Diamond And Human Security

I found Partnership Africa Canada's (PAC) annual review entitled 'Diamonds and Human Security' interesting. According the report, the Kimberley Process is becoming less effective + trade in illicit rough diamonds are growing in different levels in countries like Angola, the DR Congo, Sierra Leone, Cote d'Ivoire, the Central African Republic, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Zimbabwe, Brazil, Guyana and Venezuela.

Useful links:
www.pacweb.org
www.kimberleyprocess.com
www.globalwitness.org

Nassim Nicholas Taleb Viewpoints

Tim Morrison's Q&A with Nassim Nicholas Taleb + his viewpoints @ http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1853531,00.html was brilliant. I really do admire Nassim for his books and his insights into business and finance.

Useful link:
www.fooledbyrandomness.com

Random Thoughts

It took 20 years for us to get into this situation — leveraged to the hilt — and it will take more than a couple of years to unwind it. And even when we get back to normal, that normal is not going to be the same. We won't have this sort of freely available credit that we had before for households and businesses. It's going to be a different reality — a more austere one — when we come out on the other end of this.

- Paul Ashworth
www.capitaleconomics.com
(via http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1853129,00.html)

How true!

Security Analysis

Security Analysis: The Classic 1934 Edition by Benjamin Graham + David Dodd is an insightful book on investing ever written + the author points out repeatedly, the difference between investment and speculation. A must read.

The stock market is a voting machine rather than weighing machine.

- Benjamin Graham

How true! It's an important lesson to remember these days.

RecycleBank

I think with better information people will make better decisions + lessons learned will last forever. I was really impressed with a smart green-tech company, RecycleBank, and their innovative recycling rewards. I thought it was a brilliant idea. In fact I liked it. Go to www.recyclebank.com for further info.

Prospect 1

Prospect 1, the largest biennial of international contemporary art ever organized in America, will debut in New Orleans on November 1, 2008. Go to www.prospectneworleans.org for further info.

Anado McLauchlin + Richard Schultz

Joyce Wadlers's article in the New York Times on artworks of Anado McLauchlin/Richard Schultz + other viewpoints @ http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/23/garden/23mexico.html?_r=1&oref=slogin was brilliant. Stunningly beautiful rich colors, really.

Useful links:
www.madebyanado.com
www.richardschultz.com

CIBJO + De Beers

Chaim Even Zohar writes about CIBJO's new initiative on synthetics (diamond) nomenclature + CIBJO vs non-CIBJO standard labs + CEN Workshop ideas + other viewpoints @ http://www.idexonline.com/portal_FullEditorial.asp

A must read.

Useful links:
www.cibjo.org
www.ftc.gov
www.iso.org
www.accc.gov.au
www.worlddiamondcouncil.com
www.debeersgroup.com