MeMonsterD

The Unimportance of Practically Everything

Sat, 18 May 2013 20:27:22 -0700

Just think of Warren Buffett’s philosophy, quoted by Mary Buffett and David Clark in The Tao of Warren Buffett, “You only have to do a few things right in your life, so long as you don’t do too many things wrong.” The authors continue, “Warren decided early in his career it would be impossible for him to make hundreds of right investment decisions, so he decided that he would invest only in the business that he was absolutely sure of, and then bet heavily on them. He owes 90% of his wealth to just ten investments. Sometimes what you don’t do is just as important as what you do.”

First, Do This.

To get started, I recommend a simple action list.

Before you leave the office today, write down your top six priorities for tomorrow on a Post-it note.
Cross off the bottom five.
Write down your top priority on a Post-it note and put it on your computer.
Schedule a 90-minute window to work on your top priority — preferably the first thing of the day.
Every time you are about to check email, Facebook, Twitter etc., write down what you are about to do.

The cumulative impact of this small change can be profound. Indeed, I just received an email from an executive about a member of his team who has a particular tendency to want to do everything. Interestingly, this team member is the most productive member on his team. When he was young, he learned to push past his tendency. (Here’s a funny video with a handy tip for others who are easily distracted.) Most of us just haven’t fully learned how to do that.

But we can.

source: Greg McKeown, CEO of THIS Inc., a leadership and strategy design agency headquartered in Silicon Valley

Hara and Narsha enjoying their soju

Sat, 18 May 2013 14:54:22 -0700

Hara and Narsha enjoying their soju

BMW E92 M3 (source: prior design)

Sat, 18 May 2013 14:49:47 -0700

BMW E92 M3 (source: prior design)

Yoo In Na holding up a glass of Chungha soju

Sat, 18 May 2013 14:46:09 -0700

Yoo In Na holding up a glass of Chungha soju

Park Min Young holding my bottle of Jinru

Sat, 18 May 2013 14:30:30 -0700

Park Min Young holding my bottle of Jinru

How Apple Is Losing Mobile

Mon, 13 May 2013 16:44:38 -0700

Like many others, I rushed out to buy the first iPhone when it was launched in 2007. It was unlike anything I’d ever seen: A phone that could seemingly do anything.

I was living in Kiev, Ukraine at the time and the iPhone craze was especially palpable there. None of the GSM operators were authorized to sell iPhones so every unit in the country was, by necessity, jailbroken. There was a shop on the main street that would hack your phone for $20. Even the President had it done!

That’s how groundbreaking a product the iPhone was. If you didn’t have one, you wanted one. There could be no substitute. (Disclosure: I hold Apple stock through a fund so have an indirect financial interest in the company).

Last week, however, something happened that made it clear to me that the iPhone’s dominance is a thing of the past. It came in the form of a push notification from my Google GOOG -0.28% search app that invited me to use Google Now, their revolutionary new personal assistant driven by artificial intelligence.

The app doesn’t know me well yet, but it has already started recommending restaurants, estimating travel times for appointments and even letting me know if I’m likely to hit traffic on the way. It’s a bit spooky that Google knows so much about me, but so useful that I’m unlikely to ever want to give it up.

What’s more, Google Now operates completely independently of my phone. If I buy a new one from Samsung or LG, it will not only work just as well, it will retain what it has learned about me. That’s a big problem for Apple AAPL +0.39%.

In fact, I think that it’s becoming clear that Apple is losing its leadership in mobile for three reasons:

1. The Declining Importance of Hardware: It sounds strange now, but a decade ago it seemed like hardware was dead and software was king. During the 90’s, Microsoft MSFT +1.05% was the world’s most valuable company and PC makers were becoming commodities. It was Apple who revived the hardware space through revolutionary products like the iPhone.

These things tend to go in cycles and it looks like we’re entering a new phase in which software becomes dominant again. Much of the value we derive our devices over the next decade will be from services delivered from the cloud, rather than built-in functionality.

Moreover, today you can buy a smartphone just as good as the iPhone (some would say better) from a variety of manufacturers. The stiff competition and lack of differentiation will mean shrinking margins and declining market share for handset manufacturers, Apple included.

2. Apple No Longer Owns iPhone Functionality: When Apple launched its seriously flawed maps application I waited months to upgrade my iOS because I didn’t want to give up Google Maps for an inferior product. It wasn’t till I was able to download Google Maps from the App Store that I finally accepted new software from Apple.

I still prefer iPhones, but to be honest I couldn’t tell you why. Virtually everything I use my phone for (except regular calls, of course), is provided by someone else. I use Google for the browser, search and maps, Zite and Hootsuite for content, Brewster for contacts, Skype for calls to friends overseas and, I suspect, eventually Square for payments.

In fact, even though I haven’t switched to Android, there seems to be more Google in my iPhone than there is Apple.

3. The Rise Of Artificial Intelligence: As I pointed out in an earlier post on Forbes, although Apple was the company that first got everyone excited about artificial intelligence (AI) on mobile phones when they launched Siri, they have fallen way behind in this area and show no signs of progress.

In the future, switching software platforms won’t be a simple matter of learning a new interface. It will more akin to moving to a new town, where everyone will have to get to know you before they can provide you with the service you’ve grown accustomed to.

Right now, Google Now is the clear leader in AI mobile applications, but others could emerge as strong competitors. Microsoft certainly has the technology, but not the mobile footprint (although with a couple of good OEM agreements, that could change fast). IBM IBM -0.98% could certainly compete if they chose to and Amazon could probably take a run at it as well.

Other firms, such as Facebook FB +0.52% and Nuance (which provides key technology to Apple’s Siri) have strong AI capabilities and there’s a host of others who either have or are building impressive technologies. Apple’s management is smart and capable, so it is strange that they seem to be sitting this one out.

It is possible, as many Apple advocates insist, that they have a secret plan and will once again set the world on fire. However, that’s doubtful. It’s difficult, if not impossible, to hire strong expertise quietly and even Apple’s well-deserved reputation for secrecy wouldn’t apply to acquisitions. It’s tough to buy if no one knows you’re in the market.

That doesn’t mean that Apple couldn’t build or buy AI expertise, (a business as strong as Apple’s can do just about anything it sets its mind to), but they haven’t shown any signs of doing so and continue to fall behind in machine learning.

And so, every day my iPhone becomes more of a Google phone.

source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/gregsatell/2013/05/13/how-why-apple-is-losing-mobile/

…excited about her drink.

Sat, 11 May 2013 10:07:33 -0700

…excited about her drink.

President Obama getting take-out from Great Eastern Restaurant...

Sun, 05 May 2013 21:40:00 -0700

President Obama getting take-out from Great Eastern Restaurant in San Francisco Chinatown (02/17/2012 source: saul loeb, san francisco chronicle)

KPOP Secret pointing to the soju!

Sun, 05 May 2013 21:30:00 -0700

KPOP Secret pointing to the soju!

Yoo In Na holding my soju bottle!

Sun, 05 May 2013 21:27:44 -0700

Yoo In Na holding my soju bottle!

excitement over salt and pepper lobster

Thu, 02 May 2013 20:00:00 -0700

excitement over salt and pepper lobster

Modern Society means a Petroleum Society

Thu, 02 May 2013 19:54:00 -0700

A partial list of products made from Petroleum (144 of 6000 items)

One 42-gallon barrel of oil creates 19.4 gallons of gasoline. The rest (over half) is used to make things like:

Solvents

Diesel fuel

Motor Oil

Bearing Grease

Ink

Floor Wax

Ballpoint Pens

Football Cleats

Upholstery

Sweaters

Boats

Insecticides

Bicycle Tires

Sports Car Bodies

Nail Polish

Fishing lures

Dresses

Tires

Golf Bags

Perfumes

Cassettes

Dishwasher parts

Tool Boxes

Shoe Polish

Motorcycle Helmet

Caulking

Petroleum Jelly

Transparent Tape

CD Player

Faucet Washers

Antiseptics

Clothesline

Curtains

Food Preservatives

Basketballs

Soap

Vitamin Capsules

Antihistamines

Purses

Shoes

Dashboards

Cortisone

Deodorant

Footballs

Putty

Dyes

Panty Hose

Refrigerant

Percolators

Life Jackets

Rubbing Alcohol

Linings

Skis

TV Cabinets

Shag Rugs

Electrician’s Tape

Tool Racks

Car Battery Cases

Epoxy

Paint

Mops

Slacks

Insect Repellent

Oil Filters

Umbrellas

Yarn

Fertilizers

Hair Coloring

Roofing

Toilet Seats

Fishing Rods

Lipstick

Denture Adhesive

Linoleum

Ice Cube Trays

Synthetic Rubber

Speakers

Plastic Wood

Electric Blankets

Glycerin

Tennis Rackets

Rubber Cement

Fishing Boots

Dice

Nylon Rope

Candles

Trash Bags

House Paint

Water Pipes

Hand Lotion

Roller Skates

Surf Boards

Shampoo

Wheels

Paint Rollers

Shower Curtains

Guitar Strings

Luggage

Aspirin

Safety Glasses

Antifreeze

Football Helmets

Awnings

Eyeglasses

Clothes

Toothbrushes

Ice Chests

Footballs

Combs

CD’s & DVD’s

Paint Brushes

Detergents

Vaporizers

Balloons

Sun Glasses

Tents

Heart Valves

Crayons

Parachutes

Telephones

Enamel

Pillows

Dishes

Cameras

Anesthetics

Artificial Turf

Artificial limbs

Bandages

Dentures

Model Cars

Folding Doors

Hair Curlers

Cold cream

Movie film

Soft Contact lenses

Drinking Cups

Fan Belts

Car Enamel

Shaving Cream

Ammonia

Refrigerators

Golf Balls

Toothpaste

Gasoline

Americans consume petroleum products at a rate of three-and-a-half gallons of oil and more than 250 cubic feet of natural gas per day each! But, as shown here petroleum is not just used for fuel.

source: www.ranken-energy.com

Petroleum in Everyday Life

Thu, 02 May 2013 19:42:00 -0700

The many faces of petroleum

Most people associate petroleum with fuel to power cars, airplanes and other forms of transportation that use internal combustion engines. But it’s a multifaceted material that is used to make products for use in everything from agriculture to medicine to textiles to electronics.

Plastics: Because plastic is made from petroleum, you’ll find it practically everywhere – in children’s safety seats, appliances, car bodies and interiors, computers and more.
Medicine: Polymers derived from petroleum are used as a base commodity to make syringes, heart valves, blood and plasma bags, tubing, prosthetics, pacemakers and medicines.
Agriculture: The farming industry relies on petroleum for fertilizer, irrigation pumps, transportation of food, refrigeration, and wrapping and packing materials.
Construction: Petroleum is a chemical compound in paints, lacquers, linoleum, carbon fiber, graphite and asphalt, used to surface roads.
Aviation: Lightweight, petroleum-based composites and carbon fiber technology allow aircraft and other vehicles to travel farther on less fuel.

source: www.saudiaramco.com

Twenty Dividend Stocks I Recently Purchased for my IRA Rollover

Wed, 01 May 2013 18:47:08 -0700

*** This is an article from the Dividend Growth Investor blog. Tough to see such high fundamental evaluations due to the low-interest rate environment. Some financial parameters of these growth-and-income stocks exceed that of even growth or momentum stocks. It will be interesting to see when QE from the Fed eases, what will happen to the multiples and thereby stock prices.

As I mentioned in an earlier article, I am ramping up my contributions to a 401 (k) plan, in order to reduce current tax liabilities and enjoy tax free compounding of gains. However, I already had an old 401 (k), which was eligible for a rollover. In early April I cashed out the index funds in it, and rolled the money over into an IRA. After that I decided to equally allocate the money in twenty individual dividend stocks. The money was immediately available for me to invest in the very next morning. This is a different account from the IRA I used to lower my current tax liabilities.

I had identified a list of stocks to purchase, and decided to buy them throughout the day and be done with it immediately. I read many blogs, newspapers, financial websites, and only saw negative sentiment toward the stock market. This is a strong sentiment indicator that the market will continue going up from here. This is why it is best to purchase stocks that look fairly valued today rather than wait, and purchase them when they get more expensive. My review of dollar cost averaging identified that putting money to work as soon as possible might be a better solution than waiting to allocate the funds. Of course, since i went from 100% invested in stock mutual funds to 100% invested in dividend stocks, this should have minimal effect on me.

Over the past four years, I keep hearing the same information that stocks are overvalued and that we are going to see some sort of hyperinflation. Lucky for me, I only pay attention to company fundamentals. I should know better, since economists as a group are known for having forecast nine out of the past five recessions. I also keep looking at the number of perma bears, who have been consistently bearish on stocks and the economy for the past 20-25 years. At one point they will be right for a few years, but then, even a broken clock is right two times per day.

Markets can easily go higher from here, given the fact that everyone is expecting corrections. However, I am not a market timer, which is why I reinvested almost all of the money immediately into the following 20 stocks:

The one thing I care about is purchasing great businesses at fair prices. My analysis of these businesses has shown that each of them should be able to generate higher earnings to pay me a rising stream of dividends for years to come. Even if stock prices fell by 50%, the dividend income would most likely hardly change. Because I do not plan on adding any money in this particular IRA account, I have set up the distributions to be reinvested automatically.

You might have also noticed that I am holding an MLP in an IRA. However, for the two years since I owned Oneok Partners (OKS), the UBTI has never been even in positive territory. This is why I doubt I would have any taxable issues with this MLP in my rollover IRA.

Full Disclosure: I have a position in ADM, AFL, APD, CVX, DLR, FDO, JNJ, KMI, KO, MCD, MDT, MMM, MO, OKS, PG, PM, UTX, VOD, WMT

source: http://www.dividendgrowthinvestor.com/2013/05/twenty-dividend-stocks-i-recently.html

Infographic: If Google Fiber Went Worldwide

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 18:41:21 -0700

Google GOOG -0.96% is bringing its super-fast broadband network Fiber to three big cities in the United States so far: Kansas City, Austin and Provo, Utah. That’s sparked much discussion about where it might go next.

The smart money is on Google picking a few more big cities in the United States and leaving it at that. If it launches somewhere big like Dallas or San Francisco, ISPs like AT&T T -0.64% and Time Warner Cable TWC +1.35% may be more likely to start introducing 1 Gbps internet in more places too. That could play into a less-dramatic but powerful goal: kickstarting industry-wide competition to introduce faster internet speeds, so that more people go online and look at Google ads.

But suppose Google really does want to bring Fiber everywhere. Suppose it doesn’t mind traversing the minefield of bids, city council permits and even the potential danger of digging up roads, to lay down its fiber network throughout the U.S. and in other countries. Design agency Neomam Studios has put together an infographic with a few speculative stats about how long it would take for Google Fiber to cover the rest of the human population, based its current rate of expansion. It leaves aside the vastly different telco infrastructures you’d find country to country, but it’s still interesting to look at.

Their key, hypothetical stat: Google has covered 0.007% of the populated world’s surface since July 2012. If it were to keep rolling out its services at the same rate, it will take 107.25 years to cover the rest of the Earth:

Google Fiber infographic; credit: BroadbandGenie.co.uk

source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/parmyolson/2013/04/26/infographic-if-google-fiber-went-worldwide/?partner=yahootix

VW Golf GTI R spotted somewhere in Thailand (source: seua yai)

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 20:54:20 -0700

VW Golf GTI R spotted somewhere in Thailand (source: seua yai)

VW GTI R32 spotted somewhere in Hong Kong [source: juergen]

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 20:48:01 -0700

VW GTI R32 spotted somewhere in Hong Kong [source: juergen]

GE continues the strengthening of their oil/gas division...

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 20:29:00 -0700

This week, perennial industrial conglomerate General Electric announced that it would acquire Lufkin Industries (LUFK) for $88.50 per share, or roughly $3+ billion. What Lufkin adds to GE is the artificial life technologies used in the oil/gas exploration industry that makes upstreaming more efficient from existing wells. GE already competes in this arena, but will now have further technology to increase their share presence. Overall, only a few companies are in this area, including Dover and Weatherford.

Previous acquisitions that GE has had include Dresser Inc ($3 billion), Wellstream PLC ($1.3 billion) and John Wood’s PLC Well Support Division ($2.8 billion).

Time will tell if GE’s shedding of non-core assets and the building of it’s oil/gas service business will prove fruitful.

Dirty energy in the form of coal; sure it’s carbon toxic,...

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 22:22:00 -0700

Dirty energy in the form of coal; sure it’s carbon toxic, but it’s cheaper than nat.gas for power plants. After getting train-wrecked by the past 12 months, are we on a bounce back horizon trade. Testing 6 month lows. Lets target this at $24, especially if China says eff the environment.

Will TAN be hot? Guggenheim Solar ETF closed Wednesday...

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 22:19:30 -0700

Will TAN be hot? Guggenheim Solar ETF closed Wednesday 04/10/2013 @ $17.91. Are we at a re-surgence of alternative energy dollars? Approached 50 MA. Roll dice on $22 st.

MeMonsterD

The Unimportance of Practically Everything

Hara and Narsha enjoying their soju

BMW E92 M3 (source: prior design)

Yoo In Na holding up a glass of Chungha soju

Park Min Young holding my bottle of Jinru

How Apple Is Losing Mobile

…excited about her drink.

President Obama getting take-out from Great Eastern Restaurant...

KPOP Secret pointing to the soju!

Yoo In Na holding my soju bottle!

excitement over salt and pepper lobster

Modern Society means a Petroleum Society

A partial list of products made from Petroleum (144 of 6000 items) One 42-gallon barrel of oil creates 19.4 gallons of gasoline. The rest (over half) is used to make things like:

Petroleum in Everyday Life

The many faces of petroleum

Twenty Dividend Stocks I Recently Purchased for my IRA Rollover

Infographic: If Google Fiber Went Worldwide

VW Golf GTI R spotted somewhere in Thailand (source: seua yai)

VW GTI R32 spotted somewhere in Hong Kong [source: juergen]

GE continues the strengthening of their oil/gas division...

Dirty energy in the form of coal; sure it’s carbon toxic,...

Will TAN be hot? Guggenheim Solar ETF closed Wednesday...

A partial list of products made from Petroleum (144 of 6000 items)

One 42-gallon barrel of oil creates 19.4 gallons of gasoline. The rest (over half) is used to make things like: