Carnivalesque: Our colleague, Nathanael Robinson, hosts Carnivalesque #7 at Rhine River. It highlights recent posts around the net focusing on early modern history, ca 1450-1800 CE. Have a look and click on links to your delight. Thanks to Nathanael for doing such a good job and being such a gracious host!

Ah, the Irony of It: Scott McLemee's"Isn't It Ironic?" Inside Higher Ed, 5 May, asks whether irony is dead or we must redefine the word in ways that have nothing to do with irony.

Alas, the Master's degree: Philip M. Katz,"Retrieving the Master's Degree from the Dustbin of History: A Report to the Members of the American Historical Association," (pdf) 31 October 2004. Scott Jaschik,"Avoiding the ‘Dustbin of History'," Inside Higher Ed, 5 May, looks at the AHA's working draft of its report on the weaknesses in current M. A. programs in history and what our minimal expectations of them should be.

But We Know How Not Do It: Mary Grey and Barbara R. Bergmann,"Student Teaching Evaluations: Inaccurate, Demeaning, Misused," Academe. The message is in the sub-title. Thanks to Margaret Soltan at University Diaries for the tip.

Casting Horowitz: If David Horowitz's life must be put on the big screen, then the film must be cast. Michael Berube and Co. have some nominations. Personally, I like Scott McLemee's suggestion.

Historically Speaking: Here are excerpts from The Historical Society's Historically Speaking for April/May. Notably, it features symposia on War Myths, featuring John Mosier, Victor Davis Hanson, Dennis Showalter, and John Corum; and on Early American History, featuring Pauline Maier, Edward Gray, Don Higginbotham, Peter Onuf, Paul Rahe, and Jack Rakov.