Encyclopedic in breadth but compact enough for the vest pocket of a 19th-century gentleman on the go, the book was an insider’s guide to Manhattan, easily picked up at the newsstand before a night on the town, much the way tourists and local residents now consult a guidebook when they are in the mood for a memorable restaurant or meal.
Read the whole thing here: Guide to N.Y.C.’s 19th-Century Houses of Prostitution – NYTimes.com.
January 25, 2011, 2:00 pm
Busting Docs Who Don’t Wash Their Hands
By FREAKONOMICS
Here’s an interesting method of combating the hand-hygiene problem discussed at length in SuperFreakonomics: “A doctor enters a hospital room to examine a patient, but neglects to wash her hands. A special badge on her lab coat turns a deep shade of red as wireless computer components in the door, the soap dispenser and near the bed immediately relay information about the unwashed hands. The doctor is busted.” The system is part of an upcoming pilot program at the UMass Medical School, spearheaded by Elke Rundensteiner, a computer science professor at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. “It can track things in real time, and those things can easily be fixed — they can wash their hands,” says Rundensteiner. (HT: Eric M. Jones)
January 27, 2011, 3:00 pm
Quotes Uncovered: If at First…
By FRED SHAPIRO
I’m back to inviting readers to submit quotations whose origins they want me to try to trace, using my book, The Yale Book of Quotations, and my more recent research.
Les Hankes asked:
I have tried to find the origin of the following without success: “For all sad words of tongue and pen, The saddest are these, ‘It might have been.’” Thanks if you find something.
This reading is due on Tuesday, 1/25/2011.
Foundations of Economic Analysis
There’s no assignment attached to this reading, other than reading itself. However, don’t make the mistake of skipping the introduction, as it sets up most of the other readings we’ll do during the semester.