Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Friday, September 04, 2009
Gerson Lehrman News
Off topic, I write articles covering business issues for Gerson Lehrman News, and am an Accounting & Financial Analysis Council Member (AFA Council Members include CFOs, former top regulatory body officials, partners from the world's leading accounting firms, academics, forensic accountants, and other financial executives).
The news articles can be accessed via this link Gerson Lehrman News.
The news articles can be accessed via this link Gerson Lehrman News.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Protests Over Healthcare Reform in The US
President Obama's proposals for healthcare reform have set off a wave of protests at town hall meetings across the US, and have even spurred British politicians to enter the fray as the NHS comes under fire from certain quarters in the US.
In reality the healthcare issue is being used as the touchstone by the rabid right to stir people up. The rabid right are fanning the flames of protest, using fear of change as their fuel.
The US, like it or not, is changing:
1 It is broke, thanks in no small part to the ruinously costly wars that it started under Bush
2 It owes China, an emerging superpower, $1.4 trillion
3 The GOP is leaderless/rudderless and has its agenda "driven" by dangerous loons such as Palin and unscrupulous "news"/media networks such as Fox
4 The white majority face becoming a minority in "their own" country (as they see it)
5 God doesn't exist, whatever GOP might have you believe
People's fears are being whipped up by unscrupulous networks such as Fox, uneducated politicians such as Palin and retarded bloggers.
Given the number of people with sizeable personal arsenals, this presents the government of the US with a serious problem.
The rabid right may well end up provoking a civil war.
In reality the healthcare issue is being used as the touchstone by the rabid right to stir people up. The rabid right are fanning the flames of protest, using fear of change as their fuel.
The US, like it or not, is changing:
1 It is broke, thanks in no small part to the ruinously costly wars that it started under Bush
2 It owes China, an emerging superpower, $1.4 trillion
3 The GOP is leaderless/rudderless and has its agenda "driven" by dangerous loons such as Palin and unscrupulous "news"/media networks such as Fox
4 The white majority face becoming a minority in "their own" country (as they see it)
5 God doesn't exist, whatever GOP might have you believe
People's fears are being whipped up by unscrupulous networks such as Fox, uneducated politicians such as Palin and retarded bloggers.
Given the number of people with sizeable personal arsenals, this presents the government of the US with a serious problem.
The rabid right may well end up provoking a civil war.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Met Office Fails
The hapless and hopeless Met Office has failed again with its "forecasting".
In April the Met office predicted that we were in line for a hot, dry summer.
No surprises for guessing that, given the lack of "summer sizzle", the Met Office is now changing its forecast and is predicting "unsettled" weather.
In 2008 they got their summer prediction wrong, and indeed in 2007 they also screwed up.
The Met Office head of forecasting, Brian Goulding, said:
"Seasonal forecasting is a difficult thing to do and this places some limitations on our forecasts".
I have two suggestions for the Met Office:
1 Given the "difficulty" and inaccuracy of long term forecasting, why bother?
2 Why not fine the Met Office everytime they get things wrong? Inaccurate weather forecasts cost others money, why not focus the minds of the Met Office a little more by charging them for their mistakes?
In April the Met office predicted that we were in line for a hot, dry summer.
No surprises for guessing that, given the lack of "summer sizzle", the Met Office is now changing its forecast and is predicting "unsettled" weather.
In 2008 they got their summer prediction wrong, and indeed in 2007 they also screwed up.
The Met Office head of forecasting, Brian Goulding, said:
"Seasonal forecasting is a difficult thing to do and this places some limitations on our forecasts".
I have two suggestions for the Met Office:
1 Given the "difficulty" and inaccuracy of long term forecasting, why bother?
2 Why not fine the Met Office everytime they get things wrong? Inaccurate weather forecasts cost others money, why not focus the minds of the Met Office a little more by charging them for their mistakes?
Friday, June 05, 2009
Sugar Backs Brown
Sir Alan "The Apprentice" Sugar has publicly backed Gordon Brown today.
However, is this endorsement really worth the media hype given that the "reality" "business" show The Apprentice shows that Sugar allows people into the final five of his show who have lied on their CVs?
However, is this endorsement really worth the media hype given that the "reality" "business" show The Apprentice shows that Sugar allows people into the final five of his show who have lied on their CVs?
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Vile Politicians Stoking The Flames
The attack on Sir Fred "The Shred" Goodwin's home by a self proclaimed "anarchist" group of "banker hating" trouble makers, may well be excused by the media as the work of the lunatic fringe.
However, the flames of the "lunatic fringe's" anger have been fanned and given fuel by the less than restrained outpourings of our political "leaders" (Brown, Harman et al) and a compliant ignorant media who have jumped onto the bandwagon of banker bashing.
Doubtless the banks and their boards have screwed up royally. However, this country's economic plight has been brought about not just by the actions of "greedy bankers", but by a profligate government that wasted billions during years of plenty and the failed tripartite regulatory system that oversaw the years of lax credit and greed.
Those politicians and members of the media who happily divert the public's attention, by blaming the bankers solely for this mess, should remember that in the 1930's in Germany bankers and others were also used by the media, and those that controlled the media, as an effective scapegoat and means to whip the public up into a frenzy.
Those politicians that continue with banker bashing, without acknowledging their own responsibility for this financial mess, are little better than the Nazis of the 1930's.
However, the flames of the "lunatic fringe's" anger have been fanned and given fuel by the less than restrained outpourings of our political "leaders" (Brown, Harman et al) and a compliant ignorant media who have jumped onto the bandwagon of banker bashing.
Doubtless the banks and their boards have screwed up royally. However, this country's economic plight has been brought about not just by the actions of "greedy bankers", but by a profligate government that wasted billions during years of plenty and the failed tripartite regulatory system that oversaw the years of lax credit and greed.
Those politicians and members of the media who happily divert the public's attention, by blaming the bankers solely for this mess, should remember that in the 1930's in Germany bankers and others were also used by the media, and those that controlled the media, as an effective scapegoat and means to whip the public up into a frenzy.
Those politicians that continue with banker bashing, without acknowledging their own responsibility for this financial mess, are little better than the Nazis of the 1930's.
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Congrats To Tony Blair
Congratulations to former Prime Minister Tony Blair for earning the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his role in backing the US in the so called "War Against Terror".
Such a pity that his role as Middle east Peace Envoy appears to be not quite working out quite so well!
Such a pity that his role as Middle east Peace Envoy appears to be not quite working out quite so well!
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