Sense and Nonsense

And Now the Days Start Getting Shorter

My family mocks me for always making this gentle reminder on the summer solstice.  But the truth wins.

Credit: Photo by Kieran Doherty. An amazing shot…. For more incredible Solstice shots by Doherty, visit his site.

More on "You're Not Special"

Newsweek has published a nice follow-up by David McCullough to the dazzling speech he delivered recently at the commencement at Wellesley High School, where he teaches English. (See post directly below.)  Like the speech, this article is worth your attention.  

So is editor Tina Brown's take on the whole thing, available here.

 

Superb Speech to High School Graduates

 . . . and a message all of us should listen to carefully.

David McCullough -- son of the best-selling author, and English teacher at Wellesley High School -- gave this speech at the WHS graduation recently. Fabulous.

 

Grading Papers: The Circles of Hell

Or "The Stages of Grading," according to Debby Thompson.  Sublime.

(UPDATE:  But maybe there is help for weary teachers on the distant horizon, just as I prepare to hang up my cleats.)

Guide to Single Malt Whiskies

This is a handy guide to Scottish single malt whiskies, plotted on a grid with two sets of variables. Horizontally, from light (left) to rich (right); and vertically, from delicate (bottom) to smoky (top). 

Source

Cats are the Enemy

All you people who oppose wind turbines because they harm birds, pay attention: CATS are the true enemy of birds.  See here.

Contemporary Political Science

There are only a dozen or two sensible political scientists left in the United States.  I know some of them. As for the rest: here's a video cartoon that gets to the truth about them. 

 

(h/t to L.G., one of the sensible ones)

So Screwed Up

Wonkette is "just saying . . ."

And they're right.  Americans' sense of relative risks and harms is so screwed up. 

h/t to JFT.

Tolerance for Hogwash

Oh, yes.