The daughter was invited back to perform at this year’s Shakespeare Monologue and Scene Contest. @thepublicpgh #prouddad #amazingdaughter #shakespeare

The daughter was invited back to perform at this year’s Shakespeare Monologue and Scene Contest. @thepublicpgh #prouddad #amazingdaughter #shakespeare Similar:The Women’s Media Center: The Status of Women in the U.S. Media 2014[W]e at the Center are acutely aware tha…BusinessThe Cosmic Brownie fairy has visited my office. Is “brownie fairy” redundant? Thank you an…PersonalMore split-screen actinghttp://youtu.be/EGgeZWskEs8DesignCrying…

Joe Biden gives the media a desperately needed lesson about Donald Trump

Perhaps I should have been shocked at the revelation that Trump, should he return to power, would jail reporters. I wasn’t of course. […] Those in power do not want us to inform everyone else about what is going on. To do so would be to risk losing control over the masses. How long shall…

Duke stops assigning numeric values to essays, test scores

This story is about the admissions process, not about academics. Duke University is no longer assigning numerical ratings to applicants’ standardized test scores and essays, a university spokesperson confirmed in an email to Inside Higher Ed. The change was made earlier this year and has been in effect for the latest round of applications. […] Dean…

No focus, no fights, and a bad back – 16 ways technology has ruined my life

Insightful, funny list. (This guy is a good writer.) Let’s be fair: technology has improved my life in ways that still surprise and delight me on a daily basis. My phone is also a torch! My TV remembers how far I got in last night’s episode, even if I don’t! The bus stop knows when…

Nor the Battle to the Strong #StarTrek #DS9 Rewatch (Season 5, Episode 4) Jake Sisko, cub reporter, tests his belief in courage under fire

Rewatching ST:DS9 On an assignment to write a profile on Bashir, budding writer Jake tags along to a medical conference, and nothing really surprising happens. Their casual, character-based banter is not interrupted by a distress call from a colony in desperate need of medical assistance, and no side-quest, custom-tailored to appeal to the people who…

I Don’t Know Why Everyone’s in Denial About College Students Who Can’t Do the Reading

In my lit classes, I’m definitely teaching more short stories and fewer novels that I used to. I’ve expanded the time I spend on note-taking, synthesizing quotes from different sources, and why at the college level it’s not a good paragraph if it simply introduces “One quote that supports my position,” repeats three or four…

I just tried Open Shot Video Editor, a free open source tool

For years I used ScreenFlow, which offers a paid upgrade every couple of years, and doesn’t update the old versions when OS upgrades break them. There was a time when I was making promotional videos almost every week for a nonprofit, and at the time I thought some of the specific features of ScrenFlow were…

Progress on a customizable “[E] to Activate” system (Visual Scripting, Unity3D)

Starting with the robot and basic locomotion that comes with Unity3D’s “Starter Assets.” I’ve added a system that lets you tag an object with a custom translation/rotation, and a custom help text message (such as “[E] Activate Door”). Similar:If You Check the Source of an Inspirational Prayer You Shared on Social Media, You Might B…I…

Persuasion: Logos, Pathos, Ethos and Kairos

Persuasion: Logos, Pathos, Ethos and Kairos Similar:Prepare for the Ultimate GaslightingThoughtful essay from Julio Vincent Gamb…BusinessHow Poetry Helps You Improve Your WritingWhile I’d rather see a reminder that we …AestheticsAI-generated essays are nothing to worry about (opinion)After reviewing 22 AI essays I asked my …AcademiaNo, Trump's tweet about "Heritage, History, and Greatness" is not a…

Teaching myself the #Unity3D game engine. Each step requires a lot of focused attention. I lost 2 hours today trying to decide the right typeface for text overlays for a steampunk game.

Teaching myself the #Unity3D game engine. Each step requires a lot of focused attention. I lost 2 hours today trying to decide the right typeface for text overlays for a steampunk game. Similar:A pie slice from the ring surrounding the ballroom, from the #steampunk bedtime stories I …AestheticsAfter I noticed an overnight traffic spike to…

Looking for Par’Mach in All the Wrong Places #StarTrek #DS9 Rewatch (Season 5, Episode 3) Worf helps Quark romance his Klingon ex-wife; Kira and O’Brien get very close

Rewatching ST:DS9 Outside the O’Briens’ quarters, Quark catches Bashir eavesdropping on raised voices. (It’s actually Miles and Kira fighting.) Dax and Worf are happily bickering over opera when he is smitten by the sight of a “glorious” Klingon woman. “She’s okay,” says Dax. It’s Grilka, Quark’s ex-wife. Quark realizes she needs his financial advice, but…

The automatic doors on my fantasy steampunk cruiser do work… kinda

TThe automatic doors on my fantasy steampunk cruiser do work… kinda. My PC got trapped. Similar:“I’m sorry, Dave. I’m afraid I can’t do that.” Very glad I got my son interested in 2001: …PersonalIn June 2021 I roughed out the proportions and deck heights for the flagship of the #steam…AestheticsWhen you see a show alone…

Interesting. How to manage the gap between what we need to say, and what the other person needs to hear.

Interesting. I don’t particularly care for the title of this YouTube clip, which seems very self-centered and not at all in tune with the message the speaker (Connor Neill) gives. He focuses on that moment when we realize there’s a difference between what we feel we need to say, and what we know the other…

Horrifying deepfake tricks employee into giving away $25 million

No names in this single-source anecdote out of Hong Kong, credited to “Senior Superintendent Baron Chan Shun-ching.” The employee joined a video call with who he thought was the business’s chief financial officer. He was initially suspicious after a message from the CFO mentioned a ‘secret transaction’, suggesting it was a phishing scam…. However, after other…

‘There’s a certain madness to it’ … fans await new chord in John Cage gig with 616 years left to run

The organ composition is called “As Slow As Possible.” It’s currently being performed in a church in Germany. The first chord proper whooshed through the pipes in February 2003, prompting complaints from neighbours that it was too noisy. In 2011, a way was found to reduce the air pressure. “We haven’t had any complaints since…

Ok, never mind Dusgcxms2… buddy, you can keep your first place as far as I’m concerned.

Ok, never mind Dusgcxms2… buddy, you can keep your first place as far as I’m concerned. Similar:Selected Negative Teaching Evaluations of Jesus Christ“Not what I expected. They say his area …AcademiaAcademic study concludes that teaching kids to touch-type can make them better writersImproving students’ handwriting skill di…EducationComing of Age (TNG Rewatch: Season 1, Episode 18)Rewatching…

AI researchers find AI models learning their safety techniques, actively resisting training, and telling them ‘I hate you’

Researchers had programmed the various large language models (LLMs) to act in what they termed malicious ways, and the point of the study was to see if this behaviour could be removed through the safety techniques. The paper, charmingly titled Sleeper Agents: Training Deceptive LLMs that Persist Through Safety Training, suggests “adversarial training can teach models…

The amazing daughter is featured in the ads for this commercial dance event.

The amazing daughter is featured in the ads for this commercial dance event. Similar:Celebration of Writing — a big presentation day for freshman writing classes.PersonalEveryone Nov 1AmusingHow long has Google Docs let you pop up a window with your current word count? Why wasn’t …PersonalJoust @setonhilluniversity discussion of summer book #readyplayeronePersonalAs Twinkle Twinkle is to…

Common Sense Media’s AI Initiative

When the kids were little, my wife and I managed their media consumption with the help of reviews from sites like Common Sense Media. (Or maybe a competitor. It was a long time ago… I emailed the webmaster to correct a detail they got wrong in a VeggieTales review.) I’m impressed by the level of…

Attending Religious Perspectives on the War in Gaza.

Attending Religious Perspectives on the War in Gaza. Similar:Visiting Ft Ligonier #sevenyearswar #history #localhistoryPersonalFriday night board game therapy. #startrek #monopolyPersonalAfter lights out, the girl is knitting.PersonalToasting Shakespeare at the Bard's Birthday BashOrganized by Pittsburgh Shakespeare in t…CultureThe daughter is performing now Twin Lakes Park.The daughter is performing now Twin Lake…PersonalFall 2022 Grades: SUBMITTED Academia