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miercuri, 18 aprilie 2012

Accountability for Our Energy Future

Your Daily Snapshot for
Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Accountability for Our Energy Future

Yesterday, President Obama announced a new series of steps to strengthen oversight over energy markets -- while asking lawmakers to pass legislation aimed at curbing illegal behavior and holding the people who manipulate those markets accountable.

As the President said yesterday:

We can't afford a situation where speculators artificially manipulate markets by buying up oil, creating the perception of a shortage, and driving prices higher -- only to flip the oil for a quick profit. We can’t afford a situation where some speculators can reap millions, while millions of American families get the short end of the stick.

Photo of the Day

President Barack Obama looks at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship trophy as he approaches Tony Stewart's car during an event on the South Lawn of the White House, April 17, 2012. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers Tony Stewart, center, Kyle Busch, and Ryan Newman, right, watch nearby. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

Who are your heroes?

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Who are your heroes?

For more than 40 years, presidents have presented the Citizens Medal to Americans who have performed extraordinary acts of service for their country or their fellow citizens.

Now we're looking to honor a new group of heroes, and we need your help.

Take a moment to nominate Americans who have performed exemplary deeds of service outside of their regular jobs and who have provided inspiration for others to serve.

You can view the full criteria and get started on a nomination here:

These individuals come from different backgrounds, and they've devoted their lives to different causes, but they're united by a commitment to selflessness. They've each devoted their lives to helping others. And the 2012 Citizens Medal is a chance to highlight these everyday heroes for all they do.

Here are a few examples of Citizens Medal recipients from last year:

Ida Martin created an organization to help working families, disabled residents, and senior citizens in South Carolina who had suffered a financial crisis.
John Keaveney, who fought in Vietnam, founded New Directions -- a home for homeless and disabled veterans with addiction and mental health problems.
Margaret Martin founded the Harmony Project to make quality arts education available to those in some of the most underserved parts of Los Angeles, California.

Each of them is a testament to the impact that a single individual can have on his or her community and on the world.

If you know someone like Ida, John, or Margaret, please take a moment to nominate them for the 2012 Citizens Medal before April 24:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/citizensmedal

Stay Connected

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

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Web Evolution and The Future Of SEO – Brighton SEO

Posted: 17 Apr 2012 06:34 AM PDT

Last Friday I had the joy of attending Brighton SEO and listening to Philip Sheldrake's presentation on future visions for SEO. He presented some very interesting stuff on how the World Wide Web as we know it will evolve and how we will make sense of the ever increasing volume of data contained within the web. Our role in SEO is set to change, however SEOs that are adaptable, flexible and willing to work with different types of information and different departments within the organisation will survive.

More People, More Things, More Data

The world's population is rapidly growing and is set to reach 8 billion people in the next decade. We produce and consume large quantities of resources. The amount of data we produce is extensive; from content and documents on the internet, to output signals from electronic devices to environmental sensory trackers that measure things like temperature, electricity consumption, traffic and flow of water. We can quite easily collect this data however applying intelligence to turn it into useful information by identifying patterns is becoming more and more difficult.

Big Data, Big Info & Maybe Big Knowledge?

Big data is the term coined to describe data sets that are so large it becomes difficult and awkward to extract valuable information from them within a reasonable time frame. We can quite easily collect this data however the larger the sample set the more difficult turning it into useful information becomes.. To take it one step further is to turn this information into knowledge and make the data work for us in ways that have been previously unattainable.

A New Era For The Web

The third decade of the web and we are beginning to witness a change in how the data contained within the internet is being rationalised and organised. Sheldrake used three different names for to describe this new era.
"Web 3.0"
"The Web of Data"
"The Semantic Web"
I wish to use the term The Semantic Web as semantics is the study of meaning and this era represents how we will make sense of the data contained within the internet. We are growing and evolving the web to convert the current web of unstructured documents into meaningful data that can be manipulated and filtered by machines. These machines will be able to join sets of complicated data, helping us become aware of what is going on and solve problems that previously were not able to achieve.

How will this work?

Resource Description Framework (RDF) provides a standardised language for defining web based ontologies which enable richer integration and interoperability of data. It's a way of structuring web information using a variety syntax formats called triples.

{subject} {predicate} {object}
Gillian Cook works in SEO.

RDF extends the linking structure of the Web to use URIs to name the relationship between things as well as the two ends of the link. Using this simple model, it allows structured and semi-structured data to be mixed, exposed, and shared across different applications.
Using RDF we are able to categorise data correctly and by doing this we are able to link data in new ways. Linked Data is a term coined for the best practice of exposing, sharing and connecting pieces of data, information, and knowledge on the Semantic Web using URIs and RDF.
This isn't something that is forecast for the future it's something that is already happening now. Google are already encouraging the use of Microformats – simple conventions or entities with their own properties that can be used on web pages to describe a specific type of information – e.g. a review, a recipe, a business.

What Does This Mean For SEO

When we consider how SEO is perceived, at times it seems like SEO's are doing everything in their power to elevate their websites to the golden prize of 1st position in the SERPs, even if it means breaking the rules of the Google game. Yet when conceived in this way, SEO is a limited practice as the internet will become more regulated and transparent hence diminishing this type of online behaviour.
However if we consider our role in SEO as working with search engines to deliver users the right content at the right time in the right format then our position is no longer in jeopardy. Content for content's sake will need to change as organisations become defined by their flows of data and information. The role of SEO will be defined as "improving the presentation, discoverability, machinability and usefulness of data, information and knowledge for all stakeholders". As Pierre Farr mentioned at the start of the conference, SEO is not dying it is simply evolving over time as we have seen it do in the past. What's good to know is that that according to Sheldrake, SEOs have the relevant skills to take on the challenges of the future.

Seth's Blog : Two ways to buy the expensive

Two ways to buy the expensive

Buying something like a house, a piece of fine art, a used car or a business is as much a marketing exercise as selling that very item might be.

There are two common approaches. The first is to denigrate.

Explain that the seller has bad taste. That the car isn't in good shape. That the art was poorly selected for the resale market. Poke holes in the business model, the management team or the landscaping design.

Better still, make the seller feel as though she's on thin ice. Bring an exploding offer to the table and watch her squirm as it goes down in value from day to day. Point to others that have waited too long to sell and how they ended up regretting it. Question her values and her judgment.

In other words, go for the win, where winning is defined as getting a great price.

There are two problems with this approach. The first, and the biggest, is that anything you truly want to buy probably has multiple buyers interested, and with better information available every day, the best stuff is going to be sold to someone else. Your denigration strategy is going to inevitably limit your pool of available items to sellers with self-esteem or desperation issues.

The second problem is that the word spreads. Your gallery or your buyout fund or your dealership quickly earns a reputation (there's that marketing thing again) as the buyer of last resort, once again creating an environment where your approach determines what's available to you.

The alternative is to respect and to communicate. After all, you're here to buy something--I'm guessing that's because you think it's worth something more than you're willing to pay for it. So value the judgment and taste of the seller. Be clear about what you like about it, be honest about the value that's been created. Even better, instead of coming in high and then figuring out ways to bully and lower your offer, come in low and enjoy the process of bidding it up, making the seller root for you and look forward to hearing from you. (This is particularly useful when making an investment where you want management to be happy with you after the deal is done).

In a fair market, it's entirely likely you'll end paying precisely what you would have paid using the other method, but you'll be offered more works, more stuff worth paying for, and your reputation will reflect that. Most of all it's important to understand that we're not talking about bushels of wheat. Very little is a commodity, and the method you use to buy your expensive item may be even more important than how much you pay.

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marți, 17 aprilie 2012

Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis

TrimTabs Blasts Retail Sales Report, Proposes Firing All Government Economists and Disbanding the BLS, BEA and Census Bureau
Chicago Natural Resources Expo April 27 & 28
Gallup Reports Mixed Picture of US Unemployment

TrimTabs Blasts Retail Sales Report, Proposes Firing All Government Economists and Disbanding the BLS, BEA and Census Bureau

Posted: 17 Apr 2012 11:56 AM PDT

Yesterday the US Census Bureau reported retail sales rose 0.8% in March. Is that what happened?

Charles Biderman, President & CEO TrimTabs Investment Research, has no faith in the number. Here is a video explaining why.

Biderman says Ignorance is Bliss Regarding Economic Data

Ignorance is bliss, particularly when it comes to US government economic data. The latest bad joke occurred this morning when the US Census Bureau said retail sales rose 0.8% in March.

And the financial press reported that 0.8% sales increase as gospel showing once again how totally ignorant the media is when it comes to reporting economic numbers put out by the US government. The AP headline was that US retail sales in March rose 0.8%, helped by job gains. The Wall Street Journal online site reported not only that U.S. retail sales rose 0.8% in March, but also that Americans spent more on autos.

Really? This is garbage reporting of the worst sort. Why? Well first let us look at the actual Census Bureau press release, which is entitled Advanced Monthly Sales for Retail and Food Services March 2012. Lower down the press release explains that the advance estimates are based on a subsample of the Census Bureau's full retail and food services sample.

What is a subsample? Would you believe in this broadband world that what is reported as a hard fact by the financial media morons, is based upon a mailed, snail mail, survey to 5,000 retailers and the mailed back response?

Let's see, the US Census Bureau mails surveys to a mere 5,000 retailers and from the responses mailed back guesses at the fraction of a percent change in month to month retail activity. Wow! One would think that the Census people never heard of credit, debit and cash cards. Actual cash is much less than 10% of sales these days and I would rather have all the credit and debit card data than a survey of 5,000 outfits, wouldn't you? Believe it or not, Master Card and Visa sell their data to the public and I am sure all would give summary data to the government, if asked.

But no, the US government agencies, which also include the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Bureau of Economic Analysis, in their infinite wisdom ignore available real time data.

My solution is very simple. Fire all the government economists and disband the BLS, BEA and Census Bureau. Instead hire me and give me enough clout to get real time data from master card, visa and all the plastic folk and I tell you what the consumer is doing in real time. Also if I was allowed to mine the withheld income and employment taxes sent daily to the US Treasury I could tell you how many people are working and how much they are making in real time.

But no, the government reports garbage and the morons in the financial media report that garbage as hard facts! The fault is not really with the reporters. Rather it is their editors who are to blame.

The globe is in a real time mess. Global trading is in real time. Yet, the financial markets trade in real time data on the US economy that is based upon surveys and guesses. Am I missing something, or is this just plain nuts?

It's Just Plain Nuts

To answer the question, it's just plain nuts. Moreover, I consider Biderman's proposal a mere down payment on what needs to happen.

In addition to getting rid of the BLS, the BEA, and the census bureau, we also need to get rid of the Fed, the department of energy, student loans, crop subsidies, the small business association, Davis-Bacon, prevailing wage laws, collective bargaining, and all sorts of other programs that at best accomplish nothing at tremendous cost, and in most cases do further economic damage because of graft, inefficiencies, and bad reporting.

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
Click Here To Scroll Thru My Recent Post List

Chicago Natural Resources Expo April 27 & 28

Posted: 17 Apr 2012 11:27 AM PDT

Those in the greater Chicago should plan on attending the Chicago Natural Resources Expo on April 27-28 for a discussion about gold, silver, hard assets, inflation, currencies (or whatever else is on your mind). You also have the opportunity to meet with various natural resource company executives.

Once again, I am pleased to announce the magic words: "It's free".

Originally known as the Chicago Natural Resource Conference and Exhibition, this is one of the oldest natural resource conferences in the United States. The conference is a semi-annual event and offers opportunities to learn about new and undervalued companies in the natural resource industry.

The event is directed by Rich Radez, who started the conference back in 1977. Rich, and his son Eric, created the unique format which focuses on resource companies and provides maximum exposure to both investors and sponsors.

There is no cost for those who pre-register to attend the conference. The Expo is held at the Rolling Meadows Holiday Inn and Convention Center in Rolling Meadows, IL. The Holiday Inn is located at 3405 Algonquin Road, Rolling Meadows, IL 60008. The hotel can be contacted at 847-259-5000. It is a two day event that starts on a Friday afternoon, and ends on Saturday afternoon.

The Exhibition Hall, featuring some of the top companies in the resource industry, opens at 4pm. A buffet which includes jumbo shrimp, and smoked sockeye salmon, is served at 5pm. Following the buffet, company presentations begin. Friday night features a Q & A Session hosted by Rich Radez and a panel of industry experts, the discussion is based on topics that are fueled by the audience's interests.

The event resumes on Saturday morning. Attendees enjoy a continental breakfast, and browse the exposition hall learning about companies. In the meantime, individual company presentations begin in the presentation hall. These presentations are a great way to hear each company's story. Lunch buffet is served around noon, and accompanied by the second panel discussion. After lunch, presentations and expositions continue for the remainder of the day.

I will be on the panel Friday evening and Saturday afternoon for questions taken from the audience on gold, silver, or any aspect of the global economy that is on your mind..

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
Click Here To Scroll Thru My Recent Post List

Gallup Reports Mixed Picture of US Unemployment

Posted: 17 Apr 2012 10:48 AM PDT

Employment in April normally picks up and Gallup surveys show a drop in the unemployment from last month not seasonally adjusted. However, by applying the seasonal adjustments the BLS uses for April it suggests the BLS may report an uptick in the unemployment rate from 8.2% to 8.5%.

Please consider U.S. Unemployment Provides Mixed Picture in Mid-April

U.S. unemployment, as measured by Gallup on a preliminary basis without seasonal adjustment, declined to 8.2% in mid-April from 8.4% in March. However, the government's likely seasonal adjustment of 0.3 percentage points leads to a Gallup seasonally adjusted U.S. unemployment rate of 8.5% in mid-April, up from 8.1% last month.

click on chart for sharper image

Applying the government's seasonal correction factor from April 2011 (+0.3 points) to the current mid-April data yields a seasonally adjusted estimate of 8.5% unemployment, up from March. This is much higher than the 7.9% seasonally adjusted monthly low for Gallup's U.S. unemployment rate, seen in January of this year. If it holds, it could also indicate a significant reversal in the recent downward trend of the government's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate.

Regardless, Gallup data show that unemployment is far below year-ago levels. April's preliminary unadjusted unemployment rate is down 1.2 points from April 2011 and the adjusted unemployment rate is down 1.3 points year-over-year.

Overall, it doesn't seem as if the downward trend in the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is continuing to gain momentum, at least as of mid-April. That is, the improvement in the job situation is not as strong as last year's seasonals imply is needed to maintain the downward momentum in the unemployment rate. This is consistent with the current modest rate of overall economic growth. It also leaves the unemployment rate exposed to further increases if the U.S. workforce grows substantially in the months ahead because job growth may not accelerate.

Underemployment

Big Discrepancy in Alternate Measures

While the base unemployment number between the BLS and Gallup is converging, for now, alternate measures of unemployment that include part-time workers seeking but not finding full-time work are not.

Gallup reports 18.1% underemployment, while the BLS has the number at 14.5%.

Because of disability fraud and middle-aged job seekers going back to school, I think the base unemployment figures of 8.2% to 8.5% by Gallup and the BLS are on the low side by at least a point.

From the standpoint of workers covered by unemployment benefits, the number is even higher. Please see Trends in Nonfarm Employment, Civilian Employment, Weekly Unemployment Claims for a discussion of "covered employment" and demographics.

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
Click Here To Scroll Thru My Recent Post List

miercuri, 18 aprilie 2012

Accountability for Our Energy Future

Who are your heroes?

Mbbt nbw frlbnds and sbx partnbrs onllnb !

Web Evolution and The Future Of SEO – Brighton SEO

Web Evolution and The Future Of SEO – Brighton SEO

Seth's Blog : Two ways to buy the expensive

Two ways to buy the expensive

More Recent Articles

marți, 17 aprilie 2012

Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis

Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis

Pagini

Persoane interesate

Arhivă blog

miercuri, 18 aprilie 2012

More Recent Articles

marți, 17 aprilie 2012

Pagini

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Arhivă blog

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