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Sexy Memorization, and Other Finals Weekend Links

Maureen Dowd's March op-ed on  raunchy memorization techniques

Here are a few quirky items from my saved links folder, and one very good piece from today. First the quirk:

1. Deeper voices are more persuasive.

2. South Korean citizens "roam cities secretly videotaping fellow citizens breaking the law, deliver the evidence to government officials and collect the rewards."

3. Spiders can be assholes to each other.

4. Our hands and the future of interactive design

And from today, Matt Yglesias has a great post here on the Egyptian economy in the wake of the Arab Spring. I'll add this chart, which I think goes a long way toward explaining the seeds of Egyptian political revolution. 

Supply, Demand, and Thompson Library

Large, square tables are a precious commodity at OSU's Thompson Library. They're typically the most desirable perches in the building, and, consequently, suffer from chronic unavailability. Such is the case today.

But wait, you may ask, aren't those tables cheaper than all of the others? Why not remove the small leather seats that no one likes (and at which I am currently, uncomfortably hunched), and replace them with the more sought-after traditional fare?

Aesthetics. These stylish but otherwise loathsome chairs with which Thompson is currently overstaurated give the library a sharp, modern look.

Universities prosper and profit by soliciting donations, luring in prestigious faculty, and, most importantly, recruiting better students. A great-looking library helps in all three of these regards, wowing tour-goers and parents alike. Unfortunately, this comes at the expense of current students trying to find a comfortable spot to study. It is an excellent example of the perverse incentives facing the modern university, whereby current students are often shafted in favor of their heirs.

Ideally, student government would take up the issue, but that throng of morons is too preoccupied with a non-existent increase in crime.

A Blogger's Manifesto

"the recession came and we decided it would save a lot of bother if we just slept through it. So we programmed the computers to revive us when it was all over." 

The man stifled a very slight yawn and continued. 

"The computers were index-linked to the Galactic stock-market prices, you see, so that we'd all be revived when everybody else had rebuilt the economy enough to afford our rather expensive services." 

Arthur, a regular Guardian reader, was deeply shocked at this. 

"That's a pretty unpleasant way to behave, isn't it?" 

-The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Perhaps so, but let us leave the moralizing to the moralizers, who relish its sedative effects. You too might ire with brimstone if the world were crumbling beneath your weakly-shut eyelids.

I will spare you the platitudes expected of a premier post. Those we’ll reserve for a time more accepting of my inane pseudo-profundity. Rather, allow me to elucidate my intentions.

This blog will cover a broad spectrum of topics, from analytical philosophy to professional football, but will focus primarily on politics and economics. More definitively stated is what this blog will not be covering: I promise never to pollute this space with personal feelings or anecdotes. This is closely tied to the fact that I am not a teenage girl (despite my predilections for gossip, diet soda, and Florence + the Machine). To the right you’ll find my twitter feed, a blogroll (a list of blogs that I frequent), and several literary recommendations. I enthusiastically encourage you to explore each and every link, though I suspect quite the opposite will actually transpire.

All topics covered will be done so from a rational/empirical angle, because who doesn’t fancy fancying themselves “rational” and “empirical”? Thusly, all thoughts, opinions, and ideas expressed herein are subject to the strictest of scrutinies. Let our minds be changed as easily as observation and cogitation merit. Worship only at the slaughterhouse of sacred cows.

All of this is subject to change at any time, and without notice.