Here are a few interesting tidbits that I missed over the weekend while I was running around like a very cold chicken with my head cut off:

• An article decrying the lack of respect for melancholia in this Modern Age which makes a very good point, but comes off looking like a whiny dope because the author oversells it. Is point is that, in our quest to be happy, we have forgotten the wondrous results of melancholy to sharpen the focus of the world. I think he is right about the way in which times of doubt and/or depression can force you to change your view of the world and yourself and that those feelings need to be honored for their importance, but I also think that the reason these things are a spur is our desire to be happy, hence melancholy means something needs to change. The supercilious attitude that is always taken with respect to happiness annoys me, as well. While I agree that numbness or complacency is not happiness and we should all be aware of that, I hate the way people constantly conflate the two in order to say happiness isn't really a worthy goal. Complacency is not a worthy goal, but happiness is a goal that requires a great deal of work and constant reevaluation of the world.
• The Jesuits have elected a new Black Pope and he has spent a great deal of time in Japan.
• There are a few things that have been proven to help curb dropout rates, though they mostly have to do with class size, personal attention, and parental involvement so it will be interesting to see if anyone tries to integrate them into policy.
• You've all seen the thing about how college football appears to encourage violence, as opposed to violent movies which seem to lower crime, but I am linking to the Freakonomics discussion of the issue.

The other stuff that will go up today or tomorrow morning will be more personal as I have had a busy weekend out in freezing cold temperatures.