Category Archives: Personal
Wednesday’s Book Review: “Dog Whistle Politics”
Dog Whistle Politics: How Coded Racial Appeals Have Reinvented Racism and Wrecked the Middle Class. By Ian Haney López. New York: Oxford University Press, 2014. There is no doubt, and it is confirmed in this book, that racism is the … Continue reading
Wednesday’s Book Review: “The Science of Shakespeare”
The Science of Shakespeare: A New Look at the Playwright’s Universe. By Dan Falk. New York: Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin’ Press, 2014. I had never before considered the scientific worldview of William Shakespeare. Like almost every other American I had … Continue reading
The Apollo Program and the Idea of Progress
It is somewhat trite to suggest that America was founded on the idea of progress and that it remains both an amorphous concept and one central to American national identity. In the 1830s an astute French interpreter of United States … Continue reading
Wednesday’s Book Review: “Pete Rose: An American Dilemma”
Pete Rose: An American Dilemma. By Kostya Kennedy. New York: Sports Illustrated Books, 2014. Pete Rose is an icon, despite all that has happened to him over the years. A player more dedicated than talented he still reigns as the … Continue reading
Remembering Fred Ordway (1927-2014)
I drink a toast today to a fine gentleman, a gentle man, Frederick I. Ordway III, who passed away last week at the age of 87. Many in the space community know and counted as a good friend Fred. He was … Continue reading
Stunning Performance: Something Fun for a Friday
If you have not seen this performance of “Glitter in the Air” by P!nk at the Grammys in 2010 you are in for a treat. It is really memorable.
Wednesday’s Book Review: “The Divide: American Injustice in the Age of the Wealth Gap”
The Divide: American Injustice in the Age of the Wealth Gap. By Matt Taibbi. New York: Spiegel & Grau, 2014. I have appreciated the reporting of Matt Taibbi since he published “The Great Derangement” in 2009. His very human reaction … Continue reading
The Assassination of Joseph Smith Jr.: Meanings and Interpretations
I was at a local party the other night and ended up in conversation with a professor who teaches early nineteenth century history about Joseph Smith Jr. and early Mormonism. Our conversation turned to Smith’s assassination at Carthage, Illinois, … Continue reading
“Charmer” Music Video by Aimee Mann
Something fun for a Friday morning. Here is the video of Aimee Mann’s “Charmer” (2012). With Laura Linney. Enjoy.
Proposed Historical Paper: “The Battle over Cosmology in Recent America: Intelligent Designers, Science Communicators, and the Home Schooling Movement”
I will be participating in an historical workshop at the University of Manchester on the intersection of “Science, Religion, and Entertainment Media” in June 2014. I am proposing the following paper. Comments are welcome. “The Battle over Cosmology in Recent America: … Continue reading
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