It's me. I am surprised. (Only a quarter of an inch so far but coming fast.)

Someday, the forecasted snow will actually arrive in Fayetteville and everyone will be so surprised.

Never mind the jobs you had, tell me five classes you took in college: 1. Geography of Climates 2. Spanish American Revolutions 3. Crime in Classic French Film Noir 4. Advanced Seminar in Current Topics (weekly speakers in DC) 5. Economic Principles & Problems

Having to write an abstract this morning and thinking of the grad school colleague who once helped me get over my writers' block with: "What's so hard about it? 'Saint-Domingue, blah blah blah. Poor whites, blah blah blah.'"

I can confirm one aspect of Ian's story based on my travels speaking and doing workshops about teaching and AI, the smaller liberal arts colleges have an easier time having more meaningful discussions about what to do. The problem isn't solved, but the work is clearly productive. The other group...

On the off-chance any attorneys in Ohio follow me: DM me and we’ll figure out how to get you trained ahead of this, but I gotta emphasize the mere fact of filing a 2241 petition (you’ll learn what this is!) makes a huge difference in what happens here, you can make difference

"Still, Hutchens said the UNC System considering protections for academic freedom at all is a notable endeavor compared to the actions of other university systems, like Texas A&M." Indeed.

Happening tomorrow night at Fayetteville State University! Fayetteville / Cumberland friends, come join us as we kick off #America250 and #BlackHistoryMonth! #nc

Ok, skystorians: are there good surveys of slavery in the ancient/classical Mediterranean? I'm presuming there's something better out there than the opening chapters of Blackburn and D. B. Davis's books.

Yeah there's a whole beef industry online course training ~entrepreneurs~ how to sell beef as healthy & sustainable. It's an MBA! (Master's of Beef Advocacy) And it's part of an official government program that just exists to sell beef. Selling tallow is very MAHA, but there's a lot more to it.

Here's the 10 Masters degrees with the highest number of programs expected to fail (using @robertkelchen.com's great spreadsheet here).

Best thing I’ve read this morning, from a human rights lawyer in Mexico. Translation is in the ALT-text.

Maduro is gone but the rest of the Venezuelan government is right there, so it's unclear whether this will trigger actual regime change. Also not sure how this will play out re: internal Chavista power struggles (the VP is alive and well but out of the country atm). No idea what comes next.

If anyone needs a place to start learning about the long, intertwined history of the US and Latin America, Greg Grandin's America, América is pretty good.

Step one: Get burned out on class prep. Step two: Help Sarah with farm tasks for an afternoon. Step three: Be delighted to return to life as a gentleman-scholar.

is there a classic about how Masonic backrooms gave political connections and capital in the nineteenth century? like, I know it's an obvious point. But any good writing on it? 🗃️ #skystorians

A tidbit from yesterday's negotiated rulemaking data release: 18 programs of study saw students borrow $100 million in federal loans in FY25. Some programs are huge with small borrowing amounts (hi, SNHU!), and others have fewer students take out more debt. www.ed.gov/laws-and-pol...

New addition to the HR training modules this year: one on the problems of using generative AI in the workplace!

Obviously holiday viewing of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies is called for

Staying the night in a Baltimore hotel of ancient vintage. Suddenly realizing what great comfort I take from every elevator in North Carolina having the name and picture of an elected official posted in it to attest to its safety.

Absolutely right. AI might be able to summarize (poorly) what we currently know, but a major goal of historical research is to find the hidden surprises out there. Let me illustrate …

trying out that "live premiere thing" YT can do with this video rn there's a live chat & stuff and I am IN IT youtu.be/FJSPO55yMYk

I am grateful for the trust and support of those who believe in our collective mission: better jobs, better schools, and better healthcare for Southeastern NC. We deserve better and we'll have it together!

Many congratulations to @kimberlyhardync.bsky.social on becoming THE Democratic nominee in #NC07

Flagging #HigherEd news that has gone under-reported: the axing of Title VI National Resource Centers. These provided instruction in rare-but-important languages (like Kreyòl!) and allowed scholars from different disciplines to collaborate on a shared area.

All I've ever wanted, really.

PSA: If Canvas is glitching when you're trying to grade an exam, check the course's overall Canvas settings and make sure that the course hasn't already "ended."

First tournament title is in the books! Proud of my quizbowlers.

Adding NC03 but not NC07 (similar PVI, but trending toward Dems) is certainly a choice.

"Isn’t the news here that over 97 percent of students in higher education are enrolled in an institution where they can expect to make more than they would have with just a high school diploma?" Great stuff here:

North Carolina's next Congresswoman: @kimberlyhardync.bsky.social. Over 50 people came out for her post-filing event in Fayetteville tonight! Join the campaign: kimberlyhardyforcongess.com

Politician runs on fixing the Adderall shortage; campaign is flooded with passionate-but-highly distractable volunteers.

President Peter Hans of the UNC System in his newsletter today: "It's an important moment to shore up our shared commitment to academic freedom and open inquiry." #HigherEd

A special election with near-typical-midterm level of turnout! Donate to @kimberlyhardync.bsky.social here: secure.actblue.com/donate/nc07s...

longing once again for a world where more people are capable of grasping complex and inscrutable concepts like “it’s still really really good for Democrats if they *lose* by a much smaller margin than expected in Tennessee”

now taking wagers on when the YouTube channel hits 100K

The "sexual orientation" stipulation in the memo is...broad. If I were in the Texas Tech system, I would have needed my provost's approval this semester to teach about Ma Rainey, Bayard Rustin, and, on the other side of things, Francisco de Miranda.

All respect to my Fuquay-Varina friends, but maybe y'all could build a pipe to put the water back into the river you took it from in the first place? Just a thought. #ncpol

Ok, retracting any previous grumbling about teaching the week after Thanksgiving. Students are bringing some Big Questions.

On the one hand, the wide deployment of "free-to-use" large language models are a social/economic rugpull—like the loss-leading cheapness of early Uber or AirBnB to capture marketshare, just on a larger scale. On the other, they're also tempting a generation of students to take the easy way out.

Whew, students this semester broke strongly toward firing Fayette McKenzie/asking him to resign from the presidency of Fisk.

Happy "Fayetteville turns into Stars Hollow" Day to all who celebrate!

This is true. It is the best email I got this year.

Happy Thanksgiving, please enjoy some messed-up lore about the US's farm & food history. www.youtube.com/watch?v=hByb...

If you've heard about RFK Jr's "wellness farms," have I got a story for you. I've worked on farms where most of the crew were put there as rehabilitation for various issues. So I'd love to tell you all the various ways those farms made us all worse! youtu.be/pDNoVqiGb_c

Hey now!

Teaching @ldburnett.bsky.social's "Holding On To What Makes Us Human" in my History capstone this week. It still slaps.

#NC07 friends! Takes 1-2 minutes, answers are actually read. Thank you! #ncpol

Currently halfway through the second season of The Morning Show. Does it ever get less exhausting?

Great humblebrag opportunity of how you first noticed the outage.