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would i have spotted it... Three men accused of $21 million Bay Area real estate scam By Steve Johnson sjohnson@mercurynews.com ...
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what an exemplary career track that is local as well! love the concept of "repot" Source: Connect: the magazine for Erns...
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Santa Clara - the county which encompasses Silicon Valley - has the highest percentage of homeless in America, according to the latest Depa...
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
d.school- Hasso Plattner Institute
Founded in '04- Products launched from the Institute are the Embrace blanket, a low-cost alternative to neonatal incubators and the d.light, a solar-powered LED light now in use in some third world rural communities.[1] The Pulse News Reader was developed in a class in 2010, and became the highest-selling application at Apple's App Store.[1]
Be a DJ and a colorist
Per TJ, managing work-life balance is like being a DJ spinning the multiple turntables-- first, don't let them stop and then create a symphony. Avail yourself to opportunities.
Women leader: First, know where the lines are. Then, you can color outside them
Women leader: First, know where the lines are. Then, you can color outside them
Monday, July 9, 2012
i < steinbeck
It isn't a stretch to call John Steinbeck one of the country's greatest novelists, and for his stories' backdrops he rarely looked farther than his own backyard - a rural farming community and a fishing village that are better known (and better off) because of his tales. Between MontereyCounty's "Steinbeck Country" and the 10,000-mile journey with his poodle, Charley, there is no shortage of places that inspired the author, or where he inspired readers.
1. Steinbeck House, Salinas {utriangle}
Yes, the National Steinbeck Center is the main attraction (and a required stop), but if you want a hearty soup and sandwich in the house where he was born and was raised, walk two blocks west to this restored Victorian. The nonprofit Valley Guild has been serving lunch there for decades to pay for the home's upkeep. 132 Central Ave., (831) 424-2735 (reservations recommended), steinbeckhouse.com.
2. Pike Place Market, Seattle
In 1960, Steinbeck was on the meandering trip with his poodle detailed in "Travels with Charley" and stopped in "the old part of Seattle, where the fish and crabs and shrimps lay beautifully on white beds of shaved ice and where the washed and shining vegetables were arranged in pictures." We're guessing he would still recognize it today. First Avenue and Pike Street, pikeplacemarket.org.
You can talk about Cannery Row (renamed after the book) all you want, but Steinbeck wouldn't give it a second glance today compared with the headquarters of marine-life research and learning that is the centerpiece - also a monument to his best friend, Ed Ricketts. Afterward, walk south on the Monterey Bay Coastal Trail to nearby spots for tide pooling. 886 Cannery Row, (831) 648-4800, montereybayaquarium.org.
5. Humboldt Redwoods State Park
On his "Travels with Charley" trip, he spent time in what might be the state park (no one is absolutely sure), admiring the coastal redwoods he called "ambassadors from another time" - and trying to get his poodle to piddle on one (going so far as to attach a branch from another tree to the sequoia trunk). Visitor Center: State Route 254, between the towns of Weott and Myers Flat, (707) 946-2263,www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=425.
3. Fremont Peak
Hike to this highest point in the Gabilan Range, the mountains Steinbeck describes in the opening to "East of Eden." The 3,169-foot peak is the best spot for a broad view of sprawling Steinbeck Country, from the produce fields of the Salinas Valley to the shores of Monterey Bay. Fremont Peak State Park trailhead: Off of Highway 156, 11 miles south of San Juan Bautista on San Juan Canyon Road, (831) 623-4255, www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=25096.
Sunday, July 8, 2012
GT was the auditor
OFF THE SHELF
A Trader Who Swerved, and Crashed
By BRYAN BURROUGH
Published: June 30, 2012
THE first third of “Octopus,” Guy Lawson’s new book on the 2005 collapse of the Bayou Group hedge fund, is what you might expect: an engrossing tale of the rise of Samuel Israel III, a cocaine-snorting crook who started his firm in the basement of his Westchester County home. If the rest were simply the story of Mr. Israel’s inevitable fall, it would still be a darn good read.
But on Page 139, “Octopus” — to be published next week by Crown — takes a startling 90-degree turn into Crazy Town. By this point, in 2004, Mr. Israel, a trader whose main talent involved front-running the stock picks of far smarter men, has secretly run Bayou into a $117 million hole. He needs a fast hundred million or two to stave off collapse.
It is then, during a trip to London, that a mysterious stranger takes Mr. Israel, and the reader, on a bizarre journey down a multibillion-dollar rabbit hole. What follows is surely one of the oddest Wall Street tales I’ve read in 30 years, and it’s what transforms “Octopus” from a good book into a special one.
Saturday, July 7, 2012
CFA Success...
Bill Gross, Founder and Managing Director, PIMCO
The Bond King graduated from Duke University with a degree in psychology in 1966. After service in the Navy, he received an MBA at the UCLA Anderson School of Management. In an interesting twist, Mr. Gross played blackjack professionally in Las Vegas before joining Pacific Mutual Life as an investment analyst. Gross, along with Bill Podlich and Jim Muzzy, convinced Pacific Mutual to let them actively manage the bond fund in a separate account and Pacific Investment Management Company (PIMCO) is formed in 1971. Gross is a CFA charterholder and was named the Fund Manager of the Decade (2000-2009) by MorningStar.
Rather than an intuitive genius in finance, I think it is the ability to apply the pursuit of knowledge to financial problems that has made these men successful.
Audit fees and decisions
Higher costs, no benefit, seen in audit reform
Premium content from Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal by Eli Segall, Reporter
Date: Friday, March 23, 2012, 3:00am PDT
- Eli Segall
- Reporter- Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal
The motivation seems simple enough: protect investors by making sure accountants, the ones who inspect the books of public companies, stay fiercely objective and don’t get too chummy with their clients.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
NewOrleans: Go in Fall
February-May
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This is the time when most of the major festivals -- including Mardi Gras and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival -- take place. However, you should note that hotel rates rise dramatically and, due to heavy tourist traffic, availability can be scarce. Make sure to book up to several months in advance. You should also be aware that many of the city's most popular attractions close during Mardi Gras, so if sightseeing is a priority, plan a trip that doesn't coincide with the event. Springtime weather is comfortably warm, with average high temperatures ranging from the low 70s to the mid 80s.
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June-August
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As summer sets in, tourists flee from the heat and humidity, leaving behind a trail of outstanding deals on hotel rooms. Average high temperatures hover in the steamy low 90s, making it somewhat uncomfortable for foot tours. This is also the rainiest season, so make sure to pack an umbrella.
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September-November
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Autumn is a nice time to visit. Hotel rates are still low, and average high temperatures fall back into the 80s. You should still keep an eye on the weather report: Late August and September mark the height of hurricane season (which poses a threat from June to November). However, less stifling weather and plenty of fun cultural events make the Big Easy more enjoyable to visit now than during the summer.
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December-January
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Winter marks a sweet spot in New Orleans Tourism. The city has had time to cool off, with average high temperatures resting in the 60s, and the springtime festivals haven't started yet. This is also a good time to save, since the quieter winter attracts fewer tourists. If you can swing it, try to visit around the holidays when the city is all spruced up in seasonal décor.
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