– IT Trends in 2005

Last updated on: October 20, 2005 at 4:23 pm By Desh Kapoor

Here is a summary of a report from Gartner on the IT Trends in 2005 In a new special report, Gartner, Inc. outlines key issues and projects adoption rates on five topics that the industry-leading research firm is encouraging clients to actively manage in their information-technology (IT) programs and budgets this year. The topics include open-source software, voice/data convergence, service-oriented architecture, IT utility, and global sourcing. "These five trends represent inevitable and irrevocable shifts in the information technology landscape," said David W. Cearley, a Gartner Research vice president. "In the face of such shifts IT decision-makers must ask - 'When do I have to face up to this, or end up left behind?' and 'How do I actually get some business value out of this?' " Read more

– Conversation with Bill Gates and Warren Buffett

Last updated on: October 20, 2005 at 4:05 pm By Desh Kapoor

This is a conversation with Bill Gates and Warren Buffett together. Interesting thoughts... Best book you've read lately? BUFFETT: Katharine Graham's Personal History is sensational. I think everybody ought to read that. GATES: There's one called The Bottomless Well, about energy, that I love. There's one about computer science, Ray Kurzweil's book—I have a preprint, so I'm not sure when it's coming out—called Singularity Is Near, about artificial intelligence. The Tom Friedman book [The World Is Flat] is supergood. Jeffrey Sachs wrote a book called The End of Poverty, the Jack Welch book Winning came out this year, and don't forget [Jared Diamond's] Collapse, which is the follow-on to one of the best books of all time [Guns, Germs, and Steel]. Read more

– Four Gold stocks from Morningstar

Last updated on: October 20, 2005 at 3:58 pm By Desh Kapoor

Morningstar gives four Gold stocks to add to your radar screen.. Goldcorp GG. Goldcorp has enjoyed enviably low extraction costs because its Red Lake Mine in Ontario has 2 ounces of gold per ton of ore as opposed to the 0.01-1.3 ounces found in the mines owned by larger North American companies like Newmont NEM, Placer Dome PDG, and Barrick ABX. Low extraction costs translate into healthy cash flows, higher margins, and higher returns on invested capital. Goldcorp's average ROIC is an impressive 30% since 2001, which is outstanding in the gold mining industry. Under new CEO Ian Telfer, Goldcorp has set its sights on using the cash generated by operations to acquire its way into the 2 million-ounce-per-year category. We expect to see a lot of action and growth here, though we would keep a close watch on acquisition prices. Read more

– Why savers are losers

Last updated on: October 20, 2005 at 3:57 pm By Desh Kapoor

Here is the much celebrated Robert Kiyosaki on why the Savers are losers! Well, the countries where people save .. at least dont have to borrow as much as US does... thus jeopardizing their economic future! Well still worth a read. A New System of Money In the closing days of World War II, the Bretton Woods System was put in place to stabilize the world's currencies. This was a quasi-gold standard, which meant currencies were backed by gold. The system worked fine until the 1960s when the U.S. began importing Volkswagens from Germany and Toyotas from Japan. Suddenly the U.S. was importing more than it was exporting and gold was leaving our country. Read more

Losing

Last updated on: October 20, 2005 at 3:39 pm By Desh Kapoor

"Losing is like fertilizer: it stinks for a while, then you get used to it." Read more

Crime and Politics

Last updated on: October 20, 2005 at 3:04 pm By Desh Kapoor

Crime does not pay ... as well as politics. Read more

Originality

Last updated on: October 20, 2005 at 3:02 pm By Desh Kapoor

Originality is the fine art of remembering what you hear but forgetting where you heard it. Read more

Belly Dancer at ifest houston 2005

Last updated on: October 20, 2005 at 12:16 am By Desh Kapoor

This was an impressive performance from a belly dancer in this year's India Fest in Houston Downtown. She was a Brazilian. Read more

– Larwood in the Bodyline series

Last updated on: October 20, 2005 at 12:12 am By Desh Kapoor

This is yet another classic from the Ashes Cricket series between where the combination of captain Douglas Jardine and Harry Larwood, the bowler went after the bodies of Aussie batsmen. Here is Larwood in action hitting one of the Aussie batsmen. Read more

– Houston Downtown

Last updated on: October 19, 2005 at 11:00 pm By Desh Kapoor