Thursday, November 11, 2010

Veterans Day Reading Suggestions

As we honor those who've served our country today, I'd like to recommend three books that capture the experience from the frontlines in dramatic detail. Doonesbury.com's The Sandbox collects blog entries of current Iraq and Afghanistan troops, while Operation: Homecoming examines their lives once they've returned to the homeland. From a historical perspective, there's The Ghost Mountain Boys, a stunning examination of the fighting in the South Pacific, including stories of the Red Arrow Division.

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Write more, get a higher SAT score

A 14-year old in NYC had figured out how to game the SAT system. And his research is supported by a professor at MIT. If a student writes a longer essay on the SAT, she will earn a higher score, no matter what mistakes there might be in content.

I look forward to seeing the College Board's response to this.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

RIP: Sparky Anderson

Another Tiger great has passed. I'll dig up a couple of photos of Sparky when he visited Grand Rapids many, many years ago and post them later tonight. He was only 76.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Relocating the Lit Lounge Blog

Relocating might not be the best way to put it. Weed and seed is probably more appropriate. Your blogger has been informed that since his employer's website has a link to his blog, his employer could be considered implicit in the offering of content and opinions, varied and sundry, that could be misconstrued as his employer's tacit approval of said content and opinions.

In other words, the Lit Lounge blog is no longer referenced on my employer's website.

I understand completely. And to demonstrate my show of support for this policy, I have started a brand new blog here. No opinions, no controversy, very vanilla.

On the other hand, now that its free from the links that bind it, the Lit Lounge will spend more time and resources (outside the business day, of course) to comment on matters educational, political, and cultural.

We are what we watch

Other than watching tonight's mind-numbing election analysis, what we watch on TV can explain how we are when not glued to the boobtube. The AV Club reports on a study showing why people who like to watch Mad Men, Glee, and The Office tend to be liberal, sensitive, and smug.

I'd take offense, but it's pretty darn accurate.

An Editorial Cartoon Worth a Thousand Words: Election Day Edition