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:The Hidden Feminist Messages in 'Schoolhouse Rock!'Hidden? Sure, but certainly not accident…AcademiaFair use prevails as Supreme Court…
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:The daughter experiences her birthday cookie AestheticsGrumpy Gamer – Happy Birthday Monkey IslandI guess Monkey Island turns…
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:Salesman at Pittsburgh Public Theatre. PersonalCreating textures for background buildings in a medieval theater simulation project. I can…Creating textures for background buildin…Aesthetics'Dream' casting a family affairAmong actors in Cabaret Theatre’s upcomi…CultureStage Right spreads the gospel of music with 'Godspell'The Tribune-Review is very dependable in…Current_EventsSunny but cool. Great day for a long walk with my son.PersonalI asked…
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:The problem with blog comments, in 5 images.After I read Mark Sample’s blog post “Wh…AcademiaJournalism In The Service of Democracy: A Summit Of Deans, Faculty, Students And Journalis…This morning in my mail I found an attra…CyberculturePicture…
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:Over time, Google has made paid ads harder to spot In…
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:What blogging wasI’ve maintained this blog since the spri…CybercultureLooking forward towards the wardroom (center) and the officers' pub, the Gear and Hea…AestheticsUnmarked assignments in my queue: 0This app, which sports a little red noti…AcademiaStill in her make-up from her scene as Marley's ghost, with script in hand standing i…PersonalWhen you accidentally send a "Dear Satan"…
Similar:If I don’t stock the officers’ pub on my #steampunk #fantasy #CGI flagship, who will? (All…PersonalStar Trek Beyond was an enjoyable nerdy family outing.PersonalTWEEN GIRL: "What's a tribble?"TWEEN GIRL: “What’s a tribble?” MY GE…PersonalMy Polish grandmother used to bake these cookies, which my wife picked up at a Ukranian fe… My grandmother shaped …AestheticsHearing…
Similar:How Bill Gates pulled off the swift Common Core revolutionWhile I appreciate the efficiency of uni…CultureDo you remember Harry Monster counting with adorable little John-John? Watch this 2 min cl…https://twitter.com/ValaAfshar/status/15…AmusingProfessional or college Shakespeare productions in the Pittsburgh area this fall?Does anybody know of any local (within a…Academia14% of Americans [say that they] have changed their…
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:Carolyn at about 7yo drew Titania in love with Bottom. #tbt #midsummerArtHelp! I may be running out of excuses for not wearing…Help! I may be running out of excuses fo…CultureCelebration of Writing Fall 2018PersonalEpilogue to Rossum's Universal RobotsMy big finish as Alquist in a Zoom-based…DramaIt's such a privilege to introduce these young people to…