Brilliant. The combination of a looks-too-good-to-be-true video, the patina of respectability that comes when a TV talking head introduces the clip, and the internet as a means for spreading links illustrates just how easy it is to fool lots of people — including professionals who should know better. I did show the original video to…
Humanities professors from the University of Virginia describe their frustrating attempts to give away their innovative textual study tool via Apple’s App Store. The reason the App Review Team gave (again and again) was that our app was “simply” or “just a book” (their words), and that it therefore had to be formatted in Apple’s…
Thanks for the suggestion, Nicole. The 4th Estate Project’s study of 2012 election-year coverage found that major U.S. newspapers and TV news programs featured up to seven times as many quotes from men as women. Men’s voices were dominant even in stories on abortion, birth control, Planned Parenthood, and women’s rights. The 2013 Status of…
“Daddy, I’m sick of your tears.” –my 11yo, after I misted up reading from Church’s 1897 “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus” editorial. Update, Sep 10: In the past few years, as my kids have become active in the arts, I have developed a habit of tearing up during their performances. I will silently…
My geekling is enthusiastically hurling herself around the living room as the Enterprise bridge rocks back and forth… #TOS #StarTrek Similar:It's been nice knowing you, iPad3 It’s been nice knowing you, iPad3, but…TweetsParallel Structure vs. Faulty ParallelismI just touched up a handout on Parallel …HumanitiesI'm no longer surprised, but still want to document.This is really…
As a fan of Colossal Cave Adventure, I’m curious to know whether there’s an active volcano in this cave. Or at least a gold nugget room. Jonathan Sims catches up with me. Between us and the sunlit passage ahead stands a stalagmite that in profile resembles the paw of a dog. “The Hand of God…
In the corner of the Seton Hill University Bookstore sit a few short aisles stacked with textbooks. Most of the Sullivan Hall store is devoted to apparel, school supplies and gifts. A few shelves are stocked with personal care items, while a multi-tiered Boots cosmetics display and a collection of Crabtree & Evelyn lotions earn…
My wife & daughter are in the kitchen, yelling & crying in fake Italian accents. (Practicing their toy shop tantrum scene from Pinocchio.) 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…TweetsJuror's CreedWhile researching my obligations for #ju…CultureParallel structure in writing: Use it!These…
@penguins season tickets! @stagerightgbg is raffling off $25 chances on 2 season tickets worth $4000. #pittsburgh #hockey Who’s interested? Similar:RT @PhilKomarny: A floppy disc… In #context htt…RT @PhilKomarny: A floppy disc… In #co…TweetsParallel structure in writing: Use it!These comic panels cover the issue well….HumanitiesJudge: Apple conspired to fix eBook prices.Judge: Apple conspired to fix eBook…
Yes, the Spartans’ one-word response to Philip’s threats was both laconic and bold. Yes, I chortled while making a *hilarious* graphic of the word “If,” set in Laconic, bold type. No, a joke that depends on knowledge of Ancient Greece and Macedonia and modern typography really isn’t all that funny. In 346 B.C, Philip sent…
As a high school student, I wrote a fan letter to AC Crispin, in which I critiqued her capitalization. (She gave me the address of her editor, Ann O’Malley, who agreed to critique a few sample chapters of my in-progress novel.) Crispin wrote several early Star Trek novels, as well as the novelization of the…
Snickering over Monday’s quiz question about the Rosenthal rule. (Paraphrased: Reporters who BLEEP elephants can’t cover the circus.) Similar:Tweet: For an anatomy project, my #geekling made a Vulcan…For an anatomy project, my #geekling mad…TweetsParallel structure in writing: Use it!These comic panels cover the issue well….HumanitiesFormer student: "I remember sometimes being annoyed with all of our…
“Daddy, THAT gum costs. $1.59. If you buy THIS gum for me, you’ll save 30c!” “I know how we can save $1.59!” “You’re mean.” “No, I’m cheap.” Similar:Yes, I do feel rather awesome right now.Lost brand-new earbuds. Reached in pocke…PersonalTweet: For an anatomy project, my #geekling made a Vulcan…For an anatomy project, my #geekling mad…TweetsShe…
22 Words | Middle-class Problems Similar:Galaxy’s Child (#StarTrek #TNG Rewatch, Season Four, Episode 16) LaForge meets the enginee… Rewatching ST:TNG LaForge is surprise…EthicsStudents must learn how to get things wrong. Only one subject does that. [English.]I invest a lot of energy asking my colle…AcademiaTwenty-Six Old Characters, The (1947)Sheaffer Pen celebrates the art of writi…AestheticsCommonly Misused…
RT @SamekAshley: On a side note I’m going to feel really weird tweeting during mass #el227 #openliturgy 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-…GovernmentRT @JordanFor: One of the counters from the Civil…RT @JordanFor: One of the counters…
When the theater major called his journalism minor a “safety,” the journalism majors (including former music & theater majors) laughed. Similar:Jury 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 getting me…TweetsShe doesn't have keys or a phone or an ID. Why…
I earned a +8 or +9 spousal bonus when I told my wife this little essay, by Rosemarie Urquico, made me think of her. It’s easy to date a girl who reads. Give her books for her birthday, for Christmas and for anniversaries. Give her the gift of words, in poetry, in song. Give her…
“Mr. Frisbie,” I called to him, and he stopped and turned around, taking off his bowler hat and smiling as he shook my hand. I got right to the point. “I’m trying to come up with a column for the dog days of summer,” I told him. “Something quick and fun but smart. But I’m…
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SHU’s Phil Komarny: Every get, starts with a give: We have all heard the phrase, you get what you give, and in the world of social media that phrase takes on a much more weighty meaning. Go ahead, prove me right, create a twitter account and follow 100 or so people. Just read, don’t interact.…