December 1st, 2014 → 6:16 am
“In men as in a rough-grown grove remain
Cave-keeping evils that obscurely sleep.” – The Rape of Lucrece
I know it probably isn’t wise to say this, but it is true. The economics profession is sexist and discriminatory. As a PhD economist with a job at a major university, I have experienced it myself. See this well-written article on the latest research.
Filed under: Blog & Economics/Money & Stupid/Evil People
November 20th, 2014 → 5:52 am
“I do desire we may be better strangers.” – As You Like It
A town in Germany that is subject to an unwanted neo-Nazi march every year, this year played a truly excellent prank on them. The town held a fundraiser for the Exit program (a nonprofit that helps people break from extremist groups like neo-Nazism), where for each meter marched by the neo-Nazis, money would be donated to the Exit program. The neo-Nazis were essentially, and unwittingly, marching against themselves! The prank raised 10,000 euros for the Exit program. How completely awesome – reading about this story totally made my day.
Filed under: Blog & Stupid/Evil People
October 26th, 2014 → 5:47 am
“I have heard of your paintings, well enough. God hath given you one face, and you make yourselves another.” – Hamlet
I’m not usually one to care much about celebrity gossip, but this caught my attention. Renee Zellweger got so much plastic surgery done that she, literally, is unrecognizable. Every time I see the before and after pictures, it freaks me out!
Filed under: Blog & Stupid/Evil People
October 13th, 2014 → 6:13 am
“Every why hath a wherefore.” – Comedy of Errors
The above quote basically says that there’s a reason for everything. Being an academic, I’ve always liked this rather famous quote. I’ve always liked thinking that with enough study and effort, you could understand anything. But I read recently that “there is no ‘why’ in the heart of darkness“; that at bottom, there is no fathomable reason for pure evil. Is this true? I have to admit, now I’m confused…
Filed under: Blog & Stupid/Evil People
October 4th, 2014 → 6:26 am
“There is no darkness but ignorance.” – Twelfth Night
A woman in Ohio apparently received the wrong sperm from a sperm bank, but only found out after she was pregnant. She is white and had ordered sperm from a white sperm donor, but was inseminated with sperm from an African American instead. She had her baby, bonded with her for two years, but only recently decided to sue the sperm bank after experiencing how hard it actually is to raise an African American child. OMG. Read this article. I’m sorry this happened to this woman, but at this point I’m much sorrier for her poor daughter. How is this lawsuit going to make her feel? There is nothing wrong with darkness, people, the only wrong is ignorance.
Filed under: Blog & Stupid/Evil People
September 19th, 2014 → 5:30 am
“Lend Me Your Ears – Messages from the British Detainee John Cantlie.”
This was the title of a video released by ISIS on YouTube yesterday. Let me add more from the famous Lend Me Your Ears speech in Julius Caesar:
“O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason. Bear with me;
My heart is in the coffin there with [James Foley],
And I must pause till it come back to me.”
Filed under: Blog & Stupid/Evil People
September 14th, 2014 → 5:53 am
“You are as a candle, the better part burnt out.” – Henry IV, Part II
Apparently the age-old Shakespeare denier conspiracy theorists are at it again. This time a bunch of scholarly professors, battling out whether the theory is worth an academic publication or not. I can tell you that I did do a bit of research on this myself a number of years ago, and I found it all bunk. No one wrote Shakespeare but Shakespeare.
Filed under: Blog & Literature/Theatre/Art & Stupid/Evil People
September 4th, 2014 → 6:08 am
“Forbear to judge, for we are sinners all.
Close up his eyes, and draw the curtain close;
And let us all to meditation.” – Henry VI
Bernie Madoff‘s second son, Andrew, died yesterday. His first son committed suicide two years to the day of his father’s conviction. Andrew died of cancer, but he has said the cancer came because of the stress of his father’s actions. I don’t know if the sons are also guilty (they always claimed innocence), but their death is certainly tragic. The entire Madoff arc is tragic. One big, enormous, heartbreaking tragedy.
Filed under: Blog & Other & Stupid/Evil People
August 29th, 2014 → 6:29 am
“How now my sweet creature of bombast?” – Henry IV, Part I
A mother at my child’s day care said some pretty stupid things the other day. I wish I’d thought of this quote at the time, at least it would have made me smile while listening to her…
Filed under: Blog & Stupid/Evil People
July 27th, 2014 → 8:31 am
“The common curse of mankind – folly and ignorance.” – Troilus and Cressida
I thought about saying this was one of the world’s problems, but the more I thought about it, so many of the others derive from folly and ignorance that I’ll keep it singular. I imagine it’s part of the reason I became a teacher.
Filed under: Blog & Stupid/Evil People