“The phrase ‘Think outside the box’ is the box.”
-Management consultant Paul D. Harrison

Deciding to take a break from the computer is like not thinking about elephants.

I think this is an April Fool’s joke. If not, I want one.

Touched by an Angel is the pop culture equivalent of a car crash. A bad one. You don’t want to look, but…

In recent weeks, this pseudo-religious pap factory has used hereditary blindness, pregnant women in peril, cancer victims (twice!), gambling addiction, and even Downs syndrome children to smack you in the face with its “message.” Last night, the message apparently was that planning a Halloween party would bring the wrath of Satan (!) down on your head, in the form of a large lion. (The lion will be scared away if you sing hymns at it.) And don’t touch those Tarot cards – they’re EVIL! This show is an insult to every person who actually takes their faith seriously. Now where did I leave those Tarot cards?

Final two Survivor prediction:
Colby and Tina.
My vote? Colby.

What do you think?

As a followup to my post yesterday about education, check out Schoolyard Subversion, a sort of education opinion weblog written by Aaron Swartz. His writing should impress you even before you learn that he’s a high school freshman. Did I mention he’s also a web programmer, working on a content management system called Blogspace? Or that he was a finalist for an ArsDigita prize for coming up with The Info Network?

When I was Aaron’s age (think TRS-80 Model I) I could barely remember my own class schedule. We all move at our own pace, I guess.

As Jon-Jon says, this is pure genius. I miss Calvin & Hobbes.

When you hear celebrities talk about their school days, their stories inevitably fall into one of two categories:

1. I hated school; I was bored and never went to class.
2. I was a total geek – I was the teacher’s pet, all I did was study and I had no friends.

Why are there never any positive portrayals of school? And with celebrities among teenagers increasingly divided between arrogant sports figures and pre-teen pop stars, where are they going to get any reinforcement that school is a positive thing? The popular media, especially that targeted to kids, says school is something to be endured, like curfews and brussels sprouts. Everyone talks a lot about sex and violence in the media influencing young people…but no one talks about this.

Every time I blog Salon, I have to think, how many days has it been since I did this last? (It’s been 10 days, Mosey – I checked back) The simple fact is they have great writing, and this document is called “words mean things.”

So in that spirit, I hereby link to Salon’s funny and perceptive coverage of GWB’s announcement (through his press secretary, of course) that he will hold no more press conferences. Ever, presumably. Drink it in, people. This is what we’ve come to.

“We cannot go around shooting others, just because they have no reason to live.”
-Judy Tenuta