Profile avatar
silbey.bsky.social
54 posts 86 followers 74 following
Regular Contributor
Active Commenter
Posts 20 Comments 30

Someone noted that Trump thinks it’s always 1979 & that’s the source of some of his weird ideas. When I heard about the Alcatraz thing, I joked to my lovely spouse that it was because Clint Eastwood's “Escape from Alcatraz” came out in 1979. Haha! Welp! www.yahoo.com/news/where-t...

submitted 54 minutes ago • 0 comments

The Times doesn't really know the history of town hall meetings in America, does it? "respectful town-hall conversation Americans venerate" Town hall meetings have often been raucous, loud, intemperate, and generally non-Norman Rockwellish. From www.nytimes.com/2025/04/27/n...

submitted 7 days ago • 0 comments

submitted 18 days ago • 16 comments

the irony of all these cuts to grant funding is that if they go through, the humanities will be the only programs universities will be able to afford to run

submitted 85 days ago • 27 comments

Everyone will recognize the musical theater tropes Shmigadoon gets right. I suspect fewer will hear all of the musical riffs on classic showtunes they manage to fit in. Having been in Carousel, Oklahoma, and Music Man (once upon a time), I definitely chuckled.

submitted 85 days ago • 1 comment

I like The Pitt fine, i would not oversell it, but this piece makes an interesting argument: better to do a mild innovation on a ‘90s TV formula than a formulaic variation on ‘00s TV innovations newrepublic.com/article/1882...

submitted 96 days ago • 7 comments

There go a whole wave of “higher ed death spiral” op-eds. https://www-chronicle-com.proxy.library.cornell.edu/article/wait-freshman-enrollment-actually-increased-last-fall

submitted 110 days ago • 0 comments

1. Your students googling something you just said that you're only 98% sure of; 2. Plugging the laptop into the projector when you've forgotten to close your gradebook; 3. Turning the page of an ancient archival document and having it tear in half with a room-silencing noise.

submitted 110 days ago • 0 comments

Follow up: Sir, can you name a country the US has not attacked?

submitted 112 days ago • 0 comments

What a wonderful story about @edgarmcgregor.bsky.social

submitted 112 days ago • 31 comments

The dream of every scholar. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/09/style/patrick-radden-keefe-new-yorker-writer-j-crew-ad.html

submitted 114 days ago • 0 comments

My Amazon delivery photos have turned into art.

submitted 116 days ago • 0 comments

Richard Overy, who was to deliver the Marshall lecture this afternoon, has had his flight diverted by illness on board. @milhistlee.bsky.social will instead give a paper on The Cutting Off Way: Indigenous Warfare in Eastern North America, 1500-1800 #AHA25

submitted 121 days ago • 0 comments

Guys, C-SPAN is momentarily in a state of lawless anarchy.

submitted 122 days ago • 386 comments

I read an end of year "useful ideas" list which included Dawkins' Law ("intrinsically simpler" disciplines use artificially dense jargon to hide their simplicity). Physics was celebrated for using "simple terms when possible," by contrast with Judith Butler in all her postmodern glory.

submitted 121 days ago • 1 comment

Join us in April 2025 for the 1st of 3 events funded by @wellcometrust.bsky.social via @sshmedicine.bsky.social The first being hosted by the Uni of Birmingham (UK) and also supported by @fwwsoc.bsky.social A keynote by Brian K. Feltman of @mhptpodcast.bsky.social #milwelfhist #WW1 #FWW

submitted 136 days ago • 1 comment

Hi everyone, the Society for Military History is pleased to be here and contribute to this space. Join us as we work to advance the study of military history! www.smh-hq.org

submitted 124 days ago • 4 comments

Jimmy Carter was an interesting combination. A great man and a terrible President. Maybe those two things are related. RIP Lt. Carter

submitted 126 days ago • 0 comments

This German meme was just brought to my attention and I feel obligated to reshare it here Frohe Weihnachten

submitted 132 days ago • 98 comments

Headline of the Year contest starts tomorrow. Here are the winners from previous contests:

submitted 135 days ago • 46 comments