Monthly Archives: February 2007

Civil War #7 Sucked

Posted on February 28, 2007 by Timothy Burke

I really can’t add much more to four really great critiques I read of it: 1) Jim Roeg, “Civil War #7: RIP Marvel” 2) Brian Cronin at Comics Should Be Good 3) Dave Campbell, “Civil Waaaah” 4) Chris Sims, “Civil … Continue reading →

Posted in Popular Culture | 6 Comments

Why Centralization Isn’t the Answer

Posted on February 27, 2007 by Timothy Burke

I continue to be frustrated by the folks criticizing American universities and academic culture who imply (or outright say) that tight central control over public and maybe even private institutions is the solution. My mind especially reels when this comes … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Africa, Politics | 8 Comments

Bathtub Debates

Posted on February 26, 2007 by Timothy Burke

I participated in a very non-serious, amusing debate between the divisions last week at Swarthmore. A couple of people off-campus who have somehow heard about this quirkily local event have asked me for a transcript or recording. You can watch … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Miscellany | 4 Comments

Bad Daddy

Posted on February 26, 2007 by Timothy Burke

When I was 6, watching George Pal’s The Time Machine on TV provided the fuel for a nightmare or two, populated by Morlocks. When my daughter was 6, watching Guillermo del Toro’s Hellboy led her to remark that a hideous … Continue reading →

Posted in Domestic Life, Popular Culture | 1 Comment

The Bait the Fish Refuses

Posted on February 22, 2007 by Timothy Burke

I mostly buy books from Amazon, but I was looking at the SF and fantasy section today in the local Borders. I confess I find some new SF and fantasy by its packaging. Is the title interesting? The spine design … Continue reading →

Posted in Books | 22 Comments

Arizona’s Experiment: Just How Bad Is The Academic Job Market, Anyway?

Posted on February 21, 2007 by Timothy Burke

Take a look at what the Arizona legislature is considering doing. Professors at state institutions would not be allowed to publically advocate for any political candidate, give expert testimony in trials, or have a public opinion on any issue considered … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia | 13 Comments

Beware of What You Wish For

Posted on February 21, 2007 by Timothy Burke

I get the sense occasionally that some of my colleagues see me as an evangelist for the use of new technologies in the classroom and in academic research. If I’m a technological missionary, though, my faith and more importantly my … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Information Technology and Information Literacy | 4 Comments

Not a Sandbox

Posted on February 20, 2007 by Timothy Burke

I’ve been struggling to figure out what to say, or whether to say anything, about the issue of blogging in the Edwards campaign. Outside of a few comments threads, I decided to not say anything while the issue was hot, … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogging | 10 Comments

Media Non-Literacy and Representational Authoritarianism

Posted on February 20, 2007 by Timothy Burke

Following some links from a discussion of the visual imagery in some computer games, I ended up at the American Psychological Association’s Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls, as well as a short BBC news item on the study. … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Popular Culture | 3 Comments

Compromise

Posted on February 20, 2007 by Timothy Burke

I joke that when they’re presented with two or more diametrically opposed ways of interpreting knowledge or evidence, Swarthmore students habitually say, “Both are right, to some degree”. But who am I to talk? That’s my schtick too. So in … Continue reading →

Posted in Miscellany | 3 Comments