The Economist last week ran a special issue about property, with special emphasis on the perils of this particular asset class.  It was too bad, however, that the magazine did not take the opportunity to make the real point that the mortgage crisis should have made abundantly clear: investing in houses is disingenuous, because housesRead moreRead more

I adored this post, from the Urbanophile, discussing the New Urbanist appropriation of Jane Jacobs – and the flawed logic behind that ideology.  Jacobs was an advocate of a bottom-up and chaotic urban experience, with density and diversity (of both population and form) as the only two necessary ingredients for great cities.  She celebrated citiesRead moreRead more

Dear playwrights, actors, directors, producers, sound board operators, ushers, stage managers, house managers, set designers, lighting designers, and concessionaires: Please.  I’m begging you.  Stop it with the blackface. You may think it’s been long enough.  You may think that all the hullaballoo is just about white liberal guilt, and you watch “30 Rock”, and ChrisRead moreRead more

David Brooks discusses the post-manufacturing economy from a narrow point of view: a college-educated information worker.  Absent from his discussion is what the new economy might resemble for other workers; his account is also entirely devoid of unions, which in Wisconsin are bearing the brunt of the deep anti-worker sentiment that has lately infected businessRead moreRead more

I remember discussing the etymology of the word “compassion” in a high school theology class; to hear Mrs. Swisher explain that compassion was not timid, not pitying, but rather the most selfless engagement of which humans are capable – to literally suffer with, empathy of the highest order.  Love is not only idealized but idealizingRead moreRead more

On the whole, I was never, at any point in my education, a particularly diligent student.  Homework was done on the fly and studying was for suckers, and the crazy thing was that I not only got away with this attitude, but I got into Caltech with it.  (At that point, my lack of disciplineRead moreRead more

On Revolution Hat tip to modernandmaterialthings for passing this one along — it’s an interesting interrogation of the recent spate of democratic uprisings, which in its examination of resistance against autocracy is highly relevant to my previous post.  My only quibble is that the author states that in the coming days, we “might” see what happensRead moreRead more

This week’s New Yorker has a lengthy (but fascinating) article on Scientology which has set the Internet abuzz.  It’s worth a read; what I found particularly interesting was not the absurd theology, but the oppressive and secretive institution which has developed around the nascent “religion.” Every major religion operates according to a theology that is,Read moreRead more

Between Renting & Owning I’m always suspicious of issues framed in binary terms: we live in such a diverse and variegated world, and if an explicit dichotomy seems to exist than it’s usually because we’re not thinking deeply enough (even biological sex, the ultimate either/or, is blurrier than most people will acknowledge).  It’s interesting toRead moreRead more

Slate has this response to the link in my previous post, regarding the dearth of women on the literary pages.  While the response itself is intelligent, it suffers from placement: it’s not on Slate’s main page, you see, but rather DoubleX, its space for women. It’s common practice amongst disadvantaged groups to create these spaces;Read moreRead more