Hey City Zen!

Tenho estado em casa com uma gripe horrível que foi agora instantaneamente curada por uma amiga que me enviou esta pérola em baixo. Ri tanto, que me passou a gripe. Não há nada como o Zen do humor---especialmente enviado assim de repente por uma amiga. Thank you Kari, sweetie.

None of this is scientific, and clearly other companies like Apple Computers have done extremely well, but there is just no doubt that oil companies as a group have done much better than average. Should we be surprised?

The media in the US is making such a big deal of the fact thatall the acting oscars were taken by European actors this year. Chris Matthews, in his usual shortsighted way (after all, he thinks drinking coffee at Starbucks is a sign of urban sophistication) made such a big deal of being proud that this can happen in America---as if it is the oly place where this sort of thing happens. Don't get me wrong, I think it is great that this can indeed happen here, as it shows that US culture remains well coupled to the World, but doesn't the American media realize how often American actors and directors win awards in Europe? Cannes, Venice anyone?