I miss Nixon

As some of you know, I am something of a Nixon aficionado. Not a fan, per se -- although how can you not love those four wobbly fingers flopping through the air, the too-short pants showing a nerdy amount of polyester sock -- but just fascinated by the character, the cast of characters around him, and the time. Think about how words or names (Watergate, Haldeman, Kissinger, Vietnam, expletive deleted) become synonymous with a particular time or place or moral stance (baaaad). What other presidential secretary (Rose Mary Woods) became a household name?

Anyway, the point is, I came across this and thought it was worth sharing.

Happy Annversary

Yesterday marked exactly two years since I boarded a Santiago-bound plane, into the great unknown (Air Canada meal service).

By coincidence --although rather fitting -- yesterday I also signed the final papers for my apartment. I am now officially a) a homeowner, b) in a great deal of debt.

Tomorrow I meet with the contractor, and hopefully by the weekend I will be buying toilets and choosing paint colours.

A few more bits and bobbs:

* the other day as I was driving home from work there was a white van in front of me. The lettering on the side said Putzmeister. I assume it is some sort of company, but I liked the name. I wish I would have had my camera.

* along the same lines, I was reading that Angela Merkel went to some event in Germany hosted by the Germany magazine, Schmuck.

* Fall is here. It is maybe 30 degrees outside. Celsius.

Happy Anniversary Michelle

Today marks the first anniversary of the Bachelet government, which is marked by a lunch at the Moneda presidential palace, which I will attend, and a concert in the National Stadium which I will not. It has been a tough year for old Michelle, and the next one is unlikely to be much easier. This is due to a combination of bad luck and bad instincts. Nevertheless, NFTEOTE salutes Chile's first woman president on her first anniversary. I would send flowers but I don't want to be accused of sexism.