Stern Takes 1st Place at IESE International Case Competition

New York University's Stern School of Business' Team (Lasith, Leah, Eric and Eddie) won the first place in the 2007 IESE Annual International Case Competition!!!

We rock!

The new trend...Hunger Strike!

Did anyone really thought this wasn't going to happen? It was absolutely predictable!
So, now... what? Let's do what all of them want! Why not?
Seriously, what's going on in Spain?

Al menos 29 presos se han puesto en huelga de hambre tras el 'caso De Juana'
Actualizado miércoles 11/04/2007 22:34 (CET)

EL MUNDO

MADRID.- Al menos 29 presos comunes de distintas cárceles españolas han iniciado una huelga de hambre en los últimos meses, siguiendo el ejemplo de Iñaki de Juana Chaos, el etarra que consiguió el régimen de prisión atenuada con una protesta similar.

Según informa Pedro Simón en EL MUNDO, uno de estos presos es Jesús Martínez Ramos, un recluso de la prisión de Aranjuez cuya celda está al lado de la que ocupó en su día Iñaki de Juana Chaos. "No aguanto más, Juancar, quiero una prisión atenuada como la de ese tío. Quiero que nos traten de igual manera. Me voy a poner en huelga de hambre. No hay marcha atrás", le comentó a su hermano antes de iniciar la drástica protesta.

Jesús Martínez Ramos cumplía condena por varios delitos contra la propiedad, entre ellos asaltar un almacén de jamones. Tanto él como De Juana Chaos habían cumplido tres cuartas partes de la pena y ambos contaron con la misma junta de tratamiento. El pasado 8 de marzo inició, junto a otros cuatro compañeros, una huelga de hambre pidiendo un tratamiento penitenciario similar al que tuvo el etarra.

Otro caso es el de El Zarrat Ez Zitouni, preso en la cárcel de Dueñas (Palencia), ingresó en la cárcel a mediados de 2006 acusado de violación, pero la supuesta violada que le metió en la cárcel reconoció el pasado 13 de mayo que, no hubo tal delito y quería vengarse del marroquí por un asunto de drogas.

Sólo en la prisión de Mansilla (León), en las últimas semanas, un total de 16 internos se han declarado en huelga de hambre. Actualmente seis siguen con la protesta.

Según el Centro de Documentación contra la Tortura, en 2006 fallecieron al menos entre 50 y 60 presos que mantenían una huelga de hambre y que se encontraban en un deplorable estado de salud que hacía aconsejable su excarcelación.

http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2007/04/11/espana/1176323578.html

FOMO: Fear of Missing Out

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_15/b4029092.htm

Today's Students: Living Large They're splurging like the high-paid executives they expect to become An epidemic has hit America's top MBA programs. At Harvard Business School, it's called FOMO: fear of missing out. Symptoms include a chronic inability to turn down invitations to any party, dinner, or junket attended by anyone who might be a valuable addition to one's network—no matter the cost.

With their incomes about to get a big boost at graduation, many students are spending far more than absolutely necessary, in part on luxuries like leisure travel and in part on networking events. Nobody wants to quibble over the costs when they're partying with folks who may advance their career.

Says Mike Altman, a student at the University of California at Los Angeles' Anderson School of Management: "It isn't worth coming off as cheap or petty when you're building a network for life."At top B-schools, where high-rolling investment bankers set the pace, those extras add up. Harvard suggests MBAs budget $23,784 a year for room and board, but Harvard grads responding to a BusinessWeek survey last year estimated their annual living expenses at $37,000, with more than 40 reporting $80,000 or more. Columbia Business School, where some MBA grads reported spending as much as $85,000 a year, recommends that students budget about $2,080 a month for room and board.

But student Aakash Nijhawan says most people he knows end up spending at least that much on housing alone, to live in the trendier precincts of Manhattan, such as Tribeca or SoHo, in an apartment "that's not the size of a shoebox."The B-school set doesn't stint when it comes to travel, either. There's the winter "learning experience" in China, spring break in the Caribbean, and weekend jaunts to Vegas or Vail. The wine-tasting trip to Napa, sponsored by the University of Chicago Wine Club, and the celebrity-spotting excursion to Cannes, offered by UCLA's Entertainment Management Assn., are not to be missed. And who could turn down an invite from a University of Chicago club to break bread with the Sage of Omaha himself, Warren Buffett?

REFORMED CHEAPSKATE

For Nijhawan, who will return to investment banking at graduation, that's a no-brainer. "When you work in banking, you're working really hard, and sometimes vacations get canceled," he says. That's how he rationalized spending $5,000 for a student trip to India and about $1,500 for spring break in Hawaii—quite a bit more than the $3,900 a year Columbia recommends students budget for "personal expenses" including travel and clothing.

When he graduates in May, Nijhawan hopes to spend the summer in Greece and the Bahamas before starting his new job at Citigroup. With the money he stands to make there—the median starting salary for Columbia grads in his field is $125,000—he's not worried about paying back his loans.

In fact, with what he managed to save before B-school, he probably could have paid for it all in cash. Still, he wasn't ready to give up the high life. "I wanted to live more comfortably," he says, "and I budgeted accordingly." While he gave up the Brooks Brothers shopping sprees and $300 dinners, he kept his spacious 1,200-square-foot apartment in Hoboken, N.J., and his stylish BMW 325i.UCLA's Altman, a onetime member of the U.S. national rowing team, considers himself "a bit of a cheapskate."

Even so, Altman eventually realized that with the $40,000 he was spending each year on tuition, it made no sense to pinch pennies. "I made such a huge financial commitment," he says. "I need to get as much out of this as I can."

Amazing Japan!

I liked with Japan before I had the opportunity to visit it. Now... after spending 10 days there...

I can say that...

... I am completely in love with this country!!!

- Amazing culture: silent, ancient, spiritual, historical, unique...
- Amazing people: polite, extremely courteous, pleasant, friendly...
- Amazing cities and towns: clean, beautiful, modern & old together, organized...

The only reason why this trip does not displace Egipt trip from its 1st position, is that my 'angel' wasn't with me.

We both visit Japan, but not together... But... Romance aside....

Best trip ever!!!!

It's difficult for me to pick one particular moment as the best one there.

I started my journey in Tokyo, where we visited the touristic area of Ropongi, the financial area, Harayuku, Sony headquarters, and of course the Fish Market at 4am in the morning (where I ate for the first time Sashimi). Also in Tokyo, I had the opportunity to see again, after 10 years, my good friend Mitsuyo! She took the day off and travel from her hometown to Tokyo to spend the day with me! So sweet!

From Tokyo we traveled in the amazing "Tren Bala" to Nagoya, where we visited Toyota factory. No wonder how ZARA works so well after working with Toyota's executives, it's really impressive!

From Nagoya, we headed to Gifu, where we stayed at a traditional Japanese Onsen Hotel. There, we had a traditional 12 courses Japanesse dinner that was served on the floor (tatamis). In this same hotel we enjoyed the strange experience of bathing in Spring Waters.

After Gifu, the wonderful and magic Kioto, Geiko's city; where, I had the opportunity to dress like a Geiko (Dear Lord!!! I looked awfull -see the picture-). I had always had this fantasy of dressing like a Geisha, and I always imagined that I would be beautiful....

Well, it didn't happen!

They cover your face completely with white paint (yes! paint, no make up, I almost died trying to take it out), they take out haft your eyebrow, they hide your eyelashes, they minimize your lips to the minimum possible, they compress your brests, they hide your hips, and they give you a belly.... My God! When I looked myself in the mirrow for the 1st time I couldn't believe it! There's a reason why Western women aren't Geishas...

However, it was one of the funniest parts of the trip. And... our Japanes friend Yuichi said that we looked beautiful (poor thing!)

After two days in Kioto, we traveled to Osaka, where we saw Osaka temple, enjoyed the city and had their typical food Okonomiyaki (Delicious!); and had the opportunity to attend the Sumo World Tournament.... No words!

It was fast! Wasn't it? The 10th day I couldn't believe I was coming back to NY already!

I really recomend everyone to visit Japan! It's totally worth it!

I can't wait to come back!