Author Archives: insignificantwrangler@gmail.com

St. Augustine of Hippo

Even in 400 AD people were in too much of a hurry: Careful consideration of many other such things (which can be done by those who are not hard-pressed by the need to finish a book!) reveals that the basic … Continue reading

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How I Pick My Battles

One of my friends asked a provocative question over facebook this morning. Those familiar with this blog’s history will likely know its source. But it is a great question. My answer might be a little “blue,” but I think it … Continue reading

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Quintilian Responds to Plato

Addressing the idea that rhetoric be forbidden because it is capable of evil: Under such a mode of reasoning, neither will generals, nor magistrates, nor medicine, nor even wisdom itself, be of any utility; […] in the hands of physicians … Continue reading

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Rowan on New Car Smell

Me: “This is the first time you’ll ride in dad’s new car” Rowan: “Why does your new car smell like dog poop?” Me: “That’s called new car smell. A lot of people like it” Rowan: “A lot of people like … Continue reading

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Aaron Schwartz on education

Aaron Schwartz has a short piece today (“Individuals in a World of Science”) on what I consider a rhetorical problem–finding an acceptable balance between individual (agency) and synthesized (agency). This seemed to be the driving question at a number of … Continue reading

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Here, Hear Ulmer (Or, U Might Learn Electracy, Really)

Today professor Ulmer visited University of South Florida to give a talk on electracy and have a discussion with our graduate students. I had the pleasure of introducing Professor Ulmer. Here’s my introduction (I have some notes from the talk … Continue reading

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With a Little Help from My Friends

I have other things that need to get done. Deadlines that have passed. Deadlines that approach. But I’m going to take 30 minutes to write something. This has been brewing for awhile, but I have neither energy nor time to … Continue reading

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Help Save the National Writing Project

David Beard called attention to the killing of the Striving Readers and National Writing Project over on the Blogora today. I repost an email posted by David: David Beard, Federal legislation for Striving Readers and the National Writing Project passed … Continue reading

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Music / February / 2011

Keeping with my new year’s resolution to listen to more (and new) music, here’s what I picked up in February: Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy: I picked this up because I respect any album that gets a … Continue reading

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Latour, Gorgias, and Levinas Take 15

This article keeps beating me up–every time I think I know what I am doing, it runs away. I believe I am finally whipping it in to shape, but I want to make sure the following paragraphs make sense to … Continue reading

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