Monday, May 31, 2010

Policing for Profit

Seems like George W Bush privatised the local police forces too ;)

Profit seeking policemen, defendants assumed guilty until proven innocent, use of overwhelming force, legal harassment, arresting bystanders, etc. Sounds like a caricature of a third world police force.

Also, the bit about 33% of all currency carrying traces of drugs is highly amusing.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Use the market for a solution, brilliant!

It will be difficult to find a better example of effecting change by using market participants efficiently. Always go after consumers rather than producers. Why? Simple fact of the matter is that if demand exists, someone somewhere will satisfy it. Shift demand / taste and you are closer to the cultural shift you aim for.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Six people attended!

Yes, that's right. 6 people paid $300 for the privilege of listening to this guy speak. I wonder, do the folks who can't wait to get on the next flight to the USA even know about these stories. This is a land where Sarah Palin roams free, evolution is questioned and guns are allowed into bars. Rock on!

Monday, May 24, 2010

Can I have a back dated bonus now please?

A few years ago, this deal found its way to my desk. I'd have the opportunity to be the lead manager. A brief study of the financials didn't make for happy reading and I politely said 'No, Thank you' and walked away. Considering this is a $40 million sized hole I played a part in averting, it would be terribly nice if everyone who mocked me then could stand up and applaud now. :)

Friday, May 14, 2010

The Kingdom

This has definitely been one of the best movies i've seen in a while. Well worth a watch, and highly recommended. No unnecessary drama, brilliant acting, tight editing and no philosophising on the underlying problem; this film just deals with the reality of life in the aftermath of a terror attack.

Sunday, May 09, 2010

Home of the brave?

Sure sounds like it, seems like you'll need balls of steel just to get out of your house and wash your car. Amazing that of all the fascination there exists for moving to the States, I never hear about this culture of violence being a concern.

Sunday, May 02, 2010

Pride goeth before the fall

Is it possible that at some time in the near future, this is the moment they'll look back at and wonder why they spent 4 billion greenbacks?

If it's really going to cost twice as much as the Olympics, must say Beijing is winning this contest between the cities. It can't really be coincidental that really preposterous ideas look logical just before the party tapers off, Dubai anyone?

If Greece was a Corporation....

dodgy accounting, excessive leverage, union trouble, unclear access to lines of credit - sounds like one in need of a bailout.

Greece’s fiscal woes would be serious but probably manageable if the Greek economy’s prospects for the next few years looked even moderately favorable. But they don’t. Earlier this week, when it downgraded Greek debt, Standard & Poor’s suggested that the euro value of Greek G.D.P. may not return to its 2008 level until 2017, meaning that Greece has no hope of growing out of its troubles.

Geographic factors

If this is not an advert for not buying a house unless you plan to live there for the rest of your life, I don't know what is.

Ten percentage points separate the states with the highest and lowest unemployment rates. But the property crash is making it much harder for Americans to move to where the jobs are. A quarter of mortgage borrowers owe more than their houses are worth. Many people are stuck in places with poor employment prospects, unable to leave for cities where their skills may be in demand. Although the economy is starting to create new and often highly remunerative jobs, they are out of reach to those who cannot move.