Since this is my introduction, I’ll just start with the acknowledgements:

A bunch of people have been suggesting that I should do this. Well, actually, it’s more of an incredulous “You don’t have a blog?” which makes me feel like a dinosaur. So thanks for that.

I’ve been reading I, Asshole, which is an awesome blog, and actually answered for me the question, “Why would you have a blog?” So, a great big thank you to Assy.

Finally, I’d like to thank the anonymous student who wrote the essay in which the following sentence appeared:

“The ladder is the most important factor affecting multiculturalism, and I will discuss it further in the following paragraphs.”

Think about it. It may take you a minute. I sat in my office for 10 minutes, reading the eponymous following paragraph and the previous paragraph, cudgelling my brains for metaphors about multiculturalism and ladders, and saying “What ladder? What ladder?”

Eventually, the light dawned.

It was hilarious and infuriating, which is kind of what my life is like. It seemed like a good jumping off point.