“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:Hanging with the rude mechanicals @setonhilluniversityA Midsummer Night’s Dream.Culture1949 NBC Radio Adaptation of Orwell's 1984Long before the Apple ad, and Michael Ra…CultureOne of my undergrad lit papers. Dot-matrix printed, with hand-written instructor annotatio…AcademiaThis…

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…

Tweet: Feeling productive. Hammered out eight scripts fo…

Feeling productive. Hammered out eight scripts for training vids (3-5min each). It helps that I had an outline & know the content well. Similar:I asked my geekling whether she was ready for bed…I asked my #geekling whether she was rea…AmusingAnd the girl has succeeded in getting me to wear t…And the girl has succeeded in…

Tweet: So, the correct quote from “Miri” is actually “No…

So, the correct quote from “Miri” is actually “No ‘blah blah blah’” not “No more ‘blah blah blah.’” Classic Trek trivia I did not know. Similar:Yes, I do feel rather awesome right now.Lost brand-new earbuds. Reached in pocke…PersonalI'm no longer surprised, but still want to document.This is really noteworthy. Today the Pre…Current_Events10 Rules of Internet…

Tweet: Came around the corner and saw my kids huddled on…

Came around the corner and saw my kids huddled on the couch, reading an Iron Man comic. http://t.co/S3xPQoZh1o Similar:Judge: Apple conspired to fix eBook prices.Judge: Apple conspired to fix eBook pric…BooksRT @DDeClaudio: Who do you think controls the news…RT @DDeClaudio: Who do you think control…TweetsRT @PhilKomarny: A floppy disc… In #context htt…RT @PhilKomarny: A floppy…

The Humanities: What Went Right?

The search for what went right might take a hard look at the job market for our graduates. One recent survey, by the Web site payscale.com, paints a somewhat depressing picture of salaries, with humanities majors typically earning from $5,000 to $15,000 less than those with undergraduate professional degrees. Fifteen years after graduation, however, the…

William Shakespeare’s Star Wars

Because apparently I am not already nerdy enough, the universe presented me with this version of Star Wars, written in the style of a Shakespeare play. William Shakespeare’s Star Wars® | Quirk Books : Publishers & Seekers of All Things Awesome. Similar:Techno-greebles. Geometrically these are identical plain cubes, with custom shaders that s…DesignLotteries: America's $70…

Handshakes Really Do Matter

Monday night handshake/eye contact practice. [W]hen was the last time you analyzed your handshake? Consider these questions: If you are a male and you meet a female, who should extend their hand first? If you are a male and you are meeting another male, who should extend his hand first? If you are a female…

My daughter found where all the missing pens and pencils end up

Similar:Facebook Puts a Downer on UpworthyFacebook Inc. changed its newsfeed algor…BusinessUnfinished pine and not so ornamented, for the workshops and service areas of my fantasy #…PersonalKLINGON STYLE (Star Trek Parody of PSY – GANGNAM STYLE)Silly fun, just in time for the 25th ann…AestheticsText Messaging Declines in U.S. for First Time, Report SaysI don’t text message…

‘LOL, JK’: Texas teen faces 8 years in prison for making ‘terroristic threat’ online

An Austin, Texas, teenager faces eight years in prison for making a “terroristic threat” after he made a sarcastic comment online about shooting up a school. —Washington Times. Similar:Don't Be a Sucker (antifascist film from 1945)https://youtu.be/CXm3WxU–fM?si=E1BHac8J…CultureWhen is Donald Trump kidding? When is he being sarcastic? When is he being serious? Who ge…Earlier today a reporter,…

Tweet: RT @EKSwitaj: Higher Ed drinking game: every time…

RT @EKSwitaj: Higher Ed drinking game: every time someone says MOOC, buy 1000 bottles of liquor, drink three shots, and say you drank all 1… Similar:Parallel structure in writing: Use it!These comic panels cover the issue well….HumanitiesHabits for happiness: tips for looking on the bright side of lifeHabits for happiness: tips for looking o…PersonalJuror's CreedWhile…

Shy Preschooler Won’t Say Her Lines in “Peter Pan” Rehearsal (Stage Right! Greensburg)

Little Maggie isn’t so sure she wants to say her line, but during a rehearsal, director/choreographer Renata Marino and the cast of home-schooled children do their best to encourage her. On the night of the show, Maggie steps forward for her big moment. What will happen? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wNFw1gslwU Similar:New book: basic skills for the multimedia journalistLooking…

Tweet: For an anatomy project, my #geekling made a Vulcan…

For an anatomy project, my #geekling made a Vulcan instead of a human. (Note heart where liver should be.) #startrek http://t.co/9ct0O20gRA Similar:I asked my geekling whether she was ready for bed…I asked my #geekling whether she was rea…AmusingWhat kids do when Dad won't hand over the iPod So I’m not being selfish… this is …EducationProto…

Tweet: Grammar test for 11-year-olds. http://t.co/tVph471…

Grammar test for 11-year-olds. telegraph.co.uk/education/educ… Similar:Habits for happiness: tips for looking on the bright side of lifeHabits for happiness: tips for looking o…PersonalOverheard at Quora: "Why after all these years is Moodle still so ugly?"Moodle is a free course-management tool …AcademiaParallel structure in writing: Use it!These comic panels cover the issue well….HumanitiesFormer student: "I remember…