The Panama Papers
From Woodward and Bernstein to Edward Snowden, breaking stories from the 5th Estate are always exciting. This one is the biggest story yet to blow open millions of files linking…
Marie Snyder
A Reasonable Doubt?
A post wherein I get a little grumpy and swear-y about it all. What does reasonable doubt look like? Is there really, REALLY, a reasonable doubt that Jian attacked the…
A Reasonable Doubt?
A post wherein I get a little grumpy and swear-y about it all. What does reasonable doubt look like? Is there really, REALLY, a reasonable doubt that Jian attacked the…
The Terrifying Ramifications of the Verdict
I can just barely read about Jian's acquittal on all charges. The Guardian has a telling interview with Lucy DeCoutere today. And of course some people, like Aaron Harnett, see…
The Terrifying Ramifications of the Verdict
I can just barely read about Jian's acquittal on all charges. The Guardian has a telling interview with Lucy DeCoutere today. And of course some people, like Aaron Harnett, see…
For the Love of the Songbirds
Last weekend I went to see the film The Messenger. It's about the demise of songbirds. It had some amazing shots of birds in flight, and there were really interesting…
Bare Politics
http://cosmo-politics.com/2016/03/09/conservatives-criticize-michelle-obama-for-bare-arms-stay-silent-on-melania-trumps-nude-poses/ kardashian - not slut - trump's wife - Can't be judged on how dressed before in office. Trudeau - bare chest http:...
On That Time I Fell and Hurt My Head
I fell on ice a few days ago. My feet were swept clear out from under me, and apparently I injured my brain. At the hospital, they said it's either…
On Appropriation
I'm teaching First Nations in Canada this semester, and it's a bit of a challenge for me. I spent 7 years in school studying philosophy and social sciences - all…
On Command F: a Bittersweet Function
I tell my students of the magic of "command F" on Macs and "control F" on PCs. This F function key, that can find a word or phrase anywhere in…
Cold Calls in the Classroom
I do it, sort of. I don't call on kids who don't have their hands up generally, but I do evaluate their level of understanding through classroom discussion, one way…
On Unions and Boycotts
The elementary schools in our board have decided to boycott the local paper because one columnist has been known to take a decidedly negative view of teachers. So a local…
On Student Stress
I've been teaching long enough to have watched a generation of students file passed me. It's fascinating from a social science standpoint because I can watch trends evolving before my…
On Expectations and Time Limits
In the words of Tina Fey, "The show doesn't go on because it's ready; it goes on because it's eleven-thirty." I had a rough semester with several students pushing every…
Truth is Like Poetry
... and people fucking hate poetry. It's a line from the excellent film The Big Short, which is brought to us by Adam McKay, the director known for goofball comedies…
On Justice and Hatred
I had an online discussion at Dawg's Blawg about the primary theme of Tarantino's newest film, The Hateful Eight, and it got a bit too provocative to manage a sincere…
On Those Counterfeit Diplomas
An editorial in today's NYT suggests that some recent high school graduates are not competent in basic skills that should be required to earn their standing. The headline refers to…
On Desires and Commodities
I've just been reading books and watching films lately. I'll write again soon. But check out this passage from The Obsolescence of Man by Gunther Anders, first published in 1956:…
On Aging and Playfulness
My city is full of construction in preparation for Light Rail Transit. I hit the bookstore today and was walking towards the hardware store for some blinds when the sidewalk…
On Making Change
For decades, I've been bringing cloth bags to the grocery store to avoid using plastic bags and bringing home superfluous garbage. But for decades, it's been an annoyance for the…