Parallel Structure vs. Faulty Parallelism

I just touched up a handout on Parallel Structure vs Faulty Parallelism. Similar:A trend story about millennials, by The New York Times“When it comes down to it, life is reall…AmusingChipping away at Pygmalion and GalateaPygmalion is a legendary sculptor (whose…ArtAt Home In Fantasy's Nerd-Built WorldsIn other words, more than the profound l…AestheticsDetails drive the news…

Parallel structure in writing: Use it!

These comic panels cover the issue well. (Pennington Publishing)   Similar:Down with Fake Politics! Down with Fake Government! Long Live the Free Press!You can’t get much more American than Th…CultureThe Liminal Classroom”What,” I asked, “are we to make of Plat…AcademiaWhat's a Snollygoster? Even lexicographers are wrong sometimesThis is an amusing little story about ho…CultureHow I Joined…

In Space as on Earth

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…

Ben Franklin Sings about Your Rights as a Photographer

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…

It’s a good day when one’s nerdiness is an asset to a colleague.

It’s a good day when one’s nerdiness is an asset to a colleague. Similar:The truth hits Thorvald. Loved PPT PlayTime’s online presentation of Ibsen’s A Doll’s Hous…PersonalThe Big Boy GraveyardOn road trips in my youth, watching the …AmusingThe girl told me to post this with the caption, “The Addams Family Goes to the Big League….Personal#blender3d…

Jury Duty Update

I’m a happy, responsible, and no-longer-obligated-for-jury-duty citizen. Similar:Judge: Apple conspired to fix eBook prices.Judge: Apple conspired to fix eBook pric…BooksEach of these #retro #neovictorian #steampunk control panels takes me about an hour. #gree…AestheticsThe girl will be dancing as the Gold Fairy in Laurel Ballet's Sleeping Beauty tonight… PersonalWaiting for the sound of bagpipes. #setonhillgrad 2016PersonalWhen she…

No space for over-30s as relaunched MySpace erases its past

Keep a local backup of anything important you’ve entrusted to online services. There’s no guarantee that, years from now, those services will honor the terms you agreed to. Backed by new investors, including singer Justin Timberlake, Myspace (after dropping the capital ‘S’) has been rebranded as a music-streaming service, with a new sleek interface, and…

Judge: Apple conspired to fix eBook prices.

Judge: Apple conspired to fix eBook prices. #ethics #books The Federal lawsuit claimed that Apple, led by then-CEO Steve Jobs and senior vice president of Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue, conspired with HarperCollins, Hatchett, Macmillan, Penguin and Simon & Schuster to drive e-book prices up from the $9.99 price point Amazon had established. –readwrite.com Similar:Merry Christmas…

RT @spj_tweets: How TV could suffer the fate of newspapers

RT @spj_tweets: How TV could suffer the fate of newspapers: @alanmutter shares the second installment of his two-part blog – http://t.co/l… Similar:How hate and misinformation go viral: A case study of a Trump retweetOn Sunday night, President Donald Trump …AcademiaIn Defense Of Metaphors In Science WritingWe live in an elegant universe. The c…CultureParallel Structure vs.…

RT @DepressedDarth: Dear J.J. Abrams, If the new Star Wars is bad…

RT @DepressedDarth: Dear J.J. Abrams, If the new Star Wars is bad, you will forever be known as Jar Jar Abrams. Sincerely, Star Wars fans Similar:Theatre Crowd Mustn't Be Bitter The en­ter­tain­ment in­dus­try seem…CultureHero Worship (#StarTrek #TNG Rewatch, Season 5, Episode 11) Orphaned Boy Idolizes DataRewatching ST:TNG The Enterprise-…AmusingAngel One (TNG Rewatch, Season 1, Episode…

Juror’s Creed

While researching my obligations for #juryduty Thursday, I came across this “Juror’s Creed.” The gender-specific reference to men, the instruction to reflect upon the virtues of democracy, and the instruction to respect the judge’s education all hint at a historical context for the creed. Institutions never put their creeds into writing unless they feel those…

Spent a productive work day doing nothing but optimizing my blog.

Spent a productive work day doing nothing but optimizing my blog. Added a very nice plugin for displaying thumbnails of related posts. Similar:Stage Right's production of 'Secret Garden' is heart-tugging showIn the Stage Right production, the role …Current_EventsThe Secret Lives of Tumblr TeensThat feeling when you hit a million foll…CybercultureYork Corpus Christi Pageant, Toronto, June…

RT @mykidcancode: Managing Your Preschooler’s Fasc…

RT @mykidcancode: Managing Your Preschooler’s Fascination with Apps – bit.ly/lv1ZyR #parenting #technology Similar:In July, 2002, I was blogging about military close reading, weblogs in journalism, UX evan…In July, 2002, I was blogging about …CybercultureLA Photographer Fired for Digitally Altering News Photo”On Monday, March 31, the Los Angeles Ti…EthicsGoogle responds to streaming report with shruggie GIFThe…

Maybe I’ll just delete these QUARTER OF A MILLION spam comments.

Not kidding — 254,460 spam comments in my trash folder! Similar:The Six Things That Make Stories Go Viral Will Amaze, and Maybe Infuriate, YouOverblown Headline of New Yorker Article…CybercultureNested (procedurally generated game of expanding drop-down lists)A text game that you play by opening fol…AwesomePick Up Your Smartphone Less Often. You Might Think BetterResearch suggests we…

“Bach is not for the weak of mind.”

“Bach is not for the weak of mind.” — Miss Renee, my kids’ piano teacher. “I’m in trouble.” — Peter, my son. Similar:Flannery O'Connor reading "A Good Man is Hard to Find"It’s striking to hear her audience erupt…AestheticsSlow flyby of a scout shop. Starfield backdrop; particle-based engine exhaust; hull uses a…More progress as I continue…

Classroom collaboration marketplace

While I am uncomfortable with the whole “classroom as marketplace” metaphor, since it’s pretty much gamifying without the fun, I am nonetheless interested in this strategy for encouraging students to collaborate by having them attach a value to the artifacts they present to the class for sharing.. We shop for everything from apps to ideas.…