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:Game night at our local library.GamesWhat happened when I showed vintage Mister Rogers to my 21st-century kidsThey discovered TikTok. And Fortnite. An…CultureYour Students Learn by Doing, Not…

Tech Woes

I wore out my key to the media cabinet. It snapped right off in the lock. Similar:Page Weight MattersUnexpected consequences, when a develope…CybercultureWhy typewriters beat computersThe BBC offers a pleasant bit of retroph…AestheticsReal college classes have writing assignments and required reading.While I can imagine teaching a course th…AcademiaThe Internet Is RottingI do what I can.…

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:If You Check the Source of an Inspirational Prayer You Shared on Social Media, You Might B…I needed this prayer yesterday. I checke…AmusingWarning: Don’t Download Software From SourceForge If You Can Help ItLooks like SourceForge has backtracked o…BusinessChatGPT Can Be Broken by Entering…

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:At Home In Fantasy's Nerd-Built WorldsIn other words, more than the profound l…AestheticsThomas Jefferson on "newspapers without government" vs "government without newspapers"Those darn founders with their darned re…CultureMan Infected with Ebola…

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:Trouble importing UMA clothes from Blender 3.6In Blender3D, I created a jumpsuit, rigg…CybercultureiMovie Glitch: Unplug Removable Media before Using…