Jokes and Doodles

Joke of the week (shared by my Business Admin. professor):

A CEO was hiring a new accountant for his firm. He brought the first applicant in and told him he only had one question: “What is two plus two?” The applicant answered, “Four.” The second applicant came in and was asked the same question: “What is two plus two?” The second applicant answered, “Four.”

The third applicant arrived and was asked the same question: “What is two plus two?” The third applicant leaned forward a little and said, “What kind of number did you have in mind?”

(The joke was used to illustrate how we can’t always put implicit trust in people just because of the position they hold.)

Public International Law this week was interesting. We had a guest speaker from Nigeria who is earning her doctorate in law in South Africa. Her study concerns internally displaced persons (people who would be refugees if they weren’t still in their own country). She talked about the unique challenges faced in helping IDPs. Because they are in their own country, they are still within the jurisdiction of their own governments; but if the situation isn’t addressed, it can spill over and cause international difficulties.

PIL also reminded me why I like geography. We discussed the creation of states and the criteria required for a state to exist. In conjunction with that, we talked about the dissolution of Yugoslavia into the various currently existing states and a little bit about Palestine and Kosovo. My geography brain found it fascinating. I love learning about the way spatial relationships (and now international laws) affect people.

There’s an extra benefit to PIL: it’s the kind of class I can doodle in. This week I tried drawing Africa. I’m not going to win any art prizes, but I enjoy doing it.