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:Ray Harryhousen, visual effects pioneer, dies  The Harryhausen family regret to…AestheticsTwo Steps Down the Interactive Fiction RoadWonderfully detailed analysis of two gro…AestheticsThe Die Is Cast (#StarTrek #DS9…

Tech Woes

I wore out my key to the media cabinet. It snapped right off in the lock. Similar:Students Speak Up: Trust Us With DevicesThe students who are, in the first few w…CybercultureFacebook Fallen Angel « AwkwardFamilyPhotos.c…AmusingStandardized-test robo-graders flunk“According to professor of theory of kno…AcademiaWhy We Fall for Fake News and How to Bust ItMeasuring the impact…

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:An English professor tries to help ChatGPT write and revise a sonnetShortly after my online AmLit survey beg…AcademiaFor News Outlets Squeezed From the Middle, It’s Bend or BustHundreds of thousands of people on Faceb…BusinessAfter a productive run-through of West Side Story, the girl…

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:Me Checking into My #4C19 Conference Hotel RoomI’ll just mark a few more papers before …AcademiaOver the years I have leveled up my Blender3D skills.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNLArSlF…AestheticsEmpok Nor #StarTrek #DS9 Rewatch (Season 5,…

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:Web Literacy for Student Fact-Checkers: Four MovesThe confirmation bias describes the very…AcademiaMany things in the world are awful, but…