Sample, improved lyrics: “An old man turned 98 /He won the lottery, and died the next day (from a severe paper cut from his lottery ticket).” Similar:The Media Pyramid: “Any content where ideology leads to falsehood is bad for you.”You Are the Media You Eat CultureWhy I disagreed with my students who said, "That was…
Rewatching the classic Trek episode “The Conscience of the King,” which features a Shakespearean acting troupe. In one scene, McCoy writes a report on a wedge proto-iPad… …but in the very next scene Kirk scrawls on a piece of paper. This episode also features characters doing computer searches, using an exposition-friendly voice interface to call…
At least three journalists left NBC, after the network aired a tape of George Zimmerman, edited in a manner that substantially altered its content. Filed in Seminole County, the suit adds that “NBC News saw the death of Trayvon Martin not as a tragedy but as an opportunity to increase ratings, and so set about…
Jon Negroni creates a meta-narrative to connect every Pixar movie, using Boo as the still point in the turning universe. Every Pixar movie is connected. I explain how, and possibly why. Several months ago, I watched a fun-filled video on Cracked.com that introduced the idea (at least to me) that all of the Pixar movies…
The contrast between KTVU’s treatment of its triumphs vs errors reminds us of the difference between journalism vs public relations. Similar:Former student: "I remember sometimes being annoyed with all of our blogging assignments, …A third alum in the last few weeks has c…AcademiaWhat kids do when Dad won't hand over the iPod So I’m not being selfish……
Last week, the Fox-afiliated KTVU fell for a prank, repeating offensive fake names for the pilots involved in the crash of Asiana Flight 214 last week. [S]even-year veteran KTVU producer Brad Belstock closed his @producerBB Twitter account after his last Friday tweet just moments after the names were read aloud on the air by Tori Campbell.…
Francesca Borri writes of being a freelancer and a woman covering the war in Syria. (When my life gets hectic, a story like this helps me keep some perspective.) Similar:Another NewsBreak.com Exclusive Exposes a Royal Family Lie #FakeNewsYou sheep who trust the lamestream fake …AmusingTimes photo staffer's invention: the streaming backpack “From a photographer’s perspective…
Is your Sunday feeling incomplete because you haven’t read anything about punctuation today? This explanation of the semicolon should help. You’re welcome. Similar:Unless Buzzfeed-style Clickbait Replaces all Forms of Human Communication, or Republicans …I love some good meta. I wrote a dialogu…AmusingJourney's End (#StarTrek #TNG Rewatch, Season 7, Episode 20) Picard must relocate a North…
My wife is something of a hoarder. Now, as it happens, I have saved my half of the slip of paper that I tore so that we could write down each other’s phone numbers back when we were about 22, but she saves old catalogs and phone books (phone books!) from years ago. Sometimes, when…
So I’m not being selfish… this is a parenting strategy. Similar:The Enemy (ST:TNG Rewatch, Season Three, Episode 7) — LaForge and a Romulan Cooperate to …Rewatching ST:TNG after a 20-year break….EthicsFatworld ReviewOn Jan 14, Ian Bogost of Persuasive Game…CybercultureStunned by Viola Davis, Chadwick Boseman and the rest of the cast in Ma Rainey's Black Bot…Stunned…
Next up: Stage Right summer musical theater camp starts Monday! Similar:At Computers and Writing #cwcon for the weekend.Am I wise now? At an event for encouragi…AcademiaWhy Study Humanities? What I Tell Engineering FreshmenWisdom from science writer John Horgan.[…AcademiaI’m still teaching journalism and my usual courses, but after 21 years I’ve stepped aside …I’m still teaching…
Testing a tool to automate connections between iOS apps. Similar:Maybe Star Wars 7 won't suck, but I'm not holding my breath.I was burned in 1999 when I saw The Phan…HomeInfinite Scrolling: XKCD's Creative Insight on a Common Interface IndignityAmusingA New Talent EmergesI tried hard to frown disapprovingly whe…HomeMemories of Toronto Yonge Street EncountersI arrived in…
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Submitted revisions of 6 video tutorial scripts & drafted 5 more. Also, scored 3 boxes of leftover reception cupcakes and 1 of brownies. Similar:Saints and Poets, Maybe They Do SomeI wrote the following in 2004, when my s…DramaUshering for a school matinee. Love seeing the kids excited about @prime_stage Frankenstei… CultureText Messaging Declines in U.S.…
Blogging this so I can find it when I teach my “News Writing” class this fall. People do like to prank journalists with fake names. In this case, the reporter did what you’re supposed to do — get confirmation — but sheesh. KTVU reports fake racist names of Asiana Airlines 214 pilots from NTSB intern…
I recently bought a new phone. since then, I have answered an incoming call in my car. It felt awesome. Similar:Yes, I do feel rather awesome right now.Lost brand-new earbuds. Reached in pocke…PersonalJuror's CreedWhile researching my obligations for #ju…CultureI'm no longer surprised, but still want to document.This is really noteworthy. Today the Pre…Current_EventsMaybe I'll just…
I just touched up a handout on Parallel Structure vs Faulty Parallelism. Similar:The secret history of “Y’all”: The murky origins of a legendary Southern slang wordThe Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is u…CultureMy J-Term course on August Wilson doesn’t actually start until tomorrow, but the first ass…We’ll cover all 10 plays, but each stude…AcademiaJust finished a…
These comic panels cover the issue well. (Pennington Publishing) Similar:BWW Review: TWELFTH NIGHT Is Farcical Fun at Prime StageIn his review, Greg Kerestan, who must h…Culture“If music be the food of love, play on!” I may have mentioned that I have a daughter who d… CultureOh dear, George Lucas! Why the Star Wars…
A thoughtful reflection on religion in Star Trek. While Humans aren’t depicted as participating in any form of organized religion (there is a reference to a Christmas party here, a nod to monotheism there), the series also includes a distrust of science and technology, regularly depicting mad scientists, societies over-dependent on technology, etc.) that insists…
If you’re legally present on a public street or sidewalk, you can legally photograph anything in plain view. (This includes children and crime victims… but just because it’s legal doesn’t mean it’s always a good idea.) If law enforcement engages you, ask whether you are free to go; if so, then move out of the…