GS executive speaks

If only everyone could have this kind of guts...

How did we get here? The firm changed the way it thought about leadership. Leadership used to be about ideas, setting an example and doing the right thing. Today, if you make enough money for the firm (and are not currently an ax murderer) you will be promoted into a position of influence.

Link here

I do wonder how we did get here too. Its quite a fair bit of distance from what the owners wanted... cherished and expected the firm to stand for. Any firm for that matter. Such a come down. Indicative of the current age or is this something more fundamental to the levels that we as a society have fallen?

Another one of the Fab Five bows out

A true sportsman and an even better gentleman.The first sports star in recent times,  as far as I can remember, who has appreciated the fans too. Rahul Dravid. He goes out as he came in. Untouched and untampered. Atleast not so much as the rest even after 16 years of being employed in a deeply political misfit organisation like the BCCI.

Take a bow!

Mens Hockey team through to the Olympics

Very satisfying to see the team perform well. Michael Nobbs needs mention too for trusting his team and also benching many seniors because of lack of fitness.

Will the BCCI learn from this?

On a side note, looked into the road atlas to see the entire trip into the Himachal hinterland that I had 6 months ago. Well and truly a once in a lifetime experience. Vindication. 

The Financial War Against Iran

James Rickards weighs in with his views on the subject on usnews.com site.

Link here

Banking wasnt meant to be like this

Longish but very pertinent article from the ever sharp Michael Hudson.

"In sum, neither British nor American banking or stock markets planned for the future. Their time frame was short, and they preferred rent-extracting projects to industrial innovation. Most banks favored large real estate borrowers, railroads and public utilities whose income streams easily could be forecast. Only after manufacturing companies grew fairly large did they obtain significant bank and stock market credit.
What is remarkable is that this is the tradition of banking and high finance that has emerged victorious throughout the world. The explanation is primarily the military victory of the United States, Britain and their Allies in the Great War and a generation later, in World War II."


More here