Abdulkader Thomas

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Hi, I’m Abdulkader

I’m a traveller. I write. I write for different audiences. Professionally, I write about finance. Recently, I returned to academia where I write about the intersection of finance and law. I read. I am a voracious reader. I enjoy writing about what I read. I often share this on Medium…

Coffee Times Movement

2 min read

Apr 24

You’ve made it, have we?

On April 20th, Algbra asked me to share reflections at the Ramadan Tent Project’s Open Iftar. My mission was to share some thoughts about Ramadan to a mixed crowd at the British Library court yard. Algbra also hoped that I could share a little about their journey and plans. This…

Algbra

4 min read

Mar 27

FinTech: Move steadily and build things

My poor vision is perversely good on the peripheral. Recently at Friday prayers, the chap off to my left was spending the entire khutba messaging. The reflection distracted me by zapping the corner of my glasses. That feels like FinTech: flashy, not clear. It complements the problematic thought process of…

Fintech App Development

3 min read

Mar 6

Now that the missiles are flying,…

Before Russia invaded Ukraine, I shared a very simple observation. Russia can no more tolerate NATO on its border than the US can accept Russia in the Caribbean. Two mistakes shape the eastward creep of the EU and NATO. The first is a failure to adapt Western strategy to a…

4 min read

Jan 10

Top Half Mindfulness

I have always been good with time. Many of us are. And, then came COVID. What was it that we lost: The commute? The suspension of travel? In person meetings? Didn’t our gain, the endless Zoom appointments, make up for the losses. Wait, time wasn’t the problem. What happened during…

Challenges 2021

2 min read

Jan 9

What can be learned from three Christmas cards?

Just before Christmas 2020, we moved to England from Kuwait. As a non-Christians, we weren’t expecting any Christmas cards. In addition to that, England is one of those places where people take time to warm to outsiders. 2020 Christmas card tally — zero. This year, we received three cards. Here…

2 min read

What can be learned from three Christmas cards?

Jan 1

Russia and Long Memories

Our policy makers are reading Russia all wrong. I have been reading a great deal about Russia this past year. Some of that is incidental, I have been focused on Turkey: Russia is a central player in much of contemporary Turkish history. Russian policy makers remember this history and everything…

3 min read

Oct 1, 2021

No, Greta, it is not Blah, Blah, Blah

Tatiana Androsov

My first reaction to the numbers was blah.

My first reaction to the numbers was blah. But, my reaction to the interpretation was wow. I am afraid, nonetheless, that Greta has tuned out any sounds that don't synchronize with her tune. Well done Tanya!

1 min read

May 14, 2021

FinTech versus Stakeholders

FinTech has metathesized throughout all banking discussions. This is our reality. Eye-straining technology will be the main way that we are able to manage our finances. FinTech has the classical Silicon Valley syndrome: FinTechies talk to each other. Occasionally, they deign to ask the rest of us what we think…

Fintech

3 min read

Apr 27, 2021

It’s the CPC’s birthday: Should they celebrate?

On July 1, 2021, Xi Jin Ping hopes to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Here are two contrasting sets of observations about why there isn’t as much to celebrate as Xi hopes. I ordered a new hoodie on a link via Facebook. I bought…

Quality Assurance

3 min read

It’s the CPC’s birthday: Should they celebrate?