Random Thoughts

As the environmentalist Rob Watson likes to say, “Mother Nature is just chemistry, biology and physics.” That’s all she is. You can’t spin her; you can’t sweet-talk her. You can’t say, “Hey, Mother Nature, we’re having a bad recession, could you take a year off?” No, she’s going to do whatever chemistry, biology and physics dictate, based on the amount of carbon we put in the atmosphere, and as Watson likes to add: “Mother Nature always bats last, and she always bats a thousand.” Ditto the market. The market is just a second-by-second snapshot of the balance between greed and fear. You can’t spin it or sweet-talk it. And you never know when that balance between greed and fear on the dollar is going to tip over into fear in a nonlinear way.

- Thomas L. Friedman
www.thomaslfriedman.com
www.ecotech-intl.com

Spot on.

Masters Of Light

The three scientists (Charles Kao + Willard Boyle + George Smith) who harnessed the power of light in ways that turned the Internet into a global phenomenon and launched the digital-camera revolution were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Congratulations! A well deserved prize!

Useful link:
http://nobelprize.org

Cartier Treasures

Cartier Treasures: King of Jewelers, Jewelers to Kings Exhibition is on display at the Palace Museum in Beijing, China September 5, 2009 - November 22, 2009. Don't miss.

Useful links:
www.dpm.org.cn
http://fondation.cartier.com

Global Business BBC

Peter Day's report on President Hugo Chavez's 21st Century Socialism and the impact on country's economy was interesting.

Useful links:
www.iesa.edu.ve
www.avhi.org
www.mercal.gob.ve
http://alopresidente.gob.ve

Man Booker Prize 2009

Hilary Mantel has been named Man Booker Prize winner for her historical novel Wolf Hall. Congratulations!

Useful link:
www.themanbookerprize.com

The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope by William Kamkwamba + Bryan Mealer is a moving and exciting story. A must read.

Useful link:

http://williamkamkwamba.typepad.com

Random Thoughts

Academics, however, like to define investment risk differently, averring that it is the relative volatility of a stock or portfolio of stocks-that is, their volatility as compared to that of a large universe of stocks. Employing data bases and statistical skills, these academics compute with precision the beta of a stock-its relative volatility in the past-and then build arcane investment and capital-allocation theories around this calculation. In their hunger for a single statistic to measure risk, however, they forget a fundamental principle: It is better to be approximately right than precisely wrong.

- Warren Buffett
www.berkshirehathaway.com

Spot on.

Jeff Scher Viewpoint

The hypnotic pleasure of losing yourself in the shadow world was brilliant. Thanks Jeff.

Useful link:
http://fezfilms.net