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.

IvyGate

Posted on October 8, 2012 by Fenster

Fenster writes: Nice piece on the Ivies, prior home of at least a couple of the writers here.  Fave quote: Trotter thinks the perfect IvyGate post “reveals the tension between the meritocratic connotations of the Ivy League and the plutocratic … Continue reading →

Posted in Education | 2 Comments

Quiz o’ th’ Day

Posted on September 29, 2012 by Fenster

Fenster writes: Which of these colleges courses is bogus? 1. Lady Gaga and the  Sociology of Fame – U. of  South Carolina, Columbia 2. The Phallus – Occidental 3. Joy of Garbage –  Santa Clara 4. Harry Potter: Finding Your  Patronus – Oregon State … Continue reading →

Posted in Education | 10 Comments

Heaven’s Gate

Posted on September 26, 2012 by Fenster

Fenster writes: So over on Facebook a friend posts an article from the New York Times suggesting time has been kind to Cimino’s Heaven’s Gate.  Cimino has gotten his own Final Cut, and is showing off his newly-restored four hour … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | 7 Comments

Why Stop with a Little Snip-Snip?

Posted on September 25, 2012 by Fenster

Fenster writes: There’s a big controversy brewing over circumcision. I am not going to touch that one here. But since a lot of the arguments back-and-forth go beyond religious tradition and get to health implications, I will ask this:  why … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Friedkin

Posted on September 23, 2012 by Fenster

Fenster writes: I have long been a fan of William Friedkin’s movies.  Sure he has made his share of turkeys, but they are not that great in number.  And I have found a lot to like even among the films … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | 7 Comments

Paying College Athletes

Posted on September 23, 2012 by Fenster

Fenster writes: You may recall the historian Taylor Branch got a lot of attention for his call, in The Atlantic, for college athletes to be paid.  His long article was, in my view, longer on sermonizing than it was on … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Sports | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

A Sociopath Confesses, in a Manner of Speaking

Posted on September 22, 2012 by Fenster

Fenster writes: James Fallon is a neuroscientist who a few years ago, late in life, figured out from his science he was a sociopath. Daniel Kahneman, in Thinking Fast and Slow, makes a distinction between System One thinking (what your … Continue reading →

Posted in Science | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Archie Time Travels to Our Present Day (1972)

Posted on September 22, 2012 by Fenster

Fenster writes:

Posted in Uncategorized | 6 Comments

Quiz o’ th’ Day!

Posted on September 22, 2012 by Fenster

Fenster writes: What are the following? –Intelligent Bullet –Pastelogram –Utopian Turtletop –Mongoose Civique 1.  Four trendy new drinks offered at Harry’s Bar in Venice to kick off The International Year of the Cocktail? 2.  The text to tattoos found on … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 5 Comments

Orcas Failing to Launch

Posted on September 17, 2012 by Fenster

Fenster writes: A scientist from the University of Exeter says that “prolonged life after menopause remains one of nature’s great mysteries.”  What is the adaptive value to the selfish gene of living way beyond childbirth? That got the researcher, Dr. … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Personal reflections | 2 Comments