Category Archives: Uncategorized

Lewis Thomas Predicts Social Media

Posted on April 11, 2025 by Dr. Ayers

I recently went to the annual book sale to support Shelter House. It took place in a big warehouse full of long table stacked with old, donated books. These kinds of events are dangerous for me. I already have too … Continue reading →

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I’m stuck on my blog. Now what?

Posted on April 1, 2025 by Dr. Ayers

It’s reasonable to be burned out on your blog by the time we get to April. And yet, these two things are probably still true: So what gives? Why is it so difficult? And when you’re stuck, how do you … Continue reading →

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Doomsday & Secret Wars

Posted on March 30, 2025 by Dr. Ayers

No, it’s not a post about contemporary politics! Now that this blog is available again to students—six months too late, yes, but still—I’ve been asked my opinion about the casting of Robert Downey Jr. as Dr. Doom. Implied in this, … Continue reading →

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BRE Thinking: The Plot Against America

Posted on March 28, 2025 by Dr. Ayers

Went down a rabbit hole yesterday, and thankfully caught myself before I got too far down. (This happens every couple of days.) This particular rabbit hole opened up because of a line in Winston Churchill’s The Gathering Storm, which I … Continue reading →

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Happy Happiness Day!

Posted on March 20, 2024 by Dr. Ayers

Today is apparently International Happiness Day, so there was really only one choice for the Second Floor Hallway Playlist this morning (although now that I say this, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” would also have been acceptable). This coincides with a … Continue reading →

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Choosing the Top-Tier MCU Films, Fast

Posted on February 15, 2023 by Dr. Ayers

I should be working, not blogging, so I’m gonna make this really quick. Captain America: The Winter Soldier — To me, this marks a turn in the entire franchise, because it’s a spy movie first, a superhero movie second. That … Continue reading →

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Enjoy the Golden Age of TV While It Lasts

Posted on December 8, 2022 by Dr. Ayers

Last week, prompted by a question in class, I reflected on my all-time favorite shows and then followed up with some additional lists of faves. When writing it, I had to make a conscious choice not to fill it with … Continue reading →

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Solution 2

Posted on December 1, 2022 by Dr. Ayers

I never got there on my previous post, which was already too long. The second solution to the problem of Top Five All-Time Shows list is to make a whole bunch of Top Five All-Time Shows Sub-Lists. So here I … Continue reading →

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My Top Five Shows

Posted on November 30, 2022 by Dr. Ayers

Today a few students asked me what my all-time top five favorite TV shows were, and I was unexpectedly stumped. Yes, a couple of them occurred to me, but instead a whole lot of inadequate possibilities swam before me. How … Continue reading →

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Schrödinger’s Blog

Posted on November 16, 2022 by Dr. Ayers

So obviously I’m trying to blog on here again, and Jen asked me about it the other day. “What do your students think?” “Oh, they don’t know about it,” I said. “I haven’t told them.” So here I am, blogging … Continue reading →

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