Star Trek: The Menagerie

Just finished watching a two-part episode of classic Star Trek. I know all the old episodes backwards and forwards, since as a kid I made audiocassette tapes of the after-school reruns, and listened to them over and over. (The writers were never confident that the special effects would be any good, so a character always…

RT @THATCampPGH: @DennisJerz Registration is open…

RT @THATCampPGH: @DennisJerz Registration is open for #THATCamp #Pittsburgh! Spread the word…. Similar:Desert Bus: The Worst Video Game Ever CreatedPenn and Teller are involved with this s…BooksI asked my geekling whether she was ready for bed…I asked my #geekling whether she was rea…AmusingOverheard at Quora: "Why after all these years is Moodle still so ugly?"Moodle…

13: The Musical Promo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40MbeApiXXI Here are some clips from a heartfelt, belty ballad that my daughter and her good friend will be singing this weekend in “13: The Musical.” They’ll each be playing the part of Patrice (the protagonist’s love interest) on different nights. The song is “The Lamest Place in the World.” We spent a fun afternoon…

How My Mom Killed Facebook

Lest you think this is just a complicated revenge scheme against my mom (which, let’s be clear, it is), it’s this exact phenomenon that keeps driving Facebook’s user engagement numbers down. Far more than the fears about future employment, more than the creepy coworker who “likes” all your bikini pictures, it is the fear of…

And Now for This Breaking News Report

“Police have cornered the suspect who reportedly put as many as 25 words on single line of this text. If caught, he faces… … a lengthy sentence.” Via Cheezburger Similar:Research Poetry (communicating research results and expressing their significance through …For an article on communicating research…AcademiaComments on: A vane Osama bin Laden shown in new videos…

National Dance Day

In the restaurant parking lot after dinner (thanks, Grandma Pat) I mentioned to Carolyn that today is National Dance Day. She rarely needs much encouragement to perform. Similar:Why liberal arts and the humanities are as important as engineeringWe learned that though a degree made a b…AcademiaThe Physics Behind Traffic JamsIn between today’s various events, I…

“Peter, if black holes aren’t a good conversation starter…”

“Peter, if black holes aren’t a good conversation starter at the picnic, what else might you try?” “Superstring theory?” That’s my boy. Similar:Katie Couric Gun Documentary Undermined By Manipulative Editing : NPRInterviewer Katie Couric asks a group of…CultureWhy Fears of Fake News Are OverhypedFacebook seems to have made changes that…Culturexkcd: Headlines It: nailed. xkcd: Headlines.AmusingOwner…

She doesn’t have keys or a phone or an ID. Why does my tween need a purse?

To stash her Lemonheads and Smarties. http://t.co/Fr1luEpZ2b Similar:Understanding Poetry INCIDENTAL COMICS: Understanding Poetr…CultureComing up for the girl is another classic show: The Fantasticks.So looking forward to seeing her in this…CultureStill in her make-up from her scene as Marley's ghost, with script in hand standing i…PersonalSo this is Pi DayMy wife says she bought the pies…