Formerly of @humanitiesmag and The Weekly Standard. Language, culture, history.

Joined June 2009
18 Photos and videos
David Skinner retweeted
News @WSJopinion documentary on Covid lockdown dissidents: x.com/WSJopinion/status/2064…

During the COVID-19 pandemic, a group of prominent scientists challenged the prevailing government approach to lockdowns. The Lockdown Dissidents tells the story of researchers who say they were censored when they questioned the public health consensus. on.wsj.com/3QyWXCd
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David Skinner retweeted
Outstanding Weekend Interview of @Reihan by @Tunkuv. Think of it as the story of New York, told via the differences between two men: Reihan Salam and Zohran Mamdani. wsj.com/opinion/reihan-salam…
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David Skinner retweeted
“The #SPLC raises money and sustains its relevance by stoking the perception that white supremacy is pervasive and influential. I have argued since 2008 that this aligns the center’s interests with those of supremacist groups.” @JamesTaranto @wsjopinion wsj.com/opinion/the-splc-is-…
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David Skinner retweeted
For those who prefer the criticism, a great piece on John Cheever by Peter Tonguette from the DOGE shuttered "Humanities" magazine. Read it while you can! @humanitiesmag neh.gov/article/suburban-dwe…
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David Skinner retweeted
"When Reagan elevated Rehnquist to succeed Burger as chief justice, he appointed Scalia, 50 years young, to the associate justice position that Rehnquist had occupied. Scalia was aghast to discover the moribund intellectual culture of the Court." @EdWhelanEPPC reviews James Rosen's latest Scalia volume.
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David Skinner retweeted
"A colleague said that even if AI could do all his writing for him, he would still have to write to discover what he thinks. He was onto something." @EditorSkinner: Mightier Than the Sword wsj.com/opinion/free-express… via @WSJFreeEx
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"Sifting through fabrications and compiling a dossier alleging academic dishonesty was not my idea of fun. Or maybe it was?" Sweet piece of writing on AI in academic writing in @chronicle by @LKonstan (@aldaily): chronicle.com/article/peer-r…
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David Skinner retweeted
"Roosevelt sought in 1906 to introduce 300 new spellings, recommended by the Simplified Spelling Board, into all government publications through the Government Printing Office. T.R. was then mocked relentlessly by the press." freebeacon.com/culture/do-i-…
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We have been "speaking truth to power" for centuries, not just decades (as previously believed). So I learned and so I wrote today at @thedispatch. thedispatch.com/article/spea…
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"Safe" as a verb to mean "make safe"? Never seen it used this way before: "Our Starbase team is actively working to safe the test site . . . and we ask that individuals do not attempt to approach the area while safing operations continue."
19 Jun 2025
On Wednesday, June 18 at approximately 11 p.m. CT, the Starship preparing for the tenth flight test experienced a major anomaly while on a test stand at Starbase. A safety clear area around the site was maintained throughout the operation and all personnel are safe and accounted for. Our Starbase team is actively working to safe the test site and the immediate surrounding area in conjunction with local officials. There are no hazards to residents in surrounding communities, and we ask that individuals do not attempt to approach the area while safing operations continue
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David Skinner retweeted
"There is a purpose, Mamet says, that unites his essays as a group. It is an overtly political purpose, a response to the unsettling political and social dramas of the last 10 to 20 years." @EditorSkinner reviews David Mamet's The Disenlightenment. #WeekendBeacon
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David Mamet has turned full-on MAGA. He believes the United States is in decline but remains hopeful, saying, "Trump is a hero, and his heirs will, God willing, increase the longevity of the American Experiment." My review: freebeacon.com/culture/the-m…
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David Skinner retweeted
The Weekend Beacon welcomes Robert Messenger, who reviews Tim Bouverie's Allies at War, plus @PaulHTice on The Mysterious Mr. Nakamoto, Kevin McNamara on Summer of Fire and Blood, @EditorSkinner on David Mamet's Disenlightenment, & @cjscalia on Brian Wilson!
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David Skinner retweeted
"Says Who? proceeds through a venerable circuit of quintessential usage and grammar dilemmas: double negatives and why other dialects and languages allow multiple negation," writes @EditorSkinner. Double negatives! Oh yeah, that's the stuff... freebeacon.com/culture/a-war…
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David Skinner retweeted
The WB lineup: @aroberts_andrew on Winston Churchill, Harvey Klehr on To Overthrow the World, @mattklewis on @TeviTroy's The Power & the Money, @MikeWatsonVa on Singapore, & @EditorSkinner on Says Who? Keep Calm and read the Weekend Beacon! freebeacon.com/arts-culture-…
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David Skinner retweeted
The modern portrait of the Aztec society has been constructed using Spanish texts discussing Aztec culture. Camilla Townsend discusses how narratives written by the Nahuas themselves reveal a far more complex version of a history we have simplified. tinyurl.com/mst2925z
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David Skinner retweeted
Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve has authored 27 books that speak to Native American life and challenge stereotypes. @NEHChair Lowe interviewed Sneve about her identity as a storyteller and Lakota writer. tinyurl.com/5t2jw9pv
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