May 2009
39 posts
5 tags
Could America be entering the socialist era of...
Pravda, the Russian daily carried an opinion column, which states that ‘American capitalism has gone with a whimper’ and ‘American decent into Marxism happening with breathtaking speed…’
Could there be any validity to these claims about marxism in America?
Read more…
#FollowFriday interesting follows @Insurance_News @vInsure @HealthNewsBlogs @HealthCareIntl
4 tags
#GOOG #bing #ANSW - Is the new search profitable?
Answers Corp., a small-cap company traded on the Nasdaq under ticker-symbol ANSW, owns and operates two popular and highly trafficed sites - Answers.com and WikiAnswers.com. The recent comScore rankings for April 2009 ranks Answers.com Network at 25 of top 50 trafficed U.S. web properties, bringing in more than 29 million visitors. The Answers.com stock ANSW traded at around $7 and the company...
2 tags
Google Wave - The new Twitter killer?
Google Wave is a potential game changer in the realm of of email, IM, and project management. But there a few key features that really speak to Google Wave’s potential. Specifically, the fact that it is open-source and can be fitted with extensions and applications.
Could the Wave be the Google’s answer to counter Twitter’s rise in popularity for live communication and search?...
4 tags
American health-care system - Problems and...
As America struggles to extend health-care coverage to all it’s citizens while curbing health-care costs that are crushing the system, it still remains the most wasteful and least sustainable health-care system in the world.
Atul Gawande provides in-depth coverage in The New Yorker report that highlights the loop-holes and debates the possible fixes…
Read more…
4 tags
Microsoft's Bing needs Bong to Goog Google?
Microsoft is searching for an answer to a tough search problem - gain market share in the online search space totally dominated by Google. It is reported naming its newsest search incarnation as Bing (www.bing.com). The previous incarnation - Live (www.live.com) - is now dying a premature death, and the earlier incarnation - MSN Search (www.msnsearch.com) - did never really live that long to...
3 tags
How To Solve The Global Financial Crisis?
In the words of the participants, including former senator Bill Bradley, Niall Ferguson, Paul Krugman, Nouriel Roubini, George Soros, and Robin Wells, with Jeff Madrick as moderator of the symposium on the global economic crisis.
Read more
2 tags
Mechanical work over intellectual work?
A good job requires a field of action where you can put your best capacities to work and see an effect in the world we live in. Academic credentials do not guarantee this, nor can big business or big government. The trades suffer from low prestige because the work is dirty, many people assume it is also stupid.
Or, is it all about money, honey…
Read more…
2 tags
Three extra zeros tagged to bank account by...
New Zealand couple have disappeared after withdrawing part of their bank account, a banking blunder deposited NZ$10 million (£3.9m, US$6m) in their account. The couple had applied for a NZ$10,000 overdraft but received NZ$10,000,000 (three extra zero’s) in their business account instead.
Just three extra zeros tagged at the end, and what a costly mistake for the poor zombie bank :)
Read...
3 tags
Are MBA Graduates a Public Enemy in the Mordern...
With the world reeling under the global financial crisis and the ongoing economic recession, the debate over business schools’ culpability in this financial crisis rages on, with no clear end in sight. Should MBA graduates be considered public enemy No. 1 in the mordern world we live in?
Read more…
3 tags
Sriracha Chili Sauce: Best Chilli Sauce Made in...
Next time you want to spice up your noodles or just about any meal, try Sriracha Chili Sauce, identified by the rooster brand, which is made by Huy Fong Foods, here in Los Angeles, United States. The hot spicy distinctive taste comes from purée of fresh red jalapeños, garlic powder, sugar, salt and vinegar. David Tran, and his son, William Tran run Huy Fong Foods. Keep the sauce coming for years...
3 tags
Lemur monkey fossil is eighth wonder of the world?
Scientists have unveiled a 47-million-year-old fossilised skeleton of a Lemur monkey hailed as the missing link in human evolution and called “eighth wonder of the world”.
Read more…
2 tags
GPS satellites could give inaccurate directions?
US government officials are concerned that the quality of the Global Positioning System (GPS) could begin to deteriorate as early as next year, as network of satellites could begin to fail, resulting in regular blackouts and failures – or even dishing out inaccurate directions to millions of people worldwide.
Read more…
4 tags
“There is one God; mankind is one; the foundations of religion are one.”
– Bahá’í Holy Writings
3 tags
The formula for Happiness?
What makes us happy? The pursuit of happiness is an universal quest, everyone wants to be happy. So what is the formula for happiness? There was a song that went … Don’t worry, be happy, so if you did stop worrying, would you be happier? My friend, the formula for happiness is not the job or position you are in, the car you drive, the material possessions you have, any other...
2 tags
How Norway bucked the global financial crisis
The global financial crisis has brought low the economies of just about every country on earth. However, Norway strengthened its cradle-to-grave welfare state during the same period with growth, supported by high taxes (2/3 of Income) and oil revenue mainly. Norwegians enjoy one of the highest Gross Domestic Product (G.D.P.) in the world, and Norwegians work the fewest hours of the citizens of...
3 tags
Velupillai Prabakaran and the Tamil Eelam in Sri...
Velupillai Prabhakaran, the enigmatic leader of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), has fought for the cause for Tamil Eelam for Tamil language speaking people in Sri Lanka, he had an alarming rise over the past few decades, and is now witnessing an astonishing fall, as he is currently trapped by the Sri Lankan army.
Read more in this detailed article…can Sri Lanka be nationally...
2 tags
Cargo ships idle due to global recession
One of the largest fleets of ships ever gathered idles here in the Strait of Malacca just outside one of the world’s busiest port - Singapore , marooned by the receding tide of global trade. There may be tentative signs of economic recovery in spots around the globe, but few here.
Read more….
3 tags
4 tags
Banks tweeting to customers - we want your money,...
Social networking is becoming an increasingly popular way for banks to reach consumers amid the economic downturn. Wells Fargo (WFC) and Bank of America (BAC) have begun to tweet messages on Twitter.com — with customers about everything from bank fees to product features. Discover Financial (DFS), American Express (AXP) and Citigroup (C) have launched Facebook or MySpace.com pages.
Looks like...
3 tags
Zipcar and the cars-on-demand car sharing era
As the national zeitgeist begins to embrace both environmentalism and thriftiness, Zipcar finds itself at quite a profitable intersection. The rent-as-you-go car company has developed a business model so successful that they’ve convinced some Americans to give up their most prized possession: their cars.
Read more or visit the company website….will car-free living work in America?
3 tags
Russia in the world diamond cartel?
DeBeers, the South African diamond miner produced about 40 percent of the global rough stone supply, and Alrosa, the Russian state controlled company produced 25 percent of the world diamond output. Together they form the largest diamond cartel, awaiting the return in global demand for diamonds, are quietly stockpiling the gems.
DeBeers says “A Diamond is Forever”, and a diamond is...
2 tags
Car-free community living in Germany?
Vauban, Germany, is an affluent new suburban community that differs from traditional suburbs in many respects. The most important difference is that cars are forbidden on most of Vauban’s streets, and houses cannot have driveways or garages. Though not quite car-free, Vauban, a district of Freiburg, near the Swiss border, is a highly “car-reduced” suburb.
Read more and...
2 tags
The Material Economy - The Story of Stuff
The Material Economy is the story of the cycle of human consumption, as explained in detail in this facinating clip - The Story of Stuff, by Annie Leonard. The video is a cheerful but brutal assessment of how much Americans waste, and it has its detractors. But it has been embraced by teachers eager to supplement textbooks, that lag behind scientific findings on climate change and pollution.
...
3 tags
Workplace Bullying and The Rat Race
Yelling, scheming and sabotaging: all are tell-tale signs that a bully is at work, laying traps for employees at every pass. During this downturn, as stress levels rise, workplace researchers say, bullies are likely to sharpen their elbows and ratchet up their attacks. One hallmark of a bully is a sophisticated ability to pick victims who won’t put up a fight.
Read more…
3 tags
The State of Outsourcing as a Business Model
Outsourcing company CEOs expresses concern over the protectionist measures of the US government and will likely impact software services export sector in India and many other countries.
Looks like US outsourcing of IT and other services will no more be Bangalored?
Read more…
3 tags
Pitfalls of being trapped in the popular coffee...
Starbucks was much more than a coffee shop, it became a lifestyle, a culture, a statement, for many coffee lovers. However, these same consumers, squeezed by the recession, began to look for less-pricey alternatives. This has sent Starbucks reeling and McDonalds to thrust forward their McCafe store-in-store formats, serving the cuppa, at slightly cheaper prices. Will this start a new coffee...
2 tags
A dollar saved is much more than a dollar earned
The wild west spending days just before the global financial crisis began to unravel pretty much eroded out whatever was left in thrift and savings habit of many people, not just in the United States, but much of the developed world. This has come to bite them back, and a time has come to change their spendthrift ways and force one to see cleary through the maze of materialism. That is, if they...
2 tags
Boom and Bust Cycle in Indian Economy
With foreign money flow drying up into India, India’s red-hot growth GDP estimate has fallen to below 5% mark. The big question is: Will it fall further?
Not long ago, Indian leaders confidently predicted this country would emerge largely unscathed from the global economic crisis. It is now becoming clear that that view was too optimistic, nowhere more so than in this city south of New...
1 tag
Life and Legacy of Microsoft's Bill Gates
Seeding the right thoughts in the mind of an young entrepreneur Bill Gates by his father William Gates led to the rise as in the life story of Microsoft, and donating most of his wealth to charity is the legacy as in the story of The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which has the tagline - Every Life has Equal Value.
Behind the Microsoft’s Bill Gates success story is the other...
5 tags
Indian Elections - Generational Revolution Or...
India is run by graying politicians, although about 70% of its 1.1 billion population is under 40. Now Rahul Gandhi, 38, son of Sonia Gandhi and Late Rajiv Gandhi, and grand son of Late Indira Gandhi, great-grandson of Jawaharlal Nehru, the scion of the country’s most powerful political dynasty - The Nehru Dynasty of India, is campaigning for the Indian National Congress on the theme of...
2 tags
Wolfram Alpha - A Google competitor or a Google...
The biggest internet revolution for a generation and an invention that could change the internet for ever - Wolfram Alpha - Stephen Wolfram’s ambitious Computational Knowledge Engine will be unveiled this month with the launch of software that will understand questions and give specific, tailored answers in a way that the web has never managed before.
This revolutionary new web software...
2 tags
The Health Risk of Eating Red Meat
The study found that, other things being equal, the men and women who consumed the most red and processed meat were likely to die sooner, especially from one of our two leading killers, heart disease and cancer, than people who consumed much smaller amounts of these foods.
Read more…
2 tags
Medical tourism gains U.S. health insurer backing
People travel to other countries when they have business commitments or when going for a vacation. However,thousands of people are traveling to different countries to have have a medical procedure done. This trend is called medical tourism, and the service is provide by a health tourism provider. Apart from enjoying the weather and food, you also spend some time visiting a surgeon or hospital....
2 tags
Domain names still selling even in a recession?
Domain names, especially short, catchy and easy to recall web names, are selling even in this recession. Ad.com, Toys,com, Fly.com, Auction.com all commanded prices in the millions of U.S. dollar in the past 2 months. Is there value here, or does this look like fools gold?
Read more…and check out the Year-To-Date sales.
1 tag
Best places to live in the world in 2009
BusinessWeek recently tabulated the top 30 best places to live in the world in 2009. Only Vancouver figured in the top 10 list from all of North America. Here is the list:
1. Vienna, Austria 2. Zurich, Switzerland 3. Geneva, Switzerland 4. (tie): Vancouver, Canada 4. (tie): Auckland, New Zealand 6. Dusseldorf, Germany 7. Munich, Germany 8. Frankfurt, Germany 9. Bern, Switzerland 10. Sydney,...
3 tags
Goondagiri and Paisapower still matter to win...
India shining, 60 years since independence, world’s largest democracy, etc. are all positive talk. The real stuff needed to win Indian elections 2009 are still to have muscle and paisa power, the lack of which only makes any candidates attempt only futile, such as 46-year-old Meera Sanyal spirited campaign. With India’s election polling in full swing, rampant black money got via...
2 tags
Warren Buffett's bargain-hunting strategy under...
Warren Buffett watchers say this year’s meeting of shareholders in Berkshire Hathaway, his candies-to-insurance group, will depart from the usual pattern of deferential questions and folksy answers, and witness some criticism of the billionaire investor for his buy-and-hold bargain-hunting strategy.
Read more…
3 tags
Anil Ambani's Bell 412 Helicopter Sabotage - Who?
Tehelka.com reports about a plot to sabotage Indian billionaire Anil Ambani Bell 412 helicopter, Mr. Anil Ambani is chairman of the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG).
But on Wednesday, April 29, as the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG) cancelled the maintenance contract of its Bell 412 helicopter with Mumbai-based Air Works India after mud and gravel were found in its fuel tank and gearbox,...