Monthly Archives: February 2020

Criticism and the Common [sic] Core [sic]

Posted on February 14, 2020 by Bob Shepherd

The Common [sic] Core [sic] State [sic] Standards [sic] in ELA certainly are “common,” but in the pejorative sense of the word. They are received, vulgar, uninformed, base, mediocre, pedestrian. One would expect that people putting together a single set … Continue reading →

Posted in Ed Reform, Poetry, Short Stories, Teaching Literature and Writing | Leave a comment

How the Common Core Distorted and Dumbed Down Instruction in English

Posted on February 8, 2020 by Bob Shepherd

For many decades now, as in any occupied country, the Deformer/Disrupter occupiers of U.S. education–the invasion force that went forward, financed by Gates and Walton dollars, to take over our federal and state governments, has dominated discourse about education in … Continue reading →

Posted in Ed Reform, Teaching Literature and Writing | Leave a comment

A Brief Explanation of Everything. You’re Welcome.

Posted on February 8, 2020 by Bob Shepherd

NB: The following is a story. It is not fact. It is based in facts, yes, but it is entirely speculative. This was an exercise I set myself to create a myth that is completely consistent with current scientific understandings. … Continue reading →

Posted in Epistemology, Existentialism, Metaphysics, Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind, Religion, Short Stories | 3 Comments

Bob’s Tips for Wrighting Good

Posted on February 7, 2020 by Bob Shepherd

Writing Tip 1: In diction, strive for the vernacular and endemic; in other words, refrain from using lexemes, locutions, et hoc genus omne not of high frequency in standard English corpora, and avoid terminology of excessive length or technicality or … Continue reading →

Posted in Humor, Teaching Literature and Writing | 1 Comment

SOTU, Brute? On Don the Con’s 2020 State of the Disunion Address

Posted on February 5, 2020 by Bob Shepherd

“Don’t call some Malcolm. Don’t call some Chandra. Get me my Master of Propaganda!” So Jabba the Trump exclaimed from his lair, while sliming down his Troll Doll hair. “I need a SOTU that will not fail. If I’m not … Continue reading →

Posted in Humor, Trump (Don the Con) | 2 Comments

School Vouchers, or, Coming Soon: Bob’s Real Good Flor-uh-duh Skool and Bob’s Ayahuasca School for Little Cosmic Voyagers

Posted on February 5, 2020 by Bob Shepherd

ALERT!!!! PLEASE SHARE. In his 2020 State of the Disunion Address, Don the Con gave Ditzy DeVoid, his Secretary of the Department for the Privatization of U.S. Education, formerly the Department of Education, everything her little walnut-hard heart could have … Continue reading →

Posted in Ed Reform, Humor, Religion, Trump (Don the Con) | 1 Comment