Cancelling Dr. Seuss

[Wahoo Redux]

Thus, there are all   kinds of opinions that are viable on these two subjects. Not engaging with alternate views in these two cases is politics, not science.

My doctor this morning was pretty stern with me.  Lose weight.  Exercise, fatass.  I'm going to call in a prescription.

I tend to listen to my doctor, particularly when he is mad that I did not follow his directives last time.  I listen to him because he is an expert at medicine.

But maybe, even though the doctor's diagnosis is pretty standard for a middle aged American and there is a fair amount of empirical science to back up his professional judgment, I should seek a second opinion? 

Should my second opinion come from, say, a climatologist, an engineer, a park manager, a mechanic, or a professor of English?

Maybe, you know, there are some alternative facts.  Maybe I see a particular political orientation who repeatedly questions the expertise of doctors.  I probably shouldn't take those into account, huh?

You know, I don't want to shut down the conversation, particularly with non-doctors and people who accuse medical personnel of gouging the insurance companies and leading a liberal crusade against Americans' rights to be weight challenged.

[Juvenal]

Maybe a little less "in the cup"?  Or wait for the (combustible of lipid) "fires of spring"?  Me, "Lard Ass," my first-semester  (Spring, 1968) colleague called me, later a very firm friend, not much my senior, now underground (unfiltered "Luckies"), makes me wonder how the precepts of then/now PCPs count in "the end"?  I've always been a "fattie," with a few struggled interludes.  But I here I am, retired, close to eighty, and wondering, "What comes next?"  Yes, yes...

[Wahoo Redux]

Maybe a little less "in the cup"? 
Or wait for the        (combustible of lipid)
     "fires of spring"?

Me, "Lard Ass,"
                        my first-semester 
(Spring, 1968) colleague called me,

later a very firm friend,
not much my senior,
now underground     (unfiltered "Luckies"),
makes me wonder how

the precepts of then/now
PCPs count in "the end"? 

I've always been a "fattie,"
with a few struggled interludes. 

But I here I am, retired,      close
to eighty,
                and wondering,             "What comes next?" 

Yes, yes...


Colorado baker loses appeal over transgender birthday cake

[ciao_yall]

Should be able to go past the paywall...

To Understand Why Republicans Are Divided on the Debt Ceiling, Consider Dr. Seuss

LMK if it blocks you and I'll copy/paste the text.

[Wahoo Redux]

The Spokesman Review: Eastern Washington University professor questions university's move to block him after critical tweets

An Eastern Washington University professor was blocked by his employer on social media for nearly a year after making critical statements about the school.

History professor Larry Cebula said he believes he was blocked by the official EWU Twitter account for criticizing the school's Athletics Department spending, which he says comes at the cost of academic programs.

University officials say Cebula was blocked last spring after making statements the school considered defamatory. As an example, David Meany, director of Communications and Media Relations, pointed to a May tweet.
[/url]

[apl68]

Yikes!  Those are certainly some...unflattering opinions to air publicly about one's employer.  If his Twitter feed contained very much stuff like that, I can see how they might want to block it.    Seems like an overreaction, though.  He didn't libel or insult anybody in particular, or threaten anybody. 

[Parasaurolophus]

Wait, blocking someone on Twitter is a "cancellation"?

[dismalist]

"Non-disparagement" clauses can be put into employment contracts. And it cannot be otherwise. You don't like your employer, work someplace else.

That's the least cost solution. The disparager hurts many people's incomes. The disparagee is only one person's income.

Here are some legal explanations https://www.contractscounsel.com/g/44/us/non-disparagement-clause

Looks like the university was nice not to terminate the disparager, but I don't really know that.

[kaysixteen]

[snip]

[marshwiggle]

Wait, blocking someone on Twitter is a "cancellation"?

Yeah, I wasn't even sure what that means. Does that in any way prevent anyone else from seeing his tweets? If not, then it seems pretty pointless.

[ciao_yall]

Wait, blocking someone on Twitter is a "cancellation"?

Yeah, I wasn't even sure what that means. Does that in any way prevent anyone else from seeing his tweets? If not, then it seems pretty pointless.

Name one college where the academic faculty think that athletics gets a fair portion of the budget, resources and attention. Bonus points for cheerfully and vocally advocating that these are sent over to the reasonably-well-compensated-for-what-he-does coach.

Go ahead. I'll wait.

[onthefringe]

Wait, blocking someone on Twitter is a "cancellation"?

Yeah, I wasn't even sure what that means. Does that in any way prevent anyone else from seeing his tweets? If not, then it seems pretty pointless.

Other than the fact that it was linked in a thread with "canceling" in the title, I don't see any claims anywhere that Cebula was "canceled". He accurately reports that EWU blocked him from following their official twitter account, and his belief that it was because he said negative things about the football program seems to be supported by the fact that he was unblocked when they couldn't find the tweet in question.

Nobody seems to be canceling anyone or claiming that they are being canceled, though Cebula is presumably taking advantage of a bit of coverage to amplify his concerns about spending decisions by his employer.

[Parasaurolophus]

Wait, blocking someone on Twitter is a "cancellation"?

Yeah, I wasn't even sure what that means. Does that in any way prevent anyone else from seeing his tweets? If not, then it seems pretty pointless.

Other than the fact that it was linked in a thread with "canceling" in the title, I don't see any claims anywhere that Cebula was "canceled". He accurately reports that EWU blocked him from following their official twitter account, and his belief that it was because he said negative things about the football program seems to be supported by the fact that he was unblocked when they couldn't find the tweet in question.

Nobody seems to be canceling anyone or claiming that they are being canceled, though Cebula is presumably taking advantage of a bit of coverage to amplify his concerns about spending decisions by his employer.

I'm questioning its presence in this thread. As you probably know, I think most of what is called 'cancel culture' is just a moral panic (on the right and in the centre). But even by those standards, this case seems like weak tea.

[onthefringe]

Wait, blocking someone on Twitter is a "cancellation"?

Yeah, I wasn't even sure what that means. Does that in any way prevent anyone else from seeing his tweets? If not, then it seems pretty pointless.

Other than the fact that it was linked in a thread with "canceling" in the title, I don't see any claims anywhere that Cebula was "canceled". He accurately reports that EWU blocked him from following their official twitter account, and his belief that it was because he said negative things about the football program seems to be supported by the fact that he was unblocked when they couldn't find the tweet in question.

Nobody seems to be canceling anyone or claiming that they are being canceled, though Cebula is presumably taking advantage of a bit of coverage to amplify his concerns about spending decisions by his employer.

I'm questioning its presence in this thread. As you probably know, I think most of what is called 'cancel culture' is just a moral panic (on the right and in the centre). But even by those standards, this case seems like weak tea.

Fair. I agree that most people who actually claim that they are being "cancelled" are merely experiencing the completely predictable consequences of their actions. I just wanted to make it clear that in this particular case, the faculty in question had not even claimed that they were canceled.

[ciao_yall]

Wait, blocking someone on Twitter is a "cancellation"?

Yeah, I wasn't even sure what that means. Does that in any way prevent anyone else from seeing his tweets? If not, then it seems pretty pointless.

Other than the fact that it was linked in a thread with "canceling" in the title, I don't see any claims anywhere that Cebula was "canceled". He accurately reports that EWU blocked him from following their official twitter account, and his belief that it was because he said negative things about the football program seems to be supported by the fact that he was unblocked when they couldn't find the tweet in question.

Nobody seems to be canceling anyone or claiming that they are being canceled, though Cebula is presumably taking advantage of a bit of coverage to amplify his concerns about spending decisions by his employer.

I'm questioning its presence in this thread. As you probably know, I think most of what is called 'cancel culture' is just a moral panic (on the right and in the centre). But even by those standards, this case seems like weak tea.

Fair. I agree that most people who actually claim that they are being "cancelled" are merely experiencing the completely predictable consequences of their actions. I just wanted to make it clear that in this particular case, the faculty in question had not even claimed that they were canceled.

This seems like it's bringing more negative attention to the issue for the college and making them look bad.