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:Former student: "I remember sometimes being annoyed with all of our blogging assignments, …A third alum in the last few weeks has c…AcademiaCarolyn Gombell Is Not a Real Person: #JusticeforCarolyn…
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:Former student: "I remember sometimes being annoyed with all of our blogging assignments, …A third alum in the last few weeks has c…AcademiaProto iPads and Paper Coexist in Classic Star TrekRewatching the classic Trek episode “The…CybercultureShe…
@ZCharisma Oh, now I feel bad. Similar:Jury Duty UpdateI’m a happy, responsible, and no-longer-…GovernmentI'm no longer surprised, but still want to document.This is really noteworthy. Today the Pre…Current_EventsShe doesn't have keys or a phone or an ID. Why does my tween need a purse?To stash her Lemonheads and Smarties. ht…AmusingProto iPads and Paper Coexist in…
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:Trying to Tame Huck FinnAdventures of Huckleberry Finn is one of…AcademiaFirst time experimenting with depth of field. The pilot's perch in a fancy #steampunk crui… AestheticsiMovie Glitch: Unplug Removable Media before Using iMovieI spent a few hours today working on a v…CybercultureAt Age 11, I Named the Curiosity RoverWonderful story!…
…she’s pretending to be “Spock in a Tree on Omicron Ceti III.” Similar:The #Blender3D #eevee denoising filter gives off a pretty amazing Caldecott prize-winning …The filter won’t replace real hand-drawn…AestheticsWhat if I design a #steampunk fantasy cruiser and there aren’t enough chairs? How do I kno… AestheticsMarching in a parade and watching a patriotic musicalHappy…
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:How The Ballpoint Pen Killed CursiveIn Death of a Salesman, Biff impulsively…BusinessMy crazy…
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:Carolyn Gombell Is Not a Real Person: #JusticeforCarolyn Is a Campaign Against Twitter Ref…Fascinating use of social media. To be c…Current_EventsProto iPads and Paper Coexist in Classic Star TrekRewatching the classic Trek episode “The…CybercultureJuror's…
Not my item, but the pathos caught my eye. Similar:Another delightful caricature by Rebecca ScassellatiAestheticsOh No, Performers Coming Into AudiencePITTSBURGH—Audience members at the Bened…AmusingMultimodal Composition: Every time a student submits a narrated PowerPoint, a puppy cries.AcademiaCan't upload photos to Facebook from my MacBookI spent 30 minutes trying to upload abou…CybercultureDetailed Articulation of Feet in Unity3DI’m…
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:What kids do when Dad won't hand over the iPod So I’m not being selfish… this is …EducationDesert Bus: The Worst Video Game Ever CreatedPenn and Teller are involved with…
A new Emily Dickinson archive is online. Here is the opening of one of her most famous poems. Reading View for Fascicle 23. Similar:Dr. Seuss Racism Controversy: A Dr. Seuss Expert Unpacks the Author's History With Racism,…Nobody is banning, cancelling or censori…BooksLeveling up my skills in #blender3D. Using invisible shapes to cut holes …DesignDescent, Part…
My wonderfully geeky tween made these Blinky, Pinky, Inky and Clyde pendants with her Rainbow Loom. Next on her list: making Pac-Man. Similar:Another day, another 10 square centimeters of #steampunk control panel. #blender3d #blende…AestheticsOnly a Dad (Edgar Guest poem, read by Carolyn and Peter Jerz for WAOB Audio Theatre)Carolyn and Peter Jerz recite “Only a…
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…