LyrArc Article Gist
People who have known Andy Grove describe his high integrity and today's lower standards.

LyrArc Article Gist
Canadian tar sands oil production from Alberta faces increasing competition from production by Bakken oil fields in N. Dakota. The increasing production from Bakken fields in the U.S. and the lack of pipeline space to bring oil from Alberta to the U.S. is putting the more costly projects on hold. The costlier projects have costs of about $100 a barrel with crude prices dropping below $90 in the U.S. Projects using steam to get bitumen to the surface are viable at $50 a barrel, other projects that require mining the bitumen to make synthetic crude have costs upwards of $100 a barrel. Costs are rising quickly with the cost of geoscientists going up 14.5% in 2012 and salaries over 200,000. Production workers make $35-$39 an hour and can make about $170,000 a year. The boom has pushed costs higher each year. Suncor Energy, the largst producer, is reviewing the viability of large planned multibillion upgrading and mining projects and cutting capital spending in 2012 by 11%. By 2020 oil sands output is forecast to double from the 2011 figure of 1.6 million barrels a day, according to the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers. In 2012 about 50% of production is from the costlier mining operations....

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Law Schools in the USA operate as a business like any other business. A class of 25 students at a mediocre school with $43,000 in fees can bring in a million dollars for the law school. Jobs are scarce for new graduates, but law schools try to fudge the numbers to present a rosy future when it is just the opposite. Young students without jobs can have loans upwards of $250,000.

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As Huawei's young engineers go through a learning curve, the company faces challenges of giving them additional business experience. Huawei is working to instill western practices and culture in its enginers by expanding overseas, and hiring seasoned engineers in Europe to mentor the younger Chinese engineers. Of the 23 Huawei R&D centers, 13 are located outside China. Huawei adds engineers right out of college- 50,000 employees were added in the last 5 years right out of college. Of the 149,000 employees, half work in R&D. Average age at Huawei is 29 years. In this sense Huawei is unusual for a high tech company compared to western companies. It is a plus for Huawei in the long run, but it means a lot of training is needed. Lars Bondelind, the Swedish head of wireless marketing at Huawei, describes these challenges at the 2012 Barcelona Mobile World Congress. Bondelind says the Chinese engineers he works with have higher knowledge and expertise than newly graduating Swedish engineers, the challenge is training them in western engineering and business practices....

LyrArc Article Gist
Increasing demand and profitabilty of the newer fuel efficient twin engine planes seating 250-300 passengers for Airbus and Boeing- the Airbus 321, the Airbus 350, the 777X, 787-9, 787-10.

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ChemChina's acquisition of Pirelli's tire business focusses on the more valuable tire consumer unit, Pirelli's technology for premium tires, and increasing growth in Asian markets. The acquisition involves a complex transaction which includes Rosneft of Russia, which owns a major share in Chemfin that has 28% of Pirelli stock. Institutional holders control 47% of the stock, with other holdings by Mediobanca, the Benetton family and retail investors. For Pirelli this is the first step in a journey with a major Chinese investor and a focus on the Chinese consumer market.

LyrArc Article Gist
A view that says this along term decline over many years for the stock market which is called a "secular bear market" with small rallies built into it. This may be one of them.

LyrArc Article Gist
It still takes time to get stimulus projects started.

LyrArc Article Gist
How the housing crisis is working itself out in worst hit California in places like the Central valley near Silicon valley as foreclosures rise and prices fall. And gradually home buyers are returning to the market.