Anger Plays Key Role in Human Cooperation

An experiment in which group members could pay for the privilege of fining free-loaders suggests that the threat of being punished by angry peers helps to check selfish behavior. (Consider this in light of the "Bernie Shifman" article.) —Anger Plays Key Role in Human Cooperationb> (New Scientist) Similar:A practical application of close reading skills: Nazi-spottingWhenever…

The Lord and the Ring

“It began as a fireside story spun by a Catholic dad. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings became a great epic that has inspired conversions, steeled young people in virtue, and changed lives — including mine.” John Zmirak —The Lord and the Ring (catholic.net) Similar:Space:1999 design aesthetic merged detailed miniatures with curvy Euro-futurist interior d…Clearly…

Reading Anxiety

“There’s only so much time. And there are so many great books. And every year more books are published, some of which will be great. Reluctantly, the reader begins to acknowledge the appalling necessity of choosing to read certain good things and not other good things.” —Reading Anxiety (Nat’l Post) Similar:A Liberal-Arts Education for Business…

The End of Free

Hundreds of websites that used to give their content away for free are now charging for their services. This weblog chronicles the changes. —The End of Free Similar:Wander (1974) — a lost mainframe game is found!Interesting news for historians of digit…Current_EventsThree challenges for the web, according to its inventorA letter, published a few weeks ago,…

Wow, Check out that Motorcycle Revving!

Yelling out of cars, turning your speakers out the window to blast your music onto the street, setting off M-80 firecrackers, firing automatic weapons into the air—these are all well and good. But none of them create a merry atmosphere of insouciance and bonhomie quite like a revving motorcycle. —Wow, Check out that Motorcycle Revving! (The…

You have not truly lived, until you have seen Star Wars rendered as ASCII animation.  The FAQ page includes the answer to “Why (oh, God why)?” Similar:Security is Sleeping in the Back Seat of the CarFor decades, my mother collected paperba…Empathy"A Mushroom at Last… A Mushroom Forever"I asked my 10yo why she was moping. “…AmusingHave…

Wikipedia

is an open-source encyclopedia. If it doesn’t have an entry for something, you can write it yourself! —Wikipedia Similar:Tuxedo Pooh Reads Oscar Wilde I spent an hour on this. Below is the …AestheticsDaughter Carolyn plays Cherry in Prime Stage's production of The Outsiders (Mar 6-15)My daughter Carolyn plays Cherry in Prim…BooksCanadian teen's short film captures…

"A Visit from St. Nicholas"

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house / Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse… [More or Livingston? Authorship uncertain.] —“A Visit from St. Nicholas” Similar:Is the United Airlines man being smeared in the media even the right David Dao? It shouldn… “Doctor dragged off United fligh…BusinessEmily Dickinson Fun Page…

Sept. 11 Widows with Newborns

Very sad: “Sixteen mothers, all of whom were pregnant on Sept. 11 and lost their husbands in the terrorist attacks, and their babies are photographed with news anchor Diane Sawyer.” —Sept. 11 Widows with NewbornsAP via Yahoo!) Similar:4 writing lessons from the comedy of Joan RiversAll writers can learn from studying the …Current_EventsMidterm Grades Submitted.AcademiaOpinion:…

Weird Science

Programming bugs have bedeviled many a scientific researcher. Now, some researchers in Japan have programmed a bug. Thanks to a surgically-implanted device, scientists can control the motion of “Robo-roach.” —Weird Science (Guardian) Similar:Congo nun overcomes blackouts with homemade hydroelectric plantSister Alphonsine Ciza spends most of he…Current_EventsTime Might Only Exist in Your Head. And Everyone Else'sTired…

What Kind of Murderer has Moral Fibre?

“An experiment to uncover the world’s funniest jokes has found that some computer-generated gags can be more amusing than those thought up by humans.” —What Kind of Murderer has Moral Fibre? (New Scientist) Similar:Stop sharing those unsourced memes about "be woke" and "God doesn't need soldiers" — here…Pope Leo XIV, in his first address to…

The Geek Syndrome

Children born to high-tech nerds appear more likely to show signs of a behavioral disorder similar to autism. Silicon Valley cases are booming. —The Geek Syndrome (Wired) Similar:"seriously, the guy has a point" — on the Charging Bull and Fearless Girl ControversyArt conveys significance; however, much …AestheticsGoodby big Android… hello little budget iPhone SE 3rd.I…

IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ CAREFULLY!

“We are confident that you will have many years of trouble-free enjoyment if you carefully read these instructions and follow them.” (Note: Anybody who bothers to read instructions at all is probably already grouchy and impatient.) —IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ CAREFULLY! Similar:My Review of the Charlottesville Tryout of "A Few Good Men" 30 Years AgoA librarian…

Ring: One for the Book

“Does Jackson’s effort remain reasonably true to Tolkien’s richly imagined universe? And will filmgoers not inculcated with the lore of Middle Earth enjoy it anyway? The answers, happily, are ‘probably’ and ‘definitely.’” —Ring: One for the BookWired) Similar:Dear Google: You Should Have Talked to Me FirstTeacher Jen Marten responds to Google’s …BooksBWW Review: TWELFTH NIGHT…

DayPop.com

Search an index of 6000 frequently-updated weblogs, news summaries, and opinion pages; or, see a list of the top 40 pages cited by the ‘bloggers who create Internet buzz. My new second-favorite website (after google). —DayPop.com Similar:Far-Right Twitter Trolls Won’t Admit They Were Wrong About Killing of a “Patriot” in Denve…  It was a reporter’s…

Museum of Hoaxes

Over a century before Orson Welles’s “War of the Worlds” hoax, the New York Sun‘s moon hoax claimed that an astronomer discovered life on the moon. The website also describes many other hoaxes  —Museum of Hoaxes Similar:Peer Review Paranoia: The system is built on trust between scholars. AI is undermining tha…From an essay that includes…

Imagine Silicon Valley Buried Like Pompeii

(book review) : “…the activity stilled, the cars, houses and workplaces buried beneath layers of volcanic ash, the artefacts of a single moment preserved. What could we learn…?” —Imagine Silicon Valley Buried Like Pompeii Similar:Seeing a different cast. Break all the legs!CultureDungeons & Dragons & PhilosophyIn one of the most compelling chapters, …ArtShakespeare's Globe Theatre,…

All Seven Deadly Sins Committed at Church Bake Sale

“My cookies, cakes, and brownies are always the highlight of our church bake sales, and everyone says so,” said parishioner Connie Barrett, 49, openly committing the sin of pride. —All Seven Deadly Sins Committed at Church Bake SaleSatire from The Onion) Similar:How Literature Became Word Perfect There can be no true distinction drawn …CybercultureReading Game/Text:…

Trauma Culture

“From Oklahoma City to New York, we’ve turned violent human loss into epic narratives of suffering and patriotism. Does this help people heal or hurt them?” —Trauma Culture (Salon) Similar:Life in Code and Software (Open Humanities Press)This book explores the relationship betw…AcademiaYou, Too, Can Have a Viral Tweet Like Mine: Demystifying Poetic MeterSaving for the…