Best Reads of the Week: 4/20 – 4/26 20014
The Most Famous Book Set By State:
Now thats BIG:
“Next week, the Bin Laden Group (yes, that Bin Laden; it was founded by Osama Bin Laden’s father) will kick off construction on what will be the tallest man-made structure on earth. At a staggering 3,280 feet, it’s 568 feet taller than the current record holder!”
Seriously, You Must Be Joking:
Iran has been appointed to several key United Nations committees that oversee the protection of women’s rights and global human rights. Seriously? Every few months I see nonsense like this and I wonder what good is the $7.5 Billion dollars annually we pump into the UN.
Politics (not) as usual:
I love this campaign ad. Tom Cotton’s Senate opponent (Sen. Mark Pryor) claim that Cotton feels a “sense of entitlement” because of his military service… he took the negative and played it into this…
Thin Air and Avalance:
Jon Krakauer tells the story behind last weeks, “worst climbing accident in the history of Everest, twice as deadly as the infamous storm in May, 1996…”, in “Death and Anger on Everest“.
15 years since Columbine, What’s Changed?
A short but sad read. Despite more money and recourses being deployed to make schools safer, gun violence on campus has escalated not shrunk. It’s interesting to note that number of guns in homes as a percentage of the population, historically is trending downward. And guns found in homes are more difficult to access now than in preceding generations (more gun safes and trigger locks). So why are shootings going up, not down???
Shorts:
For Laughs, “The Gospel According to former mayer Bloomberg” (thanks to Corrbett for passing this along ).
The Supreme Court has some big cases again this year. Here is the first big ruling. I’m not surprised by the outcome, but I was surprised that it was 6-2 ruling.
Is Motherhood a Job? (I wrote a blog on the subject this week)
Texas versus New York governs debate?
In The Banking Business, Guess Who Makes More Than Bankers?
Amazing Stunt-Dog:
Forget Pais Roubaix…
Ah… Flourishing Academic Debate:
Or not. On the heels of Brandeis University un-inviting Ayaan Hirsi Ali for an honorary doctorate, Azusa Pacific has uninvited Charles Murray. In his own replay to the un-invite he writes, “I was scheduled to speak to you tomorrow. I was going to talk about my new book, “The Curmudgeon’s Guide to Getting Ahead,” and was looking forward to it. But it has been “postponed.” Why? An email from your president, Jon Wallace, to my employer, the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), said “Given the lateness of the semester and the full record of Dr. Murray’s scholarship, I realized we needed more time to prepare for a visit and postponed Wednesday’s conversation.” This, about an appearance that has been planned for months.” This is the key though, “I also understand from another faculty member that he and the provost were afraid of “hurting our faculty and students of color.” You’re at college, right? Being at college is supposed to mean thinking for yourselves, right? Okay, then do it. Don’t be satisfied with links to websites that specialize in libeling people…” People who have taken the time to read Murray’s work would agree that it is sometimes controversial. Only because he analyzes statical analysis, that often make us feel uncomfortable. I took the time to email my concerns to Azusa, reminding them that I have recommended their college to a number of students over the years, and that their this decisions (without a better explanation) will make it difficult for me to enthusiastically recommend their school in the future.
I’d HIGHLY recommend Murray’s book, “Coming Apart” is among the best books I have read in the last 3 years.
And how about this article form the New York Times about the Walton’s (Walmart owners) and their donations to Charter Schools? I read the article (and except the Teachers Unions) it seems like a great thing! Yet it reads like the Times can’t quite find a suitable to say that what the Walton’s are doing is a good thing. Unbiased reporting is good. The inability to praise a good thing is bad.
One more OUTRAGE in academia… this time in New York, “Robbing Peter to Pay Paul“.
Gosnell Movie Trailer:
16 seconds that will make you smile:
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