Sean Desilets

One of my students just referred to the Kansas scenes in The Wizard of Oz as having been "shown in a dull, almost lifeless grayscale filter."

I like to make fun of defensive backs who theatrically lament missed interceptions that would have been incredible catches. In this case, I'd be comfortable with them wearing sackcloth and ashes for the next quarter.

Jane Fonda Revives Her Father’s McCarthy-Era Free Speech Group

Ah, yes, the committee for the first amendment, that symbol of fearless resistance to authoritarianism.

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/03/a...

That sounds fucking terrifying.

I new York Times Headline "There's Only One Way to Win a Shutdown. Democrats Don't Have What It Takes." Byline: Newt Gingrich

I don't know what's under this headline and never will, but I *am* willing to bet it's among the few things Gingrich has ever said that I agree with.

What US President hasn’t stumbled into this one.

To be replaced with Avengers: Are You a Fag or Something?

Including mine, I hasten to add.

I lack your confidence in predicting what Americans “would come to” think. I’ve seen such confident predictions fail too many times.

If true.

Serious question: what does “moderate” mean? Is it indexed at all to what most Americans think? I completely agree that this would be a good response. But it is not a response that would have broad public support. So, “moderate”?

True! But neither has it (or Islam) ever been reducible to anti-Semitism—which is not to say it has ever been free of anti-Semitic either (since the early moments, when it was a variant of Judaism). That’s why your characterization was reductive.

Yes. Important correction.

A glorious tradition.

Poster for the 2022 movie Sisu

I'm pretty sure this movie is illegal under our president's laws...

When you're talking about a difference between 0 and 5, don't quantitative assessments stop making sense anyway? We could actually look at each of those cases. Not to mention the fact that you don't get called a terrorist when you're working for the state...

Really almost the first Jewish value. It's unequivocal, said-directly-by-YHWH stuff.

Paprika too. That Kon died so young is a tremendous loss.

My version of that is telling students we're going to practice peer review and giving them an AI-generated essay to workshop. They inevitably tear it apart for the expected reasons (completely non-committal, no specifics, sometimes hallucinations). About half the time a student guesses it's AI.

Less high-minded answer: people's suggestions about AI-based assignments make a lot of sense.

Also, assignments. If you give a student an assignment that a machine could do, then it is totally reasonable for the students to let a machine do it.

More policing/punishment isn't a solution. Reverting to (completely inauthentic) writing tasks like handwritten exams/essays is not a solution. Treating students like you care what they say, on the other hand...

One solution is not to grade. Students who know they don't have to produce something that matches their idea about what you "want" are way more likely to be interested in working out their own ideas.

I am reading students' drafts. Always cut your first sentence.

A weeping young woman's face. (from carl Th. Dreyer's film The Passion of Joan of Arc)

What's a movie you think is perfect?

(No movie is perfect, thankfully--but...)

Who do Wednesday sound like and why don't I enjoy their music?

A…I?

My God, The fabulous Ones.

I really resent the current moment for making me give any kind of a shit about Jimmy Kimmel.

Look, she had sex with RFK Jr. She's suffered enough.