Great blogs and sites to follow for investing

valueinvestorindia.blogspot.com
www.fwallstreet.com
www.lmcm.com/differentiated_thinking/tlf_archive.aspx
www.capitalideasonline.com



will create a comprehensive list some time later....

3 idiots

Yesterday I went to one of the biggest blockbuster movie of the decade-The 3 idiots. it was definitely a well made movie with Aamir Khan despite being 44 looked a collegian.

what I liked
-Boman Irani's acting
-Great scenic shots
-Aamir Khan's attitude
-some dialogues

what pissed me off
-more than 80% of the movie was from the book. I totally agree with Chetan Bhagat (http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_160-of-170-pages-of-3-idiots-script-were-mine-abhijat-joshi_1331436).

I didn't expect such response from good film-makers of the Munnabhai fame to get embroiled in such stupid controversy. If it was for a cheap publicity, then both film-makers Vinod Chopra and the author Chetan Bhagat should be blamed. And if we believe Chetan bhagat, which I feel is true after watching the movie, then he surely deserves credit due as well as good royalty payment. Film is the top grosser on the bourses.

-Madhvan no way looked like he was doing engineering. "All is well" song showed his plumpness. If he wanted to be shown as engineer, then directors should have shown him that he has repeated each engg. year

-Crowd in the theater-went for really cheap tickets (Rs. 40 wonly!!! as we sat in the stalls-for Y-generation-please run through the dictionary for what it means), and got high pitched whistling for free

But still all is well :)

Advertising Investments

I am currently going across various websites to collect the PE/VC investment deals, When analyzing these deals it is quite surprising to see that IT boom is not over as yet. It is still in disguise of Advertising boom. May be I am reacting too much and have no doubt that Google is excellent innovation based company but it is primarily a Advertising company.

So when the deals were analyzed, one might say that all these social networking websites are getting another round of funding. I was just wondering is there a real need to invest this hard earned capital in "Social Networking" / dating websites which earns majority of revenues from Advertisements?

So I am just trying to understand the difference between 2 social networking dating websites including their competitive advantages except the ad-spaces, inventories and other so-called efficiencies. There has to be some limit in senseless investments. This shows people have now become too greedy to explore various avenues and going in for some short term quick gains.

There are several social economic businesses lying around where there is still paucity of funds. I am not saying to invest in businesses with bad economics but essentially investments are required in healthcare and other tangible businesses which add significant value to the society.

interdepartmental transfer 2

I really thought that I can do great stuff in another department, but I really don't know why I backed out. Was it because I got more accustomed to the current job? Was I afraid of doing something new? Didn't like the processes that I had to do for the early days, despite the assurance from the new boss that this will be taken care of within next few days. But what I really feel that I am at peace now. Does this determine that I am being diffident? To me yes!

Of course taking a decision is quite the pain, but anyways we all have to decide, and whatever the decisions would be we all have to bear the consequence of either good or bad.

Interdepartment transfer

it is so difficult from moving out of comfort zone, and especially undertaking new assignment in operations and marketing. Earlier I was just an associate doing some basic research for our clients. But I had taken a initiative to do some marketing and operations for another BU and had applied for interdepartmental transfer. so as and when day of migration is coming nearby, I am now having second thoughts, not knowing whether I am doing the right thing.

But I probably would still go ahead as I think it is better if one adapts to changes constantly,one has open view for doing something new, probably helping his own career. It even means leaving ones own friends and safe targets, and doing some dud work (like uploads)in the new profile. But there is also some great excitement in new work...Hope it is good

the whims and fancies of a sell side analyst

who is the sell side analyst
what motivates them to publish reports
why is there a target price, and how is the period determined
why do they want to tell about the stock to the general public, if they have really good pics then they should be just telling their clients and not the whole world

do i want to become a sell side analyst who has freedom to pick up the stocks that he likes or is he just working for another broker who wants a report (with beautiful graphs and just some information so that the clients would fall in love of the stock, and buy the stocks, and then he will earn the brokerage (brokerages are hardly money management businesses, and if they have PMS. it is just restricted to HNI' and have different analysts (often a buy side) or a private client group analysts but then didn't graham worked for a brokerage firm, but i feel he was given a leeway for selecting his own stocks and bonds, and then suggesting the clients to take the decision,

does he need to write so many reports (if the client really wanted to read those he would be doing his own investing and making his own calls, then why does he needs the analyst to help him out. best thing for him to give funds to Mutual funds and PMS's then...i still cant figure out why are so many reports of economics, GDP, Industry report that stretch to so many pages (mostly greater than 40-200 pages). As a retail investor do i time to look at these reports. For the brokerages research is always a cost center, mostly an advertising gimmick.

So my question is do we really need so lengthy reports (which the individual investor seldom reads) for making a right investment decisions? and going one step further do we really need a sell side analyst who prepares the reports and increases the brokerage cost for the individual investor. We really need Discount Brokers in India to escape these high costs then!!

why do people sing hymns

Why do people visit religious places / they sing hymns?

I was actually pondering over this thought since last 2 days. I got some answers but they may be wrong. Whenever you visit a temple,you try to concentrate on something (some idol or even you are not concentrating on idol, in your mind you paint the Gods picture and pray). Isn't this another form of meditation. The fundamental of meditation as far as I believe is to concentrate and keep your mind blank. And this is what temples and other religious places are made for.

Even when you sing hymns and praise for the Lord, you are single minded concentrating on God. The highest meditation form is that you have reached the absolute thoughtless state. A visit to a temple or singling bhajans is one of the ways to reach towards the ultimate stage. Even in Gita, Krishna has mentioned three ways for making yourself enlightened namely Karma Yog (throgh actions without expectation of results),Bhakti Yog (through devotion), Jyana yog (through knowledge), and Raja Yog (through meditation).

So this is a Bhakti Yog and helps in reaching towards path of enlightenment and vairagya (dis-attachment).

Now for the next post, I am thinking about - who is GOD?
(PS.-I am still in Senses :))