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duminică, 9 februarie 2014
Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis
Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis |
Shop on Amazon by Taking Pictures of Items with New "Flow" App: Big Deal or Not? Posted: 09 Feb 2014 06:05 PM PST See an item in a grocery store or general merchandise store and want to add it to your shopping cart if Amazon has it cheaper? Amazon's new "Flow" app allows you to do just that. MarketWatch reports You can now shop on Amazon by taking photos. Amazon's app for iPhone this week added "Flow," an image recognition tool designed to allow consumers to add a product to their shopping cart by merely pointing their phone's camera at it.Big Deal or Not? The CEOs of ConsumerWorld and GreatApps panned the idea. To be sure, few care if they can save a dime on a box of cheerios. But saving nearly $20 on Rogaine is very worthwhile. Dworsky says it's not appropriate for big ticket items like TVs. He is not looking far enough ahead. If it isn't appropriate now, it soon will be, perhaps incorporating the barcode features of "Scan-It". Deflationary Pressures It's easy to visualize where this technology is headed: An app where you click on a product and all the places where you can buy it turn up, complete with prices, Amazon, or wherever. The price deflation pressures of such a device are immense. People like bargains, and if they think a store is not offering enough of them, they will shop elsewhere. That's a big deal. And it will further pressure price margins across the board at all box retailers. 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. |
French Airline Pilots Call Month Long Strike in May to Protest Law Prohibiting Pilot Strikes Posted: 09 Feb 2014 10:55 AM PST The French airline union, SNPL, has called for a month-long strike beginning in May. It's main objective is to repeal the Diard Law which limits the right of airline pilots to strike. Via translation from Les Echos: An unprecedented month-long strike is the motto launched today by SNPL, the main union of French airline pilots. SNPL calls for a national strike on May 3 to 30. The union gave a final warning to the government regarding several subjects of discontent, but the main target is the Diard law limiting the right to strike by cabin crew.PATCO Solution The way to deal with this strike is easy. France desperately needs something along the lines of Ronald Reagan's PATCO Play. The Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization or PATCO was a United States trade union which operated from 1968 until its decertification in 1981 following a strike which was broken by the Reagan Administration. The 1981 strike and defeat of PATCO has been called "one of the most important events in late twentieth century U.S. labor history.The proper response to any illegal strike in France, the US, or anywhere else, is to fire everyone involved. 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. |
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Seth's Blog : 'Refresh' four weeks later
'Refresh' four weeks later
Remember that controversy you couldn't say close enough to? The one where breaking news, updated comments, emails flying back and forth had you at the edge of your seat?
Now, four weeks later, you're no longer even checking to see what's new.
Is it that the crisis changed or your need for reassurance did?
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- "Oh sure, I studied with him at Harvard"
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sâmbătă, 8 februarie 2014
Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis
Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis |
Posted: 08 Feb 2014 12:34 PM PST Corruption, fraud, and bankruptcy are often found together. Such is the case with Detroit. I have seen allegations and suggestions of fraud, but a recent article shows that fraud by Bank of America, city officials, or both is now a given, and likely provable in a court of law. Does that change my view on what constitutes a "fair" settlement? Before answering, let's take a look at the charges as presented in Democracy Watch: Swaps, COPs & Lingering Questions. In 2005, the city of Detroit faced a monumental dilemma: It desperately needed to borrow more than $1.4 billion to help shore up its two pension systems, but doing so would far exceed the legal limit on the amount of debt it could amass.Was there fraud here? And if so by whom? At this point I am not sure. Let's continue. Last Friday, lawyers representing the city filed a federal lawsuit claiming that the deal was illegal from the start, and because of that Detroit should not be required to continue paying off the debt. The case is now in the hands of U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Stephen Rhodes.Again, I am still in the same place. This deal may very well be illegal, but I am not sure why. If it was illegal, did both parties knowingly enter a fraudulent deal, one party, or neither party. I strive to be fair to all sides. For the better part of a year, the city has been trying to end the swaps. The banks claim that the cost of doing so should be about $300 million, and that the city is in a bad negotiating position because, even in bankruptcy, the swap payments are secured by casino tax revenues (as a result of another deal, struck in 2009).That last paragraph is where fraud comes into play, but the article did not yet mention why. The story gets more interesting at this point. Back in July, Detroit Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr announced that the two banks had agreed to a settlement that required the city to shell out $230 million, or about 75 cents on the dollar -- compared to the roughly 20 or 25 cents on the dollar so-called unsecured creditors, such as the city's pensioners, are reportedly in line for. But Judge Rhodes rejected the proposal, ruling that it was too generous to the banks. So the city and the banks returned to the bargaining table in December, this time with U.S. Judge Gerald Rosen serving as mediator. A new settlement was quickly arrived at, with the city agreeing to pay the two banks $165 million – money that it would have to borrow, driving the bankrupt municipality even deeper into debt. Orr maintained that the deal was crucial, because Detroit desperately needs that casino tax revenue.For judge Rhodes to push this back at Orr twice, something I did not realize had happened, is strong evidence something foul is at play. Is Orr watching out for Bank of America/Merrill Lynch interests not Detroit city interests? While on the witness stand in early January, Orr testified that the city's chances of winning a court battle over the swaps were "more or less 50-50."Not Quite. Given the claims are all likely related, if the first one fails, the rest might quickly fail as well. So I highly doubt 99-1 is the correct math. That said, the odds of winning something should be substantially greater than 50-50. For the sake of argument, and to be conservative let's say 75-85%. Nonetheless, Orr has his supporters. Lawsuits, however, are much more complicated than a simple coin flip. Which is why some experts say that Orr's desire to negotiate a settlement is the prudent approach.I suggest it's clear Orr did not bargain hard. That the bankruptcy judge rejected Orr's proposal twice is proof enough for me. Some others, however, have been questioning why Orr has been so willing to push for settlement deals that Judge Rhodes has twice rejected as far too generous to the banks. Part of the reason for their concern is the fact that Jones Day – Orr's former firm – represents Bank of America in matters with no direct relation to this case. (A majority of the Detroit City Council essentially waived any conflict of interest concerns when it approved hiring Jones Day to lead the restructuring of the city last year.)There is certainly reasonable cause to assume Orr may not be doing what is best for the city. That may be on purpose, or happenstance. Either way, there are clear grounds for suspicion. Who Knew What When? I suspect both Bank of America and the city officials knew that pledging casino receipts was questionable if not fraudulent. If it could be proven the parties knew it was fraud, then everyone involved should be facing criminal charges. Unless the law is quite clear, proof may be difficult to come by. Either way, I can see why both sides would not want a trial, because fraud charges are bound to come out. Perhaps Orr is aware, and is protecting not Bank of America/Merrill Lynch, but rather former city officials. Regardless, if pledging casino receipts is illegal, even if there are no fraud charges, the loan becomes unsecured, not secured. I strongly suspect that is the worst that could happen to Detroit were this to go to court. Question of Fairness Does any of this change what I said in Controversy in Detroit: What's a Fair Settlement of Bondholder and Pension Obligation Claims? In terms of "how" a fair settlement is reached, the answer is not really. Yet, fraud may greatly influence settlement amounts and percentages. Here is the key snip. Both the pension obligations and bondholder debt are unsecured debt.Essential Math The $230 million Orr wanted to give Bank of America was 75 cents on the dollar. Thus, the actual amount owed is in the neighborhood of $307 million. I see no way a court would return money already repaid back to Detroit unless the fraud was entirely one-sided, which I doubt. However, It seems highly likely a court would rule whatever the amount the city still owes is unsecured debt. Final Thoughts
All eyes are on Judge Stephen Rhodes who appears to be doing a brilliant job. Orr's performance is questionable (once in favor of Bank of America, once in favor of Detroit pensioners). The best one can say about Orr, is that his actions are not completely one-sided. 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. |
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The President spoke. Now:
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Weekly Address: Expanding Opportunity for the American People
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Seth's Blog : Exhaustive lists as a reliable tool for unstucking yourself
Exhaustive lists as a reliable tool for unstucking yourself
When in doubt, or when it's just not good enough, make an exhaustive list.
- Every complaint someone might have about a particular product
- Every media outlet that might be interested in your story
- Every time you've ever been rejected and what it has cost you
- Every successful product in this category that you've ever used, and why
- Every person you know who might help you reach the person who can help
- Every reason your current project might not work
- Every person you've ever met who would be perfect for this job
- Every person who deserves a thank you note
- Every animal that might be part of a name for this product
- Every reason you can think of to use what you've made
- Every successful restaurant within three blocks
The challenge of every is that it's exhausting. You have to go to the edges, and that act, the act of going beyond the obvious, is where innovation lies.
[And for a marketing-focused jolt, check out Bernadette Jiwa's new book.]
More Recent Articles
- Our inability to see ahead (The Goldie Hawn problem)
- Your relationship with the future
- "Oh sure, I studied with him at Harvard"
- Are you looking for a project? (a live event in New York in March)
- Bat boy syndrome
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