Champagne Velvet

I would be bitter, too.  You can’t make this stuff up.

Two stocks to duck and one to grab

… at the recently ended TED Conference in Cali. (Stands for “technology, entertainment, and design.”) Tony Robbins was the speaker. He asked the audience, “How many people in this room have failed at something?” Everyone raises their hand. He then asks, “Why was that?” People start shouting out stuff….and then in the front row, Al Gore yells: “The Supreme Court!”

Muhammad cartoons ‘global crisis’

Does anyone else find the violent reaction to the Muhammad cartoons ironic?
If you haven’t seen them, the Muhammad cartoons are available here. 

BBC NEWS | Middle East | Hamas ’secures stunning victory’

Hamas official Mushir al-Masri warned that Hamas would not hold peace talks with Israel.
“Recognising Israel is not on the agenda either now.”

What kind of world [is Palestine a country these days?] is it when a political party based around a platform of violence can win - strongly - an election for public office?

It’s a sad day for the world and for democracy.

AlterNet: Chomsky: ‘There Is No War On Terror’

…the obvious metric, the number of terrorist attacks, yeah, they’ve succeeded in increasing terror.

The fact of the matter is that there is no War on Terror. It’s a minor consideration. So invading Iraq and taking control of the world’s energy resources was way more important than the threat of terror.

…

There’s basically two principles that define the Bush administration policies: stuff the pockets of your rich friends with dollars, and increase your control over the world. Almost everything follows from that. If you happen to blow up the world, well, you know, it’s somebody else’s business. Stuff happens, as Rumsfeld said.

…

Iraq is the first war I think in the history of European imperialism, including the U.S., where there was massive protest before the war was officially launched.

He also discusses the main problem of the Democratic party, the unguarded WMD stockpiles right after the invasion, the lack of Iraq withdrawal discussion, and the most likely result of a democratic Iraq - closer economic and political ties with Iran and southern Saudi Arabia, both Shiite majorities.  An interesting read.

April:

• Work at Pantheon continues positively and Jim starts openly questioning my move to China, saying that there’s plenty of money to be made in New York (true) and that the company is clearly on the rise (also true).
• I have an interesting dinner with John Probandt, discussing the way he’s done business there, aspects of Chinese culture, my plans, and the possibility of working together on projects there - I recommend Del Frisco’s.
• Great first Seder at cousin Paula’s house. It’s good to get a bigger group of the family together than usual.
• Great second Seder at Jim’s house where they’re slightly more reform than we are, in a good way.
• Elsewhere,
• Peter Jennings hosts his last World News Tonight;
• Pope John Paul II dies; and
• Airbus’s superjumbo, the A380 - the largest passenger plane in the world, makes its debut test flight.

May:

• Jim continues to try to convince me not to go to China, to stay at Pantheon, and finally makes me an offer I couldn’t refuse. I will stay at Pantheon but continue to seek development and acquisition opportunities in China with trips out every two months or so… at least that is the plan.
• I see Star Wars: Episode III at a 4:40am show in Times Square - it doesn’t disappoint but by the time we’re done with breakfast at Blue Fin, I’m a few minutes late for work despite getting up at 3am. The film has a record opening day gross of $50mm.
• Ken, Jim, and I represent Pantheon at ICSC in Las Vegas - a fantastic trip, meet a ton of great people and have a great time.
• Elsewhere,
• The Downing Street Memo is first published and shown to the public - the document is an internal British government memo explaining their belief that the Bush Administration has sought a way to justify a war in Iraq to the U.S. population and the world since before it entered office;
• Lenovo acquires IBM’s PC business - the Chinese start their assault on U.S. brand names as they attempt (and succeed at) going up the profitability curve from manufacturer to design and retailing;
• North Korea fires another test missile into the Sea of Japan - a country displays a continuing weapons program but talk of war by the U.S. is extremely soft compared to that towards Iraq in 2003;
• My Miami Heat, led by Dwyane Wade, sweep the Washington Wizards and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals where they face the Detroit Pistons; with both Shaq and Wade hurt, the Pistons take the final two games of the series to advance to the NBA Finals;
• Danica Patrick races in the Indy 500 and comes in fourth after leading the race several times; and
• W. Mark Felt, former FBI agent, admits to being Deep Throat.

June:

• I start off the month with my first due diligence trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico. The property looks all right but the deal doesn’t. Santa Fe was great and I look forward to going back.
• From Santa Fe, I go for a quick visit to Rancho Palos Verdes to see Chaz. He doesn’t move much, his neck is locked in place with a hard collar and he can barely move his right arm but it’s good to see him.
• The Annual Weekend of Burgers and Beer is, as usual, a success. Jon Wanderer, Chris Szczepanski, Matt Marinzoli and I go back to Matt’s house in Barnegat, NJ. [reminder not to bring more than one change of clothes next year because they’re worthless.]
• Elsewhere,
• Apple announces that it will switch to Intel CPU’s from IBM - after bluffing this move for a long time, it came as a small surprise to me and I think it will be interesting to see its effects over the coming years;
• Michael Jackson is found not guilty on all counts - and so was O.J. I have to admit we did take a break to watch on TV from work; and
• The U.S. Supreme Court decides in favor of MGM in the MGM v Grokster trial - this is bad news for innovation and innovators.