Connecting with the Boy

Today my son asked me to take him shopping for his favorite foods. He’s tired of fast-food take-out. I told him I was busy today running the spotlight for and videotaping yet another one of Carolyn’s performances (this time her voice teacher’s summer revue).
The poor boy has been left at home a lot while the rest of us did so much theater over the summer. He competed in a chess tournament last week. I fell asleep in the next room. He came in second place. (I have no pictures. I’m a bad father.)

Annie Sullivan on teaching: 

Helen Keller, rendered blind and deaf after an infection as a toddler, learned the gift of language from her patient and determined teacher, Annie Sullivan. Their story is told in the play The Miracle Worker (and my daughter plays Helen in three more shows this weekend at Latrobe’s Cabaret Theatre). As a young woman Helen Keller…

Star Trek Beyond was an enjoyable nerdy family outing.

Similar:Looking forward to what looks like an exciting evening of dance.PersonalSnape and Ginny at the Hogwarts Club event.PersonalSecret Mouthwash Dance Exposed as FraudRecently, while getting the kids ready f…Amusing45m into a game against a player ranked 400pts higher than him. In a frilly shirt for the …CultureBeautifying the exterior of the fantasy cruiser from the…

How Different Cultures Understand Time

Business Insider calls this article an “anecdote… provided by linguist and cross-culture studies expert Richard Lewis.” The article provides several direct links to other works by Lewis, including an Amazon link for his book and an advertisement for the services he offers to businesses. The article makes many unsourced claims, and assumes that all Americans…

NOT a scene from The Miracle Worker.

Similar:Outsiders. Four sold out matinees this coming week. — Prime StageFour sold out matinees this coming week….BooksThe Fantasticks (Oct 18-27)PersonalEach building in my #medievalyork simulation has four levels of detail (so that distant ob…AestheticsEvery conversation between a parent and a child, in four conversations. (Slate)This whole item applies very well to one…AmusingMy journalism students just…

Late night set construction for The Miracle Worker.

Similar:The Offspring (StarTrek:TNG Rewatch, Season Three, Episode 16) Data Experiences FatherhoodRewatching ST:TNG after a 20-year break….CybercultureHomeschool prom 2017PersonalDuet (#StarTrek #DS9 Rewatch, Season 1, Episode 18) Kira is convinced an ailing Cardassian…Rewatching ST:DS9 Kira is convinced s…CultureJitney ( #AugustWilson #CenturyCycle, 8 of 10)August Wilson’s Century Cycle >  Spoi…BooksBefore the haircut. PersonalYour first attempt at a medieval gate…

The Miracle Worker opens tomorrow.

Similar:The Best Word Book Ever, 1963 and 1991.As a child, I obsessed over many Richard…BooksAs a student journo, naturally I covered the visit from Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry…I recall just sort of telling the editor…AcademiaAnother 10 sq cm of #steampunk control panel. #blender3d #blender3dart #relaxing #aestheti…AestheticsThe daughter joined the cast of this show a…

Opens Wednesday.

Similar:Jesus Christ SuperstarI have a daughter who does things. Her n…CultureNerdling spots typo in space exploration textbook.PersonalIf I am not a pedagogical god, at least my marking app has no ungraded submissions. PersonalNerd-buddies”He likes Lord of the Rings, Star Wars *…BooksRepresenting the Humanities at Accepted Students Day.Representing the Humanities at Accepted …PersonalI just thought of a…

Truth Trumps Bias

Trump offers plenty of opportunities for his detractors to criticize him. In the case of BabyGate, it does appear that the media were quick to spread an unflattering story without confirming some key facts. From a reporter seated one row behind the crying baby: “Mom and baby, very much not kicked out, came back to their seat a bit later. The baby was sucking a pacifier, silent.” There’s a little more to the story than the transcript and video suggest.

Kinetic Theatre’s “Hound of the Baskervilles” was hilarious.

Kinetic Theatre‘s production was full of great twists that honor the source material while also smashing the fourth wall. (Carolyn has worked with all three cast members in PICT’s Great Expectations and/or Oliver Twist.) Similar:Star Trek: "Wink Of An Eye"/"The Empath"Amusing, if cynical, reaction to some of…Amusing7 ways for teachers to beat the Sunday bluesTell yourself, I…

While at Sadecky’s Puppets to record the role of Heidi, Carolyn met a new friend.

We spent Sunday afternoon at the Sadecky’s Puppets studio/workshop in Tarentum, Pa. Carolyn recorded an audio track for a musical adaptation of “Heidi,” to be synced with performances of live puppeteers touring across 9 states during the coming school year. Mr. Sadecky, who has been performing with his puppets since the early 80s, was charming…

U.S. Public Wary of Biomedical Technologies to ‘Enhance’ Human Abilities

Americans are more worried than enthusiastic about using gene editing, brain chip implants and synthetic blood to change human capabilities. Majorities of U.S. adults say they would be “very” or “somewhat” worried about gene editing (68%), brain chips (69%) and synthetic blood (63%), while no more than half say they would be enthusiastic about each…

How to Disagree

If we’re all going to be disagreeing more, we should be careful to do it well. What does it mean to disagree well? Most readers can tell the difference between mere name-calling and a carefully reasoned refutation, but I think it would help to put names on the intermediate stages. So here’s an attempt at…

Carolyn as Cosette in the wedding scene in Les Miz. #feels

Similar:Haven (TNG Rewatch, Season 1, Episode 10) When a low-stakes rom-com shows Troi's beau and …Rewatching Star Trek: The Next Generatio…MediaI am a dog and I am a good boy and I am prepping my Spring courses.AcademiaOverwhelmed? Start a new to-do list with "1) Breathe; 2) Make 'to-do' list" Felt momentarily overwhelmed by the da…Culture"Moorish…

Carolyn will portray Cosette Saturday at 2pm with 70 talented Stage Right castmates.

The teen summer camp production of Les Miserables runs at the Palace Theatre Friday at 8:30, Saturday at 2pm, and Saturday at 8:30. Similar:An alternate universeMy plans to use a Chromebook over the we…CultureSpanish dance @laurelballettheater @westmorelandsymphony The NutcrackerDanceThat Uplifting Tweet You Just Shared? A Russian Troll Sent ItProfessional disinformation isn’t spread…CultureNASA: No, The Eclipse…

1949 NBC Radio Adaptation of Orwell’s 1984

Long before the Apple ad, and Michael Radford’s 1984 film version of Nineteen Eighty-Four, there was the 1949 radio drama above. Starring British great David Niven, with intermission commentary by author James Hilton, the show aired on the educational radio series NBC University Theater. —Open Culture Similar:Close Reading: Introduction to a College English SkillI’ve been…

Texture Writer

I’ve only glanced at TextureWriter, but already I wish I had seen it two months ago, so that I could have incorporated it into my online “Digital Storytelling” class. (I’ll use it this fall, though.) Similar:Looking forward towards the wardroom (center) and the officers' pub, the Gear and Hea…AestheticsCode? Not So MuchI teach my journalism students…