The Last Lecture

What would you say if you knew this was the last time you would be able to teach, to share with a large captive audience. What knowledge would you try to impart, what lessons would you leave, what memories could you capture?

Randy Pausch, a professor at Carnegie Mellon, had such an opportunity and I was affected by his presentation. We would all be lucky to come to this point in the road with a sense of wonder, accomplishment, legacy and happiness that he portrays.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo
http://download.srv.cs.cmu.edu/~pausch/

Irrational Exuberance

When the Dow was at 14,300, a 10% correction would seem necessary, at the least. The markets fell over the past month, getting as low as 12,800. While a setback for some, this was movement in the right direction for the economy as a whole. Many financial indicators: Housing (home sales, subprime issues, etc.), crude oil prices (NOTE: Saudi Arabia is currently the only OPEC member with excess capacity. Remember your Econ 101?), and the global valuation of the US dollar seem to imply that a draw down in the economy is not only coming but is inevitable. First consider that the Stock Market is not the economy but a single measure of its health. After the "correction", the Dow is now almost back to pre-drop levels, in the course of a week. Allan Greenspan's famous phrase seems to capture this fluctuation precisely. This should be taken to heart as the larger economic issues begin to surface as a result of not only the stock market's "irrational exuberance" but also that of the recent "era of cheap capital" of which subprime is only the tip of the iceberg.

Cold, Colder, Coldest

50+ MPH winds today in the DC area, 35 degrees... Winter is here! Canaan Valley is a great place to stay (when there is white stuff) and Whitetail is the best to get to when you've got a quick dose of fresh powder. Now we just need snow.

Not a single snow slope is open in the area because of the warm weather. While this warmth is not, in itself, an indicator of global warming it sure is bringing the issue to light for a great many people. I'm excited to see the innovation necessary over the next 25 years to stop and reverse this trend. The greatest change will have to come in the conservation, cleansing and reclamation of fresh water. China is exacerbating it's desertification issues with the creation of the Three Rivers Damn.

New Orleans

Two years later, the city is still not back to what it was before Hurricane Katrina. It is very quiet and sparsely populated. One of the cab drivers we met left during Katrina and came back as a construction worker making decent money. However, the rebuilding money has run out, so he is back to his cab. One bright spot is that the restaurants are fantastic and service is excellent. My favorite place was Table 1 Brasserie . Wednesday's are $15 bottle of wine nights. Nola, one of Emeril's restaturants, had good service, albeit slow sometimes, and gave me the best roast/smoked duck I have ever had. Marinated for 2 days and then smoked for 6 hours prior to serving, the meat just fell apart. The base of corn mush I could have done without but didn't ruin my enjoyment of the duck.

Dive's are dying...

My personal favorite is Galaxy Hut between Courthouse and Clarendon in Arlington. Any place that sells PBR cans gets a thumbs up from me. So far it has staved off the onslaught of high rises on the Orange Line corridor much like Iota's. With no frills decor, exposed brick, decent food and open mic on Wendesday, Iota is a great little secret. Ramparts off Quaker Lane in Alexandria has PBR and Smithwicks on tap, but that's almost too classy of a selection :-)

Duffy has suggested Lounging Lizard Bar in Old Town and Jay's Saloon and Grill (DJ plays mixed tapes!), must check them out!

Although not a dive, new place to try:
http://www.dino-dc.com/ Listed as one of Food and Wine’s "50 Most Amazing Wine Experiences"

If it's as good as the similarly rated Vermillion in Old Town, I hope to be pleasantly surprised.

Economics has never been more fun

http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/

and so scary... http://www.rgemonitor.com/blog/roubini/209779

Bento Box your life

We should enjoy food more and eat less...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/05/AR2007060500414.html?hpid=smartliving

Restaurant note: Ardeo in Cleveland Park is great, with a superb (and reasonable) wine list. Enjoyed a great time with friends!

Other favorites that have yet to be mentioned:

• Black Salt - Georgetown, Washington, DC
  
• Kinkeads - Downtown, Washington, DC
• Smith and Wolensky's - Downtown, Washington, DC. Eat in the grill room, same food, less price.
  
• Charlie Palmer steakhouse (free corkage for 2 bottles of American wine), Capitol Hill, Washington, DC
• Carlyle - Shirlington, Arlington, VA. Best value for a great meal!