Blender Griffin, Part 3

Okay, that’s enough work for one evening. I added a skeleton I had already created for another project, and I added new rigging for his wings and tail. I still need to add the fancy stuff, like having the eyes follow a target, having the limbs move automatically to follow the placement of the feet…

Blender Griffin, Part 2

After another couple of hours of work, I’ve added the Griffin logo and a tail (trust me — it’s there). I’ve improved the lighting, and added some very subtle ambient occlusion (the inside of his beak and the inside of his eyes are shaded more realistically). I could probably do a better job differentiating such…

Correlation or Causation? – Businessweek

Correlation or Causation? – Businessweek. Similar:All of Your Co-Workers are Gone: Story, Substance, and the Empathic PuzzlerHowever, running parallel to the evoluti…AcademiaSchieffer: 'We Now Don't Know Where People Get Their News'The legendary Bob Schieffer is calling i…CultureA college tells faculty it's illegal to speak to student journalistsCongratulations, President Meadows. You …BusinessFacebook paid Teen Vogue to…

Blender 3D Update

Holy ray-tracing, Batman, it’s a Blender 3D update! I have not had the chance to try out Blender 2.61, which features an ocean simulator, motion-tracking, and real-time ray-tracing. blender.org – Blender 2.61. Similar:First Evidence That Social Bots Play a Major Role in Spreading Fake News Shad and co say bots play a part…AcademiaYou are in…

Blender Griffin

To celebrate yesterday’s on-time submission of final grades, I spent part of last night and much of today working on this Blender 3D model of our school mascot, the Griffin.   Similar:Churnalism SearchAt the University of Virginia, one summe…CultureKittenwar”May the cutest kitten win…” –Kittenw…AestheticsEncyclopedia Smithsonian: Star-Spangled Banner and the War of 1812 When he saw…

Narnia Lesson Plans: Activities Related to the Musical (based on The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe) — Jerz’s Literacy Weblog

I just posted the latest musical theater education packet, written by my wife, as she aims to make the most of our home-schooled children’s participation in Stage Right Greensburg’s student theater production. 1.10) Narnia, once a utopia or paradise, has become a sad, cold dystopia under the Witch’s rule. Read & discuss other examples of…

Pittsburgh Parent Magazine: Future-oriented College Majors

Pittsburgh Parent Magazine’s December issue features Seton Hill’s New Media Journalism major in a cover story by Kelli Robinson. Similar:The Tempest, According to My 9yo DaughterShe’s 10 now, but here is her response t…CultureBoys And Girls Memorize Words DifferentlyGirls were more likely to memorize words…CultureMicrosoft lays off journalists to replace them with AIMicrosoft is laying…

Losing Face

This story features my Seton Hill colleague, Lee McClain. “It’s kind of like if you are looking at a bunch of leaves on a tree, you could study them, but you’d have to work really hard to tell them apart,” said McClain. That is how she sees faces. “That part of my brain that most…

On the Spot: Campus Diversity

One of my journalism students posted this insightful and well-edited documentary. (She also posted a brief introduction.) HTML5 HTML5 480p FLV360p FLV360p MP4240p FLVFlash Similar:Rethinking TV news, Part III: First, kill the stand-upI’ve told my journalism students that TV…DesignFDR and Grilled MillionairesTonight we’ll be blocking my big scene a…CultureConsciousness: Where Are Words?Words, words, words. With…

National study: Youth ‘sexting’ is downplayed

A national study released Monday suggests there is a smaller percentage of young people involved in “sexting” — sending or receiving explicit or sexually suggestive images via cell phone or Internet — than previous studies found. via National study: Youth ‘sexting’ is downplayed – Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Wait a minute… who or what is doing the…

And With Your Spirit

My daughter was amused that, even with a cheat sheet in my hand, I automatically responded to “Peace be with you” with the traditional “And also with you,” every time this Sunday, instead of the new translation “And with your spirit.” Not once did I get it right. Similar:Google worker says he was fired for…

Lego Rudolph

Before settling down to finish reading Mr. Popper’s Penguins, my daughter made this Lego reindeer. Similar:The girl’s first day on set filming for “The First Day of Summer” Carolyn plays a teenager who’s outsi…CultureAnd if my point of view is somewhat misty-eyed…And if my point of view is somewhat mist…AestheticsEdible Chess Chess pastry cutters handmade…