Off the Mark

It may not seem like it, but I have been doing my homework.  Been reading many articles from the dawn of the modern American library for my History of Service to the Public seminar.  Here are some interesting tidbits:

Those of us who have faith in the future of democracy can only hold our faith fast [...]

[Read more →]

Just found this wonderfully lucid article on this false dichotomy and the fallacy of "they can just look it up."
Article by E.D. Hirsch
Only one of the very salient points:
For instance, there is a domain of cognitive science called "expert-novice studies." Two of its leading figures are Herbert A. Simon, the Nobel prize winner, and Jill [...]

[Read more →]

Iraqi Elections
For once, someone trying to see things a little more than either/or.  Thank you Dylan! 
This is certainly a vast improvement to the post I saw a few minutes earlier that invited ‘liberals’ to "die, just a little faster!"  I won’t give that person the dignity of linking to her.  Such a grand [...]

[Read more →]

From Sivacracy.net:  The Normalization of Horror

"Before gangsters like Alberto Gonzales
seduced us into abandoning our values, a person was considered innocent
before being proven guilty. Now we’re locking people away because "the government does not have enough evidence to charge [them] in courts." And everyone, including Democrats, is OK with this."

I am vastly ashamed of my country!  [...]

[Read more →]

URL: A Soldier Returns From Iraq

This is very painful stuff people but you need to read it and more like it! 

They sent my "baby boy" to this damn war of theirs (yours and ours?)
and he seems to be doing much better than this soldier, but I doubt I
will ever forgive my country for allowing [...]

[Read more →]

Interesting article about the American people’s lack of grammatical skills
thanks to Nicole at A Capital Idea.

Blame
the Linguists!

Not really sure the blame should be placed on the linguists though. Seems
more like it should be placed on the departments of Education that
misappropriated the theory in the first place.

And yes, I know my grammar is not perfect. I [...]

[Read more →]

Since I graduated (undergrad) in 2001, I’ve been putting/bringing myself into my
writing in the classes that I’ve been taking as a graduate student at large…

First, a matter of scope. By "one’s writing" I am referring to non-fictional,
academic writing. I believe that is as broad as I want to construe it. Of
course, my writings have been [...]

[Read more →]

It is an experiment in self-expression, cultural critique, and the use of social software.  I, for one, do not expect that I have anything more important to say than most others.  But, I have been told several times lately by people whom I respect that I need to say some of the things I have [...]

[Read more →]