Moral What?

There was an article in the Sacramento Bee today that discussed how certain organizations (most notably the Simon Wiesenthal Center) have called on certain California agencies (such as the California Public Employees' Retirement System or CalPERS) to dump investments from foreign companies doing business in Iran on the basis of morality (anyone, like, heard of morality in big business?).

Now it seems that CalPERS has made $725 million over the past eight (8) years on these foreign investments but it had also lost $590 million after pulling out from South African investments back in the 1980s (no doubt in protest of apartheid in that region at that time).

I hardly think that, unless there is a significant risk to those investments from a purely business point of view, any of these agencies are going to dump their investments. California, wallowing in a huge budget deficit, needs all the revenue she can get and this isn't the time to be thinking about morals. If anyone wants to address human rights violation and its associated fallout, then the situation in Iraq needs to be resolved first along with better oversight of how we use our military in the future. This means that we are in dire need of a new generation of foreign policymaking capability.

What's In A Name

It seems that the two most common names for babies in the US are Emily and Jacob.

Social Security Presents America’s Favorite Baby Names for 2006

It can't be an entirely white thing since there are just as many Asian families that prefer to provide Christian first names for their kids (that kid who shot up Virigina Tech was a notable exception).

A lot of people I meet surprise me to a small extent (it has been a while since anyone surprised me to a large extent). Maybe I too easily typecast people. That's probably it. But their general demeanor and choice of words have no bearing on their first names. Who would you envision when you hear the name Kate? Perhaps that prim chick that William dude was shagging? Well, I met a Kate in a bar last week and, on first sight, thought her name might have been, oh, I don't know, a Trinity or something. She had a piercing in her nose, multi-colored hair (both of which gave her a punk look) and promptly started off with a discussion of what comprises male ejaculate. I think that she was an artist who painted some form of erotica or something. For the record though she was concentrating mostly on my friend David who was..um..prodding her on (God bless you, m'boy). So I won't claim to have attracted her. No, I have nothing against her appearance (I thought it was cool) but I found the subject of "discussion" somewhat disgusting. I would eventually turn my concentration to the cold brew in front of me.

It is apparent that parents try to live a moment of fantasy (however brief that may be) when they name their children :-)

Random Picture

Sunset around my office...

Eye-Openers

Well, I couldn't resist reading the following article and it only served to confirm what I had started to realize to be the truth for a while now: that women look a lot better with at least a bit of makeup.

http://tuvida.aol.com/moda-y-belleza/fotos/stars-without-make-up

Goldie Hawn looks...normal but having used to seeing her in makeup...Goddamn!!

Jessica Alba is an eye-opener. The difference is night and day.

Giselle without makeup looks so vulnerable (so down-to-earth), like someone I might have run across in the subway here in Boston (on her way to work while everyone else was going home).

I probably wouldn't pick Jessica Simpson and Britney Spears from a line-up without their makeup on (neither would I want to...with them looking like that I mean).

Sharon Stone, Debra Messing, Nicole Kidman without makeup: I come across these types of "looks" on weekend mornings in the North End. Y'know, women who have just woken from their slumber and are out jogging or something. So I wasn't taken aback...too much.

Penelope Cruz and Eva Mendes, however, look great without makeup!

Spider-Man 3 (No, its not a review!)

I am not going to watch Spider-Man 3. Oh, I might inadvertently catch it on TNT or something a few years down the road.


Infertility affects one in 25 American men.

The first one was refreshing (well, at least the first 20 minutes) and after barely sitting through the second one for about half-an-hour (which I caught on DVD at a friend's house), I put my hat on and went to see another friend. The trailer of SM3 reeks of melodrama and I could never particularly accept Tobey, that awesome man-boy, as a superhero anyway. Plus the overused background chorus in these big-budget movies is now starting to annoy me.


And what the hell is she wearing?

Speaking of budget, I heard that they have spent $250 Million to make SM3! I mean...what the holy f*ck! I could understand a budget like that for the Lord of the Rings franchise, which actually represents an epic event. But all that money for a dude with mental issues wearing a mask...!

I am going to lunch out now. I need to pause and take stock of a few things...

Pristine Prisons?

Finally legislators in California have agreed to a plan to "overhaul" that state's extremely troubled prison system.


Prison plan details are discussed Wednesday by, from left, Senate Minority Leader Dick Ackerman, Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez, Senate leader Don Perata and Assembly Minority Leader Mike Villines. Picture Copyright: Sacramento Bee/Brian Baer.

For years, no one could reach a solution on the problem of overcrowding in California's prisons. I have been following this particular issue with a great deal of interest for a long time now. A couple of Unions, naturally, are against the plan...as they have been for many years now.

My own take...I certainly hope the two unions don't have any success in overturning this plan. I cannot yet say if the unions are wrong or correct but at some point California will need to find out what will work (or atleast ease the problem). All parties concerned on this issue have been at a stalemate for way too long at the expense of tax payers. Now there is a plan agreed on by two of the three (Republicans, Democrats and Unions) major "players". The ideal solution is, of course, preventing crime from happening in the first place. But that is an ideal solution. This new plan may or may not work. But at this point, and given how long this issue has dogged the state, it will be worth finding out through action. If this is the best "they" can come up with for now, so be it. It now remains to be seen how successful phase 1 is. Hopefully a significant improvement to parole and sentencing rules (and possibly an increase in staffing) can be made after feedback from phase 1 or 2.

Showdown in little Barbados!

So...the Sri Lankans and the Aussies will be facing off (again) in the Cricket World Cup 2007 Final in Barbados. Watching these two teams perform so far has been an immensely pleasurable experience...and a stark reminder that it cannot get any worse for the Indian team which was sent home after the first round.

I still have to hear Indian selectors say, "Yes, we have a serious problem. We have players but no team." Until they do that, I am not going to have a positive outlook on the chances for the Indian "team" in the next World Cup (or for that matter, whatever the next major tournament will be).