My geekling is not just pretending to be Spock…

…she’s pretending to be “Spock in a Tree on Omicron Ceti III.” Similar:Making a villain's lair in #Blender3D (this weekend's relaxation)AestheticsStory Pitch: How writers present an article idea to a busy editor I hoped this slide would appeal to m…AmusingPluto FlybyWhen I was about 10, I wrote to NASA and…Current_EventsBooks Come Alive! Catalina Magdalena Cast…

“Only You” — 11yo Carolyn Sings a Power Ballad from “Starlight Express”

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:Tolkien v. Orwell: Who understood modern surveillance best?Interesting set of observations explorin…CultureFinished the…

RT @textfiles: Hi internet. In another few minutes…

RT @textfiles: Hi internet. In another few minutes I go onstage to point everyone to archive.org/details/histor… and hopefully computer history … Similar:Maybe I'll just delete these QUARTER OF A MILLION spam comments.Not kidding — 254,460 spam comments in …CybercultureHabits for happiness: tips for looking on the bright side of lifeHabits for happiness: tips for looking…

One of the Sadder Lost and Found Messages You’ll Probably See Today

Not my item, but the pathos caught my eye. Similar:A new study says young Americans have a broad definition of newsI expect that many of my students will b…CultureTheatre Crowd Mustn't Be Bitter The en­ter­tain­ment in­dus­try seem…CultureEditorial: Video Games and The Great Train Robbery Through the development of crosscuttin…AestheticsCode of Honor (ST:TNG Rewatch — Season…

The Amazon Mystery: What America’s Strangest Tech Company Is Really Up To

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: “…

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:Desert Bus: The Worst Video Game Ever CreatedPenn and Teller are involved with this s…BooksYes, I do feel rather awesome right now.Lost brand-new earbuds. Reached in pocke…PersonalParallel structure in writing:…

Nerdy Rainbow Loom Crafting

My wonderfully geeky tween made these Blinky, Pinky, Inky and Clyde pendants with her Rainbow Loom. Next on her list: making Pac-Man. Similar:Prime Stage Theatre to end 2018-2019 season with Shakespeare comedy Twelfth Night, May 3–1…2019 Pittsburgh Public Theater Shakespea…CultureGathering background objects to create cluttered shelves. This Baby Gund “Rainbow Hector” …AmusingFathers' Day: Showing "The…

AP reporter’s mistake: Did the punishment fit the crime?

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,…

The Decline of Wikipedia: Even As More People Than Ever Rely on It, Fewer People Create It

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…

“Does size matter?” — student journalist, making…

“Does size matter?” — student journalist, making a person-on-the street video interview about the new iPad. Similar:Overheard at Quora: "Why after all these years is Moodle still so ugly?"Moodle is a free course-management tool …AcademiaHello, there, mini.Hello, there, mini. Let’s restore you fr…TweetsRT @JordanFor: One of the counters from the Civil…RT @JordanFor: One of the…

RT @joningold: Thing is, the freedom of the parser…

RT @joningold: Thing is, the freedom of the parser is a sham – not because it *doesn’t* understand everything but because no-one plays as t… Similar:Judge: Apple conspired to fix eBook prices.Judge: Apple conspired to fix eBook pric…BooksIn Defense Of Metaphors In Science WritingWe live in an elegant universe. The c…CultureAnd the girl has succeeded…

Attribution, Editorializing and Defamation

In the Nightly Noodle Monthly, former North Adams Transcript journalist Isaac Avilucea posts this passage, which he says was removed from a sports feature that got him fired. But there’s a reason she’s not at MountGreylock anymore, choosing to transfer to a school with somewhat inferior academics and athletics. Part of it has to do with the stuffy social atmosphere that…

I just did the thing where you look everywhere for…

I just did the thing where you look everywhere for your glasses but you can’t find them because you are already wearing them. Similar:Habits 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 to wear t…And the girl has succeeded…

The t-shirt many professors would enjoy wearing

Inside Higher Ed Similar:The Dauphin (ST:TNG Rewatch, Season 2, Episode 10)A pretty 16yo destined to bring peace to…AmusingAs I was preparing to take this screenshot, two more papers came in.I still have odd jobs to tie up, but I’m…AcademiaBurgh to Burg, episode 2.AcademiaFamily, I Hear You. I Love You. Go Away. This Weekend, I'm Marking…

Digital Storytelling (EL231: Topics in Creative Writing)

EL231 “Digital Storytelling” (Dec 18-Jan 22) Unit 1 (Dec 18-22) mostly experiencing digital stories (reading, watching, listening, playing, whatever), and reading articles & discussing them online. (We take a break Dec 23-Jan 1: no classes, no homework.) Unit 2 (Jan 2-7) trying out 4-5 tools for creating digital stories, and learning two in a little…