That moment when you're logging into a table read of #RUR (Rossum's Universal Robots), the 1920s Czech play that invented the "robot rebellion" SF trope, and and you see this…

Similar:Keeping things in the proper perspective at 4Cs: Praise for my delivery of a line from Sta…Already met a lot of good people and fou…AcademiaBetween static hand-coded HTML pages and modern content-management systems, there used to …When I started my blog in 1999 (by addin…CybercultureThe barbican at Mickelgate was pulled down in the 1800s but…

How’s newsgathering during COVID-19 at the state level? Depends on the governor.

Journalists covering state responses to the coronavirus pandemic are hampered as officials reduce seating in briefing rooms, introduce unreliable technology and, in some cases, refuse real-time questions. Governors have also seemingly used the crisis to retaliate for critical coverage, blocking access or reducing press pools to friendlier outlets. But some state governments have pivoted with more…

Dennis G. Jerz | Associate Professor of English -- New Media Journalism, Seton Hill University | jerz.setonhill.edu Logo

In April 2000, I was blogging about HTML frames, the future of reading, grammar, Kairos, and Hypercard

In April 2000, I was blogging about… HTML frames (who remembers how much they sucked?) The sorry state of web design (AskTog) The future of reading “Rules grammar change: English traditional replace to be new syntax with” (The Onion) Journalism students who don’t read or watch journalism A design critique I published in the innovative…

Wide-angle view of a villain’s secret lair. #blender3d

Similar:Epic Game of Thrones pun battle. Carolyn Jerz Vs. Greg KerestanHere is the transcript the girl provided…AmusingIn Which I Bow Before the Mistress of Teen SnarkThe Girl: I’m sorry I’m being so… Me:…CultureA pallet of cabinet fronts and structural elements to flesh out #neovictorian #steampunk i…PersonalVincent Connare, Inventor Of 'The Most Hated Font,' Defends HimselfA…

The Coronavirus Is Rewriting Our Imaginations

Possibly, in a few months, we’ll return to some version of the old normal. But this spring won’t be forgotten. When later shocks strike global civilization, we’ll remember how we behaved this time, and how it worked. It’s not that the coronavirus is a dress rehearsal—it’s too deadly for that. But it is the first of many calamities that will likely unfold throughout this century. Now, when they come, we’ll be familiar with how they feel.

World Press Freedom Day. (Don’t take the free press for granted. Journalists are not the enemy. Unless you are tyrant whose rule depends upon feeding misinformation to the public. In which case, yes, a free press is your enemy.)

Similar:Busy with Midterm GradesPosted midterm grades for the most labor…AcademiaDress rehearsal of The NutcrackerPersonalNOT a scene from The Miracle Worker.PersonalI saw this Friday night. Great fight choreography, lighting & staging, adaptation of t…PersonalI asked my geekling whether she was ready for bed…I asked my #geekling whether she was rea…AmusingSupport the humans who make art in…

Intagrate Lite Plugin Problems

I’ve been using the Intagrate Lite WordPress plugin, which creates a new WordPress blog entry out of every photo I post to Instagram. A few months ago the plugin stopped working, but recently the developer updated it. I’ve noticed that I frequently have to refresh my connection between Instagram and WordPress, by logging in to…

Loved part 2 of Romeo and Juliet @thepublicpgh #pptplaytime (Next week: Tartuffe)

Similar:Perchance to Dream: LARPing Hamlet at Castle ElsinoreThis is the concept of Inside Hamlet, an…Culture‘Snowplow parents’ may be trapping their childrenThe passing agonies of the everyday are …CultureStudents must learn how to get things wrong. Only one subject does that. [English.]I invest a lot of energy asking my colle…AcademiaThis is what happened when a KDKA-TV…

My current Zoom backdrop. #blender3d #partylikeaprof

Similar:They both reached for the gun.PersonalReading-Is-Fundamentalists Slaughter 52 IlliteratesCommitted to the eradication of illitera…CultureSherlock Holmes and The Woman (WAOB Live Virtual Performance)I was happy to play Watson. The daughter…BooksBackground for Trump's remarkable pivot to a pro-mask stance; via right-leaning Forbes and…Background for Trump’s remarkable pivot …CultureThe Terrible Things I Have Said and Done My Entire…

“Oh, that I were a glove upon that hand. That I might touch that cheek!” #pptplaytime Romeo and Juliet @thepublicpgh

Similar:In December 2001 I was blogging aboutIn December 2001, I was blogging about …AmusingThe Business 9 Women Kept A Secret For Three Decades, by Lori Weiss Over the next three hours, The 9 Nan…AmusingTwo Cheers for the Middle Ages! by Eric ChristiansenI love good writing. “Even those who dou…CultureEditorial: Video Games and The Great Train…

Look at the adorable little tape casette. Adventure International / Scott Adams Inc. spoke at a University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire English Festival event, may 2001.

Similar:I went down fighting.PersonalBother (a minor Turnitin.com grademark bug)That whole thing should be a link — the…AcademiaThe Impact of Google on Our MemorySo what is it that makes us memorize les…CultureI am not in the splash zone but still definitely out of my comfort zone. Support the arts …I am not in the splash zone…

Lounge area of a steampunk villain’s lair. Still needs a light fixture or two. #blender3d

Similar:Riding on Square WheelsStan Wagon, a mathematician at Macaleste…DesignNew Theory Suggests Chatbots Can Understand TextFar from being “stochastic parrots,” the…CybercultureThe girl's modern dance choreography workshopAestheticsThe 7 key components of a perfect elevator pitch Whether you are trying to raise mone…BusinessSon Doong Cave in Viet Nam Featurers Skylight, JungleAs a fan of Colossal Cave Adventure, I’m…AestheticsWe…

Here’s some good writing from The New Yorker: “Seattle’s Leaders Let Scientists Take the Lead. New York’s Did Not”

If you think of science like the multiple-choice quizzes in a high school science class, where there’s exactly one correct answer that your teacher knows in advance, then watching science happen in real time can be confusing. Especially when it mixes up with politics, business, and human stubbornness. If socially disruptive anti-virus actions work, they…

Fight choreography via teleconference. As You Like It @steelcityshakespeare

Similar:Latest #blender3d progress on a villain's lair. Added more carpets and cabinetry, and sta… AestheticsSeeing A Wrinkle in Time. @prime_stagePersonalAnother #steampunk #neovictorian control panel module. #blender3d #blender3dart #design #…AestheticsOnce on This Island (Stage Right! Greensburg; May 11 & 12 Promo Video)The girl plays Ti Moune in “Once on This…CultureI get a little workplace gift as…

It’s reckless and dangerous for a leader with a habit of doubling down in the face of criticism to brainstorm that wildly on coronavirus treaments

Today my Facebook feed featured memes that mocked Trump for telling people to drink bleach, pour it into their bodily orifices, etc. He did say some reckless things, but Donald Trump did *not* suggest that people inject bleach, drink disinfectant, or expose their bodily orifices to sunlight. An opinion on the president is more valuable if…

Part II of the Mon Valley Medium was a powerful experience. Funny and painful. @thepublicpgh #pptplaytime Looking forward to Romeo and Juliet next week.

Similar:Despite its impressive output, generative AI doesn’t have a coherent understanding of the …[A] popular type of generative AI model&…CybercultureOpinion: Time for media to turn up the pressure, Potsdam resident says Sometimes people get the name of my sch…CultureLife in Code and Software (Open Humanities Press)This book explores the relationship betw…AcademiaVerify or duck. Confirm each…

Loved part 1 of Alec Silverblatt's Mon Valley Medium. Part 2 tomorrow at 7. #pptplaytime

Similar:Do you get your news mostly from social media? I check NPR, Drudge, and news.google.com.Do you have a regular news-consumption r…CultureHad a blast watching all the amazing entries in Pittsburgh's 48 Hour Film Festival, b…PersonalBefore I Go: A Stanford neurosurgeon’s parting wisdom about life and timeA very moving reflection by a dying man,…CultureTwittering The MachineI’ve…

What’s My Cue? Let’s Talk Shakesepare with Andy Kirtland Virtural #Britsburgh

Similar:Moving from Debate to EmpathyIn my freshman writing class, my job is …AcademiaPR Pop Quiz: Intro to Crisis ManagementPop quiz for public relations 101. Sc…BusinessWhy Are Babies So Dumb If Humans Are So Smart?Fascinating theory. The hard work of rai…CultureWhat the ‘Grievance Studies’ Hoax Means As the hoaxers explained in Areo, they …AcademiaAnother 10 sq cm of #steampunk control panel goodness.…

What Each Side of the COVID-19 Debate Should Understand About the Other

I’m very conscious that my lockdown experience has been fairly smooth. I’m teaching two classes right now, versions of which I have already taught online. At home, my nuclear family is getting restless and bored, but we’re busy and productive. Yesterday afternoon I went for a walk with my son in our quiet little suburb.…