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:Carolyn Gombell Is Not a Real Person: #JusticeforCarolyn Is a Campaign Against Twitter Ref…Fascinating use of social media. To be c…Current_EventsParallel Structure vs. Faulty ParallelismI just touched up…
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:She doesn't have keys or a phone or an ID. Why does my tween need a purse?To stash her Lemonheads and Smarties. ht…AmusingTweet: Came around the corner and saw my kids huddled on…Came around…
@ZCharisma Oh, now I feel bad. Similar:In Defense Of Metaphors In Science WritingWe live in an elegant universe. The c…CultureClassroom collaboration marketplaceWhile I am uncomfortable with the whole …BusinessParallel structure in writing: Use it!These comic panels cover the issue well….HumanitiesJury Duty UpdateI’m a happy, responsible, and no-longer-…GovernmentI'm no longer surprised, but still want to document.This…
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:How Finland Keeps Kids Focused Through Free PlayNormally, students and teachers in Finla…CultureThe Benefits of No-Tech Note TakingI quibble with The Chronicle headline wr…AcademiaThis Is What It Is Like To Be Deaf From BirthUltimately, I got sick and tired of both…CultureHeart of Glory (TNG Rewatch, Season 1 Episode 20)Rewatching Star Trek:…
…she’s pretending to be “Spock in a Tree on Omicron Ceti III.” Similar:A little better all the time.A little better all the time.PersonalMe waiting for students to drop by during office hours. AcademiaFamily outing to the Pittsburgh National AviaryPersonalA Robotic Dog’s MortalityFascinating video journalism from the Ne…CultureSix rainbow-colored objects, arranged like THIS?These are shoe-holding racks…
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:Poetry Writing: 10 Tips for Writing PoemsIf you are writing a poem because…
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:Hello, there, mini.Hello, there, mini. Let’s restore you fr…TweetsHabits for happiness: tips for looking on the bright side of lifeHabits for happiness: tips for looking o…PersonalMy Minecraft-obsessed tween made this blocky foam pig at…
Not my item, but the pathos caught my eye. Similar:Amanda Knox responds to high-profile movie profiting off of her nameAmerican student Amanda Knox was wrongfu…CultureVideo: Curiosity's Seven Minutes of Terror – NASA Jet Propulsion LaboratoryYes, the Mars rovers are cute and wonder…DesignA week of nonstop breaking political news stumps AI chatbotsChatbots are designed to give…
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 …EducationHow hate and misinformation go viral: A case study of a Trump retweetOn…
A new Emily Dickinson archive is online. Here is the opening of one of her most famous poems. Reading View for Fascicle 23. Similar:One of my undergrad lit papers. Dot-matrix printed, with hand-written instructor annotatio…AcademiaHow a Radical New Teaching Method Could Unleash a Generation of GeniusesFirst of all, I’m always wary about any …CultureTom Jones,…
My wonderfully geeky tween made these Blinky, Pinky, Inky and Clyde pendants with her Rainbow Loom. Next on her list: making Pac-Man. Similar:Data's Day (#StarTrek #TNG Rewatch, Season Four, Episode 11)Rewatching ST:TNG after a 20-year break….DanceGingerbread USS EnterpriseMr. Sulu, set phasers to delicious! Whic…AestheticsCover your Backside with B-roll on Vimeo Video School on VimeoGreat resource.…
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…