‘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:Doctor Bashir, I Presume #StarTrek #DS9 Rewatch (Season 5, Episode 16) Smarmy hologram des…Rewatching ST:DS9 Quark watches with …AmusingChecking sources back in 2006 involved using this *steampunk* contraption.Research Before Google Books AcademiaAnother square of #steampunk control panel eye candy. #blender3d #blender3dart #design #a…AestheticsI both like and hate that Canvas tracks the number of unmarked assignments…

“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:Today's 10 sq cm of a #steampunk control panel (background greebles for a personal project…AestheticsCarolyn as Luciana in the PPT Shakespeare Summer Intensive DramaModular low-poly medieval buildings. Ground-level storefronts have more detail than the up…Modular low-poly medieval buildings. Gro…AestheticsA performance, two auditions and a cast party. #busyweekendPersonalEclipse!PersonalThe Tribune-Review published a nice preview of Dani Girl.My daughter…

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:I pulled out a shelf on my teaching station and was greeted by this lovingly arrayed arsen…PersonalThe daughter opens another show. This weekend only.The daughter opens another show. This we…PersonalLecturing is So Much Easier than Leading a DiscussionLecturing is So Much Easier than Leading…AcademiaMy students were awesome. So many thoughtful final projects. So much growth.…

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:The Woman in BlackLast night’s preview was a layered treat…CultureAfter you finish your brass-polishing shift, join me at the Gear and Heart to swap stories…AestheticsFallout Monopoly with the boy. PersonalTaking a break from my syllabustering in order to design some stairs. I’ve learned so much…Taking a break from my syllabustering in…PersonalCan't upload photos to Facebook from…

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:Another visit to downtown Pittsburgh with my history-loving son.CultureI can’t fix this broken world but I guess I did okay using #blender3d to model this wedge-… AestheticsDelightful #steampunk #neovictorian control panel. #blender3d #blender3dart #design #aesth…One of many steampunk control panels I’v…AestheticsThe exposition officer needs instant access to a pencil case, logbook and mission-critical…AestheticsPict Classic Theatre…

Greensburg Holiday Parade

Similar:Still shot from a flyover video that's been taking about 3 minutes to render each fra…AestheticsMy Son Plays Mozart Too Fasthttps://youtu.be/gXAtRI1NLxs He says “M…AmusingApple Hill Playhouse is closing, leaving theater group seeking new homeConfiguring socially distanced seating a…BusinessCreated a new graphic for an existing handout on writing editorials.The “lead editorial” represents the offi…EmpathyUnfinished pine and…

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

Similar:Cheerful scene from @pictclassictheatre Jane Eyre (getting great reviews; 11 more performa…PersonalWhile at Sadecky's Puppets to record the role of Heidi, Carolyn met a new friend.We spent Sunday afternoon at the Sadecky…AestheticsI just installed the "Old Layout for Facebook" plugin for Chrome.I just installed the “Old Layout for Fac…CybercultureAnime Treatment of Star WarsI am not…

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:Chapbooks — the latest assignment in my “History and Future of the Book” class.Students have already done a 400-word sp…AcademiaMy parents doing their daily crossword puzzle.PersonalGreensburg Holiday ParadePersonalFaculty assembling in launch tube beneath Salvitti Gym. #classof2017 @setonhilluniversityPersonalI just thought of a time before you were born when I should have been kind, but I can't…

Celebration of Writing Fall 2019

Similar:Full Bloom opens tonight.PersonalThe Toulmin model for analyzing arguments came up at a faculty pedagogy workshop today. I … AcademiaSam Shepard Giggles, Doesn't GoogleI wrote my undergraduate honors thesis o…CybercultureWho choked up while reading aloud Sagan’s “Pale Blue Dot” during a lesson on creative nonf…Who choked up while reading aloud Sagan’…PersonalIt was Mrs. White with…

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

Similar:We don’t need more STEM majors. We need more STEM majors with liberal arts training.A chemist celebrates the liberal arts. …AcademiaOverflow seating for the 50th anniversary of the canonization of #elizabethannseton @seton…PersonalStarship Down #StarTrek #DS9 Rewatch (Season 4, Episode 7) During a battle with the Jem'Ha…Rewatching ST:DS9 An enjoyable “crisi…EmpathyCoding Sucks: Why a Job in…