Book Party for Maura Moynihan's Covergirl

Last Wednesday, I had a great time hosting the book party for my friend Maura Moynihan's debut novel, Covergirl: Confessions of a Flawed Hedonist, published by Judith Regan - who I got to meet for the first time. Maura's book is a terrific, fast and fun read - kind of The Great Gatsy meets Sex and the City, set in Andy Warhol's New York. It has a wonderfully feisty socialite / humanitarian lead character, Veronica Ferris. The crowd included some of my favorite authors/friends: Craig Unger (House of Bush, House of Saud), Tracy Quan (Diary of a Married Call Girl), Katherine Mosby (Twilight), and Anthony Arnove (Iraq: The Logic of Withdrawal).

More pictures of the night are available at www.joonbug.com.

Or, check out the mediabistro entry by Ron Hogan:

http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/party_hopping/scene_at_maura_moynihans_book_party_40936.asp

www.nomiprins.com: For Oil - Forget a Limit for Prices or Trader Bonuses

http://nomiprins.blogspot.com/2006/07/for-oil-forget-limit-for-prices-or.html#links

For Oil - Forget a Limit for Prices or Trader Bonuses

It's the first rule you learn as a new trading assistant on Wall Street - Buy the Rumor / Sell the Fact. Once reality comes, your position is closed and your profit booked. In crude oil futures trading, it's the rule that propelled commodity desks and numerous sprouting hedge funds to record profits and bonuses last year. I'm talking $20 million bonuses per trading head at the majors.

These will be surpassed this year. By a lot.

The G8 leaders didn't have time to consider the profits generated from trading barrels of crude oil on global exchanges - they had to worry about the escalating conflict between Israel and Lebanon, the realities of an Iran-backed Hezbollah, and the little ongoing situation, called the US does Iraq.

Meanwhile, billionaire investors like Jim Rogers (who got this start with George Soros back when it was in vogue to trade currencies instead of oil) and others, are predicting $100 barrels of crude, translating to $4 - 4.50 per gallon at the pumps. And, positioning their portfolios accordingly.

I’ve been in agreement with these predictions since I wrote a piece for Newsday on the topic two years ago, when crude oil futures were trading at a modest $45 per barrel. As long as trading volume continues to far outpace actual demand, and remains un-regulated, gas prices will continue to soar on rumor. Because, Wall Street doesn't trade on the fact that oil will get choked, it trades on the speculation that it might.

Traders and oil execs pocket the difference. That’s a fact.

www.nomiprins.com: Ten Things Bush Could Learn from the World Cup

www.nomiprins.com: Ten Things Bush Could Learn from the World Cup

Ten Things Bush Could Learn from the World Cup

Ten Things Bush Could Learn from the World Cup
By Nomi Prins, July 11, 2006


1) You can’t have a good team with a bad immigration policy.

2) You can’t switch the goal posts mid-game.

3) If you don’t follow the rules, you’re red-carded out.

4) Women and children aren’t casualties.

5) Global team spirit – yes, there’s a world out there – and it’s watching.

6) The players know why they’re on the field.

7) If your country’s not behind you, you should pack it up.

8) Careful what you say about France - they’ll head-butt your ass.

9) Winners elect left governments.

10) There’s an end.

Being a Republican Today

This was sent to me by a good friend; it reminded me of a bumper sticker I saw in a parking lot in Austin, Texas while researching Jacked - Please Make the Scary Republicans go Away

Being a Republican Today

Things you have to believe to be a Republican today.....

Jesus loves you, and shares your hatred of homosexuals and Hillary
Clinton.

Saddam was a good guy when Reagan armed him, a bad guy when Bush's daddy
made war on him, a good guy when Cheney did business with him, and a bad
guy when Bush needed a "we can't find Bin Laden" diversion.

Trade with Cuba is wrong because the country is Communist, but trade with
China and Vietnam is vital to a spirit of international harmony.

The United States should get out of the United Nations, and our highest
national priority is enforcing U.N. resolutions against Iraq.

A woman can't be trusted with decisions about her own body, but
multi-national corporations can make decisions affecting all mankind
without regulation.

The best way to improve military morale is to praise the troops in
speeches, while slashing veterans' benefits and combat pay.

If condoms are kept out of schools, adolescents won't have sex.

A good way to fight terrorism is to belittle our long-time allies, then
demand their cooperation and money.

Providing health care to all Iraqis is sound policy, but providing health
care to all Americans is socialism. HMOs and insurance companies have the best interests of the public at heart.

Global warming and tobacco's link to cancer are junk science, but
creationism should be taught in schools.

A president lying about an extramarital affair is an impeachable offense,
but a president lying to enlist support for a war in which thousands die is solid defense policy.

Government should limit itself to the powers named in the Constitution,
which include banning gay marriages and censoring the Internet.

The public has a right to know about Hillary's cattle trades, but George
Bush's driving record is none of our business.

Being a drug addict is a moral failing and a crime, unless you're a
conservative radio host. Then it's an illness and you need our prayers for
your recovery.

You support states' rights, but the Attorney General can tell states what
local voter initiatives they have the right to adopt.

What Bill Clinton did in the 1960s is of vital national interest, but what
Bush did in the '80s is irrelevant.

Feel free to pass this on. Friends don't let friends vote Republican.