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John Wessel
9519 Chamberlain Street
Ventura, CA 93004-3074

(805) 746-0248

It is not alright to call me if you don't know me.

Water Under the Bridge

John Wessel 3/21/2009

I wrote this poem to be lyrics for some lovely music that Emily composed and recorded. It does not have any especial meaning as I primarily wanted it to match the music and be an interesting narrative. It does touch on one of my favorite themes from Protagoras: that a wrong inflicted is more painful to bear than a wrong received.

As a young girl,
I would hide my face,
From the gangly old man with the shivering pace.

On the arch bridge,
Between here and town,
I could never escape from his weather worn frown.

...read the rest.

Bank Bailout

John Wessel 9/29/2008

I provide some moderately accurate background information on banks and then examine whether bailing them out is a prisoner's dilemma for our politicians.

If you haven't been following the news lately, the credit market has failed. Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, Washington Mutual, Wachovia and Merrill Lynch have all either gone bankrupt or been sold at a fire sale. Today, Congress failed to pass a bailout bill that would have hopefully stopped the blood letting. A lot of people are throwing around the term "prisoners' dilemma" to describe why it failed. As the resident math guy, I thought that I'd investigate.

Some background on banking:

...read the rest.

Spirit

John Wessel 1/3/2009

The imagery of mortality looks like this to me. This poem is very nearly a sonnet, with the exception that the odd numbered lines have 9 syllables instead of 10. I lead with the stress on the first syllable of each line, making things sound impending, and the odd number of syllables helps when reading it aloud.

Death annoys immortal beings not,
Though even they must pay the reapers due.
Love to life as concept is to thought;
Observe the crop once cut will rise anew.

Picture endless interlocking rings,
Denoting every possible desire.
Each man is the cross of countless things,
All vying for the universe entire.

...read the rest.