Monthly Archives: March 2008

ROADS IN LAOS.

ROADS IN LAOS. I have discovered in writing this blog that I am fascinated by roads and how they extend markets and facilitate trade. I have posted several times on roads, including here and here. This article by Thomas Fuller … Continue reading

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BEING WHO YOU WANT TO BE.

BEING WHO YOU WANT TO BE. I have been posting about Colin McGinn’s contention that personality is “not a given, but a choice, not determined but free.” I was chatting over the weekend with an old friend who lives in … Continue reading

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IS GENDER SIMPLY PLAYING A ROLE?

IS GENDER SIMPLY PLAYING A ROLE? Colin McGinn extends the idea that for Shakespeare, “our personality (or many personalities) is analogous to the character an actor plays on the stage” to include gender. McGinn treats it as a matter of … Continue reading

Posted in Literature, Shakespeare, Theater | 1 Comment

DO WE CHOOSE OUR PERSONALITIES?

DO WE CHOOSE OUR PERSONALITIES? The philosopher Colin McGinn, in SHAKESPEARE’S PHILOSOPHY, considers Shakespeare’s view of the self. He contends that Shakespeare was a precursor of the sociologist Erving Goffman, who in THE PRESENTATION OF SELF IN EVERYDAY LIFE argued … Continue reading

Posted in Literature, Shakespeare | 3 Comments

CAN CASSIUS BE A WOMAN?

CAN CASSIUS BE A WOMAN? Yes, Cassius can be played as a woman. Like the Vermont farmer, I’ve seen it done. My wife Mary Jane has now completed her performances as Cassius in JULIUS CAESAR. She was playing Cassius as … Continue reading

Posted in Literature, Shakespeare, Theater | 3 Comments

THE MAN WHO STOLE 40,000 COAT HANGERS.

THE MAN WHO STOLE 40,000 COAT HANGERS. This excerpt from a trial transcript is wonderful (link via Instapundit). In fact, it seems too good to be true, It reminds me of the wonderful fictional legal opinions of the law reformer … Continue reading

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BORROWING FOR A DAY AND LENDING FOR YEARS (COMMENT).

BORROWING FOR A DAY AND LENDING FOR YEARS (COMMENT). Nick asked me here: “So to sum up, Bernanke is using an old idea, and you agree that it’s the right move?” I had posted last August that Walter Bagehot should … Continue reading

Posted in Economics, History | 3 Comments

WHAT CATS, COURTIERS, BUSINESS EXECUTIVES AND ACTORS HAVE IN COMMON.

WHAT CATS, COURTIERS, BUSINESS EXECUTIVES AND ACTORS HAVE IN COMMON. Our cats seem to get along just fine when they are not in the same room with us. I want to focus on only two paragraphs in this article by … Continue reading

Posted in Economics, Politics, Theater | 1 Comment

ECONOMICS AND THE RULE OF LAW.

ECONOMICS AND THE RULE OF LAW. Dick Weisfelder recommended this article in The Economist about the research that has been done in economics in the last ten years which argues that the rule of law is critical to economic development. … Continue reading

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GRAIN ELEVATORS.

GRAIN ELEVATORS. To find out more about the history of the Chicago grain trade, I went to my library to look at NATURE’S METROPOLIS: CHICAGO AND THE GREAT WEST by William Cronon. Cronon sketches a number of factors which facilitated … Continue reading

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