ok, this is the last one of my flashbacks. This is the travel log for Day 2 of my UK-Ireland trip from Oct 2006.
Key words from the log: Dali, Big Ben, Westminster, London Eye, Princess Di, etc.
http://www.esnips.com/web/UKTrip2006-Day2a
New column on current events this weekend. Promise!
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Friday, June 20, 2008
oh yeah, I am one of those
you know how TV stations, newspapers, websites, and blogs once in a while recycle some of their old stuff, well as much as dont want to be one of those, I have no choice. Have not thought of anything new to write, so will recycle some of my old stuff for you readers.
I went on a UK-Ireland trip in Oct 2006 and kept a travel log. Some of you may have read it (i had sent it out via email) but I've not posted it on the blog ever. So here goes:
Day 1 in London
(click on the link below and scroll down to the "File" section and click on the pdf link. yeah it is tedious but blogger.com does not let you post files for some reason, morons!)
http://www.esnips.com/web/UKTrip2006-Day1/
I went on a UK-Ireland trip in Oct 2006 and kept a travel log. Some of you may have read it (i had sent it out via email) but I've not posted it on the blog ever. So here goes:
Day 1 in London
(click on the link below and scroll down to the "File" section and click on the pdf link. yeah it is tedious but blogger.com does not let you post files for some reason, morons!)
http://www.esnips.com/web/UKTrip2006-Day1/
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Healthcare slap in the face!
It's true that things do not hit you in the face until you face the issue firsthand. I've known for some time that the US Healthcare system is riddled with so much bureaucracy that not only is it driving up prices for the common person but also it makes socialist bureacracy seem tame.
So, I needed to 4 vaccinations before I head to school as the state of MA requires every student to be immunized against certain conditions. I already did this when I came to the US as a grad student in 1995 but I had either lost the paperwork or in one case you need to get immunized every 5 years or so.
So what did I do? I called my insurance people and asked them if this is covered and the lady on the phone said that yes I was covered as long as the entire cost of the process was under $300 per year. Fair enough I thought.
-I placed a call to my PCP and took an appointment for 8:15 am on a Monday. I did not want to miss too much time from work.
-I show up at 8 am, sign-in at the front desk (on a computer by myself no less, yeah this place is fancy), wait once for some one to call me. My name is called and I go to a desk where I am asked the usual info and asked to shell out my co-pay. The lady then asks me to go wait in another area
until someone else would call me.
-Of course by the time someone comes to call me it is 8:30. F**k!! Why the heck do they appointments then? This is like waiting for the cable guy, "Someone will show up between 8 and 11 am". I dont understand what is the purpose of taking an appointment at a precise time when it means jacksh*t.
-anyway, a nurse takes me into a room and takes my temperature, blood pressure, weight, and height and asks me to go wait in another room for the doctor (i've never understood this serial waiting process).
-Of course by the time the doctor shows up it's close to 9 am. I tell her that my insurance covers $300 for all the vaccines so let me know if all the vaccinations will be covered by this. She obviously does not know and asks me to ask technicians when they give me the shots.
-She also mentions that they could draw blood from me and test that in the lab and if the results are ok I dont have to take 2 of the 4 vaccinations. I said ok.
-So copious amounts of blood is drawn (seriously they took like a litre of blood from me, jeeez!), a shot is given (hurt like crap for 2 days by the way), and some sort of another shot is injected in my forearm.
-I am asked to come back on Wednesday to show the nurses the thing in my forearm and if that's negative I am good for one of the 4 vaccines. The lab results for the other two would be mailed to me as soon as they are out and if they are negative.
-I go back on Wednesday and get the one vaccine taken care of.
-Then I get a call from my doctor who says that the lab tests came back ambivalent for two of the tests and one came back positive. Ambivalent meant that she had to ask them to be re-tested at another lab (which meant more $$ and I was getting irritated) or I could just come back again and get the shots. I told her that I would rather come back and get the shots.
-So I make an appt for Monday which mind you is exactly 7 days later to my first visit.
-I go through the motions on Monday as I sign-in and go the first waiting area. Mind you by now I am POd that I've had to take time off from work. The girl at the second desk asks me for another co-pay. I go "What?!" I was just here last Monday and am here to take care of that per my doctor. She goes, "Sir, this is policy every time you come back you have to co-pay". I was having none of that, "That does not make any sense to me". And she goes, "Sir, your insurance will pay for the visit dont worry you just have to pay your co-pay". Now I am getting more POd. This is how they are artificially driving up prices and making healthcare unaffordable. It did not make any sense for me to pay for co-pay twice especially since I was coming back to finish a procedure. She finally said, "You can talk to the doctor about this". Damn yes I will!
-The poor nurse who then came to get me from the waiting area had no idea what mood I was in. As she took me into a room to get the usual measurements, I went ballistic on her. "I was here 7 days ago, do you think I have contracted some strange disease in that period or grown 2 inches". For crying out loud, people need to use common sense in situations. I dont give a rat's a*s if its policy. It's following rules to the book is what drives prices in healthcare up.
-By the time the doctor came to see me I was raging mad! I lit into her as soon as she came in. She had an intern with her (who was a 2nd year student). Both of them looked scared after I finished speaking. The doctor's voice quivered as she spoke back. I wanted her to cancel all the tests and just give me the shots. She had ordered the tests despite me telling her not to, standard policy apparently (that friggin' term again!).
-She seemed genuinely pained on hearing me shout about the situation. She apologized for everything and told me that she will run right away and try to cancel the tests (which she managed to later). I talked to her about the co-pay and she apologetically said that it was policy (that term again!). I lectured her on that a bit (I was getting used to this!). What this did in effect was that she became nervous and told me that I did not need one of the shots and she couls sign saying that I did not need that (I told her that I remember getting that shot 2 times before).
-In 15 min I calmed down and apologized to her (and the intern) for yelling at them. They both mumbled something about them understanding. I am sure they went back and cursed the heck out me later. Who knows they did some voodoo stuff on my X-ray!
Bottom line, some basic reasoning needs to be factored into the healthcare system in this country. Redundant procedures are one of the main reasons that lead to rises in healthcare costs and these need to be reigned in. I need to get more info about this. I read that one of my future classmates is all about changing the healthcare system. Let's see how that goes.
So, I needed to 4 vaccinations before I head to school as the state of MA requires every student to be immunized against certain conditions. I already did this when I came to the US as a grad student in 1995 but I had either lost the paperwork or in one case you need to get immunized every 5 years or so.
So what did I do? I called my insurance people and asked them if this is covered and the lady on the phone said that yes I was covered as long as the entire cost of the process was under $300 per year. Fair enough I thought.
-I placed a call to my PCP and took an appointment for 8:15 am on a Monday. I did not want to miss too much time from work.
-I show up at 8 am, sign-in at the front desk (on a computer by myself no less, yeah this place is fancy), wait once for some one to call me. My name is called and I go to a desk where I am asked the usual info and asked to shell out my co-pay. The lady then asks me to go wait in another area
until someone else would call me.
-Of course by the time someone comes to call me it is 8:30. F**k!! Why the heck do they appointments then? This is like waiting for the cable guy, "Someone will show up between 8 and 11 am". I dont understand what is the purpose of taking an appointment at a precise time when it means jacksh*t.
-anyway, a nurse takes me into a room and takes my temperature, blood pressure, weight, and height and asks me to go wait in another room for the doctor (i've never understood this serial waiting process).
-Of course by the time the doctor shows up it's close to 9 am. I tell her that my insurance covers $300 for all the vaccines so let me know if all the vaccinations will be covered by this. She obviously does not know and asks me to ask technicians when they give me the shots.
-She also mentions that they could draw blood from me and test that in the lab and if the results are ok I dont have to take 2 of the 4 vaccinations. I said ok.
-So copious amounts of blood is drawn (seriously they took like a litre of blood from me, jeeez!), a shot is given (hurt like crap for 2 days by the way), and some sort of another shot is injected in my forearm.
-I am asked to come back on Wednesday to show the nurses the thing in my forearm and if that's negative I am good for one of the 4 vaccines. The lab results for the other two would be mailed to me as soon as they are out and if they are negative.
-I go back on Wednesday and get the one vaccine taken care of.
-Then I get a call from my doctor who says that the lab tests came back ambivalent for two of the tests and one came back positive. Ambivalent meant that she had to ask them to be re-tested at another lab (which meant more $$ and I was getting irritated) or I could just come back again and get the shots. I told her that I would rather come back and get the shots.
-So I make an appt for Monday which mind you is exactly 7 days later to my first visit.
-I go through the motions on Monday as I sign-in and go the first waiting area. Mind you by now I am POd that I've had to take time off from work. The girl at the second desk asks me for another co-pay. I go "What?!" I was just here last Monday and am here to take care of that per my doctor. She goes, "Sir, this is policy every time you come back you have to co-pay". I was having none of that, "That does not make any sense to me". And she goes, "Sir, your insurance will pay for the visit dont worry you just have to pay your co-pay". Now I am getting more POd. This is how they are artificially driving up prices and making healthcare unaffordable. It did not make any sense for me to pay for co-pay twice especially since I was coming back to finish a procedure. She finally said, "You can talk to the doctor about this". Damn yes I will!
-The poor nurse who then came to get me from the waiting area had no idea what mood I was in. As she took me into a room to get the usual measurements, I went ballistic on her. "I was here 7 days ago, do you think I have contracted some strange disease in that period or grown 2 inches". For crying out loud, people need to use common sense in situations. I dont give a rat's a*s if its policy. It's following rules to the book is what drives prices in healthcare up.
-By the time the doctor came to see me I was raging mad! I lit into her as soon as she came in. She had an intern with her (who was a 2nd year student). Both of them looked scared after I finished speaking. The doctor's voice quivered as she spoke back. I wanted her to cancel all the tests and just give me the shots. She had ordered the tests despite me telling her not to, standard policy apparently (that friggin' term again!).
-She seemed genuinely pained on hearing me shout about the situation. She apologized for everything and told me that she will run right away and try to cancel the tests (which she managed to later). I talked to her about the co-pay and she apologetically said that it was policy (that term again!). I lectured her on that a bit (I was getting used to this!). What this did in effect was that she became nervous and told me that I did not need one of the shots and she couls sign saying that I did not need that (I told her that I remember getting that shot 2 times before).
-In 15 min I calmed down and apologized to her (and the intern) for yelling at them. They both mumbled something about them understanding. I am sure they went back and cursed the heck out me later. Who knows they did some voodoo stuff on my X-ray!
Bottom line, some basic reasoning needs to be factored into the healthcare system in this country. Redundant procedures are one of the main reasons that lead to rises in healthcare costs and these need to be reigned in. I need to get more info about this. I read that one of my future classmates is all about changing the healthcare system. Let's see how that goes.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Happenings...
so what's been happening lately people? Well with me, here it is:
-So my boss tells me this week that apperently my official title and grade for the last 2 years has actually been "Technical Program Manager". I am like "waaaat?". U see my business card says "Technical Applications Specialist". I guess in effect I dont give a rats a**e about this now. I was in fact running 2 programs so it was obvious to others but on the card. Besides Program Managers do not have anyone reporting to them directly. It's one of those magical Matrix organizations. I (and other program managers) had to get about 60 or so people internally to do stuff for us although we did not do their performance reviews. Was definitely interesting. Bottom line, the actual title will hopefully look good on my new resume that I will make up for B school recruiting.
-Saw two movies last weekend. "Indiana Jones: The Crystall Skull" and "Harold and Kumar II". The IJones movies was allrite. The ending was disappointing. Shia LeBoeuf (whose earlier work in "The Battle of Shaker Heights" and "A guide to Recognizing your Saints" was fantastic) as the kid of IJones was ok. Harold and Kumar on the other hand was funny. They pulled it off.
-I am throat deep in paperwork for school these days. I've had to apply for my Soc Sec card, send a letter to Selective Service for leaving me out of the armed forces (if you apply for a fed loan you need this), I have to get 4 vaccinations (my arm's gonna hurt like sh*t on Monday), Private Loans, fill out rental agreements, signup for exit interviews at work, post on Craigslist to sublet my place for August. Been a long week!
-I also did a prelim budget for school. And man, it's gonna be freakin' tight! Besides the fixed monthly expenses, I will have about $800 for Food and drinks and travel per month. I guess it's hitting me now that I'm going to be a student soon! My future roommates and I talked about this and one of them has come up with a 'strategy' for saving money in school. Here is his 'strategy':
-Buy loads of Red Wine bottles now and store up for the whole semester
-No taking a date to dinner outside on the first date. Cook at home
-On second or third dates, take the girl to someplace where we dont have to pay but still dont let her know we are cheap! Like a Zoo or a free museum exhibit (I've done the latter already!).
-Watched a little of the NBA playoffs this week. My rant from a few years ago is still valid about the Detroit Pistons. Whoever the next coach is (you better believe it that Flip's gonna get fired) should get into his team's mindset that the offense will flow through Rasheed. The Celtics look very shaky. My prediction for the final: Lakers in 5 (or 6 at most).
-Euro 2008 football (or soccer to you ignoramuses out there) starts next weekend (June 7). I am excited. Was in France the last time this happenned. Good times, good times! Unfortunately the games start at 12 noon or at 2:45 in the afternoon. I hope my workplace let's me slip out during lunch for some of the games (they did that for the World Cup in 2006). My prediction: France Vs Spain in the Final. France Wins!
That's all for now
-So my boss tells me this week that apperently my official title and grade for the last 2 years has actually been "Technical Program Manager". I am like "waaaat?". U see my business card says "Technical Applications Specialist". I guess in effect I dont give a rats a**e about this now. I was in fact running 2 programs so it was obvious to others but on the card. Besides Program Managers do not have anyone reporting to them directly. It's one of those magical Matrix organizations. I (and other program managers) had to get about 60 or so people internally to do stuff for us although we did not do their performance reviews. Was definitely interesting. Bottom line, the actual title will hopefully look good on my new resume that I will make up for B school recruiting.
-Saw two movies last weekend. "Indiana Jones: The Crystall Skull" and "Harold and Kumar II". The IJones movies was allrite. The ending was disappointing. Shia LeBoeuf (whose earlier work in "The Battle of Shaker Heights" and "A guide to Recognizing your Saints" was fantastic) as the kid of IJones was ok. Harold and Kumar on the other hand was funny. They pulled it off.
-I am throat deep in paperwork for school these days. I've had to apply for my Soc Sec card, send a letter to Selective Service for leaving me out of the armed forces (if you apply for a fed loan you need this), I have to get 4 vaccinations (my arm's gonna hurt like sh*t on Monday), Private Loans, fill out rental agreements, signup for exit interviews at work, post on Craigslist to sublet my place for August. Been a long week!
-I also did a prelim budget for school. And man, it's gonna be freakin' tight! Besides the fixed monthly expenses, I will have about $800 for Food and drinks and travel per month. I guess it's hitting me now that I'm going to be a student soon! My future roommates and I talked about this and one of them has come up with a 'strategy' for saving money in school. Here is his 'strategy':
-Buy loads of Red Wine bottles now and store up for the whole semester
-No taking a date to dinner outside on the first date. Cook at home
-On second or third dates, take the girl to someplace where we dont have to pay but still dont let her know we are cheap! Like a Zoo or a free museum exhibit (I've done the latter already!).
-Watched a little of the NBA playoffs this week. My rant from a few years ago is still valid about the Detroit Pistons. Whoever the next coach is (you better believe it that Flip's gonna get fired) should get into his team's mindset that the offense will flow through Rasheed. The Celtics look very shaky. My prediction for the final: Lakers in 5 (or 6 at most).
-Euro 2008 football (or soccer to you ignoramuses out there) starts next weekend (June 7). I am excited. Was in France the last time this happenned. Good times, good times! Unfortunately the games start at 12 noon or at 2:45 in the afternoon. I hope my workplace let's me slip out during lunch for some of the games (they did that for the World Cup in 2006). My prediction: France Vs Spain in the Final. France Wins!
That's all for now
Sunday, May 25, 2008
State of the Portfolio, Remember the Portfoliio?
Can't remember the last time I checked in on my portfolio (was it in December or January?). Anyway, time for a review of how my picks are doing:
-COP: +1.4% since July 2007
-E: +7.2% since July 2007
-CHK: +44.1% since July 2007 (sweeeeeet!)
-CCJ: -19% since July 2007 (not so sweet)
-PAL:-36.7% since July 2007 (ouch!)
Overall, -2% since July 2007. Meanwhile, S&P500 is -11% for the same period. Not too shabby.
Just when I was trying to gloat about my CHK (natural gas) pick, PAL kills me! And CCJ as well. You would think any precious metal related company would be doing really well. Have you seen the price of Platinum recently? That's the reason I dont understand the performance of PAL. I passingly read some report that said that there is a supply deficit of Pd next year. So keeping PAL may not be a bad deal.
CCJ on the other hand is a Uranium company. Not sure why they are not doing well too. There is room for alternative energy PLUS CCJ has given out dividends of 5 cents three times and 6 cents one time since July 2007-that's four dividends in less than a year. And still it's down?
On the other hand, look at CHK (natural gas). Nothing extra-ordinary has happened to them in the last year or so. Four times dividends of 7 cents each have been given out. The 2007 annual report was very good but 1Q of 2008 was terrible. But still there is upward movement this year. Why? Let me tell you why. Energy sector momentum. People, like sheep, are buying anything to do with Oil and Natural Gas. I can't find any other reason.
By the way has anyone checked the type of dividends that Oil companies are paying these days. $1.25 for E (3 times the past year) and 47 cents for COP (3 times the past year). I have no comment.
So, I will post my last update of this portfolio in July 2008. Then it's all real time baby!
By the way, I opened a FX (currency trading) account this past week. Real time! I've started with a $250 account. I hope to concentrate on trading the spread between USD and JPY and USD and EURO. I am excited about this! Let's see how it turns out.
-COP: +1.4% since July 2007
-E: +7.2% since July 2007
-CHK: +44.1% since July 2007 (sweeeeeet!)
-CCJ: -19% since July 2007 (not so sweet)
-PAL:-36.7% since July 2007 (ouch!)
Overall, -2% since July 2007. Meanwhile, S&P500 is -11% for the same period. Not too shabby.
Just when I was trying to gloat about my CHK (natural gas) pick, PAL kills me! And CCJ as well. You would think any precious metal related company would be doing really well. Have you seen the price of Platinum recently? That's the reason I dont understand the performance of PAL. I passingly read some report that said that there is a supply deficit of Pd next year. So keeping PAL may not be a bad deal.
CCJ on the other hand is a Uranium company. Not sure why they are not doing well too. There is room for alternative energy PLUS CCJ has given out dividends of 5 cents three times and 6 cents one time since July 2007-that's four dividends in less than a year. And still it's down?
On the other hand, look at CHK (natural gas). Nothing extra-ordinary has happened to them in the last year or so. Four times dividends of 7 cents each have been given out. The 2007 annual report was very good but 1Q of 2008 was terrible. But still there is upward movement this year. Why? Let me tell you why. Energy sector momentum. People, like sheep, are buying anything to do with Oil and Natural Gas. I can't find any other reason.
By the way has anyone checked the type of dividends that Oil companies are paying these days. $1.25 for E (3 times the past year) and 47 cents for COP (3 times the past year). I have no comment.
So, I will post my last update of this portfolio in July 2008. Then it's all real time baby!
By the way, I opened a FX (currency trading) account this past week. Real time! I've started with a $250 account. I hope to concentrate on trading the spread between USD and JPY and USD and EURO. I am excited about this! Let's see how it turns out.
Inside HillDawg's Mind - May 24 2008
So, the following quotes (or some variation of them) have been attributed to have originated from Hillary Clinton in the past 2 weeks or so:
-“…I have shown to have the support of hardworking whites…”
-“…If you consider the democratic primary based on electoral votes then I have the clear majority…”
-“….If the Democratic primaries would have been based on winner take-all then I would have been the clear winner….”
-“…the popular vote should be considered since it is important to take people’s will into consideration…”
-“…considering what happened to RFK in 1968, I can’t understand why so many people want to me to step aside…”
I am not going into the analysis of these statements like so many of the so-called experts in the print media and the talking heads on TV have. To me all of these indicate one simple feeling: Desperation. She (and her coterie) is willing to say anything to stay in the race. This is not what I want to write about. What I want to examine is what exactly is going on in HillDawg’s mind right now. Here are a few possibilities and my takes:
-I want to stay in until August so that my rival’s campaign pays my $20 M debt. My take on this: not very likely. If she wants the debt to be cleared she can begin behind the scenes negotiation NOW and be taken care of. I am sure B Rack and his campaign would be ok with this considering they are doing so stellar with fund-raising. No need for her to prolong this until August just for money.
-I want to make B Rack a better candidate for the General Election by putting him through this process beforehand. My take: Bullsh*t! Not sure how you are helping a candidate by repeatedly mentioning that he can’t carry an important party base publicly and that too at every opp she gets. I think her decision to stay in until Indiana and N Carolina was a valid one. You could probably even justify staying in for WV and KY. I agree that by staying in she made B Rack a better candidate since he faced a couple of political crisis situations. But this reason is not valid anymore esp now.
-I want to leverage my good showing in the primary into seeking a senior and powerful Democratic party post (Senate Majority Leader/Powerbroker in future elections). My take: somewhat likely. Face it, she has won more primary votes than anyone in history except B Rack. More and more people seem to be coming out of the woodwork so to speak to support her-the media pays attention to the fact that B Rack is attracting young people but forgotten in this is the fact that HillDawg seems to be bringing in more women and others who would not vote otherwise. With her impressive showing in most states she can lay claim to the most powerful role in the party outside the Presidency (if B Rack does win it that is).
-I want to use this to get on B Rack’s tkt as a VEEP. My take: not likely. I just don’t see alpha dog personalities like HillDawg (or her husband) wanting to play second fiddle at any position. People like her always want to be in control. If you don’t think so, read a bit about her background. She has been laying the groundwork for a political career since she was 18 for crying out loud. Yeah she played second fiddle to Billy boy for 8 years (+8 more in AK) but she was setting things up. Plus the way she tried to influence public policy in the Clinton administration is already in the folklore. These type of people (and I don’t mean that in a bad way) can’t see themselves taking orders from others unless absolutely necessary. But then again, what do I know. Come August She might be holding B Rack’s hands in public showing her love.
-I want to stroke my ego. My take: likely. I don’t see any other logical explanation for her behavior (of course logic and politics are an oxymoron). One example of this. Apparently on the nite that she lost NC and barely won IN she was conducting an interview with the press corps on her flight when suddenly Blackberrys of her campaign staff starting blowing up. Apparently Tim Russert of NBC had just declared B Rack the winner of the primary or something final like that on NBC. So what does HillDawg do? She right away calls an impromptu meeting of her staff and without seeking any advice tells everyone: “We are going on until the last primary, no question”. Just like that she made the decision. Not sure if that was made out of spite for the rest of the world that has not agreed with her or an ego driven decision to show to the rest of the world that she will not listen to anyone. I don’t see any other evidence but the the latter reason.
How all this will affect the Democratic Party and the General Election remains to be seen.
-“…I have shown to have the support of hardworking whites…”
-“…If you consider the democratic primary based on electoral votes then I have the clear majority…”
-“….If the Democratic primaries would have been based on winner take-all then I would have been the clear winner….”
-“…the popular vote should be considered since it is important to take people’s will into consideration…”
-“…considering what happened to RFK in 1968, I can’t understand why so many people want to me to step aside…”
I am not going into the analysis of these statements like so many of the so-called experts in the print media and the talking heads on TV have. To me all of these indicate one simple feeling: Desperation. She (and her coterie) is willing to say anything to stay in the race. This is not what I want to write about. What I want to examine is what exactly is going on in HillDawg’s mind right now. Here are a few possibilities and my takes:
-I want to stay in until August so that my rival’s campaign pays my $20 M debt. My take on this: not very likely. If she wants the debt to be cleared she can begin behind the scenes negotiation NOW and be taken care of. I am sure B Rack and his campaign would be ok with this considering they are doing so stellar with fund-raising. No need for her to prolong this until August just for money.
-I want to make B Rack a better candidate for the General Election by putting him through this process beforehand. My take: Bullsh*t! Not sure how you are helping a candidate by repeatedly mentioning that he can’t carry an important party base publicly and that too at every opp she gets. I think her decision to stay in until Indiana and N Carolina was a valid one. You could probably even justify staying in for WV and KY. I agree that by staying in she made B Rack a better candidate since he faced a couple of political crisis situations. But this reason is not valid anymore esp now.
-I want to leverage my good showing in the primary into seeking a senior and powerful Democratic party post (Senate Majority Leader/Powerbroker in future elections). My take: somewhat likely. Face it, she has won more primary votes than anyone in history except B Rack. More and more people seem to be coming out of the woodwork so to speak to support her-the media pays attention to the fact that B Rack is attracting young people but forgotten in this is the fact that HillDawg seems to be bringing in more women and others who would not vote otherwise. With her impressive showing in most states she can lay claim to the most powerful role in the party outside the Presidency (if B Rack does win it that is).
-I want to use this to get on B Rack’s tkt as a VEEP. My take: not likely. I just don’t see alpha dog personalities like HillDawg (or her husband) wanting to play second fiddle at any position. People like her always want to be in control. If you don’t think so, read a bit about her background. She has been laying the groundwork for a political career since she was 18 for crying out loud. Yeah she played second fiddle to Billy boy for 8 years (+8 more in AK) but she was setting things up. Plus the way she tried to influence public policy in the Clinton administration is already in the folklore. These type of people (and I don’t mean that in a bad way) can’t see themselves taking orders from others unless absolutely necessary. But then again, what do I know. Come August She might be holding B Rack’s hands in public showing her love.
-I want to stroke my ego. My take: likely. I don’t see any other logical explanation for her behavior (of course logic and politics are an oxymoron). One example of this. Apparently on the nite that she lost NC and barely won IN she was conducting an interview with the press corps on her flight when suddenly Blackberrys of her campaign staff starting blowing up. Apparently Tim Russert of NBC had just declared B Rack the winner of the primary or something final like that on NBC. So what does HillDawg do? She right away calls an impromptu meeting of her staff and without seeking any advice tells everyone: “We are going on until the last primary, no question”. Just like that she made the decision. Not sure if that was made out of spite for the rest of the world that has not agreed with her or an ego driven decision to show to the rest of the world that she will not listen to anyone. I don’t see any other evidence but the the latter reason.
How all this will affect the Democratic Party and the General Election remains to be seen.
Monday, May 19, 2008
No no people!
-how about a 2nd Red Sox no-hitter in 2 years!
-how about a young pitcher farmraised doing it?
-how about an athlete who survived cancer doing it?
-how about a 21 year old kid who was roughly 2 years ago lying in bed not knowing if he would ever live doing this?
-how about a quiet no frills sportsman doing this?
-how about the first Red Sox lefty in 50 years doing this?
-how about that?
-how about a young pitcher farmraised doing it?
-how about an athlete who survived cancer doing it?
-how about a 21 year old kid who was roughly 2 years ago lying in bed not knowing if he would ever live doing this?
-how about a quiet no frills sportsman doing this?
-how about the first Red Sox lefty in 50 years doing this?
-how about that?
No going back now!
yeah I know, it's been a while since I posted. I fell sick on the flight back from India and it has taken me a good part of 2 weeks to return to normal. Lesson: Dont go running when you have a high fever and can't breathe and when you are weak. Anyway, back to normal now (almost).
so, I told my boss today about my career plans. and it seemed to have gone rather well with him(so far atleast).
-He was genuinely interested in the application process, the cost of the education, and my career choice.
-He mentioned that I am welcome to work here if interested after school-in a different division and role obviously.
-He appreciated the 10 week notice (July 31st is my last work day).
-He seemed to be pleased that I was going to attend MIT. Mentioned it 2-3 times.
-He also said, "Congratulations! And now let me go panic about hiring a replacement!"
-He then went talked to his boss.
-Apparently his boss took it coolly (is that a word?).
-His boss apparently told him that he was expecting me to make a move to the corporate division of the company at some point. But they did not expect me to do this this soon. So not exactly surprised apparently.
-They are cool with me working here until July 31.
-I just saw an email from my boss to the HR dept informing them that I have decided to leave and that July 31 is my last day here.
so no going back now! Set in stone more or less.
so, I told my boss today about my career plans. and it seemed to have gone rather well with him(so far atleast).
-He was genuinely interested in the application process, the cost of the education, and my career choice.
-He mentioned that I am welcome to work here if interested after school-in a different division and role obviously.
-He appreciated the 10 week notice (July 31st is my last work day).
-He seemed to be pleased that I was going to attend MIT. Mentioned it 2-3 times.
-He also said, "Congratulations! And now let me go panic about hiring a replacement!"
-He then went talked to his boss.
-Apparently his boss took it coolly (is that a word?).
-His boss apparently told him that he was expecting me to make a move to the corporate division of the company at some point. But they did not expect me to do this this soon. So not exactly surprised apparently.
-They are cool with me working here until July 31.
-I just saw an email from my boss to the HR dept informing them that I have decided to leave and that July 31 is my last day here.
so no going back now! Set in stone more or less.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
4 days, 5 nites, and a New Tolerance Level - Part IV of IV
Anantapur-to-my grandparents’s place
-After going through the 7hr long journey from Bangalore I was looking forward to a normal incident-free car ride to my grandparent’s village from Anantapur. Well, when the poo hitteth the roof it hitteth more than once!
-We drove about 120 KM incident free with the a/c purring away when suddenly our car driver decided to get adventurous and navigate a heavily flooded part of the road by driving right through about 1 feet of water. Well, our rental car had a relative low road to car floor tolerance and voila the car stalled right in the middle of the water pool!
-Dang it! Two consecutive days of travel adventures were not what I had in mind in the middle of an Indian summer. Our car driver seemed shaken, more worried about what his owner would say about this rather than worry about our situation. I guess to each his own.
-When he turned the ignition there was nothing, so I knew it was a serious problem. He would not listen to me and was confident that if someone could pull the car out of the ditch and give it a push it would start. Off he went and recruited a passing mini-truck and convinced the driver to tow the car backwards out of the ditch.
-Mind you this is in the middle of a main thoroughfare road and we are by now a spectacle for all the locals to watch, comment, and laugh. The car got pulled out of the ditch rather adventurously after which I asked my mom, sister, and aunt to get out and wait in a nearby store. I then went along with the driver and we recruited a couple of bystanders to give the car and push backwards first and then forward to start the car.
-I was bitching internally as my new sandals were ankle deep in muddly water! Well, no choice. After a couple of attempts it was clear that the car needed serious repairs.
-I went back to where I had left my mom and others and in the interim a bystander had started chatting with my mom and by the time I walked back to them he told me that there were rental vehicles, heavy duty landrover types even, not far away. This is one thing about India that is special, people are always willing to help out random strangers. Maybe this is the case in other places as well but I find it refreshing that people actually approach YOU when YOU are in trouble even if YOU don’t make the first attempt.
-We successfully then negotiated a new rental vehicle contract and off we went. Of course we went in a non-air conditioned vehicle. This part of the journey would last 2+ hrs under a scorching Sun. My little nephew cheerful through most part of the trip finally gave up at the end. It was brave of him to withstand it so far anyway.
-By the time we reached our grandparents village and offloaded I was in no shape to even talk to anyone. The thing with heat combined with dust and humidity is it saps you! I did not even have the energy to shower or wash my face.
- I had slept 2h in the last 48h and traveled 15h in hot metal boxes with dust blowing from all directions in 110C temperatures.
-I have to say though, seeing my grandparents’s place, the place where we hung out all summers when we were children, was a bit of a relief. I took my nephew on a little walk to the lush green grass fields. He did not stop being transfixed at the sight of a cow and goats grazing in the fields. A bit of my energy returned.
-Of course there was no power when we got to the village. Regular scheduled daily outage apparently. Which made me wonder how the Indian government is going to deal with the never ending purchase of air-conditioned units everywhere. Where would they get the power from-historically India had always been short of the power it needed to run smoothly. Anyway, back to my situation, I just laid out in the open under the trees in the village and dozed off.
-I remember being awoken for dinner at some time, and I sleepily ate (cant remember what) and quickly went back to sleep.
-The next morning was better as we had all recovered. I chatted away with my grandmother and grandfather and uncle and aunt. It felt good to be seeing them. My grandparents (mom’s side) cant travel due to health issues so to see them happy when we went to see them was good. It is always cool to speak to my grandfather as he is one person who is absolutely in his own world. In a cute way. For example, when I was leaving to the US for grad school (I was 20-21 yrs old mind you) he had asked me how I would manage on my own. “Are you not going to be scared by yourself?”. It was so cute I had to laugh out. He was not doing well but recently had recovered. It was good to chat with them. My aunt prepared my fav meal and it was a great time.
-My dad’s family is also from the same village and in fact they used to live a stone’s throw away from my mom’s family. What used to be a relatively large area of four homes lined next to each other and that used to house 16 kids is now crumbly and un-occupied except for one person. Everyone had moved away or passed away and it was a disturbing sight to see. My sister, aunt, and I walked through what we can call ‘ruins’ and felt sad about it. Plush green agricultural land lied unused and destroyed as there is no one to take care of it now. We could only sigh and reminisce the good times from our childhood. My aunt who was born in one of those homes and had grown up there told me that at one time people wondered if these four homes were large enough to hold all the families that were supposed to spring forth. Well, I guess not.
-We left early that morning on another car to catch a flight back to Hyderabad. And luckily the car-ride was un-eventful. We returned to Hyderabad at 6pm the same day. I had managed to survive what turned out to be an interesting 4 days and 5 nites.
-After going through the 7hr long journey from Bangalore I was looking forward to a normal incident-free car ride to my grandparent’s village from Anantapur. Well, when the poo hitteth the roof it hitteth more than once!
-We drove about 120 KM incident free with the a/c purring away when suddenly our car driver decided to get adventurous and navigate a heavily flooded part of the road by driving right through about 1 feet of water. Well, our rental car had a relative low road to car floor tolerance and voila the car stalled right in the middle of the water pool!
-Dang it! Two consecutive days of travel adventures were not what I had in mind in the middle of an Indian summer. Our car driver seemed shaken, more worried about what his owner would say about this rather than worry about our situation. I guess to each his own.
-When he turned the ignition there was nothing, so I knew it was a serious problem. He would not listen to me and was confident that if someone could pull the car out of the ditch and give it a push it would start. Off he went and recruited a passing mini-truck and convinced the driver to tow the car backwards out of the ditch.
-Mind you this is in the middle of a main thoroughfare road and we are by now a spectacle for all the locals to watch, comment, and laugh. The car got pulled out of the ditch rather adventurously after which I asked my mom, sister, and aunt to get out and wait in a nearby store. I then went along with the driver and we recruited a couple of bystanders to give the car and push backwards first and then forward to start the car.
-I was bitching internally as my new sandals were ankle deep in muddly water! Well, no choice. After a couple of attempts it was clear that the car needed serious repairs.
-I went back to where I had left my mom and others and in the interim a bystander had started chatting with my mom and by the time I walked back to them he told me that there were rental vehicles, heavy duty landrover types even, not far away. This is one thing about India that is special, people are always willing to help out random strangers. Maybe this is the case in other places as well but I find it refreshing that people actually approach YOU when YOU are in trouble even if YOU don’t make the first attempt.
-We successfully then negotiated a new rental vehicle contract and off we went. Of course we went in a non-air conditioned vehicle. This part of the journey would last 2+ hrs under a scorching Sun. My little nephew cheerful through most part of the trip finally gave up at the end. It was brave of him to withstand it so far anyway.
-By the time we reached our grandparents village and offloaded I was in no shape to even talk to anyone. The thing with heat combined with dust and humidity is it saps you! I did not even have the energy to shower or wash my face.
- I had slept 2h in the last 48h and traveled 15h in hot metal boxes with dust blowing from all directions in 110C temperatures.
-I have to say though, seeing my grandparents’s place, the place where we hung out all summers when we were children, was a bit of a relief. I took my nephew on a little walk to the lush green grass fields. He did not stop being transfixed at the sight of a cow and goats grazing in the fields. A bit of my energy returned.
-Of course there was no power when we got to the village. Regular scheduled daily outage apparently. Which made me wonder how the Indian government is going to deal with the never ending purchase of air-conditioned units everywhere. Where would they get the power from-historically India had always been short of the power it needed to run smoothly. Anyway, back to my situation, I just laid out in the open under the trees in the village and dozed off.
-I remember being awoken for dinner at some time, and I sleepily ate (cant remember what) and quickly went back to sleep.
-The next morning was better as we had all recovered. I chatted away with my grandmother and grandfather and uncle and aunt. It felt good to be seeing them. My grandparents (mom’s side) cant travel due to health issues so to see them happy when we went to see them was good. It is always cool to speak to my grandfather as he is one person who is absolutely in his own world. In a cute way. For example, when I was leaving to the US for grad school (I was 20-21 yrs old mind you) he had asked me how I would manage on my own. “Are you not going to be scared by yourself?”. It was so cute I had to laugh out. He was not doing well but recently had recovered. It was good to chat with them. My aunt prepared my fav meal and it was a great time.
-My dad’s family is also from the same village and in fact they used to live a stone’s throw away from my mom’s family. What used to be a relatively large area of four homes lined next to each other and that used to house 16 kids is now crumbly and un-occupied except for one person. Everyone had moved away or passed away and it was a disturbing sight to see. My sister, aunt, and I walked through what we can call ‘ruins’ and felt sad about it. Plush green agricultural land lied unused and destroyed as there is no one to take care of it now. We could only sigh and reminisce the good times from our childhood. My aunt who was born in one of those homes and had grown up there told me that at one time people wondered if these four homes were large enough to hold all the families that were supposed to spring forth. Well, I guess not.
-We left early that morning on another car to catch a flight back to Hyderabad. And luckily the car-ride was un-eventful. We returned to Hyderabad at 6pm the same day. I had managed to survive what turned out to be an interesting 4 days and 5 nites.
4 days, 5 nites, and a New Tolerance Level - Part III of IV
Bangalore-to-Anantapur and Anantapur
-I should have listened to my cousin and waited for an air-conditioned bus to take me from Bangalore to Anantapur in the evening. But no, I had to get stupid and envision romanticism on a regular bus ride in the teeth of summer (my bud was right about my IQ I guess).
-So off I went on what is usually a 4h ride on the bus to Anantapur in a regular bus which had no a/c and almost metallic seats.
-Let’s just say it was an interesting experience being on a 7 h bus ride from 1 in the afternoon until 8 pm in 110F temperatures with no air-conditioning. By the time the bus came to Anantapur I was so sapped that I had no energy to even talk to anyone. Adding to this, there was a power cut as I got out of the bus making it difficult to see who had come to pick me up.
-I hustled to a motel, showered, and changed quickly as I was already late for my cousin’s wedding reception.
-The exasperation of the bus ride disappeared immediately as I met my little cousins and uncles and aunts at the reception. I enjoy hanging out with my little cousins who are in the 16-24 yr age group with razor sharp sense of humor. We hung out at the reception hall for a bit and headed to my cousin’s place for a nite of playing cards. This is always exciting! We had to stay awake until 4 am in the morning as the actual wedding ceremony would take place at that time due to it being an auspicious time. And lo went the card playing and giggling.
-We survived the nite and managed to head back to the wedding hall in time for the wedding. There were very few people left-only immediate family (which is a relative word in my family) and it went off well.
-We scrambled back and managed 2h of sleep. Soon after my mom, sister, little nephew, my aunt, and I were headed off to my grandparents’s village in rural AP in an air-conditioned car. All in all it was a good time at the wedding.
-Another disturbing trend I noticed in Anantapur, which is a reasonably large town, is the lack of public infrastructure. It seemed like there was no change at the central bus station or train station in the last 15 years or so. It was very discouraging. I kept hearing that the local politicians were preventing the improvement of roads, and other public infrastructure whenever one side proposed to go ahead with it. Why? Well, because the other side believed that if the roads and other items were improved the people would give all the credit to the political party which proposed it thus making it difficult for the opposition party to come back to power!
-I should have listened to my cousin and waited for an air-conditioned bus to take me from Bangalore to Anantapur in the evening. But no, I had to get stupid and envision romanticism on a regular bus ride in the teeth of summer (my bud was right about my IQ I guess).
-So off I went on what is usually a 4h ride on the bus to Anantapur in a regular bus which had no a/c and almost metallic seats.
-Let’s just say it was an interesting experience being on a 7 h bus ride from 1 in the afternoon until 8 pm in 110F temperatures with no air-conditioning. By the time the bus came to Anantapur I was so sapped that I had no energy to even talk to anyone. Adding to this, there was a power cut as I got out of the bus making it difficult to see who had come to pick me up.
-I hustled to a motel, showered, and changed quickly as I was already late for my cousin’s wedding reception.
-The exasperation of the bus ride disappeared immediately as I met my little cousins and uncles and aunts at the reception. I enjoy hanging out with my little cousins who are in the 16-24 yr age group with razor sharp sense of humor. We hung out at the reception hall for a bit and headed to my cousin’s place for a nite of playing cards. This is always exciting! We had to stay awake until 4 am in the morning as the actual wedding ceremony would take place at that time due to it being an auspicious time. And lo went the card playing and giggling.
-We survived the nite and managed to head back to the wedding hall in time for the wedding. There were very few people left-only immediate family (which is a relative word in my family) and it went off well.
-We scrambled back and managed 2h of sleep. Soon after my mom, sister, little nephew, my aunt, and I were headed off to my grandparents’s village in rural AP in an air-conditioned car. All in all it was a good time at the wedding.
-Another disturbing trend I noticed in Anantapur, which is a reasonably large town, is the lack of public infrastructure. It seemed like there was no change at the central bus station or train station in the last 15 years or so. It was very discouraging. I kept hearing that the local politicians were preventing the improvement of roads, and other public infrastructure whenever one side proposed to go ahead with it. Why? Well, because the other side believed that if the roads and other items were improved the people would give all the credit to the political party which proposed it thus making it difficult for the opposition party to come back to power!
4 days, 5 nites, and a New Tolerance Level - Part II of IV
Bangalore
-I flew into Bangalore from Bombay to spend 3-4 hours meeting my cousin and my uncle and aunt before I took a bus to a town in AP where another cousin of mine was getting married.
-The cousin who lives in Bangalore is one of the few kids from our family who decided to quit his day job and follow his entrepreneurial dreams a couple of years ago. He along with his undergrad buddies started a venture based on a rather simple idea. Obviously the conservative parents and family members did not appreciate this bold decision but it is paying off already. They now employ 80 strong and are looking for an exit strategy of an IPO within the next 6 months. They are about to break even and have another round of VC money setup. My cousin is the CTO. Impressive kid.
-TV stations and newspapers have already done bits about them. Naturally he has become a source of pride for his parents and our grandparents.
-He seems to be planning for his next phase already. Apparently he wants to go to B school once his firm is on its own and move onto the area of developing public infrastructure in India. Excellent idea like always from him! I gave him a few suggestions, not that he needs any, on things about B school etc.-I spent too few hours in Bangalore to notice on the goings on but one thing I remember is the Majestic Bus station- it seemed the same as it was since I was in undergrad (which was about 13 years ago!)
-I flew into Bangalore from Bombay to spend 3-4 hours meeting my cousin and my uncle and aunt before I took a bus to a town in AP where another cousin of mine was getting married.
-The cousin who lives in Bangalore is one of the few kids from our family who decided to quit his day job and follow his entrepreneurial dreams a couple of years ago. He along with his undergrad buddies started a venture based on a rather simple idea. Obviously the conservative parents and family members did not appreciate this bold decision but it is paying off already. They now employ 80 strong and are looking for an exit strategy of an IPO within the next 6 months. They are about to break even and have another round of VC money setup. My cousin is the CTO. Impressive kid.
-TV stations and newspapers have already done bits about them. Naturally he has become a source of pride for his parents and our grandparents.
-He seems to be planning for his next phase already. Apparently he wants to go to B school once his firm is on its own and move onto the area of developing public infrastructure in India. Excellent idea like always from him! I gave him a few suggestions, not that he needs any, on things about B school etc.-I spent too few hours in Bangalore to notice on the goings on but one thing I remember is the Majestic Bus station- it seemed the same as it was since I was in undergrad (which was about 13 years ago!)
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
4 Days, 5 nites, and a New Tolerance Level – Part I of IV
So off I went on a short road trip in India covering 2 cities, 1 town, and a village last Thursday nite. The two cities were Bombay and Bangalore and the town and village were in my home state of AP. In hindsight I should have planned the trip a bit better but hey it turned to be another experience to remember. Highlights:
Bombay
-Hung out with a buddy of mine from undergrad. He works for Goldman and is on the ‘buy’ side so he’s got a lifestyle to be envious of. Chauffer driven in a a/c car everywhere he goes, maid at home who cooks whatever you need, an apartment on the sea-front, and a relaxed work schedule.
-I took a taxi ride the first day to go buy books for B school. The taxi driver was chatty and seemed to know a lot about global warming. Mind you this was an old school taxi with no air-conditioning. I managed to survive the morning and even found a textbook. I decided to be adventurous and walk around. (bad idea at noon).
-The Victoria Terminus in Bombay is a beautiful bldg from the British era. I went inside to check the busiest local train station in India. Oddly it reminded me of Budapest.
-I also walked along a row of Colonial bldgs which are law offices now. Right opposite the law institutions would be seated girls on the street with typewriters. They were there to help the common people type up legal documents as needed.
-I also walked into the main GPO (General Post Office) which was probably majestic in its day but was mostly run down now. They were trying to restore it to its previous state.
-I finally reached a point where I was exhausted to the point of irritation. I called my buddy and started yelling. He realized the situation and directed me to a restaurant where I waited for him. After yelling back at me he wondered how I had managed to get into Sloan with such a low IQ (‘cause I wandered out in the Sun in the teeth of summer in Bombay that too at noon). We would travel in his chauffer driven a/c car for the rest of my trip in Bombay.
-We met another undergrad buddy of ours who flew in from Delhi to meet us. The three of us had a great evening together reminiscing old times and discussing life in general. As has been customary of me since I got into B school I peppered them with questions about my career choices. Both of them have attended premier B schools in India and not surprisingly they had great and thoughtful inputs.
-The last day in Bombay we hung out in a mall (shopping and playing pool). My buddy seemed to derive extra pleasure in beating me 2-1 in pool.
-I also went running by the sea on my last evening in Bombay. Although it was close to 7 pm I was soaked in sweat within 10-15 minutes although I had not run much. Nevertheless, it felt good.
-One memorable thing about Bombay is how extreme the contrast is in terms of wealth everywhere. This is unique to Bombay. The first day there as I was in the Taxi I noticed a hoarding by a prominent bank in India on the back of a bus which promised a great return on investment on new financial instruments. As I looked away from the board I was looking at a row of slums on both sides.
Bombay
-Hung out with a buddy of mine from undergrad. He works for Goldman and is on the ‘buy’ side so he’s got a lifestyle to be envious of. Chauffer driven in a a/c car everywhere he goes, maid at home who cooks whatever you need, an apartment on the sea-front, and a relaxed work schedule.
-I took a taxi ride the first day to go buy books for B school. The taxi driver was chatty and seemed to know a lot about global warming. Mind you this was an old school taxi with no air-conditioning. I managed to survive the morning and even found a textbook. I decided to be adventurous and walk around. (bad idea at noon).
-The Victoria Terminus in Bombay is a beautiful bldg from the British era. I went inside to check the busiest local train station in India. Oddly it reminded me of Budapest.
-I also walked along a row of Colonial bldgs which are law offices now. Right opposite the law institutions would be seated girls on the street with typewriters. They were there to help the common people type up legal documents as needed.
-I also walked into the main GPO (General Post Office) which was probably majestic in its day but was mostly run down now. They were trying to restore it to its previous state.
-I finally reached a point where I was exhausted to the point of irritation. I called my buddy and started yelling. He realized the situation and directed me to a restaurant where I waited for him. After yelling back at me he wondered how I had managed to get into Sloan with such a low IQ (‘cause I wandered out in the Sun in the teeth of summer in Bombay that too at noon). We would travel in his chauffer driven a/c car for the rest of my trip in Bombay.
-We met another undergrad buddy of ours who flew in from Delhi to meet us. The three of us had a great evening together reminiscing old times and discussing life in general. As has been customary of me since I got into B school I peppered them with questions about my career choices. Both of them have attended premier B schools in India and not surprisingly they had great and thoughtful inputs.
-The last day in Bombay we hung out in a mall (shopping and playing pool). My buddy seemed to derive extra pleasure in beating me 2-1 in pool.
-I also went running by the sea on my last evening in Bombay. Although it was close to 7 pm I was soaked in sweat within 10-15 minutes although I had not run much. Nevertheless, it felt good.
-One memorable thing about Bombay is how extreme the contrast is in terms of wealth everywhere. This is unique to Bombay. The first day there as I was in the Taxi I noticed a hoarding by a prominent bank in India on the back of a bus which promised a great return on investment on new financial instruments. As I looked away from the board I was looking at a row of slums on both sides.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Where am I? Seriously
Conversation I:
“We invest in small scale healthcare firms. The target is to invest $1 and convert it to $5 in 5 years”.
“Is it not too ambitious?” (that’s me)
“No not at all. Here this is possible”
“So who invests in you guys?”
“Philanthropic organizations from the US. There are a lot of them actually.”
Part of Conversation II:
“I am targeting to work at a PE shop in a couple of years, primarily in the renewable energy sector. I am going to work for the Boston Consulting Group in three months but meanwhile I am working at this VC firm now”
Well, this was last nite in Hyderabad while seated in Row 111 at the new cricket stadium where the first Indian Premiership League game was being played by the home team (they lost badly by the way). I was seated with a Harvard, three Stanford, one ISB grad(s) and an ex-Citicorp-Portugal COO. All of them were (or had worked) working for a VC firm based in Hyderabad. At one point it felt like I was on a forum or a bar in the US discussing future career options. The occasional chanting of the crowd, the partly built stadium, and the music were the only evidence that I was in India. It certainly made for an interesting evening. I got to know a lot about VC firms and micro-finance in healthcare and education as applicable to emerging economies.
The game itself was ok-I can’t relate to the excitement of the fans but it was entertaining. Rumor was that the 15 or so Caucasian cheerleaders, who got up periodically to dance on a small stage on the field, were current Washington Redskins cheerleaders. The crowd seemed to be into it. I paid $25 equivalent to sit where I sat and it was not a bad view. There is lots of optimism that this league will not only survive but generate loads of revenue. Remains to be seen.
Other tidbits from India (Hyderabad):
-The traffic seems to be ok so far. Of course I’ve avoided the rush hours. Much to my surprise I’ve been driving with relative ease here so far.
-I love the fact that I can get fresh fruit and fresh fruit juice at the drop of a coin and for a relatively cheap price.
-Bought two books so far and they seem to be good-one’s on derivatives trading and the other is my Amartya Sen at Harvard.
-I’ve been able to go running on 2 of the 3 days I’ve been here so far. Disappointing part is that I seem to tire after only 2 miles. I need to address this soon. I have a 5K coming up on May 10 in Philly.
-I like the serious/plain/matter-of-fact tone of the CNBC India anchors. None of that Kramer and Kudlow crap from CNBC in the US.
-Summer seems to be hot but I’ve managed to avoid spending time in the heat.
-The wifi card seems to work fine here. It’s a bit slow for uploading/downloading large files but otherwise web-browsing is relatively fast.
“We invest in small scale healthcare firms. The target is to invest $1 and convert it to $5 in 5 years”.
“Is it not too ambitious?” (that’s me)
“No not at all. Here this is possible”
“So who invests in you guys?”
“Philanthropic organizations from the US. There are a lot of them actually.”
Part of Conversation II:
“I am targeting to work at a PE shop in a couple of years, primarily in the renewable energy sector. I am going to work for the Boston Consulting Group in three months but meanwhile I am working at this VC firm now”
Well, this was last nite in Hyderabad while seated in Row 111 at the new cricket stadium where the first Indian Premiership League game was being played by the home team (they lost badly by the way). I was seated with a Harvard, three Stanford, one ISB grad(s) and an ex-Citicorp-Portugal COO. All of them were (or had worked) working for a VC firm based in Hyderabad. At one point it felt like I was on a forum or a bar in the US discussing future career options. The occasional chanting of the crowd, the partly built stadium, and the music were the only evidence that I was in India. It certainly made for an interesting evening. I got to know a lot about VC firms and micro-finance in healthcare and education as applicable to emerging economies.
The game itself was ok-I can’t relate to the excitement of the fans but it was entertaining. Rumor was that the 15 or so Caucasian cheerleaders, who got up periodically to dance on a small stage on the field, were current Washington Redskins cheerleaders. The crowd seemed to be into it. I paid $25 equivalent to sit where I sat and it was not a bad view. There is lots of optimism that this league will not only survive but generate loads of revenue. Remains to be seen.
Other tidbits from India (Hyderabad):
-The traffic seems to be ok so far. Of course I’ve avoided the rush hours. Much to my surprise I’ve been driving with relative ease here so far.
-I love the fact that I can get fresh fruit and fresh fruit juice at the drop of a coin and for a relatively cheap price.
-Bought two books so far and they seem to be good-one’s on derivatives trading and the other is my Amartya Sen at Harvard.
-I’ve been able to go running on 2 of the 3 days I’ve been here so far. Disappointing part is that I seem to tire after only 2 miles. I need to address this soon. I have a 5K coming up on May 10 in Philly.
-I like the serious/plain/matter-of-fact tone of the CNBC India anchors. None of that Kramer and Kudlow crap from CNBC in the US.
-Summer seems to be hot but I’ve managed to avoid spending time in the heat.
-The wifi card seems to work fine here. It’s a bit slow for uploading/downloading large files but otherwise web-browsing is relatively fast.
Same Shite Different Continent!
So I’ve been following the food ‘crisis’ situation in different parts of the world for the past few weeks. You know trying to spot the fundamentals from an economic point of view. Anyway, with this still fresh on my mind I began my vacation in India. I landed in India (Bombay-sorry I refuse to call it the new name) on Sunday. And what do we have here?! I picked up a newspaper and a commodities trading magazine and voila:
-Inflation in India is at 7%
-Central and State Govts. are in trouble
-the Indian equivalent of CPI is 220 (yikes!) after being in 200s the past year as well
-rice prices have increased 60% in the last few years
-cooking oil prices have doubled in the last year
-Govt. has banned futures trading of rice, wheat, and corn
-Govt. is considering banning forwards trading of grains (despite no evidence that these have caused the food crisis)
-local politicians are blaming each other for keeping the poor out of this boom.
More evidence of inflation: I went to a local market in Hyderabad to buy fresh fruit. A single apple costs Rs. 15 (40 cents) a single orange Rs. 8 (20 cents), and a pomegranate Rs. 10 (25 cents). What’s the problem you ask? Well, these used to be 50% cheaper not more than 3 years ago.
Contrast this with what I saw on CNBC India (which I have to say is miles better than the shite CNBC we get in the US) and learnt from a conversation with a fellow Sloan admit who lives in Hyderabad:
-2 Indian businessmen entered the top 10 World’s Wealthiest list this past week
-There are now 3 software services Indian firms that boast of $2 Billion revenue
-Average compensation for IBankers with 4+ yrs exp in India: $250 K minus bonus
-90% of Harvard Business School Class of 1997 who went to undergrad in India are now back in the US and are now running 30+ Hedge Funds out of India
-The spanking new airport in Hyderabad (apparently the largest in Asia) cost a staggering $1.5 Billion
-The cost of a new elevated mono-rail being built in Hyderabad: $1 Billion
-Real state increases at the rate 200% every 2 years (ouch!).
-Hyderabad is apparently the Micro-Finance capital of the World (A bold statement yes, but this guy who works for one in Hyderabad made it)
The contrast is unmistakable. Safe to say the distribution of wealth goal has gone awry in a bad way. The boom seems to definitely have established a strong middle class in India that is not afraid to spend. But the poor (notably the farmers and those with little education or means to secure decent paying wages) have been left behind. Disturbing yes, and more disturbing in that the Govt in India is holding this together by controlling the prices of many essentials including Gas (petrol in this part of the world). I read someplace that the Govt is sacrificing ~3% GDP by subsidizing Oil. I have to say, from the outside to me, this does not bode well for the future. The government has to figure out a way to get the poor involved in this boom even if it means the rich have to sacrifice a bit of their bonanza. This we know is easier said than done. But I see no other way a chaotic situation in the next 5-8 years can be avoided if this continues.
More about my India trip in the next couple of days. I’ve been invited to a game in Hyderabad for this new Cricket league that started in India (Top 20). The game’s tonite, although I have not followed cricket in a while, I am interested in going to see for myself if this business idea will sustain for long.
later
-Inflation in India is at 7%
-Central and State Govts. are in trouble
-the Indian equivalent of CPI is 220 (yikes!) after being in 200s the past year as well
-rice prices have increased 60% in the last few years
-cooking oil prices have doubled in the last year
-Govt. has banned futures trading of rice, wheat, and corn
-Govt. is considering banning forwards trading of grains (despite no evidence that these have caused the food crisis)
-local politicians are blaming each other for keeping the poor out of this boom.
More evidence of inflation: I went to a local market in Hyderabad to buy fresh fruit. A single apple costs Rs. 15 (40 cents) a single orange Rs. 8 (20 cents), and a pomegranate Rs. 10 (25 cents). What’s the problem you ask? Well, these used to be 50% cheaper not more than 3 years ago.
Contrast this with what I saw on CNBC India (which I have to say is miles better than the shite CNBC we get in the US) and learnt from a conversation with a fellow Sloan admit who lives in Hyderabad:
-2 Indian businessmen entered the top 10 World’s Wealthiest list this past week
-There are now 3 software services Indian firms that boast of $2 Billion revenue
-Average compensation for IBankers with 4+ yrs exp in India: $250 K minus bonus
-90% of Harvard Business School Class of 1997 who went to undergrad in India are now back in the US and are now running 30+ Hedge Funds out of India
-The spanking new airport in Hyderabad (apparently the largest in Asia) cost a staggering $1.5 Billion
-The cost of a new elevated mono-rail being built in Hyderabad: $1 Billion
-Real state increases at the rate 200% every 2 years (ouch!).
-Hyderabad is apparently the Micro-Finance capital of the World (A bold statement yes, but this guy who works for one in Hyderabad made it)
The contrast is unmistakable. Safe to say the distribution of wealth goal has gone awry in a bad way. The boom seems to definitely have established a strong middle class in India that is not afraid to spend. But the poor (notably the farmers and those with little education or means to secure decent paying wages) have been left behind. Disturbing yes, and more disturbing in that the Govt in India is holding this together by controlling the prices of many essentials including Gas (petrol in this part of the world). I read someplace that the Govt is sacrificing ~3% GDP by subsidizing Oil. I have to say, from the outside to me, this does not bode well for the future. The government has to figure out a way to get the poor involved in this boom even if it means the rich have to sacrifice a bit of their bonanza. This we know is easier said than done. But I see no other way a chaotic situation in the next 5-8 years can be avoided if this continues.
More about my India trip in the next couple of days. I’ve been invited to a game in Hyderabad for this new Cricket league that started in India (Top 20). The game’s tonite, although I have not followed cricket in a while, I am interested in going to see for myself if this business idea will sustain for long.
later
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Tidbits
-My neighbor on hearing me say this evening that I will be attending Sloan said, "Good. Atleast you will meet some nice people. Not like these a**holes from Wharton!". I go "Why do you say that?". And she goes, "C'mon I live in this building. Enuf said!". Ouch! My bldg has a lot of Wharton kids.
-Went to see "21" yesterday. Cheesy. Kevin Spacey is done. Plot (as expected) is not too great. Kate Bosworth is ovaaahrated. Btm line: borderline entertaining.
-Should I feel more guilty? Last week I found out that I will be getting a 10% bonus in June. I gotto handle the part where I break the news to my boss very delicately. May 5 is the day.
-Finished my taxes. Filed them online.
-Been listening to a lot of DJ Shadow these days. And I gotto say I like it. Him and Thievery Corp, them dudes are allrite.
-March Madness is ending this weekend (Monday actually). I absolutely had a great time on Good Friday. Woke up. Worked out. Ate brunch at home. Went to Urban Saloon (highly recommend this bar in Philly) at 3. Started drinking w/a couple of buds. Watched a great slate of 1st rd games. Then went to Fox and Hound with another group and Devoured nachos, wings, and slammed a few brewskies down. mmmm...productive day!
-Am 5th is my March madness pool at work ($500 booty). Chances of winning=not great. Am 2nd in a small Sloan pool that some of the admits are running. For bragging rights only. However on the side I bet a few brewskies on individual games and happy to note my future classmates already owe me >5 beers!
-I need to post my "Women of the World" post soon.
-About 10 gazillion books that I've bought in the last year or so and have not read any. Maybe I get to finish a few on this long transatlantic flight.
-I think I have a new strategy for playing Russian Roulette at the Casinos. Need to test this out in Atlantic City one of these days. I feel with a $10 minimum table, if I get to play 30 continuous rounds I can make a profit. Let's see what I can do.
later kids
-Went to see "21" yesterday. Cheesy. Kevin Spacey is done. Plot (as expected) is not too great. Kate Bosworth is ovaaahrated. Btm line: borderline entertaining.
-Should I feel more guilty? Last week I found out that I will be getting a 10% bonus in June. I gotto handle the part where I break the news to my boss very delicately. May 5 is the day.
-Finished my taxes. Filed them online.
-Been listening to a lot of DJ Shadow these days. And I gotto say I like it. Him and Thievery Corp, them dudes are allrite.
-March Madness is ending this weekend (Monday actually). I absolutely had a great time on Good Friday. Woke up. Worked out. Ate brunch at home. Went to Urban Saloon (highly recommend this bar in Philly) at 3. Started drinking w/a couple of buds. Watched a great slate of 1st rd games. Then went to Fox and Hound with another group and Devoured nachos, wings, and slammed a few brewskies down. mmmm...productive day!
-Am 5th is my March madness pool at work ($500 booty). Chances of winning=not great. Am 2nd in a small Sloan pool that some of the admits are running. For bragging rights only. However on the side I bet a few brewskies on individual games and happy to note my future classmates already owe me >5 beers!
-I need to post my "Women of the World" post soon.
-About 10 gazillion books that I've bought in the last year or so and have not read any. Maybe I get to finish a few on this long transatlantic flight.
-I think I have a new strategy for playing Russian Roulette at the Casinos. Need to test this out in Atlantic City one of these days. I feel with a $10 minimum table, if I get to play 30 continuous rounds I can make a profit. Let's see what I can do.
later kids
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Onto BeanTown!
One of my buddies thinks that I have a 'connection' with Boston. Not sure what that means but I am headed back to Boston again! With Wharton denying me admission last week, my decision or the lack of need for one, is made for me.
I will be attending MIT Sloan this Fall!
I dont think it's hit me yet that (a) I will be in school again, (b) I will be living in Boston, (c) I will be attending MIT Sloan, (d) I will be living on a student's budget, and (e) I will be leaving my current workplace and Philadelphia.
anyway, onto filling in paperwork (FAFSA forms, tax returns, loan applications), apartment hunting, and planning the move. I was thinking all along to get a studio apt in Boston but one of the Sloan kids that I met at admit weekend emailed me to see if wanted him as a roommate. hmmm? Still thinking about it. Plus he wants to stay in Beacon Hill while I prefer the bohemian Central Square area. well, I will know more about this in May.
So it has taken me about one FULL year from the time I decided to get an MBA to my decision on which school to attend. Relieved! Excited!
I will be attending MIT Sloan this Fall!
I dont think it's hit me yet that (a) I will be in school again, (b) I will be living in Boston, (c) I will be attending MIT Sloan, (d) I will be living on a student's budget, and (e) I will be leaving my current workplace and Philadelphia.
anyway, onto filling in paperwork (FAFSA forms, tax returns, loan applications), apartment hunting, and planning the move. I was thinking all along to get a studio apt in Boston but one of the Sloan kids that I met at admit weekend emailed me to see if wanted him as a roommate. hmmm? Still thinking about it. Plus he wants to stay in Beacon Hill while I prefer the bohemian Central Square area. well, I will know more about this in May.
So it has taken me about one FULL year from the time I decided to get an MBA to my decision on which school to attend. Relieved! Excited!
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Slaying of the Big Bad Bear - Mini Analysis - Part III of III
This is Part III of III of my mini-analysis and a continuation from Part II. Click here for Part II
For Bank A to make money in this cash from Bank C is vital. Why? Because without this, it can’t buy the second set of Treasury Bonds that it wants to short. Hence bye bye any chances of making money. More importantly it has to return the original $100 it borrowed from Bank B. The damage is two fold. So it has to use it’s own cash reserves to pay off Bank B.
Now, Imagine this scenario with Billions of dollars and multiple banks involved. Bear Stearns basically had to dip into it’s own reserves to pay off many many many Bank Bs and in the process lost all it’s cash reserves. This would have been ok if the securities it had in it’s position were valuable, ‘cause that way they can sell them off to raise cash. Unfortunately these securities (many of them mortgage backed ones) were useless as no on wanted to buy them. So they were basically screwed!
Post comments if you did not follow this. I would be glad to discuss.
Also, I will post later about the whole Bear Stearns saga once I understand it.
That’s how the cash crunch at Bear Stearns came about (atleast that’s the way I understand it!).
For Bank A to make money in this cash from Bank C is vital. Why? Because without this, it can’t buy the second set of Treasury Bonds that it wants to short. Hence bye bye any chances of making money. More importantly it has to return the original $100 it borrowed from Bank B. The damage is two fold. So it has to use it’s own cash reserves to pay off Bank B.
Now, Imagine this scenario with Billions of dollars and multiple banks involved. Bear Stearns basically had to dip into it’s own reserves to pay off many many many Bank Bs and in the process lost all it’s cash reserves. This would have been ok if the securities it had in it’s position were valuable, ‘cause that way they can sell them off to raise cash. Unfortunately these securities (many of them mortgage backed ones) were useless as no on wanted to buy them. So they were basically screwed!
Post comments if you did not follow this. I would be glad to discuss.
Also, I will post later about the whole Bear Stearns saga once I understand it.
That’s how the cash crunch at Bear Stearns came about (atleast that’s the way I understand it!).
Slaying of the Big Bad Bear - Mini-Analysis - Part II of III
This is Part II of my mini-analysis and a continuation from Part I. Click on this for Part I
Examining how 'repo' market transactions work:
Let’s say Bank A (investment bank) wants to make money by participating in a transaction including any security (bonds, equities, derivatives, etc). There is a series of transactions it would do to invest the security. Let’s say the amount it wants to invest is $100. And let’s say it wants to invest in Treasury bonds. The transaction sequence would be:
Transaction 1: Borrow $100 from Bank B. Tell Bank B it has $X in cash reserves as collateral.
Transaction 2: Buy Treasury Bonds for $100 from a Firm Y.
Transaction 3: Lend the $100 worth in bonds (not cash) to Bank C. Bank C sends $100 in cash as collateral.
Transaction 4: Use this $100 from Bank C as collateral to borrow $100 worth of Treasury Bonds (these bonds are different from those bought in Transaction 2).
Transaction 5: Sell bonds borrowed in Transaction 4 as a short (buy high, sell low).
Transaction 6: Sell bonds bought in Transaction 2 (they are with Bank C but can be sent back) long (buy low sell high).
Following so far? In effect the firm would make money if there is a difference in value of Bonds shorted and Bonds sold long. But the key point to remember is that Bank A has not used even a single $ of it’s own! Remember Transaction 1 began with Bank A borrowing $100 from Bank B. This $100 made it’s way around in the form of cash and bonds. But it was not Bank A’s to begin with.
Transaction 3 is what is known as the ‘repo’ market transaction. In effect Bank C is sending $100 to Bank A because it knows that the $100 worth of Treasury Bonds it is getting in return are valuable (since they are guaranteed by the US Treasury). Now Imagine if instead of these being Treasury Bonds, they are some of these Mortgage Backed Bonds (MBBs). By now it is common knowledge that these MBBs are not as valuable. Far being of any value everyone on the Street wants to avoid them like Plague!
So Bank C does not want any part of them and does not accept them as collateral. Uh oh! Bank A is now in trouble.
Continued in Part III.
Examining how 'repo' market transactions work:
Let’s say Bank A (investment bank) wants to make money by participating in a transaction including any security (bonds, equities, derivatives, etc). There is a series of transactions it would do to invest the security. Let’s say the amount it wants to invest is $100. And let’s say it wants to invest in Treasury bonds. The transaction sequence would be:
Transaction 1: Borrow $100 from Bank B. Tell Bank B it has $X in cash reserves as collateral.
Transaction 2: Buy Treasury Bonds for $100 from a Firm Y.
Transaction 3: Lend the $100 worth in bonds (not cash) to Bank C. Bank C sends $100 in cash as collateral.
Transaction 4: Use this $100 from Bank C as collateral to borrow $100 worth of Treasury Bonds (these bonds are different from those bought in Transaction 2).
Transaction 5: Sell bonds borrowed in Transaction 4 as a short (buy high, sell low).
Transaction 6: Sell bonds bought in Transaction 2 (they are with Bank C but can be sent back) long (buy low sell high).
Following so far? In effect the firm would make money if there is a difference in value of Bonds shorted and Bonds sold long. But the key point to remember is that Bank A has not used even a single $ of it’s own! Remember Transaction 1 began with Bank A borrowing $100 from Bank B. This $100 made it’s way around in the form of cash and bonds. But it was not Bank A’s to begin with.
Transaction 3 is what is known as the ‘repo’ market transaction. In effect Bank C is sending $100 to Bank A because it knows that the $100 worth of Treasury Bonds it is getting in return are valuable (since they are guaranteed by the US Treasury). Now Imagine if instead of these being Treasury Bonds, they are some of these Mortgage Backed Bonds (MBBs). By now it is common knowledge that these MBBs are not as valuable. Far being of any value everyone on the Street wants to avoid them like Plague!
So Bank C does not want any part of them and does not accept them as collateral. Uh oh! Bank A is now in trouble.
Continued in Part III.
Slaying of the Big Bad Bear - Mini-analysis Part I of III
By now all y’all must have heard and read the autopsy of the demise of Bear Stearns. I will not go into the details that have been put out by various news outlets in the past week or so but what I will do is bulletize them:
-JP Morgan’s buying price = $2 per share=0.0547 shares of JPMC for a share of BS
-Closing price of BS on Friday, March 14=$30 per share. Hence discount=28/30=93.3% (ouch)
-Fed loaned $30 billion in ‘liquidity’ to BS through JP Morgan Chase
-Glass-Steagall legislation was invoked to help out BS indirectly
-Two Bear Stearns managed Hedge Funds filed for bankruptcy in July 2007. Net worth lost=$1.6 billion
-Cash reserves of Bear Stearns on March 13, 2008 = $17 billion
-Cash reserves of Bear Stearns on March 15, 2008 = $0
-Fact= On Thu, March 13 (nite) Alan Schwartz approached the SEC and NY Fed and mentioned that Bear Stearns would have to file for bankruptcy on Friday morning.
I still have not got my hands and mind around analyzing this monumental failure of Bear Stearns but what I have tried to understand over the past week is how exactly would cash reserves dwindle so dramatically in such a short time and spark this demise. Here is an attempt from me to explain this:
Let me start by pointed to a passage in the Financial Times weekend edition, March 22-23, 2008. Link
“The motivation behind the Fed’s plan was for Bear to lend the Treasury debt in the repurchase (repo) market for cash and shore up its capital, which was straining under a massive withdrawal of funds by investors. Some $17bn (€11bn, £8.5bn) had been pulled in two days. Bear could not raise funds from any of its non-Treasury assets as its rivals had lost faith in its creditworthiness.”
The key words in the above passage are “…to lend the Treasury debt in the repurchase (repo) market for cash and shore up its capital…”. What exactly is a “repo” market and how is this key to cash reserves. See Part II.
-JP Morgan’s buying price = $2 per share=0.0547 shares of JPMC for a share of BS
-Closing price of BS on Friday, March 14=$30 per share. Hence discount=28/30=93.3% (ouch)
-Fed loaned $30 billion in ‘liquidity’ to BS through JP Morgan Chase
-Glass-Steagall legislation was invoked to help out BS indirectly
-Two Bear Stearns managed Hedge Funds filed for bankruptcy in July 2007. Net worth lost=$1.6 billion
-Cash reserves of Bear Stearns on March 13, 2008 = $17 billion
-Cash reserves of Bear Stearns on March 15, 2008 = $0
-Fact= On Thu, March 13 (nite) Alan Schwartz approached the SEC and NY Fed and mentioned that Bear Stearns would have to file for bankruptcy on Friday morning.
I still have not got my hands and mind around analyzing this monumental failure of Bear Stearns but what I have tried to understand over the past week is how exactly would cash reserves dwindle so dramatically in such a short time and spark this demise. Here is an attempt from me to explain this:
Let me start by pointed to a passage in the Financial Times weekend edition, March 22-23, 2008. Link
“The motivation behind the Fed’s plan was for Bear to lend the Treasury debt in the repurchase (repo) market for cash and shore up its capital, which was straining under a massive withdrawal of funds by investors. Some $17bn (€11bn, £8.5bn) had been pulled in two days. Bear could not raise funds from any of its non-Treasury assets as its rivals had lost faith in its creditworthiness.”
The key words in the above passage are “…to lend the Treasury debt in the repurchase (repo) market for cash and shore up its capital…”. What exactly is a “repo” market and how is this key to cash reserves. See Part II.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
How it goes?
Been a while. So what's shaking?
Stories I've been following recently:
-B Rack's dissociating himself from his pastor. Potentially campaign-ending if not handled right.
-Bear Stearns in trouble. FT has a fascinating behind-the-scenes account today.
-The Spitzer saga. No comment other than to point out that this country's media focus is too myopic.
-Dollar getting killed! I expect some sort of intervention in the next few weeks.
-Crude Oil, Natural gas prices, Gold, Corn, and metals shooting up. It is going to be an ugly year!
-Iran's 'democratic' elections. Pakistan's power struggles.
-Tucker cancelled on MSNBC! Oh nooooo!!
Things with moi:
-Asked for and granted a 2 week extension of deposit deadline from MIT Sloan. (April 1)
-Wharton decision on March 27.
-Opened a FX (forex) trading account. Following the USDJPY closely. Fascinating stuff.
-2 week vacation in India! April 18-May 3. Yeeeeeaaaaah!
-Discovered LinkedIn and Facebook! LinkedIn has been great to get back in touch with a lot of friends.
-I may have to get reading glasses! Booooo! Had my eyes checked and was given a prescription for reading glasses. Not too thrilled about this.
-Postponed the decision to let people at work know about my B school plans until May 2.
-Watched 'Vantage Point'. Sub-standard movie-making.
-Heard SIRIUS satellite radio this past weekend. Loved the Raw Dog stand-up comedy channel.
Rest seemed average.
-New York City rocks!
later
Stories I've been following recently:
-B Rack's dissociating himself from his pastor. Potentially campaign-ending if not handled right.
-Bear Stearns in trouble. FT has a fascinating behind-the-scenes account today.
-The Spitzer saga. No comment other than to point out that this country's media focus is too myopic.
-Dollar getting killed! I expect some sort of intervention in the next few weeks.
-Crude Oil, Natural gas prices, Gold, Corn, and metals shooting up. It is going to be an ugly year!
-Iran's 'democratic' elections. Pakistan's power struggles.
-Tucker cancelled on MSNBC! Oh nooooo!!
Things with moi:
-Asked for and granted a 2 week extension of deposit deadline from MIT Sloan. (April 1)
-Wharton decision on March 27.
-Opened a FX (forex) trading account. Following the USDJPY closely. Fascinating stuff.
-2 week vacation in India! April 18-May 3. Yeeeeeaaaaah!
-Discovered LinkedIn and Facebook! LinkedIn has been great to get back in touch with a lot of friends.
-I may have to get reading glasses! Booooo! Had my eyes checked and was given a prescription for reading glasses. Not too thrilled about this.
-Postponed the decision to let people at work know about my B school plans until May 2.
-Watched 'Vantage Point'. Sub-standard movie-making.
-Heard SIRIUS satellite radio this past weekend. Loved the Raw Dog stand-up comedy channel.
Rest seemed average.
-New York City rocks!
later
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