G 20 Summit! E 20 Invited?

Long Story Short: 


The G 20 is holding a summit in Brisbane, Australia.  I also discovered the existence of a B 20 group: Business leaders who advise the G 20.  What have not heard is that the G 20 is inviting the E 20 to the Economic Summit. You cannot help people without their input, and you won’t help them if you exclude them.

This is why I’ve been writing my articles about Emerging Nations forming an Economic Union. 


Emerging NationsEconomic Union—an article that proposes the forming of an Economic Union for Emerging Nations and those Unions forming a Union of Emerging Economic Unions. 

Solving theEmerging Crisis—This is the proposal that would help leverage the power of Emerging Nations. 

Forming anE-20—This proposes leveling the playing field by establishing what the Emerging Nations of the World need to gain parity in Global Economic Affairs.  For example: if there is to be a G 20 Summit, the E 20 should be included. 

The Futureof the G20 in Good Times and Bad—This is a look into the future if we do not recognise the fact that 


1.  The military option is no longer viable.

2.  The Economic Zero Sum Game doesn’t’ work anymore.



Warmest regards, 

Slim.

slimfairview@yahoo.com  

Copyright © 2014  Bob Asken writing as Slim Fairview

All rights reserved.

The Bug and the Bird

Through the magic of metaphor, I’ve just finished washing and waxing the car and am now on the porch sitting next to a pitcher of home squeezed lemonade and a plate of Moravian sugar cookies.

Just then, a bug from the garden across the road flies over to chat. And no sooner than he does, a bird from down the road lands on the back of the other chair to join us.

He looks at the car then looks at me and says, “Some days you’re the windshield, some days you’re the bird,” and laughs.

I hear the bug sigh.

“What’s the matter?” I ask.

He replies, “Some days you’re the windshield, some days you’re the bug.”

The bird laughs.

“Yes?” I ask.

“It’s always good to be the bird.  It’s never good to be the bug.” He laughs again.

“What about the windshield?”

The bird replies, “You win some, you lose some. But you’re always the windshield.” He laughs again then says, “Well, I’ll be off.”

The bug and I watch as the bird flies away.

“Well, I guess I’ll head back to the garden,” the bug says and flies off.

I watch as the bug flies across the road.

The bird dives for the bug.

The bird smashes into the windshield of a passing car.

Warmest regards,

Slim

slimfairview@yahoo.com 

Others by Slim Fairview

You Can't Fool the Lion

Five Apples

How Mr. Yakamoto Saved Face

Mr. When's Chicken 

Copyright © 2014  Robert Asken as Slim Fairview.

All rights reserved.

The Visible Hand

THE VISIBLE HAND

Limiting demand is the visible hand of economics.  Why?  Because “The invisible hand” loses potency with rising affluence.

“Rich people are insulated from price increases, but not from supply shortages.”  ~ Slim Fairview.

The Invisible Hand

The theory of the invisible hand says, “If there are more carpenters than needed, the wages of the carpenters will fall (supply exceeds demand) and many carpenters will be unemployed except for the fact that surfeit of carpenters means a dearth of plumbers.  The demand for plumbers and the higher wages arising from demand exceeding supply means people will become plumbers instead of carpenters and “the invisible hand” of the market will handle this…more or less.

The Visible Hand is entirely different.  By limiting the demand, you stabilize the economics of your entire enterprise.

Profits v. Growth

In this paradigm, maximising profits is not the overriding concern—stability is the overriding concern.  This is because stability is necessary for growth.

This is analogous to an investment portfolio.  You have growth stocks, you have income stocks.  At the outset, you want growth stocks.  When you get older, you want income stocks.

Think of the Sharpe-Markowitz Efficiency Curve.  Risk v. Return.

The visible hand is the growth stock portfolio.

In the early days of B-School (my early days) growth was described as having an inherent risk factor.

If you grow to fast (faster than your market) you tie up capital  and reduce your ROI. (Return on Investment.)

If you grow too slowly (if your market grows faster than you do) you lose customers, cut revenue, and lose market share.

Let’s review Mr. Putin’s Visible Hand.

MERGERS

Forming a Eurasian Economic Union.

ACQUISITIONS

Crimea

Mr. Putin is taking advantage of a competitor’s weakness (The EuroUnion) to expand Market Share and to Increase Revenue.

SALES/REVENUE

Mr. Putting stabilises revenue by limiting demand with a deal to sell natural gas to China.

SUPPLY CHAIN STABILISATION

Mr. Putin establishes a stable supply of oil with an oil deal with Iran.

MARKET PENETRATION AND DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS

The acquisition of the Crimea includes a warm water part and accesses markets.

Mr. Putin’s Economic Theatre of Operation is a Textbook Lesson on Strategic Planning.

• Market Analysis

• Mergers and Acquisitions

• Competitor Evaluation

• Supply Chain Stabilisation

• Distribution Channels

• Market Penetration

• Sales and Marketing

• The SWOT Test.

Mr. Putin’s SWOT Test

Strengths

Weaknesses

Opportunities

Threats

STRENGTHS

• Shared History and Culture with Eastern Europe

• Natural Gas Supply

• Natural Gas Deal with Germany

• Leveraged Capital Investment Opportunities in Russia

• Stable Government

WEAKNESSES

• Late arrival into the Global Free Market Paradigm

• Climate

• Lack of Warm Water Port(s)

• Activist Minority Stakeholder Dissent

OPPORTUNITIES

• Weak EuroUnion Economy

• Eastern Bloc’s Need for an Economic Union

• Iran Oil Sanctions

• China’s Growing Energy Needs

• The Crimea

• Slow U.S. and European Economies

• Emerging Nations

THREATS

• Trade competition from China

• Competition from Cheap-Labour Markets

• Sanctions by Western Nations

• Weak Global Economy

All of these describe THE VISIBLE HAND.  Not as practiced by a company within an industry or an economy, but rather by nations among nations in a global economy.  And right now, Mr. Putin is establishing a template for emerging nations to follow.

Warmest Regards,

Slim

If you find anything here to be helpful, please don't hesitate to send me a really tricked out Mac Book and to tuck a few dollars into the envelope along with the thank you note. Slim.

Bob Asken
Box 33
Pen Argyl, PA 18072
Etats Unis 

slimfairview@yahoo.com

ADDITIONAL READING

Putin's Overture in Eurasia Minor

Mr. Putin's Economic Theatre of Operation

Limiting Demand: Slim's Paradigm

Copyright © 2014 Robert Asken writing as Slim Fairview

All rights reserved.

Five Apples

Through the magic of metaphor, Sir Isaac Newton, Opie Taylor, Martha Steward, Johnny Appleseed and "Lord" de Gouberville, are walking through a small orchard.

• Newton sees an apply fall from a tree.  He discovers gravity.

• Opie sees an apple fall from a tree. He picks it up, wipes it on his shirt, and eats it.

• Martha Stewart sees an apple fall from a tree. She picks it up, takes it home, peels it, cores it, and bakes it with brown sugar and cinnamon and a pat of butter. 350 degrees f. 20-25 minutes. More or less.

• Johnny Appleseed sees an apple fall from a tree. He picks it up, removes the sees, and plants apple trees.

• "Lord" de Gouberville sees an apple fall from a tree. He picks it up, takes it home, and invents Calvados.

By A Falling Apple:

• Newton's imagination is inflamed and science advances.

• Opie gratifies an immediate and temporal through necessary need.

• Martha Stewart delays gratification to elevate a necessary, albeit temporal need, for desert.

• "Lord" de Gouberville simply demonstrates a little common sense.

5 People.  5 Apples.  5 Concepts. 5 Results. Each different. Each essential.



What about Slim?

Slim is sitting apart from from the proceedings and observing while snacking on some Blue Diamond Smokehouse Almonds and sipping an Extra-Dry Beefeater Martini on the rocks--hat-trick with the olives. 

As a non-participant, he is in the position to be an objective observer.

Slim's only problem is how to deliver the message.  Well, Slim has but two skills: an analytical mind and the ability to speak in metaphors.  He quietly analyses what he sees.  Now all he must do is to come up with a metaphor to explain it.

Warmest regards,

Slim

Slimfairview@yahoo.com 


Any references to products or services are at my discretion and no offer of remuneration or compensations was solicited, offered, or accepted.  Also, they are for information purposes and do not constitute an endorsement.  You’ve been informed. You are on your own.


Copyright (c) 2014 Slim Fairview Robert Asken
All rights reserved.

The Unspoken Understanding

"Diplomacy:  If you have to explain it, it isn't diplomacy."  The Quotations of Slim Fairview.

In some cultures and professions there exists on of the cornerstones of civility and civilisation--The Unspoken Understanding. The operative word--unspoken.

Recently, during the past half century, a fad has emerged. Talk.  Now, talk is not a bad think in and of itself.  The problem is: people don't want to listen.  Why not? Because they did.

"More people, more words. More words, more bad." ~ Slim Fairview

The reason why people "want to talk about it" is to bully other people into doing things they don't want to do.

This brings us to the old canard of days gone by:  "If you don't agree with me, I didn't explain it properly."  A satirical remark I remember from the sixties and seventies to describe...People Who Want to Talk About It.

This helps to illuminate the downside that arises when people listen:  They:

• Convey the sentiment that they are or will be receptive to what the speaker has to say.

• They are validating the speaker which leads to expectations.

• Open themselves up to more problems if the speaker's position is not embraced.

 If the speaker's position is not embraced, it leads to feelings of:

• Betrayal

• Guilt

• Resentment

• Inadequacy

When the speaker's expectations are not fulfilled, the speaker is denied validation.  (Validation is a resource: withhold it at your own peril.)

When this happens, the response routinely includes but is not limited to:

Accusations

Recriminations

False and Malicious Allegations

and or soft techniques of appeals, manipulations, and, of course, guilt.  And, of course, If you don't want to talk about it, it is because you are:

• Stubborn

• Opinionated

• Narrow Minded

• Ignorant

• Old--Fashioned

• Manipulated

• Et. Alia.

Case in Point:

You've no doubt heard: "Your way isn't the only way of doing it, you know.  We should try it my way."

Have you ever heard: "My way isn't the only way of doing it, you know.  We should try it your way"?


Then there is the belligerent, "Who's to say what's right or wrong?"  Well, circumstances if not consequences will answer that question.  Too often, when it is too late to benefit from the answer.

This brings us back to The Unspoken Understanding.

• Questions one never asks 

• Replies never needed

• Rebuffs never elicited 

The above are part of what I discussed in my article  Emerging Nations Economic Union about the manipulations techniques used by industrialised people to exploit the people in Emerging Nations.  There are positive virtues to not talking about it.  These are illuminated in
And President Obama Said...

The concept appears to have fallen into disfavour or neglect or to have been abandoned altogether.  Not so.

The Unspoken Understanding is still o9perating in full vigor.  Why this is not obvious is very simple to explain: People don't talk about it.

...oops!

Warmest regards, 

Slim

slimfairview@yahoo.com

Copyright (c) 2014 Slim Fairview / Robert Asken
All rights reserved.

Bachelor of Sports Football Major

How long will it be before Texas A&M or the University of Texas offers a Bachelor of Sports or a Bachelor of Athletics with a major in Football?

There is a valid reason to do so. In fact, many.

Football is a business.  Football is not a game. Football is not a sport. Football is a business. In fact, Football is an Industry—a Multi-billion dollar industry that provides many jobs and supports many other industries, which—by extension, supports many more jobs.

In most businesses, sales are goals.  In football, goals are sales.  Fans are revenue generators. Advertising pays the bills. And television speaks for itself.

A Football team bay benefit from Brand Loyalty, however, there is no boutique football. There is no Mass-Market Discount Football.  Football is not L.L. Bean.  Football is not Wal-Mart.  Football is Kohl’s.  Football is Macy’s.  And just as Macy’s becomes The Miracle on 34^th Street every Thanksgiving—complete with a parade—football becomes the miracle on the 50 yard line—complete with bowl games.

Originally, this article was only to underscore the difference between teams and committees.  However, it turned out to be more.

You’ve heard of surgical teams. Have you ever heard of a surgical committee?  You’ve heard of football teams.  Have you ever heard of a football committee?

Proms have decorating committees. Proms are not in competition. Proms are not revenue generators.  Playing football in high school is just as valid as taking Phys. Ed. or Health Class.  However, College Football is a whole new ballgame.

• College Football is very competitive.
• College Football is big business.
• College Football is an industry.
• College Football is a major revenue generator.

Therefore, by extension, College Football should also be a College Major.  In fact, there should be an entire degreed field of study.

Soon there will be, and there should be, a Bachelor of Sports (BS) and a Bachelor of Athletics (BA).

Those graduating with a Bachelor of Sports can go on to become Coaches, Trainers, Recruiters, or enter the fields of sports Advertising, Marketing, or Sales.

They can even go on to play Professional Football.

A Football Major watching a training film is just as valid as a Film Major watching Citizen Kane, or a Theatre Major watching a play.

A Football Major going to a football game is just as valid as a music major going to listen to a symphony, an Art Major going to a gallery opening, or a History Major visiting a Museum.

All are valid activities. Only Football is derided despite the fact that Football is a Multi billion Dollar Industry.

Is there any real difference between a Finance Major studying Economics and Statistics to develop investment portfolio strategies and a Football Major studying Football stats to develop recruitment and training strategies?

There will, of course, be a core curriculum.

• Offensive Analysis I, II, III, IV.
• Defense Analysis I, II, III, IV.
• Pregame Previews
• Post Game Analysis
• Sports Writing
• Broadcasting
• Recruiting
• Training
• Marketing
• Advertising
• Sales.

How long before the University of Texas or Texas A&M or USC or Notre Dame or Penn State offers a Valid Degree in sports with a Football Major?

If you find anything here to be helpful, please do not hesitate to send me a really tricked out MacPro and to tuck a bit of WAM into the envelope along with the Thank You not.

Warmest regards,

Slim.

slimfairview@yahoo.com

Copyright © 2014 Slim Fairview

All rights reserved.