I Found it On the Internet: Teaching Students to Locate, Evaluate and Cite Online Sources

The link above goes to the web version of a powerpoint presentation. Dennis G. Jerz —I Found it On the Internet: Teaching Students to Locate, Evaluate and Cite Online Sources Similar:[E-Mail is for Old People] –[E-Mail is for Old People] (User Frie…AmusingRereading “Writing to Learn”Rereading “Writing to Learn,” William Zi…AcademiaDr Jerz I think your microphone glitchedhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPqnXF7A…AcademiaOn…

Psychology of Weblogs

"Most weblogs are drivel, banal sh*t written by angst-ridden teenagers and adults sharing feelings, thoughts, and mind-numbing details about their daily lives that provide little insight into anything or anyone. But the gems can be found amongst the long-since abandoned or forgotten sites." John M. Grohol —Psychology of Weblogs Similar:He dedicated years of his life…

Searchin’ for the Surfer Saint

A prayer before surfing: “Almighty and eternal God, we beseech thee that, through the example of Saint Isidore, bishop and doctor, during our journeys through the Internet we will direct our hands and eyes only to that which is pleasing to thee and treat with charity and patience all those souls whom we encounter. Amen.”…

Of Poets, Prophets and Politics

While Westerners may be surprised by the notion that poetry is an effective way to convey a political message, Bassam Frangieh says it is an integral part of Arab culture. —Of Poets, Prophets and Politics (Humanities) Similar:How Not to Hate Shakespeare The problem isn’t Shakespeare—it’s h…CultureDon't call it "social distancing" or you just might get…

Resume Vaults [Chicago] Techie into Spam Battlefield

Think twice before sending a tartly worded e-mail or prepare for a battle of near-biblical proportions like the one being waged on Chicago computer consultant Bernard Shifman. —Resume Vaults [Chicago] Techie into Spam Battlefield (Chicago Trib) Similar:First Evidence That Social Bots Play a Major Role in Spreading Fake News Shad and co say bots play…

History of Video Games since 1889

Yes, that’s 1889. —History of Video Games since 1889b> (GameSpot) Similar:Peer Review Paranoia: The system is built on trust between scholars. AI is undermining tha…From an essay that includes a reflection…AcademiaWhy Our Brains Make Us Click on ListsThe article-as-numbered-list has several…CultureToday's second 10sq cm of #steampunk control panel. Love those letter flip tiles. Maybe I'…AestheticsThe…

When the Geeks get Snide

"What venerated ‘alpha geeks’ and lowly ‘smurfs’ share is a tendency to talk about people as if they were machines. To be ‘uninstalled’ means being fired or dismissed, whereas a ‘plug-and-play’ refers to a new employee who fits in without any additional training."  (Rebuttal: Don’t Tweak the Geeks) —When the Geeks get Snide (NY Times;…

Marx, Money, and Mysticism after Mao

"They may love capitalism. They may have no interest whatsoever in political theory. But they believe that Marx was always right and always good." English professors? Hardly. —Marx, Money, and Mysticism after Mao (Partisan Review) Similar:English Is the Language of Science. That Isn't Always a Good ThingEnglish speakers tend to assume that all…AcademiaWhat Can You…

Bloggus Caesari

“This bridge will be a massive undertaking: the Rhine is a wide, deep, and fast-moving river. My engineers and I have devised a way to build the bridge in such a way that the stronger the current, the more secure the bridge will be.” —Bloggus Caesari (Julius Caesar’s Weblog) Similar:Facebook shrinks fake news after warnings…

Boring, grey-haired government contractors are hot

; trendy young dot-com refugees come begging. (WashPost) —Boring, grey-haired government contractors are hot Similar:Cameras and Masks: Sustaining Emotional Connections with Your Students in an Age of COVID1…There are some sound pedagogical reasons…AcademiaGoogle engineer put on leave after saying AI chatbot has become sentientWe’ve all encountered this scene in all …CybercultureMuseum of Endangered SoundsImagine a…

Hemingway's "Old Man"Dies at 104

"Everything about him was old except his eyes and they were the same colour as the sea and were cheerful and undefeated…" wrote Hemingway in his 1952 novel, The Old Man and the Sea. Gregorio Fuentes was Hemingway’s friend, and probably the inspiration for the story. —Hemingway’s "Old Man"Dies at 104 (BBC) Similar:VIRUS DIARY: For…

On the Implausibility of the Death Star’s Trash Compactor

“Once ejected into space, wouldn’t the flattened, living-room-sized, and extremely solid panes of trash that result from such a primitive, unidirectional trash compactor pose serious hazards for Empire starships in the vicinity?” —On the Implausibility of the Death Star’s Trash Compactor (McSweeney’s) Similar:Remembering James Doohan on his 100th Birthday (found on the Star Trek Wholesomeposting…

Glove Lends the Deaf a Hand

A teenager has attracted international attention for developing a glove that can translate sign language into printed text. —Glove Lends the Deaf a Hand (USA Today) The article suggests that a glove that reads finger positions will free deaf teenagers from needing the services of adult interpreters. Yet sign language is a rich and complex…

The Tightening [Adacemic] Job Market

This is the time of year that college departments hiring new faculty members whittle down to two or three promising candidates, from the dozens or even hundreds of applicants. (A candidate for a UWEC English department job is interviewed towards the end of the article.) —The Tightening [Adacemic] Job Marketb> (Chronicle) Similar:The iPad Falls Short…

Does the Pope S– In the Woods?

: "Nowadays, art that prompts ‘controversy’ usually has one thing in common: it’s bad. Bad in conception or bad in execution, and frequently bad in both." Lileks —Does the Pope S– In the Woods? Similar:Talkback session after the matinee and my brother and faculty colleagues after the evening…Talkback session after the matinee and m…AwesomeHow We…

What is Genius?

"If Einstein had died as a child, someone else would have discovered General Relativity; if Beethoven had died as a child, the Opus 111 Sonata would never have been written." Dennis Dutton —What is Genius? (Philosophy & Literature) Similar:Facebook exec erroneously cites The Lord of the Rings when comparing the social network to…A Facebook executive,…

"'Google Effect' Reduces Need for Many Domains"

"With the rise of search tools that unerringly bring you to the page you want, the need for a highly specific domain name — one that a casual Web user would be able to guess — has practically disappeared." Dan Gillmor —"’Google Effect’ Reduces Need for Many Domains"b> (SiliconValley.com) Similar:Star Wars: TIE Fighter 20th Anniversary…