I once had a conversation with a "second generation rich" in Beijing. We met in a Beijing high-rise on a Sunday afternoon at a mutual acquaintance's house--a woman who imported art for resale to the clients like her. I suppose you could say she flaunted her wealth. She drove

As an addendum: the other frustrating thing about it--or frustrating to me then--was than this woman was beautiful, charming, and kind. She was not conniving, like many Beijing upper crusters I met in those days. She went out of her way to do me a favor a few weeks after that, to

A throwback to a more regal world. Brings to mind Shakespeare, when a king might simply be referred to as “France” “England” etc

If a child is in a class, they should be there because it is the best environment to help them learn, not so they can act as an unpaid tutor to provide vague "peer effects" to others A system that abuses children as resources instead of teaching them to their level is unethical

“You got really popular doing what you’re doing but now that you’re really popular you need to stop doing what made you popular.” Yeah, that makes sense.

I also agree with Yglesias. That DOES sound like a plausible reason that conversations end before they should.

it is an exceedingly rare writer who can say "I don't care what people think" and really mean it youtube.com/watch?v=4dn76Z…

What matters is that the writer of fiction cares what the reader feels. If not, he might as well pack it in. Evoking thought is a means toward that end, but not the only means or even the most important one.

it’s like the traveling wilburys of political retards