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- ARE PEOPLE LESS VIOLENT? (COMMENT). (2)
- Dick Weisfelder: My prior comment was just in the context of sports. Whether or not from Pinker, I have seen the...
- erik: It seems doubtful that human nature has changed. The most likely explanation would be that modern culture gives...
- HOW BANKS PREPARED FOR A U.S. DEFAULT. (2)
- GREECE’S ADVANTAGE IN THE CHICKEN GAME. (2)
- Nick: That makes sense. It reminds me of the stories Pater Familias would tell me about how in Boston the person with...
- Dick Weisfelder: Greece seems to me to be playing a game that Karl Deutsch called “underdog.” While one...
- FOOTBALL PLAYERS DELIBERATELY CAUSING CONCUSSIONS? (3)
- Nick: It was my understanding that boxing gloves were to protect the puncher’s hands and not the...
- Dick Weisfelder: Remember the Roman arenas? Bare knuckled boxing? Such injuries were taken as natural and accepted in...
- Mary Jane Schaefer: This isn’t about football. Or even sportsmanship. Well, it is about sportsmanship. But what...
- A 25 % CHANCE OF A EURO DEFAULT? (1)
- Nick: The fact that this has gone on for so long is pretty perplexing. The Economist is referring back to articles it...
- DECIDING WHAT KIND OF PATIENT YOU ARE. (1)
- Dick Weisfelder: One can be very open to new technology, but also risk averse. The recent debates about how to...
- THE EUROZONE—A CHICKEN GAME WHERE EVERY MEMBER CAN BLOW IT UP? (1)
- Mary Jane Schaefer: This is not a matter of chicken. These are all turkeys.
- ARE PEOPLE LESS VIOLENT? (COMMENT). (2)
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Monthly Archives: January 2008
CRACKERS AND BONNET STRINGS.
CRACKERS AND BONNET STRINGS. I remarked recently to Mary Jane that the word in sign language for crackers is made by using the left elbow. As with many of my remarks made in earnest, I got a good laugh. Google … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
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ST. AGNES’S EVE.
ST. AGNES’S EVE. I take note every January 20th that it is St. Agnes’s Eve.
Posted in Literature
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A BEAUTIFUL LANGUAGE.
A BEAUTIFUL LANGUAGE. This article by Lou Ann Walker in New York magazine (January 21-28) recounts the recurrent conflicts over American Sign Language. The language of signing has felt under attack since the time of Alexander Graham Bell (an opponent … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
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HAWTHORNE’S “WAKEFIELD”—THE MORAL.
HAWTHORNE’S “WAKEFIELD”—THE MORAL. We are not surprised by a moral in a nineteenth century story. Hawthorne makes a point of promising us one: “There will be a pervading spirit and a moral, even should we fail to find them, done … Continue reading
Posted in Literature
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HAWTHORNE’S WAKEFIELD.
HAWTHORNE’S WAKEFIELD. Hawthorne does something extraordinary with the character of Wakefield. He makes his main character hypothetical. I can’t think of another story which has this master stroke. The narrator briefly describes Wakefield’s life choices and adds two facts that … Continue reading
Posted in Literature
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“WAKEFIELD”– DOCTOROW AND HAWTHORNE.
“WAKEFIELD”—DOCTOROW AND HAWTHORNE. The New Yorker for January 14 has a short story entitled “Wakefield” by E.L. Doctorow which is a retelling of a great story by Nathaniel Hawthorne, also called “Wakefield.” The Doctorow story is here. The Hawthorne story … Continue reading
Posted in Literature
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MULTIPLE SELVES.
MULTIPLE SELVES. I began this blog with this post about how the radiation from the big bang still affects our radio reception. I could understand what that meant. I don’t understand the argument that: ”you …are more likely to be … Continue reading
Posted in Science
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SHOULD PRESIDENTS BE CELEBRITIES?
SHOULD PRESIDENTS BE CELEBRITIES? The link I posted on today reminded me that Norman Mailer once argued that Ted Kennedy should be President because a good part of serving as President was being a celebrity (including glamor and scandal) and … Continue reading
Posted in Politics
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PROTOCOL ISSUES.
PROTOCOL ISSUES. This post from a Slate blog describes the complications that Nicholas Sarkozy’s personal life (making state visits with his mistress, Carla Bruni) has created for protocol officials worldwide. The author quotes a Count at a dinner party suggesting … Continue reading
Posted in History, Politics
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THE ECONOMICS OF HAPPINESS.
THE ECONOMICS OF HAPPINESS. One of my frequently read blogs, The Happiness Project, has a post exploring the question “Can money buy happiness?” It is a thoughtful and considerate article. Here are some of the highlights: * It depends on … Continue reading
Posted in Economics
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