How can a nostalgic, branching-path story-game encourage my 100-level journalism students take risks and learn from their mistakes? Using the ChoiceScript programming language, which features a robust stats system that can remember and respond to player choices, I coded up a “writing your first news story for the student paper” scenario, which unfolds as a…
I was approached on LinkedIn with the opportunity to work to help train an AI, for an hourly wage that’s much higher than I would get for teaching an extra class at my university. I thought about it. I told myself it would help me do my job better if I have a clear sense…
Support the humans who make art in your community. Death of a Salesman. #wirerecorderlife #fountainpenlife #howdotheywhipcheese #nobodydastblamethisman #bernardwormrising Similar:Pie, anyone?PersonalRecording Christmas Stories for WAOB Audio TheatreFor WAOB Audio Theater, my family spent …PersonalUgh. Unmarked items waiting for me as I start to recover from an illness.PersonalWhy Were Old Video Games So Pixelated?I get all my…
Beautiful set. Support the humans who do arts in your community (instead of settling for AI sludge.) Similar:Pics from Thursday's dress rehearsal of Shrek: The Musical. This weekend only! @stage…PersonalFall 2025 Grades Submitted!PersonalIgnorance Meets an Invisible DisabilityI’m sure my young, healthy-looking frien…CultureKeeping things in the proper perspective at 4Cs: Praise for my delivery of a…
Vibing to a park saxophonist as I code for an upcoming conference presentation, and wait to see The Coffin Maker. A neighbor is sending some distinctly fruity smoke my way. Similar:The spoils.PersonalI get a little workplace gift as the academic year closes.I get a little workplace gift as the aca…PersonalPut up the Hoop Sooner: 10…
Details for a modular mid-range scoutship, from the #steampunk #neovictorian bedtime stories I used to tell my now-adult children. #blender3d Similar:Inheritance (#StarTrek #TNG Rewatch, Season 7, Episode 10) Data's mom talks a lot, young …Rewatching ST:TNG Within minutes of hea…EmpathyMeet the guys who tape Trump's papers back togetherI tell this old newsroom tale to my…
Proper commenting is an important part of coding any project, especially in an educational context. #ChoiceScript #journalism Similar:An afternoon with Ben Franklin. CultureArsenal of Freedom (TNG Rewatch, Season 1, Episode 21)With an A-plot that comments on the Cold…CultureSpanish dance @laurelballettheater @westmorelandsymphony The NutcrackerDanceI dunno what to call this but it really hit the spot.PersonalA very…
My basement dehumidifier was flashing an error code. YouTube had a tutorial with a possible fix. The thing is running now. Waiting to see whether the error returns. Similar:A very happy geekling playing Dungeons and Dragons on her one free evening. #llapGamesTake a look at the moon tonight!I wish I had the time or energy…
Joel Lipton, 10 years old at the time, wrote to Peanuts cartoonist Charles Schulz. Fast-forward to this past February, when Lipton and his wife were cleaning out their closet. […] “Dear Joel,” the letter reads. “I think it is more difficult these days to define what makes a good citizen then it has ever been…
Apple has apologized, but like writer Peter C. Baker, I’m not quite ready to let go of that really horrifying ad depicting a roomful of beautifully displayed musical instruments, sound gear, art supplies, and even toys being slowly squashed by a huge hydraulic press (ostensibly to highlight the creative potential of the latest iPad). Picture…
I’m very amused at this nerdy news story about some tension between a judge who asks for legible documents and a lawyer who files documents with flasher typography. While I recognize that language changes and the distinction between “font” and “typeface” is unimportant to the general public, I teach my journalism students that historically…
This friendly gangster was parked at WalMart in Johnstown yesterday. Similar:Your first #blender3d retractable #steampunk landing wheels will be your worst. But you ha…Your first #blender3d retractable #steam…AestheticsEnjoying the “Science of Pixar” 3d computer modeling and storytelling exhibit with my son….Enjoying the “Science of Pixar” 3d compu…PersonalPlaying a well-dressed bad guy. PersonalMuch Ado About Nothing (Beatrice…
It’s unlikely to be at the forefront of the former president’s mind as he reflects on the verdict, but one immediate consequence is that Trump will probably lose the honorific title of “Mr” in the news pages of the UK’s Daily Telegraph. The Telegraph’s style guide states: “Defendants in criminal court cases … are to be referred…
Frog and Toad at the Mountain Playhouse with the daughter. Similar:I was briefly excited that Turnitin.com's new app works in a park with no WiFiThen I realized… I’m a guy who gets ex…AcademiaA student who is writing her research paper on Taylor Swift made a passing reference to Ka…PersonalI love my students enough to teach…
She’s wearing a shirt with a frog. We are in town to see the Frog and Toad musical. This seemed logical. Similar:My Father's Day adventure included replacing the family gaming computer (a 2011 Mac Mini…..One of the benefits of working at Seton …AcademiaRecording Christmas Stories for WAOB Audio TheatreFor WAOB Audio Theater, my family spent…
At the Johnstown Flood Museum. (May 31 1889 the neglected dam at the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club broke, unleashing devastation on the valley below.) Similar:A news site used AI to write articles. It was a journalistic disaster. Artificial intelligence has been deplo…BusinessSummer photos of the daughter.PersonalThings I will tell my kids if they…
Your first #blender3d retractable #steampunk landing wheels will be your worst. But you have to start somewhere. Similar:Bother (a minor Turnitin.com grademark bug)That whole thing should be a link — the…AcademiaMy wife Leigh will direct the small-cast drama "Full Bloom" Aug 30-Sep 2My wife Leigh received a Pennsylvania Co…ArtUnfinished pine and not so ornamented, for…
My contribution to WAOB Audio Theatre’s plan to record all the proverbs. Similar:Track and field fundraiser:photo by Carolyn. FIRST ONE!!!PersonalThis happened the last time an eclipse was visible in the area. My students left the room,…Pinhole projection. PersonalSports writing: Once a passion, now merely a jobOnce, working for an online sports secti…BusinessProfessor teaches class of…
Already facing scandal, the Washington Post‘s new-ish CEO and publisher, Will Lewis, has announced that the newspaper will be pivoting to artificial intelligence to turn around its dismal financial situation. […] The paper’s chief technology officer, meanwhile, announced to staffers that going forward, WaPo is to have “AI everywhere in our newsroom,” according to Tani. It’s unclear,…
Three different sized buildings. Still working on variations for the biggest one. #blender3d #medievalyork #mysteryplay Similar:Prototypes in Technical Writing: What are They?Many a high school student has muddled t…AcademiaWhat blogging wasI’ve maintained this blog since the spri…CybercultureShakespeare's WillPersonalI accidentally did too much DuoLingo. I don't want to advance to the harder league. Come o…EducationMaking more…