weinraub’s words

So, USA bails out AIG which uses the funds to pay GS which has connections to senior USA officials. Now a USA bailout of GM is complicated by objections from GM bondholders, some of whom would prefer GM default so they could collect AIG-supplied credit default swaps, swaps which are claimable because USA bailed out AIG.

What a mess…

This is why the government really shouldn’t be in this at all.

But this isn’t the should-world, it’s the real-world. Sigh…

Because five billion deists can’t possibly be wrong. Can they?

Flying Spaghetti Monster

In “No, You Can’t Get an Upgrade” in today’s New York Times, David Segal talks about the American drive to “upgrade” our lives. He notes that this drive is so basic to our American psyche that we barely notice it and that it drives the consumerism of our culture.

I would say that the characteristic that is embedded in our cultural DNA is “improvement”. Improve everything. Better filing systems, the shortest drive to work, faster services at McDonald’s, more value for less money, increased automation, etc. All the things that drive productivity improvements and increase profit margins. And I think this drive to improve is a desirable attribute that generally delivers positive consequences, though it personally makes me completely crazy, all the time.

But [...read more...]

So Becca has recently taken to coming up to me, out of the blue, giving me a big kiss, and saying “I love you, Daddy.” Very sweet. Just melts me.

However… [...read more...]

With recent Thailand’s political situation making such international news, a lot of folks back home have been checking in. We are all fine, thanks to everyone for thinking of us.

As most of you know, we are down in Phuket and the vast majority of this political silliness takes place up in Bangkok, approx 1,000 miles away. So, in terms of violence or even traffic jams, there is absolutely no impact on us.

Last year’s Phuket airport blockade and the subsequent blockade of Bangkok’s airports are examples of the relatively rare kind of political protest that could have direct impact on us. In fact, I did get caught up in the Phuket airport closure on my way back from NY. That was no fun.

But except for those rare instances, there is never any direct impact of this political stuff. In that sense, it is easy to draw the conclusion that Thai politics is irrelevant to us.

Of course, that would not be true. [...read more...]

So Annie and Benjamin are walking out of the house to take a quick motorbike ride to the little khao man gai (plain chicken and rice) shop down the street. I pull Annie back to give her a little kiss on the cheek and turn to go back to work.

Benjamin, however, is frozen on the front steps, refusing to move, waiting for me to come down and give him his kiss.

Very cute…