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:My college writing students are out making short videos responding to a prompt.While my students are out of the room ma…AcademiaThe Lost Art of Paste-UpWhen I started using a word processor as…AestheticsChess robot grabs and breaks finger of seven-year-old opponent Last week, according to Russian…

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 vs. Faulty ParallelismI just touched up a handout on Parallel …HumanitiesI'm no longer surprised, but still want to document.This is really noteworthy. Today the Pre…Current_EventsRT @PhilKomarny: A floppy disc… In #context htt…RT…

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 asked my geekling whether she was ready for bed…I asked my #geekling whether she was rea…AmusingRT @PhilKomarny: A floppy disc… In #context htt…RT @PhilKomarny: A floppy disc… In #co…TweetsOverheard at Quora: "Why after all these years is Moodle…

Nerd-buddies

“He likes Lord of the Rings, Star Wars *and* Star Trek!!” — my nerdling daughter, eyes shining, about a new friend. Similar:Enjoy the showmanship as a 94yo woman performs in a dance competition.https://youtu.be/8LOdmka4_90AestheticsFrom Shakespeare to Sondheim to Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker, everything you "dew&#0…PersonalHey there, chaotic world in academia and beyond, could you settle down just a…

The Desolation of Tolkien

In the same way the Arkenstone is buried under tons of coin, poor old Bilbos tale is buried under easily 45 minutes of chases, captures, narrow escapes, more escapes, melees and other heroics, often comically-staged with acrobatics, and sometimes gruesome with orc-beheadings. —Boing Boing. Similar:Perchance to Dream: LARPing Hamlet at Castle ElsinoreThis is the concept of…

Transmedia Storytelling 101

Transmedia storytelling represents a process where integral elements of a fiction get dispersed systematically across multiple delivery channels for the purpose of creating a unified and coordinated entertainment experience. Ideally, each medium makes it own unique contribution to the unfolding of the story. So, for example, in The Matrix franchise, key bits of information are…

WordPress 3.8 “Parker”

No time to play with this, but looking forward to it very much. Version 3.8 of WordPress, named “Parker” in honor of Charlie Parker, bebop innovator, is available for download or update in your WordPress dashboard. We hope you’ll think this is the most beautiful update yet. —WordPress › WordPress 3.8 “Parker”. Similar:The quest to…

RT @MrsOrman: The Potter Games: Using Interactive…

RT @MrsOrman: The Potter Games: Using Interactive Fiction to Improve Reading – Free download pinterest.com/pin/1755700854… Similar:It's been nice knowing you, iPad3 It’s been nice knowing you, iPad3, but…TweetsParallel Structure vs. Faulty ParallelismI just touched up a handout on Parallel …HumanitiesMy Minecraft-obsessed tween made this blocky foam pig at art camp. Next up: Stage Right summer…

RT @setonhill: Campus Cursive (part of morelovelet…

RT @setonhill: Campus Cursive (part of moreloveletters) is a new club aiming to spread smiles across campus through… instagram.com/p/htuN7jQNyW/ Similar:Hello, there, mini.Hello, there, mini. Let’s restore you fr…TweetsAnd the girl has succeeded in getting me to wear t…And the girl has succeeded in getting me…TweetsJury Duty UpdateI’m a happy, responsible, and no-longer-…GovernmentHabits for happiness: tips…

Fancy iPad Holder with Compartment For Storing Your Baby

Fisher-Price enters the Apple aftermarket with an iPad holder featuring a large auxiliary compartment where you can store your infant. The little ones apparently need convenient access to apps to assist them with their gurgling, drooling, and pooping, but their adorable little chubby hands are poorly engineered to hold tablets. Fortunately, Fisher-Price’s team of parental…

Remixing the “What I learned” essay. Take 20 min t…

Remixing the “What I learned” essay. Take 20 min to create a 1-min video in class. Peer review. Re-imagine & reshoot. Polish up as homework. Similar:Habits for happiness: tips for looking on the bright side of lifeHabits for happiness: tips for looking o…PersonalIt's been nice knowing you, iPad3 It’s been nice knowing you, iPad3, but…TweetsOverheard…

Who Says Math Has to Be Boring?

For all the reform campaigns over the years, most schools continue to teach math and science in an off-putting way that appeals only to the most fervent students. The mathematical sequence has changed little since the Sputnik era: arithmetic, pre-algebra, algebra, geometry, trigonometry and, for only 17 percent of students, calculus. Science is generally limited…

Who is the more dramatic — my extroverted tween or my philosophical teen?

Stoked from a morning show-choir performance and an afternoon rehearsal, Carolyn is lumbering around the kitchen floor, belting “I WANT A HIPPOPOTAMUS FOR CHRISTMAS!!!” Peter, his nose in a book, expresses a stoic disapproval. “Peter, you never ask for anything,” says my wife, raising her voice over Carolyn’s singing. “If you could have anything, regardless…