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:How to interact with the introverted…My daughter spends a lot of time with he…DesignBasic details for #medievalyork city walls for a forthcoming scholarly theatrical project….Basic details for #medievalyork city wal…PersonalHamlet. #tobePersonalReplica of George Washington’s field camp. @fortligonierReplica of George Washington’s field cam…PersonalBusy with Midterm GradesPosted midterm grades for the most labor…AcademiaMy meeting was cancelled, so…
Similar:Little Women (the daughter plays Amy, the youngest sister)PersonalFight choreography via teleconference. As You Like It @steelcityshakespearePersonalMy son teaching chess to a young pupilCultureMy English major skills crushed the girl in Bananagrams.Wildcard? You mean quitter tile! GamesMy student journalists sport their fashionable “What Would Jerz Do?” wristbands.AcademiaSports Meant So Much to Me. Why Wouldn’t My…
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:The Tribune-Review published a nice preview of Dani Girl.My daughter Carolyn, Matthew Hommel, Vin…DramaShe’s on her way to the @thepublicpgh for two shows today as Margot in Dial M for Murder.She’s on her way to the @thepublicpgh fo…AestheticsCan you really say you’ve designed #neovictorian uniforms for a fantasy #steampunk cruiser…AestheticsSame photo, two different interpretations.This is why…
Similar:Unmarked papers today. How it started, how it's going.PersonalAnother fun 10 sq cm of a #neovictorian #steampunk control panel. #elegance #design #aesth…AestheticsA rare win for Dad. CultureProgress (#StarTrek #DS9 Rewatch, Season 1, Episode 15) Kira befriends a stubborn squatterRewatching ST:DS9 Dax and Kira are ch…CultureFamily ( #StarTrek #TNG Rewatch, Season Four, Episode 2) Picard Retreats to…
Similar:Journalists play a vital role in a democracy. That sometimes includes serving the public b…PersonalCelebration of Writing — a big presentation day for freshman writing classes.PersonalA Grave Tale (a short story I narrated for WAOB Audio Theatre)A Grave Tale (WAOB Audio Theatre) Wri…LiteratureI'm having scads of fun designing #steampunk control panels. #blender3d #blender3dart…AestheticsI’m not making…
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:Ground-nesting Yellowjacket WaspsWhile my 16yo son was mowing the lawn wi…CultureWhy scientists should care about artMy artsy daughter loves stories about sc…ArtA few Dwarven Moments in Stage Right's Snow WhiteThe dwarf scenes were a real hoot. …DramaPics from Thursday's dress rehearsal of Shrek: The Musical. This weekend only! @stage…PersonalAdding detail to a #steampunk control…
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:McCain's 2008 Concession Speech: Republicans interrupt their candidate's concession speech…That moment during McCain’s concession s…CultureCode is not…
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:More modular low-poly background buildings. I’ll do some more facades then move to the nex…More modular low-poly background buildin…AestheticsJust in case you can’t find the tweet that Trump, who got trolled for making a rookie erro…This is how the President of the United …PersonalMade it to the closing performance @quantumtheatreDramaEvery day on my fantasy…
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…