&^%@! Politics

So the Republicans have pushed for a change to the Financial Regulatory Reform Bill (or whatever it's called):

Basically, instead of creating a recovery fund formed from money banks pay in, they want to take TARP money and use that as the basis for the fund.

This is after Republicans have erroneously maligned the recovery fund as another "taxpayer bailout". In the original version, it was not - it was formed by a tax (better described as an economic rent) on big banks.

So now, the Republicans are sayings that sure, this fund can be resourced from taxpayer money that has already been allocated - a provisioning that they complained about before, during, and after its use.

Want to bet that Democrats get accused of using taxes to save big banks next election cycle? Want to see the world turned upside down? You will, you betcha.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/30/business/30regulate.html

USA Out, 2-1 Ghana

I am not a sports fan. I understand the basics of most major team sports - football, baseball, and soccer. I understand the softball is baseball for girls, with an underhand pitch and generally associated with lesbians. I understand that NASCAR is racing cars, and the Formula 1 cars are faster.

I say all this to say, I do not follow sports.

That said, I started following the FIFA World Cup. About four years ago, a Brazilian friend of mine invited me over to watch their match (against whom, I forget). It was exciting, and interesting, and full international pageantry. Thus, this year I tried to follow it from the beginning.

Knowing how soccer is not as big in the US as it is elsewhere, I expected to have to follow another team. I thought I would follow Germany, since I live there as an adolescent. To the surprise of many people worldwide, the US did well, advancing to the Round of Sixteen. This is how I found myself in a midtown pub Saturday afternoon, watching the US play Ghana.

Sadly, they lost. From what I saw with my own eyes, diluted by my general lack of knowledge, the US gave up an early point and had trouble maintaining possession of the ball. The only goal scored was from a penalty kick, and an easy one at that - not the one where four or five guys get to line up in front of the goalie. So it was with a large group of moderately drunk Americans that I saw the US lose to Ghana, the same nation that had thrown them out of the World Cup in 2006.

It was great to watch though. I'll keep a closer eye on soccer, pick a team or two to following in the intervening years between World Cups.

Alto

Dinner with a friend at Alto, a lovely little restaurant tucked away in midtown Manhattan. Posh! Took the four-course prix-fixe: lovely scallops, veal tortellini, a big ol' pork chop, and for dessert, a hazelnut nougat covered in chocolate.

Race

Last night I saw Race, a new play by David Mamet, with a friend of mine. The original case had been recently replaced by Eddie Izzard, Dennis Haysbert, and Afton Williamson, with Richard Thomas continuing his role. Overall it was a good play, though shorter than we expected.

There was a slight taste of misogyny afterwards - to say that is to be expected in a Mamet play oversimplifies his work and places the form before the function. My only real complaint is that I wasn't hearing anything new. Maybe that's because of some of my own experiences with race. I felt like I was watching people who should know better navigate the shoals of race, class, sexuality, and prejudice, but then, I know that in real life, very often people do not know better.

Sex Change at 35,000 Feet

The weirdest part of my trip was the safety video Delta showed. It's a tidy little corporate production, smoothly demonstrating the rules - how to buckle up, no smoking etc, all narrated by what appears to be the peppy version of the girl from the weird Palm Pre ads. That said, there is one weird thing.

At the beginning of the film, a handsome male pilot welcomes you aboard. At the end, a lovely female pilot bids adieu. There is no real plot to the video, and the effect is that at some points, as you learn about safety and calling the stewards and stowing your luggage correctly, the pilot had a full sex change.

Music for Shopping

Among the more unusual musical encounters I had while abroad, two from a Sephora in Prague stand out:

1) "YMCA" sung in a dreamy bossa nova by a wispy female.

2) "Barbie Girl", (a song we studied in my law class, I should add), sung by a heartbeaking male crooner, ala John Mayer.

Both gender-transposed songs, I should add.

Back in the US

I've been back about a day. I actually went to work (early, at 6 AM) yesterday and left early (around 4 PM).

In the evening, I felt tired. Apparently, when I thought my body was telling me to take a nap, it really meant "sleep for eight hours".