Bill Moyers reminded me why I like him on NOW this week with his interview of FRB of New York Chairman Pete Peterson talking about the current deficit and future liabilities to retiring Boomers. Very enlightening, and Peterson deftly sidesteps Moyers attempt to use Peterson’s claim soley as an anti-tax cut message (although he makes reasonable suggestions to modify the tax cut).

Peterson articulated much better than Krugman did about the coming economic dangers and the political difficulty in dealing with the Boomer generation as they retire - both in the promises that were made and the economic reality of the situation. He also seems wise to phrase the issue (rightly) as a moral failure to make sacrafices to fund programs of national importance (such as homeland security) instead of saddling future generations with a growing deficit. Refreshing to see some honest commentary on economic matters that doesn’t treat serious concerns as a political football.

I enjoyed the Sorkin-less West Wing season premiere last night. The show slipped some last season (even though it still won the Emmy), so a shake-up in the Bartlett White House was in order. John Goodman plays President Walken well IMHO, and while the dialogue wasn’t quite at Sorkin’s pace, how many shows have lines that make comparisons to an auto-de-fe? And the final montage with Lisa Gerrard’s ”Sanvean” in the background is a typical tear-jerking Sorkin move (although for my money the Charlie-Bartlett scenes are more emotional). The online fanactics seem slightly more positive than negative, but express a wait-and-see attitude.

Last Friday I heard NY Times columnist Paul Krugman be interviewed by Chris Lydon at the First Parish Church in Harvard Square. (He also appeared on Fresh Air the same day.) Krugman spoke to the packed crowd on topics from his new book, “The Great Unraveling”.

He made several points that I agree with, namely about media giving equal time to both sides as a substitute for in-depth analysis. His amusing quote,

“If Bush said the earth is flat … mainstream media would have stories with the headline: ‘Shape of Earth: Views Differ.’”

And I was happy to hear Krugman asserting that the WTO and free trade are not evil and mostly better than the alternative (especially given the crowd he was speaking before). That it is better to let small countries collectively bargain within a framework than let each deal with much larger countries individually.

But, for me, Krugman inserts himself too much into his criticism. He called himself a “Jeremiah” and more than once implied that he is the only one that sees the impending crisis. And with the crowd who seemed mostly in awe, it could feel a little much. There were some good questions that asked why he hasn’t focused on issues of global economics and asked him to lay out a positive roadmap to fiscal responsibility.

For a more substantative interview, check out Lydon’s interview with developmental economist Jeffrey Sachs.

I’ve been frustrated with cell phones recently, after my Sony-Ericsson T68i got damaged; the result of my dropping it and the poor design that has a very breakable volume slide on the side. I had bought the insurance so I thought it would work out well, and it would have if I wanted the phone they deem to be comparable, the Nokia 3650. Nice phone, but not at all what I want, mostly due to how large it is. “Can I choose a different phone”, I ask? “No”, they reply.

So instead I bought a Nokia 6100, which so far I like a lot better than the T68i. Better reception / form-factor / screen / functionality, and I like the Nokia interface more anyway. It’s a little amazing to me how hard it seems to find a provider with reasonable plans, wide coverage and good phones (having GSM helps here). I really just want a phone (not a camera / PDA / computer) that works where I go for a decent price - but I’d guess that isn’t where they make their money.

I’ve been wasting time playing Soul Calibur 2 recently. The first release, along with SSX, UT, were played a lot in my apartment during the college years. It’s strange to reminisce about places and events that only happened in your mind. My friends and I talk about the hours we spent in Q2’s Tokay’s Towers, and still know the details of the map. And the memories aren’t of staring at a monitor, but of actually being in this place - jumping from a ledge, looking up an elavator shaft, strafing around a corner - something akin to remembering a dream. Makes me think that in the future things will get interesting when you can hack someone’s brain to put in memories, feelings and knowledge that feel real.