Notice: Undefined variable: todo_styles in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120

Notice: Undefined variable: todo_styles in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120

Notice: Undefined variable: todo_styles in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120

Notice: Undefined variable: todo_styles in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120

Notice: Undefined variable: todo_styles in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120

Notice: Undefined variable: todo_styles in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120

Obama rally in Virginia

I have uploaded some initial photos into a Flickr set you can see here. I had access to the press gallery so was able to take some reasonably good shots. I took some of the press corps themselves, including some of BBC journalist Jon Sopel, who was doing a live broadcast for the BBC 9 o’clock news.

Here he is just before the broadcast;

IMG_1723

IMG_1781

IMG_1777

And the man himself:

IMG_1800

And here was a fighter jet passing in the distance, with what looks like a press helicopter hovering.

IMG_1713

I have some videos too, will upload them once I get some sleep.

Washington sights

Well following a weekend off from blogging, I had a look around Arlington Cemetery today, where I watched the changing of the guard at the memoral of the unknown soldier. I took a good few photos, I hope they turn out ok.

Tomorrow I plan to attend an Obama rally in Virginia Beach, outdoor and by all accounts it should be huge. Saturday, McCain has a rally just south of DC, so I might try and get to that too.

IMG_1530

General Lee’s house:
IMG_1543

View from the upstairs bedroom in Lee’s house:

IMG_1540

Robert Kennedy grave:

IMG_1547

John F Kennedy’s grave:

IMG_1555

IMG_1557

IMG_1556

Tomb of the unknown soldier:

IMG_1578

Changing the guard at the tomb:

IMG_1594

Selling your soul at Moody's

Rating agency Moody’s employee emails:

Employees at Moody’s Investors Service told executives that issuing dubious creditworthy ratings to mortgage-backed securities made it appear they were incompetent or “sold our soul to the devil for revenue,” according to e-mails obtained by U.S. House investigators.

I love this one:

An e-mail that a S&P employee wrote to a co-worker in 2006, obtained by committee investigators, said, “Let’s hope we are all wealthy and retired by the time this house of cards falters.”

If you’re not sure about the role Moody’s and Standard and Poors played in the debacle, Barry has a good brief rundown:

The proximate cause of the Housing crisis were 1) Ultra-low rates; and 2) Abdication of traditional lending standards, thanks to 3) originators ability to resell mortgages for securitization purposes, and hence, 4) not have to worry about loan defaults.

The credit crisis was caused by 1) the above securitized mortgage paper, that was 2) rated triple AAA by Moody’s and Standard & Poors 3) Which was then “insured” by credit default swaps (CDS) — the unreserved for, shadow insurance products 4) whose exemption was made possible by the Commodities Futures Modernization Act.

That legislation exempted these derivatives from any supervision or regulation. The lack of reserve requirements is why there is now $62 trillion in CDS, many of which will never pay their counter parties the promised insurance.

He has more here, including IM conversations between staff at Standard and Poors.

Rahul Dilip Shah: btw: that deal is ridiculous

Shannon Mooney: I know right … model def does not capture half of the risk

Rahul Dilip Shah: we should not be rating it

Shannon Mooney: we rate every deal

Shannon Mooney: it could be structured by cows and we would rate it

Washington bound

Tomorrow I head off to the US for a couple of weeks, and it is certainly an interesting time to be going (and an interesting contrast to Georgia two weeks ago). I will be in Washington DC for the majority of the trip, but will be calling to New York and do a quick jaunt to Canada while I’m there. I will be shacking up with the Examiner’s US correspondent and intrepid traveller Conor Ryan (he’s not blogging, yet).

Hopefully I will be able to catch up with old friends of the blog, Steve Clemons and Jonathan Smith (former blogger and a reader). And who knows who I else I might meet…

I have been to Washington before, and managed to get in many of the sights. On this trip I will finally get out to Arlington Cemetery and visit the enormous Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

Does anyone have any other suggestions for my time in Washington during the election? Any people I should meet?

Nakalakevi, Georgia

I visited the ruins at Nakalakevi (Nokakalevi, ნოქალაქევი) in Georgia for only a brief time. You can read a history of the city here. Some interesting notes about the city:

1200 BC: Jason and the Argonauts’ mythical journey to Colchis to retrieve the Golden Fleece

Beginning 1st BC to end of 3rd AD Sparse evidence for occupation by the Roman Empire, unconfined to a specific stratigraphical event. A piece of Sinopian pottery has been found and some coins marked with Constantine I who ruled 306 – 337 AD.

Beginning of 4th to end of 6th Renovation and additional construction of Archaeopolis to include bath houses, water cisterns, kilns for workshops and churches. Archaeopolis is the stage for the battle between the Persians, led by Mermeroes and the Byzantines, led by Odonachus and Babas in 551 AD, during the war of 540-562. Coins found on second level marked with Flavius Mauricius Tiberius who ruled 582 – 602 AD. Human, possibly Christian burials found in the lower town near the 7 Martyrs Church.

17th – 19th Site occupied by a branch of the princely Dadiani family, who repaired/rebuilt some of the standing remains and conducted small scale amateur archaeology.

10th – 11th Period indicated by glazed green pottery. 40 Martyrs Church reconstructed. Mid 8th Nokalakevi destroyed by the invading Arab general Murvan Ibn-Muhammad (later caliph).

Beginning of 8th The Byzantines besiege Archaeopolis unsuccessfully, attempting to recover Lazika from the Arabs; coincides with the first iconoclastic period.

I was told that Irish archaeologists are involved, and come back every Spring to continue their work. I took some photos, but as it was close to dusk, the quality is not great. Here is a satellite photo.

The Eastern entrance:
IMG_0784

The wall, with some archaeological work beside it:

IMG_0785

The River Tekhuri, looking south:

IMG_0792

You really do wonder what might be under all those trees. The ruins look untouched.

IMG_0798

The city had easy access to the river via this tunnel, which remains intact. Pretty long tunnel too.

IMG_0808

Old people protest

I sympathise with their plight.

But by the same token I have to ask myself three questions, based in part on instinct and in part on statistical probability.

1. How many of the old people protesting voted Fianna Fail?

2. How many of the old people protesting have always voted Fianna Fail?

3. How many of the old people protesting will vote Fianna Fail in the next election?

Crazily, I suspect most of them.

By the way my favourite protester sign read:

No country for old men, or women.


Notice: Undefined variable: todo_styles in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120

Notice: Undefined variable: todo_styles in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120

Notice: Undefined variable: todo_styles in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120

Notice: Undefined variable: todo_styles in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120

Notice: Undefined variable: todo_styles in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120

Notice: Undefined variable: todo_styles in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120

Notice: Undefined variable: todo_styles in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120