FT Weekend, #3

I'm a little late posting about the Financial Times Weekend, but all of this stuff will be relevant for a long time.

First up is the cover story on the Life & Arts section, about a young woman in China who is working her way up. She started in a factory, moved into real estate, and is moving on again. And she's in her early 20's, with a junior high school education. Sounds like my grandfather. Horatio Alger is taking over China.

Lunch with the FT this week is with Isabel Allende, who is a political activist, a novelist, a journalist, and a matriarch.

There are a couple of pieces on Northern Ireland, which is technically at peace, but, apparently, still not peaceful. Attitudes change follows political change, in this instance. Matthew Engel describes it as a "truce," rather than peace. The area is the beneficiary of a different American cultural/entertainment export than what we normally think of. It's a blockbuster, but not a profitable one: Sesame Street has come to Belfast. It's called Sesame Tree, because they can't imagine a street that is both Catholic and Protestant. I didn't know that Sesame Street has been seen in 130 countries. Sometimes the American version is just dubbed over, but sometimes, like this time, it's specific to the country. Somewhere, Jim Henson is a happy camper.

Mark Sellers has some good advice on who to trust when it comes to financial advice. Hint: make sure their interests are aligned with yours. He has some insights about the financial press in particular. Then he says goodbye. This is one problem with the FT: they find great writers in the world outside of journalism, and they bring different perspectives, but they don't tend to last long in the paper.

I don't think I've seen a ballet in years, but I would be interested in seeing whatever Wayne McGregor does with the Royal Ballet. Very thougtful and curious, but decisive. Peter Aspden spends most of the article trying to exploit the tension between the traditions of ballet and this guy's clearly cutting-edge instincts, and fails. He finds inspiration in cognitive science, and apparently finds lots of great opportunities in trying to bridge art and science, mind and body, ballet and modern dance. Clearly very artistically challenging. Very cool.

Jancis Robinson finds a new area for wine, in, get this, Italy. On Sicily, on the slopes of Mt. Etna. Sometimes it helps to look for the new in your own backyard, I suppose.

Susie Boyt once again brilliantly channels her insecurities, this time obsessing about linen towels and napkins.

And finally, Chrystia Freeland comments on the new twists in the debate between wealth and happiness. Apparently economists don't buy that there is one. My guess is that very few of those people have been poor. But still, it's a good debate to have in the FT.