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:Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Definitive Oral History of a TV Masterpiece The show was awash in quick, smart wis…HistoryWho cares about hyphens, commas and capital letters?…

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 …BusinessThe secret police: Cops built a shadowy surveillance machine in Minnesota after George Flo…Many of the same people who reject maski…Current_EventsIs your child…

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:The Circle (#StarTrek #DS9 Rewatch, Season 2, Episode 2) Kira relocates to Bariel's monast…Rewatching ST:DS9 Picking up where s2…CultureMy 10yo Sings "Hopelessly Devoted to You"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eq81GeqAY…PersonalBlender Griffin, Part 2After another couple of hours of work, I…AestheticsPerspective | Could ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ really be…

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:Teaching myself the #Unity3D game engine. Each step requires a lot of focused attention. I… Teaching myself the #Unity3D game engi…AestheticsDOJ Enters Into Landmark Web and Mobile App Consent DecreeUnder the…

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:West Side Story (Aug 9-12) #somethingscomingCultureThis is the first time during the pandemic that we’ve brought this game out.…