Si vis pacem, para bellum—If you wish for peace, prepare for war (Allmand, 2011). This runs counter to Scilla Elworthy's message, but is worth considering in conjunction with her talk. Vegetius’ De Re Militari explores this struggle between war and peace, shared by both philosopher kings of the ancient city-states and leaders of the modern world today (Allmand, 2011). … [Read more...] about Brain Fodder: Fighting with Non-Violence
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New Slang: Treading on the 30s
It’s hard to beat the 1920s for coining more new slang terms and creating new terminology. But the next decade did manage to come up with quite a few phrases that make the 30s linguistically memorable. Take for instance, “famous last words,” which can be a hobby for some to collect but was originally a sort of ironic remark cast at those who spoke too without thinking. In … [Read more...] about New Slang: Treading on the 30s
Brain Fodder: The Painter and the Pendulum
The natural world has a knack for disorienting even the most curious of thinkers. Its beauty astounds artists and its complexity eludes scientists. There’s something bewitching about the forces governing the universe that sparks intrigue. In his demonstration, artist and inventor Tom Shannon feeds into this intrigue, allowing the laws of nature to govern his artistic creation … [Read more...] about Brain Fodder: The Painter and the Pendulum
TV Culture: How Scandalous Is “Scandal”?
Warning: Recent spoilers from Scandal included. I am a devout fan of Shonda Rhimes’ latest hit drama, Scandal, and have been involved in many debates surrounding Kerry Washington’s role as Olivia Pope. As the first African American woman to play lead on a primetime television show since 1974, many believe that her character further perpetuates stereotypes about Black women … [Read more...] about TV Culture: How Scandalous Is “Scandal”?
New Slang: Roaring 20s, Roaring Phrases
The past few posts have focused more on single-word slang terms of the 1920s, mainly because there was an extraordinary amount of them. However, there were also quite a few intriguing expressions that arose from this decade, and though a few were mentioned before, it’s necessary to highlight some of the more peculiar phrases. “23 Skidoo” is one of the expressions that became … [Read more...] about New Slang: Roaring 20s, Roaring Phrases