Sisters 'make people happy'

Researchers quizzed 571 people aged 17 to 25 about their lives and found those who grew up with sisters were more likely to be happy and balanced.–BBC News Well, at least “Sisters appear to encourage more open communication and cohesion in families.” The words “make people happy” only appear in the headline. From another point…

Why numbers no longer win arguments

A number in the news is no longer a cold fact, it is a killer fact, with all the murderous zeal that word implies. Journalists everywhere know the meaning of the phrase, the dagger of detail that runs the opposition through: the 23% up! The £16m wasted! The 140,000 children! For an example, try 271.…

Tomas Nilssons portfolio

Remediation of a classic? A satire on visual cruft? http://www.tomas-nilsson.se/ SlagsmÃ¥lsklubben – Sponsored by destiny from Tomas Nilsson on Vimeo. Similar:Journalists prefer plain language.AestheticsThe ‘Liar’s Dividend’ is dangerous for journalists. Here’s how to fight it.  The Liar’s Dividend suggests tha…CultureStudents Produce Breathtaking 3D Simulation of 17thC LondonThe haze effect lying over the city is b…DesignThe…

Keeping J-School Relevant

This article describes how the Columbia School of Journalism is redesigning its program in order to integrate new media and business skills into the traditional journalism program. Currently, most student work in the introductory course is in print — sometimes published by a professor on a course’s Web page. It is Grueskin’s hope that, in…

U.S. bill seeks to rescue faltering newspapers

Cardin’s Newspaper Revitalization Act would allow newspapers to operate as nonprofits for educational purposes under the U.S. tax code, giving them a similar status to public broadcasting companies. Under this arrangement, newspapers would still be free to report on all issues, including political campaigns. But they would be prohibited from making political endorsements. Advertising and…

The Horribly Slow Murderer with the Extremely Inefficient Weapon Gale, 2008

  Similar:How "Hail Mary" Became Inextricably Linked to American FootballI am revamping an existing “News Writing…CultureWhen F. Scott Fitzgerald Judged Gatsby By Its Cover With a big Hollywood movie now in th…AestheticsStar Trek: Voyager Premiered 20 Years AgoI remember wanting to like Voyager a lot…CultureJournalism, Fake News, and "Clickbait Defamation"Sometimes when my social media contacts…

TinEye Reverse Image Search

I generally discourage my students from delivering PowerPoint presentations, in part because they typically grab images from everywhere and anywhere, which is a practice I don’t want them to retain if they should start working for the student paper.  I prefer instead for students to post a richly linked blog entry (with links pointing directly…

When NOT To Hyphenate Your Name

Many married women choose to hyphenate their married name and maiden name. But there are times when you just shouldn’t!! (Mature Content) CBS 13 I laughed so hard my six-year-old daughter rushed downstairs to ask why I was crying. Similar:Terminated for Reading an Allen Ginsberg Poem?In February two students complained abou…CultureTeaching Shakespeare in a Maximum…

Nicholas Hughes, Sylvia Plath's son commits suicide

The son of the poets Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath has taken his own life, 46 years after his mother gassed herself while he slept.– Times Online I’m teaching Plath in my American Lit class tomorrow. Similar:Journalism, Fake News, and "Clickbait Defamation"Sometimes when my social media contacts …CultureRepublican National Convention: Scrutiny of Melania Trump’s speech…

How to Write a Great Blog Comment

I don’t know any bloggers who don’t crave comments, but there are many more places than blogs that you can leave comments these days: on news articles, photos, videos, comment walls, and more. Comment writing is something of a new art form, and as many people who get comments will tell you, some are great…

Making Waves Within Webs: Rhetorical Agency in a Complex World — CCCC 2009 – Session O.11

Kristen Seas, “Ripple Effect: A New Perspective on Rhetorical Agency” Lars Soderlund, “Kairos and Emergence” Marc Santos, “Social Bookmarking as Distributed Research” Jeremy Tirrell, “Decorum and Emergent Ethics” I was particularly interested in this panel, in part because I taught the session chair in a few technical writing / new media classes when she was…

Web 2.0 Wavelengths: Examining Spaces Created Within Electronic Discourse – CCCC 2009 – N13

[I came in about 10 minutes late so I didn’t catch the beginning. These are my rough notes, lightly edited.] Similar:Page Weight MattersUnexpected consequences, when a develope…CybercultureSlow flyby of a scout shop. Starfield backdrop; particle-based engine exhaust; hull uses a…More progress as I continue to level up …AestheticsIs Superman the next Drudge? Clark Kent quits…