Archive for November, 2008
step right up! bailout line starts here
I wish I had more time and energy to sit down and write a well-reasoned, well-researched opinion piece on the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) or, as we know it, The Bailout (cue scary music). Aside from not having the time, though, I’ll also admit I’m no expert on this and really have no business writing such a thing–although, to be clear, I do like to think I have slightly more than a John McCain-like comprehension of the economic system.
So instead of getting into the details of who deserves to be bailed out and why or why not, I want to point your attention to The End of Wall Street’s Boom by Michael Lewis on Portfolio.com. In this piece (and apparently in his book Liar’s Poker: Rising through the Wreckage on Wall Street), Lewis exposes something that amazed me when I was a college senior 11 years ago and that is: at that time, one of the most desired and lucrative jobs available to me fresh out of college (with degrees in English and history) was a position at an investment banking firm–a job path that many of my fellow graduates took.
In short, whahuh?
Now I’m certainly not blaming fresh-from-college kids on Wall Street for the economic mess, but I did find Lewis’ piece rather enlightening about the system as a whole, and I strongly encourage you to read it. It’s long and can get tedious in parts if you’re not used to all the terminology, so if you find yourself drifting, take a break, do something else, and come back to the article. Seriously. This is worth reading.
Right now, all I can muster in terms of an Op-Ed is this:
More suggested reading:
- Paul of The Clue by Four‘s Third Cluesday in November: Where Did All the Money Go?
- Obama lays out general terms for auto bailout
- Enough with those bailout lines by Joan Vennochi at The Boston Globe
- Many line up for cash but bailout plan falters by Michael J. de la Merced at The New York Times
- Pull away blanket of secrecy on federal bailout
- States want their own federal financial bailout
- Canada considers joint bailout of carmakers with US, CP says
- Obama to tweak bail-out plan
So what do *you* think about the bailout?
as california burns, calabria asks what the hail?
Over the weekend, as we were thinking about those caught in the line of wildfires in California, here in Calabria we also had some nasty weather. Quite ironically, ours came in the form of torrential downpours.
And so, right around noon on Saturday, thunder and lightning meant that we unplugged everything electric.
But the hail? Well that meant it was time for the camera:
P said he’d never seen anything like this in his nearly 30 years, as perhaps you can tell from his excitement in the video. Here’s where the video left off:
Stay safe, my friends.*
*Gah! I can’t stop saying it!
interactive friday: blog my blog III
Guess what time it is…it’s time to blog my blog!
What’s that? You don’t remember how we play? As a reminder, here is the first edition, here is the second, and here are the official rules:
Taking direction from Kailani of An Island Life, here’s how it works for those who don’t remember:
1. I start with a question/phrase.
2. The first commenter answers that question and leaves a new question for the next visitor to answer. It could be a general question, fill in the blank sentence, a “tell me about a time when,” etc.
3. The next commenter answers the new question and provides a question for the following visitor (i.e., the third commenter).
4. And so forth until you’re all bored to tears. Yes, I expect actual tears before we stop (photographic evidence will do).
5. Note: I reserve the right to delete or modify any questions that, you know, rub me the wrong way. Ahem.
6. In a situation where two commenters have answered the same question and you’re next to answer, please either choose one of the questions or answer both; if you don’t answer both, you are free to pass along the question you didn’t use or come up with a new one.
The first question:
What is your favorite apparatus on a playground and why?
Remember to check out Cherrye’s My Bella Vita for this week’s La Buona Cucina Americana recipe: Mexican Tortilla Soup.
love thursday: bringing home the bacon
You know that saying about bringing home the bacon*?
Well, in Calabria that often happens quite literally.
Here is my amore holding the leg of a certain swine, parts of which were later marinated in red wine vinegar, olive oil, garlic, and rosemary, and then grilled. Yum!
Who could ask for more in a man?
Happy Love Thursday everyone!
Note that Love Thursday is now back at its original Chookooloonks home. Yay!
P.S. The history of this phrase from About.com Guide to Home Cooking: “In the twelfth century, a church in the English town of Dunmow promised a side of bacon to any married man who could swear before the congregation and God that he had not quarreled with his wife for a year and a day. A husband who could bring home the bacon was held in high esteem by the community for his forebearance.”
What’s Cooking Wednesday: Pasta with Snails alla Calabrese
I’ve heard snails are a love it or hate it kind of thing. I love ’em and here’s a recipe for snails alla calabrese with pasta.
Read on...
Michelle Kaminsky is an American attorney-turned-freelance writer who lived in her family's ancestral village in Calabria, Italy for 15 years. This blog is now archived.
Calabria Guidebook
Recipes
