Spiced Christmas Goose by Gordon Ramsay

Hamburger Quiz

"If you plan to eat hamburgers throughout your life and are not a cattle producer, should you wish for higher or lower prices for beef? Likewise, if you are going to buy a car from time to time but are not an auto manufacturer, should you prefer higher or lower car prices? These questions, of course, answer themselves." 

Warren E. Buffett, Letter to Shareholder, February 27 1998

Negotiation

Source: H. Raiffa, J. Richardson, and D. Metcalfe (2007); Negotiation analysis: the science and art of collaborative decision making. First Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA.

• There is no cook book or a recipe for good negotiation
  
• Distributive negotiation: win-lose situation, such as haggling over a price in a bazaar.
• Integrative negotiation: win-win situation in order to have mutual gain. (eg. Harvard Method)
• 6 steps in Integrative negotiation
• Sides need to agree on what is the problem
• What are the interests behind the positions (Seperate people from the problem)
• Generate alternative solutions
• Redefine the problem
• Expand pie
• Logroll
• Offer compensation in other area
• Minimize costs
• Bridge
• Generate solutions
• Make a list of solutions
• Prioritize options and reduce the list
• Select a solution

 

Book Recommendation #5

Red Flags that show a Company is in Real Trouble

• Huge Goodwill figure in Balance Sheet
• Current Ratio < 1
• High Debt-to-Equity (High Gearing)
• A very high number that is hidden in the notes, but not shown in the actual financial tables: Read the annual report backwards, because the stuff that directors really don't want you to find will be at the back.
• Cash Flow not in line with Earnings: Compare FCF/share with EPS
• Highlighted Adjusted EBITDA: This is directors' favourite number, because it always goes up
• Key Management Changes: either they were brilliant and have been poached or they were rubbish and have been dumped
• Directors dumping shares
• Having only one "reliable" customer (eg. government)
• Rapid Expansion: Expansion needs to be controlled

Verdi - La Forza del Destino 'Overture'

Wiener Philharmoniker
conducted by RICCARDO MUTI

Casta Diva from Norma (V. Bellini) performed by C. Bartoli

Other notable performances:
Maria Callas
Leyla Gencer

Trivia:
Olga sings this to Oblomov (Oblomov by Ivan Goncharov)

Book Recommendation #4

 
A German Identity 

by Harold James

Eggs

Optional: Prepare an ice water bath.

• Firm Soft-Cooked Eggs: 

Bring water to a rapid simmer. Eggs into water (with a spoon). Cover. Remove from heat. 7 min. Transfer to ice bath.

• Medium-Cooked and Hard Cooked Eggs:

Eggs into cold water. Bring water to a rapid simmer over medium-high heat and 

• cook for 4 min. for medium-cooked
• cook for 7 min. for hard-cooked

Transfer to ice bath.

From: ad hoc at home, Thomas Keller

Achskonfiguration

Die Fahrtrichtung ist von rechts nach links. Schwarz gezeichnete Räder bezeichnen angetriebene Räder.

Viswanathan Anand vs. Magnus Carlsen (2013)

• Magnus Carlsen of Norway became the new World Chess Champion after defeating the previous champion Viswanathan Anand of India by 6.5-3.5 in the match that was held from 7th November in Chennai, India.
• Best Games (IMHO): 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10 (watch them on YouTube)
• Press Officer: Anastasiya Karlovich

The candidates to challenge Magnus in the next World Championship:

• Qualifiers by ratings (2):
• 1. Aronian
• 2. Karjakin

• World Cup qualifiers (2):
• 3. Kramnik
• 4. Andreikin

• Grand Prix qualifiers (2):
• 5. Topalov
• 6. Mamedyarov

• Organizer nominee (1):
• 7. Svidler

• World Championship (1):
• 8. Anand

Book Recommendation #3

Color Theory

 

Note:  Black, White, Gray, Tan, and Brown are not separate colors on the color wheel, but are made up of different percentages of red, yellow and blue.

Core Color: the principle item in you ensemble, like your suit or sweater.

Accent Colors: second and sometimes third colors. To produce harmony between the core and the accent colors you can choose one of the following strategies:

• Triad: three evenly spaced colors around the color wheel
• Complementary: two colors that are opposite each other
• Analogous: colors that are next to each other
• Monochromatic: a lighter and darker version of the same color 

Note: Shades of white, black, gray or tan work well with all colors or may be worn together.

Note: Don't use more than 3 dominant colors, otherwise you will look like a clown.

Here is a guide, but only a guide:

 

Note: Nature has amazing color combinations. Take inspirations from it.

How to work in a lab

1. Safety comes first. Know every single detail about safety regulation. Learn also first-aid.
2. Be paranoiac about safety. 
3. Obey all the lab rules. Some might sound stupid, but never ever attempt to judge them.
4. Make your working environment comfortable.
5. You may listen to music, but don't let it distract you. You have to stay concentrated.
6. Respect all personal stuff. If you want to borrow something (even for a few seconds), always ask first.
7. Move slowly.
8. Do not make any assumptions or guesses. If you don't know something, ask your supervisor.
9. First think, then act. Never lose control.
10. Keep your workplace clean.
11. Don't complain. Be patient. Think positive.
12. Parafilm is your friend. 
13. Label everything properly. Even if it is just water, do it.
14. Have a nice pen and a pair of tweezers in your coat's pocket and never leave them unattended.
15. Keep your drawer tidy.
16. Open drawers slowly.
17. Get some fresh air.
18. Use a smaller glove. It allows precision.
19. Change your gloves frequently.
20. Keep a lab notebook and note down everything.
21. If you are tired, drunk, sick etc., don't work in the lab. 
22. Eppendorf is such a great company.

Digital Signature

Source: Rolf Oppliger

Keywords:
Digital Signature Algorithm
Public-key cryptography
Certificate authority
Cryptographic hash function
Fingerprint
Cryptanalysis
Checksum
Message authentication code
Merkle-Damgard construcion
Avalanche effect

The art of misdirection

Book Recommendation #2

The Euro Crisis: Private Debt > Government Debt

Source: The Economist

Most Important Macro Indicators (IMHO)

• Trade Balance = Exports - Imports [Balance of Payments]
• Current Account Balance = Trade Balance - Net Income from Abroad - Net Current Transfers [Balance of Payments]
• GDP Per Capita [Real Economy]
• GDP Growth Rate [Economic Growth]
• Purchasing Power Parity - e.g. Big Mac Index - 
• Government Budget Balance / GDP [Public Budget Figure]

 
 Some unusual but good indicators:

• Lipstick Index: When finances are tight, consumers will forego large luxury purchases for smaller indulgences, like cosmetics.
• Men's Underwear: If cosmetics are the small luxuries of tough times, men's underwear is the opposite: a basic necessity whose purchase can be pushed into the future until more disposable funds are available. Rarely seen, rarely replaced.
• Divorce Rates: Financial problems strain a marriage, and make it more likely to break apart. 
• Baby Diaper Rash Indicator: In a hope to save money, parents with newborns, babies, and toddlers try to cut back on costs by changing their child’s diaper fewer times throughout the day.
   

Stages of Organizational Growth and Their Critical Phases

 Steinmetz, Lawrence L. "Critical stages of small business growth: when they occur and how to survive them." Business horizons 12.1 (1969): 29-36.

Book Recommendation #1

2013 America's Cup: Greatest Comeback in History

Race Results:

Cup Matches

Seasonality Chart

Fishing Calendar of Turkey

Mikhail Baryshnikov - Le Jeune Homme et la Mort

First Scene with James Bond

amazon.com

Market Cap: $144.53b (by date of this post)

Pogorelich plays Scarbo

Patek Philippe

Phonetic Alphabet

The Big Four

Note: The Big Five became the Big Four after the demise of Arthur Andersen in 2002, following its involvement in the Enron scandal.

IPO

does not only stand for "Initial Public Offering"

More accurately, it is also shorthand for:

• It's Probably Overpriced
• Imaginary Profits Only
• Insiders' Private Oppotunity
• Idiotic, Preposterous, and Outrageous

 (Intelligent Investor, B. Graham)

Radio Spectrum

Intermodal container

Wine Maps of France, Italy and Spain

Low-k, High-k (actually kappa)

MOSFET

England + Scotland + Ireland = UK

BCN 2013 World Championships Men's 4X100 Freestyle Final

Top 20 MEMS Foundries Ranked by 2012 Sales

Source: Yole Development, April 2013

Moore

Bosphorus

Europe: Rumelifeneri Rumelikavagi Yenimahalle Sariyer Buyukdere Cumhuriyet Mahallesi (Kefeliköy) Kirecburnu Tarabya Yenikoy Istinye Emirgan      Boyaciköy      Baltalimani Rumelihisari (2. Bridge) Bebek Arnavutkoy Kurucesme Ortakoy (1. Bridge) Besiktas Dolmabahcesarayi

Asia:    Anadolufeneri    Anadolukavagi    Beykoz    Pasabahce    Cubuklu    Kanlica    Anadoluhisari (2. Bridge)    Kucuksu    Goksu    Kandilli    Vanikoy    Cengelkoy    Kuleli    Beylerbeyi (1. Bridge)    Nakkastepe    Kuzguncuk    Pasalimani    Salacak

Maps

Wine Routes of Turkey

Most Underrated Piano Concertos (in my opinion)

• Ravel's in G major
• Khachaturian's in D-flat major, Op.38
• Saygun's No.1, Op.34 
• Hummel's No.2 in A minor, Op.85
• Medtner's No.1 in C minor, Op.33
• Kullak's in C minor, Op.55
• Tchaikovsky's No.2 in G major , Op.44
• Hiller's in F sharp minor, Op.69
• Saint-Saëns' No.1 in D major, Op.17
• Dohnanyi's No.1 in E Minor, Op.5
• Henselt's in F minor, Op.16
• Rubinstein's No.4 in D minor, Op.70
• Reger's in F minor, Op.114

The Limitations of Radio

The air might seem capable of carrying an infinite amount of data, but that’s obviously untrue. How do we know? Radio stations are broken into channels to make sure they don’t overlap; various services, like cell phones and television transmissions, also have specific spectrum allocated to them.

The problem is interference, which is an issue that can impact a Wi-Fi router just like it can impact a radio station. If another device is using the same frequency and channel as your router, the performance of both may be reduced. A common solution is to change the channel setting in the router’s settings, but even this can sometimes fail.

Radio also has a limited range. The waves can’t penetrate dense objects and can only project a certain distance before becoming useless. A wall with heavy plumbing, or a large object like a furnace, could degrade Wi-Fi performance if they intersect the router and the PC wirelessly connected to it.

All of these limitations can be resolved by Ethernet. Official specs put the range of Ethernet at 100 meters (almost 330 feet), which is far more than is needed for a typical home network. There’s also no need to worry about interference. Ethernet is very much alive and well in homes that, for whatever reason, find Wi-Fi to be unreliable.

Source

Paul Yarrow

Michel Petrucciani

OECD Better Life Index

Interactive Chart

Missile Defense

Resources

Ahmad Jamal Trio with Gary Burton - One (1981)

Degrees of Doneness

English - French - German - Italian
Very Rare - Bleu - Blau - Molto Al Sangue
Rare - Saignant - Blutig - Al Sangue / Poco cotto
Medium Rare - Entre Saignant et à point - Medium Rare - Media Cottura
Medium - à point - Rosa/Durch - Rosa
Medium Well - Entre à point et bien cuit - Halb Rosa/Halb Durch - A puntino
Well Done - Bien Cuit - Durch(gebraten) - Ben Cotto

Best-known Producers of Grappa

• Nonino
• Bocchino 
• Berta 
• Sibona 
• Nardini 
• Jacopo Poli 
• Brotto 
• Domenis 
• Bepi Tosolini 
• Distilleria De Negri

How Small Is Nano?

 

Source

Where to be born in 2013

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