Don’t Look Now VII
From today's (July 19) New York Times: • Meredith Whitney, a bank analyst, calls this the "mother of all mortgage quarters," with mortgages becoming "extremely lucrative." • Goldman Sachs posted the largest quarterly profit in its history. • Polish small car manufacturers say that this economy
Caught in the Web
If you jump off the diving board in my pool (which I did today, and I do only once a season, since it's 14 feet under there and I can't dive), you can swim a few yards in either direction
Alan’s Forums
For those of you not in one of my formal communities, try AlansForums.com. You can go there and read to get an idea of the 50,000+ postings from all over the world on ethics, fees, marketing, case studies, international help,
People Believe They Get What They Pay For
Submitted to me by @mattbeane on Twitter, see this: http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/5424.html "The results show that participants used costly advice significantly more than they used free advice."
Technology Unbound
From the Acela barrelling north: First iPhone blog post. -- Post From My iPhone Test from my iPhone.
At The Standard: More Adventures in DASM
The Standard Hotel is new to the Meatpacking District in downtown New York, and I like it quite a bit. I’ll come back when I’m in the neighborhood (our grandchildren are about 10 blocks away). However, dining there is another
“God of Carnage”
We saw the Tony-winning "God of Carnage" last night from house seats. Billy Crystal sat in front of us, and I reminded him that he shook my hand in the front row at the conclusion of his one-man play a
New York, New York
I love it here. Even the things I hate I love. The place does have its own idiosyncrasies, though. • Who are the cab drivers (who no longer help with luggage or know most directions) talking to constantly in foreign languages
Black Day for Faux Black Card
There is a near-mythical titanium card, usually called The Black Card, issued by invitation by American Express. Among the criteria for acceptance is an annual, minimum expenditure of $250,000. It's actually titanium, and can't be shredded (there is a pouch
Naval War College Visit
My wife and I were guests for a private tour of the Naval War College today, arranged by Captain Mike Sherlock, who had read my earlier blog about my run-in with a Marine Colonel (http://www.contrarianconsulting.com/sir-no-sir/) during a conference in Newport.