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.…

Toasting Shakespeare at the Bard’s Birthday Bash

Organized by Pittsburgh Shakespeare in the Park. Similar:11 Sites and Apps Kids Are Heading to After FacebookRemember MySpace? Not so long ago, pract…CultureDeus Ex MemoriesI’ve just finished my final training run…CybercultureHow Finland Keeps Kids Focused Through Free PlayNormally, students and teachers in Finla…CultureThe barbican at Mickelgate was pulled down in the 1800s but I made…

Coronavirus: advice from the Middle Ages for how to cope with self-isolation

Like many people, I curate my social media posts. After a month of coronavirus lockdown, I’ve been curating more than usual. I have spent (many) sleepless nights scrolling through news reports in slack-jawed horror; I’ve (often) felt overwhelmed; I’ve lost my temper at my family (regularly). I haven’t posted about such events because I don’t…

The truth hits Thorvald. Loved PPT PlayTime’s online presentation of Ibsen’s A Doll’s House.

Similar:Nipper Hears "His Master's Voice"As a kid growing up in Fairfax County, j…BusinessWhere There's a Whip, There's a WayThe girl was singing lyrics she learned …Amusing7 ways for teachers to beat the Sunday bluesTell yourself, I am rejecting these thou…EducationConfessions of a Nerdy Homeschooling DadAre you unexpectedly home-schooling your…CultureThe daughter opens another show. This weekend…

Journalism, Fake News, and “Clickbait Defamation”

Sometimes when my social media contacts are complaining about “the media,” they are really responding to headlines, which they cite as examples of “fake news.”   Sometimes the headlines they respond to are creative interpretations supplied by a third party with a dog in a particular fight; but other times I can see very clearly…

Happy Easter 2020

Similar:Stapler jam during a midterm exam.My years of watching MacGyver definitely…AcademiaDetailed Articulation of Feet in Unity3DI’m following a lot of tutorials, and co…AestheticsSperm whales in 19th century shared ship attack informationFrom whaling and sealing stations to mis…AwesomeStuffed planet Venus, made for me by my dear mother, around 1974.AestheticsWhat You Read Matters More Than You Might…

Prepare for the Ultimate Gaslighting

Thoughtful essay from Julio Vincent Gambuto. Get ready, my friends. What is about to be unleashed on American society will be the greatest campaign ever created to get you to feel normal again. It will come from brands, it will come from government, it will even come from each other, and it will come from…

More details in the powder room of my villain’s lair. #Blender3D

Similar:Video Game about Cancer and GriefOn my list for the next time I teach “Vi…AestheticsOur 2014 class banner was an iPad. I can’t believe I just noticed that today.PersonalStage Right's 'Seussical' offers songs, messagesThe Tribune-Review does a great job cove…Current_EventsMore #steampunk control panel goodness. #blender3d #blender3dart #aestheticsAestheticsThe Toulmin model for analyzing arguments came up at…

Dog and TP Wall

Similar:California Political Cyberfraud Abatement Act Pulled by AuthorCalifornia’s Ed Chau withdrew his propos…CultureBogus hit-and-run story about Vice President Kamala Harris created by Russian troll farm, …A healthy respect for the free press and…Current_EventsKindle App Vs. iBooks. (Spoiler: They’re Virtually Identical Now!)I noticed with interest that Kindle now …AestheticsDestroying trust in the media, science, and government…

The Enemy (ST:TNG Rewatch, Season Three, Episode 7) — LaForge and a Romulan Cooperate to Survive

Rewatching ST:TNG after a 20-year break. LaForge is stranded on a hostile planet with a nervous, injured Romulan. The “mutual enemies must learn to cooperate” storyline is by-the-numbers, but I still enjoyed it. I don’t remember ever seeing this episode before, but seeing the frequently reused “planet hell” set (featuring a distinctively stair-stepped sloping wall)…

Fake Graph: The Actual “Dunning-Kruger Effect” Is NOTHING Like I Thought It Was

For years, I’ve been teaching a fake graph. In pretty much every course I teach, on some day when students seem discouraged or distracted, I’ll draw an X axis labeled “Experience” and a Y-axis labeled “Confidence,” and sketch out the “Dunning-Kruger Effect” curve, as preparation for an informal pep talk. (Update, 27 Nov 2021: My…

Latest #blender3d progress on a villain’s lair. Added more carpets and cabinetry, and started on a powder room. Why not?

Similar:Data-Related Deaths, 1960-2019 (Excluding Fatalities Caused by Misreadings, Typographical … DesignSibling Affection and Paternal Abstraction as Drawn By a Six-Year-Old; or, Aren't My Daugh…My six-year-old daughter is a very visua…AmusingThere’s No Longer Any Doubt That Hollywood Writing Is Powering AITwo years after the release of ChatGPT, …BusinessLate night set construction for The Miracle Worker.ArtJoust @setonhilluniversity…

Checkmate. Crushed again.

Similar:MoonBot is back. This time he fights a new adversary. #Blender3D physics practice.I submitted midterm grades at about 11 l…AestheticsI Made Cheerful Maze Game in ScratchWell, it’s cheerful unless you touch som…AestheticsIt was Mrs. White with the revolver in the ballroom. #winning GamesA pleasant find: somebody left a painted rock by the side of the…