by AndrewMc | 11/13/2009 12:01:00 PM
It's Friday the 13th! If you are paraskevidekatriaphobic, you're slowing economic recovery. So, get back to work you loafer.

I'll be at an eCitizenship initiative this week, so this "rambling" will be pretty light.


Still, follow me . . .




The White House chef is a history major, University of Chicago, 2004.






On the market?






It looks like the final version of "Race to the Top" will be slightly improved [sub required, new window] from what had originally been proposed.






More schools ought to place academics over athletics. And not just for financial survival.





Whither the food fight [sub required, new window]?





NSSE has always struck me as not far removed from water witching. Researchers seem to agree.






A quick follow-up to my earlier rambling about the "Yes Men." In this older interview they explain their prank on the Chamber of Commerce.

They showed up as soon as these defections started happening. We planned this about a week and a half ago. The Chamber's absurd stance is really what inspired us, of course. The US is the one thing that's holding up the talks in Copenhagen and we have to send Obama to Copenhagen with a climate bill; even though the Kerry-Boxer one isn't great, it's something. And the chamber is opposing climate change legislation and the whole rest of the world is saying we need to do something. Even a lot of big companies are saying we need to do something. The chamber, representing the biggest and stodgiest and most powerful corporations in America is just saying, "Nah, let's let the whole planet go to rot." We just wanted to show what it would look like if they didn't take that absurd stance. And none of the reporters in the room were really surprised.


Now there's the inevitable followup asking if this has all jumped the shark.





History grads have known for quite a while that the swamped job market has meant that teaching at a 2-year college has gotten more competitive, and now pretty much requires a PhD. Even so, the profession has tended to look down on historians at 2-year institutions. That's unfortunate.

Now it turns out that getting into them is becoming even more competitive for students [subscription required]. I notice that this is mostly about New York which, like California, has a 2-year system that is more of a "junior college" system than a refuge for high school underachievers, new immigrants, and people killing time (as was the one where I taught).





Free speech isn't free speech if it's not for everyone, even if I don't agree with it. But what about freedom of the <student> press?





Professors are on strike, and are threatening a no-confidence vote. Do those kinds of votes matter anymore?






The beer of the week? Well, I'm in Detroit this week. First, this place is in bad shape. Bad shape. The recession in Detroit, which I've read about, is much worse in plain sight. It's amazing.

But this is a working-class town. Deeply blue collar. Some of the beer reflects this, but others are more upscale. I had an Arcadia beer the other day. Now, this is a Battle Creek company, not Detroit, but it's close.

I had the Angler's Ale. It was horrible. In fact when the waitress asked how it was I said "garbage." From a slick mouthfeel that might have been an over-soaped glass, to a harsh aftertaste, I absolutely did not like this beer. Generally, the reviews seem to agree.

Other of their beer looks interesting, and I may try a bottled version. But for now, I won't be having this on tap again any time soon.


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