Quotes

Here are a few quotes that I like:

Revamping a business model is not easy; it requires visible, consistent commitment form the top. It takes time. First, the more established an industry's norms, the more difficult it is to innovate business models. Everyone has a big stake in preserving the status quo, but it is critical to resist the temptation to do so. ~A.G.Lafty and Ram Charan, The Game-Changer, 2008

A ship in harbor is safe but that is not what ships are for. ~John A. Shedd

Price is what you pay. Value is what you get. ~Warren Buffett

"100 Things I’ve Learned" by Murray Aston

I recently found out that Murray Aston passed away in July 2009 after battling cancer for a year. I met him once in 2004 and had a good impression of him. Murray founded BusinessVision Management Systems Inc. in 1987. He started the development of the software what today is called Sage BusinessVision. He sold his company to Sage in 2004 shortly after I met him.

He was a remarkable Entrepreneur and touch many lives with his wit and humor

Here are a few excerpts from ‘100 Things I’ve Learned’ by Murray

Try not to be too judgmental. Remember that you’re probably the only “normal” person you know.

Forgive a reasonable number of mistakes—you will make some also.

Act normal in an abnormal situation.

When you’re at a place that doesn’t feel right, get out really, really fast! This is not the time to question your doubts... just bail out immediately.

Avoid discussing politics with your friends.

If it ain’t yours, give it back.

A definition on greed and on The Roots of Obama's Rage

I just finished reading a fascinating book on Obama, the current US president.

The book is call "The Roots of Obama's Rage" by Dinesh D'Souza

It is a Political Science book. D'Souza comes up with a theory why Obama is acting the way he is and then goes on to prove his theory. The book is very well done and I enjoyed reading it. If he is right then the US citizens should worry about who it is that they have in the white house. Perhaps even we as Canadians should too.

Here is a quote from the book that I liked:

Obama's main charge was that Wall Street has succumbed to 'greed'. But if you think about it, Wall Street is based on greed. People go there to make money. What inhibits greed on Wall Street is not public-minded altruism but rather fear. Greed drives the aggressive desire to make more money while caution is produced by the fear of losing money. If financial crises were merely the result of outbreaks of greed, Wall Street would be in perpetual crisis. Our economic system is based on directing or channeling greed in such a way that it serves the economic welfare of society. Somewhere along the way, this channeling system broke down, and that's what cause our financial system into a tailspin.

Read the book and find out for yourself if you agree or not with D'Souza. I find his arguments compelling!