Obama-mercial

I missed the Obama 30-minute piece last night and I can't really find any scoop on it. Did anyone watch it? How was it? Please enlighten me.

The Candidates on Energy

This article from Wharton compares the energy priorities for both Obama and McCain. As you can tell from their advertising, they are not that far away from each other except for the Palin-inspired "Drill, baby, drill" part.

U.S. presidential candidates John McCain and Barak Obama clash over tax and foreign policy, but their energy proposals are more alike than their campaign rhetoric suggests. Both offer to reduce global warming with a cap-and-trade program, "clean coal" technology and expanded use of wind and other renewable energy. But no matter who wins, energy prices are likely to climb.

There are some differences: Obama emphasizes renewable energy to reduce dependence on foreign oil, while McCain puts more faith in drilling. Obama is less enamored of nuclear power than McCain. Obama supports subsidies for ethanol production while McCain would cancel them and open the market to foreign competitors. Environmentalists tend to favor Obama, while business groups favor McCain.

Whoever wins, it will be nice to have an energy policy that wasn't drafted behind closed doors by Cheney and a secret list of oil cronies.

Honeymoon Pictures

Ah, here we are overlooking the Grand Canal.

Can you believe the Bridge of Sighs has been turned into an advertisement for a car?

George having a coffee in our neighborhood.

It's our honeymoon - how could we not go on a gondola ride at sunset?

A giant glass abacus in Murano - how cool.

Arctic Trade

There's so much news and analysis of both the economy and the elections that I'm not going to compete, but find for you, my faithful followers, other interesting stuff.
There's an article in the Atlantic Monthly talking about the new trade routes that are/will be opening up across the Arctic. It's being compared to the Suez or Panama Canal in terms of allowing ease of trade and transport.

Of course, this will also lead to enormous changes in the economies and ecologies of the entire Arctic.

Venice was marvelous

The honeymoon was wonderful. Venice was wonderful. I had have loved Venice for ages, but I think that George really fell in love with the place.
Typical day in Venice:

• Get up late
• make some coffee, think about what to do for the day
• stroll over to the vapporetto to take us somewhere marvelous
• find some lunch, maybe grilled fish with a half carafe of wine
  
• wander around, look at buildings, glass, the canals
  
• have an aperitivo, a spritz with Aperol
• home for an afternoon nap?
• decide which neighborhood to hit for dinner
• stroll around

I suggested to George that I should stay in Venice while he flew home to teach his class and then return. Alas. This part of the honeymoon is over. I know the honeymoon phase will last much longer.....

We're on our way to the honeymoon.....

Apathy is Deadly

Here's a great website, created by my favorite Ohio State student, George's son: Apathy is Deadly. It has great templates and directions for sending letters about Darfur, foreign aid and climate change to your elected officials.

The sage's strategy

Words from Warren Buffett...

I've been buying American stocks. This is my personal account I'm talking about, in which I previously owned nothing but United States government bonds. (This description leaves aside my Berkshire Hathaway holdings, which are all committed to philanthropy.) If prices keep looking attractive, my non-Berkshire net worth will soon be 100 percent in United States equities.

Why?

A simple rule dictates my buying: Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful. And most certainly, fear is now widespread, gripping even seasoned investors. To be sure, investors are right to be wary of highly leveraged entities or businesses in weak competitive positions. But fears regarding the long-term prosperity of the nation's many sound companies make no sense. These businesses will indeed suffer earnings hiccups, as they always have. But most major companies will be setting new profit records 5, 10 and 20 years from now.

Train of thought

Hat tip to Marcelino.

Mom is home!

Thanks to all of you who've been asking after my mother. She came home yesterday after 5 full weeks in the hospital.

God on Trial

A state senator in Nebraska brought a suit against God.

He said God has made terroristic threats against the senator and his constituents in Omaha, inspired fear and caused "widespread death, destruction and terrorization of millions upon millions of the Earth's inhabitants."

Chambers has said he filed the lawsuit to make the point that everyone should have access to the courts regardless of whether they are rich or poor.

While I'm not exactly sure I follow his full logic on access, the idea is not new. There's a very moving scene in an Elie Wiesel book where the community elders in the concentration camp put God on trial for allowing the persecution and holocaust. If I recall correctly, they find God guilty of negligence.

What's your opinion? Can we/should we call God to account?

Married!

I've been away from my blog for a week now. I've been a little busy!