Central Perk: 14 iun. 2014

sâmbătă, 14 iunie 2014

Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis

Rebels Down Ukrainian Jet Killing 49; Last Ditch Negotiations to Prevent Ukraine Gas Shutoff

Posted: 14 Jun 2014 08:03 PM PDT

There are a couple of significant news items in Ukraine today, and both of them will hike tensions in the region.

Earlier today Pro-Russia Rebels Down Ukraine Jet as Fighting Escalates.

Pro-Russian rebels shot down a transport plane in eastern Ukraine, killing 49 servicemen and threatening to ratchet up east-west tensions over suspicions President Vladimir Putin is backing the uprising.

The killing of the 40 soldiers and nine crew was the deadliest strike on Ukrainian forces since separatists seized government buildings on April 6. The IL-76 aircraft went down as it approached Luhansk airport at 1:10 a.m. local time under anti-aircraft and machine-gun fire, authorities including the Kiev-based Prosecutor General's Office said today.

The incident, which may fuel tensions between Moscow and Washington, Ukraine's main ally, came after the U.S. accused Moscow of sending heavy weapons, including old-model tanks and multiple-rocket launchers, to the rebels, who say they are fighting a war against fascism and to join Russia. Moscow is also threatening to cut off natural gas supplies to Ukraine.

Last Ditch Negotiations to Prevent Ukraine Gas Shutoff

Also note that Last-Ditch Russian Gas Talks to Resume.

Ukraine, Russia and the European Union will start today a new round of talks to prevent cutoff of natural gas flows, as the downing of a military plane by pro-Russian rebels raised tensions in the east of the country.

Ukraine and Russia have failed to reach an agreement in EU-brokered meetings since they started last month, with Russia declining to change the pricing mechanism and Ukraine rejecting a 20 percent discount offered by the Kremlin.

"The aim is to continue the discussions on issues related to gas supplies from Russia to Ukraine, with the objective of finding a solution that secures stable deliveries," the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, said in a statement today in Brussels.

The showdown over gas heaps pressure on Ukraine's new president Petro Poroshenko, who's struggling to fulfill an election pledge to halt an uprising by the rebels. Poroshenko announced a day of national mourning for tomorrow after rebels shot down the military transport plane as it approached Luhansk airport, killing 40 soldiers and nine crew.

Ukraine refused to pay for gas supplies after Russia raised the price of the fuel by 81 percent in April. President Vladimir Putin stripped the country of a 2010 export-duty break that it exchanged for a lease on its Black Sea fleet's port in Crimea, which Russia annexed in March. The state-run natural-gas exporter Gazprom rescinded a price discount granted to Ukraine in December citing mounting debt.

Ukraine must pay $1.95 billion by June 16 to partially cover its debt for past supplies, according to Gazprom. Prodan has said his country is ready to pay Russia once it sets a "fair" market-based price. A proposed government discount may be canceled at any time, he said.

The EU suggested an interim price of $326 per 1,000 cubic meters, which Ukraine would accept, Naftogaz's Kobolyev told reporters in Kiev yesterday. Gazprom's final offer is $385, the Moscow-based company said yesterday.

Apologies for the late reporting. Today was a the first anniversary of my marriage to Liz. We had a big party and I have been tied up all day.

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com

It's not 1960: Being a dad looks different now

Saturday, June 14, 2014

It's not 1960: Being a dad looks different now

It's 2014, and our families -- and workforce -- look different than they have before.

That means being a dad looks different than it ever has before.

Just like moms, many dads don't have access to paid leave or flexible workplaces, making it harder to balance work and family.

Here's what that looks like. Check it out, and pass it on.

And if you've got a story to tell about working hard to balance work and family, we want to hear from you.

Stay Connected

This email was sent to e0nstar1.blog@gmail.com
Sign Up for Updates from the White House
Unsubscribe | Privacy Policy
Please do not reply to this email. Contact the White House

The White House • 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW • Washington, DC 20500 • 202-456-1111

The President Wishes America's Dads a Happy Father's Day

Featured

Weekly Address: The President Wishes America's Dads a Happy Father's Day

In this week's address, President Obama wished America's dads a happy Father's Day and underscored the crucial role fathers play in our society. The President encouraged Americans to support those living without a father figure through initiatives like My Brother's Keeper.

He also highlighted actions he is taking on behalf of hardworking, responsible dads and moms, such as hosting the first-ever White House Working Families Summit later this month, and called on Congress to do its part to help offer more parents the chance to work hard and provide for their families.

Click here to watch this week's Weekly Address.

Seth's Blog : Worldview and stories

Worldview and stories

Why did McDonald's post signs saying, "More than a billion sold"?

Why do some people pay big money to go to galas that support charities, but not donate otherwise?

Why was the guy on the plane yesterday reading The Fault is in Our Stars, years after it came out?

Why are some hipsters getting their tattoos removed?

What makes so many people vote against their long and short-term interests?

How come it's so easy to like or dislike a person, a brand or a politician before we even get to know much about them?

What's a fair price to pay for a decent bottle of wine?

Do doctors cure people more often than alternative medicine?

Is it worth owning a Leica?

When was the last time you took something out of the library?

Do you fly a flag outside of your house?

Enough with the facts and figures and features and benefits. They rarely move people into action. It's our worldview (the way we acted and believed and judged before we encountered you) and your story (the narrative we tell ourselves about who you and and what you do) that drive human behavior.

We make two giant mistakes as marketers:

We believe that everyone has the same worldview, that everyone in a group shares the same biases and expectations and dreams as everyone else... and,

We believe that the narrative is up for grabs, and we ought to just make the thing we make.

An accurate description of a worldview has nothing to do with you or your mission... it's the way a person acts without you in the room. In the case of McDonald's, it's the worldview of: I don't want to take a risk in this transaction, and one way to do that is to follow the crowd.

And the story is the (true) narrative that unlocks that worldview and turns it into action.

Tell me what your ideal customer believes, at the most emotional and primordial level, and then you can tell me the story you'll craft and live and deliver that engages with that belief.