Death of an adjunct

Attention must be paid. Meanwhile, in the past year, her teaching load had been reduced by the university to one class a semester, which meant she was making well below $10,000 a year. With huge out-of-pocket bills from UPMC Mercy for her cancer treatment, Margaret Mary was left in abject penury. She could no longer…

@CordeliaLogan If he were real, and had been my co…

@CordeliaLogan If he were real, and had been my colleague, I wouldn’t want to discuss his personal life in a public forum. 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…AmusingDesert Bus: The Worst Video Game Ever CreatedPenn and Teller are…

“2011 called. They want their meme back,” I teased…

“2011 called. They want their meme back,” I teased a student w/ a Nyan Cat T-shirt. (I was NOT actually wearing my fanny pack at the time.) Similar:And the girl has succeeded in getting me to wear t…And the girl has succeeded in getting me…TweetsWhat kids do when Dad won't hand over the iPod So…

I was briefly excited that Turnitin.com’s new app works in a park with no WiFi

Then I realized… I’m a guy who gets excited about grading papers in a park. Similar:Remember That Class Assignment I Hated? The One That Landed Me My Dream Job?ME (a couple years ago): Okay, students….AcademiaAnother section of a #steampunk control panel, made in #blender3d for a personal project. …AestheticsIn July, 2002, I was blogging about…

14 Machines That Were Brilliant in 1985

I used something very similar to this shoulder-bag mobile phone when I interned at a radio news station my junior year in college. —14 Machines That Were Brilliant in 1985. Similar:As Trump ranted and rambled in Phoenix, his crowd slowly thinned The journalist chose to spotlight a litt…CultureMixed ReceptionThis activity is set in a research group…AcademiaToday…

Word to describe the sorry state of the MLA Job In…

Word to describe the sorry state of the MLA Job Information List: “@QSlobodian: @pannapacker Jöbberdämmerung.” Similar:Habits for happiness: tips for looking on the bright side of lifeHabits for happiness: tips for looking o…PersonalJury Duty UpdateI’m a happy, responsible, and no-longer-…GovernmentAnd the girl has succeeded in getting me to wear t…And the girl has succeeded in…

My son just scoffed at Kirk’s infamous “One to the…

My son just scoffed at Kirk’s infamous “One to the fourth power” gaffe from #startrek #tos “Court Martial.” Similar:Habits for happiness: tips for looking on the bright side of lifeHabits for happiness: tips for looking o…PersonalYes, I do feel rather awesome right now.Lost brand-new earbuds. Reached in pocke…PersonalOverheard at Quora: "Why after all these years…

The “Monsters, Inc” company play helped me teach Shakespeare

Today the awkward but delightful “Monsters, Inc” company play helped me explain why Shakespeare put the awful “Pyramus and Thisby” play after the main plot has resolved in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. http://t.co/WSXD943LpG Similar:A Message from Hester Prynne (Student Video)Have I mentioned lately that I have awes…AcademiaPrototypes in Technical Writing: What are They?Many a high…

Insipidest. Play. Ever. –Pepys, on “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Sort of.

After attending a performance of Midsummer Night’s Dream, Pepys wrote in his diary: “Insipidest. Play. Ever.” (Or words to that effect.) Similar:How To Talk To Babies About Semiotics (and Marxist Theory)BABY: read dog book again ME: okay fine…AcademiaIn October, 1999 I was blogging about college application essays, Willie Crowther, and Eli… Jessica found herself wishing…

Club Fair at @setonhill Griffins, get involved! (F…

Club Fair at @setonhill Griffins, get involved! (Free Starbursts at the @SetonianOnline table.) http://t.co/aAFylsl425 Similar:My Minecraft-obsessed tween made this blocky foam pig at art camp. Next up: Stage Right summer musical th…AestheticsOverheard at Quora: "Why after all these years is Moodle still so ugly?"Moodle is a free course-management tool …AcademiaI asked my geekling whether she…

Dennis G. Jerz | Associate Professor of English -- New Media Journalism, Seton Hill University | jerz.setonhill.edu

I told them to put their name on both pages.

I told them to put their name on both pages. 6 of 22 forgot. I had to do handwriting forensics to match the orphan pages. I hate quizzes. Similar:You didn’t make the Harlem Shake go viral—corporations didI never found “Harlem Shake” videos to b…BusinessThe Digital-Humanities BustDinosaurs evolved into birds. Not all of…AcademiaCelebration of Writing Fall…

@setonhill Fall Honors Convocation receiving line….

@setonhill Fall Honors Convocation receiving line. #tradition http://t.co/Wg7D9DaEx4 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_EventsYes, I do feel rather awesome right now.Lost brand-new earbuds. Reached in pocke…PersonalIt's been nice knowing you, iPad3 It’s been nice knowing you, iPad3, but…TweetsMy Minecraft-obsessed…

Curious George and the Twin Towers

On 9/11/2001, I was remote enough from the tragedies that I managed to hold together pretty well, until that night, when my son, who was 3, asked me to read him this book. I recently noticed that the cover has been redesigned. Similar:Sobering data; stunning visualization.This NYT story on the effects of race on…CultureMinneapolis protest…

My working theory: the @sramsay departure is a Jim…

My working theory: the @sramsay departure is a Jimmy Kimmel prank. Similar:Hello, there, mini.Hello, there, mini. Let’s restore you fr…TweetsIn Defense Of Metaphors In Science WritingWe live in an elegant universe. The c…CultureFormer student: "I remember sometimes being annoyed with all of our blogging assignments, …A third alum in the last few weeks has c…AcademiaHabits for happiness:…