Saturday, April 9, 2016

Quite a Week: on ##USElections; @realDonaldTrump; #panamapapers, #Iran & Other Thoughts....

It has been a challenging weekend as the new "beta" site for Daily Outsider went live.   The team has been working to tweak-and it will be a "work in progress."       Here is the new "Beta" site for reference as the team's work continues that I have the privilege to support as a Notation was published earlier today here in our HQ on the World.      

Although the team had decided not to provide guidance on the US Elections until after the Conventions, what I saw from the Boston Globe blew me away:  


This is as they released a very courageous editorial that I made it a point to commend them over my Personal Twitter Feed earlier tonight.    One of the most outlandish of comments was Mr. Trump's comments that the United States was on the verge of a recession which was refuted by Janet Yellin and her three living immediate predecessors.   He also underscored how The United States was poor even though it is still the largest economy in the World despite on-going challenges--including for instance an increase in the monthly deficit as reported by the Congressional Budget Office.   The trench warfare is getting nastier on both sides as they both gear up for what is bound to be one of the most exciting conventions out there.     I was also very shocked by corruption allegations in New York by 4 senior police officers that was serious enough for them to be stripped of their guns and be reassigned.    

Beyond the "Virtual shores" of our network and the US Political Scene,  the World continues to be as challenging as ever.    I was totally surprised by the unannounced visits by the US Secretary of State to both Baghdad and Kabul.    I was not too shocked as I reviewed reports that the team released to the #Outsider Twitter page on bombings in the Kabul Diplomatic Quarter.   I have been told by an old Afghan Friend that it is probably the most secure area in Afghanistan as it is near the Presidential Palace, the Arg--yet the Taliban are able to extend their reach.   It reminded me of Vietnam as I caught "Path to War".   There was a scene where General Wheeler, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs,  was lobbying for more troops and how the Troops were going to be "Trained in the Rear".   He was reminded that there was no rear--and Tet proved it.    Afghanistan is the perfect case right now.   As I was working away, this from +Jonathan Huie  was quite timely:  
  


It isn't enough to talk about peace.
One must believe in it.
And it isn't enough to believe in it.
One must work at it.
- Eleanor Roosevelt

It is not enough to say we must not wage war.
It is necessary to love peace and sacrifice for it.
- Martin Luther King, Jr. 



As I was researching for my column today, Europe was also of focus as Belgium continues to deal with the aftermath of the bombings.    It was great news that the "man-in the hat" was arrested.    However, the broad questions of the viability of Europe itself as Britain is in the midst of a campaign to potentially leave the Union.    It is also of note that questions about the viability of Belgium as a country continues to be questioned.   The situation is as grave as ever in Greece.   I was very jealous as I was witness to the French Economy Minister launching a "third way" political movement.    There  have been movements like it in the United States with "no Labels".   But they have not gained any traction.     I also ran across this wonderful initaitive by Women Without Borders which our team will be featuring over the ensing weeks & months that is being supported by the Austrian Government.    

Beyond the shores of Europe,  I continue to be shocked by the Panama Papers.    +The Guardian   of London has done a great job to provide a primer on it.    Governments throughout the World have begun investigations--including the United Kingdom.  The UK Prime Minister empaneled a Task force after he had to admit he profited from an offshore fund set up by his late Father.   In all the reviews done, no high level US Officials have been implicated that I am aware of.   But the dominoes are continuing to fall--including for instance the Daughter-in-Law of the President of Chile.     The Grand Canyon between the rich and the poor continues to be of profound concern ever more.  Our team will be assessing any Iran connection as the on-going transition continues.    

Iran is also back to work after the holidays of the new year as the Budget is about to be approved and the new Parliament and the Assembly of Experts (Khobregan-Rahbari) is to hold its' session that may see the long-time powerbroker, Rafsanjani, be the Speaker of it again as a new controversy arose after a tweet (taken down) was sent out by him about how Iran had to change and go beyond the belligerent view.    It was quite interesting a talk by President Rouhani recently on the recession in the Housing Market.   He talked like a conservative Republican--especially as his Chief of Staff was the head of the Iranian Chamber of Commerce before being named Chief of Staff.    Iran's National Broadcaster featured an interview with the Minister of Education as he talked about "workforce optimization" and touted how they had a net decrease in their headcount.   Despite such interesting rhetoric as the fight among the various factions intensify, the underlying philosophical foundation of Iran will have to be for another day as I caught up with some of the latest editions of the Voice of America's "last page" (in Farsi)  that focuses on the reality in Iran today up to and including questioning the essence of the Shiite Philosophy itself and how it is just a lie.        

Coming back home, I was personally "virtually breathless" as I was assessing the changing Media Landscape as #outsiders continues onward.     The challenging landscape was underscored by Mashable laying off staff and Yahoo being on the verge of being dismembered   Al Jazeera's challenges that resulted in the realignment of its' operations in the United states and the layoff of 500 Staff Members in Doha.     

What is clear is ever so true:  Never ever a dull moment.....

Thursday, April 7, 2016

Working Away: Reflections On #outsiders; #uselections: #Worldwatch & other thoughts....

It has been a rather interesting week in #Outsiders as the transition to the new platform is being finalized.     This is as we have been witness to the continued exciting scenes on the US Political Scene.   As part of the plan for the quarter, our team has made a decision not to release any notation on the US Political Scene until after the two major parties nominate the candidates.    The estimates on the delegate counts are preliminary and subject to further discussions.   Although polls are being done almost daily, the indications are not sufficient enough to assess status.    Talks of Supreme Court nominees and other matters the team reviewed this morning are also headline grabbers for sure.   Promises of good paying jobs, destroying the Government and unleashing creativity is fabulous.   Repealing Obamacare is headline-grabbing.  Deporting 11 Million Illegals and forcing Mexico to pay for a wall by policing remittances is also attention grabbing.  But the reality is different.    The team will do an assessment of both candidates once the dust settles.      Our first notation for #Outsider 2.x published by tomorrow will reflect further thoughts on where things are now and a window into the road ahead on the eve of the conventions. The team decided to leave the "daily punditry" to the likes of the Washington Post (with the Daily 202 & the Fix), Fox News, Real Clear Politics, Huffington Post & MSNBC

Beyond the US political scene, there is the World.    Our team has had a particular focus on the Middle East and we will be assessing this on an on-going basis.      The team will also be continuing its' focus to build upon the daily "watch" on Twitter on China and India to assess realities out there and to assess the future.   We will also be keen to assess the latest out of the leading countries in the Muslim World.     Pakistan, Indonesia and Malaysia will be of special focus to us.     These five countries--along with the Middle East--constitute almost 50% of the World Today.    As such,  CIPIM is hereby born!!!   In our view, what happens in these countries matters.       Our team was "kind of right" when it noted almost a year ago that the old "BRICS" was dead as new scholarship has been published to underscore this as epitomized by the turmoil in Brazil, Russia and South Africa.      We will be assessing the World though with our Regional Focus weekly--and yes, the features we have had will also be part and parcel of it all:  The Musical Interlude and Thought(s) for the Week because ultimately #outsiders is  about a sense of optimism and working to transform the conversation about our World.    The challenges around the World are profound--the most crucial one of all being faced with an economic slowdown.   The IMF has been warning about it for over a year now. 

As progress continues, I could not help but again be inspired by these I ran across I wanted to pass on that +Jonathan Huie  & his team compiled 



The key to happiness is not to have what you want
but to want what you have.
- Anonymous

Life isn't a matter of milestones, but of moments.
- Rose Kennedy

The most glorious moments in your life
are not the so-called days of success,
but rather those days when out of dejection and despair
you feel rise in you a challenge to life,
and the promise of future accomplishments.
- Gustave Flaubert 

Happiness depends more on how life strikes you than on what happens.
- Andy Rooney





As the team has struggled with the transformation we've been working on (and the plan is to be simple and continually focused), this from the Champ himself was worth noting as we look forward to serve:

“I hated every minute of training,
but I said, ‘Don’t quit.
Suffer now and live the rest of your life
as a champion’.”

~ Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali 

Onward!!!

Monday, April 4, 2016

Working Away.......

It was a busy weekend in #Outsiders as the team has begun the transition finally to "Daily Outsider 2.x".   There was a bit of a fear which is understandable--but there is a sense of excitement because change is always good fun as the team continues its' utmost to live up to the mission of #Outsiders to work to "transform the conversation about our World one notation, one tweet, one Weibo and one Instagram  at a time".

It has also been a very challenging weekend.    On my own personal Twitter Feed late last night, I was shocked as I saw the story on the +The Guardian as the deportations began from Greece to Turkey.    This is as I saw the blockbuster #PanamaPapers and how everyone seems to be involved.  I found amusing how the Law Firm at the center of it all called it a "crime".    It looks like everyone is involved.    It was also quite a story as an anonymous letter attacking the President of China was also making the news as reported by +The Guardian  as China continues to deal with profound challenges with the new normal.  I found it especially interesting how China Daily  had no mention of the revelations on the Panama Papers:  'Not fit to lead': letter attacking Xi Jinping sparks panic in Beijing | World news | The Guardian .   I also was blown away by an affirmation of the rule of law in South Africa as Jacob Zuma is facing impeachment.    Donald Trump was also just as busy as always with pronouncements on a massive recession and noting how he will make America great again.  As an "ordinary face", I have been trying to see how--I am yet to!!!


As our team continues the long-awaited transition to 2.x, I wanted to reflect and be reminded of the "why".   What I saw from +Jonathan Huie was so timely on the "why":



You can't live a perfect day without doing something
for someone who will never be able to repay you.
- John Wooden

I expect to pass through this world but once.
Any good therefore that I can do,
or any kindness that I can show to my fellow-creature,
let me do it now.
Let me not defer or neglect it,
for I shall not pass this way again.
- William Penn  

Compassion is the universal standard of moral living.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

The team will be continuing the daily Twitter Curation over the course of the ensuing days as the transition project is at hand.    As I was reflecting upon this, I popped into Twitter to look out what the team at +BrainyQuote had done and picked this up that underscores why the time is right:




Remaining ever so optimstic as I wish all a fantastic week!!!   I will be sharing notations & updates as I also reflect upon the challenging time before us.