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Insurance industry and the Middle East conflict

Impact of US-Iran conflict on the Insurance industry. The impact of a mid-east conflict, consistent with any conflicts, would impact the insurance industry in the US both directly and indirectly.  Direct impacts, easy to anticipate, would be to physical infrastructure and life in the strike range of low to medium range missiles from Iranian controlled regions (both within the country and regions that are under the influence of the Shiite majority).  indirect impact would be from business interruptions to businesses in the US as a result of an attack within striking distance of either Iran or one of the countries within their area of influence. Mapping geopolitical events and creating models that would reflect the impact across the globe is a challenge that insurance companies struggle to capture and reflect.  Third party vendor risks have gathered significant attention both by businesses and by insurance companies. Risks being assumed by businesses through their involvement of ven
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Argentina's fascinating Messi Problem

Argentina’s style of play in the friendly against Venezuela, seemed sluggish at best - an entire team designed with one objective - leverage Messi’s style of play, much like Portugal which is designed to support and leverage CR7.  The strategy results in Argentina trying to get the ball to the midfield and then relying on Messi to come up with some magic to take it to the goal.  Portugal meanwhile, has the entire team working to get the ball closer to the goal to feed CR7 resulting in a more aggressive style of play reaping more benefits as we frequently notice. The World Cup was a very obvious reflection of this too, the entire Argentinian team was determined to slow the pace to support an aging cast while finding ways to unleash Messi.  Can’t deny that Messi could create one of those weaving pathways on cue every week for Barcelona FC, but I guess its easier to find the space to show your magic when you have a Xavi, Iniesta or Busquets sharing the midfield. The answer there
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Internet of things - TEDtalk by Dr.John Barrett

https://youtu.be/QaTIt1C5R-M
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Lessons from the military - 'If the enemy is in range, so are you.' - Infantry Journal- 'It is generally inadvisable to eject directly over the area you just bombed.' - US.Air Force Manual – 'Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword, obviously never encountered automatic weapons.' - General MacArthur – 'You, you, and you ... Panic. The rest of you, come with me.' - Infantry Sgt.- 'Five second fuses last about three seconds.' - Infantry Journal – The three most useless things in aviation are: Fuel in the bowser; Runway behind you; and Air above you. -Basic Flight Training Manual- 'Any ship can be a minesweeper. Once.' - Naval Ops Manual - 'Yea, Though I Fly Through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I Shall Fear No Evil. For I am at 50,000 Feet and Climbing.' - Sign over SR71 Wing Ops- 'You've never been lost until you've been lost at Mach 3.' -Paul F. Crickmore (SR71 test pilot)- 'The only time you have
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Mr. Gerald Dumbhead !

Just happened to come across an article by Mr. Gerald Warner in the Telegraph - feel free to look at this link - http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/geraldwarner/100002433/barack-obama-holds-a-fire-sale-of-americas-nuclear-defences-in-moscow/ Couldn't help but put in a few of my thoughts about this dumbass after I got through it - The article is another of those I have 20 guns to your 15, so I have bigger balls arguments, needless to say, this Mr. Gerald Warner who is an author, broadcaster, columnist and polemical commentator (what the heck does that mean anyway?) and who writes about 'society in general' has no clue in hell about what 'one' nuclear weapon can do and why it is no different from what '2146 nuclear warheads' on your roster can do in a nuclear standoff. I can understand arguments about the feasibility of a new healthcare plan or a fucked up government prop up of financial institutions plans, but arguing about the intelligence behind re
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This morning as I read an article regarding the impact of the US recession on Indian IT firms, an IT professional's complaint was - "Earlier, I would send a security guard to fetch a pen or writing pad from admin. A few days ago, the security man said I must go and get them personally. I went, only to be told the company has put a stop on stationery to cut costs." What struck me was not the fact that the Indian company was running short of funds but the fact that the professional was accustomed to outsourcing the 'fetching a pen or writing pad" function. Thinking back to my days working for a firm in India, I realized that the 'office boy' was the standard 'service provider' in Indian offices, he generally held a position unlike any I have seen in US this far. The office boy was expected to perform menial tasks around the office including something I find outrageous - getting water and coffee for 'working' professionals. In most case
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The Typist

My dad always knew I didn't fall in the high IQ category and desperately wanted me to learn a skill that would keep me afloat, so there I was, forced to sit amidst 30 girls (yeah learning how to type was back then a 'girly' thing), and battle the sticky n rickety keyboard on a 1970s Remington - my father was drafting a future as a 'typist' for me, hell I don't blame him, what better for someone who never passed a single exam in school on his first attempt. Well, I did learn to like it with time, as much for the fact that I could type faster than most in the class as for the pretty lady who sat next to me in my class. Quite often I could hear a strange synchronisation in our typewriter's cluttering noise, got me thinking...maybe...we were meant to meet…destiny…(!background romantic music!) Anyway, she disappeared one day and I went on to pass my typewriting exams. This certification was something I preferred not to discuss with anyone. Years later, d
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