Anti-Colonial?

There was a time when I thought Newt Gingrich might be better than a thrice married, cheating douche who divorced his wife when she was diagnosed with cancer, but clearly I was delusional. Apparently, Newt and Dinesh D'Souza, who makes me feel shame as an Indian, have decided Obama holds "a Kenyan, anti-colonial worldview" and cannot be trusted. I guess the "Kenyan" reference just means Newt and D'Souza don't like non-white people. A strange sentiment for D'Souza given that he is not white. He could simply be a self-loather?
The "anti-colonial worldview" is what I find most strange. As a former history professor, Newt should know that the United States of America was founded by anti-colonialists. George Washington, the first president and one of the founding fathers, was an anti-colonialist. Apparently he skipped that class. Note to self, do not let friends go to Newt's alma mater.
Their are sure to take on a life of their own now that Glenn Beck has managed to equate anti-colonialism with socialism. One more apt would pair anti-colonialism with freedom. As the Tea Partiers rally, I hope they realize the oppressive federal government which they claim does not heed the will of the people has a lot in common with anti-colonialists desire for freedom from an oppressive government that regards them as less than equal. Although what is worse, the hypocrisy of the Tea Party or the ignorance?

My Reading List

Wow. It's literally been months. But I am back, not sure for how long, but the next ten to fifteen minutes at least. Work really interferes with my ability to blog. However, it has not interfered with my ability to get in the occasional light read. Yeah!

I just finished reading three books, two of which, Atonement and The Blind Side, I was really excited about, and the other The Memory Keeper's Daughter, which I only bought because it was part of a 'Buy 1, Get 1 50% Off' deal at Borders. The Memory Keeper's Daughter was utterly useless. Quite frankly, I am surprised it hasn't made the Oprah Book Club list yet. But I suppose she has been busy campaigning for Barack. Anyway, I don't want to waste anymore time on the book. I already lost two hours of my life to it.

I was a little suspicious of Atonement, especially when the movie previews came out with Keira Knightly pouting around an English estate in that ridiculous green dress. But what can I say, I am a sucker for romance and period novels. By now, I am sure everyone is familiar with the plot - a little melodramatic no? Star crossed, class crossed lovers. Separated by a horrid lie, wrought from a child with an over active imagination, and Hitler's war. But in a period romance, it is unavoidable!

However, beyond the melodrama, the pacing of the book seemed off. I found the first part of the book interesting and well written, but slow. I could skip entire pages without missing anything at all. Especially true during the battle scenes. Not quite sure what was going on there. Despite my issues with the first part of the book, I found the latter half of the book far less engaging. Not only was the plot was completely predictable! it was also rushed.

Character development was another issues. Robbie and Cee, the emotional center of the novel failed to deliver for me. I didn't feel any connection to them what so ever. To the end, Robbie in remained nothing but a hormonal teenager disguised as a chain smoking, Cambridge intellectual. And Cee wasn't much better as a vapid, ineffectual, little rich girl.

Since reading The Blind Side, I have found myself watching football differently. I confess or perhaps compliment myself on being a sophisticated football watcher, in that I have always tried to watch the offensive line and the pocket. But the left tackle. Never really knew who he was, until Michael Lewis told me.

I found the first chapter or so of the book on the "evolution of the game" really interesting. The evolving importance of the passing game, the spread offense, the West Coast offense, etc. The decline of the running back, and the increased importance of the quarterback and hence the quarterback's protector, in the evolving passing game. The second half of the book, the story of Michael Oher was touching, something I would expect to see in the New York Times Magazine, where it was apparently excerpted some time back. But in a way the "rags to riches" story of Oher is troubling. Based on what I know of Memphis, the state of Tennessee, and Harold Ford Jr.'s unsuccessful presidential bid, there is something almost sinister in the way a rich, white, Southern, Christian, Republican family adopted Oher. Would they have adopted him if they hadn't seen his potential as an athlete? I can't help but wonder. I also can't help but wonder if my cynicism is getting in the way of appreciating real love and generosity.

At some point, the book became a bit tedious. It lacked the wit that I expect from Lewis. Towards the end it becomes clear that there are kids like Oher all across America's cities with the talent to make it as professional athletes. But they lack the access to education, to scouts, to a strong support structure, etc. You cannot help but wonder what the right market clearing price for talent would be if all these kids could be "adopted" like Oher. Or what it could mean in terms of uplifting entire families and breaking the cycle of poverty that pervades the inner city. On the whole though, the book ended up feeling a little more Reader's Digest, which is not a bad thing per say, just unexpected. So reader beware, this is no Liar's Poker.

Still I am look forward to seeing Michael Oher play next year either for Ole Miss or as a first round draft pick. Who would ever have thought the block and tackle would be worth more than the golden arm!

Ding Dong the Witch is Dead

I almost couldn't believe it when I opened up my e-mail and saw the WSJ alert on Karl Rove's resignation. I thought he would stay until the bloody end. But perhaps he realizes that he has already inflicted the maximum amount of carnage possible on this country. After all, a sinking ship can't really attack those around them. Or perhaps, more simply, Rove is trying to protect whatever is left of his legacy as a brilliant political strategist. The 2006 mid-term elections did not leave much. But it is unlikely he would have survived the remaining one year plus unscathed. If I was Bush though, I would be a little hurt by Rove's resignation. The Captain is supposed to stay with his ship, even when it is sinking. Apparently, Karl Rove was one of the few who missed Leo and Kate's 'Titanic'. I wonder how long it will be before Cheney and Condi take the last life raft. So it appears that without his most vociferous pit bull, Bush is being backed even further into a corner.

Somehow the current state of Bush's administration reminds me a bit of Richard the III, abandoned by his men on the battle field, alone and without a horse. I wonder when Bush will be willing to trade his "kingdom for a horse". Both men cut rather pathetic figures, but strangely Richard the III, who allegedly murdered his nephews and tried to marry his niece, is more sympathetic to me. I guess that goes to show what I think of GWB.

Return of the Gilded Age?

Reading the paper these days makes me feel fatigued. I am tired of reading about the misery in Africa - Darfur, the Congo, Sierra Leone - where nothing ever seems to change, of New Orleans where Bush probably still thinks that Brownie did a "heckuva job", and Edward's two Americas - honestly, since when did Fortress care about high school educated textile factory workers? Perhaps my renewed cynicism is unjustified. But I am inclined to think not.

The newspapers are full of articles discussing the growing inequality between the rich and the poor. They allege that today's concentration of wealth rivals that of the Gilded Age - the age of monopolies, Standard Oil, and the Vanderbilts (who were famous for their balls, especially the one where they dressed as "the poor"). They quote statistics where CEO pay is over 1000x that of the average employee. And if that isn't disturbing, one only has to look at the earnings of hedge fund and private equity managers. My parents used to say, if it's too good to be true, it is. And I believe them!

These private investors claim to be creating value, and no doubt they are indeed creating value for themselves, but what about the business they shut down, the communities they hurt, the people they fire? I have no doubt that Cerberus will manage to make a fist full of money on Chrysler but it will be on the backs of Chrysler's employees and the community.

People, including some of my friends, argue that the best way to give back to the community is not to volunteer through organized programs, but to amass enough wealth such that you are able to distribute it at your discretion. So perhaps that is what guys like Schwartz and Ross plan to do, but will that make up for the costs associated with accumulating that wealth? Also I can't help but wonder who is a better redistributer of wealth - the individual or the government. I recognize government is not a particularly inefficient vehicle, but I am inclined to think it is best for the average American. Individuals tend to give their money to pet causes that certainly to benefit some people, but perhaps not as many as they could.

But why even bother trying to determine if there is a better way. The people who have the money control the politicians who control the law. And the hypocrisy is unbelievable. Chuck Schumer, who is all about protecting the poor and the middle class, does not think it is reasonable to tax private equity/hedge fund carry as income. One can't help but wonder if that has anything at all to do with the fact that hedge fund managers are among his biggest supporters.

I am not really sure what it is that I am talking about anymore... so I am going to stop.

Bourne Again

Yesterday, I went to see the latest installment of the Bourne series - The Bourne Ultimatum. I confess I was a bit disappointed, especially after all the hype it received from the reviewers. Especially Magnolia Dargis or whatever her name is... but then I tend to discount her opinion a bit. She likes everything. But I suppose on reflection that it was Number 3 in the series, it wasn't half bad. In comparison to Pirates of the Caribbean 3, it was gem. Matt Damon really does play Bourne well.

The previews they showed before the movie were quite disturbing. One was about an FBI investigation of a terrorist bombing in Saudi Arabia. I am quite sure this movie won't be screening in Mecca, Medina, or Riyadh. If by some freak chance it does, I have a feeling it will do nothing to improve US-Middle East relations. Following up that was a preview for the movie 'Rendition'... yeah, a real upper. I wonder if we as a country are ready for movies where are country condones and encourages the torture of men who are very likely innocent. I remember wondering the same thing when 'United 93' or whatever that movie was came out. Then came the preview for the movie 'Beowolf'. Wow. I don't remember British Literature being like that... certainly there was no Angelina Jolie. If that movie makes any money, it will likely be on the backs of high school kids who are failing English.

The Tragedy of TV Summers and Other Nonsense

After the mosquitoes come out, summer evenings end up being nothing more than a huge bore. To make matters worse, there is absolutely nothing on TV. It's like going to the mall with money and the intent to shop and finding nothing to buy or going to the candy store and finding it closed or just full of sugar free crap. Honestly, the state of summer television is truly distressing, unless you are a fan of random reality TV like Joey Fat-one and the 'Singing Bee'. I think there has only been one interesting show this summer, and that is 'Psych'. It has Charlie from the 'West Wing'. He's so cute, I just want to pat him on the head.

In other related nonsense, I had the opportunity to watch Poker on a 46" LCD HDTV. I am not sure that Poker does the TV justice. I am also not sure why anyone would watch such crap. It is just as bad as bowling. As for the commentators. I almost pity the fools, what did they do to deserve such a gig, and do they have writers or do they come up with their own inane drivel? God, I miss the fall. I miss football. I miss real sports!

I can't begin to tell you how excited I was to see 'Wicked'. I read the book and loved it, and while I had heard mixed reviews about the musical's fidelity to the novel, I was hoping... well talk about misplaced hope. The musical destroys the book. Utterly and completely. And the songs, I am sure they were good, if only I could have made out the words. Definitely not the super fabulous production I was hoping for.

I have been trying to pay attention to the latest administration scandals, but quite frankly Alberto Gonzalez spews so much garbage, I just can't keep it straight. In fact, listening to him talk gives me a headache. I wonder if that is why GWB keeps him around... he annoys people so much, they forget that they should really be frustrated by the president who condones his very existence.

Oh, and about Harry Potter. What was up with the LOTR theme? How could they let ***** kill *********. It was supposed to be ******* dammit! And *** and ******** and ***** and ***** could JK have been any more predictable? Yeah, and the whole thing with the elder wand? How was its master *****? I thought for sure it would have been ***** or *****. Gotta say, I was a little let down by the whole production. So much for Harry and Luna ending up together forever or the raising of the dead with the end of the Dark Lord. Sigh...

Who Will Die?

I saw the latest installment of the Harry Potter series today. It was actually my favorite one to date. Things actually started happening and there was no quidditch. (Thank god! That game is worse than cricket!) Watching today's movie made me wonder though, which two characters are going to die in the final book. I believe that there are supposed to be two main characters who die...

Harry Potter? Unlikely. If he dies, will anyone bother to see movie six and seven? Little kids all over the world will be heartbroken. The Queen will have to take back the knighthood or whatever it is she conferred on Rowling.

Ron Weasley? I think very likely. The best friend and sidekick tragically dying to help his best friend save the world. Seems appropriate. Besides Ron doesn't really do much besides occupy otherwise empty space.

Hermione Granger? I hope not. She is the only real main female character... they can't kill her. It's sexist I tell you!

Neville Longbottom? The boy has suffered enough. Crazies for parents, an utter and complete lack of social skills, and that name! Ach!

Severus Snape? Quite likely, and my sister will probably agree. The most hated man at Hogwarts will be beloved once everyone finds out he was only doing Dumbledore's bidding.

Draco Malfoy? He's pretty useless. I am not sure Rowling even plans to redeem him. If she isn't going to redeem him, then he is not important enough to go down in a blaze of glory...

So who do you think will die? I wonder if I should pre-order book seven... I seem to have succumbed to Potter mania.

Back from Hiatus

It's been awhile since I last updated. Actually, I feel generally my postings have become quite sporadic, which is unfortunate.

I spent the past two weeks in Australia, and have thankfully picked up neither their slang nor their accent. But I do like how they occasionally refer to their president/prime minister person as 'Johnnie Howard'. I wish we could refer to George Bush as Georgie Bush. It seems so fitting. Rather like the name of a petulant child.

Being in Australia I was reminded that while the US may not be winning the war on terror, they sure are winning the culture war. 'Neighbors' may in fact be the only original Australian programming on TV. The show that took up the most airtime was 'The Simpsons', if there is a show more synonymous with American culture, I would love to hear about it. In fact, in Australia, I was able to watch such fabulous and stimulating programming as 'The Real World Las Vegas Reunion' show. I *love* America.

I also had a chance to catch 'Knocked Up'. Aside from the fact that the plot line was completely unbelievable, oh and that live birth scene (ew! totally gratuitous and unnecessary... I think I have been scarred for life... no wonder Anne Hathaway turned down the part...), the movie was pretty amusing. And Izzie was far more likable in the movie than Gray's itself.

I also had a chance to snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef which led to the opportunity to drink large quantities of Pacific Ocean water. All I can say is... mmm... tasty! The reef was cool though. I think I was stalked by a somewhat inquisitive Zebra fish.

Cheating Darwin

So I have been reading the latest edition of Vanity Fair, guest edited by Bono himself, which probably explains the less than stellar quality of some of the articles. It has been really hard to get through. Try as Bono might to celebrate the triumphs of Africa, there just isn't enough there. If Tunisia, a country that has been run by a succession of "benevolent dictators" is being held up as a model of Africa's future, you can't help but be troubled. And then not a single article manged to avoid the discussion of the diseases that have ravaged Africa over the generations.

I remember learning about Darwin and Malthus in high school. If you believe in both survival of the fittest and that population growth rapidly outstrips food production, then I wonder if epidemic disease is a way to shift populations, weed out the weak, and restore the balance between human populations and available resources. You see this often in the animal world, particularly with deer populations. If deer populations rise to an unsupportable level, many deer begin suffering from wasting disease and the population balance is restored within a couple seasons. Perhaps this is what Mother Nature is trying to do? But if it is...

1. Why is it that Africa is bearing the brunt of the burden?
2. What is our moral responsibility to alleviate these epidemics? Can we find a real cure or are we merely postponing an eventual and inevitable population shake out?
3. Are humans really capable of circumventing Darwinian logic?

If it is in fact possible to cheat evolution does that mean the creationists have it? Does it mean that Darwin was wrong? Or is cheating evolution simply mean that it is the fittest that do survive?

Fatty

Why is it that today fatness, plumpness, and obesity are associated with the poor and less educated? It wasn't always like that. I still remember reading Anne of Green Gables when I was younger. Anne wished she had dimpled arms like Diana. I remember looking at my own arms and wondering where the dimples were supposed to be. So back in the day being rounder was not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it was apparently a somewhat attractive quality. Maybe because plumpness connoted good health and wealth during a time when food was relatively scarce?

I guess what provoked this question for me was the very obese woman on the bus back to Boston yesterday. If I were hazarding a guess I would say she was morbidly obese. When I saw her, there were a couple things that ran through my head... things like, I hope I don't have to sit next to her (I like having my space) and why doesn't she take better care of herself and "white trash". But then I immediately felt guilty because there are plenty of people who are obese through no fault of their own, merely a cruel genetic trick and where do I get off judging people on their appearances. Then I felt worse when I heard other people whispering and snickering about her. Afterall, what I was doing wasn't much better...

But I wonder when exactly did obesity and income/education become so correlated? Is it that overly processed foods are expensive relative to fresh, healthy foods? Is it that gym access is expensive and not available to all? Is it that the poor and less educated have to work more jobs and more hours and don't have the time to take care of themselves? Fast food is always a quick and easy option.

My own gut reaction to obesity makes me wonder if there isn't a form of discrimination more insidious than racism. Racism is not acceptable to broader society, but I am inclined to think that weightism is sadly somehow more acceptable.

Long Time No See

Wow! I have been gone for a month... and no one has noticed. Talk about tragic. I guess I am just a blip in the realm of the internet.

So what to write about there is all kinds of craziness going on...

Politics: I guess Bush is worried that Chancellor Merkel might try spank him and so has come up with his ridiculous Dilbert-esque plan of holding multi-year meetings to potentially address the potential problem of climate change. Oh and then there is the whole Iraq War timeline that never was. Literally sometimes I think the news is more like a comedy sketch than a report on the state of our reality.

Entertainment: I have seen several movies in the past week including Pirates of the Caribbean Take III and The Namesake. The former sucked big time. A pirate king? an octopus pirate? a voodoo Calypso? I was bored half way through the movie, but are you allowed to leave a sold out movie? The Namesake was relatively speaking better. But I didn't get the mother? I mean she did nothing except cook all the time. Yeah, was not loving that. And the slutty librarian. I didn't dig her either.

Sports: It is my belief that basketball players should be covered by SI more than People magazine. But apparently Tony Parker breaks the mold. In any case, the Pistons are giving me a serious case of ulceritis. And the Spurs irritate the crap out of me. Here's to hoping Game 5 keeps LeBron in check.

Books: I finished reading Never Let Me Go. It was good. But sad, but good. On the other hand, The Time Traveller's Wife, I was less thrilled about.

The Name Game

It must suck to be a celebrity kid. You get saddled with the most god awful names. Now normal people give their kids names like Dan, Mike, Sara, and Jennifer. But apparently that is just too bland for celebs. I guess their kids need names that prove they are unique and privileged...

Apple Martini it used to be my favorite drink. Apprently it is Gwenyth's too!

And poor Chastity Bono. Not only did she have to live down her mother's exploits in real life and in drag queen renditions, but she had to do it while saddled with the name Chastity. That is just place rude! I wonder if that is why she is gay?

And what is the deal with all the city named kids? Paris Hilton, Brooklyn Beckham, Ireland Baldwin. Are they all named after places they were conceived? Talk about ew! No kid should be forced to think about such things on a daily basis. Interestingly a lot of kids are also named after months, August seems particularly popular. But I'll believe it when someone names their kid October.

Richard Gere has got to be one of the worst offenders in the name game. I am not sure if he is just clueless or truly has a mean streak. Homer James Jigme Gere. Now apparently, the poor sucker is named after his grandfather, but honestly when I hear the name Homer all I think off is a fat, loutish, yellow, beer guzzling cartoon character.

Got any other particularly bad names to share?

Sex, Lies, and Money

So what is worse? Sleeping with a moderately pudgy, clingy, twenty-something in the Oval Office? Or getting your groove on with an moderately pudgy, graying, forty-something at the World Bank? Two seats of power. Two very different men, and two very different mistresses. Which is worse? Aesthetically neither couple seems particularly pleasing - Bill and Monica. The blue dress? Yuck! Wolfie and Shaha - I think I vomited in my mouth. I also think according to Bill's technical definition, they may actually have had "s-e-x".

I am not sure what Bush means when he says Wolfie acted in "good faith" regarding his companion. Is that "good faith" like the "good faith" Bush had in WMD in Iraq? or the "good faith" when he at Putin gazed lovingly into each other's eyes? And since when does someone's mistress get to be called a companion? Monica was never spared the ignominy. Why should Shaha be?

Random aside: I wonder if Shaha if of two minds about this though. Remember how Jennifer got mad when Angelina called her Brad's best friend in her Vanity Fair interview. As if Brad somehow viewed Jen as, I guess, asexual. Well talk about choosing a sanitized word. Companion brings up images of old women, spinsters, and chaperons. While they have all but admitted to gettin' it on, the word companion helps us forget.

Anyway, back to the 50% salary bump for his consort? Not even Monica got that and she let the leader of the free world score. All expenses paid trips to Iraq? Now I for one would have preferred Bora Bora, but you know those neo-con types, they'd probably prefer Tora Bora. While I don't begrudge Wolfie and Shaha their little sexcapades could they not do it on the tax payer dime?

And finally, if Wolfie is, and he clearly is, guilty of sleeping with a subordinate, lying about it, covering it up, and giving her huge amounts of money that is not his - then should he not be punished? Clinton did all the same, except unlike Wolfie he does not need to pay people to sleep with him, and he nearly got impeached. It seems only fitting that Mr. Wolfowitz should have to suffer the same.

Just in terms of full disclosure, I almost felt sort of bad writing this, because I just finished reading the article on Wolfowitz in the New Yorker and he really doesn't seem that bad...

Understanding the NFL Draft

So I have played fantasy football, so I do have some vague sense of how the draft is supposed to work. That being said, I am totally baffled by this year's draft. Why so many defensive ends, defensive tackles, and offensive tackles in the first round? And why oh why, did the stupid Lions draft another friggin' wide receiver? I mean you need a couple of them, and I guess they are all about the spread offense. But a wideout is totally useless if there is not someone to get the ball in their hands. Hello - QB much?

Apparently, sensing my paranoia yesterday, the Lions did draft Drew Stanton. Now I love the idea of a hometown boy being a starting quarterback, but eh... I still see chokesville in his future. Detroit seems to lack good coaches and good supporting players, but it can't be any worse that what was going on in East Lansing.

While I want to be excited for the Lions, I have decided not to hold my breath. I remember what happened with Joey Harrington... oh the pain...

The Bettys of the World and Other Thoughts

Is it possible for Bettys to Win?
After watching 'Clueless', I though a Betty was supposed to be a babe who got everything she wanted. Cher does point to her mother and call her a "total Betty". So you would think it is a good thing, but...

• Remember Betty? Cheerleader, honor student, blonde hair, great body (well for a cartoon character)? She was the All-American girl. Too bad she was always second best in Archie's eyes. Always second best to rich, snobby, pert-nosed Veronica. Instead of being the girlfriend, she was the girl friend. Archie's best friend, emotional crutch, and substitute date... and quite frankly she was second best in my mind. I always wanted to be Veronica. Betty while pretty and smart was boring, and she didn't get the boy.


• Apparently, things haven't changed that much because America's new, everywoman, (Ugly) Betty, can't seem to catch a break either. Her sister mocks her. Her crush has a girlfriend he won't dump. Her boss expects her to clean up all his messes. Her co-workers have a seemingly endless set of insulting nicknames they throw at her. To top it off, she isn't even as hot as cartoon-Betty. Not to mention Amanda ends up with all the best lines.

Early Onset Alzheimer's?
Alzheimer's is a neurodegenerative disease that's most well known symptom is memory deterioration. It typically occurs in the elderly, you have to be at least 65 or so. Imagine my surprise when Alberto Gonzales, apparently manifested a complete and utter loss of short term memory. So my question is this - if the man cannot remember, recall, or recollect major incidents that occurred over the last six months and is clearly suffering from dementia, should he really be AG? According to Bush - YES! Apparently memory deterioration is something that gives Bush confidence in his appointees... dear Lord! Maybe he should hire the Jokers from Arkham Asylum.

Random Aside
I watched Bill Moyer's "Buying the War" show on-line. It was nothing new, but it did irritate me beyond belief!

• Was no one home at The Times or The Post? Maybe they were just out to lunch? A really long multi-year lunch? Apparently, the only people who really tried to report the news and inconsistencies on the evidence leading up to the Iraq War were the journalists at Knight-Ridder, who didn't even have a fair chance, since their papers don't release do major markets.


• Did Big Media basically black out anti-war journalists? It has been awhile since Hearst used his media empire to foment the Spanish-American War. But since then, American journalists were supposed to be about truth - Watergate (though Woodward turned out to be all sorts of louse recently), Edward R. Murrow. But it seems that things have changed. Looks like MSNBC could not take the heat of old Phil Donahue poking holes in the case of the president and fired him.


• Goddamn Judith Miller. She is everything a journalist should not be. She was Cheney's little lapdog. She makes me want to puke. She makes me want to discontinue my subscription to the New York Times. But then where would I go. Fox News? Hells no.


• Incidentally, the show made me miss Dan Rather. I don't mind Charles Gibson, but I did grow up watching Dan give the news.

In the Last Couple Days

I feel like I have been blogging non-stop, but somehow the moment I stop, all kinds of craziness happen...

Celebrities in the News

• Hugh Grant dumped baked beans on paparazzi? Now anyone who has watched 'Bend It Like Beckham' has got to know that baked beans can do real damage and leave real scars!


• Alec Baldwin called his daughter a "pig", seems a bit odd. But then my own father called me a "turkey" a few times. Whatever that means. I don't think I am too emotionally scarred though.


• Richard Gere, I mean honestly if you are gonna pull an Adrian Brody on an Indian actress, at least go for a hotter one. Shilpa Shetty is like leftovers. The American version of, I don't know, maybe Meg Ryan... so like ten years ago.

Politics

I caught up on the Democratic debates on-line. Here were my takeaways.

• No one will straight up answer a question. I mean Hillary and Edwards dodged the hedge fund question like there was no tomorrow. Wonder if it has something to do with donor dollars, Chelsea's job, and Johnny boy's advisory board position. The only people who had the balls to answer questions were Gravel and Kucinich, the two crazies, who don't have a chance in hell of winning. Even Richardson, who I actually had some hope for, turned the gun control question into a question about treating mental illness. No wonder he is the NRA's favorite candidate.


• Apparently, John Edwards' daddy was a poor textile mill worker... blah... blah... blah. Isn't this the same story we have hear for the past four years? At least, he doesn't flip-flop on his family history. The sad thing is he appears to be the only Dem with a real chance of winning.


• Mike Gravel is crazy! In fact, I was not sure if I should laugh or well laugh during his pontifications (e.g., rants). Personally, I wish the guy had received a little more air time because quite simply he added some levity to a very scripted debate.


• Obama seems like less of a rock star than he did four years ago... I think he has finally become a real politician. He plays dodge ball like a pro!

Television and Books

• The Grey's spin-off sounds utterly wretched. How many prime time hospital soaps can TV stand? And how many outlandish diseases can they think of to keep these shows going?


• I am getting somewhat curious about the next Harry Potter book, which I find odd, since I am not even a super huge fan of the book. I wonder if Harry will kill Voldemort, or if it will be Neville, or maybe it will be Harry and Neville together. I really hope Hermione doesn't end up with Ron. I am just not that into guys with red hair. And image their children, yikes... freckled red heads with bushy hair and buck teeth. God forbid! Do you think Snape is bad? If he isn't bad, does that mean Draco could be good? Oh the confusion, and it all has to be resolved in several hundred pages, is it even possible?


• My old babysitter had a front page article in the Globe today. I feel like I should link to it!

The Five Point Campaign

So apparently, Obama announced his five point campaign a few days ago...

1. The first way America will lead is by bringing a responsible end to this war in Iraq and refocusing on the critical challenges in the broader region.


2. The second way America will lead again is by building the first truly 21st century military and showing wisdom in how we deploy it.


3. The third way America must lead again is by marshalling a global effort to meet a threat that rises above all others in urgency – securing, destroying, and stopping the spread of weapons of mass destruction.


4. That’s why the fourth way America must lead is to rebuild and construct the alliances and partnerships necessary to meet common challenges and confront common threats.


5. The fifth way America will lead again is to invest in our common humanity – to ensure that those who live in fear and want today can live with dignity and opportunity tomorrow.

I think this is a five point plan everyone can agree with, well maybe with the exception of the hawkiest of the hawks, and that is precisely the problem. There are no details here. And I am really very curious to know what Obama means with position point #1. What in his mind is a "responsible end to this war in Iraq"? Leaving? Hmm... I was taught responsibility is to acknowledge the results of the decisions I made and clean up the mess.

I could quibble with other points, but that would be petty and not really worth it. But I do think his choice of words in point #1 is intriguing.

On the Distribution of Wealth

There is an article in the New York Times today about how much money Hedge Fund Managers made last year. The top three hedge fund managers take home pay totals to the tune of $5+ billion. (I am trying to figure out how many Tiffany's engagement rings that equals, but I am getting confused by all the zeros!) In any case, the top 25 hedge fund managers earned about $14 billion this past year. That's enough to pay the 80,000 teachers in the New York City public school system for three years. It is also kind of sick.

I am all for people who can figure out how to create wealth. I mean I certainly hope to. But one person making $1.7 billion seems a bit odd. Especially since he does not really "do" anything. I wonder what he tells his children (if he has any that is). He is basically trading pieces of paper using a souped up excel model. It's like the Garbage Pail Kids collection I used to have. In fact, I would suppose that a lot of these hedge fund managers do more damage than good when they play in the public markets. Many of them with a focus on short-term earnings force companies to make decision while beneficial in the short-term, hurt the companies long-term prospects. It's kind of like how the US government refuses to balance the budget, great for now because they can have all these special pork barrel programs everyone loves, but crappy for people in the future who have to deal with the mess.

Anyway, this rant has a little more winding to go through. But today was the last day of one of my finance classes, and I was surprised that the professor quoted from the New York Times article mentioned above. He said people need to think about wealth creation and wealth distribution and not either in isolation which is what the Republicans and Democrats, respectively, tend to do. He also said that anyone who can justify CEO pay in America today clearly has yet learn "common sense". Now if this is true, and I for one do believe most CEOs are overpaid, what does this say about money managers and private equity sorts who do not manage people and who do not "create" anything.

Finally, on a somewhat related note, another group of "financiers" who have often troubled me are so-called "turnaround artists". These are guys like W.R. Ross. Ross is probably best know for the International Steel Group roll-up he created, and sold a few years ago to Mittal Steel, turning a neat $250 million profit for himself. Some might call this a success, but what about all the people who were laid off? who had their benefits cut? Clearly, there was value to go around as evidenced by the considerable sum Ross & Co. managed to tuck away as they steam rolled through the MidWest. According to my professor, every ecosystem needs a vulture. And I guess for the steel industry it was Ross. Perhaps it is with this same lens that one needs to view hedge funds? If you show any sign of weakness, if there is any blood, they will come after you. After all, I guess everyone needs lunch?

Polar Bears

I am watching my polar bear cam right now. I like polar bears. They are cute. It is sad that the government refuses to accept global warming is a reality. The melting of the polar ice caps may not result in the flooding of Manhattan as depicted in Al Gore's movie 'An Inconvenient Truth', but it will certainly be problematic for polar bears. They aren't the world's most fabulous swimmers. They are dependant on the ice as a platform for hunting seals.

How can you not want to protect polar bears?

Thinking About Iraq

If you have eyes and ears, it is hard to not think about Iraq. Here are some thoughts I have had over the past couple days...

• Yes, it is sad that 32 people died at Virginia Tech. But on a scale of relative "badness" what is worse? the isolated killing of 32 people in Virginia? or the daily death of at least 32 civilians in Iraq? I hesitate to apply a scale of moral relativity. However, if you look at the way the news was apportioned between Iraq and Virgina Tech over the past week, it would appear the press has. 32 American lives are worth more than 224 Iraqi lives.
  
• When will we learn pick and choose the strongmen we choose to topple. History has taught us bad things happen when heterogeneous populations lose their dictators. Half a million people died during the partition when the British Raj left India. We all know what happened when Tito was toppled in Yugoslavia. The trials are still running at the Hague. Thirty years after the departure of Belgians, Rwanda erupted in violence and genocide not seen since the 1940s. While the distrust and bad blood is rarely evident at the surface, it is always there. How we missed it is beyond me!


• Why is the world so unwilling to split Iraq up into three different countries? It's what happened with Yugoslavia, despite potential concerns of the Albanians and Greeks. So the Turks don't want Kurdistan, but they'll get over it. It's not like they are doing anything to help now. Can't we just be done with this?