to Donald Duane Cox and Edna Hatch, Blane primarily grew up in Utah where he married his high school sweetheart, Tish.

Blane was talented in anything that he pursued in life. He had a passion for many things including woodwork and architecture, and he was always seeking perfection. He designed and built a home while simultaneously helping out with several projects initiated by family and friends. He loved to laugh with people and would often respond to the question “Do you mind?” with “Seldom, if ever.” With a quick mind, he would readily poke fun at a situation or even himself. Blane was an avid outdoorsman and loved to be among nature’s beauty while hiking, fishing, camping, or simply seeing the sights.

In his career, he did many things to support his family. He built boats at Starfire and then HydroSwift, performed aircraft maintenance at Hill Air Force Base and worked for the United States Navy in supply before transferring to sub maintenance. It was there that he worked up to supervisor over four maintenance shops.

Blane is survived by his wife, his sister, five sons, three daughters, five grandchildren, and a large extended family, including his dear friends. He will be sorely missed.

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