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:Addis, LA: Little Orphan Annie stopped for speeding  Addis, LA: Little Orphan Annie…Amusing"I'm a geek. Deal with it." –my 11yo daughter. #geekgirlproblemsAmusingSuspicions (#StarTrek #TNG Rewatch, Season 6, Episode 22) Crusher narrates murder-mystery …Rewatching ST:TNG…

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:My Minecraft-obsessed tween made this blocky foam pig at art camp. Next up: Stage Right summer musical th…AestheticsCookies. That is all.Aesthetics"The Nightmare of Prince Prezelsky"Leigh, Peter, Carolyn and I had fun…

Merry Christmas 2013

Similar:Find yourself someone who makes you plomeek soup like Nurse Chapel makes for Spock.PersonalThe Girl Wins the Upper Division Monologue in the 25th Annual Pittsburgh Public Theatre's …CultureBrian Williams is Giving NBC an Opportunity to Bravely Break with TraditionNBC has a marketing decision to make, no…BusinessThe stair railings on my #blender3d #neovictorian #steampunk cruiser need…

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:Tweet: For an anatomy project, my #geekling made a Vulcan…For an anatomy project, my #geekling mad…TweetsMy Minecraft-obsessed tween made this blocky foam pig at art camp. Next up: Stage Right summer musical th…AestheticsI'm no…

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:RT @PhilKomarny: A floppy disc… In #context htt…RT @PhilKomarny: A floppy disc… In #co…TweetsAnd the girl has succeeded in getting me to wear t…And the girl has succeeded in getting me…TweetsTweet: For an anatomy project, my #geekling made a Vulcan…For an…

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…AcademiaJury Duty UpdateI’m a happy, responsible, and no-longer-…GovernmentJuror's CreedWhile researching my obligations for #ju…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:Tweet: For an anatomy project, my #geekling made a Vulcan…For an anatomy project, my #geekling mad…TweetsHow hate and misinformation go viral: A case study of a Trump retweetOn Sunday night, President Donald Trump …AcademiaParallel Structure vs. Faulty ParallelismI just touched…

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:A #neovictorian master status display board for a #steampunk #blender3d project. Inspired …AestheticsMy "Writing About Literature" Students Are Sampling Text Adventure GamesI’m having my students play Adam Cadre’s…CultureThe history of Tetris randomizersA pleasantly detailed analysis of how th…CybercultureGingerbread USS EnterpriseMr. Sulu, set phasers to delicious!…

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:Overheard at Quora: "Why after all these years is Moodle still so ugly?"Moodle is a free course-management tool …AcademiaJury Duty UpdateI’m a happy, responsible, and no-longer-…GovernmentJuror's CreedWhile researching my obligations for #ju…CultureDesert Bus: The…

RT @Historiator: Please note @PhilKomarny @magawel…

RT @Historiator: Please note @PhilKomarny @magawelek @VissatMaureen “@HistoricalPics: All this technology is making us antisocial. http://t… Similar:I'm no longer surprised, but still want to document.This is really noteworthy. Today the Pre…Current_EventsYes, I do feel rather awesome right now.Lost brand-new earbuds. Reached in pocke…PersonalHow hate and misinformation go viral: A case study of a Trump retweetOn…

Nerd-buddies

“He likes Lord of the Rings, Star Wars *and* Star Trek!!” — my nerdling daughter, eyes shining, about a new friend. Similar:Watching Shakespeare With Your KidsMy retired parents and bachelor engineer…CultureI'm enjoying "William Shakespeare's Star Wars" more than I expectedI didn’t expect a pseudo-Elizabethan ren…AmusingPersonality Profiles: Prize-Winning Student Journalism SamplesThe personality profile is a staple…