tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30856384181363649162024-03-08T03:38:16.735-05:00Cerebrations on the FringeCerebrosultory stuff...Al Vinjamurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371661808064476248noreply@blogger.comBlogger60125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3085638418136364916.post-9918806137769585592015-11-18T18:43:00.001-05:002015-11-18T18:44:55.792-05:00Book List -- 2015Its been a while since I posted my much requested reading list.<br />
These were some of the books I’ve spent time with in the last 14 months.<br />
They encompass multiple disciplines.<br />
The list is not complete — posting stuff that I liked or things that stood out.<br />
<br />
- aLV<br />
11/18/2015<br />
<br />
<b>————— GENERAL INTEREST —————</b><br />
<br />
<br />
Holy Bible, King James Version<br />
by Zondervan<br />
<br />
Amrut Laya - The Stateless State <br />
Shri Sadguru Siddharameshwar Maharaj<br />
<br />
How to Speak Fluent Atheist, Agnostic, and Secular Humanist <br />
I. M. Probulos<br />
<br />
On Disobedience: 'Why Freedom Means Saying "No" to Power.. <br />
Erich Fromm<br />
<br />
The Outer Limits of Reason: What Science, Mathematics, and.. <br />
Noson S. Yanofsky<br />
<br />
UFOs and the National Security State: Chronology of a.. <br />
Richard M. Dolan<br />
<br />
1,001 Facts that Will Scare the S#*t Out of You: The.. <br />
Cary McNeal<br />
<br />
Chosen Soldier: The Making of a Special Forces Warrior <br />
Dick Couch<br />
<br />
Beyond Neptune Spear: The (Open) Secret History of SEAL Team.. <br />
Chris Martin<br />
<br />
Navy SEAL Tips: Fundamentals of Marksmanship <br />
Brandon Webb<br />
<br />
The Red Circle: My Life in the Navy SEAL Sniper Corps and.. <br />
Brandon Webb<br />
<br />
Shooter's Bible Guide to Rifle Ballistics <br />
van Zwoll<br />
<br />
On Intelligence <br />
Jeff Hawkins<br />
<br />
Slave Species of the Gods: The Secret History of the.. <br />
Michael Tellinger<br />
<br />
The Engine of Complexity: Evolution as Computation <br />
John Mayfield<br />
<br />
Think: Why You Should Question Everything <br />
Guy P. Harrison<br />
<br />
NONSENSE FROM THE BIBLE <br />
Brian Baker<br />
<br />
Iconoclast: A Neuroscientist Reveals How to Think.. <br />
Gregory Berns<br />
<br />
The End of Days: Armageddon and Prophecies of the Return.. <br />
Zecharia Sitchin<br />
<br />
Why There Is No God: Simple Responses to 20 Common Arguments.. <br />
Armin Navabi<br />
<br />
A Manual for Creating Atheists <br />
Peter Boghossian<br />
<br />
Hitch-22: A Memoir <br />
Christopher Hitchens<br />
<br />
Arguably: Essays by Christopher Hitchens <br />
Christopher Hitchens<br />
<br />
God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything <br />
Christopher Hitchens<br />
<br />
Dot, Dot, Dot: Infinity Plus God Equals Folly <br />
James A. Lindsay<br />
<br />
God Doesn't; We Do: Only Humans Can Solve Human Challenges <br />
James Lindsay<br />
<br />
The Ant and the Ferrari <br />
Kerry Spackman<br />
<br />
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History <br />
Elizabeth Kolbert<br />
<br />
How to become a Vegetarian - A Step by Step Guide to Healthy.. <br />
Bethany Harper<br />
<br />
The Divine Spark: A Graham Hancock Reader: Psychedelics,<br />
Hancock<br />
<br />
Seven Nights with Ayahuasca: A graphic account of heaven and.. <br />
Nicholas Floyd<br />
<br />
The Ayahuasca Experience: A Sourcebook on the Sacred Vine of.. <br />
Metzner Ph.D.<br />
<br />
DMT: The Spirit Molecule: A Doctor's Revolutionary Research.. <br />
Strassman M.D.<br />
<br />
The Shaman & Ayahuasca: Journeys To Sacred Realms <br />
Don Jose Campos<br />
<br />
The Antipodes of the Mind: Charting the Phenomenology of the.. <br />
Benny Shanon<br />
<br />
Anti-Intellectualism in American Life <br />
Richard Hofstadter<br />
<br />
The Image: A Guide to Pseudo-Events in America <br />
Daniel J. Boorstin<br />
<br />
The Culture of Narcissism: American Life in an Age of.. <br />
Christopher Lasch<br />
<br />
Aftershock: The Next Economy and America's Future <br />
Robert B. Reich<br />
<br />
The Roman Revolution <br />
Ronald Syme<br />
<br />
Randomness <br />
Deborah J. Bennett<br />
<br />
How Sachin Destroyed My Life: but gave me an All Access Pass.. <br />
Vikram Sathaye<br />
<br />
Sketching Light: An Illustrated Tour of the Possibilities of.. <br />
Joe McNally<br />
<br />
Rock Breaks Scissors: A Practical Guide to Outguessing and.. <br />
William Poundstone<br />
<br />
50 Great Myths About Atheism <br />
Russell Blackford<br />
<br />
There Were Giants Upon the Earth: Gods, Demigods, and Human.. <br />
Zecharia Sitchin<br />
<br />
2 of You Are Here: Discovering the Magic of the Present Moment<br />
Hanh, Thich Nhat<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>————— MATHEMATICS / COMPUTATIONAL LEARNING ————— </b><br />
<br />
<br />
The Princeton Companion to Applied Mathematics<br />
Higham, Nicholas J.<br />
<br />
The Princeton Companion to Mathematics<br />
Gowers, Timothy<br />
<br />
The Fascinating World of Graph Theory <br />
Arthur Benjamin<br />
<br />
Probability Models (Springer Undergraduate Mathematics.. <br />
John Haigh<br />
<br />
A Student's Guide to Vectors and Tensors <br />
Daniel Fleisch<br />
<br />
A Student's Guide to Lagrangians and Hamiltonians <br />
Patrick Hamill<br />
<br />
Spurious Correlations <br />
Tyler Vigen<br />
<br />
Geometric Measure Theory: A Beginner's Guide <br />
Frank Morgan<br />
<br />
Statistics Done Wrong: The Woefully Complete Guide <br />
Alex Reinhart<br />
<br />
Doing Bayesian Data Analysis: A Tutorial with R, JAGS, and.. <br />
John Kruschke<br />
<br />
Linear Models with R, Second Edition (Chapman & Hall/CRC.. <br />
Julian J. Faraway<br />
<br />
The Art of Data Analysis: How to Answer Almost Any Question.. <br />
Kristin H. Jarman<br />
<br />
Common Errors in Statistics (and How to Avoid Them) <br />
Phillip I. Good<br />
<br />
Risk and Asset Allocation (Springer Finance / Springer.. <br />
Attilio Meucci<br />
<br />
Bayesian Data Analysis, Third Edition (Chapman & Hall/CRC.. <br />
Andrew Gelman<br />
<br />
Basic Gambling Mathematics: The Numbers Behind The Neon <br />
Mark Bollman<br />
<br />
Probably Approximately Correct: Nature's Algorithms for.. <br />
Leslie Valiant<br />
<br />
Applied Regression Modeling <br />
Iain Pardoe<br />
<br />
The Theory That Would Not Die: How Bayes' Rule Cracked the.. <br />
Sharon Bertsch McGrayne<br />
<br />
Applied Predictive Modeling <br />
Max Kuhn<br />
<br />
Probabilistic Graphical Models: Principles and Techniques.. <br />
Daphne Koller<br />
<br />
An Introduction to Statistical Learning: with Applications.. <br />
Gareth James<br />
<br />
Introduction to the Math of Neural Networks <br />
Jeff Heaton<br />
<br />
Mindware: Tools for Smart Thinking <br />
Richard E. Nisbett<br />
<br />
The Master Algorithm: How the Quest for the Ultimate.. <br />
Pedro Domingos<br />
<br />
Superforecasting: The Art and Science of Prediction <br />
Philip E. Tetlock<br />
<br />
The Gödelian Puzzle Book: Puzzles, Paradoxes and Proofs <br />
Raymond M. Smullyan<br />
<br />
Quantum Computation and Quantum Information <br />
Michael A. Nielsen<br />
<br />
The Golden Ticket: P, NP, and the Search for the Impossible <br />
Lance Fortnow<br />
<br />
Surfaces and Essences: Analogy as the Fuel and Fire of.. <br />
Douglas Hofstadter<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>————— PHYSICS ————— </b><br />
<br />
<br />
The Theory of Almost Everything: The Standard Model, the.. <br />
Robert Oerter<br />
<br />
The Theory of Almost Everything: The Standard Model, the Unsung Triumph of Modern Physics<br />
Oerter, Robert<br />
<br />
The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory<br />
Greene, Brian<br />
<br />
What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical.. <br />
Randall Munroe<br />
<br />
The Quotable Feynman <br />
Richard P. Feynman<br />
<br />
Quantum Man: Richard Feynman's Life in Science (Great.. <br />
Lawrence M. Krauss<br />
<br />
The Large Hadron Collider <br />
Don Lincoln<br />
<br />
Hidden In Plain Sight: The simple link between relativity.. <br />
Andrew Thomas<br />
<br />
Willful Ignorance: The Mismeasure of Uncertainty <br />
Herbert I. Weisberg<br />
<br />
Modern Particle Physics <br />
Mark Thomson<br />
<br />
Elementary Particle Physics for Enthusiasts <br />
Yoshiki Teramoto<br />
<br />
Feynman Lectures Simplified 1C: Special Relativity and the.. <br />
Robert Piccioni<br />
<br />
Hidden In Plain Sight 3: The secret of time <br />
Andrew Thomas<br />
<br />
Higgs Discovery: The Power of Empty Space (Kindle Single) <br />
Lisa Randall<br />
<br />
Reinventing Gravity <br />
John W. Moffat<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>————— CURRENT AFFAIRS / FINANCIAL MARKETS ————- </b><br />
<br />
<br />
Capital in the Twenty-First Century <br />
Thomas Piketty<br />
<br />
Media Control: The Spectacular Achievements of Propaganda.. <br />
Noam Chomsky<br />
<br />
Propaganda <br />
Edward Bernays<br />
<br />
The Psychology of Revolution <br />
Gustave Le Bon<br />
<br />
The Crowd; study of the popular mind <br />
Gustave Le Bon<br />
<br />
Stress Test: Reflections on Financial Crises <br />
Timothy F. Geithner<br />
<br />
How the World Works (Real Story (Soft Skull Press))<br />
Chomsky, Noam<br />
<br />
Year 501: The Conquest Continues <br />
Noam Chomsky<br />
<br />
Manias, Panics and Crashes: A History of Financial Crises,.. <br />
Charles P. Kindleberger<br />
<br />
Exorbitant Privilege: The Rise and Fall of the Dollar and.. <br />
Barry Eichengreen<br />
<br />
The Fourth Turning <br />
William Strauss<br />
<br />
The Death of Money: The Coming Collapse of the International.. <br />
James Rickards<br />
<br />
The Trial of Henry Kissinger <br />
Christopher Hitchens<br />
<br />
Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass.. <br />
Edward S. Herman<br />
<br />
The Forgotten Depression: 1921: The Crash That Cured Itself <br />
James Grant<br />
<br />
Pragmatic Capitalism: What Every Investor Needs to Know.. <br />
Cullen Roche<br />
<br />
The Tragedy of the European Union: Disintegration or.. <br />
George Soros<br />
<br />
The Kelly Capital Growth Investment Criterion:Theory and.. <br />
Leonard C MacLean<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>————— DOGS/ANIMAL LEARNING ————- </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
Caucasian Mountain Dog (Comprehensive Owner's Guide) <br />
Stacey Kubyn<br />
<br />
How Dogs Work <br />
Raymond Coppinger<br />
<br />
Behaviour of Wolves Dogs and Related Canids <br />
Michael Fox<br />
<br />
Wolves: A Wildlife Handbook (Johnson Nature Series) <br />
Kim Long<br />
<br />
The Company of Wolves <br />
Peter Steinhart<br />
<br />
Three Among the Wolves: A Couple and their Dog Live a Year.. <br />
Helen Thayer<br />
<br />
In the Company of Crows and Ravens <br />
John M. Marzluff<br />
<br />
Barking: The Sound of a Language (Dogwise Training Manual) <br />
Turid Rugaas<br />
<br />
Canine Ergonomics: The Science of Working Dogs <br />
William S.<br />
<br />
The Gap: The Science of What Separates Us from Other Animals <br />
Thomas Suddendorf<br />
<br />
Why Dogs Hump and Bees Get Depressed: The Fascinating.. <br />
Marc Bekoff<br />
<br />
The Genius of Dogs: How Dogs Are Smarter Than You Think <br />
Brian Hare<br />
<br />
Dog Behaviour, Evolution, and Cognition (Oxford Biology) <br />
Miklosi, Adam<br />
<br />
Dominion: The Power of Man, the Suffering of Animals, and.. <br />
Matthew Scully<br />
<br />
The Bonobo and the Atheist: In Search of Humanism Among the.. <br />
de Waal<br />
<br />
Dog Sense: How the New Science of Dog Behavior Can Make You.. <br />
John Bradshaw<br />
<br />
How Many Dogs?! <br />
Debby McMullen<br />
<br />
The Wild Canids: Their Systematics, Behavioral Ecology and.. <br />
Michael W. Fox<br />
<br />
Dogs: Their Fossil Relatives and Evolutionary History <br />
Xiaoming Wang<br />
<br />
How the Dog Became the Dog: From Wolves to Our Best Friends <br />
Mark Derr<br />
<br />
The Red Queen: Sex and the Evolution of Human Nature <br />
Matt Ridley<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Al Vinjamurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371661808064476248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3085638418136364916.post-10641105752603537342014-12-04T09:58:00.001-05:002015-06-17T11:06:20.077-04:00CAPTURE INTEGRATION IS THE PLACE!!!!!<br />
<br />
<br />
About a month and a half ago I decided to trade in my Hasselbad<br />
60MP back, Hasselblad H4D camera body, the Alpa TC, Alpa 12-SWA<br />
for a system built around the Phase One CMOS IQ250 back. I wanted<br />
to do the move while being able to keep all my H lenses and knew beforehand<br />
that I'd have some changes to the Alpa lenses I had (all Schneider Kreuznach). <br />
<br />
I placed a call to Capture Integration and it just happened to be their CEO,<br />
Dave Gallagher, that answered. After explaining my plan to him, I was told<br />
that I would be contacted back soon. From that very first call and to several<br />
subsequent dealings with other fine folks (Dave McRitchie, Chris Valites,<br />
Anthony Festa, Josh Booth) its been an experience of its own while wading<br />
through the various logistics of extending my existing platform in an<br />
economical/sagacious manner.<br />
<br />
The approach at Capture Integration has certainly captured my admiration and<br />
respect - optimizing the system for the long term benefit of the client. Its a wake<br />
up call for many in the business on how to conduct business. Capture Integration,<br />
in my mind, is a benchmark. Truly, a very special and unique dynamic is<br />
evolving at CI.<br />
<br />
My newer system is now as follows<br />
<br />
Bodies : Hasselblad H5X, Alpa STC, Alpa 12-XY-Mark IV<br />
Back : Phase One IQ 250<br />
Lenses : 40mm, 70mm, 90mm lenses for Alpa & my old H lenses from Hasselblad <br />
<br />
Definitely take your business and form a long term relationship with the folks at<br />
Capture Integration -- especially if you are tired of the underlying arrogance and a<br />
singular penchant to practice "JUST SELL" that pervades so widely in many a<br />
high-end photography business.<br />
<br />
I love the Phase One platform and the overall integration. <br />
<br />
Thank You!!Al Vinjamurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371661808064476248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3085638418136364916.post-75118667510445759912013-12-25T13:39:00.002-05:002014-06-26T12:08:17.338-04:00Readings 11/12 - 12/13Here it is again : my readings that transpired from<br />
Oct 2012 - Dec 2013. I've left out a whole bunch of<br />
books, especially the ones I kept referring to about<br />
Guns & Ballistics....since I'm moving to my new pad<br />
soon, many of these have been put away, or when<br />
lucky I was able to get 'em on Kindle.<br />
<br />
You might have seen some of these in prior years but<br />
I often go back to reading books again. <br />
<br />
- aLV<br />
<br />
<br />
PHOLOSOPHY<br />
<br />
What Makes You Not a Buddhist<br />
Khyentse, Dzongsar Jamyang<br />
<br />
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind<br />
Suzuki, Shunryu<br />
<br />
Escape from Freedom by Erich Fromm<br />
<br />
Man for Himself: An Inquiry Into the Psychology of Ethics by Erich Fromm<br />
<br />
The Anatomy of Human Destructiveness by Erich Fromm<br />
<br />
The Way of Zen<br />
Watts, Alan W.<br />
<br />
Not for Happiness: A Guide to the So-Called Preliminary Practices<br />
Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse<br />
<br />
When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times (Shambhala Classics)<br />
Pema Chodron<br />
<br />
Jonathan Livingston Seagull<br />
Richard Bach, Russell Munson<br />
<br />
Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah<br />
Richard Bach<br />
<br />
<br />
ASTRONOMY/SCIENCE<br />
<br />
A Palette of Particles<br />
Jeremy Bernstein<br />
<br />
The Essence Of Chaos (Jessie and John Danz Lecture) by Edward Lorenz<br />
<br />
<br />
Time Reborn<br />
Lee Smolin, Henry Reich<br />
<br />
A Question of Time: The Ultimate Paradox<br />
Scientific American Editors<br />
<br />
21st Century Astronomy: The Solar System (Third Edition)<br />
Jeff Hester, et al<br />
<br />
Hubble's Universe: Greatest Discoveries and Latest Images<br />
Terence Dickinson<br />
<br />
21st Century Astronomy (Full Third Edition)<br />
Jeff Hester, et al<br />
<br />
21st Century Astronomy: Stars and Galaxies (Third Edition)<br />
Jeff Hester, et al<br />
<br />
A Briefer History of Time<br />
Stephen Hawking, Leonard Mlodinow<br />
<br />
<br />
COMPUTER SCIENCE/MATH/COGNITIVE SCIENCE<br />
<br />
Probably Approximately Correct: Nature's Algorithms for Learning and Prospering in a Complex World<br />
Leslie Valiant<br />
<br />
The Nature of Computation<br />
Cristopher Moore, Stephan Mertens<br />
<br />
Surfaces and Essences: Analogy as the Fuel and Fire of Thinking<br />
Douglas Hofstadter, Emmanuel Sander<br />
<br />
Doing Data Science: Straight Talk from the Frontline<br />
Cathy O'Neil, Rachel Schutt<br />
<br />
Intuition Pumps And Other Tools for Thinking<br />
Daniel C. Dennett<br />
<br />
Probably Approximately Correct: Nature's Algorithms for Learning and Prospering in a Complex World<br />
Leslie Valiant<br />
<br />
The Outer Limits of Reason: What Science, Mathematics, and Logic Cannot Tell Us<br />
Noson S. Yanofsky<br />
<br />
Think: Why You Should Question Everything<br />
Guy P. Harrison<br />
<br />
The Golden Ticket: P, NP, and the Search for the Impossible<br />
Lance Fortnow<br />
<br />
The Engine of Complexity: Evolution as Computation<br />
John Mayfield<br />
<br />
Thinking: The New Science of Decision-Making, Problem-Solving, and Prediction in Life and Markets<br />
John Brockman<br />
<br />
Codes, Ciphers and Secret Writing (Dover Children's Activity Books)<br />
Martin Gardner<br />
<br />
Cracking Codes and Cryptograms For Dummies<br />
Denise Sutherland, Mark Koltko-Rivera, Christopher L. Hodapp<br />
<br />
The Code Book: The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography<br />
Simon Singh<br />
<br />
Cryptography: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)<br />
Sean Murphy, Fred Piper<br />
<br />
<br />
DOGS<br />
<br />
Caucasian Mountain Dog (Comprehensive Owners Guide)<br />
Stacey Kubyn, et al<br />
<br />
How Many Dogs?!<br />
Debby McMullen<br />
<br />
Tibetan Mastiff (Comprehensive Owner's Guide)<br />
Juliette Cunliffe<br />
<br />
Barking: The Sound of a Language (Dogwise Training Manual)<br />
Turid Rugaas<br />
<br />
Dog Language - An Encyclopedia of Canine Behavior<br />
Roger Abrantes, Sarah Whitehead, Alice Rasmussen<br />
<br />
Behaviour of Wolves Dogs and Related Canids<br />
Michael Fox<br />
<br />
The Wild Canids: Their Systematics, Behavioral Ecology and Evolution<br />
Michael W. Fox<br />
<br />
Dogs: Their Fossil Relatives and Evolutionary History<br />
Xiaoming Wang, Richard H. Tedford, Mauricio Anton<br />
<br />
How the Dog Became the Dog: From Wolves to Our Best Friends<br />
Mark Derr<br />
<br />
Dominance in Dogs - Fact or Fiction?<br />
Barry Eaton<br />
<br />
On Talking Terms With Dogs: Calming Signals<br />
Turid Rugaas<br />
<br />
How Dogs Learn (Howell reference books)<br />
Mary R. Burch, Jon Bailey<br />
<br />
Dogs: A Startling New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior & Evolution<br />
Coppinger, Raymond<br />
<br />
Dog Sense: How the New Science of Dog Behavior Can Make You A Better Friend to Your Pet<br />
Bradshaw, John<br />
<br />
Excel-Erated Learning: Explaining in Plain English How Dogs Learn and How Best to Teach Them<br />
Pamela J. Reid<br />
<br />
Hero Dogs: Secret Missions and Selfless Service<br />
Bacon, Lance M.<br />
<br />
Trident K9 Warriors: My Tale From the Training Ground to the Battlefield with Elite Navy SEAL Canines<br />
Michael Ritland, Gary Brozek<br />
<br />
King Solomon's Ring (Routledge Classics) by Konrad Lorenz and Julian Huxley<br />
<br />
On Aggression (Harvest Book, Hb 291) by Konrad Lorenz<br />
<br />
Man Meets Dog (Routledge Classics) by Konrad Lorenz<br />
<br />
The Foundations of Ethology: The Principal Ideas and Discoveries in Animal Behavior (A Touchstone book) by Konrad Z. Lorenz<br />
<br />
<br />
ARCHITECTURE/DESIGN<br />
<br />
Suyama: A Complex Serenity by Grant Hildebrand<br />
<br />
Architecture of Suyama Peterson Deguchi by John Cava, Oscar Ojeda and Shigeru Ban (Oct 1, 2008)<br />
<br />
Architecture: Form, Space, and Order by Francis D. K. Ching (Jun 29, 2007)<br />
<br />
A World History of Architecture by Michael Fazio, Marian Moffett and Lawrence Wodehouse (Feb 4, 2008)<br />
<br />
The Green House: New Directions in Sustainable Architecture by Alanna Stang and Christopher Hawthorne<br />
<br />
The Architecture of the Barnes Foundation: Gallery in a Garden, Garden in a Gallery by Tod Williams, Billie Tsien and Kenneth Frampton<br />
<br />
Tadao Ando: Houses by Philip Jodidio and Tadao Ando<br />
<br />
Tadao Ando: Complete Works 1975-2012 by Philip Jodidio<br />
<br />
Tadao Ando: 1941 (Taschen Basic Architecture) by Masao Furuyama<br />
<br />
Tadao Ando: Conversations with Students by Tadao Ando and Matthew Hunter<br />
<br />
Tadao Ando at Naoshima: Art Architecture Nature by Philip Jodidio and Tadao Ando<br />
<br />
Tadao Ando by Yann Nussaume<br />
<br />
<br />
Dan Kiley: The Complete Works of America's Master Landscape Architect<br />
Kiley, Dan<br />
<br />
<br />
FINANCE/ECONOMICS/MARKETS<br />
<br />
Dark Pools: The Rise of the Machine Traders and the Rigging of the U.S. Stock Market<br />
Scott Patterson<br />
<br />
Mind Over Markets: Power Trading with Market Generated Information, Updated Edition (Wiley Trading)<br />
Dalton, James F.<br />
<br />
The Double Auction Market: Institutions, Theories, And Evidence (Santa Fe Institute Series)<br />
Friedman, Daniel<br />
<br />
A Primer For The Mathematics Of Financial Engineering, Second Edition<br />
Stefanica, Dan<br />
<br />
Principles of Financial Engineering, Second Edition (Academic Press Advanced Finance)<br />
Neftci, Salih N.<br />
<br />
Solutions Manual - A Primer For The Mathematics Of Financial Engineering, Second Edition<br />
Stefanica, Dan<br />
<br />
Fortune's Formula: The Untold Story of the Scientific Betting System That Beat the Casinos and Wall Street<br />
Poundstone, William<br />
<br />
The Kelly Capital Growth Investment Criterion: Theory and Practice (World Scientific Handbook in Financial Economic Series)<br />
Leonard C. MacLean<br />
<br />
Steidlmayer on Markets: Trading with Market Profile, 2nd Edition<br />
Steidlmayer, J. Peter<br />
<br />
Profit with the Market Profile: Identifying Market Value in Real Time<br />
Dr. John Keppler<br />
<br />
The Complete Guide to Option Pricing Formulas<br />
Haug, Espen Gaarder<br />
<br />
Paul Wilmott on Quantitative Finance 3 Volume Set (2nd Edition)<br />
Wilmott, Paul<br />
<br />
Frequently Asked Questions in Quantitative Finance<br />
Wilmott, Paul<br />
<br />
Paul Wilmott Introduces Quantitative Finance (The Wiley Finance Series)<br />
Wilmott, Paul<br />
<br />
Algorithmic Trading: Winning Strategies and Their Rationale (Wiley Trading)<br />
Chan, Ernie<br />
<br />
Market Risk Analysis, Quantitative Methods in Finance (The Wiley Finance Series) (Volume I)<br />
Alexander, Carol<br />
<br />
Market Risk Analysis, Practical Financial Econometrics (The Wiley Finance Series) (Volume II)<br />
Alexander, Carol<br />
<br />
Beat the Market: A Scientific Stock Market System<br />
Edward O. Thorp<br />
<br />
Beat the Dealer: A Winning Strategy for the Game of Twenty-One<br />
Thorp, Edward O.<br />
<br />
Algorithmic Trading and DMA: An introduction to direct access trading strategies<br />
Johnson, Barry<br />
<br />
<br />
RACING<br />
<br />
James Hunt: The Biography<br />
Gerald Donaldson<br />
<br />
Shunt<br />
Tom Rubython<br />
<br />
The Life of Senna<br />
Tom Rubython<br />
<br />
Rush to Glory: FORMULA 1 Racing's Greatest Rivalry<br />
Tom Rubython, Rainer Schlegelmilch, John Watson<br />
<br />
Life At The Limit<br />
Sid Watkins<br />
<br />
Ultimate Speed Secrets: The Complete Guide to High-Performance and Race Driving<br />
Ross Bentley<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
MISC<br />
<br />
Shooting in Sh*tty Light: The Top Ten Worst Photography Lighting Situations and How to Conquer Them<br />
Lindsay Adler, Erik Valind<br />
<br />
There Were Giants Upon the Earth: Gods, Demigods, and Human Ancestry: The Evidence of Alien DNA (Earth Chronicles)<br />
Zecharia Sitchin<br />
<br />
The End of Days (The Earth Chronicles)<br />
Zecharia Sitchin<br />
<br />
The Lost Realms (Book IV) (Earth Chronicles)<br />
Zecharia Sitchin<br />
<br />
The Cosmic Code (Book VI) (Earth Chronicles)<br />
Zecharia Sitchin<br />
<br />
When Time Began (Book V): 5<br />
Zecharia Sitchin<br />
<br />
The Wars of Gods and Men (Book III): [Vol] 3 (Earth Chronicles)<br />
Zecharia Sitchin<br />
<br />
The Stairway to Heaven (Book II): 2 (Earth Chronicles)<br />
Zecharia Sitchin<br />
<br />
The 12th Planet (Book I) (The First Book of the Earth Chronicles)<br />
Zecharia Sitchin<br />
<br />
The Earth Chronicles Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide to the Seven Books of The Earth Chronicles<br />
Zecharia Sitchin<br />
<br />
Not Because It's Easy (Knox Long Trilogy)<br />
George C. Schellenger<br />
<br />
The Art of Learning: A Journey in the Pursuit of Excellence<br />
Josh Waitzkin<br />
<br />
A Manual for Creating Atheists<br />
Peter Boghossian, Michael Shermer<br />
<br />
101 Whiskies to Try Before You Die<br />
Ian Buxton<br />
<br />
Totally MAD: 60 Years of Humor, Satire, Stupidity and Stupidity<br />
Stephen Colbert, Eric Drysdale<br />
<br />
Getting Started with Hobby Quadcopters and Drones: Learn about, buy and fly these amazing aerial vehicles<br />
Issod, Craig S<br />
<br />
The beginner's guide to Fpv (B&W)<br />
Protogerellis, Alex<br />
<br />
UFOs and the National Security State: Chronology of a Coverup, 1941-1973<br />
Richard M. Dolan<br />
<br />
UFOs: Generals, Pilots and Government Officials Go On the Record<br />
Leslie Kean<br />
<br />
Henry and June<br />
Anaïs Nin<br />
<br />
Delta of Venus<br />
Anaïs Nin<br />
<br />Al Vinjamurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371661808064476248noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3085638418136364916.post-61245015771211803892013-06-19T13:51:00.001-04:002013-06-19T13:51:29.443-04:00English PronounciationIf you can pronounce correctly every word in this poem, you <br />will be speaking English better than 90% of the native English <br />speakers in the world. After trying the verses, a Frenchman <br />said he’d prefer six months of hard labour to reading six <br />lines aloud. <br /><br />-- English Pronunciation -- by G. Nolst Trenité <br /><br />Dearest creature in creation, <br />Study English pronunciation. <br />I will teach you in my verse <br />Sounds like corpse, corps, horse, and worse. <br />I will keep you, Suzy, busy, <br />Make your head with heat grow dizzy. <br />Tear in eye, your dress will tear. <br />So shall I! Oh hear my prayer. <br />Just compare heart, beard, and heard, <br />Dies and diet, lord and word, <br />Sword and sward, retain and Britain. <br />(Mind the latter, how it’s written.) <br />Now I surely will not plague you <br />With such words as plaque and ague. <br />But be careful how you speak: <br />Say break and steak, but bleak and streak; <br />Cloven, oven, how and low, <br />Script, receipt, show, poem, and toe. <br />Hear me say, devoid of trickery, <br />Daughter, laughter, and Terpsichore, <br />Typhoid, measles, topsails, aisles, <br />Exiles, similes, and reviles; <br />Scholar, vicar, and cigar, <br />Solar, mica, war and far; <br />One, anemone, Balmoral, <br />Kitchen, lichen, laundry, laurel; <br />Gertrude, German, wind and mind, <br />Scene, Melpomene, mankind. <br />Billet does not rhyme with ballet, <br />Bouquet, wallet, mallet, chalet. <br />Blood and flood are not like food, <br />Nor is mould like should and would. <br />Viscous, viscount, load and broad, <br />Toward, to forward, to reward. <br />And your pronunciation’s OK <br />When you correctly say croquet, <br />Rounded, wounded, grieve and sieve, <br />Friend and fiend, alive and live. <br />Ivy, privy, famous; clamour <br />And enamour rhyme with hammer. <br />River, rival, tomb, bomb, comb, <br />Doll and roll and some and home. <br />Stranger does not rhyme with anger, <br />Neither does devour with clangour. <br />Souls but foul, haunt but aunt, <br />Font, front, wont, want, grand, and grant, <br />Shoes, goes, does. Now first say finger, <br />And then singer, ginger, linger, <br />Real, zeal, mauve, gauze, gouge and gauge, <br />Marriage, foliage, mirage, and age. <br />Query does not rhyme with very, <br />Nor does fury sound like bury. <br />Dost, lost, post and doth, cloth, loth. <br />Job, nob, bosom, transom, oath. <br />Though the differences seem little, <br />We say actual but victual. <br />Refer does not rhyme with deafer. <br />Foeffer does, and zephyr, heifer. <br />Mint, pint, senate and sedate; <br />Dull, bull, and George ate late. <br />Scenic, Arabic, Pacific, <br />Science, conscience, scientific. <br />Liberty, library, heave and heaven, <br />Rachel, ache, moustache, eleven. <br />We say hallowed, but allowed, <br />People, leopard, towed, but vowed. <br />Mark the differences, moreover, <br />Between mover, cover, clover; <br />Leeches, breeches, wise, precise, <br />Chalice, but police and lice; <br />Camel, constable, unstable, <br />Principle, disciple, label. <br />Petal, panel, and canal, <br />Wait, surprise, plait, promise, pal. <br />Worm and storm, chaise, chaos, chair, <br />Senator, spectator, mayor. <br />Tour, but our and succour, four. <br />Gas, alas, and Arkansas. <br />Sea, idea, Korea, area, <br />Psalm, Maria, but malaria. <br />Youth, south, southern, cleanse and clean. <br />Doctrine, turpentine, marine. <br />Compare alien with Italian, <br />Dandelion and battalion. <br />Sally with ally, yea, ye, <br />Eye, I, ay, aye, whey, and key. <br />Say aver, but ever, fever, <br />Neither, leisure, skein, deceiver. <br />Heron, granary, canary. <br />Crevice and device and aerie. <br />Face, but preface, not efface. <br />Phlegm, phlegmatic, !@#$%^&*, glass, bass. <br />Large, but target, gin, give, verging, <br />Ought, out, joust and scour, scourging. <br />Ear, but earn and wear and tear <br />Do not rhyme with here but ere. <br />Seven is right, but so is even, <br />Hyphen, roughen, nephew Stephen, <br />Monkey, donkey, Turk and jerk, <br />Ask, grasp, wasp, and cork and work. <br />Pronunciation (think of Psyche!) <br />Is a paling stout and spikey? <br />Won’t it make you lose your wits, <br />Writing groats and saying grits? <br />It’s a dark abyss or tunnel: <br />Strewn with stones, stowed, solace, gunwale, <br />Islington and Isle of Wight, <br />Housewife, verdict and indict. <br />Finally, which rhymes with enough, <br />Though, through, plough, or dough, or cough? <br />Hiccough has the sound of cup. <br />My advice is to give up!!!Al Vinjamurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371661808064476248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3085638418136364916.post-49689947785059784172011-12-22T09:21:00.002-05:002011-12-22T09:21:51.559-05:00Euro BellsEuro Bells (by aLV)<br />
<br />
Dashing through the debt<br />
In one bearish open sleigh<br />
O'er the contracts we go<br />
Crying all the way<br />
Debt on derivatives ring<br />
Making leverage bright<br />
What fun it is to default and sing<br />
A bearish song tonight<br />
<br />
Oh, euro bellls, euro bells<br />
Euro all the way<br />
Oh, what fun it is to ride<br />
In one bearish open sleigh<br />
Euro bells, Euro bells<br />
Euro all the way<br />
Oh, what fun it is to default and sing<br />
In one bearish open sleigh<br />
<br />
A day or two ago<br />
I thought I'd take a ride<br />
And soon Timmy Geithner<br />
Was seated by my side<br />
The bull was lean and lank<br />
Misfortune seemed his lot<br />
We got into a defaulted bank<br />
And then we got bailed out<br />
<br />
Oh, euro bellls, euro bells<br />
Euro all the way<br />
Oh, what fun it is to ride<br />
In one bearish open sleigh<br />
Euro bells, Euro bells<br />
Euro all the way<br />
Oh, what fun it is to ride<br />
In one bearish open sleigh<br />
<br />
Oh, euro bellls, euro bells<br />
Euro all the way<br />
Oh, what fun it is to ride<br />
In one bearish open sleigh<br />
Euro bells, Euro bells<br />
Euro all the way<br />
Oh, what fun it is to ride<br />
In one bearish open sleighAl Vinjamurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371661808064476248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3085638418136364916.post-31259270540167673682011-12-18T11:58:00.001-05:002011-12-29T14:29:21.228-05:00Reading List 2011Dec 18, 2011<br />
<br />
Here's another list of books I found very interesting to peruse<br />
through this past year. The list is weighted towards Dogs,<br />
Astrophysics, and Financial Economics. A great many subjects <br />
have piqued my interest over the years, and as I read, I realize<br />
that my level of ignorance about most things reach abysmal levels….<br />
<br />
<br />
--- DOGS ---<br />
<br />
Excel-Erated Learning: Explaining in Plain English How Dogs Learn and How Best to Teach Them<br />
Pamela J. Reid<br />
<br />
Dog Insight <br />
Pamela Reid<br />
<br />
Dogs<br />
Ray Coppinger<br />
<br />
Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know<br />
Alexandra Horowitz<br />
<br />
Der Schutzhund (The Protection Dog)<br />
Helmut Raiser<br />
<br />
The Dogs of War: The Courage, Love, and Loyalty of Military Working Dogs<br />
Lisa Rogak<br />
<br />
Schutzhund: Theory and Training Methods (Howell reference books)<br />
Susan Barwig, Stewart Hilliard<br />
<br />
Advanced Schutzhund (Howell reference books)<br />
Ivan Balabanov, Karen Duet<br />
<br />
Schutzhund Protection Training<br />
Gary Patterson, Linda Jackson<br />
<br />
Schutzhund "Top Working Dogs", Training Manual<br />
Dietmar Schellenberg<br />
<br />
Decoys and Aggression<br />
Stephen Mackenzie<br />
<br />
Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats<br />
Kymythy Schultze<br />
<br />
51 Puppy Tricks: Step-by-Step Activities to Engage, Challenge, and Bond with Your Puppy<br />
Kyra Sundance, Jadie<br />
<br />
Dr. Pitcairn's New Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats<br />
Richard H. Pitcairn, Susan Hubble Pitcairn<br />
<br />
Raw and Natural Nutrition for Dogs: The Definitive Guide to Homemade Meals<br />
Lew Olson<br />
<br />
<br />
--- ASTROPHYSICS ---<br />
<br />
How Old Is the Universe?<br />
David A. Weintraub<br />
<br />
The Grand Design<br />
Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow<br />
<br />
Galaxy Formation and Evolution <br />
Houjun Mo, Frank van den Bosch and Simon White<br />
<br />
Extragalactic Astronomy and Cosmology: An Introduction<br />
P. Schneider<br />
<br />
Astrophysics is Easy!: An Introduction for the Amateur Astronomer (Patrick Moore's Practical Astronomy Series)<br />
Mike Inglis<br />
<br />
Astrophysics in a Nutshell (In a Nutshell (Princeton))<br />
Dan Maoz<br />
<br />
The Early Universe: Facts and Fiction (Astronomy and Astrophysics Library)<br />
G. Börner<br />
<br />
An Introduction to Stellar Astrophysics<br />
Francis LeBlanc<br />
<br />
Foundations of Astrophysics<br />
Barbara Ryden and Bradley M. Peterson<br />
<br />
Galactic Dynamics: (Second Edition) (Princeton Series in Astrophysics)<br />
James Binney and Scott Tremaine<br />
<br />
The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory <br />
Brian Greene<br />
<br />
The Black Hole War<br />
Leonard Susskind<br />
<br />
The Cosmic Landscape<br />
Leonard Susskind<br />
<br />
An Introduction to Modern Cosmology <br />
Andrew R. Liddle<br />
<br />
Astrophysical Concepts (Astronomy and Astrophysics Library)<br />
Martin Harwit<br />
<br />
Quantum Mechanics and Integrals <br />
Feynman and Hibbs<br />
<br />
Quantum Physics<br />
Glimm and Jaffe<br />
<br />
Quantum: Einstein, Bohr, and the Great Debate about the Nature of Reality<br />
<br />
The Edge of Physics: A Journey to Earth's Extremes to Unlock the Secrets of the Universe<br />
<br />
The Strangest Man: The Hidden Life of Paul Dirac, Mystic of the Atom<br />
<br />
<br />
FiNANCE/ECONOMICS<br />
<br />
The 7 Deadly Innocent Frauds of Economic Policy<br />
Warren Mosler<br />
<br />
Global Imbalances and the Lessons of Bretton Woods (Cairoli Lectures)<br />
Barry Eichengreen<br />
<br />
Lords of Finance: The Bankers Who Broke the World<br />
Liaquat Ahamed<br />
<br />
Understanding Modern Money:The Key to Full Employment and Price Stability<br />
L. Randall Wray<br />
<br />
Keynes Hayek: The Clash that Defined Modern Economics<br />
Nicholas Wapshott<br />
<br />
<br />
Free Money: Plan for Prosperity<br />
Rodger Malcolm Mitchell<br />
<br />
The Holy Grail of Macroeconomics: Lessons from Japans Great Recession<br />
Richard C. Koo<br />
<br />
Stabilizing an Unstable Economy<br />
Hyman Minsky<br />
<br />
Panderer to Power: The Untold Story of How Alan Greenspan Enriched Wall Street and Left a Legacy of Recession<br />
Frederick Sheehan<br />
<br />
<br />
--- OTHER SUBJECTS ---<br />
<br />
The Elements of Style: The Original Edition<br />
Jr. William Strunk<br />
<br />
Walden<br />
Henry David Thoreau<br />
<br />
Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology: Expanded Second Edition<br />
<br />
Napalm & Silly Putty<br />
<br />
Why American History Is Not What They Say<br />
<br />
Voices of a People's History of the United States<br />
<br />
About Behaviorism<br />
B.F. Skinner<br />
<br />
Escape from Freedom<br />
Erich Fromm<br />
<br />
Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge<br />
Edward Osborne Wilson<br />
<br />
What Makes You Not a Buddhist<br />
Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse<br />
<br />
Smile at Fear: Awakening the True Heart of Bravery<br />
Chogyam Trungpa<br />
<br />
Zen in the Art of Archery<br />
Eugen Herrigel, Daisetz T. SuzukiAl Vinjamurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371661808064476248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3085638418136364916.post-29017890512487469792011-11-09T12:28:00.002-05:002011-12-22T09:22:28.494-05:00Anal Cranial InversionMake sure that all your loved ones know that there is a new debilitating
disease called ACI, short for "Anal Cranial Inversion", the singular
and telling symptom being that the persons' brain is fully lodged into
their own rectum, thereby blocking any and all sense of reality/light.<br />
<br />
ACI
is more dangerous to the general population than to the person or
organization that already has a full blown version of the disease, and
it takes a real fiendish stance when entire organizations are infected
with it. So, beware and shy away from politicians on both sides of the
pond that lie through their a$$es and have nothing but "reelection" on
their minds, the US Federal Reserve, US Treasury, FDIC....oh, its a
bloody long list.<br />
<br />
As expected Italian bond yields are north of
7%. Rather than announcing a planned date where there will be an
agreement about an agreement to make a plan that will "vow" to fix
things while being woefully short on details, politicians in Europe need
to plan for this thing to come off the rails.<br />
<br />
All symptoms of
ACI : Anal Cranial Inversion, indeed....and ACI might be precisely what
is needed (picture this in your own cranium!!) to ignore the mega blow
up.Al Vinjamurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371661808064476248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3085638418136364916.post-62148275051542859682011-10-30T15:13:00.001-04:002011-12-22T09:23:05.852-05:00Financial Irony"The central irony of financial crisis is that while it is caused by too much <br />
<br />
confidence, too much borrowing and lending and too much spending, it <br />
<br />
can only be resolved with more confidence, more borrowing and lending, <br />
<br />
and more spending."<br />
<br />
- Larry Summers<br />
<br />
<br />
The true and central irony here is that Larry Summers is part of the Economic<br />
Financial landscape, and that the Princeton economics department continues to<br />
exist. <br />
<br />
Please join me in a new movement called "Occupy Mordor" - Turbo Timmy, Larry<br />
Summers, Ben Bernanke, along with the majority of the politicians in Washington<br />
DC be locked up in a radiative capsule and their brains re-cooked to tune into the<br />
realities of modern economic systems through the angry heat coming off the<br />
volcanic chutes of Mordor.<br />
<br />
And....Greece has essentially defaulted. This is a MUST WATCH video :<br />
<br />
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CZr17HLH5U&feature=player_embedded#!<br />
<br />Al Vinjamurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371661808064476248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3085638418136364916.post-17259198924545326942011-10-14T12:21:00.004-04:002016-11-13T10:04:46.199-05:00Manifesto for Change<div class="mbl notesBlogText clearfix">
Give US back our Country!!<br />
<br />
BAN private campaign finance<br />
<br />
No
more individual or corporate donations, PERIOD. Political candidates
can be funded EQUALLY by a publicly funded Election Commission.
Government will no longer be in the back pockets of wealthy companies.
No more special interest groups!<br />
<br />
<br />
RESTRICT time spent on political campaigns<br />
<br />
Politicians
don't have to campaign for a year and a half or more on the taxpayers
tab - they need to be working!! The system spent almost $4.5B on the
last cycle, and it’s now forecasted to be $6.2B for the next cycle.
Restrict it.<br />
<br />
<br />
REDESIGN the tax code<br />
<br />
Companies give
politicians money and the politicians pay them back through tax breaks
in the tax code. These tax rules are "gifts" to a select group of
companies and people. SCRAP it all! The income tax should be
simple, minimal, but progressive (tax rates are higher the more money
you make). Personal income from labor and investment should be treated
the same. We should have a Value Added Tax (Yes, a consumption tax is
regressive but it will serve to re-hash priorities in spending, saving,
and investment) - such a tax should have an exemption for basic goods
(eg., food and utilities) which would help rebalance our economy, while
protecting those in need of basic necessities.<br />
<br />
<br />
STOP the lying<br />
<br />
The
top people in the public sector (Fed, FDIC, SEC, Treasury etc.,) and in
the private sector (CEOs under whose watch fraud was propagated) who
created this mess should resign. WE CANNOT just "Move On" unless
officials are held fully responsible and our system is purged. The
revolving doors of employment between government and the private sector
has to stop - the watchdogs of Wall Street and corporate America too
often become their lapdogs, afraid to upset those who will take care of
them generously after they leave government. Make lying perjury.<br />
<br />
<br />
CLEAN up the mortgage mess<br />
<br />
Banks
need to recognize their mortgage losses, and deal with the consequences
of their bad investment decisions. The federal government needs to get
out of the business of guaranteeing mortgages. GOVT HAS TO INSURE BANK
DEPOSITS, MAKING BANKS GOVT AGENTS FOR PUBLIC PURPOSE. IF HOME OWNERSHIP
SUITS PUBLIC PURPOSE, THE GOVT SHOULD FUND IT AT THE TARGET RATE AND
TERMS THAT SERVE PUBLIC PURPOSE.<br />
<br />
<br />
SHAKE UP the banking system<br />
<br />
Transparency
everywhere!! Restrict the size of public banks and they won't be "Too
Big to Fail". Banks & Brokers that take in public deposits should
not be allowed to risk YOUR money to trade. Implement the Volcker rule
(bans speculation by banks that does not benefit customers) in strict
fashion.<br />
<br />
* Ideas from the minds of gainfully employed Wall Street economists and traders.<br />
Write to : avwallstreet@gmail.com</div>
Al Vinjamurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371661808064476248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3085638418136364916.post-26032050421006223962011-09-23T21:31:00.001-04:002014-06-26T12:09:00.155-04:00I wonder, I wonderNew York<br />
Sept 22/23, 2206<br />
<br />
So, today has been one hell of a frustrating day. I guess it <br />
takes the special trader that I am to come in short, make <br />
profits on the night session, then give 'em up, make 'em <br />
up again, and then lose out all profits of the past two days. <br />
<br />
I got a bunch of emails in response to my missive a few <br />
days ago. So here are a few things (in no particular order) <br />
for your own clarification.<br />
<br />
* This Quantitative Easing 2 animal is very misunderstood <br />
by the talking heads at CNBC, politicians on the street, and <br />
even many economists. So here's the true real deal of reserve <br />
bank accounting : <br />
<br />
When the Federal Reserve intervened for QE2 they did NOT <br />
alter the economy in any meaningful way. QE2 is simply a <br />
swap of assets and it did not decrease or increase net <br />
financial assets in the economy. The Fed is NOT printing <br />
money (as many politicians and people on CNBC would like <br />
you to believe), the amount of cash in circulation just stays <br />
where it is. What QE2 did do is change the composition of <br />
the balance sheets of banks by having them hold more <br />
reserves with the Fed. <br />
<br />
Before QE (Quantitative Easing) at Bank Fido<br />
<br />
Reserves 100 <br />
Loans +30<br />
T-Bonds +50 = 180 <br />
<br />
Deposits 100<br />
Capital 20<br />
<br />
After QE (Quantitative Easing) at Bank Fido<br />
<br />
Reserves 150 <br />
Loans +30<br />
T-Bonds +0 = 180 <br />
<br />
Deposits 100<br />
Capital 20<br />
<br />
So the bank gave the Federal Reserve the T-Bonds and the Fed <br />
changed a bunch of reserve numbers on some electronic tape <br />
someplace. All that has changed is the composition of the balance <br />
sheet of the bank. <br />
<br />
So, there is no new injection of money into the public. So banks <br />
do NOT have "new money" to put to work. <br />
<br />
* Recent Fed action in a way showed the world at large that the <br />
Fed cannot save the economy by some magical printing press, <br />
which they don't do in the first place. All that the Fed has continued <br />
to do is to alter psychology of market participants. I say "misguided" <br />
policy because the interactions have tried to create nominal <br />
wealth with a hope of creating real wealth. It won't work because <br />
in the long run it destabilizes things.<br />
<br />
* Just finished reading a FANTASTIC book called "The Holy Grail of<br />
Economics - Lessons from Japan's Great Recession" by Richard Koo.<br />
Absolutely great!! <br />
<br />
So drawing on that new knowledge and thinking about what's <br />
happening here, we're in the midst of Japan 2.0 -- As a country,<br />
the United States now has similar Employment/Population ratio, <br />
lousy wages, an overburdened entitlement system, and an anemic <br />
economy with the icing being the staggering debt overhang. <br />
FOLKS!!! Deleveraging of debt has not really started here, and <br />
businesses will get a lot more defensive. PLEASE DON'T listen to<br />
the talking heads on CNBC or read mainstream media and believe<br />
that the shape of the yield curve matters now -- it did matter before<br />
but it does not matter now as the Fed is playing around with it. <br />
<br />
* Politicians clamoring and blaming "short term", "high-frequency", <br />
or "short side" traders is nothing more than a blatant ignorance of <br />
market dynamics, and especially market microstructure. Banning <br />
short sales or getting rid of short term traders is very similar to <br />
wanting 70 degree weather all year around, regardless of the <br />
place where you reside. Not possible! This is a long lengthy <br />
conversation to be had over several bottles of wine. <br />
<br />
* With respect to Campaign Finance Reform, here's a thought….all <br />
candidates use the same amount of money, and a set timeline to go <br />
out and campaign and make their case. Money raising should not be<br />
a factor in getting elected. At the least, it will attenuate the noise of <br />
lobbying groups that always seem to say, "I pat your back now, and <br />
you pat mine later!"<br />
<br />
* I'm wondering why nobody from the financial sector has had to go <br />
to prison in the whole mortgage fiasco. Not one! Would it be that <br />
somebody going to prison would open up a Pandora's box where <br />
relationships with the political bodies at large are revealed!?<br />
<br />
I wonder…I wonder….<br />
<br />
- aLVAl Vinjamurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371661808064476248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3085638418136364916.post-18629941019919056742011-09-22T07:52:00.001-04:002011-09-22T19:45:23.379-04:00Pipe Dreams<div style="text-align: left;">
New York</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
8/22/11 @715 hrs</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Since 3am I've been watching and trading these SP Futures and they </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
consistently keep making new lows. I covered my overnight shorts, </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
with some good profits and then tried to get on a long trade, gave up </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
my overnight short profits, and am now flat. This market seems very </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
weak, and its likely that financial stocks will crater in a few hours.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Some of you wrote and asked me what the Fed did yesterday with their </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
operation "Twist". I am not a trained economist and don't really understand </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
the nitty-gritty of modern monetary workings (many trained economists </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
don't and people in DC certainly don't!), but I observe the following :</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
* "Twist" the yield curve means, "Sell short term treasuries and Buy </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
long term treasuries." The Fed wants to boost consumer and corporate </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
borrowing and spending. They want to ease longer-term debt constraints </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
for themselves and municipalities, so they "twist" the yield curve selling </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
short-term debt (Treasuries) to buy longer term debt. This action raises </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
the cost of borrowing in the short term and reduced the cost of borrowing </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
for the long term. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
* What does this whole "twisting thing" do?? Short term consumer credit </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
will take a hit. Operating capital for businesses will be harder to come by </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
(but its less of a factor as rates are very low) as it will be more expensive. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
How can this help businesses? I've not a clue.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The problem here is that (once again!!) all these measures will fail to do </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
anything for the economy. The problem in the US is one with excessive </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
debt. From my readings and limited understanding of Modern Monetary </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Theory, I can tell you that all the experts say that the Fed is not doing </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
anything novel. They need to attack the problem which is the overhang </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
of debt. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
How about a tax cut? Yes, a tax cut!! It'll help the middle/upper-middle </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
class in this country. There will be money to service mortgage payments, </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
and the like. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
How about many other things? Smaller government, campaign finance </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
reform, getting banks and politicians to hold themselves to the same standards </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
as they hold the public, dessert for everybody….I'm getting carried away…. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
Al Vinjamurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371661808064476248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3085638418136364916.post-67343320111584408982011-08-18T19:19:00.001-04:002011-09-22T19:45:54.972-04:00Tax Cuts! Tax Cuts! Tax Cuts!Tax Cuts! Tax Cuts! Tax Cuts!
<br />
Aug 18, 2011
<br />
<br />
My brother Vivin says, "Be grateful to the markets" :<br />
<br />
Logic :<br />
<br />
US consumes 22 Million Barrels of Oil a day.
<br />
Oil was down 7% (or $6.2) today<br />
22 Million Barrels/Day * $6.2 * 365 Days/Year = $52 Billion
<br />
<br />
And…
<br />
<br />
That's 0.33% of GDP.<br />
That's the tax cuts that the Jones' got today.<br />
That's the amount gained by the the Jones' at the expense of<br />
jack ass asset managers.
<br />
<br />
So….<br />
<br />
Don't worry about the Federal Reserve.<br />
They cannot do what the markets are doing for you.
<br />
<br />
//<br />
<br />
The times are definitely changing....Jim Cramer....finally...FINALLY made his<br />
first ever astute observation, "There's something going on here that is bigger<br />
than me."
<br />
<br />
- aLVAl Vinjamurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371661808064476248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3085638418136364916.post-38500580772571767902011-08-14T13:55:00.002-04:002011-09-22T19:50:46.890-04:00EconoFinancio MeanderingsHere are some observations on financial markets and our current<br />
economic situation :
<br />
<br />
- Monday is the 40th anniversary of the "Bretton Woods" deal. You <br />can read about the significance of "Bretton Woods" on Wikipedia.<br />
For me, it was a free and care free license for politicians to escape<br />
accountability.
<br />
<br />
- People are talking about an "impending recession", "double dip<br />
recession", "slow down" etc., but they don't realize that we never<br />
really left it in the first place. Global growth of below 2% is a<br />
recession, and it certainly feel like one. We are in the midst of one.<br />
Next stop is a long winded Japan like deflationary depression.<br />
<br />
- When the Federal Reserve says that they are inclined to keep rates<br />
low for the next two years, they are essentially admitting that all<br />
their machinations to prop up asset prices have failed and, that there<br />
will be no growth in the economy. The 5 year bond yield is below<br />
that of the prior move down in financial markets, the 2 year yield is<br />
basically like that of a treasury bill, and the XLF (Index of financials)<br />
is below that when TARP went into effect. What does all this mean?<br />
Well, the bond market is telling us that there will be no growth of any<br />
significance for the next two years. We are in the midst of, or headed<br />
towards a deflationary depression.
<br />
<br />
- In prior blogs, I've written about the way private sector debt (financials<br />
that were "rescued") turned into public sector debt (through tax payer<br />
funded purchase programs). Even though SP500 companies are sitting<br />
on gobs of cash, why would they want to spend it on hiring people if<br />
they have nobody to sell to?
<br />
<br />
- Don't buy into these idiot wall street analyst types telling you that<br />
SP500 valuation are great. There is a huge variance and huge errors in<br />
the "Earnings" prognostication. P/E (Price/Earnings) ratios may look<br />
great until the "Earnings" come down hard. There will be no earnings<br />
growth!!!<br />
<br />
- On a blog entry dated Oct 29th, 2008. I wrote :<br />
<br />
"Credit excesses have not been wrung out of the system. All we've done<br />
by the machinations of the TAF, PDCF, TSLF, CPFF, MMIFF,<br />
ABCPMMMFLF....er, Yes, I mean the "TAF, PDCF, TSLF, CPFF, MMIFF,<br />
ABCPMMMFLF" is to shift the problems onto the public balance sheets. <br />
by risking taxpayer money. These stunts will sooner or later lead to a revolt<br />
in the fixed income markets and will likely lead to a currency devaluation.<br />
We will be a banana republic."
<br />
<br />
Make no mistake : Our idiot politicians have allowed this to happen all<br />
these years and the public blindly chooses to vote against itself. Its illogical.<br />
This is the result of us not being honest with what assets and liabilities we<br />
have.
<br />
<br />
I also opined :
<br />
<br />
"As crazy as it may seem, the passing of the modification of the Mark to<br />
Market rules is not coherent with the Geithner Plan (Public Private<br />
Partnership)!! The Financial Accounting Standards (Rule 157e) will allow<br />
banks to use their own models to value their assets and will allow them to<br />
push the assets onto their Level 3 boxes. The Geithner "Public Partnership"<br />
plan calls for "price discovery" and the FAS157e plan circumvents this<br />
in a way. Go Figure!"
<br />
<br />
Now…COGITATE!
<br />
<br />
- aLV
<br />
Aug 14, 2011
Al Vinjamurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371661808064476248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3085638418136364916.post-13955270418251694262011-08-10T01:08:00.000-04:002011-08-10T01:24:01.546-04:00CUT CAP BALANCEIts been a while since I've had some interest or feel for financial markets.
<br />More often than not, I like to play when volatility is high and have a
<br />good feeling that the odds are in my favor for rapid trading - the last three-four
<br />weeks have been one of those times. Here is a considered viewpoint
<br />by my brother, Vivin....
<br />
<br />CUT, CAP & BALANCE
<br />
<br />1) CUT the crap
<br />
<br />2) CAP the housing market losses
<br />
<br />3) BALANCE the demand
<br />
<br />CUT
<br />
<br />THIS MESS IS A FAILURE OF POLICY - no matter how different or special we think we are,
<br />America has shown itself to be susceptible to the same kind of policy mistakes as others.
<br />
<br />a. Irresponsible fiscal policy during boom times (Republicans);
<br />b. Overly EASY monetary policy (since 1996); and
<br />c. A populace addicted to low interest rates and high borrowing spurred
<br />on by policies pushing over consumption (both parties).
<br />
<br />IN OTHER WORDS, this is NOT some hurricane that has descended from Mars or a partisan problem created by Obama in the last 2.5 years.
<br />
<br />Policy mistakes that need to be rectified take BIG SACRIFICES like what East Asia did. Japan pretended and is paying the price. We pretend we can stimulate out of it (liberals and Krugman) or print our way out (Republicans and Fed).
<br />
<br />NOTHING HAS WORKED SO FAR.
<br />ADMIT THAT THERE HAVE BEEN POLICY MISTAKES.
<br />FIRE BERNANKE AND GEITHNER NOW.
<br />
<br />Put Dr. Hoenig or John Taylor at the Fed.
<br />
<br />CAP
<br />
<br />1) The government BUYS ALL FORECLOSURES and ALL HOUSES DELINQUENT FOR > 1 Year away from the banks at a price which leaves the banks on the brink of solvency. One time shot only. No one will be allowed to not pay and and get into the program in the future. S***W the banks and their balance sheets. The tax payer is not liable any more.
<br />Rates are ZERO. They will sort it out.
<br />
<br />2) All those extra houses are then put on a fire sale under an RTC style entity. Have investors come in and buy them (no government loans or guarantees provided). Blow out the price and the inventory. Everyone else is on their own after this.
<br />
<br />BALANCE
<br />
<br />1) Don’t balance the budget, balance the trade deficit. We over consumed by borrowing. It is time to balance
<br /> our demand. The Fed and the stimulus measures are hindering a return to sustainable demand.
<br />
<br />2) AND NO, THIS IS NOT DOABLE BY DEVALUING THE DOLLAR
<br />TO ZERO. You need demand to go down a 2-4 percentage points - that
<br />will do it.
<br />
<br />3) No one will starve. Provide unemployment insurance tied to retraining.
<br />
<br />4) REFORM taxation. Go to 2-3 slab low income tax and a heavy VAT (15-20%).
<br />
<br />5) Get rid of ALL special interest loopholes.
<br />
<br />6) Get rid of ALL consumption subsidy programs of the government.
<br />
<br />7) Get rid of the debt ceiling.Al Vinjamurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371661808064476248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3085638418136364916.post-18291473430422469172009-12-26T19:08:00.000-05:002009-12-26T19:09:03.119-05:002009 Reading...Often, I'm queried about what I've read or am reading. Then I get asked for<br />a list. Here's an incomplete list.<br /><br />RELIGION/PHILOSOPHY<br /><br />- Wake Up by Jack Kerouac<br />- The God Virus: How Religion Infects Our Lives and Culture by Darrel Ray<br />- Answers from the Heart by Thich Nhat Hanh<br />- Ethics for the New Millennium by Dalai Lama<br />- The Diamond That Cuts Through Illusion by Thich Nhat Hanh<br />- The Dhammapada (The Buddha's Path of Truth) by The Buddha<br />- Desiderata by Max Ehrmann<br />- Open Heart, Clear Mind by Thubten Chodron<br />- Nagarjuna's Seventy Stanzas by David Ross Komito<br />- Zen Flesh Zen Bones by Paul Reps/Nyogen Senzaki<br />- I Am That : Talks with Nisargadatta Maharaj by Maurice Frydman<br />- What makes you not a buddhist by Jamyang Khyentse<br />- Graceful Exits : How great beings die by Sushila Blackman<br />- Commit to Sit by Joan Duncan Oliver<br />- Buddha by Deepak Chopra<br />- The Dhammapada by Eknath Easwaran<br />- Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind by Shunryu Suzuki<br />- Sand and Foam by Kahlil Gibran<br /><br />NATURE/NATURAL WORLD/SCIENCE<br /><br />- The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time, and the Texture of Reality by Brian Greene<br />- Quantum Field Theory Demystified by David McMahon<br />- Polar Obsession by Paul Nicklen<br />- K2: Life and Death on the World's Most Dangerous Mountain by David Roberts, Ed Viestur<br />- No Shortcuts to the Top by David Roberts, Ed Viesturs<br />- Tuna: A Love Story by Richard Ellis<br />- On Thin Ice by Richard Ellis<br />- String Theory Demystified by David McMahon<br />- Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know by Alexandra Horowitz<br />- Isaac Newton by James Gleick<br />- The Quantum and the Lotus by Trinh Xuan Thuan<br />- Shark Life: True Stories About Sharks & the Sea by Peter Benchley<br />- The Einstein Theory of Relativity by H.A. Lorentz, Albert Einstein<br />- A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson<br /><br />MOTOR RACING<br /><br />- Race Car Vehicle Dynamics by William F. Milliken<br />- Race Car Aerodynamics: Designing for Speed by Joseph Katz<br />- What if I had never tried it : Autobiography by Valentino Rossi<br />- Go Like Hell : Ford, Ferrari, and their battle for speed & glory at LeMans by A.J Baime<br />- Technique of Motor Racing by Piero Taruffi<br />- Drive to Win: The Essential Guide to Race Driving by Carroll Smith<br />- The Racing Driver by Denis Jenkinson<br />- The Racing & High-Performance Tire by Paul Haney<br />- Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein<br />- Speed Secrets (1-6) by Ross Bentley<br /><br /><br />FINANCE & ECONOMICS<br /><br />- Trading in the Zone by Mark Douglas<br />- The Conscience of a Liberal by Paul Krugman<br />- The Greatest Trade Ever by Gregory Zuckerman<br />- Blood on the Street by Charles Gasparino<br />- Frequently Asked Questions in Quantitative Finance by Paul Wilmott<br />- Against the Gods, Peter Bernstein<br />- The Sellout by Charles Gasparino<br />- Too Big to Fail by Andrew Ross Sorkin<br />- SuperFreakonomics by Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner<br />- The Ascent of Money by Niall Ferguson<br />- The Panic of 1907 by Robert F. Bruner, Sean D. Carr<br />- THE GREAT UNRAVELING by Paul Krugman<br />- The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable by Nassim Nicholas Taleb<br /><br />SOCIOLOGY<br /><br />- Disturbing the Peace, Vaclav Havel<br />- Encyclopedia of Pasta by Oretta Zanini De Vita, Maureen Fant<br />- Losing Moses on the Freeway: The 10 Commandments in America by Chris Hedges<br />- The Image : A Guide to pseudo-events in America by Daniel Boorstin<br />- Empire of Illusion : The end of literacy and the triumph of spectacle by Chris Hodges<br />- Idiot America: How Stupidity Became a Virtue in the Land of the Free by Charles Pierce<br />- American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War On America by Chris Hedge<br />- What Every Person Should Know About War by Chris Hedges<br />- The Americans: The Democratic Experience by Daniel Boorstin<br />- Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith<br />- Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell<br />- Blink by Malcolm Gladwell<br /><br />MISC<br /><br />- Sin and Syntax: How to Craft Wickedly Effective Prose by Constance Hale<br />- Hot Shoe Diaries : Big Light from Small Flashes by Joe McNally<br />- Metamorphosis and The Trial by Franz Kafka<br />- The Little Prince, Antoine De Saint-Exupery<br />- The God of Small Things: A Novel by Arundhati Roy<br />- The Bedside Baccalaureate by David Rubel<br />- Essential PG Wodehouse Collection, PG Wodehouse<br />- Complete works of William Shakespeare<br />- The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer<br />- The Devil's Dictionary by AMBROSE BIERCEAl Vinjamurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371661808064476248noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3085638418136364916.post-9322892842274863862009-11-20T09:31:00.002-05:002009-11-20T09:35:17.855-05:00Speaking Tree (Times of India)What is said here can be said in other words and in more words, but all that<br />is to be said will be what is said here.<br /><br />01. Elements make all.<br />02. Particles make elements.<br />03. Energy makes particles.<br />04. The content of the world is matter-energy.<br />05. Electro-magnetism makes energy.<br />06. Matter-Energy happens in the Time-Space continuum.<br />07. Electro-Magnetism and Gravitation make the three <br />dimensions that make space.<br />08. Electro-Magnetism constitutes the Cosmic "Length" <br />and "Breadth", and gravitation the cosmic "height" : Space <br />is the lay of Electro-Magneto-Gravitation".<br />09. The interplay of the three metric dimensions of Space, <br />Electro-Magnetism and Gravitation, makes matter-energy.<br />10. The order of events makes time, the fourth dimension.<br />11. Consciousness and Space are not different from each other, <br />just as Matter-Energy and Space-Time are not different from <br />each other. Consciousness and Space are respectively the <br />interior and exterior of the same substance.<br />12. Consciousness-Space, by the interaction of its metric <br />properties creates the Universe.<br />13. Consciousness-Space is a continuum without borders, without <br />an outside, and as it is, the entire spectrum of being falls <br />within the Consciousness-Space continuum as it has not and <br />cannot have an outside.<br />14. Since all things that fall within space are its products, <br />by the interaction of its metric properties, and they are <br />sustained and re-absorbed by the same space, a God is not <br />and cannot be.<br />15. If there is and can be a God, it is and can only be the <br />Consciousness-Space continuum which makes, keeps and takes <br />back all.<br />16. The four-dimensional Space-Time-Consciousness continuum <br />is God or Nature.<br />17. No second God is or can be.<br />18. The God of a religion is the First Father or Primogenitor <br />of his original race/nation.<br />19. A religion is just the catharsis of its original race/nation. <br />Gods, scriptures, prophets and places of worship are adjuncts <br />of racial identity.<br />20. Revelation doesn't and can't filter except through a medium, <br />and when it filters through a medium it shapes to the mould of <br />the medium. Revelation descends only <br />as crafted and qualified by the medium, never in its original <br />purity.<br />21. Pure Revelation is met only on the other side of the medium <br />of senses and mind, and at maximum entropy.<br />22. The separation of the Electro-Mageneto-Gravitational fields <br />that make the metric dimensions of space is temporary. They were <br />one basic primordial field in the beginning, and they will be <br />that in the end at maximum entropy.<br />23. Maximum entropy is the terminus ad quem and terminus a quo <br />of the Universe: the zero degree of being.<br />24. The being or state at maximum entropy, at Zero Degree Being, <br />is Reality, and its evolution and revolution from Zero Degree <br />Being to Zero Degree Being is Appearance.<br />25. The four-dimensional Space-Time-Consciousness continuum is <br />Appearance, Phenomenon.<br />26. The Unified Field of the Electro-Magneto-Gravitational fields, <br />the Zero Degree Being, is Reality, Noumenon.<br />27. The fourth dimensional Space-Time-Consciousness-Continuum <br />is metric, 3-D; the Unified Field is the Sub-metric, Zero-D.<br />28. The Unified Field is the Supreme Being. The Ultimate God. The <br />bsolute Idea.<br />29. The four dimensional space-time-consciousness-continuum is <br />the Executive God and the Unified Field the Absolute God.<br />30. Phenomenal being is the geometry of the four dimensional <br />space-time-consciousness-continuum.<br />31. The four dimensional space-time-consciousness-continuum <br />geometry is the ultimate superior spirit, the most radiant beauty, <br />Cosmic intelligence, Providence, <br />the Almighty, and all. This metricdom dissolves in the sub-metric <br />at maximum Entropy.<br />32. Life is the metrication of the Submetric by means of the <br />three metric dimensions.<br />33. Mind is the electrification of brain. When the brain is <br />electrified the fired Neurons form into modules which are <br />'pictures'. Magnetism and Gravitation join electricity to <br />make brain's pictography 3-D.<br />34. Electricity, Magnetism and Gravitation produce the super ego, <br />ego, and id in humans and thus make the individual self of the <br />Cosmic self.<br />35. When the Electro-Magneto-Gravitational fields come together <br />into the Unified field at maximum Entropy, all beings attain salvation.<br />36. Individual beings can attain salvation prior to maximum <br />Entropy by working up the Unified Field in the brain by way of <br />arresting the constantly shifting modulations.Al Vinjamurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371661808064476248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3085638418136364916.post-15111686465087977962009-07-05T09:23:00.000-04:002009-07-05T09:25:15.985-04:00Go LIke Hell"He was cruising at 185mph in fourth gear at 5700 rpm. A slight <br />inclining right bend led him under the Dunlop Bridge. He eased <br />up on the gas, then accelerated again, shooting down a slope <br />at 183 mph into the Esses. He downshifted to third, then <br />second, in perfect fluid motion. Easy on the downshifts; no <br />stress on the gear teeth or clutch plate. Hill left the Esses<br />in second gear at 5800 rpm - 82 mph. A hard brake down to 65 <br />mph, a tight right turn into Mulsanna Straight, and he hammered <br />the throttle. Third, Fourth. The g-forces pinned him against <br />his seat. A glance at the tach: 6100 rpm. Two hundred mph <br />summoned with his toe."<br /><br />- Go Like Hell - Ford, Ferrari, and their battle for Speed <br /> and Glory at Le Mans by A. J Baime<br /><br />***** Very Highly Recommended Reading *****<br /><br />...and 2010 Le Mans, I'm definitely going to watch!!!Al Vinjamurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371661808064476248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3085638418136364916.post-76174934815984756692009-07-05T08:22:00.003-04:002011-09-22T19:51:06.269-04:00Monticello Motor ClubI became a founding member about a year ago. <br />
Love the place. Here's a video of me driving<br />
the 2009 Radical SR3-RS on the full course<br />
earlier this year.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyBybAY5yekAB4Bfq6W7OUlsrXYxdFk6TB53ZPH8Y3TwSTSPebiEfpa7XRMbNs4XWbOB6KM0FkWrwvZGindmA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Al Vinjamurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371661808064476248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3085638418136364916.post-58522807039770232802009-04-03T09:47:00.002-04:002011-09-22T19:51:41.941-04:00Natural Light, Markets and Mark to Market ShenanigansFriday, April 3rd<br />
Various Times<br />
<br />
U can see past posts on my blog : www.alvinjamur.blogspot.com<br />
U can see some of my pictures : www.alvinjamur.com<br />
<br />
Okie, plug done. Its been a while so I will be very desultory <br />
here.<br />
<br />
- My brother Vivin pinged me an observation of yesterday's <br />
market action right after the close. As u may know, the whole <br />
modification of Mark To Market rules were passed yesterday. The <br />
banks performed as follows :<br />
<br />
NWSB +9%<br />
ZION +9%<br />
STI +7%<br />
WFC +7%<br />
PNC +6%<br />
USB +5%<br />
C +3%<br />
BAC +3%<br />
KEY +2%<br />
ISBC +1%<br />
JPM +1%<br />
MS -2%<br />
NTRS -5%<br />
<br />
Turns out that the best performers were amongst the <br />
unhealthiest banks while the worst were the banks that <br />
(at least to public knowledge) are the strongest. <br />
There's Capitalism 2.0 for you. We reward the worst <br />
perfomers.<br />
<br />
- As crazy as it may seem, the passing of the modification <br />
of the Mark to Market rules is not coherent with the <br />
Geithner Plan (Public Private Partnership)!! The Financial <br />
Accounting Standards (Rule 157e) will allow banks to use <br />
their own models to value their assets and will allow them <br />
to push the assets onto their Level 3 boxes. The Geithner <br />
"Public Partnership" plan calls for "price discovery" and <br />
the FAS157e plan circumvents this in a way. Go Figure!<br />
<br />
- The market has rallied a LOT since my last post. Yours <br />
truly was not able to take advantage of the rally and <br />
stepped aside and watched. I've spent some time re-tooling <br />
my head to be open to all possibilities and not get into <br />
being a tunnel visioned bear. Its a constant work in <br />
progress! <br />
<br />
- You should spend some time staring at the chart below. <br />
Speaks volumes about the rallies we get in bear markets :<br />
<br />
http://www.dshort.com/charts/mega-bear-comparisons.html?mega-bear-quartet<br />
<br />
- About a week ago, i got word that the greatest living natural <br />
light photographer in the world (Jay Maisel) wrote a little blurb <br />
about me on Scott Kelby's site :<br />
<br />
http://www.scottkelby.com/blog/2009/archives/3814#more-3814<br />
<br />
I took Jay's course about two years at the insistence of my good <br />
friend, Seth Resnick (a Cannon Explorer of Light). Photography has <br />
not been the same for me after taking Jay's course. I tend to delete <br />
most of my pictures and don't even bother shooting if the light is <br />
not good. Jay has been a great influence on me and is one of a <br />
kind. You won't find many like him in this day and age.<br />
<br />
- I'm away from April 12th-19th on a Tiger Shark Trip with my friend, <br />
Jim Abernethy. So will write after I return and will send you some <br />
pictures, too!!Al Vinjamurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371661808064476248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3085638418136364916.post-85023960910274064562009-03-20T21:37:00.002-04:002009-03-20T21:40:42.682-04:00That's all I have to say...Friday, March 20th, 2009<br />2115 hrs<br /><br />On October 29th, 2008, I opined the following and I will <br />simply just repeat what I wrote.<br /><br />"Credit excesses have not been wrung out of the system. <br />All we've done by the machinations of the TAF, PDCF, TSLF, <br />CPFF, MMIFF, ABCPMMMFLF....er, Yes, I mean the "TAF, PDCF, <br />TSLF, CPFF,MMIFF, ABCPMMMFLF" is to shift the problems <br />onto the public balance sheets by risking taxpayer money. <br />These stunts will sooner or later lead to a revolt in the <br />fixed income markets and will likely lead to a currency <br />devaluation. We will be a banana republic."<br /><br />This past week has been a rather interesting one. The <br />talking heads have declared and called the SP 666 number <br />a bottom. Then on Thursday, we all got word that the Federal <br />Reserve will now start outright purchases of longer term <br />debt to help out credit markets. The US dollar collapsed, <br />commodities rallied but NOT in other currencies. The Federal <br />Reserve has essentially devalued the dollar!! <br /><br />YES, THE FEDERAL RESERVE HAS ESSENTIALLY DEVALUED THE US <br />DOLLAR.<br /><br />My brother, Vivin Oberoi wrote me the following the very <br />evening :<br /><br />"It is an unfortunate fact of our lives that B-52 Ben <br />controls the value of our money. I am not going to mince <br />any words. When one sees everything (and I mean everything) <br />BUT your savings account go up in price, there is only ONE <br />conclusion. The value of the dollar is plummeting. This is <br />NOT a bottom has been reached and recovery is around the <br />corner move. Gold is rocketing up. Commodities are but NOT <br />in other currencies. The Fed and the government are now <br />going to finance their “fight debt with more debt” economic <br />policy with our savings accounts. <br /><br />Make no mistake about it, we have now joined ranks with the <br />likes of Argentina where government spending is financed by <br />printing money. The Fed is going to print money, buy newly <br />printed government bonds, transfer trillions into the treasury <br />which will then be spent. This is the form of looting that <br />marks the culmination of debt induced crises that are then <br />mishandled. The savers are now being shot. I am extremely <br />depressed about the prospect of losing my hard earned <br />savings. That is all I have to say."<br /><br />That is all I have to say....<br /><br />- aLVAl Vinjamurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371661808064476248noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3085638418136364916.post-37056714391085648582009-03-09T22:36:00.001-04:002011-09-21T09:36:46.404-04:00Market Bottoms & Economic LifebloodMonday, March 9th, 2009<br />
2155 hrs<br />
<br />
In mathematics, maxima and minima, known collectively as extrema, <br />
are the largest value (maximum) or smallest value (minimum), that <br />
a function takes in a point either within a given neighbourhood <br />
(local extremum) or on the function domain in its entirety (global <br />
extremum).<br />
<br />
I copied the above definition from Wikipedia to remind you that <br />
the favorite questions/articles/opinions these days in financial <br />
media happens to be "Where is the bottom?". The truth is that <br />
NOBODY knows from which price the markets might rally again and <br />
for how long that rally might sustain itself. Whether we trade <br />
bonds or stocks or options or any of the vanilla flavored financial <br />
instruments, technically the bottom is at ZERO. All one can do <br />
when trading is to be extremely self serving and trade in such a <br />
way that the probability of gains are in one's favor.<br />
<br />
--<br />
<br />
Here's a very very interesting link to those of you that watch <br />
CNBC and listen diligently to the talking heads :<br />
<br />
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJObWmN-x9I#<br />
<br />
Funny!? Indeed and I hope your opinion has now changed!<br />
<br />
--<br />
<br />
Forget U shaped recoveries and/or L shaped recoveries and the <br />
like. This administration is now following the failed Japanese <br />
model - bailing out everybody in sight. Every decent american <br />
taxpayer should be angry at the way they're being robbed. The <br />
money is going as bailouts to banks, who are then giving it <br />
out the back door to funds etc., Bailouts will never work. <br />
Japanese markets are down by slightly over 80% from where <br />
they were 19 years ago!! Since "Depressions" are not <br />
economically defined, I'd bet that we are probably at the <br />
threshold of one.<br />
<br />
--<br />
<br />
Congress, the talking heads on TV and others in the media <br />
believe that we need to get the credit cycle running again. <br />
Hah! They state that Credit is the lifeblood of the economy. <br />
Hah!<br />
<br />
PEOPLE!!! THE LIFEBLOOD OF AN ECONOMY LIES<br />
PRODUCTIVITY. IT HAS NOT, DOES NOT, AND WILL<br />
NEVER LIE IN CREDIT (ie., DEBT) IF IT IS NOT BACKED<br />
BY REAL INVESTMENT & THUS SAVINGS.<br />
<br />
The idiots in Washington DC are once again asleep at the wheel. <br />
We need to fire the Fed and the Treasury and appoint people <br />
that are not afraid to feed the financial system bitter <br />
medicine. And a part of that bitter medicine is to simply <br />
force truth out ie., lock up/fire people that have lied along <br />
the chain in our economy and/or who have abetted all this <br />
to happen. Starting with some at AIG...which is pure <br />
outright insurance fraud.Al Vinjamurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371661808064476248noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3085638418136364916.post-2628248763215049622009-03-09T17:36:00.002-04:002009-03-09T17:38:45.785-04:00My Left Foot Little Toe NailMarch 3, 2009<br />1700 - 2100 hrs<br /><br />Though the general trend of this market has been down,<br />know that there will be some major rallies in between.<br />Bear markets tend to take out Bulls and Bears. The<br />best traders are typically the ones that do well in <br />Bear markets because they trade with a very open mind.<br />I do know that wearing Rose Colored glasses, whether<br />Bull or Bear is fraught with danger.<br /><br />---<br /><br />"No Congress of the United States ever assembled, on <br />surveying the state of the Union, has met with a more <br />pleasing prospect than that which appears at the present <br />time...."<br /><br /> - Calvin Coolidge, Dec 4th 1928<br /><br />“Profit and earning ratios are starting to get to <br />the point where buying stocks is a potentially good <br />deal...if you've got a long term perspective on it.” <br /><br /> - Barack Obama, March 3rd, 2009<br /><br /><br />We are going to spend $4 Trillion dollars this year. <br />The estimated deficit will be around $2 Trillion. And <br />the tax numbers are based on some absolutely ridiculous <br />assumptions with regard to GDP growth, employment etc., <br />All this while the administration keeps concocting plans <br />for some grand spending. Last I heard was that its <br />impossible to spend one's way out of a problem, when <br />the problem was/is reckless spending in the first place. <br /><br />As said before, when Japan had issues in the 90s, US <br />lawmakers advised that it would be good if there was a<br />recapitilization of banks. And now, we are doing what<br />Japan essentially did - piecemeal capital infusions<br />without the political will to put some into receivorship.<br />Yes, I do realize that the world is a much more complex<br />place now and there is a pronounced cascade effect <br />because of counter party exposure etc., But what we're<br />doing now is pulling off a bandage very very slowly.<br />What would happen if counter party risk was isolated<br />to geographical exposure and then countries got <br />together in some sort of joint receivorship deal? <br /><br />There's a whole plan on the Public-Private Partnership <br />that's apparently in the works and that will revive the <br />markets. Fact is that private money is likely loath to <br />come here and partner up as its has gotten burned by <br />Corporate America's profligate ways, American consumerism, <br />and now an ever changing and ill-concocted plan about <br />plans for financial market resucitation by the Government. <br /><br />America does not need new Cars, new Homes, new gadgets, <br />whiter teeth, or Silicon replacement parts for certain <br />natural parts of the human body. As long as we believe <br />that we can simply spend our way out of the problem, <br />hazard is near and replete. <br /><br />--<br /><br />My Economist/Macro PM friend, VO sent me a link to the <br />paper below :<br /><br /> http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=227273<br /><br />Note the third author of the paper is Larry Summers.<br /><br />Now, there is going to be a transactions tax on traders <br />like myself that trade quickly. This paper is the <br />birthplace of that ruling. It is assinine because the <br />final point of the abstract pointedly states a belief <br />that making assets illiquid (by discouraging continuous <br />transacting) will no longer subject them to the whims <br />of the market (and micro supply/demand) and is similar <br />to taking a firm private -- to enhance value. <br /><br />MY LEFT FOOT LITTLE TOE NAIL! I really do believe <br />that this is a similar foray like the one where they <br />abolished the "short sale" for certain companies. It is <br />misguided and it will blow up a whole industry. <br /><br />Hyper Myopic.Al Vinjamurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371661808064476248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3085638418136364916.post-25208667548085008042009-03-03T10:13:00.003-05:002009-03-03T10:16:15.954-05:00How to BE HAPPYSunday, March 1st, 2009<br />0028 hrs<br /><br />In the last several days/weeks/months, I have been witness to much <br />in the lives and times of people. In these times that are <br />characterized by deceit, lies, and changing fortunes I asked myself <br />what the essence of happiness was. And therefore, perhaps to soothe <br />you, I would like to take this opportunity to present what was <br />presented to me by a progressive Buddhist Monk when I was 22 years <br />old.<br /><br />Please read every sentence s-l-o-w-l-y and imbibe, Its one of the <br />most logical pieces of emotional prose I have ever read and I have <br />been reading it for a long time. I hope I have imbibed a little <br />and have made a positive difference in my dealings with others.<br /><br />--<br />The Desiderata of Love, Max Ehrmann, 1927<br /><br />"Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace <br />there may be in silence.<br /><br />As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all <br />persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to <br />others, even to the dull and the ignorant, they too have their <br />story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations<br />to the spirit.<br /><br />If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and <br />bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than <br />yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep <br />interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real <br />possession in the changing fortunes of time.<br /><br />Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is <br />full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue <br />there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere <br />life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially, do not feign<br />affection. Neither be cynical about love, for in the face of <br />all aridity and disenchantment it is perennial as the grass.<br /><br />Take kindly to the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering <br />the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you <br />in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with <br />imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.<br /><br />Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You <br />are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the <br />stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is <br />clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it <br />should.<br /><br />Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to <br />be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy <br />confusion of life, keep peace in your soul.<br /><br />With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a <br />beautiful world.<br /><br />Be cheerful. Strive to be happy."Al Vinjamurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371661808064476248noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3085638418136364916.post-64453976905958279402009-02-26T22:20:00.000-05:002009-02-26T22:26:29.433-05:00Good Credit by Good Faith!?Thursday, February 26th<br />2215 hrs...<br /><br />I've gotten quite a few emails (some of you whom I know <br />and some who I don't) blaming me for excessively ranting. <br />Once again, I'm trying to wake up people to the reality <br />that is. Ignoring it (just like some people ignore their <br />credit card bills) and not worrying about it or raising<br />voices against it is the reason why we are in this miss. <br />Here's a site you should visit :<br /><br /> www.right.org/welcome<br /><br />All things considered, academically, I would not pass <br />for a rookie economist, and in that sense, have no real <br />proscenium to stand upon and talk Economics. All this is <br />simply a wake up call to many that might not get a chance <br />to fully realize the gravity of our current situation.<br /><br />---<br /><br />Creating a budget whether for a home, commmunity organization,<br />city, state nation is a complicated thing. The more complex <br />the internal interactions, the greater the variation. You <br />couple that with the slew of higher numbers of assumptions <br />you need to make and things can start to get out of hand <br />very quickly.<br /><br />Here are some things about the new Federal budget:<br /><br /> - In 2009, GDP will grow by 1.2%<br /> - Unemployment rate will be 8.1%<br /> - Will end subsidies to people lending for student loans<br /><br />Deficit of 1.75 Trillion is around 12% of GDP. That's about <br />an increase of 20% in National Debt. Here's a question for <br />our collective national fiscal conscience : How have we, <br />as a nation, become so presumptious to assume that we can <br />actually borrow more? How do we know that foreigners will <br />keep on with our profligate ways instead of worrying about <br />their own economies?<br /><br />We've shown a pattern here : deficit spending, spending on <br />houses thanks to a slew of fraudulent practices along the <br />entire line, leveraging the spending on homes through <br />equity lines of credit..the damn truth is that it runs <br />right through to the Federal Government. Hell, Hillary <br />Clinton went to China and told them to keep buying our <br />paper!!<br /><br />Have you ever sat back and wondered why it may be the <br />case that many US corporations are in the bail out lines? <br />Have you thought about why US corporate bond sales are <br />not going well? <br /><br />The Fed gave low interest rates. Low interest rates gave <br />us cheap loans. Cheap loans made people lie abut their <br />income. Income that was real was hidden by Liar Loans. <br />Liar loans were repackaged and sold with good Credit <br />ratings. Credit rating agencies were in cahoots with <br />banks that repackaged the loans made possible by the <br />laxity of regulators. The regulators now sit in Washington <br />DC and blame the banks etc,. while promoting their own<br />grandstanding. The grandstanding play now is shown <br />all over the world as the resolution of Washington to <br />fix things. Things like this are not easily fixed...<br /><br />Private capital is the real life-blood this economy <br />and it has now fled from our capital markets. The deceit<br />and corruption that went on while our regulators slept <br />has been recognized. Our government cannot fix the <br />economy by releasing another variant of the alphabet <br />soup, plans about plans, backstopping banks by <br />converting preferred debt into common stocks so that <br />they can pass the so-called "stress test".<br /><br />I'm of the opinion that there is a greater probability <br />now that we are entering into a depression that will <br />be far worse than the one that the world witnessed <br />in the 1930s. I HOPE I AM WRONG!<br /><br />Here's a scary scenario (50K feet) : Foreign investors <br />are wary of a lot of US domiciled debt so its very <br />likely that much of corporate debt will have to have <br />riders attached to them about being backed by the <br />"good faith" of the US government. The government <br />will start to run greater deficits (because of some <br />assinine assumption - look above!) and very soon <br />the yields required to sell debt of all varieties <br />will sky rocket. Higher yields required to sell <br />bonds combined with deteriorating quality in the <br />economy will act as a noose around companies that are <br />leveraged. At least 15% of the companies in the <br />SP500 will go bust. There will be widespread job <br />losses, unemployment goes hard through the 10-12% <br />number....<br /><br />.....bleak picture.Al Vinjamurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371661808064476248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3085638418136364916.post-7642259473966864252009-02-24T09:30:00.005-05:002009-02-26T22:20:09.677-05:00Bottom!?The Value Trap<br /><br />“How low can the stock market go? It has fallen<br />so much, right.” I am tired of hearing how it <br />has gone down SO much and how it is SO CHEAP. <br />People are talking about single digit multiples.<br /><br />What truly is the multiple on S&P? <br /><br />Our friends at Standards and Poors that compile <br />the statistics tell us that 4Q 20008 yielded the <br />following numbers (with 93% reporting):<br /><br />Operating Earnings: 5.00 dollars per S&P share <br />(Yes that is FIVE DOLLARS). At this rate, S&P makes <br />20 dollars in the year. What is the PE of S&P500 <br />with Earnings = 20? <br /><br />At the current 750 on the index, P/E ratio is <br />37.5. You read that right! No Typo. P/E is 37.5<br /><br />And operating earnings are what we get after making <br />up numbers with all the accounting tricks. <br /><br />Now, Actual Earnings: $-11.97. <br /><br />Yes. This is correct as well. Open your eyes people!!<br /> <br />S&P500 is LOSING money as an aggregate and this has <br />not happened post 1950. I do not have the data before<br />then. And PLEASE do not think this is some outlandish<br />numerical aberration. <br /><br />The Nikkei 225 earnings were negative for multiple <br />(read >10) quarters in the 90s. We are in the same <br />situation. According to actual earnings, the PE <br />is INFINITE!!<br /><br />Related to this hope, is also a prevalent belief that <br />we are going to get ONE FINAL CATHARTIC PLUNGE to <br />put in a bottom. These people are <br /><br />a) looking at historical patterns that do not <br />hold OR<br /><br />b) still thinking this is a problem of liquidity. <br /><br />THIS IS A PROBLEM OF SOLVENCY. And the company that <br />is on the brink of insolvency (witness the negative <br />earnings of S&P500) is AMERICA INC.,<br /><br />Now, if I hear once more about how cheap the <br />market is…...<br /><br />- voAl Vinjamurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371661808064476248noreply@blogger.com0