Long time I know but it's been a busy year with many ups and downs, but hopefully I'll be able to write out some thoughts. With that said, I'm in London right now. Over a couple of beers with a friend who resides here and works in finance, we chatted about the worst financial catastrophe since the great depression. At the micro level, I've lost 30% of my 401(k) just in Ocotber alone. Ugh! Anyway, I asked my friend to explain to me why the remaining banks are going to distribute bonuses! For what! So the government is bailing out these banks by providing funding, and in turn they're refusing to do actually what the bailout funds were intended to do and that was to stimulate lending. And on top of that, they're giving out bonuses! Wait a minute! Doesn't that mean money is essentially being transfered to the rich bankers from the government? And the banks response for providing bonuses is that they will lose talent. What! To what? There is no need to worry about losing talent because there are no more wall street jobs. Where are they going to go? 7-11? Now I'm not sure if this is true but I hear the Lehman folks who were absorbed by Barclays are promised to get the same bonsues from the previous year - which was a bonanza last year - to ensure they remain with the company. Doh! The people who are getting bonuses are the same people who got us into this turmoil? And also were rewarded years earlier for such bets. So they got paid big time in previous years and they're getting bailed out and getting a bonus again. Someone explain this to me like I'm a 4th grader.
That's pretty awesome that Anthony Kim won a PGA tour event as a 22yo. That's real impressive.
Time magazine's annual 100 most influential people list was released this weekend and I quickly scanned the list. It's funny how along the way I've encountered closely or remotely some of these folks.
Elizabeth Gilbert - She wrote the book "Eat Pray Love" - an autobiographical journey after her divorce. I had lunch with her about a year ago before she exploded in popularity. She was incredibly humble and enlightening who emitted a positive light. She made me realize that after a traumatic event like divorce, you can find love again and live life even better.
Mehmet Oz - He's the new Dr. Phil or the current doctor on the Oprah Winfrey show. He's a world famous heart surgeon and the author of many consumer health books. A couple years ago, I was a keynote speaker at a conference and he was the other keynote speaker. At the time, I did not know who he was until someone at work told me that he's a famous doc on the Oprah Winfrey show.
Larry Brilliant - The good doctor heads up Google.org, the philanthropy arm of some search engine. Without revealing much, I've had some direct interactions related to some initiatives.
Chris Rock - This would be in the remote category as in I just saw him perform at MSG this past Thursday night. He's still got it. Usually a comic's best stuff is from his earlier years but the man is still going strong. He didn't have to dip into the archives to keep the laughs going. I was impressed by how contemporary his stuff was which means he's a comic genius. His delivery was classic.
Hopefully I'll get on the list in the next decade.
Friday is when the fun really began. We started off leisurly and walked the course, but found ourselves situated in Amen Corner for most of the day. So another nice and fun day of watching the best golfers in the world. At night, we actually gave our chef the night off and told her we were heading out to someone's house for dinner. Little did I know that I would be bumping into Trevor Immelman - the leader going into the weekend and the ultimate Master's champion.
If you ever have an opportunity to go to the Masters, just do it.
Interesting article in today's New York Times about Korean prep schools getting kids into Ivy League schools. Currently the #1 emailed article from NYtimes.com.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/27/world/asia/27seoul.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
I'm listening to Rihanna and I luv her music. It gets me into such a groove that I want to go out dancing. So I was going to write about the Masters but I need to edit what I'm going to write because there's a lot I can't share. More to come on that.
Last night I went to dinner at Spice Market - not on my list of favorites. Actually, I don't like it much except for the cocktails. I came slightly early and ordered a goose martini - extra dirty. Oh, as a side note, Tiger's favorite cocktail is Goose Cranberry. By the time my party had arrived, I had completely consumed my martini. We got seated upstairs. If you have a chance, head downstairs because it's a little more private. The decor is kinda cool but the food's not that fabulous. I was with 5 ladies and to provide some guidance, I recommended the tasting menu which was probably our best bet. I don't remember all the dishes but I do remember it was 5 dishes with 10 flavors. We had a nice reisling paired to the tasting menu. Afterwards, I walked home with a friend and she said I was drunk. Damn. I hate it when I'm to obvious. I gotta stop because it's killing me.
