Modest proposals

I love Jonathan Swift's "Modest Proposal," and recall reading many good imitation proposals. (I even wrote one in high school, though I can't remember the topics.) The Freakonomics blog posted An Immodest Proposal, solving the two problems of a money-needy government, and too much sexual activity (the article enumerates its various downsides).

What's your favorite modest proposal?


This post's theme word: louche, "of questionable character; dubious; disreputable."

Oh, be joyful!

I wonder if other people have moods as variable as mine. It is impossible for me to ever know, since I can't be other people; and even if I were, how then would I refer to my own moods?

This morning I crabbily awoke and ran several miles through beautiful early-morning weather, then lifted weights. My weaker knee kept up, and didn't complain too much. The work day has been productive, with a break in the middle for free lunch (at the cost of mentoring some incoming graduate students). I found out that I'm headed to a conference, and that my costs will be totally covered. Everything's coming up roses!

I've somehow just discovered a large online community of women researchers (grad students, recent PhDs, early- and mid-career academics) who also blog. Their thoughts are fascinating and validating.

Let's see if I can replicate the good parts of this day tomorrow.


This post's theme song: the eponymous song from "The Civil War."