The concept of "contrarian" as a free-standing ideology is obviously retarded. And it doesn't have much to recommend it as a personality type, either.
Here's my silver-lining finding on Hitchens: he writes divinely, has many of the right enemies, and can be a perceptive literary critic.
Kaus is another kettle of fish entirely. He just writes (and critiques) what he knows, which is the insider democratic-media complex. And on this beat, he delviers the goods like few others. The right would be well served by its own Kaus.
Show me something by Hitchens from the last year that's written divinely. I'll settle for one paragraph.
Hasn't Hitchens as a literary critic come up here before? Either that or it was at John & Belle's house, I think.
Actually, ogged, I've graduated already, though I see my email address above is still @uchicago.edu. As for my grades, see these? I got those.
MT is stripping out the title attribute of anchor tags. There would have been a title to that link saying "I am not normally a shameless braggart.".
Your university gives away money for good grades? No wonder we lost the civil war.
You were named a Woman in Philosophy? No mean feat.
Grad school?
I know perfectly well that link doesn't go to the "student groups" anchor, ogged. Your tricks won't play here.
I'm not in grad school, though I am applying. Er, theoretically. I haven't written a statement yet or anything.
I shoulda just stuck with compsci.
Ben W,
It sounds as if you are considering moving directly from undergrad into graduate school. Let me strongly, strongly counsel against this course of action. You are obviously an intelligent, literate guy; and a good writer to boot. For someone who excels in college, and cares about ideas, there is a strong temptation to move directly into, well, more school. I think this is a bad idea.
At least, I have been in precisely this situation, and it would have been a bad idea for me (I was spared by serendipity, not my own efforts) Unless you have a far broader base of experience than I did at 21, you have not worked in a “professional” job, and do not know what satisfactions it can (and cannot) offer. Some people need to be doing academic research in philosophy: it is the thing that makes them happy. Other people – just as smart, just as serious, just as caring about the life of the mind – are not like this. The way to discover which sort you are, is, in my opinion, to sample the life you have not been exposed to, and work for a couple of years post college.
Working before grad school has four tremendous advantages over going in straight. First, you will have a sense if you miss academic life; if not, forget it. Second, you will have some background against which to compare academic life. If you do return, you will be able to ask: “do I enjoy academic life more than I did job X.” Third, if grad school doesn’t work out (and sometimes it doesn’t) you will have work experience and connections that will greatly ease your re-entry into working life. To be 28-30, realize academics is not for you, and have no work experience at all: this is a bad situation. Some of my grad school buddies went through that, and it sucked. Last, and surely least important, unless you are completely profligate, by working for two years you can save enough money to make grad school relatively comfortable, and not grinding misery.
Don't sweat the compsci degree. It should be a snap for someone of your abilities to get a job in consulting or finance. If you are having trouble, I bet I could place you in about three days. Work for two years in a big skyscraper, then decide if you still hear Hegel calling. At least, that is the recommendation my own experience suggests.
Wait a second. You could have stuck with computer science and you're applying to grad school in what? Some humanities thing? Think hard, Ben. Think very very hard. And, if you do decide to do humanities grad school, keep up with the compsci; I'm totally serious.
Haha. Baa and I posted at exactly the same time with the same sentiment. He's right b-wo. Been there, done that. Getting a job is scary, but it's also the smart thing to do, for all the reasons baa gives. And, let me underline: working for a couple of years is wise, even if you ultimately decide to go back to school.
I am in fact gainfully (but not very gainfully) employed (in a go-nowhere kinda job but it is white-collar office type work) right now, and am even at the office as I type. I hung around the Invisible Adjunct's long enough not to want to go haring off to grad school immediately after graduating, much to the bafflement of my friends and parents.
Since this job is ganz the pits, I can't tell how much of thinking I want to go back to school is a reaction just to that, and how much it's fueled by a genuine interest in philosophy (I am also applying to law school since I'm a starry-eyed idealist-cynic). But I reason thusly: should this place improve or should I find a better job before leaving, I will have been out application fees and some time, but not much else, and should I later change my mind I'll still have statements and writing samples to use.
I grant that, should I be accepted to a good program and attend, I will have worked only one year post-graduation.
I appreciate the concern expressed (and the offer, baa), especially since this tangent started from what I assume was ogged insulting me obliquely.
Well, I won't press, given that this being the internet and all, you could be a dog. But look. It sounds like you haven't worked in a "career" job, but in a office-space-like horrendous job. Law school is just a way of getting a good paying gig, and one that *forces* you (by the leverage of vast debt) to take a good paying gig. If you love the law, then great. Otherwise, go to an I-bank. It will be as many hours as a law firm, but the upside is higher, and you won't get in debt. And certainly the work can;t be *less* interesting than big firm work.
No doubt you've heard enough of my worldly wisdom. Best of luck in whatever you choose...
Yes, you're right, this isn't a career job, and you're probably right all around.