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:Jury Duty UpdateI’m a happy, responsible, and no-longer-…GovernmentRT @PhilKomarny: A floppy disc… In #context htt…RT @PhilKomarny: A floppy disc… In #co…Tweets10 Rules of Internet – Anil DashA very…
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:It's been nice knowing you, iPad3 It’s been nice knowing you, iPad3, but…TweetsTweet: For an anatomy project, my #geekling made a Vulcan…For an anatomy project, my #geekling mad…TweetsHow hate and misinformation go viral: A…
@ZCharisma Oh, now I feel bad. Similar:I'm no longer surprised, but still want to document.This is really noteworthy. Today the Pre…Current_EventsFormer student: "I remember sometimes being annoyed with all of our blogging assignments, …A third alum in the last few weeks has c…AcademiaI asked my geekling whether she was ready for bed…I asked my #geekling whether she…
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:Whispers (#StarTrek #DS9 Rewatch, Season 2, Episode 14) O'Brien Must Suffer: shunned and o… Rewatching ST:DS9 In a runabout, …MediaIt's Science! Carolyn Uses Anastasia's Lip Balm KitMy friend Anastasia gave me a home-made …AestheticsParallel Structure vs. Faulty ParallelismI just touched up a handout on Parallel …HumanitiesOn Night, Darkness & the PastWhen…
…she’s pretending to be “Spock in a Tree on Omicron Ceti III.” Similar:Hey there, chaotic world in academia and beyond, could you settle down just a bit so I can…AcademiaOn the spiral staircase that leads from the top deck down to the officers' pub and wa…AestheticsEnjoying an ice cream cake, apple pie, and the classic…
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:The Nagus (#StarTrek #DS9 Rewatch, Season 1, Episode 11) Quark is named the…
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:Parallel Structure vs. Faulty ParallelismI just touched up a handout on Parallel …HumanitiesDesert Bus: The Worst Video Game Ever CreatedPenn and Teller are involved with this s…BooksJudge: Apple conspired to fix eBook prices.Judge: Apple…
Not my item, but the pathos caught my eye. Similar:Opinion: A deceptively edited video of Joe Biden signals what’s coming (Washington Post)Critical thinking skills and basic textu…AcademiaTwitter and the "Two Minutes Hate"Another of the many, many reflections on…CultureThe Blood and the BlameMoments after Donald Trump was…CultureDesiderata (Nerdy Inspiration)This is a little story about an inspirat…CultureI Find Myself…
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:And the girl has succeeded in getting me to wear t…And the girl has succeeded in getting me…TweetsRT @PhilKomarny: A floppy disc… In #context htt…RT @PhilKomarny: A floppy disc… In…
A new Emily Dickinson archive is online. Here is the opening of one of her most famous poems. Reading View for Fascicle 23. Similar:Understanding Poetry INCIDENTAL COMICS: Understanding Poetr…CultureThe 1931 Histomap: The entire history of the world distilled into a single map/chart.This “Histomap,” created by John B. Spar…AestheticsHow iPhone Apps Steal Your Contact Data 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:Chilling on Forbes Avenue with a small friend.Chilling on Forbes Avenue with a small f…AestheticsWall display by the talented Jess Lohr, interpreting an infographic by Norton (textbook pu…PersonalIdeal Homeschool Summer Day: Studying Latin,…
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…