Greece may soon be back dealing in drachmas adrift alone in the Adriatic, JP Morgan and the other banks continue to be loosely regulated trading liabilities, and job growth continues to be anemic at best.
 
But fear not, the media trumpeted the headline this morning that homebuilder confidence in the U.S. rose more than estimates according to the National Association of Home Builders Index. While this NAHB release couldn’t bring the market higher on the day, the market had been in positive territory earlier in the day.
 
But really, who cares?
 
Like most of the economic that we are subjected to, not only are the numbers interpreted incorrectly, the data is mostly meaningless.
 
The NAHB home builder’s survey uses "a diffusion index on a scale of 0 to 100, based on a survey of builders. The index has 3 components--current sales, model home sales traffic, and builder expectations for 6 months hence rated on the basis of good, fair, or lousy. The most important of these is traffic, which reflects future sales. A reading below 50 means that more builders rate conditions as poor or very poor, rather than good or very good.
 
The HMI rose from 13 in June to 15 in July. That's the "good" news, but there was a catch. As bad as that was, the gain was based mostly on a big jump in the expectations component which surged from 15 to 22.
 
Now I ask you; how would a home builder have any clue what conditions would be like 6 months from now? Right. They don't. True, the present conditions index rose from 13 to 15, but that is not material in the overall scheme of things. The key number is still traffic, because without traffic you can't have sales, and weak traffic foreshadows weak sales.
 
Weak numbers on top of more weak data. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

 
Trade well and follow the trend, not the so-called “experts.”

Larry Levin
President & Founder - TradingAdvantage

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 no one is willing to return to monarchy, restoration of Emperor Pu yi and Yuan Shi-kai had been cast aside. After 1917 Russia, after 1918, Germany and so on was all true. However, if one country need to deified one person become "brilliant leader" and unite people purpose, then, is an unrealistic "yiyin", not only such nationals cannot become head master, was the entire country  cheap michael kors handbags  is going to have hope. 2, economic development or recession in Russia in recent years, the improvement of living standards of the people, is also one reason why Putin received wide support. According to statistics, in the 20 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, a lot of Russia who benefit from the booming economy. Putin during the 8-year national average monthly wage increased by 7 times times, taking office on December 31, 1999 growth to $ 80 at the  michael kors handbags sale  beginning of 2008 of $ 640, at the same time GDP grew 5 times. However, this is not as a result of Putin's economic policy, and completely is the result of the rise in oil prices. Russia exports accounted for almost one-third in the composition of gross domestic, and particularly in the energy and raw material products. In 2007 the fastest, energy and raw material share of the export goods up to 90.2%, and only two per cent of total exports of oil and gas 64.2%. It can be said that if you set aside resources, such as oil, Russia economy failed to grow, not to form a healthy private economy. Oil production michael kors jet set tote   alone is enough to allocate $ 2,500 per Russian per year, a family of three or four people can be divided into thousands of dollars a year. As Mao yushi said, Russia's economy is natural resource wealth obtained into a welfare State, culture of the masses by the Government does not rely on market psychology, plus price distortions that guide resource tempting michael kors signature tote   allocation errors, poor economic efficiency. People live well, but the lack of potential for development, the economy was halted. On the political system of "half", is also a major influence on economic development. For maintenance personal authority and swing people, Putin special keen combat Regal, combat private economic, to strengthening State economic of control, similar Yu China of "country into people back", also more similar Yu Shang century Middle Heavenly Kingdom of "playing local tyrant, min wealth", so do, may will win some underlying of support, but for

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 published the same day, Yang Tu will have realized that this would be the last cover story. In order to prevent in case, Yang Tu is generous to make good the final proofs for Antonio Chiang, of the Earth life, friends journal can continue to voice. Really, came into the history of the Earth life, the 80 also said goodbye to the reader in the near future. In 1987, he and a group of guys mentioned above came to the new news, but left after two years. In June 1989, the early and Antonio Chiang Kang Ning-hsiang, one of the ideals of the Democratic Progressive Party people founded the Beijing morning post, set up more than 60 smaller shareholders. Sima such independent newspapers, not to be so naive as to think business and politicians control, later learned that when things go wrong, no one is willing to be responsible for the newspaper. In August 1990, the Beijing morning post demise because of financial and business issues. In 1999, he finally begins to trust capital, green, boss of the liberty times, a famous developer of Lin Rongsan invited to serve as Taiwan the first English-language michael kors shoulder tote pale gold  newspaper Taipei Times newspaper publisher and editor. But less than a year, outside of the hero, activist lawyer of the year since Chen Shui-bian, he could go into a career. And his new National Security Council is  michael kors jet set tote  the unit-of-at one time, he often retired the last of its new units have tea. In 2004, after the end of his term and returned to media, media impresario invited him to be in charge of Hong Kong Taiwan Apple daily. He declined the invitation, saying only as a consultant, and wrote "Sima" column, back when he was working, and 32nd in the  cheap michael kors handbags  column have empty white News Award (Pulitzer Prize). I have interviewed Mr SIMA, sloshing around only to find he said, can write articles that is ideal. Centralization always want to go back to the poles of almost every city and village, Horn in the continuous sound of loud plays-news, not to leave you with quiet any time lest you era of independent michael kors handbags on sale thinking. In order to think independently, carries news of ideal people to get together, finding common utopia. But utopia is very far away, I always feel naive character of our line is very critical and hard on a medium is very satisfied with the, but the vocal media in transition has its own position was not easy. Says

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A breakfast cereal box isn't just a breakfast cereal box. For those who have a mere modicum of creativity for your use, you can do many things. Here are just some of the uses for cereal boxes, from storage containers to craft projects and toys. Resource for this article: Discovering new uses for cereal boxes

Take notices

Any children who want a special notebook can make a brand new notebook with the breakfast cereal box. All you need is some decoupage adhesive, an X-ACTO knife, binder clips and loose leaf paper.

A gift box can come

If you give someone a gift box made from a cereal box, some glue, paper and ribbons, they will be very amazed. It is also a very cute idea to make it into anything you would like.

Click here for short term loans

On a related note, cutting up a breakfast cereal box is useful whenever you need gift tags. Hey, it's good cardboard. Use a whole punch device, tie the tag onto a package with ribbon, and you are done.

Create a bookmark for the children

Producing a bookmark that can be personalized with markers is really simple. All you need is an X-ACTO knife and glue. Cut out some rectangles, and then glue two pieces together with the printed side facing in.

Get your magazines something to sit in

You can make a magazine out of a breakfast cereal box, as the box is probably about the perfect size that you need. All you have to do is cut off the top and one side, and paint it with whatever you want.

Dinner mats

You can create place mats with your children in an activity that will be a lot of fun. All you have to do is decorate the mat with markers; sometimes it is easier for those who have spray painted it first. Then, laminate it so it is sanitary to eat on.

Putting on a mask show

Children will love this activity if you sit down with them and create masks. The masks are fairly simple to create, and the box material is ideal for them. Use glue to affix anything you would like onto the mask, and you also can use markers to get certain colors that you want. It is an easy activity and will be fun to play with.

Use it to mail

You can also use the box to ship things you try to sell online. WiseBread explains that as long as the only legible print is the address of delivery, the post office does not care what box you use. Just turn the box inside out to avoid this issue, and glue it back together.

Do your cool business

Producing business cards with a breakfast cereal box may really get you a job dependent upon the industry you work in. You can write on the inside of the box, and laminate the cards. Then, they are fun and quirky.

More card uses

There are a lot of different ways you can take a cereal box and create cards from it. Cards are made of the same material, and they can be pretty fun, whether they are flash cards, post cards or anything else.

And (something near) the kitchen sink

You can get a two ply or only one ply with a duller knife, cutting board from the cereal box as well. Cardboard is used with a lot of food goods because it is safe for food to touch. You can get a really great breakfast cereal box cutting board if you are only willing to lay the box flat on the countertop.

Change reality a bit

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZYbHcEmWQg



Sources

Shala Beads LiveJournal

TLC Family

WiseBread

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Read this week's Bullion Buzz for a synopsis on recent, intriguing articles of relevance to investors: BullionBuzz, March 28, 2012

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Solid gold Canadian entrepreneurial success story unveiled as BMG CEO Nick Barisheff celebrates tenth anniversary of first bullion fund

Toronto, ON – March 5, 2012 – It’s hard to believe that bullion was once an unloved asset class, but Bullion Management Group Inc. (BMG) founder, President and CEO Nick Barisheff fought a multi-year uphill battle that led to the creation of BMG’s first bullion fund 10 years ago today.

“We received the approval in Ontario for our first bullion fund in January 2002 and our first NAV was posted on March 5, 2002,” says Barisheff. “But when I started BMG in 1998 to create that fund, it seemed like precious metals were dying a prolonged, painful death, dot-coms were all the rage, and short sellers were having a field day betting on further declines in bullion values. And yet I was convinced we were on the cusp of a historic bull market. I did not want to compromise any of the primary attributes of bullion while at the same time assuring RRSP eligibility. The fund had to maintain the ultimate liquidity that bullion provides, not rely on anyone’s promise of performance and not be anyone else’s liability. “

After navigating years of regulatory hurdles and bootstrapping BMG through to its first fund’s launch, Barisheff’s conviction has created an established bullion powerhouse with an enviable track record. Today BMG has $642 million of Assets Under Management, and global sales from 57 dealers in 14 countries of two mutual funds as well as BMG BullionBars – an offering for high net worth clients who want to own uncompromised bullion in allocated storage.

“We now have more than 16,000 investors worldwide who have chosen BMG products upon the advice of financial advisors, wealth managers and private banks who have recommended the funds and bars,” says Barisheff. “Over the last decade, BMG BullionFund Class A Canadian units rank in the top two per cent of returns out of the 14,697 mutual funds, with a 10-year average return of 8.56 per cent according to GlobeFund statistics as of January 31, 2012.”

The backdrop for BMG product demand is the relentless build-up of sovereign debt and global issuance of fiat currencies with no gold backing. The US dollar and the British pound have lost more than 80 per cent of their purchasing power against gold over the past decade, and the euro, Canadian dollar and yen have lost more than 70 per cent.

“Although much of the attention has been on central bank purchases since they became net buyers of gold bullion in 2009, the real impetus for what I am convinced will be further rises in bullion values are the pension and insurance funds that at this point hold less than half of one per cent of their assets in gold and mining shares,” says Barisheff. “Continued losses and growing pension deficits will make it mandatory for them to eventually include gold, the one asset class that is negatively correlated to financial assets such as stocks and bonds.”

For those looking for an upside target on the price of gold bullion, this fall Barisheff is launching a new book entitled: $10,000 Gold: The Inevitable Rise and Investor’s Safe Haven.

NOTE TO MEDIA: The text of Nick Barisheff’s speech for this evening’s tenth anniversary BMG BullionFund celebration is available today, with an accompanying photo, upon request. The speech will be given at 7 p.m.at the Donalda Club, 12 Bushbury Drive, in North York.

About Bullion Management Group Inc.
Toronto-based Bullion Management Group Inc. is one of the world's fast-growing precious metals bullion management companies, with CDN$642 million of bullion holdings under management. The company is an Associate Member of the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA). Bullion Management Services Inc., a BMG Company, is the trustee and manager of BMG Funds. BMG BullionFund is the world's first open-end mutual fund trust that purchases equal dollar amounts of unencumbered gold, silver and platinum bullion, and also qualifies for all registered plans. BMG Gold BullionFund is designed for those who want to obtain the benefits associated with holding physical gold in bullion form. The BMG BullionBars program meets the needs of clients seeking to purchase and hold individual bars of unencumbered Good Delivery Standard gold, silver and platinum bullion.  For more information on how to purchase BMG bullion products, please visit: www.bmgbullion.com.

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http://caps.fool.com/Blogs/alexandria-minerals-live/715293

March 01, 2012 – Comments (2)

It is my great pleasure to invite Eric Owens Ph.D., CEO of Alexandria Minerals, to join us once again for a live discussion with members of this community at 3pm EST today (Thursday, March 1).

For a primer on Alexandria's story and why I personally find the company's property portfolio in Val D'Or's Cadillac Break so compelling, please review my write-up here:

http://caps.fool.com/Blogs/compelling-pm-microcaps/569492?

To review discussions from the two prior occasions on which Eric has joined us here, please see:

July 2011: http://caps.fool.com/Blogs/caps-exclusive-online-forum/61......

April 2011: http://caps.fool.com/Blogs/live-chat-with-alexandria/571634

Fellow Alexandria shareholders no doubt share my keen anticipation of the company's initial resources estimate on the Akasaba property due out shortly. It is my hope that this resource will generate a catalyst for the deeply discounted stock, as the company will hold a global gold resource that surges beyond the million-ounce mark with substantial exploration upside remaining.

Please be sure to join us right here at 3pm EST today to chat with Eric directly, or if you can not be here live simply post your questions, observations, etc. in advance.

Thank you in advance for your active participation, and for joining me in expressing gratitude to Eric for taking time out to join us right here in our own corner of the online investment universe.

Important Note: Because of Alexandria's very small market capitalization, I feel it my duty to always emphasize the investment risk that is inherent in any pre-revenue-generating company of minute capitalization. Please do your own due diligence, of which an opportunity like this one to interact directly with a company's CEO can play an important part. Most of my readers will already be aware that Alexandria Minerals is my own top equity holding by value, but that in no way constitutes a recommendation to anyone else. I offer information and insights based upon my knowledge of the company's I cover, but as always your own investment decisions are entirely your own.

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Read this week’s Bullion Buzz for a synopsis on recent, intriguing articles of relevance to investors: http://www.bmgbullion.com/document/1076

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