George D'Angelo

Voices

Candidates full of hot air and not running out of steam

While watching a recent Republican Presidential debate, I was puzzled by the reaction to Rick Perry’s signing an order that required mandatory vaccination against human papillomavirus for sixth grade girls in Texas—an uncharacteristic move for a staunch social conservative like Perry.

By September 29, 2011

Voices

Carrying On: The taxes are too damn high

Imagine that one day you unintentionally discover a very simple cure for the common cold. With few side effects and relatively cheap ingredients, this cure is a miracle drug. You make the first several doses yourself in a makeshift kitchen laboratory, but soon realize that you’re going to need more money.

By November 18, 2010

Voices

Carrying On: The healthy Danish?

As is typical of the fall semester, last week I found myself facing a daunting pile of homework, impending deadlines, and to top it off, a poorly-timed bout of influenza. This time I was not terribly upset about my illness, because I’m in Denmark, a country with free healthcare.

By October 28, 2010

Voices

Carrying On: Some like it flat

About a month ago, in an orientation speech for my study abroad program in Copenhagen, a Danish government official explained to my fellow Americans and me how expensive it would be for us to live in Denmark. Thanks to an unfortunate exchange rate, it costs about 5.5 kroner to purchase $1 dollar. Here, a cheap cup of coffee costs about 22 kroner. Smirking, the speaker said, “Don’t blame us—blame your parents.

By October 7, 2010

Voices

Carrying On: The unsexy reality of an ad agency

This summer I found myself interning for two months at an advertising agency. I know what most of my fellow TV buffs out there are already thinking: Mad Men. I was curious to see if the fictional world of Don Draper’s 1960s Madison Avenue philandering had any resemblance to the modern world of marketing.

By September 16, 2010

Voices

Carrying On: Sperm: It’s all about the potency, baby

What am I worth? This is a question that is difficult for almost anyone to answer off the cuff. If you want to answer that question in its literal sense, you might calculate the net value of your expected lifetime earnings or assets. But how do you really calculate the value of a person?

By August 27, 2010

Voices

I have a quote for you, New York Stock Exchange

Last weekend, at the behest of my finance professor, I went on the Business School’s annual New York trip. A friend of mine was also going on the trip, so I figured I’d at least be able to hang out with him for a few days in New York City and check out the New York Stock Exchange and a few banks. The first Wall Street firm we visited began by serving our group a continental breakfast and talking to us about the financial services industry, new developments at the company, and a bit about their recruiting process. Then we got to speak to some employees. I was chatting up one of their bond traders, and after a few minutes I learned that he worked on a desk that traded mortgage-backed securities—the financial instruments that blew a hole in the economy.

By April 22, 2010

Leisure

Real monsters of meta

The concept of art within art—like a painting of a painting—can often be difficult to grasp. It is not always easy to determine where the the art ends and the frame begins. In The Real Thing, Tom Stoppard’s 1982 play...

By January 21, 2010

Voices

I wish I had as much sex as the people on television

“I’m turning it off,” my mother would say as we were sitting down to dinner. She didn’t care that there were only 2 minutes left of Hey Arnold and it... Read more

By November 19, 2009

Voices

No tolerance for intolerance at Georgetown

Sunday afternoon, after hearing about the second hate crime this week in Georgetown, I bought some markers, poster board, and texted a few friends to organize a flash protest. In... Read more

By November 5, 2009