She Wears Short Shorts...

In this world of market turbulence, and lack of week to week or even day to day predictability in the market (as if we ever had predictability), the Feds step in and try to engineer the market for entities selling what they do not own. As a capitalist, you might say, "Hey, if someone can sell something they don't own, and someone is willing to buy it, then why should I care?" Good question.

The answer is, "I've got this bridge I'm trying to unload". It spans the East River between Brooklyn and Manhattan. Lets agree upon a price, and execute the contract. However, between execution and settlement, I have to go out and really buy that so I can deliver it to you. That works when you can make a market or the market is liquid - which is not always the case with bridges. It works great when the market (say for a stock) is heading south. It brings up the volumes and makes the market even more liquid. The problem is that is is self perpetuating.

This Forbes article explains it more detail and how it has impacted Bank stocks, Fannie/Freddie and your pocketbook even if you don't own the sector.

Commentary: Shortsighted Naked-Short Solution
http://www.forbes.com/2008/07/24/sec-shorting-regulation-biz-cz_rl_0726croesus.html?feed=rss_news

The Very Last Lecture

I guess I'm of age now. I'm not scanning the obits, but this was presented to me my Google news reader - and i'm glad it did.

The Last Lecture series of lectures was made much more famous by this one CMU professor Randy Pausch who had developed pancreatic cancer, yet talked to the audience about redefining your priorities and reaching your goals. Great video (on youtube/google and just about any emedia outlet). Its a great video, and he was a very interesting guy, not just for what he did in life, but his approach to it. He was very much of the same ilk as the subject of "Tuesday's with Morrie" yet thirty years younger.

I recommend this NY Times article on him, which has links to Randy's blog. Hopefully it will stay up even though the content will be dated after today. So long Randy....

Last Lecture Professor Randy Pausch, 47, Dies - Well - Tara Parker-Pope - Health - New York Times Blog

Randy's infamous video on the web:  

gladwell dot com - in the air

What is innovation? How does it happen? Why are accidents so important in resarch and discovery? These questions won't be answered here, but here are some stories that help stress their import.
gladwell dot com - in the air

Top 100 Australian Web 2.0 Applications list - Trends in the Living Networks

So what are Aussies doing on the net, together? Here is a list the top Web 2.0 sites that some find interesting. While the list is published by an Austrian, the interconnection of web use in AU is not that different from that in the US.

Why should you care? Good question. It could that you suffer from ADD or you simply follow trends in usage of the net and how it could be utilized to benefit your life, your existng business, a potential new venture, or all of the above. Does it resonate?

Official launch of the Top 100 Australian Web 2.0 Applications list - Trends in the Living Networks