Academia, the publishing industry, Jason Arday, bullshit artists, and the 80s cult classic About Last Night

Satirical curriculum vitae for Dr. Barnaby “Pub or Perish” Higginbotham listing publications, degrees, grants, accolades, and teaching; a stressed scholar sits at a desk surrounded by books.

Some of us know the type. Like Bernie Litgo in the movie adapted from David Mamet’s play, they spin wild tales for our amusement, but in academia and publishing, fact is supposed to be far more important than fiction, and processes are said to be in place to ensure only facts get published. In the… Continue reading Academia, the publishing industry, Jason Arday, bullshit artists, and the 80s cult classic About Last Night

America at 250, the heat was both literal and figurative

Crowd of protesters with signs 'Civil unrest', 'Freedom', and 'Enough!' in a burning cityscape with US landmarks and flags

After losing power for the entire weekend, we joked that we were doing it as the Founders did – no lights, no running water, no air conditioning – but who are we kidding? The Friday before the Fourth of July my lovely wife and I did something we almost never do:  Went out for dinner… Continue reading America at 250, the heat was both literal and figurative

Life lessons from a three legged greyhound

Rosie, three-legged greyhound

For a distance of over fifty yards on reasonably flat ground, our greyhound and our whippet tore across the lawn at well over forty miles per hour in a full-fledged race, almost neck and neck until the greyhound pulled ahead towards the end, despite having only three legs.  That’s the heart of a champion. We… Continue reading Life lessons from a three legged greyhound