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Academia | Education | Essays | Personal | Rhetoric

I didn’t mark a single paper or set foot in a classroom. Here’s why this prof is tired from a hard, productive work day.

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I submitted my final grades a few weeks ago. Yes, it was a great relief. Yes, the pace of my job changes drastically. But I still have plenty of work to do before I get a chance to rest.

Yes, I did take a whole day off last Friday, in order to help move boxes [...]

Academia | Culture | Essays | Ethics | Modding | Rhetoric | Writing

Why Do Men Keep Putting Me in the Girlfriend-Zone?

Great example of satire. Blogging this so I can find it the next time I need a contemporary example (and when I want to start a class discussion about gender).

You know how it is, right, ladies? You know a guy for a while. You hang out with him. You do fun things with him—play [...]

Business | Culture | Rhetoric | Sociology

Why Can’t Millennials Find Jobs?

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Half of hiring managers say wearing attire ill-suited for an interview was one of the biggest mistakes they saw. Others include lack of eye contact (33%), checking phone or texting (30%), fidgeting (26%) and bad posture (22%). Other interview horror stories? Nearly half of hiring managers (44%) said showing up late or on the wrong [...]

Business | Culture | Essays | Literacy | Media | Rhetoric | Writing

Amazon Staff Meetings: “No Powerpoint”

I am not a big fan of traditional slide-show lectures. This is in part because I am not a visual learner, but also because, as a writing teacher, I can see how easily a slide show can fill time without actually informing, persuading, challenging or moving the audience. Students who create slides that summarize what [...]

Academia | Amusing | Education | Rhetoric

PHD Comics: It’s in the syllabus

 

PHD Comics: It’s in the syllabus.

Business | Culture | Ethics | Rhetoric | Sociology | Technology

Texting? Pets? Millennials Are Flunking Job Interviews – CNBC

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The other day, a Facebook friend posted a snapshot of a young store employee absorbed by a smartphone instead of stocking or cleaning. My 15yo has expressed zero interest in Facebook, though my 11yo is irked that some of her preteen friends already have accounts (despite the official 13+ Facebook policy). But soon I will [...]

Academia | Aesthetics | Education | Media | Rhetoric | Science

Higgs Boson Video

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Great video about subatomic particles, from Piled Higher and Deeper.

Aesthetics | Business | Culture | Design | Ethics | Media | Modding | Rhetoric

little drops — Why Dove’s “Real Beauty Sketches” Video Makes Me Uncomfortable… and Kind of Makes Me Angry

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Very insightful…. A reminder that even the much-praised Dove “we are exposing their advertising techniques” campaigns are just that — campaigns, designed to sell a product. (The parent company of Dove also owns Axe, which is blatant in its use of demeaning sexual stereotypes.)

Brave, strong, smart? Not enough. You have to be beautiful. And [...]

Amusing | Culture | Health | Journalism | Modding | Rhetoric

More U.S. Children Being Diagnosed With Youthful Tendency Disorder

Cameron’s psychological problems run even deeper. He can name every one of his beloved, imaginary Pokemon characters, but the plain realities of the actual world he inhabits are an enigma: Ask Cameron the name of the real-life city councilman sponsoring the referendum to renovate the park just across the street from his house–a park he [...]

Academia | Business | Culture | Design | Education | Essays | Ethics | Humanities | Literacy | Rhetoric | Writing

New Test for Computers – Grading Essays at College Level

Imagine writing an essay for a college, and, instead of sparking personal feedback from an expert who spends five or ten minutes per page writing personalized reactions and tips for improvement, your work was never actually read by a human being who could recognize, appreciate, and encourage your accomplishments. Imagine that your essay was instead [...]