Jury Duty Update

I’m a happy, responsible, and no-longer-obligated-for-jury-duty citizen. Similar:A stranger approached me today.A stranger approached me today. I was a…CultureGreat energy at our Comp & Culture poster paper session. So proud of these students an…AcademiaWhite House Bars Times and Other News Outlets From BriefingKudos to the reporters from Time and AP …Current_EventsHere's a close look at…

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:Don’t Want…

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:It's been nice knowing you, iPad3 It’s been nice knowing you, iPad3, but…TweetsWhat kids do when Dad won't hand over the iPod So I’m not being selfish… this is …EducationRT @DDeClaudio: Who do you…

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…

RT @mykidcancode: Managing Your Preschooler’s Fasc…

RT @mykidcancode: Managing Your Preschooler’s Fascination with Apps – bit.ly/lv1ZyR #parenting #technology Similar:'Robot Journalist' Out-Writes Human Sports ReporterSports journalism is full of colorful fi…GamesAuthor of 80s classic The Hobbit didn't know game was a hit The Hobbit stood out from the advent…CybercultureDesert Bus: The Worst Video Game Ever CreatedPenn and Teller are involved with this s…BooksHow…

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

Not kidding — 254,460 spam comments in my trash folder! Similar:The Whole Internet Hates MeAmusingFacebook Announces $300 Million Project, Allegedly to Support Local JournalismOnce upon a time, local newspapers could…BusinessNew Kindle Helps Readers Show Off By Shouting Title Of Book Loudly And Repeatedly New Kindle Helps Readers Show Off By S…AmusingZork: The Great Underground EmpireA…

“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:Spent the morning in a socially distanced recording studio.PersonalIn the Salary Race, Engineers Sprint but English Majors Endure Since new technical skills are a…AcademiaRude mechanical sighting! Shakespearing it up with @newrentheatreco.PersonalOne deck below…

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.…

Study: Singing together synchronizes your heartbeat

The researchers found that each singer’s heartbeat was linked to the song’s melody – i.e. the speed and structure of the music. They also found that when the choir sang together, their heart rates tended to increase and decrease at similar times. “As soon as the singing begins, (the hearts) start following each other,” Vickhoff…

In Defense Of Metaphors In Science Writing

We live in an elegant universe. The cosmos is like a string symphony. Genes are selfish. There is an endless battle between thermodynamics and gravity. Do you love these statements, or hate them? The reading world gets pretty divided over whether or not it’s okay to apply metaphors and similes to descriptive science writing. It…

The Reading Project

Literature majors and students otherwise drawn to literature courses can be an introverted bunch. Students overall can at times resist course projects that fall outside the expected parameters of a given discipline. Yet my class proved my assumptions wrong. Many of the students were nervous, to be sure, but overall they seemed to enjoy the…