A good exploration, in the light of current interest in “fake news,” of the troubled relationship between conservative Christianity’s understanding of truth and secular experts’ understanding of facts. (Mainstream Protestantism and Catholicism have negotiated this difference much more smoothly.) But it wasn’t Christianity, or religious faith itself in general, that helped make Republican voters more likely…
Analyzing humor, as E.B. White famously said, is like dissecting a frog; few people are interested and the frog dies of it. Nonetheless, writing humor is a highly logical exercise — fit idea X into form Y for humorous result Z — and can therefore be broken down in ways that more slippery kinds of…
Similar:What, exactly, am I looking at here? I’m so confused.What, exactly, am I looking at here? I’m…PersonalMedea at Seton Hill University.CultureHappy retirement celebration to two dear colleagues.AcademiaTom Wayman's FAQ on "Did I Miss Anything?"I’ve long been a fan of Tom Wayman’s poe…Academia1776. Binge-watching Liberty's Kids. New this year: Carolyn singing songs from Hamilt…PersonalFantasticks (Theatre…
Art conveys significance; however, much of that significance is constructed by the receiver. That’s why I care less about what a work of art “means” and more about what it “does.” Understanding what a work of art does requires interpretation. The context of a work of art can contribute to the significance of the artwork in surprising…
Similar:Performing as Alquist in ActIII of Rossum’s Universal Robots. (Free Zoom performance of gr…https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL…PersonalLooking forward to more live local theater. (Support the arts!)PersonalI had already created the little utility craft on the lower left, but this weekend I expan…PersonalFolger Shakespeare Library on "The Fate of Ophelia"On my ride into work yesterday, my mothe…Academia'Little Mermaid'…
Similar:Apparently Facebook Doesn't Know Me Very WellI’m actually rather happy at the thought…AmusingNo, Kirk and Uhura didn't share the first interracial kiss on televisionSee Also: Star Trek: The Next Gener…CultureI'm not a big fan of Disney's corporate greed.I’m not a huge fan of Disney, largely be…AcademiaBy the way, humans sent a robot to another planet,…
Phllip Lopate writes a good essay on the challenges of writing a celebrity profile. My take: Just as Plato argued that ideal leaders would be so well-balanced that they would not desire to lead (and thus would not have the power-lust that would enable them to rise above their competitors), it follows that ideal celebrity profile writers would be…
“Doctor dragged off United flight was felon who traded prescription drugs for secret gay sex with patient half his age and took them himself – and he needed anger management, was ‘not forthright’ and had control issues, psychiatrist found,” wrote The Daily Mail this week of Dr David Dao, in probably the longest headline ever…
The language in the official United response to the “re-accommodation” incident deserves some analysis . Flight 3411 from Chicago to Louisville was overbooked. After our team looked for volunteers, one customer refused to leave the aircraft voluntarily and law enforcement was asked to come to the gate. We apologize for the overbook situation. If you “refuse…
Slate has a good article about William “Captain Kirk” Shatner’s involvement with a Twitter incident that involved Autism Speaks, the alleged connection between vaccines and autism, and the ready availability of easily Googled but unreliable “information.” Shatner is a celebrity, which means that he has outsized influence. That he would use his platform to lend…
Similar:Reception after faculty workshop. #partylikeaprofessorPersonalFriday night. What am I doing? #partylikeaprofAcademiaMy big brother and my son facing off at chess. I am outclassed! GamesThat’s water under the bridge! Crowds of NPCs charge across, sweeping the player along. G…That’s water under the bridge! Crowds of…AestheticsRandom gauge design, for background details in a fantasy #steampunk project. #blender3d…
Similar:I love my students enough to teach them the difference between passive voice and past tens…If a goggles-for-brains Lego character c…EducationVery interesting adaptation of Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice. #pptlaytime @thepublicpghCultureLooking forward to this! @thepublicpghLooking forward to this! @thepublicpghDramaAnother homeschool year ends successfully. Here are the kids with their external evaluator…PersonalNo interior yet. Getting there.…
Peter was the lowest-ranked player to enter the tournament, but ended up tied for second place. Similar:My buddy JTK helps me make a key point in my slideshow. #4c18 #b29Putting speaker notes on an iPad is alwa…AcademiaThe daughter was invited back to perform at this year’s Shakespeare Monologue and Scene Co… The daughter was invited…
Similar:I can't really articulate why i enjoy crafting #steampunk control panels, but it's been a …AestheticsEnjoyed making a 3D print of the captain’s chair from the #steampunk bedtime stories I use…Enjoyed making a 3D print of the captain…PersonalSeize the Day!Personal15 Grammar Goofs That Make You Look SillyBeautiful synergy of word and image. Pro…AestheticsWhy Grown-Ups Keep…
This short film reminds us why art matters. Spend 8 minutes watching it. Two heart-wrenching twists, at 5:26 and 5;48 (and the story continues during the closing credits). Similar:Things are not going well when the other king and queen stop by for such an intimate visit…AmusingThe girl will be performing as the Dew Drop Fairy…
A letter, published a few weeks ago, in which the inventor of the World Wide Web discusses personal security, fake news, and political transparency. Today marks 28 years since I submitted my original proposal for the world wide web. I imagined the web as an open platform that would allow everyone, everywhere to share information,…
Similar:Should the AP Really Have Fired This Pulitzer-Prize War Photographer?The original shot caught a Syrian rebel …AestheticsNerd Break! Listening To: Wilhelm Scream / Castle Thunder / Amen Break (While Watching Lig…In order to provide some context for a b…AestheticsSpent the morning in a socially distanced recording studio.PersonalBeautiful News Writing: "Rampaging rooster attacks girl."I don’t want…
Facebook wants you to spend more time on Facebook, so why should they promote links pointing to content that exists outside of Facebook? Facebook’s approach to content control means that communities that use Facebook have to play by Facebook’s rules. Users have limited ability to communicate with Facebook’s administrators when there’s a problem, as we’ve seen…
I am definitely on team revise-to-avoid-using-“they”-as-a-singular-pronoun, but the 2017 edition of the AP Stylebook (the industry standard writing guide for journalists) acknowledges the limited use of “they” as a singular pronoun. As always, the goal is clarity, not rigid adherence to a rule. They/them/their is acceptable in limited cases as a singular and-or gender-neutral pronoun, when…
California’s Ed Chau withdrew his proposed legislation that would have criminalized the willing sharing of “a false or deceptive statement designed to influence the vote” on any issue or candidate. (The Electronic Frontier Foundation objected to the bill: “You can’t fight fake news with a bad law.”) The bill would also make it unlawful for…