Msft Word Tricks

I found a few of these quite interesting. I consider myself someone that knows a good deal about computers, and there were quite a few useful new tricks in this article.

MS Word Tricks

I am also going to add "bnet" to my links section. I have enjoyed the information the site has to offer.

Beauty Contests and Curious Workers

It was a productive night spent reading “Liar’s Poker” by Michael Lewis. It got me thinking…

Ever heard the workings of the financial markets described as a “beauty contest?” Keynes likened them to that very thing. I’m sure he enjoyed the models on the inside cover of the English papers just as much as the next man. The beauty contest reference comes from an old London newspaper in which readers were asked to pick not which models shown in the paper were the most beautiful, but which model they thought the rest of the people would consider most beautiful. Keynes said it works the same way with financial markets (stocks, bonds, currencies, etc); people are always rushing into the position that seems the most beautiful to the masses. If you get in before the big rush you make some money. Liar’s poker talks a lot about that very same idea, when the mortgaging and junk bonding of America took place. People, especially in the short term, were always after the next big thing. If something was new, and it was sold well, people would hop on the bandwagon and hope a rush of people follow and make them rich. There came a point that educated bond-traders consulted worthless charts that tried to predict what certain shapes meant to the future bond prices simply because so many of the buyers were doing it. The research was more about the buyers than the actual underlying investment; the buyer’s picks were speculation. Things haven’t changed all that much today.

The book talks about the wild world of finance in the 80’s, where people were making money as never before seen, a kind of golden age for finance (at least investment banks). That world is still happening, and now it’s on an even larger scale. Look at all the M & A activity that took place in 2006, these are exciting times.

The book left me with a good feeling at the end; one of justice, and optimism. I felt justice because the end fit the story (they get what they deserve), I felt optimism because the closing remarks reinforced a view that I carry. It (indirectly) enforced my view that every employee is responsible for his or her professional well-being. By that I mean each person is responsible for learning as much as possible and making themselves as attractive a future candidate as possible. I feel the working world will see higher turnover, and the first world will face greater unemployment pressures as change happens more rapidly than before. The average worker and our approach to ensure their continuing education could both use an upgrade. If you are naturally curious, always learning and getting involved with your career, there will always be a place for you somewhere in the field. Make yourself rare, rare things are in demand. A little curiosity, a desire to learn, and reasonable people skills will ensure there’s always food on the table and a roof over your head. When I look around (/turn on the TV) it’s remarkable just how rare that combination is.