Loss for the Student Press

First Amendment lawsuits by student journalists at public universities become moot when the plaintiffs graduate, according to a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit. —Scott Jaschik —Loss for the Student Press (Inside Higher Ed) That sounds very disturbing. Similar:The secret police: Cops built a shadowy surveillance machine in Minnesota after George…

Sartre & Peanuts

An ideal example of abandonment is the relationship between Linus and The Great Pumpkin. Every Halloween, Linus faithfully waits by a pumpkin patch, in the hopes that he will be blessed with the holy experience of a visitation by The Great Pumpkin. Of course, The Great Pumpkin never shows up, and He never answers Linus’…

The Boys are All Right

Statistics collected over two decades show an alarming decline in the performance of America’s boys–in some respects, a virtual free fall. Boys were doing poorly in school, abusing drugs, committing violent crimes and engaging in promiscuous sex. Young males lost ground by many behavioral indicators at some point in the 1980s and ’90s: sharp plunges…

It's God vs. Satan. But What About the Nudity?

The filmmakers hope that “Paradise Lost” will prove enticing to Christian audiences. Mr. Hazeldine said he read “several theological tomes” because “I’m adapting Milton, and then Milton’s kind of adapting Genesis, and I wanted to make sure that for the faith audience, I guess, that they will see it more as ‘The Passion of the…

What's So Friggin' Funny?

Sometimes called the reptilian brain because its basic structure dates back to our reptile ancestors, the brain stem is largely devoted to our most primal instincts, far removed from the complex, higher-brain skills that allow us to understand humor. And yet somehow, in this primitive region, we find the urge to laugh. —Steven Johnson —What’s…

Queen guitarist to complete doctorate

Brian May is completing his doctorate in astrophysics, more than 30 years after he abandoned his studies to form the rock group Queen. —Queen guitarist to complete doctorate (AP | Yahoo! (will expire)) This brightened my day. Similar:Microsoft Publishes Garbled AI Article Calling Tragically Deceased NBA Player "Useless"This is what we have to look forward to,…BusinessWhat…

Breaking News: Something Happening in Haiti

Breaking News: Something Happening In Haiti —Breaking News: Something Happening in Haiti (The Onion (Satire)) Great commentary on the accelerated news cycle. Similar:“Let It Go,” Idina Menzel’s Frozen ballad: It sends the wrong message.This author is probably overthinking thi…CultureCaptain, the Fake News Detectors are Offline! Slate has a good article about Willi…CybercultureWhat Could Have Been Entering…

Seagull becomes crisp shoplifter

“At first I didn’t believe a seagull was capable of stealing crisps. But I saw it with my own eyes and I was surprised. He’s very good at it.” —Seagull becomes crisp shoplifter (BBC) Very strange. My brother-in-law Robert sent it to me. Similar:My Kids Loved Narnia but Were Unimpressed by Turkish DelightAmerican kids today would…

Statetris

—Statetris (mapmsg.com) Like Tetris, but with American states. Similar:Above the Forward Ops conference platform we see the chief engineer's station and a glimps…AestheticsA student just booked an appointment to discuss picking up journalism as a second major. E…AcademiaJane Elliott’s “National Brotherhood Week” Lesson  https://youtu.be/oGvoXeXCoUYCultureVideo ResumesI’m thinking of asking students in a med…BusinessMy journalism students just gave…

Beginning Reporting

As I see it, a good reporter is like a pinball in play, always gathering, writing, revising, gathering, writing, revising–until time runs out. The job is as simple, and as hard, as that. The advice here is based on the teachings of reporters I admire. It is also based on conclusions I have drawn during…

Famous Poems Rewritten as Limericks

There once was a horse-riding chap Who took a trip in a cold snap He stopped in the snow But he soon had to go: He was miles away from a nap. —Lore Sjöberg —Famous Poems Rewritten as Limericks (Bad Gods) Similar:NYPD's Lt. Cattani offers heartfelt apology for "wrong decision" that threw his reputation…Cops are trained…