by Alex Marshall - articles and essays

Miscellaneous Articles of Interest:

Typing For Non-Conformists - "As I write this, my fingers are staying mostly on the middle row of the keyboard -- the home row. In Dvorak, 70 percent of one's typing usually happens there. This compares to just 30 percent on Qwerty, as the standard keyboard layout is dubbed. It wasn't just a whim that prompted my switch. Although I liked the idea of typing more quickly and easily, I also thought it might ease my RSI (repetitive stress injury). Like roughly half the adult population, it seems, I am bothered by wrist and hand pain brought on by too much typing. I thought Dvorak might help." Click on link for full article.

Long Boats and Undergroud Vaults - An Essay About Harvard - "Crewing is one of the classic Harvard traditions -- one of the few I have bumped across. I arrived here for my year sabbatical expecting to be submerged in tweedy accents and various obscure customs. But although it's a pretty place, the people and customs are more average looking and acting than in my imagination. The students look like students elsewhere." Click on link for full article.

In Praise of TV, From Someone Without One - "The problem is, I happen to like a lot of what's on television. Dramas like 'NYPD Blue' and 'Homocide' arguably have better writing, and are closer to the shifting shoreline of emerging culture, than most movies, even independent, art house movies. 'The Simpsons' is better political satire than anything I have seen at the movies since 'Bob Roberts.' The 'X-Files' is a better work of science fiction than 'Armageddon.' But absent TV, I have time for other things. In the last six months, I have read both The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich (1,500 pages), and The Rise and Fall of the British Empire (800 pages.) My life is richer for having read both books." Click on link for full article.

Making Elections Matter - "No, each presidential race has been like a distant battle, watched with interest but not something I was a part of. Why is this the case, given the populous, wealthy states I have lived in? Because our nation has something called the Electoral College, an antiquated system designed in the 18th century for reasons immaterial to our goals now. During the last election, we heard the machinery of this system grind and spark for more than a month, before it crankily spat out a "winner." Just days ago, we saw this "winner" -- George W. Bush -- put his hand on a bible and take the oath of office even though he lost the national election by more than a half million votes. That's a good reason to scrap the Electoral College and replace it with a direct election." Click on link for full article.