1. The Plot Escapes Me (nytimes.com) “Those were glorious days, the ones I spent reading ‘Perjury: The Hiss-Chambers Case,’ by Allen Weinstein. It is a book that I, having long had an interest in domestic Communist intrigues, had been meaning to read for years — decades — and I vividly remember that moment a couple [...]
“Intrinsic value can be defined simply: It is the discounted value of the cash that can be taken out of a business during its remaining life. The calculation of intrinsic value, though, is not so simple. As our definition suggests, intrinsic value is an estimate rather than a precise figure, and it is additionally an [...]
I admire what Paul Graham and company have accomplished already with Y Combinator (more info. here). It launched just five years ago in 2005. I just came across an interesting piece that Paul wrote, titled “What Happens At Y Combinator”. In essence, it details “the life inside YC”. I found it to be quite insightful. [...]
1. Small Change [Malcolm Gladwell] (newyorker.com) “At four-thirty in the afternoon on Monday, February 1, 1960, four college students sat down at the lunch counter at the Woolworth’s in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina. They were freshmen at North Carolina A. & T., a black college a mile or so away.”
I have long admired Warren Buffett. Like many, I’m an ardent listener of what he has to say. You can read some of his witty aphorisms here.
Lately, I’ve been writing about action, doing, and technology being or becoming harmful to society. After reading some of my pieces, you may be saying to yourself: “there’s a lot he can be doing, away from technology.” I agree, to an extent. There are probably many organizations that are doing good things for society. And [...]
I envision a world where the development of real-life, action-oriented networks and causes take precedence over online ones. Recently, I was delighted to see such things when I watched By The People: The Election Of Barack Obama and Fight Club. I was fascinated by the depth of the experiences in both films. While I don’t [...]
I’m a firm believer in doing. I’ve recently written about that here and here. But at times, I’m not sure what to work on, what to do. Like right now. I get the feeling that I’m searching for something in particular. Lately, I just can’t put my finger on it.
Everyday, old and new things are built and distributed to us with the hopes of grabbing our attention. News is meant to be informative. Even though it usually doesn’t end up this way anymore — it seems to be more for entertainment purposes — I think the best news is “news you can use”. Like [...]
It’s being reported today that Blockbuster has filed for bankruptcy protection. In hearing this, I came across an interesting Slate piece from 2006 that discusses some of the decisions it made (or opportunities it failed to capitalize on) several years ago that most likely influenced today’s filing. Though, hindsight is always 20-20. Anyway, you can [...]
I can only speak about my personal experiences, but some of my fondest memories of being a kid were the frequency, and intensity, of the things I did — of my experiences. Growing up, I was constantly doing stuff. Sports, hanging out, walking or riding my bike to 7-Eleven, organizing events / activities for my [...]
Perhaps you don’t know who you are. Perhaps you think about this non-stop. What am I going to do with my life? What am I good at? What do I love to do? Who am I?
1. So You Wanna Be A Chef (ruhlman.com) “I am frequently asked by aspiring chefs, dreamers young and old, attracted by the lure of slowly melting shallots and caramelizing pork belly, or delusions of Food Network stardom, if they should go to culinary school. I usually give a long, thoughtful, and qualified answer.”
I just came across an old (Feb. ’01) PBS Frontline program about the business of “cool”, in regards to youth culture. “They spend their days sifting through reams of market research data. They conduct endless surveys and focus groups. They comb the streets, the schools, and the malls, hot on the trail of the “next [...]
1. Washington, We Have A Problem (vantiyfair.com) “How broken is Washington? Beyond repair? A day in the life of the president reveals that Barack Obama’s job would be almost unrecognizable to most of his predecessors—thanks to the enormous bureaucracy, congressional paralysis, systemic corruption (with lobbyists spending $3.5 billion last year), and disintegrating media.”