The Black Tower, by P.D. James. Simon and Schuster Publishing. 1974 (reprinted in 2001). $16. I cannot consider myself a true devotee of crime fiction as I yet have gaps in my reading. For instance, I have yet to read any Raymond Chandler or Dashiell Hammett. I’ve got to rectify that mess fairly soon. I’ve…
How often have we begged, pleaded, or cajoled our students, “You have to think OUTSIDE the BOX!” I know I have. But, a couple of years ago, I got tired of using this aphorism (link: “Destroy the Box”). More contemplation led me to believe this is really a weak proposition. Last week, I came to…
I have spent a great deal of time, the vast majority, in fact, participating in organized religion. I was raised in the Methodist church, a church in Kansas City, Missouri. I did not sing in the choir and did not participate in our youth group. For health reasons – I had very severe allergies and…
You might be using Twitter wrong. On the other hand, you might be using Twitter appropriately. Perhaps “wrong” is too incendiary of a term to use regarding Twitter use; people seem to be really easily offended these days. I use the term mostly to gain attention. I may re-post this same article under a new…
Is GIS splitting? And if it is, should we care? Early in November 2014 I ran across a tweet asking “Is GIS Splitting?” Several thoughts collided in my brain when I saw this question, even more added to the crashing of light-bulbs in my head when I read the post. I had literally just left…
King and Maxwell, by David Baldacci. Grand Central Publishing; Hachette Book Group. 2013. p523. $10 I’m probably guilty of generalizing too often, though in this case my generalization may actually be safe. I may be one of a mere handful of people who had never read a David Baldacci book. He even visited one of…
Basket Case, by Carl Hiaasen; Grand Central Publishing; Hachette Group; 2002. Despite Carl Hiaasen being a New York Times bestselling author, he is a new author for me. I don’t put much credence in New York Times accolades. These have become meaningless, more or less. James Patterson is a New York Times bestselling author, and…
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…
Several of my past essays grouse about higher education not being particularly nimble places despite administrators who implore faculty to be more so while they themselves are anything but nimble. My own workplace is warming to the idea the institution is not as nimble as we would like. My hopes are some administrators are awakening…
Thomas Friedman, a New York Times columnist, published “The World Is Flat” in 2005. Since the book hit the streets people have been citing evidence the world is not so much as flat as Friedman argues. I’m not reviewing Friedman’s book here; I’ve read it, it’s thought-provoking. In some ways I agree; in other ways…
Constant Geography 
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