What motivates you to do better?
Marketing experts will confirm that price is not the biggest motivator for purchases. Status is. People want things that will make them look better and feel better about themselves. Generally, the price of an item figures only third on the steps of purchasing behavior, preceded by good service.
But what about receiving money instead of spending it? Is money a big motivator for performance at the work place? Alas, again no. Time and again research has shown that for most people money is not the most important matter in their working life. Basically, the feel-good factor is the biggest motivator. Thus, again, status, albeit perceived status. That great feeling of contributing and appreciation… which money cannot buy from the best of people. Read more…
US Federal Reserve Bank
There is much ado about, well, much about the United States Federal Reserve bank. As the saying goes, if the United States sneezes the world catches a cold. Whatever the US Federal Reserve decides or wherever it falters influences the world. At least until this decade when the balance of economic power shifted from the West to the East.
The Fed, as it is known, is often the subject of conspiracy theories and much derided because of the secrecy of operation of the organization. Some believe the management of the organization to be responsible for the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963 because of his Executive Order 111110, designed to curb the power of the Fed executives or even break up the bank. Read more…
The day the world changed
There is a moment in life when everything changes – not only for you but for the whole world. Sometimes you can call up the exact moment when it did happen but sometimes you have to think hard to recall the day. But it is there. The day that the world changed.
James Burke, the brilliant historian TV presenter, produced a series of videos to remind us of the memorable days in history that changed, well, just about everything for everyone. It is called The Day The Universe Changed.
Early on Burke suggested that “a forthcoming revolution in communication and computer technology would allow people all over the world to exchange ideas and opinions instantaneously.” Read more…
The bubbles
Recessions should be easy to remember because they hit so hard and so often. How many recessions do you remember? 2? 10? 20?
There have been hundreds of recessions and a number of depressions throughout history. In the United States, there have been 47 recessions since 1790.
The causes for recession are war or greed or both. The biggest culprits are private bankers speculating irresponsibly with other people’s money, as can be seen in the list of recessions. Economists Hyman Minsky and Richard Koo point the finger to debt accumulation by the non-government sector. Minsky put these culprits into three types: hedge borrowers, speculative borrowers, and Ponzi borrowers. Read more…
The Third Dog
While two dogs are fighting for a bone, a third runs away with it. Nowhere in the corporate world is this more true than with Monsanto, the multinational agricultural biotech giant. While the authorities and the public debate the ethical and health complications of Monsanto products the company is reaping profits. In the words of Phil Angell, Monsanto’s former director of corporate communications, “Monsanto should not have to vouchsafe the safety of biotech food. Our interest is in selling as much of it as possible. Assuring its safety is the F.D.A.’s job.” Read more…
Predictions by modern prophets
Some people predict future happenings with such accuracy that it is chilling. The predictions of Nostradamus, Mother Shipton, Siener van Rensburg, Edgar Casey and others still have the world talking. Mostly because most of their predictions – as are the prophesies of the Bible Books of Daniel and Revelations – are still to come to fruition.
Unfortunately, most predictions are about damnation, destruction and downfall. Thus, when recently made predictions became true within a very short while – a year or two – even the naysayer had to sit up and listen. Of course, as with prophets of old the modern predictors are also mocked at first. Such was the case with those who predicted the economic downturns of 2009 onward before it happened. Peter Schiff was heckled on television for his negative outlook on the economy, Nouriel Roubini was labeled as “Dr Doom” and Marc Faber was called a skeptic. Read more…
The story of Google
Some funny-sounding brand names have made it into history but not many got there because of misspelling. As was Google, which is named after the scientific word that refers to extremely large numbers, googol. The name was suggested by Sean Anderson – as googolplex – to Larry Page – who decided on googol – but looking up on the availability of the domain name Sean misspelled it as google. This interesting bit of history can be read on David Koller’s page at Standford University, where it all first began as BackRub way back in 1995. Read more…
