Measure the success in one's life

Contrary to popular belief, your success in life is not measured by how many friends or how many stocks you have. It is measured by:

When we die, we're

smart with all toys;

dumb with all toys not upgraded (Disclosure: I've stocks on Apple);

stupid with all money not converted to toys;

genius with all toys being shared (Gates and Buffett).

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I'm pretty stupid. :)

Different yardsticks for different countries

We're using a yardstick to a developed country to measure China, a developing country.

Facts are:

1. Millions have been saved from starving in the last 25 or so years in China. Food is #1 in human rights, a roof over the head and clothes to keep them warm is second and then followed by freedom.

2. My classmate wondered why the West fighting against child labor while his only meal for the day was the compensation from working as a child labor.

Great book: China Study

A book on health. Check it out in amazon.com.

I read about 25% of the book. The theme is eating less animal-protein but more plant-protein and whole food (as opposed to chips, soda, cookies...). Soy food and milk over diary products.

I prefer to choose the middle road by cutting down meat and diary products. Live long or live well? Your choice.

On cancer cures

http://www.life.com.tw/?app=view&no=119465


Summary: Eat more fruit and vegetables to fight off cancer.

US as the world policeman

We should stay away from being a world policeman - currently too many commitments on Ukraine and the Pacific islet disputes. We're not as rich financially 15 or so years ago.

If you look at the last 300 years or so, China has been more a victim rather than an aggressor starting from Opium Wars (Brits as a nation pushed opium to China) to WW2 by the brutal war criminals from Japan. If we do not learn from history, history will be repeated. On the other hand, China should learn from the aggressors and should not do the same to the weaker countries.

Joke but real

                                ###   Real joke   ###

My six-year old grandson called the library about the availability of the book Mine Craft. The lady told him that only Mine Craft for Dummies was available. He told her it was not for him as he was not a dummy.

My dumb thoughts after a few laughs:

From the eyes of a dummy (that’s me), the dummy thinks he is not a dummy most likely is no dummy. Hence, logically we are both not dummies. However, if the dummy argues he is not a dummy due to his young age and was born naively dumb is a dummy. :)

I feel the word dummy has just been over-used by dummies like me. Right?

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From my friends:

Don't you just love the way kids see through all the BS and tell it like it is?  

At the firm I formerly worked for, the 'old man' had a popular saying -- "in any deal, if you don't know who the dumb money belongs - it's probably yours".

That was one of favorite parts of teaching Pre-K for 10 years...honesty from the children, much to the embarassment of their parents at times! Eye opening to watch children act like their parents while playing in the toy kitchen...some wonderful stuff and language to match!  

On buyback

To my understanding, when the company buys back stocks to reduce the number of outstanding shares, so in theory the remaining shares should appreciate in value in this aspect. However, the company uses the company's cash, then in theory again, the stock value should remain the same. So, it is a no win and no loss situation and supply and demand should not hold for this situation.

However, the management understands better than any one about the value of the company. They buy back due to a good value with respect to how to use the company's cash such as giving dividends, plowing back to research/development... They also in theory consider the total return of the investor (tax rates...).

Most officers take care of themselves first: How to boost the value of their stock options. In last several years, boosting dividends have proven to raise the stock price.


If the number of the outstanding shares has been reduced, many metrics with earning per share will be improved such as P/E.  If the company borrows money to buy its stock, the metrics on debts will head to the other direction.

One's two cents.

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