This is a challenging writing task. Presidential biographies are a staple of children’s book publishing, and of classrooms across the country. Nonfiction for children is a surging category, particularly in light of a Common Core mandate that schools put greater emphasis on it in their curriculum. Publishers like Penguin Young Readers, Scholastic and Time for…
All of us with Facebook accounts do work for Mark Zuckerberg. Our tagging, sharing, and liking gives Facebook valuable information that advertisers use to reach us. This article describes how Facebook has been courting news organizations, asking them to provide content tailored to Facebook’s needs. Facebook is not interested in an informed, educated public that…
My kids have never seen The Princess Bride. (This is an odd pop culture gap for my 80s-obsessed girl.) Similar:#PPTPlaytime adaptation of The Merchant of Venice.Top — nonverbal addition with Jessica an…DramaIn Pittsburgh, science gets playfulImagine: sharing a secret with a friend …Aesthetics"Jewish priests do this. It's where Leonard Nimoy got the Vulcan sign," says…
A literary work is a powerful tool for simulating what it’s like to inhabit someone else’s life. Not just tolerating difference, or grudgingly giving “the other side” equal time; but generating real empathy for the diversity of humanity. There is no Frigate like a Book To take us Lands away Nor any Coursers like a…
It’s extremely important to understand what a wide range of people are thinking about, and that includes being exposed to influential ideas that I disagree with. I’d rather not hide from an idea that has power, especially if it turns out I can do something about the issue. The headline is a little misleading… there…
NASDAQ.com throws shade via Reuters: Snapchat is popular among people under 30 who enjoy applying bunny faces and vomiting rainbows onto their selfies, but man yon Wall Street are critical of its high valuation, slowing user growth and lack of profitability. Joel Randewich, NASDAQ.com Similar:Fox lawyers Convince Judge that Fox's Tucker Carlson is "not stating…
Free speech is valuable. It’s dangerous to set the precedent that it’s okay to censor speech as long as you side with the censor and against the position being silenced. A New Jersey school district has suspended a teacher after yearbook photos of two high school students were altered to remove President Donald Trump’s name…
Similar:The girl continues her exploration of Scottish history.Carolyn: “Does no one have a kind word f…PersonalThis long-nelected CD-ROM case tucked away behind my monitor holds almost as many portable…PersonalAnother 10 sq cm of #steampunk control panel goodness. #blender3dart #blender3dAestheticsMy 1951 day DuoLingo streak was fun, but… Ever since DuoLingo announced it…BusinessHappy Easter 2019 Current_EventsA pleasant…
Similar:Bless thee, Carolyn, bless thee! Thou art translated — into a 22 year-old woman. I remember when we got home from SHU’s…PersonalLast event of a busy day downtown. #AgathieChristie #murderontheorientexpressAestheticsFormer student: "I remember sometimes being annoyed with all of our blogging assignments, …A third alum in the last few weeks has c…AcademiaDress Rehearsal for "My Son…
Similar:The chief engineer of a fantasy #steampunk flagship needs a small booth for shift change r…AestheticsFacebook’s push of “related articles” to users without checking credibility draws fireThe links under your friend’s post got y…CybercultureConflict Strategies for Nice PeopleNothing to do with Christmas… just thi…AcademiaHere for the daughter.AcademiaTeaching the First Amendment FreedomsIn an opening lecture, I…
Reserving judgments is a matter of infinite hope. Best case scenario? A virtual reality game that is either based around Portal or Half-Life, or unites the franchises into one experience. Valve has invested heavily in VR and clearly values the technology as an entertainment phenomenon – the Portal demo for Vive is one of the…
Similar:That felt sooo good!PersonalParty Like a Jerz My dad just made us root beer floats.PersonalStar Trek: "Wink Of An Eye"/"The Empath"Amusing, if cynical, reaction to some of…AmusingTips to Improve HappinessKing says many simple and effective tech…CultureBeing a deaf lipreader during a pandemic means increased social anxietyEven social events are a minefield. The …AcademiaHappy birthday to…
Similar:D&D-Themed movie Zero Charisma pits Nerds vs. HipstersMy wife usually gives me nerd-themed DVD…CultureDiaper Money Camaro Comes Home Four Decades Later“While my dad has always spoken lovingly…AwesomeThe Gift of the Magi (by O. Henry; read by Dennis Jerz; We Are One Body Audio Theatre)I recorded this oral interpretation of a…CultureReading Literature on Screen: A Price…
MTV recently ditched the “Best Actor/Actress” awards in favor of “Best Actor,” which suggests the gender-specific term “actress” is less popular among MTV’s target audience. I added that detail, fixed some broken links, and updated the graphic. See Writing Tips: Gender Neutral Language. Similar:How Facebook is killing comedy (and other indie content creators)Facebook has monetized…
With the money I saved by working on the car (watching a lot of YouTube tutorials) I bought a new midrange zoom, in the hopes I won’t miss shots by swapping lenses. And now my camera bag won’t quite zip shut. #ConspicuousConsumption Similar:Back in the groove. I should be able to keep this number headed…
Similar:Feeling Like an Impostor at 49I reminded my Shakespeare students that …AcademiaTwo Steps Down the Interactive Fiction RoadWonderfully detailed analysis of two gro…AestheticsI may or may not make a zapping sound under my breath while phasering your ticket. @prime_… AestheticsAdding details to a clip-art silhouette, for a project that will be released in a…
Similar:Independence of the press: the "essential ingredient of liberty" (Alexis de Tocqueville)CultureA former student contacted me to share her thoughts.A few years ago, I told myself I would s…AcademiaA rare win for Dad. CultureLife in Code and Software (Open Humanities Press)This book explores the relationship betw…AcademiaJust look at the light on this Mary Cassatt paintingAestheticsMoonBot (from…
While doing some spring cleaning around my computer desk at home, I noticed that there are scores of old PC games that are still stacked up within arm’s reach, even though I no longer even use a computer with an optical drive at that workstation. But these are games that have sentimental value for my…
Oppressors deny their own agency and dehumanize their victims by using the passive voice. I want my students to recognize this deliberate strategy, and to look for hidden actors and dehumanized recpients of injustice. (I try to teach about active and passive verbs in a more lighthearted way, but I only bothered to photograph and…
The voice of Wallace has died. The silly, plummy, character-driven steampunk/sitcom hybrid Wallace & Gromit films were a big influence on the tone of the “Captain Gearhart and the Magnificent Blimpship” steampunk bedtime stories I used to tell the kids. Peter Sallis has died at the age of 96, his agents have announced.The actor…