Visionaries

Visionary

1 : one whose ideas or projects are impractical : dreamer
2 : one who sees visions : seer
3 : one having unusual foresight and imagination computer industry>

Interesting things you learn when browsing through to emails and then aimlessly follow the links. I found this 1990 "fantasy documentary" video by Douglas Adams (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) in a LinkedIn discussion group about semantics; thanks to Mike Bennett for mentioning it. Imagine, it was twenty years ago when he envisioned the Internet as we have today. Enjoy this 5 part video. BTW, for the record, two of my favorite visionaries and science fiction writers are: Arthur C. Clarke (The Foundation Series, I, Robot and his three laws of robotics are most memorable) and Robert A. Heinlein (Future History Series, the cult classics Stranger in a Strange Land and Time Enough for Love which are examples of his social and love themes). I've read and enjoyed every single one of their books during the 70's and 80's.

Does that mean we are getting back to BASICS?

Hey, big spender

Nov 20th 2009
From The Economist print edition

Which firms spend most on R&D?

BIG carmakers and drug and technology firms devote the most cash to research and development, according to the European Commission’s latest tally. These types of business rely on developing new products or constantly updating old ones to compete for customers. Toyota was the world's leading R&D spender in 2008. The Japanese carmaker increased its annual R&D budget by 7.6% to €7.6 billion ($10.6 billion), knocking Microsoft off the top spot. Worldwide R&D spending increased by 6.9% in 2008, having also grown by 9% in 2007.

IRD October Issue

Reflections on The Rainmaker

Just watched The Rainmaker, a 1997 motion picture directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Besides being an excellent movie, I highly recommend it, as it is a very appropriate story for our times. Although I know it is a fictional story, the Rainmaker shows us that for profits organizations, such as the Great Benefit Life Insurance Company must be on a tight leash by government to keep their greed in check. I know that our nation’s health coverage problems are more complex, so I searched the web about an analysis of this movie as it relates to our actual health cares system. I found a paper published by “University of Memphis Law Review Volume 26, Number 4 (1996), Health Insurance Coverage for High-Cost Health Care: Reflections on The Rainmaker”. By no means has it left the insurance companies off the hook, but it shows why our government must take action to address our nation’s health and affordability crisis.

Work together or perish.

Do I feel guilty for performing a role that might otherwise go to someone younger?

Absolutely not.

[The question was posed in the article “Our Take: Blaming the Victims” on Jul 31 2009 - http://news.efinancialcareers.com/Blogs_ITEM/newsItemId-20509 and "Stepping Aside" on May 2 2009 - http://www.newsweek.com/id/195657 the article which kick started the debate.]

First, even the brightest and most energetic gen x,y or z's, can and do benefit from the knowledge and experience of older colleagues which makes them more marketable in the future. Second, the right to be productive does not diminish with age, concept that in the U.S., is sanctioned by law.

At any event, this cross-generations anger is misguided. Much of the problems being faced by the boomers and younger generations alike is rooted in the unchecked greed and corruption of the past decades in the private and even public sectors. The private, political and educational leaders have all abdicated their social roles and responsibilities, creating the mess which we see all around us. The American voters have recently reacted to the current ills, but the pressure on the leaders to do the right thing must be kept. Our social responsibilities do not end upon leaving the voting booth. The challenge is to restore high ethics and the sense of social responsibility to our leaders. That, ethics aside, is also good business.

Is it a tall order? Perhaps, but I, for one strongly believe in it. And fear not, this does not have to contradict with our capitalistic system, as the fear mongers like you to believe and turn to socialism. In my mind, only the government and education sectors are in dire need for change. The private sector already does what they do best, which is make money. Only their self-destructive conduct needs to be kept in check.

So, boomers, x, y and z gens, set aside your anger and frustration and focus your energies on the real issues. United we can effect meaningful changes to address our social ills. Divided, we all lose.

This I Too Believe - "All Men Are My Brothers"

While driving this afternoon and listening to NPR, as I always do, I was taken by this short essay by James A. Michener. I was familiar with at least one of this Pulitzer Prize winner’s work, but it is this essay, “All Men Are My Brothers”, that I probably not forget as it is a lifting message. I looked around and found the essay and a recording of the same reading I heard on the radio. I like to share it with you. You can listen to "All Men Are My Brothers" here or read it below.
The http://thisibelieve.org/ site I discovered today is a gem, from what I read so far I can tell you I will be doing some reading here from time to time.

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

I believe that all men are brothers. I really believe that every man on this earth is my brother. He has a soul like mine, the ability to understand friendship, the capacity to create beauty. In all the continents of this world, I have met such men. In the most savage jungles of New Guinea, I have met my brother, and in Tokyo, I have seen him clearly walking before me.

In my brother’s house, I have lived without fear. Once in the wildest part of Guadalcanal I had to spend some days with men who still lived and thought in the old stone age, but we got along together fine. In the South Pacific, on remote islands, I have sailed and fished with brown men who were in every respect the same as I.

Around the world I have lived with my brothers and nothing has kept me from knowing men like myself wherever I went. Language has been no barrier, for once in India, I lived for several days with villagers who didn’t know a word of English. I can’t remember exactly how we got along, but the fact that I couldn’t speak their language was no hindrance. Differences in social custom never kept me from getting to know and like savage Melanesians in the New Hebrides. They ate roast dog, and I ate Army spam, and if we had wanted to emphasize differences, I am sure each of us could have concluded the other was nuts. But we stressed similarities and, so long as I could snatch a Navy blanket for them now and then, we had a fine old time with no words spoken.

It was in these islands that I met a beat-up, shameless old Tonkinese woman. She would buy or sell anything, and in time we became fast friends and I used to sit with her, knowing not a word of her curious language, and we talked for hours. She knew only half a dozen of the vilest English obscenities, but she had the most extraordinary love of human beings and the most infectious sense of this world’s crazy comedy. She was of my blood, and I wish I could see her now.

I believe it was only fortunate experience that enabled me to travel among by brothers and to live with them. Therefore I do not believe it is my duty to preach to other people and insist that they also accept all men as their true and immediate brothers. These things come slow. Sometimes it takes lucky breaks to open our eyes. For example, if I had never known this wonderful old Tonkinese woman, I might not now think of all Chinese as my brothers. I had to learn, as I believe the world will one day learn. Until such time as experience proves to all of us the essential brotherhood of man, I am not going to preach or scream or rant.

But if I am tolerant of other men’s prejudices, I must insist that they be tolerant of me. To my home in rural Pennsylvania come brown men and yellow men and black men from around the world. In their countries I lived and ate with them. In my country they shall live and eat with me. Until the day I die, my home must be free to receive these travelers and it never seems so big a home or so much a place of love as when some man from India or Japan or Mexico or Tahiti or Fiji shares it with me. For on those happy days, it reminds me of the wonderful affection I have known throughout the world.

I believe that all men are my brothers. I know it when I see them sharing my home.

James A. Michener wrote his Pulitzer Prize winning novel, Tales of the South Pacific, during his naval service in World War II after seeking a transfer from a desk job in Washington to the Pacific theater. Michener’s literary career spanned 50 years and 40 books.

Are Data Executives Salaries Under Pressure?

On June 25th at the FISD General Meeting in NY, Dale Richards, CEO, Lakefront Ventures presented preliminary results of the “Data Management & Financial Information Professional Salary Survey”. While it is difficult to draw conclusions from the data collected, it creates a baseline for future year’s comparisons. We will need more data before we can extract trends and have a big story to tell. But it is a great start. If you have not already done so, go to http://www.lakefrontdatajobs.com/salarysurvey to participate in the survey and register to receive future results.

There are interesting observations based on current events which may be supported by this sampling. Due to past consolidations, outsourcing and the busting of various bubbles, there has been a definite downward pressure on salaries. But the ground lost does not appear to be great and I would venture to say there will be a bounce back relatively soon. In my mind the reason for a quick recovery is simple, as for every action there is a reaction.

Consolidation - now economists and governments are assessing the dangers of too-big-to-fail organizations. There will be room for spin-offs and divestitures which may benefit the employment in the low to mid level in technology, analytics and data management space. Most of it I expect to be voluntary, a strong motivation being to focus on core business and keep regulators at bay. Nevertheless job losses are expected and consequently downward pay pressures will exist but probably felt most acutely in the high end of the pay scale. In the sell side and data vendor space we have examples of consolidation such as JPMorgan-Bear Sterns, Barclay-Lehman, Wells Fargo-Wachovia and Thomson-Reuters where top jobs were eliminated. The boutique organizations or other areas will not be able to support the previous compensation of the laid off managers. Consequently we will see an impact on the over 100k ranges.

Outsourcing - probably the biggest downward pressure on salaries on the lower to mid of the scale is also being re-evaluated. You will hear lots of talk about the cost and difficulties in managing these relationships. Onshore or nearshore is the new focus. The benefits are clear: improved cost in communications and access to new local or near pools of talent. Let's not forget political pressures to limit outsourcing. Some form of outsourcing will continue albeit more cautiously and to new near locations. Opportunities will be available to some low to mid experience managers who retain extensive knowledge of the business.

The Bubbles - The reaction to the economic, speculative bubbles and the unchecked excesses of the past dozen years has been taking shape over the last few months and will be likely to produce results -- not only in the financial industry but in the whole US economy. Economists and regulators are focusing on creating new tools to recognize and prevent future bubbles. With the promise of greater oversight and, to some extent, re-engineering of the economy, this task will rally heavily on IT and data professionals. So the new development in these areas should cause the salaries to trend up.

By the way, go to the Inside Reference Data site and read the Majority of Data Executives "Earn $100,000+" story where I was quoted.

Recession Haiku – a cost-cutting measure [of syllables]

How appropriate that in these belt-tightening times we should use Haiku to discuss or find expression for our economic predicament.
Here is a sample:

Fred, Sallie, Fannie,
Betrayed me and took my dreams
Today, I don't sleep.

And

Unregulated
and unfettered avarice....
what were they thinking?

Read hundreds of others Haiku about the economy at this NPR site.

A Great Feel Good Story

Finally I saw the video of Susan Boyle’s performance at the Britain’s Got Talent 2009 everyone is talking about. Once in a while you run into a story which makes you feel good at the same time it provides you of a few basic lessons. For those with talent who have not yet made it, and I do not mean just those with singing talent, don't give up. Believe in yourself, work hard at it and your day will come. If nothing else, enjoy the journey.
For those who judge the book by its cover, or a funny lady with double chin, messy hair, and peculiar disposition, here is the proof of how wrong you can be. I am happy she had her chance.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

Obama's Inauguration

Amazing technology. You can zoom-in to almost anyone in this picture. Click on the picture.