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Teaching Technique: Inform your students you will tell one lie each class
This was an insidiously brilliant technique to focus our attention - by offering an open invitation for students to challenge his statements, he transmitted lessons that lasted far beyond the immediate subject matter and taught us to constantly checksum new statements and claims with what we already accept as fact. Early in the quarter, the Lie of the Day was usually obvious - immediately triggering a forest of raised hands to challenge the falsehood. Dr. K would smile, draw a line through that section of the board, and utter his trademark phrase "Very good! In fact, the opposite is true. Moving on ... "
As the quarter progressed, the Lie of the Day became more subtle, and many ended up slipping past a majority of the students unnoticed until a particularly alert person stopped the lecture to flag the disinformation. Every once in a while, a lecture would end with nobody catching the lie which created its own unique classroom experience - in any other college lecture, end of the class hour prompts a swift rush of feet and zipping up of bookbags as students make a beeline for the door; on the days when nobody caught the lie, we all sat in silence, looking at each other as Dr. K, looking quite pleased with himself, said with a sly grin: "Ah ha! Each of you has one falsehood in your lecture notes. Discuss amongst yourselves what it might be, and I will tell you next Monday. That is all." Those lectures forced us to puzzle things out, work out various angles in study groups so we could approach him with our theories the following week.
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New scandal brewing for CBS News?
I have no idea as to the merits of these claims, but doesn't sound too good for CBS News.
In other news, did you know the British press kept secret for months the fact of Prince Harry's deployment to Afghanistan?
In other news, did you know the British press kept secret for months the fact of Prince Harry's deployment to Afghanistan?
Eddie Van Halen and Toto were key components of Michael Jackson's Thriller
A new cd with various bonus tracks was recently released to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Thriller.
I had no idea that the "core of Thriller's music was executed by members of Toto" (link), or that the "uncredited guitarist who whipped out the fluttering, squealing solo on [Beat It] was Eddie Van Halen, whose extracurriculars ranked among the provocations for singer David Lee Roth's 1985 departure from the megalithic rock band Van Halen" (link).
Angriest review of an Oprah tv show ever?
Here's the conclusion of an uncredited review from the Hollywood Reporter:
What makes "Oprah's Big Give" especially unwatchable is a vertigo-inducing pace. Few shots last more than three seconds, making it virtually impossible to get to know any of these people on anything more than a surface level. Which is probably as it should be.
Shallow as a birdbath, the program would appear to exist less as a true philanthropic exercise than yet another self-aggrandizing vehicle in Oprah's divine quest to become synonymous with all that is virtuous and good on Earth. We might well refer to this as "Touched By a Talk Show Host."
Southern California wasn't icy during the Ice Age
The current issue of Natural History magazine had some interesting information: even when great ice sheets blanketed much of North America, the climate in Southern California (except for snowcapped mountain peaks) can best be described as Mediterranean.
Even during the Ice Age, Southern California looked something like this:
Image by William Stout.
Even during the Ice Age, Southern California looked something like this:
Image by William Stout.
I.D. Magazine Tested The $15 Starbury Sneakers Against The $130 Nike Zoom Kobe III
And named the Starburys as the winner. They also compared the Pleo ($350) and the WowWee Robosapien V2 ($140), the Krups XP7230 Fully Automatic Espresso Machine ($1,250) and the Bialetti Moka Express ($25), and the Braun Pulsonic ($270) and the Gillette Fusion Power ($13).
Scary story about a problem with Blogger...
Scary story about a problem with Blogger...and a happy resolution.
Students expelled for cheating at Harvard-Westlake
A story my local readers will appreciate:
Tuition to Harvard-Westlake is approximately $30,000 a year.
Six sophomores were expelled and more than a dozen other students faced suspensions Tuesday in a cheating scandal that has rocked Harvard-Westlake, a top-tier Los Angeles private school with a national reputation for its academics.
Administrators said students conspired to steal Spanish and history tests by distracting teachers in their classrooms. The tests were then shown to several other students before midterm exams last month, said Harvard-Westlake President Thomas Hudnut.
Tuition to Harvard-Westlake is approximately $30,000 a year.
The Gradius soundtrack on LA radio?
I usually listen to my iPod in the car, but forgot it at home this morning. On the way to work I listened to Kevin & Bean talk to Jimmy Kimmel on KROQ (more on that in a minute), and Adam Corolla yell about how great he is and how foolish some radio stations are for not hiring him (snore). All the channels went to commercial at the same time at 6:20 and as I skimmed through the channels, I noticed the channel I usually use for my iPod (88.7) was broadcasting music. I might be wrong as to the game, but I'm pretty sure some pirate was broadcasting the soundtrack to Gradius. Whoever you are, I actually enjoyed it.
Back to Jimmy Kimmel. He was on to talk about his video "I'm f*ing Ben Affleck," which is of course, a response to the prank video his girlfriend Sarah Silverman made "I'm f*ing Matt Damon." I've embedded those below if you haven't seen them. Very funny. The hosts asked Kimmel how he managed to get so much A-list talent for the video. He said it was actually pretty easy, since so many had seen the Matt Damon video.
Here are the videos, I highly recommend you watch them all the way through.
Back to Jimmy Kimmel. He was on to talk about his video "I'm f*ing Ben Affleck," which is of course, a response to the prank video his girlfriend Sarah Silverman made "I'm f*ing Matt Damon." I've embedded those below if you haven't seen them. Very funny. The hosts asked Kimmel how he managed to get so much A-list talent for the video. He said it was actually pretty easy, since so many had seen the Matt Damon video.
Here are the videos, I highly recommend you watch them all the way through.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl Desktop Wallpaper: Master Hand
Made with art from the official site. Click through to see lots more Smash Bros. Brawl desktop wallpapers.
Advertising: Most memorable Christmas ever
I have no idea what they're saying, but this ad for Found Magazine is awfully funny. (NSFW)
Toycutter Updates
Recent updates at my action figure, vinyl toy, and miniature customizing blog include a Kim Possible Stikas, X-23 (X-Force) action figure, The Bride (Kill Bill) Munny, and Lockjaw statuette.
Movie Posters: Best Visual Effects 1970-1979
Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970)
Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971)
The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
The Poseidon Adventure (1972) (Polish)
Earthquake (1974)
The Hindenburg (1975)
Logan's Run (1976)
King Kong (1976)
King Kong (1976) (Polish)
Superman (1978)
Alien (1979)
Alien (1979) (Polish)
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