Ms. Wolf,
After reading your CNN article this morning entitled 'Kate's breasts,
Pussy, Riot, virginity tests, and our attitude towards women's bodies' I
see a striking aggrandizement of the sexuality Pussy Riot evokes being
a female trio punk rock band, the reason for their imprisonment and the
thesis or point of your article. Pussy Riot was speaking out in a
public demonstration against the Russian orthodox church's support for
the united Russia party and Vladimir
Putin as the country's president. Sadly their actions interrupted a
church service at one orthodox cathedral and they were charged with
hooliganism motivated by religious hatred. Granted, more than likely
their stiff sentence and specific charges were skewed and propogandized
to deter questions of political persecution, but anyone can see the
Kremlin wanted an example mad out of them for speaking against the
ruling party.
Your article's sole premise is more of a general stab at sociological
idealogies as they relate to sex, the exploitation of woman, and the
female body as a whole. Aside from pussy riot being women, not sure how
mentioning them gives your article or your point to be more precise any
more vigor other than to slowly euthanize a pseudo-intellectual passerby
having eloped from their daily work duties to surf the Internet at
lunch only to become fixated on buzz word current events.
Best,
b
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Federer
Forgive me father for it has been quite some time since my last confession.
Roger Federer's prowess on the tennis court is unmatched in historical context. It is however a stitch in time where perhaps his competition was not comparable to the likes of the now prime players Nadal and Djokovic. Clearly, there is a drop off in Tennis Greatnss after the Big 3 and even though they existed during Federer's remarkable run of 231 consecutive weeks at number 1, where he amassed 16 grand slams and 60 plus tournament wins; Nadal and Djokovic were still at their nascent beginnings.
Now, it appears, the panacea, including totalitarian reign atop the ATP standing which 'the joker' ,as he is aptly referred,currenlty resides, is Nadal, Federer, and the homogenous court surface manipulation by the ATP. The likely hood of Djokovic winning every tournament but the french each year, conceded to not a French Frog but a conquistador of the clay in Nadal, is unlikely. This due in part to Nadal's lack of competition amongst other ATP players as of late including Federer. At 25 he has time to figure out what he needs to do to beat Djokovic on other surfaces, and with 5 set marathons being the status quo between the two, he is not far from doing it. This of course brings us to the aforementioned court homogenization by the atp to essentially slow down everything, so the points are longer on every surface to the extent where no one can tell the difference between how a ball bounces at Flushing Meadows in the fall and Wimbledon in the summer. It makes for great tv and it keeps baseline play en vogue as well as discouraging, or should I say, outright banning the teaching of serve and volley techniques as a 'style' of play at bolleteri and other youth tennis academies.
This brings me to my point, the slower surfaces perhaps is red-herring as to why older players are playing longer on tour, 28 plus, and also why Roger Federer's weapons are not as powerful as they once were. What I notice the most about Federer in terms of what he has lost is not so much athleticism, because quite frankly it is hard to tell. Clearly his footwork is a little slower as some of his shot making has waned in the last two yeas, however, what i notice most of all is how much his serve has turned from a weapon to merely a starter pistol . Most notably at Wimbledon, he doesnt seem to have the free points off his serve that I am accustomed to seeing. Everything seems to be hit back and against the human pong machine djokovic, something will have to be improved upon, to cut the point duration and give more power to his shots. Perhaps, Federer will serve and volley all day, though with the pace he is generating I dont see that happening. The Serve speed might be like old, but the ball slows down considerably after it hits the ground on this grass, particularly as the tournament goes to the later rounds, the dirt ground surface slows the ball down even further.
I dont see Federer having a shot against Djokovic who has harder ground strokes and counterpunches with his 18/20 string pattern better than anyone on tour. His serve is also enormously underrated, the surfaces he has placed Federer on recently he has essentially dominated him, I wish Federer the best, but I simply dont see him winning.
Roger Federer's prowess on the tennis court is unmatched in historical context. It is however a stitch in time where perhaps his competition was not comparable to the likes of the now prime players Nadal and Djokovic. Clearly, there is a drop off in Tennis Greatnss after the Big 3 and even though they existed during Federer's remarkable run of 231 consecutive weeks at number 1, where he amassed 16 grand slams and 60 plus tournament wins; Nadal and Djokovic were still at their nascent beginnings.
Now, it appears, the panacea, including totalitarian reign atop the ATP standing which 'the joker' ,as he is aptly referred,currenlty resides, is Nadal, Federer, and the homogenous court surface manipulation by the ATP. The likely hood of Djokovic winning every tournament but the french each year, conceded to not a French Frog but a conquistador of the clay in Nadal, is unlikely. This due in part to Nadal's lack of competition amongst other ATP players as of late including Federer. At 25 he has time to figure out what he needs to do to beat Djokovic on other surfaces, and with 5 set marathons being the status quo between the two, he is not far from doing it. This of course brings us to the aforementioned court homogenization by the atp to essentially slow down everything, so the points are longer on every surface to the extent where no one can tell the difference between how a ball bounces at Flushing Meadows in the fall and Wimbledon in the summer. It makes for great tv and it keeps baseline play en vogue as well as discouraging, or should I say, outright banning the teaching of serve and volley techniques as a 'style' of play at bolleteri and other youth tennis academies.
This brings me to my point, the slower surfaces perhaps is red-herring as to why older players are playing longer on tour, 28 plus, and also why Roger Federer's weapons are not as powerful as they once were. What I notice the most about Federer in terms of what he has lost is not so much athleticism, because quite frankly it is hard to tell. Clearly his footwork is a little slower as some of his shot making has waned in the last two yeas, however, what i notice most of all is how much his serve has turned from a weapon to merely a starter pistol . Most notably at Wimbledon, he doesnt seem to have the free points off his serve that I am accustomed to seeing. Everything seems to be hit back and against the human pong machine djokovic, something will have to be improved upon, to cut the point duration and give more power to his shots. Perhaps, Federer will serve and volley all day, though with the pace he is generating I dont see that happening. The Serve speed might be like old, but the ball slows down considerably after it hits the ground on this grass, particularly as the tournament goes to the later rounds, the dirt ground surface slows the ball down even further.
I dont see Federer having a shot against Djokovic who has harder ground strokes and counterpunches with his 18/20 string pattern better than anyone on tour. His serve is also enormously underrated, the surfaces he has placed Federer on recently he has essentially dominated him, I wish Federer the best, but I simply dont see him winning.
Monday, July 2, 2012
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Letter to GLAAD PRESIDENT
Mr. Thompson
I always find it somewhat amusing when a reporter on either a partisan
news outlet such as fox news or some communist social welfare
prosthelytizing medium such as CNN attempt to converge gay rights and
politics to the tipping point of social paradigms. When Newt Gingrich
was asked at a Rally by a young man why gay and lesbian supporters of
his should vote for him I found the basic question a non-sequitur and
irreverent to any productive talking points on homosexuality. What
does sexual orientation have to do with voting for the president of
the United States? Newt is vehemently against same sex marriage and
finds homosexuality anti-christian and no doubt the man posing the
question new this so was he honest from the outset merely poised to
stir the pot? Other than marital rights why is sexual orientation such
a major issue in choosing a candidate to vote for. If Newt was gay I
would still vote for him because his ideologies match up with my own;
atleast the ones I feel to be most prudent, social welfare reform, war
on terror, healthcare, socioeconomic policy etc and so forth. Aren't
these the issues that any citizen should try to identify with in
choosing a candidate? Conversely, if I am a gay man or woman who is
reasonably intelligent I would imagine political issues other than gay
rights would be as important to me if not more important than whether
or not I can marry my significant other. If I have a car or am capable
of buying a bus or plane ticket I can travel to a state that does
allow such acts of sanctimony to occur. I can't gamble in DC but I can
gamble in Vegas; I can't marry my first cousin in DC but I can marry
my first cousin in West Virginia. Subversive activities that can
overthrow the very conduits of policing socially accepted morally
stringent behavior are dangerous if allowed to be considered part of
the status quo because people will take advantage of the immigration
loopholes, tax loopholes, and eviscerate the notion of private and
public life being separate. If a country club wishes to deny woman and
african americans I think that is wrong but its a private club and
they may do as they wish. Atleast that is the preface of the denial
letter I receive from Alpha Kappa Alpha stating their all-black
fraternity is strictly for 'people of color' and that perhaps 'I would
feel uncomfortable in such a social setting'.
P.S.
How do you think marines will feel when talking about having
heterosexual sex with a hot blonde over a game of cards in a barracks
when suddenly a gay member of the platoon mentions how much he enjoyed
anal sex with a guy the night before? Life isn't far, there is no
explanation possible to refute the likely deterrence of volunteers of
the arm forces if don't ask don't tell were repealed. Just
hypothetically speaking say pedophilia were not illegal, the soldier
that enjoyed sex with prepubescent girls or 10 year old boys pick your
poison, you don't suppose he would feel uncomfortable bringing this up
during a card game knowing he was in the minority? He is not exactly
going to be invited to a family picnick with my daughter thats for
sure.
Best,
Dale
I always find it somewhat amusing when a reporter on either a partisan
news outlet such as fox news or some communist social welfare
prosthelytizing medium such as CNN attempt to converge gay rights and
politics to the tipping point of social paradigms. When Newt Gingrich
was asked at a Rally by a young man why gay and lesbian supporters of
his should vote for him I found the basic question a non-sequitur and
irreverent to any productive talking points on homosexuality. What
does sexual orientation have to do with voting for the president of
the United States? Newt is vehemently against same sex marriage and
finds homosexuality anti-christian and no doubt the man posing the
question new this so was he honest from the outset merely poised to
stir the pot? Other than marital rights why is sexual orientation such
a major issue in choosing a candidate to vote for. If Newt was gay I
would still vote for him because his ideologies match up with my own;
atleast the ones I feel to be most prudent, social welfare reform, war
on terror, healthcare, socioeconomic policy etc and so forth. Aren't
these the issues that any citizen should try to identify with in
choosing a candidate? Conversely, if I am a gay man or woman who is
reasonably intelligent I would imagine political issues other than gay
rights would be as important to me if not more important than whether
or not I can marry my significant other. If I have a car or am capable
of buying a bus or plane ticket I can travel to a state that does
allow such acts of sanctimony to occur. I can't gamble in DC but I can
gamble in Vegas; I can't marry my first cousin in DC but I can marry
my first cousin in West Virginia. Subversive activities that can
overthrow the very conduits of policing socially accepted morally
stringent behavior are dangerous if allowed to be considered part of
the status quo because people will take advantage of the immigration
loopholes, tax loopholes, and eviscerate the notion of private and
public life being separate. If a country club wishes to deny woman and
african americans I think that is wrong but its a private club and
they may do as they wish. Atleast that is the preface of the denial
letter I receive from Alpha Kappa Alpha stating their all-black
fraternity is strictly for 'people of color' and that perhaps 'I would
feel uncomfortable in such a social setting'.
P.S.
How do you think marines will feel when talking about having
heterosexual sex with a hot blonde over a game of cards in a barracks
when suddenly a gay member of the platoon mentions how much he enjoyed
anal sex with a guy the night before? Life isn't far, there is no
explanation possible to refute the likely deterrence of volunteers of
the arm forces if don't ask don't tell were repealed. Just
hypothetically speaking say pedophilia were not illegal, the soldier
that enjoyed sex with prepubescent girls or 10 year old boys pick your
poison, you don't suppose he would feel uncomfortable bringing this up
during a card game knowing he was in the minority? He is not exactly
going to be invited to a family picnick with my daughter thats for
sure.
Best,
Dale
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Public expenditure Keynesian Philosophy and the War on Terror
I concede the point that the Taylor rule is a better measure of controlling inflation with marginal interest rate adjustments then the Phillips Curve. But the Phillips Curve still has some bite left in it particularly in relation to unemployment figures and a booming economy catalyzed initially by Obama's TARP, QE 1,2,3, and the governments purchase of the most toxic debt assets from private companies including those it absorbed such as GM. Unemployment continues to go down, inflation is rising, and in Europe the ESFS and ECB are asking those parties that hold 81 Billion EUROS in greek bonds to take a 53.5 percent hair cut to supplement the asset relief efforts visa vie Angela Merkel and other European leaders. It appears to me that if the United States were to aid Syria, Israel were to bomb Iran, and the European Oil Embargo were to occur within months of each other the results could incite catastrophic hyper inflation causing atavistic post world war one Keynesian reconstruction of the global economy.
To offset this crisis, given that the production costs of North American National Gas, and oil extraction through hydraulic fracturing and other measures is the lowest in the world. The Fed is easily capable using price controls to manipulate our currency, in this case devaluing it. If this were to happen the United States could once again become a major competitive export center of the world not seen since the Cold War era of the 1950s. In 2011 the U.S. exported more oil-based fuels than it imported making the U.S. a net exporter of such goods, primarily disiel, for the first time since 1949. ...........
To offset this crisis, given that the production costs of North American National Gas, and oil extraction through hydraulic fracturing and other measures is the lowest in the world. The Fed is easily capable using price controls to manipulate our currency, in this case devaluing it. If this were to happen the United States could once again become a major competitive export center of the world not seen since the Cold War era of the 1950s. In 2011 the U.S. exported more oil-based fuels than it imported making the U.S. a net exporter of such goods, primarily disiel, for the first time since 1949. ...........
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Forgive Me Father For I Have Sinned
Forgive me Father for it has been ten days since my last confession and I have sinned with abundant obdurance in the interim. William Buckley's avid glean could not foresee my speculating as hubris having envisaged the fall of the BRICs equity markets. The spring's fate air is upon us and so is the rapid precipice of the Nasdaq; the technology sell off is upon us. If you believe in the efficient market hypothesis the determined dip of tech should not be timed with the cherry blossom festival year after year, but since studying market data since 1982, it happens year after year with the tick of my patek phillip. My layman assumption is in fact that product renewal and advanced inventory upgrades are generally featured towards the end of the fourth quarter and these sales figures trickle into the next year's business cycle. By the spring however, the cache of a christmas state of the art macbook has dispersed and everyone is awaiting until the release of the next iPhone, say late summer early fall to incite the next plebiscite yah or nay. Could it also be as Tom Brokaw referred to in his " The greatest generation" a 'mass exodus' to the outdoors with the smell of barbecue jamborees and burned rubber on the asphalt cajoling the would be 1080p flat screen channel surfers and computer virtuosos to partake in the majesty of the outdoors. We all know gas prices will rise and continue to stay high during the peak travel months of late spring and summer however...... more to come
Friday, February 17, 2012
Keynesian Economics 101
"If you put two economists in a room, you get two opinions, unless one of them is Lord Keynes, in which case you get three,"- Winston Churchill
Such a remark often attributed to Winston Churchill was met by Manyard Keynes with the stout academic reply of " When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you, sir?". Without historical contextualization my point is without merit as the ability to change one's mind by my estimation highlights intelligence not ignorance. The year is 1931 the place is London, England and Keynes has just published his famed denouncement of the Treaty of Versailles entitles Treatise. Nominal interest rates are high and prices on consumers goods are low and unemployment is over 20 percent. Keynes publicly encouraged mother's, daughters, and wives to spend and was pushing a public works program to lower unemployment. Treasury Chancellor Philip Snowden in response wrote a memorandum illustrating how "continued state borrowing on the present scale without provision for repayment....would quickly call into question the stability of the British financial system." Ergo, the fear that continued spending by the British government without repayment would echo fears throughout the already debt ridden super powers of Europe that the English government would renege on its debts prompting a run on the pound sterling.
Having read the memorandum Keynes made an about-face opting for temporary import levies to gain capital. Citing Hayek's criticism's of Keynes, Hayek could not accept Keynes believe that the divergence between investment and savings was that it adversely affected the stability of prices. As a corollary Keynes naturally would insist upon public works 'investments and an increase in household spending to promote inflationary price measures that would in the short term trigger employment opportunities. Introducing Knut Wicksell's thesis from The Influence of the Rate of Interest on Prices I believe illustrates there is no finite answer to such an economic problems as they fluctuate like the ebb and flow of the tides. However, the noble and sensible gentleman would ascertain from Keynes capricious calls to action in the mist of Hyper inflation in Germany and Austria and the stock market crash of 1929 that his doctrine is not ingrained in stone. Keynes believed it was the duty of the government to assist its people in a time of crisis, a crisis that not only affects the individual and company, but a sovereign's solvency. To allow the free market to correct itself to Keynes politically would be peripatetic in that the free market would inadvertently be directing fiscal and monetary policy as opposed to the other way around. Therefore in a democracy, autocracy, or totalitarian regime, the natural rate of interest has the power unless reeled in by the government to shift power from the public sector to the private. According to Wicksell's thesis:
" The thesis which I humbly submit to criticism is this. If, other things remaining the same, the leading banks of the world were to lower their rate of interest, say 1 per cent. below its ordinary level, and keep it so for some years, then the prices of all commodities would rise and rise and rise without any limit whatever; on the contrary, if the leading banks were toraise their rate of interest, say 1 per cent. above its normal level, and keep it so for some years, then all prices would fall and fall and fall without any limit except Zero."
Point being the economic retracement to equilibrium in interest vs prices takes longer in the free market economy than through a central bank in establishing market rates. Based soley on the natural rate of interests yield to maturity curve, the angles of elevation in depression visa vie short and long term holdings would present much steeper inclines and declines and shorter periods of inelasticity....Thoughts so far?
Such a remark often attributed to Winston Churchill was met by Manyard Keynes with the stout academic reply of " When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you, sir?". Without historical contextualization my point is without merit as the ability to change one's mind by my estimation highlights intelligence not ignorance. The year is 1931 the place is London, England and Keynes has just published his famed denouncement of the Treaty of Versailles entitles Treatise. Nominal interest rates are high and prices on consumers goods are low and unemployment is over 20 percent. Keynes publicly encouraged mother's, daughters, and wives to spend and was pushing a public works program to lower unemployment. Treasury Chancellor Philip Snowden in response wrote a memorandum illustrating how "continued state borrowing on the present scale without provision for repayment....would quickly call into question the stability of the British financial system." Ergo, the fear that continued spending by the British government without repayment would echo fears throughout the already debt ridden super powers of Europe that the English government would renege on its debts prompting a run on the pound sterling.
Having read the memorandum Keynes made an about-face opting for temporary import levies to gain capital. Citing Hayek's criticism's of Keynes, Hayek could not accept Keynes believe that the divergence between investment and savings was that it adversely affected the stability of prices. As a corollary Keynes naturally would insist upon public works 'investments and an increase in household spending to promote inflationary price measures that would in the short term trigger employment opportunities. Introducing Knut Wicksell's thesis from The Influence of the Rate of Interest on Prices I believe illustrates there is no finite answer to such an economic problems as they fluctuate like the ebb and flow of the tides. However, the noble and sensible gentleman would ascertain from Keynes capricious calls to action in the mist of Hyper inflation in Germany and Austria and the stock market crash of 1929 that his doctrine is not ingrained in stone. Keynes believed it was the duty of the government to assist its people in a time of crisis, a crisis that not only affects the individual and company, but a sovereign's solvency. To allow the free market to correct itself to Keynes politically would be peripatetic in that the free market would inadvertently be directing fiscal and monetary policy as opposed to the other way around. Therefore in a democracy, autocracy, or totalitarian regime, the natural rate of interest has the power unless reeled in by the government to shift power from the public sector to the private. According to Wicksell's thesis:
" The thesis which I humbly submit to criticism is this. If, other things remaining the same, the leading banks of the world were to lower their rate of interest, say 1 per cent. below its ordinary level, and keep it so for some years, then the prices of all commodities would rise and rise and rise without any limit whatever; on the contrary, if the leading banks were toraise their rate of interest, say 1 per cent. above its normal level, and keep it so for some years, then all prices would fall and fall and fall without any limit except Zero."
Point being the economic retracement to equilibrium in interest vs prices takes longer in the free market economy than through a central bank in establishing market rates. Based soley on the natural rate of interests yield to maturity curve, the angles of elevation in depression visa vie short and long term holdings would present much steeper inclines and declines and shorter periods of inelasticity....Thoughts so far?
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Pay for your Postal Service America
USPS lost 3.3 billion dollars in the fourth quarter ending in December. With Thanksgiving, Ramadan, Hanukah, Christmas, Kwanza, my birthday, your sister's birthday, generous uncles and aunts etc this is supposed to be the most profitable time of year. As a government sponsored enterprise it does not receive tax payer money rather, it is sponsored visa vie the treasury and has reached its 15 billion dollar borrowing limit the past 5 fiscal annual cycles. Ironically, its annual lose of 14.1 billion is equal to this 'donation'; 'donation' because GSE's are not required to pay back their debt, if they fail the U.S. buys back their debt raises taxes and issues more treasury bonds.
Never mind the 220,000 jobs USPS wants to cut, nearly 12 percent of its infrastructure; why aren't we paying for the mail we take for granted. If we want to use the service it should be taxed; if we don't, suffice it to say $7.70 for Fedex seems like an awful high price just to send a letter to my grandmother alerting her of her new assisted living center accommodations. Lets cut the mail off on Saturdays, include tax provisions for letters, effectively end priority first class mail in the sense of overnight or faster delivery, and just make the USPS for nonchalant no hassle package/envelope delivery. Leave the important stuff to UPS and FEDEX. Privatizing the U.S. mail service would make sense but then again I am far too worried about monopolization and or collusion amongst the mail service providers of what is effectively a corollary to freedom of expression. If someone controls the delivery of the message at cost, would that subject someone to rethinking sending a letter of dissension to their local Senator or Congressman. The very liberties we take for granted are founded on the basis of the free mail service; with a postmaster at the helm to guard and ensure the safe delivery of our secrets, our declarations, our fated last words. I must insist a tax premium be included for mail service; I do not care for any more privatization mixed with government regulation.
Never mind the 220,000 jobs USPS wants to cut, nearly 12 percent of its infrastructure; why aren't we paying for the mail we take for granted. If we want to use the service it should be taxed; if we don't, suffice it to say $7.70 for Fedex seems like an awful high price just to send a letter to my grandmother alerting her of her new assisted living center accommodations. Lets cut the mail off on Saturdays, include tax provisions for letters, effectively end priority first class mail in the sense of overnight or faster delivery, and just make the USPS for nonchalant no hassle package/envelope delivery. Leave the important stuff to UPS and FEDEX. Privatizing the U.S. mail service would make sense but then again I am far too worried about monopolization and or collusion amongst the mail service providers of what is effectively a corollary to freedom of expression. If someone controls the delivery of the message at cost, would that subject someone to rethinking sending a letter of dissension to their local Senator or Congressman. The very liberties we take for granted are founded on the basis of the free mail service; with a postmaster at the helm to guard and ensure the safe delivery of our secrets, our declarations, our fated last words. I must insist a tax premium be included for mail service; I do not care for any more privatization mixed with government regulation.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Ode to Gillian
Art thy without, am I not longing
You see but you know not my fawning desire
To break the bridge and light the fire
Like Mr. Blake's Tiger I am Yearning
For in the forests of the night I am Burning
I see the stars, I see HIM, He teaches me and I am learning
Upon this rock I build my church, with my hands alone
Learned for all to see my futures threads are sown
doth my beauty protests a syncope's ischemia
The ibid is no more; my legs result not from bulimia
Polaris gilded in white silk lines my path
My morrow's dawn blindingly bright
To those who doubted I bid you a farewell goodnight.
You see but you know not my fawning desire
To break the bridge and light the fire
Like Mr. Blake's Tiger I am Yearning
For in the forests of the night I am Burning
I see the stars, I see HIM, He teaches me and I am learning
Upon this rock I build my church, with my hands alone
Learned for all to see my futures threads are sown
doth my beauty protests a syncope's ischemia
The ibid is no more; my legs result not from bulimia
Polaris gilded in white silk lines my path
My morrow's dawn blindingly bright
To those who doubted I bid you a farewell goodnight.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
FCFF and Market Cap
Free cash flow and free cash flow to the firm are important for large cap companies but are not important for say a intellectual property firm. Furthermore, the IRR is greater as the overall required market return grows. For example an oil company relative to Carrier Air Conditioners whose prospective growth rate does not achieve the same manifest destiny clause as a private oil firm such as Exxon Mobile. Furthermore, the relative carried debt of a firm is difficult to distinguish particularly in terms of its proprietary trading habits, Nota Buena Vockler Rule.........
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Digital Textbooks
Response to Bloomberg article http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-30/why-ipads-won-t-make-students-textbooks-more-affordable-view.html
You fail to see the underlining piracy implications that break any encryptions on copying never mind the lack of morality in the cyber world. Having digital copies on the internet makes textbook price points drop as piracy will force retailers and publishers alike to compete with lowering demand for the same textbooks they sell for 180 bucks that students are burning for their friends on CDs they received from rapidshare.com. Look at the Napster, Kaza example of how people eventually abandoned the piracy of music for premium virus free content for 1 dollar a song with 14 songs being the equivalent price of a CD. With textbooks, movies etc the same situation will occur and digital databases with unlimited material will be available for subscription fees you pay per month. Like your cable, if you want education, digital books etc thats one price, so are movies music etc, those things you don't desire you don't pay for. Distributors are well aware people will be copying their content but their goal is a reverse pyramid scheme based on the low cost of the product, be fair to the client and they will be fair to you. I don't ask my friend to burn me his 1.99 cent apple songs rather i buy them myself because the price point is fair. To your articles point, at face value you are correct, and the school system will lose money as the students get money in their pocket. Isn't this free market capitalism at its finest though? Having been blessed to avoid the corrupt beauracracy of the DC public school system, a multimillion dollar conglomerate of idiots liars thieves and money, I don't think the school systems need the money. Rather, put the power in the hands of the students to determine what needs to be changed.
P.S.
Newt is right about the unions in janitorial positions of power at public schools feeding off government financing. You could offer light janitorial work to the students who are struggling financially for a lot less and they would learn the value of time, money, and hard work while simultaneously getting an education. You think we could have offered the same students, perhaps high schoolers to work at the assembly lines at GM and Ford plants prior to 2008?
You fail to see the underlining piracy implications that break any encryptions on copying never mind the lack of morality in the cyber world. Having digital copies on the internet makes textbook price points drop as piracy will force retailers and publishers alike to compete with lowering demand for the same textbooks they sell for 180 bucks that students are burning for their friends on CDs they received from rapidshare.com. Look at the Napster, Kaza example of how people eventually abandoned the piracy of music for premium virus free content for 1 dollar a song with 14 songs being the equivalent price of a CD. With textbooks, movies etc the same situation will occur and digital databases with unlimited material will be available for subscription fees you pay per month. Like your cable, if you want education, digital books etc thats one price, so are movies music etc, those things you don't desire you don't pay for. Distributors are well aware people will be copying their content but their goal is a reverse pyramid scheme based on the low cost of the product, be fair to the client and they will be fair to you. I don't ask my friend to burn me his 1.99 cent apple songs rather i buy them myself because the price point is fair. To your articles point, at face value you are correct, and the school system will lose money as the students get money in their pocket. Isn't this free market capitalism at its finest though? Having been blessed to avoid the corrupt beauracracy of the DC public school system, a multimillion dollar conglomerate of idiots liars thieves and money, I don't think the school systems need the money. Rather, put the power in the hands of the students to determine what needs to be changed.
P.S.
Newt is right about the unions in janitorial positions of power at public schools feeding off government financing. You could offer light janitorial work to the students who are struggling financially for a lot less and they would learn the value of time, money, and hard work while simultaneously getting an education. You think we could have offered the same students, perhaps high schoolers to work at the assembly lines at GM and Ford plants prior to 2008?
gordonsgekko.blogspot.com
Friday, January 27, 2012
Gingrich sinking to Romney's level
Newt,
I implore you to use January 26th's GOP debate as an example of how even the most sound minded and most articulate can tire and slip with fatigue. You appeared tired at times and perhaps satisfied with what occurred in South Carolina whereas Mr. Santorum and Mitt Romney elevated their diction and talking points with succinct verifiable facts for the first time to the point where dare I say it, they spoke as fluidly as you Mr. Speaker.
Where I saw true grit and due diligence, was in Romney's attack on your investment portfolio that is NOT in a blind trust. The weakest argument given by a former CEO of consulting firm that dealt with mergers and acquisitions was that he was unaware of any of the positions in his blind trust including Goldman Sachs and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. However, your public razing of Romney to this end backfired when you failed to state your own investments before attacking Romney for the very investment positions you have interest in whether directly or through mutual funds. Moreover, your assertion that your contract with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac prohibited lobbying is but a halve truth. In your second contract it did not have any clauses prohibiting lobbying and Mr. Romney criticized you for this in rapid succession and your rebuttal was off topic and generic.
I thought Rick Santorum's critic of Romney's state run health care system was precise and well posed and while Romney was quick to try and extricate himself from Obama Care, he forgot his sneakers. In truth Mr. Santorum was factual accurate, the health care in Massachusetts mandates payment by 100 percent of the population in the state not just those who wish to seek public sponsored health care. Romney see -sawed from an 8 percent population pool that paid into the state run health care system to a 4 percent pool and his numbers on the quality of care were derided with accurate facts by Mr. Santorum. Kudos
The running hyperbole that is Ron Paul's libertarian idealism at times was more honest and respectable than anything any of the candidates could muster from their bowels of their patriotic hearts. However, his age, asserted once again by Wolf Blitzer and his knack for stammering give little credence to his honest words, honest in their fervor and soul. Mr. Speaker, going back to you, please once again, I implore you, read Sun Tzu's Art of War and refrain from attacking an enemy with hundreds of millions of dollars more in compaign financing in laborious media wars. You are smarter, have more experience in Washington, and your ability to walk the bi-partisan line is something that will achieve far more productive facets of legislature than what I would think would come from Mitt Romney.
Finally, I don't think repealing all of Dodd Frank and Sarbanes Oxley is required to improve lending and increase or GDP/economy. I think disclosure controls are incredibly important, but in term of say the Vockler Rule, I don't know why you wouldn't just reinstate Glass Steagall if you are going to thwart proprietary trading. Goldman Sachs has already issued 4 year CDs tied to Nasdaq equities that themselves control which already bypasses this rule. Lets keep our government's hands off free market capitalism as you say but maintain the beginnings of mercantilism particularly in the use of domestic resources to control inflation and GDP. The Saudis who buy our Treasury bills don't want the Keystone Pipeline nor offshore oil drilling with direct injection into the U.S. unless its for our reserves..... I will leave this argument for another letter.
Good Day,
Brendan
I implore you to use January 26th's GOP debate as an example of how even the most sound minded and most articulate can tire and slip with fatigue. You appeared tired at times and perhaps satisfied with what occurred in South Carolina whereas Mr. Santorum and Mitt Romney elevated their diction and talking points with succinct verifiable facts for the first time to the point where dare I say it, they spoke as fluidly as you Mr. Speaker.
Where I saw true grit and due diligence, was in Romney's attack on your investment portfolio that is NOT in a blind trust. The weakest argument given by a former CEO of consulting firm that dealt with mergers and acquisitions was that he was unaware of any of the positions in his blind trust including Goldman Sachs and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. However, your public razing of Romney to this end backfired when you failed to state your own investments before attacking Romney for the very investment positions you have interest in whether directly or through mutual funds. Moreover, your assertion that your contract with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac prohibited lobbying is but a halve truth. In your second contract it did not have any clauses prohibiting lobbying and Mr. Romney criticized you for this in rapid succession and your rebuttal was off topic and generic.
I thought Rick Santorum's critic of Romney's state run health care system was precise and well posed and while Romney was quick to try and extricate himself from Obama Care, he forgot his sneakers. In truth Mr. Santorum was factual accurate, the health care in Massachusetts mandates payment by 100 percent of the population in the state not just those who wish to seek public sponsored health care. Romney see -sawed from an 8 percent population pool that paid into the state run health care system to a 4 percent pool and his numbers on the quality of care were derided with accurate facts by Mr. Santorum. Kudos
The running hyperbole that is Ron Paul's libertarian idealism at times was more honest and respectable than anything any of the candidates could muster from their bowels of their patriotic hearts. However, his age, asserted once again by Wolf Blitzer and his knack for stammering give little credence to his honest words, honest in their fervor and soul. Mr. Speaker, going back to you, please once again, I implore you, read Sun Tzu's Art of War and refrain from attacking an enemy with hundreds of millions of dollars more in compaign financing in laborious media wars. You are smarter, have more experience in Washington, and your ability to walk the bi-partisan line is something that will achieve far more productive facets of legislature than what I would think would come from Mitt Romney.
Finally, I don't think repealing all of Dodd Frank and Sarbanes Oxley is required to improve lending and increase or GDP/economy. I think disclosure controls are incredibly important, but in term of say the Vockler Rule, I don't know why you wouldn't just reinstate Glass Steagall if you are going to thwart proprietary trading. Goldman Sachs has already issued 4 year CDs tied to Nasdaq equities that themselves control which already bypasses this rule. Lets keep our government's hands off free market capitalism as you say but maintain the beginnings of mercantilism particularly in the use of domestic resources to control inflation and GDP. The Saudis who buy our Treasury bills don't want the Keystone Pipeline nor offshore oil drilling with direct injection into the U.S. unless its for our reserves..... I will leave this argument for another letter.
Good Day,
Brendan
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Gingrich and Romney
The articulation and sheer wit of Gingrich is the most formidable weapon a politician can have. Romney's aesthetics and All -American persona emphasizing the 'American Dream' is inundated with mainstreet's distaste for corporate America. Nevermind the fact that he is not a straight shooter in terms of innate principals over abortion, and much desired civil liberties such as free healthcare, his success spurs jealously over those who wish for greater economic equality amongst the middle class. These Americans are not aware that they are fighting a war amongst themselves for greater welfare benefits not looking at the Romney example of hard work as a motivator to go back to school learn new skills and become more competitive in this global economy. Ulltimately, given that Romney lost so much headway amongst South Carolinian voters after his mundane and unmoving arguments in the past two GOP debates, there appears to be a general consensus among southern voters that this race, at least for southern conservatives is not a popularity contest. The Jewish 'electorate' population in Florida should take kindly to Gingrich's stern warnings over muslim extremists and fervent belief "over the hold that Israel has over the American heart" . The questions about his personal life are irrelevant but not necessarily those regarding which organizations he has received compensation from. It will be interesting to see what comes of these investigations but I believe whole heartedly Gingrich will prevail in the GOP race and the Presidential race overall-
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Snowing in NY
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Plato's Republic
In Plato's republic we are met with a glimpse of understanding humans emotional response and how that effectuates rational deductive logic. Plato states that there are three parts to the human soul (or three souls) that impress upon human behavior: Rational, spirited, and appetitive. For Plato, the rational soul is the logical decision-making part of human beings, equated to the mind or intellect. The appetitive soul on the other hand supposes emotions or desires as infectious and take action by them or through them. Plato sees these forces as constantly in conflict with the rational soul. This confrontation often incites irrational behavior whether it be in the form of self-entitlement, avarice, manipulation such as projection, even an attempt at mass manipulation.
In terms of Irrationality, woman are often scape-goats for non-linear thinking and complete apathy when it comes to deduction. The truth is both men and women are creatures of impulsion and self-absorption. We dedicate more time to our public persona perceived by those we deem important than we do to the pure altruism our archetypal image insists is most important. In addition, there is no self-less act as Kant would say without a subversion of self-fulfillment. This is not necessarily nefarious in nature as helping others genuinely is rewarding via endorphin and oxytocin levels. However, when the means do not justify the apparent end rather, act as a farce for some alternative agenda such as image building we are left with avarice as the motivator......
In terms of Irrationality, woman are often scape-goats for non-linear thinking and complete apathy when it comes to deduction. The truth is both men and women are creatures of impulsion and self-absorption. We dedicate more time to our public persona perceived by those we deem important than we do to the pure altruism our archetypal image insists is most important. In addition, there is no self-less act as Kant would say without a subversion of self-fulfillment. This is not necessarily nefarious in nature as helping others genuinely is rewarding via endorphin and oxytocin levels. However, when the means do not justify the apparent end rather, act as a farce for some alternative agenda such as image building we are left with avarice as the motivator......
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Benjamin Graham and Yahoo Finance
Benjamin Graham, my mentor's mentor, the great Oracle of Omaha's mentor to be exact, and the founder of value investing back in 1928 devised a formula for equity evaluation that to this day is not outdated in the slightest.EPS *(8.5 +2g)*4.4/y. That is to say, Earnings Per Share times the non-growth rate of 8.5 plus 2 times the 5 year PEG growth rate times 4.4 the yield on high grade corporate bonds back in 1962 divided by the current yield on aaa 20 corporate bonds. What I would like to know is if the current aaa corporate bond of 2.89 is appropriate for the denominator or whether I should implement the aa 20 year rate with the higher yield, roughly 4.6 as it is more congruent with the numerator's top rated corporate yield back in 1962.
In addition, I would like to note in my journey to collect the most up to date financial data online that I have found that I can receive information comparable to that of my fidelity investment account for free from yahoo finance. Scott Thompson, now the new ceo of Yahoo, pioneered paypal's receivership and raised contracts with online suppliers to use paypal exclusively in his tenure, as of the third quarter of 2011 its total payment volume was 29.3 billion. I very much like the ability of paypal to raise its revenue via symbiotic relationships with already successful online merchants. I hope Scott Thompson sees this because I like Yahoo; as onomatopoeia in the vernacular of Howard Dean, not as a search engine. Conversely, I feel the format for Yahoo Finance is as in depth and easy to use as any financial information website on the internet and their for should be advertised as an application. Yahoo's intrinsic value for the future may be intangible in terms of current cash flows and net margins however such applications like yahoo messenger are infinitely more popular than say google chat. As they say in literature when devising the most dynamic of archetypal characters via synecdoche, sometimes the parts are greater than the whole.
These broader strokes at personalization were the beginnings of a positive user interface on the internet long before profile data was collected and search algorithms became infinitely more advanced. As long as the product was easy to use thats all anyone cared about, now Itunes, amazon, googe etc want to guess what they're consumers are thinking and I fear they could potential delve into more than just our purchase history to draw these conclusions. For example, LinkedIn recommends friends or potential connections on a level facebook should be shameful of. The other day LinkedIn suggested I be friends with the psychiatrist I saw when my mother died 5 years ago; what? Their proprietary social algorithm I feel is connected with google and the people who search for your on multiple search engines, in any event, It was strange, surreal, and well yes the unsettling nostalgia set in; the 300 hundred dollars an hour not my mother's death.
P.S. I realize Zynga's IPO did not go as smoothly into the upper stratosphere as Groupon's did and other analysts might have expected. However, again referring back to this symbiotic relationship of piggybacking other successful online websites with high visitor volume and adspace, how much of facebook's annual revenues are a result of Zynga's presence on the site? Mark Pincus believes in the personalization of the internet and platforming to achieve total personalization of media via tv, internet etc. There is a cult following in Mafia Wars like that of second life, people who wish to connect with other people who want a break from themselves and their real life. On facebook this idea is expressed mildly in white lies on profiles regarding their schools, relationship status, and what they did Saturday night vs what they actually did not do. Pincus understands this ability to enhance public perception of one's self a renovatio of one's imperfections or social standing..........
In addition, I would like to note in my journey to collect the most up to date financial data online that I have found that I can receive information comparable to that of my fidelity investment account for free from yahoo finance. Scott Thompson, now the new ceo of Yahoo, pioneered paypal's receivership and raised contracts with online suppliers to use paypal exclusively in his tenure, as of the third quarter of 2011 its total payment volume was 29.3 billion. I very much like the ability of paypal to raise its revenue via symbiotic relationships with already successful online merchants. I hope Scott Thompson sees this because I like Yahoo; as onomatopoeia in the vernacular of Howard Dean, not as a search engine. Conversely, I feel the format for Yahoo Finance is as in depth and easy to use as any financial information website on the internet and their for should be advertised as an application. Yahoo's intrinsic value for the future may be intangible in terms of current cash flows and net margins however such applications like yahoo messenger are infinitely more popular than say google chat. As they say in literature when devising the most dynamic of archetypal characters via synecdoche, sometimes the parts are greater than the whole.
These broader strokes at personalization were the beginnings of a positive user interface on the internet long before profile data was collected and search algorithms became infinitely more advanced. As long as the product was easy to use thats all anyone cared about, now Itunes, amazon, googe etc want to guess what they're consumers are thinking and I fear they could potential delve into more than just our purchase history to draw these conclusions. For example, LinkedIn recommends friends or potential connections on a level facebook should be shameful of. The other day LinkedIn suggested I be friends with the psychiatrist I saw when my mother died 5 years ago; what? Their proprietary social algorithm I feel is connected with google and the people who search for your on multiple search engines, in any event, It was strange, surreal, and well yes the unsettling nostalgia set in; the 300 hundred dollars an hour not my mother's death.
P.S. I realize Zynga's IPO did not go as smoothly into the upper stratosphere as Groupon's did and other analysts might have expected. However, again referring back to this symbiotic relationship of piggybacking other successful online websites with high visitor volume and adspace, how much of facebook's annual revenues are a result of Zynga's presence on the site? Mark Pincus believes in the personalization of the internet and platforming to achieve total personalization of media via tv, internet etc. There is a cult following in Mafia Wars like that of second life, people who wish to connect with other people who want a break from themselves and their real life. On facebook this idea is expressed mildly in white lies on profiles regarding their schools, relationship status, and what they did Saturday night vs what they actually did not do. Pincus understands this ability to enhance public perception of one's self a renovatio of one's imperfections or social standing..........
Friday, January 6, 2012
Neuro Opthamology...psuedoscience
I saw a Neuro Ophthalmologist today at Georgetown University and as I suspected something may seriously be wrong with my vision. It is difficult to explain to someone when according to Amsler grid tests and the Ishihara color vision test my vision is perfect that my world has become hazy and not as sharp virtually overnight. In this sudden mild myopic trance, I recall one of the scarce few metaphors bestowed upon me by my father: Nobody cares about your money as much as you. I can derive from this ephemeral fable that my wife who has worn glasses her whole life and whose spherical OD and Horizontal OS prescriptions are in the positive 6-8 range will not empathize. Being that I can still read a license plate off a car at night 50 feet in front of me, I can understand her lack of concern, however, this is my world my life. At a basketball game no one with court side tickets voluntarily moves to the nose bleed section. I dont want my view of the second half of the game to be from the cheap seats.
Thomas Aquinas believed in the existence of God and outlined a series of axioms to support his epistemology in his Summa Theologica (1265-1274). The most noted and often used is his conjecture that because of the complexities of the human eye, a supreme being beyond nature must exist, ie intelligent design. What makes his theory so special is that his ad priori postulate predates modern scientific dissection of the human eye. Juxtaposing higher primates corneal, retinal specificity as well as lens refractions it is clear that more than speech, and complex deduction, our eyes set homo sapiens apart from Chimps, Orangutangs etc. It is with this understanding and the relatively new field of topical lense refraction or photorefractive keratectomy, PRK where our depth of knowledge becomes hypothetical and the scientific method can no longer be applied. This is where I am, in this place of pseudo intellectual experts their co-pays and a hemorrhoid, you might know them by their technical acronym, HMO.
Ill let you know if the haze subsides if you promise to tell me if this blog is being read by someone other than me, myself, and I.
Thomas Aquinas believed in the existence of God and outlined a series of axioms to support his epistemology in his Summa Theologica (1265-1274). The most noted and often used is his conjecture that because of the complexities of the human eye, a supreme being beyond nature must exist, ie intelligent design. What makes his theory so special is that his ad priori postulate predates modern scientific dissection of the human eye. Juxtaposing higher primates corneal, retinal specificity as well as lens refractions it is clear that more than speech, and complex deduction, our eyes set homo sapiens apart from Chimps, Orangutangs etc. It is with this understanding and the relatively new field of topical lense refraction or photorefractive keratectomy, PRK where our depth of knowledge becomes hypothetical and the scientific method can no longer be applied. This is where I am, in this place of pseudo intellectual experts their co-pays and a hemorrhoid, you might know them by their technical acronym, HMO.
Ill let you know if the haze subsides if you promise to tell me if this blog is being read by someone other than me, myself, and I.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
...In the dead of night
...In the dead of night it comes to play
How I refrain its' avid glean
My preference I wish to lay
on faded thoughts and mildewed means
Sudden Brush and harsh air
my cerebellum dances in despair
what ill-fated thoughts I must bear
or ignore my conscience's grand scheme
Pounding hearts be aware
topsy turvy yellow bellies need not apply
the split-infinitive in its cowardice appeases the notion
my longfellow Wordsworth shall not lie
It is in the dead of night where cowards live and heros lie.
How I refrain its' avid glean
My preference I wish to lay
on faded thoughts and mildewed means
Sudden Brush and harsh air
my cerebellum dances in despair
what ill-fated thoughts I must bear
or ignore my conscience's grand scheme
Pounding hearts be aware
topsy turvy yellow bellies need not apply
the split-infinitive in its cowardice appeases the notion
my longfellow Wordsworth shall not lie
It is in the dead of night where cowards live and heros lie.
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