Notes from Barron's 1/28

Bismillah. I listed some notes from Barron's articles;

Head Wind into Tail Wind, by Alan Abelson
-  equities extended longest winning streak since 2004, S&P is up above 1500
-  new claims for unemployment insurance dropped to 330,000 this week
-  per Floyd Norris, inventories of unsold houses are lowest in decades, and it is now providing a stimulus to the economy
-  Abelson doesn't believe there is any real credibility to a possible war between China and Japan

That Uneasy Feeling, by Kopin Tan
-  9 out of 10 stocks are above their 50-day averages, "a sign the market is becoming overbought in the short-term"
- S&P is trading 14 X projected profits
- stocks make up 35% of assets of US pension funds (long term average ¬44%)--> so there room for further equity buying
- Michael Hartnett, BofA Merrill Lynch chief investment strategist, "Central-bank liquidity has been by far and away the most important driver of asset prices since the great financial crisis."

Notes from listening to personal mba

Bismillah. I have been listening to The Personal MBA: Master the Art of Business, Josh Kaufman. I listed some notes below.

Viewing your mind as a muscle.
Invest in yourself
How to work effectively with others?
Relationships are based on power, influence vs compulsion
Influence is more effective, people naturally desist being forced
Do things that increase you reputation and skills
Comparative Advantage (CA), Ricardo calculated that specialization is better than making everything yourself
Focus on what you are best at
CA explains why diverse teams are stronger.
Communication overhead:
Everyone had a fundamental need to feel important
Being present and focused
What got you here will not get you there. Putting down people leads to ineffective conversation
Share facts, tell your story, ask for other's story.
Treat people with appreciation, courtesy, respect,
When you assign a task, tell the why as well. Give the intent behind your plan. This allows people to act to changes.
Take responsibility and assign specific responsibility

Macro economic outlook for 2013

I was reading through some global outlook reports and wanted to share some of the reports. Here is a brief summary.

The United States government’s gridlock in the legislative houses, fears of dipping back into a recession and forecasts of 2% GDP growth lends itself to a cautiously positive economic 2013 outlook. Even with modest US GDP growth in 2012, the consistency of 34 months of job creation and stronger investor confidence led to strong 2012 stock market performance (e.g. S&P 500 gained 13.4%, Nasdaq Composite Index gained nearly 16%). In a global sense, contraction of many Eurozone member economies and less than 1% mean GDP growth for Eurozone demonstrate that developed economies are not growing strongly. Emerging countries such as Turkey are showing stronger economic growth (4%) and thus potentially are more attractive to investors. 

Global grind: The world economy’s woes are far from over, forecasts Robin Bew:

http://www.economist.com/news/21566290-world-economys-woes-are-far-over-forecasts-robin-bew-global-grind

Jan Hatzius on 2013- projects later half of 2013 to have greater growth:

http://www.goldmansachs.com/our-thinking/focus-on/outlook/hatzius-2013/index.html?cid=PS_01_20_06_00_00_00_01_a

Russell Investments 2013 Global market outlook:

http://www.russell.com/us/institutional-investors/research/global-market-outlook.page?s_kwcid=TC|18567|economic%20outlook%202013||S|p|19218821602&gclid=CPGVrfyQz7QCFUbf4AodohUAQQ

UPSIDE AND DOWNSIDE: An Excellent Overview Of The US Economy In 2013

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/t-rowe-price-us-economic-outlook-2013-2012-12?op=1#ixzz2H1f4qPLO

Doing one thing at a time

Bismillah

Interesting read about the importance of focus on projects/day to activities. Tony Schwartz advises his readers to avoid multi-tasking and to give one's undivided attention when working on a project/task. In addition, Tony believes that it is important to complete most important tasks in the morning, take breaks during the day and to plan meaningful/complete vacations from work. 

To read more, click on the link below to read full post.

http://blogs.hbr.org/schwartz/2012/03/the-magic-of-doing-one-thing-a.html

It is interested that in the tradition of the Prophet (peace be upon him), he would turn his face and body to someone when he spoke to him. 

Returning to the blog world, iA

Assalamu Alaikom (peace be upon you):

The plan is to return from the blog haitus.

Muhammad Alshareef's What can you do in 10 min?" khutbah is filled many beneficial tips and reminders on beneficial practices that we can implement in less than 10 min.

khutbah.com/en/return_allah/10min.php

Much love and peace

Take benefit of five before five

The Prophet (pbuh) said: “Take benefit of five before five:your youth before your old age,your health before your sickness,your wealth before your poverty,your free-time before your preoccupation,and your life before your death.”(Hakim)

This hadith reminds us to make proactive use of my talents, gifts, and resources. Nothing in this is life is permanent and it is important to utilize our strengths/skills NOW, rather, than later, iA. Each gift mentioned in this hadith is important: our youth, health, wealth, free-time, and life. I hope we have the ability to take full advantage of these gifts to empower ourselves and our communities.

Khutbah.com has a great khutbah on this topic
http://www.khutbah.com/en/sunnah_seerah/five.php

Visit the sick

During Fajr prayer, the imam reminded us about the importance of visiting the sick. I believe he was referring to the following hadith.

The Prophet (S) said: "When a man goes to visit his sick Muslim brother, he walks along a path of Paradise until he sits, and when he sits he is cloaked in mercy. If he comes in the morning, seventy thousand angels pray for him until evening, and if he comes in the evening, seventy thousand angels pray for him until morning." At-TirmidSubhanAllah.. Who wouldn't angels praying for him/her? This hadith is a great reminder on the importance of visiting the sick. I definitely need to this more often. Hopefully, I will be make it a point to visit someone sick within a week, iA.

Practice what you preach

Usamah bin Zaid (May Allah bepleased with them) reported: The

Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said,

“A man will be brought on the Day of Resurrection and will be cast
into Hell, and his intestines will pour forth and he will go round
them as a donkey goes round a millstone. The inmates of Hell will
gather round him and say: ‘What has happened to you, O so-and-so? Were
you not enjoining us to do good and forbidding us to do evil?’ He will
reply: ‘I was enjoining you to do good, but was not doing it myself;
and I was forbidding you to do evil, but was doing it myself”.

Salams, It has been a long time since my last post. The imam at fajr prayer today reminded us the importance of implementing our own advice. This hadith is a reminder to practice what we preach. Sometimes it is easier to advise others to do good than reflecting on and practicing our own advice. The best way to advise others to do
good or change a particular action is by demonstrating THAT very action in our own behavior. May Allah help us be sincere in all ouractions/advice and be the very best examples.

Ameen.

Advance in Quest for HIV Vaccine

"In the latest development, U.S. government scientists say they have discovered three powerful antibodies, the strongest of which neutralizes 91% of HIV strains, more than any AIDS antibody yet discovered. They are now deploying the technique used to find those antibodies to identify antibodies to influenza viruses."

Read the rest of the article by clicking on the link below:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703609004575355072271264394.html?mod=wsj_share_digg


How are you contributing to the betterment of the world?-

ADHD: Why More Adults Are Being Diagnosed - WSJ.com

This article can also be accessed if you copy and paste the entire address below into your web browser.
http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424052702304620304575165902933059076-lMyQjAxMTAwMDAwNjEwNDYyWj.html

Nouman Ali Khan's talk on Islam and Ego

Salams. I watched the talk below and found it enlightening and thought provoking. What are our intentions? Where is our sincerity?

No matter how we might seem to the outside world, our inner thoughts and actions define us, and thus, reminders of this reality are beneficial, mA.

Check yourself, and renew your intentions, and make sure to surround yourself with good company.

Much love and peace-

www.halaltube.com/nouman-ali-khan-islam-and-ego

Salams- Come closer to your Lord with extra deeds

Salams- I think I posted this hadith before, but, I love this reminder:

On the Authority of Abu Hurairah who reported that the Messenger of Allah said:

"Allah the Exalted has said: 'Whosover shows enmity to a friend of Mine, I shall be at war with him. My slave does not draw nearer to me with anything more loved by me that the religious duties that I have imposed upon him, and My Slave continues to draw near to ME with extra works so that I shall love him. When I love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hands with which he holds, and his foot which which he walks. Were he to ask of Me, I would surely give it to him and were he were he ask ME for refuge, I would surely grant it.' "

Related by Bukhari.

My take:
1. Wow, mA.. Take care of religous obligations (testify the oneness of your Lord, pray 5 times/day, pay your zakat, fast in ramadan, make the hajj), and do a little extra to earn your Lord's love
2. How amazing is it to be loved by your Lord?

Be safe and take care-

Work hard/Trust in your Lord + Expecting a Surge in U.S. Medical Schools

Bismillah.

So.. Tawakul (Complete Trust in Your Lord)..

One day the Prophet (peace be upon him) noticed a Bedouin leaving his camel without tying it. He asked the Bedouin, "Why don't you tie down your camel?" The Bedouin answered, "I put my trust in Allah." The Prophet then said, "Tie your camel first, then put your trust in Allah"

My take:

1. Try your very best AND place your trust in your Lord

Also, for those interested in medical school, read the following piece. Thanks Naji and Dulbahai.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/15/education/15medschools.html

Marriage Decision: Following One’s Heart

http://seekersguidance.org/ans-blog/2010/01/29/marriage-decision-following-ones-heart/

Time Management- a prespective from Muhammad Alshareef

Saalams..

The link (Journey's end lecture) below is useful, mA. Feel free to listen to it.

http://attendthisevent.com/Modern/?eventid=10763076

Peace-

ICNYU Conference 2010: Building Momentum in Mainstream Culture

Register now. This should be good, iA. (Friday, Jan. 22nd- Sat, Jan. 23rd).
www.icnyu.org/conference

Who should you aspire to be?

Bismillah

Thanks, Ibraheem for sharing this prophetic saying:

Narrated 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud:

The Prophet (S) said, "Do not wish to be like anyone except in two cases. (The first is) A person, whom Allah has given wealth and he spends it righteously; (the second is) the one whom Allah has given wisdom (the Holy Qur'an) and he acts according to it and teaches it to others."
-Sahih Al Bukhari Volume 1, Book 3, Number 73

My take:
1. Give generously and use your wealth for good, betterment of your community, iA
2. Learn, teach and act upon the lessons from the Quran

Peace-

How to Get $20 Billion for Using Electronic Medical Records

Congress had passed a HITECH stimulus bill in Feb that gave Medicare and Medicaid incentives to docs and hospitals to make meaningful use of electronic medical records. The HITECH bill laid out a few basics about meaningful use: (e.g. reporting quality measures, sharing information electronically, etc.). Read the article and click on links within the article for more info.

Peace-

Click the following to access the sent link:

How to Get $20 Billion for Using Electronic Medical Records*

This article can also be accessed if you copy and paste the entire address below into your web browser.
http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2009/12/30/how-to-get-20-billion-for-using-electronic-medical-records/?blog_id=10&post_id=28096

Abu Eesa Niamatullah on relationships

Salams, my cousin sent me this link. This Al Maghrib instructor offers advice on how to engage the opposite gender Islamically.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5Kyy_4NE3Y

Peace-

Day of Arafat

Assalamu Alaikom.

The Prophet said, "Fasting the day of Arafat erases the sins of two years: the previous year and the coming one."

Tomorrow, (Thursday, 11/26) is the Day of Arafat. For those of us not fortunate enough to make the pilgrimage this year, this is is a beautiful chance to take advantage of the blessings of this day, iA.

Just wanted to share a small reminder and also invite you all to my family's home in Long Island on the first day of Eid (Friday, 11/26) anytime between 2-5pm. Let me know if you can come through, iA.

Be safe and take care.

Peace-