Author Archives: Fenster

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About Fenster

Gainfully employed for thirty years, including as one of those high paid college administrators faculty complain about. Earned Ph.D. late in life and converted to the faculty side. Those damn administrators are ruining everything.

Thoughts of a Semi-Self-Quarantiner: Questions

Posted on March 16, 2020 by Fenster

Fenster writes: In discussing the virus from the comfort of home I just got the preliminaries out of the way with here, ending with the troubling conclusion that it is hard to know with great certainty what the hell is … Continue reading →

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Thoughts of a Semi-Self-Quarantiner: Prelims

Posted on March 16, 2020 by Fenster

Fenster writes: The problem with the future is that it hasn’t happened yet.  I had a hard time explaining this to my finance students in a discussion of accounting and budgeting.  Accounting is replete with risks and uncertainties, but for … Continue reading →

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Realignment Blues

Posted on February 29, 2020 by Fenster

Fenster writes: At the risk of tossing out an oxymoron, here is an excellent article from Vox: What Donald Trump gets about the electorate, by Lee Drutman.  The very title seems out of place in Vox in that it gives … Continue reading →

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Notes on “Edge of Darkness”

Posted on February 28, 2020 by Fenster

Fenster writes: I just got around to seeing Edge of Darkness, a 2010 film starring Mel Gibson as a cop out to avenge the murder of his daughter.  It had been on my list for some time since it is … Continue reading →

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VDH on our Deplorable Elites

Posted on February 25, 2020 by Fenster

Fenster writes: Victor Davis Hanson pens a characteristically sane and sober column on elite disparagement of the masses.  He starts with Mike Bloomberg, who when at Oxford several years ago dismissed farming, ancient and modern. He lectured that agriculture was … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics and Economics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Super Bowl Ad Watch: Olay’s “Make Space for Women”

Posted on February 8, 2020 by Fenster

Fenster writes: It is noteworthy but not surprising that Olay, a skin care product for women, would choose to advertise during the Super Bowl.  As noted in an earlier post in this series women are not only the main purchasers … Continue reading →

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Super Bowl Ad Watch: Porsche’s “The Heist”

Posted on February 7, 2020 by Fenster

Fenster writes: Porsche’s contribution to the Super Bowl ad sweepstakes is a well-engineered contraption called The Heist.  The one minute short version aired during the game.  Better for us to look at the extended version, which can be seen here.  … Continue reading →

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Super Bowl Ad Watch: Half-time, Pause and Digression

Posted on February 7, 2020 by Fenster

Fenster writes: We just took a look at the Super Bowl ad for Genesis starring Legend & Teigen.  I’ll shortly be taking a closer look at some other ads, including Porsche and that Super Bowl stalwart Oil of Olay.  First, … Continue reading →

Posted in Media, Sports, Television, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Super Bowl Ad Watch: Cool Kids in Action

Posted on February 6, 2020 by Fenster

Fenster writes: Parts 1 and 2 of Super Bowl Ad Watch here and here. “Who are the cool kids” is one of the defining themes of the ads.  Here is an example.  It is the short video “Going Away Party” … Continue reading →

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Super Bowl Ad Watch: Who are the Cool Kids?

Posted on February 5, 2020 by Fenster

Fenster writes: This is the second of several posts dealing with 2020 Super Bowl ads.  Here is the first post, in which I present an overview, including some background on viewership, the influence of woke and a framework for evaluating … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment