The Hollow Men
Why are executives always bald men in dark suits? I spent the last two days looking at this.
We are the hollow men
We are the stuffed men
Leaning together
Headpiece filled with straw. Alas!
I did quite like the last speaker though. Shawn Achor. A funny scientist, if you can imagine, and his field is Positive Psychology. He should write a book. He identified several things that can train your mind to be more positive, including exercise (check), gratitude (check), meditation (er… I even multi-task when I go to the bathroom), and random acts of kindness (worth some thought and effort). Actually, I’m going to get on the treadmill right now…!
on October 4th, 2008 at 9:16 am
Ok, is this Pursuit bait? I’ll bite.
Just because a man is bald and has a little more fashion sense than the khaki pants, golf shirt brigade that you, former fashion exec none-the-less, seem to prefer, does not mean he is a Hollow Man. Just for the record, you’d pay good money to see me present, sister!
on October 4th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
Now Pursuit, how was I to know that you are bald? I’ve never seen a picture of you! And I guess it’s not really the similarity in appearance that is so disconcerting, but rather the similarity in demeanor and expression. The CEO of JC Penney’s spoke. He used to be CEO of LVHM in Paris. I’d rather poke a stick in my eye than go to work each day for such a dry, humorless and stuffy person.
I think my next job, should I find myself in need, will be gardening.
And speaking of work stuff. You’re a finance type. How should I feel about the bailout package?
on October 4th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
I’ve got mixed emotions on it. On one hand, I am completely against government involvement in bailouts of any industry. On the other, it is pretty difficult to explain just how unprecedented and dangerous our current financial environment is. Treasuries are priced to yield nearly zero. Libor spread is in neverbefore land, and top rated corporates issuances are getting done at super high prices if they get done at all. So, I think the package is a necessary evil, but to be candid, I’m not sure it’ll work. I haven’t read the legislation, so I do not know how Paulson will price stuff and that, to me, is really the key. It would also help if the mark to market requirements were relaxed. A huge, untold part of this story is how the mark to market rules have really taken a bad situation and made it much worse.
The good news, is that if this works, the tax payer may make a hell of a lot of money. I mean like best trade in the history of the world kind of money.
on October 4th, 2008 at 7:38 pm
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