Oh, the Symbolism

On my walk along the Victoria Embankment to campus yesterday, I couldn't help but notice the somewhat chunky runner in short shorts running toward me. He was running east, toward the City of London, where the UK's financial center is located. I could hear him panting in exhaustion from several yards, his lips parched. The guy looked like he was going to keel over and explode. The veins in his forehead looked like tree stumps.

The best part, was not his evident lack of athletic ability, but his shirt, which proudly advertised:

"BEAR STEARNS"

I love irony. Kinda' like that magazine ad I read on exactly that weekend when Lehman Brothers and a certain insurance company kicked the can:

"The AIG companies have the strength to be there when you retire, so you'll never outlive your money. Ask your financial advisor about AIG or call 877 AIG 0993.

"live longer. retire stronger. AIG: The Strength to Be There."