9.11.2011

9-11

Why are innocent victims honored more than those who died as volunteers? Soldiers. Firemen. Explorers.
Probably people identify more with...

moved

Flags. We are conditioned to honor, salute, burn, follow...whatever.  Was walking aimless and suddenly saw this. It moved me.

9.10.2011

Symbols of History.

Bastille was this terrifying stone tower.Few prisoners but a symbol of tyranny. So the people of Paris took it. The demolition contractor thought of a way of making money. He started to advertise the taking of the Bastille. Sent  troupes of actors around France to reenact the event.14 Julliet became famous  and the contractor became rich selling the stones from the demolition. Sold stone by stone, Never-mind these details. The French Revolution had been a real thing..
The Berlin Wall was a real thing as were the twin towers...

9.05.2011

the Internationale in vernacular.

I am going to jog today. And sing the Internationale. In the local version. Or is it the wrong date? The wrong beach? The wrong air?.

8.31.2011

the loneliness of the long distance runner

There was this movie. Consider my case. I share my swim lane with a blind man. Play bridge with random partners. Golf alone. Fancy elitist activities. I'm bad at each. Everything I try  turns into another proof that I hare no talent or basic skill. I have no gift or deep knowledge.. Even this blog with my poor English is another addition. Whatever I try is  a failure or at best a mediocrity.

8.27.2011

Earthquake, hurricane, tornado...

And nobody to blame ...Strange week.
Did I call my previous post Cherry Season?

8.21.2011

Cherry Season

This year the cherry season seems without end. And I eat by the pound...
 When I was a kid the season lasted two weeks at most. We could afford to buy only once, rarely twice a year. Many years I would even miss entirely. This left a craving ...
Had also a craving for bananas.  By twenty six,  I had eaten not more than five bananas. Maybe fewer.  The first day in Paris I ate left overs from the plane food and the cake brought from home. The following day, with my ten francs I went shopping for food and noticed how cheap the bananas were. Spent all my money on bananas. Got serious stomach troubles as I did not realize they were raw. Since then....And still don't know how to peel one.
Had to wait till now for cherries...and yes I enjoy them although I know this season is a fabrication...
Mais ou sont les dames du temps de cerises

8.14.2011

Homo sum...., latest version

The NOTAX dogma is evolving. New addition  - corporations are people. Yes, people without shame, compassion or ethics. This is the  republican man.
If one drills deep one can see that in  Romney's view the people are not as important as the corporations. Of course, his support does not come from the people but from corporations.
Interesting note-  the sacred? man, homo sacer, is nobody, it can be killed by anyone.

8.09.2011

hee haw vs see saw

 The other day Obama in a major speech used "play the market". Lapsus linguae , suddenly the professor seemed  tongue twisted. Or did he mean it? ..
See Saw market. How do you know if you are in see or in saw.
Hee Haw was clearer  - gloom , dispair and agony. 
At the end the saw will cut you down.

8.08.2011

Summer Stock Production

The fall of the market is entertaining. Like Rome set aflame by Nero. S&P downgrades the US debt and the money flows into the US bonds. S&P is probably unhappy with  the government spending tons of money to correct the mess created by the S&P failure to properly rate all the companies holding bad mortgages.

8.06.2011

Out of step with no change

The deal on debt produced nothing. So why did the market tank? I understand when the market goes up following some unexpected good news. The news had been bad for a while. All these bright guys moving the markets did they really  expect major things? Why was the market high in first place? And now the debt rating of the US is lower. Nothing changed and nothing is surprising. Why was it not lowered a month ago?
Is it true that  the market is run by bots?
Hey bots, tell us the truth.

8.02.2011

The vision thing

 The debate was about respecting the US contractual obligations. It also marks the moment when the country understood  it will need to contract. economically   Contract like in  no more ....

Cui prodest

Nobody liked this deal. Is this a rational criteria? So everybody can revel in the opponent's discomfort.Lose-lose strategy where the driving force is the hate of the other. A meeting of minds on the periphery of rationality.

7.31.2011

Deadline, debtline

Deadlines are good. They force you to do things. But are these accomplishments? One does so many  foolish things because of deadlines.
This guy runs and catches the bus at the stop. He yells. Done This is it. Go.
 The conductor angrily shouts back: Why do you say done, when it is not yet done. Only when I say done, it is done.
Done'

7.29.2011

a day at the races,nation's trifecta

Politics and democracy in action, totally enjoyable. All this theater, with hourly winners and losers. Falling stars in american politics. Or stars in falling America. Is this the culmination of the democracy  sold around the world. Here and there, the  extremists are the winners. Freedom for  the religious zealots, the haters, the elephants in must running toward each other.

Face Lift

At the National Press Club., Bachman was asked what political issue conflicts with her religion. Smiling and shrugging , she said 'Taxation". Was it humor? or simple honesty? Or just simple. Face lift to God or just face lift?

7.27.2011

drop debt

beautiful NY Post headline. Reminiscent of the Daily News' in 1975
Not sure though, to whom it was addressed. The reader?

7.23.2011

politics as a profession

he said, she said
No DEAL
Politicians cannot get a deal? US politicians? Striking dubious deals is their profession. They pledged? Come on? Since when a pledge matters? In a two party system you need to eat your principles, swallow your philosophy. Integrity is not expected.  Only extremists have integrity.

7.22.2011

Negotiating CircUSA

owners and players, republicans and democrats.  Do they keep in mind that the show must go on? Two rings circus show.
And do they know that if everything fails one can always serve Pinot Noir?

7.21.2011

20th century mustaches

Hitler  wins. After recount. It is interesting that Stalin killed more people on nationalistic than political grounds. What about Mao? Didn't have a mustache.

7.20.2011

bellies no more

Pork bellies future trading is finished. No more. Why? Frozen bellies are out of favor. Well, we are left with gold...

7.18.2011

de-fox-ication

maybe, maybe we will  clean our sheets. our very dirty sheets from being in bed with all these politicians. Why do I say WE? feel also guilty because I enjoy the NY Post everyday with my lunch. Or maybe this is because they just raised the price by a full quarter....

7.17.2011

My blog

Why do people save their own pictures? Roi ne puis, prince ne daigne. Eske je suis...

7.16.2011

Ukraina & me(mories)

My first woman was Ukrainian. She was pure and just wanted love. Much too much, of course. She was an Old Believer and spoke a language only few could understand.

7.12.2011

circUSA

All this political dancing around cutting the deficit is a circus show. Circus show where the gladiators do not die at the end.  The spectators do. Thumbs up means death.  (Fox News would argue that thumbs down means death, just to establish a fair balance.)