Coined by Shakespeare? Think again

For years, Shakespeare has been thought to deploy greater linguistic variety than contemporaries like Marlowe, Kyd, and Jonson; scholars have estimated that he coined as many as 1,700 words, and that he employed a uniquely large vocabulary of at least 20,000 words. As professor Alfred Hart, long the authority on Shakespeare’s vocabulary, wrote in 1943,…

Disruptions: Texting Your Feelings, Symbol by Symbol

Being a word-oriented thinker, I don’t have much interest in emoji icons. I dislike it when an autocorrect turns a traditional sideways smiley into an icon. My daughter, who at age 11 is too young for a Facebook account, sometimes uses my Facebook account to chat with her slightly-older teen friends, which means that when…

RT @pewresearch: Teens Haven’t Abandoned Facebook…

RT @pewresearch: Teens Haven’t Abandoned Facebook (Yet) — @mary_madden says reports of Facebook’s demise among teens are premature http://… Similar:How hate and misinformation go viral: A case study of a Trump retweetOn Sunday night, President Donald Trump …AcademiaProto iPads and Paper Coexist in Classic Star TrekRewatching the classic Trek episode “The…Cyberculture10 Rules of Internet -…

Despicable Me 2 “Bottom” gag will do for A Midsummer Night’s Dream what Disney’s Little Mermaid’s Ariel did for The Tempest

The name “Bottom” in A Midsummer Night’s Dream is already funny, but I expect my students will likely snigger at it, thinking of the “Silas Ramsbottom” gag from Despicable Me 2. I read The Tempest before I saw Disney’s Little Mermaid, so when I think of Prospero’s spirit Ariel, I do not think of a…

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

Maybe I’ll start a cover band, cleaning up hip-hop songs…

Maybe I’ll start a cover band, cleaning up hip-hop songs, remixing them as instant breakfast food jingles. I’ll call it “Minced Oats.” Similar:4 writing lessons from the comedy of Joan RiversAll writers can learn from studying the …Current_EventsWordPress duplicate images driving me crazy I’m using the Atahualpa Theme with WPT…HomeTell-all crime reporting is a peculiarly…

If this professor thing doesn’t work out, I’ll sta…

If this professor thing doesn’t work out, I’ll start a nerd-rock band called “Force-choked by Jesus.” Similar:RT @JordanFor: One of the counters from the Civil…RT @JordanFor: One of the counters from …TweetsJudge: Apple conspired to fix eBook prices.Judge: Apple conspired to fix eBook pric…BooksWhat kids do when Dad won't hand over the iPod So I’m…

Jerz Nerdcation 2013

On a visit to the Washington DC area for my father’s 80th birthday, we did nerdy things. Similar:The hidden billion-dollar cost of repeated police misconductThe story notes that when police departm…CultureSynergistic Synthesis XVII Sub B1 Chair by Kenneth SmytheAfter my daughter’s theater workshop, I …AestheticsTrying something a bit different for today's 10 sq cm of…

Pieces of Earliest Games Recovered

These small sculpted stones unearthed from an early Bronze Age burial in Turkey could be the earliest gaming tokens ever found, confirming that board games likely originated and spread from the Fertile Crescent regions and Egypt more than 5,000 years ago. –via Discovery News. Similar:Blog ten-beat lines of verse, like Shakespeare wrote. Blog ten-beat lines of verse,…

10 journalism resources for PR pros

From PR Daily.com: In no particular order, below are some top journalism resources that can help PR pros understand today’s journalist and move toward a more cohesive, beneficial relationship for both sides: • Jim Romenesko (@romenesko and jimromenesko.com): Daily news, commentary, and links about journalism and media. • Sree Sreenivasan (@sree and sree.net): Columbia University’s first chief digital officer and a…

Irony in Blakes7 Reboot?

RT @Laroquod: @DennisJerz If #Blakes7 turns out to be a show you need Xbox/Win8 to watch legally (as per rumour), that’s a sad irony for a show abt rebels. Similar:Students Speak Up: Trust Us With DevicesThe students who are, in the first few w…CybercultureWhat's a Snollygoster? Even lexicographers are wrong sometimesThis is an amusing little story…

@Laroquod Fingers crossed re #Blakes7

@Laroquod Fingers crossed re #Blakes7 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…AmusingLoved seeing A Comedy of Errors @setonhillLoved seeing A Comedy of Errors @setonhi…TweetsHabits for happiness: tips for looking on the bright side of lifeHabits for happiness: tips for…

Creating Games for Journalism

We as journalists can learn a lot from video games. They can help players explore unfamiliar worlds and experience stories, almost literally, through the eyes of another person. Designed well, video games guide players to feel emotion and conflict, as well as learn the intricacies of complex subjects and systems. They engage users in a…

RT @KatySny: A big week for online news http://t.c…

RT @KatySny: A big week for online news wp.me/p1VKki-eZ Similar:Yes, I do feel rather awesome right now.Lost brand-new earbuds. Reached in pocke…Personal10 Rules of Internet – Anil DashA very useful, concise summary of web-en…BusinessParallel structure in writing: Use it!These comic panels cover the issue well….HumanitiesDesert Bus: The Worst Video Game Ever CreatedPenn and Teller are…