Matters that Matter and some that don't

How Time and Currencies change

2011-07-29T00:46:00.000-07:00

How Times and Currencies change!!

Swedish table tennis coach prefers rupees to dollar

blogs.reuters.com

Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) officials were rather bemused when the Swedish coach they recently approached demanded payment in Indian currency and not in American dollars.

Technology that can make Present day Cameras Obsolete

2011-06-23T10:36:00.000-07:00

Technology is something which makes companies and industries obsolete. Photography though has turned digital, we are still living in the times when films ruled the roast, and have enslaved our imagination. Why should we be satisfied with a photograph where everything is decided beforehand like the depth of focus, the focus or the subject which you need the photo about. It is now time for photography to go topsy-turvy. Where you first take a photograph and decide later what you need to focus on. Enter Lytro, the revolutionary technology, which can make all present day cameras obsolete. Here you dont take a photo, you take in the scene wholly.

A Camera That Could Care Less About Focus: Introducing Lytro

http://mashable.com/2011/06/22/lytro/

Dr. Ren Ng, a Stanford Ph.D, is preparing to launch a camera that captures all the information possible about the field of light it sees.

The hunting of a ghost?

2011-05-05T09:31:00.000-07:00

US 100 billion on hunting down Osama for 10 years, and they say, equivalent to putting a man on the moon, and then burying him at sea with no evidence left to prove, raises more questions than there are answers. Will it be like the famed moon walk, continue creating controversies, with none the wiser. Questions already being raised, was it just a ghost hunting with a cooked up assassination story; why did US waste 9 months planning when they seem to be aware where Osama was located. The version being put out by US seem to be changing by the minute, with errors in details. And to think that the US President was watching the operation live, and still the details are wrong!!

Wised Up!

2011-03-07T00:15:00.000-08:00

This was the person who predicted 36000 for the DOW in 2000. Certainly, he has wised up!! But Bonds, that too US treasury bonds as a safety net, what a joke!! Sure this man has some nerve.

The modern investor

www.washingtonpost.com

Once again, an utterly unpredictable event has jolted financial markets and frightened investors. This one occurred in Libya, a sandy nation of six million ruled by a very strange man for more than 40 years. Rebellion swiftly drove global oil prices sharply up and the Dow Jones industrial average...

Android too Tech and Geeky?

2011-02-18T21:51:00.001-08:00

Is this why iPhone is preferred by many? The impression that Android is too Tech and Geeky?

Facebook Phone Maker: Here's What's Wrong With Android

http://goo.gl/MYme9

INQ's CEO has a message for the Android handset industry: Stop geeking out over hardware and start focusing on what the cool kids want.

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A classic case of Think Global, Act Local

2011-02-03T09:26:00.000-08:00

Lot of people need to read this. It is productivity and growth that is more valuable than competitiveness.

But Obama will not agree, as he is obsessed with India and China. (After all he is the 3rd in the FP'sTop Global Thinkers. - Now, wait a minute. What about thinkers from India and China. We don't find many of them in the list. That can mean only one thing. Either Obama is not a good thinker. Or FP is not very good at compiling lists. But then, both of these statements mean almost the same. Isn't it :)

A classic case of Think Global, Act Local !!)

FT.com / Comment & analysis / FT Columnists - Economic growth is not a race to the moon

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/335369d4-2caa-11...

A full list of columnists and columns from the Financial Times

Games the Nations Play!!

2011-01-05T09:10:00.000-08:00

From the Greenback to the Redback : Games the Nations Play!!

FT.com / Investor's notebook - Renminbi will be world’s reserve currency

www.ft.com

Greenback will be usurped by Chinese yuan

A new Middle Ages!!

2011-01-05T09:07:00.000-08:00

A new Middle Ages, but where does America fit into it? The Byzantine Empire !!

FT.com / Comment / Opinion - Future shock? Welcome to the new Middle Ages

www.ft.com

Imagine a world with a strong China reshaping Asia; India confidently extending its reach from Africa to Indonesia; Islam spreading its influence; a Europe replete with crises of legitimacy; sovereign city-states holding wealth and driving innovation; and private mercenary armies, religious radicals

Balance your Life!!

2010-12-03T21:42:00.000-08:00

Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them – work, family, health, friends and spirit … and you’re keeping all of these in the air.

You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls – family, health, friends and spirit – are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or evenshattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for Balance in your life.

How?

Don’t undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us is special.

Don’t set your goals by what other people deem important. Only you know what is best for you.

Don’t take for granted the things closest to your heart. Cling to them as you would your life, for without them, life is meaningless.

Don’t let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past or for the future. By living your life one day at a time, you live all the days of your life.

Don’t give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying.

Don’t be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect. It is this fragile thread that binds us to each together.

Don’t be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that we learn how to be pave.

Don’t shut love out of your life by saying it’s impossible to find time. The quickest way to receive love is to give; the fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly; and the best way to keep love is to give it wings!

Don’t run through life so fast that you forget not only where you’ve been, but also where you are going.

Don’t forget, a person’s greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated.

Don’t be afraid to learn. Knowledge is weightless, a treasure you can always carry easily.

Don’t use time or words carelessly. Neither can be retrieved. Life is not a race, but a journey to be savoured each step of the way…

–Brian G. Dyson

President and CEO, Coca-Cola Enterprises during his speech at the Georgia Tech 172nd Commencement Address Sept. 6, 1996

The quote may originally be from the book: “Suzanne’s Diary to Nicholas” by James Patterson

The sad story of Japan

2010-10-16T22:24:00.000-07:00

The sad story of Japan.

The first month's rent for an apartment is equivalent to the price of 10 canned drinks dispensed by the vending machines, or slightly more than $1 !! And Japan's Housing prices are equal to where they were in the 1980's.

Many economists compare the present US economy to follow the path of Japan, should the Fed's present actions continue. And probably China is now where Japan was in the 1970's.

Japan Goes From Dynamic to Disheartened

www.nytimes.com

For a generation, Japan has been trapped in low growth and deflation, shriveling from an economic giant to little more than an afterthought in the global economy.

When we thought we were rich

2010-10-14T09:07:00.000-07:00

‎"cuando pensábamos que éramos ricos" or when we thought we were rich !

This is about housing in Spain; but the housing bubble is present in US, Canada, Australia, China, Hong kong and many many countries still !!

Housing Crisis Threatens Spain's Economic Recovery - WSJ.com

online.wsj.com

Some 1.5 million unfinished, unsold or unwanted residential units could undermine Spain's economy for years to come.

Trade wars !!

2010-10-14T09:04:00.000-07:00

Now Trade war between China and Japan, and China tastes first victory. Bad for the world and other countries. And an all outtrade war between USA and China may not be that long away!

Gulf used petroleum for their gains, and now China may use Rare Earth minerals as their weapon.

See also:
...

China's aggressive posture stuns Japan, experts - USATODAY.com

www.usatoday.com

A two-week standoff between Japan and China over a boat collision shows the communist state is adopting a more aggressive stance against rivals.

Pseudo-scientific fraud?

2010-10-14T09:02:00.000-07:00

No comments !!

US physics professor: 'Global warming is the greatest and most successful pseudoscientific fraud I h

blogs.telegraph.co.uk

[caption id="attachment_100058267" align="alignnone" width="460" caption="Newton: "Fie on you, Hansen, Mann, Jones et al! You are not worthy of the name scientists! May the pox consume your shrivelled peterkins!""][/caption] Harold Lewis is Emeritus Professor of Physics...

If you go very fast:

2010-10-14T08:43:00.000-07:00

If you go very fast there will be too many to block you. If you go slow, you will have so many followers,(probably because) they can't overtake you and you are blocking their progress. If you are ahead of your time, no one will understand you. if you are behind time, you will be a messiah. So follow no one, but your thoughts, because they will only be with you throughout your existence.

Any news is Good News

2010-10-14T08:41:00.000-07:00

It used to be said, "No news is good news". Well, now it is "Any news is Good News", as long as Fed is there with their quantitative easings. But how long? Risk can be asymmetric, but it can cut both ways!!
Fed to run the show despite big earnings | Reuters
www.reuters.com
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Not even earnings from big names like Google and GE next week will be able to pull Wall Street's focus away from the possibility of more cheap cash flowing in from the Federal Reserve. Normally

Well all these largesse should definitely result in direct taxes for the US citizens and not so direct in the form of devaluation of the US Dollar, resulting in losses for all those countries holding their reserves in USD denominated bonds or currency.

The invasion of the Bedbugs

2010-10-14T08:38:00.001-07:00

The most profitable business in US during the economic downturn!!

The invasion of the Bedbugs.

Bedbug invasion is turning into big business

www.msnbc.msn.com

Bedbugs mean big money — whether you’re a victim or an exterminator.

Kindle or Ipad, why not have something much bigger !

2010-08-17T13:13:00.000-07:00

Well, if I am still an avid reader of books, which I am no longer, I will definitely opt for a kindle. And imagine 1 months battery life. That is really something. But there is only one thing. You carry one for reading books, carry another for listening to songs, yet another if you also want to watch a movie, and yet another if you also would like to check mails and whatever else you may want to do. Why can't someone make something with all these attributes and you have the world under your feet.

Seven Ways the Kindle Beats the iPad | Retrevo

www.retrevo.com

An e-reader price war is underway. Amazon just fired a volley with the recent announcement of two new and improved Kindles, a WiFi-only version for $139 and a 3G model for $189. You can also buy the corresponding Barnes and Noble Nooks for $10 more than

From USD to Euro - is it the solution?

2010-08-16T13:28:00.000-07:00

From USD to Euro. But is that the answer? It can only be solved if the Asian countries join & make a common currency, or the the world bank on behalf of all the countries go for a common currency with no independent country able to print currencies on their own.
China Favors Euro Over Dollar as Bernanke Alters Path
www.bloomberg.com
China, whose $2.45 trillion in foreign-exchange reserves are the world’s largest, is turning bullish on Europe and Japan at the expense of the U.S.

Debt free - US Style.

2010-07-28T15:41:00.000-07:00

Retire a small debt, to take on a bigger debt, US way of going debt-free!! Where debt-free is the fashion now.
Doubling Down on Housing - WSJ.com
online.wsj.com
Record-low interest rates and a scary stock market are prompting investors to sink even more money into their homes.

And cost cutting businesses are being blamed for not contributing towards the economy by spending more!!

Companies Wringing Huge Profits From Job Cuts - NYTimes.com

www.nytimes.com

Having cut costs, employers want to keep profit margins high without rushing into hiring again.

"Wonderfully incredible businesses"

2010-06-10T09:06:00.000-07:00

Poor Warren Buffet! Not financially of course. But that must be the price you pay when you become famous. No one likes you, if you were doing things better than them. Of course he's slipping up these days.

But that can't justify his defending the Moody's and the Goldman Sachs.
Buffett on Moody's and Moats
www.huffingtonpost.com
Over the weekend, Warren Buffet defended Goldman Sachs. But the real jaw-dropper was Buffett's praise of Moody's Investors Service and the other credit raters as "incredibly wonderful businesses."

And He is an honorable man !!
Buffett Defends Goldman, Moody's But We Still Like Him - EconWatch - CBS News
www.cbsnews.com
Who the Investing Legend Thinks Deserves Blame ... and It's Not Entirely Goldman's Fault. Read more by Jill Schlesinger on CBS News' EconWatch.

iPhone 4 - some thoughts

2010-06-08T09:54:00.000-07:00

Sorry, what was that about Face Time video chat? I thought we already had it with 3G phones like P990i released 4 years back everywhere else outside US. And that with only where Wi Fi is present and from iPhone to iPhone only!! Must be because AT&T is not yet fully equipped to offer plain vanila HSPA (3G) with 7.2 MBit/sec speeds.

And Multi Tasking at last on iPhone. But why make all those who bought iPhone 3G, 3GS and iPad look silly, that they had bought them with much less features that also at prices which have now been slashed at least for 3GS. Well, iPad still don't get these, that must be their next Gen!!

And messages organized by threads -- am I smelling Google here. (GMail and Android)

Again what is missed gets into prominence. There is no provision at least now for 3G Video calling in the iPhone, though this could have been easily incorporated. But someone can always use Fring to make Video calls from iPhone!!

Of course IPS screen must be a welcome change!

Man creates life

2010-05-21T21:57:00.001-07:00

Man creates life!

Time travel mystery unveiled! Only problem is the door to go cannot be used to come back, as these doors in a Black hole are one way only (strictly no jumping here), as known to man yet.

Well can you imagine what this can lead to? Man creates the first life in the world and travels back in time to plant it. And that means man created himself? A sample of who is first, chicken or chicken eggs?? :)

Is what's good for Facebook, good enough for you?

2010-05-20T23:05:00.000-07:00

Is what's good for Facebook, good enough for you? Well it may depend on your privacy settings.

Well, in future u can "like" many web pages, but can u "like" a facebook page, a profile of someone, for example? Well facebook should implement this, I suppose.

Shocker: Facebook Does What's Best For Facebook

mashable.com

There's a debate in progress over Facebook's new

Look at this easy guide for your privacy settings. i was thinkin of adding this as a comment. But realizing the importance, I feel it is essential that everyone should read this.

10 New Privacy Settings Every Facebook User Should Know

www.allfacebook.com

...

What does Facebook publish about you and your friends?

Find out from this site by pasting your facebook ID!

And be careful about your privacy settings in Facebook !!!

zesty.ca

Any information you see below is visible to anyone on the Internet through normal use of the Facebook Graph API. Facebook apps used by you or your friends might see more. Learn more about how to control what you share.

More on EU Bailout!!!

2010-05-12T09:24:00.000-07:00

Virtual money, from Monetary Union to a Transfer Union, a modern day version of 'rob Peter to pay Paul', what is this EU Bailout?

News Analysis - Europe’s Huge Rescue Raises Long-Term Doubts - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/12/busine...

Some analysts challenged the wisdom of the rescue package’s main component, a promise of new loans to bail out European economies.

Not afraid of foreign armies but of foreign debt holders.

2010-05-12T08:01:00.000-07:00

"But while Europeans no longer fear foreign armies, they are starting to fear foreign bondholders." The cost of being a lifestyle Superpower.

FT.com / Columnists / Gideon Rachman - Europe is unprepared for austerity

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/8b24504e-5c65-...

Gideon Rachman on foreign affairs and globalisation, including American foreign policy and the European Union

I well never sell Gold - Faber

2010-04-27T10:29:00.000-07:00

"I well never sell Gold especially when I see these clowns in the Government."

"It is impossible for the American government to fulfill its obligations because the current deficit is already US$1.6 trillion this year.

The total US debt is already 375% of the GDP, excluding medicaid medicare and social security. If you include these, the national debt is at 600% of the GDP" ... Mark faber.

China to buy gold if price plunges: Marc Faber | 14 April 2010 | www.commodityonline.com

http://www.commodityonline.com/news/Chin...

"The question is will there be a crisis of confidence in all paper monies and what will the reaction of investors be? I would imagine that when the crisis really emerges, you'd see people flee from all paper currencies into precious metals," Faber added

Do not hold Cash?

2010-04-24T09:38:00.000-07:00

Cash is always considered to be a backup. But,

Do not hold Cash, says Dr. Faber. Is he paranoid?

An entertaining & illuminating conversation with Dr. Mark Faber.

Watch all four parts.

Marc Faber goes bull fighting on CNBC « ArabianMoney

http://www.arabianmoney.net/gold-silver/...

This is a vintage performance from Dr Marc Faber who explains why ArabianMoney readers should still be buying gold, preferably by the ton each month. He remains ultra bearish and floors the unfortunate ...

Innovations is the name of the game!

2010-04-24T06:01:00.000-07:00

Innovation: The new masters of management | The Economist

http://www.economist.com/opinion/display...

Developing countries are competing on creativity as well as cost. That will change business everywhere

Greece is no different from other OPEC countries

2010-04-23T10:54:00.000-07:00

“What Is The Difference Between Greece And Rest Of The OECD? Only That It Is Small Enough To Be Bailed Out” -- Societe General analyst, Dylan Grice.
"... but I still think Greece is the beginning of a wave of government funding crises, not the end."

Grice argues that most developed nations have bigger future problems than Greece, excluding the UK which has a significantly higher debt maturity date than most developed nations, taking Bloomberg's data for existing debt maturity for each government.
FT Alphaville » Greece – ‘It’s not that different’
ftalphaville.ft.com
SocGen’s Dylan Grice is one person not bored with Greece. In fact, he believes it is the beginning of a wave of government funding crises, not the end.
Also see: (more in detail)
Grice: "What Is The Difference Between Greece And Rest Of The OECD? Only That It Is Small Enough To Be Bailed Out"

Buffett slipping up!!

2010-04-20T22:58:00.000-07:00

www.bloombergutv.com

http://www.bloombergutv.com/experts-opin...

Buffett rented good name to Goldman too cheap

At the height of the financial crisis, Goldman Sachs sold Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway $5 billion of perpetual preferred stock with a 10% dividend and warrants on $5 billion worth of common stock at a strike price of $115 a share.

This package gave Berkshire a return of more than 15% in exchange for its money an ... more

A long list of No's

2010-04-07T01:09:00.000-07:00

List of No's:
USB, external memory slot, removable battery, camera, real OS, multi tasking, flash, external applications, full HD, e-ink for use as e-book reader.
And with (Apple)censored and paid content, paid applications only from the online i-Tunes store, the list is complete.
And system requirement includes a i-Tunes Store account.
No prices for guessing the device!!!
Can some one use it with Chrome OS? May be. That may change the picture, of course, to some extent.

Compare this with a Gemini, or the Adam or many others coming!!!

ICD's Gemini tablet unveiled, has an iPad-killing spec sheet to die for : Tech Digest

www.techdigest.tv

Reading this on your recently acquired iPad? Well you might want to hit the back button pretty soon for fear of a heart attack, as ICD have just unveiled their Gemini tablet PC, with enough bells and whistles to make your Apple slate look very tired indeed.

And now World policing in Economics

2010-03-16T10:55:00.000-07:00

World policing in Economics also! Better will be if US takes care of their own economy and let others take care of theirs. Once the USD starts falling no one will be able to hold it up!
And the joke is while US Fed is busy printing currencies to save their skin, how will they expand their own purchases of long term Bonds?

Op-Ed Columnist - Taking On China and Its Currency - NYTimes.com

www.nytimes.com

It’s time for America to confront China about the undervaluation of its currency, which is adding to the world’s economic problems at a time when those problems are already severe.

Well a saner voice! Now from Economist.

China's currency: The return of the "get tough" approach to China | The Economist

www.economist.com

Paul Krugman continues to be very upset with the Chinese government over its currency policy. He has written another column declaring that China's dollar peg is damaging to the global economy, and that America should get tough with the leadership in Beijing. This still makes no sense to me.

The Danger Line

2010-03-10T07:59:00.000-08:00

A chart published by OECD (which link I am not able to give here), shows the relative positions of various OECD countries with respect to their financial stability (based on a chart depicting their national net public debt vs the projected annual deficit for 2010 both as percentage of GDP).

The countries which are under the safety line are marked as red and those above are marked in other colors.

In the red, in the order of their ranking from worst to better are, Japan, Greece, UK, Ireland, US, Italy, France, Portugal and Spain.

In the yellow are again from worst to better are Germany, Poland, Hungary, Netherlands and Canada.

The countries which are much better off are Australia, Sweden, Switzerland, Finland and Korea.

And the best and the one which stands out is Norway.

After Sorrowland, Zombieland

2010-03-06T08:51:00.000-08:00

"Zombies revisited."

This time by Bill Bonner.

Zombieland

http://dailyreckoning.com/zombieland/

The growth of the Chinese economy is discussed as a function of the government central planning and the growth of the Chinese consumer base in this essay .

A Parable about Sorrowland

2010-02-22T23:54:00.000-08:00

This is a parable about a nation by Charles Munger, a long term associate and partner of Warren Buffet. There are of course no prizes for guessing the nation!!!

Basically, It's OverA parable about how one nation came to financial ruin.

By Charles MungerUpdated Sunday, Feb. 21, 2010, at 3:30 PM ET

In the early 1700s, Europeans discovered in the Pacific Ocean a large, unpopulated island with a temperate climate, rich in all nature's bounty except coal, oil, and natural gas. Reflecting its lack of civilization, they named this island "Basicland."

America going to Greece!!

2010-02-15T11:13:00.000-08:00

How reliable is the AAA rating of the US? If so where is the safe haven?

FT.com / Comment / Opinion - A Greek crisis is coming to America

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f90bca10-1679-...

It began in Athens. It is spreading to Lisbon and Madrid. But it would be a grave mistake to assume that the sovereign debt crisis that is unfolding will remain confined to the weaker eurozone economies. ...

Greece's cup of woe!

2010-02-11T06:49:00.000-08:00

More skeletons out from the cupboard!! Goldman Sachs help Greece mask its actual debt. That's creative Accounting!

Greek Debt Crisis: How Goldman Sachs Helped Greece to Mask its True Debt - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News - I...

http://www.spiegel.de/international/euro...

Goldman Sachs helped the Greek government to mask the true extent of its deficit with the help of a derivatives deal that legally circumvented the EU Maastricht deficit rules. At some point the so-called cross currency swaps will mature, and swell the country's already bloated deficit.

Solar roadways

2010-02-07T06:35:00.000-08:00

Can you imagine it, if the roads you travel on start producing electricity that can power a nation like US and has LED's underneath that signals traffic alerts and other information. This is no longer a science fantasy!!! If successful, it will be the first solar roadway project.

Solar Roadways

The Solar Roadways project aims to maximize the sun-soaking capabilities of road surfaces as a stable and secure source of clean energy.

Read more at Suite101: Solar Roadways: Power, Security and Stability

Biggest Bubble of All

2010-02-04T08:01:00.000-08:00

China's reserves of USD looks to the biggest bubble and the biggest ponzi or pyramid of all, and even China can't control it. We have heard about Multinationals growing so big that they will start controlling Governments and ultimately the world. But now that most of the big multinationals are going kaput (will Toyota be the latest? -

Toyota Halts Sales of 8 Models in U.S. for Pedal Flaw ) , this fear is gone.

But the red nation is getting so big with its reserves, that they can buy the biggest banks or even whole econmies. Like the article here says, "After all, if economies were for sale, China could use the $453 billion of reserves it amassed last year to buy Greece and Vietnam and have enough left over for Mongolia". And that is only the reserves it amassed last year.

Biggest bubble in history is growing every day

Honey, I blew up the Ipod, and got the IPad

2010-01-27T21:56:00.000-08:00

"Honey, I blew up the Ipod, and got the IPad," Steve Jobs didn't say this.

The difference (from iPhone) is you can't make phone calls, and there is no camera, but with a Sim. (What a waste of 3G !!) With bluetooth, it could have been also a mobile and make video calls too. Still it is a mobile device ,just as "Apple is the largest mobile devices company in the world".

Apple iPad: the first review | Technology | The Guardian

www.guardian.co.uk

You may wonder what the Apple iPad is for. The answer: everything, but could that be too much?

Deeds not Words that makes a man

2010-01-26T21:43:00.000-08:00

"I'd rather be a really good one-term president than a mediocre two-term president," Obama.

Well good intentions may win one awards, but it is deeds and not words that makes a man (as in mankind).

President Obama Would Rather Be Really Good One-Term President - ABC News

http://abcnews.go.com/WN/Politics/presid...

President Obama tells ABC News' Diane Sawyer that he'd rather be a "really good one-term president" than a "mediocre two-erm president."

Now cellphone has a new use! A cure for Alzheimers !

2010-01-21T06:45:00.001-08:00

Now cellphone has a new use! A cure for Alzheimers !!

Of course don't take this at face value.

The cellphone radiation controversy takes a new turn - SmartPlanet

www.smartplanet.com

The sudden firing of head football coach Jim Leavitt for going all George Patton on one of his players is not the biggest controversy this week on the

Google & Privacy:

2010-01-21T06:43:00.000-08:00

Google & Privacy:

"If you have something that you don't want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn't be doing it in the first place." Google CEO, Eric Schmidt on CNBC Interview in Dec,2009.

"Drummond said that the hackers never got into Gmail accounts via the Google hack, but they did manage to get some "account information ...

How China exposed Google's hypocrisy | IT Security | TechRepublic.com

blogs.techrepublic.com.com

In the midst of our celebration for Google's suddenly principled stand on the matter of Chinese censorship and oppression of dissidents, we should not

Venezuelan Economics!

2010-01-21T06:42:00.000-08:00

Buy at 2.6 exchange rate and sell at 4.3, provided you have good connections. President Chavez's prescription for the Venezuelan economics.

May be our politicians have something to learn there.

UPDATE 1-Devaluation ups stakes in Venezuela election year | Reuters

www.reuters.com

(For more stories on Venezuela's devaluation click on [ID:nN09265157]) * Chavez popularity could suffer after devaluation * Venezuelans rush to shops anticipating price hikes * Inflation will jump

Freedom of Speech or fall in Stock price, which is more priceless?

2010-01-21T06:33:00.000-08:00

Freedom of Speech or fall in Stock price, which is more priceless?

Google linked its decision to sophisticated cyberattacks on its computer systems that it suspected originated in China and that were aimed, at least in part, at the Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights activists.
In terms of individual users, we would advise people to deploy reputable anti-virus and anti-spyware programs on their computers, to install patches for their operating systems and to update their web browsers. Always be cautious when clicking on links appearing in instant messages and emails, or when asked to share personal information like passwords online.

Whether google.cn remains or not, google.com should !!
Official Google Blog: A new approach to China
googleblog.blogspot.com
Like many other well-known organizations, we face cyber attacks of varying degrees on a regular basis. In mid-December, we detected a highly sophisticated and targeted attack on our corporate infrastructure originating from China that resulted in the theft of intellectual property from Google. ...
Right now it seems the best approach to avoid a hacker attack similar to this and the attack the Indian PM's office faced, is to disable Javascript in Adobe or any alternate PDF Reader.
Better to do this if you value your private information, passwords etc. Only those documents, if at all any, that needs Javascript can be selectively enabled to use Javascript!!!
This can easily be done by going to Edit-Preferences in Adobe Reader and then disabling Javascript.

Tweedledum & Tweedledee

2010-01-11T20:20:00.000-08:00

Tweedledum & Tweedledee

Tweeted all their way,

Ready to fight anyone;

When the Crunch came

Tweedledum was left alone;

Then came the big bad Crow;

And all that Tweedledum could do

Was blame the Crunch!

(This verse has no connection with any recent incidents;

and does not allude to any person dead or alive!!!)

More on Bubbles & Recession

2009-12-10T09:28:00.000-08:00

Well if we thought it is the end of recession now, there are lots to ponder over.

US started it all with its subprime and free dollars.

Indian real estate has already been fed about 60 Billion by foreign remittances in this year alone from NRIS, who are now investing in Indian Real Estate - May be another Bubble in the rising

Dubai Debt Crisis

China pushing up the Commodity prices

Japan's new $81 billion stimulus program, after the earlier trillion dollar programs didn't work. So trying the same thing again and in false hopes. Like someone said about the computer novice who repeats the same actions which didn't work before in the false hope that next time it is going to work.

Greece & Spain of the infamous 'PIGS' (unlike the BRIC countries) (PIGS also includes Portugal & Ireland), whose soverign debt is on Creditwatch negative by Standard & Poor. (http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/markets/credit-ratings-agency-standard-poors-lowers-outlook-on-spain-to-negative/story-e6frg926-1225808872170)

Venezuela on a Banking crisis (http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/dec2009/db2009129_922314.htm).

UK, whose economy has been ravaged by growing debts and ruined Banks that it may be following in the footsteps of Japan's Lost Decade of the 1990's, as per NYT. (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/21/business/global/21pound.html)

North Korea, redenominated its currency for the first time in 50 years and limited how much old money could be traded for new, likely wiping out millions of residents' savings and much of the cash used in market activities frowned upon by its authoritarian government (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125963843649570793.html).

Vietnam devalues its currency (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125912411180263533.html).

Exchange of Technology & Knowhow

2009-12-04T08:49:00.001-08:00

Somalian Pirates setting up a Stock Exchange to manage their investments;
Goldman top executives are stocking up on Guns to guard themselves against any possible public outrising.

May be they can help each other!!!

Somali sea gangs lure investors at pirate lair |

HARADHEERE, Somalia (Reuters) - In Somalia's main pirate lair of Haradheere, the sea gangs have set up a cooperative to fund their hijackings offshore, a sort of stock exchange meets criminal syndicate. Heavily

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5B01Z920091201

Arming Goldman With Pistols Against Public: Alice Schroeder - Bloomberg.com

“I just wrote my first reference for a gun permit,” said a friend, who told me of swearing to the good character of a [bn:WBTKR=GS:US] Goldman Sachs Group Inc. [] banker who applied to the local police for a permit to buy a pistol. ...

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601039&sid=ahD2WoDAL9h0

Bubble City or a Bubble!

2009-12-02T09:37:00.000-08:00

It was a spoof, building a Bubble City in Dubai. Did it turn out true into a Bubble instead!!

Why look for Bubbles, Just look at Skyscrapers !!!

2009-12-01T10:03:00.000-08:00

As per the Skyscraper Index, a concept put forward in January 1999by Andrew Lawrence, research director at Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, all major economic catastrophes are preceded by the building of tallest skyscrapers.

And the latest in line is Burj Dubai at 2087 ft, and Shanghai World Financial Center presently the tallest at 1614ft.

http://www.moneyweek.com/news-and-charts/economics/a-recession-indicator-thats-hard-to-miss.aspx

http://mises.org/journals/scholar/Thornton4.pdf

The FP Top 100 Global Thinkers

2009-11-30T21:24:00.000-08:00

Joke of the Year.
The FP Top 100 Global Thinkers - Bernanke at No1; Obama at No.2;

for fixing the US Economy. True they really succeeded in fixing it! Unemployment in US- official 10%, unofficial 20% or near abouts. growth -ve or zero. A little confused, there. No. of US Banks failing every month in double digits. Gold and other commodities gains in value in an unprecedented manner, more so since there is no currency, which world can depend on anymore.

These days, everyone gets garlanded for their intentions, and not for what they have achieved, starting with the Nobel Peace prize.

Foreign Policy's First Annual List of the 100 Top Global Thinkers | Foreign Policy

The Zen-like chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve might not have topped the list solely for turning his superb academic career into a blueprint for action, for single-handedly reinventing the role of a central bank, or for preventing the collapse of the U.S. ...

Shifting sands for Dubai's property dream

2009-11-30T00:27:00.000-08:00

"In 2008, it was announced that the new Palazzo Versace hotel in Dubai would have a beach which featured refrigerated sand. At the moment the only people getting cold feet are the people looking to invest in Dubai. And while that situation continues, many of Dubai's construction projects will remain on ice."

It uses as much electricity as an entire city. And every time the toilet is flushed they've got to pump water half a mile into the sky," Jim Krane, author of "City of Gold: Dubai and the Dream of Capitalism".

Shifting sands for Dubai's property dream - CNN.com

For the past decade, Dubai has been home to the greatest concentration of cranes anywhere in the world as billions of tonnes of concrete, steel and glass have refashioned the city skyline.

It is a "Prisoner's Dilemma"

2009-11-09T22:51:00.000-08:00

It is a "Prisoner's Dilemma" - for China and many other countries having huge reserves in USD. If they withdraw funds from US, the USD loses value and their reserves in USD gets hit. If not, in any case USD loses value and your funds gets hit. And the country which acts first by withdrawing from USD loses the least, b...ut gets punished by the US. And if it doesn't withdraw, in any case it loses its assets.Read more

China doesn't look much better off!!

2009-11-09T22:50:00.000-08:00

“same boat, mutual help” (help one another, we’re all in the same boat)
—Chinese saying.

The biggest mall in the world is not the famous Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn. It’s the South China Mall outside of Guangzhou, China.

And four years after its construction, the mall sits virtually empty of both shops and shopp...ers.

The Hummer which marked the end of GM is being bought by China’s Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy
Industrial Machinery Co.

China doesn't look much better off!!Read more

A resurgence in China? | Energy Bulletin

Source: www.energybulletin.net

If you plan for a year, plant a seed. If for ten years, plant a tree. If for a hundred years, teach the people. When you sow a seed once, you will reap a single harvest. When you teach the people, you will reap a hundred harvests.—Kuan-Tzu (Taoist, died 645 BC)

"The Dragon spews fire at the Elephant"

2009-11-09T22:48:00.001-08:00

""There was a time when
the Sandhurst-trained Indian military personnel retired to the cool hill
stations and spent the sunset of their lives playing bridge or going for long
walks and regaling their visitors with their wartime stories while sipping
wh...isky.

Nowadays, the smart ones among the retired generals and top bureaucrats take up
residence in Delhi's suburbs and overnight transform themselves into "strategic
thinkers".""

"The Dragon spews fire at the Elephant"Read more

Asia Times Online :: South Asia news, business and economy from India and Pakistan

Source: atimes.com

Asia Times Online. The Asia News Hub providing the latest news and analysis regarding economics, events and trends in business, economy and politics throughout Asia.

Bubble in bubbles - time to close bar

2009-11-09T22:44:00.000-08:00

Bubble in bubbles - time to close bar:

Looks like superficial arguments. Positively true for China. But unlikely where India is concerned.

"Asset prices are being driven more by unusually low interest rates than economic fundamentals": where, in India !!!

BloombergUTV: Expert Opinion, Stock Market Expert Columns, Market Expert Interviews, Expert Financia

Source: www.bloombergutv.com

Know more about market with market experts as BloombergUTV.com offers market expert views, expert opinion, stock expert columns, market expert interviews, expert financial advice, stock market expert blogs.

Berkshire on US economy!

2009-11-09T22:37:00.001-08:00

"There's a German saying: Man is too soon old and too late smart. We were too late smart. We finally realized that railroads now have a huge competitive advantage, with double stacked railcars, guided by computers, moving more and more production from China, etc. They have a big advantage over truckers in huge classes ...of business." Berkshire co-Chairman Charlie Munger's comment a couple of year back.

Read this along side Buffets statement "an all-in wager on the economic future of the United States".

Do we presume Berkshire believes American economy will be more and more dependent on moving products from China.

Very Un Buffetly!!

2009-11-09T22:33:00.000-08:00

3 reasons - 1. The man who says he hates derivatives, used also derivatives ( selling puts) as a way of investing in the railroad industry, BNSF (BNI). 2. Says in his own words "an all-in wager on the economic future of the United States" 3. The man who never agreed to split the Berkshire share, agree...s to a 50:1 split. Is it really a spit or splintering!!!

When the firm has a huge amount of money to invest, it is difficult to find an industry which can last more than 20 years, especially in present day US.Read more

Berkshire to Acquire Burlington Northern - WSJ.com

Source: online.wsj.com

Berkshire Hathaway agreed to buy the portion of Burlington Northern railroad it doesn't already own for $26 billion in cash and stock. The acquisition would be the largest ever for Warren Buffett's

India beats china to it!

2009-11-09T22:25:00.000-08:00

“The biggest single central-bank purchase that we know about for at least 30 years in such a short period,”

It is not as much like "it showed large buyers are ready to accept the current price levels", but more like compared to holding USD reserves, it may be wiser holding gold.

Gold Climbs to Record as India’s Central Bank Buys From IMF - Bloomberg.com

Source: www.bloomberg.com

Gold jumped to a record after India’s central bank bought 200 metric tons of the metal from the International Monetary Fund, heightening speculation that there may be more official purchases.

More on India buying gold from IMF.
When one is buying and another selling, it doesn't increase price. If a hype is made, and many more want to buy, and there is not enough available at that price, then only a bubble is created. And now may be a hype is being created.

http://www.bloombergutv.com/experts-opinions/market-experts-column/659/india_shows_hedge_fund_savvy_with_gold_buy.html

Nice little conspiracy theory

2009-07-25T05:50:00.000-07:00

What a nice little conspiracy theory. If only it can be true, there are much faster computers, and better software programmers than Goldman Sachs can command!!!

Traders Profit With Computers Set at High Speed - NYTimes.com

Source: www.nytimes.com

High-frequency trading may give traders using powerful computers an unfair advantage in the stock market, critics say.

And if the computers are doing the trades automatically, as it is evident, how much loss can a small error in the code or a deliberate spanner in the works can result!!

Ever expanding cost of Bailout

2009-07-25T05:49:00.002-07:00

As the days pass the reported cost of Bailout is ever expanding!! It has reached 23.7 trillion dollars now, as per Neil Barofsky, "special inspector general for the Treasury’s Troubled Asset Relief Program".

What a title!!

That is almost double the total economic output of USA, it is said.

static.businessinsider.com

Source: static.businessinsider.com

What Pravda and Putin said one month back, now Rogers says !!

2009-07-25T05:49:00.001-07:00

What Pravda and Putin said one month back, now Rogers says !!
Moneynews - Rogers: America Bordering On Communism
Source: moneynews.newsmax.com
Investor extraordinaire Jim Rogers has harsh words for the government’s interventionist economic policy.

Advent of the Super Soverign !!

2009-07-25T05:48:00.001-07:00

Advent of the Super Soverign !!!

Forbes India - Imagine There is No Dollar

Source: business.in.com

The world suffers as US mismanages the dollar. There is a way out though.

The World's Largest Heart Factory

2009-07-25T05:47:00.000-07:00

“The mortality rate in Narayana Hrudyalaya is much lower than in New York State for similar kinds of heart disease,” says University of Michigan’s C.K. Prahalad. The hospital has been discussed extensively in his 2004 bestseller, The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid. It has also become a case study at Harvard Business School. Adds Kokila P. Doshi, professor of Economics at University of San Diego’s business .....

Forbes India - The World's Largest Heart Factory

Source: business.in.com

Devi Shetty's doctors perform the most heart surgeries in India. He is using that scale to cut the cost of treatment

More on Goldman Sachs

2009-07-25T05:42:00.000-07:00

More on Goldman Sachs -

The bank's Lucas Van Prag hit back, calling the article an "hysterical compilation of conspiracy theories".
He went on to ask why Goldman Sachs hadn't been implicated in the shooting of JFK and faking the moon landing.
More to the point he said the bank "rejects the assertion that we are inflators of bubbles and profiteers in busts".

Real war of words there!

The Great American Bubble Machine : Rolling Stone

Source: www.rollingstone.com

In Rolling Stone Issue 1082-83, Matt Taibbi takes on the Wall Street Bubble Mafia — investme...

"By now almost everyone knows that for decades mortgage dealers insisted that home buyers be able to produce a down payment of 10 percent or more, show a steady income and good credit rating, and possess a real first and last name. Then, at the dawn of the new millennium, they suddenly threw all that shit out the window and started writingmortgages on the backs of napkins to cocktail waitresses and ex-cons carrying five bucks and a Snickers bar."
excerpts.

Well this is not the first time we're hearing about writing on Napkins which looks like a favourite pastime these days. Especially Laffer who drew his now famous curve on a Napkin!!!

Well what more do you need to read. It reads like fiction!!

More excerpts:

Although he had already engineered a rescue of Bear Stearns a few months before and helped bail out quasi-private lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, Paulson elected to let Lehman Brothers — one of Goldman's last real competitors — collapse without intervention. ("Goldman's superhero status was left intact," says market analyst Eric Salzman, "and an investment-banking competitor, Lehman, goes away.")

The very next day, Paulson greenlighted a massive, $85 billion bailout of AIG, which promptly turned around and repaid $13 billion it owed to Goldman.

Thanks to the rescue effort, the bank ended up getting paid in full for its bad bets: By contrast, retired auto workers awaiting the Chrysler bailout will be lucky to receive 50 cents for every dollar they are owed.

How much risk can you take?

2009-07-25T05:39:00.002-07:00

How much risk can you take? Well if there is someone as big as US govt to bail you out is there any limit?

Its bankers and traders are sometimes referred to as the Bandits of Broad Street. An executive at a rival bank characterized Goldman traders as “orcs,” the warlike creatures of Middle Earth in Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings.”

Goldman Sachs May Report Strong Profit - NYTimes.com

Source: www.nytimes.com

Goldman Sachs, which only recently repaid its bailout money, is expected to report big profits on Tuesday.

The FM with no vision

2009-07-25T05:39:00.001-07:00

The FM with no vision. Or could not demonstrate any during the Budget speech. And to imagine that he had almost 50 Crores worth of Ad space per TV Channel (taking into consideration that the Budget speech lasted for almost 2 full hours). And PSU'S with lot to hide in their accounts. But still the country with a BBB- rating attracts the most FDI growth rate in 2008. (60% when almost all had collapsed).

UNCTAD.ORG >> Press >> Global Foreign Direct Investment now in decline -- and estimated to have fall

Source: www.unctad.org

Home page of the Press section.

More of the banks which failed

2009-07-25T05:38:00.001-07:00

More of the banks which failed. 52 banks that failed in 2009, most of them in April to July 2009. That is 50% out of all banks that has failed since 2000. About 25% of them since April 2009, which is almost equal to the no of Banks which had failed during the period from 2000 to 2008.

FDIC: Failed Bank List

Source: www.fdic.gov

Oh, more of AAA bonds and the ghost of Goldman Sachs (bonds) rules!

2009-07-25T05:36:00.000-07:00

Oh, more of AAA bonds and the ghost of Goldman Sachs rules!! From Baa2 (junk) to AAA. After all they say, what's in a name.

Morgan Stanley Plans to Turn Downgraded Loan CDO Into AAA Bonds - Bloomberg.com

Source: www.bloomberg.com

Morgan Stanley plans to repackage a downgraded collateralized debt obligation backed by leveraged loans into new securities with AAA ratings in the first transaction of its kind, said two people familiar with the sale.

May be BBB- is better than AAA

2009-07-25T05:34:00.000-07:00

An AAA for US and a BBB- for India. And to think that they had given AAA rating to AIG in Aug/Sep 2008 just before it had to be bailed out. Oh, these Credit Rating agencies! May be BBB- is better than AAA.

S&P Says US Debt Is Still “AAA” – 24/7 Wall Street

Source: 247wallst.com

S&P says it does not like the huge rise in US government indebtedness. But, it clearly thinks the Treasury can make its debt service and eventually pay those hundreds of billions of dollars back.

Are Chinese Banks like the apartments they make?

2009-07-25T05:33:00.000-07:00

Are Chinese Banks like the apartments they make?

Read the link given here.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/ambroseevans_pritchard/5675198/Chinas-banks-are-an-accident-waiting-to-happen-to-every-one-of-us.html

Shanghai authorities hold 9 people after apartment building tips over, order safety checks - Los Ang

Source: www.latimes.com

»Africa »Asia »Europe »Latin America »Middle East »Iraq, Afghanistan »World A-Z

Will the Black Swan dance again or will it be the swan song?

2009-07-25T05:32:00.001-07:00

Will the Black Swan dance again or will it be the swan song?

He hit the jackpot thrice, first as trader in the 1987 Black Monday stock market crash, then with Empirica in the Tech stock crash, 2000 and now with Universa in 2008.

Does it mean that he will be right a fourth time?

'We're in the Middle of a Crash': Black Swan - Financials * Europe * News * Story - CNBC.com

Source: www.cnbc.com

The financial system is crashing and action must be taken by the US government to convert debt into equity to produce a more stable environment, Nassim Taleb, author of "The Black Swan," told CNBC Thursday

The times when Bachelors did'nt have the right to vote

2009-07-25T05:29:00.000-07:00

The times when Bachelors did'nt have the right to vote and had to pay extra taxes.

Benjamin Franklin “a man without a wife is but half a man.” !!

Op-Ed Contributor - We the Bachelors - NYTimes.com

Source: www.nytimes.com

During the revolution, our unmarried founders fought for independence and for their equality.

Chrome, Chromium or Iron

2009-07-02T01:51:00.001-07:00

Chrome, Chromium, Iron - No I am talking about browsers, not metallurgy, they are all one of a feather. if you like Chrome, and is bothered about privacy and Google using your browsing data, then Iron is a good one to try.

SRWare Iron - The Browser of the Future

Source: www.srware.net

SRWare Iron - The Browser of the Future

Weak or Strong Currency - Good for Any Country

2009-07-02T01:50:00.000-07:00

"It is painful for the exporters, but look at the other side of the coin -- the consumers. A strong currency is good for a country; it's not bad for a country. They shouldn't just be beholden to the exporters. They should listen to the consumers, who are going to gain undoubtedly because of the strong currency." Wharton finance professor Jeremy Siegel in an old article. How true & relevant even today.

Currency Conundrum: Is the Strong Rupee Good or Bad for India? - India Knowledge@Wharton

Source: knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu

History has been unkind to Canute. The 10th century king of England was so tired of his fawning courtiers that he took them to the shore and commanded the waves to roll back. It was to be a demonstration of the limitation of his powers. ...

And cars - vintage

2009-07-02T01:49:00.000-07:00

And cars - vintage

cars

Source: www.billsretroworld.com

1949 Hudson Commodore Six Sedan1949 Pontiac Four Door1960 Mercury Colony Park Country Cruiser1960 Chevrolet Corvair1960 Imperial Crown Convertible1960 DeSoto Fireflite1959 Ford Thunderbird Convertible

Democracy or Rule of Law (Constitution)

2009-07-02T01:46:00.000-07:00

First time we're not sure whether democracy is right or constitution is right: Whether democracy means no rules hold: Or changing goal posts while the match is ending is OK: coup in Honduras.

Leaders from Obama to Chavez blast Honduras coup - Forbes.com

Source: www.forbes.com

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras -- Police and soldiers clashed with thousands of protesters outside Honduras' national palace Monday, leaving at least 15 people injured, as world leaders from Barack Obama to Hugo Chavez demanded the return of a president ousted in a military coup.

Austrian school of economics

2009-07-02T01:15:00.000-07:00

What the world needs is more acceptance of the Austrian school of economics theory. No governmental interference into the economy. And a stable currency. Reading "Mises on Money".

Is Laffer really to be laughed at!!

2009-06-26T22:33:00.000-07:00

Ram Mohan Is Laffer really to be laughed at!!

The Age of Prosperity Is Over - WSJ.com

Source: online.wsj.com

This administration and Congress will be remembered like Herbert Hoover.

Or Hyper Inflation a reality of US's future??

Get Ready for Inflation and Higher Interest Rates - WSJ.com

Source: online.wsj.com

The unprecedented expansion of the money supply could make the '70s look benign.

Another view--

http://www.counterpunch.org/moses04142009.html

Here's the US Federal State Local Debt:

US Federal State Local Debt As Percent Of GDP in United States 1902-2012 - Federal State Local

And now wash clothes without water

2009-06-26T22:31:00.000-07:00

And now wash clothes without water, or at least with negligible water

Using nylon beads in laundry: Washing without water | The Economist

Source: www.economist.com

A more environmentally friendly way to do the laundry

The biggest emerging economies are rebounding

2009-06-26T21:55:00.000-07:00

The biggest emerging economies are rebounding, even without recovery in the West

BRICs, emerging markets and the world economy: Not just straw men | The Economist

Source: www.economist.com

The biggest emerging economies are rebounding, even without recovery in the West

The diagnosis and the remedy

2009-06-20T07:42:00.000-07:00

Wall Street developed a “culture of irresponsibility,” the president said. Lenders didn’t hold on to their loans, but instead sold them off to be repackaged into securities, which in turn were sold to investors who didn’t understand what they were buying. “Meanwhile,” he said, “executive compensation — unmoored from long-term performance or even reality — rewarded recklessness rather than responsibility.”

Op-Ed Columnist - Out of the Shadows - NYTimes.com

Source: www.nytimes.com

President Obama’s plan for financial reform basically punts on the question of how to keep what went wrong from happening again.

That should be in a gist what happened to the US economy!!

And the remedy --
"Unfortunately, the plan as released doesn’t live up to the diagnosis."
PAUL KRUGMAN

The first Open Source design car

2009-06-19T22:41:00.002-07:00

The first Open Source design car !! No I'm not joking!

Its makers claim that by starting from scratch to build a small, efficient car they can make it commercially viable more quickly than the major auto manufacturers experimenting with adapting more conventional cars to hydrogen. Honda predicts its FCX Clarity hydrogen car will enter mass production in 2018, but Riversimple is aiming to lease its first fleet in 201

New hydrogen-powered city car takes to the road - tech - 16 June 2009 - New Scientist

Source: www.newscientist.com

The small, light vehicle is powered by a fuel cell that combines hydrogen with oxygen from the air to release energy and nothing more toxic than water.

The car's overall design – although not that of components such as the motors and fuel cell – will be open source. That means it will be freely available for any person or company to use, as long as they make public any modifications to the technology.

Grading the Central Bank

2009-06-19T22:41:00.001-07:00

Asked to grade the central bank's job, Roubini gave the Fed a "D" for missing the crisis altogether and downplaying its possible impact, but a "B-plus" after the credit debacle had unfolded.

"I give them credit for being very creative and very aggressive."

"The central bank did the right thing to avoid an outright depression, but is left with emergency lending programs that are clearly not sustainable."

Roubini sees weeds amid green shoots | Industry Summits | Reuters

Source: www.reuters.com

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. economy will not recover until the end of this year, and even then growth will remain meek and vulnerable to higher interest rates and commodity prices, economist

Derivatives Market - Is it of enormous risk?

2009-06-19T22:40:00.001-07:00

Obama called the derivatives market “an entire shadow system of enormous risk” and pledged to make it more transparent.

“Derivatives are a huge potential risk to the system,” he said. “We are going to make sure that they have to register, that they are regulated, that you have clearinghouses.”

Well, I-Banks activities now will be more controlled.

Obama Warns Banks Not to Forget U.S. Was Near ‘Abyss’ (Update2) - Bloomberg.com

Source: www.bloomberg.com

President [bn:PRSN=1] Barack Obama [], warning Wall Street not to forget how it almost caused the financial system to collapse, said “sensible” new rules are needed to tighten oversight and restore confidence in U.S. markets.

world economy would stagnate as Japan's did in the 1990s..

2009-06-15T08:33:00.000-07:00

Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman caused international shock with a prediction that the world economy would stagnate just as badly, and for just as long, as Japan's did in the 1990s.

Does he mean only the US and Western world, when he says the World!!

Paul Krugman's fear for lost decade | Business | The Observer

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

The Nobel-Prize-winning economist talks to Will Hutton about his anxieties for the future

China's Buying spree

2009-06-15T02:58:00.000-07:00

Looks like China has found one more avenue for investment - Stockpiling raw materials. It also seems the recovery in raw material prices is more due to China's buying spree. This may be another bubble.

Some See China’s Buying Spree on Commodities as Short-Lived - NYTimes.com

Source: www.nytimes.com

Shipping and commodity executives are questioning China’s motives as it piles up extra quantities of products.

Status of the Dollar

2009-06-15T02:52:00.000-07:00

The dollar’s status as the world economy’s sole reserve currency may deteriorate, said Nouriel Roubini, the New York University economics professor who predicted the financial crisis.

BRIC countries looking for alternate avenues for investment, like IMF Bonds!

@@ For a start, can they think of investing in each others' currencies. "Is it worth the Risk" @@

Dollar’s Reserve Status May Deteriorate, Roubini Says (Update1) - Bloomberg.com

Source: www.bloomberg.com

The dollar’s status as the world economy’s sole reserve currency may deteriorate, said Nouriel Roubini, the New York University economics professor who predicted the financial crisis.

Do you send word docs as email attachments?

2009-06-15T02:50:00.000-07:00

Do you send word docs as email attachments? Read this!

It may be better to avoid word docs as attachment unless it is needed by the receiver in that format for further processing.

1. A word doc may look different and print differently when the receiver opens it.
2. It may contains parts which you have already deleted. (Like it happened to google).
3. It is riskier to open a word doc as it can contain macros.

We Can Put an End to Word Attachments - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation (FSF)

Source: www.gnu.org

Don't you just hate receiving Word documents in email messages? Word attachments are annoying, but worse than that, they impede people from switching to free software. Maybe we can stop this practice with a simple collective effort. ...

Asian miracle!

2009-06-06T08:31:00.000-07:00

"More bullish on India than on China" Morgan Stanley's Asia Charman

"So China faces a challenge at a time when the India story has come together very nicely and wouldn’t it be ironic when the world is completely embraced the Chinese miracle for the real surprise in Asia has turned out to be India"

More bullish on India than on China: Stephen Roach

Source: www.moneycontrol.com

Morgan Stanley's Asia Chairman Stephen Roach commenting on issues such as economic trends, Asian markets, and the Indian economy, said he saw a cap on economic revival and added that the US consumer demand was still declining. ...

"Pravda warns US is slipping into Marxism"!!

2009-06-06T08:29:00.000-07:00

"Pravda warns US is slipping into Marxism".
"Russian Prime Minister Putin, warned Obama and UK’s Blair, not to follow the path to Marxism, it only leads to disaster.”

Surprised to see that Pravda still exists! But I suppose they are surviving on their dirty ads! Could'nt even attach the direct link here. Heard also that many versions of Pravda are there now. Like the torn up USSR.

CNSNews.com - Obama Taking U.S. in ‘Descent into Marxism,’ Soviet-Era Newspaper Commentary Says

Source: www.cnsnews.com

A commentary published in the once-official newspaper of the Soviet Union heralded America’s “descent into Marxism” citing the United States’ takeover of General Motors, poor education ...

‘Slumdog Millionaire’ Stock Fund

2009-06-06T08:28:00.000-07:00

Helios Plans India ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ Stock Fund and a 'Jai Ho Fund'.

Hedge funds can better name their funds as Lehman or Goldman Sachs Fund !!

Helios Plans India ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ Stock Fund (Update1) - Bloomberg.com

Source: www.bloomberg.com

Helios Capital Management Pte, the hedge-fund manager once backed by Tudor Investment Corp., plans to start a [bn:URL=http://www.slumdogmillionairemovie.co.uk/] “Slumdog Millionaire” [] fund that will buy underperforming shares of Indian companies.

"Everyone is afraid of the Big bad wolf".

2009-06-06T08:25:00.000-07:00

The best thing that rich-world governments can do is to encourage the alternatives by taxing carbon (even knowing that places like China and India will not) and removing subsidies that favour fossil fuels.

"Everyone is afraid of the Big bad wolf".

No hair-shirt option will do!!!
Energy: The future of energy | The Economist
Source: www.economist.com
A fundamental change is coming sooner than you might think

Is wind energy one of the answers? A wind power based plant will need an equal capacity plant as standby for times when wind is not available!!! Think of the capital costs!! Or electrical storage systems have to develop sufficiently to store the extra power.

"India's Economy Grows 5.8%" Wall Street Journal.

2009-06-06T07:56:00.001-07:00

"India's Economy Grows 5.8%" Wall Street Journal.

Morgan Stanley economists, in a May 28 note, said there was a "gradual recovery under way" in the Indian economy. Industrial production growth is likely to recover, to reach 8% by March 2010, they said.

Well, NYT, India can manage on its own, Thank you!!

India's Economy Grows 5.8% - WSJ.com

Source: online.wsj.com

India's economic slowdown may have paused, with gross domestic product expanding at a faster clip than expected in the three months to March.

"India Defies Slump, Powered by Growth in Poor Rural States" - WSJ in a report a little earlier.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123931787215706747.html

"We want to learn to use a computer mouse, not catch mice."... Read More

US Dollar as world currency

2009-05-30T06:02:00.000-07:00

"Zoellick Warns Stimulus ‘Sugar High’ Won’t Stem Unemployment" - World Bank President Robert Zoellick.

Question is whether US Dollar will remain the world’s main currency “for a long time” as he says !!

Zoellick Warns Stimulus ‘Sugar High’ Won’t Stem Unemployment - Bloomberg.com

Source: bloomberg.com

World Bank President [bn:PRSN=1] Robert Zoellick [] warned policy makers that fiscal-stimulus plans are insufficient to turn around the “real economy” and rising joblessness threatens to set off political unrest across the globe.

Bottled Water Disaster

2009-05-30T06:01:00.000-07:00

Say NO to bottled water and Save the Environment. (Watch it full screen)

Bottled Water Disaster

Source: www.slideshare.net

What is the impact on our health and the environment from using Plastic Water Bottles.

After the Housing collapse, a credit card collapse

2009-05-29T12:07:00.000-07:00

After the Housing collapse, a credit card collapse!!! in the US.
"According to estimates by Oliver Wyman, a management consulting firm, card losses at the nation’s biggest banks could reach $141.5 billion by 2010 if the regulators’ loss rate was applied to their entire credit card business. It could top $186 billion for the entire credit card industry."

Banks Brace for Credit Card Write-Offs - NYTimes.com

Source: www.nytimes.com

Even the grim projections may vastly understate the size of the credit card troubles in store for major U.S. banks.

Substitute USA in place of China

2009-05-29T12:06:00.000-07:00

Well US can print more Dollars. What about India.
"India, Suddenly Starved for Investment " -NYT.

But let NYT pray that China does'nt start dumping their US Dollars.
I think India will be able to manage their affairs quite well in this scenario.

India’s Economy Is Stalled for Lack of Investment - NYTimes.com

Source: www.nytimes.com

India’s phenomenal growth in recent years was largely financed by foreign investments and loans, which have fallen sharply in the downturn.

Well. Thomas L. Freidman had long ago asked for prayers to be said for China. So the one I had remarked can be added to the set he had given.(may be roles changed with USA for China & Rest of the World for USA!! :-) Let Us Pray -By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN (Published: Sunday, May 2, 2004).

Let Us Pray - The New York Times

Source: www.nytimes.com

Here's what I learned in Tokyo: If you're the leader of Japan, America, Australia, Taiwan, Malaysia, Russia, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines or the European Union and you're not going to bed each night saying the following prayer for China, then you're not paying attention:

One can only say three things: 1. They've done a pretty good job so far. 2. The job gets harder every day. 3. No one will be immune to the fallout. The relationship of the world to China right now reminds me of that old banker's rule: If a client owes you $1,000, that's his problem. If a client owes you $1 million, that's your problem. China's stability is our problem. -- further from the article

Well just one thing. Substitute USA in place of China!!

Stressing the positive

2009-05-29T12:01:00.000-07:00

"Hooray! The banking crisis is over! Let’s party! O.K., maybe not."
Even before the Bank Stress test results were announced, Tim Geithner, the Treasury secretary, told us they would be “reassuring.”
But whether you actually should feel reassured depends on who you are: a banker, or someone trying to make a living in another profession. more from the article.

Op-Ed Columnist - Stressing the Positive - NYTimes.com

Source: www.nytimes.com

Washington has made a decision to muddle through the financial crisis, hoping that the banks can earn their way back to health.e situation. If all goes well, the bankers will win big. If the current strategy fails, taxpayers will be forced to pay for another bailout." from Stressing the Positive- By PAUL KRUGMAN .

Matters that Matter and some that don't

How Time and Currencies change

How Times and Currencies change!!

Technology that can make Present day Cameras Obsolete

The hunting of a ghost?

Wised Up!

This was the person who predicted 36000 for the DOW in 2000. Certainly, he has wised up!! But Bonds, that too US treasury bonds as a safety net, what a joke!! Sure this man has some nerve.

Android too Tech and Geeky?

A classic case of Think Global, Act Local

Games the Nations Play!!

From the Greenback to the Redback : Games the Nations Play!!

A new Middle Ages!!

A new Middle Ages, but where does America fit into it? The Byzantine Empire !!

Balance your Life!!

The sad story of Japan

When we thought we were rich

‎"cuando pensábamos que éramos ricos" or when we thought we were rich !This is about housing in Spain; but the housing bubble is present in US, Canada, Australia, China, Hong kong and many many countries still !!

Trade wars !!

Now Trade war between China and Japan, and China tastes first victory. Bad for the world and other countries. And an all outtrade war between USA and China may not be that long away!Gulf used petroleum for their gains, and now China may use Rare Earth minerals as their weapon.See also:...

Pseudo-scientific fraud?

No comments !!

If you go very fast:

Any news is Good News

It used to be said, "No news is good news". Well, now it is "Any news is Good News", as long as Fed is there with their quantitative easings. But how long? Risk can be asymmetric, but it can cut both ways!!

The invasion of the Bedbugs

The most profitable business in US during the economic downturn!!The invasion of the Bedbugs.

Kindle or Ipad, why not have something much bigger !

From USD to Euro - is it the solution?

From USD to Euro. But is that the answer? It can only be solved if the Asian countries join & make a common currency, or the the world bank on behalf of all the countries go for a common currency with no independent country able to print currencies on their own.

Debt free - US Style.

Retire a small debt, to take on a bigger debt, US way of going debt-free!! Where debt-free is the fashion now.Doubling Down on Housing - WSJ.comonline.wsj.comRecord-low interest rates and a scary stock market are prompting investors to sink even more money into their homes.

Retire a small debt, to take on a bigger debt, US way of going debt-free!! Where debt-free is the fashion now.

And cost cutting businesses are being blamed for not contributing towards the economy by spending more!!

"Wonderfully incredible businesses"

Poor Warren Buffet! Not financially of course. But that must be the price you pay when you become famous. No one likes you, if you were doing things better than them. Of course he's slipping up these days.But that can't justify his defending the Moody's and the Goldman Sachs.

And He is an honorable man !!

iPhone 4 - some thoughts

Man creates life

Is what's good for Facebook, good enough for you?

Well, in future u can "like" many web pages, but can u "like" a facebook page, a profile of someone, for example? Well facebook should implement this, I suppose.

Look at this easy guide for your privacy settings. i was thinkin of adding this as a comment. But realizing the importance, I feel it is essential that everyone should read this.

What does Facebook publish about you and your friends?Find out from this site by pasting your facebook ID!And be careful about your privacy settings in Facebook !!!

More on EU Bailout!!!

Not afraid of foreign armies but of foreign debt holders.

I well never sell Gold - Faber

Do not hold Cash?

Innovations is the name of the game!

Greece is no different from other OPEC countries

“What Is The Difference Between Greece And Rest Of The OECD? Only That It Is Small Enough To Be Bailed Out” -- Societe General analyst, Dylan Grice.

“What Is The Difference Between Greece And Rest Of The OECD? Only That It Is Small Enough To Be Bailed Out” -- Societe General analyst, Dylan Grice.

“What Is The Difference Between Greece And Rest Of The OECD? Only That It Is Small Enough To Be Bailed Out” -- Societe General analyst, Dylan Grice.

"... but I still think Greece is the beginning of a wave of government funding crises, not the end."

Grice argues that most developed nations have bigger future problems than Greece, excluding the UK which has a significantly higher debt maturity date than most developed nations, taking Bloomberg's data for existing debt maturity for each government.

Also see: (more in detail)

Also see: (more in detail)

Grice: "What Is The Difference Between Greece And Rest Of The OECD? Only That It Is Small Enough To Be Bailed Out"

Grice: "What Is The Difference Between Greece And Rest Of The OECD? Only That It Is Small Enough To Be Bailed Out"

Buffett slipping up!!

A long list of No's

Compare this with a Gemini, or the Adam or many others coming!!!

And now World policing in Economics

Well a saner voice! Now from Economist.

The Danger Line

After Sorrowland, Zombieland

A Parable about Sorrowland

Basically, It's OverA parable about how one nation came to financial ruin.

America going to Greece!!

Greece's cup of woe!

Solar roadways

Solar Roadways

Biggest Bubble of All

Toyota Halts Sales of 8 Models in U.S. for Pedal Flaw ) , this fear is gone.

Honey, I blew up the Ipod, and got the IPad

Deeds not Words that makes a man

Now cellphone has a new use! A cure for Alzheimers !

Now cellphone has a new use! A cure for Alzheimers !!Of course don't take this at face value.

Google & Privacy:

Venezuelan Economics!

Buy at 2.6 exchange rate and sell at 4.3, provided you have good connections. President Chavez's prescription for the Venezuelan economics.May be our politicians have something to learn there.

Freedom of Speech or fall in Stock price, which is more priceless?

‎"cuando pensábamos que éramos ricos" or when we thought we were rich !

This is about housing in Spain; but the housing bubble is present in US, Canada, Australia, China, Hong kong and many many countries still !!

Now Trade war between China and Japan, and China tastes first victory. Bad for the world and other countries. And an all outtrade war between USA and China may not be that long away!

Gulf used petroleum for their gains, and now China may use Rare Earth minerals as their weapon.

See also:
...

The most profitable business in US during the economic downturn!!

The invasion of the Bedbugs.

Retire a small debt, to take on a bigger debt, US way of going debt-free!! Where debt-free is the fashion now.
Doubling Down on Housing - WSJ.com
online.wsj.com
Record-low interest rates and a scary stock market are prompting investors to sink even more money into their homes.

Poor Warren Buffet! Not financially of course. But that must be the price you pay when you become famous. No one likes you, if you were doing things better than them. Of course he's slipping up these days.

But that can't justify his defending the Moody's and the Goldman Sachs.

What does Facebook publish about you and your friends?

Find out from this site by pasting your facebook ID!

And be careful about your privacy settings in Facebook !!!

Now cellphone has a new use! A cure for Alzheimers !!

Of course don't take this at face value.

Buy at 2.6 exchange rate and sell at 4.3, provided you have good connections. President Chavez's prescription for the Venezuelan economics.

May be our politicians have something to learn there.

Bubble in bubbles - time to close bar:

Looks like superficial arguments. Positively true for China. But unlikely where India is concerned.

"Asset prices are being driven more by unusually low interest rates than economic fundamentals": where, in India !!!

“The biggest single central-bank purchase that we know about for at least 30 years in such a short period,”

It is not as much like "it showed large buyers are ready to accept the current price levels", but more like compared to holding USD reserves, it may be wiser holding gold.

As the days pass the reported cost of Bailout is ever expanding!! It has reached 23.7 trillion dollars now, as per Neil Barofsky, "special inspector general for the Treasury’s Troubled Asset Relief Program".

What a title!!

That is almost double the total economic output of USA, it is said.

What Pravda and Putin said one month back, now Rogers says !!
Moneynews - Rogers: America Bordering On Communism
Source: moneynews.newsmax.com
Investor extraordinaire Jim Rogers has harsh words for the government’s interventionist economic policy.

Are Chinese Banks like the apartments they make?

Read the link given here.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/ambroseevans_pritchard/5675198/Chinas-banks-are-an-accident-waiting-to-happen-to-every-one-of-us.html

Will the Black Swan dance again or will it be the swan song?

He hit the jackpot thrice, first as trader in the 1987 Black Monday stock market crash, then with Empirica in the Tech stock crash, 2000 and now with Universa in 2008.

Does it mean that he will be right a fourth time?

The times when Bachelors did'nt have the right to vote and had to pay extra taxes.

Benjamin Franklin “a man without a wife is but half a man.” !!