What Comes Next_
Thoughts on AI, predictive text, technological metaphors, and the string of thought.
🎭Txt in contxt
A reflection on the playful nature of texting and its linguistic creativity, featuring insights from linguistics professor David Crystal.
🎶Aztec ‘noisemakers’ reconsidered
Exploring the intricate sounds of pre-Columbian instruments and their revival in modern research.
🙏Ingrid Betancourt’s amazing post-rescue press conference
A remarkable press conference delivered by a survivor of jungle captivity, reflecting on her emotional rescue experience. "The helicopter almost fell from the sky, because we were jumping, shouting, crying, embracing, we couldn't believe it. God has done a miracle for us -- and it's a miracle that I wanted to share with all of you, because all of you have suffered with my family, with my children, with me."
🎮Sections of a Happy Moment, by David Claerbout
I love how the game and social, inter-generational connection emerges in spite of a not-that-hospitable brutalist urban setting.
🎶Surreal & the Sound Providers, “The Place to Be”
Exploring the collaborative spirit of cultural creation, much like we hear in the rhythm of hip-hop.
🚗Parking diplomacy
An exploration of creative solutions to the challenges posed by neglected embassy properties.
🌍Before and after, around the world
A reflection on humanity's impact on the environment through changing landscapes over time.
🦓Bolivia’s volunteer zebras
A creative approach to addressing urban traffic safety issues can be seen in La Paz, Bolivia, where volunteers dressed as zebras help pedestrians cross the busy streets.
🎢Disney’s 10 rules of theme-park design
Explore Disney's guiding principles for creating enchanting theme park experiences through Mickey's 10 Commandments.
📇Edge-notched cards
An exploration of the forgotten art of organizing knowledge through edge-notched cards, a precursor to modern data sorting methods.
💍Marry or be fired!
A top-down approach to creating that basic unit of culture making - the family.
⛑️Sandbag challenge
Researchers examined how professional engineers outperformed volunteers in building effective sandbag dikes, highlighting the importance of expertise in flood prevention.
🦋The Butterfly Effect effect
A nice parable of unintended consequences.
🚗The rage of stickers
Alan Jacobs shares intriguing insights on how car personalization correlates with road rage.
⚔️Albania’s sworn virgins
An exploration of gender roles and social necessity in traditional Albanian culture through the practice of sworn virgins.
🎶Beyond Bollywood - Shillong’s love affair with western music
Reflecting the rich musical heritage of Shillong, where rock and gospel blend seamlessly in a unique cultural tapestry.
🇩🇪Legitimizing the Eszett
An exploration of the recognition and preservation of unique European letters on the internet, including the Eszett in Germany.
🌄The Largest Human-Made Art on Earth
An exploration of Jim Denevan's massive ephemeral art, where creativity meets the vastness of nature.
🏠All-the-way House
A look at Children of the Night, a unique shelter providing care and opportunities for former child prostitutes.
🍛Currying favor
A reflection on how the global journey of curry began with its roots in India and transformed into a culinary phenomenon.
📚Room to Read
Room to Read is dedicated to providing education and resources, focusing on building schools, multilingual libraries, and supporting girls' scholarships.
👶You can call me Al
Reflecting on evolving parental nicknames and the cultural influences behind them.
🍖The corned beef plague
An exploration of obesity trends in the Pacific Islands and beyond.
🎨The next Last Supper
A thought-provoking interpretation of Leonardo's Last Supper explores its themes through modern technology and artistic expression.
🎵Mix CD | Hold On
For a while, I've been interested in the ways that repeating a word over and over can change it—sometimes it loses meaning, becoming a simple babble of repeated sounds. In other cases, the repetition increases the strength and depth of the word.
📈Portfolio | Investment
Another buisness card design.
🎶Mix CD | Connexcellent!
A unique mix celebrating Connecticut, featuring songs and artists that pay homage to the Nutmeg State.
🎶Mix CD | Georgious!
Celebrating Georgia's rich musical heritage, this inaugural mix from the **50 States!** series is dedicated to my friend Elizabeth, who moved to Atlanta in 2007 to begin work at the CDC.
🌾Mix CD | Kansastic!
Celebrating the spirit of Kansas, inspired by my friends Jonathan and Robyn's move to western Kansas in 2007.
🎶Mix CD | Nuevo manuel de la música cubana y africana
A personal exploration of Cuban music through a curated mix of _rumba_ and _son_ spanning over a century.
🎶Mix CD | Here Is a Good One
A captivating mix of hip-hop, indie pop, and eclectic sound clips, inspired by an old advertising card for a roll-top oak desk.
🎶Mix CD | Roxbury Dispensary
A reflection on a friend's relocation and a creative tribute through music.
🚂Mix CD | Why Are There So Many Songs about Hobos?
Exploring the complex role of the hobo in American musical culture, I reflect on their portrayal as either a figure to be pitied or envied, ultimately leading to my own hobo-inspired creation, "Hobo Lingo."
🗺️Portfolio | Anthropologist
A striking two-sided business card for an anthropologist.
🌍Mix CD | Triple Frontera
Celebrating the diverse identities and cultural richness of the Triple Frontera region in South America.
💍Mix CD | The Bridegroom Special
Celebrating love with a joyous mix of multicultural tunes for a wedding celebration.
🎶Mix CD | Planes, Trains and Autorickshaws
A nostalgic reflection on creating a mix to celebrate the friendships and memories made during a trip to India, filled with inside jokes and cherished music.
📖Mix CD | Genesis
Inspired by the first book of the Bible, this collection of songs captures its wonder and strangeness with references to key figures and emotional moments throughout the narrative.
🦋Mix CD | Entomology
A unique mix designed for the curious mind of an evolutionary biologist, featuring music that resonates with the vibrant world of insects.
🎶Mix CD | reRQ
Reflecting on the art of mix-making and its connection to magazine creation.
🗺️A star in the East- The enduring myth of Prester John
The legend of Prester John serves as a lens through which we examine medieval European dreams of Christian power in distant lands.
⚔️Omission impossible - Why we need enemies
An exploration of the complex relationship between humanity and the notion of enemies, revealing their role in spiritual and moral growth.
🌍Decolonizing Harry
Reflecting on the complexities of class, race, and intentional community living, and the struggles of pursuing simplicity and the unintended consequences of well-meaning and not-so-well-meaning ideals.
🤔Theme-park theodicies
George Saunders' _Pastoralia_ explores the absurdities and deeper truths of modern life through the lens of tragicomedy. Here, a young boy's struggle for identity and acceptance ultimately leads to profound questions about love and worth.
💔Fast and Right through Me
A reflective review of Dave Eggers's memoir _A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius_, exploring themes of grief, authenticity, and the struggle for connection amidst personal loss.
🎶Roaring Lambs or bleating lions?
Exploring the complexities of Christian influence in American culture, drawing on the cultural phenomena of the late 1990s and early 2000s.
🏞️Where the White things are - Visiting a town of Afrikaner separatists
A reflective exploration of Orania, a town that embodies the legacy of apartheid ideologies while striving to carve out an Afrikaner identity in contemporary South Africa.