Google News Masters Irony
Just took this screen shot of
Google News. Google News works by finding articles that look like they are related and grouping them together. I guess, the geniuses at Google built in a sense of humor.
Warren Buffett
In
his piece in yesterday's Washington Post, Warren Buffett explains the value America brings to the rich
Both of us know we were lucky to be born in America. But I was luckier in that I came wired at birth with a talent for capital allocation -- a valuable ability to have had in this country during the past half-century. Credit America for most of this value, not me. If the receptionist and I had both been born in, say, Bangladesh, the story would have been far different. There, the market value of our respective talents would not have varied greatly.
This pretty well meshes with my experience. I'm no Warren Buffett, but I do pretty well and so does my girlfriend. I would say that our jobs do not even exist in Bangladesh. I'm pretty sure that I'd be pretty useless in any country without computers. For the top 1%, this is even more so. Here is the list of the
richest people in the America:
- Bill Gates
- Warren Buffett
- Paul Allen
- The Waltons (Wal-mart)
- Larry Ellison
- Steve Ballmer
Three of them from Microsoft, another software mogul, the owners of the largest retail chain and Warren Buffett. Where would they be without the infrastructure, educated populace, and stable government of America. They are great, no doubt, but how much does America add to their accomplishments?
Memories
It is with a teary eye, I write this -- Ari Fleischer, the greatest pitchman of our generation, is leaving the spotlight. If only I could kiss his head like the president did today -- that might ease the pain. The AP put it best:"His meatless pronouncements on Bush policy are generally in keeping with a White House that keeps a tight lid on information. He often professes ignorance about details."
But, he was a Yankee fan, and that was enough for me
