Chess

Submitted by cvining on

Below is a link to my chess games.  I played tournament chess actively from 1973-1990 reaching a USCF rating of the low 2128s.

The file below contains 347 of my games, about 250 of which were in rated tournaments.

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Funicular

Submitted by cvining on

Funicular, funicular
A euphonious word
One of the finest
I ever heard

Funicular, funicular
I don't even know
If one of those comes
Or if one of those goes

Funicular, funicular
What the hell does it mean?
And where can I get one?
Where can one be seen?

Funicular, funicular
I tell you what
I'll look it down
While you look it up

Funicular, funicular
So that's what one is!
Take note everyone
It's on the next quiz!

Former Argentine President Kirchner discussing President Bush's "War is Good" policy

Submitted by cvining on

Oliver Stone mentioned this conversation on a recent episode of Bill Maher.  The main speaker is former Argentine President Néstor Kirchner.  Yes, the Bush era is over.  Still, this is pretty amazing:

I said that a solution for the problems right now, I told Bush, is a Marshall Plan.  And he got angry.

He said the Marshall Plan is a crazy idea of the Democrats.

He said the best way to revitalize the economy is war.  And that the United States has grown stronger with war.

... He said that.  Those were his exact words.

To paraphrase Gordon Gecko "War is Good."

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The American

Submitted by cvining on

Saw it this afternoon.

Not exactly, I suppose, a 'feel good' movie.  Even a bit dark.  But actually quite well done.  Bits of foreshadowing, some very nice cinematography with those italian villages.

I love the scene in the bar with that Sergio Leone film "Once Upon A Time In The West" playing in the background.  The bartender just nods at the TV with pride: "Italiano."  

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James Forestall

Submitted by cvining on

James Forestall.  The first US Secretary of Defense.  Died from a fall from the 16th story window of a psych hospital.  Some (many) say it was suicide.  He was being treated for depression after being fired as Secretary of Defense by Truman.

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Michael Moore Loves Capitalism

Submitted by cvining on

Michael Moore has a new movie coming out Friday called "Capitalism: A Love Story."  NPR's Neal Conan interviews Moore on "Talk of the Nation."

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113308531

Moore has a definite point of view and usually makes some points that catch my attention.  I'll pull two quotes from this interview.

First, Moore suggests things in the US started getting difficult "around the time of Ronald Reagan."  Here's one piece of supporting evidence.  A 2005 UCLA study titled "Income and Wealth Concentration in Switzerland over the 20th Century" includes this figure illustrating that around the time of Ronald Reagan the share of income of the top 0.1% income earners in the US more than tripled. The very rich suddenly got very richer:

France, US, Switzerland

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