What is News Worthy

  • Is Musk the new Murdoch?
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  • FTX & Bankman-Fried: Is Silicon Valley Responsible?
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  • Google Search Result: A cluttered Maze
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  • Stanford Hospital Acquires Fremont based Washington Hospital - Obamacare effect?
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  • Bond King is Back and Has a message to Powell: STOP RAISING RATES!
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  • Average selling price of GM has reached BMW, Benz Territory- Legalizing Cannabis effect or just another bubble market?

Silicon Valley Vibes!

  • Tesla & SpaceX didn’t listen to WS and Pundits …Should Twitter & Musk Now?
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  • Would you allow Siri to drive you around?
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  • Finally Adobe is Discounting its products and services
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  • SalesForce departure….is it voluntary or…?
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  • Dot Com burst brought Java Programmers to earth…..are we there yet?
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  • Contract Workers: Secret for Google & Apple not reducing headcounts?

FANG News:

  • Not A Royalty …Just the Benefits, Please! Harry, Megan & Netflix
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  • Where is Bezos….enough Romance & Honeymooning..Amazon shareholders need you!
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  • Is Google missing Eric Schmidt?
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  • World minus USA wedded to WhatsApp more than any other platform.. should FB reap the benefits soon?
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  • When Microsoft drops its subscription fees will it feel the pain? As the new generation does not know Office, Really!

Friday, April 30, 2010

White House aids the Taj Mahal syndrome!

Just when you thought the curtain is closing and the credits will start rolling.....Not so soon says Mr Obama's forceful team!

The Taj Mahal built over several years and the name missing on the 200 West building - yet every cabbie and street walker knows the power inside 200 West- even as they make 1.6 Million blocks of ice in its basement every night to cool- the brains of Blankfein and his buddies at Goldman Sachs- is shaping up to be another one of those casualties of the Taj Mahal syndrome.

If this story unfolds the way it has in the past- 3-6 months of distraction including the current investigations - should bring the bottom and will recover - hopefully under a new Shah Jahan!

The New Force in Wall Street!

A person seldom talked about!

A person who shies away from Cameras!

A company which has been in the shadows of Tall Wall Street personalities and egos!

And it is time for growing up and face the cameras!

John Mack's legacy will be written in future - post his retirement!

John Mack has left behind a powerhouse which will take the leadership from Goldman Sachs and people will start recognising John Mack's management capability and his business acumen - as it will emerge as the only Wall Street Firm which has stayed low during this era of excess and will come unscathed and will rule the streets of money and power the Old Fashion Way - John Mack Way!

It is a good opportunity to load up on Morgan Stanley!

New York State of Times!

Yes- we are entering a new era in almost everything from Washington Politics to Main street participation in influencing Global direction!

And the time for New York Times to prosper is Now!

From pulling the rug from the Goldman Boys to aiding Mr Obama in sweeping into the White House - it is very evident that NYT has what it takes to shake things up and have not just a steady followership but have the ability to expand the reach!

In the past several decades US market has been local and the people very right brain driven and immediate & local in nature! As Technology and Internet started to spread its wings interms of reach and affordability - what is local is not local anymore!

And who else to provide the hunger for content with a twist of polarised opinion- strong and critical most of the time! And NYT has been the strongest in expressing its leftist opinions and as US integrates into a global village - beyond economically, NYT can go global like the BBC or Time or even Fortune!

Now is the time & the political environment gives the platform that is needed for NYT to establish its cred and spread its wings!

Goldman might bring journalistic awards- and it has the ability to reach beyond NY city with its reporting during the financial crisis!

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Obama's FinReg gets God's Blessing!

Yes!

Goldman Sach's CEO Mr Blanken-stein , who at times moonlights to do God's Work , finally unequivocally SUPPORTS the Financial Regulations!

Yes!

It took a God's work , well maybe just an obnoxious set of Policy makers and regulators and bit of arm twisting - or maybe more like body twisting ,to make Mr Blankfein to come out several times to full heartedly- well may be quarter heartedly , support during hte what has turned out to be a Torturous and humiliating inquiry / interrogation - atleast humiliating for the questioning panel as they showcased an below class arrogant and partisan behaviour infront of a Alcapone like behaviour from those boys from 200 West!

Yes!

The last Man standing is after all not the same as it was in those Western Movies - In Washington you just piss on the last man standing!

Yes!

Financial Regulation and the Gang from Washington will move forward or more like Bulldoze forward!

Yes!

Not necessarily the proper process but certainly is the right thing for the US Economy however cruel it is to the current generation!

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

MS Merkel , Mr Brown , Greece and Portugal!

What do they have in common-

All their future is at stake and are very shaky!

With Washington capitalising on the fear on Goldman Sachs - is certainly helping the Treasury and Federal Reserve in its goal to keep the printing easy!

Yes the interest on US papers have caved in and the Dollar getting stronger and stronger- as the US gets ready to bring more than a Trillion dollars to the market!

Looks like all the stars are lined properly, coincidentally?

Confident, Consistent & Cocky!

Five hours of Mr Levin's drilling and the star witnessess who are supposed to blow up GS like the Enron days - turn out to ba a Yawn!

Anger and Arrogance - on the questioning side didnt invoe anything from teh Goldman people!

Looks like an Al Capone hearing! Brutal and outright humilation - but the White shirt guys from 200 West - at time uneasy but most of the time they were consistent in their story and refused to buckle under the strong arming nature of the questioning!

Even the Mr Tourre, who made this more sensational - cam across more credible and authoritative!

Mr Viniar - dry at times and could have used a cup of water - but again was consistent in the story!

It didnt appear that they feel they mislead and feel they are here for all the wrong reasons!

Unlike the past hearings where most of the people who came to Washington - whether from Detroit or New York - this gang from Wall Street cam mostly prepared and did give in!

If this is the script for the whole show - GS will come out unscathed and will be better and stronger going forward!

Apple's intrusion...?

into Privacy or arm twisting which demonstrates their legal arrogance?

Or just shows how fragile our law and enforcement is and how easy it is to bend to te wims and fancies of the connected?

What ever the answer is - it is intriuging to see Apple after having blown the secret new version of Apple decides to harrass the reporter?

Is this another indication of Apple paranoia or Apple 3.0?

Monday, April 26, 2010

Amazing Amazon!

Amazon is slowly extending its reach into a larger Distribution and Logistics play as it matures and redefines the business model.

As Mr Bezo's vision gets a better clarity on where the Connected economy is headed - it is apparent that Amazon and its reach in the future will be more powerful than What Woolworth or Sears or even Walmart did!

MFG.com an innovative powerhouse promoted and supported by Mr Bezo will one day showcase his vision for Amazon.

Kindle - might have a tough time to fight Mr Jobs & the mighty Apple - but the Industry and the users will lose if the Kindle world is not allowed to mature. What Kindle does for the publisher - is prevent piracy of eBooks! Yes Apple and iPad will enable readers to easily move files and eBooks at zero cost and no penalty - which is not possible in Kindle! From a reader perspective - the cost of eBook is already up some 30-40% and they cannot do a damn about it- where as their reader -iPad is enabling Apple to make a ton of money! This shows the model Amazon plays - but fails to do a good PR job with their customers be it Publishers or readers!

Another change that is enabling Amazon to be a bigger player which is not apparent to the outside world is - slowly making changes-

- UPS is not the privileged delivery man for them: the question here is beyond the obvious cast saving is there a business play?

- Used book distribution for 3rd party resellers: makes it very difficult to look outside for any form of books!

- playing logistics arm of established companies: both for retail and otherwise

- And ofcourse a major Cloud player leaving others to the dust when it comes to customer acquisition

And on and on and on....

Making Amazon a real long term play beyond the Wallstreet glamour!

The Big Dog- sneaks out without Barking!

Mr Buffet had a reason when he stayed in Nebraska!

As the barking sound in the Dog house reaches a feverish pitch in Washington- MR Derivatives himself seems to have bent the rule a bit!

Silently without barking!

The Man who coined the now Famous Financial Weapons of MD - is the largest Derivates trader with over $68 Billion in books!

A single trade was an inch closer to destroying Mr Buffet's empire during the Financial Whatever - yet he escaped with a wimper!

And now with the Wall Street Big Dogs barking like a porch puppy - MR Buffet elected to slime out with the Big Bone!

Yes - WSJ in its report high lights how Mr Buffet has managed to grand father the FinReg effectively excluding Berkshire from the fallout of the FinReg!

Well Done MR Nice Guy -

Yahoo and Goldman Sach's Management Grade!

Yahoo's CEO gave a B plus for her performance and still kept her bonus and the covetted CEO post while laying off thousands of hard working yahoos!

Goldman claims that they were not smart and lost a ton of money - over 90 Million on the covetted deal- the Fabulous Mr Tourre inked for Goldman Sachs and yet he was promoted and still holds a very powerful and visible job!!

Legally nad Financially they might be ok -

But, But ....This sounds absolutely insane where the argument - no matter how you dice it does not make sense!

In a Zero sum Wallstreet Economy - going for the Jugular is good only if you know that the audience is blind and deaf and stupid!

Going for the Jugular?

As the Whitehouse gave room for a new pet - the Dog house was crowded with wall street critters!

One after the other they started getting after profusely appologising - YES appologising in-front of Wall Street Policy Makers and Live TV audience-

Lehman's Fuld did,

Citi's Pandid Did,

Detroit and the whole gang Did,

Rubin Did,

Mr Greenspan Did,

And the line kept going on and on and on....

But the BIG DOG kept barking and going for the Jugular!

Yes, Mr Blanken-stein and the Golden Boys from 200 West refused to give in, may be God's Work comes with a little protection?

With less than 24 Hours left for the final chance to get out of the Dog house of the Obama regime - it appears Mr God himself will have the Golden opportunity to bow and give mercy for its shareholders!

There are no Winners in Wallstreet from this Financial Whatever - unless Mr Blanken-stein has the courage and smartness to follow the barks of his fellow Wallstreet critters and bows and not bark tomorrow!

This is not the time to go for the Jugular - this is a time for wagging the tail!

Hopefully Mr Blanken-stein will!

And the last Dog can leave!

CAT on the Prowl!

Blow out numbers and quarter will be an understatement!

Mr Owens - though would like to slap the Obama administration for their policy rederick- knows his business and strengths!

Calerpillar's top line while inching higher- acting earlier on cost cuts through laying off 10,000 at the very early cycle is helping the bottom line immensely!

With Greenspan like background in Economics and Global Economy - his market acumen is certainly very timely and could be an indicator for where the economy and the global expansion is headed. With a management change in the horizon - Mr Owens right hand is taking over and will take CAT to a new level - which it deserves - with its engineering and management prowess.

Based on the message coming out of Caterpillar - Industrials are getting ready for the next up cycle and the rest of the complex should see a similar upswing - may be with a little lag as they reacted slow to cut down the cost!

Saturday, April 24, 2010

End of Blackberry Age?

Instant gratification!

Get rich quick to impulsive and satiating behaviour - has always been the attraction for human beings!

With Internet and mobility we are experiencing a rapid shift into impulsive and compulsive behaviour on a day to day basis which has a broader implications- which will affect everything that we have gotten used to for several centuries from relationships to business conducts!

Small corporations to celebrities are reaping the benefits of the new and now age of Internet and mobility.

Companies like Apple , Google and the likes have extended the technologies innovated by peers to provide for with affordable and immediate availability. Facebooks and Twitters have have blended the corporate needs with consumer bahaviours.

There is aways hiccups and bumps along the way to maturity-

There is always a pain associated with any disruption-

And with such a wide reaching influence of Internet and Mobility enabled bahvioural changes we see penalty driven policy shifts that will make corporate and personal adoption of such changes with a grain of salt leading to more mature offerings - both in product and conduct innovations!

An indication of such a shift is evident in what is happening to Goldman Sachs in its revelations during the Sub-prime led Financial Whatever - and the ability of SEC and Policy makers to sift through millions of documents - drafted both instantly using the Blackberry type of communications and legally using the tradional corporate culture! And the craftiness with which it has been timed and released appropriately to reach a wider audience and get the maximum effect.

Rolling back a bit to the Tiger Woods saga with his personal life and the crumbling and embarassing evideces of the mobile enebled sms communications points to the influences of personal behaviour beyond the corporate adoption of technological innovations.

As people move more and more towards left brain induced cultural bahaviour this change is bound to lead to more changes in corporate and personal culture and communication.

May be Harvard and Stanford will start offering innovative business courses to executies to cope with Instant Gratification in Corporate Policies and Communications!

Or Dr Phil and Ms Oprah will collaborate to aid people with better form of inter-personal relationships to cope with shattered personal lives due to instant gratifications due to technology addiction!

Friday, April 23, 2010

Ms Merkel & Mr Brown join the Goldman Bashing!

Well the headline says it all!

With so much happening Domestically - both flip flopping to keep their head above the ground they have found Goldman as an easy tool to sandbag their difficiency!

A coat of Sugar is not enough for Mr Brown to swing the English in the upcoming election..and Ms Merkel might be licking the wounds as an ambition to dominate the new & fledgling Euro and EU lead World will be put in hold for a long time as US Economy & Foundation gets the needed distraction and time to fix itself!

We cannot seem to close the discussion of Euro , Dollar and the FInancial Whatever without mentioning the Germany's PIMCO and their wand swaying posterboys - Mr El Erian and his colleagues are quick t the draw on IMF's Greek hand and insist on Greek still being a disaster- it is just another ploy to work the postion - only this time aiding Ms Merkel? Or just trying to be relevnt in their NEW NORM Economy as the world moves towards a normal economic cycle with the usual growth patterns?

God sighted during Mr Obama's NY City visit!

As Mr Obama makes his final rounds before sealing the FInReg deal- Mr Blankenfein joins the address in NYC!

This time there is no getting stuck in the airport & couldn't make it excuse..and obiously its on a different notice!

The effect of a Rotten Apple!

Well...May be!

With the Second coming of MR Jobs, Apple has been on a sort of Technological tear mesmerising Consumers and Wall Street Analysts/Investors alike.

With a casual peek at any Internet forums or replies/comments to articles on Apple reveals how forceful the Admirers of Mr Jobs and Apple are!

Its is kind of becoming a fashion statement with the i-somethings from Apple and the White cord dangling from and around the neck -whether wearing a Blue Pinstripe or a lowdown and BAD Boxer showing Levi's!

And of course the prize is riddled with a ton of fallouts in the competitive Technology arena and the rotten smell of Apple is felt by a handful if not more!

To join the fallout from Apple are

Google
Amazon
Palm
Nokia
Microsoft
Adobe
Verizon
Motorola
.
.
.
And the list seems to be growing! And lets hope the growing list is not littered with over zealous investors as it scales new walls and valuation on its way to becoming not just the most sought after Technology company but also the most valued company in the Country!

Mr Greece's Plea for Aid..Finally!

After severa months of Blaming everyone from Goldman to conspirators, Demanding EU and the Americans, Fighting wit IMF and other similar EU agencies.....

MR Papandreus of Greece Finally Pleads!

As Greece reels in debt and its consequences of over reliance on external borrowings - has been more than rude and arrogant in blaming everyone else for their in-house problems and DEMANDING everyone to come to the Party in Greece & pay-up fo r the cleanup, making Bond Investors and their EU buddies more than Angry!

And Finally Mr P decides go soft and makes a Plea for help instead of demand.

No matter what the attraction or distration is to this chapter in the Financial Whatever - it certainly is helping US issuance of a ton of debt in Q2- as the yield comes in and the Euro weakens!

Good, Bad & the Ugly!

Buffet as an Investor-

Rajat of McKinsey and a Goldman Insider leaks Buffet's investmet investment ot Mr Rajaratnam - who is involved in a BIG SEC investigation

Mr Rajaratnam Actually buying on Mr Buffet's intention before GS plunged 50%!

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Printing Money - Only for the Sophisticated & Powerful!!

Yes - its not for the ordinary!

Coming from the Financial Whatever every Government around he world has been printing money and dont appear to be ending it soon!

And US decides to introduce a new $100 Bill to reduce competition!

A lot more sophisticated & involved which cannot be reproduced using your HP printer anymore!

More colorful & 3D holographs and the whole nine yards- its like a new Avatar for Granpa Ben ( Benjamin Franlin ) while Cousin Ben ( Ben Bernanke) keeps dropping money from the sky!

The old Ink pen to find fakes to be replced by 3D Glasses?

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Apple defies Newton's Law!

Inching closer to Mr Gates & Microsoft!

Having lost the popularity & technology contest to newcomers and innovators- Microsoft is looking at a very high bar set by Apple and Mr Jobs!

with a solid pipeline ahead - Apple and Steve Jobs are looking at beating Microsoft and has a very good chance of becoming the most valuable American Company in a matter of weeks!

Monday, April 19, 2010

Exposing Wall Street - Dealing with the Intellectual Criminals!

The Godfather era paves way for Wall Street Dons!

New York Times has been persistent in its pursuit to expose Goldman Sachs and its underhand dealings for the past several years - and very intense in the past couple of years since the Financial Whatever hit the World Economy!

As it is evident in the SEC charges - more and more dirt is coming out of the carpet and it appears that the Financial Dons of Wall Street - dating back to the J P Morgan era - have always run the Economy for its direct benefits Legally - Morally or otherwise.

Goldman might win this War as a corporation and might continue to profit from the Financial Underpinnings of the Global Economy for a long long time - but one thing that comes out strong from the modern era media is - good Investigative Journalism is still crucial to society and no matter what the delivery mechanism is good reporters and editors are always the ones who make news news-worthy and make this a better and safer place.

And New York Times has done it one more time - giving a BIG hand in Exposing Goldman Sachs - and the rest of WallStreet Dons even after knowing what the consequences will be going not just against the WallStreet GodFathers but also against popular sentiment amongst people with Money and power!

World's Biggest & Baddest is BACK- with a little help from China!

General Motors - not your Granpa's car or company anymore!

The fastest growing market - China has embraced GM and its cars like how the Yankees did a century back!

After a tumultuous couple of decade and a couple of years where its market leadership was temporarily kept on hold- the Boys from Detroit are back!

China - the soon to the world's largest market for automobile market - is expanding like crazy and non other than GM has the market leadership position - by a HUGE margin..with Toyota and the rest of the Japanese car makers covered in quality issues and credibility problems - GM under the stewardship of Mr Whitacre will thrive and start growing like a champion again!

Has Taj Mahal Moved to 200 West Street?

The Taj Mahal syndrome seems to be working in Goldman's Case as well.

The move to the new and sophisticated Goldman Palace on 200 West Street - kept cold by 1.6 Million ice blocks - freshly made every night in its basement - is still underway!

And the fallout from the Financial Whatever seems to be piling on every day on Goldman Sachs!

With the Regulation pretty much in the bag with this recent SEC saga - can this bring down Goldman for good?

Given the fact that almost every one in the block is dead or wounded badly and the world still relying on borrowed money to have commercial transactions- there is still an addiction for the Goldman like boys and there is no one as brutal and brilliant like the boys at 200 West! And they are wired & connected - may be not in Pennsylvania Ave - atleast for now! A company that runs like a well greased Italian Mafia - has more than a bullet left to storm out of this Wall Street scandal - which is more an Economic falacy than an isolated organizational coverup!

May be the Taj Mahal syndrome will be handicapped by the badboy CoverBoy syndrome and GS will be one of the few to break the Taj Mahal syndrome!

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Living Without the Rating Agencies!

Moody's, S&P , Fitch and the Award Goes to...!

Well the World of Financial Shenanigans are betting based on a handful of players and the Global Economy & the Politics of Money relies on their integrity & Stability!

There are over 10,000 Financial Institutes in US alone and possibly an equal number if not more in Insurance Institutes and Agencies that have the opportunity to bet and hedge on anything and everything from Mortgage meltdown to plastic surgery disasters.

There are possibly another 10,000 plus Government and Corporate entities and players who actively take and give money into and from the Wheels of Economy!

And the cost and value for everything is finally based on ....These three Agencies!

Countries can collapse at the click of a mouse by any of the individuals in these three agencies..

Companies and other entities can fail or gain based on the same..

Trillions and Trillions on a daily basis are priced and traded based on What..?

Does this define the delicate nature of the economy in which we live? Or just shows how easy it is to manipulate and manage risks and rewards?

Talking velocity of Money or Elasticity of Value finally comes down to an average Joe Bloe in one of these three agencies and his or her opinion or mood!

Yes there are methodologies and mathematical models which are used-

Yes there are feedback mechanism that is ensuring authenticity & integrity-

yes there is corporate governance that makes it transparent and accountable-

And still Three Agencies whose motivation to operate is profitability- And ofcourse we wouldn't want it any other way!

Are they too Big to fail or just too stupid to exist?

Are we close to getting a medium of transaction that will be fool proof and devoid of any manipulation?

Yes there is no need for it today-

Yes there is no know How of defining such a medium today-

Yes there is mechanism to ensure acceptability in this Global Economy-

With Internet and Information reaching every individual at epic proportions - we are heading closer to that time which needs a Global initiative that will redefine this New Medium of Transaction!

War Escalates- Capitol Hill to Capital Market!

A week or more went with no action and the market settled and continued its upward movement with Financials joining Technology in the leadership circle!

The bad breath from the Financial Whatever were fading and the once bad boys Citi, Bank of America and Goldman - yes even Goldman Sachs were making strides in fading in the background of economic good news!

Lights out even from Mr V@#k-er!

As they said about Mr Bush's era strategy after 9-11: take the war to their side so that Homeland is safe- seems to have rubbed off during the financial Whatever as Greece kept Euro and the rest of the world busy with their survival tactics - enabling Wall Street and Washington to focus internally to recoup and recover from teh past indulgences!

What appears like a second wind for the Obama Administration after the Healthcare Reform Bill seems to be storming through Wall Street Once Again! Looks like an opportune time to pay catchup in Transparency and Accountability while the rest of the world is struggling and keeping the fight far from Home!

The latest saga - On Goldman Sachs might be more than political when one looks at the Transparency & Accountability of Financial instruments and practices - or the lack there of.
The Current battle is more than a Madoff or Goldman - it is the very rot of Wall Street and the Global Financial underpinnings of the World Commerce.

The fight escalating to a different level - moving from Dirty politics to outright throat grabbing - seems to be reaching a pinnacle. Agenda from the White House seems to have a stronger bite than even from those Mighty Wall Street Moghuls who have managed to hold off Washington independence for over a century - and the New Sheriff seems to bring more than a gun to the party!

While opportunities will exist from this fall out in the Financial Industry - with the Economy setting itself up for a nice stable growth - even better opportunities is in the Technology space as the World gears up for Mobility driven shorter upgrae cycles!

Friday, April 16, 2010

The other Story!

With FinReg just around the corner - A major cat is out of the bag!

Surprise,Surprise!!

No politicians on TV! We havent seen a single event or opportunity passed up by those Politicians - ever since that Financial Whatever!

Not today- no one!

With over a Trillion dollars worth of Government debt coming in Q2 - with the uncertainity in the market created by GS certainly makes it easy to peddle the paper!

The story behind the book is never clean and nice- but this one coul play for a longer period with very limited participation from Main Street...

May be the timing might have been planned - however that also bodes well for American Economy & ever expanding debt burden- atleast for now!

All that Glitters is not ....Well!

Mr Paulson's next Homecoming bet - GOLD may not head in the same direction that his previous bet..Betting the HOUSE...headed!

The inside story of the BIG trade is more interesting than the book itself!

Will this change the way we manage money and assets?

Is there a reaason to believe that the foundations are being laid for a New Medium?

Who will be the Last Man Standing?

oh-Bloody..Oh-Blaadaa...Its the Poster Boys of Sub-Prime!

The Goldman Saga continues and this time the Poster Boy of Sub-Prime His Highness Mr Paulson Himself is dragged into the Party!

Is this an opportunity or just the way of doing business in Wall Street!

It appears Fin Reg will be inked & Sealed very quickly!

It Appears November is tooo far from sealed and we will see a lot more from here to November!

There is no smart win in Wall Street - it appears!

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Where is Eric?

Searching for Eric? You cant use Google!

May be Kleiner & J D might be able to help?

And he is actually headed to Bloom!

After spending close to 500Million dollars the Bloom Box is ready to blossom!

And it needs an Eric to make a Google out that technology & organization- May be Eric is incubating and ready to take Bloom to the mass!

If he did- yes Bloom Boxes should be available at Fry's soon!

The Old Dogs of technology are Back!

Internet Bubble!

Dotcom Burst!

Technology exuberance!

Name calling was in every news media - from Prime time TV new to even your cousin's neighborhood city news!

A decade later - with every one carrying a device - from cellphones to ipads to mobile whatever - computing and attaching to some form of computer seems to be a given!

The darlings of the dot com - the likes of Cisco & Sun Microsystems - scaled walls never scaled by any company before and then...

Thud!

Fell from the Sky - one after the other!

Thud, Thud, Thud and Thud!

Intel, Microsoft,Oracle,Applied Materials, Dell,....not to mention the real darlings of Dotcom like CMGI,Inktomi,Lykos & WebVan who folded and just vaporised!

Then there were new business model companies like eBay,Google,Amazon...who flourished!

And the big daddies like Lucent, MCI Worldcom & the likes got coal in their faces!


Thos who survived after a decade are still down 50-80% if not more!

Yes the Old Dogs from technology Intel,Microsoft,Cisco,Dell,Oracle,Applied Materials, Micron Technology,Yahoo,Seagate...are down 40,50,60 plus percent from their bubble era days!

They have been on a tear the last 12 months or so from the March 2009 Bottom!

The are all cash rich - 10,20,30 and some more Billions is CASH!

Revenues double and tripled since the dot com bottom!

some even throw pennies as divs!

It Appears they are becoming the staples of the Technology lifestyle which is here to stay!

And The Old Dogs - Intel, Microsoft,Dell, Oracle,Applied Materials,Yahoo,Micron Technology look fundamentally cheap and are waking up!

Like the Phoenix from the ashes!

The Old Dogs of Seven - will double in the next 24 months

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Real Time Government Intervention or intrusion?

This is an Internet age where we live and strive for near zero latency for almost everything.

Living with Twitter and Facebook for communication enables us to spread information and rumours very effectively with no delay in delivery!

Actions and Responses are what we strive to learn, teach and achieve from elementary school to high flying Harvard Business!

From Tea Party to Policy promotions we use the new media very efficienty!

To have a Government which got swept into power using these tools will act no less than in internet speed - no matter whether it is prudent or not.

The latest, which might show how delicate and precarious this new medium can play , in the Washington Drama is the Bill that will passed to Ban Airlines from charging for Carry Or bags- in response to a no name, low cost carrier trying to get media attention Airline trying to charge for Carry on bags!

When Washington and the Politicians have been nothing but dormant the past few decades - wake up and come with a Bill for such a trivial act by a almost non-existent airline.....its a Shame!

Phoenix Rising from Wall Street to Main Street?

An extended period of near zero lending to Wall Street and Main Street celebrates eventually!

As the earning season starts to hit the start line - the usual lagger didnt urprise anyone by missing and whining- Alcoa!

But Mr Dimon - who off-late has been on a not so popular road to Washington & Syracuse, seems to have hit the right cord with with a Mountain of Cash!

So did Intel!

And ofcourse not so surprising number from CSX, given the fact one has to haul things around!

Retail Marching to a steady drumbeat from teh consumers - showing the resiliance of the American consumer!

And ofcourse - no iPad to You - message to the Rest of the World from Apple, due to exces domestic demand- shows an increased appetite for high end electronics & high tech gears from around the world.

All those printing & dropping around by a Chopper seems to be finally showing up from Wall Street to Main Street!

Dow 14500 appears to be destined, finally!

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Technology Bubble 2.0!

With Mr Quattrone escaping with the gauntlet and the guillotine - is back to doing what he is good at!

IPO spinning and building the Technology hotbed!

After a decent IPO Mr Quattrone is working with Goldman - the other controversial Wall Street firm , to say the least , in repackaging Palm!

With Ms Whitman buying her way into the Governor's Mansion- Maybe, and Harvard and CNBC going live on Building a 140 character - Business plan for Twitter & Mr Jobs going back to his original Avatar Apple 1.0 from the Newton Era....And the WhiteHouse corridors going beyond Mr O's Blackberry is littered with billionaires from Google, Oracle,Microsoft and the likes...

Well what else is new ....

Tech Bubble 2.0?

Bubble is never too bad until it is busted..This might be the beginning given how large technology market is!

Now that India and China have opened up their consumers and their billion plus population to consumable type electronics - it will be a while before we burst this bubble!

Only a couple of years back we heard the pundits call the Mobile market saturated and dead - Wrong!

This year they will sell 1.2 Billion handsets! And it is growing double digits!

From Industrial Applications to Household Applications re being reinvented!

If the economy hold - this bubble might have ways to go!

May not the Twitters and Facebooks that will stand the wind - but there are a boat load of companies and technologies that will grow and yes they will grow big!

From Toyota to Lexus!

Consumer Reports warning customers not to buy Lexus SUV!

Who will be next - J D Powers?

Now that will be the icing on the cake!

Sleeping at the wheels all these years & finally waking up when its off the freeway?

Had the opportunity to walk into a traditional Sushi bar the other day in Japan Town in San Jose- bay area recently hit hard by the pull out of Toyota - is still amazed at why they closed the plant when most of the Californians drive Japanese cars and it is this state that made Japan and their manufacturers the fame and power when they needed the most after their initial quality disasters in the 70s and 80s.

Over hearing some people talking about the recent Toyota's recall and how people in Japan perceived the episode was appalling! The common story line revolved around how Toyota overtook GM and that is the reason why Americans are upset!

Is this patriotism or just a case of Denial and arrogance?

Back in the U.S.S.R!!

World 2.0

Cold War 2.0

Move over China and Iran!

Russia is back and now with an Economic Vengeance on its back pocket to rebuild and scoop up all those bricks scattered everywhere during the Reagan era.

From Georgia - may be with Vodka! As the world was mesmerised with the Chinese Opening ceremony Mr Putin's Vintage Army rolled into Georgia!

A slow arm twisting around the neighboring nations followed with the world watching with ignorance when the Financial Whatever flooded everywhere!

Russian backed Kyrgyztans and their bloody coup!

Polish Accident in Russia and Mr Putin himself heading the investigation!

Germany & Ms Merkel warming upto Russia and Mr Medvedev while slapping the Olympians and the likes in Eurozone!

Throw in all the chaos and unrest in other alphabet soup nations in and around Russia and you have a good story-line!

While MR Obama and his able administration is focusing domestically both to keep the economic boat afloat and keep the Wall street Pirates at bay- Mr Putin's focus seems to be well served in rebuilding Russia and might be close to achieving his dreams of reclaiming the lost bricks which turned nightmare during the Gorbachev era!

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Is Tiger an Endangered Species?

Looking at the return of Tiger Woods one has to Wonder!

And the ferocity of Nike and the likes to flood the gates with Feel good ad money certainly does not look that way!

From the mouth of the Prince!

Citi Was not Too big to Manage....says His Highness Mr Prince..

But it was- to Manage it Right?

More and more wear less and less!

As the old Wall street adage goes...As the Hem lines on those skirts rise so goes the market!

Now there is a ticker to make money with...As the market has been climbing up Limited (LTD) , no pun intended, has been raking in money selling more and more of those items that cover less and less of their patrons from their Victoria's Secret collections!

From Prince to Maestro takes Blame...Now What?

Another day fades into oblivion and another High place & Highly compensated individual admits having missed the boat!

A wise man once said "Victory has a Thousand Father and Defeat is stuck being an orphan"!

One would have thought that we would still be hunting for that evasive father for theis Financial Whatever.....However here we are half-way into the investigation and we have a boat load of Fathers- from Mr Greenspan admitting being Wrong 30% of the time on the one hand and the likes of Mr Rubin, Mr Prince etc admitting they missed the whole enchilada and are Sorry!

It was more than funny to see Mr Greenspan accusing the elites & politicians in Washington to take the otherside by claiming Amnesia after having danced to the same tune all thse years during the buildup!

Is this a Forgive & Forget moment or Pay the Penalty ....Admissions of mistakes is no more accepted as pardonable & excusable?

The Moral High ground on this might still be evasive & far from Heaven but the road to hell should be littered with those responsible for the destruction of hard earned wealth of the common!

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

A trip to India to persuade China?

Mr Geithner cut short his trip to India and makes a quick stop over in China!

Even as Mr Geithner gets warmed upto the Indian hospitality - Beijing loosens its stand on Yuan!

Is this a big spender negotiating with the suppliers?

From Japan to China to India!

Would India learn from Japan and China and keep its market open and lets its domestic market grow? If it does - it will give the much needed partner that can persuade other developed economies to start opening up or lose in the global market.

Irony of Borrowing...!

Market is worried that the American consumer is borrowing less!

Banks & Financial Institutions are seeing less demand for loans!

The Economy could go into a double dip....Now that is a real irony given what lead the economy into a tail spin!

What is better? 70% right or 30% wrong?

What will it take to leave Dr Greenspan alone?

Would 30% of the time being wrong, a lot of time being wrong? Made a lot of mistakes?

When the Maestro was at his best - he was speaking the Greenspan Speak - which no one understood and the world made money!

From Wall street to Athens!

Everyone loved him!

When he speaks normal language Everyone unerstands but nobody likes his message or him!

A person in beyond retirement age & who refuses retire - has admitted that out of 21 years of at the chair he has been right only 70% of the time - that is being wrong more than 6 years ..... it is not whether he had been wrong for so many time that is relevant - what is more important is how stale the current investigation into the Financial Whatever has come to- A person of such credibility and calibre is being humiliated by a group of politicians and opportunists who have failed to live upto their responsibilities of their elected position & ho time and again have lived upto the high ethical and moral standards that they claimed during their effort to win the election....

As Greenspan & Goldman Denies...!

Another day inches away from the Financial Whatever and we are still trying to pin those Donkeys with the flag!

As Dr Greenspan climbs the hill of blame in Washington - Goldman denies it was responsible for the undoing!

The strong arm tactics of the Obama administration is irking even the very core of Progressives who brought about the sweeping election win for Mr Obama!

It is a telling evidence of the cracks that are showing in the Administration's support reading the recent article in WSJ about the frustration felt by hard core supporters like JP Morgan's Mr Dimon.

Listening at the early redericks and anger shown at Dr Greenspan it makes it hard not to wonder if the Washington efficacy is at stake? Is America headed in the same direction as the rest of the world where the focus revolves around blaming and penalising the past and less focus on solving today's & tomorrow's issues?

As Dr Greenspan articulates his inability to monitor let alone control financial markets and cost of funding at a macro level with their policies - while the world was and is mesmerised ever other week trying to gyrate with the every single letter and word that is spelled...and with more and more transparency brought accidentally through the availability of Internet and the every promising user created content - it leads to near zero latency in spreading emotions....and it is setting up nicely for a new order along with a new norm of financial underpinnings for a medium of transaction that is different from the one brought to us by Her Majesty!

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Escape velocity...Summers One step ahead?

Mr Summers , the Economic Adviser to Mr Obama Adimistration has been quick to draw in the past several months to defend the Economic reforms and Policy changes when criticised by Germany's PIMCO and their able team of Mr El Erian , Mr Gross and Mr Greenspan.

From New Norm to Excess Printing the German company's team has been getting the right buzz word to disrupt the stock recover and trying to twist the hands of Mr Obama's administration like their successful period during the Bush era and teh Financial Whatever time span.

Th is time around under the watch of the new Sherriff - Mr Summers and their Economic Team have been loosing no time in defending their policies and fighting the campaigns of PIMCO.

This time around - with the Jobs number looming and the stock market recovery under tremendous pressure from the fixed income market - Mr Summers from London talks about Job Recovery & how we are close to Escape Velocity....Not knowing this after a not so surprising Jobs Number - Mr El Elrian talking in a TV panel in CNBC being skeptical of the number talks about we are far from Escape Velocity...!!!

Is the clock changing?

Is this the initial step in a long journey to economic recovery?

Finally the Administration thinking and looking ahead to be a step ahead of the competition?

From Newton's Apple to Apple's Newton II..!

Simplicity in approach!

Elegance in Delivery!

We have come a long way in creating appetite for intellectual quest- from one Newton to another - of a different kind to a different era!

Call me old Geek or just a Geezer - may be difficult to comprehend but given how the young and hungry are swarming the offering from Mr Jobs and Apple - it is evident that the new millenium is embracing change and innovation at a faster clip than a similar period during the Industrial revolution and this time around the Internet revolution is at the consumer consumption and empowerment level which will create wildfire in bringing more innovation and products enhancing the lifestyle of people!

Friday, April 2, 2010

oooff! Now that's behind us!

Yes, The Jobs Creation report!

162k and the past couple of months revised favorably!

Germany's PIMCO and its new found Hero / spokesperson - Mr El Erian & his NEW NORM theory were seeing themselves on the defense on CNBC - for the first time in a long long time!

With the Equity market closed & the bond market open, in anticipation?, the reaction wasn't dramatic!

What is Good is Good or Bad?

Eitherway we are headded in the right direction given where corporate heads are focusing these days - new products and new market which will lead to normalised growth and expansion, if not forever atleast for quite a while!
Slowing to Smell....!

After going through several blogs I came to the conclusion that it is very difficult to write about your day to day life!

Fascinating to see how creative people are and how so many people around the world are able to choose a variety of topic and pour their heart out and paint something so wonderful- full of life and color!

Need Humor! Need Depth and more than anything need perspective! I found it is easy to write about something substantial in which a person is well versed in. It made me think - I went around the last few days looking around and paying attention to everything from nature to relationships!

Now curiosity started posing a question - what is more important to writing? Chosing a topic or having the patience to research and articulate about the impressions that every day events brings to a person?

I thought I will try this every day! For 30 Days!

Impulsive and spontaneous
!

No research - just type as the feelings flow and as the words can portray! Thanks to the Blackberry - now I can try doing that the moment the urge happens without waiting!

As I was deciding on this I found myself in a shop - decided to pull my Blackberry and type what I saw around me...so begins my first piece.

PS. Since Blog has major restricitons on how many posting and what kind of flexibility one can have using the standard template I will try to find a work around using a couple of gadgets to display a couple of days posting at any given time till I figure out a way to display the history!

To avoid dilution of this site I have moved the experiment to another blog under

http://dailylifesigns.blogspot.com

The following is a sample on content with no photos- the Daily Life Signs posting will be more of a pictorial experience!






Walking around a woman's shop!

Looking at the colors in a woman's shop is like peeking into a kaleidoscope. However, one doesn't have to change to feel the vibrant mood.

Amazing styles and fascinating fashion! Trying to coordinate gives the several option that is needed to meet the day to day lifestyles of varying moods and differing ages.

Age appropriate colors! Shades for fading moods!

Bold red!

Sober red!

Flashy red!

Bland red!

Blood Red!

Romantic Red!

Decisions! Decisions! and Decisions!

Deciding the color at the time of shopping gives the option to choose and refine to the various rainbow moods that a person possibly can go through in a fast paced connected world!

Sizes and fits to match every form and need.

Having a choice helps in refinement!

And helps!

In Decisions! Decisions and Decisions!

Startup Wisdom!

May be there is a reason they want a Money Man to run the venture- but the following tip will save a buck or two! This will list a couple of grey hairs to keep!

  • Success is contageous- start it immediately!
  • Share the Vision but not Leadership!
  • Smart money is great - but Lucky Money is even better. Get some!
  • Being passionate is essential - but only after motivation to make money.
  • Establish the TRUE Pecking Order!
  • Let Sales be part of your core strategy- everything else can be bought!
  • If you havent done Selling START DOING IT NOW!

Building your 2nd Million!

Skip the first million and go straight to the second- as the first one is the most difficult one to bring home! The second one can be as tough as the first one but is never tougher than the first one! You can make money - working - investing in stocks/etc - real-estate - starting a business - others Choose your area of interest first as this will help you identify the opportunity and make you easily motivated to work on the 2nd million!

Not in any particular Order!

  • First lets know the facts: 1) Your work life is 40 something years (even at conservative estimate) so lets make sure we plan that Properly
  • 2) Lets identify opportunity to make money with out too much effort- living for Today is Good but lets not lose today's free money in the process like - benefits, tax breaks, sale,coupons,etc
  • 3) Lets not try to make ALL THE MONEY in the same way! Lets break the objective into smaller chunks and assign different ways to make them individually
  • 4) Put the 1st Million in Auto-pilot and set a 10 Years plus Time table
  • Convince yourself that you need the Money
  • Set a time line to achieve the goal.

Relationships - Learning to enjoy them!

Do we retain relationships? Expectations out of frienships vary from society to society & age group to age group. How long do we carry them? Some of them bring fond memories- and some not so pleasant! Here you can expect to see nuggets from my experiences and analysis!

Family & Friends: We spend less time with family than with friends- yet we feel more comfortable with family than friends- Why? Is it because we dont have expectations with family members but we have some on friends?

Allowing the other person to finish their train of thought builds a very long lasting relationship - as it makes you understand the other persons point of view fully & also to respond being aware making even an opposing point of view reasonable.


  • Cherry Pick your arguments - Left or Right Brained!
  • Make every encounter a transaction - this will make leaving baggages behind easy!
  • Qualify the type of relationship - however strange it might be
  • Chasing friendship is not always helpful as it leads to compromise.
  • Family circles - define it and accept it whether you like it or not!
  • Its ok to do different activities with different people!
Prof Dr Peik A Monie's Corner

  • if being number two is not enough go to a lower market
  • .
  • proceeds from a street dog dont bark
  • .
  • shooting the papparazi dont break cameras

DIGITAL IRIS - An inexcusable view of the photograpic world!

Let me see if I can add a few lines every week highlighting my 2 cents on photography- my experiences and desires

Things that make good photos -

- excellent and expensive set of lenses; in this digital era spend less on the body and keep investing in the high end lenses as the lenses will not lose value and the body is still under construction!

- accessories and the right tripod; never underestimate your advantage with a tripod

- plan & choose the subject and the location

- know your subject well!

- look and follow the calendars; simple things like a night with a Full moon- we dont realise that it does not happen every day - if you narrow it to the summer when the sky is still blue - I guess it becomes a couple of times a year- and if you factor n the location and your availability at that location and time...so Knowing the calendar and season helps for a good but not so common picture

- Take some luck with you!

  • Print and Enlarge Some Too
  • Delete Bad Pictures from Storage
  • Isolate Subject's color
  • Assess various profile
  • Add a subject to the frame
  • Take Nature after rain - they look better
  • Transparent Objects like flowers have creative effect with light behind them
  • If you want to enjoy the trip - leave the camera behind!
  • Define the subject for the shoot out trip
  • Take a survey trip before the real shoot out
  • Learn & Buy the Best Tripod
  • Always take a handy utility camera
  • Use Multiple exposure & shots in action oriented moments- this will help you pick the ideal snap - as even a fraction of a second makes a HUGE difference in photos.
  • Know your camers settings!
  • Understand Shutter Lag
  • Understand the camera shakes

AfterMarket Pulse- The boring Services Industry!

Keeping it inefficient is good for every one- A success story and why it will be restricted to a handful in the services Industry- A serious look at the Service Industry and my views on improving them. As a society we have accepted that everything breaks down and needs periodic maintenance. We are willing to pay both money and time to accomodate such services. What we have not done is define what is the service level that is needed for every such incident. From household appliances to industrial equipments we are forced to accept the cost and quality that the market offers. In such a sellers market room for mediocracy is enormous- giving way for opportunities. Yes predicatability is not always easy when it comes to failure or repair - or for that matter to identify what is wrong once the item is broke as it is not always possible to run the equipment ot see what is going wrong! And there are companies that can afford stupidity & those that cannot- if you want to change choose wisely!

  • Three steps: 1) Localize Failure 2) Response to Events 3) Time to Life
  • Inter-dependency at a higer level accelerates return
  • Resposiveness is rewarding - even if it is just to show on site of event!
  • Failure Prevention is difficult - yet possible
  • Know your Industry problems: Inventory, Turn time, Forecasting Failure, Estimating Cost, Finding Talent, Automation tools
  • Know your industry Practices- Swapping parts, using refurbished items, penalty
  • Define Quality of service
  • Attract talent - as service industry does not attract fresh talents
  • Innovote service packages

About Me

Seen me go through cycles driven by Age, Money, Deception, Affection, Success, Failure, Fear- etc. The current cycle puts me in a middle aged bucket with sculpted bitterness trying to tame it to embrace the sweet crime of success and affection.