If you are before “L” in the alphabet, we’ll be discussing your article analyses in class on Tuesday. “M” to the end will be on Thursday. If you have any questions, or need help finding an article, check out my previous post then send an email. On Monday we’ll continue our discussion of the article we read on Friday.

A former student sent this link to me yesterday. Thoughts? We’ll talk about it tomorrow.

Bonus: Click through the NYCLU complaint link for argument in a pure form; no need for emotional appeals in a legal complaint.

“Stallings wants us to find articles? From where?”

Anywhere. But, I know that’s a big place, so:

• Arts & Letters Daily—Brilliant site bringing together articles from all over the Interwebs. Mostly scholarly, but all well-written.
• In These Times—Began as an “Independent Socialist Newspaper,” but is primarily progressive (left of center) in its leanings today. Kurt Vonnegut was a frequent contributor until 2005.
• Slate.com—Online-only news magazine. Gotta love the Explainer (not argumentative, but interesting nonetheless).
• The New Republic—Often insightful, this magazine focuses on politics and the arts.
• Time Magazine
• Bad Idea—A British magazine that publishes “young journalism.” Definitely worth checking out, as it brings a fresh face to opinion and editorials. Check out the Butcher’s Shop for an overview of the editing process articles go through before publication.
• AdBusters—Popular amongst my students for the past two years. Worth checking out.
• National Review—Very well-written conservative magazine.
• The New Yorker
• Popmatters—Articles on popular culture; music, video games, the Interwebs, and movies are all topics. Great place to find an article and a new favorite band.

In no particular order. You may now be asking, “How do I find the time to read all of this? I found three that I like, but I can’t go to all of these sites just to find an article.”

My philosophical response: “That’s not the point. While it is important that you are able to find and analyze arguments, it is even more important that you begin a habit of consuming thoughts and opinions about the world around you. If you don’t use the skills you learn, you’re just going through the motions.”

My practical response: “Use an RSS reader, like Google Reader. You can subscribe to the sites you like (even My Life is Average, if you must), and even take a peek at what I’ve been reading. Check out the Feeds page for more information.”

And no, I won’t stop talking about RSS readers until all have signed up. 🙂

These links have been bouncing around my bookmark folders for a while, so I thought I’d share.

• Game Explanations for Beginners via Popmatters is a cool overview of the basics and history of gameplay.  The author gets a bit philosophical towards the end, and his jokes are aimed at established gamers, so I’m not sure who his audience is…
• Samorost 2 is an odd amalgam of adventure and puzzle genres.  The game isn’t difficult, but the art is amazing.  (After a quick Google search and 30 minutes of play I bring you Samorost [the Original].  Also cool.)
• Reading’s good, too!
• I am not an avid gameplayer, but I was completely blown away by World of Goo.  The same author wrote the story, created the art, composed the music, and designed the program.  Great design tour here.
• More to come as I dig.

(credit to LD for the title)

We’re gathering resources for our next synthesis question:

Read the following sources carefully.  Then write an essay in which you develop a position on whether Lincoln Logs or Legos better promote creativity in children.  Synthesize at least three of the sources for support.

Post your info on Lincoln Logs or Legos below.  Remember, this is not an assignment for credit, but simply a chance for us to create our own question.