Jan 25College Essays: Your Kid’s Ticket ?College Essays: Your Kid’s Ticket ? According to Forbes “ …more than 80% of U.S. bachelor-degree granting institutions will not require students seeking fall 2023 admission to submit either ACT or SAT standardized exam scores.” I find this both interesting and exciting. What it means is that smart kids who…College6 min readCollege6 min read
Jan 18American A-Holes: Non — Specific EditionIn my previous edition of American A-holes, I named a person specifically. However, while there are some specific people that just seem to beg to be recognized as an A-hole, there is also an entire subculture of A-holes that need to be grouped together as they are too myriad to…Satire2 min readSatire2 min read
Jan 18So you want to be a teacher and make a difference! That’s noble! Also, what the hell is wrong with you?When I was young, I had these romantic notions of what it meant to be a teacher. I envisioned all of the “Mr. Holland’s Opus” and “Dead Poet’s Society” scenarios, and I scoffed at the old geezers who bemoaned their jobs and their lack of dough. Now, I am that…Education4 min readEducation4 min read
Dec 27, 2022The World Cup, The USMNT, AND THE JEDI MIND TRICKIn the very first Star Wars movie there is a scene where Obi-Wan Kenobi takes control of a stormtroopers’ mind in order to convince him that Kenobi and company are not being sought by the Empire I submit to you that US Soccer is trying to use this same…USMNT3 min readUSMNT3 min read
Dec 26, 2022Are you rich? I have a DEAL for YOU!Below is a painting by Jackson Pollock I gotta tell ya, I don’t get it. In fact, one day I tracked oil and brake fluid into my house and it mixed with blood from a scrape on my finger and befouled my carpet. …Jackson Pollock2 min readJackson Pollock2 min read
Dec 26, 2022Sisyphus and ChristmasIn his essay “The Myth Of Sisyphus” French existential philosopher and author Albert Camus relates the tale of Sisyphus who is condemned to…Christmas3 min readChristmas3 min read
Dec 13, 2022The Death of WritingThe Atlantic recently published an article called “ The Death of High School English” which pushed the idea that AI will soon be able to write student essays in a manner which is both superior and undetectable. …Education2 min readEducation2 min read
Oct 22, 2022The Dick TreeThe beginning of a story about the end. There were three quick knocks on the door. That was a secret signal, and our typical suburban household exploded into chaos. Our dog, the most placid non-aggressive dog in the world, erupted as though he were Cujo. Pavlov got famous for his…Humor5 min readHumor5 min read
Oct 12, 2022A Conversation With An EvangelicalMe: Hey __________ , I see that you wrote “Happy Columbus Day” on your Facebook timeline. Why? _________: Because it’s Columbus Day. It’s always been Columbus Day! Me: Always? What about before Columbus “discovered” America? _________: You know what I meant Me: Perhaps so, but for the sake of this…Atheism3 min readAtheism3 min read
Sep 26, 2022I Don’t Like Fiction — I Teach High School EnglishWell, maybe that isn’t EXACTLY true, but it is true that I really prefer non-fiction, and I don’t even think that reading the “iconic” books that make up much of a high school English curriculum is necessary or even a good use of students’ time.Education3 min readEducation3 min read