The New York Times reported “Many Flee Homes to Escape `Gas Raid From Mars’–Phone Calls Swamp Police at Broadcast of Wells Fantasy” and the story of the hoax is firmly embedded in the history books. But the reports of streets full of panicked citizens don’t hold up to scrutiny. There’s only one problem: The supposed…
@ZCharisma On my blog I said my wife usually gives me nerdy DVDs (e.g. Mazes & Monsters), so I expect she’ll give me Zero Charisma one day. Similar:Maybe I'll just delete these QUARTER OF A MILLION spam comments.Not kidding — 254,460 spam comments in …CybercultureIn Defense Of Metaphors In Science WritingWe live in an elegant…
My student journos were given one class period to film, edit, and publish a 2-min TV news story. Speed journalism! blogs.setonhill.edu/el200-2013-fa/… Similar:Tweet: Came around the corner and saw my kids huddled on…Came around the corner and saw my kids h…TweetsHello, there, mini.Hello, there, mini. Let’s restore you fr…TweetsOverheard at Quora: "Why after all these years…
@ZCharisma Oh, now I feel bad. Similar:Yes, I do feel rather awesome right now.Lost brand-new earbuds. Reached in pocke…Personal10 Rules of Internet – Anil DashA very useful, concise summary of web-en…BusinessHabits for happiness: tips for looking on the bright side of lifeHabits for happiness: tips for looking o…PersonalAnd the girl has succeeded in getting me…
What can parents do to minimize their children’s risk of being hurt or killed by poison or sharp objects in Halloween candy? How many children would you say die each year from eating poisoned candy (or candy with razor blades and such) each Halloween? Just two or three? Maybe only one every few years? In…
My wife usually gives me nerd-themed DVDs as gifts, so I probably won’t make any effort to see this movie on my own. Still, I’m glad to know someone has made a movie that touches on the hipsterization of nerd culture, and I enjoyed reading the well-written review. Like lots of apologists and upholders of…
It: nailed. xkcd: Headlines. Similar:The Backstory: A reporter arrested while covering a protest faces trial Monday. Here's why…Journalists are human, humans make mista…CultureCrazy-looking keyboards that never caught on As the typewriter become popular, it w…AestheticsStudents say "math class is stupid and boring," and they are right. –Mathematician Paul L…I am working on some conference papers…
…she’s pretending to be “Spock in a Tree on Omicron Ceti III.” Similar:Yes Virginia the Musical coming to ConnellsvilleCarolyn Jerz may be only 11 but is alrea…Current_EventsIt's Friday night in July, and I'm jamming with my fall course preps.The dean sends me an email at 9:07pm. In…AcademiaWhen you see a show alone often you can…
The observation car Pearl sings of her love for Rusty, in the “Like ‘Cats’ but with Trains” show “Starlight Express.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ma4FusuIgSM By the way, that’s a Star Wars Stormtrooper outfit, with pink accents added by my wife. Post by Stage Right. Similar:If I am not a pedagogical god, at least my marking app has…
Back in my grad school days, I was called a “run-of-the-mill programmer” by a brilliant IT genius. For a guy whose only computer coursework consists of a Pascal class in high school (“taught” by a math teacher who didn’t know the language, and checked my answers against those in the teacher’s manual), I still consider…
King Henry rallies his troops just before the decisive Battle of Agincourt. From this day to the ending of the world, But we in it shall be remembered- We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; For he to-day that sheds his blood with me Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile,…
RT @textfiles: Hi internet. In another few minutes I go onstage to point everyone to archive.org/details/histor… and hopefully computer history … Similar:In Defense Of Metaphors In Science WritingWe live in an elegant universe. The c…CultureRT @DDeClaudio: Who do you think controls the news…RT @DDeClaudio: Who do you think control…TweetsHello, there, mini.Hello, there, mini. Let’s restore…
Not my item, but the pathos caught my eye. Similar:'Thought Leader’ gives talk that will inspire your thoughtsSaving this for the next time I assign a…AmusingEverybody Dies (Shakespearean Tragedy Infographic) The image (by Magee and Griffin) is an…AestheticsLetter of Recommendation: Fanny PacksWhat other accessory ensures the safety …CultureFriend I hadn't seen for about 20 years…
Seriously: What is Amazon? A retail company? A media company? A logistics machine? The mystery of its strategy is deepened by two factors. First is the company’s communications department, which famously excels at not communicating. Three requests to speak with Amazon officials for this article were delayed and, inevitably, declined. This moves discussions of the…
Tween: “My friends say Bieber’s a jerk now.” Me: “It’s hard when your idols fall.” Tween: “That’s why I don’t have any. Except for you.” Similar:Proto iPads and Paper Coexist in Classic Star TrekRewatching the classic Trek episode “The…CybercultureMy Minecraft-obsessed tween made this blocky foam pig at art camp. Next up: Stage Right summer musical…
A new Emily Dickinson archive is online. Here is the opening of one of her most famous poems. Reading View for Fascicle 23. Similar:So Long Blogging. Hello—Yep, We're Going to Say It—PloggingI still blog, because I want control ove…BusinessThe A.V. Club's AI-Generated Articles Are Copying Directly From IMDbI’ve enjoyed human-written A/V Club arti…BusinessTraditional Reporters and…
My wonderfully geeky tween made these Blinky, Pinky, Inky and Clyde pendants with her Rainbow Loom. Next on her list: making Pac-Man. Similar:National Dance DayIn the restaurant parking lot after dinn…CultureFacebook’s News Feed: Often Changed, Never GreatI’ve never liked Instant Articles — Fac…BusinessPeter vs. the PenguinsFor the past hour, Peter (who is not yet…AmusingInequity and…
Have you heard the story about the lady who spilled coffee on herself and won millions of dollars from McDonald’s? Have you looked up the details on the story, or do you just know the story as a TV show punch line? Stella became a symbol for frivolous lawsuits and fodder for talk show hosts,…
Reporters have been sometimes fired for willful misconduct, such as repeated instances of plagiarism or fabrication. Reporters who’ve suffered that fate, such as the New York Times’ Jayson Blair and The Washington Post’s Janet Cooke, were guilty of gross journalistic malpractice. But firing a reporter over an unintentional mistake is “extremely rare,” said Scott Maier,…
I’m getting ready to introduce my freshman writing students to college-level research, so I found it helpful to read this brief introduction to the internal problems Wikipedia creates for itself. When a major news event takes place, such as the Boston Marathon bombings, complex, widely sourced entries spring up within hours and evolve by the…