Finding our Kindred spirit (s)

When it comes to relationships (and I don't mean specifically romances boy/girl relationships.. I mean any human relationships, whether friend, family member or someone you just click with) I always wondered about the source of a kindred spirit, and by that I mean that if you really click with someone (in whatever domain, or level of intensity), there must be something behind this unbeknown co-incidental magical relationship that transcends the current state of play that lie between both parties. i.e. The energy providing such a relationship is coming from a source we do not yet understand, perhaps genetic, hereditary, or something we feel an affinity with without knowing why. For example I used to believe in class division, in that someone from a higher class or standard of living could not identify with someone else from a more working class environment (or someone often referred to as a peasants

(originally written 3rd Sept 2011)

Should you collect your random thoughts and publish them?

Do random thoughts really count for anything, or are they just meaningless pieces of useless information. Well in part it depends on who's expressing them, what they are about, and how well they are articulated and constructed, and even then they can either be quite useless, or highly valuable snippets of information..  Examples of useless include where they provide no information of any use, and to the vast majority of readers make very little, if any sense at all.. Whereas examples of highly valuable, is where they are very interesting for the reader, provide some deep sense of inspired reaction, and in many cases sort out some issue the reader has had for a very long time...

ok..  Now I've got that off my chest..  Time to go back to bed!!!

Is the term "Surfing the net" dead and gone?

Is the act of "randomly" surfing the net a dying trend?: When the internet first started, people used to surf the net randomly out of pure fascination. They would try to find sites they never heard or, or even more bizarre, create fictitious website names (of things and places they know) and see if there is a corresponding website. 

The scientists versus the sceptics! their call?!

  Status update   By Fin Matthews

MAJOR BREAKING NEWS: LATEST SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY:

Scientists have just discovered that people tend to believe scientists views ahead of any other groups. After carrying out some research on a group of skeptics, and publishing the findings in the format: "sceptics have just discovered", the scientists found that this didn't have anywhere near the same impact as if scientists had discovered the same thing. In fact, once skeptics had propounded the same idea, it was more likely to be not-accepted or even shunned by the general public:

Further research is being carried out in this area (by sceptics!) and the results won’t ever be published, unless of course, the scientists(!) can be included!!..

The (non) Richest men in Ireland

An area of interest in recent  years has been the fascination with how the (once) richest men in Ireland, have now fallen from grace and have such huge debts, it is hard for the average person to comprehend.

One case in point was the fall of the Quinn Groups founder Sean Quinn, who at one time (er... NOT so long ago!) looked like he was going to take over the country he was getting so rich. But, apart from the set-in of the usual recessionary factors, such as the collapse in property prices, and the banks being exposed, Sean quinn also had the additional financial exposure of having gambled on a failing bank (the Anglo Irish Bank), and compromising his risk portfolio on in his insurance business, which turned out to be a double whammy to him in terms of getting hit by the recession in more than normal. Recent figures published (which of course are not necessarily accurate) quoted Sean Quinn as having debts in the region of 2.5b, against assets in the region of 0.5b (500million). Imagine during the boom times being told you have assets worth €500million, but you are still in serious financial trouble!!.   It seems many people belive that Sean Quinn can still rise from his financial difficuties and regain his position as one of the countries richest men in the future, but eh, is'nt a guy now who is broke (has no money) in a much better position?..  After all, he's only ahead of Sean Quinn by about €2billion, which sure takes some catching up!!..

Just to put this in some sort of perspective: One of Americas richest men Donald Trump boasts having been a multi-millionaire, then gone broke and got back there, and is now worth about $2.7b (€1.9b), hence to put Sean Quinns debt in persective, he now has to make up the total sum of Donald Trumps current worth to be at Zero wealth, and then work from there!... Phew!!..  A tall order by anybodies standards!!..

Irish Supermarket chain SuperQuinn is Not such a "Super" Quinn to it's suppliers

This has got to be one of the most amazing business stories I've come across in recent years. For those not familar with it, here's how it goes: A successful Supermarket chain called "SuperQuinn", (originally started in Dundalk, but obtained most of it's growth within the Dublin area) named after it's founder Feargal Quinn, is sold to a consortium called "Select Retail Holdings" in 2005. This consortium seemed to be heavily property oriented (as opposed to having a retail bias), and hence, as a result of what could now be called "speculative" property investments round the Dublin area became financially distressed, owing the banks around €400m. So the banks SUDDENLY decide to have the Company brought into receivership, then selling it to Musgraves, who in turn take on little of none of the debt, thereby assurign the banks of a good percentage of their money back, Musgraves are happy to bag a bargain, but many shareholders, and suppliers are heavily stung losing millions in the process!!.. What an easy way to write off substantial debt, and not get punished for it!!..

Microsoft, Bill Gates retirement from active service, and the future of Software development

Being largely a contemporary of Bill Gates, and having grown up in the world of computers and IT as I did, and then having to live alongside the Worlds richest man being my pier, it was quite demanding having to keep up with the worlds richest man!!..