Author Archives: admin

Pre-Thanksgiving PSA

Posted on November 20, 2020 by admin

I hope that your Thanksgiving isn’t entirely virtual–that you’ll be able to eat home cooked meals with the people ordinarily under your roof, spend some time outdoors, and perhaps Zoom with more distant relatives. Inevitably, your conversations will turn towards … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Ethics | Leave a comment

Where Do We Go From Here?

Posted on November 15, 2020 by admin

In this evening’s 60 Minutes interview, former president Barak Obama pushed back against the notion that politicians and social media are solely to blame for the bitterness displayed during the recent election cycle. I think he’s being too nice. Once … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Social Media | 9 Comments

A Life Without Consequences

Posted on November 12, 2020 by admin

Everybody knows what would happen if some kid walked up to another kid, called him a punk, and punched him in the mouth. A fight. We understand that to be a just and reasonable consequence to name-calling and battery. What … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethics, National Politics | 5 Comments

Moving Forward

Posted on November 9, 2020 by admin

If you didn’t know this already, we live in a weird place. How else can you explain why Mississippi voters embraced conservatives Donald Trump and Cindy Hyde-Smith–each won with almost 60% of the vote–but voted at roughly a 70% clip … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | 9 Comments

Request for Prognostications

Posted on October 27, 2020 by admin

How close will the presidential election be? Who will win? How long will it take to certify election results? Will either candidate concede without forcing a Supreme Court showdown? How close will the race between Cindy Hyde-Smith and Mike Espy … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Pop Culture, Uncategorized | 6 Comments

“Fake News” Roots

Posted on October 27, 2020 by admin

During last weekend’s interview with 60 Minutes, Pres. Trump admitted to Leslie Stahl that he uses the phrase “fake news” to “demean” and “discredit” legitimate media when they ask questions that discomfort him because, essentially, he wants people to believe … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethics, National Politics, Social Media | 1 Comment

For the Film Class

Posted on October 20, 2020 by admin

I’m not sure that today’s viewing experience was stellar. Let’s think out loud about options for watching the remaining movies. Stick with Zoom, but make sure that we turn off our own cameras. If there are more than a few … Continue reading →

Posted in Education | 14 Comments

TL;DR

Posted on October 1, 2020 by admin

Every once in a while I realize that I am too old to be hip but too young to be square. The most recent evidence: the acronym WAP began appearing in social media and I could not for the life … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Music, Pop Culture | 7 Comments

The Power of Self Deception

Posted on September 28, 2020 by admin

Scanning the headlines and leads in my newsfeed this morning offered a great illustration of how manic and polarized our nation has become: the CEO of Neiman-Marcus shows off his new mansion on the same day he lays off employees; … Continue reading →

Posted in National Politics, Politics | 5 Comments

Your Pending Return

Posted on September 17, 2020 by admin

Screen fatigue is real, y’all. After six weeks of a four-by-four schedule of remote classes, I have discovered genuine antipathy for looking at screens of any size. I find myself wishing for an old-fashioned landline. I don’t especially care to … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Ethics | 7 Comments