Hap Aziz, who’s running a Kickstarter campaign to fund an interactive fiction exploration of colonial Williamsburg, was interviewed by Emily Short. One of the fascinating things to me about the events surrounding American independence is that there was so much disagreement and debate regarding whether or not the colonies should dissolve their bonds with England.…
The other day, a worker was pushing his cart through my office building, attaching these little cork board strips to our doors. Something about the moment cried out for commemoration. Similar:After 10 Years of Blogs, the Future's Brighter Than EverIn Wired, Jenna Wortham focuses on what …HistoryBusy with Midterm GradesPosted midterm grades for the…
I don’t want to put Humpy Dumpty back together. Let him lie there, a cracked shell oozing yolk. He is broken. And he is beautiful. The smell, the colors, the flow, the texture, the mess. All of it, it is unavailable until we break things. And let’s not soften our critical blow by calling it…
Wish I had come across this a little earlier in the term… too late it to add it to my “Media and Culture” new media seminar. Morris — a novelist who has written graphic novels, games and, yes, Choose-Your-Own-Adventure stories for kids — has changed the original text in other ways, as well. (Let’s take…
I knew Rather was still fighting, but I didn’t know what he’s saying now about the Killian memos that ended his career: A CBS-commissioned investigation of the disaster—headed by Richard Thornburgh, U.S. attorney general when Bush’s father was president, and Associated Press chief executive Louis D. Boccardi—faulted Rather and his top producer, Mary Mapes, among…
An American child could go to a public school run by Pearson, studying from books produced by Pearson, while his or her progress is evaluated by Pearson standardized tests. The only public participant in the show would be the taxpayer. If all else fails, the kid could always drop out and try to get a…
The Internet has become a Wild West of hooligans apt to besmirch the name of anybody they don’t like, because they think they can get away with it under a cloak of anonymity, legal experts say. “The real difficulties you are going to have is finding who are the John Does who are posting this…
Backed. The Historical Williamsburg Living Narrative allows you meet the people and experience the circumstances that lead to the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. The setting is Williamsburg, Virginia, in colonial times, and game is pure Interactive Fiction: engaging prose will take your imagination back nearly 250 years into the history of…
Walden, A Game simulates both personal and environmental life, modeling the basic personal needs outlined by Thoreau, as well as some of the more experiential concepts he described. Furthermore, the game takes advantage of the detailed notes that Thoreau took about the pond, and its surrounding landscape, flora and fauna. —Walden, A Game – USC…
“65 kids from 15 different schools- coming together to create a show in 3 weeks!!!! Please come see them shine.” — Tony Marnio, Artistic Director, Stage Right School for the Performing Arts, Greensburg I’ve already got my ticket. Looking forward to a great show. Similar:No, this photo of people wearing coats standing in front of…
Interesting implications for the flipped classroom. If students think they already understand something, they’ll tune out of a video lecture. Students watched a science video they frequently described as “clear,” but in a post-test it turns out the video had actually confirmed their incorrect assumptions. When students watched a second video that first presented and…
My son and I heard Mr. Banos speak just last week at a Holocaust memorial ceremony. There was one evening a few years ago when someone browsing the television channels could see Les Banos’ face and European accent in two unrelated historical documentaries demonstrating the breadth of an unusual life. In one made by the…
His real name was Geisel, Theodor (with no “e”). An incredibly generous Author was he. An alum from the class of nineteen twenty-five, They say he gave more than any alive. And for that they’ll remember him and his wife (the woman with whom he spent most of his life). The medical school will carry…
I just heard from a trusted source about the death of Les Banos, a WWII veteran who joined the Nazi Secret Services in order to be a double-agent serving the Allies. My son and I heard Mr. Banos speak at a Holocaust memorial service just last week. Here’s a video version of some of his…
Harvard’s annual cost for journals from these providers now approaches $3.75M. In 2010, the comparable amount accounted for more than 20% of all periodical subscription costs and just under 10% of all collection costs for everything the Library acquires. Some journals cost as much as $40,000 per year, others in the tens of thousands. Prices…
Sigh. Critical Path – Dan Amrich – Google Books. Similar:Ben Franklin Sings about Your Rights as a PhotographerIf you’re legally present on a public st…AmusingStapler jam during a midterm exam.My years of watching MacGyver definitely…AcademiaWhere Are the Women?Thanks for the suggestion, Nicole. The …CultureCrabby 9yo Constructs a Head-mounted Frump-amplification Isolation CubeMy 9yo was ordered not…
The sum total of good things in the universe has increased. The metal on the top of some of the gear is rusty and weathered. But Diaz knows what he’s doing; the man can field strip an Apple II floppy drive and refurbish the thing in under an hour. Some of his equipment may not…
Awesome dad is awesome! Creative Dad Takes Crazy Photos Of Daughters | Bored Panda. Similar:The Pope's Prayer for Countering "Fake News"Today is the feast of St. Francis de Sal…CultureAbove the ready-room desk is the captain's power-napping loft, because self-care is i…AestheticsRay Harryhousen, visual effects pioneer, dies The Harryhausen family regret to…Aesthetics13: The Musical Promohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40MbeApiX…CultureEvita in…
I attended a read-through of this play a few months ago, and was impressed. Looking forward to seeing the production. “Running in Traffic” focuses on Bolton, a nonverbal young man with autism who runs from home to attempt independence and becomes lost. He finds refuge on a traffic island when Stevie, a girl in a…
Devotees of the Blackwing had been paying up to forty dollars apiece for them after they were discontinued, in 1998. I received a box of twelve Blackwings, and I got hooked. The lead is ungraded, but it is definitely softer than a No. 2, and very expressive. The Blackwing motto is “Half the Pressure, Twice…