Portrait of a Ten-Year-Old Girl

This thoughtful article demonstrates how to use colorful details to keep a reader engaged enough to absorb statistics and trends. What could be just an amusing slice of a Canadian girl’s life of carpools, playdates, and self-invention becomes a launching point for social commentary. The author does refer to herself, but deliberately, selectively; to serve…

My son showed me #PacificRim.

My son showed me #PacificRim. Liked the child actress in the flashback. Enjoyed the feuding scientists. The rest? Flashy, soulless CGI. Similar:Journalism isn’t dying. But it’s changing WAY faster than most people understand.Think of journalism as falling into thre…BusinessMy Son Plays Mozart Too Fasthttps://youtu.be/gXAtRI1NLxs He says “M…AmusingImaginary vs Real Office SpaceHere’s a fantasy workspace, that…

Conflict Strategies for Nice People

Nothing to do with Christmas… just thinking about the upcoming group projects due in my online J-Term course. I should also probably re-read some Dale Carnegie, which I do every few years. Teams need conflict to function effectively. Conflict allows the team to come to terms with difficult situations, to synthesize diverse perspectives, and to…

What’s wrong with the way I talk?

Wife & daughter competing w each other to imitate brassy actress from Singing in the Rain. “Whaat’s wrong wit’ da way I taawk?” #pleasestop Similar:Dax (#StarTrek #DS9 Rewatch, Season 1, Episode 7) Jadzia Dax faces the legal consequences …Rewatching ST:DS9 Dax is apprehended …CultureMy 1951 day DuoLingo streak was fun, but… Ever since DuoLingo announced…

Merry Christmas 2013

Similar:My son teaching chess to a young pupilCultureBBC News – TS Eliot's widow Valerie dies aged 86 She guarded her late husband’s liter…Culture"The plain fact is that the planet does not need more successful people. But it does …PersonalStarting my “Writing about Literature” class by having students react to a John Donne sonn…PersonalIs Superman the…

Theory Trading Cards

This set of 21 Theory Trading Cards, published by AltaMira Press, is based upon the online trading cards which have been so popular at David Gauntletts website www.theory.org.uk. Being actual cards, these are two-sided and contain more information; and whereas the online cards were only an official set of 12, for the published version, 21 new…

RT @Historiator: “@dancohen: Finally upgraded to O…

RT @Historiator: “@dancohen: Finally upgraded to OS X 10.9. It feels like a Borges story about OS X 10.8.” @MikeArnzen @DennisJerz Similar:Maybe I'll just delete these QUARTER OF A MILLION spam comments.Not kidding — 254,460 spam comments in …CybercultureParallel structure in writing: Use it!These comic panels cover the issue well….HumanitiesTweet: Came around the corner and…

RT @Rhymestyle: First leaked photo from the set of…

RT @Rhymestyle: First leaked photo from the set of Star Wars Episode VII http://t.co/xji8x9J5zL Similar:Desert Bus: The Worst Video Game Ever CreatedPenn and Teller are involved with this s…BooksYes, I do feel rather awesome right now.Lost brand-new earbuds. Reached in pocke…PersonalAnd the girl has succeeded in getting me to wear t…And the girl has succeeded…

RT @Historiator: Nicely balanced, real-time post m…

RT @Historiator: Nicely balanced, real-time post mortem on last night’s Twitter event. @DennisJerz @PhilKomarny @magawelek http://t.co/IwQ0… Similar:Former student: "I remember sometimes being annoyed with all of our blogging assignments, …A third alum in the last few weeks has c…AcademiaIn Defense Of Metaphors In Science WritingWe live in an elegant universe. The c…CultureRT @PhilKomarny: A floppy disc… In…

RT @PhilKomarny: @Historiator @DennisJerz @magawel…

RT @PhilKomarny: @Historiator @DennisJerz @magawelek Glad that it ended with some donations to @AidforAfrica justinesacco.com Similar:Parallel Structure vs. Faulty ParallelismI just touched up a handout on Parallel …HumanitiesShe doesn't have keys or a phone or an ID. Why does my tween need a purse?To stash her Lemonheads and Smarties. ht…AmusingIt's been nice knowing you, iPad3…

A Word About Group Projects

Okay, students… who loves group projects! Let’s hear it for group projects! (Crickets… crickets…) Okay employers… who puts “Ability to work in a team” at the top of a Forbes Magazine list of 10 skills employers say they seek in new hires? Employers: (cheering wildly) We do! We do! Here are the 10 skills employers say they seek,…

Why NORAD Tracks Santa

The call had come in on one of the top secret lines inside CONAD that only rang in the case of a crisis. Grabbing the phone, Shoup must have expected the worst. Instead, a tiny voice asked, “Is this Santa Claus?” “Dads pretty annoyed,” said Terri Van Keuren, Shoups daughter, recalling the legend of that…

I Made a Cheerful Maze Game in Scratch

Well, it’s cheerful unless you touch something red AND DIE. Similar:Actually, this post really *is* about ethics in journalism.People – journalists and non-journalists…Current_EventsKairos: Open Since 1996As a plucky new faculty member I wrote a…AcademiaPhotos inspired by Wuthering HeightsA photographer blogged about taking phot…AestheticsNarrative, Creativity, and EvolutionMy students are finishing up Hayles, My …AcademiaDetailed Articulation of…

I made a cheerful maze game in Scratch. It’s cheer…

I made a cheerful maze game in Scratch. It’s cheerful unless you touch something read AND DIE. scratch.mit.edu/projects/14908… made w/ Scratch Similar:Parallel structure in writing: Use it!These comic panels cover the issue well….HumanitiesShe doesn't have keys or a phone or an ID. Why does my tween need a purse?To stash her Lemonheads and Smarties. ht…AmusingWhat…

RT @Historiator: Please note @PhilKomarny @magawel…

RT @Historiator: Please note @PhilKomarny @magawelek @VissatMaureen “@HistoricalPics: All this technology is making us antisocial. http://t… Similar:My Minecraft-obsessed tween made this blocky foam pig at art camp. Next up: Stage Right summer musical th…AestheticsTweet: Came around the corner and saw my kids huddled on…Came around the corner and saw my kids h…TweetsI asked my geekling…

Nerd-buddies

“He likes Lord of the Rings, Star Wars *and* Star Trek!!” — my nerdling daughter, eyes shining, about a new friend. Similar:Don't Talk to the Police (law professor explains why everyone — even if you're innocent -…https://youtu.be/d-7o9xYp7eECultureFact Check: No, an NPR story on the Trump supporters' attempted coup dated January 6, 2021…A conspiracy theory featuring…