Me as a highshool photo-bomber, I presume at the cast party for The Music Man.

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And if my point of view is somewhat misty-eyed…

And if my point of view is somewhat misty-eyed, There’s nothing clearer in my life than what I wish and feel for you — And that’s a lot. No matter what. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Melissa Shontz (@melissashontzphotography) on Jun 28, 2020 at 5:56am PDT Similar:“Thank you for…

Theatre Crowd Mustn’t Be Bitter

The entertainment industry seems upset that pubs are to be opened before any theatres or music venues. But you can understand why the pubs have priority – it’s a matter of safety. Theatres are wild places where you can’t control the public. So often, during a show by a comic, the audience spreads viruses by…

The Most Toys (#StarTrek #TNG Rewatch, Season Three, Episode 22) Data Abducted by Eccentric Collector

Rewatching ST:TNG after a 20-year break. The crew react to losing Data in a freak shuttle accident, but he’s been kidnapped by a trader who wants him for his collection. An odd, low-stakes episode that gives us a good look at Data’s ethical principles and negotiating technique, as he calmly debates with his captor and…

Wearing A Mask Is A Sign Of Mutual Respect During The Coronavirus Pandemic

Shortly after my region ended their lockdown, I went to my local Walmart to return something I had purchased online. I was shocked that more than half of the people there weren’t wearing masks. I got in and out quickly, wondering all the while whether the chance to get infected was really worth the $22…

Hollow Pursuits (#StarTrek #TNG Rewatch, Season Three, Episode 21) Misfit Crewmember Faces Holodeck Addiction

Rewatching ST:TNG after a 20-year break. Awkward, stuttering junior engineer Barclay spends too much time in an alpha male holodeck fantasy. His swordplay, barroom brawls and over-the-top moments of swagger and seduction approach Kirk-level bravado. A predictable but enjoyable riff on Thurber’s short story, “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.” LaForge and Riker have given up…

Okay yes, this affirmation does matter to me and it will go into my annual review for next year.

Marked 832 AP English essays in a week of online work. Rating is based on how accurately I marked the pre-graded training examples scattered in amongst the flood. A really good professional development tool, that helps me to align my assessment with what my peers feel is high school writing skill that deserves college credit.…

When is Donald Trump kidding? When is he being sarcastic? When is he being serious? Who gets to decide?

Earlier today a reporter, following her journalism training, asked Trump, “Were you just kidding, or do you have a plan to slow down testing?” His response: “I don’t kid, let me just tell you.” At this weekend’s Tulsa rally, the president had said, referring to the US response to the coronavirus pandemic, “I said to…

I am at that stage of life where I am excited about loading a new dishwasher for the first time. (The one that came with the house in 2003 finally died.)

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Rt Covid-19 — How Quickly Coronavirus is Spreading in the American States

This site tracks Rt, the value that measures how many people the average infected person infects, in each of the American states. An Rt greater than one (depicted as red in this interactive chart) means the virus is spreading to more people. A value less than 1 means it’s on track to die out. Note…

In June, 2000 I was blogging about anagrams, 1750 Paris, ambiguity, a hyperlink patent claim, and reading posture

In June, 2000, I was blogging about Poems inspired by anagrams (T.S. Eliot = Toilets; Emily Dickinson = Skinny Domicile) Where to go if you wanted to know what was happening In 1750 Paris The Lexicon of Intentionally Ambiguous Recommendations A patent lawsuit that claimed ownership of the concept of hyperlinks Reading posture (how do…

Happy Father’s Day

One of my favorite pictures of my father. This is our Chevrolet Caprice station wagon, circa 1971. I’m rocking the stripes. Similar:A journalist shot by police while covering the 2020 protests is dying of her injuriesCops gotta cop, and that means keeping p…Current_EventsDistributing Candy at Holiday ParadeCurrent_EventsStar Wars: The Last Jedi abuse blamed on Russian trolls…

A father gives his happy toddler a ride on his shoulders.

Only a Dad (Edgar Guest poem, read by Carolyn and Peter Jerz for WAOB Audio Theatre)

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Sharing memes about news you don’t see is lazy. Be part of the solution!

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Canadian teen’s short film captures Spring 2020

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In the Salary Race, Engineers Sprint but English Majors Endure

Since new technical skills are always in high demand, young college graduates who have them earn a short-run salary premium. Yet when the job changes, these now experienced workers must learn new technical skills to keep up with fresh college graduates and a constant stream of talent from abroad. The result is slower salary growth…

Post-Pandemic News: 7 Lessons We Can’t Afford to Forget

Journalists are often criticized for emphasizing bad news. On a day when there are no commercial airliner crashes, there’s no need for a story on the fact that everyone who flew today landed safely. I prefer to get my news from the web, so I don’t follow TV news in any form. However, I was…

How Exactly Do You Catch Covid-19? There Is a Growing Consensus

From the Wall Street Journal: At a March 10 church choir practice in Washington state, 87% of attendees were infected, said Lea Hamner, an epidemiologist with the Skagit County public-health department and lead author of a study on an investigation that warned about the potential for “superspreader” events, in which one or a small number…

“The face of the last man on Earth.” #alquist #rur #robots #capek #virtual #theater Getting ready to record the epilogue.

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Bias Check! Consult different sources for a fuller picture.

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