Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Love Tina Fey and 30 Rock

30 Rock and Tina Fey - just about the 2 best things on TV these days - walked away with 4 Emmys. one for Alec Baldwin, two for Tina Fey and one for the best comedy series. Well deserved!



I have never not been able to contain my laughter in a public arena (e.g. train, plane) ... that's until 30 Rock came along.

And in true comedian self deprecating style, Tina Fey says in her acceptance speech:

"I thank my parents for somehow raising me to have confidence that is disproportionate with my looks and abilities. Well done. That is what all parents should do"".

Now for the rest of the world to catch on to the brilliantness that is 30 Rock (it is still struggling for viewers). Season 3 begins 30 October 2008.

Monday, September 22, 2008

Quantifying Greed: - ~$700 billion

News just in about an audacious proposal, dreamt up by the Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson, and fully supported by the current Bush Administration, designed to bail out the fall out of the mortgage/sub-prime crises.

The details?

Alarmingly THIN but for the fact that it will cost tax payers $700 billion dollars. But get this, the draft proposal for this $700 billion Bailout Plan says (in section 8):

"Decisions by the Secretary pursuant to the authority of this Act are non-reviewable and committed to agency discretion, and may not be reviewed by any court of law or any administrative agency."

This means that the Secretary is not accountable for anything or anyone. In fact, s/he is not bound even by law! I suppose this magnitude of power and lack of accountability is not entirely surprising given this is the same Administration that legalised/socialised concepts such as pre-emptive strike, waterboarding, warrantless wiretaps etc.

Which then begs the question, why would anybody vote for McCain when he supported Bush's policies 95% of the time in 2007, and 100% in 2008.

Even a former beauty queen can't save that kind of bogus statistic.

Friday, September 19, 2008

Obama Shrine

I have inadvertently built up a Barack Obama shrine at work. For some reason, people are giving me Obama paraphernalia (not that I mind really).





My public stance is that I am absolutely a Obama supporter. Secretly though, I am still a Hillary Rodham Clinton fan. Unbelievable that despite being such an inexperienced spiff, Sarah Palin could land the top job, especially if you consider that McCain is 72 years old. I read somewhere that a couple of actuarists have modelled that there is a:
- 30% chance that McCain will die while in office, and
- 40% chance that Palin will take over due to a life threatening illness to McCain.

Worrying ...