My lighthearted abbreviation of ‘premod’ conservatives (in contrast to pomocons) has inspired John Schwenkler and Conor Friedersdorf to newly subversive heights: “prefab” will be the new term of choice for conservatism of the talk radio variety [ . . . .] In honor of Michael . . . . Continue Reading »
Pomocon ponderings continued: 1. On one end you have a profound way of life , rooted and grounded in a robust and declarative embodiment of the whole . On the other end you have a superficial lifestyle , one option among many chosen for no more and no less than idiosyncratic, contingent, partial . . . . Continue Reading »
While we’re on the subject of form, I recently stumbled upon University of Texas mathematics professor Nikos Salingaros’ phenomenal work Anti-Architecture and Deconstruction , a short excerpt of which is posted on his faculty page: In wanting to explain a cultural mystery — why . . . . Continue Reading »
I was surprised and delighted this week to discover two essays bemoaning the state of mathematics education and, in particular, high-school geometry. I had always imagined that my pet obsession with the interactions between mathematics and culture was just that, but apparently the movement contains . . . . Continue Reading »
In part two of my Atlantic interview , I say a few words on a subject that brings pomocons and front porchers together (for a bench-clearing brawl or a bout of hope and healing)? . . . . Continue Reading »
Eve Tushnet’s review of the Shakespeare Theatre production of Noel Coward’s Design for Living is up at the American Spectator . The play’s us-vs.-them shtik always had something unpleasant about it, as in the servant-problem humor in which working-class characters exist solely as . . . . Continue Reading »
Teaching by PowerPoint is out . . . . . . and teaching by Twitter is in. . . . . Continue Reading »
Freddie responds to my tweet on Iran, solidarity, and fashion: I could imagine that James’s refusal to show solidarity with the protesters (or at least his discomfort in the same) is the product of apathy or fear of the other. I think, applied generally and not specifically, that’s a . . . . Continue Reading »
A.O. Scott on the latest Woody Allen film: [ . . . ] Mr. Allen’s imagination has returned to Manhattan after that invigorating European sojourn afflicted by an extreme case of jet lag. In spite of a few up-to-date references — to Barack Obama, red states and gay people, for instance . . . . Continue Reading »
I’ve said elsewhere that our vision of politics is being corrupted by a well-meaning but misguided epistemology of compassion: increasingly, we consider the person or group demanding a right to be the most trustworthy source of information about whether they deserve it. Anyone aggrieved, we . . . . Continue Reading »
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