robertwalter

Cause and effect:  new iPhone, new rumors of supply constraints. 

Conversation already happened, The Director wasn't listening. 

Typical approach of a banking cartel:
- speak of vibrant competition while actually preserving status quo or consolidating;
- reap profits;
- fund politicians;
- receive desired legislation and political support;
- raise barriers to entry for potential new competitors;
- privatize profits while protecting for socialized risk;
- avoid innovation and customer oriented investment (unless it dramatically decreases operating expenses);
- if you do innovate, take off the shelf systems that you can control (vendor must always be subordinate);
- if a new entrant appears boycott;
- if new entrant's efforts gain traction, raise regulatory challenges;
- if regulatory system doesn't belong to your lobbying organization, begin negotiations to work with vendor with hope that regulatory threats, or homegrown alternatives will be enough to tame demands of vendor. 

If if the system isn't corrupt, then for the banking cartel to get in bed with a strong vendor, it takes customers switching loyalties to a competitor get things moving, and something like the Kubler Ross stages of grieving to get through. 

Typical approach of a banking cartel:
- speak of vibrant competition while actually preserving status quo or consolidating;
- reap profits;
- fund politicians;
- receive desired legislation and political support;
- raise barriers to entry for potential new competitors;
- privatize profits while protecting for socialized risk;
- avoid innovation and customer oriented investment (unless it dramatically decreases operating expenses);
- if you do innovate, take off the shelf systems that you can control (vendor must always be subordinate);
- if a new entrant appears boycott;
- if new entrant's efforts gain traction, raise regulatory challenges;
- if regulatory system doesn't belong to your lobbying organization, begin negotiations to work with vendor with hope that regulatory threats, or homegrown alternatives will be enough to tame demands of vendor. 

If if the system isn't corrupt, then for the banking cartel to get in bed with a strong competitor, it takes customers switching loyalties to get things moving, and something like the Kubler Ross stages of grieving to get through. 

michael scrip said:

razormaid said:

Eeek. Looks like a building for some Planned Pearenthood or something. Not very pretty is it. I'm guess this one will not be on "the tour" of most beautiful Over the top Apple stores. Looks like somewhere they'd make shoehorns for horses with that sheet metal sign. GRIN 

It looks better now than it did before   

Wow what a transformation. It was a real dump before. I'm sure it will look even better when they pull the film of those arched windows.