Monthly Archives: August 2006

The Shape of the Gordian Knot: Assessment

Posted on August 16, 2006 by Timothy Burke

I’m going to try and break down the coming Spellings Commision report in detail when the official final version is out, but by way of preparation, I’m interested in thinking creatively about the problem of assessment. I agree that we … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia | 7 Comments

Calling the LazyWeb

Posted on August 15, 2006 by Timothy Burke

I’m looking for a good book or two (or even an article) on a somewhat complicated topic. What I’m curious about is the intellectual history of specifically British contemplations of constitutionalism or common law in the 19th and 20th Century. … Continue reading →

Posted in Miscellany | 11 Comments

Dangerously Beautiful Days

Posted on August 13, 2006 by Timothy Burke

Weekends are weird once you have a house. A secondary labor regime takes over: there are weeds to kill, stumps to remove, bathtubs to re-caulk, closets to clean, bookshelves to make and so on. A beautiful day like today is … Continue reading →

Posted in Domestic Life | 5 Comments

Major Victory or Fat Momma?

Posted on August 11, 2006 by Timothy Burke

No, this isn’t about Lieberman. I see Major Victory and Fat Momma in the final of Who Wants to Be a Superhero?. How about you? Just as long as it’s not Lemuria or Feedback.

Posted in Popular Culture | Comments Off on Major Victory or Fat Momma?

Prudence v. Panic

Posted on August 11, 2006 by Timothy Burke

If British authorities want to send people onto planes carrying nothing but their wallets and identification for the next week or so, that is reasonable. No one begrudges them a momentary anxiety about whether they successfully halted the plot. If … Continue reading →

Posted in Miscellany | 7 Comments

Dear David Brooks, Joe Lieberman, Etcetera

Posted on August 11, 2006 by Timothy Burke

Opposing the war in Iraq is not the same as endorsing terrorism. It is not the same as refusing to engage in a protracted military and political struggle against terrorist movements. The war in Iraq is not the war on … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | Comments Off on Dear David Brooks, Joe Lieberman, Etcetera

Litani or Bust?

Posted on August 10, 2006 by Timothy Burke

Like John Quiggan at Crooked Timber, I think for me the first question about Israel, Lebanon and Hizbollah concerns consequences of action. That’s been the primary basis of my anger about the war in Iraq as well. I read Charles … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | 4 Comments

ACTA on Core Curriculum

Posted on August 10, 2006 by Timothy Burke

ACTA has a report available online on their recommendations for a core curriculum. It’s actually from 2003, but I guess it has been made available online for the first time. If ACTA wants to figure out what was wrong with … Continue reading →

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Checking the Reputation Capital Account

Posted on August 10, 2006 by Timothy Burke

I tend to read academic work outside my fields of specialization to a fairly significant extent, which I suppose is not news to anyone who has read this blog for any length of time. Some of what I read I … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Books | 1 Comment

From the Mixed-Up Bookshelves: The Culture of the Copy

Posted on August 9, 2006 by Timothy Burke

Just a quick note on this 1996 book, which makes for an interesting contrast to Norton’s Republic of Signs. I don’t know anything about Hillel Schwartz, though I have two of his books. He’s got a good eye for interesting … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, The Mixed-Up Bookshelves | Comments Off on From the Mixed-Up Bookshelves: The Culture of the Copy