Novels Lose out to Newspapers

“The average [U.K.] reader spends 17 minutes a day reading a newspaper, compared to 11 minutes on a novel. They spend a further seven minutes online, six minutes on non-fiction, five minutes with a magazine, and two minutes looking up things they did not understand in a reference book.” —Novels Lose out to Newspapers (Guardian)…

Doors I Touched Today

“I photographed every door or drawer knob, handle, or latch I touched from the time I awoke on Thursday, June 3rd. until I went to bed on Friday, June 4th.”  —Doors I Touched Today (Fluxus) Similar:Fun with Kirk and SpockSee the Enterprise. See the Enterprise g…AmusingCommon Sense Media's AI Initiative When the kids were little,…

Do Poets Matter?

“No wonder so much poetry boils down to whining over the inadequacy and immorality of the poet’s little world. No wonder that poets, when they do move at all, head right for the handiest anodyne, whether it’s cheap whisky or pop-Buddhism.” Robert Bové —Do Poets Matter? (The Texas Mercury) Similar:The school mocked. I turtled.Draft: “As…

Factual Error Found on Internet

“The Information Age was dealt a stunning blow Monday, when a factual error was discovered on the Internet. The error was found on TedsUltimateBradyBunch.com, a Brady Bunch fan site that incorrectly listed the show’s debut year as 1968, not 1969.” —Factual Error Found on Internet (The Onion) Similar:7 web design trends you’ll actually see this…

Making a pink-fur-trimmed “Hello Kitty” laptop.

More evidence of the collapse of civilization as we know it: a website offering instructions for making a pink-fur-trimmed “Hello Kitty” laptop. Similar:A Note of Recognition for: Filmation's ''Star Trek'' AnimatorsEven if the animation of Star Trek was l…AestheticsBlender Griffin, Part 3Okay, that’s enough work for one evening…AestheticsResearch Poetry (communicating research results and expressing their…

Is That a Supercomputer in Your Jammies?

“Last week’s column about the death of my son Chase from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome set off something of a chain reaction across the Net… by the time I awoke on Thursday, words of support were already in from readers in Japan, Australia, India, and Kuwait.” Robert X. Cringely —Is That a Supercomputer in Your…

Physics + Dirac = poetry

“Whereas poetry uses highly-charged combinations of words, equations are the most succinct descriptions of the aspect of reality they describe. Dirac’s most famous poem enabled him successfully to predict the existence of antimatter…” Graham Farmelo  —Physics + Dirac = poetry (Guardian) Similar:This Is Not a Book: Thomas Jefferson & Apple's App StoreHumanities professors from the…

Typecasting

Have you ever been watching a movie, with sumptuous re-creations of period costumes, hair, and furniture — only to be annoyed by the anachronistic appearance of a modern typeface? No? Me neither, but Mark Simonson has. —Typecasting Similar:Blog RSS Feed Generator for WP RSS AggregatorI paid a little attention to a long-negl…CybercultureDC Art Science Evening…

Laws of Physics "May Change"

“I can’t change the laws of physics!” [44k wav] says a distraught Scotty in a classic Star Trek episode. But researchers have found evidence that suggests that the value of a fundamental “constant” has changed since the universe was young. —Laws of Physics “May Change” (BBC) Similar:Hear That? It’s Your Voice Being Taken for Profit.Why…

Alternative Medicine is Practically Mainstream

(Guardian): Treating earache:  2000BC: Here, eat this root.  1000AD: That root is heathen. Here, say this prayer. 1850AD: Prayer is superstition. Here, drink this potion. 1940AD: That potion is snake oil. Here, swallow this pill. 1985AD: That pill is ineffective. Here, take this antibiotic. 2000AD: That antibiotic is artificial. Here, eat this root. —Alternative Medicine…

Portal: A Dataspace Retrieval

With a popcorn plot engineered to appeal to sci-fi fans, Portal is an “interactive novel” published in 1986, and now available online as freeware. Rob Swiggart —Portal: A Dataspace Retrieval Similar:The Geekling Worked a Shatner/Nimoy Tribute into GodspellMy geekling daughter, who in Willy Wonka…AmusingHow Social Media Silences DebateThe Internet, it seems, is contributing …CultureLog Off,…

Kingdomality

A confusing name for an amusing medieval personality test. What kind of vocation would have suited you back in ye olde days? —KingdomalityCareer Management International) Similar:English teaching: Johnson: Talking past each otherWhen I got to college, I had already lea…AcademiaAdding a little Middle-Earth drama to a photo shoot.The girl was concerned she wasn’t nerdy …AestheticsThe…

Luncheon of the Boating Party

Why choose Renoir’s “Luncheon of the Boating Party” as a subject for poetry?  Stewart Conn says “The painting chose me.” —Luncheon of the Boating Party Similar:Battle of Agincourt — 600 Year Anniversary of Henry V's "St. Crispin's Day Speech"Sure, Marty McFly Day is interesting and…CultureThe Toulmin model for analyzing arguments came up at a faculty pedagogy…

Weblogs and Blogging

“Some weblogs wither once the first flush of enthusiasm passes, while others go from strength to strength, attracting contributions and feedback from experts and interested Internet surfers.” Laurel A. Clyde —Weblogs and Blogging (FreePint) One of her examples looks very familiar… Similar:Jerz Nerdcation 2013On a visit to the Washington DC area for…CultureGoogle engineer put on…

Darwinism in a Flutter

Do you remember learning that black moths gained an evolutionary advantage in soot-covered woods? “Once it had been cited enough times, it became an irrefutable article of faith. Hooper’s meticulous research provides a fascinating insight into the fallibility of scientists – after all, as she points out, they are only human.” —Darwinism in a FlutterGuardian)…

Global Village Idiocy

(NY Times): “At its best, the Internet can educate more people faster than any media tool we’ve ever had. At its worst, it can make people dumber faster than any media tool we’ve ever had.” Thomas L. Friedman —Global Village Idiocy Similar:Winnie the Pooh saga turns 100 years old todayOne hundred years ago today a…

Home Page Usability Guidelines

(UseIT.com) : “A company’s homepage is its face to the world and the starting point for most user visits. Improving your homepage multiplies the entire website’s business value, so following key guidelines for homepage usability is well worth the investment.” Jakob Nielsen —Home Page Usability Guidelines Similar:Google Favors Good Reporting, Not Liberal Views: StudyIt’s a…

Tribute to Mothers

“All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother.” — Abraham Lincoln —Tribute to Mothers Similar:Kate Upton and Ryan Gosling Explain the SequesterApparently these are two famous and phys…Aesthetics'Inappropriate' dance moves lead to calls for student lessons in Peters Mr. Merrell said the students told h…Amusing'Dream' casting a family…

The Truth about Canada

  “FACT: A 1987 survey found that Canadians have the worst handwriting in the whole world. They also frequently misspell the word ‘sauce.’”  —The Truth about Canada Similar:Daughter doing a thing. Interviewing the Pittsburgh Dance Council’s Randall Miller for Bur… AcademiaEnjoy the showmanship as a 94yo woman performs in a dance competition.https://youtu.be/8LOdmka4_90AestheticsAirport retro video games…