A few years old but, worth a few yuks, from McSweeney’s. In his nine years with the department, Dr. Jones has failed to complete even one uninterrupted semester of instruction. In fact, he hasn’t been in attendance for more than four consecutive weeks since he was hired. Departmental records indicate Dr. Jones has taken more…
A good example of new media journalism, in which narration and animation weave short video clips into a coherent analysis. Via the Washington Post. Our partners at Slate.com created a seven-minute satirical depiction of the Democratic primary season thus far. It covers Sen. Hillary Clinton’s “cackle,” Sen. Mike Gravel scowling at the camera, debates, former…
According to Metafilter, “Nothing signals the death of a trend like an article in the NY Times Style section.” Even his clothing — an unlikely fusion of current and neo-Edwardian pieces (polo shirt, gentleman’s waistcoat, paisley bow tie), not unlike those he plans to sell this summer at his own Manhattan haberdashery — is an…
Our Sons their Father’s failing mainframes see, And where lies reel-to-reel goes USB. Similar:Downloading Great ExpectationsA few weeks ago, I bought an audio recor…BooksWFAA legend on pioneering live coverage of JFK assassination The vast majority of Americans r…Culture30 years later, Sierra's Laura Bow mysteries are still a treasureWhen I was in college and grad school,…
If your father is an English professor, how do you respond to poorly written signs in a kiddie park? Everywhere I go, I like taking pictures of signs with mistakes that make good classroom proofreading examples. Shortly after I moved to Western Pennsylvania, I learned that Idlewild Park is the regional version of Disneyland. Every…
Jason Lutes: With every step “forward” in any area of human endeavor, something is gained, and with rare exception there is a concomitant loss. I feel this keenly in video game design, as the cutting edge of graphics slices into the future, opening up new and ever hotter arteries of experience for the player, but…
This article from eSchoolNews does a good job emphasizing some of the relevant lessons from a recent Pew report: For most media outlets that reported on an important new survey measuring the impact of technology on teens’ writing skills, the big news from the survey was that emoticons and text-messaging abbreviations are creeping into students’…
Tomorrow is the last day of classes, but it’s not too late to bring up a new topic. Many of my students in “Intro to Literary Study” were fascinated by Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game, so I thought they might appreciate hearing about Card’s dismissal of J.K. Rowling’s suit against a fan-created reference work devoted…
The idea isn’t new, but the phrasing is clear and effective. Todd Alcott: Just as movies began as novelties shown before “real” entertainment, or as nickel entertainments in amusement arcades, well, that describes the early days of gaming as well. Movies went from Train Arriving at a Station to The Great Train Robbery in twelve…
The idea of paying for positive coverage at a scholarly conference is 0% original. Inside Higher Ed reports on Turnitin.com’s awkward efforts to get positive coverage at the 4Cs next year. (Via KairosNews, which links to blogger reactions.) The issue of paying professors to attend the 4C’s meeting is particularly sensitive because of the make-up…
Wired just loves technology. Here’s an article about a technological solution to forgetting. As a science fiction fan, I had always assumed that when computers supplemented our intelligence, it would be because we outsourced some of our memory to them. We would ask questions, and our machines would give oracular — or supremely practical —…
More cruel jokes to play on literal-minded people. Similar:Students are trusting software like this to do their work. The technology will continue t…Culture"Wolf!", cried the shepherd boy. (The whole thread is worth reading.) https://twitter.com/CT_Bergstrom/statu…CultureThe Royale (ST:TNG Rewatch, Season 2, Episode 12)Rewatching Star Trek: The Next Generatio…BooksCurse you, conference proposal word limits. I’m frustrated by these…
Reuters: To launch next year as a massively multiplayer online game, or MMOG to those in the gaming community, Lego Universe will let players create online versions of themselves and interact with each other. Thanks for the suggestion, Rosemary. Similar:100 Careers for English MajorsAnyone with an English degree will tell …AcademiaYouth Can Check Out Briefcases,…
Not the best spoof I’ve ever seen, but if you really want to see a spoof of a trailer of a documentary about text adventure games, you might be somewhat amused. (Here’s the original.) I’m mocked in this, if that’s any incentive to anyone… Similar:The News from Ferguson – Live, on Twitter[I]t turns out that…
The Weekly Standard does not like The Newseum. Our terrific country offers lots of ways to make a living, but with the possible exceptions of movie acting and architecture, only modern journalism would have the nerve to celebrate itself with something as gaudy and improbable as the Newseum. Similar:11 Tips H.P. Lovecraft Had for Novice…
In case you didn’t know, Choose Your Own Adventure (CYOA) is back. (School Library Journal) The CYOA books allow middle graders to experiment with nonlinear storytelling, “a developmental step that some kids need.” Choice-points in the stories force youngsters to visualize and mull over plot possibilities, letting them take control of the reading experience. Individual…
AP: Nearly a third of children ages 6 to 10 are regular users of digital audio players, according to market research firm the NPD Group. And thanks to entrepreneurs like Katz, they can now use them to listen to bedtime stories. In March, the Audible.com founder launched AudibleKids.com, where children can download books directly onto…
Naomi Alderman (Guardian): [S]ometimes I admire the beautifully-rendered star-filled sky, and sometimes I drive the in-game car into a lamp-post, just to see what happens. It is play, just like “cops and robbers”, just like daydreaming, just like writing a novel. I’m not a big fan of driving games, and the longest stretches of game-playing…
Guardian: First Battlestar Galactica was reinvented as a must-watch TV show and clever allegory for US foreign policy post-9/11. Then the Doctor returned from Gallifrey to make sci-fi cool and revive mainstream family viewing. Now Sky One is hoping to continue the successful reinvention of the genre with a multimillion-pound remake of the 1970s British…
Wired: The U.S. Army Intelligence Center is using a custom game to train interrogators, or “human collectors,” as they are euphemistically known. Known by the staggering title of Intelligence and Electronic Warfare Tactical Proficiency Trainer Human Intelligence Control Cell, the simulation was designed by General Dynamics from the shooter Far Cry. The Army game features…