Yale student’s winning run on ‘Jeopardy!’ makes history

Yale student’s winning run on ‘Jeopardy!’ makes history

from The Seattle Times By Mark Kennedy, The Associated Press  |  Sep. 25, 2021  NEW YORK (AP) — Matt Amodio’s historic run on “Jeopardy!” has now netted him more than $1 million in non-tournament play, making him the third person in the show’s history to pass that mark. The only other contestants to win more…

A Classmate’s Vietnam Era – and Ours

A Classmate’s Vietnam Era – and Ours

Elsewhere Than Vietnam, a historical novel-cum-memoir by classmate David Schwartz, is a fictionalized account of his experience as an Army language specialist and interrogator for military intelligence.

As both a novel and a memoir, Elsewhere takes us to places where Dave served and wandered, from the Army’s language school in California to Munich and even to an Israeli kibbutz.

It’s all in the ink: Vinland Map is definitely a fake, new analysis finds

It’s all in the ink: Vinland Map is definitely a fake, new analysis finds

from Ars Technica “There is no reasonable doubt here. This new analysis should put the matter to rest.” JENNIFER OUELLETTE – 9/14/2021,  Enlarge / The Vinland Map purports to be a 15th-century map with a pre-Columbian depiction of the North American Coast. A new analysis has confirmed that the map is, in fact, a modern-day forgery. See also,  Yale…

It isn’t just the Taliban that’s ousting Americans from Asia

It isn’t just the Taliban that’s ousting Americans from Asia

Note: This is an Op-Ed with a “pre-note” classmate Jim Sleeper added here for us Yale ’69ers.

As a lecturer at Yale when this joint venture with Singapore was announced, Jim had a 360-degree view of events. Here he offers evidence for his thesis that the US failed in Afghanistan AND in Singapore for the same reasons — both grounded in evangelical presumptions and military-economic motivations.

“New Yale Book of Quotations” Published

“New Yale Book of Quotations” Published

  DescriptionReviews A revised, enlarged, and updated edition of this authoritative and entertaining reference book —named the #2 essential home library reference book by the Wall Street Journal “Shapiro does original research, earning [this] volume a place on the quotation shelf next to Bartlett’s and Oxford’s.”—William Safire, New York Times Magazine (on the original edition) “A quotations book with…

Class Notes – Sep/Oct 2021

Class Notes – Sep/Oct 2021

Lou Casagrande died on May 27th, 2021, from complications of pancreatic cancer. The following paragraphs are lightly-edited excerpts from his obituary in the Boston Globe. More information, and pictures, are available on the class website at yale1969.org. From the Globe: An anthropologist at heart, whether in Boston or on the road throughout the country, Lou…

Yale researchers prove social media really is making us more morally outraged

Yale researchers prove social media really is making us more morally outraged

from Popular Science Platforms like Twitter may amplify engrained human behaviors, but a future filled with healthy discourse and productive conversations isn’t impossible. BY CHARLOTTE HU | UPDATED AUG 13, 2021 To no one’s surprise, scientists from Yale University found that social media platforms like Twitter amplify our collective moral outrage. Additionally, they found that it was mostly…

From the fall of Saigon to the fall of Kabul, American ignorance has only doubled down

From the fall of Saigon to the fall of Kabul, American ignorance has only doubled down

Note: The tragedy in Afghanistan has prompted Jim Sleeper to re-issue, with new comments, a 2017 column for The Washington Monthly.   He criticizes the “Grand Strategy” methodology of Yale faculty who sought to advance foreign-policymaking developed at the post-war Yale we’d attended and that persisted up through General Stanley McChrystal’s teaching stint at Yale from 2012-17.

Shakespeare’s Twin Sister … Richard Seltzer’s Newest Novel
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Shakespeare’s Twin Sister … Richard Seltzer’s Newest Novel

Richard Seltzer keeps up the torrid pace of publishing with the release of his latest novel, Shakespeare’s Twin Sister.  He reports, “I had a LOT of fun with this one!”

The plot device is clever:  Shakespeare’s twin sister Kate wakes up in the body of a 99-year-old woman in a nursing home in 1987. She has […]

Yale’s Matt Amodio defeats CT competitor as ‘Jeopardy!’ winning streak continues

Yale’s Matt Amodio defeats CT competitor as ‘Jeopardy!’ winning streak continues

from the New Haven Register Yale University PhD student Matthew Amodio has become an eight-day returning champion on television quiz show, “Jeopardy!” earning $52,000 on Tuesday night’s episode, and defeated Christina Leone of East Hartford. In his winning streak, Amodio has won $362,400. Heading into the Final Jeopardy! round, Amodio’s earnings totaled $36,000 while Leone’s were…

Yale a consistent college presence in Olympics; largest contingent since 1964

Yale a consistent college presence in Olympics; largest contingent since 1964

from NH Register With over a dozen athletes heading to Tokyo, Yale remains a consistent college presence in the Olympics Maggie Vanoni July 16, 2021 With 16 athletes scheduled to compete in the Tokyo Olympics that have Yale ties, and three more to potentially receive confirmation later this month, the university will continue its presence…

An Impactful and  Memorable Conversation –Class Colloquium #11

An Impactful and Memorable Conversation –Class Colloquium #11

Class Colloqium 11, held July 14, 2021, featured Classmate Richard Breitman in a thought-provoking discussion of ‘Refugee and Immigrant Crises’, an area of his broad expertise. See the video below.

Professor Emeritus, after a 40-year career at American University, Richard commented based upon his knowledge of early 20th century German History, extensive Holocaust documentation and […]