"Meet the World" uses national flags to represent relevant social or political issues and real data specific to the particular country.
It comes from an award-winning ad series created for a Portuguese news magazine, Grande Reportagem, known for its photo-journalism and investigative reporting.
Here are a few examples.
Interesting and thought provoking.
KFC's new Double Down sandwich has been getting tons of press since its ingredients were revealed. Some blogs are calling the sandwich "disgusting", while others
gleefully talk about their eating experience.
The Double Down is essentially a sandwich with two chicken fillets taking the place of bread slices. In between are two pieces of bacon, melted slices of Monterey Jack and Pepper Jack cheeses, and a "zesty" sauce (you know, things your cardiologist is secretly happy you're putting into
your system).
How Bad For You is Eating Something Like This?
While it certainly doesn't qualify as health food … it also doesn't
have bread. Further, according to KFC, it weighs
in at a reasonable 540 calories, 32 grams of fat, and (a less
reasonable) 1,380 milligrams of sodium, Other sources argue that the
calorie count is much higher.
Regardless, there are lots of fast foods worse for you than this
sandwich (click
here to see the rankings). Some even claim the Double Down is
healthier for you than a salad (see
why).
It Might Not Be Great Food, But the Marketing Is Working.
The marketing has been pretty effective driving demand and generating buzz in the media. Here is one of their commercials.
After seeing it, my teenage son begged me to get him one. Okay, it didn't
take much
persuading.
Nonetheless, I've been counting calories, recently, and
logging what I eat
in an attempt to eat healthier and lose weight. Like my wife, my skinny
pants (still patiently waiting in an under-used corner of the closet) hoped I
would put up more of a fight than I did.
In advertising, attention is good (even if some of it is controversial). It looks like the folks at this Pepsi spin-off, Yum Brands, have a hit. Not only are people who wouldn't normally eat at a KFC, now eating at KFC … There's a bunch of folks fighting about whether this is a good or bad thing.
When Wendy's came out with the Clara Peller commercials, with the
tag-line: "Where's the beef?" … it changed their business. Kentucky Fried
Chicken needs a tag-line (or brand promise) that will capture more than the
disgust of the American public, if they want this to last.
Now that KFC is getting buzz, the bigger questing is whether it will have a lasting impact on their sales?
Other Links.
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KFC's new Double Down sandwich has been getting tons of press since its ingredients were revealed. Some blogs are calling the sandwich "disgusting", while others
gleefully talk about their eating experience.
The Double Down is essentially a sandwich with two chicken fillets taking the place of bread slices. In between are two pieces of bacon, melted slices of Monterey Jack and Pepper Jack cheeses, and a "zesty" sauce (you know, things your cardiologist is secretly happy you're putting into
your system).
How Bad For You is Eating Something Like This?
While it certainly doesn't qualify as health food … it also doesn't
have bread. Further, according to KFC, it weighs
in at a reasonable 540 calories, 32 grams of fat, and (a less
reasonable) 1,380 milligrams of sodium, Other sources argue that the
calorie count is much higher.
Regardless, there are lots of fast foods worse for you than this
sandwich (click
here to see the rankings). Some even claim the Double Down is
healthier for you than a salad (see
why).
It Might Not Be Great Food, But the Marketing Is Working.
The marketing has been pretty effective driving demand and generating buzz in the media. Here is one of their commercials.
After seeing it, my teenage son begged me to get him one. Okay, it didn't
take much
persuading.
Nonetheless, I've been counting calories, recently, and
logging what I eat
in an attempt to eat healthier and lose weight. Like my wife, my skinny
pants (still patiently waiting in an under-used corner of the closet) hoped I
would put up more of a fight than I did.
In advertising, attention is good (even if some of it is controversial). It looks like the folks at this Pepsi spin-off, Yum Brands, have a hit. Not only are people who wouldn't normally eat at a KFC, now eating at KFC … There's a bunch of folks fighting about whether this is a good or bad thing.
When Wendy's came out with the Clara Peller commercials, with the
tag-line: "Where's the beef?" … it changed their business. Kentucky Fried
Chicken needs a tag-line (or brand promise) that will capture more than the
disgust of the American public, if they want this to last.
Now that KFC is getting buzz, the bigger questing is whether it will have a lasting impact on their sales?
Other Links.
The rally has been strong. With the Dow Jones Industrial Average above 11,200, some are calling for an extended Bull market.
How Strong Has Breadth Been? The Answer is “Pretty Strong“.
With the advance over the past two months, the percentage of stocks above their 50-day moving average surged back towards prior highs. This chart shows that indicator is above 85% for the first time since January.
Some commentators take this as a strong bullish sign. It helps to think of this indicator like a momentum oscillator. As such, it can become overbought and remain overbought during a strong uptrend. While relatively high readings may be considered overbought, it is also a sign of strength as long as this indicator remains at high levels. However, as the chart shows, a sharp decline below this level would increase the odds of a correction unfolding.
What is the State of the Current Economy?
Russell Investments publishes a nice summary of Market indicators. In general, it shows that interest rates are high, and mortgage
delinquencies are nearly off-the-chart, while most other indicators are
at
the low ends of their typical ranges.
Also worth noting, here, the VIX
decreased to its lowest month-end level in over 33 months.
When the SEC announced civil fraud charges against Goldman Sachs, its shareholders proceeded to lose $12 billion.
Here is what their stock is doing now.
If you are interested, the lawsuit stems from Goldman’s 2007 Abacus
deal. Here
is the presentation document they used to sell that deal.
Here are some of the news items about this that caught my eye:
The Lighter Side of the Issue.
Did you hear that
Goldman Sachs made the Iceland volcano erupt? It did pretty well
shorting airlines.
The Goldman Sachs lawsuit and financial reform are becoming common topics of every-day humor.
It’s one thing when the business press writes about a topic, it’s another when it is the subject of a David Letterman Top-10 List, an on-going discussion on Jon Stewart, and the opening segment of Saturday Night Live. What do you think it means that this issue is now in the mass media?
Business Posts Moving the
Markets that I Found Interesting This Week:
Lighter Ideas and
Fun Links
that I Found Interesting This Week
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_c.png?x-id=87460f6c-55a1-4482-b6ef-3f61e3509956)
The rally has been strong. With the Dow Jones Industrial Average above 11,200, some are calling for an extended Bull market.
How Strong Has Breadth Been? The Answer is “Pretty Strong“.
With the advance over the past two months, the percentage of stocks above their 50-day moving average surged back towards prior highs. This chart shows that indicator is above 85% for the first time since January.
Some commentators take this as a strong bullish sign. It helps to think of this indicator like a momentum oscillator. As such, it can become overbought and remain overbought during a strong uptrend. While relatively high readings may be considered overbought, it is also a sign of strength as long as this indicator remains at high levels. However, as the chart shows, a sharp decline below this level would increase the odds of a correction unfolding.
What is the State of the Current Economy?
Russell Investments publishes a nice summary of Market indicators. In general, it shows that interest rates are high, and mortgage
delinquencies are nearly off-the-chart, while most other indicators are
at
the low ends of their typical ranges.
Also worth noting, here, the VIX
decreased to its lowest month-end level in over 33 months.
When the SEC announced civil fraud charges against Goldman Sachs, its shareholders proceeded to lose $12 billion.
Here is what their stock is doing now.
If you are interested, the lawsuit stems from Goldman’s 2007 Abacus
deal. Here
is the presentation document they used to sell that deal.
Here are some of the news items about this that caught my eye:
The Lighter Side of the Issue.
Did you hear that
Goldman Sachs made the Iceland volcano erupt? It did pretty well
shorting airlines.
The Goldman Sachs lawsuit and financial reform are becoming common topics of every-day humor.
It’s one thing when the business press writes about a topic, it’s another when it is the subject of a David Letterman Top-10 List, an on-going discussion on Jon Stewart, and the opening segment of Saturday Night Live. What do you think it means that this issue is now in the mass media?
Business Posts Moving the
Markets that I Found Interesting This Week:
Lighter Ideas and
Fun Links
that I Found Interesting This Week
How does President Obama's popularity and approval rating compare to past presidents? This chart surprised me a little. It turns-out that the steep decline of his approval ratings is a little unusual, but not unprecedented.
The real issue is whether the Democrats will lose control of the House of Representatives in the next election. Jeff Miller has a good article about that on A Dash of Insight.
Dancing With Obama.
Domestic politics aside, apparently, the President is still pretty popular. While nuclear summits aren't usually a source of humor, the New York Times may have unintentionally struck gold with this time-lapse video. Watch the absurdity of presidential photo-ops as President Obama works the event, shaking one hand after another.
Read more about the video here.
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_c.png?x-id=efb0999c-d45e-4fdd-bd4e-b4ba370af4bb)
How does President Obama's popularity and approval rating compare to past presidents? This chart surprised me a little. It turns-out that the steep decline of his approval ratings is a little unusual, but not unprecedented.
The real issue is whether the Democrats will lose control of the House of Representatives in the next election. Jeff Miller has a good article about that on A Dash of Insight.
Dancing With Obama.
Domestic politics aside, apparently, the President is still pretty popular. While nuclear summits aren't usually a source of humor, the New York Times may have unintentionally struck gold with this time-lapse video. Watch the absurdity of presidential photo-ops as President Obama works the event, shaking one hand after another.
Read more about the video here.
Whether you love or hate the Dallas Cowboys, you might enjoy watching the demolition of Texas Stadium. It was vacated when the Cowboys moved to their new $1.2 billion plus home last year.
Texas Stadium was built in 1971 at a cost of $35 million. The implosion cost $6 million.
What's Next for that Land?
The Texas Department of Transportation is paying $16 million to rent the space, for 84 months, as a staging zone for construction projects.
Here Are Some Videos.
Here is a video from the outside.
Here is a 360° immersion video of the explosion. You can click and drag to see different perspectives of how it happened, from inside the Stadium.
Other Resources.
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_c.png?x-id=651a4310-9bed-4199-9851-db6917289feb)
Whether you love or hate the Dallas Cowboys, you might enjoy watching the demolition of Texas Stadium. It was vacated when the Cowboys moved to their new $1.2 billion plus home last year.
Texas Stadium was built in 1971 at a cost of $35 million. The implosion cost $6 million.
What's Next for that Land?
The Texas Department of Transportation is paying $16 million to rent the space, for 84 months, as a staging zone for construction projects.
Here Are Some Videos.
Here is a video from the outside.
Here is a 360° immersion video of the explosion. You can click and drag to see different perspectives of how it happened, from inside the Stadium.
Other Resources.
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_c.png?x-id=1fc612dc-0db1-497c-b596-2e3d088c9a0a)