The Most Interesting People in Politics and History, Volume 2

This book contains 250 anecdotes, including these:1) Kai Chang says, "One of my favorite professors in college was a self-confessed liar." Dr. K taught the Dismal Science, aka Economics, and in particular a course on Corporate Finance/Capital Markets. Dr. K wanted his students to check what were said to be facts and to challenge falsehoods, and therefore at the beginning of his course he would announce, "I know some of you have already heard of me, but for the benefit of those who are unfamiliar, let me explain how I teach. [From] today until the class right before finals, it is my intention to work into each of my lectures ... one lie. Your job, as students, among other things, is to try and catch me in the Lie of the Day." Early in the course, the lie would be obvious, and many students challenged the falsehood. Of course, this made Dr. K happy: "Very good! In fact, the opposite is true. Moving on ...." Occasionally, late in the course no one caught the Lie of the Day. When that happened, Dr. K would say, "Ah ha! Each of you has one falsehood in your lecture notes. Discuss amongst yourselves what it might be, and I will tell you next Monday. That is all." Over the weekend, students would work in study groups, and on Monday, students would give their ideas on what the Lie of the Day had been. Late in the quarter, Dr. K would do something devious. He would give a lecture that had no lie. On Monday, after he had shot down students' attempts to find a lie in the previous lecture ("no, in fact that is true - look at [x]"), he would say, "Do you remember the first lecture - how I said that 'every lecture has a lie?' Well - THAT was a lie. My previous lecture was completely on the level. But I am glad you reviewed your notes rigorously this weekend - a lot of it will be on the final. Moving on ...." Mr. Chang says that "I've had many instructors before and since, but few that I remember with as much fondness - and [that is] why my favorite professor was a chronic liar." 2) Comedian Jon Stewart is a strong supporter of gay marriage, perhaps because he realizes that gays and lesbians are somebody's sons and daughters. On June 5, 2006, Bill Bennett, famous gambler and Republican, guested on Mr. Stewart's Daily Show, where they discussed gay marriage, with Mr. Stewart pro and Mr. Bennett con. Mr. Stewart pointed out that Vice President Dick Cheney is very much a conservative: "Dick Cheney: Conservative. Draconian. Drinks the blood of puppies." He then pointed out that Mr. Cheney's daughter is a lesbian and that Mr. Cheney does not oppose gay marriage. Mr. Bennett said that he thought Mr. Cheney did not oppose gay marriage because his daughter is gay. Mr. Stewart then asked, "Isn't every gay person someone's son or daughter?" Mr. Bennett agreed to the obvious, but quickly growing tired of the debate, said, "The debate is over, Jon." Mr. Stewart agreed, "Yeah. You lost." (One of the few things Mr. Cheney has done right is to pose with his wife for a photograph with his grandson, lesbian daughter Mary's son. The photograph shows a cute baby boy and a proud grandfather and grandmother.) 3) When something is badly worrying your child, it's time to take action. Jim, the 16-year-old son of young people's book author Gary Paulsen, writer of Hatchet, once was badly worried about dying young because of "the nuclear thing." Mr. Paulsen and his son took action by writing a letter to Russia. The letter carried this message: "Dear Russia, We don't want to kill you and we don't want you to kill us. Gary Paulsen and his son Jim do not want to blow you up and we do not want you to blow us up."