I have a book to recommend to those financial titans "working" on Wall Street. In "The Impulse Factor: Why Some of Us Play It Safe and Others Risk It All," by Nick Tasler (Fireside, $24.95), the director of research and development for TalentSmart offers an "innovative approach to better decision making." Think that could help up in New York City? Yes, me, too. Then again, you might want to check it for yourself if you are interested in what makes some people jump into new and possibly dangerous experiences while others prefer to think things through. ...more

October 5, 2008

SOMEONE STILL LOVES YOU BORIS YELTSIN: PERSHING (POLYVINYL) **½ "Dance as if no one's looking" goes the anti-self-consciousness adage. Too bad someone didn't close the curtains when Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin was recording its second album. ...more

May 22, 2008

As Russia prepares for March 2 presidential elections, it enters an era of political uncertainty it has not seen since President Vladimir Putin succeeded Boris Yeltsin eight years ago. ...more

February 17, 2008

This week the TV news showed us images of George Bush, president of the United States and supposed leader of the free world, carrying a Saudi sword while dancing with a member of the Saudi royal family. For me, this ultimate indignity on the part of our president was reminiscent of a drunken Boris Yeltsin, leader of a failed Soviet Union playing "would you like to lead a band ?" Doubtless George, wearing his now famous smirk, saw no loss of dignity in playing the court jester for his Arab friends, perhaps to win them over to his pathetic plea for OPEC to sell more oil to assist the U.S. economy, one of their biggest customers as Bush reminded them. Their curt response was they will increase their sales when the market warrants it, thereby putting Bush in his place and inferentially reminding him that the OPEC cartel does not exist to do the U.S. favors. Its ability to squeeze the U.S. in a time of economic crisis, despite Bush's supposed generosity in approving a large sale of sophisticated arms to Saudi Arabia, is a blunt reminder of who is in the economically dominant position, in U.S.- Saudi relations. Way to go George! ...more

January 20, 2008

All were consigned to memory this year. Here is a look back at some of the notables who died in 2007. ...more

December 31, 2007