Companies are spending more time, money, and resources analyzing data and creating meaningful visualizations.
With so many more examples, it shouldn't come as a big surprise that there are a lot more crappy infographics on display.
Here is a chart showing the most popular infographics you can find around the web.
Of course, there is also the 'just for fun' infographic. For example, here is one showing what helicopters do in action movies.
In case you missed it, Snooki Polizzi launched her own news show this week, and she already has at least one high-profile fan.
CNN host, Anderson Cooper, explains why watching the 'Jersey Shore' star's new newscast is good for you. Don't worry, be happy.
Here is the CNN video.
If you're up for it, you can watch Snookie's entire three-minute newscast here.
Let's start with One Hundred Dollars. A stack of them makes Ten Thousand Dollars.
So far, so good.
Next, let's put One Hundred Million in perspective.
I don't know about you, but that still seems like a lot of money to me. Nonetheless, it fits nicely on a military-standard pallet.
The U.S. Deficit is approaching Fifteen Trillion Dollars. The image below will help you visualize that. The scope and scale of that amount of cash is a surprising.
To see more, click here to go to a site called WTFNOWAY.
And, if you want to see an updated, interactive version of the U.S. Debt Clock, just click the image below. It is worth spending a little time to watch the pace the numbers turn.
Surprised?
In my experience, managing attention is harder than it seems.
Let's start with something easy ... Do nothing for 2 minutes.
Here is a link to a website that will let you try to do that.
Focus can be pretty fragile if it isn't a conscious choice.
OK, Let's Try Something a Little More Challenging.
Controlling your body by doing nothing is one thing; but, controlling your mind is something else altogether.
To get a sense about this, here is a seemingly easy challenge ... simply listen to a favorite song.
The challenge is how you can truly do that without losing focus and having other thoughts intrude (for example, without thinking about your to-do list or other songs that you like, or who you're going to meet with later in the day, etc.)? For me, the answer was not that long.
Sometimes it feels like modern life causes attention deficit disorder.
Attention Deficit Can Be Dangerous If You Aren't Aware of It.
Yet, losing focus while trading, in business, or even during a simple conversation - can have serious consequences.
When you are not aware of your focus, I bet it wanders. Mine does; I get distracted easily.
It didn't take long for me to realize that this happened to me while talking to my wife, while listening to a telephone call, even when ordering food at a restaurant. How can I lose focus on the waitress while I was ordering? Apparently, quite easily.
How about you? When you're listening to someone talk to you, are you really listening to them - or are you checking e-mail, texting, browsing a website, watching TV, playing a game, or thinking about what you're going to say?
Be honest with yourself; how often are you fully present? For me, the answer was not nearly enough.
Practice Mind Control.
Try listening to one song with your full attention and focus.
Now, imagine how different a conversation with someone important to you would be if you were consciously aware of your intent for them to experience being heard the whole time they were speaking to you.
Maybe it is easier to recognize how different it is for you when someone is truly present and focused on you when you talk with them?
If you want to explore more activities like this, pick up a copy of Dianne Collins' book "Do You QuantumThink". It has dozens of clever ways to wake back up and operate on a higher level.
Have you seen the athletic shoes that look like gloves?
They started showing up at the gym I go to ... then someone in the office wore them when we worked-out together. Part of me thought it was "pretentious", and another part thought it was "silly"; turns out ... they are worth trying.
Here's a confession; I'm now of an age where it made sense to judge a workout by how much my feet and ankles swell. The well-cushioned athletic shoes that I have been wearing, do such a good job of masking impact that I wasn't noticing how my running form was hurting my body. Instead, I just thought the damage was simply a result of getting older.
Apparently, I just forgot how to run. A few weeks in those silly looking barefoot running shoes has made a huge difference.
Studies show that barefoot running prevents injury, and can even enhance performance! A professor at Harvard led a research team that looked at the "impact collision force" (when the foot hits the ground) of runners in shoes compared to barefoot runners. The impact was actually reduced by two-thirds by running in bare feet. Basically the difference is in how the foot lands on the ground. Barefoot runners land each step more on the ball, or the middle of the foot, which is more gentle to the foot.
In contrast, runners in traditional athletic shoes tend to land more on the heel. As a result, our thickly-cushioned modern running shoes may actually be causing stress on our joints and feet because we're not landing the way we were meant to do while running.
If you decide to try out this age-old running style, it's best to gradually transition yourself for a few weeks. Listen to the signals from your body. Otherwise, you may feel sore while you get "back on your feet" - and start using muscles you probably forgot you had.
Certainly worth trying.
Resources:
Business Posts Moving the Markets that I Found Interesting This Week:
Lighter Ideas and Fun Links that I Found Interesting This Week
As traders watch the market, they are looking for clues. And when they are in-phase with what happens, they think the market speaks to them. Is it in-depth knowledge ... or nonsense?
Here is video of twin toddlers 'talking'. Is it an in-depth conversation ... or nonsense? You be the judge.
Video: Twin Baby Boys Have In-Depth Discussion
Clearly ... a great way to communicate.
Great Cartoon Explaining What's Happening In the Market
It was a week where Steve Jobs stepped down and Warren Buffett stepped-in.
It was a also a week where the Markets broke to the upside for the first time in a month.
Here is a cartoon that explains what pundits know when they tell you what it means.
via Abstruse Goose.
Posted at 09:12 PM in Business, Current Affairs, Just for Fun, Market Commentary, Trading | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Reblog (0)