Category Archives: Writing

Philip Snider and a Few of His Offspring

Posted on September 10, 2018 by mbrowning

Friday in the mail I received the current issue of the Missouri State Genealogical Association Journal complete with the first half of my article, “Father of Fair Grove: The Descendants of Philip Snider.” While none of you is likely to care, … Continue reading →

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Visualizing Capital Punishment

Posted on March 19, 2018 by mbrowning

The chart to the right shows (as it says) “Execution rates in G20 members in 2016.”  Statistics and their visual representations can be tricky things. Take a look at the chart and ask yourself what it says. I could draw a … Continue reading →

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But That’s a Good Source, Right?

Posted on August 11, 2017 by mbrowning

You’re working on a research paper, doing your best to assemble a slate of outstanding sources. You know that Wikipedia is suspect and that Gary’s Awesome Web Page should remain in Gary’s basement. You know that good sources are out there. How about … Continue reading →

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Mis-spelling “Internet” is now a Capital Crime!

Posted on January 16, 2017 by mbrowning

I saw the advertisement to the right on a web story that appeared, not surprisingly, on the AP Website. “We lowercased internet,” it notes, to which you might be inclined to respond, “Big hairy deal!” So what is this ad … Continue reading →

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A Classic Fallacy from the Pages of a Classic Magazine

Posted on November 7, 2016 by mbrowning

If you’re not interested in the textual history of the Christian Bible, then the details of this story about the so-called “Gospel of Jesus’ Wife” papyrus will probably not thrill you. Let me give you the thumbnail version. A Harvard … Continue reading →

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Missing the Mark on Library Automation

Posted on February 3, 2016 by mbrowning

I should have written this something like nine months ago, but given how cluttered life is, it has gotten lost under a pile of other pressing matters. Last spring, I was opining at a conference lunch table about my feelings … Continue reading →

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From Trees to Networks–A Paradigm Shift in How We Think?

Posted on November 18, 2015 by mbrowning

Manuel Lima, in this TED talk, offers a tantalizing suggestion. If he’s correct, then one of the most basic metaphors on which our thought depends, knowledge and existence as a branched tree, is being replaced by a metaphor of knowledge … Continue reading →

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Great Writers Might Be Born, But That’s Not the Whole Story

Posted on September 15, 2014 by mbrowning

I’m a runner–a relatively untalented runner. Yes, I’m 51 years old, so no one expects me to be super fast, but my best time for a mile to date is a rather unimpressive 7:26. I’m pretty sure I’ll never run … Continue reading →

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The Problems with Statistics

Posted on August 27, 2014 by mbrowning

An article by Reuben Fischer-Baum points out that nobody can know, by looking at crime statistics in the U.S., exactly how many people are killed by the police each year. As surprising as that might seem, we especially do not … Continue reading →

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The Jimmy Fallon Approach to Ethos

Posted on August 22, 2014 by mbrowning

Do you want to have credibility with your readers? That’s a major part of the tool traditionally called ethos. Jimmy Fallon, it turns out, is a sort of Ethos Savant, as this article in Forbes explains. One technique that Fallon … Continue reading →

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