Where is the tipping point?

What if universities stopped buying academic journals, and put the money towards hiring editors who helped their faculty publish their scholarship in their own free, open-source journals? I don’t know how much labour goes into running a prestigious journal, but let’s say all the universities that really need those specialised mathematics journals sat down and…

Most Christians don’t actually care about Starbucks cups. Here’s what we do know.

No Christians in my social media feed care about the design of that cup. Lots of people in my social media feed have reposted stories critical of the silly Christians who get all worked up about the design of the cup. Full disclosure: I don’t drink coffee. [C]ontrary to a few breathless media reports, most Christians…

Reading should not carry a health warning

Similar:Day of Dennis Jerz » Today, a Hand-written Letter about a Stack of Books Trumped a Databas…My first contribution to the Day of Digi…AcademiaIn July 1999, I was blogging about Dante's ashes, Apollo 11, gender-neutral language, and …In July, 1999, I was blogging about: …CulturePrototypes in Technical Writing: What are They?Many a high school student…

Hanging with the rude mechanicals @setonhilluniversity

A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Similar:Coined by Shakespeare? Think againFor years, Shakespeare has been thought …AcademiaI am at that stage of life where I am excited about loading a new dishwasher for the first…PersonalHome Soil (TNG Rewatch: Season 1, Episode 17)The concept was good, and the production…PersonalA support sloop on deck and in the landing bay.…

Surprise: Humanities Degrees Provide Great Return On Investment

The conventional wisdom is that humanities majors are wasting all that tuition money and dooming themselves to lives of underemployment. The conventional wisdom is wrong. Humanities degrees are actually worth well more than the cost of college. […] The present value of the extra earnings that graduates in humanities majors can expect over their lifetime…

Seton Hill takes on Shakespeare’s ‘Dream’

Students in my Shakespeare class will be attending this play. Student actors at Seton Hill University are off on a journey through one of William Shakespeare’s most popular romantic comedies, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Not even the writing style of the Bard — sometimes difficult to master for those new to the playwright’s poetic verse…

Editors and editorial board quit top linguistics journal to protest subscription fees

When I publish as a scholar, my goal is not to make money, but to share my intellectual creation. That’s part of my job description, so my university writes my paycheck with the expectation that I will publish. My publications will have more impact if more people read them. Hiding them behind subscription paywalls will…

‘Star Trek’ TV Series in the Works

I am not sure what I think of this. I’m guessing it will feature new characters in the rebooted universe, but I don’t see any info on that. Who exactly was the audience for this vague announcement? The new Star Trek will introduce new characters seeking imaginative new worlds and new civilizations, while exploring the dramatic…

Every Post-Game Press Conference (Weird Al)

Similar:IOC spokesman: Journalists free to Instagram at Sochi Olympics  Journalists will be allowed to u…BusinessNovel defined: a term used by some students to mean “any text we study in English class”AcademiaIn October, 1999 I was blogging about college application essays, Willie Crowther, and Eli… Jessica found herself wishing that s…AcademiaBooby Trap (ST:TNG Rewatch, Season Three…

After the haircut. The girl seems to like it.

Similar:Grandpa Joe's Candy Store.Sugar rush at Grandpa Joe’s Candy Store….Aesthetics"Oliver Twist" is a story of redemption for PICT Classic Theatre.Carolyn started rehearsals for PICT Clas…BooksAnother 10 sq cm of #steampunk control panel. #blender3d #blender3dartAesthetics8k trimsheets baked as efficient building blocks for my #fantasy #steampunk #cgi cruiser. …PersonalIt's Friday night in July, and I'm jamming with…

Before the haircut.

  Similar:Trimsheets baked with greebly texture goodness add eye-pleasing woodgrain & tech detai…AestheticsUshering The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. @prime_stagePersonalParent: "Why don't you use one of your stress balls?" The girl: "They don't like me."PersonalSoldiers and Sailors Memorial and Museum Another visit to Pittsburgh with my his…CultureSpent the morning in a socially distanced recording…

‘NPR Voice’ Has Taken Over the Airwaves

  In literary circles, the practice of poets reciting verse in singsong registers and unnatural cadences is known, derogatorily, as “poet voice.” I propose calling this phenomenon “NPR voice” (which is distinct from the supple baritones we normally associate with radio voices). This plague of pregnant pauses and off-kilter pronunciations must have come from someplace.…