Monthly Archive: May 2014
Happy Trails, Trigger!
Trigger warning! The New York Times reports about American undergrads pushing to have professors issue “trigger warnings” for great books that might be psychologically upsetting to students who have experienced trauma. Professors, a bit...
Work It, Baby : Announcing the June Symposium
Topic, call for submissions, and title contest after the jump.
Winning the Territory, Losing the War: Why Conchita Wurst Is More Powerful Than a Russian Army
How can a kitschy pop culture variety contest possibly be more important than the increased threat of the first European war involving a major power in 70 years? Easy – just invite a Bearded Lady. She’ll beat Vladimir Putin’s shirtless, macho efforts to salvage a fading empire every time. [UPDATED]
Fear vs Danger, How to Avoid Huge Ships, and Other Pitfalls of Modern Life
After 13 days at sea, during which time we rarely saw more than one vessel a day, on AIS or visually, we found ourselves just south of the Nantucket traffic separation zone (shipping lane) running east and west out of New York Harbor. Now, rather than one or no targets of interest, we had a dozen vessels, some very large and moving very fast, to keep on eye on.
Finders Keepers
Who owns our past and where is the line between casual collector and the destruction of historical context?
Lies, Damn Lies, and Constitutionally Protected Political Speech
This summer, SCOTUS is expected to take yet another step in declaring that false statements are protected by the first amendment — provided they’re uttered for political reasons.
Not Really Monday Trivia
The surprising thing was that Oregon was on the list for so long. Not really Monday Trivia but rot13‘d just in case.
If you can’t poison the water…
…then offer amenities to your market-rate tenants and not offer access to the rent regulated tenants. Not surprisingly, this is what’s going on in New York City.
I’ll Be Your Handyman: A Photo Essay
Kids smash walls, and a small home repair job keeps getting bigger as a century old problem is finally fixed.
The Campus Commencement Controversy
I find it a bit shocking the whole campus commencement controversy has blown up in the national media, at least for people who care about these things. As far as I can tell, there...
Let He Who Reveals his True Final Cost Cast the First Stone
It’s easy to be critical of airlines trying to hide the ultimate prices of their flights, but opaque pricing is the norm in many industries.
I’m Betting against Soylent
In which Jason offers to bet on the future of Soylent, the product that promises to “liberate your body” … from food.
