Monthly Archives: November 2008

Skimming the Program

Posted on November 23, 2008 by Timothy Burke

I was at the American Anthropological Association meeting this weekend. I decided not to liveblog anything because a) I didn’t go to that many panels and b) the ones I did go to I went to diffidently, including being one … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia | 9 Comments

Irreparable Complexity, Game and World

Posted on November 17, 2008 by Timothy Burke

I’m interested in the kind of complexity that arises through emergent processes, in which relatively simple rules governing the action of autonomous agents within a given environment can give rise to permanent structures or changes within the environment which then … Continue reading →

Posted in Games and Gaming, Miscellany, Politics | 8 Comments

Scandal

Posted on November 12, 2008 by Timothy Burke

You want to complain about what’s wrong with academia, take a look at this story. Adjuncts at the University of Tennessee system can carry a 5-5 teaching load in a course year and make only $15,000 with no benefits. You … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia | 13 Comments

So You Want to Know About…the Luo

Posted on November 12, 2008 by Timothy Burke

Another thing that came up in a recent email exchange was a request for “starter scholarship” on a particular African nation. For most contemporary African countries, I really feel that there is not a single great “done-in-one” book that is … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa | 9 Comments

On Its Stomach

Posted on November 7, 2008 by Timothy Burke

The news from eastern Congo is, as it has long been, not good. I understand why outside mediators and observers want to keep trying to patch up old cease-fires or broker new ones between the ever-shifting array of combatants in … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa | 52 Comments

Good Reportage

Posted on November 6, 2008 by Timothy Burke

Newsweek is putting out some great political reporting on the election now that folks are linking to. Much of what they have to say about Obama and his campaign is actually more interesting than the revelations about Palin that are … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | 5 Comments

Appalachia and Other Reflections

Posted on November 6, 2008 by Timothy Burke

Interesting discussion of the blue/red map of the 2008 election at Edge of the American West. I think the commentary is very much on the money that the areas which went more strongly to McCain this time than to Bush … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogging, Politics | 25 Comments

Who Cares About the Floppy Hat?

Posted on November 5, 2008 by Timothy Burke

Listen to this segment of the NPR program “Here and Now” featuring two political reporters, Robert Draper and Peter Nicholas. Draper is fairly interesting, rather like his NY Times Magazine article on the McCain campaign. (I really wish NPR would … Continue reading →

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

And I Want a Pony: Dissatisfied Academic Version

Posted on November 5, 2008 by Timothy Burke

On to other matters. I meant to respond earlier to the pseudonymous essay of a tenured faculty member who plans to leave academia published recently at Inside Higher Education. My reaction largely echoes what was said about the piece at … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia | 8 Comments

You’re All Clear, Kid

Posted on November 5, 2008 by Timothy Burke

Stealing this theme from Rotwang at TPM Cafe, but this little bit of video captures my emotional reaction this morning pretty well.

Posted in Politics | 2 Comments