New York Times article by Peter S. Goodman explores Alan Greenspan's role in the, still, unfolding 2008 World Economic Meltdown. It is noted that central to Greenspan's belief is the faith in the 'honor' of Wall Street and how he dismissed attempts at regulating derivatives. Or even discussion of possible ways and means to regulate derivatives.
And, if I may add (and I may, as this is my blog), it should be noted Alan Greenspan left the low interest tap open too much and too long and too often.
Showing posts with label business. Show all posts
Showing posts with label business. Show all posts
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Friday, September 12, 2008
NBC Said, Apple Said...
NBC said Apple gave us what we wanted and now we're back in iTunes.
Apple said... what? We didn't give in to anything that wasn't already in iTunes when you dumped us (subtext: you dumb jerk weeds) a year ago.
As a snidey side, Apple didn't put in the anti-user (well... NBC calls it anti-piracy) DRM that NBC was loudly going on about (but not seriously, just trying anything to blame Apple).
Apple said... what? We didn't give in to anything that wasn't already in iTunes when you dumped us (subtext: you dumb jerk weeds) a year ago.
As a snidey side, Apple didn't put in the anti-user (well... NBC calls it anti-piracy) DRM that NBC was loudly going on about (but not seriously, just trying anything to blame Apple).
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Stephen Foley: "Disharmony at iTunes"
Stephen Foley writes "Disharmony at iTunes" for The Independent.
Mr. Foley writes that record companies want to take down iTunes so they can control music sales, like they did in the past,
and that the future of iTunes is in doubt.
Mr. Foley, Mr. jobs wholeheartedly agrees with you.
That is why Mr. Jobs had Apple build the iPhone and put up the Apps Store.
Mr. Foley writes that record companies want to take down iTunes so they can control music sales, like they did in the past,
and that the future of iTunes is in doubt.
Mr. Foley, Mr. jobs wholeheartedly agrees with you.
That is why Mr. Jobs had Apple build the iPhone and put up the Apps Store.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Dell's New Portable Music Player
With no less than the infamous Rob Enderle consulting for Dell's renewed offensive ('tis a Google link, it gets you inside Wall Street Journal sans fees) against Apple's iPod.
Dell seemed determined, able and ready to take down iPod.
Apple thinks interest in personal music player is tapering.
Apple thinks there is a bigger and profitable market in cellphones.
So if Dell does outsell the iPod, hooray for them but Elvis, er..., Apple has left a market with dropping margins.
From Daring Fireball.
Dell seemed determined, able and ready to take down iPod.
Apple thinks interest in personal music player is tapering.
Apple thinks there is a bigger and profitable market in cellphones.
So if Dell does outsell the iPod, hooray for them but Elvis, er..., Apple has left a market with dropping margins.
From Daring Fireball.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Changing Face Of The Oil Industry
Financial Times commentaty "Nationals’ champion: How the energy-rich rely on Schlumberger" by Carola Hoyos.
It relates how Schlumberge, an oil service firm, is benefitting from the rice of National Oil Companies (NOC) and while staying in good terms with Independent Oil Companies (IOC).
When consumers cry out for involuntary blood letting of oil executives, they are venting their anger on the IOCs like Shell and Exxon, among others. While being ignorant on the culpability of the NOCs.
But who is to blame?
I point to the USA, China and India. USA for such a voracious consumer, China and India for becoming voracious consumers.
Remember the US $10 barrel of oil? I do. That was when NOCs and IOCs cut spending on research, exploration, drilling, production and refining of crude oil.
While consumption has been steadily increasing since then but NOCs and IOCs, mindful of the $10 oil, did not resume their activities to increase output, demand was met by merely using up idled production capacity.
Then consumption by China and India grew apace and the mess in Iraq cut production. Whatever excess capacity existed disappeared, even the Saudis had probably less than 5% spare capacity left, too small to affect prices.
Children? What happens when you have more demand than supply?
Some will point out that oil producers are not opening the tap to prolong high oil prices. Wrong. High oil prices slows down world economy which will slow demand for oil which will cause oil prices to drop. And who knows how low it will go if the world economy goes into a recessionary tail spin. By the way, Oil in the ground is worth US $0.00. If I have oil to sell I would definitely sell as much as I can NOW.
But who says oil producers are not pumping and selling as much oil as they can?
It relates how Schlumberge, an oil service firm, is benefitting from the rice of National Oil Companies (NOC) and while staying in good terms with Independent Oil Companies (IOC).
When consumers cry out for involuntary blood letting of oil executives, they are venting their anger on the IOCs like Shell and Exxon, among others. While being ignorant on the culpability of the NOCs.
But who is to blame?
I point to the USA, China and India. USA for such a voracious consumer, China and India for becoming voracious consumers.
Remember the US $10 barrel of oil? I do. That was when NOCs and IOCs cut spending on research, exploration, drilling, production and refining of crude oil.
While consumption has been steadily increasing since then but NOCs and IOCs, mindful of the $10 oil, did not resume their activities to increase output, demand was met by merely using up idled production capacity.
Then consumption by China and India grew apace and the mess in Iraq cut production. Whatever excess capacity existed disappeared, even the Saudis had probably less than 5% spare capacity left, too small to affect prices.
Children? What happens when you have more demand than supply?
Some will point out that oil producers are not opening the tap to prolong high oil prices. Wrong. High oil prices slows down world economy which will slow demand for oil which will cause oil prices to drop. And who knows how low it will go if the world economy goes into a recessionary tail spin. By the way, Oil in the ground is worth US $0.00. If I have oil to sell I would definitely sell as much as I can NOW.
But who says oil producers are not pumping and selling as much oil as they can?
Friday, July 18, 2008
Dinosaurs And Newspapers
Dinosaurs are extinct and newspapers are said to be heading along the same direction.
But there is some evidence that dinosaurs did evolve and, thus, survive. Lizards and birds.
So too, it appears, that not all newspapers are doomed to extinction.
It seems that a chain of newspapers that concentrate on local news appears to be prospering.
But there is some evidence that dinosaurs did evolve and, thus, survive. Lizards and birds.
So too, it appears, that not all newspapers are doomed to extinction.
It seems that a chain of newspapers that concentrate on local news appears to be prospering.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Looney Water
I've heard of designer water but I did not realized how silly-wasteful-ridiculous-ludicrous it has become.
From Nick at PF.net (June 30, 2008 blog post).
From Nick at PF.net (June 30, 2008 blog post).
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
In Case You Did Not Notice...
For 2007, Google made $16,412,600,000 from internet advertising.
2007 net income comes in at $4,203,720,000.
In comparison, Microsoft sold $51,122,000,000 of its stuff, netting $14,065,000,000.
2007 net income comes in at $4,203,720,000.
In comparison, Microsoft sold $51,122,000,000 of its stuff, netting $14,065,000,000.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Free Ivy League Education
Yep.
The Ivy League is awash in so much cash from endowments and earnings from endowments, that they are contemplating turning their school into private equity running a tuition free school so they can expense the latter to lower their endowment's tax bill.
Nice if you are an American and can get in.
The Ivy League is awash in so much cash from endowments and earnings from endowments, that they are contemplating turning their school into private equity running a tuition free school so they can expense the latter to lower their endowment's tax bill.
Nice if you are an American and can get in.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Ahoy Mateys! Rats Jumping Ship
SS Yahoo seems to be losing quite a bit of it's rats, er..., top management.
New York Times details the latest to leave the floundering SS Yahoo.
Techcrunch has keeps a list (and checking it twice, to find out who is still there and not...) of those who have abandoned ship.
New York Times details the latest to leave the floundering SS Yahoo.
Techcrunch has keeps a list (and checking it twice, to find out who is still there and not...) of those who have abandoned ship.
Hell Hath Frozenth At Volkswagen
I was wrong about Ferdinand Piëch, he wants a Porsche takeover of Volkswagen.
But why?
Maybe he thinks the Porsche family and management (led by Wendelin Wiedeking, who was instrumental in Porsche's ressurection) can do better than Volkswagen's management.
And somehow most thought Porsche only wanted secure the Cayenne's access to Volkswagen's production line.
Maybe it did start there, then just snowballed...
The latest from Economist.
But why?
Maybe he thinks the Porsche family and management (led by Wendelin Wiedeking, who was instrumental in Porsche's ressurection) can do better than Volkswagen's management.
And somehow most thought Porsche only wanted secure the Cayenne's access to Volkswagen's production line.
Maybe it did start there, then just snowballed...
The latest from Economist.
How Argentina Reduced Inflation
Argentina's government will simply remove items whose prices have greatly increased.
Rationale: If the item's price increases, it becomes expensive, then consumers will no longer buy said item, hence, it can be removed from the basket of goods used to compute CPI, i.e. inflation.
I'll betcha Hugo Chavez will love this technique.
From Economist.
Rationale: If the item's price increases, it becomes expensive, then consumers will no longer buy said item, hence, it can be removed from the basket of goods used to compute CPI, i.e. inflation.
I'll betcha Hugo Chavez will love this technique.
From Economist.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Microsoft Cashback Backfire
Someone figured out a loophole in Microsoft's cashback program.
Amazing huh?
Someone did not seriously think this through at Microsoft.
I await in fascination at how much this will cost Microsoft.
What if Microsoft does not pay? Microsoft may claim fraud. Will the, uh..., participants sue Microsoft?
Amazing huh?
Someone did not seriously think this through at Microsoft.
I await in fascination at how much this will cost Microsoft.
What if Microsoft does not pay? Microsoft may claim fraud. Will the, uh..., participants sue Microsoft?
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Trouble With Steve Jobs
Apparently it was not due to a 'common bug'.
Neither did he have a relapse of pancreatic cancer.
Nor did it spread elsewhere.
Or the desire to match the thinness of Macbook Air.
According to a Fortune Magazine blog by Philip Elmer-DeWitt, Steve Job's hysteria inducing thinness (and envy among bulimic actresses) is the result of the surgical procedure he undertook, the Whipple Procedure.
The Whipple Procedure basically trims removes the cancer out (and some other parts of the digestive system as well) and re-arranges most of the stuff you need to digest food, to provide some semblance of functionality.
DeWit also suggested that Jobs tried 'alternative' therapies before having the surgery. Hard to believe the man running the most visible tech firm turning to woo-woo quakery. And I believe his desires to see his vision of an Apple 2.0 realized knocked enough common sense to abandon quackery.
For now.
Neither did he have a relapse of pancreatic cancer.
Nor did it spread elsewhere.
Or the desire to match the thinness of Macbook Air.
According to a Fortune Magazine blog by Philip Elmer-DeWitt, Steve Job's hysteria inducing thinness (and envy among bulimic actresses) is the result of the surgical procedure he undertook, the Whipple Procedure.
The Whipple Procedure basically trims removes the cancer out (and some other parts of the digestive system as well) and re-arranges most of the stuff you need to digest food, to provide some semblance of functionality.
DeWit also suggested that Jobs tried 'alternative' therapies before having the surgery. Hard to believe the man running the most visible tech firm turning to woo-woo quakery. And I believe his desires to see his vision of an Apple 2.0 realized knocked enough common sense to abandon quackery.
For now.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Icahn! No You Cannot!
Are you old enough to know what 'greenmailer' means?
Greenmailer like Carl Icahn.
They buy shares in a company they think is undervalued and that the Greenmailer have mythical abilities to 'unlock the values' for the poor, beaten, ignored, er... undeervalued shareholders.
How Do They Do It...? (Is a show that brings us to the factory floor making stuff we eat, use, and abuse.)
Greenmailers (...blackmailer) raise a ruckus to force a company to sell unprofitable bits of the company to raise share prices so they, the greenmailers, can cash out. Regardless the effect the sale will have on the company's future.
Failing that they turn up the volume from 'Annoying' to 'Shrill' to force companies they are blackmailing, uh... I mean, greenmailing to buy back their shares at a secret-higher price wrapped in a 'back-slapping, we're friends now, we're happy apart' press release.
Do they bring any value, expertise to the company.
None. Nada. Zip. Zilch.
Kirk Kerkorian could not strong arm GM into a shotgun wedding with Renault or get GM to buy him off. By some accounts Kerkorian got away lucky with a little profit. Other accounts said he lost money.
Icahn succeeded with Motorola. Now Motorola is spinning-off its cellphone unit and hoping for a buyer. Problem is, the cellphone part of the company is so bad and, probably, so demoralized, not even Chinese companies hungry for a brand wants anything to do with it.
Ed Zander entered Motorola's cellphone business in a race for the bottom. He undeservedly got credit for RAZR but he deservedly got credit for ruining Motorola's cellphone business. Ed Zander was rightly thrown out of Motorola but it was too late.
As an aside, Sun must be feeling lucky that Ed Zander left them.
Back to Icahn and Yahoo.
Icahn wants Microsoft to buy Yahoo so he can make money. Now.
That window of opportunity has closed with Yahoo resurgent (for now) and Microsoft finally decided to face its Vista problems (rather than distracting everyone else with a lame brain bid).
What needs to happen for Icahn to get his way?
Yahoo needs to stumble badly, over two quarters, and Ballmer feels the pressure to lift Microsoft's stagnating share prices and Bill Gates to busy to notice his friend Baldy Ballmer is drowning.
Then Icahn can herd his prey (yes that includes Microsoft, the sucker who buys a sucky company) into a corner and go for the kill.
By the way, Icahn should not say that Jerry Yang is only interested in keeping his job. I doubt that. Yahoo is his baby.
Whatever happens 12 to 18 months down the road, I still think it is a terrible terrible deal for Microsoft.
Greenmailer like Carl Icahn.
They buy shares in a company they think is undervalued and that the Greenmailer have mythical abilities to 'unlock the values' for the poor, beaten, ignored, er... undeervalued shareholders.
How Do They Do It...? (Is a show that brings us to the factory floor making stuff we eat, use, and abuse.)
Greenmailers (...blackmailer) raise a ruckus to force a company to sell unprofitable bits of the company to raise share prices so they, the greenmailers, can cash out. Regardless the effect the sale will have on the company's future.
Failing that they turn up the volume from 'Annoying' to 'Shrill' to force companies they are blackmailing, uh... I mean, greenmailing to buy back their shares at a secret-higher price wrapped in a 'back-slapping, we're friends now, we're happy apart' press release.
Do they bring any value, expertise to the company.
None. Nada. Zip. Zilch.
Kirk Kerkorian could not strong arm GM into a shotgun wedding with Renault or get GM to buy him off. By some accounts Kerkorian got away lucky with a little profit. Other accounts said he lost money.
Icahn succeeded with Motorola. Now Motorola is spinning-off its cellphone unit and hoping for a buyer. Problem is, the cellphone part of the company is so bad and, probably, so demoralized, not even Chinese companies hungry for a brand wants anything to do with it.
Ed Zander entered Motorola's cellphone business in a race for the bottom. He undeservedly got credit for RAZR but he deservedly got credit for ruining Motorola's cellphone business. Ed Zander was rightly thrown out of Motorola but it was too late.
As an aside, Sun must be feeling lucky that Ed Zander left them.
Back to Icahn and Yahoo.
Icahn wants Microsoft to buy Yahoo so he can make money. Now.
That window of opportunity has closed with Yahoo resurgent (for now) and Microsoft finally decided to face its Vista problems (rather than distracting everyone else with a lame brain bid).
What needs to happen for Icahn to get his way?
Yahoo needs to stumble badly, over two quarters, and Ballmer feels the pressure to lift Microsoft's stagnating share prices and Bill Gates to busy to notice his friend Baldy Ballmer is drowning.
Then Icahn can herd his prey (yes that includes Microsoft, the sucker who buys a sucky company) into a corner and go for the kill.
By the way, Icahn should not say that Jerry Yang is only interested in keeping his job. I doubt that. Yahoo is his baby.
Whatever happens 12 to 18 months down the road, I still think it is a terrible terrible deal for Microsoft.
Monday, June 2, 2008
'WALL-E' Costs How Much??? And Other Tales Of How Pixar And Disney Are Getting Along
One Hundred Eighty Milliones Estados Unidos de Americanos Dollares.
And that's without really really expensive actors to do the voices. No offense to Sigourney Weaver and Fred Willard, who were the only one's I recognized in the list of cast.
New York Times has an article today on the current state of affairs between Pixar and Disney.
Interesting that Disney, and its CEO Robert Iger, recognized that to assimilate Pixar into Disney RIGHT NOW! would have been an expensive blunder.
A map was drawn (yes, m-a-p) on things about Pixar that would not change.
I think the map included a part where Disney would not force John Lasseter to wear a business suit and Mickey Mouse ears.
In some ways it was rather like a reverse take-over. Pixar President Edwin Catmull was put in charge of Disney's flagging animation studio.
Then again, this is Hollywood (babeeee...) and Pixar is only as good as its last blockbuster.
And that's without really really expensive actors to do the voices. No offense to Sigourney Weaver and Fred Willard, who were the only one's I recognized in the list of cast.
New York Times has an article today on the current state of affairs between Pixar and Disney.
Interesting that Disney, and its CEO Robert Iger, recognized that to assimilate Pixar into Disney RIGHT NOW! would have been an expensive blunder.
A map was drawn (yes, m-a-p) on things about Pixar that would not change.
I think the map included a part where Disney would not force John Lasseter to wear a business suit and Mickey Mouse ears.
In some ways it was rather like a reverse take-over. Pixar President Edwin Catmull was put in charge of Disney's flagging animation studio.
Then again, this is Hollywood (babeeee...) and Pixar is only as good as its last blockbuster.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Reason To Buy A Windows PC
Well... it seems like gaming is becoming less of a reason.
Ars Techinca claims that Dell's withdrawal of its XPS line is symptomatic of decline in gaming in PC.
Ars Techinca claims that Dell's withdrawal of its XPS line is symptomatic of decline in gaming in PC.
Oh I See...
Why Microsoft wanted Yahoo.
And why it may try again.
Henry Blodget explains it to us that Google will make more money, NET, from it's searches than Microsoft from Windows next year or so.
Not including earnings from Adsense.
And.
Google's natural monopoly or share of online searches is rising faster than Microsoft's natural monopoly on Windows.
That is because Google has no effective competition.
From Daring Fireball.
And why it may try again.
Henry Blodget explains it to us that Google will make more money, NET, from it's searches than Microsoft from Windows next year or so.
Not including earnings from Adsense.
And.
Google's natural monopoly or share of online searches is rising faster than Microsoft's natural monopoly on Windows.
That is because Google has no effective competition.
From Daring Fireball.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Oscar Lopez: Buy Us Out!
From the Philippine Star, Chairman of First Philippine Holdings Corp., Oscar Lopez, said:
Doh...
One: the Lopezes have cannot claim to possess, themselves, expert ability to run a utility. I would like to point out the Maynilad fisaco. Furthermore, Manila Water, a competitor of nearby franchise and operated by the Ayalas, appear to be doing well.
Two: Mr. Lopez did not realized that there might be plenty of 'yes' men out there eager to prove themselves the loyalest (what a word...) and will take up his offer.
One would be Winston Garcia, president of GSIS.
If Mr. Garcia gets that little-finger-twitch-go-ahead-and-give-them-hell signal from Malacañang, then he will definitely go for a plum prize like Meralco.
And once the game's a foot, there are others with deep pockets and access to funds who would want to join in.
Right of the bat I can name two: John Gokongwei, who is making a play in the energy sector and Lucio Tan, who seem to have a penchant for collecting Philippine's trophy companies (Philippine Airlines and Philippine National Bank).
The Ayalas will, rightly, stay out this since Meralco will likely be overvalued.
“If government thinks they can do a better job in Meralco, they can go ahead and buy us out. But looking at how Napocor has and is still being mismanaged, I have my doubts government can do a better job"
Doh...
One: the Lopezes have cannot claim to possess, themselves, expert ability to run a utility. I would like to point out the Maynilad fisaco. Furthermore, Manila Water, a competitor of nearby franchise and operated by the Ayalas, appear to be doing well.
Two: Mr. Lopez did not realized that there might be plenty of 'yes' men out there eager to prove themselves the loyalest (what a word...) and will take up his offer.
One would be Winston Garcia, president of GSIS.
If Mr. Garcia gets that little-finger-twitch-go-ahead-and-give-them-hell signal from Malacañang, then he will definitely go for a plum prize like Meralco.
And once the game's a foot, there are others with deep pockets and access to funds who would want to join in.
Right of the bat I can name two: John Gokongwei, who is making a play in the energy sector and Lucio Tan, who seem to have a penchant for collecting Philippine's trophy companies (Philippine Airlines and Philippine National Bank).
The Ayalas will, rightly, stay out this since Meralco will likely be overvalued.
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