What I'm Reading 07.18.15

Hello, I'm lounging around in Bali as of now, enjoying the Eid break. Here are a few things I've been reading that are interesting:

1. John H. McWhorter on "How Dare You Say That! The Evolution of Profanity" (WSJ)

I can get a bit foul-mouthed at times, so it's interesting to see how our culture developed profanity over time. Swearing began through the influence of religion, where people use it as a form of sacred oath. Eventually, sex-related (f*** bombs) & excretion-related (s*** bombs) topics also became part of this culture, due to stark stratification of classes. Linguistic choices were made to distinguish the nobles from the peasants. Nowadays, race become part of profanity (yes, n*gg**), and interestingly, it's appropriate for black to use but not white. Really interesting discourse on the origins of our favorite curses.

2. John Hussman on "Greece and the King of Asteroid 325" (Hussman Funds)

What? Another article on Greece? Aly, haven't you said enough on this topic?! Okay, calm down guys. This article written by Hussman, a fund manager, is a fantastic review on what's wrong with the Euro system. Basically, in accordance to the economic theory of adjustment variable, when countries of differing economic strengths trade, they adjust to each other via exchange rate, interest rate, and price level. These mechanisms provide a buffer for economic differences and price shocks. So, by imposing the Euro on weaker economies, the stronger EU economies are effectively asking the impossible - for these weaker economies to "get on their level". Yikes.

3. Ann Friedman on "The Disapproval Matrix" (Tumblr)

Like Taylor Swift says, "Haters gonna hate". But sometimes, you gotta figure out which negative feedback actually are constructive. Friedman presents an awesome matrix that divides up criticism into four categories: critics, lovers, haters, frenemies. Use to your own advantage!

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On a totally unrelated note, J.K. Rowling says Hogwarts is FREE of tuition.... EH MA GERD, get me to Hogwarts... FAST!

What I'm Reading 02.05.15

Sorry for the long hiatus! I guess this is what happens once school starts rolling in, and you're trying to do a million things at once. I'm currently back in Philadelphia, and working on lots of exciting new projects. Here are some things that I've been reading recently!

1. Adam M. Grant (New York Times) on Raising a Moral Child

I have nothing but praises for my organizational behavior professor, Adam Grant. This op-ed is about how to raise caring children, and what research says about it. We know a lot about how to raise successful children, but not as much about how to raise caring children. To summarize, here are some of his practical advice: 1) praise children's good character rather than behavior, so they internalize the values as part of their moral identity, 2) parent's anger cause two emotions in children - shame (a bad reflection upon character) & guilt (a bad reflection upon behavior) - and it is better for children to feel guilt so they are willing to fix the mistake, 3) modeling works better in the long run than preaching the choir. Amazing piece of parenting advice, backed with scientific research and data.

2. Scott Long (The Paper Bird) on Why I am not Charlie

In light of the Charlie Hedbo massacre, I have nothing but my condolences to the victims. However, turning Charlie Hedbo through the hashtag #JeSuisCharlie into a propaganda for freedom of speech is a different matter. Journalism is free (especially the right to communicate satire, or shall we say, estee de la bourgeouis), however when a satire is directed towards a religious minority that is already prosecuted by the mass, that is when it is no longer an appropriate medium to poke fun and discriminate against. Long talks about it better than I do, criticizing the movement arising from the massacre.

3. New York Times List on 52 Places to Go in 2015

I like to travel, so finding new places to go is always an exciting thing for me. While I'm surprised at the number of "exotic" locations that the New York Times have chosen this year, I'm still quite happy with outcome. Adding quite a few places to my travel destination list (yikes!!)

4. John Cassidy (The New Yorker) on Why Greece And Europe Can Still Reach A Deal

I'm a big nerd, so when I saw that the new Greek finance minister, Yanis Varoufakis, plays DOTA, I admit I gave a little cheer. In addition, I love how he made a comment on how reviving the Greek economy is like playing a losing game in DOTA (pwned gg). In this article, John Cassidy talks about how "there still is room for a deal that benefits Greece and the rest of Europe, Germany included". There is no scenario in which Greece is kicked out which benefits anyone, but on the other hand, the problem of interim financing and Greek austerity is another thing to be handled. It's all a matter of time, and with Greece's new rock star finance minister settled on pwning the economy... Well, let's just say this may be a good game for the win.