joi, 4 decembrie 2014

Damn Cool Pics

Damn Cool Pics

Ashes to Ashes [Infographic]

Posted: 04 Dec 2014 12:01 PM PST

Fifty years ago, only a tiny fraction of Americans chose to be cremated after death. But cremation has become much more popular in recent decades, thanks in part to an increase in religious acceptance of the practice and economic factors.

Click on Image to Enlarge.

Via: Heritage Cremation Provider

Is Your Car Sending You Signals? [Infographic]

Posted: 04 Dec 2014 11:54 AM PST

Ignoring the warnings your car sends out could leave you stranded on the side of the road or with a costly repair bill. "The closer attention you pay to your vehicle, the more likely you are to detect small problems before they become bigger, more expensive problems," says Tony Molla, vice president of communications for the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE).

Check out the infographic below to learn some of the warning signs.

Click on Image to Enlarge.

Via: PA Window Tinting

Last Name Combinations That Are Seriously Terrible

Posted: 04 Dec 2014 11:42 AM PST

These happy couples have some of the most ironic and awful last name combinations ever created.























Zuhal Sengul, Turkish Air Hostess Was Fired For for being `too sexy'

Posted: 04 Dec 2014 10:51 AM PST

A sexy airline stewardess who showed off her curvy body in modelling shoots has been fired by Turkish Airlines.

Airline brass decided that Zuhal Sengul, 31, went a little too far in wearing far too little in a photo shoot with an Italian magazine, Metro.co.uk reported.

These Are The 20 Most Corrupt Countries Around The World

Posted: 04 Dec 2014 10:23 AM PST

Corruption is not something exclusive to certain countries, it's something the whole world participates in.























Publicat de 1 la 19:41 0 comentarii

Seth's Blog : A one day design sprint (and a developer directory)

 

A one day design sprint (and a developer directory)

In about a week, I'm hosting a design sprint, and I thought it would be worth sharing the details widely because perhaps you should have one too.

I'm poking around in the early stages of developing some new projects, and one of them tries to solve a widespread problem with a new approach on mobile devices.

To take it to the next level, I'm hosting a 6-hour design sprint in my office (outside of New York City) for a few people. The notion (which I have found useful for many projects) is to get some motivated, talented people together to whiteboard possibilities and challenges and to open doors to new ways of thinking. The participants get paid of course, but even better, they get the energy that comes from a collision with other creative people.

For this sprint, I'm really focused on finding people with significant experience and a point of view about some combination of: mobile app development, back end data manipulation and user interaction and design. Background in one of these areas is enough... if you're at the top of your field, I'd love to hear from you.

If this is interesting to you, please click here to see details.

And if this one isn't for you, I hope you'll consider hosting one for your project, your career, your next thing... It's sort of thrilling.

Also! While I was beginning my search for rock star developers I might want to work with, I was surprised to find it was difficult to even get started in the search. I thought it might be useful to put together and share a lightweight, simple directory of self-selected developers in search of interesting projects. If you're that sort of developer (either an individual or a firm) consider entering your info on this form. If I get a good response, we'll turn it into a web page and I'll link to it in a future blog post. Thanks.

       

 

More Recent Articles

[You're getting this note because you subscribed to Seth Godin's blog.]

Don't want to get this email anymore? Click the link below to unsubscribe.

Email subscriptions powered by FeedBlitz, LLC, 365 Boston Post Rd, Suite 123, Sudbury, MA 01776, USA.
Publicat de 1 la 11:20 0 comentarii

Seth's Blog : Placebos, manipulation and preying on the weak

 

Placebos, manipulation and preying on the weak

Marketers make change happen. Good marketing can change governments, heal the sick and bring a new technology to the masses. Marketers spend money (sometimes lots of it), take our time and transform our culture. It's quite a powerful position to be in.

Who decides, then, what and how it's okay to market?

At a recent conference for non-profits, a college student asked me, "what right does a public health person have to try to change the behavior of an at-risk group?" That one was easy for me. How can they not work to tell stories and share information that will help those at risk change that behavior? 

And then, just a day later, I heard the story of a marketer who intentionally bankrupts the elderly by loading them up with worthless 'investments'. He said, "Hey, if it makes them happy in the moment and they voluntarily buy what I'm selling, who cares? I'm not doing anything against the law, and if it's not against the law, I'm not going to stop."

Shame.

Or the spam phone banks that steal brand names and generate tens of thousands of calls a day, tricking small businesses into buying fake SEO services, or the e-cig makers who market to kids, looking to build a long-term business based on addiction...

For me, the line is clear. If the person you're trying to change knew what you knew, would they want to change? And so the placebo is ethical, because in fact, it makes people better when they believe. And the expensive wine is ethical, because it's a placebo, purchased by people who can afford it. But the fraudulent penny-stock scam is wrong, because the withheld information about the fraud being perpetrated is a selfish lie. 

If you're okay saying to yourself and your family, "I tell selfish lies to the weak, the young and the uninformed for a living," then I guess we need better laws. I'm hopeful, though, that we'll figure out how to do work we're proud of first.

       

 

More Recent Articles

[You're getting this note because you subscribed to Seth Godin's blog.]

Don't want to get this email anymore? Click the link below to unsubscribe.

Email subscriptions powered by FeedBlitz, LLC, 365 Boston Post Rd, Suite 123, Sudbury, MA 01776, USA.
Publicat de 1 la 02:20 0 comentarii

miercuri, 3 decembrie 2014

Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis

Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis

Yield Curve Casts Doubt on "Robust Recovery" Theory

Posted: 03 Dec 2014 04:33 PM PST

A week ago Fed Governor Dudley announced "U.S. Economic Outlook Looks Brighter". My response was Ring! Ring! Goes the Bell.

Today, Curve Watcher's Anonymous offers a few charts that show the bond market ringing a bell in disbelief of Dudley.

Yield Curve as of November 28, 2014



Curve Analysis

  • The yield curve flattened, then inverted prior to the last recession.
  • The yield curve steepened well ahead of the end of the recession.
  • Since then, the yield curve has steepened twice and flattened twice.

What's Next?

Starting at the beginning of 2014, short-term yields (2-year and 5-year) have risen while long-term (30-year and 10-year) have declined.

In a strengthening economy, yields on the long end of the curve typically rise faster than yields on the short end.

Those waiting for the typical recession indicator (an inverted yield curve where short-term bonds yield more than long-term bonds) may as well be waiting for Godot with the Fed holding 3-month rates near zero percent.


Nonetheless, expectations of a major Fed tightening cycle are pretty much the norm. If the Fed hikes (which I doubt), then I fully expect to see action similar to the first yield-curve flattening box in the above chart. If the Fed continues to hike, expect a quick inversion.

Regardless, the bond market does not believe this happy talk from the economic cheerleaders, and neither do I.

30-Year Yield Minus 5-Year Yield



10-Year Yield Minus 5-Year Yield



10-Year Yield Minus 2-Year Yield



The first chart shows two incidents since 2010, where declines in yield reversed. However, both occasions ended when the Fed stepped on the gas. 

If the Fed does so again, will the stock market respond the same way?

Feelin' lucky?

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
Mike "Mish" Shedlock is a registered investment advisor representative for SitkaPacific Capital Management. Sitka Pacific is an asset management firm whose goal is strong performance and low volatility, regardless of market direction. Visit http://www.sitkapacific.com/account_management.html to learn more about wealth management and capital preservation strategies of Sitka Pacific.

Enter the Carpetbaggers: Ukraine's New Finance Minister a US Citizen, New Economy Minister from Lithuania

Posted: 03 Dec 2014 09:29 AM PST

Carpetbaggers Take Over Ukraine

Now that Ukraine's gold has been sold off, the only thing left to complete the plundering is to send in the carpetbaggers. That process is now underway. Ukraine's just-named "Finance Minister" is a US citizen, and Ukraine's new "Economy Minister" is from Lithuania.

To get around legal issues associated with having foreigners in top level government positions, Ukraine made the appointees Ukrainian citizens.

Reuters explains Foreign Technocrats Given Ukrainian Citizenship Before Cabinet Vote.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Tuesday granted citizenship to three foreign technocrats nominated for cabinet positions in a new government hoping to tackle severe economic and defense threats.

Parliament is expected to vote on nominees for cabinet positions on Tuesday with Kiev under pressure to form a new government quickly.

Ukraine has been offered billions of dollars in aid by international lenders if it implements a program of economic reform and Poroshenko said the administration would benefit from international specialist input.
Meet Your New Carpetbagger Technocrats

  • Natalie Jaresko, a U.S. citizen and chief executive of private equity group Horizon Capital, will take over as "Finance Minister". She has worked in Ukraine for more than 20 years after holding various economic positions in the U.S. State Department.
    •  
  • Aivaras Abromavicius, a Lithuanian citizen and a partner in investment firm East Capital, will take over as "Economy Minister".
    •  
  • Aleksander Kvitashvili, a Georgian citizen who has served as health minister and labor minister in Tbilisi will take over as "Health Minister"

Jacob Dreizin Comments

Reader Jacob Dreizin a US citizen who speaks Russian and reads Ukrainian offered these select comments.
Ukraine has a new finance minister, Natalie Jaresko. She is a former U.S. State Department official. After leaving State Department, she ran a Ukraine-based private equity firm. Her company site (Horizon Capital) is down now. I guess everyone was trying to look at her bio. She was only granted Ukrainian citizenship today, so she could legally hold the position.

The post of "Economy Minister" was just given to an asset management firm partner from Lithuania, and the "Health Minister" is from Georgia. The choice of nationality is not surprising. It's an attempt to give the EU direct access to Ukrainian economic policy, specifically "reforms" or lack thereof, as well as to poke a stick in Putin's eye.

These moves show that Ukraine is willing to be turned into a Western colony in exchange for whatever financial scraps can be tossed its way. While it's true that Ukraine is in desperate need of a total overhaul, any country that turns its economy over to foreigners wholesale is going to be pillaged wholesale. Greece is a perfect example. 

Finally, I should also mention that a number of Ukrainian power plants are down to their last few days of coal. And the winter is just starting.

Jacob
With Ukraine's gold long gone (see ZeroHedge report With Its Gold "Vaporized", A Furious Ukraine Turns On Its Central Bankers), the carpetbaggers will soon take control of anything worthwhile that is left remaining.

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
Mike "Mish" Shedlock is a registered investment advisor representative for SitkaPacific Capital Management. Sitka Pacific is an asset management firm whose goal is strong performance and low volatility, regardless of market direction. Visit http://www.sitkapacific.com/account_management.html to learn more about wealth management and capital preservation strategies of Sitka Pacific.
Publicat de 1 la 23:02 0 comentarii
Abonați-vă la: Postări (Atom)