Google Ads

Why do all my google ads talk about sex offenders? What is going on here? Maybe it's because of the article I posted from the Economist.com.

New York Photos

Alongside the Wall Street Bull in Bowling Green Park. For good luck, investors must rub the nose, horns and, yes, testicles. In case you doubted me, I did all three.













A shot of Grand Central Station. Commuters from Jersey and Connecticut, and the outer New York Suburbs arrive here every morning. I got my tennis racket strung at a shop here. Hint - click on the linked text "Grand Central Station" above for a really cool social project.



















Me in front of the New York Stock Exchange. Spooky to think that over a trillion dollars changes hands here every business day.


Here I am in front of Times Square.

New York is rather annoying

I recently visited New York for work and was really looking forward to the visit.  I'd been there twice but never for more than a couple hours.  This trip was to be nearly three days including plenty of down time.  As a disclaimer to this post, I know that there is much more to New York than I saw; these are simply observations I had based on my limited time there.

New York, as I saw it, can be summed up with three words: culture and marketing and people. 

I stayed at the Grand Hyatt located at Grand Central Station about 8 blocks from Times Square.  Every language imaginable could be heard there and around Grand Central and throughout the rest of the city for that matter.  I later learned that some 40% of New Yorkers speak some language other than English as their primary tongue.  I met an old law school pal of my father's about 8 blocks south of the hotel in a neighborhood filled with about every type of ethnic restaurant imaginable.  There are different neighborhoods for the Polish, Chinese, Italians, etc..  The languages I heard and people I saw were much different from my home in Hillsdale, MI - a town with 1 culture.  It was quite an experience I must say and I'd never seen anything like it in any of the other big cities I've been to in the last 2 years with this job.

Marketing was everywhere and was really annoying.  Everything is big, flashy, and in your face with no breaks from the millions of people.  Visiting Times Square is a pretty sickening experience.  I strolled down there one evening by myself and was completely turned off.  There were tweens running around everywhere screaming and taking photos.  Tourists from every country were jockeying for position to take photos or to get to the next destination.  Even down in the financial district, tourists were everywhere. The famous bull statue was completely covered in tourists taking photos and climbing on it.  My colleague and I took a trip down to central park to play tennis on their very well maintained clay courts and were surprised at how many people were in central park.  Bikes, runners, softball games taking up every field, booked tennis courts (40), and filled benches typified the central park experience.  It is a neat spot, but there is no escaping the droves of people.

All in all, New York seems like a very stressful place to live.  My guess is there are some really unique spots away from the hustle and bustle of midtown, but it probably takes some digging to find.  We did find a really nead placed called the Russian Vodka Room complete with many flavors of vodka.  This place had about 15 jars of vodka filled with different fruits and spices.  The menu included garlic and horseradish flavored vodka.  I stuck with cranberry.  There must be scores of unique places like this one around New York, but a couple days just wasn't enough to find more of them.

If nothing else, it helped me realize that the city in which I live isn't nearly as important as the relationships I have with the people living there.

Interesting observations:

1. I got a tour of the Opus Dei national headquarters.  Yes, this is the Opus Dei that was featured in the novel "The DaVinci Code."  The priest that took me around told me that when the book came out, every media company wanted to visit with them and talk with them including Good Morning America.  I was told that they were disappointed to find out that there isn't much secretive about Opus Dei.  The book's release was several hundred million dollars worth of free marketing for them and really helped them get their message out.  Opus Dei is really booming because of this book.  I also noted that their national headquarters building is plush with what looked like cherry paneling.  Polished brass was everywhere.  Someone with big money is helping fund that place.
2. I visited ground zero.  There is nothing there save for a hole in the ground.  I didn't see any sort of memorial, though I'm told it's located in a church across the street.  The whole area is fenced off and the fence has some sort of lining making it hard to see what is there.  Come on, guys, it's been 7 years since 9/11 and there is nothing to show for it.  Whoever is in charge of that property should be embarassed.
3. The subway system is great.  We never had to wait more than just a couple minutes.  It is a little more crammed than DC's metro, but it is clean and easy to use.  A ride costs $2 no matter where you go in the city.
4. Central Park's clay tennis courts are very well maintained and were an absolute joy to play on.  If you are a recreational tennis player, it is worth the hourly investment to play on the dirt once or twice.
   

A great time

A great time to be invested in commodities, that is.  I recommend GSG, a balanced commodities index, GLD, a gold index fund that is due to cross 100 soon - it's been lagging behind the other commodities and is a great play to hedge against inflation which, in my opinion, is much higher than the government is reporting.  Basically, if our economy collapses and we enter a period of hyperinflation, those invested in gold will have nothing to worry about.  Oil passed 132/barrel today.  There is no reason to whine about gas prices so long as you are invested in an energy index fund or even an oil index fund sticker symbol OIL.  How long will this run last?  Well all the major investment banks are reporting forecasts of 150+ per barrel oil.  Goldman analysts predict $200 oil on the horizon.  Get your money here and rising gas/food prices will be of no concern to you.

In other news, I just got back from a 2-day trip on college business to New York City.  Needless to say, I was not really impressed with the city.  I'm collecting my thoughts on it and will blog about it sometime later.  In fact, I've visited every major city along the eastern US through my job, so expect a 100 word blurb on each city sometime soon.

Big Day in Tech News

Carl Icahn is launching a proxy battle in an effort to oust the Yahoo board and re-negotiate Microsoft's bid for Yahoo. My take? I say the Yahoo board is shaking in their boots right now. This is a clear opportunity for Microsoft to low ball Yahoo and offer 29-30 per share. Microsoft eventually upped the offer to $33 per share before withdrawing it leaving Yahoo shareholders very irritated. Maybe the Yahoo board will cave and accept a lower offer to avoid battling one of the most legendary financiers.

CBS announced a purchase of CNET networks sending CNET's shares up 40+%. It's a bummer I didn't buy a few months ago since I've had the "hunch" that CNET was going to be bought out for a long time. I guess investors should worry about the future and use the past only as a learning experience. CNET owns a number of tech media internet outlets.

A tennis legend retires at 25 and Tiger Woods is a decent golfer

I am 24 years old. Justine Henin was in second grade when I was in first grade. I graduated high school just after she did. I probably could beat her in tennis up until I was 5 and she was 6 (maybe). I would still beat her in a bar fight. Justine won 4 straight French Opens and ended up with every grand slam save for the lawns of Wimbledon. She won nearly $20 million in prize money. She repeatedly dismantled the 6 foot plus Sharapova, Ivanovic, and the Williams sisters all in her short 5 foot 6 frame. Her technique was nearly flawless and her one-handed backhand made her game look like art. Except for a 7-week stint by Sharapova, Henin has been #1 in the world since 2006. She is 25 years old.

She is retiring.

Citing general fatigue and a failing will to win, Justine is putting away her racket for good. For those who follow tennis, it is unbelievable that someone at her height actually made it to the professional level. Watching her was almost funny since she was dwarfed by the top players. As someone who spent the better part of my life battling against those much taller and stronger than me, I have to salute her.

Success in individual sports requires a very strong and disciplined mind. Once the winning begins, constant pressure to keep winning emerges. Unlike a team sport, players can't be traded, presidents and owners can't change, and new stadiums can't be built to harness the possible success of a new environment. Also unlike a team sport, the pressure is focused solely on the individual - not dispersed across an organization. Roger Federer mentioned this pressure earlier this year when he lost to the Serbian star Novak Djokovic. I mention this because ESPN contributor, Mark Kreidler's article about Henin's retirement praises Tiger Woods' ability to keep winning year after year. He notes

By the way: If you haven't started appreciating Tiger Woods circa '08, now would be a good time. Through marriage, family, loss of loved ones and, recently, injury, Woods remains an almost implacable winner. Thank goodness he isn't human; it might be intimidating for the other guys.

Now, golf is a sport one can succeed in longer than tennis, but Kreidler's point is spot on. Aside from Michael Jordan, Woods is probably the most impressive competitor in the modern sports era because he keeps winning despite constant concentrated pressure to keep it up.

Microsoft did a really cool thing

Recently, Google maps crashed for me while I was trying to print directions for a business trip.  Luckily, there are several mapping services online, so I just headed over to maps.live.com and was pleasantly surprised with the ease of the user-interface and the less cluttered printout.  I honestly think that Microsoft's mapping product is better.  Microsoft also added a 3D dimension to their mapping which let's you see actual 3D renderings of cities.  It takes a fast computer and an equally fast internet connection, but holy cow is this cool.  I also noticed a new view called "bird's eye" which gives a view similar to looking at a 45 degree angle down on a city.

This is not the cool thing, though.  What is really amazing is their new worldwide telescope.  This program is like google earth or microsoft virtual earth except this is for the entire universe!  It combines hundreds of thousands of photos from various telescopes and lets you navigate the universe.  You can even go back in time and into the future!  The head up display let's you go right to various places such as planets, solar systems, nebulae, etc.  Tech blogger and former Microsoft employee, Robert Scoble admitted that it made him cry when Microsoft first showed it to him.

In full disclosure, I can't get it to work right on my computer.  I've read about the vast majority who use it and say it is absolutely spectacular.  It is a quick download and all the data streams off various servers.  I'd love to do this on a huge screen.

These people can only scam the world for so long

So, I've had a little to drink this evening. I have a moral question.... This country is pretty much a scam - politicians in general do a great job of rallying the populace to their phony causes in order that they get votes. These scammers care not for the "common man," but for some reason, we keep voting for these clowns. They just inflate our money and scam us left and right. It's got me thinking here. Is it better to just say "screw it" and join them to succeed in life, or is it better to just live a mediocre lifestyle and sit back and lament the guys on top while keeping a clean conscience? I don't know about you, but morality hasn't really gotten anyone anywhere. Please name one person who was principled who actually made something of himself without selling his soul once or twice along the way. Answer = zero people. Bottom line - if you want to make something of yourself and also make a MEANINGFUL difference in the world, there will be times where you will need to lay your ethics aside and engage in shady dealings. Damn.

On the bright side - once one is at the top and has power, the opportunity to set an example and inspire others to succeed in ethical practices is wide open. Once one is rich and famous, he/she has ample opportunity to inspire others to follow the rules, be ethical, and rise to greatness. Horrible advice if you expect to make it beyond mediocre in this world.

Speaking of those who will sacrifice all to achieve success - how about Larry Ellison giving a big f-u to the Justice Departmen prosecutors during the anti-trust trial regarding his acquisition of Peoplesoft. I know this happened several years ago, but come on, this is HILARIOUS....

Everyone loves a good show, and Ellison delivered. Besides the initial salt-of-the-earth musings and gunplay discussion, Ellison, the billionaire yachtsman, showed few executives can swagger like he can. When he testified at an eventual antitrust trial that could have blocked the PeopleSoft takeover, Ellison arrived in celebrity style (with cameras swarming outside the federal courthouse in San Francisco where the trial was held) in a natty charcoal suit with patriotic red tie. On his way to the witness stand, he swiped a bottle of water off the Justice Department lawyer's desk, sat down, opened the bottle, and took a deep, satisfied swig. It was a moment of pure arrogance. Classic Ellison.

BTW - Ellison and Oracle won this case.

Barack Obama = Luke Skywalker

I don't want to turn this blog into a link farm for YouTube videos, but this video is pretty funny. It is a Star Wars themed summation of the current democratic primary battle. Enjoy.

Shucks, it didn't work and Africa still sucks

Well, the experiment only got 3 people to bite on my facebook scam.  Oh well, I guess I'll have to make better use of my time.

I commented earlier about the atrocities in the Democratic Republic of Congo and how China's investment is worth watching inasmuch as it relates to improving the stability of the country.  Well, the Economist Magazine published an article about the DR of Congo this week that truly made me sick to my stomach even though I knew all of this was going on.  The militia groups out there use rape and sexual intimidation as a means to cement their power.  I hate these gross reminders.  Notice that the article mentions the abundant presence of "blue helmets."  It doesn't look like they are capable of accomplishing much.  This gives me an interesting idea.  I now call upon my vast readership to send me 1 single example of where UN peacekeepers and/or NGO's have actually made meaningful progress toward resolving a situation.

The article is below - I wonder if I will receive an email from the Economist's lawyers telling me to take the "premium" content off my blog.

READER BEWARE - This article contains explicit material that may make you sick to your stomach.  Imagine the worst possible form of torture and intimidation and multiply it by 10.  That is what is described in this article.  This means that my mother and sisters should stop reading here.

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A barbarous campaign of rape

EVERYTHING in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a country almost the size of western Europe, is on a scarcely imaginable scale—including the violence. Among the beautiful mountain vistas, terraced hillsides and lush tropical greens of eastern Congo, a bitter, decade-long civil war that officially ended in the rest of the country in 2003, and that has claimed several million lives as a result of fighting and disease, burns on in the eastern border provinces of Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu. A ceasefire signed in the town of Goma in January between the government and more than a score of militias has so far done little to ease the plight of civilians in the east. All sides—government troops, says the United Nations, as well as the militias—continue to use rape as a weapon of war on a barbarous scale.

Most victims, as ever, are women and girls, some no more than toddlers, though men and boys have sometimes been targeted too. Local aid workers and UN reports tell of gang rapes, leaving victims with appalling physical and psychological injuries; rapes committed in front of families or whole communities; male relatives forced at gunpoint to rape their own daughters, mothers or sisters; women used as sex slaves forced to eat excrement or the flesh of murdered relatives. Some women victims have themselves been murdered by bullets fired from a gun barrel shoved into their vagina. Some men, says a worker for the UN's Children's Fund (Unicef), have been forced to simulate having sex in holes dug in the ground, with razor blades stuck inside.

Sometimes the motive is revenge for attacks by rival militias, sometimes it is ethnic cleansing and on other occasions an effort to undermine the morale of the enemy by spreading shame, injury and disease. The trauma and appalling injury suffered by women and men who survive such assaults cripple families and whole villages. In eastern Congo up to 80% of reported fistula cases in women are thought to result from rape attacks. The epidemic of violence also spreads HIV/AIDS.

According to a report published in October by the UN secretary-general in an effort to get governments to do more to protect civilians caught up in this and other conflicts, in the first six months of 2007 there were 4,500 cases of sexual violence reported in South Kivu alone. As a rule of thumb in such situations, says the UN, for every rape that is reported, as many as ten or 20 cases may go unreported.

Rape in warfare is nothing new. Congo has long had a culture of violence and an almost non-existent judicial system. Though rape is supposedly illegal, often it is the victim who is shunned. Neither army nor militia commanders seem to see rape as a serious offence and so take no action against their marauding soldiers. Some fighters are said to believe that the rape of a virgin bestows invincibility in combat. But these are not random acts by misguided or crazed individuals, says the UN; they are a "deliberate attempt to dehumanise and destroy entire communities."
Kate Eshelby But the men with guns don't listen

That process is proceeding apace. Since early last year an upsurge in violence has displaced some 550,000 people from their homes and villages in eastern Congo. The sprawling, hellish camps for displaced people that dot the road from Goma north to Rutshuru, their shelters made from branches lashed together, leaves and plastic sheeting, offer little protection. Not even the UN's more than 17,000 blue helmets and military observers, and close to 1,000 police (together its largest peacekeeping operation in the world), can hope to put an end to violence in so vast a region that is barely accessible by road or air.

And the Goma ceasefire? Pressure to observe it would be a start, even though not all armed groups signed up. Among those that did not are Hutu rebels from over the border in Rwanda who helped perpetrate the genocide there in 1994 and caused it to spill over the border into Congo. On April 23rd, 63 international and Congolese NGOs signed an appeal urging the UN to appoint a high-level special adviser on human rights for eastern Congo.

The idea is to help draw world attention to the plight of civilians, whose suffering is at least as extreme as anything witnessed in the better-publicised conflict in Sudan's western region of Darfur. The hope is that outside governments, the African Union, the European Union and the United States may offer political and financial support. Since all UN members have promised to observe a fundamental "responsibility to protect" their citizens from war crimes and crimes against humanity, focusing world attention on such crimes in eastern Congo is perhaps the least outsiders can do.

This is the ultimate food fight

Forget everything you learned in grade school.



By the way, what's with the ad across the bottom of the YouTube video. Pretty annoying if you ask me.

A fun experiment

I recently changed my facebook status to "in a relationship."  I do not have a girlfriend right now, nor do I really want one.  It will be interesting to see what sort of response I get, especially since the facebook news feed will broadcast my recent relationship status change.  Facebook is such a goofy thing, but one has to admit its amusing aspects.  If enough people read my blog, I could set up a poll and ask my readers if I should tell my responders the truth.  But alas, I only get about 10 hits a day.  I'll let you know if anything interesting happens.

Maybe facebook needs a new relationship status, "effing disaster."  This is the reason I believe so.