Lifelong learner, educator, and traveler. Lover of all things funny. Let's connect and share a fact or two! 🤣✈️📚
New Jersey, USA
Joined March 2009
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Brian retweeted
.@BarackObama: "Bad Bunny's halftime show... This is what a community is. People who did not speak Spanish and have never been to Puerto Rico, they saw that elderly woman serving a drink and the kids dancing with their grandmas. It was intergenerational. It was a reminder of what Dr. King called the beloved community can look like... There's room for everybody here. And that I think is where we win."
Brian retweeted
A sneak peek at the cover of next week’s issue, which celebrates Zohran Mamdani’s historic win. #NewYorkerCovers
newyorkermag.visitlink.me/45…
Republicans went from “the sky is falling” to “things are fine, actually” faster than a politician at a photo-op.
Lesson Plan: "Bread & Circuses" - Symbolism in Policy-Making
Objective: Analyze how leaders (Rome, Orbán, Bukele) use symbolic policies to shape public opinion and distract from deeper issues.
Essential Question: How do symbolic policies influence people? (1/6)
Policy Pitch: Groups create a symbolic policy to address a fictional problem (e.g., protests or unrest). Prepare a creative pitch (ad, skit, or speech) explaining how the policy reassures citizens. Vote on the most convincing pitch! (5/6)
Today’s lesson plan is inspired by the concept of “bread and circuses”—policies designed to distract rather than solve real issues. Ancient Rome mastered this, keeping citizens content with free bread and violent entertainment to avoid addressing deeper political problems.
Divided dinner table? Tips for peace: 1) Breathe to stay calm. 2) Shift from debating opinions to discussing concerns. 3) Build empathy—ask about lives, not just politics. Respect is key, but engagement isn’t required with those who demean or threaten.
npr.org/2024/11/19/g-s1-3491…
Authoritarians love performative policy—fixing problems is secondary to looking like they’re fixing them. Think “build the wall” chants while building lagged. The goal? Reassure voters, not solve issues. Same with strongman regimes: chaotic in the moment, coherent in hindsight.
Calling someone a “fascist” screams Nazis & stormtroopers. Today authoritarians play the long game—stacking courts, muzzling media, and hollowing institutions. It’s a slow creep, not a blitz, designed to look legal while democracy crumbles from within. The danger is the subtlety.
Article: politico.com/interactives/20…
Lesson Plan: “Resume Match-Up”
Objective: Students create job descriptions for Cabinet roles, then analyze and rate nominees’ backgrounds to evaluate fit.
Essential Question: What makes a person suitable for a government leadership role? (1/6)
Discussion: Groups present their nominee’s rating and rationale. Write ratings on the board for comparison. Encourage questions, challenges, and discussion on what makes a good fit for each position and what qualities students value in leaders. (5/6)