John Halloran

Also 1-31-07 was an all time classic day to be on a certain internet discussion board which will remain nameless that had a whole bunch of fun with the Mooninite thing.

I mean, I’m *old* old.

That was just before I met my wife.

That was when I watched Adult Swim.

That was before Obama was president.

Next year is the 20th Anniversary of this.

The most important class I took as an undergraduate was taught by Tai Tai Wu at Northwestern. The class was about genetic engineering in the immunological context, but Professor Wu’s approach was so much about curiosity and humility. Really impactful. I hope I bring that into the classroom.

Never mind the jobs you had, tell me five classes you took in college:

1. Comparative vertebrate phylogenetics
2. Culture through language
3. Genetic engineering in immunology
4. Inquisitions
5. Subatomic physics

Opinion | ICE Took Their Classmate. They Started Writing Letters.

Messages to ICE from students at Liam Conejo Ramos's elementary school. (gift link) www.nytimes.com/2026/01/31/o...

David Plouffe is an under-appreciated villain of the present moment.

My view is that the “three fundraising emails in a trenchcoat” thing is a major reason that we find ourselves where we are.

This is a terrible time to be a person if you hate bullshit

Is that true? How have I never noticed that before?

a man with a beard is looking at something Alt: Daniel Day Lewis as Lincoln.

I heard that Katie dressed up as Lincoln for the entire semester to ensure that she was in character.

*looks around nervously*

Gary Wills.

I’ve been wanting to answer that question, but I simply cannot remember the title of my favorite class and I’m not going to leave Professor Wu off my list…

This is another question: Who was the professor who you wish you’d had as an undergraduate but missed out on?

(I have a weird answer to this question, but I stand by it.)

I applied to two PhD programs. That was the other one.

1. The Social Safety Net as Complex System
2. Chicago: City as Policy Text
3. The New Deal and the Concept of Citizenship
4. Quant Crit in Social Science Research
5. Policy at the Street Level

I’m withholding judgment until I watch Melania stoned out of my gourd and cackling every time someone presents their butthole.

Wait a tic!

Mr. Collins from Pride & Prejudice is the Duke of Weselton from Frozen.

I’ve convinced my partner to listen to the Absolute Units podcast from @themerl.bsky.social on her eight-hour road trip on Sunday.

This may be my greatest marital success in bending her to my interests.

You see, it’s important to understand that there is a correct kind of Catholic and an incorrect kind of Catholic in Vermeule’s world. Some “incorrect” Catholics are incorrect for theological reasons. But some “incorrect” Catholics are incorrect for reasons of, ahem, cultural incompatibility.

I’ve spent a great deal of time in the car with the seventh grader today (mid day ortho too); and I’m exasperating her by cajoling her to over-do a summer project by doing a formal community needs assessment.

Currently: Sitting and waiting for the seventh grader to wrap up a voice lesson.

Next: The seventh grader and I will sit around and wait for the fifth grader to wrap up a basketball practice.

Then: Dinner, movie, glass of wine (kiddie cocktails for the minors).

after exhaustive research I present to you the most Dickensian name on almost every MLB roster (*indicates non-roster)

I’m glad that they did this even though it’s likely not to get a whole lot of traction at the moment.

Working hard to pare back qualified immunity is a critical step in ensuring a reduction in state violence perpetrated against the population.

Good to see --> Reps Eric Swalwell and Dan Goldman just introduced their bill stripping ICE agents of qualified immunity. We broke the news that this was coming on our podcast (see thread below for more info and context).

(I joke, but the list should really be Fermi, Scala, and Gramsci.)

I wrote in Gramsci.

Sure, you can spend 21¢, but I’m just sitting here secure in my belief that eventually every LEGO brick will become a crab.

Holy shit that’s an incredible line.

Congratulations!