This (and last) Week in Review... a Whole Lot of Links!

Every week, I curate a list of the best links and articles to make you think and keep you informed. Enjoy!

Boy, has this been a week. I'm exhausted! Most of the University scholarships are due March 1 and I've been writing rec letters nonstop. Hence, I didn't get to post last week. 

A friend gave me this really awesome dry erase board and I have my to-do list on it to help keep me focused. My roommate just saw it and was like, "What's this?" When I told him it was my to-do list, he freaked out. 

One thing that helps me when I'm crazy busy with things at school and work is to sit down and read or write. That's why I love sharing my links with you. Enjoy!

What I Wrote This Week:

What I Read This Week:

Popery (Catholicism/Spirituality/Religion):

Pens:

Paperbacks (Books and Writing):

Life in General:

  • The Man Who Studies the Spread of Ignorance (BBC): This article from the BBC explores the work of Doctor Robert Proctor, an expert in the study of Agnotology (the study of "wilful acts to spread confusion and deceit"). Proctor explains: “We live in a world of radical ignorance, and the marvel is that any kind of truth cuts through the noise." After all of my work teaching college comp, not to mention the conversations I witness on facebook, I have to agree. People want to be ignorant--and that is terrfying. The author writes: "In the case of ignorance about tobacco and climate change, a scientifically illiterate society will probably be more susceptible to the tactics used by those wishing to confuse and cloud the truth." And that is where we are. 
  • Loneliness grows from individual ache to public health hazard (The Washington Post): As someone who suffers from loneliness, I think it is interesting to learn that it is becoming a health hazard similar to that of diabetes. The author speaks with a doctor, who says, "There are really tangible, terrible outcomes. Lonely people are dying, they’re less healthy, and they are costing our society more.” And the author later reminds us, "The pain of loneliness is like the pain of hunger — it’s a biological signal that something is wrong." 
  • ‘Master of the River’: A 71-year-old librarian’s 15 years of water commutes (The Washington Post): This 71 year-old is my new hero. Check out this really great story about a librarian who thought outside of the box when trying to avoid the traffic in DC.
  • White woman walks ahead: Jessica Chastain starring in a film about Sitting Bull is everything that’s wrong with prestige films (Salon): Something important to be aware of.  

  • How the Coal Industry Flattened the Mountains of Appalachia (The New York Times): There are few things that I hate more than I hate this. 

  • The People At My School Are Not Nice (Odyssey Online): This essay written about my alma mater by the younger sister of one of my classmates is a great reflection on what makes the University of Dallas so great. 

Education:

  • JRR Tolkien called teaching 'exhausting and depressing' in unseen letter (The Guardian): I find this article very comforting. In it, the author quotes Tolkien: "All teaching is exhausting, and depressing and one is seldom comforted by knowing when one has had some effect. I wish I could now tell some of mine (of long ago) how I remember them and things they said, though I was (only, as it appeared) looking out of the window or giggling at my neighbour."

  • Meet the Robin Hood of Science (Big Think): As an academic, I know all too well the problems with how information is (and isn't) shared. This is a great article about someone doing something about it. 

  • A warning to college profs from a high school teacher (The Washington Post): As someone who teaches at the college level while most of my friends teach at the high school level, I get some insight into both worlds. This article hits the nail on the head. 

  • Why It’s Harder for Women to Pay Off Student Loans (Time): This is a huge problem!

  • Students Aren't Coddled. They're Defeated. (Inside Higher Ed): I could have written this article myself. Most of my students aren't "special snowflakes," they're tired, hard working kids who know that their futures are as bleak as mine because of the severe damage the generations before us have done. The author of the post writes, "When I ask them if they think they’re going to have to know how to write in their jobs and careers, most answer in the affirmative. But here’s the most important thing: they do not believe that their college composition course has any relationship to that need."

  • Save Our Public Universities: In defense of America’s best idea (Harper's Magazine): This is a great article and I think it has a lot of importance given the current state of American education. 

Simplicity and Minimalism:

Farming, Food, Health, and Nutrition:

Parenting: