30 October 2010

ooh, the chalk

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2010/10/03/the_stradivarius_of_chalk/

also here:

http://mathoverflow.net/questions/26267/where-to-buy-premium-white-chalk-in-the-u-s-like-they-have-at-rims

Nietzsche Society program

taking place at SPEP

program after the jump.


29 October 2010

from the sports pages

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/29/sports/ncaabasketball/29binghamton.html?hpw

also:

http://www.pressconnects.com/article/20101028/NEWS01/10280486/Broadus-gets-1-2M-to-leave-drop-suit

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/10/29/qt#242125

http://chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/binghamton-u-basketball-coach-receives-1-2-million-to-resign/27988

CFP: FEMMSS

reposted from the listserv:


FEMMSS 4: Call for Proposals

Paper proposals are invited for the fourth conference of the Association for Feminist Epistemologies, Methodologies, Metaphysics and Science Studies (FEMMSS) to be held at The Pennsylvania State University, May 10-12, 2012.  For more information about FEMMSS and our past conferences see femmss.org.  

We welcome new participants and perspectives from across the academy and outside it that provide feminist discussion on any topic in epistemologies, methodologies, metaphysics, or science studies. 

27 October 2010

CFP: philosophy and the arts // redemption

Call for Papers and Artwork
Fourth Annual Philosophy and the Arts Conference at Stony Brook Manhattan
April 1-2, 2011
Keynote Speaker – Kaja Silverman
The Masters program in Philosophy and the Arts at Stony Brook University in Manhattan centers on intersections of art and philosophy. In an effort to encourage dialogue across disciplines, we offer this conference as an interdisciplinary event and welcome participants working in a variety of fields and media to respond to this year’s topic:
Redemption
Between the familiar extremes of redeeming oneself (as in the eyes of God, or a friend) and of redeeming a coupon, the term redemption shoulders a rich range of expressive possibilities. Each sense reveals an aspect of the event of exchange of one thing, condition, or meaning for another. “Redemption” may express conversion, salvage, ransom, reparation, purchase, or liberation, and these definitions all vary in their economic, ontological, and hermeneutical hefts.

conferences

Melissa's going to the ASA.  Everyone just got back from the SAGP.  Max is off somewhere.  what else is going on?

spring registration

early registration has opened.  (for returning grad students)

we have plenty of seats for spring, but you might as well check with your advisor and sign up for classes.

bonus announcement: flu shots this week on campus.  I'm going tomorrow morning in the colloquium room.

26 October 2010

testing

simultaneous test: how to post pix on this blog and what exactly is in the folder labelled 'backup'

graduate school advice

so you want to get a Ph.D. in the humanities (posted by Lisa):

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/7451115/


and don't forget the law school one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMvARy0lBLE

and poli sci
http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/7469383/

I'd post the Derrida one, but this is a family blog.

25 October 2010

Wittgenstein on twitter

http://twitter.com/WittTweets

h/t Max

Preparing professors to teach?

someone should read this or something:

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/10/15/mit

CFP: GENDER JUSTICE AND DEVELOPMENT


Call for Papers

Ninth International Conference of the International Development Ethics Association

GENDER JUSTICE AND DEVELOPMENT: LOCAL AND GLOBAL

Bryn Mawr College, Pennsylvania, U.S., June 9-11, 2011

Organized by
THE INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ETHICS ASSOCIATION (IDEA)
with
Centre on Values and Ethics (COVE) at Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada and Center for International Studies (CIS) and Philosophy Department at Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, PA


Plenary speaker
Naila Kabeer, Professorial Fellow, Institute of Development Studies, Sussex and Senior Research Fellow, Department of International Development, UK

While submissions on any topic in development ethics are welcome, IDEA is particularly interested in submissions that fit the theme of exploring, understanding, and analyzing the role of gender justice in development theory and policy.

Scholars and activists in development are increasingly using the concept “gender justice” to replace the terms “gender equality” and “gender mainstreaming”. Many now hold that describing situations using the latter terms fails to address adequately the ongoing gender-based injustices from which women suffer. However, there is no single definition of gender justice and much disagreement among local, national, and international power-holders about what constitutes gender injustice and how to alleviate or eliminate it.

IDEA invites submissions that could include discussions of gender as it relates to any of the following list of topics.
Gender and
• concepts of equality, justice, rights, capabilities
• concepts of agency, empowerment, freedom, autonomy
• concepts of democracy, citizenship, constitutionalism
• concepts of the law, judicial reform, access to justice
• intersections of race, class, ethnicity, other factors of discrimination
• intersections of local/national and global
• economic globalization, global economy, markets, labor
• the family, community, nation, global
• reproductive health, health care, population
• education, religion, culture
• concepts of poverty, measuring inequalities
• the environment, climate change, public health
• feminisms, movements, activism
• post-colonialism, imperialism, transnationalism
• power, knowledge, institutional structures
• care ethics, values and ethics in general
• migration, global in the local
• violence, conflict, war, terrorism
• Human Development Reports, Millennium Development Goals, measurements, standards
• local, national, and global institutions and NGOs

Papers could examine these issues from diverse theoretical and conceptual perspectives including philosophical argument, empirical analysis, examinations of policy, and action strategies. Papers could consider how and to what degree the concrete experiences of women in specific contexts can and should inform theory, practice, and activism at local and global levels. The conference will engage scholars and practitioners from around the world and from a wide variety of disciplines and activities (including philosophy and other humanities, social sciences, policy studies, development, social work, NGOs, local and global agencies and organizations, government officials and policy makers). IDEA particularly welcomes submissions from scholars and practitioners in South countries.

Submission of Abstracts.
Proposals should be submitted by email to Christine Koggel at ckoggel@brynmawr.edu and should include:
1. An abstract of 500 words
2. Name, affiliation, and contact information on a separate page
3. A biography of under 100 words (for the conference program)

The conference will be conducted primarily in English. There may be some presentations in Spanish, depending on the availability of volunteers to give informal translations. Proposals for presentations in Spanish should be sent to Daniela Gallegos at danielagallegos@yahoo.com.

Important dates:
• December 17, 2010: deadline for proposals
• February 18, 2011: notification of acceptance
• May 1, 2011: deadline for submission of complete papers

Program Co-Chairs:
Jay Drydyk, President of IDEA and Director of COVE
Christine Koggel, Co-Director of CIS and Board Member of IDEA

22 October 2010

more from the mailbox ....

... a way for you to get your own philosophy spam, some of which is actually Useful and Important:


Dear DGS,
Would you please circulate this invitation to join Philosophy Updates to your graduate students?  PhilUpdates is a mailing list for jobs, conferences, calls for papers, and other action items, both worldwide and in North America; it currently has 4,000 members.  They can join by sending an email to wmuphilgrad@gmail.com or by going here:
 
 
Much thanks!
 
Best,
Fritz

really, you should sign up for this -- and philosop and the Liverpool listserv and maybe FEAST-L and Journolist, too. it might make a big difference in your life, or just keep you up to date with what people you don't know are doing.

disclaimer

by the way, this is the completely unofficial blog by some guy named "bob" and only happens to mention things of possible relevance to the graduate program known as "SPEL", to which this blog has no official connection.


oh, and buy this book.  even though the price is not very compassionate.

Saba Fatima on video

from the e-mails--

Saba gives a talk at Ohio Wesleyan:

this is a test

... been wondering whether there's enough post-worthy stuff to sustain a blog.  probably not, but I have a cold and the Yankees are losing.