One of my favorite websites is www.Dictionary.com. I reference it frequently, when I come upon a word I'm unfamiliar with, or want to verify the meaning of a word I plan to use. I also subscribe to their "Word of the Day," which is usually a word I've never seen....
Performance Perspectives Blog
Thoughts on performance measurement from David Spaulding and other members of our team.
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What is it about numbers that end with 0 or 5?
I've commented in the past about anniversaries, and how we tend to give greater emphasis to ones that end with the number five or zero. My wife and I will celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary this November (we were very young when we wed, as I can't be THAT old!),...
Writing reports
I think Susan Weiner's blog is a must place to visit for anyone who writes (and who doesn't?).In a recent post she discusses a new book, Reader Friendly Reports, by Carter A. Daniel. I have been writing reports on a regular basis for over 40 years. Some are short (a...
Is performance attribution incomplete?
On a recent drive to and from a GIPS(R) (Global Investment Performance Standards) verification client, I began to listen to a book on Einstein and some of his friends, which included Kurt Gödel. I don't recall hearing of Gödel before, but do recollect his...
Did the WSJ jinx the DJIA?
In today's WSJ, on page C1 there's an article titled "You Hear That? It's Quiet...Too Quiet," that mentions that it's been 45 trading days without a 100-point decline in the Dow, which is apparently the longest stretch since 2006.And what happens? Well, as of...
Dollars versus percentages, which to use?
In today's Financial Times, there's a front page article that provides a ranking of the top hedge fund managers, by the dollars in profit they've produced. It points out that Ray Dalio (Bridgewater Pure Alpha) has surpassed the legendary George Soros (Quantum...
SS&C Buying Thomson’s PORTIA
It has been known for some time that Thomson was shopping their PORTIA suite of products. Well, we have just learned that SS&C Technologies has agreed to acquire it for $170 million This is huge news for the industry.I have speculated that SS&C might be...
Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds
Last November's WSJ's had a Jason Zweig article in which he reminded us of Charles Mackay's '41 book on market bubbles, whose title serves as this post's title. He pointed out how the author himself was fooled, just shortly after his book was published, in believing...
Who’s Who in Performance Measurement, II
The Journal of Performance Measurement(R) is beginning a series on performance measurement professionals, and we need your help to identify the folks we should include. We plan to focus on one or two people in each issue, but want the list to be driven by input from...
A sense of community
In this past weekend's WSJ, an article titled "Religion for Everyone" appeared which was taken from a book by Alain de Botton, that touched on the subject of "community." It begins "One of the losses that modern society feels most keenly is the loss of a sense of...