Rewatching ST:TNG after a 20-year break. Racing the Romulans to engage a starship-sized space creature near a pending supernova, the Enterprise takes aboard a first-contact specialist with a troubled past. Civilian Tam Elbrum’s sensitivity to the thoughts of others makes him so impatient and arrogant with the humanoid crew (at one point even shoving Picard…
Based on the number of people I saw at Wal-Mart who were not covering their faces, sadly this won’t last long. NEW: Pennsylvania is one of three states recognized by the CDC for having the most COVID-19 case reduction success. Pennsylvania has had a downward trajectory of COVID-19 cases for more than 42 days. Hawaii…
In the context of my role as a teacher interested in encouraging my students to understand the difference between credible information and propaganda, this language from DonaldJTrump.com will make a good discussion topic. I teach my journalism students to cover stories fairly. Journalists would not be doing their job if they simply repeated the results of…
Similar:Local news is the building block of a national democracy.Yesterday, I asked my students, “How man…BusinessABC News executive placed on administrative leave after reports surface of insensitive, ra…The Huffington Post reports that dozens …CultureWashington Post, Breaking News, Is Also Breaking New GroundThe Washington Post, famous for breaking…BusinessPrivacy and reporting on personal livesInteresting guidelines, phrased as…
Similar:Ursula K. Le Guin: A Personal Take on Go Set a Watchman Before Watchman was published, I…BooksAnniePersonalStop sharing those unsourced memes about "be woke" and "God doesn't need soldiers" — here…Pope Leo XIV, in his first address to jo…CultureKids, Pants, Booze, Music: Trouble In River City And AlwaysHe’s not holding back here; he is tellin…CultureSo…
Similar:A new study says young Americans have a broad definition of newsI expect that many of my students will b…CultureAlas for You (Godspell, Stage Right)Three weeks ago tonight, I got an email …DramaPost Gazette Corrects Headline of Seton Hill iPad FollowupEveryone makes mistakes. As a student jo…AcademiaA Matter of Perspective (ST:TNG Rewatch, Season Three, Episode…
Rewatching ST:TNG after a 20-year break. In the comic first act, the crew conspires to send a grumpy Picard on shore leave. Crusher: You told me your four days on Zylchin Three were wonderful. Picard: I lied. Later on the resort Planet Risa, Picard tries to relax, but he’s interrupted by a meet-cute with a…
Happy Flag Day! All flags matter, but nobody needs to say that out loud, because we are rational and well-meaning individuals who recognize my expression of respect for my nation’s flag in no way interferes with anyone else’s ability to express respect for their own flags. Similar:What Does the Demise of Cursive Mean?Are you aware…
The Huffington Post reports that dozens of sources agree that an ABC News executive created a racist and toxic work environment. ABC told The Huffington Post “we have placed Barbara Fedida on administrative leave while we conduct a thorough and complete investigation.” Barbara Fedida, a senior ABC News executive in charge of talent, is on…
Cops are trained to make snap decisions under highly stressful situations. Often their training saves lives. Sometimes they deeply regret decisions they make. After thinking back on his recent behavior while working during a protest at Foley Square May 31, NYPD officer Robert Cattani offered a heartfelt apology: “I know I made the wrong decision,”…
Andrew Gelman of “Statistical Modeling, Causal Inference, and Social Science” writes: Peer review is fine for what it is—it tells you that a paper is up to standard in its subfield. Peer reviewers can catch missing references in the literature review. That can be helpful! But if peer review catches anything that the original authors…
Using bits and pieces of real news in order to distort the public perception of a story is unethical. Not all news organizations distort the truth this way. What do you think about the ones that do? Today, Fox re-labeled three different altered images, identifying each as a “collage” and posting a note that says…
Similar:I'd like to speak to the manager. Yes, I'll wait right here. The manager is of course somewhere e…AestheticsSelf-referential capitalism; paradoxical fusion of idealized pop culture and mass-produced…AestheticsMasks serve many purposes. How sad that they’ve become politicized. I’ve seen the original meme on my so…Current_EventsMechanical innards for a Steampunk set piece. #Blender3D #greebleshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oChXOu8C…AestheticsSpring 2020 Quarantine…
Carefully choosing language that fits your slant is a powerful form of persuasion. I try to teach my students to recognize and avoid biased language, which is a more difficult process than simply firing back with different biased terms that support your own slant (“You’re an anti-choice woman hater,” “No, you’re an anti-life baby killer!”).…
Rewatching ST:TNG after a 20-year break. The episode feels like a gimmick approved by a cigar-chomping producer who barked at a room of scrappy doe-eyed writers: “Put a script on my desk by 4pm today, or tomorrow you’ll be back on the bus to Dubuque!” Picard is transported to a windowless chamber where he and…
Medium is not a peer-reviewed source, and the author is anonymous, which affects how credible this article is. The clickbaity headline obscures the fact that this essay offers a good argument that much of the good done by cops doesn’t involve having a “monopoly on state violence.” It’s also a reminder that being “blue” as…
I’ve loved this 1920s play for almost 30 years, and never imagined I’d be in a production. Similar:The Real Reason Why You Can't WriteHave you ever stopped to think about wha…AcademiaThe Curtains Were Blue: In Which I Fix Another Meme. Above is my response to a meme that …AcademiaIt's “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” 111th birthdayInteresting introduction…
Similar:My parents holding a picture of the family I took with my first SLR camera in 1987.PersonalOn Her One Free Day Between Two Shows…[View the story “On Her One Free Day Bet…DesignAuschwitz color photo: 'A 14-year-old girl, not just a statistic'I don’t know what this prisoner did, but…AestheticsSomeone seems to have slipped this over my…
Rewatching ST:TNG after a 20-year break. A Klingon exchange officer brings news of Worf’s long-lost father, prompting the Enterprise to visit the Klingon home world. The first part of the episode gives us what we want– a tough Klingon striding through the corridors of the Enterprise, not only picking on nerds Wesley and LaForge, but…
There’s nothing like a fair-minded, good-faith analysis of the facts. And this article from PJMedia is nothing like a fair-minded, good faith analysis. I see it instead as a cynical attempt to cloud the truth by feeding conspiracy theories. An actual news story would lead with the evidence — any charges filed against Gugino, quotes…