Welcome to www.villainsupply.com, your best online source for everything EVIL. If you are a supervillain, mad scientist, warlord, dictator, or despot, then this is the place for you. Similar:Canadians Love Poop, Americans Love Pizza: How Emojis Fare Worldwide The company SwiftKey analyzed more tha…AestheticsYouTube distortion after the same clip is re-uploaded 1000 timesIn theory, technology…
Guns and Roses
“Shakespeare was a hugely popular commercial writer who asked big questions about the world he lived in. The world has changed but the questions remain the same, and they still need asking.” —Guns and Roses (Guardian) Similar:Kids Today: A Response to Mark Bauerlein (from "Dean Dad")Mark Bauerlein’s essay “What’s the Point…AcademiaIn January 2001, I was…
Whatever You Say
“Open the pod bay doors, please,” astronaut Dave implores Hal 9000. We command, the machines execute. If they fail, they do so politely: “I’m sorry, Dave. I’m afraid I can’t do that.” W. Wayt Gibbs —Whatever You Say (Scientific American) Yeah, after they have killed our astronaut partner, but that’s not the point the author’s…
Surrey with the Syringe on Top
Playwright Arthur Miller, on anabolic steroids: “Let’s imagine you’re a young playwright, trying to stay clean… But over at the Virginia you know there’s a writer shot up with more Lasix than a Kentucky thoroughbred and he’s going to take your ticket-buyers, your house, your money, your troubled and needy movie-starlet wife.” —Surrey with the…
Web Design "Causes Confusion"
“A gap between how web designers and ordinary surfers think is causing frustration on the net.” —Web Design “Causes Confusion” (BBC) Nothing really new here, but it’s good to see the mainstream press covering usability issues. Similar:Microsoft has no shame: Bing spit on my ‘Chrome’ search with a fake AI answer It was time to…
What’s Happening on the Web?
“A Writer’s Perspective on an Emerging Medium” —What’s Happening on the Web? Similar:Bye Facebook, hello Instagram: Users make beeline for Facebook-owned social networkInstagram dialed in early to the power o…BusinessGenZ prefers searching with TikTok, Instagram over GoogleEducating myself about how today’s colle…CybercultureThe Printed Word in Peril: The age of Homo virtualis is upon usWho, I…
The Conference Presentation I Won’t Make (But Want To)
“Someone made a mistake and forgot to get you a glittery Token Autistic Author with three Ph.D.s and a Nobel prize. Instead they accidentally got you one out of the trash heap you put us in after you are done putting up with us in school.” —The Conference Presentation I Won’t Make (But Want To)…
Student Gets Diploma After Threatening Lawsuit
“A threatening letter from her lawyer and an opportunity to retake an exam hours before graduation helped a West Valley high school student get her diploma last month.” —Student Gets Diploma After Threatening Lawsuit (Arizona Republic) “I weep for the future,” writes Matt, a former student of mine. Similar:A study in breaking news headlines.For the…
At This School, "It" Is a Touchy Subject
“The principal of Franklin Elementary School in Santa Monica . . . banned the children’s game of tag–for reasons that included issues of self-esteem–from the playground late last month.” —At This School, “It” Is a Touchy Subject (LA Times) Similar:This is Ralph. Ralph is a concept, created by you while reading this.AmusingI survived my first…
Personally Involved Father Figures Enhance Kids' Learning in School
(University of Illinois press release) “When dads or other father figures get personally involved, kids do better in school. The finding, says a University of Illinois researcher, suggests that schools should encourage male interaction, especially with at-risk kids.” — Personally Involved Father Figures Enhance Kids’ Learning in School Similar:Fake News Remains Top Industry Concern in…
Unidisciplined
“The study of English is whatever people within the community of inquiry known as ‘the English department’ happen to count as the study of English. There is no objective referent, such as “the nature of literary language,” to use as an arbiter among approaches. The foundation has not shifted–it has vanished.” Louis Menand —Unidisciplined (Wilson…
National Science Foundation: Science Hard
“The National Science Foundation’s annual symposium concluded Monday, with the 1,500 scientists in attendance reaching the consensus that science is hard.” —National Science Foundation: Science Hard (The Onion) Similar:A Colorado town's newspapers were stolen after a story about rape charges at the police ch…I’m sure the good-apple cops will fairly…EthicsAll About Soap — Why Washing…
Video Games are Incredibly Stupid!
“These critics and, unfortunately, most video game players have a basic misunderstanding about the nature of games. They believe that the purpose of a game is to imitate something in life. They think the more realism the game has, the closer it will come to imitating life, and the better the game will be. They…
Are Girls Mean?
“A group of girls tormented one poor soul by sending her flowers under the name of a boy she had a crush on, sending him a sexually explicit letter under her name and telling a teacher she was cheating on tests. These examples provide a darkly fascinating portrait of the incredible lengths to which girls…
Radical Hollywood
“[B]y reading evidence of Communist influence into every film with a rich villain, a corrupt politician or a dispossessed hero, Radical Hollywood inadvertently makes McCarthy and HUAC seem more rational than they really were.” —Radical Hollywood (Salon) Similar:A Message from Hester Prynne (Student Video)Have I mentioned lately that I have awes…AcademiaThe daughter (giving the piggyback…
Online Uprising
“{A}fter September 11, a slew of new or refocused media junkie/political sites reshaped the entire Internet media landscape. Blog now refers to a Web journal that comments on the news–often by criticizing the media and usually in rudely clever tones–with links to stories that back up the commentary with evidence. —Online Uprising (American Journalism Review)…
Read The F—ing Story, Then RTFM
Admit it. You didn’t read the f—ing manual. You didn’t read it because you’re a geek and you don’t need no stinkin’ manual. Or you didn’t because you’re not a geek, and the manual gave you brain cramps. —Read The F—ing Story, Then RTFM (Wired) Similar:Harvard University says it can't afford journal publishers' pricesRobert Darnton,…
AARDVARK a million miles to put 26 animal puns in alphabetical order. I’d BADGER you and I’d keep CARPING on the subject, until I have no i-DEERs left. I’d have no EGRETs, however, as I FERRET out more animal puns. Jim Ertner Similar:The Problem with Quotes on the InternetAmusingJournalists prefer in-person interviews. Emailing questions to…
Typology: A Phenomenology of Early Typewriters
“The typewriter is in the process of becoming a thing of the past, along with dial phones and vinyl records. ‘Things of the past’ are still present, of course — it’s their world that is absent…” Richard Polt —Typology: A Phenomenology of Early Typewriters (Classic Typewriter Page) Similar:Facebook Announces $300 Million Project, Allegedly to Support…
Website Navigation
On a page that collected links to articles about online navigation, Allen Smith posted a short quote from Jakob Nielsen, and added links to pages that illustrated Nielsen’s points. What are the ethical implications of adding inline links to quoted text? —Website Navigationwww.allensmith.net) Similar:Facebook Axes “Trending” SidebarFacebook is discontinuing the “trending”…BusinessOver time, Google has made…