I don't even know who he is, but the NY Post Page Six article about him that you linked to is cruel. Not a Salon-quality link.

It's a rare person, indeed, who can honestly claim genuine influence on multiple significant events in his or her lifetime. Think Christ, Newton, Edison and Ford.

Jobs had his hand in:

* Early Apple mass-manufactured personal computers

* Macintosh w/mouse, GUI, etc.

* A suite of Apple consumer/business electronics incl the laser printer

* Pixar

* iPod/iPhone/iTunes

A propagandist could add even more to this list without exaggeration.

Let's hope Steve Jobs takes this time to get better from whatever ails him, and rewards himself and his family by refocusing his life on his home rather than his office.

He's made his mark on the world as an innovator and businessman of the first order. It's OK for him to rest on his laurels.

...lest you be branded as an anti-Semite a la Jimmy Carter.

Does anyone genuinely believe that Jimmy Carter is an anti-Semite? That Jimmy Carter "hates Jews"?

This is one of the tragedies of modern political discourse. We lefties "hate America" - and "the troops" - because of our peaceful, rhetorical opposition to the war in Iraq over the past 5+ years.

If I remember correctly, he was pre/anti pinyin in his language instruction.

Think about what an important and vast innovation pinyin was. I believe that children in China today learn pinyin before getting down to real business with their characters.

I'm disappointed by the choice of Warren, too.

We should remember, however, that the choice of inauguration convocation-giver is of zero consequence in of itself to policy or legislation.

I just watched The Visitor per Stephanie's list. What a wonderful movie! My wife and I shed tiny tears. Beautiful.

Richard Jenkins was perfect for the role. He did a remarkable job projecting his character's unhappiness and then transforming. Hiam Abbass was beautiful - I think I'm in love.

***

Speaking of Richard Jenkins - was he not great as the Step Father in Step Brothers? That was a hilarious movie - the first 20 minutes of it had us rolling.

I just finished watching it. It's a peek into a world I didn't know existed - an impoverished, violent and bleak suburb of Naples. It appears that many of the actors and nearly all of the extras were locals. The apartment block where much of the action takes place is an amazing crumbling dystopian behemoth.

Gemind bu shi qing ke chi fan.

In years past, this attack would likely have sparked anti-Muslim pogroms in Bombay and other Indian cities like Ahmedabad with histories of Hindu vs. Sikh vs. Muslim violence. That it didn't this time is a testament to how far India has come in recent years.

If this event has moved you deeply - and I'm sure it has - please read Suketu Mehta's op-ed in the New York Times about the attack and the resiliency of his "Maximum City."

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/29/opinion/29mehta.html

If you want to take a peek at life in Bombay, do read Mehta's spectacular book Maximum City. It's 600 pages of engaging and fascinating [non-fiction] filth, glory, love, pain, sweat and joy. The well-known "encounter specialist" [summary execution] police officer Vijay Salaskar who was killed in last week's attacks is one of Mehta's interviewees in the book.

Also recommended:

Vikram Chandra's Sacred Games (a novel) set in Bombay [and reviewed by Salon's Laura Miller here: http://www.salon.com/books/review/2007/02/05/chandra/index.html ]

Gregory David Robert's Shantaram the incredible, mostly(?) true story of the author's life as a fugitive from Australia living amongst the unwashed in a Bombay slum, establishing a clinic for his fellow slum-dwellers and working for a powerful Bombay organized crime organization. The Leopold cafe that was the scene of one of last week's attacks plays an important role in the story.

Berkeley misses you.

I grew up American Middle-class with everything one could imagine. My wife is a foreigner, rural poor, who grew up with only "coconut shells and colored rubber bands" for toys. We both grew up happy and successful. Her siblings are happy and successful, and now our nieces and nephews appear to be doing just fine back in ye olde village with little more than coconut shells and colored rubber bands themselves.

We raised our sixteen year old daughter mostly here in America. I plied her with toys and things while for the most part my wife did not. As my daughter's own personality emerged she is more like her mother than she is like me with respect to having THINGS. I can't remember her ever asking for a specific toy - and while I've filled an entire house with my SHIT, she could probably put everything she cares about in a single small suitcase if she had to.

She's a happy, confident student with lots of friends who will be going to a good college before too long. Happy, confident, social and a good student - everything we want to see in our children.

Is she that way because of the toys she had or because of the toys she didn't have? Love, friends, family, good food and a safe and comfortable place to sleep seem so much more important than her access to toys.

The menu sounds awesome. Frankly, I'm jealous.

The reason why it is of interest is because of the hypocrisy of the right. Don't forget what terrible people Sen. & Mrs. Obama are because they allegedly eat salad made from arugula!

As long as "the right" continues to push their asinine "real Americans" vs. "bi-coastal elitist snobs" meme, pointing out hypocrisy like the menu above is fair game.

Tears before breakfast are disallowed! hehe

What a great video. I just sent it to my mom and sister - just another two people who are completely emotionally invested in an Obama victory tomorrow.