tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2650177151297006054Tue, 10 Sep 2024 05:23:44 +0000MoneyPoliticsFinn-isms and CultureChina/AsiaEverything You Never Thoughthttp://unitedstatesofalexander.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Finn Alexander Kristiansen)Blogger415125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2650177151297006054.post-6469156011649604722Thu, 01 Nov 2012 15:59:00 +00002012-11-01T09:02:48.784-07:00MoneyPolitics If we've learned anything in this election cycle it's that people have learned nothing, incapable of complex considerations of fact that might provide contrast to their expectations of reality. President Obama remains in a tight race--that he will ultimately win-with Mitt Romney, and despite considerable achievements across several areas of political and social endeavor. But the battle http://unitedstatesofalexander.blogspot.com/2012/11/four-years-ago-we-stood-on-cliff.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Finn Alexander Kristiansen)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2650177151297006054.post-2589214652322467758Sat, 27 Oct 2012 16:08:00 +00002012-10-28T10:27:46.367-07:00Finn-isms and Culture It's been a simple, ordinary way for me, despite my possibly vain imagining that my life will turn out quite different: more active, unconventional or writerly, death or life by adventure or courageous choices. There are no great achievements that I can confidently embrace as "great achievements." Some write brilliant novels, all the while worshiped in life and then death, their remains a http://unitedstatesofalexander.blogspot.com/2012/10/moments-of-joy-adventure-lacking.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Finn Alexander Kristiansen)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2650177151297006054.post-6600181360313602095Sun, 18 Mar 2012 20:33:00 +00002012-03-18T13:59:01.520-07:00Politics Choosing Dark Skinned Beer Yesterday the streets in the vicinity of the St. Patrick's Day Parade here in Phoenix were flooded with color... green. We didn't catch the parade ourselves , and like most things in Arizona, it's a pale comparison to what real cities (NY, San Fran, Boston, Chicago) can pull off in their sleep. When in high school in Manhattan, we blew off classes one year to catch http://unitedstatesofalexander.blogspot.com/2012/03/all-blacks-are-racist-voters-all.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Finn Alexander Kristiansen)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2650177151297006054.post-2135415406078745306Thu, 01 Mar 2012 04:30:00 +00002012-02-29T21:30:02.993-07:00MoneyPolitics Young Swede Enjoying US Oil After nearly touching the $3.00 level a few months back, gas prices here in the U.S. have roared upwards,with fanciful talk of prices hitting an unlikely $5.00 by summer. Of course such talk happened last year as well, so we tend to dismiss it. The chatter is driven by Republicans, who are hoping that some sort of event creates the type of negative impact that http://unitedstatesofalexander.blogspot.com/2012/02/foreign-babies-enjoy-us-oil-while.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Finn Alexander Kristiansen)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2650177151297006054.post-2793236517960987612Sun, 26 Feb 2012 22:10:00 +00002012-02-26T15:17:33.524-07:00Finn-isms and CultureMoneyPolitics Newt Energy Policy Newt Gingrich, the Republican presidential candidate and proxy deep thinker, arrived at Oral Roberts University's Maybee Center on February 20th  to speak to a crowd of enthusiastic students and supporters. The very school I wanted to attend back in the day was probably a good choice for him, given that the entire evangelical world has lost its moorings, substituting a http://unitedstatesofalexander.blogspot.com/2012/02/newt-wants-cars-big-enough-for-your-gun.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Finn Alexander Kristiansen)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2650177151297006054.post-7490451544999998369Sun, 19 Feb 2012 19:34:00 +00002012-10-28T10:28:24.268-07:00Finn-isms and Culture We live in a relatively free country, where the state rarely imposes in a way that interferes with the day to day of our lives, and despite what various online malcontents (aka Ron Paul supporters) suggest. It amazes that people get all worked up over policies like NDAA, the National Defense Authorization Act (and its detainee provisions), while people ignore larger trends and choices that http://unitedstatesofalexander.blogspot.com/2012/02/big-girls-little-kids-and-men-who-dont.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Finn Alexander Kristiansen)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2650177151297006054.post-6929232507607075308Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:33:00 +00002012-01-30T12:34:08.441-07:00MoneyPolitics NJ Casino Applicants We are against term limits for politicians, believing it somewhat anti-democratic at best; it's like running your NBA team with rookies and then wondering why nobody can remember the plays and you are not winning championships. There is something to be said for apprenticeships, time spent learning, and skills built up on the job. So we are even more appalled that a new http://unitedstatesofalexander.blogspot.com/2012/01/we-are-spartacus.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Finn Alexander Kristiansen)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2650177151297006054.post-8510855722335860235Fri, 27 Jan 2012 01:16:00 +00002012-01-26T18:16:18.348-07:00Finn-isms and CultureMoneyPolitics God is Love It's January. Normally we like to come up with some predictions about the year, but we are not going to bother this time around, other than to say that President Obama will win in November. It's a political year, and the Republicans are busy fighting it out over irrelevancies. Newt Gingrich, the come from behind triple divorce threat (and time will get him to that third one), has http://unitedstatesofalexander.blogspot.com/2012/01/arizona-white-women-go-black-to-obama.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Finn Alexander Kristiansen)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2650177151297006054.post-7598102199520098726Sun, 01 Jan 2012 22:22:00 +00002012-01-15T10:07:46.057-07:00MoneyPolitics Small, Honest, Businessmen We are at the beginning of 2012 and the political climate is heating up. Once the Republicans pick a candidate to face President Obama, the argument will center around economic issues. We can sum up the Republican positions as follows: that Obama has done nothing to improve economic conditions and has in fact made them worse via indecisiveness, increased spending, http://unitedstatesofalexander.blogspot.com/2012/01/small-business-die-for-customers-not.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Finn Alexander Kristiansen)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2650177151297006054.post-1651108064720387951Tue, 27 Dec 2011 16:08:00 +00002012-01-01T14:26:43.112-07:00Finn-isms and CultureMel Gibson spent the last two years working out the details of his divorce with his former wife of 28 years. With a fortune measured at around $850 million, she ended up with half. His interim woman also received a settlement when he fathered a child with her. I debated the merits of this settlement with a female, who took the wife's position. The argument went along the usual lines: That the http://unitedstatesofalexander.blogspot.com/2011/12/mel-gibson-brutally-robbed-by-housewife.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Finn Alexander Kristiansen)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2650177151297006054.post-8975426485160015475Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:09:00 +00002012-10-28T10:28:48.745-07:00MoneyPoliticsIf there is any question at this political hour whether or not President Obama is a reasonable man, we need only look at the latest news from his health department. "In a major surprise on the politically charged new health care law, the Obama administration said Friday that it would not define a single uniform set of “essential health benefits” that must be provided by insurers for tens of http://unitedstatesofalexander.blogspot.com/2011/12/obama-healthcare-less-imposition-more.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Finn Alexander Kristiansen)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2650177151297006054.post-9144941897683837329Tue, 13 Dec 2011 06:39:00 +00002011-12-12T23:39:32.908-07:00MoneyPolitics Iranian General points out tiny chipmunks We could take this late night moment to talk about something important. Newt Gingrich, renaissance man of yesteryear, is challenging GOP leader Romney, taking him down to the undergarments in recent polls. And over there is our president, Mr. Obama, meeting with the leader of Iraq, while reinforcing a campaign promise kept (which was easier done than http://unitedstatesofalexander.blogspot.com/2011/12/obama-tells-iran-to-return-trojan-horse.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Finn Alexander Kristiansen)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2650177151297006054.post-941290356064191577Sun, 27 Nov 2011 02:28:00 +00002011-11-27T10:06:04.696-07:00Finn-isms and CulturePolitics One of my guilty pleasures is reading Saveur magazine. In my mind it is one of the best produced food magazines around, filled with lengthy centerpiece articles, beautiful photos and a fair amount of recipes. I don't actually cook all that much, so I don't get it for the recipes. I get it more for articles that usually drop you in the middle of some region or culture, highlighting the unique http://unitedstatesofalexander.blogspot.com/2011/11/saveur-magazine-serves-up-holiday.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Finn Alexander Kristiansen)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2650177151297006054.post-3254914403220639919Sun, 13 Nov 2011 01:52:00 +00002011-11-12T19:25:16.979-07:00MoneyPolitics Robin (on left) with Batman In case you were thinking that our military adventures (necessary and otherwise) are on the wane, with troops leaving Iraq, and Afghanistan looking more dubious by the hour after the death of Darth Bin Laden, rethink. In  tonight's debate with the Republican presidential candidates, we are assured of one more war. Both the  front runner and the http://unitedstatesofalexander.blogspot.com/2011/11/frankenstein-monster-candidates.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Finn Alexander Kristiansen)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2650177151297006054.post-4729564293067152129Sun, 06 Nov 2011 08:52:00 +00002011-11-06T01:52:02.510-07:00MoneyPolitics The White House The press is always behind the curve. When housing prices are rising, they are not writing articles warning you to back off from the frenzy. When things are at their worst, they are not encouraging you to be a buyer. When the sun is on the verge of rising, the press will usually be making the hard case for permanent inexplicable darkness.  This applies no matter the http://unitedstatesofalexander.blogspot.com/2011/11/washington-posts-expert-misread-of-2012.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Finn Alexander Kristiansen)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2650177151297006054.post-6922291992262221775Wed, 26 Oct 2011 02:13:00 +00002011-10-25T19:22:45.854-07:00MoneyPolitics "Rock on left, Hard Place on Right" The title of this article in the Miami Herald, "As U.S.-Iraqi troop talks faltered, Obama didn't pick up the phone" is one of those tricky bits of wording that means a bit more than it says. It haphazardly alludes back to the time when Hillary Clinton was running against Obama in the Democratic primary. Way back then (we were so much older then, we are http://unitedstatesofalexander.blogspot.com/2011/10/did-you-try-batphone-title-of-this.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Finn Alexander Kristiansen)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2650177151297006054.post-5051522587817402690Sun, 16 Oct 2011 02:02:00 +00002011-10-15T20:28:05.806-07:00MoneyPoliticsIt's a pretty much a forgone conclusion that we here will be voting for Obama come November 2012. He has done far too much, and with dignity, to let his efforts go for naught. Whether it's supporting Bush's saving of the American banking system, trying to find a reasonable approach to improving health care coverage, to beginning the process of bringing troops home from Iraq while handling http://unitedstatesofalexander.blogspot.com/2011/10/cain-more-able-than-romney-for-god.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Finn Alexander Kristiansen)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2650177151297006054.post-5309425910922043484Thu, 06 Oct 2011 01:46:00 +00002012-10-28T10:29:14.481-07:00Finn-isms and CultureMoney I was riding home when I got a brief announcement of His death via National Public Radio. I was on my way to Fresh & Easy for sausages and cranberry orange scones. "An icon. A modern day Edison," said the voice over the radio. My mind drifted back. Back a few days. He was born on May 19th, 1964 and now he was dead. I remember the television being on late nights, flicking through channels, http://unitedstatesofalexander.blogspot.com/2011/10/steve-jobs-rich-life-and-fresh-easy.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Finn Alexander Kristiansen)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2650177151297006054.post-4784352772011676147Sun, 25 Sep 2011 02:36:00 +00002011-09-25T08:50:10.142-07:00MoneyPolitics Rock, Fiat Paper, Scissors, Gold It's September and the first day of fall just happened, at least here in Arizona, and I assume that our seasons work normally in relationship to the rest of the country, unlike our clocks which neither spring forward or fall back. Arizona is heat, then no heat, and unlike other places, Arizonan's move life outdoors right about now, doing their book sales and http://unitedstatesofalexander.blogspot.com/2011/09/no-gold-or-silver-bullets-for-anyones.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Finn Alexander Kristiansen)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2650177151297006054.post-5454407422434128218Sun, 04 Sep 2011 16:33:00 +00002011-09-04T09:33:48.840-07:00MoneyPolitics Dick Hardens Toward Condi Dick Cheney, who we used to respect for his competent toughness, has been out pushing his new book In My Time, and trashing Colin Powell and Condozleeza Rice along the way. Among other roles, they served as the 65th and 66th Secretaries of State under George Bush. The were often the voices of moderation in the (Bush) administration, pushing for broader, non-military http://unitedstatesofalexander.blogspot.com/2011/09/ineffectual-black-people-dick-cheney.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Finn Alexander Kristiansen)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2650177151297006054.post-377194254665839733Fri, 02 Sep 2011 01:35:00 +00002012-10-28T10:29:43.931-07:00Finn-isms and CultureI went to school with Chaz Bono. That was in Manhattan, at LaGuardia High School of Music and the Arts across from Lincoln Center. Back then she was Chastity. She she was chubby and schlubby, and not too far from my own chubby and shlubby appearance. She was also very unhappy looking. My fellow students whispered about her those first few days in the class we shared, commenting on the contrast http://unitedstatesofalexander.blogspot.com/2011/09/chaz-bono-changes-nature-of-dancing-on.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Finn Alexander Kristiansen)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2650177151297006054.post-6490429035860329638Wed, 31 Aug 2011 04:38:00 +00002011-09-01T22:01:38.047-07:00PoliticsIt's through a tangled web of non-linear thought that Republicans and their candidates are able to to question the productivity and ability of the Obama administration. The big question during the campaign many moons back was "Who do you want picking up the phone at 3 A.M.?" Since then we have seen Obama implicated in any number of things having nothing to do with the answer to that question. http://unitedstatesofalexander.blogspot.com/2011/08/iraqis-warn-libyans-saying-dont-do-what.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Finn Alexander Kristiansen)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2650177151297006054.post-7031193232597434117Sun, 14 Aug 2011 22:16:00 +00002011-08-14T15:16:24.210-07:00MoneyPolitics Romney Counts Remaining Candidates Obama can breath a bit easier today, given the recent news of former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty dropping out of the race.  Pawlenty failed to reach his own target level of support during the shenanigustic Iowa straw poll this weekend, and the announcement by Texas Governor Rick Perry to enter the race probably did not help the calculus. This is nothttp://unitedstatesofalexander.blogspot.com/2011/08/pawlenty-out-perry-in-romney-likely-ok.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Finn Alexander Kristiansen)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2650177151297006054.post-6101164283468798612Sun, 07 Aug 2011 00:13:00 +00002011-08-13T16:48:54.447-07:00MoneyDon't let the volatility in the market spoil your game! http://unitedstatesofalexander.blogspot.com/2011/08/dont-let-volatility-in-market-spoil.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Finn Alexander Kristiansen)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2650177151297006054.post-5435684799985544814Sat, 06 Aug 2011 22:46:00 +00002011-08-06T15:46:44.858-07:00MoneyPolitics S&P notices US debt yesterday for 1st time It looks like fiscal and monetary policy are dead, almost worldwide, but especially here in the U.S. now that the rating agency S&P has stepped in to wipe away the Triple-A credit rating of the Federal government. This would be the same Standard and Poors that missed a pre-2008 opportunity  to accurately assess the risk of http://unitedstatesofalexander.blogspot.com/2011/08/us-gets-bad-report-card-from-teacher.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Finn Alexander Kristiansen)0