Can This Gay Sex Maniac Fix the Economy?
John Maynard Keynes is one of the most important economists ever, and after a lengthy period during which rejection of his ideas of government intervention led us directly to financial ruin, he is suddenly back in favor. Barack Obama's economic team, in particular, will be looking to Keynesian economics for a way out of the current crisis. But did you know he was a ravenous sex fiend who obsessively recorded each and every one of his hot gay hookups? It's true! And his secret second sex diary is in code!
Keynes had one sex diary to record who he had secret gay sex. The second one is more mysterious.
Here's what Keynes' tabulation looks like. For every quarter-year from 1906 to 1915, he tallies up his sexual activities and totals them under three categories: C, A, and W.
For each of these headings, he records the number of times each activity occurred, and also when. For example, between May and August, 1911, he performed (if that's the right word) C 16 times, A four times, and W five times.
No one knows what these weird letters mean, though obviously there are plenty of theories (wanking? copulation? ass?). Evan Zimroth notes that he also graded himself, or his partners, on performance, maybe. As we said, it's all very mysterious.
This is also why John Maynard Keynes was the best economist ever, and why we need him now, more than ever. Also everyone is a Keynesian now, again, so Tim Geithner and Paul Krugman are totally doing some C and W together (or to each other?) right now.