, March 19, 2014
Daily Bafflements
• Do “tiny houses,” en masse, make a slum? Occupy Madison wants to build a “cooperative eco village” of tiny, affordable, fourteen-by-seven foot homes on trailers. One Madison resident objects to the project, but “not because of who might be living there, but because of the conditions in which they will be living.” No kitchens, no plumbing . . . wouldn’t affordable co-op apartments be a better idea?
• Evgeny Morozov on the fetishization of everyone’s favorite buzz word, “innovation.” #innovation
• Does having rich parents influence one’s career choices? (Yes.) A few telling graphs and charts on social mobility and career paths here.
• Baffling in every language: Smithsonian magazine tells us that the word “Huh” is universal.
• Suggested future New York Times Style section feature: a look at the latest Brooklyn fashion accessory, the shepherd’s staff.