May 2012
30 posts
Hot in NYC? →
I am waiting to see Al Gore’s book in snow splashed across the web, science deniers. Perhaps it will be a while.
Top 10 Favorite Movies
Not sure if I’ve done this before. I do my top 10 for each year, and did it for the 00’s, but not sure if I’ve done all-time, at least recently. So in honor of Sight and Sound’s list, which comes out every 10 years, I will do mine and tell something I like about each movie.
1. Goodfellas (1990). Hard to believe this movie is over 20 years old. It’s timeless. Put it...
Drunk in Bariloche!
The President was in town last night and everybody was partying for Argentinian Independence Day. Well, after a bottle of wine and 11 beers(we’ll ignore the broader implications here for the moment), I decided to bum a cigarette from a few dudes on the street. They invited me into to bar they were in front of to watch a band, where I proceeded to share a couple more beers with them. When I...
"Room" by Emma Donoghou
http://www.roomthebook.com/
If you haven’t read it……best fiction book I’ve read in years. An instant classic. You know how they talk about Hemmingway? That’ll be this book, 100 years from now. Check it out right away. It won’t take you long to read.
Are the Yankees for sale? →
They say no…..but where there’s smoke, there’s fire. My hope is that Derek Jeter and Jay-Z team up with a couple of wealthy investors to buy the team. Jeter talks about being an owner, Jay-Z is rich and loves the Yankees, and investors think the Yankees are a cash cow. I can see this playing out. Maybe use Joe Torre as a front for now until Derek retires.
Chile Highlights
Roughly three and a half months ago, I left the USA to travel for a year. A few basic thoughts, facts, anythings, about my journey so far. For the record, during the previous five weeks, I was in Chile(Arica, Antofagasta, La Serena, Santiago, Valparaiso, Pucon, Puerto Varas, Ensenada, Petrohue, Frutillar, Chiloe Island).
Favorite city: Tough choices. I thoroughly loved Chile, more than any...
The Emigrants
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067919/
This Swedish movie, from 1971, was nominated for many Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actress(Liv Ullman), Best Director and Best Foreign Language movie. More importantly, to me, it won Best Picture from the New York Film Critics Circle. I’ve been searching for it for 17 years. It was nowhere to be found. TV? Nope. Netflix? Nope. Amazon?...
Man, showering becomes a chore when you haven’t felt hot water in six days.
Happy Mother's Day!!!!
To all the mother’s out there, including my own. Have a great day!
Wild Dogs!
Now, in South America, they have a ton of wild dogs. They’re everywhere. The citizens take pride in them, feed them, let them rumble in the street at night. And certainly, more than once, I’ve seen a bit of mounting going on.
I was sitting in a park today in Santiago, and there were two police officers going by me on horses. A gnarly looking wild dog comes up and starts barking at...
Igor Stravinsky - "The Rite of Spring"
When Stravinsky debuted his newest composition in Paris in 1913, the attendees were so shocked by the darkness and depravity of the music, not heard in other works previously, there were fistfights in the audience and riots in the streets. That’s how different and ahead of the curve this work is.
There’s a reason Stravinsky was named one of the “100 Most Influential People of...
Regret
You know how you’re not supposed to live with regrets? Well, every now and then you do something, or don’t do something, or say or don’t say something, and it really eats at you. You wish you played the situation differently, and the hard part may be that there’s no way you can rectify the situation. There might not be a second chance the rest of your life, and you...
Hopefully not jinxing myself, but I’ve literally been rained on for 10 minutes the last three months in South America. Weather has been fantastic for the most part. I suspect this will change next week when I am down in southern Chile. But for now, it’s been great!
Robert Reich: The Answer Isn't Socialism; It's... →
robertreich:
Francois Hollande’s victory doesn’t and shouldn’t mean a movement toward socialism in Europe or elsewhere. Socialism isn’t the answer to the basic problem haunting all rich nations.
The answer is to reform capitalism. The world’s productivity revolution is outpacing the political will of rich…
Three Month Anniversary!
Yup, I’ve been out of the United States for three whole months already. It’s gone fast. In celebration, I am drinking a glass bottle of wine and listening to music. Chillin’ in Santiago.
In other great news, I was able to book an apartment in Buenos Aires today for three months for a pretty good price, in a very central location. I am happy.
Mitt Romney Foreign Policy
http://www.mittromney.com/collection/foreign-policy
Here, in my continuing series of critique on Mitt Romney’s policies and views, I’ll examine his ideas on foreign policy. Clicking on the website, I noticed right away…….no Europe? Besides energy, arguably, Europe is possibly the biggest external economic catastrophe our country faces the next few years. Epic fail Mitt....
Bob Dylan - May 2, 2012 - Santiago, Chile
The people of Santiago were treated to their first ever visit from Bob Dylan on Wednesday night at Movistar Arena. Most people in the large audience, made up mostly of locals, older and younger, were more than likely drawn to him because of his legendary status and famous songs, and they were certainly not disappointed.
During the two-hour show, a mix of old hits (“Highway 61...
Election Projection →
Great website(run by a fellow Wolfpacker, albeit a Republican) that shows his projections on the Presidential run in 2012. I’ve been following him for 10 years, and he’s usually pretty accurate. Right now, he has Obama up. If you look at the map, Obama can lose Virginia and Ohio and STILL win the election. Now, my prediction months ago was that Obama will lose Ohio and Florida, but win...
Traveling for a Year (Lifestyle)
Two things:
1) This isn’t for the fainthearted. If you dislike cold showers, if you dislike not showering, if you dislike staying in shitholes, if you need to stay in decent places, if you need to eat while sitting down, if you dislike street food, if you need to visit the dentist every six months, if you have medical problems, if you dislike overnight buses, if you dislike buses for more...
Is Brian Cashman a good GM?
The season-ending injury to Michael Pineda is devastating for the Yankees. He was expected to be a #2 or 3 starting pitcher this year, and his future seemed limitless. Now, his future is questionable. The Yankees traded away their best hitting prospect since Robinson Cano, Jesus Montero, for him. This trade depressed me even at the time, because I spent years following his progress in the...
April 2012
36 posts
Cone Technique
There are two kinds of people in this world: One who attacks a large ice cream cone with full force, eating anything and everything before it melts, and the other, who licks the sides and prevents drippage (i.e. a more defensive technique). I aspire to attack a large cone with conviction.
Ride to Arica, Chile from La Paz, Bolivia
This was an amazing journey, through Lauca National Park in northern Chile, coming from La Paz, Bolivia. Through Bolivia was mostly pedestrian and flat. As soon as we crossed the border into Chile, though, we started venturing into the mountains. The sun went down and the stars came out. It was beautiful, a once-in-a-lifetime-type journey. Now, it was also a bit scary, as we spent three hours in a...
Short-term friends
Traveling can help make strange bedfellows. It’s weird, as I saw crossed the Andes on my way to Arica, Chile on Saturday, I realized that I hadn’t had an in-depth conversation with anybody in about a week. I felt a little bit lonely.
When I arrived at my hostel, there was a 20-year old Norwegian girl in the same room as me. She jumped up right away when I said hello and said that she...
Do all French people smoke?
Seems like it. At least those that travel.
Mitt Romney Economic Plan →
Going through his website, on economic issues, will make a few observations. In general, he discusses a problem, has a section titled “Obama’s Failure”(stay classy and positive Mitt) then “Mitt’s Plan”.
1) Taxes
“How will we generate sufficient revenue to balance our budget without discouraging economic activity, and will the burden of taxation fall...
Don't Shack Up →
Part of me understands and agrees with this. The fact that you may slide into something when there is somebody better. And that it’s hard to get out. I also think, however, that you don’t fully know a parter unless you live with them. Of course, since I’ve lived with nothing but mice and cockroaches the last six years, perhaps I’m not the person to be giving high-quality...
Would Romney repeat Bush's mistakes? →
Money quote from Sullivan:
Remember that during the primary debates, George W. Bush was mentioned not at all. The administration did not exist. And all its catastrophic legacy is Obama’s fault.
That’s why these fuckers need exile for a while. They need to have a world-view change. My fear is that the electorate doesn’t remember how bad things were during the Bush years. Our...
Jerry Garcia Band "Live"
I happened to hear this amazing album all the way through in the last few days. I’ve heard a ton of Grateful Dead music, obviously, but not nearly as much Jerry solo stuff. What a treat. It’s a double-disc live album from 1990, with a couple old Motown classics, a few Dylan covers, Dear Prudence, a Band cover, and a couple of Dead songs. Many of the songs have extended solos, and...
Stuck in La Paz!
For four days now, the border between Bolivia and Chile has been closed because of a truck drivers strike. They are blocking the border with fences and bodies. If your bus or car tries to cross, you’ll receive cracked windows, eggs and paint! Not fun. There are protests everywhere. Doctors and teachers here in La Paz are striking. Taxi and bus drivers here are striking. Truck drivers....
Margaret Thatcher's "The Downing Street Years"
I recently finished reading this mammoth autobiography of Margaret Thatcher’s years as Prime Minister(1979-1990). She goes into detail on various negotiations with unions, foreign dignitaries, treasury and other government officials. She generally helped stem inflation (whenever possible, and not always successfully), privatized many government industries, reduced regulations and stood up to...
If it's good enough for George Washington... →
Why Regulations are Necessary →
Just because national media in the US doesn’t report it, doesn’t mean it isn’t there.
2nd Month Highlights in South America
Roughly two months ago, I left the USA to travel for a year. A few basic thoughts, facts, anythings, about my journey so far. For the record, during the previous month, I went to Peru(Arequipa, Cuzco, Ollyatatambo, Aguas Calientes, Puno), Bolivia(Copacabana, La Paz, Tupiza, Uyuni, Potosi, Coroico).
Favorite city: Cuzco. Not only a pleasant, beautiful place, but Inca culture is at the forefront.
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