Privatization of Higher Education Deserves Scrutiny and Skepticism


On March 18th, 2015, the Illinois Senator Bill Brady (R-Bloomington) proposed a new set of hardened news rules for students to adhere to if they want grants from the good people of Illinois (News-Gazette, 3-24-2015). Senator Brady’s bill, SB 1565, creates a repayment schedule for students who have received a grant. Students who complete their…

Low-Cost Higher Education Should Be A Federal Government Priority


Some general musings about college and university costs and financial aid concerns. President Obama is issued comments on June 9th regarding the cost of Higher Education, and since my following and readership is almost equal to his, I determined I should also release my own statements. {humor} The costs of Higher Education have risen to public…

Book Review: When China Rules The World


When China Rules The World; The End of the Western World and the Birth of a New Global Order. Martin Jacques. Penguin Paperback. 2012. $20. The U.S. public needs frequent reminders other places outside of the Middle East exist. Maybe I should not generalize. Perhaps I should say, “The U.S. media and news outlets need…

Book Review: Without Their Permission, by Alexis Ohanian


Without Their Permission: How the 21st Century Will Be Made, Not Managed, by Alexis Ohanian. Hatchette Books. Hardback. (c)2013. $27. For those in the “know,” Alexis Ohanian needs no introduction. Alexis, together with Steve Huffman, built reddit, the “front page of the Internet.” Sitting in their living room, using nothing but laptops, two fellows, undergraduates…

Book Review: Governing the World, by Mark Mazower


Governing the World, by Mark Mazower. Non-Fiction/History. Penguin Press. Hardcover. 475pgs. $30. Governing the World is a non-linear examination of the events, people, countries, and circumstances leading to the creation and organization of today’s United Nations. I did not select the book knowing this, though. I had an option to read and review a new…

Business Model? We Don’t Need No Business Model!


Few things raise my hackles more than irrational or illogical behavior. And, in this collection I also include my own behavior. Take for example the recent news of a student, Timothy Arnold, a University of Central Florida student, who developed an application. His application, UCouldFinish, helped students find courses with open seats. Armed with this…

Obese People Burn Hotter


I never really thought about fat people burning hotter. Sounds morbid. In fact, I think thinking about the obese corpses of dead people burning defines “morbid.” My World Geography students keep journals. They scour English-language foreign newspapers for informational tidbits which can be tied to geography. Since we cannot take a field trip, we cannot…

The Complicated Geography of Labor


  Americans are an ignorant lot. Though pained to state this, I believe that by-and-large Americans are pretty ignorant. Ignorance does not mean “stupid,” ignorance simply means, “uninformed.” Lest you think I am above being ignorant myself, I am not. I realize I am ignorant, though, and the more I learn the more I realize…

>EarthPulse – National Geographic


>EarthPulse – National Geographic I recently had the opportunity to review some new educational materials published by Wiley & Sons, in cooperation with National Geographic. Earthpulse represents a collection of maps, stories, images, and statistics collected and bound for student’s use, to augment instruction. Earthpulse is now a branch off of the National Geographic website.…