My sister the computer programmer benefitted early in her career because she was an excellent writer. She was so good at taking notes that people would invite to her important meetings so there would be a good record, and people would consult her about important topics covered during those meetings. My brother the electrical engineer…
Peter spent the day at a chess tournament — the biggest he’s participated in yet. He won three games and lost one, and won a trophy for “Under 800” — but the trophy plaque has a curious misprint. Similar:Lighting really makes a difference! A glimpse into the captain's ready room, off the offic… AestheticsFrozen (Greensburg…
I already have some handouts on writing titles for web pages and writing titles for college papers. I don’t (at the moment) have a full handout on writing headlines for news stories. In this age of clickbait (“Clickbait Tactics Drive the Writing of Headlines on ABC News,” 2015), revisiting Poynter’s advice on writing traditional news…
Similar:The chief engineer has a forward-facing station, on a platform above the technical staff c…PersonalEvita in Zelionople CultureDress Rehearsal for "My Son Pinocchio"My wife, daughter, and I waiting to star…AmusingDatalore (TNG Rewatch, Season 1, Episode 12) Data's bro wants to be with a big crystal tr…In “Datalore,” an encounter with Data’s …CultureMy laptop hard drive…
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:Geometry and color maps for wooden desk tray. #Blender3D #practiceThe blue image is a “normal map,” which …AestheticsStoryNexus: building your own adventure gamesIf you’re a veteran gamer you’ll remembe…CybercultureOregon Trail: How three Minnesotans forged its pathRawitsch, a…
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:VIRUS DIARY: For these kids, no adventures to choose BURKE, Va.…
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:My son teaching chess to a young pupilCultureBeam me up, Chewie!AwesomeIt’s that time again.PersonalThe girl told me to post this with the caption, “The Addams Family Goes to the Big League….PersonalHappy Easter!PersonalNext up for the girl: Amy, the youngest sister, in Little Women: The Broadway Musical. Nov…Personal
Similar:Why ‘Cats’ the Movie Fails So FlamboyantlyI can’t seem to get into superhero movie…AestheticsA Christmas Carol — new audio adaptationBooksThe girl continues her exploration of Scottish history.Carolyn: “Does no one have a kind word f…PersonalI'd like to speak to the manager. Yes, I'll wait right here. The manager is of course somewhere e…AestheticsCrabby 9yo…
Similar:In July 1999, I was blogging about Dante's ashes, Apollo 11, gender-neutral language, and …In July, 1999, I was blogging about: …CultureNested (procedurally generated game of expanding drop-down lists)A text game that you play by opening fol…AwesomeWhy Do So Many People on YouTube Sound the Same?So it turns out the “YouTube voice” is j…Culture'Nope,' He…
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:There, in my morning snapshot of the kids home-schooling in the kitchen, is the cable I sh…EducationIn Which I Bow Before the Mistress of Teen SnarkThe Girl: I’m sorry I’m being so… Me:…CultureI haven't seen this show since freshman year at Bishop Denis J O'Connell High Sc…PersonalMe (glares in iambic pentameter)Me: I need to…
Similar:The future is in interactive storytellingAn interesting piece. Easy-to-learn hype…AestheticsThe girl continues her exploration of Scottish history.Carolyn: “Does no one have a kind word f…PersonalYou Are Not a Digital Native: Privacy in the Age of the InternetCory Doctorow tries to wake young people…BusinessI created about a dozen basic building shapes, with textures to add variety.…
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 Americans DieFantastic data visualization. How Ameri…CultureNational Day on WritingNCTE, the National…
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:Rossum's Universal Robots (Act 1) Artistic ProsperityThe first act of Artistic Prosperity’s v…CultureLook…
Similar:The Key To Better Work? E-mail Less, Flow MoreWhat the researchers found was that the …BusinessFeeding a Neighbor's LambsA neighbor invited us over to help feed …AmusingSiblings gotta sib.PersonalGo not to the elves for counsel, for they will say both no and yes.First runner-up for the girl’s Halloween…AestheticsApple faces threat of legal action over…