Author Archives: Timothy Burke

“Most of the Venom”

Posted on February 12, 2008 by Timothy Burke

Shorter Paul Krugman: “Most of the venom is coming from you, brainwashed followers of a personality cult that reminds me of Richard Nixon and George Bush, supporting a guy who some have said is a secret Muslim (not me, of … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | 9 Comments

Lifelong Learning (Blog Style)

Posted on February 7, 2008 by Timothy Burke

I’ve been thinking a bit about the use of blogs in courses. With a few exceptions, I don’t know that I see a lot of mileage in compelling students to keep an individual blog themselves. I really enjoyed some of … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Blogging, Information Technology and Information Literacy | 12 Comments

One-A-Day: Oona Strathern, A Brief History of the Future

Posted on February 7, 2008 by Timothy Burke

Historians divide themselves by areas and by periods of specialization, but also by the methodological focus of their scholarly work: social history, political history, economic history and so on. This isn’t just an abstract division: it defines the real-world allocation … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, The Mixed-Up Bookshelves | 6 Comments

Rules of the Game

Posted on February 6, 2008 by Timothy Burke

Quick: why did you object to the way the Florida recount was handled in 2000, if you did in fact object? Was it some of the Supreme Court justices seeming to contradict their own long-standing principles? Was it the chaos … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | 21 Comments

One-A-Day: Norman Rush, Mating

Posted on February 4, 2008 by Timothy Burke

This is an essay on Norman Rush’s Mating that I wrote up for the National Book Critics Circle Board of Directors blog, Critical Mass.

Posted in Africa, Books, The Mixed-Up Bookshelves | Comments Off on One-A-Day: Norman Rush, Mating

Barbarians at the Gate

Posted on February 4, 2008 by Timothy Burke

I’m not the only one to take note of the New York Times‘ baffling decision to review Lee Siegel’s new anti-Internet broadside not once, but twice. Both times, moreover, the assignment was given to reviewers who were clearly predisposed to … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogging, Books, Information Technology and Information Literacy | 5 Comments

Now That I Like

Posted on January 31, 2008 by Timothy Burke

Eddie Izzard, apparently, will be voicing Reepicheep in the upcoming film version of Prince Caspian.

Posted in Popular Culture | 1 Comment

Process, Evidence, Closure

Posted on January 31, 2008 by Timothy Burke

There’s an interesting, complicated discussion of sexual assaults at Swarthmore in this week’s student paper, stemming partly from the case of a student last semester who was accused of having committed assaults and has not returned to campus this semester. … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Swarthmore | 2 Comments

One-A-Day: David Weinberger, Everything is Miscellaneous

Posted on January 31, 2008 by Timothy Burke

Cory Doctorow makes a lot of sales to me through his recommendations on Boing Boing. He tends to have an eye for things that I at least think I’m interested in. Sometimes, though, I feel a bit let down, feeling … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Information Technology and Information Literacy, Miscellany, The Mixed-Up Bookshelves | 6 Comments

The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Independent

Posted on January 29, 2008 by Timothy Burke

In American politics, independent voters are magical creatures. They are invoked, summoned, conjured with. Ritual sacrifices are made in their name. Candidates rub the fictive head of the Independent Voter for good luck. Never so much during primary season that … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | 17 Comments