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When I was in high school, I read every single science fiction book in the Clearfield Public Library. Probably 250 books altogether.
I don't think I had a big plan, I was mostly looking for something to do. What I discovered, though, was that domain knowledge, edge to edge knowledge of a field, was incredibly valuable. It helped me understand where the edges were, and it gave me the confidence to be selective, to develop a taxonomy, to see what was going on.
As the deluge of information grows and choices continue to widen (there's no way I could even attempt to cover science fiction from scratch today, for example), it's easy to forget the benefits of acquiring this sort of (mostly) complete understanding in a field. I'm not even sure it matters which field you pick.
Expertise is a posture as much as it is a volume of knowledge.
Reading every single trade journal, for example, or understanding the marketing, engineering and sales of your field--there are countless ways to go deep instead of merely paying lip service to the current flavor of the moment.
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Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis |
Trichet Repeats Nuclear Threat to Reject Greek Bonds as Collateral; Verbal Discipline or Big Bluff? Posted: 17 Jul 2011 08:18 PM PDT For the nth time, Trichet says ECB would reject Greek bonds as collateral. "If a country defaults, we will no longer be able to accept its defaulted government bonds as normal eligible collateral," he told the newspaper in an interview to be published in its Monday edition.Verbal Discipline or Big Bluff? Does anyone believe Trichet? Would the ECB dump its holdings of Greek bonds in a panic market? I am suspicious about the wording "normal eligible collateral". What about abnormal collateral, conditional collateral, temporary collateral? The idea that verbal discipline works is nonsense. One look at sovereign debt yields in Greece, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, and Italy is proof enough. I believe Trichet will look for some excuse to not dump Greek bonds into a panicked market should the rating agencies rule Greek debt in default. Regardless, the sooner the market puts Trichet's verbal discipline to the test, the better off Europe will be. If Trichet is really serious, so be it. A Greek default will not be the end of the world. Mike "Mish" Shedlock http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com Click Here To Scroll Thru My Recent Post List 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. |
Details Cast More Suspicion on Latest European Bank "Stress Tests" Posted: 17 Jul 2011 03:36 PM PDT As stress test detail come in, the more ridiculous the latest results look. For example, the four largest French banks have $425 billion in loans to institutions and individuals in Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Spain. That is on top of whatever sovereign debt they are holding. Please consider the Wall Street Journal report It Isn't Just Sovereigns Stressing Europe's Banks During Europe's 15-month financial crisis, investor and analyst fears have centered largely on banks' holdings of sovereign debt issued by governments in financially shaky countries such as Greece, Ireland and Portugal. If those countries were to default, it could saddle banks and other holders of their bonds with big losses.Banks can only get away with the catch-all "other" bucket if loans represent 5% or less of a bank's portfolio. So why does Lloyds want to hide the details? Regardless, the main problem is a mountain of debt in all the wrong places: Greece, Ireland, Portugal, and Spain. The odds of all of that debt being paid back when the economies of those countries are in shambles is roughly zero percent. For more on the stress test sham, please see More BullSweet Stress-Free Tests of European Banks Mike "Mish" Shedlock http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com Click Here To Scroll Thru My Recent Post List 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. |
Posted: 17 Jul 2011 06:54 AM PDT The battle lines are forming for and against "nanny state" common bond solutions that would have German taxpayers covering the liabilities of other countries in a so-called "transfer union". Please consider Ireland seeks euro bonds as part of crisis solution Ireland would like to see the euro zone issue common bonds as part of the solution to the bloc's debt crisis, the Irish deputy prime minister said on Sunday.ECB Policymaker Weidmann, Opposes Common Bond Solution Please consider Greek debt cut won't solve problem: ECB's Weidmann Cutting Greece's debt will not solve the country's problems, ECB policymaker Jens Weidmann was quoted as saying on Sunday, adding Athens needed to raise its productivity instead.Right Place to Crash the Plane I have talked about the European Nanny State Eurocracy on several occasions, mist recently yesterday, so it is interesting to see these stories today. For an up-to-date recap of the growing support for the Nanny State, please see Right Place to Crash the Plane; Time Running Out for Europe; Nanny State or a Breakup? In general, Germany is opposed and countries deep in trouble are for common bonds. However, common bond and fiscal unions are against the Maastricht Treaty that created the European Union. So far Jean-Claude Trichet has treated the treaty like toilet paper, but Trichet will be gone in October, and changes like common bonds and a fiscal union are well beyond rule changes the ECB could get away with. The big Nanny State clash is coming. Mike "Mish" Shedlock http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com Click Here To Scroll Thru My Recent Post List 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. |
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You''ve heard this question a lot. It's what a novice asks an expert. He's planning something or launching something and he wonders, "Should I worry about..."
Actually, it doesn't pay to worry about anything.
It might benefit you to pay attention to something or to learn about something, because that will help you make a better decision when then time comes.
If it's not something you can decide about, if it's not something you can avoid, then all you can do is worry. And what's the point of that?
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Right Place to Crash the Plane; Time Running Out for Europe; Nanny State or a Breakup? Posted: 16 Jul 2011 06:53 PM PDT Steen Jakobsen, chief economist for Saxo Bank in Copenhagen, pinged me with a personal thought regarding Europe: "I am just back from Italy and Russia and what really strikes me is how people have given up, and I mean totally given up. To my mind we are entering extremely difficult time where balancing EU, US debt and social tension makes for a black Swan event." On his blog, Steen writes: Time is Running Out for Europe Europe is close to losing a generation of youth in Spain, Ireland, Portugal and Italy, with between 20 and 45 per cent youth unemployment. To avoid losing this generation, European politicians and the ECB need to come up with a radically new game plan.Nanny State or a Breakup? Steen says " I am agnostic on the EU's existential question, but the EU was created as a political institution, not an economic one. Europe is a house without a financial foundation: no ministry of finance." That is precisely the problem. Unfortunately, the only solutions I see are as follows:
I have written about the "Nanny State" several times. Support Rises for "European Nanny State" ...Is Germany unfit for the Euro or is the Euro unfit for the PIIGS? Isn't that the real question?Trichet Calls for Creation of European "Nanny-State" and Fiscal "Nanny-Zone" Rather than admit the innumerable mistakes has has made, ECB president Jean-Claude Trichet has continually upped the ante on taxpayers with increasingly risky measures such as loading up the ECB with junk bonds from Greece and Ireland in clear violation of the Maastricht Treaty.Right Place to Crash the Plane The quote of the week can be found in the Yahoo!News article Rising euro pressure could force Merkel U-turn "At the moment we are just trying to win time in the hope of preventing contagion to other weak countries," said one senior lawmaker from a party in Merkel's conservative coalition.We all realize the plane is going to crash. The debate now is when, where, and how big the crater. Mike "Mish" Shedlock http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com Click Here To Scroll Thru My Recent Post List 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. |
3-D "Printing" Technology Will Blow Your Mind Posted: 16 Jul 2011 09:34 AM PDT 3-D printing has been around for a while but most have probably not seen or heard of it. The term "printing" is a misnomer. The results are something more akin to what you might see out of a Star-Trek replicator. URL if above video does not play: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZboxMsSz5Aw&feature=player_embedded The video will stun you if you have not seen this technology before. Manufacturing Revolution 3-D "printing" can create artificial limbs for $1,000 that have more features and functionality than $60,000 limbs. Please consider this New York Times article from last year: 3-D Printing Spurs a Manufacturing Revolution Businesses in the South Park district of San Francisco generally sell either Web technology or sandwiches and burritos. Bespoke Innovations plans to sell designer body parts.3-D Printers, Your Next Home Accessory CNNMoney reports 3-D printers will be your next home accessory Imagine being able to print your own shoes or keys. Some top engineers are betting that home fabrication machines could soon be as common in the household as toaster ovens.Small Business Opportunities for Designers CNN Money did a follow-up article 3-D printers launch small businesses They are machines straight out of ''Star Trek'' or ''The Jetsons.''This is damn cool. It is obviously price deflationary as well. What used to be extremely expensive to model and work through design changes in terms of both price and time, is now easy and inexpensive. Mike "Mish" Shedlock http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com Click Here To Scroll Thru My Recent Post List 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. |
Posted: 15 Jul 2011 10:26 PM PDT A Gallup Poll shows Americans Continue to Keep a Close Hold on Spending Overall self-reported daily consumer spending in stores, restaurants, gas stations, and online averaged $69 per day during June -- unchanged from May, and essentially the same as the $67 average of June 2010.Soft Patch Myth I believe this soft-patch, blame-Japan theory is not "greatly underestimated" but rather "greatly overestimated" and dreams of a huge second-half recovery will soon be shattered. Regardless, it is illogical to blame high gasoline prices for lack of consumer spending when gasoline prices are part of consumer spending! High gasoline prices may effect other spending, but Gallup includes gasoline in its daily consumer spending survey. That said, consumers have a lot to be concerned about including a dearth of jobs and lack of real wage gains. Both of those negatives are likely to continue. Moreover, there is no pent-up demand for autos, and housing remains in the gutter. Therefore, there is little reason reason to believe in second-half miracles. Mike "Mish" Shedlock http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com Click Here To Scroll Thru My Recent Post List 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. |
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