Dennis G. Jerz | Associate Professor of English -- New Media Journalism, Seton Hill University | jerz.setonhill.edu Logo

In January 2000, I was blogging about dancing paperclips, the transience of literary judgement, “bafflegab,” and a planned B&N/Microsoft online bookstore

In January 2000, I was blogging about Dancing paperclips and telemarketers A “100 best novels” list published in 1899 Updike’s prequel to Hamlet The “bafflegab” jargon generator “Bookseller Barnes & Noble is teaming with Microsoft to build a new online e-book store.” (but the link is dead) Similar:Testing Facebook ThumbnailWhy does Facebook always use this…

I do not know why this antique service button from my campus cafeteria delights me so.

Similar:iMovie Glitch: Unplug Removable Media before Using iMovieI spent a few hours today working on a v…CybercultureQuidditch Comes to Seton HillwartsVisitors often remark the campus reminds…AcademiaModular support craft from the #neovictorian #steampunk bedtime stories I used to tell my …Modular support craft from the #neovicto…AestheticsAuthor Says a Whole Culture—Not a Single 'Homer'—Wrote 'Iliad,' 'Odyssey'I think…

Over time, Google has made paid ads harder to spot

  In 2007, Google changed the long-standing shaded background indicating the ads section of the page from blue to yellow. In 2008, it then briefly tried a green background before reverting back to yellow. Google continued to test variations of background colors including bright blue and a light violet. In 2010, violet officially replaced the…

Tuxedo Pooh Reads Oscar Wilde

I spent an hour on this. Below is the original version, as generated by imageflip.com, before my edits. Similar:Combined, base color, roughness and metallic passes. #Blender3d steampunk control panel. Aesthetics80 Days review80 Days was my go-to game over the summe…CultureKids Rarely Read Whole Books Anymore. Even in English Class. Twelfth-grade reading scores are a…BooksWe ask…

Dennis G. Jerz | Associate Professor of English -- New Media Journalism, Seton Hill University | jerz.setonhill.edu Logo

During a modest snowfall, I’m passing the time in a public place where someone else has turned on the local TV news. #StormSurge #FearCast #manipulation

Stay tuned for more live footage of StormSurge FearCast Weather Crusaders, standing in the cold, snow blowing in their faces! Media personalities, warning everyone to stay inside, except of course for the media personalities paying back student loans by churning out anxiety-producing live reports like this one! Our own Slick Goodhair, telling you just how…

Me loving my birthday truck, c. 1971.

  I adored this truck, and spelling words with the letters. When I got older, it was the shuttlecraft for my Star Trek figures. Similar:First they came… #kristallnacht @nccheshuFirst they came… #kristallnacht @ncchesh…PersonalMy Minecraft-obsessed tween made this blocky foam pig at art camp. Next up: Stage Right summer musical th…AestheticsA 40sq cm section of a…

Tapdance / jazz music outing with the girl.

Tapdance / jazz music outing with the girl. Here’s a sample of what a Sarah Riech show is like. (Each one is different — lots of improv.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEiQQmMi2nQ Similar:“Let It Go,” Idina Menzel’s Frozen ballad: It sends the wrong message.This author is probably overthinking thi…CultureCat-sitting. Hello, Blue.PersonalSports Meant So Much to Me. Why Wouldn’t My…

Physics simulation demo: crate made up of mostly loose boards. #Blender3d #design #practice

Physics simulation demo: crate made up of mostly loose boards. #Blender3d #design #practice Similar:Web Literacy for Student Fact-Checkers: Four MovesThe confirmation bias describes the very…AcademiaCaptain, the Fake News Detectors are Offline! Slate has a good article about Willi…CybercultureWe were a Neilsen ratings family during the pandemicIn March 2020, just as the lockdown clos…BusinessJournalists prefer plain…

A brief respite from grading.

A brief respite from grading. Similar:You come very close to successfully combining argument and explication here… I recently came across a box of old wr…AcademiaThe Duolingo owl is proud of me.PersonalThe Mom From The Cat in the Hat Finally SpeaksAs a toddler, my son once methodically s…AmusingAdding detail to a #steampunk control panel workstation. #blender3d…

As Twinkle Twinkle is to Suzuki musicians, so is a wooden shipping crate to CGI modelers. #Blender3D #design #practice

I have certainly made more complex scenes, but this time, I modeled each board, getting the grain of the wood at least plausibly right on each face, and placing each nail realistically. Following the workflow for creating game assets, I converted the completely realistic 3D simulation with 3D boards and nails into flat images. The…

As Twinkle Twinkle is to Suzuki musicians, so is a wooden shipping crate to CGI modelers. #Blender3D #design #practice

I have certainly made more complex scenes, but this time, I modeled each board, getting the grain of the wood at least plausibly right on each face, and placing each nail realistically. Following the workflow for creating game assets, I converted the completely realistic 3D simulation with 3D boards and nails into flat images. The…

Snowfall at the White House (Official White House Photo by Tia Dufour, Jan 7) Tweeted by WH on Jan 12

My social media feed was full of people mocking the White House yesterday for publishing a photo titled “First snow of the year!” on a day when Washington had clear skies and freakishly warm weather. What was the Trump administration trying to pull? Why would they publish such a blatant lie? It wasn’t a lie.…

Facebook paid Teen Vogue to run a fake article praising Facebook for “helping ensure the integrity of the 2020 election”

After FB crowed about this super-upbeat story, a notice appeared saying it was a paid editorial, and then the story disappeared. This looks very bad for Teen Vogue, and very bad for democracy. Read story on Boingboing. Similar:Rereading “Writing to Learn”Rereading “Writing to Learn,” William Zi…AcademiaRediscovering Infocom Games With My Kids  Call it the Familyhood…

Feeling classy while I lose.

Feeling classy while I lose. Similar:When you need to record footsteps on a sidewalk, and the carpeted studio has a brick wall.Amusing#medievalyork #blender3d #unity3d #mysteryplay #designMy pageant wagons move! But the script n…AestheticsThe girl as the Spanish Soloist in @laurelballettheater & @westmorelandsymphony The Nutcra…AestheticsSports Meant So Much to Me. Why Wouldn’t My Son Play?I heard…

Freedom of the press is not just important to democracy, it is democracy.

Freedom of the press is not just important to democracy, it is democracy. Some basic concepts: What is Newsworthy? Recent events that are unusual, nearby, have widespread/significant impact, or involve celebrities are more newsworthy than events that are stale, distant, have limited/trivial impact, or happen to average people. (9 min audio.) Objectivity: Traditional journalism reports fairly…

Picking up books for another term

Similar:Star Trek Beyond was an enjoyable nerdy family outing.PersonalJust finished a good literature class discussion on this powerful play.Would love to teach it to healthcare stu…AcademiaRussian Grand Ballet Swan Lake.PersonalCelebration of Writing Fall 2018PersonalSTEM Education Won't Solve the World's ProblemsI love STEM. My SAT score for math was e…AcademiaStage Right's Alice in WonderlandMy daughter shared…

Volunteering at our local food bank

Similar:I played Pseudolus freshman year in college. Haven't seen the show in a while.AmusingUnmarked papers today. How it started, how it's going.PersonalRest assured, there will soon be enough Rey toys to monetize the imaginations of the littl…The problems of female characters being …BusinessFake News Taints Facebook's Trending TopicsIn an experiment conducted over several …CybercultureSad that…