We have no business debuting yet another topical category eleven years into EMS’s existence—especially considering how little TDL we’ve been giving our good ‘ole ARM series as of late—but we might be onto something here. Reality and Dreams (R&D in short) is a pilot content initiative we’re dishing out today to highlight EMS projects of all sorts stemming from the world of research and academia. We swear the astronomy plug via To the Stars* from a few weeks back wasn’t planned with this in mind. Prisoners of the moment?

We recently had the chance to partake in Bradley University‘s inaugural Steiner Sports Communication Research Conference. The good people over there, captained by one Tony Adams, threw together a one-day online student-focused academic gathering dedicated to traditional and creative scholarship in sports communication. We had the chance to present an early-stage project on how rules and bureaucracy are actually a good thing (!), and how the sports domain might be our last-ditched effort to restore democracy and civic participation. Check out the pre-recorded presentation below:

Meanwhile, this coming weekend (November 13-15, 2026) the excellent Hip-Hop Studies department at Howard University’s College of Arts and Sciences is hosting the 4th Annual Hip Hop Studies Conference on their home turf. Billed Respect the Technique: Last Night a DJ Saved my Life, the Washington, D.C. event centers disc-jockeying as a foundational force in Hip Hop culture, highlighting the artistry, innovation, and cultural impact of DJs and producers across generations and global contexts. From the art form’s origins to the digital age, DJs and producers have shaped sound, community, and cultural movements in profound ways—this conference brings together three days of panels, interactive workshops, performances, film screenings, and networking all around that. Take a gander at the full impressive program here.

We’re on Sunday, November 15 at 10:30am (session poster below), blabbering about “The Birth of a Word Jockey? A Critical Appraisal of Lupe Fiasco’s TextFX AI-Tool Experiment”. In other words, discussing a so-called walkthrough method of the Chicago MC‘s TextFX project in partnership with Google. Pull up if you can!

Before we peace out, be sure to peep this recent journal article we published in the mighty International Journal of Sport Communication—dabbling in similar topics as the video presentation above. Hit us up at everythingmustswing@gmail.com if you’re interested in a full copy. End of plugs.

We’d like to thank you sincerely for taking the time to read this and we hope to feel your interest again next time.

AV