Shakespeare 2

Shakespeare the Social Scientist By Tom Jacobs

Saturday marks the 400th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare, a milestone being marked around the world with readings, lectures and, of course, performances. Given Pacific Standard’s focus on the social sciences, we thought we’d commemorate the occasion by providing a few recent examples of how his researchers in a wide range of disciplines either claim him as one of their own, or cite his works as examples of timeless wisdom.

Diseară, de la 21.00, Radio România Actualități, la emisiunea Euroatlantica

Astăzi sunt invitat la Radio Actualități, în cadrul emisiunii Euroatlantica, de la ora 21.00. Împreună cu gazdele vom discuta despre agenda de securitate.

Puteți urmări live pe pagina Radio Romania Actualități.

Guvernul tehnocrat

Ce se întâmplă acum cu guvernul Cioloş conduce la câteva lecţii:

1. Dacian Cioloş nu a înţeles nimic din evoluţia guvernului MRU.

2. Dacian Cioloş nu a înţeles că un guvern tehnocrat trebuie să comunice altfel decât un guvern politic.

3. Dacian Cioloş nu a înţeles că, spre deosebire de partide, un guvern tehnocrat indiferent cât de performant este nu are aceleaşi resurse şi căi  pentru a valorifica rezultatele în interesul guvernării.

4. Dacian Cioloş a uitat proverbul „Oaia se duce la scai, nu scaiul la oaie”.

Lucruri

The Joy of Stuff by Gracy Olmstead

We’re all supposed to be “detoxing,” “cleansing,” or “decluttering” our lives these days. Gastronomically, the idea is that you pare down your diet to its most basic essentials, and thus cut away pounds, potential illnesses, or any lack of confidence you might feel. Mentally, we’re told to step away from the chaotic buzz of work, social media, television, and life obligations in order to clear out the clutter in our heads and become more “mindful.”

And then there’s the house-oriented version of these words, most recognized in the popular bestseller The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. Author Marie Kondo tells her readers that the stuff in their homes needs paring down in order for them to really experience joy and peace in their lives. Thus, we’re advised, “If [an] item sparks joy, keep it; if not, dump it.”

In practice, this can be more extreme than it sounds; Kondo’s method involves a categorical purging of one’s possessions, winnowing things down piece by piece until only the most “joyous” items remain. And, she insists, we must do all our tidying in one attempt: no bit-by-bit cleaning, no slow and meticulous purging. Perfection is not just the ideal, it’s mandatory—and it’s demanded immediately.