Au revoir New York

Will miss this place, its inhabitants (well some of them, like you!), and the itty-bitty margaritas. But new adventures await. À Bientôt!

McCain is Old

Greatest blog of the week.

Racing to the finish

Triumphed over exams and plunged directly into a weekend of karaoke, dive bars, social mixing, and a bit of nursing. The Visitors comported themselves in exemplary fashion, earning the love and trust of the local people, among other things. Various tropical diseases, including the dreaded Mango-Tango were no match for their determination/alcoholism. They are already missed. I somehow forgot about my camera for the entire weekend, so cannot offer you any photographic evidence--most likely for the best.

Now just a few obstacles to jump over and its off for porto-porto-fishy-fishy-family vacation. For a preview you can check out Dad's foray into the blogosphere (SFW). Onward!

Why game theory is worthless

Student: how can paper beat rock?
Adam: Paper covers rock and suffocates it; rock can't breathe.
Student: But rocks don't need to breathe.
Adam: If rock is covered with paper it can't mate.

Did Justice do justice?

Profound social commentary or misguided romanticizing of les banlieues ? Sympathetic or racist? Or is it really just a brilliant/desperate plea for authenticity from a group that's become too beloved by the mainstream? A host of contradictions in Justice's video Stress. Even Le Monde weighs in.

justice stress (official video)
Uploaded by 75_prod

Change a few things (mostly notable, delete the cameraman) and this could be any number of American hip-hop videos from the last two decades. Yet in France it seems to have provoked quite a controversy, perhaps because Justice is a couple of (now very wealthy) white boys. The video is certainly more about white people reacting to the urban underclass than the urban underclass speaking on its own terms. Sort of like Michael Moore meets Burgher's Daughter at an electronic dance party. Self-indulgent white liberal guilt? Sure, but that's what makes it interesting.

What are we going to do today?

A long overdue reunion

Chance meeting in the Bobst elevator and then it was straight back to the old caipirinha routine. So glad some things never change. Welcome back Vdog, the Queen of Buenos Aires.