I haven’t taught a developmental course at SHU, but when I teach freshman writing, I often encounter students who struggle with the transition from high school to college writing. Those who were praised all their lives as good writers can tell good personal stories, and they can deploy accurate summaries of non-controversial, “correct” facts. I give…
Saturday, Donald Trump tweeted that he knew Flynn lied, and that’s why he “had to fire” him. Critics immediately raised concerns, noting that if Trump did in fact know Flynn had lied, then Trump’s request that FBI Director James Comey “let this go” amounts to an obstruction of justice. Sunday, Trump’s lawyer John Dowd told…
Pop quiz for public relations 101. Scenario 1: You run a wildly popular app that incorporates video with a live host. You learn that a reporter is writing a personality profile of your host. Do you offer some cheerful quotes and then make a note to get your host to sign a new contract that handles…
Similar:Symbiosis (TNG Rewatch, Season 1 Episode 22)Rewatching Star Trek: The Next Generatio…Culture"I think the Exposition Officer's bridge station might have too many control pan…PersonalYes, we will see almost anything branded Sherlock Holmes.PersonalWhen you accidentally send a "Dear Satan" letter.My family and I are in the voice cast of…PersonalI’ll be seeing the final performance tomorrow. @bigstormpcI’ll…
Similar:Me (glares in iambic pentameter)Me: I need to post the opening lecture f…AcademiaHappy Easter!PersonalWaiting for a talk on preserving artifacts from NASA’s Apollo program So much to see at the Heinz History Ce…CultureBird flight simulator. The boy goes for altitude and distance, the girl does stunts.In the bird-flight simulator at the Pitt…CybercultureMask up.PersonalAnother delightful section…
During the original run of Star Trek: The Next Generation, my college roommate and I invited our friends over to our duplex for Star Trek parties. Our local TV station ran the show at midnight Sunday, which was a terrible time, but we sometimes had 30 people over. Though we kept in touch virtually, I…
Yesterday, I asked my students, “How many of you spent $4 on a cup of coffee in the last month? How many have spent that much to support local news?” “If people don’t get local news, they don’t know what’s going on in their community. If they don’t know what’s going on in their community,…
Similar:I'm nerdy enough to give my 15yo a used copy of "The Hero with a Thousand Faces." I’m nerdy enough to give my 15yo a used …BooksI filed my grades early. I shall now, briefly, do something irresponsible.Grades submitted. I’ll reward myself wit…PersonalMisleading to suggest that because I have nothing left to mark that I…
Similar:Learning How to Love My Daughter Image description: A teen girl in a …CultureA stranger took this photo of my parents doing their daily crossword together in a cafe.A stranger took this photo of my parents…CultureYou can be a Trek fan without loving TOS. But if we think tolerance and empathy are good t…I was…
Similar:The boy is visiting the Prohibition exhibit @HistoryCenter while I continue at NeMLA.PersonalThe poetry of deafnessMy auditory processing disorder makes it…AestheticsI apologize for this one. R2-D2 stars in Andrew Lloyd Weber's musical CATS.PersonalMy son showed me #PacificRim.My son showed me #PacificRim. Liked the …CybercultureMore #blender3d #cgi practice. Added workstations underneath the chief engineer's sta…PersonalToday's workload…
This looks like a deliberate attempt to plant a “fake news” story, presumably in order to discredit the Washington Post for falling for it. Verify, verify, verify. The Post did its homework, and did not fall into the trap. Sadly, this story will be used to discredit people who come forward with legitimate sexual assault…
I spend a lot of time re-educating my students, assuring them that my job as a college professor is not to give them a checklist, and then award points for each item they ticked off correctly; nor is my job to teach to a test. Shortly after I started teaching in my current job, a…
Similar:While at Sadecky's Puppets to record the role of Heidi, Carolyn met a new friend.We spent Sunday afternoon at the Sadecky…AestheticsSolitaire ChessSpent a relaxing evening in playing soli…AmusingMy colleague Dr. Cusick bakes Irish soda bread every year to honor Saint Patrick's Day.AcademiaYour first test layout of medieval city streets will be your worst. #blender3d…
I’m frustrated by these accursed conference proposal maximum word counts. (10) Curse you, conference proposal word limits. (6) Damn proposal word counts!! (4) Cut wherever possible. (3) Trim wordiness. (2) Simplify. (1) Actually, that helped. Back at it. Similar:Thirteen seconds. Dozens of bullets. One explosive photo.Forget for a moment that the picture is …CultureWhere No…
Did you share fake news from Russia during the US Presidential election? Grudgingly following up on a Congressional order, Facebook will permit you to jump through hoops to find out. Because Facebook apparently does not have the technology to insert items of its choosing directly in user feeds, the social media company has helpfully provided…
A few minutes ago I heard about HQ for the first time, through a friend’s Facebook post. An item or two down in my feed I saw a different FB friend had linked to this story. The Daily Beast describes a tense encounter with a CEO who calls a reporter, threatens to fire his own…
Editor and columnist Jonah Goldberg questions his fellow conservatives who call for the resignation of Al Franken (a Democrat; junior senator from Minnesota), equating the allegations against him with the allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, all the while downplaying the serious allegations against Roy Moore (a Republication; Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of…
I have nothing against essays, but not every writing task requires an essay. I tell my students they will be more successful if they produce a narrative personal essay because it’s the right genre for the occasion, not because it’s the only genre they feel comfortable writing. This handout is my latest attempt to help…
Similar:Adam Bard shaves off half his hair and beard on opposite sides for unique driving licence …Something I might want to do one day, be…AestheticsCollege student makes masks for the deaf & hard of hearing Other than one trip to the grocery sto…Current_EventsJournalists play a vital role in a democracy. That sometimes includes serving…
The other day I found myself very annoyed at how much headspace was occupied by a free game I had downloaded on my phone. So I deleted it. I still go into fight-or-flight mode when I’m drafting a text and a phone call comes in. I like to page through the my notebooks full of…