Donald Trump has a lot to say about “fake news” — a label he hurls at almost any journalism that portrays him in unflattering light. It seems he’s been using a fake Time magazine cover in his clubs. The news organization has asked him to take down the fake covers. “Donald Trump: The ‘Apprentice’ is…
Are Keds a brand that my college students would recognize as kid shoes? In a handout on how to write short stories, I used “Keds” as a brand name. Should I change that to something like “Spongebob Crocs” instead? Similar:Final week of Pict Classic Theatre's Oliver Twist (NEXTpittsburgh)Today is Carolyn’s day off from Oliver T…BooksMy Freshman…
With each other as validation, we began to articulate the real, dismal and frightening story of life in The O, which had as its unlikely recruiting grounds the 1970s food co-ops of the US Midwest. After a dramatic exit, I wrote the memoir Inside Out (2002). The book was an effort to understand how I,…
How does our 21st century understanding of mental health affect our understanding of Hamlet? As a teacher, I have for decades approached the play like this: If everyone in the audience agrees that Hamlet was sane or Hamlet was mad, then the production was a failure; Shakespeare’s text was ambiguous, and a good production should…
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:A student just booked an appointment to discuss picking up journalism as a second major. E…AcademiaCarolyn had…
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:It's been a Dwarf Fortress afternoon. AwesomeMidterm Grades Submitted.AcademiaGetting there.Getting there.PersonalRemembering James Doohan on his 100th Birthday (found on the Star Trek Wholesomeposting Fa…When I was a kid watching the reruns aft…HistoryLove outdoor theater. Love #Chekhov ! Love #cherryorchard Support the arts in your city. @…Personal"The plain fact is that the planet does not need…
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:Context for Hayles, My Mother was a Computer (Ch 3 & 4)My undergraduates are working their way …AcademiaTime article with clickbaity headline: Web users annoyed by marketing tricksThis Time magazine article is a good one…CybercultureAn English…
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:Now Is the Perfect Time to Memorize a PoemPowerful writing, by…
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:Jaw-dropping moments of insight and humanity. So funny, so edgy, so affirming! I did not e…PersonalI just thought of a time before you were born when I should have been kind, but I can't re… Sometimes when I’m driving along los…AcademiaGil Gerard (1943-2025) I built a model of the two-pronged Sta…CultureMy brother is visiting to…
Similar:Ignorance Meets an Invisible DisabilityI’m sure my young, healthy-looking frien…CulturePopulating my simulation with a crowd. Tweaking and experimenting. #unity3d #medievalyork …PersonalYesterday my wife took this last known picture of our two teenagers. The boy is 20 today.Personal"The Nightmare of Prince Prezelsky"Leigh, Peter, Carolyn and I had fun reco…AmusingThe third Google hit for " #steampunk…
Similar:Letter to the editor: Why our English department deserves more respectI came very close to accepting an offer …Academia'Most Transparent’ White House In History Keeps Majority Of Trump’s Remarks SecretOn the White House website, there is no …Current_EventsPreparing for some serious nerd time with the family this summerSet phasers to “nerd”! This summer I’ll…CultureMore modeling…
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 are many Star Wars references in Dani Girl, so I made this tribute to Tom Jung's 197…CultureHaven (TNG Rewatch, Season 1, Episode 10) When a low-stakes rom-com shows Troi's beau and …Rewatching Star Trek: The Next Generatio…MediaPreteen Acting Scene Version 2 – YouTubeI had a free evening and a copy of Blend…DramaBoy that…