As unattainable as sun-bathing in Serbia

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/30/sports/worldcup/world-cup-2014-brazils-goalkeepers-finally-get-some-respect.html?smid=nytnow-share&smprod=nytnow&_r=0

A four year economic plan full of cheer!

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/26/upshot/why-you-should-root-for-nigeria-or-brazil-mexico-or-ghana.html

Heartbreak USA

So close to a win against Portugal. They were perhaps dazed from the spectacular recovery going one down into the last half hour to be scoring two in twenty minutes. They could have defended more in the last few minutes and lost the concentration a little at the very end, all very easy to say in hindsight. What a double irony it would have been for the groups of death and double-death, Costa Rica already in and at the top, England out leaving Italy and Uruguay to battle it out. USA would have been in first and Portugal out, but even right now looks impossible for Portugal to beat USA to second place with a win in the last game.

Going into the last minute or two my daughter said USA has won haven't they and while I wanted to say the same I uttered the more elderly "anything could happen" which came back haunting.

Cancun, Yucatan Peninsular Mexican Carribean, Mexico

A melange of sights, sounds and culture. Mexican carribean beach resort, Mexican hospitality, swim with the dolphins, Xcaret (Esh-ca-ret) park with natural sights, cultural sightseeing capped with a two hour spectacular theater production Mexico Espectacular (Me-hi-co E-specta-cu-lar) depicting the journey through the pre-Hispanic cultures (Mayan, Aztec etc) to the post-Spanish mixed-race Hispanic medley of dance, song and color.

Markets are instrumental, not intrinsic, for human flourishing.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/18/opinion/capitalism-and-the-dalai-lama.html

Snow on Cherry Blossoms

Cherry Blossoms, already delayed several weeks by long cold winter, are confused by the overnight gentle sprinkling and coating of white powder along with freezing temperatures. Hopefully it will not start snowing again come October.

Rolling Stone interview with Bill Gates

Do you believe in God? 

I agree with people like Richard Dawkins that mankind felt the need for creation myths. Before we really began to understand disease and the weather and things like that, we sought false explanations for them. Now science has filled in some of the realm – not all – that religion used to fill. But the mystery and the beauty of the world is overwhelmingly amazing, and there's no scientific explanation of how it came about. To say that it was generated by random numbers, that does seem, you know, sort of an uncharitable view [laughs]. I think it makes sense to believe in God, but exactly what decision in your life you make differently because of it, I don't know.

http://m.rollingstone.com/culture/news/bill-gates-the-rolling-stone-interview-20140313