Japan’s Wages Declined 1.6% in September, 16th Straight Drop - Don't you just hate when that happens??

Japan’s Wages Declined 1.6% in September, 16th Straight Drop - Bloomberg.com

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Clear and succinct take on the financial crisis

I love when we get these unemotional analyses in clear and fairly easy to understand terms:
Jeremy J. Siegel: Efficient Market Theory and the Crisis - WSJ.com

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Wisdom from Lake Wobegon

Garrison Keillor's take of some sour grapes being tossed around the airwaves and internet:
Petulance and Peace Prize -- chicagotribune.com

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Paper Bags as Fashion Statements-As if you didn't already know

Make sure you get the branded paper bag-those flimsy department store paper bags will NOT do-
Paper Bags as Fashion Statements - NYTimes.com
I have an economic activity measure I use: the shopping bag index. The range is usually 0 to 3 for the average number of shopping bags people have in the main shopping districts-not very scientific, I know. Just to clarify-re-used shopping bags do NOT count...
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Japan finally drops tax on subsidiary dividends

Joining the US and many European countries, Japan will drop the tax on dividends from consolidated subsidiaries, which should stimulate more corporate investment. Keep watching-there is a strong chance that newly available investment funds will start flowing to environmentally positive domains-alternative energy, fuel cells, solar technology, wind technology-all areas where Japan is a technological leader but lags in technology exploitation to business.
2009/08/16 01:30 - Corp Tax Change Seeks To Free Up Funds For Investment

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Micro-Bubble? A Global Surge in Tiny Loans Spurs Credit Bubble in a Slum - WSJ.com

Microfinance-the tiniest loans-turns into a Micro-Bubble
A Global Surge in Tiny Loans Spurs Credit Bubble in a Slum - WSJ.com
Sounds like borrowing from Peter to pay Paul...now who would even consider borrowing from one bank to pay another? Plenty of us-so it's not just a developed country disease, I guess.
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Really? - The Claim - Some Dogs Look Like Their Owners - Question - NYTimes.com

This is quirky and goofy, but I couldn't resist. I see some pretty outrageous dog clothes in Tokyo, and I kind of doubt the dogs picked it out themselves!
Really? - The Claim - Some Dogs Look Like Their Owners - Question - NYTimes.com

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This is a MUST read: Tokyo Underworld –before it gets to the Theater Near You! | Japan | Japan Travel | Nihon Sun

Tokyo Underworld – Coming to a Theater Near You! | Japan | Japan Travel | Nihon Sun
It is not only a different view of Japan, it is largely true-sure, some of the activities are a bit larger than life, but then again anything could have happened in those confusing days.
Non-Japanese who worked in non-mainstream areas lived a fairly insulated life-architects, gangsters, sports figures, entertainment figures. The connections between these exists to this day.
I had the unique opportunity to verify some of the contents of the book through a descendant of one of the leaders of a gang affiliated with Machii in the book-he said "anything is possible with those guys."
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With Jobs Scarce in Japan, Women Become Professional Flirts - NYTimes.com

The Grey Lady goes PINK!
With Jobs Scarce in Japan, Women Become Professional Flirts - NYTimes.com

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Fashion Mags Unfashionably Slimmer - Forbes.com

Fashion Mags Unfashionably Slimmer - Forbes.com
Japan no longer has Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire is done this month and Figaro is going to a monthly format-ad pages are way down year on year. tough times for printed mass-luxury.
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2009/07/15 04:53 - Twitter To Begin Japan-Only Service For Cell Phone Users

So will the proliferation of iPhone help Twitter grow in Japan? There are plenty of SNS sites on mobile phones, but can they compare?
2009/07/15 04:53 - Twitter To Begin Japan-Only Service For Cell Phone Users

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I love my iPhone, but what's the big deal about 3.0??

Apple sells more than a million iPhone 3GS models for opening weekend

A longer battery life may be worth the hardware upgrade, however-
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Calvin Klein didn't just get racy this week

Why all of a sudden have people gotten so bent out of shape at a racy jeans billboard by Calvin Klein? It's not like we have never seen this stuff before...I think it's hot, hot, hot.

Russian Oil Magnate Launches $490 Million Luxury Yacht - International News | News of the World | Middle East News | Europe News - FOXNews.com

Looks like someone is emulating Ernst Blofeld:
Russian Oil Magnate Launches $490 Million Luxury Yacht - International News | News of the World | Middle East News | Europe News - FOXNews.com

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Goldfish --Catch these guys!

Catch Goldfish-New CD available, but the first one is super cool!!

Christian Lacroix Files for Protection From Creditors - NYTimes.com

Christian Lacroix Files for Protection From Creditors - NYTimes.com

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Japan incentives on energy-efficient gadgets lifting sales at electronics retailers - Los Angeles Times

Japan incentives on energy-efficient gadgets lifting sales at electronics retailers - Los Angeles Times

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Thanks Jeff!

Jeff Immelt gave a great talk today at the American Chamber of Commerce-
The key takeaways were:

• The financial services industry is going to be more regulated so we have to learn to deal with that.
• The government has moved in next door. There is going to be more interaction and interface with the government, so we had better get good at it.
• Now is the time to go where the business is-not to sit back and gird waiting for the recession to end. Make sure you cover all your price points in all your areas.
• The recession will end. If you take some risks now to go out and build some solid foundations for growth, your business will take off when the recession ends.
• Green and Eco are good businesses-GE has profited from ecoimagination initiatives-and Walmart has taken a lead in reducing carbon. If Walmart does it, that means it can be done inexpensively and efficiently.
• Don't get constipated-enjoy the ride-keep upbeat
  

Steel takes Wigs

Well the shareholders have spoken-they have approved the board candidates fielded by Steel Partners, which in effect cancels the TOB from Unison Capital. Since we know that Steel and another US mutual fund have 38% + of the shares, plenty of other shareholders were clearly underwhelmed by the weak tender offer from Unison.
Shareholder activism at its best?

We'll see how the new Steel appointed board helps reinvigorate the company and share price-only time can tell.

Fight over the wig maker?

OK, there has to be more to Aderans the wig maker than their healthy balance sheet for Steel Partners and Unison Capital to fight over it. Sure isn't the cooperative management team. Do the funds see market potential for wigs and male pattern baldness that eludes the rest of us? I am guessing that there is something else of value in that balance sheet.

Interestingly, Steel Partners has a real concern that echoes the true spirit of shareholder value preservation-the tender offer from Unison is arrogantly low-
how will shareholders vote? Stay tuned till tomorrow!!

Donut Burger?

In the neverending race for profits and new market niches, the master of incongruous mix 'n match, Mos Burger, has come out with a ... Donut Burger! Here is a good picture in another blog (although blog entry incorrectly says Mr. Donut) Why not? As some will fondly remember, White Castle burgers were square with a few holes... I think we used to call them "sliders" in college.

Fun and danger at the giro d'italie

If you cycle regularly in a metropolis like I do, the dangers that the riders in the giro d'italie are talking about are way too real-so why do car, truck and bus drivers think that a human being on a carbon or aluminum 5kg frame with precarious balance and thin wheels is a threat on roads that are made for several vehicles? Are we talking too much testosterone driven bravado?
Read Here all about the Giro

The image of a co-worker's husband with metal pins in his leg because some truck driver was in a hurry haunt me...

We are all working together out there on the road-take a breath, give an inch, you won't be late!

Smart Phones and the Tipping Point

Although I have been a "loyal" user of DoCoMo phones for years, i just had to get the iPhone for work, along with a couple other execs. While it doesn't really do much for me in terms of voice calls, I have to say that the schedule/mail sync with exchange at work is seriously handy. Add the Bloomberg/WSJ/NY Times apps with SNS apps and it really is a tiny laptop.

Japan has the steepest (read: fast) upward slope on the innovation adoption curve between early adopters and early majority. This group is populated by a large percentage of young women, and as such I am seeing more and more young women with iPhones, playing music or getting onto SNS services. Sure, the percentage is still small compared to young women on pink phones looking at the mobile version of Mixi, but as with all trends in Japan, the tipping point can come along VERY fast.

How long did it take to go from 1% penetration to 10% for Crocs?
The speed is unbelievable-both creation and destruction-when it comes to trends.

So can DoCoMo, Softbank and KDDI come up with viable alternatives? DoCoMo sells the Blackberry, but only the clunky one-that thing is too ugly to be anything but company issue-

Watch this space...

Been Way Too Long-Sorry for my absence. First the economy and my work took off northward, then the economy in Japan started south-You could say that the bad loan crisis in Japan helped pave the way for more stable (read risk averse) financial institutions. You could say that, and lots of folks do.

But two years ago everybody and their dog was secretly laughing at Japanese banks for "not getting it" during those heady days of multi-tranche, multi-split collateralized debt obligations.

I am pretty sure that there needed to be less greedy, but still profit driven, approach to the capital markets. Who are the survivors (winners?)

I have been twitting recently-follow me!
http://twitter.com/timothyconnor