Smart People
/Smart people pawn their troubles – and then lose the ticket.
Smart people pawn their troubles – and then lose the ticket.
Referees favour home teams in judgment calls, particularly those that happen at a crucial stage in a game. If a batter chooses not to swing at a baseball pitch, the pitch is more likely to be called a strike if the home team is pitching. This tendency is most extreme in close games. In soccer, referees are more likely to award penalties to the home team, hand out fewer punishments for offences to home players.
Are referees deliberately biased? The authors (of Scorecasting) think not. Instead, they blame the fact that referees, like the rest of us, tend subconsciously to rely on crowdsourcing, picking up on the mood of the crowd when making their decision.
“Anchoring” is the name economists give to people’s tendency to be unduly influenced by outside suggestion. Take away the crowd and the home bias shrinks, as it did a few years back when 21 Italian soccer matches were played without supporters following incidents of crowd violence. In these games the home bias declined by 23% on fouls called, by 26% for yellow cards and by a remarkable 70% for red cards, which remove a player from the game and have a particularly big impact on the result.
WBZ-TV in New Hampshire has a video report.
The poor and the marginalized expect suffering, they know that life on this earth is “nasty, brutish, and short.” Successful people are much more shocked and overwhelmed by troubles. - Timothy Keller
If you go to sleep after a fight with someone, you may “preserve” those emotions. That’s the finding of researchers at the University of Massachusetts. Scientists showed images (some positive, some negative) to more than 100 people and checked 12 hours later to see which pictures stuck with the subjects. The response changed depending as to whether the person had slept during the 12-hour break or not. Sleeping seemed to protect the emotional response. You can read the details in The Journal of Neuroscience.
Other studies have also support the idea that sleep enhances emotional memories. If you have difficulty sleeping after an upsetting day, it could be your mind’s way of trying to avoid storing that memory. It’s a reminder of the Bible verse that reads, “Let not the sun go down upon your wrath” (Eph. 4:26).
Stephen Goforth
You’ll find more than 250 links to articles and sites about media jobs and internships (updated June 2020) here.
***THE VIRUS
Can You Get Time Off to Recover From COVID-19?
Can you have both flu and COVID-19 at the same time
A third of Americans now show signs of clinical anxiety or depression
A Simulation Of Different Real Life Scenarios And Your Coronavirus Exposure Risk (video)
Here's Why Your Sleep Has Been So Messed Up During Quarantine
How We Can Mitigate the Psychological Impact of Quarantine
The surfaces that kill bacteria and viruses
***HIGHER ED & THE VIRUS
How Colleges Can Keep the Coronavirus Off Campus (opinion)
Higher-Ed Lobbying Group Asks Congress for Liability Shields
Risky Strategy by Many Private Colleges Leaves Them Exposed
Columbia, Cornell, Brown, Other Colleges Face Coronavirus Lawsuits
***HIGHER ED
Michigan State University hit by ransomware gang
U.S. College Towns on Edge as Coronavirus Threatens Football Season
Some depts plan on suspending or limiting graduate cohorts
Coronavirus raises new questions about the value of higher education
***THE FALL SEMESTER
Iona College to start fall semester 3 weeks early, offers courses in hybrid format
Texas A&M University System to reopen campuses in the fall with modifications
Michigan colleges plan for fall amid pandemic
Colleges counter looming enrollment declines with tuition bargains
***LAYOFFS & FURLOUGHS
Even with a $27 billion endowment, Stanford University expects layoffs will be 'unavoidable'
Kentucky announced it will not lay off staff--experts doubt that many universities can do the same
Fort Lewis College expects to issue furloughs, layoffs
***COLLEGE FINANCE
TCU chancellor says school is ‘scrambling’ to make up $50 million in losses from COVID-19
Could a fifth of America’s colleges really face the chop? ($)
UNC braces for harsh budget cuts in wake of pandemic
Brown University cut 11 varsity athletic programs
***TEACHING
9 takeaways from teaching online during COVID-19
‘I’m Teaching Into a Vacuum’: 14 Educators on Quarantine Learning
New resources to help support faculty with quality online instruction
Remember the MOOCs? After Near-Death, They’re Booming
The Future of College Is Online, and It’s Cheaper (opinion)
Florida universities’ switch to online learning was tough - but could last for years
***ONLINE CHEATING
62 percent of college students say they have cheated on tests and coursework
Study: Students who experience a hotter than average year appeared to experience reduced learning
***ACADEMIC LIFE
Adjuncts fear losing livelihoods
Stanford Joins List Of Law Schools With White Professors Using The N-Word In Class
***CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS
Professor says Seminary used Covid-19 as an excuse to get rid of him
In summer of uncertainty, small is good for Mennonite colleges
Pensacola Christian College offering students $10.3M in aid during COVID crisis
***LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
Black Liberty University instructor resigns in response to Jerry Falwell’s ‘racist’ tweets
***RESEARCH
Scientific misinformation persists when retractions and corrections are not promptly issued
Network models to think about why retractions often fail
COVID law review paper promotes ‘ableism and eugenics,’ activists say, demanding retraction
Open peer review: promoting transparency in open science
A Multi-perspective Analysis of Retractions in Life Sciences
***STUDENT LIFE
This Is What an 1869 MIT Entrance Exam Looks Like
NYU’s virtual graduation event turned into ‘a vaporwave nightmare’
Promoting Student Mental Health in Difficult Days
New Grads Say Discrimination on Campuses Not Taken Seriously
Coursera Will Now Offer All College Students Free Access To Its Courses
To understand a company’s strategy, look at what they actually do rather than what they say they do. The same logic applies to one’s life. For example, ambitious people will reliably tell you that family, or being a mother or father, is the most important thing in their lives. Yet when pressed to choose between racing home to deal with a chaotic pre-bedtime scene and staying another hour at the office to solve a problem, they will usually keep working. It’s these small, everyday decisions that reveal if you’re following a path to being the best possible spouse and parent. If your family matters most to you, when you think about all the choices you’ve made with your time in a week, does your family come out on top?
Clay Christensen, How will you Measure your Life?
..by offering laundry service (audio below or read the story here)
..creates mini-prom for his babysitter
It’s a much happier way to live your life if you wake up in the morning and you think, “What I am going to build that’s great?” not if you wake up saying, “Who are my enemies today, who do I have to beat?” -Phil Libin
..to kids in foster care and homeless shelters during the coronavirus pandemic. More from CNN.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Chelsea's charity🎨 (@chelseascharity) on
..reconnects with New York City firefighter who rescued her from a burning building 37 years ago https://bit.ly/2M6jG3N
It’s Linus when his blanket is in the dryer. There’s nothing to hold on to. -Marilyn Ferguson
The Challenge: Create a compelling speech about your entire professional life-lasting no more than 15-second. Be able to offer it on demand and under pressure.
The so-called “elevator pitch” requires serious practice. Regardless of the audience, irrespective of whether you are sitting, standing, or walking down a hall or talking on the phone, you should be comfortable offering it. You never know whether your next open door will take place at family gatherings, in the waiting room of the doctor’s office, or at a coffee shop.
You’ll want to describe the impact you have had and can continue to have on a project or work environment. Make it about who you are rather than what you do.
Don’t try to rattle off as much information as possible, like a college debater. Be thoughtful and deliberate. Show you are calm and confident. Yet still, be passionate and genuine.
These questions that may help you discover your elevator pitch and paint a compelling self-portrait:
What do you think your value to an employer is?
What have you been proudest of in your work life?
What do you love to do?
What makes you unique?
A word of caution: Pre-packaged, over-practiced canned pitches can come across as lacking respect for the one you are trying to win over. They are not a means to an end but is a person. Your goal isn’t just to sell yourself but start an Elevator Conversation. It's not just me; it’s about us.
Think of it this way: Most people want to hire interesting, intelligent people who they would enjoy spending time working with day-to-day—not slogan shouters.
Stephen Goforth
***THE VIRUS
Is it safe to try on clothes at a store? What you need to know
Why COVID-19's weirdest symptoms are only emerging now
Preparing for the Post-Pandemic Workplace
***WORKING DURING THE PANDEMIC
Prepare to be tracked and tested as you return to work
Want to Be More Productive? Try Doing Less
The healthcare industry has embraced texting. Here’s one reason that should give you pause
Mirrors And Webcams Don’t Always Provide Accurate Reflections
***WRITING & READING
America is reading more in quarantine, but indie booksellers are missing out
Why Everyone Is Rereading Their Favorite Books In Quarantine
The best Android apps for writers: text editors, grammar checkers, idea generators, and more
How The Pandemic Is Affecting Book Publishing Industry
***JOURNALISM
AP Stylebook: Now with digital security tips for journalists
Is Email the Future of Journalism?
13 security tips for journalists covering hate online
A Journalist’s Guide to Using Zoom for Community Engagement
California newsrooms know how to prepare for disasters
OANN Trump’s Favorite TV Network Is Post-parody
Lawsuit over popular 'S-Town' podcast dismissed, movie now in early stages
Coronavirus patterns make local news even more important
13 security tips for journalists covering hate online
A Journalist’s Guide to Using Zoom for Community Engagement
Science journalism needed now, more than ever
Ahmaud Arbery Shooting: Latest Case Of Overuse Of 'Unarmed Black Man'
***THE BUSINESS OF JOURNALISM
Judge Throws Out One America Now Defamation Suit vs. Rachel Maddow
New York Times phasing out all 3rd-party advertising data
LinkedIn Editorial Is Now LinkedIn News, With Big Ambitions
***FAKES & FRAUDS
How to Spot a Misleading Crowd Photo
"Fake news" laws on the rise globally during the coronavirus pandemic
Lessons From Operation "Denver," the KGB’s Massive AIDS Disinformation Campaign
How Bad Is The COVID-19 Misinformation Epidemic?
In a new course this fall, students will create and study the history of digital fakes
1 In 5 Adults In England Think The Coronavirus Is A Hoax
Bill Gates, bogeyman of virus conspiracy theorists
"The church of QAnon": How a bizarre conspiracy theory is linked to evangelical Christianity
***SOCIAL MEDIA
Twitter Places Fact-Checking Warning On Trump Tweet For 1st Time
Researchers: Nearly Half Of Accounts Tweeting About Coronavirus Are Likely Bots
TikTok is coming after Snapchat with a new augmented reality ad format
Increased Social Media Usage Creates Perfect Conditions For Spread Of Misinformation
***LANGUAGE & LITERATURE
***POETRY
Altoona professor's poetry collection lauded by critics and scholars
The Academy Of American Poets Announces 2020 Recipients Of Poetry Fund Grants
***PRIVACY & SECURITY
Chrome will block ads that drain your resources: How to turn it on now
Videoconferencing: Think Twice Before Hitting 'Record'
***PRODUCING MEDIA
Free alternatives to Photoshop that give you maximum creative freedom
..one for every high school senior in 12 towns along the Mississippi River
Talk a little less, and listen more. Less advice is often the best advice. People don’t need lots of advice; they need a listening ear and some positive reinforcement. What they want to know is often already somewhere inside of them. They just need time to think, be and breathe, and continue to explore the undirected journeys that will eventually help them find their direction.
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