buffoonbia university

this is an interesting article about Ahmadinejad (i can write it...i can't pronounce it...) speaking at Columbia University. According to the article the university president was rude to the speaker...that seems weird to me...but he really was an asshole...just watch:

into the system

I can't wait to see Sean Penn's directing of "into the wild"!

I loved the book. The story. And the ideas that the story of Christopher McCandless communicates. The ideas that many of us have, but few of us pursue. the idealistic concept of pure freedom. That it lives out there...somewhere...Chris looked for it...

These days' I'm finding freedom much more locally...right in my own neighborhood, and within the bay area...I'm finding it in some good books...one of which I just started. One I have already fallen in love with...

"Finding George Orwell in Burma" by Emma Larkin is a story about a writer trying to find what inspired and changed George Orwell to, without warning, pull up stakes from a stint he had in Burma with the Imperial Police Force and begin a career as a writer. A writer focussed on the struggle of the self within an oppressive system. Some people say that George Orwell wrote a trilogy of Burma when he penned Burmese Days, Animal Farm and 1984. Both telling of the country's history, and the uncanny ability to peer into it's future.

I just started reading the book but its timeliness with the Buddhist monks of Myanmar pushing for freedom is compelling. I salute their courage. I briefly saw a quote from a monk effectively saying, "this is our fight. Please let us stand tall." This is the courage that sends a chill down my spine and a tear down my cheek.

I somehow feel that if Christopher McCandless had such a struggle for freedom he would have said something similar. There are some amazing people in this world...

not buying "not buying it"

The aim of this blog was to address the issues covered in "not buying it". The author covered the issues so well, so thoroughly in a well-written manner that ...well...the job has been done....I love the book...check it out...literally...(unless you want to help the author out....then hit the 'barnes and noble'...getting all the contradictions here...)

not buying it

Reading a great book right now about an author and her boyfriend, and their year of taking a break from the consumer lifestyle...a year of not buying stuff...a year of 'not buying it'....

don't buy it! hit the library! great read...

slow down...you move too fast

man...where does the time go?

last night at a friend's birthday party i got to talking to two guys i didn't know. it's always fun meeting new people. I soon became to be known as 'mr. philosopher'...as we jumped from topic to topic...from 'the unabomber' to 'where is society is heading?'

it's amazing what range of topics you can discuss with strangers if you toss in humour and a little lite heartedness...

anyhow, one of the more shallow topics we discussed, but interesting nonetheless, was the speed of today's society...i later got into speed dating conversation with another movie loving fellow, but that's another story...

where are we rushing too?

and don't let anyone tell you different...speed is contagious....

I was in New York City for a fun little stint about a year ago. I was there as a tourist...as a relaxing tourist...

but i realized i was getting caught up in the fast walking, jay street crossing, new york speed...i got swept into the fast flowing currents of city life...i had to say to myself, "wow...slow down"...and i actually got out of the rip current, swam ashore and sat on the sidelines and let my heart beat slow down....and blood pressure drop...

i have to do that more these days as well...

now let me go...gotta run...

skilling on the loose?

lock your doors...hide you children...a threat is on the loose...

jeffrey skilling from Enron may be released early...

monopolize my time

I just played the game 'monopoly' for the first time in probably 25 years...and man it was fun! I forgotten how much fun that game is...it brought back a ton of memories from when I was a kid...

Buying properties, collecting rents...the unknown mysteries of the 'chance' and 'community chest' cards...the cheap, but mysterious 'tycoon' that is the monopoly logo...ahhhh, it was great...

is playing business in 'real life' supposed to be so much fun? Is that how Donald Trump sees the game of life...or does he actually identify with it?

The board game is great...the feel of the pieces...holding of the cards and money...i can't help but wonder how video games can compete...

For a long time, board games were seen as 'un cool'.

I remember playing 'risk' a lot in a high school (yes, I was a nerd) and had so much fun. I made a mad dash for the 'in crowd' my senior year and made it in long enough to have a look around. During a night of drinking beer (it was gross then) at 'the dike' that held back the eb and flow of the waters of the Everglades, I thought, "This is really boring. I wish I was playing risk..."

Maybe the 'un cool' feeling people had about board games was an effective marketing campaign by other growth industries, such as video games.

Board games are a minimal investment (i just bought monopoly for 11 bucks...) versus a video game system where you need the system, the games, the controllers, and of course the hi def flat panel tv...minimum for the 'bare bones system' will set you back ten times that amount...plus all that power you have to consume...

man...

video game suck......money and electricity that is...

fear this...

we, as Americans, have the idea that we are the "tough guy" on the block of international politics. Will we always believe this? Will it take a new Chinese bully to knock us off the top of the mountain? What will that do to Americans concept of themselves?

I was just sitting outside at a store eating lunch in the city and saw a guy walk by with an American flag on his t-shirt with the words, "fear this" beneath the flag. It didn't say:

“love this...”

or

“when you need help...”

but “fear this...”

As I watched him drive off in his oversized pick-up truck...I couldn't help but think maybe his shirt should say:

"pity this..."

P.S. But I was afraid to think it...was that wrong?

immigrant inventors

What will happen when Indian and Chinese immigrants decide to stay home and stop inventing for America?

Perhaps corporations will still be fine...they will have to separate themselves from America so as to not we weighed down by American politics.

human desire

I heard of this site, What a Way to Go, through Ran. Which hits on the conflict between our basic human desire to survive, which has been based on consumption and desire, and that desire destroying us. As individuals through obesity and over financial debt and as a society through socieital excess, enter the ARMs run amok. I haven't had time to see it or review it thoroughly, but I plan too... Check it out...

A Busted Best Man

I am 'co' best man (full disclosure...if you read the wikipedia link...i did zero of the duties so far...is that bad?) tonight for a wedding.

So I am going to give a toast that highlights three funny stories of my friends life up to the time when the other co best man entered the picture, at which point I will pass the 'mic' and he can continue with the saga.

The three funny stories are going to highlight three values i admire in the guy...intelligence....ability to entertain and put on a show...stand up for what you believe, even when it seems crazy...

how do you feel about weddings? does the modern wedding reflect values you have or are you just jumping through hoops prearranged by somebody else?

Sometimes it's hard to go with your values and still keep friends and a network of people. That I think is one of the challenges presented to all of us...hold onto your values...not get too bent out of shape trying to conform to others values, but still keep and grow your friendships and relations with others...

undefined values

Do you know what your values are? What exactly are values?

Are they what is important to you as a person? How do you determine them and where do they come from?

I have wondered about this for a long time. I grew up in the suburbs of Florida, where the values are different from what I value...how does that happen?

You would think my values would stem from where i grew up. Not so. I was always conflicted with the value system in suburban florida...

then I went to Malaysia with a science program as an undergrad and that solidified my differing world view and value system. I found a perspective that I connected with. A perspective that was greater than the suburban view of the world.

I am not exactly sure how to define what Florida suburban values are... I can't put my finger on it...

It's definitely not money per say, because everybody, everywhere values money...it's not that...it's something else...

It's not home prices, because those are talked about in San Francisco too...

I once heard that people from the East and West Coasts had more differences in common than Americans and Non-Americans...i wonder if that's what I'm detecting...

One thing for sure...A love of good pizza is one East vs. West value i'm not going to redefine any time soon...

ground zero

i'm in tampa florida for a wedding for a friend for high school....and I have family here...and this is where the real estate market correction is experiencing some of its greatest pains...

looking around at ground zero, there are a lot of 'for sale' signs...other wise people seem healthy and there is no large exodus of refugess. they seem okay. that's the big picture...I am waiting to hear more one on one stories...

outsourcing chinese manufacturing

Parents want to be able to buy, 'NOT made in china' toys and i think this is a start of a return to local manufacturing...local manufacturing movement will increase overtime especially when carbon credits and the cost of moving those good across the globe catch up with production costs...

Some indian call center companies are offering an option to have call centers based in low cost centers in the us. it cost a bit more, but you get 'that cultural connection' with the caller...

inside boys

We may yet avert disaster. It seems warren buffet was given 'an inside word' that a rate cut could be expected. Minutes ago a cut to the discount rate, or the rate banks get charged by the central bank to get money, was cut by 50 basis points...that's a half of a percent to me and you...that dramatically turned around stocks in europe and what wall st is going to open at. the reaction is akin to giving candy to a child...the child get wound up with energy and enthusiasm...or promising a fix to an addict...

how can changing one number affect so much money? can something so manipulated survive in the long run? or does the manipulation ensure it's survival?

rest easy folks, it seems the perfect storm just petered out...

The thing that confuses me...if the fed can't increase rates now...if we are so dependent upon low interest rates to finance our debt...how does the fed have any control? It seems they will never be able to increase interest rates again...

how long can that last?

not making sense...

this is scary...from cnbc.com:
"No one thing explains such dislocations, except that there is a flight to liquidity and a lot of things that used to make sense, don't make sense anymore."

weather report....

things are looking sketchy for...well...everything...real estate...stocks...currencies...i'm getting concerned about things...very concerned...it seems a perfect economic storm is coming ashore...i hope i'm like most weather men...

DT on the economy

Many people are crying "Uncle Bernanke" to cut rates....James Cramer...Donald Trump...

What is their motivation? the good of the American home buyer? Or their own greed...

Listen to Mr. Trump, the 'deal junkie'...you decide...I think these guys identities and purpose are tied up with cheap and free money. High rates are the equivalent of taking the 'junkies' fix away.

We've gotten used to and gotten addicted to easy money.

I don't think Mr. Bernanke should cut rates, and he knows this, but he may crumble to popular opinion and cut...and run...

a listed nation

We, dear Americans, are a nation of lists. Ever notice how everybody has a 'To Do:' list?

"okay, I gotta become a better climber by practicing on the 5.9 climbs..."

"okay, I gotta go do this....do that...and then make another list..."

I don't think other nations are as obsessed with productivity as we are. Where does this come from? the top? or do we send it up?

one this for sure...I gotta write more blog posts...if only i had more time and more space on my damn, stupid-ever-growing list...

PS I added a new book to the book list...

An idea crazy enough to work...

Have you heard the expression, “That idea is crazy enough it might just work?”

Well an idea that isn't all that crazy is working in: Paris, Barcelona, Stockholm, Oslo, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Lyon and Pamplona. The 'not-so-crazy' idea is Bike Sharing.

The concept is simple and summed up by “The New York Bike Share Project”:

“Imagine walking to a sidewalk corner and finding a public bicycle. With a cellphone call or swipe of a card, you unlock it from its bike rack and ride it across town. Once at your destination, you steer to the closest bike rack and, with one more call or card swipe, return the bike to the public network. You pay less than $.50 for the trip, and the bike is once again available for the taking.”

The NY version of the concept was inspired from a trip to Paris by David Haskell, executive director of the Forum for Urban Design. The Forum is an organization of architects and planners that is testing the Bike-Share concept in New York.

Indeed the timing for the project may be fortuitous, since New York City's mayor, Mr. Bloomberg, London's inspired congestion-tax for a less car-crazed Manhattan recently ground to a halt. So the New Yorker City business-minded billionaire boss may want too look to his fellow New Yorkers, and the Parisians, for ideas. The progressive French city launched an ambitious 10,000 bike strong program enabling people to get out of their cars and start sharing bikes.

Next time you are in Paris, be sure to take a tour starting at one of the 750 “docking stations” scattered throughout the city every 1000 feet. All you will need is your credit card, enough room on the card for a modest fee and where to pick up your next croissant. Since the stations are conveniently located....well...everywhere, including popular tourist destinations, locating a return station next to that favorite cafe will be no trouble at all.

The program is slated by Parisian City Hall officials to generate €30 million for the municipality, as identified by International Tribune writer, Katrin Bennhold.. The city swapped use of about 1,600 billboards throughout the city for the costs of the program including the docking stations, the bikes and bicycle upkeep.

The Parisian model is just one version of a system for Bicycle Sharing. In Frankfurt you can pay with a cell phone. And in Copenhagen you can just grab a bike and go, no fee.

Many versions are possible. In San Francisco? Who knows. But, once you get people to step outside of a car, anything is possible.