”I live in my own mind
Ain't nothin but a good time
No rain just the sunshine
Out here in my own mind
I live where I can breathe
Ain't nothin but a cool breeze
Nobody that it won't please
Out here where I can breathe
” (In my own mind)

nomadlife is being upgraded right now. So all updates are not available.

”South Korean researchers say they've used stem cell therapy to enable a paralyzed patient to walk after she was not even able to stand for the last 19 years. “(UPI)

I hope this gets per reviewed.

I was at a party Friday with people I barely know and I wasn't in a mood to chat up the girls, so I occupied a red love seat in the middle of the room (and the party), nursing my Black Russian. Chill.

And she came along asked me to share the seat. Only for a kiss, I toyed. She didn't hesitate and planted a wet one. And casually she mentioned, don't tell my boyfriend.

Ouch.

Lucky bastard I thought.

All the wild ones are taken.

Darn.

Watching the local news this early morning and Chicago is having 3 shooting incidents in the past 5 hours, all at the North Side.

”Though Chinese officials later denied the report, and the dollar recovered, analysts say the broader trend is that foreign governments are becoming less willing to finance the growing debt of the United States government.

On Tuesday, a top official with the Russian central bank said his government had become worried about the sinking value of the dollar and might switch some foreign reserves to euros.

A day later, India's central bank hinted that it was worried about the same issue and might shift some reserves into other currencies.

"There is an emerging consensus that banks around the world are moving to expand their reserves of euros at the expense of dollars," said Laidi Ashraf, chief currency analyst at MG Financial Group in New York.” (NYTimes)

The trend of exodus starts ...

The national event known as “post Thanksgiving sale” stampede are raging in my neighbourhood. People, old, young, men, women went all out in the hunt for THE BARGAIN.

Some stores opened at 6 am.  

30% off seemed to be the average discount. I obtained this figure by on the ground leg work, spending half an hour joining the excited flow of humanity streaming down Michigan avenue. Buy, buy, buy.

take care.

”Iran refused Thursday to abandon plans to operate uranium enrichment equipment that could be used either for energy purposes or in a nuclear bomb-making project, European and Iranian officials said.

The refusal threatened to scuttle a nuclear agreement Iran reached 10 days ago with France, Britain and Germany to freeze all of Iran's uranium enrichment activities, the European officials added. It also gave new ammunition to the Bush administration, which asserts that Iran has a secret nuclear weapons program and cannot be trusted.”(NYTimes)

This thing will escalate and get worse before it gets better.

hmm....life smells likes a fresh brewed coffee in the morning, mixed with lingering scent of two apple Shisha from the night before.

And joy is not having to make any decision tonight.

Still they doubted me. Yeah, setting up and operating companies in five countries that I've never visited do sound crazy. But boy, it sure is exciting :)

And for the fourth year, I'll be having Thanksgiving dinner in a home not my own.

”Van Gogh didn't feel threatened personally, he said repeatedly. But he did feel the freedom to speak out was being curtailed. Earlier this year, a play in Amsterdam about the prophet Mohammed was considered "blasphemous" by a local Muslim politician. Van Gogh sardonically placed an ad in a local Amsterdam newspaper, saying, "Why shouldn't a play get prohibited? Vote for her!" This declining tolerance for criticism was what van Gogh perceived as a growing climate of intimidation. He toyed with people but was serious at the same time. “(Salon)

“In her letter to a Rotterdam newspaper after van Gogh's murder, politician and "Submission" screenwriter Hirsi Ali, who is rumored to be soon returning to public life, wrote: "Theo and I amply discussed the possible consequences of Submission. He said: 'The moment these considerations stop you from speaking out, that's the moment freedom of speech stops and that is exactly what the fundamentalists want us to do.'" “

Exactly.

I'm just simply amazed observing the natural growth of nomadlife and the emerging social pattern in that community.

”She was almost called the whole thing off when she saw how thin his wallet was...but then she saw the platinum card within. “ (Espresso Stories)

30 degrees, 6 miles, 9pm later on today. Finally the temperature in Chicago drop below the acceptable short pants level. It is time for me to acclimatize running in a sub zero temperature.

(update: freeze my ass off, but boy, t'was a good run)

Nisrin presented me with a gift from Lebanon over the weekend, an impressive 3 feet tall Hookah with a beautifully decorated base glass. It even comes with a hard case for easy transport (it looks like a cosmetic case)

All I need now is a pair of apple Shisha and charcoal.

This newest toy fits nicely with my ever growing Cocktail bar I'm building in my pad.

Now I just have to survive Monday (95 items on my todo list) with Adam's taking the rest of the week for the 'in-laws' for Thanksgiving.

”Democratic leaders and senators from both parties expressed outrage on Sunday about an obscure provision in the huge end-of-session spending bill that would allow the chairmen of the Appropriations Committees and their staff assistants to examine Americans' income tax returns. “ (NYTimes)

“IN THE PAST few months, the previously somnolent House ethics committee has roused itself to admonish Majority Leader Tom DeLay (D-Tex.) for various ethical missteps. "Beyond the bounds of acceptable conduct," the committee's Republican chairman, Rep. Joel Hefley (Colo.), and Democratic vice chairman, Alan B. Mollohan (W.Va.), summed it up in a letter to the leader. “ (WashingtonPost)

Power corrupts and boy, we see a lot of that this week.

Just finished “before sunset”. Boy, isn't it the movie of the year?

“Congress sent President Bush an $800 billion boost in the federal borrowing limit on Thursday, spotlighting how the budget has lurched out of control in recent years and how hard it will be to afford future initiatives.

The House approved the measure by a near party-line 208-204 vote as White House and bipartisan congressional bargainers moved to the verge of agreement on a year-end spending package expected to total $388 billion. Negotiators said just a handful of issues remained unresolved, and a package might be ready for votes by late Friday. (cnn.com)”

What ever happened to the frugal Republicans ?

”If the Federal Communications Commission could slap NBC after Bono used an expletive to celebrate winning a Golden Globe, then not even Steven Spielberg's celebration of World War II heroism could be immune from censorship. The American Family Association, which mobilized the mob against "Ryan," was in full blaster-fax and e-mail rage. Its scrupulous investigation had found that the movie's soldiers not only invoked the Bono word 21 times but also, perhaps even more indecently, re-enacted "graphic violence" in the battle scenes. How dare those servicemen impose their filthy mouths and spilled innards on decent American families! In our new politically correct American culture, war is always heck.” (Frank - NYTimes)

63F in mid November.

”OK, I am sick of all of you crazy liberals...the conservative voice is back
on the air...

I started a blog at blogger.com...alfunspun.blogger.com and I want the same
address...alfunspun.nomadlife.org
”

I love my tax high and my porn free thank you very much :)

Alfredo will be online soon at nomadlife at http://alfunspun.nomadlife.org .

TheNation from Liberia will be back at http://thenation.nomadlife.org.

And some other thinkers on Liberia will be joining as in nomadlife.org as well.

Currently watching Patton on AMC, lovin' it (especially now that I just finished reading “the army at dawn“ and “the eight army“).

”AS THE dollar hit another new low against the euro, briefly breaching $1.30 on November 10th, an increasing number of economists are asking how far the greenback might fall and how its slide will affect the world economy. One of the most alarming answers comes from Paul Volcker, Alan Greenspan's immediate predecessor as chairman of the Federal Reserve. He recently said that he thought there was a 75% chance of a currency crisis in the United States within five years.

It is easy to see how this might happen. America's current-account deficit is running at a record 6% of GDP this year, and on existing policies it will continue to widen. America's net foreign liabilities are already 23% of GDP, and economists at Goldman Sachs calculate that this figure will reach more than 60% by 2020, even if the current-account deficit stabilises at 5% of GDP (see chart). Other countries, such as Australia and New Zealand, have sustained large external deficits for long periods, but America's borrowing is much bigger in absolute terms. It is eating up around 75% of the excess saving of Japan, China, Germany and other countries with current-account surpluses. If the dollar did not have the advantage of being the world's main reserve currency, America would already be in serious trouble. Instead, the willingness of Asian central banks to lend to the United States has allowed its deficit to keep growing for longer. Nevertheless, the deficit is unsustainable: sooner or later it will need to shrink, and that will involve a cheaper dollar. “ (The Economist)

http://www.economist.com/printedition/ (you just have to bear with the long winded flash ads)

(update: it seems they were just testing the feature out. )

”Manage your stress level” has been my mantra for the past two years. To remain calm, even and cool amidst various daily and long term challenges, charting course and making correction in the chaotic and competitive world of technology. I even perfected the art of poker faces, hiding internal reaction from external observation, disclosing no information.

Well, somehow the colder weather of fall and upcoming winter have a negative effect on stress, shooting it up to the stratospher. And my old tricks on defusing stress have failed miserably in this past two weeks, building up close to a point of failure.

That can only mean trouble.

”If blue states care less about moral values, why are divorce rates so low in the bluest of the blue states? It's a question that intrigues conservatives, as much as it emboldens liberals.

As researchers have noted, the areas of the country where divorce rates are highest are also frequently the areas where many conservative Christians live.” (NYTimes)

”The street was piled high with floral tributes, and about 50 people crowded around them, most apparently deep in thought. I circled the site slowly, reading notes that had been left there. "This far and no further," read one. Another read: "Long live the Netherlands; long live the free word!"” (NYTimes)

If the Dutch ticked off...you've crossed your line long time ago.

Me on the right. More pictures on oFoto.

”Yasser Arafat, who triumphantly forced his people's plight into the world spotlight but failed to achieve his lifelong quest for Palestinian statehood, died Thursday at age 75.

He was to the end a man of many mysteries and paradoxes -- terrorist, statesman, autocrat and peacemaker. “ (NYTimes)

”Well maybe i'm just too young
To keep good love from going wrong “

Ran 4 miles yesterday afternoon and dammit, I was rewarded by hyperactive brain that doesn't allow me to sleep (it's ticking closer to 3 am now)

is tomorrow.

I am applying for next year's.

So you wake up yesterday to the Bush country. Welcome. If you happen to be the loser side, by the time you read this, you allowance for grieving time is up.

There is a lot of noise being made about people half-jokingly planning to move to Canada. Good luck, send me some fresh bacon.

No, I don't think 3% election winner is a sign for mandate. Reagan victory  or Clinton's was a mandate. But not this one. But again, if you don't like what's happening, do not lose.

Is the next four years going to be that bad?

Let me take out my tin foil and put it on, because I'm going to make some bold prediction here (caveat emptor: I thought Kerry was going to win).

0. Department Of Justice. Ok, this is easy. The most ineffective US Attorney General ever, Mr. Ashcroft, is out, sacked, lost confidence .. for personal reason. Man, if you are going to be divisive, be brilliant.

1. Palestine - Israel. Yasser Arafat has passed away combined with Gaza pullout next year will introduce a new dynamic in resolving this conflict. But again, this conflict is the Chicago Cubs of international conflicts, everybody can't wait to shoot themselves on the foot.

to be continued...

I'm as sick as a puppy, not as cute. And I can't sleep either.

Question:“Why do you figure Bush increased his support? “ (RT)

Answer:

Disclaimer first

“I support Iraq disarmament, if necessary by force. Scratch that. I want nothing less than a regime change.“ (dodyg.manilasites.com)

And this is what I think of war (misery).

“Let me remind you again. War is an event where it is ok for a human being to kill another. ..

War is intentional. You either initiate it or forced into it. If you are forced to war and decide not get involved, that's called surrender. “ on another entry.

If I run a country, these are the policies I will implement (which will drives Republicans and Democrats equally crazy).

And I got it wrong on who will win the Election 2004.

Reason No. 1

(picture taken from Adam Curry's weblog)

“Van Gogh, 47, a great grandnephew of the painter Vincent van Gogh, had received death threats after his recent film sharply criticized how women are treated under Islam.He was repeatedly shot and stabbed. "Don't do it. Don't do it. Have mercy. Have mercy!" the Algemeen Dagblad newspaper quoted Van Gogh as begging his killer. “ (WashingtonPost)

Giving a chance for the Commander in Chief to finish what he started, so above won't happen in the street of this country.

Reason No. 2

“You might not agree with me, but you always know where I stand“ (George W. Bush)

Reason No. 3

Better the devil you know than the angel you don't trust.

Reason No. 4

Gay Marriage.

Nothing But Love

“He said newly-elected Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in time "will convey officially words of congratulations to President Bush."

"The election in the United States and the recently concluded elections in Indonesia serve as a useful reminder that we share democracy as a common trait, which would serve as a solid foundation for the two countries' relations in the future," he said.

Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim country, was a staunch opponent of the US-led invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan.“ (The JakartaPost)

”The best concession speech is an overdose of sleeping pills, or a self-inflicted fatal bullet wound in the head. You want a guy who can't remotely, possibly conceive of losing.” (Dave)

It's half an hour and I'm gonna make the call. It's Bush country.

This looks more and more a Bush country. I'll make a call in half an hour or so. But if I'm a Redneck, I'll start popping some Jack Daniel (fuck the Champagne)

As I've said it before, I think Kerry is going to win this one.