Archive for December, 2018

Principles of Profanity

What would a theory of foul language look like?” Jonathan Mayhew does some beautiful brainstorming on the topic for you.

FB and Twitter

A close friend of mine noted that Facebook has held us all “hostage.” If we don’t acquiesce to its pernicious commerce, we lose easy contact with our dear friends and fun acquaintances. Facebook used to be utterly delicious. *sighs*

Twitter was a great way to stay up to date and share information. It still is, actually. It also enlivens trolls, bots, racists, people who hate women, and the American president. It makes me feel like an accomplice.

I am a communications professor. I would not take lightly absenting myself from these platforms.

[Update, 31 Dec. –> I am vacillating!]

[Update the Sequel, 27 Jan. –> I have retreated fully!]

 

 

Buffalo Seminary

A very fine school. (I hadn’t realized until my trip last week that Tara Vanderveer, the legendary Stanford women’s basketball coach, attended.) I took this photo on Bird Avenue near Elmwood. (Photoshopped.)

BuffaloSeminary

Finals

It has been slim pickings here at basil.ca the last while. Fall 18 was a very hectic semester. I added a major assignment to my upper-level professional communications classes, and I fit in two significant trips (one to Boston for my son’s wedding, and the other to the Kootenays to take care of my late friend Kat Kosiancic‘s things). I’ll be heading back to Buffalo to visit family and friends over the break and’ll be posting more before and during the trip. But before that: Final exams tomorrow!