Dirty secrets to "know" while attempting cloud computing

Good article from Forbes mainly enlisting the problems that one faces while working on a SaaS platform and the difficulties that one encounters when moving from traditional enterprise shipping products to shipping a service. Been there, done that and I will gladly concur with most of the views.


I had a steep challenge when I moved from a traditional experience to a SaaS environment and little did I realize initially that I wasn't totally prepared for it. Had my own nice little learning curve where I had to "relearn" a fair bit and also "re-assume" a few more things as all the previous grounded assumptions about "how stuff works" was basically up in the air. Welcome to the world of SaaS


Through Forbes

Hungary & Romania watch

Peerless analysis, as always, from Stratfor


"
Hungarian history is marked by heroic disasters. The liberal revolutions that failed across Europe in 1848 and failed in Hungary in 1956 were glorious and pointless. Horthy was unwilling to make pointless gestures. The international situation at the moment is far from defined, and the threat to Hungary is unclear, but Orban clearly has no desire to make heroic gestures. Internally he is increasing his power constantly, and that gives him freedom to act internationally. But the one thing he will not grant is clarity. Clarity ties you down, and Hungary has learned to keep its options open.
Orban isn't Horthy by any means, but their situations are similar. Hungary is a country of enormous cultivation and fury. It is surrounded by disappointments that can become dangers. Europe is not what it promised it would be. Russia is not what Europeans expected it to be. Within and without the country, the best Orban can do is balance, and those who balance survive but are frequently reviled. What Hungary could be in 2005 is not the Hungary it can be today. Any Hungarian leader who wished to avoid disaster would have to face this. Indeed, Europeans across the continent are facing the fact that the world they expected to live in is gone and what has replaced it, inside and outside of their countries, is different and dangerous.


Read more: Borderlands: Hungary Maneuvers | Stratfor
Follow us: @stratfor on Twitter | Stratfor on Facebook
"


Here is an interesting take on Romania

Whoo! Brilliant

Very pretty stats. And we thought we can NEVER have a party that can get an absolute majority by itself in the 21st century.


Best ever performance by a single largest party since 1984. Lets hope the results hold!


http://eciresults.nic.in/

6 defining moments that bring leadership out

interesting.




Act When You Are The Problem. Evans and Foster accept that this can be especially tricky. But it is no less powerful if confronted. The person who takes ownership of problems and acknowledges that colleagues avoid telling him or her difficult news or try to bypass them is ultimately in a better position and can help remove barriers to progress.




through forbes

6 clear reasons why employees arent engaged

Super. Through forbes


I can’t be engaged if I’m overwhelmed.
I can’t be engaged if I don’t get it.
I can’t be engaged if I’m scared.
I can’t be engaged if I don’t see the big picture.
I can’t be engaged if it’s not mine.
I can’t be engaged if my leaders don’t face reality.

9 Financial habits to dig

Interesting stuff through Forbes




Las Vegas–based David Sapper, who owns a successful used car business, and his real-estate broker wife make a combined income of $500,000 per year. Yet they live like “secret” rich people, only spending $2,500 per month on all bills and extracurricular expenses like eating out, unlike many of their peers. By putting 90% of his income into savings and investments, Sapper says he’ll be able to retire early.
His advice? “Find the point that you get what you need and you’re happy and comfortable, and just stay there,” says Sapper. “I had an ‘aha!’ moment when I was watching MTV, and LL Cool J was saying, ‘I lease a Honda Accord for $399 a month,’ while other rappers are going broke.”

Borderlands - possibilities

Baku is strategic again today, partly because of oil. I've started the journey here partly by convenience and partly because Azerbaijan is key to any counter-Russian strategy that might emerge. My purpose on this trip is to get a sense of the degree to which individual European states feel threatened by Russia, and if they do, the level of effort and risk they are prepared to endure. For Europe does not exist as anything more than a geographic expression; it is the fears and efforts of the individual nation-states constituting it that will determine the course of this affair. Each nation is different, and each makes its own calculus of interest. My interest is to understand their thinking, not only about Russia but also about the European Union, the United States and ultimately themselves. Each is unique; it isn't possible to make a general statement about them.

Read more: Borderlands: The View from Azerbaijan | Stratfor
Follow us: @stratfor on Twitter | Stratfor on Facebook
"

Quick thoughts on the 2014 Indian elections

Pretty much on expected lines? Coming of the NDA should hopefully herald a much needed growth phase to the adolescent Indian economy. The 80 year teenager has been there for far too long at the helm [~10 yrs as PM] and its about time we got some fresh infusion of blood and ideas too.


I am most disappointed and worried about the decision of the President not to vote. Particularly when there is a 49-O that's handy. He surely can vote NOTA and still be impartial to any candidate while also exemplifying the fact that voting is a privilege that needs to be exercised? I am surprised that the President advisors missed a trick there. Useless idiots. Haven't thought through the case properly, or so I think


All said and done, it looks like it will likely be Modi for a few years. Should be interesting to see how things are done from here. Will we see more crafty and practical / principled foreign policy? What about a new energy policy? More focus on non-renewables? Do we even have a focused plan for capacity addition on energy? How about making ONGC Videsh a bit more global?


Oh, what are the plans for defense? More focus on indigenization, surely? Kaveri engine? LCA? We are planning on doing  anything about our maritime interests? Shore up the eastern command? Tzoo many things on the plate, mate. Lets begin, lets end. About time we had some fun.

Look up from that phone

Sound advice.


Brilliant video. Don't miss it.

Strengthened Strategic ties between US and Djibouti

US has signed a new agreement with Djibouti. Purpoted to be a 70mn USD deal / year.


Me thinks its to do with Yemen and staying close to the Horn of Africa. Loosely ensure that choke point is safe?


Link here

Game theory to explain Rock, Paper, Scissors

Pretty interesting:


"When Wang reviewed the results he found that students chose each strategy close to one third of the time, suggesting the Nash Equilibrium theory. However, when he looked closer, he noticed a more unusual pattern.

  

The pattern that Wang discovered—winners repeating their strategy and losers moving to the next strategy in the sequence—is called a “conditional response” in game theory. The researchers have theorized that the response may be hard-wired into the brain, a question they intend to investigate with further experiments."

through slate

Computer Security

Security watch