Talk in NY about Ron Paul

New York, New York...some think this is the capital of the world. In some areas, though, it certainly is not without a say. Such as finance and politics. Two topics of discussion best not brought up at a summer garden party...right? Well, somehow it is hard these days not to talk about them...after all, Wednesday on Wall Street there was a bare market...50 people demanding transparency got in front of the big banks and stripped starkers.
Later that day I was at a charity event for the St George's Society of New York held at the Union Theological Seminary, which is in the Columbia University complex (fully dressed I might add...). Fine examples of architecture they were! Grey cathedrals on a wet, grey day... which meant the garden party was held indoors.
The speaker was the new General Consul from the UK, Danny Lopez, a finance man with former experience at Barclays (here in NY) and a former interim CEO of the London Development Agency. He will be promoting the 2012 Olympics. Of course there was a long queue to meet and greet, and then another long queue as we went back to our T&Ts and beef sandwiches and talked about, well, you know, finance and politics...and me, being the guy from Texas with an interest in Ron Paul, I was just a wee bit curious to see which way the wind was blowing among a well heeled well educated NY crowd...full of Churchillians, Pilgrims, etc. etc. I was pleased to find support for Ron Paul; the other candidates just seemed to leave a void, right or left. And there was just one other bloke from the Lone Star State - attired in a kilt. A fellow Celt. And a fellow Ron Paul supporter...
So it was a good party after all, despite the rain. Which of course blew in from London!
A warm welcome to Mr Lopez, who, on account of his role as HM Consul to NY, has a solid excuse to avoid at least the subject of politics...
One day I hope he will meet the Texan Congressman and future President of the United States.
And as to finance and politics? I am sure they will find better things to talk about...

(that's me in the middle...holding a T&T and dressed like a banker). 
Image courtesy of John Shannon, our long-suffering director of the St. George's Society of New York.