Pavansut: The Monkey God

Economic Growth in Latin Markets

2012-01-12T21:26:00.001-05:00

This quote from an analytical piece on Reuters website... read more here

Which economy grew faster over the last seven years? A)President Hugo Chavez's Venezuela, famous for its forcednationalizations and "21st century socialism," or B) Chile, longrenowned as a capitalist paradise for investors. It might surprise some outsiders to learn that the answer isactually A. In recent years, commodities prices have dictatedgrowth in Latin America more than any other factor, meaning thatcountries could trample on businesses but still grow briskly aslong as they exported plenty of raw materials such as oil andiron ore to China and elsewhere.

Latin America is on a tear, and within it, economies that are not dependent on commodities, Chile, Peru and Colombia, seem to be driving growth. While business climate is certainly improving, certain sectors like Pharmaceuticals are facing trouble with each of these economies embarking on controlling the health care costs by implementing price controls and access hurdles.

Enjoy the pictures of Joshi & Pareek family...

2011-12-30T12:49:00.001-05:00

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Enjoy the pictures of Joshi & Pareek family Christmas gift opening ceremony!

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Words of wisdom that can help in any business

2011-12-30T07:51:00.000-05:00

Don't hire anyone...Only hire people when you are absolutely desperate for more hands. And then start with freelancers. So you can fire them right away....
Keep the cash. ... keep cash in the bank. ...You don't need a secretary until you have at least five, paying, profitable customers, if ever.
Get a customer. ...Don't even start your business unless you have a customer.
Get a customer, part II. ...Do whatever it takes to get one paying customer...
Over-promise and over deliver for every customer. But only the first time. ...
...Followup. ...If you have a potential client, move it from the phone to the meeting, to dinner as quickly as possible. Dinner seals the deal. Pick up the tab. ...
Once they are a client, make them a partner. ...The best new customers are your old customers. The second best new customers are your old customers' friends.
In all of your spare time, do favors for your clients. ...(tap into) ... their networks...
Fire immediately any employee with a negative attitude. ...

Published on TechCrunch

Using the Global Brands list for investing

2011-12-30T07:38:00.000-05:00

Interbrand Global Brands List

Interbrands has published its top Global brands list. The top brand - no surprise here - Coca Cola. The list includes...

Coca-Cola 71,861 ($m)
IBM 69,905 ($m)
Microsoft 59,087 ($m)
Google 55,317 ($m)
GE 42,808 ($m)
McDonald's 35,593 ($m)
Intel 35,217 ($m)
Apple 33,492 ($m)
Disney 29,018 ($m)
Hewlett-Packard 28,479 ($m)
Toyota 27,764 ($m)
Mercedes 27,445 ($m)
Cisco 25,409 ($m)
Nokia 25,071 ($m)
BMW 24,554 ($m)

You can download the list and the related article at this link.

So what do we do with this data?

One way to use this list would be to use this list for investing. As Warren Buffet says, investments made in well managed companies will pay off over the long run. If you believe that the top brands list is a proxy for a list of well managed companies, then it stands to reason that investing in these companies will help your portfolio grow in the long run.

I will test this hypothesis by creating a portfolio of the top 15 brands to see how the investment in these top brands would perform over a period of one year. I will invest $1 M in these brands, distributed equally, and will see how the stocks to at the end of 2012.

This 29-Year Old Just Got Name to Starbucksboard

2011-12-15T07:53:00.001-05:00

If you are looking for an inspiring story, here is one for your morning ruminations. Amazing, how Ms. Shih has been going from success to success in such a short time. The Fermi labs connection is the icing on the proverbial cake!

As a Starbucks shareholder, I applaud Starbucks decision to invite Shih to sit on the board.

This 29-Year Old Just Got Named To The Starbucks Board
http://www.businessinsider.com/this-29-year-old-just-got-named-to-the-starbucks-board-2011-12

GOOD Lite: Six DIY Alternatives to Christmas Trees, Real or Fake

2011-12-13T21:40:00.001-05:00

Six DIY Alternatives to Christmas Trees, Real or Fake

Good magazine has some cool looking ideas for DIY Christmas tree.

Talented Terrors, "Bless Their Hearts," And Other Job Candidates You Should Avoid Like The Plague

2011-12-13T21:29:00.001-05:00

Talented Terrors, "Bless Their Hearts," And Other Job Candidates You Should Avoid Like The Plague

Great little article on how poor attitude defines poor performers. Author describes different kinds of poor performers, some of whom can be weeded out in the interview process

Fast Company: Malcolm Gladwell Has No Idea Why "The Tipping Point" Was A Hit

2011-12-13T21:16:00.001-05:00

Malcolm Gladwell Has No Idea Why "The Tipping Point" Was A Hit

As part of our Leadership Hall of Fame series, we continue our fresh look at The Tipping Point with an interview of author Malcolm Gladwell. What was ...

Source: http://goo.gl/mag/9t7CM

Fast Company: You Don’t Need An Army When You Have Seal Team 6

2011-12-13T21:12:00.001-05:00

You Don't Need An Army When You Have Seal Team 6

When I started VIA in 1993, my mother sent me a card with the famous quote from Margaret Mead: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committe...

Source: http://goo.gl/mag/Er990

Environmental disaster in making in Argentina

2011-08-16T23:52:00.001-04:00

Where Soy Is King: In Argentina, Local Health Costs Rise As Agro Booms

A soy field in San Pedro, Argentina (Irargerich)

By Christine Legrand
LE MONDE/Worldcrunch

SAN JORGE -- Located about 600 kilometers from Buenos Aires, San Jorge is a tidy town of about 25,000 in Santa Fe, one of Argentina's most agriculture-rich provinces. In the poor Urquiza neighborhood, a single dirt road separates the house of Viviana Peralta from an expanse of soy fields, where herbicides and pesticides are regularly sprayed down from small airplanes.

It took a while, but eventually the young Argentine mother connected the dots: the acute asthma attacks her baby daughter Ailen suffered were triggered each time a crop duster buzzed over her house. At a nearby hospital, a pediatrician later confirmed the presence of glyphosate in Ailen's blood.

Glyphosate is the principal active ingredient in Roundup, a herbicide developed and marketed by Monsanto, an American company. It has been widely used in Argentina since 1997. When it is sprayed on the country's soy fields, Roundup kills all of the weeds it comes in contact with, but spares the Roundup Ready (RR) soy beans, which have been genetically modified to be Roundup resistant.

In San Jorge, cancer rates have spiked 30% in the past 10 years. Residents say that following a crop dusting, their lips turn blue and their tongues swell. Chickens die. Dogs and cats shed their hair. Bees disappear and birds become scarce.

After she was ignored by municipal authorities, Peralta decided to turn to the courts. A judge agreed to hear the case that she, along with 23 other neighborhood families, presented against the Argentine government, provincial authorities and soy producers.

On March 17, 2009, the court issued a historic verdict, prohibiting airplanes from crop dusting within 1,500 meters of residences, and tractors from spraying within 800 meters of people's homes.

But this verdict, and other new regulations, are not always respected.

Beyond the Genome, Cancer’s Secrets Come Into Sharper Focus

2011-08-15T20:54:00.001-04:00

Beyond the Genome, Cancer's Secrets Come Into Sharper Focus - NYTimes.com

The story of cancer continues to evolve!

Preferred vs Common Stock

2011-07-18T12:09:00.000-04:00

If you want to learn about the difference between Preferred Stock and Common Stock, check out this post. But I think the most valuable part of the post is this quote

In life you don't get what you deserve, you get what you negotiate

And if you are looking for a good book on negotiation, the one called "Getting More" by Stuart Diamond is incomparable!

Kidnap Capital - By Elizabeth Dickinson | Foreign Policy

2011-07-06T09:48:00.000-04:00

Kidnap Capital - By Elizabeth Dickinson | Foreign Policy

Recently, a research institute here announced that Mexico suffers from the second-highest kidnapping rate of any country in the world -- three times higher than Colombia's during its darkest period of drug violence and second only to Venezuela.

Kidnapping is a hazard for travellers to Mexico, but it seems it has become increasingly dangerous to live in Mexico even for Mexicans!

Sun Pharma, Merck join hands to market diabetes drugs

2011-04-25T11:02:00.000-04:00

India has one of the largest diabetic population in the world, and the population is going to increase dramatically in the coming years. Dominance in the Indian market place will require a large foot print, local market expertise and marketing flexibility that is uncommon in Big Pharma's "Global" marketing "one-size-fits-all" strategies. Merck understands this clearly as is demonstrated in the latest deal to market sitagliptin and its metformin combination.

Sun Pharma, Merck join hands to market diabetes drugs: "Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd and MSD in India today said they have entered into a partnership to market diabetes drugs Sitagliptin and Sitaglipitin plus Metformin in the Indian market.
Under the pact, which comes nearly two weeks after the two firms had agreed to form a joint venture, Sun will have the rights to sell the two drugs in the Indian market under different brand names.
'Through this partnership, the reach of Sitagliptin and Sitagliptin plus Metformin will be enhanced amongst doctors and patients in India, helping them efficaciously manage the disease,' Sun Pharma Chief Executive Officer Kalyanasundaram said in a joint statement issued by the two firms."

The deal with Sun Pharma ensures Merck a large foot print - Sun is one of the largest pharma companies in the Indian market place - and also "local" knowledge/expertise to make success of this important market.

Cheapest Homes in 40 Years?

2011-04-25T09:28:00.000-04:00

Barry Ritholtz shares a new metric to determine if the home prices have come down sufficiently or not.

Cheapest Homes in 40 Years? Not Even Close… | The Big Picture: "By comparing Homes costs with buyers ability to pay for them, you develop a model with periods of over and undervaluation.....I would argue the measure of Median income to Median home price a much better gauge. It tracks people’s ability to pay for homes — something the NAR model does not. Even better, its not from a biased industry spokesperson."

According to this index, the home prices today are at a 0.5 to 0.6 point higher than in the eightees. Compared to ninetees, the index indicates that the home prices are about 0.2-0.3 points higher. Thus, homes may not be cheapest ever from histotical perspective (the point Barry is trying to make), but they have come down sufficiently from the highs in 2005-7.

If you are considering real-estate as an investment, you have to think carefully - is this the right time or will the index point downwards again? I believe it will be the latter.

Faceoff in Peru elections

2011-04-13T05:12:00.000-04:00

My friends in Peru are probably disappointed that Pedro Pablo Kuczynski did not win the election. There was hope that Kuczynski would bring moderate policies back into Peru and continue with the economic reforms.

To some extent the election results were to be expected - the moderate vote got divided between President Toledo and Mr. Kuczynski, creating room for the extreme candidates - Ms Fujimori on the right and Mr. Humala on the left.

While Mr. Humala has a populist message, the question is, can he become the new Luiz Lula of Peru, one who had populist feathers but enough economic sense to not derail the reforms? On the other hand the question for Ms. Fujimori is, can she convince the large swath of Peruvians who have yet to benefit from the economic reforms, that she is the right candidate to ensure the distribution of economic benefits to all Peruvians.

Here is what the most famous Peruvian has to say about the election!

BBC News - Peru faces polarising election as populists face off: "Before the election, Peru's Nobel prize-winning author Mario Vargas Llosa described the possible second-round scenario between Mr Humala and Ms Fujimori as like choosing between cancer and Aids. With the option confirmed, he said Peruvians now had a choice between 'suicide and a miracle'."

The suspense continues for a couple more months!

In Pakistan, Asher Hasan brings innovation to health-care cost, at $1.80 per month - CSMonitor.com

2011-04-09T08:20:00.000-04:00

Finally, a diamond in the rubble of Pakistan!

In Pakistan, Asher Hasan brings innovation to health-care cost, at $1.80 per month - CSMonitor.com: "By working with insurance companies to spread risk across clusters of low-income workers, who typically earn less than $200 a month, Naya Jeevan opens up high-quality health care to a segment of the population that couldn't afford it before. Each participant pays in about $1.80 per month."

Cisco Blog » Blog Archive » Message from John Chambers: Where Cisco is Taking the Network

2011-04-05T15:06:00.000-04:00

It is often said that the hallmark of a good leader is their willingness to hear the bad news, and take transparent steps to address the issues. Cisco has published a memo from their CEO John Chambers about what ails Cisco. As a shareholder I must say that I am happy to see this level of transparency. Cisco stock has done poorly over the last five years and sometimes it has felt like the company has grown too big to be managed effectively.

But this memo seems to indicate that John wants to challenge the organization to become more nimble and take on the beast of bureaucracy. I hope that he succeeds because if he doesn't he will loose a lot of long time investors like me, who have vested their trust, and their investments in him.

Read on...

Cisco Blog » Blog Archive » Message from John Chambers: Where Cisco is Taking the Network: "today we face a simple truth: we have disappointed our investors and we have confused our employees. Bottom line, we have lost some of the credibility that is foundational to Cisco’s success – and we must earn it back. Our market is in transition, and our company is in transition. And the time is right to define this transition for ourselves and our industry. I understand this. It’s time for focus"

Cricket Mania @ Big Picture

2011-04-05T11:15:00.001-04:00

Big Picture has done it again. Here is a GREAT compilation of some cricketing pictures that will tell you why Criketism is the fastest growing religion on the Indian subcontinent!

Click the picture above or click here

Woolen Coffins Offer a Green Alternative for Burials - TIME

2011-04-05T10:22:00.000-04:00

Jack Welch famously said, "There is no such thing as a mature industry; there is only an industry to which imagination had yet to be applied". The following story published in Time Magazine online does more than justify this adage.

Woolen Coffins Offer a Green Alternative for Burials - TIME: "Thanks to a growing demand for green funerals in Britain, Hainsworth's Natural Legacy caskets — each woven from the fleece of three sheep and capable of holding 840 lb. (380 kg) — have begun to carve out a share of the U.K.'s coffin market, which typically numbers around 500,000 a year."

Green burials? I thought a wooden casket was very biodegradable. Yet the idea of a WOOLEN (as opposed to WOODEN) casket has a certain novelty factor. Add the "green" label and viola, you have renaissance in the wool industry! What about the dead? The dead could care less if they are buried in wooden or woolen - its the living who benefit from the innovation.

But it often takes an outsider to come up with innovative ideas. This one came from a marketing intern!

The idea for woolen coffins came about thanks to a bit of sheer luck. A marketing student who was interning for Adam Hainsworth discovered that in 1667, Parliament — hoping to bolster the textile industry — passed a law requiring all corpses be buried in a woolen shroud.

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,2056346,00.html#ixzz1Iesvi9qC

Japanese nuclear disaster and its impact on alternate energy strategy

2011-03-15T15:01:00.001-04:00

The March 11th earthquake and tsunami has caused an incalculable damage to the Japanese coastal towns and villages in terms of both loss of life and loss of property. However the drama unfolding now in Fukushima nuclear power plan could have a far greater impact on Japan than any physical damage of this natural disaster. If this nuclear calamity unfolds fully, it will put into question the safety of nuclear power and wreck an enormous psychological damage on the supporters of nuclear power who want it to become a viable alternative to fossil fuels.

It is well documented Japan relies heavily on nuclear energy; close to 30% of the Japanese energy needs today are met by nuclear energy, and this is expected to rise to 40% by 2017. For a nation so heavily reliant on nuclear power, safeguarding the nuclear power facilities should have been a top priority. But the experience of Fukushima shows that the measures undertaken to protect the nuclear power plants from natural disasters are not adequate. If this is the situation in Japan, a country with the world's most advanced civilian nuclear power program, I can't help but wonder what the situation must be in countries like China, India and Pakistan where resources have been lacking and some of the nuclear power facilities are known to operate under very primitive conditions!

There is hope now that the Japanese will be able to prevent the nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima complex. But if this cannot be averted, this will not only cause radiation exposure damage to the exposed locals, it will also cause a huge setback to proponents of nuclear power as our alternate source of energy. Psychologically, it will be impossible to defend nuclear power as a safe source of energy and will set the strategy back by decades.

Let's hope that this is not the case, and yet let this incidence serve as a wakeup call to the policy makers looking to develop alternate energy strategies. We need to redouble our effort to look for alternate sources of energy to oil. In this, the priority should be to improve the safety of the nuclear energy, while we are working on developing solar and wind energy technology.

The Amazing Brazilian Carnival

2011-03-14T03:09:00.001-04:00

As usual, SacBee Photoblog has a coverage of the Brazilian Carnival. I was wondering if the carnival would take place this year, because a major warehouse where the floats are usually stored had gone up in flames just a month or so ago. But the pictures suggest that the carnival not only was held per schedule, it was more beautiful than ever!

Pictures are worth a thousand words. See for yourself on the Sacbee photoblog.

Photo Credit: AP / Felipe Dana

Down From The Mountain

2011-03-13T15:09:00.000-04:00

If you are a lover of American BlueGrass/Country music, you are in for a treat! LionsGate Films has released a film called Down From The Mountain", a documentary that recorded the live concert held in Nashville, performed by the bands that recorded the songs of the movie "O'Brother Where Art Thou". Its available for free on Youtube.

Mystery of Daylight Saving Time

2011-03-13T13:56:00.000-04:00

I had often wondered about this, and now this video makes it easy to understand why daylight saving time was implemented.

The Future of Education

2011-03-13T01:18:00.000-05:00

Salman Khan of Khan Academy talks about how Khan Academy is changing the way children are and will potentially be taught in the future. Its a very interesting idea worth exploration in every class room around the world.

A Vacation Planner

2011-03-06T14:21:00.000-05:00

Recently, I was planning my vacation days for the year and realized that it would be nice if there were a easy vacation planning tool to look at the entire year's plan all on one page. Not finding anything suitable on the web, I turned to google docs and created a spreadsheet that essentially does this for me.

I found this tool incredibly useful, so decided to share it with anyone who is interested in it. All you have to do to use it is, click on this link which opens up the calendar view of 2011. You will need to save it as a separate document if you want to use it.

If you have a Google docs account, simply sign in, click on "File"..."Save As" and save it as your own calendar. If you do not have Google docs account and would like to download it to your computer, simply click on "File"..."Download as"..."Excel or OpenOffice". Open the document in the program of your choice and start using it.

The instructions to use the calendar are provided right in the file towards the bottom.

Enjoy!

Inspiring Others to Financial Responsibility

2011-02-16T15:04:00.002-05:00

Quote from an article on financial responsibility...

"quiet disappointment is far more effective as a response to someone who has let you down than a pile of rage ever will be. If someone lets you down, do everything you can to avoid exploding at them. Don’t let your emotions overwhelm the situation. Instead, calmly state that they did, in fact, let you down"

I think this is a good strategy for any situation. Too bad we see exactly the opposite most of the time.

Education is the best insurance against unemployment

2011-02-04T12:56:00.000-05:00

I am glad the value of education was pounded in head when I was growing up! I only wish my father had shown me this chart then!

You can signup to receive interesting charts each week from the Chart of the Day site.

The Making of GLIF

2011-02-01T07:19:00.000-05:00

For those with entrepreneurial bent, or for those whose brains are spilling over with ideas and ideas, here is an inspirational story about two guys, who came up with an idea, worked on it, and made it into a reality.

On July 11th, 2010, Tom Gerhardt and I had an idea for an iPhone accessory: a tripod mount that doubled as a stand. Five months later, customers began to receive our product, the Glif, in the mail. This turnaround, from idea to market in five months by two guys with no retail or manufacturing experience, signifies a shift in the way products are made and sold — a shift only made possible in the last couple years.

This is what the product looks like... and here is where you can buy it.

Worlds largest democrary celebrates "Republic Day"

2011-01-29T01:00:00.000-05:00

Sacremento Bee has a very nice photo journal where they published some gorgeous pictures of India's Republic Day parade. Like a peacock, the Indian Armed Forces strutted their unbelievable colors! I have never seen the parade in person, but as an ameture photographer I would love to some day be able to go with my camera and take pictures of this beautiful ceremony.

Photo credit: AP / Gurinder Osan

Reality vs Sputnik moment

2011-01-26T12:44:00.000-05:00

Yesterday President Obama spoke of the "Sputnik" moment, referring the need to do more in education and in research to improve America's competitiveness. Today, a friend sent me a link to "The Chronicle" which has a great graphic showing adults with college degrees in the US, by county.

Unfortunately, the reality is just too discouraging. The national average for college degree holders per county is only 27%!! For the most powerful nation on the earth to have such low numbers is shocking. Here is another look at a similar statistic, this time comparing US with other countries.

Clearly, a lot more needs to be done to encourage our kids to complete their college education. You can download and read the full report of the College Board.

Holy Cow! Just look at the cost of starting a business in India!

2011-01-25T23:24:00.000-05:00

I always knew that it is challenging to start a business in India, but these numbers just blew me away!!

Obama's ally in cutting Pentagon budget!

2011-01-25T23:14:00.001-05:00

There have been several reports in the press about Tea Partiers demanding that the Pentagon budget face the same scrutiny as the rest of the Government spending. In CSM, there is a big story on this issue.

This surprised me! Usually, the rank and file Republicans (and tea partiers are very much on the RIGHT of rank and file Republicans) who like to wear the badge of patriotism by ever increasing the defence budget, would be opposed to any Pentagon budget cuts. Thus, Defence Secretary Gates proposal to cut the military budget ....

The Defense Department cuts include shrinking the size of the Army and Marine Corps after 2014, as well as reducing the use of contractors, on whom the Pentagon has become “far too dependent,” says Gates.

... would have been expected to meet Republican opposition. But for a change, it appears that Tea Party is on his side!

“I think they’re going to have to look at defense in the same way they look at everything,” says Mark Meckler, co-founder and national coordinator for the Tea Party Patriots. “If we are going to have a nation to defend in the future, then everything has to be on the table, from entitlements on the left to defense on the right – everything is going to have to be considered, and until everyone gets serious about that, we won’t have a nation to defend.”

The tea partiers, who came to power on the ticket of anti-establishments, seem to be going against the Republican establishment on this one, and so, it appears that Prez. Obama will have some friends on the "RIGHT" he can rely on! Politics makes such strange bed fellows!

Cairo Erupts

2011-01-25T22:53:00.003-05:00

Following the unusually successful demonstrations in Tunisia that succeeded in overthrowing the long time dictator, demonstrations have now broken out in Cairo, which is due for an election in just about a month. Will Mubarak meet the fate of Ben Ali? Remains to be seen!!

This from Christian Science Monitor...

But activists, political analysts, and average people in Egypt insist that something crucial shifted for Egypt today. Egyptian political scientist Mustapha Kamel Al Sayyid predicts that now the dam has broken, protests will continue. “The reservoir of discontent is huge,” he says.

Inflation in Emerging Markets emerges as a new threat

2011-01-24T23:38:00.000-05:00

BRIC Inflation Imperils Consumer Stocks as Food Rises - Businessweek

Impact on consumers is huge. Comment below from Business Week is quite illustrative of this...

"Economic growth and supply shortages sent a United Nations gauge of food prices to a record last month, cutting the buying power of 2.8 billion people in Brazil, Russia, India and China who spend 19 percent of their income on groceries, compared with 6 percent in the U.S., Euromonitor International data show."

This is the kind of stuff revolutions are made of. We have seen this movie played out in Tunisia; we are likely to see other dominos fall if inflation keeps its upward trend unchecked. Despots, dictators and democratic governments are all under the gun. It'll be interesting to see how the story evolves over next 8-10 months.

Bhimsen Joshi's Passes Away

2011-01-24T23:20:00.001-05:00

The Hindu : Arts / Music : Bhimsen Joshi's death orphans music community: Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, the magical voice of Hindustani Classical music is no more.

This quote from The Hindu...

"Prabha Atre, an exponent of the Kirana Gharana, called Joshi an extraordinary man, “who was not just Bharat ratna but ‘vishwa' ratna. With his demise, the entire Indian classical music community feels orphaned. It is now a big responsibility on us, to continue the rich tradition left behind by him,” a tearful Ms. Atre said."

I was introduced to Pandit Bhimsen Joshi's golden voice at a concert held in St. Xavier's institute in Mumbai and was hooked on it immediately. Often when I wake up early around 5 am, I start my day with a cup of tea and the pure sound of Pandit Joshi.

Pandit Joshi will live forever in our hearts!

China Leads World In High-Speed Rail Tracks : NPR

2010-11-16T13:06:00.001-05:00

Something is seriously wrong with this picture. Look at the two stories. One about how China is investing heavily in rail infrastructure. And the other how our elected leaders are REJECTING Federal money to build just the same infrastructure!

This from NPR...

China Leads World In High-Speed Rail Tracks : NPR: "China already has thousands of miles of railroads — including the world's longest network of high-speed rail, which is 4,000 miles long. That total is set to double within two years, giving China more high-speed rail tracks than the rest of the world put together."

And this one too..

The governors-elect of Wisconsin and Ohio say they will reject hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding intended to start up new high-speed passenger rail service in their states, even though the projects require their states to pay nothing upfront. Florida's governor-elect may do the same.

That train is dead," announced Republican John Kasich at his first press conference as Ohio's governor-elect. "I said it during the campaign: It is dead. We are not gonna have it." Kasich has said he will reject $400 million in federal funds meant to establish passenger rail service from Cleveland to Columbus and Cincinnati.

In Florida, Republican Gov.-elect Rick Scott suggests he might not take $2 billion for high-speed rails linking Tampa to Orlando and Miami.

Fiscal responsibility is important, but so is building the infrastructure for the future. These high speed rail lines are not pork barrel political expenditures, these are investments in our future.

The Chinese sure seem to know this.

Mumbai: The Plot Unfolds, Lashkar Strikes and Investigators Scramble - ProPublica

2010-11-15T11:35:00.000-05:00

ProPublica has published a detailed account of Mumbai terrorist attack. The bone chilling details of this investigation leave little doubt of the involvement of ISI - the Pakistani intelligence agency, which has been at the center of the Punjab terrorism in 70s and 80s, Kashmiri terrorism that continues to this day, and their Taliban linked terrorism in Afghanistan. The ISI has hijacked the Pakistani foreign policy to the extent that unless ISI is de-fanged the specter of violence will alway hover over Afghanistan and India. What is more, ever since US started to push Pakistan to rein-in the ISI, violence in Pakistan has grown dramatically, no doubt supported by those within ISI who believe that the Pakistani Government is caving to the US pressure.

ISI must be disbanded, and Pakistan government must be asked to hand over to India, those responsible responsible for the Mumbai attacks so that justice can be done to hundreds of innocents who died on Nov 26th.

Read the story to see how this deadly attack was meticulously planned and executed, killing innocent civilians of many nations including the United States.

Mumbai: The Plot Unfolds, Lashkar Strikes and Investigators Scramble - ProPublica: "Mir’s ally in the plot was a man known to Headley only as Maj. Iqbal, who investigators suspect was an officer of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate (ISI) and a liaison to the Lashkar terrorist group. Iqbal is a common Pakistani last name, and investigators have not been able to fully identify him. Maj. Iqbal and Mir worked as handlers for Headley, their lead scout, during his missions in India, according to investigators and court documents."

How buyers decide what to pay for your business

2010-11-10T13:32:00.000-05:00

John Warrilow has written an article to explain very simply how buyers value a business they are interested in buying.

Google Reader (1000+): "The price buyers are willing to pay for your business depends on a lot of factors, but one of the most important is the return they expect to get and the risk associated with achieving that return."

China vs India - Which model is better?

2010-10-31T14:53:00.000-04:00

Michael Schuman raises an interesting question in his Time Magazine column. Which is the best role model for developing world, India or China? Schuman cites some of the reasons why Indian model might be better than the Chinese model - namely, the fact that Indian growth is more balanced between exports and domestic consumption, more independence of private sector and the market, and democracy. True, Indian model has not produced the same results as the Chinese model, but the difference has been seen mainly in the last twenty years. If India puts its head together, there is no reason why this gap cannot be bridged.

What is worrisome about the Chinese model is the corruption associated with the current model, despite central control. China's Dilemma | Foreign Affairs points to a growing problem in China, namely income inequality.

"China’s wealth gaps have also grown; according to Chinese media, the country’s GINI coefficient, a measure of income inequality, has risen to about 0.47. This level rivals those seen in Latin America, one of the most unequal regions in the world. The reality may be even worse than the data suggest. Wang Xiaolu, the deputy director of the National Economic Research Institute at the China Reform Foundation, estimates that every year about $1.3 trillion in income -- equivalent to 30 percent of China’s GDP -- goes unreported. More than 60 percent of the hidden income belongs to the wealthiest ten percent of China’s population, mostly CCP members and their families."

Income inequality and corruption are equally big problems in India. While China has been able to keep the income inequality under wraps through strict control over free speech, such a social control is not possible under Indian democracy. Already the issue of income inequality is raising their ugly head in the form of Naxalite violence in the north and north east prompting me to believe that India needs to do more to increase the participation of the poor in the growth of the economy. This is the only way to prove to the world that the Indian model is worth following.

Study of Chinese workers links BPA to sperm problems

2010-10-28T07:02:00.000-04:00

Scientists have long suspected that BPA causes hormonal imbalance in children, especially girls, but this study just published suggests that BPA has much wider impact than previously thought. Action item for us - eliminate any plasitcs suspected of containing BPA from our homes.

Study of Chinese workers links BPA to sperm problems: "The study of more than 200 Chinese factory workers found that those who were exposed to bisphenol A, or BPA, were more likely to have lower sperm counts and poorer sperm quality. The study, published in the journal Fertility and Sterility, is the first to produce evidence that the chemical could adversely affect sperm quality in humans."

2010-10-25T01:52:00.000-04:00

WSJ Online has the electronic version of McKinsey report on Indian Pharma Sector growth to 2020. You can dowload it from a link in this blog article

Or, you can download it here

India's pharma industry set to quadruple by 2020

2010-10-25T01:35:00.000-04:00

BIG opportunities await for those interested in the Indian Pharma Market

India's pharma industry set to quadruple by 2020: "The Indian pharmaceuticals market looks poised to grow to $55 billion in 2020, according to a new McKinsey & Company report — “India Pharma 2020: Propelling access and acceptance, realising true potential”. This will be a quadrupling of the market from the $12.6 billion the industry made in 2009. The report states that the pharma market has the further potential to reach $70 billion by 2020 if aggressive growth efforts are embraced."

Investing in Emerging Markets: The Chinese Stock Market's Secret Past

2010-10-25T01:24:00.001-04:00

On the other hand, a very insightful column about the history of Chinese stock market points to the pitfalls of investing in a market which one doesn't understand very well. This is quite an insightful article that points to the need for caution as one considers investing in emerging markets, not just in China.

The Intelligent Investor: The Chinese Stock Market's Secret Past - WSJ.com: "Stocks began trading in Shanghai in the 1860s. The first 'share mania' struck in 1871, when shipping stocks rose by as much as 70%. In 1882, there was another bubble, this time in mining stocks launched by provincial governments. From 1889 to 1891, Shanghai was gripped by a mania for real-estate development companies. In 1910 came a boom in rubber plantations.

Each time, officially sponsored banks flooded the market with cheap credit—much as their successors have done recently. Each time, investors were swept up with enthusiasm, and the boom ended up in an inevitable bust."

Emerging-Market Stocks: How Much Is Too Much? - BusinessWeek

2010-10-25T01:17:00.001-04:00

A lot of pundits are recommending investing a greater share of the portfolio in Emerging Markets. The article below debates the crucial issue of how much of your portfolio should be in EMs.

Emerging-Market Stocks: How Much Is Too Much? - BusinessWeek: "Financial advisers say the past year has made it clear that emerging-market stocks are actually much less risky than once feared. Keith Amburgey, chief investment officer at Rutherford Asset Planning in Cresskill, N.J., says he has doubled his typical portfolio's emerging-market exposure in the past year, from 5 percent to 10 percent.

'A lot of the emerging markets have emerged,' he says. Amburgey notes that many emerging economies have better economic fundamentals—especially lower debt levels and faster economic growth—than developed economies."

India Malaria Deaths Are Underestimated by WHO, Researchers Say - Bloomberg

2010-10-25T01:03:00.000-04:00

India Malaria Deaths Are Underestimated by WHO, Researchers Say - Bloomberg: "More than 200,000 people may be dying in India each year because of malaria, 13 times more than the World Health Organization estimates, a study found.

Researchers based their estimate on interviews with family members of more than 122,000 people who died between 2001 and 2003. The numbers “greatly exceed” the WHO estimates of 15,000 malaria deaths in India each year, the researchers wrote in the study, published today in the journal The Lancet."

Innocence

2010-10-18T00:43:00.000-04:00

What is wrong with Mukesh Ambani?

2010-10-16T13:55:00.000-04:00

How big a home do you need to make a lasting contribution to humanity?

On the left is the home in which Albert Einstein lived from 1936 until his death in 1955. On the right is the new monstrosity created by Mukesh Ambani, to house his family of five! The home cost over a Billion dollars to construct, and will reportedly need 600 servants to run and support. The man who will live in the glass and steel palace on the right will never be able to live up to the contributions of the man who lived in the modest home on the left.

This sort of crass exhibition of wealth is unimaginably tasteless, especially in a country where, to quote wikipedia,

42% of India falls below the international poverty line of US$ 1.25 a day

Granted the wealthy deserve the right to use their wealth as they see fit. However, at least the wealthy of yester years, while enjoying their wealth, gave back to the society in a visible manner. For instance, the wealthy Parsis of old Bombay, celebrated their wealth by building public hospitals and music halls and libraries that helped the Mumbai society at large; Mumbai is studded with such jewels. The Birla's splattered the country with temples (some say that spending wealth on temples smacks of religious bigotry, and I agree with that) and created hospitals and teaching institutions to benefit the poor.

But the wealthy of new India build bigger and bigger mansions for themselves - the society can go to hell. The country infrastructure is in dire need of repair, especially the infrastructure that caters to the poor. One has to just step into KEM or any other public hospitals in Mumbai to see the dire state of public health facilities. Instead of stepping up and contributing to the welfare of the society they live in, the neuvo rich spend the money on themselves, leaving large swaths of society struggling to meet their daily needs.

Utterly dissappointing.

Read more about Albert Einstein and his life in Princeton here and here.

Read more about Mukesh Ambani's glass and steel palace here.

Interactive Infographic of the World's Best Countries - Newsweek

2010-10-15T22:21:00.000-04:00

If you ever wondered where your country stacked up on the parameters of Education, Health, Quality of Life and other such parameters, this interactive webpage should be very instructional. What surprised me was the rank of India - high on economic dynamism and political environment, but very low on quality of life, education and health. That it is low didn't surprise me - just how low it is was the surprise.

Interestingly, US ranks second in Economic dynamism, right behind Singapore!

And I thought that the action was in BRIC countries!

Interactive Infographic of the World's Best Countries - Newsweek

8 Bad Habits that Crush Your Creativity and Stifle Your Success | Randy Kepple Photographs Blog

2010-10-15T21:20:00.000-04:00

We are often our own worst critics. Mired in self doubt, we sabotage ourselves into mediocrity. Randy Keppel has a great article on this topic, worth reading.

8 Bad Habits that Crush Your Creativity and Stifle Your Success | Randy Kepple Photographs Blog: "Here are eight of the very worst bad habits that could be holding you back every day:

1. Creating and evaluating at the same time
You can’t drive a car in first gear and reverse at the same time. Likewise, you shouldn’t try to use different types of thinking simultaneously. You’ll strip your mental gears.

Creating means generating new ideas, visualizing, looking ahead, considering the possibilities. Evaluating means analyzing and judging, picking apart ideas and sorting them into piles of good and bad, useful and useless.

Most people evaluate too soon and too often, and therefore create less. In order to create more and better ideas, you must separate creation from evaluation, coming up with lots of ideas first, then judging their worth later.

2. The Expert Syndrome
This a big problem in any field where there are lots of gurus who tell you their secrets of success. It’s wise to listen, but unwise to follow without question.

Some of the most successful people in the world did what others told them would never work. They knew something about their own idea that even the gurus didn’t know.

Every path to success is different."

Read more here..

you’re already perfect | zen habits

2010-10-15T21:08:00.000-04:00

you’re already perfect | zen habits: "A powerful realization that has helped me is simply this: You’re already good enough, you already have more than enough, and you’re already perfect."

Why are we always chasing the next best thing? more perfection? This post makes a lot of sense.

Low interest rates were NOT the cause of the financial crisis

2010-10-09T15:04:00.001-04:00

I came across this quote recently...

Government intervention was the main cause of the global financial crisis, John Taylor, a Stanford University economics professor, said Wednesday. Interest rates stayed too low for too long in 2003, 2004 and 2005, exacerbating a boom in housing and pushing investors to stretch too far for extra yield, John Taylor said.

John Taylor, the Stanford Economist, was commenting on the research published recently. While recently it has become quite fashionable to cite data and blame Government for collapse of the financial system, the emphasis here seems to be misplaced. The paper draws conclusions blaming low interest rates when in fact it was lax regulation led to development of highly risky investment instruments that nobody could understand.

If anything, low interest rates were responsible for expansion of the economy that ushered in unprecendented prosperity for common man. I myself am a beneficiary of these policies, having purchased a small (and affordable) home in early 2000, which otherwise would have been almost impossible. If the financial industry had not fought tooth and nail against regulations to govern securitization of mortgages, we perhaps may never have had the melt down that happened.

It was the greed of investment bankers who were making money hand over fist selling these esoteric financial instruments that led to the melt down. But there is no metric to measure greed, so economics will never give us the right answer for the meltdown.

Mine Rescue Drill Reaches Chilean Miners

2010-10-09T09:13:00.001-04:00

I'm reading about 'Breakthrough in Chile mine rescue'. Here is the link: http://fluentnews.com/s/25988089

For a claustrophobe like me just following the plight of Chilean miners has been difficult. Their survival for 65 days is nothing short of a miracle. Can't wait until the poor souls are brought back to the surface.

Big day for the miners and their families!

Sunil Joshi
609-902-9108

Girl Friday

2010-10-02T00:27:00.001-04:00

Girl Friday

Friday Video - Farida Khanum - Woh Isq Jo Hamse Rooth Gaya

2010-10-01T23:54:00.000-04:00

Nothing more needs to be said...

Excellent resource on India

2010-09-22T21:06:00.000-04:00

For a student of India, and those interested in the ongoing developments in India, the opportunities they present a wonderful primer is the India section of McKinsey's website".

Tonnes of great information - very valuable for investors too.

Indian Academics Making Their Mark Globally

2010-09-20T13:15:00.000-04:00

Professor Dipak Jain, ex-Dean of Kellogg Business School, has been appointed the Dean of INSEAD. Prof. Jain is not the only one to head a top level globally acclaimed business school. Other academics of Indian origin who have recently made their mark on the global academia in business are, Nitin Noharia, Dean of Harvard Business School, and Sunil Kumar, Dean of Chicago's Booth School of Business.

Mui Precioso: photo by Vijay Shah

2010-07-25T19:16:00.001-04:00

After the rains

2010-07-25T19:15:00.001-04:00

Apple clears up the antenna issue - Every one has the problem!

2010-07-16T16:48:00.001-04:00

The pundits will of course claim that Apple had a mea culpa, but Steve Jobs cleared up the antenna issue demonstrating quite convincingly that iPhone 4 is not alone in this problem. Of course, iPhone 4 is the market leader and media loves to take potshots at the market leader so iPhone 4 has become the poster child for this problem. So I don't think media is going to let up on this till they find some other juicy morsel. But the consumers have spoken - they love iPhone 4 and are buying it in spades. Apple's announcement to give away the bumper or case for iPhone 4 will only drive more consumers towards Apple. In fact I myself was in the ATT store today where I learned that the wait time for iPhone 4 is 2 weeks!!

Obviously there will be a cost to Apple, but in the end the increased publicity and free case will translate into greater sales for Apple and a positive bump to the stock.

With this announcement, Apple has once again demonstrated how to serve its customers. What ever the critics might say, I bet the Apple customers will once again rate Apple above and beyond its competitors in customer service.

Jiyaji after mundan

2010-07-16T01:57:00.002-04:00

Apple Knew of iPhone Antenna Risks - WSJ.com

2010-07-16T01:53:00.000-04:00

Apple Knew of iPhone Antenna Risks - WSJ.com: "The mounting iPhone 4 controversy has hit a receptive ear in Washington, as Sen. Charles Schumer (D., N.Y.) Thursday wrote to Mr. Jobs urging Apple to come up with a 'permanent fix' to the problem at no cost to customers."

This is just plain funny! If any one cares about finding a solution to this problem quickly, it is Apple!!

F.D.A. Panel Votes to Restrict Avandia - Prescriptions Blog - NYTimes.com

2010-07-14T22:49:00.001-04:00

F.D.A. Panel Votes to Restrict Avandia - Prescriptions Blog - NYTimes.com: "A majority of the advisory panel of the Food and Drug Administration voted today to restrict the sales of Avandia, a controversial diabetes drug, because of its potential risk for causing heart attacks. The 33-member advisory committee was deeply divided. Twelve voted to remove Avandia from the market altogether; 10 for continued sale but with new label revisions and possible restrictions; 7 to add more warnings and 3 for no change at all.
But the votes can also be viewed as a decision by a majority, 21, to continue allowing sales of Avandia, with more restrictions. A final decision will be made by the F.D.A. at a later date."

Debate rages on the net about the value of today's ODAC. It will be interesting to see how the market place reacts to today's news. All this adverse publicity has already damaged Avandia, but after all this if the drug does stay on the market will it get any use at all.

Why Morning People Rule the World

2010-07-14T22:32:00.001-04:00

"'When it comes to business success, morning people hold the important cards,' Randler told the Harvard Business Review of his research' [T]hey tend to get better grades in school, which gets them into better colleges, which then leads to better job opportunities. Morning people also anticipate problems and try to minimize them. They're proactive.' (Not that evening people are life's losers: They're smarter and more creative, and have a better sense of humor, other studies have shown.)"

I N T E R E S T I N G !!!!!

I have no sense of humor, but have little bit of creativity. However, I did not get into "better" college even though I did get better grades - just not better enough! What does that make me!

Open letter to Mr. Manmohan Singh about litter on Indian streets

2010-07-14T00:40:00.000-04:00

My daughter who is currently visiting her grand parents in India has something to say to the Prime Minister of India. This is the first time she is visiting after she started understanding things, and the amount of litter on the streets in India really bothered her. So she dictated a letter to the Prime Minister of India (she wanted to send to the President, but I told her that the Prime Minister is the most powerful person in India and could do something about it). Below is the text of her letter.

Dear Mr. Manmohan Singh,
Why is there so much litter in India? It seems no one takes care of the earth here - and everybody throws litter without thinking. If one person throws litter, other person watching this thinks it is ok to litter and everybody starts to litter. So, can you tell people not to litter?

I learned in school that littering polutes the air and the environment, and people can get sick. So my teacher told us not to litter. So please ask people not to litter.

I like India very much - its just that I don't like so much litter on the streets. It makes India look dirty, and no one should it make it look dirty and ugly. It makes the beaches look dirty and people cannot enjoy the beach.

From Jaya Joshi (and Sunil Joshi who typed it up).

Little children often tell it as it is, as Jaya is doing here. In a few years Jaya will learn that it is considered in impolite to say such things and learn to be politically correct. But although the truth may be uncomfortable to us, it is listening to such unvarnished truth that can help us become better.

I doubt Mr. Singh will ever read this letter, but if at least one person is motivated to throw one less thing on the streets of India, Jaya will have made some difference.

Jiya in summer outfit

2010-07-13T22:17:00.000-04:00

Summer is a great time to take pictures of kids. Colorful outfits with equally colorful background - just makes it so easy to take nice pictures!

Currency Risk in Business

2010-07-12T21:47:00.000-04:00

Fred Wilson on avc.com has a nice blog post explaining currency risk in business that is worth a read. For those involved in the US business, currency fluctuations plays little role in day to day business (i.e. sales) so this notion of impact of currency fluctuations is at first a little difficult to understand. But gaining an understanding of the impact of currency fluctuations on your bottom line is critical in International business.

As FW's post says, even if nothing real changes in your business, the change in exchange rate over which you agree to convert the local sales into US dollars can have a significant impact on your profits. So, as it happend last year with the Latin currencies (which experienced significant depreciation over the year), while you might be "making your numbers" in local currency in fact in US dollars you may have under performed - simply because the local currency is not worth as much in US dollars any more.

One can only imagine the demotivating effect this would have on people working in markets where currency is depreciating rapidly - one month you are a top performer for delivering the results, the next month you are not even making your numbers! Even though you are still selling the same number of widgets the sales are not worth as much in US dollars.

For example - you can see from the two year Indian Rupee/USD currency exchange rate chart below - the havoc this degree of fluctuation must have played in US companies doing a lot of business with India. Let's say you are a US company selling a $1 widget in India for Rs. 50 per widget.

Based on the chart above, in US dollars you made $1 only in December 2009. Before December, you earned 84 cents per widget as the exchange rate at that time was Rs. 42 to a dollar. On the other hand in March you made little more (3 cents to be precise) than $1 per widget because the exchange rate had climbed to Rs 51.6. Since that time the rate has come down steadily to below Rs.45 last April costing company money in USD.

This can't be motivating to sales people in India - they may be underperforming in US dollar terms even though their sales in local currency are just fine.

The way companies manage this exchange rate fluctuations internally is to adopt a certain "budget exchange rate" which is used to calculate the current performance. In this instance, the company may decide that they will convert Indian Rupee sales in to US dollars at a standard rate of Rs. 45 for the entire year to be adjusted up or down for the next year depending on the prevailing market circumstances. This would then take away the uncertainty associated with exchange rate fluctuations.

Of course all this does it help you manage the internal expectations. But it does little to help you protect your bottom line. For instance, if you report your earnings in US dollars, the real impact on your bottom line is still there, to be found reported in the annual report in the form of favorable or unfavorable currency impact. In today's interconnected global economy this is unavoidable. However finance gurus do have hedging strategies they can use to minimize the currency impact.

Times are exciting in Indian Pharma sector

2010-07-10T21:43:00.008-04:00

The drumbeat of negative news around the US Pharma continues unabated. The latest piece of bad news that Merck is laying off 15% of employees, comes on the heals of Pfizer announcement laying off ~20,000 employees after the Wyeth merger. According to a report published by Challenger, Gray & Christmas, in the first half of this year alone drug makers announced that they planned to cut about 35,000 jobs. Bad news like this is enough to strike fear in the hearts of the most courageous pharma executives!

Except, perhaps if you are in the Indian pharma industry.

While the US pharma industry is buffeted by one bad news after the other, times seem to be downright giddy in India. In fact, all this bad news here in the US seems to be translating into significant opportunity for the Indian pharma industry. An article in NY Times seems to indicate that the Indian pharmaceutical industry will grow 13% this year, reminding me of excitement I felt in late eighties when the US pharma sector was growing dramatically on the shoulders of new scientific discoveries in both BIG pharma and the nascent biotechnology industry. India today seems to be poised for significant growth leveraging its low costs high value scientific talent into a strategic advantage aimed towards making the pharma sector the center piece of the future global pharma industry.

A report published by the Organization of Pharmaceutical Producers of India seems to confirm these ambitions.

In drug discovery and development services, India is emerging as a hot spot, growing at ~ 65%, i.e. more than three and half times the global growth rate driven by strong chemistry capabilities, skilled manpower and cost value proposition.

This new maturity of Indian drug industry has already generated significant excitement in the sector with multi-nationals increasingly coming to India to buy into the low cost development capabilities exemplified by the Sanofi Aventis acquisition of Shanta Biotech and the low cost manufacturing capabilities demonstrated by the the $3.7B acquisition of Piramal Healthcare by Abbott. In fact, the Piramal acquisition goes beyond the low cost manufacturing capability acquisition strategy; it acts as a strategic foothold in a market place that is about to enter the explosive growth phase. Not only does this acquisition make Abbott the largest pharmaceutical company in India today, it also creates unparalleled growth opportunity for the future; Abbott expects to grow its business to $2.5B by year 2020, putting India at the centerpiece of Abbott's growth strategy.

So what does it mean for the Pharma hands of the United States? Two things...

1) If you are young and are looking for an adventure, it might be worth exploring opportunities in India. If the computer software industry is any guide, this sort of growth in Pharma industry is going to create significant opportunities for the adventurous. Not only will there be great opportunities to develop skills and learn business, professionally it might be an opportunity to grow at a much faster rate than here in the US. After all, high growth companies creates great many opportunities for promotions compared to low growth rate companies - just ask the Googlers and Pfizer employees!

2) Second, for the experienced and talented hands who have developed their skills in the US, there will be unprecedented opportunities for you too. Explosive growth has to be managed or else it can become destructive like the flooding of the river caused by torrential rain. Seasoned and mature hands are needed to man the controls and guide the industry through its early growth years creating opportunity for top level and mid level management. So, if you are looking at a stagnant career in the US and potentially a "sword of damocles" hanging over your job, India might just give you the opportunity for a second career before you are ready to hang up your spurs.

Of course it is important to remember that India is not the US and working in India is not like working in the US. Inefficiencies abound and challenges present themselves at every corner. If you are faint of heart who shrivels at the first sign of bureaucratic hurdles of a developing country, the India opportunity may not be for you. But if you are the adventurous type, looking for a new challenge, India presents an unprecedented opportunity to get involved at the "ground floor" and contribute into building some thing more substantial than just pushing the next visual aid past the scrunched up eyes of the internal review team scrutinizing your promotional piece to ensure that you don't miss the apostrophe in the fine print at the bottom of the page.

Heart Break in South America

2010-07-10T21:01:00.004-04:00

The South American heart break continued today with Uruguay losing to Germany 3-2. But the spirit and guts shown by the Uruguayans made the usually forgettable game a very memorable one. Up until the last minute, the Uruguayans played as if they were playing in the world cup finals showing grit and determination that has made them the talk of the 2010 World cup. The Germans won, but Uruguayans showed the spirit of winners. One can only imagine how the game would have ended if Diego Forlan's amazing kick at the last second had bounced in to the net rather than out of the net.

Of course, none of this means that Germany played poorly. Rather the Germans displayed their superb mastery through out the game with sharp passing and accurate kicks to the goal. Still, the team did not control the game as they have controlled the games until now, and in the end won but just barely.

Tomorrow we await the big game.

India Looks To World Universities To Educate Its Youth

2010-05-13T21:58:00.002-04:00

India faces a crisis in the education system.

88 out of every 100 Indian students who graduate from high school don't go on to higher education.

To solve this problem,

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government has proposed legislation, which the Indian Parliament is expected to enact into law, paving the way for foreign universities to set up branches in India.

Frontline Report on Carbon Credits in Brazil

2010-05-13T21:15:00.003-04:00

Gradual decay of Western civilization?

2010-05-08T22:45:00.004-04:00

Pronouncements of Asia's ascendancy abound the net. What is less clear is what role will Europe & North America play in the new world order about to emerge over the next 50 years. The quote below seems to pronounce a dire future for Europe.

...We already would have forgotten any pretense of the UK as a great power if not for its involvement in Iraq. The UK, along with much of Western Europe is one of those strange nations that exist as they do, in spite of what has happened in the last 70 years, not as a result. They have internal stability and modest detterence capabilities, but nothing really secures their futures. Without the strategic power of the US, Russia, or China, the economic dynamism of the developed pacific rim, or even the strong demographic and geographical base of India or Brazil, they seem to exist in a bubble. They are at no risk of anything instant like invasion or civil war, but their gradual decay and subjugation simply seems inevitable at some point. Im not predicting any immenent collapse or anything. Im not afraid to visit Europe, but my Great-grandkids probably will be.

What ever the future, the Greece debt crisis seems to be the harbinger of other similar dominos to fall in Europe. Which one will be next, Spain or Italy or UK?

Which ever country it is, it is foolish to predict the demise of European and Western power just yet. What is more likely is a balancing of US by another super power China, with a few more regional powers emerging.

On the other hand, UK will probably slowly decay, as the author seems to indicate.

Holi Poster

2010-04-10T22:57:00.008-04:00

One of the joys of being of Indian origin are the colorful festivals we get to celebrate. This year, Divya Mahajan informed us of there was a Holi festival being organized by ISKON in Edison. Knowing the reputation of Hare Krishna devotees we expected to see a very colorful Holi celebration. Unfortunately, when we arrived a rather sedate religious ceremony was going on, which was terribly disappointing to Jaya.

Being the Joshi girl that she is, Jaya expressed her dissatisfaction about the ceremony to one of the organizers and demanded colors. Fortunately, the organizers had anticipated that there might be a demand for colors, and soon enough a tray full of colors was produced. What ensued thereafter was a riot of colors, more along the lines of how Holi is celebrated in India. Here is one of the pictures, which I sized up to 20x30 size and printed as a poster. I am thinking that perhaps I should hang this poster on my office wall. What do you think?

Responding to Washington Post Blog Post on NPR and Economist

2010-04-10T14:33:00.008-04:00

Ezra Klein over at Washington Post wrote this article about the market share growth of NPR shown in the chart below and then tries to draw some conclusions about the growth of NPR and Economists, reported in two separate articles.

Graph courtesy Jon Peltier Reading this simplistic analysis I was struck by the irony that this was happening in a post analyzing the reasons behind the decline of American media!

First let us just talk about the way Ezra's article quotes the NPR numbers. He takes the graph from a blog post, which is taken from another blog post, which is a post about data presentation in an article published in Fast company. Ezra doesn't even bother to attribute the graph to Jon Peltier who was making an entirely different point with this graph (shown in this article)

Then, Ezra decides to compare growth of NPR with growth of Economist, which was written up in another blog doing a small bit piece on the original article published in Folio. Looking carefully at the Folio article, one realizes that this is nothing but a fluff "interview" piece touting Economist's circulation and profits- clearly a PR piece hardly to be called objective.

I have a big problem with people trying to draw general conclusions about anything put together from two different sources let alone data collected at two different time points under two entirely different experimental conditions. One cannot draw conclusions from such comparisons because of introduction of bias.

But Ezra commits another faux pas - quoting other bloggers and not the original articles. I understand why bloggers dispense with this sort of discipline, but when one is blogging for a reputed journal like Washington Post, one ought to set better standards.

Finally, I am disappointed by the overall content of the post itself. Instead of analysis, what we get is 'opinion' masquarading as 'analysis'. I have my own opinion about why NPR has sustained itself so well in these terrible times or why Economist might be more successful than let's say, the other US magazines. One word - competition or lack there of.

Let's take the example of NPR. While the subscriber read newspaper business has seen intense competition from internet, when it comes to passively imbibed news, i.e. via the channel of radio, the competition in the US is almost non-existent. There are some news radio channels mainly on AM radio, but other than that most radio channels tend to focus more on music than news.

BBC exists as an independent news radio only in England and other ex-US markets. In the US, NPR has co-opted BBC quite nicely by entering into a non-competitive partnerships of sorts, so that NPR and BBC can both offer programming to the local public radio channels. But while the internet based sources of news have dramatically increased over last year, due to miserable failure of satellite radio, on-air radio is the only medium available to captive population that listens to NPR - the car driving public.

There are 10 other reasons for success of NPR - one just has to read the original article to understand them.

As for Economist, despite the intense competition in US magazine business, news analysis is perhaps BIG reason for their success for while most US magazines offer a US centric point of view, Economist offers a "different" non-US centric point of view which is refreshingly welcome in many educated circles.

WSJ has also grown in circulation after recent change in management. But their strategy has been different. Circulation growth has come as a result of shrewd pricing strategy. I am myself an example of this. For instance, when they charged 0.75 per copy I was reading WSJ regularly as long as the paper was provided by my employer. When my employer balked, WSJ lost me. Since the change in mgmt at WSJ, they offered me a subscription for $99 for both online and print. I immediately signed up because I think it is a worthwhile investment.

Unfortunately, Ezra's blog post covers none of these issues.

Photo of the day: Jiya

2010-04-04T04:16:00.002-04:00

Making rounds of Internet

2010-04-01T15:17:00.002-04:00

The Washington Post's Mensa Invitational once again asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting or changing one letter, and supply a new definition. Here are this year's winners. Read them carefully. Each is an artificial word with only one letter altered from a real word. Some are terrifically innovative:
1. Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax return, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.
2. Reintardation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.
3. Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid people, that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The Bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.
4. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period of time.
5. Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.
6. Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.
7. Inoculatte: To take coffe intraveneously when you are running late.
8. Hipatitis: Terminal coolness.
9. Osteopornosis: A degenerate disease. (this one got extra credit)
10: Karmageddon: It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And, then, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.
11. Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.
12. Glibido: All talk and no action.
13. Dopeler Effect: the tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.
14. Arachnoleptic Fit (n.): the frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.
15. Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.
16. Caterpallor (n.): The color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you're eating.
17. Ignoranus: A person who's both stupid and an asshole.

Incredible Mindmap of Web Based Collaboration Tools

2010-01-23T22:07:00.006-05:00

Browsing the web I stumbled upon www.mindmeister.com a mind mapping webware. While I am myself fond of using Xmind an open source mindmapping software for its beautiful interface and nice formatting tools, I think mindmeister is certainly worth trying, especially given that mindmeister has an iPhone app available. The other mindmapping software I have often used is another opensource software called Freemind. Unfortunately, Freemind is falling way behind competition as it doesn't offer a web based interface (certainly not a easy way to create or publish maps online), nor does it offer formatting tools like Xmind.

However, tooling around the website I stumbled upon a mindmap created by Robin Good that outlines a large number of collaboration available on the web. This map is an incredible resource for any one interested.

Immediately, I started checking out some of the new webware I hadn't explored earlier. One syncronizing webware I am going to try out is LiveMesh. I have been a big fan of Dropbox, but Dropbox has some trouble connecting through firewall that I haven't been able to over come. I am hoping LiveMesh will be able to do this easily. Previously I had tried LiveSync, another Microsoft app, but unfortunately, LiveSync creates multiple copies of the same file - which is quite onerous and not really syncronization. Prior to that I had used FolderShare which had similar issues.

LiveMesh still only has a Mac version is still a development version, so we'll have to see if it really works for me. Now if Dropbox were to just fix the firewall issues, it would be so much simpler to just use their service.

Taj Mahal Restaurant in New Orleans

2009-12-08T14:24:00.000-05:00

Food at this restaurant is nothing to get excited about but when in
New Orleans you are dying for the taste of Indian food, Taj Mahal is
one of the few options available to you.

Sunil Joshi
609-902-9108

Enroute

2009-12-03T12:50:00.000-05:00

Kids n Toys

2009-11-17T16:37:00.014-05:00

From Kids & Toys B/W

Sunset in Cartagena

2009-11-17T16:20:00.002-05:00

Nature Resources In Princeton Area

2009-10-06T22:35:00.004-04:00

Princeton is full of green spaces - one just has to look around to realize this. Yet, when it comes to outdoor recreation we tend to vear towards the true and tried. This resource is for any one who is interested in exploring the outdoor opportunities more broadly.

Website on Local flora and fauna

http://princetonnaturenotes.blogspot.com/

Local area trails

http://www.walkthetrails.org is a book published by Sophie Glover and describes local trails in detail and with pictures!

http://www.njtrails.org A local organization that maintains trails in the state of NJ. The website has trails by county making it easier to navigate and find what you are looking for.

http://www.dandrcanal.com/ The Delaware and Raritan Canal provides miles and miles of pleasurable walking across the 175 year old canal. Check out the website - its choke full of information. The canal also has a blog which provides timely information on upcoming activities. http://www.dandrcanal.blogspot.com/

Jaya's Poldaroid Image

2009-10-04T20:03:00.002-04:00

Clare Bear (June 2009) by Jinja Ninja

2009-10-04T18:50:00.001-04:00

Every once in a while you stumble upon a music that just makes your day. This is one of those times! I spent the afternoon listening and dancing to this music with my little 8 month old who was squealing with delight.

Listen and then download to listen some more.

Great work Alex!

For those interested, here is the soundcloud website
http://www.soundcloud.com/jinja-ninja

and here is Alex's website
http://www.jinja-ninha.co.uk

Clare Bear (June 2009) by Jinja Ninja

Little Jiya

2009-08-07T15:04:00.001-04:00

Designing Logos & Brand Personality

2009-08-07T14:06:00.008-04:00

Ever since I have used the earliest of Macs, I had always had the question of who designed the Apple logo, and why? Today as I was browsing some exchanges on Tidbits, I came across this interview of Rob Janoff, the designer who gave the world the original Apple logo. Its interesting to learn how Rob came upon designing various aspects of the logo, and what he feels about the changes the logo has undergone in the last few years. I myself have been inspired by the simplicity of Apple logo and overall design in designing the logo for my wife's online tea business and her online bespoke shirts business.

Read the interview if you are fascinated by this stuff. Its a must read for marketers whose job it is to design communication tools that humanize our products.

What beetle is this?

2009-07-27T23:26:00.002-04:00

I came across this impressive beetle on my trip to Panama. Any one know what beetle this is? It was about the size of a thumb with some impressive mandibles!!

BRIC or BRICT, the definition of emerging markets is changing!

2009-07-27T22:44:00.004-04:00

Just a few months ago, pharmaceutical companies of all shapes and forms declared all sorts of "emerging markets" strategies centering around BRIC, or BRICT. Turns out, the gentleman who coined the term BRIC does not consider BRIC countries to be emerging markets any more! In a WSJ interview published today, John O'Neill said this...

Well, first of all, I should say that I don't really count the BRICs as emerging markets. They are too big for that.

Instead Goldman Sachs has identified 11 other countries that could replace the BRIC. Curiously, WSJ article only gives the names of Nigeria, Iran, Mexico, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Turkey. So I guess BRIC will be replaced soon by NIMVIT......

Of course, just a change in definition does not rob the markets of their potential. BRIC countries are going to dominate the world economic growth for a long time to come and companies would turn a blind eye to the raw potential of these economies at their own peril.

Besides, with players such as Nigeria and Iran in the new list, it will be a while before many American companies are able to embrace the new definition of "emerging markets".

Fantastic a cappella group from Slovenia

2009-07-07T23:11:00.003-04:00

Slovenian a cappella group Perpetuum Jazzile performing Toto's Africa. Close your eyes, turn up the volume and listen to thunderstorm cascade down the plains of Africa! Simply fantastic!

iPhone Photogaphy: Summer Reading

2009-07-05T19:28:00.001-04:00

This is my summer reading - an old Tom Clancy book - which I found in a "for sale" bin at the local library. There were so many good books for almost buck-a-piece that in this recessionary economy I have no need to go to a book store. Besides rediscovering the library, I spent just $5 for three really good books, and I can always go back for more!

iPhone Photography: Mommy Love

2009-07-05T03:03:00.002-04:00

iPhone Photography: The Hidden Pond

2009-07-05T02:47:00.007-04:00

Fourth of July was a perfect day to discover this hidden pond right in the heart of Lawrenceville, just off Route 1! Its so beautifully tucked behind a strip mall that its almost impossible to discover unless you have some time on hand and wanter to the back of the mall. Can you guess where it is?

Hint: Its close to the old BMS facility - Nassau Park.

iPhone Photography: Lilly

2009-07-05T02:39:00.003-04:00

The disaster that bottled water represents

2009-06-23T22:54:00.001-04:00

Washington's Field Headquarters

2009-06-23T08:41:00.003-04:00

Today I was driving by the Rockingham site of General Washington's revolutionary war headquarters in Kingston, and at the traffic light saw a moment to capture the magic of the place in b/w. Jen Rinaldi has a lot many more beautiful pictures on her blog. Its a great place to do some summer photography!

Princess For The Day

2009-06-20T17:22:00.003-04:00

Table Lamp

2009-06-20T16:40:00.007-04:00

My Travel Gear: What I Have In My Suite Case

2009-03-29T09:59:00.005-04:00

I have to leave for a week long trip to Mexico and Colombia on a business trip. Which got me wondering, how come I don't have a ready list of things to take with me? Today we will change that, with this list of travel gear. This is what I have in my suite case:
Day Wear:
Long sleeve dress shirts - 4 per week
Suites - 2 per week
Dress pants - 1 (can be worn with dress shirt for a semi-formal dinner evening)
Ties - 4 per week
Belt - 1
Dress shoes - 1
Dress socks - 2 pairs
Reading Glasses
Sun Glasses

Casual wear, for evenings and other free time
Casual short sleeve shirts - 3 per week
Casual pants - 2 per week
Shorts - 1
Walking shoes - 1
Socks - 2 pairs
Flip flops - 1 pair
Swimming trunks & goggles

Other essential stuff
Office laptop & charger
Iphone/Cell phone & charger
Reading lightfor the long night flights
Noise reduction headphones (mine are panasonic RP-HC500)
A good travel book (hopefully soft bound)
Camera & lenses
Camera cable to transfer pictures to laptop
Portable tripod (critical for night shots)
Shaving kit

Other non-essentials but critical for travel
Dry food munchies such as Bhujiya, Daal - 2 packs
(I always feel hungry in the middle of the night, and need this as a way of not raiding the hotel refrigerator and get ripped off)
Jaya Tea bags - Darjeeling Single Estate - 1, Assam Single Estate - 1
(Teas served in most hotels are awful! This is my only way to save myself!)
Kwik Leather Cuir Shoe polish - Really critical if you don't want to look like you've just stepped out of the bus
Handy steamer - For your suit - Really critical if you don't want to look like you've just stepped out of the bus

Famous Moments in George Bush's Speeches

2009-02-07T12:22:00.004-05:00

George Bush's memorable speech moments, courtsey of David Letterman.

Meeting Aimee Mullins - At TED

2009-01-28T21:11:00.009-05:00

Many are aware of this annual meeting called TED where gifted people are invited to share their perspective on the things they do. TED used to be, and still is, a "By Invitation Only" meeting. But thanks to modern technology and the ability to share videos economically, TED has made several of their videos available to public for free.

What a treat this is! You can mosy over to http://www.ted.com/ and check out their collection of videos. Its an amazing collection. Here is a sample.

Aimee Mullins is a double amputee below the knee and one of the fastest runners in the world. In this video Aimee share her experiences as a double amputee. Its a truly inspiring story.