A new headshot for the girl.

Telling Trump’s Story to Children: For Book Publishers, It’s Tricky

This is a challenging writing task. Presidential biographies are a staple of children’s book publishing, and of classrooms across the country. Nonfiction for children is a surging category, particularly in light of a Common Core mandate that schools put greater emphasis on it in their curriculum. Publishers like Penguin Young Readers, Scholastic and Time for Kids chronicle stories like the rise of Mr. Obama from Illinois state senator to president,…

4 days ago in Books, Culture, Education, Ethics, Government, Writing.

Media Companies Are Getting Sick of Facebook

All of us with Facebook accounts do work for Mark Zuckerberg. Our tagging, sharing, and liking gives Facebook valuable information that advertisers use to reach us. This article describes how Facebook has been courting news organizations, asking them to provide content tailored to Facebook’s needs. Facebook is not interested in an informed, educated public that has access to a wide range of considered opinions. Facebook wants you to spend time…

4 days ago in Business, Cyberculture, Design, Journalism, Media, Social_Software, Technology.

Fathers’ Day: Showing “The Princess Bride”

My kids have never seen The Princess Bride. (This is an odd pop culture gap for my 80s-obsessed girl.)

5 days ago in Current_Events, History, Media, PopCult.

Scholars’ unconvincing case about the value of the humanities (essay)

A literary work is a powerful tool for simulating what it’s like to inhabit someone else’s life. Not just tolerating difference, or grudgingly giving “the other side” equal time; but generating real empathy for the diversity of humanity. There is no Frigate like a Book To take us Lands away Nor any Coursers like a Page Of prancing Poetry – This Traverse may the poorest take Without oppress of Toll…

6 days ago in Academia, Books, Culture, Essays, Ethics, Humanities, Literature, Rhetoric.

Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales wants new Facebook feature to burst ‘filter bubble’

It’s extremely important to understand what a wide range of people are thinking about, and that includes being exposed to influential ideas that I disagree with. I’d rather not hide from an idea that has power, especially if it turns out I can do something about the issue. The headline is a little misleading… there is no new feature, Wales is wishing that such a feature exists. “What I would…

Snap’s share price sinks, trades just above IPO price

NASDAQ.com throws shade via Reuters: Snapchat is popular among people under 30 who enjoy applying bunny faces and vomiting rainbows onto their selfies, but man yon Wall Street are critical of its high valuation, slowing user growth and lack of profitability. Joel Randewich, NASDAQ.com

Teacher suspended after pro-Trump yearbook photos altered

Free speech is valuable. It’s dangerous to set the precedent that it’s okay to censor speech as long as you side with the censor and against the position being silenced. A New Jersey school district has suspended a teacher after yearbook photos of two high school students were altered to remove President Donald Trump’s name on their clothing. Wall Township School Superintendent Cheryl Dyer told News 12 New Jersey on…