1. Todoist: The Unexplained Parts

    Monday, December 14, 2015 By Alys S.Brooks

    I keep track of tasks using Todoist, a cross-platform to-do list tool. It’s flexible without making simple things hard, which I appreciate1. For example, adding a task with a deadline and a tag is as simple as clicking the plus button and typing “Call landlord @telephone today”.

    Since …

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  2. Review: Melancholia (2014)

    Saturday, September 12, 2015 By Alys S.Brooks

    Note: minor spoilers for Melancholia.

    In movies, Apocalypse tends to be a gritty affair. Not in Melancholia. Lars von Trier’s film about two sisters’ last days on Earth is as composed and beautiful as a movie about apocalypse could be.

    In contrast to the shoestring special effects of a …

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  3. New medium, old trope

    Sunday, March 31, 2013 By Alys S.Brooks

    Anika's stuffed rabbit is stolen by a huge eagle early in the game.

    A common archetype in children’s fantasy is the lonely child escaping her ordinary life to explore a fantastic world. Examples include some of the most famous works of children’s literature: Alice in Wonderland, The Phantom Tollbooth, and The Wizard of Oz. The character braves various dangers, maybe saves …

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  4. Simple Tiles tips

    Friday, March 29, 2013 By Alys S.Brooks

    I’ve been experimenting with Propublica’s Simple Tiles, and I’ve run into some pitfalls. Starred entries are not in its documentation.

    1. *When doing queries on KML files, Simple Tiles or OGR takes the name of the layer from the tag. But for SHP files, it takes it from …

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  5. #LongLiveTheTrib

    Tuesday, February 19, 2013 By Alys S.Brooks

    About a week ago, I heard the stunning news that the Marquette Tribune would likely be cut to eight pages per issue, down from 16 and 20 on Tuesdays and Thursdays respectively. As a former Tribune staffer and current reader, this distressed me. So when offered the chance, I submitted …

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  6. An Aaron Swartz Reader

    Monday, January 14, 2013 By Alys S.Brooks

    I’ve compiled this list of blog posts, articles, and writing by and about Aaron Swartz together as someone who has been amazed by what I’ve learned after the online community lost a clearly brilliant and dedicated man. In particular, I’m compiling it because the quantity of material …

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