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!

Saturday, March 30, 2013

DLS - Coloring My Head Red!


Well ... Not Exactly! 

My skin showed up a bit too early along with the greying hair. Lucky me - my Stylist - if you want to call her that, is polite and never brings up my diminishing return on hair investment. After fifteen some years of same place , time and tips- my styling time started getting shorter & shorter like my privilege status driven shrinking wait time! 10 minutes’ drive....5 minutes wait and maybe a few more minutes to tame my thinning patch of hair! Small talk big talk my ears didn't care. 

And then one day - something different to chew on! My hair stood around the rim of my ear lobes- Yes guilty...Exaggeration!

Yes she says I should color my hair....before answering I looked carefully around to make sure it was directed at me and only me!

Indeed!

My curiosity driven smile turns into a laughter - which will soon become sheepish!

And then this...

"blah blah blah... .being a sales man... blah blah blah ...you will see a change in your customers outlook....blah blah blah ...Its ok to get old...but You don't have to look one!... blah blah blah......"

A customer waiting with a satellite like dish around her head joined the chorus and another one and another one too!

Rewind....some blah blah blah and rewind some more blah blah blah..and play it again in my slowing brain which has become fast and furious suddenly.....It’s ok to get old...but.....

One more time Rewind and Play! It’s ok to get old...BUT YOU DON'T....

Hairs around the ears...yeah yeah same old exaggeration...so YOU KNOW  what I am talking about!

Now my head is warming up to the idea...and suddenly I am thinking wow...what a great tag line..and I certainly have under estimated this person all these years!

Forty minutes later....a jolt! Yes I knew I shouldn't have! Its pitch black! How am I going to face my Family with this? In that moment I didn't care about my hyper inflated charge and my stretched out time! The drive back - though a short one, looked even shorter as I was scrambling to find an excuse for this decision of mine...Remember Sheepish? This is where I would add that to my look as I enter the living area! And will see it a few more times the next few days!

Thanks to Disney and Mickey I didn't garner any attention there and so I slipped right into the shower and then study pretending to be busy and pre occupied!

Then started my elaborate routine of explaining why and how I did what I did! Good ice breaker- for a few days! Sailing smoothly- 

Then came the shocker!

Getting ready to trim my beard..#%?¥#% (not so severe curse word)!! Now I understand what Salt and Pepper look like together! The growth is good and uniform.

 The growth in my face and head- didn't know I had changed colors!

And a dinner meeting in a couple of hours! €#£%^¥|#!?! (now this one is a strong & severe curse word) my Stylist for not educating me on how to cope with this complication!

 Think....and Think harder! 

Can't be that tough- a couple of black and white tubes, a small brush and a 4 by 6 inches instructions sheet. 

Mistake? well let’s reserve the judgment for later and call it....

Mission Possible and An hour later I am ready! 

Japanese are hardworking , polite and detail oriented. Keep an eye on Detail Oriented! During a dinner meeting - the detail oriented Japanese friend kept staring at my head over and over again - being polite asked ....You Exercising Jan-san, You dieting Jan-san, You looking Healthy Jan-san...You this Jan-san , you that Jan-san and more and more Jan-san....but kept silent about my darkened head patch and facial growth while keeping a side eye on them! though squirm-ish I refused to talk with my mouthful!

To get a break in conversation - I excuse myself to the boy’s room!

Another shocker was waiting for me there. Mirrors don't lie - Black and More black and it had spread beyond its intended area. And I am thinking maybe it’s not a good idea to defer any judgment ...especially if it’s spelt m.i.s.t.a.k.e  as now I am staring not at a mistake but a BIG MISTAKE!

No wonder my detail oriented friend was working Hard at controlling his laughter...in trying to be polite?!? I am thinking as I was walking back.

Start the sob story all over again....yes..yes..Sheepish Again... from my stylist all the way down to the salt and pepper induced self-help experiment!

Putting the blame squarely on my Stylist- for being so innovative and talented and felt I needed to support her creative sales pitch after all these years of bald work!

Before I could end the credit rolls- the lady sitting in the next table butted in politely and spoiled my party!

Yes She said -she is also in that profession- for over 20 years and said that is the first thing they teach in their Profession before one starts! 

As if that was not enough damage to my pride she went on and on.....

And went on to say this is the easy way to double or even triple up on the bill without any protest!

And blah blah blah and more blah blah blah before butting out!

And the black patch which had started spreading from the hair was now spreading faster and faster and all over my face!

And that my friend is the beginning of my hyper inflated bills after fifteen some years of steady hand!

The Making of a Bubble!

From Tulip Manias to Tech Bubbles - everyone knows when they are in it - and some if not all even participate in them. Its easy to identify the symptoms of a bubble ...however to know the beginning of a burst is  very difficult and extremely painful! So here we will focus only on the beginning....and will wait for the market to show the burst!

Learning from the past or from one's own mistake - some say only leads to making  new and untested mistakes in future! however some of them happen in a large scale and even repeat several times ....like the Tech Bubbles...from 80s...to 90s...to 00s and possibly we are entering one....if we are not already in one!

One classic case in the past has been to see corporate execs pumping the shares with exotic forward looking statements! With FB and Twitter entering mainstream pop culture - it is even more easy for everyone to participate!

Tesla's colorful CEO - after emerging from several controversies - recently used the Tweet to pump up his company's share!

And eBay's CEO who has been successful in turning around the sluggish Topline- is also succeeding in projecting 3-5 year growth way beyond the recent past would call far....using new metrics that eBay has not been using them for in the past....maybe following  the footsteps of Mr Jobs in being creative in what and how is being compared to?

Not to mention the successful IPO of Splunk which was quick to capitalize on the Big Data syndrome - by carefully changing the Marketing  tagline for their offerings!

And the most glaring one is even the steady-hand Bloomberg decided to dedicate a show for this pending bubble - by moving their Tech team to one of the Piers in San Francisco.....and just announced that they are expanding the program to 2 Hours!

And who can miss the Google Glass or the iWatch!!!

Granted the recent study shows that Technology Spend is to cross $3.8 T yes as in Trillion Dollars ....possibly making Technology the most influential Industry in modern commerce world.......and there is a reason to be exuberant.......but some of these symptoms are too eerie not to recall the experiences of the recent past!






Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Cyprus Punishment!

Call it the Merkel Conundrum  or the Euro Curse- it certainly has woken up a can of worms which has been lurking in the dark!

May be it is just a logical extension of the Financial Whatever- taking from Peter to Pay Paul! Whether it is called the bailout  or austerity the ramifications are boundless and in this twitter era- the cause and effect are not necessarily proportional!

What is interesting is the sound bites that is coming out on the news media about the Russian Payback if this were to go through in the Cyprus Parliament! From CNBC to Bloomberg the cry is the same- don't be on the cross-hair of the Russian Mafia! And the Financia Minister offering to resign rather than visit Moscow to look for solution- atleast thats the way the media would like to depict!

The Germans - Having drained out most of the weaker economies with the aid of Euro - are strong in their feelings and position...making this not a one inning game even if the hair cut in Cyprus is not implemented. And this is a dangerous game that Ms Merkel should not play.

Even if it time for someone to re-write the Financial Systems and the Global Monetary Policy Machines - who has the capability and interest to make a run at it?

Sunday, March 17, 2013

The Cyprus Syndrome!

Cyprus What? Yes - it is a small unknown till now entity which is trying to hijack the Bull run! What is alarming is the nature of haircut that is being enforced by Finance Ministers under the austerity label!

Is it really that easy and simple to swing?

Can this be a blip in this modern era or just the beginning of something that we will live to pay for?

As we had mentioned way back during the early stages of the Financial Whatever - this is just an indication of things that will necessitate a new medium of transaction that with need a whole new way of thinking and collaboration- a mile away from the current day Monetary system1

And there will be plenty to capitalise on this incident - and quick to the draw is Mr Bill Gross of Germany's PIMCO! A newbie to the Twitter era - wasting no time as he called for dumping Euro! while talking against his colleague Mr Greenspan's exuberance for the stock market by moving stocks and risk-on trades to the back seat!

Friday, March 15, 2013

Unwinding the irrational!

Yes indeed!

Mr Greenspan is back - this time with a different message!

He has started unwinding the "IRRATIONAL" from the Market Exuberance.....As a paid hand for Germany's PIMCO and working closely with Bill Gross and El Erian both of PIMCO - The Bond Pirates ....it certainly adds a new twist to the market.

In a different entry we had noted that Germany's PIMCO and Mr Gross had been sidelined by Mr Bernanke - making stock market an easy play for anyone with an interest and a  dart....and now Mr G calling the market undervalued and less appreciated by investors ??

A man of numbers and conviction - might have blamed himself partially for the bubble and we have called on it a few times- however Mr Greenspan who is next only to  Mr Reagan in bringing wealth and fame to the American Consumer - though bumpy at times.....is more right and more often better than the best in its class.

So We are ready to add exuberance to our Dow 22,000!

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Vatican returns to its root!

In a quick decision white smoke cleared the way for cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio to lead the faithful through a transitory period.  Born to Italian immigrants the new Pope brings rich heritage and faith to Vatican.

Monday, March 11, 2013

A Case for Dow 22,000!



- Ben B will get re-elected for another term....so 10-15% correction before the news of nomination will be a great buying op

- Tech bubble like the back end of Clinton Era to be supported by Mr O

- Dow Inflation to be supported by Industrials, Pharma , Energy & IBM- who are all flirting with 3 digits

- Close to Half of US economy floated by the Government - Healthcare, Defense, Finance, Auto, Housing, Education....not to mention the Government!

- The New Normal also applies to a near permanent low interest environment making debt a common place in the balance sheet again- which will be used for dividends and share buy backs

- Euro joining Japan and China in lowering their currencies Supporting Dollar

- A change in the role of commodities and energy allowing global growth in markets suffering currently
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
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  • proceeds from a street dog dont bark
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  • 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.