Daily Speculations The Web Site of Victor Niederhoffer & Laurel Kenner Dedicated to the scientific method, free markets, deflating ballyhoo, creating value, and laughter;  a forum for us to use our meager abilities to make the world of specinvestments a better place. Home Write to us at: (address is not clickable)

12/13/2005
Notes from Abroad: Larry Williams on India

What a place, what a place! Its had 8% GNP growth this year and its expected to be at least that next year so business is booming. Yet as I write this I cannot see more than half a mile through the pollution.

Their stock market continues making new highs, it too is in a buyers frenzy. Today's newspaper shows the contrasts; 11 members of parliament caught on tape by a TV station taking bribes for raising issues in congress. Some of the issues they were bribed to ask were, "Was the government aware of the Tom Wolffe committee's report, leading to the halting of its induction in the Euro-rail system?"

Another one was "Has the government lifted the ban on Ernest Hemingway's, For Whom the Bells Toll, Ken Kesey's One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest and Hunter S. Thompson's, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas?"

The bribe takers actually submitted the questions to the congress, i guess they are not well read.

Then there's a picture of women with a placard protesting having condoms sold in vending machines, their signs read, 'No to Nudity, Yes to Dignity ... Go to hell Condom Culture'.

Intel are pumping in billions as is Bill Gates, and Buffet came for visit ... it feels like the last frontier, and unlike china I can communicate here. It is a very diverse population, I have met so many very smart people my head is swimming

Chris Cooper comments:

I'm in the middle of a wonderful book about India called Shantaram. It describes the underground culture in Bombay, along with plenty of musings on life and love. I don't know if it will help with investing in India, but any book that makes me laugh out loud tends to percolate to the top of my list.