Crashing into LA

I arrived in LA tonight for a wedding on Sunday evening. The flight to LA was largely uneventful; we were shown the latest Harry Potter movie, provided pretty decent food (thanks, Continental) and were able to catnap in peace. Although it took us about 15 mins. to deboard the plane - not sure why they couldn't open the door - it was an overall B+ flight experience.

My hotel is in downtown LA and since I didn't rent a car, I waited patiently for a taxi to arrive. 15 mins. later I was on my way to the hotel. I gave the driver my address and got on the phone. The cabbie said something to me which I couldn't hear, so I asked my friend to hold. Apparently, I smell really good, because Mr. Cabbie (Mr. C) wanted to know what perfume I was wearing. I wasn't - my natural scent rocks, I guess. With my friend still on hold, I proceed to explain to Mr. C that I wasn't wearing perfume, and no I wasn't sure what/why I smelled so good. I think Mr. C realized that hitting on me was not really going to go anywhere and I was thankfully released to rejoin my phonecall.

About 10 mins. later, I was surprised to see the meter was already at $20 - that's LA for you. Another 10 mins. later, and my head was smashing into the divider, I heard a loud crunching noise and realized that Mr. C had just rear-ended a truck on the highway. I was in shock for a minute - was I really part of a taxi cab accident so soon into my trip??

I then realized that my lip got cut and was pretty swollen. By this time Mr. C was outside talking/cussing, taking pictures of the damage and exchanging information with the other driver. Clearly Mr. C was at fault.

Sometime later, Mr. C happens to remember he has a passenger. I am injured I tell him, which results in him opening up the back door of the cab and shining a flashlight in my face. He is apologetic. I just want to get to the hotel, ice my lip and get some aspirin for a headache that is increasing in strength.

Mr. C is nervous. He offers me an ambulance. He offers me money ($50). He goes back to conclude his discussion with the other driver. A little more cussing/talking and taking pictures ensues outside, while I decide whether to indulge in a fit or continue to be calm and collected. I go with calm and collected, while I pray that I do not look like a freak of nature for the wedding.

Mr. C gets back in the car. He leaves a message for someone telling them that he had an accident, he wants to pay vs. go with insurance and asks the person to call him back ASAP. I patiently remind Mr. C that I am INJURED (!!) and would like to GO (!!). Whoever he called, gets back to him and Mr. C begins to explain the situation and assure the person on the phone that he is OK. Lucky him, I am still sucking on a busted lip, getting more of a headache, all while sitting on the side of the highway in LA. I am ecstatic that Mr. C is OK.

Finally, he gets back on the highway and after a wrong turn, pulls up in front of my hotel. The fare is ~$45, he never turned the meter off. Since obviously I won't be paying any money, Mr. C wants to give me $5 to add up to the $50 he offered earlier. I said no thanks and instead got all of his contact details and cab #. He is extremely grateful. He asks for my phone # so that he can check up on me to see if I am OK. I give it to him - this maybe a result of my hit to the head, but it seems logical at the time.

I walk into the hotel, still deciding whether to indulge in a fit, I keep going with calm and collected. I get aspirin, ice and some sympathy from the late night staff. I look in the mirror...my lip is pretty swollen, but I don't look like a freakazoid. I get my keys and head to my room.

I can't get into my room. The keys don't work. I keep going with calm and collected, all the way back down the 11 floors, back to the front desk, listening through the clerk explain how - ha ha - she wrote the wrong room number down - ha ha -, back up the 11 floors, a couple doors down to the right room. I am still calm and collected as I enter and close the door.

Now I am sitting here with a towel of ice on my lip, my headache receding thanks to aspirin and I am refusing to allow crazy Mr. C or any of today's events ruin my LA trip.

I will have a great morning at church. I will enjoy the evening wedding.

Also, puffy lips are always in, who cares if the pout is not evenly spread? This is LA...it wouldn't be the first time.

Special thanks to God for sparing my life. I hope a swollen lip is the worst of my injuries.

The Professional

I have probably seen this movie at least 20 times over the last decade or so. It is a classic.

I fell in love with Gary Oldman for the first time in this movie. Who can forget the scene where he screams "EVERYONE" to a minion who dared question him?

Loved it!!

Good Smoke

Another must see movie. Aaron Eckhart is great. Also, you get to see Katie Holmes in her pre-zombie days.

Saving Memories - Enid & Tintin

As a child, I was a big fan of Enid Blyton and Tintin comics (I also loved Asterix & Obelix, Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Grimms Fairy tales, etc., but those stories are not the focus of this piece). We lived in Barbados for 4 years of my childhood (I was 4 when we first moved there), and every week (I think either Tuesdays or Wednesdays), when my mother went into town, she would bring us back some new books to read. We looked forward to her return and were always excited to see what new adventure we would explore with Enid or Tintin.

Ah, the memories.

Recently, there was a bit of reality that threatened my lovely memories. I started to think more about some of the characters in Enid's books, e.g. the Golliwog. I also thought about how many of the non-whites were portrayed in Tintin comics. I realized that there was a strong hint of racism, which as a child I was completely oblivious to.

Why? Why? Why? However, I refuse to taint my memories. I still enjoy a good Enid Blyton book and will probably buy Tintin comics for my future kids, continuing the tradition. I will just pretend this ugly side of racism doesn't exist - thinking of it as more of a reflection of that time in history vs. any malicious intent of the author - and continue to revel in the great writing and fascinating adventures portrayed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enid_blyton

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golliwog

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/society/index.php

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tintin_and_Snowy

Missing me some Farside

Thanks, Gary Larson!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Far_Side

Congrats, Bruce!

This is a bit of late news, but Bruce Golding - leader of the Jamaica Labor Party (JLP) - is the new Prime Minister of Jamaica. This ends an 18-year reign by the People's National Party (PNP). Bruce was sworn into office on Sept. 11, 2007.

May God guide the new leadership team and enable increased prosperity and peace across the island.

Bruce Golding Profile

http://www.jamaicalabourparty.com/about/bgolding.html

Jamaican Elections

http://jamaica-elections.com/general/2007/

Win for Jamaican Opposition

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/6975598.stm

Wait...Here's More Dali to Enjoy

Stop, Relax, Enjoy some Dali

100, Baby!

Keri's Life has just reached another major milestone...100 articles posted since January 2007. As we said before, we look for any opportunity to celebrate in life! (Yes, we = Royal we).

Congrats, Keri's Life!!!!

For info. on our last celebration see:

http://kerijam.blogspot.com/2007/07/big-5-0.html

Notre Dame de Paris

I was thankfully able to explore the Notre Dame de Paris on my recent trip to the city. Before entering, I had lunch at one of the side-walk cafes facing the cathedral, and was able to admire the exterior in between eating lunch and reading "Women in Love".

As I walked through the main entrance, I was struck by the size and beauty of the building. The cathedral is filled with many Christian icons portrayed through paintings, sculptures, glass windows, etc. I spent a good portion of my time just staring at the designs on the ceiling of the church. Before I left, I was able to watch the children's choir perform a few songs....pure, high-pitched voices, accompanied by an organist.

Here are some quick facts on the Notre Dame

• Notre Dame de Paris, often known simply as Notre Dame in English, is a Gothic cathedral on the eastern half of the Île de la Cité in Paris, France, with its main entrance to the west

• It is still used as a Roman Catholic cathedral and is the seat of the Archbishop of Paris

• Notre Dame de Paris is widely considered one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture. It was restored and saved from destruction by Viollet-le-Duc, one of France's most famous architects. Notre Dame translates as "Our Lady" from French

• Notre Dame de Paris was one of the first Gothic cathedrals, and its construction spanned the Gothic period. Its sculptures and stained glass show the heavy influence of naturalism, giving them a more secular look that was lacking from earlier Romanesque architecture

• Notre Dame de Paris was among the first buildings in the world to use the flying buttress. The building was not originally designed to include the flying buttresses around the choir and nave. After the construction began and the thinner walls (popularized in the Gothic) grew ever higher, stress fractures began to occur as the walls pushed outward

• At the end of the 18th century, during the French Revolution, many of the treasures of the cathedral were either destroyed or plundered. The statues of biblical kings of Judea (erroneously thought to be kings of France) were beheaded. Many of the heads were found during a 1977 excavation nearby and are on display at the Musée de Cluny. Only the great bells avoided being melted down, and the cathedral was dedicated first to the Cult of Reason, and to the Cult of the Supreme Being. The church interior was used as a warehouse for the storage of forage and food
  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame_de_Paris


http://www.notredamedeparis.fr/index.php

Happy Birthday, G!

Happy Birthday to you,

Happy Birthday to you,

Happy Birthday, dear Google

Happy Birthday to you!!!

Cafe Wha? Funk Band

I am a big fan of Cafe Wha? in NYC. The live music is really good. I had only enjoyed their Cafe Wha? band to date; however, last night I heard their funk band, disFUNKtion, for the first time. If you are ever in NY, this is a must see event. The performance was extremely enjoyable. Talented people...great vibe...wow!

Funk band night happens on Tuesdays; Wed-Saturdays you can enjoy the regular band. Both are great, but I am a bit biased towards Funk at the moment.

Check it out, folks!

http://cafewha.com/

Monday with Bjork

I had a fun Monday night. I went with a friend, Nadia, to see Bjork in concert @ Madison Square Gardens. Thanks to my firm, we were able to enjoy the Club Suite experience - private room with snacks, dinner and drinks and a great view of the stage.

The concert started a little after 8pm with one of two opening acts - Santogold (Brooklyn-based performer). She had 2 good songs out of ~10 she performed. I am sure if I had heard about her beforehand, and had listened to her music in advance, I could have been more supportive. It was sometimes hard to hear her, and I was not invested enough to decipher what she was saying. To her credit, she had a very good finish - she saved her best 2 songs for last.

After about a 1/2 hr break, we then heard the Klaxons (UK-based group) - they had a higher success rate, about 70% of their songs were enjoyable. One of the singers was barefoot and dressed in a monk's robe.

Bjork hit the stage at 10pm. She was fantastic. High energy, peculiar, fluffy gold outfit (remember her terrible swan dress from a few years back?), and very strong vocals. A true performer. We couldn't always understand what she was singing, but she was highly entertaining and made good use of the stage, displaying in-rhythm dance moves as she pranced to and fro.

All in all it was a good night, although we felt the wait for Bjork was too long and the first performer a bit mediocre.

Santogold Profile

Santogold(out of Brooklyn NYC) has teamed up with producers like Switch, FreQNasty, Naeem (Spankrock), Disco D, and XXXchange for her forthcoming solo album. The handful of tracks that have already surfaced definitely showcase her versatility and talent as a vocalist, as well as a nice range of production styles and influences. Santi began with her rock band Stiffed in 2001 making new wave tinged punk/ska. Santi has since gone on with her solo career after hooking up with Lizard King records (most known for signing The Killers). While the backbone of her sound remains rooted in her punk/reggae past, her music is about as new sounding and exciting as pop gets right now!

http://this.bigstereo.net/2007/02/26/santogold/

Klaxons Profile

Klaxons are a Mercury Prize winning English band, based in London. The word 'klaxon' is derived from the Greek verb klazō, meaning "to shriek", and most commonly refers to air-raid sirens or other warning devices. They are currently signed to Rinse Records, their own branch of Polydor Records. Following the success of previous singles "Magick" and "Golden Skans", the band released their debut album, Myths of the Near Future on January 29, 2007. The album won the 2007 Nationwide Mercury Prize. After headlining their first tour (the 2006 NME Indie Rave Tour), as well as playing numerous festivals worldwide, the band are currently working on their second album.They have also announced a full UK tour for November - December 2007 (their biggest UK tour to date).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klaxons

http://www.klaxons.net/index.php

Bjork Profile

Björk first came to prominence as one of the lead vocalists of the avant-pop Icelandic sextet the Sugarcubes, but when she launched a solo career after the group's 1992 demise, she quickly eclipsed her old band's popularity. Björk went a different direction and immersed herself in dance and club culture, working with many of the biggest names in the genre, including Nellee Hooper, Underworld, and Tricky. Debut, her first solo effort (except for an Icelandic-only smash released when she was just 11 years old), not only established her new artistic direction, but it became an international hit, making her one of the '90s most unlikely stars. Björk's latest album VOLTA hit stores on May 8th.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bjork

http://www.thegarden.com/events/bjork-09-07.html

Root Cause of Global Warming

http://www.comics.com/comics/pearls/archive/pearls-20070907.html

Response from Iranian President - Mr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Here are my free flow thoughts as the President of Iran responds...this is not always verbatim, but captures the essence of his speech as I understood it...live and direct...I think he did a great job. I was left impressed with how he handled the situation and the fact that he came across as a logical, and personable speaker, despite all of the negative hype. Kudos to him. He had a slow start, but quite a powerful finish.

Note: Blue text represents thoughts from Mr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, some verbatim, some capturing the essence of what he said.
--------------------------

Mr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad felt it was not necessary before the speech was even given for Bollinger to come in with a series of claims. He felt the text read was an insult to information and the audience. Everyone should be able to talk, so the truth can be revealed. Bollinger took up the time I was allocated to speak, but that is fine by me. Many insults were in the speech, many incorrect claims. Bollinger was affected by the press, the media and the mainstream line.

Piety, faith and wisdom have been spread to all mankind. All the words of the divine prophets, delivered humans from ignorance, negligence, superstition and corrupted ways of thinking. In our culture, science is defined as illumination. The real science is the science that delivers the human being from ignorance.

--------
In the middle of the President's speech, CNN has cut out to Prof. Fawaz Gerges from Sarah Lawrence College. What on earth??? Ok, so what he is saying is heavy on religious themes and sounds a bit canned and not really addressing the main points, but still, does CNN think it makes sense to just cut out from his speech??

I am looking at a split screen, with a picture of the Iranian president speaking on the right (muted) and then a debate between the Sarah Lawrence College Professor and other CNN commentators on the left. Yes, they are more interesting, but is this fair??

Ok, we are back online with Iranian President.
-------------

By using precise scientific methods, they begin onslaught on domestic cultures in other countries. They prepare ground to separate people from spiritual and material possessions. Teaching emulation, stripping people of their identity.

Some big powers create monopolies over science and do not want to see the progress of other societies and nations. They use economic sanctions to prevent other nations...all resulting from their move from human and moral values. They have not been trained to serve mankind. The biggest God-given gift to man is knowledge and science. Science has to combine with the purity of man's spirit, so that scholars can unveil the truth and guide humanity towards a better future. Big powers should not allow mankind to engage in monopolistic activities. Science is a divine gift from God and should be open to everyone and remain pure. Scholars and scientists should rule the world one day and take us towards justice.

My main job is a university instructor. As President, I still teach graduate and PHD courses on a weekly basis. Palestinians have been displaced and killed for 60 years. Innocent women and children are killed by helicopters for 60 years. Women and children tortured, imprisoned for 60 years. I asked two questions two years ago and I received a wave of insults and allegations against me from groups who claimed most to believe in freedom of speech. I will ask those 2 questions again today:

1) Given the Holocaust is a reality, why is there not sufficient research to approach the topic from different perspectives? Why don't we encourage more research on a historical event that has been the cause for many catastrophes during this age? Why are European academics put into prison for this? I believe the Holocaust happened in 1940s not 1930s. We need to find the right period.

2) Should the Palestinian people pay the price for an event that they had nothing to do with? They played no part in this event. It occurred in Europe. Jews, Christian and Muslims live in peace in many parts of the word. Isn't it a crime that 5MM people are displaced for 60 years?

Why should I face insults for asking these questions?

Nuclear Energy

Now, on nuclear energy. The bylaws says there is no pretext or excuse that can prevent member states the rights to explore peaceful nuclear energy. We cooperate with the IAA. They report that Iran's activities are peaceful and they receive open access . Yet 3 selfish powers want to force their word on the Iranian people and deny their rights. We allow inspections. Why should you have the right and we not have it? We want the right for peaceful nuclear energy.

Our nuclear program operates within the framework of law, under the inspection of IAA and are completely peaceful. It is below the 5% level. Solely for providing fuel to power plants. Iran's nuclear issues are political not legal. There are 2 or 3 powers who feel they can monopolize all science and knowledge. They expect Iran to humble itself. If you have created the 5th generation of atomic bombs and are testing them, who are you to question our peaceful activities?

You sanction us, you deny us technology. We want to be independent. You don't give us spare parts for civilian needs, so why should we believe you will give us [... ] for nuclear? We are a peace loving nation.

We love all nations. We are friends with the Jews. Jews get one independent member in the Parliament, despite the fact they are a minority.


Palestinian Conflict
Muslim, Christian and Jewish Palestinians should determine their fate. Nobody should spend 10s of billions of dollars to arm one group. We should give this nation the right to self-determination.


Support for Terrorism
The Iranian nation is a victim of terrorism. 26 years ago, in a terrorist operation, the elected President and Prime Minister of Iran lost their lives in a bomb explosion. A month later 72 members of parliament died from terrorist attacks. All of this carried out by one terrorist group. This group is now operating freely and continues as is under the full support of the US govt. We were the first nation to go against terrorism. We need to address the root causes of terrorism and eradicate the root causes. We are a cultured nation, we do not need to resort to terrorism, we are a victim of terrorism.


Holocaust
Research on a phenomenon is never done. Different perspectives come to light after more research. There is nothing known as absolute. Man wants to approach a topic from different points of view. Especially for an issue that has been the underpinning of so many of the Middle Eastern problems. Why do you want to stop the progress of science and research? Why can't we further explore and research the Holocaust? I am not saying that the Holocaust didn't happen at all. I said granted this happened, what does it have to do with the Palestinian people?

Women
Freedoms in Iran are true freedoms. Women in Iran enjoy the highest levels of freedom. We have two deputy VPs who are women. They are present in biotech, in our govt. It is wrong for some govts, when they disagree with another govt., to spread lies. We have 90% participation in elections, over 1/2 of them are women. How can you say the people are not free?

It is not a crime to be a woman. Women are the best creatures created by God. They are respected in Iran. Families given girls...they are 10 times happier than having a son. Women are respected more than men.

Capital Punishment, Homosexuality
Don't you have capital punishment in the US? In Iran too, there is capital punishment... for illicit drug traffickers, for people who violate the rights of people. Some of these punishments, very few, are carried out in the public eye. In Iran, we don't have homosexuals like in your country. We don't have that in our country. In Iran, we don't have this phenomenon.

9/11 Site Visit
In Iran when you invite a guest, you respect them. This is our tradition, required by our culture. I know American people have that culture as well. I wanted to go to the 9/11 site last year, to show respect, but our plans got extended and they said it would be difficult to go at that late hour. Regretfully some groups had a bad reaction. I want to show sympathy to the 9/11 families. This is my way of showing my respect. How will you manage the world and world affairs if you think this way? This pessimistic approach to a lot of people. This selfishness and self-absorption has to be put aside to allow friendships to grow and move towards peace.

Who was truly involved in 9/11?


Interactions with Other Countries
We announced we are ready to negotiate with all countries. 28 years ago we moved towards democracy away from a dictatorship put in place by Westerners. We want friendly, brotherly ties with all countries, except with the South African apartheid regime (now abolished) and the Zionist regime. We question the way the world is being run and managed today, we don't think it will work. We will negotiate with the US govt too, under fair, just circumstances with mutual respect.


Closing
University faculty and students are officially invited to Iran - to any university you want to visit. We will give you the platform and respect you 100%. Today in our universities we have many discussions like this every day, we welcome it.

Thank you to Columbia University - my deepest gratitude to the faculty and students here. Best of luck to all of you!

History in the Making - Columbia University

I feel chills! I am watching Lee Bollinger, the Columbia University President, speaking about the atrocities conducted within Iran as part of his introduction for the Iranian President. Wow! I cannot wait to hear the response.

Mr. Bollinger actually said, the following...Mr. President, you depict all the signs of a petty dictator. He calls him uneducated, and brazenly provocative. Mr. Bollinger is taking risks. Stating the facts, ugly as they may be, and also using some strong adjectives in reference to the President of Iran.

Mr. Bollinger has a strong closing. He says he doubts the President will have the intellectual courage to respond to his comments. Bollinger is also complimentary of the people of Iran, saying that the President and his fanaticism in no way represents the majority opinion.

This is so exciting! Freedom of speech in action. Oh my gosh!

Iranian President to Speak at Columbia University Shortly!!!

Tune into CNN.

It is now 1:50pm EST on Monday Sept 24, 2007

Tamii & Angel - So Much Love

My sister is getting married to Angel on December 8, 2007. That is the same day that my parents got married.

Check out Tamii & Angel's love story @ http://tamiiandangel.com/.

May God continue to bless you both as you start on this exciting new adventure together!!

Don't Sugarcoat the Past...Learn From It

Long, Lonely Walk: Fifty years ago, as one of the Little Rock Nine, Elizabeth

Eckford marched into history

Little Rock, 50 Years Later

9/24/2007 - Newsweek, Ellis Cose

The image is among the most iconic in civil-rights history: a dignified black girl in a prim, white-and-black dress marches through a hostile mob intent on keeping her from school. Fifty years after it first flashed around the world, that image retains its power—evoking sorrow, even anger, that one so young would face such cruelty. Now a 65-year-old woman, Elizabeth Eckford still bears scars from that long, lonely walk as one of the Little Rock Nine: teenagers charged with integrating that city's finest high school in 1957. "I'm the only one who says I wouldn't do it again," said Eckford in an interview at the Little Rock courthouse where she works as a probation officer.

This month, Little Rock will commemorate the date, 50 years ago, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower sent the 101st Airborne to escort black children to Central High. In that moment, Little Rock became a synonym for hate. After claiming that desegregation would lead to violence, Gov. Orval Faubus ordered the National Guard to keep black children from attending the school. Meanwhile, the black students designated to integrate Central High made plans to enter as a group. Eckford's family had no phone, so she never got the message. She came alone, only to be sent away by Faubus's soldiers and left to the angry mob.

No black child got in on the appointed day. Three weeks later, armed with a judge's order prohibiting Faubus from interfering, the students were spirited in through a side door (the mob was so unruly, however, police decided the Nine could not stay). In the weeks that followed, they endured unrelenting abuse. They never believed the task would be easy, but they had no idea how hellish it would become. Minnijean Brown Trickey was expelled for a fight she didn't start. "If we knew what it was going to be, we would have been too scared to go," says Trickey, who returned to Little Rock after many years away to care for an aged parent. Decades later, Eckford realized she suffered from posttraumatic stress disorder. For years, she could not work. In her current job since 1999, she has found a measure of peace: it has taken "a long time getting there, a long time to talk about the past without crying."

Mostly, the Nine have flourished. Many got advanced degrees. All moved away—for a while, at least—and Little Rock tried to move on. Mayor Mark Stodola says it's time to put the past aside. He says Little Rock never deserved its racist reputation and that "the people who want to continue to look to the past are an impediment to where we want to go for the future." Ralph Brodie, a Central High football player and student-body president at the time of the crisis, says the reputations of many were unfairly tarnished by the actions of a few. Most people at Central were receptive to the black enrollees, he says, yet the world focused on "problem students—25 maybe, a minuscule percentage." The rest "did everything they could to make that schoolyear work," says Brodie, a lawyer and member of Central's 50th Anniversary Commission.

The black students do not remember things that way. "The tone was set by a couple of hundred students engaged in this reign of terror," says Ernest Green, one of the Nine and an executive with Lehman Brothers. "The silence was deafening. We would have appreciated some of them speaking out when all of this harassment was going on." Eckford also dismisses Brodie's point. Those who were silent, she says, are just unwilling to "think of themselves as bad people."

Today, like much of the rest of America, Little Rock grapples with a continuing achievement gap in its schools, economic distress in disproportionately minority neighborhoods and mistrust among competing communities and public officials. Earlier this year Central High student Brandon Love drew a straight line from the past to the present. In an article in the Arkansas Times and elsewhere, he observed that his Advanced Placement classes were overwhelmingly white: "As an African American and the student body president, I have encountered A Tale of Two Centrals ... As the only African American in most of my classes, I experience firsthand what some dismiss as 'subtle' racism," he wrote. Nancy Rousseau, the transplanted New Yorker who is principal at Central, acknowledges that more whites than blacks take AP classes—but she blames differences in preparation and achievement, not discrimination. "That's an issue that we're dealing with, an issue that, unfortunately, is universal," she says. "There are places that are overcoming it, and I want us to be one of them."

The Supreme Court agrees that focusing on past racial wrongs will not yield solutions for the future—as made clear in June by its ruling against voluntary school-desegregation plans. But there is still a point in remembering how we got here, and remembering how determined some people were to keep Americans apart—if only because it reminds us of why it remains so hard for us to come together.

I Saw Her Smile

I entered the Louvre, searching for her. I warmed up on fantastic sculptures and historical paintings from Italy. The anticipation was building. Where was she?

Signed arrows told me she was close. I entered her sanctuary. There. She. Was.

Anticlimax.

Wonderful painting, but the hype was bigger than she was. Then, I remembered her history, the relevance, the fact that she was probably the most famous painting in the world. I allowed myself to experience a moment of awe.

I got up as close as I could and just stared at her. I Saw Her Smile.

Ooops, he did it again

Go, Mattie, Go!

We are loving the franchise!

Try 300

Oh Yeah!!!

Today's Lead Story - Mandela & Bush

Mandela not dead despite embarrassing Bush remark

Saturday September 22, 2007
JOHANNESBURG, (Reuters):

Nelson Mandela is still very much alive despite an embarrassing gaffe by U.S. President George W. Bush, who alluded to the former South African leader's death in an attempt to explain sectarian violence in Iraq.

"It's out there. All we can do is reassure people, especially South Africans, that President Mandela is alive," Achmat Dangor, chief executive officer of the Nelson Mandela Foundation said as Bush's comments received worldwide coverage.

In a speech defending his administration's Iraq policy, Bush said former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's brutality had made it impossible for a unifying leader to emerge and stop the sectarian violence that has engulfed the Middle Eastern nation.

"I heard somebody say, Where's Mandela?' Well, Mandela's dead because Saddam Hussein killed all the Mandelas," Bush, who has a reputation for verbal faux pas, said in a press conference in Washington on Thursday.

Jailed for 27 years for fighting white minority rule, Mandela became South Africa's first black president in 1994. He won a Nobel Peace Prize for preaching racial harmony and guiding the nation peacefully into the post-apartheid era.

References to his death - Mandela is now 89 and increasingly frail - are seen as insensitive in South Africa.

http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20070922/lead/lead3.html

Tuesday with Alan

Event: Alan Greenspan in Conversation with Andrea Mitchell, Tues, Sept. 18, 2007

Event as Advertised

Former Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan, who helped shape the nation’s economic and monetary policy for almost 19 years, talks about the people he met, the issues he faced and the crises he helped manage during five different administrations. Greenspan discusses the world we now live in, with a global capitalist economy that is more flexible, resilient, open, self-directing and fast-changing than ever. Greenspan is the author of a new book, The Age of Turbulence: Adventures in a New World, to be published by The Penguin Press on September 17. He is interviewed in this rare public appearance by the person who knows him best, his wife, Andrea Mitchell, who covers politics and foreign policy for NBC News.

Event as Experienced

Sejal and I had an enjoyable Tuesday night last week. We went to the 92nd Street Y to listen to Alan Greenspan speak about things important to him, as reflected in his "life's work", his new book The Age of Turbulence. Alan was interviewed by his wife Andrea. They both sat in comfortable seats in the middle of the stage, and created an environment where you felt as if you were a special guest invited into their homes for an evening of stimulating conversation.

Alan has a dry sense of humour, which I love. The jokes are often times unexpected. He considers himself to be an introvert, and stated that in some ways being introverted is a pre-requisite for the job of Fed Chairman. Alan gave highlights from his book and also took the opportunity to correct some inaccuracies about himself that have been floating around the press for years. He has a great recollection of history and peppered his conversation with rich details from his past.

His wife, Andrea, did a great job as interviewer. She said she was trying to balance between being a good reporter and saving her marriage, as she pushed Alan on some of the tougher topics. The event lasted for about 1.5 hours, of which about 20 mins. was dedicated to Q&A. I was shocked to see how quickly the time had passed. It was truly an enjoyable night.

Here are some highlights:

*Bill Clinton has a reputation of being late for meetings. This is typically because he becomes engaged in discussions, and hence meetings will run over time, causing a spill on effect for the rest of the day

*Alan felt that Bill Clinton and Richard Nixon were - by far - the smartest US Presidents. They both had an ability to quickly understand complicated topics and spent time to educate themselves on the important concepts. Alan gave an example of Bill Clinton giving a speech on an intricate topic, and for the first 10 or so minutes the teleprompter was showing the incorrect content. Bill was able to expertly ad lib until the teleprompter situation was corrected and then seamlessly switched from ad lib mode back to leveraging the prepared materials

*Richard Nixon was like a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. He was extremely articulate and polished, but could digress oftentimes into a ruffian, using extremely foul language, particularly around those he felt comfortable with. Alan originally felt that the reason there was push back re: releasing the Nixon tapes, was because the Nixon camp did not want to sully his reputation by allowing the public to hear his potty mouth

*Alan intentionally allowed the media to interpret his words in different ways, e.g. on similar topics, The New York Times would represent Alan as having a different stance, than say the Wall Street Journal. Alan did this intentionally, as his comments had significant effect on financial markets - and so if people were not completely clear on what he was saying, this effect was somewhat mitigated

*Alan felt a refreshing freedom when writing his book - finally, he was able to freely express himself, to give opinion/conjecture - without objectively proving every thought and without fear of potential impact

*The Medicare issue is not being addressed by anyone - and the situation is dire. The potential result of the current 'do nothing' attitude is that higher income persons will be saddled with the majority of the costs - in some cases likely paying 100% on co-pays

*Alan said it has been a great experience being married to a reporter :)

I plan to buy the book and hear more from this witty, experienced, and highly-intelligent leader.