1. Republicans are only sometimes the party of Uber

“As a result, in practice, it’s not clear Republicans are any more pro-market than Democrats when it comes to business regulation.”

Tell me about it. When people note to me that I work in a conservative state, I say: I wish (at least with regards to regulations). I, or friends of mine, have tried to launch charter schools, Uber, and brewing companies in Louisiana, and all of us have faced anti-market Republicans.

2. Is the master’s degree and expensive anachronism? 

“For legions of new college graduates struggling to find good jobs in a weak labor market, “boot camps” are a faster and cheaper alternative to traditional grad school.”

I could’ve quoted every sentence from this piece. Read the whole thing.

3. Shakespeare is too obscure for the stage, me thinks

“Is there any less convivial feeling than sitting in a theatre surrounded by people pretending to laugh at a Shakespearean gag? “Wahahaha,” they squawk, perhaps dabbing at their eyes for extra authenticity. And then, when you ask what’s so funny, it turns out to be a 400-year-old pun that means Sir Toby Belch has a tiny willy.”

I once told my mother (a professor who specializes in Shakespeare) that I thought Seinfeld was much funnier than Shakespeare, which I still stand by.

4. Does Putin’s Russia have a future?

“By 2050, the remnants of European Russia are integrated into the European Union, where they merge with Ukraine and Belarus to create a new center of fast growth, and part of Siberia and the Far East become de-facto Chinese dominions.”

Anything is possible; some things are likely.