Thompson-Assigned Readings: Globalization

"Philosophers have hitherto only interpreted the world in various ways; the point is to change it."

 That's the motto of my globalization professor this semester, Frank Thompson. He's the guy in the picture. The quote is from Karl Marx and it's emblazoned, as you see, on a wall in Humboldt University, Berlin. I really like Professor Thompson. He's very kind, with a voice as deep as his convictions. His office hours take place after class in a hookah lounge.

Hookah

Deardorff-assigned Readings: International Studies

This semester, I am taking an international economics course taught by Alan Deardorff, who indeed has his own wikipedia page, possibly created by himself. Don't be deceived by the photo on his homepage. He is older now, with a white beard and mustache. The way he speaks and gesticulates, in a self-important, but jolly manner, reminds me of Owl from Winnie the Pooh.

Professor Deardorff assigns about six articles a week for reading in addition to the textbook. Many of these articles are very long, from journals, and since I will be tested on them, I've decided to summarize their important points here, adding more as I read them:

New Year's Resolution: Sit Less.

I had read about this during the summer in O, but now it's hitting me even harder. The seriously unhealthy habit of sitting. I do a lot of it, especially in class and in the dorm room. Interesting fact: the desk at the law library is very high, so it is almost preferable to stand during my shifts.

• Stand Up While You Read This (NY Times)
• Can Sitting Too Much Kill You? (Scientific American)

"I wonder what Piglet is doing right now...  I wish I was doing it with him."

The Underground of NYC

During winter break, I got into the fun habit of checking NPR for articles and more multiple times each day. One of the stories, "Into the Tunnels: Exploring the Underside of NYC"  was very fascinating, if not all that practical or 'educational'. It told the story of a couple of underground adventurers, Steve Duncan and Erling Kagge, who spend a lot of time exploring the depths of cities, journeying through subway tunnels and sewers, letting neither waste, cockroaches, nor the law stop them.

Anyway, it eventually led me to a video on vimeo which a young film student, Andrew Wonder, made on one of his trips with Steve Duncan in NYC. It is just so cool, man!

UNDERCITY from Andrew Wonder on Vimeo.