Story of the Week; Contextualizing Bartleby

Just stumbled across the wonderful “Story of the Week” web page, from the Library of America (publishers of the ubiquitous black-with-a-red-white-and-blue-ribbon classics). The current run of baseball-themed stories aren’t really my thing, but the archives go back to 2009. Further exploration of the site led to this thoughtful response to “Bartleby the Scrivener,” a precursor…

Still More FaceTime Fun

I realize that video-chatting teenagers everywhere already know this, but last night, while holing up in my hotel and preparing for the Conference on College Composition and Communication, I checked in with my family by video call. My wife, who usually doesn’t really care for computers at all, was interested enough to hang around for…

Where’s my gravity gun?

At the Mariott Marquis in Atlanta. A citadel of formed concrete. I’m in a Half Life 2 state of mind. Your browser does not support the video tag Similar:School ditches rules and loses bulliesSwanson School signed up to the study by…CultureRespect the Text: Teaching Textual Primacy to Non-English MajorsIn the past, I have used the…

Tech Woes

I wore out my key to the media cabinet. It snapped right off in the lock. Similar:We Need to Talk about the Burgeoning Robot Middle ClassMaybe it’s not the super-robots we need …BusinessHow 15 minutes I spent with a laptop in 1991 created 2 FT jobs and a promotionIn a section of my dissertation, I…

J.K. Rowling Is Now Considering Harry Potter e-Books

The move would transform the electronic market and add to Rowling’s already impressive net worth. J.K. Rowling is considering releasing digital versions of her lucrative Harry Potter books. Though she has declined eBook deals for years, her agent Neil Blair now says, “The e-book format is now something that is being actively considered,” according to the…

iPad vs. Netbook for a 1:1 | EdReach

Here’s an interesting reflection — are iPads worth the extra cost, when compared to netbooks? EdReach says no. (More on that later.) At Seton Hill, students get a very nice MacBook (and they trade up after two years), as well as an iPad. It’s been great being at a university that is so supportive of…

YouTube – Top 5 Viral Pictures of 1911

Okay, this one was cute, too.  Top 5 Viral Pictures of 1911. Similar:WAOB MisSpelled (final episode airs)The final episode of the fantasy/comedy …AmusingGiven a chance to explain his support for a YouTuber who warns about alien DNA, Trump abru…After mounting a half-hearted defense of…Current_EventsThe Whole Internet Hates MeAmusingEvery Post-Game Press Conference (Weird Al)https://youtu.be/oXAW2qd65nAAmusingIt's Science! Carolyn…

Gmail Motion BETA

One of the better April 1 gags I’ve seen in a while. Love the “lick a stamp and place it down” gesture. Gmail Motion BETA. Similar:The Passenger (#StarTrek #DS9 Rewatch, Season 1, Episode 9) Dead criminal keeps committing…Rewatching ST:DS9 In a runabout, Kira…CultureI ditched Google for Bing with ChatGPT for a month — here's what happened…

Take That, Malware!

I spent hours fighting to remove a virus from the virtual Windows box on my MacBook. I could have just flipped a switch and restored a backup, but that would have let the bad guys win. Similar:First-Gen Social Media Users Have Nowhere to GoI check into Musk’s X every few days, bu…BusinessIn June, 2000 I…