The news has been full of buzz lately about the supposed end of the world, which is set to expire today. My only real thoughts on this topic are: if you are reading this now, it's too late for you ! You should have repented yesterday! Seriously, folk, we seem to have one of these end of the world dates every other year or so....wasn't the last one supposedly predicted by the Mayan calendar? Has anyone ever noticed that none of these dates are espoused by reliable sources? That these dire warnings come and go, and nothing ever happens? Yet I continue to be amazed by the caliber of folk around me who believe in them and prepare for them - just in case.
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I happen, at the moment, to be teaching the novel Animal Farm, and there is plenty of commentary in this work on how the pigs manipulate the sheep and other animals via propaganda techniques. Spent a fair amount of time teaching students to be able to recognize and analyze propaganda in our daily lives, via consumer advertising and political ads. I suppose the efficacy of those strategies continues, even if the message behind Orwell's tome has changed.
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