Thursday, February 05, 2009

The World This Week

There's a whole lot of events that happened in this past week, that I want to blog about; but didn't get around to it; hence this bhel-puri of a blogpost:

* I wept when I watched Roger Federer weep in the Australian Open. I can't imagine the anguish of being the second-best in the world (at anything) and not being able to be the best. That too after a fight that long & emotionally tiring. Having seen the top before must make it even harder.

* A lot of debates happened this week (mainly in the banking circles), when Obama announced a limit on executive pay on Wall Street & most people cheered it. I don't feel bad for the execs; but I do feel the announcement was very un-American; kind of a u-turn on the American dream.

* My waist measures 42 inches now! How huge is that! People say nice things to me (like "wow, you're glowing") to make me feel better.

* I wonder who finances the Hindu-radicals in India? And how do they recruit their goondas? When did so many of them crop up? That too in places like Mangalore?

* The Freakonomics blog had a "Bernie Madoff Limerick Contest"; it was quite fun to read some of the entries; like this one:

We once believed in a man named Madoff,
who big wigs loved so much as to payoff,
but a Ponzi he ran,
30 years ’twas a scam,
and now I’ll blame him for my lay off :)

* My dad turned 65 this week. The thought of him being that old depresses me.

18 comments:

Fighter Jet said...

this 'bhel puri' is really tasty :)

Anonymous said...

hey...people just dont say you are glowing to make you feel good...you must be glowing:) babies make their mommy glow....i bet you are looking gorgeous:)...hows the pregnancy coming along?

Parth said...

Maybe the American dream has run its course and needs to be altered? Money isn't everything. Really, the way the execs awarded themselves bonuses was shocking enough!

Unknown said...

Nice post actually! a bit of everything..

i loved the limerick :-)

Keep glowing!! .. porky

shakester said...

- we dont say you are glowing to reduce the effect of your waist, we say itbecause you *are* :)

- dont be depressed, love him more.

- Do gigantic bonuses (which I dont have anything against per se) really symbolise the american dream?

Happy Reader said...

Limerick was funny :)

Jayne said...

I'm sure you are glowing hon & never mind your dad being 'old' - he's gonna be a grandpa soon!

Radha said...

Fighter Jet,
Thanks :)

Mookuthi,
Thanks :)
Pregnancy is coming along well; although I can't wait for the due date now!!

Parth,
True. I 'm not against the limit; just that this level of government intervention in the US is a first.

666,
I should've never disclosed the nickname!! :)

Shakester,
I know, I was just fishing for more compliments :o)
Re gigantic bonuses: Aren't they the basis of capitalism? Isn't that the American promise? That work hard & smart & only sky is the limit?

Happy Reader,
:)

Jayne,
Hey, how have you been? All well in Abu Dhabi?

shakester said...

Profit is the basis of capitalism, and sure, gigantic bonuses symbolise the extent to which an individual can profit, I can;t say its the basis for the American dream. Execs with such bonuses are small proportion of the American people, who are th eones who actually believe and ae isnpired by the American dream. Which is as much about freedom, choices as huge payouts.
Also, wasn't obama's cap only for execs in firms being given govt cash?

Satyajit said...

oink oink.....

Anonymous said...

Hey Radha ... was looking for changes in the 6th month of pregnancy and your blog came up on Google :).
Congratulations on your bundle of enjoy ... I am currently in my sixth month and feeling a lot of the things you're probably over now!
Nice to find company for the ride :)

Jas B said...

42 inches! :) Keep glowing!

Did you watch the Grammy's? M.I.A. performed on stage in a hugely pregnant state! And was supposed to deliver that day itself!!

Radha said...

Shakester,
It's not about the execs; as I said, I dont feel sorry for them. Its just that its a huge step away from the American philosophy of "let the markets decide".

Satyajit,
I'm ignoring you

Raina,
Congratulations :)

Jas,
No, I just saw the first hour or so of the Grammys & then dozed off. Performing at the Grammys on your due date; ummm; well, that's courageous!

shakester said...

hmmm, ok. I meant that if he waas referring to companies that are being bailed out, why shouldnt he have a say in the way them oney is used? You can give bailout cash and have it used as bonus money!

Radha said...

Shakester,
Because a bank is not like a manufacturing company. People are its assets. If a trader earns a million dollar bonus, its because he makes much more money than that for the bank. I'm not referring to the senior management who don't take responsibility for the failure of their bank; I'm referring to the few guys who have earned their bonus. In a bank, a bonus is like spending money on say a quality improvement process in a manufacturing unit. Its not a waste of money; its an essential investment. Well, sometimes it is.

shakester said...

hmm, I see your point but in the current climate you have to see that its highly debatable. Given what the economy in the US is going through, I think someone *not* getting a million dollar bonus is rather more acceptable than not, irrespective of his/her value to the company; its public money hence the value needs to be, at least in part, to the state/public.

To continue the analogy, this money is less (as I see it, broadly) to invest in a 'quality improvement asset' than to salvage the current assets and keep them, and the many people associated with them, afloat.

but then, these are my utterly lay views.

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