Have y’all seen this app? It’s beautiful, and I know that because it enchanted a programmer AND a literature buff simultaneously. But the programmer estimated it would take hundreds of hours, and $50k-$200k, just to build, which got me thinking: how is this painstakingly prepared, labor-intensive, and costly object any different from the illuminated manuscript [...]
Archive for August, 2011
Virtual Brainstorm: Rebrand Classics!
August 26, 2011This one’s for Clara, the commenter on Tuesday’s post who hasn’t seen anything good today…No, actually, she just needed a Classics logo. To be honest, I think we need a new name altogether, but barring that I think we need a good, old-fashioned brainstorm….anyone else want to join in? Classics: The Navy SEALs of [...]
More Reader Mail: How Do We Save Classics?
August 23, 2011A former student of mine wrote in asking what we could do to save Classics in the wake of program after program being cut; they included a questionnaire of sorts and because I spent way too much time on it this weekend, I figured I’d share the answers. FYI, I also told them that we [...]
Why I Propsosed to SXSW (PS Vote for My Panel)
August 19, 2011You’ll note that the sidebar now contains an invitation to vote for the SXSW panel I proposed. When I submitted, I specifically unchecked the box that said it was okay for the proposal to be considered for the EDU conference. I was not impressed with EDU; also, it it just me, or does anyone else [...]
Penelope Athena! Tina Fey! Classics Win!
August 14, 2011One in long series of me claiming unsuspecting icons (such as Mark Zuckerberg) as Classics wins, and me loving on Tina Fey. I’m geeked that Tina Fey named her new kid Penelope Athena. Fey is half-Greek, which probably plays into it, but I’d also like to think she knows her mythology ’cause those are two [...]
Do Rick Perry’s Grades Matter?
August 10, 2011When I saw Rick Perry’s transcript, I was just as happy as anyone else to mock it and pass it around to everyone I knew. But did I feel a little bad about it, to be honest. Because grades aren’t everything. I’m not even being sarcastic here, I mean that very sincerely. Case in point: [...]
Reader Email: What Should I Tell My Kid About College?
August 8, 2011On Sunday I set out to answer the following reader email: I need some advice on how to advise my 17 year old daughter. Like so many kids her age, they have heard that going to college and getting a degree is the path to personal and professional success. As events in the last few [...]
Yee Hah, Rick Perry, I’m Totally Down with Your Ed Reform Plan
August 5, 2011Dear Rick, As a PhD in Texas, I’m volunteering for your ten-thousand-dollar degree program. Finally, I’ll be able to make the six figures that will qualify me to vote and mean it! In accordance with your no-frills standards, I’ll conduct class on my futon. Some hanky-panky might ensue (those kids and their schoolboy crushes) but [...]
Seven Reasons the Ancient Greeks Were Smarter Than Us
August 4, 2011Last night’s Dionysium was a blast: it had live organ music, a very convincing Socrates re-enactment, and a scene from Lysistrata. Though obviously I can’t compete with all that, I’ve done my best to capture the spirit of the talk I gave. Sure, Spark Notes told you that “rage” is the first word of The [...]
Matt Damon Defends Teachers
August 2, 2011In case you haven’t seen this already, let’s make it go viral because we all know that a celebrity endorsement for teachers is going to do more than any real journalism: And please watch to the end, so you can see the Damon deftly dispense with the “what about bad teachers?” BS. Share this:EmailFacebookDiggRedditShareStumbleUpon