Drop Your Vice

A month ago, I made a humorous (more like an attempt at being humorous) comment in Meera Sundarrajan’s post about “vice”.  I wrote something like Vice Admirals and Vice Captains must drop their “vice” before becoming Admirals and Captains.  A pun on the word “vice”, however I kept thinking more about that word.

 

What is the difference between Vice and Deputy and for that matter Assistant? How come some titles/designations have Vice preceding it whereas others have Deputy or even Assistant? Really, aren’t they all one and the same? 

 

The President has a Vice President. The Prime Minister has a Deputy Prime Minister. Why aren’t they called Deputy President or Vice Prime Minister? Maybe because those titles sound stupid to your ears and Vice President and Deputy Prime Minister sound more dignified.

 

Aren’t they all just Assistants to the Top Dog? Someone once said a “deputy” takes over for the boss, a “vice” takes care of the work of the boss, and an “assistant” only assists.  Not sure if I buy into that logic or even know what that logic means. 

 

When the President of a country dies, the Vice President automatically takes over his/her job.  When he/she is alive, does the Vice President take care of the work of his boss?  No way.  While waiting to become President, his only job is to attend funerals all over the world representing the country.

 

Getting away from politics, many corporations have a president, and many vice presidents, and even many assistant vice presidents.  What?  A VP is the assistant to the president and an AVP is the assistant’s assistant?

 

How about a principal’s second in charge?  I’ve seen it as Vice Principal and Assistant Principal and Deputy Principal. Thanks for that.  Now I’m very clearly confused.

 

Don’t even get me started on Secretary. A secretary in the corporate world is really an assistant right?  However secretaries in certain governments are the same as ministers in other governments?  And of course we have the dignified title of Deputy Secretary and Assistant Secretary but are missing the ugly sounding Vice Secretary.

 

If anyone can clear this up, I’ll be glad to hear your views.

Most Powerful Person

When someone asks the question - who is the most powerful person in the world, we (most people) immediately answer The President of the United States of America.  He is powerful alright.  But is he REALLY the MOST powerful person throughout the world? I offer a different person to consider.

 

(Courtesy: Yahoo)

 

Many people in the USA think a guy named Ben Bernanke is the most powerful person in the world. 

Who?  Never heard of him?  Ben Bernanke is the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board for the USA. 

Great.  So what does that mean?  What does he do?

As Chairman of the FRB, he is the public face of the USA’s central bank.  He sets two important interest rates based on how the economy is doing.  The first is called Discount Rate.  This is the rate at which banks can borrow money from Federal Reserve Bank.  The second is Federal Funds Rate.  This is the rate at which banks lend money to other banks. When the Fed Chairman (currently Bernanke) changes any of these interest rates, he affects millions of people and businesses around the world.

He also controls the number of US dollars floating around the world economy.  What he does has a huge effect on the exchange rate of a currency.

Bernanke has many speaking engagements.  Of course people want to hear what he has to say and they want to hear him often.  Everything he says has an effect on your wallet and purse.  A word or sentence here and there can make your wallet heavier or lighter.  Yes, he has that much influence.

The financial world is carefully listening to every word he says and the stock market reacts accordingly.  He cannot even give a casual remark for the fear of making a disruption in the stock market.

Remember the stock markets all over the world have been crashing this past week.  Why is that happening?  It’s because Mr. Bernanke said he is thinking of reducing the massive stimulus program.  (Please remember all he said was he is thinking about it.)  One newspaper headlined “Bernanke unleashes virtual tsunami in financial markets” around the world.

There are reports that some newspaper reporters are searching through the Fed Chairman’s garbage and trash bins so they can have more insight on him.  They even investigate which books he reads and what movies he watches at home so they can get a clue into his thinking.  Sorry Mr. President, you are not #1.

Bernanke is #1 Obama is #2.

Art Exhibition in San Francisco

Last Thursday evening, June 6, we attended an artist’s opening reception for her artwork in San Francisco.  The artist is of Indian origin and her name is Rohitha - a friend of ours and a fellow blogger.  Three years ago, I posted a comment at her blog (Stuff and Nonsense) that she should do an art exhibition.  I mentioned that when she does have her first art exhibition, I will attend (no matter where it was).

 

At the time of my comment Rohitha was living in Bangalore.  In June 2012, I received an e-mail from Rohitha that said she and her husband have moved to the San Francisco Bay Area.  After she moved out here we met for lunch and I asked her about her first art exhibition and she responded with “one of these days”.

 

Last month she contacted me and said her first art exhibition is scheduled to open in San Francisco on June 6.  My wife and I were both pleased and very happy for her.  We personally know of her talents as she is an excellent artist.  I was talking to a guy who knows a thing or two about art.  He was pleasantly surprised that an Indian was having an art exhibition in San Francisco.  He said that Indians usually exhibit their artwork in London or Singapore but it’s nice that they have branched out to San Francisco.

 

The ceremony was well attended and there was good food and drinks available for everyone.  Rohitha is an expert in Tanjore paintings and Mysore paintings.

 

Rohitha’s exhibition is a testimony to her hard work, talent and commitment.  I wish her more success and fame.  Here a few samples from the art exhibition.