On social media recently I saw people mocking Trump for “refusing” to unveil the traditional presidential portrait of Obama, and I saw people attacking “the fake news media” for pushing a narrative designed to make Trump look bad. The original NBC story that broke this item accurately states that neither Trump nor Obama is interested…
(Rewatching ST:TNG after a 20-year break) The meddlesome entity Q, stripped of his powers, throws himself at the mercy of Captain Picard: “in all the universe you’re the closest thing I have to a friend, Jean-Luc.” Lots of well-done banter and self-absorbed patter from actor John De Lancie. While Worf and Crusher have memorable reactions to…
I just found a post on economics in early computer games, tucked away as a “Draft” in my WordPress database, dated Jan 2011. I’m not sure why I never published it. The web page I was responding to has disappeared from the Internet, so I’ve linked to the Wayback Archive instead. Similar:The Horror… The Horror!…
More progress as I continue to level up my #blender3d skills. Similar:Angry 10yo Edits the Paper Heart She Gave Her MotherAestheticsMultimodal News Packages (for Student Journalists)A multimodal news package simply means “…AcademiaCarolyn plays Ti Moune in the Stage Right homeschool company "Once on This Island"…PersonalSold out opening night of Mamet’s Oleanna. Chilling. Gasps from the…
Every time I have taught an online class, I have made it asynchronous. I’m blogging these synchronous teaching tips so I can find them again when I’m prepping my fall classes (which will likely be HyFlex). The tips offered here won’t miraculously eliminate the initial awkwardness of virtual class sessions, but they’ll help. And over…
About a dozen local TV news stations aired a video segment produced by Amazon. Some identified the source, but most just let TV viewers assume the video was a news story, rather than a PR piece hosted by an Amazon employee. Journalism matters. See Forbes for details on the story. Similar:The First Duty (#StarTrek #TNG…
Fascinating use of social media. To be clear, this story about “Carolyn Gombell” is a fabrication, intended to spark Twitter to take action against people (such as Donald Trump) who use Twitter to publicize unfounded accusations. Will that matter to people who share it? It’s parody accounts, not journalists, who are retweeting this story as…
Similar:Essay on meaning of a life grounded in the liberal arts @insidehigheredFor David N. DeVries, the critical think…AcademiaI'm glad President Trump was right about the coronavirus vaccine In May, NBC published a “Fact Check” c…Current_EventsEpiscopal bishop on President Trump: ‘Everything he has said and done is to inflame violen… “I am the bishop of the…
Powerful writing, by Matthew Schneier. Most of the essay is on the power of poetry as an oral art form. (See also Poetry is for the Ear and Poetry Writing Hacks: Top 10 Tips.) But I blogged it because of the paragraphs about the author’s father. Right now, a machine is breathing for my father,…
Yet in a circle pallid as it flow by this bright sun, that with his light display, roll’d from the sands, and half the buds of snow, and calmly on him shall infold away Deep-speare’s creation is nonsensical when you read it closely, but it certainly “scans well,” as an English teacher would say—its…
Similar:Dear Google: You Should Have Talked to Me FirstTeacher Jen Marten responds to Google’s …BooksFaculty stacked up in launch tube beneath McKenna gym, ready for graduation 2022.AcademiaCarolyn featured on Steel City News for The Nutcracker The credit at 0:30 should read “Caro…AestheticsIce Cream and Sharks Scene: writing classroom. …AcademiaModular low-poly medieval buildings. Ground-level storefronts…
Yes, this was the decisive moment. I ended up cleaning my son out when he landed here later in the game. Similar:On my fantasy #steampunk capital ship, every uniform is a full dress uniform. #blender3d #…AestheticsGoogle engineers mined the text adventure game "Zork" for AI image promptsYouTube commenter Bob Hepple writes, “Tw…AestheticsI didn't mark a…
Using invisible shapes to cut holes in the hull, and a shrinkwrap modifier to align the cockpit frame and the glass. Similar:How Will Historians of the Future Run MS Word 97? How Can We Save It for Them?Just as early filmmakers couldn’t have p…CybercultureAnother lovely variation of a #steampunk control panel. #blender3dart #neovictorian #desig…AestheticsUntil next…
Similar:When backwards newbie poets write…PersonalMy daughter found where all the missing pens and pencils end upAmusingPater Noster Passenger ElevatorsSome 50 years ago, my father took me to …AmusingAnother fun 10 sq cm of a #neovictorian #steampunk control panel. #elegance #design #aesth…AestheticsWhy ‘Cats’ the Movie Fails So FlamboyantlyI can’t seem to get into superhero movie…AestheticsSold out…
A great production of a delightful play. Similar:Among today’s major professional accomplishments: installing this hook. #springbreakMy office door feels more complete now. …AcademiaAlex and Carolyn rehearse for “The King and I” Saturday nightPersonalOur news is dominated by people in expensive suits, shouting at each otherMost of the time, I religiously avoiid w…CulturePeer Review Paranoia: The…
(Rewatching ST:TNG after a 20-year break) Crusher finds herself sympathizing with the charming terrorist who kidnapped her. After last week’s “The Hunted” and the week before’s “The Defector,” it seems the writers are very interested in humanizing perceived enemies. An unusually exposition-heavy captain’s log establishes the Enterprise is visiting a non-aligned world shaken by terrorists.…
Similar:Go not to the elves for counsel, for they will say both no and yes.First runner-up for the girl’s Halloween…AestheticsObamacare's broken website cost more than LinkedIn, Spotify combinedMuch of the criticism of Healthcare.gov …CultureRebooting “Rossum’s Universal Robots” for the 21st century“It is over three hours long, and it is …CultureStick to facts, but write news…
Similar:If You're Getting Walled in a Cellar I Feel Bad for You SonAmusingWhat have my students learned about creative nonfiction writing? During class they are col…What have my students learned about crea…AcademiaTrials and Tribble-ations #StarTrek #DS9 Rewatch (Season 5, Episode 6) Trivial Time Travel…Rewatching ST:DS9 Strait-laced time c…AmusingWhat can you do with an English Major?AcademiaDuring…
Similar:My schedule every Friday this term. (Payback for teaching a course over Christmas break.) PersonalA former student contacted me to share her thoughts.A few years ago, I told myself I would s…AcademiaGil Gerard (1943-2025) I built a model of the two-pronged Sta…CultureIdeal Homeschool Summer Day: Studying Latin, Justifying Nilla Wafers, and Making a Duct Ta…Today, I…
Researchers identified more than 100 false narratives about COVID-19 that are proliferating on Twitter by accounts controlled by bots. Among the misinformation disseminated by bot accounts were tweets that conspiracy theories about hospitals being filled with mannequins, or tweets connected the spread of the coronavirus to 5G wireless towers, a notion that is patently untrue.…