Woody Allen

Tonight I watched Manhattan. It was fascinating. With Annie Hall and now Manhattan under my belt, I wonder if Woody Allen could get any better. My favorite scene in Annie Hall is the exchange between Alvy and Annie as she leaving the racket club. Without that scene I wonder if she could have been nominated for the Academy Award. That's the part where she says, "well la de da, la de da." The combination of her childish outfit and awkward demeanor make the scene come alive.

But I found Manhattan more interesting from the standpoint of understanding who the real Woody Allen was. In light of his personal life, I wonder if perhaps this movie gives us more insight than any movies he's directed? Though it we see a middle-aged man trying to advocate pseudo-morality while still entertaining a relationship with a young girl. It seems that his attraction to her was a regrettable symptom of his dramatic life. In this relationship he finds himself (the complex, emotion-laden old narcissist) attracted to a girl who is too young to have emotional baggage from past relationships. She doesn't have two ex-husbands, nor does she offer any threat of long-term relationship. In this movie Woody Allen plays himself. Its too late for my thoughts to be coherent, I'll edit this some other time, and in the meantime I'll probably change my mind about Allen. My hypotheses are probably all wrong.

Picture

We need a new picture for that top corner. I'm getting tired of looking at my eye. Probably I liked that picture originally because of the way its cropped. I still like it, and there's a pensive-quality to it that I admire. But Obama's rhetoric has pervaded my subconscious and now its affecting my judgment. "It's time for change," he says. But, like Obama, I don't actually have any solutions. I merely know that something needs to be different. Any ideas?

I'm thinking about writing. Why write? What is there to write about? Why, I'm terrible at creative writing; I have not a creative bone in my body. Yet there's something fantastic about writing that even words cannot articulate. But today I received two compliments. One for the Paul Stuart shirt I was wearing, and the second on merit of my writing of a pretentious little art review. And speaking of (its posted below), the piece warrants some prefatory qualifying remarks. I wrote it after being asked my opinion of a picture a friend had taken. It was written for kicks, and not to be taken quite so seriously. In fact, my intention was merely to write something snobbishly ostentatious, fraught with vague, condescending generalities. That much I very well may have accomplished, but at the expense of any real artistic analysis of the artwork. So it may be said, as it once was said of Warren Harding's speeches, that my art review was " an army of pompous phrases moving across the landscape in search of an idea."

Art of the Week: In Review - Draft 1

If we are to dispense with judgment unabashedly, the unreservedly candid would likely discount this piece as shallow and unrefined. To be frank, it strikes as classic point-and-shoot photography. Thus begging for inspiration, searching for artistic meaning, and failing to acomplish what would otherwise be stunning quality of exposition.

Most disturbing is the lighting. Shutter speed was good but the indelibly glaring problem with this photograph is that the composition leads viewers to focus primarily to the left piece. The depth-of-focus is not very telling as to what focal point is desired, and the lighting is too bold.

To pontificate further, we find it regrettable that the art has brick-wall-backdrop. The art is not necessarily haute countre, but the context of the paintings reminds me of something you would find in the basement of a second-rate nightclub.

I'd much prefer a better composition, the off-balanced framing is excusable, and if done correctly would have brought a redeeming quality to this piece, but holistically the mood of the art is not captured by the photograph. The art is decent but the photograph fails to parallel.

american mary

if i could, i'd be your star again
fall across your falling sky...

it takes a lot of little rain to make you feel like nothing.
anything, anything you can do, do to me for everything i did for you
nothing.
i didn't try to take your love away
i just never knew i had it...

Commencement Toast

It's hard to believe that another semester is upon us. We have yet to dispense with the vacation lifestyle, and fears grow heavy that the transition period will be monotonous. But pursuant to tradition, I shall now commence with another academic term. And so we toast:

"Cheers, to another semester of academic mediocrity."

I flew into LAX on Tuesday. The next morning I met up with the Australians and went up to Big Bear Mountain. We got there too late to do any skiing, (the slopes close around 4:00), so we spent the night in Engedi. That evening we went to Von's and bought groceries. There were about 16 of us so we decided to buy breakfast and lunch for the following day. That was interesting, we probably spent an hour and half shopping for groceries, and then weeding out the excess. The next morning we made eggs with spam and peppers, bagels with cream cheese, and some other food (can't remember). I met Gordy and his wife, we sang songs by the "fire." And in the morning after breakfast we went to the Summit. I'm just now starting to feel normal and its Monday already. Didn't get an pictures on the slopes, except for the ones that Svet took. Hope I get to see those soon. The whole snowboarding thing was quite exciting. After a few runs down I realized that I needed to learn how to stop. So I spent some time working on that. My foot positioning changed a few times as well, because I started out regular and then had my bindings switched to goofy. I still don't know which one feels more comfortable. People say that you should go with whatever foot feels more "normal" or "comfortable" but then they say that you will feel weird either way, just because its a new thing. I dunno, but after a day on the mountain I can go regular and goofy on my heels. I just hate riding on my toes because I always feel like i'm going to tumble forward.

Thats about the only eventful thing that has happened thus far. Went to the beach the other day but it was cold and the yogurt I bought was way too expensive. Its the "PinkBerry" fad that's apparently sweeping through So. California. I'm not surprised, it probably got some momentum from the health movement, and then a bit from the celebrities that endorse it and are willing to pay $4 for a small bowl of yogurt.

Today the training starts, and my "vacation" shifts into panic mode. Ahhhh! I don't want to get tested. There are so many people out here right now, from everywhere. At first I was worried about how I would possibly be able to say hello to everyone, but now I've decided to just be reclusive and talk to people only if they initiate it. I get too wired up when I'm around lots of people, Its probably not good for me. Yea, I should try to be shy and introverted. We'll see how that works.

International Politcal Economy

These are essays from an IPE class that I took a few years ago. I was rummaging through some papers and found them in an old folder. I guess the point here is that I'm kind of surprised that I once almost knew this stuff. If I didn't know better perhaps I would get the impression that these were written by semi-intelligent persons, rather than myself.

"Regional integration seems to be replacing GATT. With the apparent collapse of the Seattle and Doho Rounds, regionalism is stepping in to move free trade where multilateralism has stalled. Regional integration in Europe (namely, the EU) has caused a new impetus for regionalization. NAFTA and the Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI), have had an overall positive economic affect, so it seems natural that other American nations would want to integrate.

However, geopolitical factors would present strong opposition. Venezuela, for example, may voice politically stimulated opposition to an FTAA. Also, agricutlrual or even infant industry may resist an FTAA, because their lack of comparative advantage would hurt their business if trade became freer.

Consumers, though, should universally support FTAA, assuming they understand the true dynamics of regional integration. They would have more choices as new markets open, and competition should make prices more attractive.

Industries with low factor specificity could in the long run be introduced to more technological innovations, and gradually gain a larger market share in areas where China has dominated.

Americans who calim that NAFTA has cost them jobs should realize that China actually lost more jobs between '95 and '02. In a nation such as the U.S., unemployment is mainly affected by monetary policy, not globalization. Additionally, most jobs lost are caused by increased presence of technology, not by free trade.

A FTAA can be successful if properly implemented. Many developing countries with "infant industy" could be paralyzed by trade integration if they do not follow property monetary policy. In order for FTAA to succeed in the long-run, it must be implemented gradually, giving developing countries time to adjust, prepare, and shift resources to areas wehre they have a competitive advantage regionally."

And another essay, addressing debt relief policy. And yes, I made up a word and misspelled a few others. Its becoming evident that I depend on spell-check more than I though. Anyways, these little essay things are worth typing out, to me, because I like to read old things that reflect of me at another time.

Publish PostDebt relief is not the key to worldwide development. Nor does it promote a more stable financial system. Proponents of debt relief are blinded to the political implications that affect its overall usefulness. Lottery winners rarely use their winning to invest wisely and with a view to the future. Rather, the money is spent lavishly on short-term conveniences. By the same token, rulers in developing countries are not faithful stewards of the aid. Debt relief if affected in like manner.

The IMF should reevaluate its role to worldwide development. Short term fixes rarely contribute to sustainable development. IMF money should not be used for debt relief. Instead, money should be focused on areas which will promote long-term development and stability.

Debt relief carries an impression of benevolence which looks good politically. However, few people realize the ineffectiveness of debt relief to worldwide development. Foreign aid focused on sustainable development, not debt relief, is vital to the goals and virtues of the IMF.

Developing countries should be approached on a case-by-case basis, with a view toward investment that will stimulate trade and economic activity. Leaders in developing countries will need to cooperate accordingly. This will not be easy, but with support from the OECD, developing states can be persuaded to adopt strategic trade and investment policies that will even bring added stability to the sphere of international finance.

Those who continue to receive debt relief become dependent and complacent, while lenders grow more and more frustrated at the squandry [sic] they observe. Debt fatigue will soon set in, and the developing states will find it harder to acquire money. The IMF should shift from debt relief to sustainable development. This action realigns IMF policy with its purpose; worldwide development and international financial stability.

something to think about

"The kingdom of God is the Lord Jesus, the Savior, as the seed of life sown into His believers, God's chosen people, and developing into a realm which God may rule as His kingdom in His divine life. Its entrance is regeneration, and it development is the believer's growth in the divine life. The kingdom of God is the church life today, in which the faithful believers live, and it will develop into the coming kingdom as an inheritance reward to the overcoming saints in the millennium. Eventually, it will consummate in the New Jerusalem as the eternal kingdom of God, an eternal realm of the eternal blessing of God's eternal life for all God's redeemed to enjoy in the new heaven and new earth for eternity. " Life-Study of Acts, Message 22; p.183