Category Archives: Whatever

The Joy of Books

Posted on January 13, 2012 by Richard Jeffrey Newman

This is a marvelous video, made at the Type bookstore in Toronto:

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From “The Hero with a Thousand Faces,” by Joseph Campbell

Posted on January 6, 2012 by Richard Jeffrey Newman

So I have been reading The Hero with a Thousand Faces to prep for my myth and folklore class, and I really like this quote, not so much because I agree with everything it says or implies–that is something I would … Continue reading →

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Some Help with a Class I am Teaching in the Spring

Posted on January 4, 2012 by Richard Jeffrey Newman

I am in the midst of prepping a course on mythology and folklore (an honors section) that I will be teaching this coming semester. I have pretty much decided on the general themes I want to cover, though the way … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Whatever | 34 Comments

The Fifteen Most Popular “Alas” Posts of 2011

Posted on December 30, 2011 by Ampersand

Because why not? Consider this an open thread. I’d love to hear about people’s plans for the new year. My thanks to everyone, blogger or commenter, who has participated in “Alas” in 2011. For all the flaws, frustrations, and occasional … Continue reading →

Posted in crossposted on TADA, Whatever | 8 Comments

Pain Medication Comments That Annoy Me

Posted on December 29, 2011 by Ampersand

The Agitator is essential reading, one of the best political blogs anywhere. Still, Radley Balko sometimes uncritically parrots libertarian tropes. Government Evil! Liberals Stupid! For instance, today he posted this libertarian boilerplate: Alternet publishes article calling for government monitoring of … Continue reading →

Posted in crossposted on TADA, Health Care and Related Issues, Whatever | 24 Comments

The Daily Show on Occupy Wall Street

Posted on October 26, 2011 by Ampersand

This five-minute John Oliver piece really annoyed the hell out of me, until I watched it to the end. It’s basically a smug “hey look, these people use unfamiliar hand gestures and some of them have facial tattoos, ha ha … Continue reading →

Posted in crossposted on TADA, Whatever | 5 Comments

Musky, Victor Mature-Like Scent

Posted on October 25, 2011 by Jeff Fecke

I’m sorry, but with Rick Perry’s embrace of Steve Forbes’ flat tax, I’ve got this old SNL sketch on permanent loop in my brain. Yes, that really is Teve Torbes — er, Steve Forbes. Someone thought it would be a … Continue reading →

Posted in Elections and politics, Whatever | Comments Off on Musky, Victor Mature-Like Scent

Quote: A Carrying Charge For Hope

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Ampersand

This quote from Noah Brand is perfectly expressed: People joke about lottery tickets as a tax on people who are bad at math, but I don’t think that’s true. Lottery tickets are a carrying charge for hope. Between the time … Continue reading →

Posted in crossposted on TADA, Whatever | 22 Comments

Cyberbullying, Street Harassment, and Cumulative Torture

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Ampersand

I can’t resist quoting Julian Sanchez at length: As regular readers know, I’m fond of invoking a thought experiment from philosopher Derek Parfit called “The Harmless Torturers.” Parfit imagines one scenario in which 10,000 torturers each torture one of 10,000 … Continue reading →

Posted in Whatever | 7 Comments

American Territories

Posted on June 6, 2011 by David Schraub

[Reprinted from The Debate Link with David’s kind permission.] Can anyone explain to me why America is still in the business of possessing territories that do not have full voting rights? These would include (of places with permanent populations) Puerto … Continue reading →

Posted in Whatever | 20 Comments