April 17, 2013 at 7:46 am
The news is full of bad things right now. I have a bunch of articles that my students have sent me recently (so much interest! so engaged!) that I want to share, but I am having trouble finding it appropriate. I grew up in New York, and now consider myself a Bostonian after living here […]
April 10, 2013 at 6:28 pm
Imagine if I not only knew whether you did the assigned reading for class, but which passages in the book you paid attention to, and which you skimmed. I would have complete knowledge of who is prepared, every day. The horror! Interestingly, many professors are starting to use an e-book coupled with software that compiles […]
April 8, 2013 at 10:38 am
In what may be one of the greatest generational gaps of our time, I find it completely creepy that websites like Facebook and Google collect information about me and my life, and use it to sell me stuff. And my students don’t seem to care one tiny bit. Or they just don’t want to talk […]
April 5, 2013 at 10:03 am
All my students know that I hold cell phone and cable companies in a special place of dishonor because of the apparent unfairness of the contracts that we all sign with these companies. It seems half my paycheck goes to pay for my cell phone and TV, but like the rest of you, I could […]
March 29, 2013 at 9:48 am
I thought this op-ed piece in the times eloquently raised the issues of fairness and real diversity that have come up in our discussions about affirmative action. The author points out how poor rural smart students have as many obstacles to overcome as racial minorities, or perhaps more.
March 28, 2013 at 11:11 am
It appears I could write an entire blog this semester on beer and dogs. Not sure what this says about the state of our world, but nonetheless, here is another fascinating article about beer. This time, the Wall Street Journal reports how big beer companies are racing to get market share in developing nations, specifically […]
March 28, 2013 at 10:58 am
As we discussed in LA245, the Supreme Court issued its second dog decision this term this week. In the case, the Court ruled that it is unconstitutional to use a dog to sniff outside a home without a warrant. Completely contrary to the Court’s decision on dogs sniffing cars, the decision confirms the ultimate protection […]
March 24, 2013 at 12:11 pm
I don’t know why I live in New England, because I hate winter. I hate the cold. I hate the snow. I hate sleet. I don’t ski. I hate ice. I hate winter coats, hats and gloves. And so, on February 2 of this year, when the World’s most famous Groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, came out […]
March 14, 2013 at 1:17 pm
Next week the Supreme Court will hear argument on the historic case regarding Prop 8, the amendment to the California Constitution that banned same-sex marriage. The lawyers arguing against Prop 8 represent an interesting “marriage” of sorts: David Boies and Ted Olson. Boies is a liberal Democrat, well known for many important cases, including representing […]
March 11, 2013 at 8:51 am
Recently my class spent a lot of time discussing the meaning of marriage, which is at the core of two Supreme Court cases regarding same sex marriage. Here in the United States, marriage is a legal, cultural, and religious term. Say “marriage” to ten different Americans, and ten different meanings will pop into their heads. […]
