Wine Theft in Napa Valley Targets Prized Vintages

Screaming Eagle

The Napa Valley restaurant known as The French Laundry did not have a merry Christmas. Thieves entered the boutique establishment and stole the highest of high-end wines, including Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon and Romanee-Conti. The story became far more public today, with CBS News showing a segment on the caper.

A sfgate.com story about the theft offers more details than the CBS report provided. Here are some details:

• The restaurant was closed when the incident occurred, as was the bakery next door to The French Laundry.
• The robbery took place in broad daylight.
• The thieves used a cart to get the wine to their getaway vehicle.
• The alarm to the wine room was not active during the heist.
• The thieves entered the restaurant through a door that was not actively connected to the restaurant's alarm system. Apparently, the crooks used a primitive crowbar-style entry through the door (that's the one detail CBS did note that was not available elsewhere).

The restaurant let the world know in detail about its losses, probably to diminish the black market for the goods. Whether or not insurance will pay French Laundry and its owner, uber-chef Thomas Keller, partially or fully for the lost items will be an interesting sidebar to the story.

For restaurants holding prestigious wines, the investment is tricky. The bottles typically snooze in the wine cellar for a long time, tying up funds and requiring special care. The possibility of an inside job, perhaps related to a restaurant's need for money, cannot be immediately discounted.

Meanwhile, one wonders what details the police have omitted from the public details of the case. Those details are signatures that only the perps, any prospective clients for their stolen goods, and detectives attempting to apprehend them would know.

Christie and Cuomo Deliver Tag-Team Veto to Port Authority Reform Drive

Batman vs. Penguin mayoral election debate
(Image: dtvusaform.com)

Just before midnight on a holiday Saturday, the political patronage machine known as the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) received, figuratively speaking, two governors' pardon. The issue was the reform of the bistate agency in the wake of the Bridgegate scandal. Curiously, the Republican Chris Christie and Democratic Andrew Cuomo, both of whom have presidential ambitions, found common ground in their respective vetoes. They cited their alternative reform plans, which critics asserted would water down the effort to shine light on the PA's often opaque award and management of lucrative contracts.

According to The New York Times' report on the vetoes, the far stronger reforms had received unanimous approval votes from each state's respective legislatures. Due to the arcane nature of the PA's charter, change requires approval from both states' governors and legislatures. Unanimously positive votes are extremely rare. However, the shadow vote -- the fixers and deep pockets who appear on the PA's board of directors and executive positions -- was most likely unanimously negative.

Recently, I've been reading Italian crime fiction. The works often offer a window into the corruption that characterizes the Italian political process. Unlike Italians, Americans largely remain in denial of its embrace of a wink-and-nod society. While "networking" has become a watchword in American life, the implications of that concept, especially in relation to back-door deals and opaque transactions, has largely gone unexplored. The Port Authority reform episode demonstrates that "networked" crony corruption remains very alive and well, and transcends left-wing or right-wing rhetoric.

Egypt and Morocco Censor New "Exodus" Film

Exodus in Rabat, Morocco
(Image: corriere.it)

Ridley Scott's Exodus has been recently censored in two North African countries, according to the Milanese newspaper Corriere della Sera. Morocco officially frowned on the Biblical epic on the grounds that the movie included a visual depiction of God. Egypt's Minister of Culture banned Exodus because, in his view, the film was a vehicle for "Zionist" propaganda. You don't suppose the inevitable climax of the Moses vs. Pharaoh plot line might have influenced the minster's perspective?

Maybe the minister is just a sore loser.

NSA Provides Heavily Redacted Report on Its "Improper Surveillance" of Americans

The elves at the NSA were certainly busy this holiday season. Besides their usual snooping activities, the agency prepared a report on instances of its "improper surveillance" of American citizens. The NSA did not exactly go into this project willingly; it was compelled via a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union.

The agency released its heavily redacted report on who was naughty or nice on the afternoon of Christmas Eve. A story about the information appeared in Bloomberg; the piece was later linked in a Washington Post roundup. The timing virtually guaranteed minimal public attention to an issue on which left-wing occupiers and right-wing liberty lovers should theoretically find common ground.

The NSA would not have even entertained providing these crumbs of knowledge of its business, except that Edward Snowden's revelations forced its hand. Coincidentally (or maybe not), a former naval officer filed suit this week in Kansas against the producers of Citizenfour, the Laura Poitras-directed documentary about Snowden's efforts to make public what the NSA most devoutly wished to reamin concealed. The suit alleges, among other things, the producers' intent to profiteer from the film. The story about the litigation appears in commondreams.org; a link to a PDF of the court papers appears courtesy of the information technology news website theregister.co.uk.

The Neapolitan Christmas Gift Called "Caffe Sospeso"

An article in today's New York Times features a positive act of humanity that could easily be copied elsewhere. The simple notion stems from Italy's coffee culture, as different from Starbucks as a legit latte macchiato is from some overwrought, overroasted junk.

Caffe sospeso
(Image: femaleworld.it)

The appealing custom, which originated in Naples, consists of paying for two cups of the coffee of one's choice, and leaving the receipt for the second cup for a needy individual. The gift, known as "caffe sospeso," is both shared and anonymous.

The story reminds me of a time my wife and I paid a toll on the Garden State Parkway in New Jersey. At that time, EZ Pass had not yet become part of car culture. My wife doubled down on the toll, and told the human collecting the tariff that she was offering an "act of kindness" to the next driver. Apparently, my wife had once been on the receiving end of such an act, and did not forget.

The spirit in the New Jersey and Naples examples seems in sync with "doing the right thing" during the year-end holidays. With that thought in mind, Merry Christmas to all!

PS. In case you're unfamiliar with Euro terminology, the "Roma" in the Times story refers to Gypsies. They are subject to considerable animosity in Italy and elsewhere in Western Europe, as the linked Der Spiegel story outlines.

When Nixon Asked Robert Altman for a Copy of "Nashville"

My wife generally works the Netflix account pretty vigorously. Our movie watching patterns were recently affected when our DVD return did not reach Netflix in the usual prompt manner. I wondered if a little inside game would have helped our chances.

I wouldn't know who to contact at Netflix. However, in a different era, it was possible to contact a human being and cut through red tape. Evidence on behalf of this proposition was recently demonstrated by the movie maestros at the Criterion Collection. They posted via Facebook a reproduction of correspondence from the one and only Richard Nixon to Robert Altman. Tricky Dick asked the very liberal film director if he could forward him a copy of Nashville. If you didn't see the request in print, you would have imagined this was a Hollywood barroom gag.

It's not, and you can see the proof above.

Obama Calls Only on Women During Recent Press Conference

For years -- well, really forever -- men have dominated the White House press corps. Helen Thomas (the bane of the right-wing) broke into the male-only WHPC club about a half-century ago. It's been a tough fight for women on the White House beat to get the power and the respect from their gender opposites. A measure of come-uppence occurred on Friday, when President Obama held a news conference at the White House. 44 only called on women for questions; he then left town for Christmas in Hawaii.

The Washington Post carried the story, and the women (including the superb Gwen Ifill) who asked the questions managed to quickly let the world know via their Twitter accounts. Apparently, the President's tactic displeased some media men. Notably, The New York Times' male White House reporter either did not file a story or his editors did not think the article was fit to print. Just to keep matters fair and balanced, the Fox News journalist was predictably PO'd. Ironically, he expressed his grievance on air to Megyn Kelly.

Can Birds "Hear" Tornadoes Before The Storms Arrive?

It's known that certain animals sense when stormy weather looms. I had imagined that the predicted meteorological phenomena involved rain. However, a recent report in the scientific journal Current Biology and reported by the BBC noted how a rare songbird can anticipate well in advance the arrival of a tornado. Apparently, the bird's ability to hear low-frequently is the key to its storm-avoidance technique.

What Do Pay Pal Founder Peter Thiel and Baseball Star A-Rod Have in Common?

Peter Thiel

Peter Thiel is something of a self-made zillionaire, thanks to his early investments in Pay Pal and Facebook. He's outspoken, as only an openly gay, openly Libertarian billionaire can be. Among his concepts is the creation of a republic on a yet-to-be-made man-made island, a sort of Atlantis in the Pacific. More recently, Thiel shared with Bloomberg's Silicon Valley talking head Emily Chang his quest to extend his life expectancy beyond normal actuarial standards. (The interview was presented in a boiled down version by siliconvalley.com's Michelle Quinn.) The magic ingredient is none other than HGH, or human growth hormone. Thiel noted its ability to help one maintain muscle mass.

HGH made its reputation, for better or worse, through its association with Major League Baseball players. They knew or believed the hormome had the potential to enhance their ability to perform and extend their careers. A number of stars took HGH, none brighter than Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod eventually became MLB's sacrificial lamb to demonstrate it didn't want players gaining advantage via the use of biochemical aids. Maybe Alex Rodriguez should have played the markets instead of hardball.

Did US International Aid Exec Resign Over Obama's Cuban Gambit?

Rajiv Shah
(Image: politico.com)

Rajiv Shah is not a household name, unless one follows Washington's careerist ladder. Mr. Shah currently runs the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which is essentially our government's overseas humanitarian arm. On the day President Obama declared his intention to expand diplomatic relations with Cuba, the 41-year-old Indian-American decided to announce his departure from USAID in February, 2015. His departure, if a recent Foreign Policy piece by John Hudson is any indication, will be met with regret from both right-wing and left-wing American politicians and policy wonks.

Shah's timing is curious. Alan Gross, whose release was part of the Obama-Castro deal, was an USAID employee. For Shah, was Gross' freedom a feeling of "mission accomplished"?

In the background is the agency's dicey history with Cuba. During Shah's tenure, USAID was involved in an embarrassing attempt to "promote democracy" in Fidel Castro's homeland by "infiltrating" Cuba's hip-hop audience. There are other episodes that have cumulatively contributed to the Communist regime's mistrust of yanqui government representatives.

Tom Wheelock
(Image: Creative Associates International)

During Shah's USAID leadership, one of the enterprises contracted to provide "content" for USAID's efforts in Castro's workers paradise was Creative Associates International. (Fox News, in today's article on Shah's resignation, included the AP story about CAI and its role in Cuban projects.) The Washington-DC based firm is dedicated to humanitarian projects throughout the world. Some of its key leadership figures hail from Argentina. A notable exception is Senior VP Tom Wheelock, a West Point grad and former faculty member whose resume features a 2001-2003 stint as USAID's Iraq Infrastructure Reconstruction Project director. According to CAI's biographical information about Wheelock, he also served as a Middle East expert at the National Security Agency.

Clearly, Wheelock is no stranger to the inside political game. Neither is Shah. His pedigree prior to joining Team Obama included high-level positions at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and health care advising for Al Gore during the former VP's ill-fated presidential run against George W. Bush. While some have speculated Shah intends to join a private equity firm, the USAID head has not spoken about his plans. We don't even know if Shah plans to enjoy a Cuban cigar on his final day on the job.

Uber Raised Rates During Sydney Hostage Siege

Image: blog.uber.com

The controversial car service Uber gained traction among the hip and wired as the new wave of getting from point A to point B. A mere whiff of an IPO created a valuation frenzy unsettlingly similar to the turn of the century Internet stock bubble. Uber has publicly maintained its mission is the provision of cheaper car service fares, leveraging shared ridership and app-generated demand. However, Uber operates much more like an airline utilizing "yield management" techniques. In simplest terms, transportation firms charge higher fares during peak periods. Uber has asserted this approach, muscularly defending it as a way to attract more drivers to work for Uber.

People on expense accounts (Uber's prime demographic) don't care about rates that double or triple during "peak" times. Meanwhile, Uber's definition of "peak" seems arbitrary, leaving ordinary citizens who've bought into the Uber concept paying more than they would have in a metered cab.

The "peak" concept came into ugly focus during the recent hostage siege in Sydney, Australia. Those who attempted to leave the city's central business district during the incident were dismayed to learn their Uber fares would be anywhere from double to quadruple the regular fare, as a vator.tv report noted. This repellent exploitation became another in a series of very public black eyes for Uber. Recently, an Uber driver in India allegedly raped a passenger. Earlier this fall, an Uber executive publicly suggested hiring detectives to discredit journalists who post pieces that displease Uber.

Uber is another example of privatization's dark side. In this case, arrogant, tech-driven greed masquerades as a public good. My suggestion is a simple one: buyer beware.

The Day Chris Christie Lost His Presidential Bid

Jerry Jones (left) and Chris Christie
at yesterday's Cowboys-Eagles game in Philadephia
(Image: cbssports.com)

One had the hope that New Jersey governor Chris Christie would abandon thoughts of running for the land's highest office. The Soprano state's caudillo didn't seem to project global gravitas. Severe doubts about how his bellicosity would play with, say, Vladimir Putin, suggested that surely the Republican Party could do better than the Man from Mendham. A little over a year ago, some of Christie's senior operatives, a number of whom came from the Rudy Giuliani camp, embarked on the act of political thuggery known as "Bridgegate." Once the governor's aides' shameless hardball actions were outed, Christie's star dimmed. However, a rehabilitation campaign skillfully denied the governor's culpability while quietly reassuring Christie's backers that the opera would not end until the fat man sings.

Thus, Chris Christie has again emerged as a presidential player. I think he blew his chances yesterday, when he attended a Dallas Cowboys-Philadelphia Eagles game in The City of Brotherly Love. The governor sat in a luxury box with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, openly rooting for the Texas team. Well, them's figthtin' words in Philly. For Philadelphia fans, and many others throughout the nation, the distaste and visceral contempt for the Cowboys runs deep. If you support Dallas, well you've just lost those fans' votes. And yes, many of them are white males, the core GOP constituency.

An argument could be made that the Cowboys have a strong, vocal national following, and they vote, too. Just don't offer that proposition in the Northeast, Wisconsin, or both Washingtons, during what promises to be a rough GOP presidential primary in 2016. Football fans have long memories, and loyalties to their teams. Would voters choose another candidate other than Citizen Christie on the basis of a pro football preference?

As Sarah Palin said (remember her?), "You betcha."

NBA Stars Showcase "I Can't Breathe" Shirts

LeBron James, Barclays Center, Brooklyn
(Image: chicagotribune.com)

In the past few days, a number of pro basketball players ahve worn "I Can't Breathe" shirts during pre-game activities. The tops refer to the Eric Garner case, in which an undercover New York City policeman used a fatal chokehold on a man arrested for illegally selling loose cigarettes. The stars included LeBron James (who also spoke out after the George Zimmerman "stand your ground" case), Kevin Garnett, and Deron Williams. The first out of the gate, so to speak, was Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose, who wore the shirt at the Bulls' Saturday night game. Today's Chicago Tribune noted the tributes, as well as Rose's role as the first NBA player to go public with the shirt.

To HD or Not HD? That's a Question for HBO and "The Wire" Creator David Simon

As an avid fan of the HBO series The Wire, every impulse in me would want to obtain the HD version of the series. HBO is creating such a product, but it's worth considering show creator David Simon's perspective on HD vs. a 4:3 aspect ratio.

Simon expands on this conundrum in his blog, the gist of which was captured in a recent post on theverge.com. Some of Simon's concerns about how technical advantages of 4:3 play into The Wire's depiction of character and narrative. The series was also shot so that splitting the display between HD and plain vanilla 4:3 would disrupt The Wire's visual continuity. While Simon disliked the divided format, he did see some of the HD look's virtues.

It's an interesting piece, both for its discussion of the series' technical background and its clips to demonstrate the differences between high-def and "regular."

Hockey Legend Jean Beliveau -- RIP

Jean Beliveau with the Stanley Cup
(Image: cbc.ca)

A half-century ago, Montreal Canadiens captain Jean Beliveau epitomized pro hockey's best aspects. He commanded respect from his play, his dignity, and his poise. His greatness was so apparent that the Hockey Hall of Fame waved its three-year waiting period and inducted Beliveau immediately after his retirement from playing. However, he never really retired from the game. The Quebec native remained an active, highly visible member of the Canadiens' front office. He proudly upheld sportsmanship and the right way to play the game. That "way" coincided with ten Stanley Cups, as Beliveau bridged the generation between Rocket Richard and Henri Richard.

Those Montreal teams represented the heart and soul of French-speaking Canada. In Beliveau's playing days, the Canadiens could skim the cream of Quebec's ice hockey talent. There was no doubt that the Canadiens represented the Quebecois against English-speaking Canada. It was no coincidence that Montreal's lineup featured mainly French surnames, with a sprinkling of Anglos who protected the team's stars from their opponents' bully boys. The Canadiens at that time played in the Montreal Forum on Rue St. Catherine, which was for hockey what old Yankee Stadium was to baseball. Those Canadiens squads were often brilliant.

I had the good fortune to see Beliveau skate in a playoff game against the New York Rangers. He was splendid, with an enviable combination of size, grace, and savvy. The Canadiens happened to win the game in overtime. No, Beliveau did not score the winner, but that hardly mattered. I knew, even then, that I had witnessed a great player in action. I've always remembered that game.

Jean Beliveau passed away in Montreal yesterday. His obit and associated stories in the Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail are worth reading, as they offer the context of Beliveau's career and impact on all Canadians.

Grand Jury Begins LAUSD-iPad Probe

John Deasy
(Image: educationnews.org)

Former Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) superintendent John Deasy might need an attorney specializing in federal criminal cases. According to an Associated Press story posted in siliconvalley.com, FBI agents "seized 20 boxes of documents" related to LAUSD's iPad project. (LA Times reporter Howard Blume's story on the episode adds significant detail to the seizure.) A grand jury probe will review the documents.

The billion dollar initiative intended to put an iPad in the hands of each of the district's students and faculty. Apparently, Deasy thought it appropriate to speak extensively with Apple representatives before the district issued a request for proposal. One could reasonably suspect that the superintendent and Apple essentially attempted to game LAUSD's procurement and bidding systems. As it happened, Apple won a splendid deal, providing gadgets that would be obsolete in a couple of years, thus requiring an "upgrade" that would force the district to pony up even more millions. The deal did not include software, for which the district had to pay an additional fee. The iPads didn't have keyboards, so of course -- cha ching! -- an extra fee was required.

Who said there was no money in education?

Five NFL Players Stage Pre-Game Ferguson Protest

The St. Louis "Five's" Protest
Over the Michael Brown-Darren Wilson Incident
in Ferguson, Missouri
(Image: nbcnews.com)

On November 30th, five St. Louis Rams players walked onto their hometown field with their hands up. The gesture imitated the "don't shoot" protest style seen recently in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson, Missouri. The five made their visual statement before the game against the Oakland Raiders began.

NFL headquarters wisely dodged the issue when quizzed for its response. For a league that has fined players for wearing accessories the NFL did not sanction, its matador PR move was highly unusual. Alas, a spokesperson for St. Louis police officers reacted in ways long on anger and desperately short on brains.

Major pro sports arguably have the highest profile for race relations in the United States. In the 1980s,  many NBA fans were divided along racial lines in the Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird debate. Some Caucasian baseball players openly expressed their displeasure about an Obama presidency, including a few who repeated the lie about BO "not being one of us." NFL players have traditionally been condemned to political silence via restrictive contracts and reactionary owners; the St. Louis "Five's" actions should be considered in that context.

The majority of pro athletes come from less than prosperous backgrounds. In the case of African-American players, it's safe to say most are making more money and have achieved more prominence than anyone in their family, among their friends, or in their original neighborhoods. Their material success is often fleeting, while hard times and mean streets stubbornly endure. The black athlete also viscerally understands how young African-American males are viewed by police officers.

It's a wonder that more NFL and NBA players didn't express their opinion about the Ferguson incident during their most recent games. However, one should not interpret their silence as acquiescence to a society that once imagined itself "post-racial".

"Original" Batmobile Awaits Auction Hammer

"Original" Batmobile
(Image: topgear.com)

For decades, I have lived with the assumption that the original Batmobile was the vehicle that appeared on the Batman TV series. However, thanks to a piece in topgear.com (a jazzed up version was posted on the BBC news website), the scales have fallen from my eyes. It turns out that Forrest Robinson created the first "official" Batmobile. The means of determining the "official" accreditation was not explored, but let's not quibble. The Caped Crusader's means of transportation offers much more fun than some bureaucratic attribution.

The car's details, including its powerful engine and other curious features, are noted in topgear.com's story. The article notes that the bidding for this version of the Batmobile starts at $90K. I don't know if the vehicle runs on unleaded gas or how one registers the car with the appropriate state authorities. I do suspect the new owner will have a ball with his or his automobile insurer.

A Drone's Eye View of Chernobyl

Chernobyl

Twenty-seven years ago, the Soviet Union's version of Fukushima took place at Chernobyl. The disaster created an "exclusion zone" in which human habitation is forbidden. Recently, a drone was used to video footage of the land on which radioactivity imposed a death sentence. The footage was posted in the Italian website corriere.it, the website for Italy's leading newspaper, Corriere della Sera.

I once taught a man who directed the effort to extinguish Chernobyl's nuclear fire. He suffered from radiation sickness, but he never doubted his actions during the disaster. I was proud to be his teacher. When I watched the drone's footage earlier tonight, I thought about a brave man whose life touched me, and saved the lives of thousands.

And so, on Thanksgiving Day, I want to thank the many who put their lives on the line for others.

PS. Shortly after Thanksgiving Day, the online version of the BBC posted an article about wildlife returning to the Chernobyl contaminated zone. The fascinating story is linked here.

Fumiko Hayashida, Face of WWII Japanese-American Internment -- RIP

Nearly sixty-three years ago, President Franklin D Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066. That document condemned over 100,000 Japanese-American citizens to internment camps during World War II. The shameful episode remains a dark moment in our nation's history, and one the "rule of law" crowd rarely trots out in defense of its perspective.

Fumiko Hayashima, Dec. 1941
Enroute to Internment Camp
(Image: idahoptv.org,
Original from Seattle Post-Intelliegcer)

The literal and figurative face of the internment period was Fumiko Hayashida. The Washington state resident and her young child were photographed on their way to their incarceration odyssey, which included terms in Washington State, California, and Idaho. More than a half-century later, she testified before Congress about her experiences. Ms. Haysahida recently passed away in Seattle at age 103, according to a story in the Los Angeles Times and reprinted in the Seattle Times.

"I realized," she said during her House testimony, "that I now had the face of the enemy." That ironic observation continues to resonate today, as the country faces a combination of nativist sentiment and suspicion that Arab-American citizens might harbor hostile intent toward the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.

Barry Diller's TV Initiative Aereo Opts for Bankruptcy

A couple of years ago, Barry Diller wanted to break into the video content distribution game. His gimmick was Aereo, a firm which promised streaming TV for gadgets. His trick was to use micro-antennae to capture cable television signals and send them to Aereo users. (The blog techcrunch.com has a useful overview of this initiative.) The cable barons fought back via litigation and won their case before the US Supreme Court.

Recently, Aereo declared a financial no mas and declared bankruptcy. The AP story appears in siliconvalley.com.

The firm is continuing to tout the value of its Internet recording technology, and try to snatch financial victory from legal defeat.

Mike Nichols -- RIP

Mike Nichols
(Image: deadline.com)

How many people have their deaths announced by the president of a major American television network's news division? Well, that was the case yesterday, as ABC News prez James Goldston informed the world that Mike Nichols had passed away at age 83. Not even US commanders-in-chief get the Goldston treatment. However, Nichols was married to ABC News star Diane Sawyer, whose position in the network's firmament apparently demanded her spouse receive presidential attention.

Nichols won praise for his work in show business. However, in an era of auteurist movie directors, Nichols never achieved a memorable, defined style. While some of his films were very good, Nichols' work did not achieve the stature of contemporaries such as Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg, Robert Altman, or William Friedkin, just to name four A-list directors. In some ways, he seemed more a creature of the theatre, where Nichols' wit and finesse with actors delivered splendid results.

My wife reminded me that we saw Nichols on our first date. He was ducking into a New York movie theatre where we happened to be on line (no, not to watch a Nichols feature). He seemed comfortable in the public without working hard to get noticed. We also saw Nichols in a Ridgefield Park, New Jersey movieplex. One of his films (I don't remember the picture) was being previewed. Nichols and his entourage slipped into the back of the house just as the film began. They slipped out before the end credits were shown and the opinion cards were filled out and returned to the studio's staff.

For the record, my favorite Nichols film was Working Girl. The movie remains a curious choice for the husband of Diane Sawyer to make.

Big Butts Butting Into Beauty Biz

Padded Panties
(Image: herroom.com)
Please note: not a commercial endorsement
or a "placed" ad

Maybe I've been looking in all the wrong places lately. According to an AP report reposted in zerohedge.com, the beauty business (female division) has shifted its focus from breasts to butts. Apparently, there's big bucks in big butts, thanks to the notion that zoftig physiques are more appealing than skinny up-and-down figures.

One commercial item to ponder in this phenomenon is the sale of padded panties. The idea is similar to padded bras, only the focal point has changed, so to speak. For a little over thirty dollars, one can purchase a pair of the padded undies.

I'm wondering who will put the padded panties on their holiday wish list.

Woman Replaces Woman in Oakland Mayor's Office

Oakland Mayor-elect Libby Schaaf
(Image: libbyschaaf.com)

For all the fuss about the US Senate elections, a very interesting electoral phenomenon took place in Oakland, California. The local stakes included a vote for a new mayor. What was curious was that the three candidates were all female, including the incumbent, Jean Quan. Ms. Mayor did not win re-election; city councilwoman Libby Schaaf decisively outpolled Quan and Rebecca Kaplan.

It is highly unlikely that any major American city has offered a ticket of exclusively women candidates for a major office. However, Oakland is a curious political case, with a feisty, left-leaning population and intense social and economic issues facing it. The city lives in San Francisco's shadow, and the rise of Silicon Valley has only exacerbated the sense of Oakland's inferiority. Ironically, the acceleration of real estate prices into San Francisco's stratosphere has pushed people to "discover" Oakland. The usual suspects -- galleries, inexpensive restaurants, clothing stores -- are starting to open. However, women running the political show is definitely not business as usual, and bears watching in the months ahead.

"Hunger Games" Stage Show Planned

Image: nytimes.com

According to a BBC story, plans to stage The Hunger Games as a theatrical event are in the works. The show will reportedly require a theatre build in London specifically for the event, with organizers suggesting the performance will be an "immersive" audience experience. Unaddressed was the notion of a live audience applauding survivors of author Suzanne Collins' grimly depicted death matches.

The concept of a Broadway-style Hunger Games seems more in keeping with ancient gladiatorial concepts than the cherished theatrical traditions of the land of Shakespeare and Shaw. It does seem likely that the production will be a big-budget item, with ticket prices and hype to match. The global road show, de rigueur for contemporary theatrical extravaganzas, should be a curiosity. Somehow, a Roman setting echoing a decadent empire would seem fitting for a theatrical showcase of Collins' dystopian themes.

Foreclosure Home Buyer Gets Corpse in the Deal

A Florida newspaper recently reported that the buyer of a foreclosed home bought something more he bargained for. The surprise was none other than a corpse, and apparently not a fresh one. The story, which includes more details on the episode, was reposted in today's zerohedge.com.

The story noted the house had been in foreclosure for three years. The holding bank, unwilling to sell at a loss, let the structure sit there. No one bothered to knock on the door, mow the lawn, or wonder why debt notices went unanswered. Interestingly, neighbors (at least those willing to be interviewed by journalists) seemed to be at a loss over what happened during those thirty-six months of the holding bank's indifference to the home's condition. What were they thinking? Was anyone even a teensy, weensy bit curious?

Frankly, though, Florida strikes me as a Petri dish for weirdness. The Sunshine State features a long list of unpleasant oddballs, from corrupt politicians to real estate sharks, from unscrupulous medical practitioners to protected college football rapists, from wacky right-wing rednecks to wacked-out liberal milquetoasts.

Well, at least the housing is relatively inexpensive. And the dead body -- well, that's on the house.

Chilled Words on a Cold Election Night

American conservatives are happy tonight, as most of their candidates for legitimately contested political office are winning. What could this event bring to the United States? Well, a lot of depressing actions. Here's an upcoming GOP menu for your digestion:

• Turning pregnant women into potential felons
• Dismembering health care fairness
• Voter repression campaigns aimed at minorities (why are conservatives afraid of people of color?)
• The evisceration of many environmental protections
• The disintegration of church-state separation
• The spectacle of Southern Republicans denouncing the federal government while pitching for increased defense spending in their respective districts

Of course, there are GOP presidential candidates to consider:
Scott Walker
Chris Christie
Rand Paul
Ted Cruz
Marco Rubio
Mitt Romney (!)
and the "moderate" Republican's great white hope, Jeb Bush

I'm trying to imagine any of this group in the same room with Vladimir Putin. If there's a wager in play, take Putin and the points against any of these right-wing lightweights (Bush excepted).

Tonight's voting let me to think about writers, in the belief that words can still sway minds to specific paths of thought and action. For books such as Albert Camus' La Peste, Leonardo Sciascia's Il Giorno della Civetta, Andrea Camilleri's Il  Cane de Terra-Cotta, Edna O'Brien's Country Girls, Chester Himes' Cotton Comes to Harlem, Anais Nin's diaries, and all other works that attempt to explore and depict reality, I take hope and, with them, defy tonight's vote that unfortunately delivered a profound ignorance upon our land.

Poland Dodges US Bid to Extradite Roman Polanski

Roman Polanski
(Image: wikipedia.com)

The Department of Justice, fresh from its disgraceful hounding of whistleblowers (sorry, liberals, but that's the truth), has found time to spare to continue its decades-long hunt for Roman Polanski. The most recent episode of "Get Roman" took place in Warsaw, where the Polish-born director of The Pianist was visiting. According to a BBC report, Polanski was questioned by Polish prosecutors at the behest of the United States for several hours before he was released. The Feds wanted Polanski extradited to the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave, so that he would serve a jail term for a 1977 conviction for having sex with a minor. Hey, why waste your time crimestopping "Eastern European" cyberhackers when you can corral a 77-year-old global celebrity who is a convicted sex offender?

Ironically, Polanski went to his native land to attend the opening of the Museum of the History of Polish Jews. The BBC story did not indicate whether American government representatives attended the event, if they acknowledged Polanski's presence, or if these tone-deaf representatives of "justice" knew about Polanski's suffering and survival as a child in Nazi-occupied Poland.

Obama Nominates Former Google Attorney to Head US Patent Office

Once upon a time, the US Patent and Trademark Office was a quiet place where inventors big and small staked their claims to originality. Silicon Valley's inventive tumult, along with the insatiable commercial beast known as the pharmaceutical industry, transformed the feds' Sleepy Hollow into Ground Zero for intellectual property rights. Now the question is who could earn marketplace trust while maintaining a zeal to protect the public interest?

Michele Lee
(Image: fedscoop.com)

Well, when in doubt, President Obama taps his tech allies for someone who has the right stuff. In the Patent Office case, 44 considered his friends at Google and wondered whether they had a suitable candidate. Mountain View tapped Michele Lee as the chosen one. According to The Washington Post, Lee was appointed acting director in January, 2014. Now, BO would like to make Lee's coronation official. Apparently, she has sailed through Senate vetting.

The Post story points out that Lee's ascension is a big win for Silicon Valley firms. They typically have a perspective on intellectual content rights that essentially conflicts with Big Pharma's viewpoint on the issue. Keep in mind that Obama has characteristically gone out of his way to help Big Data firms, such as Amazon (thank you, CIA and Department of Defense contracts) and Google. While no one is disputing Lee's qualifications (electrical engineering and law backgrounds), some wonder what voodoo Big Data lays on the president of the United States.

Interview with Pot Sales Software Developer

My wife and I went to an art studio open house yesterday in which someone or someone and friends smoked some pot. (For the record, neither my wife nor I indulged.) We thought the situation was hilarious (no contact high jokes, please). Of course, marijuana possession for recreational purposes is illegal in New Jersey, where we live and where the studio event took place. No one pulled an Eliot Ness and burst into the room demanding hands up and evidence down.

Ben Curren
(image: mercurynews.com)

I didn't think too much about the episode until today, when I read a siliconvalley.com interview with Ben Curren. The California entrepreneur has developed a pot-sales software program called Green Bits. The product's value proposition centers on the notion that minimally trained customer service representatives are unwise to the legal side of pot sales. Ah, what a difference an algorithm makes! What might have been a legal minefield becomes a sexy, profitable business.

Curren comes across in the rather brief siliconvalley.com Q&A as a sympathetic figure. His childhood years, with frequent change of venue and schools, left him skilled at improvisation and fearless regarding chaos. His fix-it, can-do character, along with a passion for computer programming, made him a natural fit for Silicon Valley enterprises. No Harvard, no MIT, no Stanford. Just good old-fashioned brains, determination, and ambition. Just don't ask me if he gets high.

What If Mitt Romney Were President Now?

Attorney General Eric Holder

Attorney General Eric Holder's recent announcement that he intends to resign reminds me that he remains the AG until his replacement receives Senate confirmation. Had Mitt Romney won the 2012 presidential election, such a thought would not have corresponded with reality. Then again, little about Romney's failed candidacy resonated with reality. A Romney presidency would have wrought a domestic disaster. 45 (in keeping with Romney's stature in the historical sequence of presidents) would have invited anti-abortion legislation that effectively would have turned every child-bearing woman into a potential felon. Voter rights, eroded by bogus "voter fraud" claims and very real anti-minority voter ID laws, would have returned the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave to the bad old days of Jim Crow. Given that Mitt won the majority of white male votes in the 2012 election, the Man from Bain would have been pleased with voting rights evisceration. Romney would have eliminated even the pretense of tax fairness, and through that action told those who are less than prosperous to go fuck themselves. Federal enforcement of securities law would have been reduced to a sham, and blatant financial corruption would have received the "wink and nod" legal treatment that has defined America's new millenium.

Romney would have confused military muscle with diplomatic wisdom. He would have rehabilitated the careers and reputations of intellectual gangsters such as Iraq War architects John Bolton and Paul Wolfowitz. Romney would have lionized extreme right-wing Israelis and empty suits such as Bibi Netanyahu. The idea that Mitt would have a clue about international economics would have been quickly dispelled, as his concept of "free enterprise" consists of the legalized looting of "assets" while adding to unemployment for the 99 percent.

There are plenty of reasons to dislike and mistrust Barack Obama's policy directions. However, he has tried to preserve a nation that was nearly ruined by financial fecklessness, ideologically-driven war, and religiously-inspired social repression. Those three pillars of Republican Party policy have been entirely discredited; we should be appreciative of Eric Holder's work as Obama's right-hand man in that accomplishment.

A Back-to-School Message With a Twist

I work in educational publishing sales. I'm accustomed to receiving e-mail promoting products. These messages arrive at my work e-mail address. As far as I'm concerned, these promotional e-mail missives come with the territory, so I don't mind.

However, this morning I received in a personal e-mail account a back-to-school message. We don't have kids, so how I was chosen for this digital dart eludes me. The sender -- a major pharmaceutical firm -- was not expected. The e-mail's subject line -- Prepare For Back-to-School Season! -- didn't prepare for what would follow.

"The Migraine Minute" shouted the headline. Written into a quaint lead pencil graphic was the encouraging line "Prepare for back-to-school season with migraine relief for adults". Well, I suppose that's more to the point than pitching martial arts lessons, introductory code writing sessions for pre-K students, or career guidance for fourth graders.

"The Migraine Minute" was subsequently positioned as an advertorial: "your source for migraine tools, news, and resources." Now if this major league pharma firm had included the migraine medication in kids' backpacks, that would have been interesting. All an adult reader received from this wacky e-mail was a headache from reading it.

Germany Signals Caution Over Radioactive Meat

Wild Boar
(Image: Wikipedia)

Germans craving wild boar sausage may need to exhibit care before dining. According to a story originally appearing in the UK newspaper The Telegraph and summarized in theverge.com, a study cited by the German government raised the yellow flag on wild boar consumption. The report noted that one of three hunted wild boars in Germany's eastern province of Saxony exhibited radiation levels unsafe for human consumption. The unhealthy source was most likely from the wild boars' food supply, notably mushrooms, that continue to harbor radiation from the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster. In case you're keeping score at home, the distance from Chernobyl to Saxony is roughly equivalent to the distance between New York and Chicago.

NFL Predictions for 2014 Season

NFL predictions are among my pet indulgences and not-so-guilty pleasures. Do I have any money on this? Not yet.

I haven't seen any team play, so my predictions are based on reading, instinct, and preference. Well, the regular season begins in four days, and here are my thoughts on what will emerge:

NFC East -- Philly wins the division by default. Romo is physically fragile. Eli is emotionally fragile. Skins will score points, but you just don't get that winning feeling from them.

NFC North -- Lots of action here. Packers are the sexy pick, but their schedule is a daunting one. Bears win the division and lose their playoff game. Based on track record, would you trust your championship run to Jay Cutler? Lions will score a lot of points and give up even more. Vikings will play outdoors in Minnesota in December on a bad playing surface -- ugh.

NFC South -- Sean Payton + Drew Brees are too much for the division. Other NFC teams might pass the hat to pay teams to keep the Saints from getting best conference record. Saints will probably go undefeated at home, regular season and playoffs. (They're 21-4 at the Superdome since 2011.) Panthers and Bucs will field formidable defensive forces, but it's hard to win when you don't score. Don't bother me about the Falcons: I don't buy Matt Ryan and who is the running back, anyway?

NFC West -- 49ers off-field issues staring to take a toll. It's also Harbaugh's contract year, team's all-pro guard wants more money and/or out, and D really misses Bowman. 49ers kept Aldon Smith, a two-time offender (not including a bomb threat he made at an airport security checkpoint, for which TSA filed no charges.) New stadium's turf is a disaster. Something just doesn't feel right by the Bay. Which brings us to Seattle, which has looked good in pre-season. That said, it is very, very difficult to defend a championship and schedule is very difficult. I don't think Seattle goes unbeaten at home: Packers (who should have won last year's game in Seattle) will win this Thursday. Cardinals have too many defensive injuries and defections, and Rams stand a chance of going 4-12.

AFC East -- Everyone took Patriots' 12-4 record last year for granted. All Brady and Belichick accomplished was to rack up wins with a shirts-and-skins receiving group and a suspect defense. They'll win the division again, mostly because the other division teams are lousy. Dolphins need an offensive line and leadership; they currently lack both. Jets need cornerbacks; Ryan squeezed eight wins from a very bad team last year, and he may have to repeat the trick this time around. Buffalo's offense doesn't scare anyone. Also, this is a franchise in transition and is likely to move (along with Jacksonville, Oakland, and St. Louis). As a former upstate New York resident, that passing saddens me.

AFC North -- Steelers have the division's best QB and best coach (tied with Harbaugh). They still seem in transition, though, into a younger, faster squad. Cincy has the best team on paper, although they'll miss DE Michael Johnson, who went to join Lovie Smith in Tampa. A healthy Ravens team could pull off a playoff slot. Their problem is that too much depends upon Steve Smith having something left in the tank, and Ray Rice's level of play. I think Baltimore ends up a game short of the playoffs. Browns might have best CB duo in the NFL, but look lost on offense. Their best move was to sit Manziel down, let him learn the game, and let Hoyer take the punishment. It's a cold world, sometimes, but especially so in Cleveland.

AFC South -- Everyone has conceded this one to Indy. Don't be surprised if the Titans make the playoffs (and get knocked out quickly). Why? Whisenhunt is a good coach, the team has a good O line and respectable defense, and they play under the radar. Clowney and Watt will be worth the price of admission, and the Texans upgraded their coaching with O'Brien. A seven-win season would be a strong move for Houston (they were 2-14 last year). Jacksonville is the team no one will want to play this year: their D is very strong, they're a small market team everyone is supposed to beat, and they play hard, home and away.

AFC West -- The only question is how many regular season games the Broncos will win: twelve is a number. Best addition was Ryan Clady, the Pro Bowl OT who was injured for most of last season. Chiefs' issues from last year remain unresolved, thus I expect 8-8 or 9-7. Chargers have a difficult schedule and Raiders are an expansion team that wants to move to LA.

NFC Playoffs -- Philly, Bears, Packers, Saints, San Francisco, Seattle
AFC Playoffs -- Patriots, Cincy, Titans, Steelers, Colts, Broncos

New York Evolving Into the Global One-Percent's "Safety Deposit Box"

My wife and I visited two native New Yorkers who moved to the outside arc of occasionally commutable distance from Gotham. They live an entirely agreeable life, with views of hills and farmers' fields from their first floor windows. Neither the husband nor the wife regretted their departure from permanent residence in New York. In their view, it was time to go.

We jointly noted how Whole Foods Brooklyn, where they lived before the wild real estate rush into the borough, was rapidly approaching Manhattan-level rent rates and ownership prices. A recent New York Times article observed how aspirational couples and individuals can no longer hope to live in "commutable" Brooklyn. They now are supposedly eyeing Queens and selected New Jersey suburbs. That sounds like retreat for those who imagined New York life consisted of living on Manhattan Island or the portion of Long Island called Brooklyn.

Part of the real estate squeeze comes from the rush of wealthy international buyers purchasing apartments and townhouses. Why should anyone care? Well, these buyers are using New York real estate as their tangible rainy day fund. A BBC report quoted real estate executive Jonathan Miller as characterizing the buying and construction frenzy this way:

I like to describe the phenomenon as: we're building the world's most expensive bank safe deposit boxes.

So how does your rainy day fund look, eh?

Elvis Presley's "Lost" BMW To Be Displayed

Elvis Presley's BMW 507 Roadster
on display in Munich
(Image: bmwblog.com)

During Elvis Presley's tour of duty in Germany, he purchased a BMW 507 Roadster. The story, as related by Horatiu Boeriu in bmwblog.com, has some twists and turns (seems suitable for The King). Elvis had the car's color changed from its original white to red, purportedly because Elvis really wanted a red Porsche Spyder and couldn't obtain one. Presley eventually sold his BMW to an Alabama disc jockey. The Beemer, after seeing some action as a drag racing vehicle, ended up in a dusty California warehouse and seemed destined for a rusty obscurity. The car's current owner recently shipped the iconic vehicle to BMW's home office in Munich. The firm intends to exhibit the car, and later restore Elvis' 507 to its original state and remind visitors of its former glamour.

I know a couple of car enthusiasts who would welcome an opportunity to test drive Elvis' machine. I would, too, just to say I have driven in the King's chariot.

Silicon Valley Hotel Features Robotic Butler

At Your Service....
(Image: money.msn.com)

Guests at Silicon Valley's Aloft Hotel will soon experience butler service from a robot. According to a Mercury News blog post, the unnamed device will complete training and begin live action next week. It's not clear what the bot's capabilities are. In all likelihood, routine deliveries should be anticipated. Just don't expect the machine to clean, do windows, or freshen the toilet. That work remains quite human.

DEA Bribes Obtained Amtrak Passenger Information

Image: wnyc.org

According to a story in today's Washington Post, DEA agents spent nearly two decades illegally obtaining personal information about Amtrak passengers. The info sweep included credit card information, passport numbers, dates of birth, and emergency contact names. In exchange, the DEA paid their Amtrak source over three-quarter of a million dollars. How the arrangement reached the light of day was not revealed in the Post article. The irony is that the information the DEA wanted could have easily been obtained via legal means. Ah, but why do things the easy way?

I Want to be a Crime Novelist

Writers, like all artists, are concerned with representing reality, to create a more absolute and complete reality than reality itself. They must, if they are to accomplish this, assume a moral position, a clearly conceived political, social, and philosophical attitude; in consequence, their beliefs are, of course, going to find their way into their work. What artists believe, however, is of secondary importance, ancillary to the work itself. A writer survives in spite of his beliefs.

From the Paris Review "The Art of Fiction No. 6" interview of Alberto Moravia.

Since mid-June, I thought about Moravia's observation. At times, my locations shaped my considerations of his assertion. I thought about them while at a trade show in Las Vegas, a photography opening in Houston, sales meetings at a Club Med, along a beach on Florida's Atlantic coast, in hotel rooms outside Chicago, at a friend's home in Los Angeles, with my wife over dinner in hipster Brooklyn, and in bluntly unfashionable Newark. Understanding these environments became quickly challenging without what Moravia characterized as a "moral position." Since I lacked such a foundation, writing about them became an elusive endeavor.

This realization deeply bothered me, and connected with my deep dissatisfaction with the current unwillingness of most Americans to plainly and honestly consider what's happening in their own country. That reticence became most striking to me while watching TV in airport waiting areas. I came to the conclusion, from the mindless entertainment programs and shallow broadcast news reporting, that people just don't want to know very much. They may demand reinforcement of their prejudices, but that's a long way from a commitment to clarity, reason, and action. One of the few chinks in this armor is the crime novel, which retain a mass popularity with American readers and which can dive deeply into America's dark side.

Currently, I'm reading a Leonardo Sciascia short story collection titled The Wine-Dark Sea. He was the first significant Italian author to break silence about the Sicilian Mafia. Sciascia did this, not out of some desire to create lurid novels and motion pictures, but to address the reality of Sicilian lives. Other Italian novelists have created detective or mystery novels in which Italian society's contradictions and darker side can be usefully explored. Some of these novelists have quite interesting backgrounds, at least from my initial investigation of their work and biographies. (One respected crime fiction writer is an active jurist.) However, I'm just learning about them, the variety of their work, and their respective "moral positions."

While I was brooding about Moravia and Italian crime fiction, my wife and I began to discuss the possibility of a trip to Rome. She wants to photograph there. I've been hesitant to visit; I lived there over thirty years ago and contemplating a return stirred up a number of questions and personal history I simultaneously dread and cherish. Breaking that admittedly harmful psychological chain required something more than a walk down the Eternal City's memory lane.  Seeing the Roman settings for spaghetti mysteries (thank you, Sergio Leone) will help drive me, inspire me toward the type of fiction I am committed to creating.

My conclusion led me to contemplate writing Italian-style crime novels as a way for me to express our national reality from a Moravian perspective. I find America having much in common with Italian-style corruption. That realization is one reason why I so admire The Wire, which depicted urban reality with a clear perspective. Unsurprisingly, the series never won a major award. However, it's notable that Mad Men and Sex and the City, two popular TV series about New York-based "reality," were necessarily classist fantasies that lacked any "moral position." And yes, they won lots of awards.

I'm looking forward to writing about the real world, although I don't have any idea how it will evolve or become tangible. It's surely better than fantasyland.

Former Obama Press Secretary Leading PR Drive Against K-12 Teacher Tenure

Robert Gibbs
(Image: politico.com)

One of the Obama presidency's curiosities is its hostility to K-12 teachers unions. Key administration figures, including Education Secretary (and 44's basketball bud) Arne Duncan, have expressed their opposition to teacher tenure. The anti-tenure mob asserts that tenure encourages ineffective teachers to remain on the job, while implicitly denying better instructors an opportunity to practice their trade. Powerful forces from all political spectra have embraced part or all of this perspective.

A recent addition to this unseemly alliance is an enterprise created by former Obama press secretary Robert Gibbs and former BO campaign spokesperson Ben Labolt. According to a Politico story, the pair's Insight Agency "will lead a national public relations drive to support a series of lawsuits aimed at challenging tenure, seniority and other job protections that teachers unions have protected ferociously. LaBold and another former Obama aide, Jon Jones -- the first digital strategist of the 2008 campaign -- will take the lead in the public relations initiative."

While the movement to dismantle the existing K-12 instructional force gathers momentum, one wonders what bright future these champions of meritocracy envision. Looming large in many of these brave new worlds is data accumulation and analysis. The nearly religious belief in data's "truth" masks data's considerable flaws as an educational tool. Meanwhile, what of the teachers themselves?  Media stories, think-tank white papers, and political speeches rarely bother to present the thoughts and feelings of tenured teachers. There's little that's fair and balanced from the right or from the left on the tenure issue. Minds have been made up in the anti-tenure kangaroo court. Human sacrifice, in the form of the dismissal of an entire professional class, appears to be demanded.

Replacing a generation of experienced instructors will be cannon fodder from organizations such as Teach for America, whose sixteen-hour work days virtually guarantee its well-intended adherents will promptly drop out of the teaching biz. That phenomenon, coincidentally, pushes salaries down and effectively keeps curricular direction and performance appraisal in the hands of "management" rather than trained, seasoned professional instructors.

Cultural Revolution
(Image: bbc.co.uk)

Many years ago, I taught English to adult Chinese immigrants. I listened to stories about the Cultural Revolution, whose incidents included forcing teachers to parade through their town while wearing humiliating signs. The tagging of an entire generation of American K-12 teachers as deadbeats, deserving of the punishment of tenure elimination, is not far away from the mass insanity China experienced a half-century ago.

Be careful what you wish for.