Cast of Characters: Professor Zero, a male Student, and the student’s Son. Son, 4, is wearing baggy jeans, hi-tops, and a T-shirt. Sticking out of his backpack is his bilingual alphabet book. Student: Professor Zero, I have come to introduce myself and my son. I have a very great favor to ask you. May I … More C’est Charmant
Now it costs exactly twice as much to buy a tank of gas for my car than it did six years ago when I bought it – or more precisely, when I was given it. While filling it up I was approached by a respectable looking man who proceeded to sell me two bottles of … More Third World
May 30 is International Military Rape Awareness Day! Read the post from WoC PhD and its links! Also at WoC PhD, do not miss these important interviews of Jeremy Scahill. Finally, I have fallen off lately in my New Year’s Resolution to see more films, I would like to see Standard Operating Procedure. Update: WoC … More Military Rape Awareness Day
http://pol.moveon.org/mccain10/ 10 things you should know about John McCain (but probably don’t): John McCain voted against establishing a national holiday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Now he says his position has “evolved,” yet he’s continued to oppose key civil rights laws.1 According to Bloomberg News, McCain is more hawkish than Bush on … More John McCain Fact Sheet
Every professor of literature must eventually write a post on Shakespeare, so this is mine. A friend left teaching because he was tired of explaining things to people. I do not at all mind explaining things to students, but I am definitely tired of explaining things to faculty. One of the things I routinely explain … More On Shakespeare
I liked college and graduate school, and I like them even more in retrospect since the behavior of some faculty at places I have been since has been so poor. Yet I have friends from college and even graduate school who use words like “trauma” and “gulag” to refer to our alma mater. I would … More On Graduate School
When my dedicated colleague retires, which is sure to happen soon, what should I do about the honor society? I cannot stand it, I cannot tolerate organizations whose names are comprised of Greek letters, and the initiation ceremony is genuinely Fascist. As it is the party must be held in my house, as my house … More Another Serious Question
In the last quarter my TIAA-CREF retirement fund sustained another net loss. I do not live in a state which pays into Social Security, so this is my only retirement fund. Since I am theoretically a young person I have the funds allocated to relatively, although not outrageously high risk enterprises. I have recently had … More A Serious Question
A friend tells me I am an unusual professor because, although I am research oriented and work at a research institution, I care about undergraduate education. I see his point but I wonder, is it really true? 1. I do not feel that I care about lower division instruction. It does matter to me, and … More An Unusual Professor?
A friend writes that The Sanctuary is “a new community online that is pro-migrant, pro-humanity, pro-social justice, but mostly a safe space for those of us on the left who do not find the solidarity and priority of human rights (for all) in the mainstream blogosphere that we would like. The right—namely the extreme right—has … More The Sanctuary
coldhearted scientist وداد 