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Doctor Cleveland's picture

Your New Year's Public Domain Report for 2016

Happy New Year! It's Public Domain Day, the first day of the calendar year, on which people in other countries get new works of art and learning added to the public domain for everyone to use. And on the first day of the new year we in the United States get ...

Zilch. Nada. Niente. Nothing.

Again.

Doctor Cleveland's picture

Don't Ever Call the Cops: The Tamir Rice Story

The Tamir Rice story, and the irresponsible decision not to prosecute his killers, is breaking my heart. And while the worst sufferers are Tamir's family, I have found myself thinking, ever since he died, about the poor soul who called 911. That person was just trying to do the right thing, but the positive, neighborly gesture led to disaster. Calling 911 brought the Cleveland Police, and because the police came a child died. Everything would have better if the police had not come.

Doctor Cleveland's picture

The Christmas Star

It's Christmas, the second-most-important Christian holiday and the most important holiday for many Americans. Tonight is Christmas Eve. But for some families, every year, Christmas comes at a moment that seems dark and difficult. Many of my friends are in my thoughts tonight, and my own family is grieving.

This will be our last Christmas with Mom. My mother is in hospice. She spoke during the fall about wanting to make it to Christmas, and she has. I am immensely thankful. I am very sad. We have her; we will lose her. The two truths are not separate.

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Doctor Cleveland's picture

Terrorism, Elections, and Keeping Faith with America

What I would love, more than nearly any other possible thing, is for the Republican presidential to shut their mouths about how frightening Daesh is. That's exactly what Daesh wants, and it is shameful that Trump, Carson, Christie, Cruz, and the rest give Daesh that satisfaction. It is still more disgraceful still to give terrorists any advantage in the hopes of gaining political advantage oneself. But my biggest question is, where is their national pride? When did the Republican candidates forget they were Americans?

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Doctor Cleveland's picture

"College-Ready Seventh Graders"

So, a funny thing happened in Ohio higher education. I don't blog about things that happen at my university, but this decision didn't happen at my university. It happened in the State Legislature, with a new law that affects every public college in the state. And of course, decisions about this law weren't made by people who actually teach college. Obviously, we are too biased, and probably too corrupt, to help make wise decisions about educating young people. That needs to be left to politicians.

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Doctor Cleveland's picture

America Needs More Refugees

The cheap fear-mongering about Syrian refugees loses sight of some basic facts. The United States has taken in refugees before, and that decision has worked out really, really well for us. In fact, taking in refugees has been great for America, and we should take in more whenever we get a chance.

Doctor Cleveland's picture

Profiles in Cowardice

My thoughts are with Paris today, and with Beirut. We were in the airport, waiting for a delayed flight, when the news broke Friday evening, and so the Paris new broke to us through cable TV and the Beirut news did not reach us at all. There is too much to say about these crimes. For now I can only say that the United States has, at this point, precisely the news media that terrorism wishes us to have.

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Doctor Cleveland's picture

Brett Foster Goes Out Singing

I was blogging today about art, especially about poetry and about grief, but that post was interrupted by the news of an old friend's death. My own thoughts about grief can wait. I will still be thinking them tomorrow. Today I give way to the beautiful, kind-hearted poet and scholar Brett Foster, who has passed out of this world. He was a better man than I have ever been, and I will miss him.

Doctor Cleveland's picture

Joseph's Pyramids and American Popular History

Yes, Ben Carson, who is officially running for President, is happily telling people that the pyramids are not actually pharaohs' tombs, but grain storage built by Joseph from the Book of Genesis. Never mind that there are (for example) sarcophagi in the pyramids. And never mind that the Bible doesn't actually say anything about Joseph building pyramids or in fact building anything (Genesis Ch.

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Praise for the Foremothers

This is how it works: men and women do things - write books, build institutions, start movements - that change your life forever, and the men get into the history books. The women mysteriously fall out of the story, over and over. How many times have you heard or read the words, "Give me your tired, your poor, / Your huddled masses yearning to be free"? How many of you can name the writer off the top of your head? That's what I'm talking about.

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TypeTitleAuthorRepliesLast updated
Blog entryWhy Not Say It's Racism? The Charleston Massacre Doctor Cleveland128 years 9 months ago
Blog entryRachel Dolezal and the de-Professionalized University Doctor Cleveland118 years 9 months ago
Blog entryThe Two-Body Problem: What I Learned Doctor Cleveland88 years 9 months ago
Blog entryNo More Making Fun of the Iowa Straw Poll. Except This One Last Time Ramona38 years 9 months ago
LinkPolice Officer Who Killed Tamir Rice Charged With Murder rmrd000078 years 9 months ago
Blog entryDo We Have a Constitution, Officer? Doctor Cleveland58 years 10 months ago
Blog entryFinancial Illiteracy and Bill Clinton's "Secret Company" Michael Maiello78 years 10 months ago
Blog entrySarah Palin: Out. Carly Fiorina: In Ramona98 years 10 months ago
Blog entryNo Excuses: Angry Thugs and Looters are Still Thugs and Looters Ramona718 years 11 months ago
Blog entryThe Marathon, Democracy Doctor Cleveland88 years 11 months ago
Blog entryAs Long as There is a Constitution, The GOP Can't Win Ramona168 years 11 months ago
Blog entryTed Cruz and the Quest for the GOP Obama Doctor Cleveland329 years 1 day ago
Blog entryHillary Clinton's no Henry IV HSG349 years 1 week ago
Blog entryWhy Fraternities Are Out of Control Doctor Cleveland49 years 1 week ago
Blog entryHow Obama Talks About Terrorism and Racism Doctor Cleveland49 years 1 week ago
Blog entryMW on the TV Michael Wolraich159 years 3 weeks ago
Blog entryLeonard Nimoy Open Thread Michael Maiello259 years 1 month ago
Blog entryNational Adjunct Walkout Day (and Why It Matters to You) Doctor Cleveland129 years 1 month ago
Blog entryYes, Rudy, It Was a Horrible Thing to Say. Thank You Ramona859 years 1 month ago
Blog entryFifty Shades of Mr. D.: The Unwritten Rules of Romance Fiction Doctor Cleveland229 years 1 month ago
Blog entrySurviving The Daily Show Michael Maiello99 years 1 month ago
Blog entryWe Need Paid Sick Leave Because Workers Are Humans First Ramona89 years 1 month ago
LinkReport on lynching in the US shows historical numbers, like killings by police, are underreported trkingmomoe609 years 1 month ago
Blog entryA Story from the Crusades Doctor Cleveland109 years 1 month ago
Blog entryNudge the Anti-Vaxxers Michael Maiello439 years 1 month ago

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