Drop It Like It’s Hot

Alan graciously pointed me towards a news article which I found to be profoundly humorous for all the wrong reasons. Here we have the story of an Economics Professor David Bradford, age 66, from the prestigious Princeton University. Professor Bradford has been an economist and taxation expert at Princeton’s faculty since 1966. According to the article, during his career he focused on economics in the public sector and served three U.S. presidents, including President George Herbert Walker Bush’s Council of Economic Advisers from 1991 to 1993 and deputy assistant secretary for tax policy in the U.S. Department of Treasury from 1975 to 1976, when he directed an influential study on income tax reform. This man is by any measure a pure intellectual genius. I think you would agree. In fact, he received a Master’s Degree in Applied Mathematics from Harvard University and earned a Doctorate in Economics from Stanford University. Moreover, Bradford also held positions with the National Bureau of Economic Research in Cambridge, Mass.; the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research in Washington; and the New York University School of Law.

Hmm. Economist and Mathematician from Stanford, Harvard and Princeton. You have on your hands one of the greatest trained minds imaginable. But Bradford died last week. No, he didn’t have a heart attack, nor Parkinson’s or any other disease or illness for that matter. Professor Bradford and I quote, “the fire was caused by one of about 10 lit candles on the tree, which had been in the house since December, police told the Trenton Times. Bradford apparently was upstairs when his wife told him that the tree was on fire. After he carried the tree out, firefighters quickly put out the fire, limiting damage to the house.” To recap, this distinguished Professor finds out his Christmas tree is burning and decides to carry it out of his house. This genius carries out the burning Christmas tree in the middle of February and dies from third-degree burns.

You may find me cruel or insensitive to humanity but I assure you I send my deepest condolences to his wife, two kids and four grandchildren. However, the fact remains that this pseudo-brilliant mind somehow decides it is A-OK to carry out a hefty tree which is on FIRE. Now, he suffered third-degree burns, so I would assume that maybe he misjudged the situation and thought he could handle it. But the question remains, after being burned INITIALLY by the tree, why would you not instantly drop it like it’s hot and attempt to contain the fire manually while the fire department was on its way? No, not Professor Bradford, he went out chivalrously, carrying out a Christmas tree in the middle of February despite his torso being burned alive.

If this was Texas you wouldn’t think twice. But New Jersey, Princeton’s Professor of Economics? Give me a break.

Adieu. Navid.