Futures Mom 026
Tuesday, March 21, 2017, 04:52 PM - Futures Mom
- Beautiful day in the markets. Largest drop of 2017. In five futures contracts at once, stopped out on extremely expensive US 30yr Treasury Bond, other four flashing red, everything sharply down, of course it must be Trump laying down his law on Capital Hill, yup, staying in positions through lunch, they might hold.

- Hooray, one trade, soybeans, came through for $1000.00! Best trade so far, soared past target and finally got caught, straight-up spear.

- Glorious.

- The trade surpasses the big loss trade.

- And, it was all politics on Capital Hill. Ha ha.
  |  permalink

Futures Mom 025
Thursday, March 16, 2017, 06:39 PM - Futures Mom
- way up today, might clear $1000.00 profit.

- I can do this!

- Futures in 25 steps.
  |  permalink

Futures Mom 024
Wednesday, March 15, 2017, 04:09 PM - Futures Mom
- it comes along. Nearing the $1000.00 profit point on small new account. Can control risk, make profit.

- Occasional glitches. For example, FVM17 contract, went long, trade developing nicely. Entered trade at 2:45 PM, broker did new stop at 9:48 PM and stop is not in the right place, but is above entry price! Not sure why, not sure I want to call in to broker review. But I can't allow glitches, must assess, sigh.

- Also, must better understand trading times for various contracts ...

- Anyhow, projection over next 18 month is encouraging.

- Same thing with WK17, stop is above entry. All glitches must be understood, or I am stuck somewhere.

- With the stops set above the entries on long positions, I am set to make a profit no matter how the trade goes. Maybe someone at the trade desk was just giving me a break in case of trades going against my position. Which might mean they thought trade was pretty much set to reach the target. Or, they were making it up to me for exiting my last two or three trades one step below (their highest) market price (say, $25.00, $12.50).

- FOMC at 2:00 PM. Waiting to see what it does. Two open positions.

- Extreme movement at 2:00 FOMC. One queued order filled and raced way past stop, SFM17, hugely exceeding any high in date range. One open position closed on huge spike past the target. The high in target candle is over twice profit from the healthy profit in the trade. Looks like corn, CN17 hasn't moved as much.

- On WK17, the correct stop is back. Very clear it's not me bouncing around on the stop. So I could still lose on this trade. And the next entered price is going to me in 6 hours.

-
  |  permalink

Futures Mom 023
Friday, March 10, 2017, 03:31 PM - Futures Mom
- recovered from the big loss and now into profit. Internet outage at 2:30 AM to 3:00 AM, while orders were queued.

- nothing like going to sleep with a position long in green.
  |  permalink

Futures Mom 022
Wednesday, March 8, 2017, 10:12 PM - Futures Mom
- did more setups and trades this morning to early afternoon. Lost on two trades, gained on three others. Profit, but with watching/early exit.

- game is too slow.

  |  permalink

Futures Mom 021
Tuesday, March 7, 2017, 04:46 PM - Futures Mom
- went long on May copper, HGK17. Employed sub-rule at 20% profit. Nice, except I was here from 9:30 to 11:44 AM.

- used sub-rule since price movement close to stop price, which was well inside the demand zone. It worked out.

  |  permalink

Futures Mom 020
Friday, March 3, 2017, 02:30 PM - Futures Mom
- plausible setups prior to mkt open. Sent first order, waiting on rest until after open.

- three or so orders sent, positions filled, rode one quickly to target, nice profit in crude oil, used sub-rule for profitable exit in one trade, limited loss in third.

- one a good day, I can make profit.

- not too far from having earned back from the two gap losses, then set for actual net profit.
  |  permalink

Futures Mom 019
Thursday, March 2, 2017, 08:55 PM - Futures Mom
- added and cancelled a couple orders. Game is too slow. Will change 60 min chart to 20 min and try.

- money is fungible, so did I earn my platform fee for two months or does it help with losses? Earn trading software platform fees, earn back losses, make profit.
  |  permalink

Futures Mom 018
Wednesday, March 1, 2017, 03:31 PM - Futures Mom
- sent four orders, cancelled one. One order is filled, 10:15 AM.

- two orders filled, May soybeans, e-mini Crude April. Nervous on soybeans hitting stop, Crude into profit meeting sub-rule for exit, soybeans bouncing between profit and loss, exit both positions simultaneously. Each settled not as favorable to me as anticipated from p/l %, so profit for one, loss for another. At least, earned enough to cover March's software platform fee.

- So, limited stop loss buy to 1/5th of full stop loss. Crude now going past my profit on way to target, so profit might have been +x2. Took +fifteen seconds to execute on my close positions order ... Position graph bar still showing the positions as if I had not exited.

- confusion, trade manager showing positions still open, only 1 second to execute on my earlier exit orders, not fifteen, perhaps my fingers slow to send order. Yet, looks like I sent orders to close open positions vs sell out of active, filled positions. Luckily, both trades have gone in my favor. So, I sell at market for each and now I made enough to cover April's software platform fee.

- But it means I had two positions in the futures market not covered with stops. Lucky to be alive :).

- Entirely lucky I was going through trade manager carefully and husband had excused himself to go upstairs. Positions graph bar was not wrong afterall.




  |  permalink

Futures Mom 017
Monday, February 27, 2017, 05:07 PM - Futures Mom
- price reached the stop at 8:40 PM Sunday.

- updated worksheet, removed March contracts, put on contracts for April, May, June, etc.

  |  permalink

Futures Mom 016
Friday, February 24, 2017, 03:48 PM - Futures Mom
- long on March 2017 Wheat. 10:48 AM.

  |  permalink

Futures Mom 015
Wednesday, February 22, 2017, 10:19 PM - Futures Mom
- a couple more trades, but each hit the stop, sigh.
  |  permalink

Futures Mom 014
Monday, February 20, 2017, 02:38 AM - Futures Mom
- husband had cataract surgery, now it's 9:37 PM, just sent order to go long on BPH17. Entry is stm, so will see how/if filled.

- Order filled at 2:36 AM. Reached target at 3:56 AM.

- On chart, formatting places the account number with the entry arrow, irritating; no way to get good entry/exit arrows picture with off-hour trade, resorted to line.

- President's Day, holiday trading hours, excel sheet from CME for trading times.
  |  permalink

Futures Mom 013
Tuesday, February 14, 2017, 03:41 PM - Futures Mom
- 10:41 AM, TYH17 & E7H17 move against me, while I'm at Rusi's eye surgeon. Huge movements, shooting through two levels on TYH17. Skips my stop price, so damage is large.

- huge moves on at least half the contracts. Must be Yellen or someone said/did something around 10:00 AM.

- "US wholesale inflation sees biggest monthly gain in 4 years

AFP, February 14, 2017

The Producer Price Index, which measures prices from the seller's perspective, rose 0.6 percent in seasonally adjusted figures, which was the largest such gain since September 2012 (AFP Photo/JUSTIN SULLIVAN)

Washington (AFP) - US wholesale inflation continued its upward trend in January, recording its largest monthly gain in more than four years, according to data released Tuesday by the Labor Department.

The Producer Price Index, which measures prices from the seller's perspective, rose 0.6 percent in seasonally adjusted figures, which was the largest such gain since September 2012 and well above an analyst consensus forecast of 0.3 percent.

Excluding food and energy, the index saw a monthly gain of 0.4 percent.

Year over year, however, the figure was unchanged at 1.6 percent, unadjusted.

"In short, fairly strong and not just because of energy," Jim O'Sullivan, chief US economist at High Frequency Economics, wrote in a client note.

"The core measures continue to show some acceleration, even if the latest data were exaggerated a bit by volatile trade margins."

The large month-to-month gain supports views among US monetary policymakers that further interest rate increases may be necessary in 2017 to contain inflation. The central bank earlier this month left interest rates unchanged after raising them in December for the first time in a year.

The Federal Reserve during most of 2016 refrained from raising rates too quickly for fear of interrupting a fragile recovery but has taken a different view of the likely course of monetary policy in 2017, citing "uncertainty" as any expansionary fiscal policies from President Donald Trump's have yet to take shape -- despite promises of infrastructure spending, slashed taxes and regulation.

Tuesday's Labor Department figures also showed that upward price pressures were less apparent when the more volatile categories of food, fuel and trade were excluded.

By this measure, prices rose only 0.2 percent in January, up a tenth of a point from December but matching November's increase. For the year, the measure rose only 1.6 percent, down a tenth from the result recorded in December."

- "Fed Chair Yellen: 'Unwise' to wait too long to hike interest rates
Jeff Cox : @JeffCoxCNBCcom

Waiting too long to raise interest rates would be "unwise" as economic growth continues and inflation rises, Fed Chair Janet Yellen told Congress on Tuesday.

Repeating caution that she and other central bank officials have issued in recent months, Yellen said that even though the Fed expects to hike gradually and to keep policy accommodative, getting rates back to normal levels is important and hikes will be considered ahead.

Market reaction was prompt, with government bond yields jumping on the news. ... ..."

-------------------------
  |  permalink

Futures Mom 012
Monday, February 13, 2017, 03:12 PM - Futures Mom
- cancelled QMH17 order, didn't catch an entry.

- confused over the last NGH17 order. Hold no positions overnight?

- entered long order for TYH17, March US 10 Yr Treasury Notes.

- resource, https://finance.yahoo.com/commodities

- Not happy with trade loss. Went to check setup around 5:40 PM Sunday. But looked as though stop was in the wrong place (I think trading desk put the trade back on, and put the stop in a funny place). I was alarmed and did a replace stop price for the stop position.

- But I was distracted with the calculation for correct stop price & Asha jumping into my lap (causing me to exit observing the position/trade). Had I not been using the time to re-calibrate the stop price, I could have exited the trade for profit. The delay in time was due to the seeming odd placement for the stop, without sufficient time to consider implementing my sub-rule to get out of the trade.

- Of course, it's all only my fault for not designing my work environment to allow sufficient time to assess the situation and I was anyway gun-ho enough to stay in long (since I hadn't seen the gap down yet). I could call trading desk and whine about the misleading stop setup.

- But then it's my job to know the stop price (not have to calculate ad hoc), to know setting position back-on by the trading desk may look odd, not to get flustered, not to have a large, difficult, 45+ lb toddler assault me at a rickety card table stuck back in the corner in my kitchen where I am Futures Mom, ready to shout and throw said toddler who bothered me all weekend and breaking off to handle her play, play, play, stupid stupid stupid play and my husband wildly cooking a curry with the absurd, treacherous fake news press spewing lies and lies, and I have to delay the telephone call to my relative to give good wishes before rapidly scheduled surgery for life-damming hellacious cancer.

- It's all my fault, nobody else's. Take some responsibility, even if every time you throw out the garbage, you're thinking how no way is Kate Middleton slinging the filthy garbage all over like some middle-aged plus beast of burden. Just stop whining and make money. Just do it. Just don't be an idiot. Just fix it, be Futures Mom.

- see, I'm glorious, all my failures are fine vituperations so much more engaging than little toddler's discontents, so important, so pathetic, so divine, here on a shining, sunny Monday morning.

- sent short order for March British Pound.

- NGH17 gap down due to ??, company withdrawing plan to do natural gas in Canada, favoring USA instead. Large gap not reflected in other commodities, so particular to this contract.

- stopped out on BPH17. If I had followed my sub-rule (close trade if profit is + $100) on NGH17, I'd be ok now.

- entered order to go long on March e-mini Euro FX.

- 12:43 AM, my E7H17 position is in the green. Meets threshold for taking the profit sub-rule, but I will go to bed instead.

- 12:56 AM, TYH17 order not filled, price moved into a demand zone above the setup demand zone. Cancelled older order, sent new order, hope to catch price exiting higher demand zone. Good night.



  |  permalink

Futures Mom 011
Monday, February 13, 2017, 01:11 AM - Futures Mom
- Very tedious waiting through the weekend for the market open. Orders cued.

- Market opened at 6:00 PM EST. Gap down on a position, NGH17, past my stop, huge $660. loss, another position hit my stop, E7H17, last cued order, QMH17, not moving.

  |  permalink

Futures Mom 010
Friday, February 10, 2017, 08:28 AM - Futures Mom
- 2:49 AM stopped out on ECH17.

- Cancelled ADH17 order, redrew supply.

- 7:30 AM, sent order for long March Copper, HGH17.

- 9:15 AM, Copper moved strongly & exceeded support, but didn't catch an entry, cancelled order.

- 11:20 AM, ADH17 headed to supply, took a short position.

- 11:30 AM, ADH17 stopped out, HGH17 way high.

- Placed order to go long March e-Mini Euro FX.

- Placed order to short March e-mini Crude Oil QMH17.

- 3:30 PM, placed order to go long on March Natural Gas NGH17. Filled on E7H17.




  |  permalink

Futures Mom 009
Thursday, February 9, 2017, 01:42 PM - Futures Mom
- went short on e-mini Dow Futures ($5.00) at 8:40 AM.Showed toddler the trade.

- sent short order on ADH17, Australian dollar, 8:50 AM.

- 9:00 AM, ADH17 ordered filled.

- A couple more decent setups, waiting on real time purchasing power.

- YMH17 stopped out at market open. Watched with toddler, while she talked about ongoing snow storm.

- ADH17 closed in green, profit $400, 89% of cost of trade, 10:33 AM. Call from Edul.

- Gold down sharply, infer Trump said something good. Correct: "Trump vows big tax cuts".

- 10:28 PM, sent order for long March Euro FX, ECH17.

- Sent another order for shorting ADH17, 10:36 PM.


  |  permalink

Futures Mom 008
Wednesday, February 8, 2017, 03:58 PM - Futures Mom
- entered order for long on CLH17 again, 10:45 AM, but price may have moved too much outside demand zone.

- took short position for March corn, CH17, 11:05 AM. Not thrilled with setup, would like supply and demand further apart, but it's ok, not too bad. Could exit before target.

- cancelled open order for CLH17, price outside of demand, 11:05 AM.

- corn stopped out. Had lunch. 1:25 PM.


  |  permalink

Futures Mom 007
Tuesday, February 7, 2017, 03:02 PM - Futures Mom
- entered short order for HGH17, 10:00 AM. Going to doc.

- back from doc, price moving away from setup, cancelled order, 12:50 PM.

- Ordered tuna salad sandwich and got egg salad. I can't eat egg salad.

- entered long order for CLH17, March crude oil, 1:02 PM.

- position got filled, 1:08 PM.

- nice setup for NQH17, March e-mini NASDAQ 100, but real time purchasing power would be exceeded, 1:23PM, so hold off.

- could have entered a good setup for the Australian dollar last night, but was too tired. Husband forwarding email, but won't tell me topic, my email not up right now, I had coffee & I'm trading. Live. Good I held off Australian dollar, supply and demand not far enough apart afterall.

- CLH17 price clearing 30% profit, price is all up, so suspending sub-rule to settle trade, price heading in direction of target exit.

- e-mini Crude Oil setup good, but am already in a Crude Oil trade.

- CLH17 closed at 4:06 PM. Price reached target. Profit. 93%.








  |  permalink

Futures Mom 006
Monday, February 6, 2017, 06:40 PM - Futures Mom
- entered a position, short on 10 yr US treasury note, TYH17.

- Husband behind me putting clothes in washer, then going for lunch. Pause. Price moving my way through husband's lunch.

- wrong, price moving against position, watching while waiting to get stopped out, husband back in laundry, does Peter Falk over & over, still in position, hungry for lunch

- position stopped out at 7:15 pm.

  |  permalink

Futures Mom 005
Monday, February 6, 2017, 03:22 PM - Futures Mom
Stopped out on Copper futures position at 4:00 pm close, Friday. Not a great way to start the weekend. Busy, so I was over it fast.

Went to blog this note, Monday morning. Web site down. Submitted trouble ticket at host support, web site live again. One minute turnaround, in shock meanwhile.

Ok, wheels are back on car ... ...
  |  permalink

Futures Mom 004
Friday, February 3, 2017, 08:11 PM - Futures Mom
- reviewed supply & demand
- took all the lines off my charts
- re-drew supply and demand on charts
took husband for eye surgery, straightened toddler's toys
- entered a position on copper, HGH17

  |  permalink

Futures Mom 003
Wednesday, February 1, 2017, 05:51 PM - Futures Mom
Took a profit. BPH17. 4%. Exited early. Didn't like the position. Stop inside supply zone. Entry was market order inside supply. Price was going sideways for an hour. Give it a "C".

Meantime, I forgot everything I knew. But didn't stress that much.
  |  permalink

Futures Mom 002
Wednesday, February 1, 2017, 04:31 PM - Futures Mom
I'm live. In green.
  |  permalink

Futures Mom
Wednesday, February 1, 2017, 04:05 PM - Futures Mom
Completed simulation for futures trading. 25% return, 250% annual return.

Reasonable expectation for beginning futures trading is to break even, so my result is ok.

Ready to be live.

Say a prayer I don't blow the whole treasure :)

---------
  |  permalink

Disruptive Technologies for the Blank Page
Tuesday, March 5, 2013, 04:37 PM
Disruptive Technologies for the Blank Page: Author-Gaming v Browser?

The author confronts the blank page. She surmounts its challenge and creates a written work, a written item.

Suppose an author would like to use the latest disruptive technologies to write items she will publish.

She has two distinct choices, to write an item rendered by a gaming environment or to write items rendered by a web browser (said to be built with document-orientated technologies).

Which technology is better for the author and why?

If the author wants the capacities & rights of a publisher of her work, in that case which technology is best for the author?

The gaming environment allows her increased creative scope (over a blank page, say).

The document-oriented technology is getting to the point of allowing isbn, versioning, personalized customer adaptation, ascending levels of publisher (meta, semantic, fragment, biblio, library) etc. control over her work (since Epub3 now includes these capacities for control).

Which technology, gaming vs browser, better advances the author's objectives? Why?

Copyright, Natalie Gandhi, 2012.

--------------------------
  |  permalink

WZCC DAY 2012 IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE XVI NAZC: WHY WE BUILD
Wednesday, October 10, 2012, 07:58 PM
WZCC DAY 2012 IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE XVI NAZC: WHY WE BUILD

The XVI North American Zarathushti Congress was held in Rye Town, New York, and was altogether a wonderful time. WZCC-NY readily mobilized to provide additional excellence in a Congress add-on, WZCC DAY 2012 on August 1, 2012

WZCC DAY 2012 activities included A Tour of The New York Federal Reserve and The Museum of American Finance and an Evening Symposium and Dinner Fete with the President, Professor Jamshed Bharucha, of the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art. ZAGNY members of the new generation, Mr. Poruz Khambatta and Dr. Cyrus Hirjibehedin, masterfully interacted in the Evening Symposium with President Bharucha.

The XVI NAZC and WZCC-NY were honored with the presence of Prof. Noriya Sumihara who traveled to the Congress from Tenri University in Japan. Additional highlights included the Impromptu Organizer's Meeting with WZCC Vice-President Rustom Engineer, WZCC Past-President Rohinton Rivetna, WZCC World Director Firdous Mehta, and WZCC World Director Dr. Zareen Karani-Araoz. Mr. Nozer Buchia of Houston was on-hand to sign his book, Why Entrepreneurs Really Fail, The Road to Success ... Always Under Construction". Rustom Engineer offered a prospective for the January 2013 WZCC AGM in Singapore.

New York offers some of the world’s most fascinating resources for the friends of business. Tour attendees went to the very center of central banking - the throbbing heart of the world’s finance - The Federal Reserve Bank of New York. There they considered the Fed's role in the economy and global finance. The next remarkable site on the tour was The Museum of American Finance, celebrating the spirit of entrepreneurship and the free market tradition. A docent kindly guided attendees through the historic structure. She explained that the particular location of the Museum is the very first bank building in the USA. Accoutrements in the ornate three-story, green marble building are original to their earliest use, such as with the glass and crystal chandeliers and marble.

The Museum is situated kitty-corner to Federal Hall noted as "the Birthplace of the American Constitution". George Washington, America's founder and statesman nonpareil, took the oath of office at Federal Hall. Across the street from Federal Hall is the New York Stock Exchange. The occasion of the tour with thirty-five Zarathushties visiting the environs many have been the most ever collected in this deeply storied vicinity.

The Evening Symposium and Dinner Fete, "New Sciences and Commerce" received numerous words of praise for excellence. WZCC-NY was honored to feature the Keynote Distinguished Panelist, President Jamshed Bharucha of Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art. Founded by inventor, industrialist and philanthropist Peter Cooper in 1859, The Cooper Union offers education in art, architecture and engineering, as well as courses in the humanities and social sciences. From its singular place in American life, the Cooper Union is witness to many historic moments. President Abraham Lincoln himself catalyzed his bid as America's sixteenth President through a speech delivered at Cooper Union's Great Hall. Prior to becoming Cooper Union’s twelfth President, he served in academic leadership positions at Dartmouth College and Tufts University. President Bharucha is the first Zoroastrian to serve as the President of The Cooper Union.

Mr. Poruz Khambatta joined President Bharucha as a Distinguished Panelist. Poruz Khambatta graduated from UC Berkeley in May 2012 with a degree in Cognitive Science with honors. He was president of the Cognitive Science Student Association and taught a class on contemporary cognitive science research methods. As an ordained Zoroastrian priest, Poruz believes that science and religion can go hand in hand in helping us better understand ourselves, each other and our world. Poruz is interested in startups and nonprofit ventures which find creative applications for research in order to improve the quality of people’s lives.

Dr. Cyrus Hirjibehedin, PhD Physics, served as the Symposium's Distinguished Panel Q & A Moderator. Cyrus is the Principal Investigator and Research Group Leader of the London Centre for Nanotechnology. He is a Lecturer (or Assistant Professor in US terms) in the Department of Physics & Astronomy and Department of Chemistry of the University College London. he is also a ZAGNY young professional. President Bharucha and Poruz incorporated Cyrus's insights from the field of nanotechnology into the Symposium discussion.

The Symposium pursued the theme of using the Good Mind's quest for knowledge well. As we engage ourselves in building the future, high-achievers must take the knowledge and science of our time into endeavors for a flourishing world. New sciences in fields such as cognitive psychology, the human brain, collective action, nanotechnology, and more share an imminent moment. They are poised on the threshold of a new time of discovery. It is an advancing forefront in the growth of knowledge. How can people intrigued with our advancing sciences and the growth of knowledge, move ahead professionally, whether through academic work or commercial entrepreneurship?

Questions continued at the Symposium. What will new knowledge mean for our lives? Can our generations here lead as they led when industrialization struck India? Can we continue a Zarathushtrian legacy of bringing fruitful things to the world?

We were honored to have Professor Noriya Sumihara join us at the Congress. Professor Noriya Sumihara is an Anthropologist from Tenri University of Japan. Professor Sumihara's research on WZCC capturing strong insights into Zoroastrian life. Since 2009, the Professor's investigations have taken him to Mumbai and Pune several times. In India and New York, he has interviewed leaders from Tata Consultancy Services and met with WZCC Director Yazdi Tantra. WZCC-NY enjoyed an earlier visit from Noriya in 2011. He met with people and interviewed Zarathushti business owners during the Congress. It was a pleasure and a distinction to greet our international traveler a second time.

Guests for WZCC DAY 2012 included a distinguished set from around the world. Jesse Papatolicas (New England), the Collectors (Houston), Dolly Dastur (Montreal), Aban Rustomji (Houston), Homai Engineer (Gujurat), the Davers, the Shroffs, the Engineers (Houston), the Guzders (Houston), Rushna Harda, Mr. Darius Irani (Los Angeles), Dr. Ali Jafarey (Los Angeles), the Karani-Araozs (Boston), Fereidoon and Yataa Kavosian (Vancouver), the Kevalas (Florida), the Khambattas, Dolly Malva (Los Angeles), the Mehtas (Calgary), Arnaz Maneckshana, the Motaframs (Wisconsin), Dinshaw Mistry, the Patels, the Rivetnas (Chicago), Aban Rustomji (Houston), Freni Irani (Karachi), Kayra Irani (Vancouver), Rustomji H. Vania (Carbondale), Tiru Irani, the Mehtas (London), the Darakhanwalas (Chicago), the Bansals, Behram Pastakia (Washington DC), Mani Rao (Chicago), the Saroshes (London), and Ruyintan Mehta were among the attendees. Parsiana superstars Jasmine Drive and Parinaz Gandhi (Mumbai) were welcome figures.

WZCC-NY is well served by a devoted Organizing Team. The Team consists of Natalie Gandhi, PhD, Chapter Chair, Noshir Dutia, Chapter Treasurer, Framroze Patel, Advisor and WZCC Treasurer, Arnaz Maneckshana, Former Chapter Chair, Meher Hodiwala, Chapter Communications, Dinyar Hodiwalas, Chapter Publicity, Edul Daver, Advisor, and Former WZCC Director, Rusi Gandhi, Chapter Founder and WZCC World Director. Congress organizers Mehru Cama, ArZan Wadia, Ferzin R. Patel, and Gev F. Nentin also provided help that contributed to the success of WZCC DAY 2012. WZCC members throughout the world (Boston, Carbondale, Chicago, Gujurat, Houston, Karachi, Mumbai, Ontario, London, Pune, Singapore, Vancouver, Washington) provided their encouragement and assists for a marvelous day.

As the Symposium Evening began, the Chair addressed the idea, "We Build and Why". With the US President's comments in late July, who builds and who gets credit for building is surely au courant. Together in a group last year, WZCC-NY viewed the DVD "Footsteps in the Sands of Time" produced by the 2010 World Zarathushti Congress in Dubai. Our audience remembered that the DVD revealed Zarathushties building infrastructure for communities in all corners of the world. Now we build infrastructure in America, for example in the New Darbe Mehr project spearheaded by WZCC-NY Member Edul Daver. Something about these activities and the very dear vision of Zarathushtra say more to us than the plain matter that we build or will build where we go.

Our way of life and our Good Mind, some very small aspect of Ahura Mazda's divinity, tells us "the why" of what we do. We know something in building. Whether we build a people, a New World Order, a New Darbe Mehr, a new science, an innovative startup, a charitable assist to another, or a Congress, we know something of the significance in doing it. This knowing gives us meaning and purpose for our lives.

WZCC DAY 2012 sponsors included Greg Wareham of Wells Fargo Home Mortgage and The Jamshidian Group. Floral display at the Symposium was provided by the Chair, who grew and conveyed Chrysler Imperial roses to grace the inaugural event. Past-President Arnaz Maneckshana was helpful in conveying the WZCC Mission display to the Symposium.


Natalie Gandhi, PhD, WZCC-NY Chair, Copyright, August, 2012.

================
  |  permalink

The Fashion Today
Monday, March 7, 2011, 09:31 PM
The Fashion Today

The fashion lesson Saif Sword of Islam Quaddafi, the dictator's son, gives is even better than Mrs. Asma al-Assad's fashion statement. The good doctor grasped hold of that sumptuous fabric, the very best in intellectual guidance, to shepard his dissertation.

Could one have come up with a title more pleasing to taste than, "The role of civil society in the democratization of global governance institutions: from 'soft power' to collective decision-making?" Hardly.

With ensuing performance to prove out dramatic canards that justice should be the advantage of the stronger and done large enough, injustice is the stronger, freer, and better master over justice, are we not stunned?

Plan A ("to live and die in Libya") to equal Plan B to equal Plan C, and so we see resolve equal to any Thrasymachus. Those of today, those of yore. Should we not act to protect Philosophy in our cities?

References,

1. "The Dictator's Wife Wears Louboutins, Vogue magazine missed the trend: Middle Eastern tyrants are out this season", Bari Weiss and David Feith, WSJ, Opinion, March 7, 2011.

2. "High Fascism", Rhonda Garelick, NYT, Opinion, March 6, 2011, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/07/opinion/07Garelick.html.

3. Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thrasymachus.

4. "Gaddafi's son: our plan is to 'live and die in Libya' ", The Telegraph, February 25, 2011. " 'We have plans A, B and C. Plan A is to live and die in Libya. Plan B is to live and die in Libya. Plan C is to live and die in Libya,' said Saif al-Islam in an interview with CNN."




Copyright, Natalie Vania, March 7, 2011, All rights reserved.

----------
  |  permalink

WZCC-NY Hosts Nationally Distinguished Economist Prof. Amar Bhide
Friday, February 4, 2011, 09:44 PM
May 18, 2009 saw a compelling session at NewYork's WZCC May meeting in Suffern, New York. Amar Bhide, the Lawrence D. Glaubinger Professor of Business from Columbia University, spoke on his provocative book "The Venturesome Economy, How Innovation Sustains Prosperity in a More Connected World".

Central themes of Prof. Bhide's book, "The Venturesome Economy" (Bhide, Princeton University Press, 2008) are summarized by reporter Steve Lohr,

"In speeches and policy statements, Mr. Obama has repeatedly emphasized a need to maintain America’s technology leadership in the world and to invest government funds to do so. ... Two of his favorite proposals ... are to double federal funding for basic research over the next several years and to train many thousands more scientists and engineers.

But such steps would likely amount to well-intentioned but misguided policies ... ... Mr. Bhidé derides the conventional view in science and technology circles as 'techno-nationalism,' needlessly alarmist and based on a widely held misunderstanding of how technological innovation yields economic growth. In his view, many analysts put too much emphasis on the production of new technological ideas. Instead, he observes, the real economic payoff lies in innovations in how technologies are used. ... (Steve Lohr, "Do We Overrate Basic Research?", NYT, Nov. 29, 2008) "

Prof. Bhide was the special guest of IIT Alumni colleague and WZCC-NY Advisor Edul Daver. Though-provoking questions for our engaging speaker arose at all levels from the audience of nearly fifty people.

We wondered, how are "low-level" or "mid-level" innovators crucial to our productivity or flourishing? How big is the role of immigrant "can-do-ism" in the American spirit? We discussed the positive role of America's venturesome consumer in innovation and touched on our relative over-consumption.

There are as many people in India under twenty-one as the entire US population. Does the sheer volume of early Indian technology adopters incline India towards acceleration of mid-level innovation?

We asked if Zoroastrians have implicit advantages and/or disadvantages from new trends in the evolving global economy? As well, how do American views compare with Indian and Chinese views on doing good for society? Are the US masses "hungry enough" to compete globally, or does our economy "need to get worse before it gets better"?

Do cases such as high-energy particle physics, nanotechnology and mobile info-technology raise concern about American leadership in fundamental science and basic research? Concerns of young professionals arise quickly. Prof. Bhide leads us to ask what kind of educational careers are suitable for USA students and others? What should be the aims of a young scientific researcher? How deep should be the commitment to scientific study in their careers?

How does the young student achieve balance in competitive struggle to establish a research career? Will leadership in creativity and innovation be distributed globally as we compete globally?

Prof. Bhide was impressed with the careful organization of the Chapter as it handled all aspects of the event. He saw how each of the organizers worked together as he experienced an audience of intelligent interlocutors. The Chapter celebrated Prof. Bhide, giving him the inimitable WZCC pin and a copy of Sooni Taraporevala's photographic masterpiece on the Parsi Zoroastrians.

Chapter Chair Arnaz Maneckshana worked tirelessly to arrange this successful event. Committee members Paul Daruwala and Natalie Vania (Vania-Gandhi) moderated discussion. Rusi Gandhi, WZCC World Director, helped drive attendance. A fine luncheon was provided by Sheroo Kanga. Noshir Dutia kindly recorded the event. We were ably aided by Meher and Dinyar Hodiwalla and Vispi Kanga. Hasina and Dinshaw Master also lent their steady assist in the event. The audience included several youth members who are exploring WZCC in their entrepreneurial and professional efforts, as well as our senior professional leaders.

Copyright, Natalie Vania, June 1, 2009.
---------
  |  permalink

WZCC-NY, Thriving in The Big Apple & Tri-State Region
Thursday, January 6, 2011, 11:31 PM
WZCC-NY, Thriving in The Big Apple & Tri-State Region

by Natalie H. Vania-Gandhi, Ph.D., WZCC-NY Chapter Chair, December 12, 2010

The WZCC-NY Chapter thrives. We have rolled forward with quarterly meetings featuring vital speakers and topics. They span; Jamshed Ghadiali speaking on "Health Care and Financial Planning" (MetLife), Fali Shroff on "Travels in Rural Gujarat to Zarathushti Homes: Action to Assist" (DMZT Trustee Committee Chair), Kurus Elavia (CEO, Gateway Group One) on "Achieving the American Dream" and Toos Daruvala on "The Forefront of the Consulting World" (McKinsey Director, Leader of its East Coast Financial Institutions Practice and the Americas Banking and Securities Practice).

A pilot group has pledged to spark a Gujarat Uplift Initiative for assisting through microenterprise. With "The Extremes of Commerce Rich and Poor", we viewed the 9th World Zoroastrian Congress's DVD. Our Chapter enjoys culinary heights from Jasely Dukandar, Sheroo Kanga, and Dilshad Todiwala, the latter a real highpoint in our Summer Barbecue Cookout. We've connected virtually with Houston, Toronto, Chiago, and the global Youth. The Chapter uses free and low-cost online tools for operations and has a website at http://tinyurl.com/wzccnewyork.

Our youth and young professionals are in dymanic career, professional, and entrepreneurial growth. News from them includes career shifts at the strategic level within leading New York city institutions, consumer startup initiatives (Feroza Mehta), marketing of innovative bio-science (Paul Daruwala), a national cooking competition (Jehangir Mehta), service in Iraq (Eric Chavda, Mahyar Hodiwala), performing arts initiative in Afghanistan (Khayan Irani), San Jose's viewing of filmmaker's work (Tenaz Dubash) and MBA study at NYU (Sarosh Nentin). A contribution to the Udwadia Iranshah was provided by Neville Golvala, a financial services business founder.

The Chapter's major sponsors and friends lead on the entrepreneurial forefront. Farrokh Patel's businesses, Pegasus Products Inc. and The Cover Company, are growing. Edul Daver travels regularly to manage AcuPowder operations and spearheads efforts for a new Darbe Meher in Suffern, New York. Homi Byramji is developing property in Latin America. Our Advisor and earlier Chair, Arnaz Maneckshana, gives indefatigable support. We welcomed the Nentin's as new members of WZCC-NY.

WZCC World Director, Rusi D. Gandhi, will inducted into The RE/MAX Hall of Fame in March at the RE/MAX International Adwards Ceremony in Las Vegas. With Chapter Chair Natalie H. Vania-Gandhi, Rusi is participating with SPIRE, Stanford Professionals in Real Estate, and keeps alert for networking opportunities at SPIRE for our members. Our Treasurer, Noshir Dutia, is acutely diligent and assists in membership drives. WZCC-NY members collaborate with The Indus Entrepreneurs, TiE NJ-PHILLY and TiE NY.

The Chapter Chair observed the judging session of Chicago Booth's 14th New Venture Challenge. It was her fourth visit to the event. She discussed implications of the Black-Scholes equation with Nobel laureate Myron Scholes at the University of Chicago in June and met twice with John Anderson, the President of the Illinois Institute of Technology.

The Gandhi's met New York's Consulate General of India in an Investment Interactive Meet at the consulate in September. Associated participants in the Meet included the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA), the Overseas Indian Facilitation Centre (OIFC), dignitaries, and New York business leaders.

Our Chapter offers leadership and participation opportunities at all levels. Excellent events are in process for 2011. We thrive and have so much more to do and give here.

---------------------

  |  permalink

THE EXTREMES OF COMMERCE RICH AND POOR
Thursday, August 12, 2010, 08:16 PM
THE EXTREMES OF COMMERCE RICH AND POOR

WZCC-NY Summer Quarterly Meeting, July 18, 2010

The New York Chapter enjoyed a sunny July summer day, filling all corners with bright light. It was neither too hot nor too humid. Members gathered at the Darbe Mehr in Suffern to enjoy a real culinary marvel, a superb Summer Barbecue, and struck a relaxed tone together in causal dress. The weather and friendly warmth matched the internal light members found in the day's programs, culminating in a fascinating presentation from Mr. Fali D. Shroff.

We began by viewing and discussing the DVD of the 9th World Zoroastrian Congress held in Dubai in 2009. Zoroastrians cannot resist feeling invigorated when they see the DVD. It surveys many segments of our achievements and contributions across the globe. Skillfully, the DVD shows the leadership Zoroastrians give where they go, emphasizing our spirit for building communities. Chapter Chair Natalie H. Vania-Gandhi was eager for members to consider civic and commerce contributions as compliments to other aspects - religious, moral, spiritual, cultural and more - of Zoroastrians.

We broke off to enjoy the cookout. The Chapter typically enjoys excellent cuisine and the Summer Barbecue gave a new boost to our pleasure. Dilshad and Dara Todiwala catered. They were assisted at a sizzling grill by Navroz Gandhi, Rusi Gandhi, Wayne Tereza, and Kayomarz Khambatta. The remarkable feast included the finest, never-to-be-forgotten, grilled lamb. Memories of the delectable food are long-lasting.

Our internal spirits remained bright as program activities resumed for a vital presentation. The 2009 Chair of the DMZT Trustee Committee, Mr. Fali D. Shroff, spoke on "Travels in Rural Gujarat to Zarathushti Homes: Action to Assist". Fali, an eminent member of ZAGNY over decades, has taken inspired travels in India. He takes special effort to explore the situations of impoverished Parsi's. His aim is to convey what he learns and assist unfortunate Zarathushtis.

For the last six years, Fali has undertaken trips to Mumbai at his own expense and with funds donated and raised by the wonderful and generous congregations of ZAGNY, IZA, FEZANA, UK, California, Florida, Australia and more. He has visited the Mumbai Dungerwadi and distributed the funds one on one to the Nassesalars, the entire staff at the Dungerwadi, and their children. Fali has made a tour of villages through Gujarat in his recent trip. Dishaw Tamboly of WZO-India guided Fali to villages and the farmers working in them.

As Fali learned in talking to Zoroastrian farmers, many have vast lands to cultivate, but live in exceedingly rudimentary conditions. Fali documents the living situation of farmers through photography. Many farmers live in housing which is utterly exposed to the elements. We saw thatched roofs on rickety stakes, no walls, and no capacity for storing property apart from a small bed, a few changes of clothes, and Zarathushtra's picture. It almost seemed as though some lived in camp sites more so than homes. But these rough structures are actually the everyday homes of our fellow Zoroastrians and their families!

Fali explained that about six thousand dollars suffice to build a sheltered cottage for a family. The Rivetna family, (sister Perviz Krishnayya, brother Dara Rivetna, and brother Rohinton Rivetna, together with their children Raiomand, Jehan, Zubin, Zenobia, Jamshed and Cyrus), sponsored the construction of one such cottage. The effort was carried out in memory of their parents (the younger generation's grandfather and grandmother); Minocher Jamshedjee Rivetna and Tehmina Minocher Rivetna.

Fali's provoking pictures of the Zoroastrian farmers touched the heartstrings of our audience of twenty-five people. Throughout the villages Fali visited, Zoroastrian farmers are relatively less favorably situated compared to other ethnicities. It was reassuring to see the farmers smiling at us in the pictures. We could see their healthy yearning to do more in farming, building their villages, and for their children.

Fali also visited a school in Mumbai. A contingent of village children is able to attend the school. However when resources become scare, the children are dismissed and sent back to villages. With living situations in the villages being very rough, the transition from school to the village home becomes difficult for our promising youth. We saw pictures of the school, a major institution.

Fali also shared pictures of the Nassesalars in Mumbai, a lively group of about fifty people. He related travails of an ill and elderly person we saw in one of the pictures. With a traveler’s eye for seeking out an unfortunate person, Fali's kind help got the loyal fellow to a hospital for medical care.

Fali appreciates feedback on his charitable work. He intends to return to the Gujarat farmers for fifteen days in October to continue investigating villagers' circumstances. He must have a bright soul to undertake this good initiative! Rusi D. Gandhi, WZCC World Director, presented Fali with a WZCC T-shirt thanking Fali for his presentation. Participants also included Edul Daver, Mehru and Lovji Cama, Nelly and Lovji Cama, Homi Gandhi, Rupy and Lovji Hakim, Meher (who assited in providng Agendas) and Dinyar Hodiwala, Goolcher and Kayomarz Khambatta, Arnaz Maneckshana, Maharukh and Firdosh Mehta, Framroze Patel, and Gul and Homi Sarkary. Karl Khambatta, among our shining Youth, thoughtfully observed and assisted the day's activities.

The Chapter found inspiration in the needs protrayed by Fali and we embarked on an initiative to assist in Gujarat. A pilot group; Edul and Niloufer Darver, Dinyar and Meher Hodiwala, the Gandhi's, and Arnaz Maneckshana, met at the Gandhi home on July 29 to devise a micro-enterprise program. It may be a "Farmers' Uplift Initiative" or take form under a similar theme of uplift.

We collected pledges in excess of twenty-six percent of a target goal of $5000.00. Our Chapter can review pilot group ideas with our devoted and capable Treasurer, Noshir Dutia. We hope to provide a major resource (we imagined a new tractor!) which can help a village increase productivity or growth and enable those we assist to repay our financing for yet another village in turn.

With the extremes of commerce, we see the foremost contributions fortunate Zarathushtis make around the world. Also, WZCC-NY recognizes that improving prospects for Zarathushtis in rural Gujarat is do-able. Thus, WZCC-NY is taking initiative to uplift to fellow Zarathusthis. We hope it spreads the light we found in the July sunshine and in Fali's good efforts.

Copyright, Natalie H. Vania-Gandhi, 2010.

----------
  |  permalink

The Invisible Sale and Achieving the American Dream, Kurus Elavia, CEO, Gateway Group One
Sunday, June 13, 2010, 10:40 PM
WZCC-NY 2010 Spring Quarterly Meeting, May 2, 2010

The Invisible Sale and Achieving the American Dream, Kurus Elavia, CEO, Gateway Group One

On a fine May 2 afternoon, WZCC-NY enjoyed a gracious offer from the ZAGNY Religious Class leaders, Lovji Cama, Keki Dadachanji, and Erach Munshi to integrate a meeting so that more people would gain exposure to WZCC. This splendid suggestion brought nearly 75 people to our session, with many teenagers catching sight of the successful NJ Young Entrepreneur of the Year award-winner, Mr. Kurus Elavia.

Kurus began his story mentioning that his best jobs in life are husband and father. He does not see himself as having reached a finality, but as being in a struggle to achieve more in a challenging economy. Part and parcel of entrepreneurship is its very state of mind. It is a readiness to learn, acquire new capacities, and adapt as called for by environments. Over time, one comes into the entrepreneur's role through this outlook.

He enjoyed a first love in martial arts and had a black belt by 1988 in Mumbai. With his prayers, an occassion for temporary employment arose at the American Consulate. One week later, at the age of twenty-three, he found himself at JFK in America. He had a visa and a suitcase. He spent three months at a YMCA, found a ride to Ohio, all the while working in casual jobs. He returned to Jamaica, New York, sold newspapers in the Bronx, safeguarded his cash from thieves by the classic recourse of storing it in his socks, and worked at a lotto machine in a candy store. Then he went to fill out an application at Gateway Security.

The busy lady at Gateway asked Kurus to leave. It is a testament to Kurus's people-first ethic that Kurus overcame her reluctance to give him an application form and today the lady is among Kurus's treasured four thousand employees. His first customer is also still with Gateway. Kurus worked weekends when others did not and became the person known for fixing others' mistakes. He convinced Home Depot to use Gateway for security services.

Ten years into his employment, the owner and his sons were preparing to sell the company. Its good will and premium-brand customers would help the owner sell as retirement approached. Kurus tried a two month stint as a securities broker, not enjoying enjoy the restricted feeling he got. He had breakfast with Gateway's owner and his son, Kurus' friend, and proposed something new. He wanted a chance to run the company for three years and promised to double its revenues. He got the chance. And he got more top-of-the-line customers, such as Ikea, Lucent and Pfizer. What was he doing to make upstart Gateway competitive with global brands in the security industry?

Kurus was changing security from a commodified service to an experience and he was selling the experience to his customer and to his workforce. Reputation was key. He kept the customer very close and gave every employee ownership in his endeavor. Kurus personally hires each of his employees, investing his trust with them. He explains that security is an "invisible sale", where the customer does not see a ready product after a sale, but must spend millions and tens of millions for the service his company provides. His compelling strength is that if he makes a promise, his team keeps the promise. He never burns any bridges or takes more customers than his company can handle. All team members are ready to insure the customer experience. Customer loyalty is priceless and price is never the tigger in his sales.

In his entrepreneurship, Kurus offers cautions. He had to make hard choices between working and visiting India, fear must be confronted, risk must be sought, and activities require passion. He finds the tyranny of "And or Or" in which the world lives oppressive. So he allows opposing thoughts to find room in his mind and grow together. He shares the good and the bad with his staff and customers. After 9-11, he helped airlines in a "care campaign", letting them rearrange payment terms if necessary.

Are Indians especially favored for employment at Gateway? What Kurus seeks is committed workers. However, in India he thinks, "work is worship", so the work ethic immigrants bring helps them in America. With the best things in life being free, he is not especially driven as CEO to acquire Gateway Group One for himself. His aim is to do good for it and his team. He is skilled at seeing nothing between what he wants and himself, and masters competence to reach his desires.

The best question asked him about spiritual aspects within his type-A, CEO-driven life. Kurus defers on that point to his wife, his "better half". That is modest, for he began his story noting the personal relationships of husband and father and prayers while hoping the consulate could use him. In all parts of his story, he stresses personal engagement with each employee and customer, an essential trust which he builds and maintains over decades, delivering on promises, loyalty, and reputation.

Gateway Group One is now in partnership with governmental agencies to provide higher education through Frontline Academy. His for-profit work is in mutual accord with the Academy's non-profit aim to enhance lives and provide jobs; a "win-win" for Gateway and government. On the young side for an acclaimed American CEO, there is wide berth ahead for the new things Kurus will achieve as an entrepreneur in a land where he creates and gives opportunity. He is a driven man, surely not ready to rest on the laurels of achievement.

We envisioned parents telling their children tales of the Zoroastrian entrepreneurial record. At this event, such dreams were manifest. One man took his small daughter, an adorably shy, sweet four year old, through the latest SynergyZ Journal. The father explained what had been built and is being built today by our people. Therein, a spark of imagination for who we are and will be began its journey in this little girl's imagination. Surely she will take forward the kind, honest, and hard-working ways of Zoroastrians.

WZCC-NY thanks all who assisted in the event; ZAGNY's Religious Class, Maharukh Mehta and family, DMZT, wonderful caterering by Jasely Dukandar and Sheroo Kanga, WZCC-NY Organinizing Team/Board (Yazad Dalal, Paul Daruwala, Edul Daver, Noshir Dutia, Rusi D. Gandhi, Meher and Dinyar Hodiwala, Sheroo and Vispi Kanga, and Arnaz Maneckshaw), and Wayne.

----------
Copyright, Natalie H. Vania-Gandhi, 2010.


------
  |  permalink

WZCC-NY 1st Sykpe Toronto NY Joint Collaboration & Health Care Finance
Friday, February 26, 2010, 07:07 PM

TORONTO AND NEW YORK WZCC CHAPTERS ENJOY THE FIRST SKYPE-IN JOINT COLLABORATION

Technology lets us make history in news ways. On Feb. 18, 2010 the Toronto and New York Chapters of WZCC experimented in a joint session conducted through Skype. Xerxes Wania and Sam Meer of the WZCC-Toronto Chapter conceived the idea and approached the NY Chapter-Chair, Natalie H. Vania-Gandhi. She loved their idea and all cooperated to make it happen.

About fifteen people in Toronto gathered at Sam Meer's business premises. They connected with a smaller group from New York. The Joint Session also enjoyed the engaged participation of Yazdi Tantra in Mumbai. He showed real dedication. With the US East Coast evening timing of 7:00-8:00, it meant a 5:30 AM call for Yazdi!

Discussion centered on "Impressions from the Dubai Congress". Attendees reviewed highlights of the World Congress and stressed the effect of it on their outlook for the community. Afreed Mistry, a YLEP award winner, reviewed many initiatives that had developed pre-Congress and hopes for how initiatives will develop post-Congress.

The World Congress revealed how readily Zoroastrian achievers are globalizing their efforts and connections with others far and wide, near and close. In response to a question from Xerxes on the most vital impression for WZCC, Natalie and Yazdi agreed. Each spoke about conveying the tremendous opportunity WZCC presents. Through the organization, people can engage with each other in comfortable ways to develop remarkable and action-oriented connections.

Skype is a free tool, utilizing Voice Over Internet Protocol, VOIP. It allows people to make phone calls across the globe for free through their computers. It is a new way to connect to share business ideas and expand on opportunities together. As the Joint session wrapped up, WZCC-Toronto introduced the concept of using the Skype forum to highlight entrepreneurs who have requested assistance in expanding their markets and horizons. WZCC-NY extended a welcome hand for whenever Toronto visitors are in the tri-state region.

This could be the start of something beautiful.

WZCC-NY FINANCIAL PLANNING FOR HEALTH CARE: PROTECTING YOUR HEALTH IN ECONOMIC UPS AND DOWNS

We are in a blinding winter snow storm on February 25 on America's east coast as the USA President convenes a health care summit with Congressional members. WZCC-NY can hardly be more timely. In its Winter Quarterly meeting on Sunday, Feb 21, dedicated members convened in Suffern to discuss what individuals and small business owners can do about the financing of their health care.

In one of WZCC's most engaged discussions, Mr. Jamshed R. Ghadiali provided many avenues into the USA's health care economics. His first question with health reform took the group into the heart of social disparity. He asked, "Who is it we wish to help in improving the financial landscape of health care?" For those earning below $13,000.00 per year, over thirty percent are unemployed. This necessitates great difficulty in their purchasing insurance. At the other end of the social scale, individuals enjoy high employment and four hundred families earn an average of $375 million of income per year.

While people agree the current system is not ideal, Jamshed mentioned historical features leading to today's situation. General Motors and MetLife devised the first group insurance contract in the 1930's. Some wondered if "too much govenrment" was already in the mix. Jamshed explained that the group contract was an employment benefit provided as a response to WW II governmental wage controls.

Startling facts kept coming from Jamshed. At birth today, an American's expected lifespan is lengths beyond the expected lifespan of current WZCC members, we spend over seventeen percent GDP on health, people aggressively seek dangerous, low-wage jobs for the health insurance benefit, and it is not feasible to get long-term disabilty benefits and stay employed. Average nursing home costs are $219.00 per day across the country and they average $575.00 in New Jersey, home to several Chapter members.

Seventy percent of people over 65 will need long term care at some stage of their life. Yet forty percent of the money spent on long term care goes to people between the ages of 18 and 64. In-home care runs at $21.00 per hour and physical assistance is often required from young people for older people.

Purchasing long term care insurance at younger ages rather than waiting can save a family huge sums in monthly or annual premiums. There is difficulty getting young professionals to take this simple step, but a younger Chapter member at the meeting resolved to investigate in light of informative guidance. Many members were familiar with resources for the aging in other countries. Jamshed mentioned several people receiving USA pension or social security provisions who are able to live in well-off circumstances in India.

We learned of one Zoroastrian who went to medical school after another successful career and then found the health care in distant New Zealand to be much better than in the US. One member wondered if prudence would direct one to either reach great entrepreneurial heights or depart in old-age to a distant foreign destination. Also, attendees shared remarks on the World Congress in Dubai. Insights highlighted strengths each region of the World is bringing to the Zoroastrian community.

Mr. Jamshed R. Ghadiali, MBA, CLU(r), ChFC(r), has enjoyed a career of twenty years in financial services. At MetLife he provides assistance to families and business owners. His products and services include life, disability and long term care insurance, annuities, certificate of deposits, momey market funds, mortgages, strategies and products for education, retirement, wealth, and estate planning. Pervez Patel and Arnaz Maneckshana, Past Chapter President, also contributed their expertise as skilled financial professionals with Jamshed.

As well as a business philosophy of assisting others to achieve financial freedom, Jamshed is a genuine civic contributor by way of leadership in professional and county organizations, an over 200-times blood donor, and a cancer research fundraiser in the NYC Marathon. He is married to Yasmin, a dentist, and has a brilliant daughter, Aysha. Jamshed and Yasmin received the Jamshed Pavri Humanitarian Service Award in 1998 from the North American Zarathushti Community for their inspired assistance to other people.

We were happy to welcome a new and dynamic Chapter member, Mrs. Niloufer Tamboly. Paul Daruwala, Chapter Vice-President, Edul Daver, Chapter Advisor, and Rusi Gandhi, WZCC World Director helped in attracting Sunday's participants. Paul and Rusi felicitated Jamshed, awarding him a WZCC lapel pin and giving him a WZCC T-shirt. Dilshad Todiwala catered a superb and delectable luncheon.

Chapter Chair, Natalie H. Vania-Gandhi alerted members to several items of news; an area job hunt in the accounting field; a request for introductions to top NYC hospital administrators; WZCC Youth initiatives for international internships in the IT field; a Chapter look-out for potential WZCC award candidates; a March event on foreign bank account holders from WZCC-Houston, and a future event registration trial through www.EventBrite.com. Meher and Dinyar Hodiwala assisted in organizing and Noshir Dutia recorded the event on video.

Who knows what is around the next corner with health care and our economics? How do we manage in a time of change and contention? What is the future of our health care? Despite the known and unknown unknowns, all WZCC-NY Chapter members can reflect thoughtfully together on these profound matters in the midst of our unceasing snowstorms.

- Copyright, Natalie H. Vania-Gandhi and Sam Meer, 2010.

------------------------------

  |  permalink

frm WZCC-NY Chair Notes - Tiger or Hummer Man?
Monday, January 25, 2010, 11:40 PM
... Paul has a superb idea that we should provoke you in order to get our Chapter revved up and roaring ahead. To that end, I will ask you, who is the man of the decade? Frank Rich (NYT, Dec. 20) says it is Tiger Woods and he makes a good point. But John Bussey (see appended excerpt) says the man of the decade is Hummer Man!

Of course, one also ends up asking if "the man of the decade" is just "the person of the decade" --- I don't think Hummer Man has to be gendered.

Rusi and I depart for Dubai on Christmas Day. We will be thinking of you and how our Chapter can help you while we are at the AGM.

But we promise not to miss the East Coast weather!

All the Best for You and Yours,
in a Turbocharged 2010 New Year,

----------
WSJ, DECEMBER 21, 2009

The Rising Influence of Rising Affluence
As Terrorism and War Shook the World, Sweeping Change Came From the Spread of Economic Liberalization

By JOHN BUSSEY

Call him Hummer Man -- our man of the decade.

"It was 2005, and the young Chinese man had parked his beast of a vehicle, a cherry-red Hummer with big fog lamps and tires the size of Nebraska, at a busy intersection in downtown Shanghai. As he sat in the driver's seat, his fellow Chinese passed and marveled.

"What a beautiful machine," a reporter yelled up to the driver.

The man looked down, pointed to the hood and responded simply:

"Turbocharged."

There were many events that grabbed world headlines in this first decade of the 21st century: the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the U.S.; the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq that followed; natural disaster in Asia; financial intoxication, and the subsequent global purge and crash.

But a good argument can be made that Hummer Man, poster child for new affluence, embodies the more fundamental story of our times -- and the far more dominant and lasting force affecting world affairs.

Across the globe, economic and political liberalization reached critical mass in recent years, propelling hundreds of millions of people up the income curve, and unleashing a flood of ambition and aspiration. A force that started to build in 1978 in China, 1991 in India, and more recently in many other developing economies, is now indeed turbocharged.
... ...
... Aspiration begat Hummer Man, ...
... ...
And behind him, waiting for their chance to plug into the grid: roughly 700,000 Chinese, still on the farm, with growing aspirations of their own."

----------
  |  permalink

Panel - Real Estate Opportunities in Challenging Times
Monday, December 7, 2009, 05:49 PM - Eventnote
WZCC-NY Chapter Activities

"Real Estate Opportunities in Challenging Times" a Panel Discussion.

The November 22 meeting occurred at the Suffern New York Darbe Mehr on a sunny and brisk day. President Arnaz Maneckshaw summarized the Chapter's strong progress over her three year term. Edul Daver, Chapter Advisor, Noshir Dutia, Chapter Finance and Membership Director, and Rusi D. Gandhi M.B.A., Chapter Advisor and WZCC World Director, each spoke with gratitude for Arnaz's dedicated efforts. Arnaz was awarded with a plaque of fine mahogany and she spoke of excellent traits in the new board members. Incoming Chapter board members include Paul Daruwala, Vice-President Elect, Noshir Dutia, Sheroo Kanga, Secretary and Communications Director, Zubin Canteenwala, Youth Director and Yazad Dalal, Youth Director.

The incoming Chapter Chair, Dr. Natalie H. Vania-Gandhi, complimented Arnaz for her striking professional record and her proven devotion to the Chapter. All seem greatly enthused with the new team and members are assured that New York's Chapter will be a showcase of North American Chapters. Natalie's entrepreneurship, her experience as a founding member of WZCC in California and Chicago, and her engagement in previous AGM's, will enhance the New York Chapter's progress. Arnaz entrusted the Chair's gavel to the new Chair.

After highlighting Arnaz's experience as a first among North American women to lead a WZCC Chapter Chair, Rusi Gandhi, spoke on the upcoming Dubai WZCC AGM. Area residents, Rusi and Natalie, Edul and Niloufer Daver, Farrokh and Gool Patel, Rohinton and Maharukh Cama, Dinyar Hodiwala and his son, Adil Hodiwala, Homi Gandhi, and Navroz Gandhi expect to attend in Dubai. We then moved on to the day's central event, a Panel Discussion, "Real Estate Opportunities in Challenging Times". Professional expertise was on display in detailed presentations, with participants including Dinyar Hodiwala, on "Foreclosures and Short Sales", Vispi Daruwala, on "Securing Mortgages Today", Persis Daruwala, on "The Role of the Title Company" and Rusi D. Gandhi, Moderator, "Real Estate Internet Auctions".

It was vital to hear timely ins and outs from practionnaire experts, especially for those looking to invest profitably in the current economic climate. The audience's Q&A was engaged, observing fine points in contract negotiations as well as the brave entrepreneurism of the panelists. Each panelist had entered real estate in an intriguing way. The audience received inspiration in their business start-up perspectives, from their long-time operational stamina, and their depth of knowledge. We were surprised hearing of a clever internet auction at $26,000.00 below an earlier offer for a property, with the resulting ownership being $104,000.00 below the median price of surrounding homes.

Paul Darawala, incoming Chapter Vice-President, helped with logistics and concluded the event. Guests included a contingent of ten people who enjoyed the unique cultural tour in the Arbab Guiv Darbe Mehr, as well as an exquisite lunch provided by Sheroo and Vispi Kanga. Noshir Dutia provided the kind service of recording the event. Meher Hodiwala devised the Agenda and helped with others in setting up for the event. The group celebrated Arnaz's tenure and Dinyar's birthday with luscious cakes. Pictures of the event are posted at http://tinyurl.com/realestatepanel.

Copyright, 2009, Natalie H. Vania-Gandhi.

--------------------------------------
  |  permalink

Stunners in a TiE Evening with Rakesh K. Kaul
Tuesday, September 22, 2009, 11:06 PM - Eventnote
Stunners in a TiE Evening with Rakesh K. Kaul

Wednesday, September 9, 2009, WZCC-NY Guests at TiE NJ-Philly

It was another sparkling day as we traveled over New Jersey's winding highways to Edison. Eleven WZCC-NY Chapter members were welcomed at the TiE-NJ-Philly September meeting. We all arrived with bright spirits and lively minds to absorb the adventures of Mr. Rakesh K. Kaul. We discovered an enlightened man, an epitome of achievement. We heard stories from his life while enjoying an excellent Indian dinner.

Let me first relate one of the most stunning facts Rakesh Kaul recounted. In four years, a new company he devised had assets of four billion dollars - a stunning number! But the real stunner in the story is the motivation and fine insight Rakesh evidenced in making the new business. He explained that in running Fingerhut, a consumer goods company, it occurred to him that his customers often did not have as good access to credit as others. He knew Fingerhut customers were good folks, a huge majority of them steady customers following through on their commitments.

Although Wall Street was unsure of the opportunity, Rakesh was determined to get a credit source funded for these good folks. His view was to make the most of the better part of human nature, helping the deserving portion of his customer base. After more than a year of hunting down the financial backing, he achieved his kindly-thought end and the new company was born.

The positive belief in human nature and indeed in his own never-ending venturing defines the man. "Venturing" has always a matter of undertaking admist elements of chance in uncertain seas, he explains. He advises that taking on risk is intrinsic in life's grand journeys. His earliest story, one of departing from professional training in order to play a part as a movie-actor, shows him biting into risk and prevailing to the good.

Movie acting when India was a young country and newly independent? It turns out the movie role was inspired. It was actually a role as a heroic scientist in documentary taken throughout India into distant villages. It inspired young people to pursue science. The documentary created a mass awareness for the benefits of knowledge to the largest democracy. How many young dreamers who saw Rakesh Kaul were motivated to use their diligence and attend IIT?

When Rakesh himself attended IIT, he loved it for the "power of Ideas". There, he says, "We were free" in the never-ending pursuit of knowledge. He excelled and went to America, continuing a record of firsts in his achievements. He did not fear diverting from trodden paths, being led by his enthusiasms to his next venue. If he had to access a laboratory's electron microscope in the dead of night when it was not in use, he found the key to lab and triumphed in his scientific work.

Not all striving heroes get admission simultaneously to Harvard, Stanford, and Chicago. When Rakesh was welcomed by all three, he chose Chicago as the obvious "temple of free markets" and pursued the study of finance under Prof. Merton Miller, a Noble Prize recipient. Prof. Miller awarded Kaul for his "tacit understanding" of macroeconomics.

Rakesh Kaul's firm intellect, his erudition, his venturing even to distant Japan, his many firsts in achievements, and his kind nature made a remarkable night. Our WZCC-NY Chapter was mentioned at the start of the evening. We were delighted to have at least two young professional Zoroastrians in our group. Our most dedicated members, with their own records of entrepreneurial success, were present. Attendees included Edul Daver, Mehroo Baria, Shahrooz Bhopti, Rusi D. Gandhi, Nina Irani, Tiru Irani, Chapter Chair Arnaz Maneckshana, Farrokh Patel, Framroze Patel, Pervez Patel, and Natalie Vania-Gandhi.

Our WZCC-NY Chapter thanks TiE-NJ/Philly President Raj Lakhanpal and Mrs. Neeta Kulkarni for their gracious reception at TiE-NJ/Philly.

- Copyright, Natalie Vania (Vania-Gandhi) , Sept 21, 2009.

>>>>>>>>>>

As described by TiE-NJ/Philly, here is a summary of Mr. Kaul,

"ADVENTURE STORIES OF AN ENGINEER, EXECUTIVE AND ENTREPRENEUR---

Rakesh Kaul is a highly experienced senior executive, both inspired and inspiring in his actions with over 30 years of operational, entrepreneurial and turn around experience.

Rakesh began his career at Beatrice / Hunt Wesson Inc, where he served as Director Corporate Development and Planning as well as in various financial positions.

From 1987 to 1992 Kaul was a member of the Board of Directors and held the position of Senior Vice President Strategy and Finance at Shaklee corp. a multinational manufacturer and direct marketer of nutritional and personal care products.

In the early 90s as Vice Chairman of Fingerhut Corp, he led the company to industry leading results.

In the late 90s as Chairman/CEO of Hanover Direct Inc.he pioneered offering BPO services out of India by creating a division that serviced US Fortune 500 companies.

Rakesh Kaul is an innovative leader having managed large US companies, creating major value by solving problems in complex businesses in highly innovative ways.

Rakesh is currently Chairman of SPHERENOMICS LLC an Indo-US Marketing and Outsourcing Solutions provider for Consumer Branded companies.

Mr.Kaul received his undergraduate degree from the Indian Institute of Technology in New Delhi, India. He received his M.S. from Brown University and was awarded his M.B.A. from the University of Chicago .In addition; he is a Certified Public Accountant."

----------
  |  permalink

New Media Event at Lucent
Friday, July 24, 2009, 09:33 PM - Eventnote
Attended a great event yesterday. I had that Silicon Valley feeling in the "exponential living"!

from The New Jersey Technology Council,

"New Media Forum: Examining the Technologies and Capital That Drive New Media

Date: July 23, 2009
Time: 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Over the next decade, traditional TV and new media will converge and change the way we access and watch TV. With the advent of Internet video distribution services and products such as Hulu, YouTube, Twitter, Boxee, Roku, we're just at the start of seeing new ways to access film, TV and user generated content on large screens, PCs and mobile devices.

What are the new consumer electronics products that are emerging? What digital technologies are key to content virtualization? What changes does Internet video distribution have on traditional distributors, such as cable TV and satellite operators, cable programmers, broadcasters and Hollywood?

We'll take a look at the impacts of emerging digital technologies and the disintermediation impacts that the Internet is creating in the media distribution space over the next 3-5, 5-10 years.

4:00 - 4:30 - New Media Products/Services Competition Presentations

Selected Products/Services include:
AcquireMedia.com - News Edge v8
Alcatel - Lucent - Advertising Selection Server
RevTrax - In Store Promotions
xCypher - mediaWedge
4:30 - 5:30 - 2020 View: Converging Media & Emerging Technologies Landscape

Moderated by Susan Brazer, Managing Partner, Lionshare Strategies

Panelists: Mike Antonovich, CEO, Genesis Networks
Joseph Ambeault, Director of Consumer Product Development, Verizon Markus Hofmann, Head of Service Infrastructure Research, Bell Labs Research/Alcatel-Lucent
Darcy Lorincz, CEO, Origin Digital
Peter Rohr, Sr. Manager for Business Development with Qualcomm's Media Flo
Andy Sontag, Regional Territory Manager, Isilon Systems

5:30 - 6:30 - Managing Through the Storm: A View from Venture Investors in New Media

Moderated by Victor H. Boyajian, National Chair, Sonnenschein Venture Technology Group

Panelists: Wes Cole, Director of Innovations, Alcatel-Lucent Ventures
Gidon Coussin, Co-Founder, Boxee
Jeff Shelstad, Founder and CEO, Flat World Knowledge
Gil Beyda, Managing Partner, Genacast Ventures

Location:
Alcatel - Lucent
600 Mountain Avenue
Arnold Auditorium
Murray Hill, NJ 07974"
  |  permalink

Notes on A Summer Evening at TIE in A Glorious July
Friday, July 10, 2009, 03:07 AM - Eventnote
Notes on A Summer Evening at TIE in a Glorious July

Wednesday July 8, 2009, TIE NJ-Philadelphia Event

Panel participants included Raman Kapur: Chairman, Global Pharamaceutical Services, LLC and formerly President of world-wide Generics for Schering Plough Corporation; Geeta Vemuri, PhD: Partner at Quaker Bio Ventures; Samir Patel, M.D.: President, CEO & Co-founder of Opthotech Corporation and Founder of Eye Tech Pharmaceuticals Inc., acquired for nearly $1 billion; Joseph Fischer: Lifeblood Medical, Inc's Chair,and President and CEO; and Sundeep Bhan: President/CEO and Co-founder of Medsite Inc.a leading online pharmaceutical marketing and services company, acquired by WebMD.

Winding through New Jersey's spaghetti highways to Edison, one had to love the summer's blue sky, the occasional countryside and the sunshine of the Garden State. TIE offered a superb event yesterday evening. Attendees enjoyed a phenomenal panel where each speaker excelled. Participants spent about ten minutes explaining what they had done and were going to do. Two panelists were especially thrilling.

Joseph Fisher riveted us. Almost casually as he spoke, he came to mentioning a diagnosis of a crushing, life-threatening disease coming just as he was raising funding. "Doors shut very fast". But he prevailed.

His cancer went into remission through the brave, research-oriented action of being the first patient to take two advanced medications in tandem. Investors re-appeared, Joseph received a patent for the technology innovation and foremost entrepreneurial awards. Many licensing niches for a foundational technology opened.

What he described sounded incredible -- preserving an organ over days without reduction in its temperature, giving each cell rather than the organ system oxygen, even regenerating a kidney's condition so it can be transplanted, and saving entire severed limbs on the battlefield for reattachment.

As with Joseph Fisher, Samir Patel was compelled by the entrepreneurial quest. Both men left secure academic positions to found their companies. Again, I heard an exceedingly brave thing: In treating macular degeneration, Samir was one of the people on the frontiers, using pharmaceutical injection to the back of the eye, near the retina. Such an injection was not even conceived earlier as a possible treatment!

With about 8 million Americans likely to suffer macular degeneration, the disease is easily comparable with the devastation of breast cancer. Samir had to raise $8 Million in three weeks for his early company. He achieved that fund-raising goal.

Entrepreneurs like Samir, risking all security for himself and family, driven by exceptional knowledge and a labor of love, make the difference in giving hope against the blindness of millions. After the session, Samir and I expressed our fierce appreciation for The University of Chicago, Samir's research institution, a place like no other, to one another.

The vision of the panelists, as well as their manner in expressing their stories, effects me so deeply. A few months ago we saw Captain Sullenberger, a hero, among us, and now at just another networking dinner on a slow and glorious day in July, we have heroes right and left again with us.

I really think everyone in the room last night at TIE probably has a great wealth of heroic stories to tell everyone else. What a time to live!

- Copyright, Natalie Vania (Vania-Gandhi) , July 9, 2009.

----------






  |  permalink

Froth, Babble, Bubble, Bubblet, Boldbubble, Got Bubbled
Tuesday, August 9, 2005, 05:08 PM - Eventnote, Aesthetics, Finance
This Thursday evening, Integrity Investment Advisors, Inc. of San Diego, California will offer "Real Estate Investments – 3 ways to protect your assets in a down market". The event is at 7:00 pm at their headquarters,

11772 Sorrento Valley Road, Suite 100
San Diego, CA 92121

(and interested parties should kindly call in an RSVP to 858-523-0093. Refreshments are provided!)

Some say affluent people have already begun off-loading real estate, shorting REITS, or hedging with futures. Presidential advisors claim no housing bubble exists, and others urge correction from a bubble shrinking down. Economists, journalists, and mathematicians debate whether fundamentals explain housing prices.

Are banks rationally providing mortgages or playing in the moral hazard of a liquid market? Does America's housing market reflect global housing trends or defy them? Are rental prices in line with housing services? How badly are strange taxes distorting housing prices? Was there really long ago a Tulip Bubble, stife for possessing the beauty of a rare flower, or is it myth and legend?

Is a house owned in bubble less owned or more owned than a house bought in market without froth? It may be less owned --- one needs to sell it in good order to the next rational speculator --- or it may be more owned, as one so bravely over-extends to secure the good in question. If the asset does not comprise part of one's enduring legacy, who will steward that house to good use over the long course?

If "clothes make the man" and "you are what you drive", how much does the asset of a house, and all of its shifting financial relations (with ownership, renting, taxation, eminent taking, land grant ...), make the person? Does Justice Souter know?

How much of a house, and a bubble, are material --- here and now in the world? How much of house, and a bubble, is nounemal --- a state of mind, a coming into and going out of Existence, an American Dream? Can we gain in these ethereal depths, gazing across the sublime, glittering Pacific from Torrey Pines?



  |  permalink

Menace, Not Prevailing
Monday, July 18, 2005, 01:33 PM - 9/11, Aesthetics
07.18.2005 As much as any nice lady in Springfield, Illinois could read this last week on Rove Rage and Plame Wars, I have. Smoke and mirrors inside the Beltway, but it is so early, still July. Not yet August!

Maybe timings will unwind just so for a long August day, steamy and menacing in its misleading quiet. Then, we can grind bitter embers of impudent intrigues slowly through our knowing minds.

Four years ago, we had another slow August. Golden day mellowing and turning to another endless sun-filled eternity. We lived, day upon blessed day. But also that August held awful menace, with dogs and police sifting again and again the grounds of our capital's Rock Creek Park.

No endless day, no fierce menace, no charred ember of Truth, forestalled the ensuing thrust in contingency's store: 9-11 came, act done, after golden, slow August. And this time, menace has struck our London, dear Londontown. What is in store by Fortune's hand?

No treachery or relenting prevails. In Time's great maw, with its hungry tiger teeth sunk deep into quivering Contingency, only Truth prevails.

We should read of it (Truth) in the news, come August, come Future.

What, when, is seeking and pursuit when a good is desired?

Is a sale a sale, when, just when? Not when it is a simple idea of purchase in the mind of the buyer, or officials in state visits to Niger. Or, not when it is an idea in the mind of an investigator who finds no receipt of delivered good. Not when the available yellowcake is slated for shipping off to France or Spain. Or, not when a shipment is diverted, slipped off, skedaddled off from chartered arrival in France or Spain or wherever, to shipment elsewhere?

Where are the sixty-one suitcase bombs? Who bought them?: I have read that cash lying out and about on the street, is not much of an economic reality.

If Knowledge makes us strong, our threat is Ignorance. The fourth estate does not grasp the threat quite as suggested here. Mr. Blair says on July 15,

"The greatest danger is that we fail to face up to the nature of the threat we are dealing with. What we witnessed in London last Thursday week was not an aberrant act. It was not random. It was not a product of particular local circumstances in West Yorkshire. Senseless though any such horrible murder is ... ... It was done according to a plan. It was meant. ... ...

Their cause ... ... is founded on a belief ..."

Yet, it is worse than Mr. Blair explains. Their cause is founded, as great evil can be founded, on a possibility: Their cause is founded upon the very possibility and contingency they exploit and by which their intent is to win.

Why do they do it? Because they can.

It is only that simple in the bottom line.

Mr. Blair urges argument in confrontation of their belief. Argument does not suffice, for war is at hand and we are in it. One also needs the Spirit that will confront the evil.

We need the Spirit that is within us when we assess War necessary, just, effective, valorous and due War's duration. It is a long, hard, slog. One we give over to political processes which are also long in conflict's urgency.


Time's menace, that ripped and bleeding contingency, never outlasts Truth. Truth is eternal, whole, and beautiful.
--- ---
From the Butler Commission Report, (14th July 2004, for The Review of Intelligence on Weapons of Mass Destruction, Report of a Committee of Privy Counsellors, Chairman: The Rt Hon The Lord Butler of Brockwell KG GCB CVO, p.139),

"503. From our examination of the intelligence and other material on Iraqi attempts to buy uranium from Africa, we have concluded that:
a. It is accepted by all parties that Iraqi officials visited Niger in 1999.
b. The British Government had intelligence from several different sources indicating that this visit was for the purpose of acquiring uranium. Since uranium constitutes almost three-quarters of Niger’s exports, the intelligence was credible.
c. The evidence was not conclusive that Iraq actually purchased [emphasis], as opposed to having sought [emphasis], uranium and the British Government did not claim this.
d. The forged documents were not available to the British Government at the time its assessment was made, and so the fact of the forgery does not undermine it."

See also "Bush's "16 Words" on Iraq & Uranium ... ...", The Anneberg Public Policy Center, August 23, 2004.
--- ---
07.26.2005 I went back and refreshed myself with Joe Wilson's Op-Ed. Fairly enough, two sentences in the article detail the point that uranium shipments are so closely monitored that skedalleding-off is not likely. But the logic of the article escapes me. No sale or purchase was alleged; and what is seeking purchase, but what any might desire?
  |  permalink

EIA's and Risk
Thursday, July 14, 2005, 04:21 PM - Eventnote, Finance
Tonight, Integrity Investment Advisors, Inc. of San Diego, California will offer "Equity Index Annuities - 3 critical drawbacks that you must know before you purchase these annuities, and how to correct them". The event is at 7:00 pm at their headquarters,

11772 Sorrento Valley Road, Suite 100
San Diego, CA 92121

(and interested parties should kindly call in an RSVP to 858-523-0093. Refreshments are provided!)

Oh those magic derivatives! With their help, you can fashion any type of payoff expectation for your whimsy. But can an ordinary person use them with ease? Often, the average investor must take care. Care that will take you beyond the intriguing return formulas per se that derivatives offer.

For example, consider a product built with the help of a derivative, an EIA, or equity indexed annuity. Mr. Geoffrey VanderPal tells us "EIA portfolios are a combination of targeted maturity investment grade bonds and a European Call Index Option, which is a derivative security based on the underlying increase in value of an index over time with a set end date for exercise."

A regular annuity allows one to earn a specific, guaranteed, modest and tax-deferrable return on money. With an EIA, one gets a guaranteed minimum return in the stock market in exchange for limiting maximum stock market returns --- a way to play a little bit in the market while keeping a floor under oneself, an insurance.

But can it really work for an average investor? Lynn O'Shaughnessy, who writes in The San Diego Union-Tribune, is sceptical. From "A sure thing? Better to avoid those equity index annuities", March 20, 2005, she notes some of the challenges to EIA investors. These challenges can include tricky participation rates, aggressive marketing, diverse indexing methods, choice in contract lengths and other timing issues, high commission charges, and surrender charges.

Lynn O'Shaughnessy says,

" ... one of the nation's foremost fee-only insurance consultants, suggests that during bad years on Wall Street, EIA investors would be better off owning a plain old fixed annuity or certificate of deposit.

... ... there are plenty of alternatives for EIA’s ... If you absolutely can't afford to lose money, you can stick your money in a certificate of deposit, a fixed annuity or a money market. You could also diversify your risk with a conservative asset mix. You could, for instance, place 80 percent of your money in bond index funds and 20 percent in stock index funds."

There is a nice clue on the complexity of derivatives in what Lynn O'Shaughnessy explains,

"[An] option is to pay someone to analyze the contract, but there aren't many professionals who can even crack the code. When the state of California, for instance, was developing ... a web site for teachers to analyze annuity and mutual fund choices in their 403(b) retirement plans, the developers struggled with the tortuous EIA provisions.

"I was working with some very bright people and their minds were spinning," recalls Scott Dauenhauer, a fee-only financial planner in Laguna Hills who was a consultant on the project."

Because of the complicated return formulas, Daily said, it could even take him several hours to thoroughly understand just one contract.

Mr. Daily understates the concern: To thoroughly understand just one contract can take several years beyond first-order calculus. And, investment strategy, understanding of the market, and an understanding of how EIA's are being marketed and sold.

In short, in today's Finance there is always more to know. Umm', love it!
  |  permalink

So much Money, so little Time ...
Monday, July 4, 2005, 05:37 PM - Finance
When the ordinary person thinks about money, the acts of the Fed's FOMC are rarely the first thing springing to mind. Yet what the committee does, and even more what it says, makes for scrutiny in ministries and financial haunts across the globe.

One notes the vast subtlety of it. Is it this shading or that of motive, simple or complex, we extract from Mr. Greenspan and fellows' thought, word, and act? Is it insurance of the Greenspan legacy, drab bureaucracy, maestro care, genius insight (brilliance sufficing for a "Greenspan Put"?), tightening reins, or just ineffable gestures amid the random flux that we observe?

Daniel Kadlec assesses the post-Internet "flood of easy money" has pervaded everything "from oil, gold and timber to stocks, bonds, real estate, art and the price of a Mickey Mantle rookie card" so that happy bargains no longer abound. Thus investors stick with low yield 10 year T-bonds. "Stubbornly low yields are an acknowledgement of the new reality: Today a near certain 4% return looks pretty darn good."

There you have it - take the redounding floods of money and parlay them into Time's unreachable horizon. Ten years, a decade, is not the Now by which you and I sigh, or languish, or wonder -- amazed, thrilled, or stunned.

T-bonds are stubborn and low. Gold, the flowing, liquid, shining stuff? Gold futures are down $8.00 an ounce.

----------
Readings on the recent FOMC increase of the federal funds rate, the overnight rate charged between banks, by 25 basis points to 3.25%,

From "A New Quarter and The Same Old Questions", The Capital Spectator, Money, Oil, Economics and the Search for the Bottom Line, July 1, 2005,

"The reluctance of the bond market to support the central bank's efforts to raise the price of money across the yield and thereby move closer to inverting the yield curve is a familiar game of late. Therein lies the problem. ...which side will blink first? The Fed will either stop raising rates, and perhaps even lower them ... or the bond market will send up a white flag and sell debt securities and thereby elevate long-term yields."

"... if the growth factor is awakening from its long relative slumber, the case is still less than airtight ..."

---
Daniel Kadlec, "What's on Greenspan's Mind?", Time Magazine, July 3, 2005.
---
From Wayne Masden, to Should Greenspan step down as chairman of the Fed?, "YES: Greenspan's tendency to shoot from the lip could trigger a recession", The Salt Lake Tribune, July 2, 2005.

" ... the Fed chairman often departs from his prime mission of controlling the nation's monetary policy to launch verbal warning shells at the so-called irrational exuberance in America's housing and stock markets. ... ... he does the nation a disservice when he regularly bad mouths robust growth. ... ... Greenspan has urged that Fannie and Freddie sell-off about 80 percent of their $1.5 trillion portfolio."

---
From Pete du Pont, to Should Greenspan step down as chairman of the Fed?, "NO: Greenspan era of growth with low inflation deserves a round of applause", The Salt Lake Tribune, July 2, 2005.

" ... Greenspan recognizes the importance of stimulating economic growth through access to capital for small businesses ... ... a simplified and fair tax code and the repeal of arduous rules that cripple economic growth. That's what Greenspan advocates ..."

---
From John Azzopardi Vella, "Half-yearly evaluation of investment predictions", The Sunday Times of Malta, Malta, July 3, 2005.

"... the price of oil, which because of Chinese demand can be expected to remain above $ 50. ... in turn has consequence for Venezuelan sovereign debt, which is safe at that oil price in spite of that country's 23% inflation rate. China is now key to understanding the world economy, including that of Venezuela."

"Nothing succeeds like success in economics. The US is benefiting ... as the Chinese with their dollars buy US Treasury Stocks, keeping down that country's interest rates. If this were not happening, the US would have to sell its Treasury Stocks to other nations at a higher rate of interest, triggering a nasty recession in the US."

"Gold and the dollar ... ... The world is no longer seeking refuge in gold from the high price of oil. It is seeking it in nuclear power. ... ... BHP Billiton ... controls 38% of world uranium. ... ... The Arabs will soon learn what Sheikh Yamani, the Oil Minister of Saudi Arabia, once stated, that the Stone Age did not end because of a lack of stone. The relationship is changing from the dollar to gold, to oil and energy shares."

---
From Nell Henderson, "Analysts worry Greenspan Fed too forgiving", The Washington Post, July 03, 2005.

"Investors have come to perceive the Fed's policies of recent years as 'free insurance for aggressive risk-taking' ... ... The idea of 'the Greenspan put' stems in part from the chairman’s success in helping to steady financial markets through the stock market crash of 1987, the recession of 1990-91 and the international financial crises of the 1990s. ... ... Fed board member Donald Kohn noted recently ... ... 'We central bankers are by nature a gloomy lot, trained to focus on what could go wrong ... ...' ."

---
from Forbes, AFX News Limited, RPT - "Gold futures fall $8 an ounce, log 3% weekly loss", July 3, 2005.

"Other metals futures closed lower Friday. September copper lost 3.65 cents ... July silver ... down 17.7 cents ...September palladium dipped $2.95 ... ... gold inventories stood at 5.75 million troy ounces ... ... As for mining stocks, key indexes traded lower ... following the weakness in metals futures ..."

---
The Federal Reserve Board, Finance and Economics Discussion Series, "Do Actions Speak Louder Than Words? The Response of Asset Prices to Monetary Policy Actions and Statements" Refet Gurkaynak, Brian Sack, Eric Swanson, 2004-66, Keywords: Measuring monetary policy surprises, FOMC statement, factor models, asset prices.

"... ... both monetary policy actions and statements have important but differing effects on asset prices, with statements having a much greater impact on longer-term Treasury yields."

----------

  |  permalink

Idea driven Neo-Cons
Saturday, July 2, 2005, 02:45 AM - 9/11, Book
Dad's finishing "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man". Better to do, to choose, what you love rather than doing something for which you castigate yourself.

With Mr. Ahmadinejad so much in the news yesterday, one wondered, and suspected not, that he likewise castigated himself in his life's pursuits.

Also yesterday, we saw Adam Curtis' interview elaborating his production, "The Power of Nightmares". He attributes high ideology, a motivation run off ideas, to the neo-cons. And charges that a "politics of fear" is pushed onto a naive public. Yet it's a day where one mind, one person, can be massively dangerous, so one fellow's fear is another's prudence.

In the perspective Curtis sketched, are those motivated by Ideas strictly in service of a Hobbesian struggle indicated with a politics of fear? Ideas, are they not lofty and sublime, and thus quiet apart from fear?
  |  permalink

Castigation?
Monday, June 20, 2005, 09:57 PM - 9/11, Book, Globalization
I began "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man" yesterday. Easy reading on macroeconomics, good case study on a cultural pathology. With castigating globalization running through the author's story, how much is entirely his own perspective and how much heavy editorial shaping? I am wondering what the ending will be like.

The book could make a nice Father's Day present.
  |  permalink