‘Heil Trump’ and an anti-gay slur were scrawled on an Indiana church right after Trump’s election. The investigation led to an unlikely suspect — and the discovery of a hate crime hoax.

A well-written news story, covering a sensitive subject. The graffiti in rural Indiana became a national sensation, part of a string of high-profile hate crime reports in the wake of Donald Trump’s victory. Late-night television host Stephen Colbert featured an image of one of the tagged walls during a monologue. The church’s priest, the Rev.…

Narrating “A Christmas Carol” for WAOB Audio Theatre. (The four episodes will be released in the days leading up to Christmas.)

Similar:Watching Livestreamed Prime Stage Theatre's "Miracle in Rwanda"A very moving performance. So many chara…DramaTopical Satire Is Not "Fake News."While I’ve been preparing to teach a cla…AmusingAn Unexpecting MinorityTruthfully, I expected my new department…AcademiaOur family has seen David Whalen in the persona of Sherlock in five or six different shows…Our family has seen David Whalen in…

“This Is Probably Going to Kill Us:” How First ‘Star Trek’ Movie Avoided Disaster

This article left out someone important! Reassembling the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise (Shatner as Kirk, Leonard Nimoy as Spock, DeForest Kelley as McCoy, George Takei as Sulu, Nichelle Nichols as Uhura and Walter Koenig as Chekov) years after the end of its five-year mission — with added, pivotal Starfleet characters Decker (Stephen Collins) and Ilia…

A full minute standing ovation after that rousing final “Alleluia.” Thrilling!

Similar:The daughter is doing another thing, this time in Galway, Ireland. AestheticsFall 2020 Midterm Grades: SUBMITTEDPersonalDress rehearsal for The Nutcracker.AestheticsI am happy with how this turned out. My mother told me about this story when I was little,…PersonalUsing a Typewriter Simulator to Teach Media HistoryWorking on the syllabus for my “Media an…CultureRandom eye candy for…

This class has been everything that I expect it would be and I cannot believe that we are so close to its end.

Some days are slogs. Some weeks are slogs. Some weeks are slogs that end with a wonderfully heartening comment from a student. I will not deny that I was a little worried about reading Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet as I know that they are two of Shakespeare’s most famous plays and I feared that…

How Artists on Twitter Tricked Spammy T-Shirt Stores Into Admitting Their Automated Art Theft

Yesterday, an artist on Twitter named Nana ran an experiment to test a theory. Their suspicion was that bots were actively looking on Twitter for phrases like “I want this on a shirt” or “This needs to be a t-shirt,” automatically scraping the quoted images, and instantly selling them without permission as print-on-demand t-shirts. Dozens of…

My Freshman Comp Student Didn’t Recognize the Term ‘Word Processor’

Most of my students use MS-Word, but maybe a third use Google Docs (that’s a big increase lately) and a handful (but a bigger handful) use Pages. Today during a writing conference, a freshman comp student blinked in confusion when I asked her to “take me to your word processor.” I tried again. “Open up…

The Most Unexpected Workplace Trend Coming in 2020: the Return of the Liberal Arts Major

On LinkedIn each year author Dan Schawbel writes a list of workplace trends to watch for in the coming year. This time around Schawbel makes this prediction about degrees in subjects like literature, philosophy and history: “AI will automate technical skills and drive the demand for soft skills like creativity, communication and empathy. While there’s been such a…

Shakespeare's Will

Similar:Something to Ponder — Let Me Fix That Meme For YouArtMore #steampunk control panels. Recessed workstations with fold-down keyboards. #blender3d…PersonalOops. I’m going to bed now. I’ll fix it tomorrow.Oops. I’m going to bed now. I’ll fix it …AestheticsI just thought of a time before you were born when I should have been kind, but I…

The Dauphin (ST:TNG Rewatch, Season 2, Episode 10)

A pretty 16yo destined to bring peace to a war-torn planet falls for Wesley, but 1) her governess disapproves and 2) well… Wesley. The puppy-love story is cringe-worthily wholesome (influenced by the long dark adorable shadow of “The Wonder Years”), but still enjoyable.

Last day filming for “The First Night of Summer”

Similar:A student who is writing her research paper on Taylor Swift made a passing reference to Ka…PersonalGet Hands-on Writing Experience.AcademiaMy student journos are meming it like bosses.PersonalPublic service announcement! If you are feeling awkward at a social event and you see me t…AwesomeSo glad to be attending another live theatrical production. @quantumtheatre never disappoi…Projections, live…

That Uplifting Tweet You Just Shared? A Russian Troll Sent It

Professional disinformation isn’t spread by the account you disagree with — quite the opposite. Effective disinformation is embedded in an account you agree with.

Big Calculator: How Texas Instruments Monopolized Math Class

My math education predated the widespread use of graphing calculators. I remember writing my own BASIC programs to graph simple functions, but that was in a summer school programming class during middle school, not part of my high school curriculum. I’m amazed these old calculators cost this much. Bulky and black, with large, colorful push…

Elsa at noon. College “Intro to Chemistry” in the afternoon. Amy March at night.

Similar:I just finished recalibrating the port scanner station and lookout post. If you need help … AestheticsHappy Easter 2016PersonalLaying out our anti-socialization defenses & cleaning out the penitence shack for anot…Visiting Fort Ligonier. When the girl…CultureA pie slice from the ring surrounding the ballroom, from the #steampunk bedtime stories I …AestheticsWeird History offers a good…

Greensburg Holiday Parade

Similar:At the chess club holiday party. Peter looks forward to his Wednesday…GamesDress rehearsal for The Nutcracker.AestheticsThe boy plays chess with his uncle before seeing The Fantasticks.PersonalAnd so it begins.BooksWhen your January term starts Dec 18. #partylikeaprofAcademiaMe as a highshool photo-bomber, I presume at the cast party for The Music Man.Drama

Little Women (the daughter plays Amy, the youngest sister)

Similar:I almost cried when I saw this entrance to the children's section of the Kansas City …PersonalAnother section of #steampunk control panel. #neovictorian #design #aesthetics #blender3d …AestheticsStuffed planet Venus, made for me by my dear mother, around 1974.AestheticsI had a blue checked shirt in my hand this morning, but she nailed the khaki pants.PersonalMaking a…

Point Park cancels ‘The Adding Machine: The Musical’ after student objections to offensive content

Citing student objections to offensive content, Point Park University canceled its production of The Adding Machine: The Musical, which was scheduled to run Dec 6-15. The PPU Globe reports that during an emotional “town hall” meeting that included the cast and crew and more than enough members of the public to fill the Highmark Theater,…

Little Women (Thurs-Sun)

Similar:Haven (TNG Rewatch, Season 1, Episode 10) When a low-stakes rom-com shows Troi's beau and …Rewatching Star Trek: The Next Generatio…MediaFeeding a Neighbor's LambsA neighbor invited us over to help feed …AmusingMy journalism students just gave me this wristband: "What would Jerz do? / Verify or duck…. AestheticsTo DoTo Do (Jerz’s Literacy Weblog) 5: …AcademiaYes I…

Celebration of Writing Fall 2019

Similar:At the chess club holiday party. Peter looks forward to his Wednesday…GamesReally enjoyed watching Your Name with the family. Visuals hooked me, but the story kept m…AestheticsI just picked up both Aslan's How and Cair Paravel. #narnia #monopolyPersonalPreview of "The Fantasticks" (thanks, Tribune-Review, for covering the arts community)For Luisa, Jerz’s character, “the world …CultureMy English…

Before and after making a meme of myself as Oberon, King of the Faeries

Similar:West Side Story — 50 Years AgoWhen West Side Story opened on Broadway …CultureA vacation minibar story from 20 years ago.PersonalMore #steampunk control panel goodness. This section features a nice retro pixelboard text…One of many steampunk control panels I’v…AestheticsLie to Me: Fiction in the Post-Truth EraI’m trying to remember what it was like,…Books10 journalism resources…