This GIF is so Funny

TechCrunch

This is what is going on in Ukraine.

This is what is going on in UKRAINE. (For 3/4/14 Updates Click Here). 

REUTERS/Olga Yakimovich

What is going on?

Bloody Protests (mostly in Kiev). 

Why? 

Ukraine President Victor Yanukovych rejected a trade deal with the European Union. 

So?

This means a stronger bond between Ukraine and Russia. And West Ukraine is not alright with that. 

Main Details:

President Yankovych rejected a trade deal with EU--this deal would have led to closer ties with Europe. This rejection represented (symbolically) a preference towards Russia. Ukraine was 'rewarded' $15 Billion and 30 percent cut on Russian Natural Gas. 

It is about politics. Yanukovych's presidency is apparently corrupt. 

It is about geopolitics. West Ukraine (where Kiev is) is closer to Europe whereas the East Side identifies more with Moscow, Russia.

Basically the country is DEEPLY DIVIDED. 

Each sides have different cultures, languages, perspectives, visions for their country:

Rejecting the trade deal and accepting rewards from Russia seems like a sell-out. Since half of Ukraine is more 'European' and wish for a completely different country, especially one that is not ruled by or even linked to Russia. 

What's happening now? 

REUTERS: Ukraine's opposition leaders signed an EU-mediated peace deal with President Viktor Yanukovich on Friday, aiming to resolve a political crisis in which dozens have been killed and opening the way for an early presidential election this year. 

Under pressure to quit from mass demonstrations in Kiev, Russian-backed Yanukovich made a series of concessions to his pro-European opponents, including a national unity government and constitutional change to reduce his powers, as well as bringing forward the poll.

WashingtonPost

Old quote

“Russia without Ukraine is a country, Russia with Ukraine is an empire”

REUTERS

AP/Efrem Lukatsky

BLOG

NEW UPDATE 3/6/14: Crimea Parliament is asking to be part of Russia (BBC). Further push for US Government to approve gas export proposals. 

In all humor of Sochi Olympics: Putin Olympics GIF and Hockey

In all humor of Sochi Olympics: Putin Olympics GIF

This Printer Can Play This Song: Eye of the Tiger [VIDEO]

This Printer Can Play This Song: Eye of the Tiger [VIDEO]

"Eye of the tiger" on dot matrix printer from MIDIDesaster on Vimeo.

Rumor Has It: Apple plus Tesla.Thoughts: Powerful Tech. Batteries. Smart Car. Watch out World. Excitement.

Rumor Has It Apple plus Tesla....Thoughts: Powerful Tech. Batteries. Smart Car. Watch out World. 

Digital Trends

What? 

Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, and Apple M&A Chief met up. 

Why? 

It is being speculated. 

My thoughts.

1. Touch Screen in Cars
2. Powerful iTech. 

Additional Information:

• Both Apple and Tesla use Lithium-Ion Battery
• Tesla's specialty, battery. (electric cars).  

HowStuffWorks

Is Apple's new focus on the automobile sector? Does Apple want to create a new market within the Automobile industry? 

iPhones, Ipads, etc. have led to faster human movement. Quicker communication = less time between actions. 

Additionally, we move faster because of automobiles. Driving from one city  to another takes less time than walking (unless you're in Manhattan during peak times). 

Both companies have contributed to movement. What can iTech and Electric Cars do together? 

Powerful and stronger batteries in phones, Smart Cars. 

XoXo. KingSR

CAT on LSD from the 60s. [VIDEO--Funny]

CAT on LSD from the 60s. [VIDEO--Funny]

Tonight at 9PM: See this HUGE Asteroid, NEA 2000 EM26--size of three football fields

Tonight: See this HUGE Asteroid--size of three football fields

FOXNews: "On Monday, Feb. 17, at approximately 9:00p.m. EST, the Slooh space telescope will broadcast a live video stream and scientific discussion about the silent visitor, which will be traveling at approximately 27,000 miles per hour when it soars safely past the planet. 

The asteroid, called NEA 2000 EM26, will come no closer than 8.8 lunar distances from Earth -- a measure of the distance between us and the moon -- and poses no threat to us."

Funny Image--Toilet Seats and Gender Peace

"Man wins Nobel Prize for Gender Peace and Equality"

Cat Wiggle

Cat Wiggle

The Big Mac Index, Invented By The Economist Since 1986--How much does your burger cost in Norway? $7.80

The Big Mac Index, Invented By The Economist Since 1986

How much does your burger cost in Norway? $7.80

The Economist

The Economist: "It is based on the theory of purchasing-power parity (PPP), the notion that in the long run exchange rates should move towards the rate that would equalise the prices of an identical basket of goods and services (in this case, a burger) in any two countries."

Burgernomics

Overvalued Countries:

• Norway
• Venezuela
• Switzerland
• Sweden
• Brazil
• Denmark

Want your burger cheap?

• India
• South Africa
• Malaysia
• Ukraine
• Indonesia

India is the most undervalued, probably due to low demand of beef products.

USA Mapped According to Other Countries' GDP--TX Economy is the Size of a Continent

USA Mapped According to Other Countries' GDP--TX Economy is the Size of a Continent

Texas = Australia... a continent
California = Italy....which may be on the verge of collapsing?

Business Insider: "Italy's government is on the verge of collapsing, as Prime Minister Enrico Letta faces criticism from Matteo Renzi, the mayor of Florence and leader of the party that heads up Letta's coalition government. The two had a "chilly meeting" today to discuss the possibility of a takeover."

'Your DC Valentines'--WashingtonPost

'Your DC Valentines'

WashingtonPost

XOMadisonEstes

Want to improve your mathematical abilities? Get electrically shocked: It’s called Transcranial Electrical Stimulation

Want to improve your mathematical abilities? Get electrically shocked: It’s called transcranial electrical stimulation 

ScientificAmerican

Transcranial electrical stimulation, or tES, is another brain-stimulation technique. However, this one is Non-Invasive.

Brain-stimulation techniques have become more widely known. For example: DBS, Deep Brain Stimulation—electrodes implanted into brain and stimulating brain cells, neurons—potentially treated Parkinson’s disease and Tourette syndrome.

However, with tES, may improve your arithmetic skills.

Background:

Wall Street Journal: “Up to 6 percent of the population is estimated to have a math-learning disability called developmental dyscalculia, similar to dyslexia but with numerals instead of letters.

He found that he could temporarily turn off regions of the brain known to be important for cognitive skills. When the parietal lobe of the brain was stimulated using that technique, he found that the basic arithmetic skills of doctoral students who were normally very good with numbers were reduced to a level similar to those with developmental dyscalculia.

That led to his next inquiry: If current could turn off regions of the brain making people temporarily math-challenged, could a different type of stimulation improve math performance? Cognitive training helps to some extent in some individuals with math difficulties. Dr. Cohen Kadosh wondered if such learning could be improved if the brain was stimulated at the same time.”

Results: If stimulation stopped those who were stimulated maintain higher performance level up to a year, compared to those who were not. 

This Kid will be a Future Basketball Pro [VIDEO ft. Bradley Cooper and Channing Tatum]

This Kid will be a Future Basketball Pro [VIDEO ft. Bradley Cooper and Channing Tatum]

Snowden, NSA Leaker, is Nominated for the Same Award President Obama Won: Nobel Peace Prize

Snowden is Nominated for the Same Award President Obama Won in 2009: Nobel Peace Prize.

Guardian

WashingtonPost: "Edward Snowden spent the last year revealing some of the government's most tightly held secrets, kicking off a massive debate about the proper role of America's intelligence services. Now, a pair of Norwegian politicians have nominated the NSA leaker for a Nobel Peace Prize. 

In their nomination letter, Baard Vegar Solhjell and Snorre Valen, who hail from the Socialist Left party, said Snowden's revelations "contributed to a more stable and peaceful world order.""

Coca-Cola in Capsules. Soda Companies Making Moves in the Beverage World. First Zico Coconut Water and now Green Mountain.

Coca-Cola in a Capsule. Coca-Cola Makes Moves in the Beverage World. First Zico Coconut Water and now Green Mountain. 

MarketWatch

Partnering with Coca-cola via a 10-year deal, Green Mountain will make and sell Coca-Cola-branded pods to go with the machine.

Earlier this year Coca-Cola acquired pioneering Coconut Water Brand--Zico Beverages LLC. Now Coca-Cola just took a 10 percent stake in Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Keurig single-serve coffee brewer.

Basically, buy a pod, put it in a machine, and get Diet Coke, Sprite, Dr. Pepper in your homes or offices in a cup.

 
Smart Move Coca-Cola. 

Markets: Thursday Trading: $KO up 1 percent, $GMCR up 30 percent 

Soda companies are making big moves within the beverage industry--reaching out to other trendy drinks. Pepsi-Co is also on the red carpet introducing QUA (subject to change). This competes with Coca-Colas Smart Water. 

AP: "Qua is made with tap water. The brand, which PepsiCo says is "micro-filtered" and free of sodium, is slated to be tested regionally in California this summer before expanding to other markets."

Soda Market: Soda spending and consumption, especially diet, has declined due to health-conscious consumers. So what's healthier (and sexier) than water? Luxurious looking Water. 

AP

AP: "Bottled waters have surged in popularity over the years and represent an important opportunity for Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, which are struggling to sell more soda. Since hitting a peak in 1998, U.S. soda consumption has been on a downward trend, and declines have accelerated in recent years. 

The problem with run-of-the-mill bottled waters, however, is that people tend to just buy whatever's cheapest. Coke's Dasani and Pepsi's Aquafina, for example, don't exactly have sexy images that make people willing to pay more for them. So the companies are focusing on brands they can market as being premium, thus commanding higher prices."

CNNMoney: "It's a concern on the mind of Pepsico (PEP,Fortune 500) CEO Indra Nooyi, who told investors in October that her company has seen "a fundamental shift in consumer habits and behaviors," adding that "the diet slowdown has been a little more rapid than we expected." 

Meet the Fragile Five: Currency Chaos

New Emerging Nations Nickname: Fragile Five. Why? Currency Chaos.

ZeroHedge

Starting in 2001, BRIC became the identifier for Emerging Markets: Brazil, Russia, India, China due to its rapidly growing and attractive economies.

2013: Fragile Five (in my head: IBITS):

1. India (rupee)
2. Brazil (real)
3. Indonesia (rupiah)
4. Turkey (lira)
5. South Africa (rand)


Why? IBITS economies are too dependent on foreign investment. Given that, they need to keep investors from trading away their currencies. “Investors have hammered South Africa and other emerging markets with wide current-account deficits and domestic political problems.” (WSJ)

Reactions last week—to save their currency (especially against the dollar) and retain investors:

• Turkey: Dramatic Increase in Interest Rate to 4.25%. Why? So investors hold on to Lira
• South Africa: Raises key interest rate to 5.5%
• India: Raised its key rate by 0.25 percentage point to 8%
• Indonesia: Left rates unchanged (UPDATED 2/13) however was considered worst performing emerging market currency in 2013 (down 21 percent against USD past year)

The Periodic Table of Commodity Returns

The Periodic Table of Commodity Returns

USFUNDS

Lie Witness News - State of the Union Edition--Jimmy Kimmel

Lie Witness News - State of the Union Edition

Kimmel Asks People about what they thought about the SOTU, the day BEFORE the SOTU

Today is Superbowl 2014!: Seatle Seahawks vs. Denver Broncos--NYTimes: Superbowl XLVIII by the Numbers

Today is Superbow 2014l!: Seatle SeaHawks vs Denver Broncos--NYTimes: Superbowl XLVIII by the Numbers