The ADK Homeroom

Ten Covid Predictions

Ten covid predictions covering the origins of the virus, the end of the supply chain and energy shortage problems, and the hypocrisy of the elite on masking laws.

Top 7 Dumbest Pop Culture Moments of the Week 10-8-2021

Pop culture never fails to offer up plenty of foolishness, week after week. This week's list includes Adele, Urban Meyer, Meghan Trainor, and Dave Chappelle. Plus a bonus Poetry Friday poem for Columbus Day weekend!

Ayn Rand on vaccine mandates and philosophical friction

A video of Ayn Rand in 1963 answering questions about vaccine mandates has been making the rounds, and predictably, people have been pointing out that she only considers simple, ideal cases where a vaccinated person is 100% protected and an unvaccinated person poses a risk only to herself. My point in this shorter podcast is that ideal cases are still very useful to consider, even when the real world issue is not ideal.

Liberty in the classroom Pt. 1

What do you do on the very first day with kids in front of you ready to learn about liberty, free trade, and Enlightenment values? You do this amazing experiment. I've done this in class many times and kids always come away smiling, laughing, and knowing the difference between free trade and socialism. 

Squid Game is a derivative eyegrabber with three redeeming features

Squid Game has taken the #1 spot on Netflix. Everyone and his brother is going to be a triangle, circle, square, or Front Man for Halloween. But is the show any good?

What American Teens Learn about Poetry

I love poetry, so this episode in our series "What Kids Are Actually Learning" is one of my favorites. I cover the AP literature poetry curriculum here, including what poets and poems it recommends and what it has to say about tropes like metaphor, metonymy, synecdoche, and irony. 

What American Teens Learn in History Class

What are American teens actually learning in History class? It's not a secret. When the only textbook you use is Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States, you're getting a skewed view of history. Recent state test questions make that obvious.

The Top 5 Dumbest Pop Culture Moments of the Week

This week's top five feature a senator, a conservator, a cardinal, a double dose of Disney, and multiple reminders of the important upcoming holiday, October 3rd, Mean Girls Day. What a week it has been! 

Poetry Friday! ”Peacocks” by A. E. Stallings, ”The Peacock” by James Merrill

A. E. Stallings just published "Peacocks" in the London Review of Books. Let's talk about this exquisite poem, as well as a couple of other peacock-y poems.

The (im)moral origins of mask and vaccine mandates

Vaccine mandates went into effect in New York state this week, and if President Biden gets his way, they will be in effect across the US soon. It's time to talk about the flawed moral principle that is used to justify these mandates.