Chernobyl: 20 Years Later

A couple of years ago, I noted a photo essay that explored the “ghost town” that is now Chernobyl, Ukraine. It is a haunting, disturbing essay, and should be revisited today, the 20th anniversary of the disaster. Even more disturbing, is this photo essay that chronicles victims of the accident. It is difficult to watch … Read more

Three

Three years ago today, April 25, 2003, I began this blog. Judging by the proliferation of blogging since that time, I’d guess that blogs three years old or older occupy a small slice of the pie. Remember the old standard of dog years, where seven or so dog years equaled one “human” year? Well, here’s … Read more

Subject to Enthusiasm

Teachers & Teaching: Part II

On every university campus, there exist certain professors who, at the very mention of their names, cause students to cringe with fear. At the University of Tennessee, Dr. Von Trapp* was one of these professors. Students who had survived his Western Civilization class told tales about him to other students much like the ones Marines tell of Parris Island: “I’ve been through Von Trapp’s Western Civ. class. It doesn’t get much worse than that.”

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Facing Down Iran

Journalist–extraordinaire Mark Steyn tackles the $64,000 question on whether or not Iran would use a nuclear weapon in his must-read City Journal essay, “Facing Down Iran.” Steyn argue that the fact that we even have to ask the question tells us much: So the question is: Will they do it? And the minute you have … Read more

Katie Couric’s Connectedness

The “news” that Katie Couric will assume the mantle of Dan Rather as CBS’s chief newsreader is no more interesting than that age-old debate of whether or not a tree falling in the woods makes a sound. If no one is there, does anybody hear it? Considering the ads that run during the evening news, … Read more

Teachers & Teaching: A Definition

To begin our perusal of teachers, teaching, and the learning process, it is necessary to first establish some terminology for discussion. After all, the idea of teaching means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. Using the “Googlism” tool, we find that Google says: teaching is as much about passion as … Read more