Marty Manley on economics, politics, technology, and culture

Archive for November, 2008

The New Yorker's Finest Political Issue Ever

The New Yorker has produced an issue worthy of our recent election. If you do not own the November 17 issue, run, do not walk, to get one.  Or at least read it online — it is an amazing piece of journalism. This election issue contains four of the best articles and another four commentaries [...]

Is General Motors Lehman, AIG, or Bear Stearns?

Government can do three things when faced with a sick company. Let them file for bankruptcy as we did with Lehman Brothers. Engineer a sale or a "tough love" restructuring as we did with Bear Stearns. Or invest money like we did with AIG. Which is appropriate for automakers? Chrysler is a Lehman — the [...]

Five Myths About Obama's Election

I live in Oakland, which has long favored an especially breathless form of mythological political thinking. We all but invented Bush Derangement Syndrome and don't at all mind appearing in public as a parody of ourselves. Tonight the always amusing marquee on the Grand Lake Theater down the street, reads "We cannot wait until January [...]

For Fun….

I am a secret Laird Hamilton fan. Think he may be the best big wave surfer ever. He invented (some say co-invented) tow-in surfing. This is nothing like the sport of my youth — but a LOT like the fantasies of my youth. This is pretty amazing…

"Yes, We Can" vs. "No, You Can't"

Barrack Obama has built his brand on the audacity of hope. Nothing symbolized his campaign like the mantra he used beautifully in his victory speech: yes, we can. Coming on the heels of the destructive, hyper-partisan Bush years that had tarnished America, "yes, we can" was an inspired breath of fresh air. But even for [...]

Google this…

Click here for a really strong video interview with Google CEO Eric Schmidt (you have to click on the tiny "launch interactive" link next to his picture. McKinsey doesn’t practice what Schmidt preaches, so I can’t embed the video..). Schmidt is a really exceptional leader. He sometimes gets treated as a guy who just managed [...]

Sweeeet……….Now What??

What do Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, North Carolina, Ohio, Nevada, New Mexico, and Virginia all have in common? They all voted for Bush in 2000 and 2004. But each of them voted for Obama in Tuesday’s landslide. A majority of voters in the state that started the Civil War, the state that sent Jesse Helms [...]

Show Time….

Veterans returning from World War II in 1945-6 faced tough times. In this environment came the jump blues classic, "Choo Choo Ch’Boogie" by Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five. The song was a lyrical and musical smash: You reach your destination, but alas and alack! You need some compensation to get back in the black [...]