For the Lulz

Excellent article: Texting: Ppl, Srsly, It’s OK 2 Uz TxtSpk Sumtimz Pay special attention to the video - watch it all the way through. Very thought provoking, arguing that texting is not a form of writing but an entirely new language in development (and touches on what language is, really). Here, I'll just post the video here:

[Source - TED Talk: Txtng is killing language. JK!!!]

The article itself gives excellent guidelines for when and how text-speak can be used appropriately in written communication.

If I was a teacher and a student turned in a formal paper written in text-speak, I suppose I wouldn't tell them they weren't writing the paper correctly, then - just as I wouldn't if a student turned in a paper in Vietnamese. I guess I'd just ask them to rewrite it in English.



Links!

• Libraries, Books, Writers, & Suchlike
• Literary treasures from the Harry Ransom Center – in pictures Related: Project REVEAL 
• Journalists Alan Morison, Chutima Sidasathian facing seven years in Thailand jail for online news story "Elaine Pearson, the Australia director of Human Rights Watch, is worried this case could set a precedent.  'This is actually the first time that any of the Thai armed forces have tried to use the Computer Crimes Act against journalists, and so we're really concerned about the precedent that this sets in terms of... going after critical journalists that write stories that the military government doesn't like,' she said."
• 20 Desserts Inspired by Your Favorite Books Who wants to set up a monthly book club/dessert party? ME I DO!!!!
• Three Short Stories You Can Read on a Rainy Day 

• Education
• Making Learning Visible: Doodling Helps Memories Stick 
• What Is Detected? "Plagiarism detection software from vendors such as Turnitin is often criticized for labeling clumsy student writing as plagiarism. Now a set of new tests suggests the software lets too many students get away with it."
• 5 things to know about Congress’ rewrites of No Child Left Behind 
• Net & Tech
• Awesome Stuff: Made With Creative Commons 
• Health & Science
• Boehner Blames California Drought On Obama "Actual scientists explained earlier this year that the primary extent to which the drought has a man-made component is that man-made global warming is making it a lot worse. Man-made warming, they said, has led to record high temperatures. And according to the National Science Foundation, climate change has tripled the chances of the current weather pattern that has blocked California from getting precipitation (the Ridiculously Resilient Ridge)." So...not so much Obama as all of us together. 
• International
• Canada Claims It Will Back Out of TPP to Protect Its Sovereignty Which seems perfectly reasonable, right? 
• Other (Serious Stuff)
• Trump Lashes Out At McCain: 'I Like People Who Weren't Captured' It's official - Trump is on the Asshats List. I don't even like McCain, but that's an asshat stance. 
• Other (Awesome Stuff)
• So going to try this: Here's How To Turn Toasted Marshmallows Into Shot Glasses