Tuesday roundup

The Tiananmen massacre was complicated.

North Korea, among other states known for their free and fair elections, sent observers to Syria.

Neo-nazis are mindful of their grammar.

Vegans, don't be stupid, especially when the national discourse seems to be turning a corner:

For starters, unlike other recent high-profile cases of male athletes allegedly raping women who lack the football status of their abusers — Steubenville, Ohio and Florida State University, for example — authorities appeared to take the charges seriously from the day after the crime and actually seem to have made an effort to conduct a thorough investigation. Authorities shouldn't be applauded for doing their jobs, but given this country's embarrassing history of prioritizing sports achievement over the right of women to not be raped, when police actually give a damn, I reflexively feel like I should applaud. That's how low the bar is. Secondly, community response — at least that which is glean-able from the murk of internet comments and social media proclamations — has been overwhelmingly supportive of the female victim and condemning of the entitled, monstrous fuckery of the three accused, athlete status be damned.

And yet, in some states, WTF?

Another sign of the idiocracy upon us, as predicted: so much trash, it's mixing with rock.

Oaklandia overreacts. PS: death threats are never appropriate or helpful, much less in this kind of situation.

Men don't mind having sugar mamas (but women can mind being them).

Some asshole tried to patent pi.

Remember how I complained that "Particle Fever" featured too many close-ups of philosiphizing physicists at the expense of potential science education? Here's what it would have been nice to have learned from a mere few minutes of fewer close-ups.

You remember better when you take notes the old-fashioned way.

Maya Angelou on modesty (and humility):

“You see, I have no patience with modesty. Modesty is a learned adaptation. It’s stuck on like decals... You don’t want modesty, you want humility. Humility comes from inside out. It says someone was here before me and I’m here because I’ve been paid for. I have something to do and I will do that because I’m paying for someone else who has yet to come.” 

Pair with these pieces on self-promotion:

As a sometimes self-promoting academic myself, I try to remember not to believe the hype. I am still a flawed human being, no better and (hopefully) no worse than my friends and colleagues. On any given day, there will be many people who are much more impressive than me, who think more deeply, write more beautifully, and do more for the world than I ever will. I try to be pleased with what I have accomplished and strive for the best in the future. And I send my alma mater a note about my new job.