Iran is both a huge opportunity and a huge risk for US policy makers.  The main thing that all Americans should bear in mind is that Iran's confrontational policies are a symptom of weakness, not strength.  US ally Israel is slowly and steadily amping it up also.

Israel is sending missiles… Read full post »

As a way of leaving quickly, Jane handed Dwight an envelope.  As soon as she was out of sight, he quickly ripped it open.  It was typewritten, on 20 pound rag bond.    

I like you.  Otherwise you wouldn't be reading this.

First, you owe me… Read full post »

But blow wise to this, buddy, blow wise to this:

Never eat at a place called Moms.

Never play cards with a man named Doc.

Never sleep with a woman whose troubles are worse than your own.

Never let nobody talk you into shaking another man's jolt.

And never… Read full post »

Rules of Engagement - like they were going to war. But somehow, Jane had managed to vocalize her defensiveness in a radically different way. 

There was a reason that they were sitting in Dwight's car, not that it mattered now.  Oh, yea -- he had offered to… Read full post »

Thank god that after a certain age, it is simply a pass/fail exam, graded on a curve. 

Jane arrived 5 minutes early, ordered a Chi Latte, and selected a table next to the windows.  She had a well worn copy of Kundra's The Unbearable Lightness of Be… Read full post »

NB:  R Rated. 

Her husband had fucked her up. 

Jane was alone with her black lab puppy, Cisco.  Actually, at 8 months, it was more of an adolescent than a puppy.  She got Cisco 6 months ago, the same week her husband packed up and left.  She had come/… Read full post »

Big night.  Huge night.  Yesterday was the primary election in Illinois.  It snowed yesterday.  It was cold.  A very light turnout.  And my candidate won.

Yeeeesssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 By, last time I heard, 400 votes.  It wasn't supposed to… Read full post »

[click picture for larger image] 

Do:

Pretend to want to place a controversial Super Bowl ad:

And then have your Super Bowl ad rejected.  This generates buzz as well as saving you the $1/2 million the ad would cost.  You have just aligned yourself with the first am… Read full post »

The cover pizza article didn't include a crust recipe.

 Here is mine.

1.  Flour.  5 cups Gold Medal All Purpose.

I've used other flour, but Gold Medal produces a lighter, crispier crust.  

From the history of Gold Medal Flour, 1946:

In February, Gold Medal Flour… Read full post »

OK.....

People should know that the Illinois 10th is considered the 2nd most important Congressional race nationally in 2010.  I am volunteering for the Dan Seals campaign.  Dan is an outstanding candidate.

Anyone that lives in the district, be sure to vote in the Feb 2 pr… Read full post »

 Ben Bernanke was confirmed by the Senate today by a vote of 70-30.  The no votes included 19 Republican and 11 Democratic Senators.  The more interesting aspect of this is that Bernanke was a Bush appointee.  After the Mass el… Read full post »

The 'L' word, uttered without irony, was so frightening that it had become 'the thing that dares not speak its name'.  

Rick was finishing up the outline for tonights talk.  One sheet of white, unlined copy paper, and 5 bullet points, filling the entire page.  Rick wouldn't… Read full post »

What women want?  Take what's politically correct and think the exact opposite.  180 degrees.  A Republican? Not a chance in hell. A Nazi?  More often than you could believe. 

Dwight agreed to meet JD at a Viennese Coffee Place.  He preferred the Daily Grin… Read full post »

Most of the analysis of the last week has interpreted the results of the Scott Brown election victory and the Supreme Court decision in Citizens United from the same tired perspective.  What they are missing is that we live in a different world and that it isn't just Obama and… Read full post »

This post is inspired by Caitlin Flanagan and her article, Sex and the Married Man.  Starting with Flanagan's shockingly perceptive comments:

"... second-wave feminism—with its endless reading lists and casually divorced breadwinners, its stridently unshaven armpits and Crock-… Read full post »

To know your enemy, become your enemy, is misattributed to Sun Tzu, but it sounds very zenesque.  The actual quote is:

It is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles; if you do not know your enemies but do know… Read full post »

There is only one reason that this is important news.  And that is to dispel the perception that a financial system stabilization or bailout is a big "give away."  Unless you mean a give away to the government.  

From the Federal Reserve:  Release Date: January 12, 20… Read full post »

This Soviet war poster conveys the message: "Don't chatter! Gossiping borders on treason" (1941). 

From Wikipedia

Gossip is idle talk or rumour, especially about the personal or private affairs of others. It forms one of the oldest and most common means of sharing (unproven) facts a/… Read full post »

Everyone gets one, no?

We all hate them.  And yet, yet we love them.  They are about US.  What could be more interesting.  

People have read the book Blink.  Malcolm Gladwell's book about slicing.  Within a second of meeting someone, we have enough visual cues to… Read full post »

 

S&P 500

1Q2009 

I remember the first quarter of 2009.  Well.  It is burned into my memory. As if the chart above were a glowing, red hot wire, its impression carved into my soul.

The only thing that looked smart in that time period was gold and… Read full post »

Someone spills their guts regarding their personal pain.  Or much, much better -- someone writes very movingly and articulately about their personal pain.  It tends to be compelling.  In a way that good news is never compelling.  

If it bleeds, it leads.  A mantra for local n… Read full post »

He smiled understandingly--much more than understandingly.  It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance 

I could say that, like so many things in life, it seemed like a good idea at the time.  It's not like they give you forever when you sign up.  It isn'/… Read full post »