Destroying misleading email forwards, one message at a time.
I realize most of the people who read this website– if any of you are left– are probably familiar with auto-tune the news already. Still, in case you’re not, here’s the latest:
Given the last post, I feel I should note that the Andrew & Evan Gregory are both Swatties; Andrew hosted me for the invite-back weekend way back in 2001 when I confirmed that I had absolutely made the right choice in applying to Swarthmore Early Decision.
Posted in Misc..
– March 2, 2010
Not an email this time, but instead a response to an article I recently read, The Disadvantages of an Elite Education. First, go read it.
Okay, done? Good.
It didn’t dawn on me that there might be a few holes in my education until I was about 35. I’d just bought a house, the pipes needed fixing, and the plumber was standing in my kitchen. There he was, a short, beefy guy with a goatee and a Red Sox cap and a thick Boston accent, and I suddenly learned that I didn’t have the slightest idea what to say to someone like him.
The author of this article is despairing over the failure of elite educational institutions to create the Ideal Citizen, instead creating the Self-Absorbed Entitled Citizen. In brief, the article itself is as out of touch as the behaviors it’s complaining about.
Posted in Higher Education.
– March 2, 2010
Not a substantive post, but amusing, and relevant to this blog:
Area Man Passionate Defender Of What He Imagines Constitution To Be
Occasionally Jon Stewart has made the comment that it’s sad that the major media outlets are getting things wrong, and it takes a comedian to call bullshit. I’m actually not convinced by that; political humor has often been a check on politicians, and it’s not unreasonable that it should also be a check on media. Comedy is good at that.
(Hat tip to Nick for sending this along to me)
Posted in Uncategorized.
– November 16, 2009
This is the latest email forward I’ve received, and they don’t get much more full of bad data and mis-attributed scholars than this. This has been covered in other places, notably at Snopes; this particular link actually points to the original 2000 version of the email. Factcheck.org also deals with the 2008 version.
Posted in Wingnut Forwards.
– November 9, 2009
I haven’t posted recently due to a conference trip to California, and I don’t have much time at the moment to write, but I wanted to post this graphic:
http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/leftvright_world.html
It’s simplifying, etc. but still interesting.
Posted in Uncategorized.
– October 22, 2009
Another political custom that bugs the hell out of me:
Posted in Misc..
– October 1, 2009
Here is one of the most obnoxious emails I’ve seen; apart from just being generally designed to divide people, it’s also clearly false.
Posted in Wingnut Forwards.
– September 30, 2009
This is not an email post, or really a wingnut post at all.
There’s an article from the August September (2009) Harper’s, Dehumanized: When math and science rule the school, which is now, happily, available for free. I say happily, but I’m actually very unhappy with this article. Slouka seems to have a very skewed perspective of what is happening in academia, and gives the impression that us “mathandscience” folk are getting so much attention in grade school that it’s destroying the humanities.
Posted in Misc..
– September 24, 2009
…In which we take a look at Glenn Beck. I should note in advance that I am not listening to his program, I am reading his newsletter. It is entirely possible the man is making subtle points when considering the transcript in its entirety, or that the people who summarize the show are badly misrepresenting him. Either way, the email is misleading– and misleading emails are what we’re all about here.
Posted in Pundit Newsletters.
– September 14, 2009
This blog has some secondary uses. One of those is Beer.
Notably, today is 9/10/9 — this means that yesterday, 9/9/9, marks the latest Stone Vertical Epic. This year’s is a “Belgian Porter with spices” — and it is beautiful. I have not had the previous Vertical Epics, and I am now saddened by this fact.
All of this is to say go out and try it; I’m fortunate enough that the local Flying Saucer has it on draught, and my friends brought it to my attention tonight. I found that while the front wasn’t all that exciting, the flavors it leaves behind are amazing. The effect was not dissimilar from that of my favorite beer, the St. Bernardus Abt 12.
I had intended to supplement beer posts with pictures, but that plan had escaped my mind by the time I got around to the 09.09.09 this evening. You should be running out to try it anyway, so you’ll see it for yourself.
Posted in Beer.
– September 10, 2009
