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1% Graffiti

23 Jan

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Takeoff: Australia. Landing: China.

28 Dec

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Organizing The Modern City

1 Nov

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Click to enlarge


Source: Postscapes.

Monday Money Memorandum

20 Sep

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Barron’s: The Trillion-Dollar Challenge. Fear of taxation prevents U.S. companies from bringing in some of the $1 trillion-plus held overseas that could help fuel an economic rebound.

BBC: China rebuffs Geithner over yuan. In a speech in Beijing, Li Daokui said China “will not appreciate the yuan solely because of external pressure”.

Bloomberg: Gillard Dollar Is Peaking as Mining Tax Proves Aussie Is Overvalued by 27%. Australia’s dollar, this quarter’s best performing major currency, is now the most overvalued.

Steve Ballmer.

"A thin line separates the temperament of a promising entrepreneur from a person who could use, as they say in psychiatry, a little help." Via Wikipedia

BusinessWeek: As Market Pessimism Grows, Should You Buy Stocks?Investors are disenchanted with the market. To contrarians, that constitutes signs of a rally.

Forbes: The Best Places To Hide. Want to disappear? Here are eight places where you can go and never be found.

MarketWatch: 10 reasons to buy a home. Enough with the doom and gloom about homeownership, Brett Arends says. It’s a good time to jump into the market.

Reuters: Centre-right wins Swedish vote but short of majority.

The Business Insider: Here’s why Facebook is secretly building its own phone.

The Financial Times: Gordon Brown I am angrier than ever about African poverty.

The Guardian: Brazilian oil group Petrobras aims for largest share issue in history. The $64m offering well surpasses the $36bn raised by Japanese telecoms firm NTT in 1987.

The New York Times: Just Manic Enough: Seeking Perfect Entrepreneurs. Though they may have many quirks, intense leaders are a common thread in the world of entrepreneurship.

The Telegraph: 9,000 on public payroll paid more than PM. More than 9,000 public sector employees earn more than the Prime Minister, according to analysis of state pay levels.

The Wall Street Journal: Pros and Cons of Passion Investments. Wealthy investors are increasingly including unconventional investments — such as fine wine, art or vintage cars — into their portfolio.

Financial Allure Du Jour

7 Sep

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BBC: Key Asian interest rates on hold.

Bloomberg: EU Transaction Tax Would Sap Markets of Liquidity, Borg Warns.

BusinessWeek: HSBC’s Green Said to Step Down, Become U.K. Trade Minister.

Stephen Green - World Economic Forum Annual Me...

HSBC Holdings Plc Chairman Stephen Green plans to step down and become trade minister for the U.K. government, according to a person with knowledge of the talks. // BusinessWeek // Image by World Economic Forum via Flickr

CNBC: Oil Turns Bearish, $54 May Be Downside Target: Charts.

MarketWatch: U.S. President Obama to announce proposal Wednesday that companies can write off some capital spending 100% in 2011.

Reuters: Australia’s Gillard scrapes back to power.

SmartMoney: Audi August Car Sales Jump 22%; Sticks to Targets.

The Economist: Should prostitution be legal? Join the latest online debate and share your thoughts.

The Business Insider: Goldman’s leading economic indicators are rolling over.

The Financial Times: Market insight Europe’s future differs from Japan’s past.

The Guardian: George Osborne will today endorse sweeping European supervisory powers over banks and financial institutions in response to the economic crisis.

The New York Times: Young Japanese Seek Second, and Third, Jobs.

The Wall Street Journal: Barclays elevated Robert E. Diamond Jr. to chief executive in a move that installs an American at the helm of the venerable British banking institution.

Psychic Croc Predicts Labour Win In Aussie Election

22 Aug

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What’s Popular Around the World?

22 Aug

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bloomberg-businessweek-cover-detail

Image by bluekdesign via Flickr

“When it comes to fruit, Russians, Mexicans, Brits, and Icelanders share a preference for the banana. The Chinese and Canadians love apples best. Bloomberg Businessweek’s far-flung correspondents around the globe have compiled data on the most popular fruit and several other No. 1 consumables and activities. Here’s a rundown on what people are reading, watching, driving, smoking, drinking, eating, and naming their babies.”

Go to the slideshow on Bloomberg BusinessWeek here.

Ranking The Happiest Nations

21 Aug
Nordic countries

Image via Wikipedia

“The fact is good times probably have more to do with the size of your wallet than the size of your trophy shelf. The five happiest countries in the world; Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands–are all clustered in the same region, and all enjoy high levels of prosperity.”

RANK

(BY % THRIVING)

 COUNTRY REGION PERCENT

THRIVING

 PERCENT

STRUGGLING

 PERCENT

SUFFERING

 DAILY

EXPERIENCE
1 Denmark Europe 82 17 1 7.9
2 Finland Europe 75 23 2 7.8
3 Norway Europe 69 31 0 7.9
4 Netherlands Europe 68 32 1 7.7
4 Sweden Europe 68 30 2 7.9
6 Costa Rica Americas 63 35 2 8.1
6 New Zealand Asia 63 35 2 7.6
8 Australia Asia 62 35 3 7.5
8 Switzerland Europe 62 36 2 7.6
8 Israel Asia 62 35 3 6.4
8 Canada Americas 62 36 2 7.6
12 Brazil Americas 58 40 2 7.5
12 Panama Americas 58 39 3 8.4
14 Austria Europe 57 40 3 7.7
14 United States Americas 57 40 3 7.3
16 Belgium Europe 56 41 3 7.3
17 United Kingdom Europe 54 44 2 7.4
18 Turkmenistan Asia 52 47 1 7.5
18 Mexico Americas 52 43 5 7.7
20 United Arab Emirates Asia 51 48 1 7.7
21 Venezuela Americas 50 48 2 8.0
22 Ireland Europe 49 49 2 7.5
23 Iceland Europe 47 49 4 8.2
23 Puerto Rico Americas 47 45 8 7.6
23 Kuwait Asia 47 50 3 7.0
26 Colombia Americas 46 47 7 7.7
26 Jamaica Americas 46 49 5 7.7
28 Cyprus Asia 45 50 5 6.6
28 Luxembourg Europe 45 54 1 7.3
30 Trinidad and Tobago Americas 44 51 5 7.9
30 Argentina Americas 44 50 6 7.8
30 Belize Americas 44 50 6 6.8
33 Germany Europe 43 50 7 7.4
34 El Salvador Americas 42 51 7 7.7
35 Uruguay Americas 41 54 5 7.5
35 Qatar Asia 41 58 1 6.8
35 Chile Americas 41 52 7 7.3
38 Malta Europe 40 48 12 6.6
38 Guatemala Americas 40 50 10 7.7
40 Italy Europe 39 54 7 7.1
40 Czech Republic Europe 39 51 9 6.6
42 Honduras Americas 37 49 14 7.5
43 Spain Europe 36 58 6 7.0
44 Dominican Republic Americas 35 54 11 7.3
44 France Europe 35 60 6 7.0
46 Bolivia Americas 34 59 7 7.0
46 Ecuador Americas 34 52 15 7.6
48 Bahrain Asia 32 45 23 7.0
48 Paraguay Americas 32 59 9 8.3
50 Greece Europe 31 57 11 7.0
50 Guyana Americas 31 64 5 7.0
52 Jordan Asia 30 61 8 6.7
52 Nicaragua Americas 30 53 17 7.4
54 Kosovo Europe 29 65 6 6.2
54 Belarus Europe 29 59 12 6.5
56 Poland Europe 28 61 10 7.1
56 South Korea Asia 28 61 12 6.9
58 Pakistan Asia 27 50 23 6.2
58 Slovenia Europe 27 57 16 6.8
58 Saudi Arabia Asia 27 69 3 6.7
61 Croatia Europe 26 60 14 6.2
61 Montenegro Europe 26 58 16 6.2
63 Peru Americas 25 65 11 7.2
63 Moldova Europe 25 62 13 6.1
63 Lithuania Europe 25 57 18 6.2
63 Malawi Africa 25 64 10 8.0
67 Botswana Africa 24 65 11 7.3
67 Cuba* Americas 24 66 11 6.7
67 Libya* Africa 24 68 8 6.0
70 Taiwan Asia 22 64 14 7.5
70 Kazakhstan Asia 22 72 6 7.2
70 Portugal Europe 22 61 17 7.1
73 Ukraine Europe 21 53 26 6.6
73 Romania Europe 21 56 23 6.6
73 Slovakia Europe 21 60 19 6.5
73 South Africa Africa 21 71 8 7.3
73 Lebanon Asia 21 64 15 6.3
73 Russia Europe 21 57 22 7.0
79 Thailand Asia 20 75 5 8.0
79 Bosnia and Herzegovina Europe 20 59 20 6.2
81 Singapore Asia 19 75 6 6.9
81 Japan Asia 19 69 12 7.4
81 Iran Asia 19 66 14 6.3
81 Hong Kong Asia 19 65 16 7.1
85 Algeria Africa 18 77 6 6.7
85 Nigeria Africa 18 78 4 7.3
85 Somaliland Africa 18 77 5 7.1
85 Uzbekistan Asia 18 75 6 7.8
85 Indonesia Asia 18 72 10 8.2
90 Estonia Europe 17 62 21 6.8
91 Serbia Europe 16 63 21 6.2
91 Bangladesh Asia 16 71 13 6.9
91 Myanmar* Asia 16 82 2 7.1
94 Philippines Asia 15 68 18 7.2
94 Malaysia Asia 15 80 5 8.1
96 Macedonia Europe 14 54 32 6.8
96 Tunisia Africa 14 77 9 6.8
96 Zambia Africa 14 78 8 7.6
96 Yemen Asia 14 62 24 6.3
96 Vietnam Asia 14 76 10 6.9
96 Palestinian Territories Asia 14 70 15 5.8
96 Cameroon Africa 14 77 9 7.0
103 Turkey Asia 13 67 20 6.0
103 Kyrgyzstan Asia 13 81 7 7.3
103 Azerbaijan Asia 13 70 17 6.6
103 Hungary Europe 13 53 34 6.9
103 Albania Europe 13 67 19 5.6
108 Central African Republic Africa 12 75 13 6.4
108 Ethiopia Africa 12 67 21 6.4
110 Iraq Asia 11 71 18 5.2
110 Latvia Europe 11 64 25 6.5
110 Angola Africa 11 81 8 6.8
110 Armenia Asia 11 55 33 5.9
110 Namibia Africa 11 79 10 8.1
115 Zimbabwe Africa 10 73 17 7.3
115 Sri Lanka Asia 10 66 24 6.9
115 Syria Asia 10 66 24 6.8
115 Afghanistan Asia 10 69 21 6.2
115 Egypt Africa 10 71 19 6.1
115 Mozambique Africa 10 78 11 7.2
115 Georgia Asia 10 56 35 6.2
115 India Asia 10 69 21 6.9
115 Morocco Africa 10 80 10 7.0
115 Mauritania Africa 10 83 7 7.2
125 China Asia 9 77 14 7.6
125 Ghana Africa 9 83 8 7.5
125 Kenya Africa 9 78 13 7.5
128 Guinea Africa 8 89 3 7.1
128 Congo (Brazzaville) Africa 8 73 20 6.9
130 Mongolia Asia 7 81 12 7.0
130 Laos Asia 7 89 4 7.1
130 Tajikistan Asia 7 74 19 6.5
130 Sudan Africa 7 81 12 7.4
130 Djibouti Africa 7 86 8 7.5
130 Madagascar Africa 7 84 10 7.0
130 Nepal Asia 7 82 11 7.4
137 Bulgaria Europe 6 58 36 6.5
137 Uganda Africa 6 71 23 6.8
137 Tanzania Africa 6 70 24 7.5
137 Senegal Africa 6 88 6 7.3
141 Liberia Africa 5 90 5 6.7
141 Chad Africa 5 88 7 7.1
141 Mali Africa 5 77 18 8.0
144 Benin Africa 4 80 16 6.7
144 Haiti Americas 4 60 35 6.2
144 Ivory Coast Africa 4 84 12 7.2
144 Congo (Kinshasa) Africa 4 85 11 6.4
148 Cambodia Asia 3 75 22 7.6
148 Sierra Leone Africa 3 74 23 6.3
148 Rwanda Africa 3 75 22 7.8
148 Burkina Faso Africa 3 71 26 6.5
148 Niger Africa 3 86 11 7.9
153 Burundi Africa 2 58 40 7.5
153 Comoros Africa 2 75 23 7.7
155 Togo Africa 1 67 31 5.0

Data: Gallup World Poll.

Slideshow: In Depth: The World’s Happiest Countries

Video: Happy In Bhutan

Click here for the full story, “The World’s Happiest Places.” via Forbes.

110 Years Of Outperforming Markets

13 Aug

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Thanks to Chinas hunger for commodities like oil, iron ore and coal and trustworthy anglo-saxon legislation: Australia outperformed most markets.

“During the so-called “lost decade” of the 2000s, when U.S. stocks lost ground, Australian equities earned real returns of 5.5% a year, third behind South Africa and Norway among the 19 major markets tracked.”

Australia posted 7.5% after-inflation returns per year during that time, with a standard deviation of 18.2%, according to a study from Credit Suisse. Those returns are the highest and the volatility the second lowest of the 19 major markets the researchers studied.”

To be continued? If you support the analysts that expect a sluggish growth in China you should probably be careful when considering investing in these commodity-driven markets. Read the full story on MarketWatch: The world’s best stock market.