Category Archives: Robert’s posts

L’Esprit D’Escalier

Posted on February 11, 2016 by Robert Basil

Things have changed, if just a little bit, in ten years. From January 2005: I’ve been hearing dialogue everywhere, dialogue that seems to be coming from the same play. At the end of party I went to recently, a woman told … Continue reading →

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So, you think you can’t write …

Posted on January 25, 2016 by Robert Basil

Dana Fontein, a fine blog writer over at Hootsuite, posted a really helpful piece this morning, “So You Think You Can’t Write: 8 Writing Resources for Non-Writers.” Many believe that they simply cannot write, or that they aren’t a “writer,” when … Continue reading →

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Mental Hygiene

Posted on January 20, 2016 by Robert Basil

In a post called “Cognitive” my good friend Jonathan Mayhew explores one of NoContest’s recurrent themes: There is the idea that you can prevent decay in cognitive function by doing inane, mindless games on the computer, such as those peddled … Continue reading →

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Rhythm in Class

Posted on January 18, 2016 by Robert Basil

A Faculty Focus piece published today by Linda Shadiow and Maryellen Weimar called “The Rhythms of the Semester” highlights ways professors can help students negotiate “the arc” of the course. The early weeks hold promise and high hopes, both often curtailed … Continue reading →

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Thank you *very* much

Posted on January 17, 2016 by Robert Basil

The acknowledgments page to B. M. Pietsch’s book Dispensational Modernism is very funny: I blame all of you. Writing this book has been an exercise in sustained suffering. The casual reader may, perhaps, exempt herself from excessive guilt, but for … Continue reading →

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Whither the Keyboard?

Posted on December 30, 2015 by Robert Basil

My friend Clarissa writes: Many people are lured into believing that apps can do everything a computer can and never acquire crucial computer skills. They go around brandishing their smartphones and tablets and have no idea why, in spite of … Continue reading →

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Building a website that people trust

Posted on December 25, 2015 by Robert Basil

In an excellent article called “How Much Is Involved in Building an Authority Site” (in website-designs.com), author Steve Cartwright notes that “Authority websites have the potential to generate a tremendous amount of money, but the downside is that they can … Continue reading →

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Keeping your online presence beaming

Posted on December 25, 2015 by Robert Basil

It is a truism that dormant websites and social media platforms can do more harm to you than good, no matter how active you have been in the past. I teach my students numerous methods to keep their online presence … Continue reading →

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Tracking Online News

Posted on December 19, 2015 by Robert Basil

My new favourite website is NewsDiffs.org, which tracks and archives changes made to online news articles over time. Currently it follows nytimes.com, cnn.com, politico.com, washingtonpost.com, and bbc.co.uk; no Canadian publications yet, alas. Click on the image to see how a … Continue reading →

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More on Clichés …

Posted on November 29, 2015 by Robert Basil

From professor Jonathan Mayhew: One of Orwell’s sillier pieces of writing advice is “Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.” Orwell advises “scrapping of every word or idiom which … Continue reading →

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