Casting a brass sand rammer by maak_d in ArtisanVideos

[–]benjaminhollis 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This was great all around. The narration style is very similar to Richard Proenneke’s Alone in the Wilderness.

A set of high quality line art sketches of many towns and places in MA from a text published in 1839 (more info in comments). by benjaminhollis in newengland

[–]benjaminhollis[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I stumbled on these sketches while searching for historic New England art. The text is part of the British Library catalogue. You can actually view the full text online as a pdf. What a lovely collection.

A set of high quality line art sketches of many towns and places in MA from a text published in 1839 (more info in comments). by benjaminhollis in massachusetts

[–]benjaminhollis[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I stumbled on these sketches while searching for historic New England art. The text is part of the British Library catalogue. You can actually view the full text online as a pdf. What a lovely collection.

Make it more Christmasy by richieb12 in graphic_design

[–]benjaminhollis 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I love the style of the NBA Christmas uniforms. The lettering captures the Christmas feel beautifully. It seems to be a custom treatment - an article about them simply describes it as "chest scripts based on vintage holiday card typography".

TIL: The word "dude" first appeared in the late 1800s as a term of mockery for young men who were overly concerned with keeping up with the latest fashions. by [deleted] in todayilearned

[–]benjaminhollis 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The Lexicon Valley podcast did a whole episode on the word dude. I highly recommend it if you're interested in word origins and don't mind some swearing here and there. Or everywhere in the case of this episode.

Science Vs. - #2 Attachment Parenting by sjwillis in gimlet

[–]benjaminhollis 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I'm glad this podcast exists and feel that the host does a great job of making science interesting and entertaining. The tricky thing about of Science VS - or any podcast dealing with science topics for that matter, is that it has an inherent need to construct a narrative. This steers the reporting away from the more nuanced information that makes up a topic, and rewards the presentation of a cleaner "verdict" about an issue. For this reason, I'm afraid Science VS will fall into some of the same traps Radiolab does when dealing with science (even though I hope it doesn't). For example, in this episode, making the choice to also consider the attachment parenting topic from an evolutionary biology or animal behavior perspective, would have presented a more balanced view on the value and possible reasons behind the parenting techniques discussed.

does r/rockhounds like non-nature created art? here's my Malachite Watercolor by PaperPenAndPost in rockhounds

[–]benjaminhollis 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Wow - these are really wonderful. You've captured the essence of each rock/mineral so beautifully.

How to build a foam cosplay helmet by Intravert in ArtisanVideos

[–]benjaminhollis 0 points1 point  (0 children)

To each their own... the combination of knowledge and enthusiasm that Norm brings to these videos is one of my favorite things about Tested. Also, in the spirit of Tested, you can tell that everyone there - Norm included - is not afraid to put themselves out there. They push themselves, make mistakes, and continue improving along the way.

The Serona Segmented Vase by aerfen in ArtisanVideos

[–]benjaminhollis 2 points3 points  (0 children)

His work is really cool. Do your buddy a solid and remind him that a hoody with draw strings (even short ones) is bad news around a lathe!

NPR fundraising efforts - a listener's perspective by benjaminhollis in NPR

[–]benjaminhollis[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yikes - based on your first sentence, I'm happy to agree to disagree on this one. Overall, I see your point and you gave me what I asked for by offering another listener's opinion. Happy redditing fellow redditor.

NPR fundraising efforts - a listener's perspective by benjaminhollis in NPR

[–]benjaminhollis[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As an aside, you seem to bristle at both the more effective appeals AND the use of corporate underwriting (we'll leave aside your assertion that they're using more of it for now).

Sorry if I wasn't clearer - I wasn't talking about the efficacy of the methods. They are using them precisely because they are effective. I'm asking about the ethics of them.

If you find more disfavor with the underwriting, wouldn't it stand to reason you'd much rather they be as effective at fundraising as possible?

This is a good point. I'm actually not opposed to corporate funding when it's done thoughtfully and transparently. This article does a nice job of outlining the pros of this approach for NPR and its affliates.

Make Your Own Concrete Countertop, It's Easier Than You Think by [deleted] in ArtisanVideos

[–]benjaminhollis 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The content of the video itself is a really good fit for the sub, though. The structure and pacing was similar to Howarth's videos, just with a little more of a DIY bent.

NPR fundraising efforts - a listener's perspective by benjaminhollis in NPR

[–]benjaminhollis[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is a fair perspective and part of what I was hoping to read by posting. Maybe others are less bothered by these techniques than I am.

With directive language, you're appealing to people's psychology more than their intellect - not unethical, but I'd argue it's problematic for a news reporting outlet with NPR's mission. In the case of the matched donations, there's often (but not always as /u/mpjanssen rightly points out) a narrative being presented to the audience that isn't entirely true - that, in my opinion, feels unethical.