#Data Engineering Course in Silk Board

[propertydeveloperinpune]

[ladyeckland28]

Hannah Tingle And The Ticklish Event Horizon

A science fiction horror with tickle content by Lady Eckland and Ms Darkwood

"In Space Nobody Can Hear You Get Tickled"

Starring Hannah Tingle as herself (as always 😅) and Horror 73 as Little Gavin (🤣)

Hannah Tingle’s eyes snapped open to the sterile white light of the cryo-pod. She gasped as the freezing gel drained away, leaving her shivering in her form-fitting flight suit. Her breath came in ragged puffs, and she blinked rapidly, trying to shake off the grogginess of cryogenic sleep.

"Warning: Ship trajectory compromised. Immediate course correction required." The AI’s voice was calm, which was deeply unfair, considering the situation.

Hannah staggered out of the pod, her bare feet slapping against the cold metal floor. The main display screen flickered to life, showing the UFS Curiosity hurtling toward a swirling black void—the event horizon of a black hole.

"Oh, come on!" she groaned, running a hand through her tangled hair. "I take one nap, and suddenly we’re snack food for a singularity?"

She sprinted to the control console, fingers flying over the holographic interface. "Override trajectory! Engage emergency thrusters!"

"Error: Navigation controls unresponsive."

Hannah’s stomach dropped. "Oh, that’s just perfect."

She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. The ship’s interior was eerily silent, save for the faint hum of the engines and the occasional beep of the warning system. The emergency lights cast a dim red glow, making the familiar corridors feel alien and menacing.

Then she heard it.

A skittering noise.

Not the usual hum of the ship’s machinery. Something… organic.

She turned slowly, her heart pounding in her chest.

A shadow moved in the far corridor.

"Okay," she muttered, gripping the edge of the console for support. "Either I’m hallucinating from cryo-sickness, or this ship has a very uninvited guest."

She grabbed a nearby wrench—her only weapon—and crept toward the sound. The dim emergency lights flickered, casting eerie shadows that danced along the walls. Her bare feet felt every ridge and groove in the metal floor, sending shivers up her spine.

Then she saw it.

A massive spider, its eight glossy eyes reflecting the red glow of the alarms. Its abdomen twitched as it wove something between the pipes.

Not just something.

Webs.

And in those webs—

"Gavin?!" Hannah yelped, her voice echoing through the corridor.

Her co-pilot, Gavin, was wrapped in shimmering silk, suspended upside-down. His face was red, his body convulsing with laughter.

"Hahahaha—Hannah! HELP!" he wheezed, tears streaming down his face.

The spider’s legs skittered closer, and one long, segmented limb reached out—

And tickled Gavin’s bare foot.

"NO! NO MORE! HAHAHAHA—PLEASE!"

Hannah’s jaw dropped.

"You’ve got to be kidding me."

The spider turned toward her. Its mandibles twitched.

Then it lunged.

Hannah bolted, the spider thudding behind her. She skidded into the maintenance bay, slamming the door shut. She leaned against it, breathing heavily, her mind racing.

"Okay. Giant space spider. Tickling people. Why?!"

She hyperventilated, then noticed a data pad nearby. She snatched it up, scrolling through the ship’s logs.

"Day 147: Specimen ‘Arachnus Jocularis’ escaped containment. Exhibits unusual behavior—gentle touch triggers uncontrollable laughter. Hypothesis: Evolutionary defense mechanism? Further study needed."

Hannah groaned. "Oh, great. We brought an intergalactic tickle monster on board."

A tap-tap-tap came from the door.

Hannah froze.

A long, hairy leg slid through the vent above.

"NOPE." She dove under a console as the spider dropped down, its legs tick-tick-ticking across the floor.

It sniffed the air.

Then it found her foot.

"No no no—HAHAHA! STOP!" Hannah shrieked as the spider’s legs skittered over her soles. "NOT THE TOES! NOT THE TOES!"

She kicked wildly, scrambling back. The spider reared, as if laughing at her.

That’s when she saw it—the emergency thruster manual override.

And the spider was standing right in front of it.

Hannah wiped tears of laughter from her eyes. "Okay, you overgrown dust bunny," she panted. "Let’s see how you like it."

She grabbed a nearby cleaning bot, its brush attachments whirring.

"Hey, Legs McGee!" she shouted, waving.

The spider turned—

She jammed the spinning brushes into its fuzzy underbelly.

The spider shuddered.

Then—

"SKREEEEE!" It convulsed, legs flailing wildly, skittering back and forth like it had stepped on hot coals.

"HA! Ticklish, huh?" Hannah crowed.

She sprinted past the writhing arachnid, slamming her palm onto the override.

The ship roared as thrusters fired, pulling them away from the black hole’s grasp.

The spider, still twitching from the brush attack, gave her a look.

Then it scuttled away into the vents.

Hannah collapsed against the console, wheezing.

Gavin, still half-wrapped in silk, groaned. "Please tell me we’re not keeping it as a pet."

Hannah smirked. "Depends. You volunteering as its next foot toy?"

"Hannah."

She laughed, then froze—

A faint skittering sound echoed in the distance.

"…We’re never taking our socks off again."

[darkw3b35]

What are the main points and Demerits of the Dark Web?

dark web

The dark web could be an unsafe location. It isn't indexed by search engines and can enable illicit actions. Users are therefore at risk of being charged. This is especially the case if they engage in illegal activities in the shadow web. Just one click can put users in legal danger. Additionally, the dark web is full of criminals, many of which could steal users' crypto.

dark web

Anonymity

The internet known as the dark web an enormous collection of illicit content. Hackers are able to trade their personal information in exchange for crypto, and users are able to purchase and sell illicit products and services. The site is also used to facilitate illicit activities like child pornography and human trafficking. Certain websites even promote the propaganda that is used by extremist organizations.

Many users turn to the dark web to protect their anonymity and security, but there are risks that come with it. It is important to be ready to accept the risk and know how to remain secure on the internet. In order to do that it is essential to familiarize yourself with the fundamentals of the dark internet as well as the benefits and drawbacks and the most effective ways to safeguard your privacy.

One of the advantages to using the Dark web is it gives absolute anonymity when surfing the web. This is due to the fact that this Deep web, which is in a similar fashion with the Surface web, doesn't search for websites within it. It means the government won't be able to monitor your browsing past.

Another advantage for the dark net is the fact that it's more secure than the internet surface. This means you are able to bypass local restrictions as well as download music pirated, as well as films that have been stolen. If you don't take care you could get in danger. The dark side of the web is also the home of illicit websites like Silk Road.

Another benefit for the dark internet is it's completely unaffected by surveillance and censorship. It is accessible only through a specific browser. Anyone who wishes to keep their identity private can utilize VPN VPN (or private) mode in order to keep their privacy from the prying eyes of.

Forums locked down

Forums with locked-down sections that are on the dark internet comprise forums where users can talk about illegal actions. They can talk about anything from financial fraud to hacking. Certain forums are paid for and others are completely free. A lot of members on these forums are sought out by security and law enforcement agencies. No matter if they're in the dark internet for leisure or business it's crucial to understand the dangers that come with it.

A forum that contains a huge quantity of information on cybercrime is now closed over the course of two months. RaidForums is a well-known dark web site was shut down in a deliberate manner in January of 2019. The decision was made following the media's increased focus and the activities of a group of ransomware. The forum's administrator tried to launch it again with the same brand. However, the forum was not operational until the month of August of 2019.

While KickAss was closed in the beginning of January, rumors about its re-emergence on the dark web are yet to be verified. If it's a real revival or an effort to capture users, no one can be certain. One thing is certain that if it's up is likely to be legitimate. If it's back up, it might be a honeypot for law enforcement looking to collect sensitive data about cybercriminals.

Although many forums on the dark web are closed, a lot of them are accessible to users. They aren't indexable, and users who are anonymous can be found there. Certain sites promote pornographic images of children and other illegal behaviors. There's also a wide variety of message boards and chat rooms that are on the dark internet. These forums can be discussing illegal or illegal topics including identity theft and cyberbullying, child pornography as well as threats to violence.

Inability to index

The Dark Web is a huge web of sites that aren't indexed by search engines that are traditional. The websites are only accessible by certain software and configurations or authorizations. In addition, these websites are protected by encryption using the Tor protocol. Dark webs are more than 500 times larger than the normal web and includes 7500 TB of illegal content.

The inability to index dark websites makes them difficult to locate. However, there are search engines specifically designed to aggregate the dark web's links. One of these is the Hidden Wiki that collects links from a variety of sources. However the links aren't as secure as those you find on the web's surface and could be a gateway to dangerous websites.

Deep web content is more extensive than the surface internet however, it is not available to the search engine. Search engines can only index around one percent of its content. It covers chat conversations, e-banking information as well as personal social media accounts as well as medical records that are stored electronically. These sites are typically secure and hard to access.

Websites that are easy to get started

If you've never had the chance to try programming but are keen to learn more about this dark internet, you can check out some of the best dark web resources available for free. Hidden Wiki has a section that is dedicated to coding as well as chat rooms. There are many suggestions as well as ways to begin an online website on the dark web. Utilizing a dark web chat room is a fantastic opportunity to connect with new people and share your experience.

The Dark Web is favorite place for criminals and hackers to exchange dangerous digital items and cyberweapons. A prime example can be the Pegasus malware which has brought WhatsApp to the brink of collapse. This isn't a safe place that is accessible to everyone. The majority of users who use this dark internet do it because of a specific reason.

The dark internet can prove a challenge Some sites contain malware which could cause harm to your device. To be safe, you must be aware of websites on the dark web and remain alert. It's important to keep in mind that many websites that are on the dark internet contain URLs that lead to dangerous websites. It is generally recommended to stick to the top of the web.

It is easy to block

If you're worried about the privacy of your online activity it is possible to stop certain features of this dark internet. These may include chat rooms or codes resources. It is also important to not divulge personal information to strangers who visit these sites. These websites are well-known to have an unpopular reputation. There are numerous ways to protect yourself.

The Dark Web is a infamous web in which hackers sell and trade information for crypto. It is also the site of human trafficking, child pornography as well as other criminal acts. Political outcasts and whistleblowers also make use of this site. But, if you're an honest citizen, you might not wish to utilize the dark web.

While the dark web can be an unwise place to go however, you can find virtually anything from it. The dark web can also be employed to benefit others. For instance freedom fighters can make use of Tor to conceal their identities. Other dark websites may attempt to install remote administration tools. It is recommended to have antivirus or similar protections to guard your privacy.

[islandloading105]

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Advance Phone Repair Course, موبائل رپئیرنگ ٹریننگ کورس اُردو Mobile Repairing Free online Video lectures and book available. Cellphone repair course Video Tutorials. Smartphone troubleshooting and repair pdf. Information About Mobile phone parts and Their functions. How to Use Mobile Repairing Tools. Video Game Stores in Torrent, Valencia. The world of torrents is very big and a handful number of sites can't give to access to all the good torrents that exists on the web. That's torrent search engine sites come in to rescue, allowing.

Looking for iPhone boardviews that FlexBV can read? Have a look over at BadCaps (Registration probably required to download). FlexBV R1115 onwards can read these files fairly well, though some are missing data, but that's not FlexBV's fault.

You can find additional boards and schematics by googling for the board code and 'boardview' eg 820-00165 boardview

Note: Boardviews and schematics are intellectual property owned by the respective parties, as such it is not legal to distribute them with FlexBV any more than it would be to distribute SpaceX raptor engine plans with AutoCAD (no matter how impressive that would be).

FlexBV is designed to be a multiformat usage boardview application that can accept files from many different sources.

FlexBV interlinks boardviews and schematics saving you the hassle of manually cross-referencing, to provide a smoother repair process, leaving you to keep your mind focused on finding the fault.

'Switching to FlexBV will recoup the cost of its licence within a single business day'

Previously most boards only required schematics to assist with repairs, the parts were labelled on the PCB silkscreen and the board was the literal boardview. Over time with increasing part densities silk screening became impractical and now frequently non-existent on devices such as Macbook and iPhone boards.

To faciliate locating and identifying parts, boardview files are now generated; a modern replacement for the silkscreen layer of past with the immediate advantage of being able to locate the part quickly instead of manual visual searching.

FlexBV ties together the logical schematic representation and the new boardview files, in to a visual cross referenced system making it extremely easy to see the correlation between the schematic, parts, nets and board

You're a professional repair agent who performs board level electronics repairs on devices with access to boardviews and schematics

You're part of an assembly or rework team with an in-house, or contracted system

You currently use OpenBoardView, or Landrex but want the PDF cross referencing

FlexBV is licenced on a per concurrent user model, meaning you can have it installed on multiple machines, but only one in use at any given time

FlexBV costs $139 USD per licence and is a perpetual licence of the last validily downloaded version within 2 years of the original purchase

Direct email support for 3 months, after which community based forum support

FlexBV upgrades after 2 years can be purchased at a discounted rate for existing licence holders

FlexBV supports numerous boardview formats so that you can diagnose & repair existing machines and boards.

With FlexBV's support of Fabmaster (FAB), Hyperlynx (HYP), Altium Designer / Protel (PCB/PCBDoc), IPC-D-356(A), BVR / BVRe, and GenCAD (CAD), you can provide boardview files for support agents without having to release the full intellectual property or propriatory design details contained within your master files. EaglePCB, KiCAD, OrCAD and Altium all support export to at least one of the formats that FlexBV will read. More formats are constantly being added!

FeatureFlexBVLandrexOpenBoardViewCost$139 USD, with 2 years of free updatesN/AN/ALicence typePer concurrent seat licence, perpetualClosedOpen SourceSupport3 months direct email, followed by perpetual forum based community supportNoneGithub IssuesInternet connectivity required?NoNoNoCross Platform (Windows, macOS, Linux)YesNoYesSupported file formats, bdv, cst, asc, bvr, bvr2, bvre, cad, , fab, hyp, , , IPC-D-356(A)brd1brd1, bdv, cst, asc, bvr, bvr2, cad, Board AnnotationsYesNoYesOpen Source ContributorYesNoYesPDF Cross ReferencingYesNoNoEagle PCB export / Fabmaster supportYesNoNoHyperlynx supportYesNoNoPart FinderYesNoNoJob trackingYesNoNoPCB Theme EngineYesNoNo

Supported operating systems

Windows 7, 8 and 10

macOS Yosemite (10.10) or more recent (Retina mode supported)

macOS on the new Mac M1 systems (via Rosetta 2)

Linux Ubuntu 16.04 or more recent

Perpetual ownership licence; your downloaded copy will not expire

No internet connectivity required; maintain your security!

No installation required; run directly from the unpacked download

Forum and email support available

Your licence information will be provided immediately after the successful purchase. Take note of the licence data on the receipt page, a copy will also be emailed to your PayPal email address. If you have not received your licence and download information within five (5) minutes, please check your spam folder, if still not there then email us.

No Schematics or boardviews are supplied with FlexBV - it is a tool used to work with your own existing files

All sales are final, no refunds! If you are unsure, trial OpenBoardViewbefore you purchase FlexBV

If you do not like these policies then please do not purchase this software

After paying for the licence, you should be returned to the success page and be provided with your licence information. Additionally a copy of the licence information will be emailed to your PayPal email address.

In order to purchase, we need to validate that you understand the terms and conditions and what is provided when you purchase a licence of FlexBV.

Step 1: Answer the question 'Does FlexBV come with boardviews & schematics?'

Yes. All the schematics and BVs in the world. No. They are not our legal property to distribute. Step 2:

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Agree to the terms & conditions of the purchase/sale By ticking this checkbox I agree to the terms of this purchase agreement (items 1, 2 and 3).

Step 3:FlexBV $139 USD

Step 4: Your licence will be emailed to you instantly. Check your spam folder!

NOTE: if your PayPal email address is different to the one you register with, please contact us with your preferred email and quote your TXN_ID after purchase

NOTE: You will need your email, TXN_ID, and key to activate these downloads

Operating SystemStableBetaLatest Development Contains the latest features in testing but might include extra bugsWindows 7, 8 and 10FlexBV-R1060-win.zipFlexBV-R1115-win.zipFlexBV-R1199-win.zipmacOS 10.10+FlexBV-R1059-macos.zipFlexBV-R1117-macos.zipFlexBV-R1199-macos.zipLinuxFlexBV-R1060-linux.tar.gzFlexBV-R1115-linux.tar.gzFlexBV-R1199-linux.tar.gz

FlexBV R1197+ Features

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Improved shape renderingTwo pad parts such as caps, resistors, and diode are now rendered with rectangular pads for more realismPart colour assignmentsParts can now be coloured based on their type; allows for easier differentiation between caps, resistors and diodes etc

FlexBV R1145+ (unstable) Features

Improved Part Find facilityPart find search facility has been greatly improved and now works more reliably with multiple parameter search

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FlexBV R1127+ (unstable) Features

Support for OpenBoardDataOpenBoardData is a diagnostics overlay dataset providing diode, voltage and resistance readings for various boards.

FlexBV R1115+ New Features

Support for BVRe formatted files addedBVR files with the header BVR3E001 signatureLicence file import optionToo alleviate keyboard/international differences, FlexBV will now generate a downloadable licence file that can be loaded, rather than typed in

FlexBV R1024+ New Features

Butterfly ViewSee both sides of the board simultaniously, including the netweb spanning across both, making it easier to visualise the connections between the parts.macOS Retina SupportTake advantage of the high DPI screens provided with Macbooks for crisper rendering of boards and schematicsUser defined keysConfigure FlexBV to use the keys you prefer for most functions.Colour themesCreate your own PCB colour themes, it's now easy with the new Colour preferences menu to make PCBs look more how you wantMore file formats supportedIt is now possible to read common EDA tool export formats, meaning you can create and share boardviews for other people working on production jobs

FAB / Fabricator / Fabmaster : Eagle, Allegro

HYP / Hyperlynx : Eagle, OrCAD

CAD / GenCAD : KiCAD

ODB / Compact ODB++ (single file, there's a lot of options for this format, not all supported)

PCB / PCBDOC : Altium Designer, Protel 99 ASCII

PDF Copy-paste supported for searchingEasier now to search for what you're looking forPDF Internal-search of existing item (ctrl + right click)Lets you search for other occurences of a string occurence within the PDF without having to manually type in the search text or jump from the Boardview

[weeklyhumorist]

Prince Harry Joins Our Start Up

Prince Harry takes a job at Silicon Valley start-up   The Washington Post 3/23/2021

To: All Employees

In Re: Employee Perks Expanded As Harry Joins Our Start Up

  Responding to our ad seeking employees with “VC contacts,” who, “know how to scale,” and are experienced “first movers,” Harry has joined our unicorn start up! Although some things may have been lost in translation, to make our newest, most incredibly famous, yet approachable, but don’t approach him, employee feel welcome in his first paid position, ever, (ever!) our rules are going to change. Effective immediately:

  “VC” now also stands for Viscount.

  “Scaling” now refers to both how you grow a concept and also how you get over an obstacle wall in the woods with James Corden.

  “Early adopters” will not be shown favor over those who reproduce naturally.

  We’re not going to call them “rules” after this email, because that implies someone is a “ruler” and that makes him uncomfortable. He likes our “flat org” structure.  Also, no more using “rulers.” If you need to refer to them, or use them, try the fun expression “One-third Yardsticks”!

  Chess and checkers may be “triggering” and  therefore will be removed from the Game Closet. Also, copies of “Purple Rain” will be deleted from internal streaming library, understandably. Let’s just all try to stay away from the “K” word, shall we?

  To that end, Pheasant Alongside, Equally With Glass will replace Chicken à la [his great grandpa] in the Break Room. The Cocktail Cart will be pouring “Kir Classest Beverage,” and don’t expect any more pulled pork sliders on “U-Know-Who’s Hawaiian Bread.” Sorry.

  We’ll be removing Monarch butterflies from the Contemplative Motherboard Maze as soon as a trapper becomes available. Meanwhile, try not to leave milkweed lying about.

  You’ll see we said “lying about,” instead of “laying around.” From now on, we’re all going to make a linguistic effort, or more simply, “do a Madonna” to talk more British to ease his transition into a life in which people move around and do other things when he appears in a room. The elevator will be “the lift,” umbrellas will be “bumbershoots,” you get the idea. When in doubt think: WWDVDAACSD? [What Would Dick Van Dyke As A Chimney Sweep Do?]. Once again, we’re all going to pretend to be into the World Cup. We know. It’s a big ask.

  Related, please let’s agree for now that nobody will explain to him that Gayle King isn’t really a king. We don’t think he knows.

  Permission now granted to bring your pet polo “pony” to work. And up to three [3] barnyard chickens.

  New dress code: Epaulets and Breeches Fridays. Nazi costume ban policy remains in effect and unchanged.

  Employee “Google Bus” now stopping in Montecito. If Oprah boards, do not look her directly in the eye. We’re “on the way” to her favorite candle store, so she is, of course welcome to board, or as Harry put it, “What Oprah wants, Oprah gets!”

  We’ll be expanding Flex time during Fox hunting season.

  Commuter stipends will cover 15,000 kilometer check ups on Rolls Royce engines. Cars, not jets, but we’ll see.

  It hasn’t come up as yet, but yes, personal seamstresses may embroider family crests on company swag. And silk blends do count as “casual” dress.

  A few more additions:

  Snooker/billiards tables and darts in the hallways. Free employee parking for Apache helicopters. Commuter credits will now cover flights to London. And our biggest change, even more secrecy and security for the company org chart.

  Finally, because the expression came up on our Zoom call, and we were just too embarrassed to correct him, we’re happy to introduce a new concept: our inaugural Cereal Entrepreneur, Archie. Right now he prefers Cheerios, but that may change. We expect to add another such position in summer.

  Please welcome our new employee!

But see HR first to sign an NDA.

Prince Harry Joins Our Start Up was originally published on Weekly Humorist

[magzoso-tech]

New Post has been published on https://magzoso.com/tech/meet-500-startups-26th-batch-of-startups/

Meet 500 Startups’ 26th batch of startups

Following TechCrunch’s coverage of 500 Startups’ 25th batch (and numbers 24, 23, 22, and 21, in case you wanted to go back in time), today we’re saying hello to  the accelerator’s 26th cohort.

500 Startups, in case you weren’t aware, is a seed-stage accelerator and a collection of venture funds. The group, now with a few dozen accelerator batches under its belt, has several thousand companies in its universe. 500’s 26th cohort contains 29 companies, including a handful that we’d already heard of (Juked.gg, to pick one).

Data, diversity

Before we get to the startups themselves, a few notes. To get a handle on the companies included in the batch, TechCrunch spoke with Aaron Blumenthal, a venture partner at the firm. After sharing a number of batch metrics with TechCrunch, we pressed for a bit more detail on the makeup of the startups in the group.

Here’s a hybrid of our notes, and his details (condensed and edited for clarity), on the batch that the venture partner called “another rung on the ladder of our diversity and inclusion state of mind”:

37% of the startups are international. According to Blumenthal, “this particular batch from the ‘outside United States perspective’ is a little bit smaller — we usually see north of 50% outside the United States.”

30% of the companies’ founding teams include a woman. TechCrunch asked Blumenthal if that number was up, flat or down, to which he responded that 500’s “average is usually in the mid 30s or so. Our last batch, for example, was 26% female. And this one is more [in] that direction which, of course, we are a fan of.”

70% of the founding teams of the batch “have one or more founders who identify as a racial minority,” according to the firm.

It would be interesting to see a more granular breakdown for future cohorts, but the information provided was more than I expected, and the numbers a bit better. And on the subject of numbers, Crunchbase has recorded 215 exits for 500 Startups. From its accelerator, 500 cites TalkDesk and Shippo as highlights.

Turning to mechanics, 500 Startups invests $150,000 apiece into its accelerator companies for 6% of their equity, and charges a $37,500 for the program itself. So, in effect, it’s a bit less capital for the same ownership percentage.

What else? Just that we’re walking into demo day season. 500 Startups will host the showcase for its 26th batch on March 19. Y Combinator will hold its own on March 23 and 24. The Techstars website defeated my hunt for its next demo day, but in the name of fairness, it’s probably hosting one around the same time somewhere in the world.

Here’s the list of companies in batch 26, with small notes from 500 on what they do:

Acadium: Connects business owners and marketing professionals with aspiring digital marketers.

Alloy Card: Offers a consumer credit card with automation that gives people more control over their finances while saving time.

Amixr: Incident management software that helps engineering teams around the world optimize their workflow while minimizing hassles.

AppBind: Lets partners buy and resell online software subscriptions as easily as licensed software, by bringing B2B SaaS into the global reseller market of implementation consultants, system integrators and distributors.

Bliinx: Offers an easy and fast way to find information on business relationships by aggregating all interactions with contacts into Office 365.

Briza: Provides an insurance-as-a-service API that enables instant quoting, binding and issuance of commercial insurance policies.

Butlr: Through sensor networks and AI, Butlr helps retail stores increase in-store sales by applying real-time customer behavior analytics.

CENOS: Easy-to-use simulation software that allows engineers to iterate designs faster than physical prototypes for induction heating and antenna design, among others.

Connected Analytics: Nigeria-based company helping businesses and banks integrate data analytics and rewards in order to retain customers and increase revenue.

Fakespot: Eliminates misinformation and deceptive content on e-commerce sites for consumers, brands and platforms.

GamerzClass: Offers exclusive esports masterclasses with professionals to shape the future of gaming.

Get on Board: Recruitment platform that connects global companies with the best Latin American tech talent.

Juked: Aggregates information on esports games, including live streams, player profiles, scores and calendars to make esports easier to watch and to promote engagement.

Kyndoo: Helps advertisers weed out fraudulent social media influencers, and provides data around their authenticity and performance.

Mero Technologies: Retrofits commercial buildings with sensors to analyze in real time traffic and consumables, such as toilet paper and soap, to inform cleaning routes.

Omnitron Sensors: Enables full autonomy of self-driving cars and drones with novel silicon photonics processes for sensors in safety-critical systems.

Pilota:  Applies machine learning to predict flight disruptions for passengers and automatically re-books a traveler’s flight for free.

Plant an App: Gives IT teams the speed of low-code development without compromising flexibility.

Pluto: Customizes sleep pillows at scale based on the user’s body stats, such as height, neck-to-shoulder ratio and sleep preferences in order to optimize sleep.

Predina: Applies AI to predict the risk of vehicle crashes for insurance and safety purposes, by analyzing more than 14 million historical crashes and other factors, such as street intersections, weather conditions and time.

Renetec: Enables the creation of GUIs for embedded systems with HTML, CSS and JavaScript, which reduces development time and costs.

ShardSecure: Enables enterprises to securely move and store sensitive information to the cloud.

Shiplyst: India-based ocean freight procurement marketplace that reduces costs for exporters and importers and gives them greater visibility into their shipments.

Silk + Sonder: Provides a women’s mental wellness subscription service that makes daily self-help more personalized through journaling and peer-to-peer support.

Sira Medical: Helps clinicians plan surgeries more efficiently through augmented reality, by providing them with high-fidelity 3D holograms of CT scans and MRIs.

The Atlas: An online community of city officials crowdsourcing ideas that is modernizing the $1.6 trillion local government market.

Thematic: Matches content creators who need great songs for their videos with music artists who need influencer marketing.

Trash Warrior: Offers on-demand junk removal services for businesses. Customers can book services online for affordable pricing and reliable quality.

Userpilot: Helps software product managers personalize the in-app experience across the user journey at scale.

Living in the unicorn era as we have now for some time, it’s easy to lose track of the earliest-stages of startup investment. But accelerators do have a history of helping birth some impressive companies. So it’s worth paying attention. More when we get to the various demo days.

[costumersupportdept]

So in grad school, one of our projects was to make undewear and then a dress to go over it, and I wound up making a very 1950s longline and a Jean Desses pleated cocktail dress based off of one Princess Margaret wore that’s currently in the collections at the V and A museum.  I hand pleated the whole dumb thing (mine is obiviously on the right, there) after dying all the silk organza myself, and got it wearably on the girl I’d made it for, (and my horrid advisors basically shut me down at review time, saying that my pleats were uneven and the whole thing looked sloppy, after I’d slaved for literally three weeks over a tiny pleat board and can after can of spray starch and seriously, SECOND YEAR

GRAD, just starting out, thanks) and after the fact, I found Princess Margaret’s blush grey lace day dress made by Norman Hartnell and swore a little, because that one would have been SO MUCH EASIER.

Of course then, because I’m bad at knowing when to stop, I wound up researching the grey dress too,, and learned that this was one of Margaret’s favorite dresses, and there are a veritable butt ton of photos of her in it, even a formal portrait taken in  1953. 

The dress itself was on display at Kensington Palace in 2013, and all I can find is that it’s the property of “Historic Royal Palaces,” which seems to operate a number of the tourist-y palaces in England.

Someday, I hope a designer wants one of these made, because it seems straightforward, but dresses of this period were always sort of marvels of internal engineering and I’d love to tackle that.

  Posts may not happen for a few days, because literally AS THIS POSTS I’m likely in the middle of my knee surgery (let’s hear it for scheduled postings!) but we’ll see how I feel (and if I got motivated to pre-write anymore!)

Coblowrimo 3: Extant Garment So in grad school, one of our projects was to make undewear and then a dress to go over it, and I wound up making a very 1950s longline and a…

[vixxbtsgot7imagines-blog]

The Barista imagine was so good so could I request something like it's your first day of work in this high tech company that manages social media or whatever and wo there's vixx - vixx as tech nerds i guess? Thx 😄 but I mean did that even make sense

Everyone has been so nice, so thank you!~ Also, this sort of ended up as a more company au! I hope that you like it regardless! :)

Hakyeon (N).

Executive manager of the design and graphics department.

Constantly dressed emaculately; tailored trousers, fashionable dress shirts, and occassionally… silk lined blazers.

Holds board meetings in the higher building levels, tends to stand in front of open windows so that he is silhouetted against the city line.

Drapes his suit jacket over the back of his chair as he paces around, delivering his ideas to the board in a suave, fluid manner.

Holds an annual themed dinner party that is a charity event, it is something different each year and everyone looks forward to it.

Basically, Hakyeon is the most put-together man in this company and he is your new boss.

You’re a little intimidated to say the least.

For your first day you show up early, wanting to make a good first impression, and you head over to your boss’ office.

You knock on a door with ‘Cha Hakyeon’ written in a business-like font.

“Come in?”

The response is milder than you would’ve expected but as you enter the room you quickly realise. Cha Hakyeon has not got it together.

Papers are scattered across the room and beside a large desk is a white board covered in hastily drawn diagrams.

A man stands, dressed in a formal charcoal suit, staring at the board with intense dark eyes.

When he turns around you’re like WOW. HE IS PRETTY. Because even when Hakyeon is flushed, and wide-eyed with worry… he still looks immaculate.

“I’m the new assistant?” You offer as an introduction and you can see the realization cross his pretty face.

Hakyeon genuinely cringes and begins to apologize profusely, hurriedly shuffling the papers on his desk for what you assume is your first assignment.

“Are you alright, sir?”

The question takes him off-guard and for a second you can see him try to rebuild his composure before ultimately crumbling.

“I’m so sorry.” He apologises, slumping down into his seat. “I have four projects to review, two papers due, and a meeting with the CEO in an hour. I’m just.. really busy.”

And you can see that he is busy, but he also looks way too exhausted for 9 a.m.

You find yourself offering to help, and at first Hakyeon tries to brush it off - it adamant about not accepting any help. But you’re persistent and.. well, he is actually pretty desperate at this point.

So, you spend the next hour sorting through your new boss’ impressive amount of paper work, despite the fact that you don’t really know much about it.

And when it comes time for the meeting with the CEO, Hakyeon is a lot more composed and a whole lot grateful.

He promises to tell you how everything goes and passes you your pre-printed schedule and then disappears.

The entire day goes by of you slowly doing your work, and you don’t see Hakyeon again.

It isn’t until 6 p.m when your shift ends that you look up to see him standing there, hands in the pockets of his trousers and looking remarkably suave.

And you literally gulp because damn. He is looking at you with those intense dark eyes and that curve to his smile and wow.

It takes you a moment to think of what you want to say.

You: “How did the meeting go?“ 

Hakyeon: "How about I tell you over dinner?” ;)

Taekwoon (Leo).

A genuine mystery among the company workers, because nobody is sure what his job is.

Has his own secluded office that he only exits to use the bathroom or to go home. Like, does he even take breaks??

Dresses in exclusively dark colours and looks every bit the mysterious dark prince everyone believes him to be.

Is actually very passionate about the advancement of technology, it is one of the few things that he’ll speak up about.

Other than that however, Leo is a complete enigma who hides away in his office unless coaxed out by Hakyeon.

And you? You’ve just landed your dream job at this particular company and you’re really excited and grateful to be here.

Which is why, when your computer breaks down on your first day, you sort of go into panic mode.

You don’t really know how to call about these sort of problems and honestly your desk in nowhere near anybody elses except for…

‘Jung Taekwoon’ is what the office door reads and you hesitate to knock. But the idea of being fired basically spurs you on.

It is completely silent after you knock, and you begin to think nobody is there until the door swings open and-

Feline eyes are peering at you from intense features.

You freeze up in shock at the sudden appearance of the handsome man. He stays completely silent, clearly waiting for you to state your reasons for knocking.

“I-I” You stutter and take a few steps back, “S-Sorry! My computer won’t start and it’s my first day and I didn’t know who to contact or where to go for repairs-”

The man literally just side steps you and walks towards your desk which you’d been flailing towards.

He looks fiercely angry - sort of like he wants to tear out somebodies throat with his teeth.

You decide silence is the best option at this point.

After taking one look at your computer he genuinely glares your co-worker into submission.

Apparently it was a company thing to prank the new members with a broken screen, as in this happened regularly.

You were a little hurt but were relieved to find out it happened to everyone.

This man, Leo you found from another co-worker, normally ignored it but had been swayed by your flustered and panicked response.

Imagine protective!Leo making sure you never had any problems in his department ever again.

Leo: “…Please come to me if you have any problems.”

You: “O-Of course! Thank you so much, sir!”

Leo: *embarrassed blush*

Jaehwan (Ken).

Literally the biggest tech nerd in the entire company.

Specialized in the engineering and robotics side of things, instead of a mad scientist he is a mad inventor.

Is located in the basement of the building where the labs are sound proof, he is constantly blasting music and singing along while he works.

Tends to wear rain boots and white lab coats, probably has pajamas on underneath.

Doesn’t see people very often so he can get… a little exuberant when somebody actually shows up.

And its your first day of placement as Prof. Jaehwan’s assistant, and so far everyone has warned you about this guy.

So you’re a little nervous to see what the big deal is about. Is he really that loud? That crazy? You’re about to find out.

But you get down there and instead you see this tall, cute guy with a killer smile and bright eyes.

“Hi! I’m Jaehwan but call me Ken! You’re the new assistant?” and you’re like “yeah, that’s me :)”

And yeah, he is actually super laid back but it feels weird.. like he is trying too hard? But overall you can’t figure out what everyone was talking about.

Everything is the lab progresses pretty smoothly and it is quiet but you see him open his mouth to say something, but then he keeps stopping, frowning, and then turning away.

He does this multiple times and you begin to wonder what he want’s to say and why he looks like he is about to jump out of his own skin.

And you’re writing down some notes when you hear this huge BANG.

Instantly you look up and see Ken, his face covered in soot as he stares down at his robot. And before you can see if he is okay he is grinning HUGE and then SCREAMING.

Needless to say. you are very surprised.

And maybe it shows on your face because when Ken turns to say something to you the excitement on his face dies and he cringes.

“Ah.. sorry.. I didn’t mean to startle you. They told me to try tone it down a bit.”

And IT ALL CLICKS. Ken was trying to reel in his big personality in an attempt not to frighten you off.

That really makes you sad and you grab one of the cleaning towels and step closer to help wash the soot off.

You don’t reply for a long time and Ken starts to think he has done something wrong until you finally speak up.

“Ken… I’d rather you be yourself around me, you don’t need to tone anything down. I like the real you.”

And WOOOOOW that sounds super cheesy and way too intimate for someone you just met but… Ken is smiling so bright you actually feel the need to squint.

“I like you too.” And you’re like what. but also heck yeah. because that wasn’t a confession.. but it sure sounded like one.

A blush starts to creep across your face and you put a bit of distance between you guys because wow you are pretty close, huh?

Sadly for you Ken doesn’t even notice and steps forward to follow you, keeping you close and he leans down close to your ear and whispers:

Ken: “Wanna blow something up?”

You: “Heck YEAH I do.”

*not a metaphor btw, he literally wants to blow things up.

Wonsik (Ravi).

Shares the same office room as you, and does not look like a tech nerd at all.

Arrives to work on a sleek, black motorcycle wearing a leather jacket over his pressed, white dress shirt.

Has multiple piercings in each ear, and when he rolls up his sleeves you get a peek of tattoo’d muscular forearms.

Is actually very good at his job, constantly helping other co-workers with their projects and receiving praise from your superiors.

And when you show up with your card board box of things, Ravi is already there and he genuinely lights up. Because he’d previously been alone in the office.

Immediately introduces himself and offers to help you unpack, though you’re a little preoccupied staring at those nICE ARMS BOY.

Luckily for you Ravi is also trying not to melt under the first impression of hOW CUTE YOU ARE. 

He hangs around while you unpack, helps you set up your computer and how the data collection works.

Talks in this deep, rumbling voice as he leans over you pressing his chest against your arm. AND THAT BOY IS RIPPED.

“And I believe that’s everything.. do you need help with anything else?”

You can barely squeak out a “no, thanks, i’m fine!” as you blush like a tomato. Ravi looks disappointed that you don’t need his help anymore.

“Ah.. just ask if you need help..”

You’re like, “yep, yep! no problem, buck-o!” and then you’re embarrassed about calling him 'buck-o’ but Ravi finds it endearing.

Spends the entire day glancing over at him longingly, what you don’t see is that he is 100% doing the same thing.

Hyuk walks by your guy’s office at some point and sighs, like a deep soul wrenching sigh.

“You guys are pathetic.” You and Ravi are like ???? :( how mean..

It gets to the end of the day and you’re gonna take the bus home and Ravi kinda scoots closer to you in the elevator.

He smells like after shave and leather.

“You want a ride home?”

And you wanna be like no, but i wanna ride you. BUT THAT IS INAPPROPRIATE.

So you’re like “y-yes please, sir- I mean uh wonsik.” blush blush.

He dies a little inside at your seemingly cute face (he doesn’t know what you’re thinking luckily) and when you get to the bike he offers you his helmet.

Drives slower than normal so you don’t get too scared, and you get to cling to his back which is ??? very muscular. wow.

When he drops you off he walks you to your door, and it feels like some kind of weird first date.

You and him start talking at the same time:

Ravi: “See you tomorrow.”

You: “You can come in if you want.”

Ravi: “Wait what?”

You: “sEE YOU TOMORROW BUCKO.” as you literally dash inside.

Ravi is like :( I blew it. but… there is always tomorrow ;)

Hongbin.

Works in the editing department and has his very own office with a view of the city.

Pulls a lot of all-nighters and is the most hard working individual in the company.

Dresses in soft colours, likes wearing sweaters because his office is quite a cold temperature.

Wears a pair of gold, circle glasses that continuously slide down his nose.

Has a scented candle on his desk that smells of linen and soap; his office always smells fresh and clean.

You meet Hongbin in the elevator on your first day of work, you give him a bright smile as you step inside and he smiles bashfully back.

Clearly, he is absolutely gorgeous - dressed in comfortable black trousers and a cream coloured sweater.

He pushes up his glasses and turns to greet you, asking you what department you’re from.

“I’m in the editing department!” You reply, and judging from the way his face lights up you decide to continue.

“Its nice having another newbie, I was really worried that it’d be just me." 

And your confession makes Hongbin’s heart melt a little, and… he is too polite to correct you. So he just goes along with it.

This stupid adorable bean.

So, he pretends to be your co-worker for the eNTIRE DAY. Like, he sits at an empty desk and does his normal work and everyone is like "why is the boss here?” but you don’t notice, thankfully.

And Hongbin takes his lunch break with you as well, lets you show him this cute cafe in the basement that he pretends not to know about.

The plan is actually going pretty well until somebody finally approaches him and is like “hey boss why aren’t you in your office?” and you actually notice and are like ???

“Hongbin is my boss??” And he just blushes super dark in embarrassment and fLEES THE SCENE.

But you’re confused cause?? Was this a weird game he was playing?? What on earth??

So you feel sorta hurt and the rest of the day is sluggish without Hongbin and when it comes to leaving time you’re looking forward to calling your friend to tell them how your first day went.

Hongbin steps into the elevator with you. And it is just you two.

“I’m sorry.” He begins and you turn to look at him and he genuinely melts like the goo he secretly is.

“I-I didn’t want to correct you! Please.. I.. enjoyed today, and I’d like if you’d still think of me as your co-worker.”

He leaves out that he’d like you to think of him as something more than that.

And c'mon its hard to stay mad at this gentle, soft man as he practically begs for your forgiveness. You cave pretty quick and the relief is huge.

You: “Should I still call you sir?”

Hongbin: BLUSHING “N-NO NEED FOR THAT." 

You: "Alright…….sir.” :^)

Sanghyuk (Hyuk).

Works in Hakyeon’s department and is constantly being mothered by the older man.

Constantly slacking off on the job, probably watching anime instead of doing his work.

The only reason he slacks off though is the fact that Hyuk is a genius at what he does.

Also, though he’d never admit it; working for Hakyeon is the only thing that makes him complete his work at all. (Don’t want to disappoint mum after all).

But unfortunately if he isn’t being challenged then he isn’t interested in what is going on.

Like this work you gave him? Sure, he could have it done in four minutes but it’ll take five days cause he’d rather sleep… or stare at the new person in the cubicle next to him.

That new person is you, and you’ve been there for about an hour and Hyuk is already fixated on you.

And so the first day of work is spent trying to ignore Hyuk’s not so subtle advances.

“My name is Hyuk, but you can call me anytime.”

“Do you have a name, or can I just call you mine?”

“I’m not a photographer, but I can picture you and me together.”

At first it is pretty flattering because yes, this boy is very cute and you sorta love the cheesiness of his pick up lines. But you have a lot of work to get done.

Hyuk is relentless however, and by the lunch break you are already getting behind on your paper work and he is currently leaning over you looking very smug.

“Do you have any raisins?” “No?” “How about a date?” “Oh my gosh.”

Sighing, you are trying very hard not to smile at this point, you try to level Hyuk with your most serious look.

“Alright.. how about this. You do all your paperwork and assignments.. and I’ll get dinner with you.”

And you’ve seen that pile he’d have to get through. There is no way in Hell. But he just levels a grin at you and leans in a little closer.

“I’ll see you after work.”

And then thats that. You don’t see him again for the rest of the day, and it is a little lonely without the constant flirting. But hey, you get stuff done.

When the end of your shift rolls round you see Hakyeon coming towards you and you’re like !!!! its the boss!!!

And you’re expecting trouble but instead you get a bone crushing hug and Hakyeon looking at you with tears in his eyes.

“You’re an angel. Thank you. He actually did work. Amazing.” You have no idea what he is talking about at first but then Hyuk trudges around the corner.

He looks a little dejected and he has his bag slung over his shoulder in a casual manner.

Hyuk: “I didn’t complete it all.” :(

You: “Hmm… guess we can’t get dinner then.”

Hyuk: :(

You: “How about we get a drink instead?”

Hyuk: …. ;)

[hencoplumbingservices]

Public meetings for week of Feb. 10

Find out how to get the best plumber in Vancouver Washington

Monday

Clark County Civil Service Commission, conference call 360-397-2029. – 9:30 a.m., special session: background investigations, review and certify eligibility lists.

Clark County Council, Public Service Center, conference room 698, 1300 Franklin St., Vancouver. – 11:30 a.m., legislative conference call.

Camas School District Board of Directors, District Office, 841 N.E. 22nd Ave., Camas. – 4 p.m., workshop: strategic planning and legislative update. – 5:30 p.m., regular meeting: Sophos Anti-virus software addendum, technology department request for disposal of surplus equipment, ratification of the lease amendment agreement with Silke Communications. – executive session about property to follow.

Washougal City Council, City Hall, 1701 C St., Washougal. – 5 p.m., workshop: Human Resources personnel policy update, 2018 year end finance review, amendment to the interlocal agreement with city of Camas for fire and EMS services. – 7 p.m., regular meeting: updates to council rules regarding committees. n executive session on property acquisition to follow.

Woodland Public Schools Board of Directors, Woodland High School, room 2203, 1500 Dike Access Road, Woodland. – 5:30 p.m., workshop: progress toward performance targets, board self-assessment review of Washington State School Directors’ Association survey. – executive session to follow.

Vancouver City Council, City Hall, council chambers, 701 W. Sixth St., Vancouver. – 5:30 p.m., workshop: update on downtown parking strategy. – 6:30 p.m., regular meeting: agenda includes consent items and citizen forum.

Battle Ground Public Schools Board of Directors, Lewisville Campus, 406 N.E. Fifth Ave., Battle Ground. – 6 p.m., regular meeting: adoption of the high school English language arts contract, adoption of new courses.

Hockinson School District Board of Directors, Hockinson High School library, 16819 N.E. 159th St., Brush Prairie. – 6 p.m., special meeting: 2018-2019 snow make-up day Feb. 15. – workshop to follow on superintendent search process and improvement plans midyear data.

Battle Ground City Council, City Hall, 109 S.W. First St., Battle Ground. – 6 p.m., study session: council ad hoc committees. – 7 p.m., public hearings: 2019-2024 Transportation Improvement Program amendment, parks and community engagement board, and small cell wireless facilities. n regular meeting to follow about wireless communication facilities, franchise agreements, budget amendments and 2018 fourth quarter financial review.

Tuesday

Port of Vancouver Board of Commissioners, 3103 Lower River Road, Vancouver. – 8:30 a.m. regular meeting: award presentation and a workshop on cyber security.

Clark Public Utilities Board of Commissioners, 1200 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver. – 9 a.m., special meeting: executive session.

Board of Skamania County Commissioners, Skamania County Courthouse, 240 N.W. Vancouver Ave., Stevenson. – 9:30 a.m. regular meeting: workshop with financial management office, elected officials and department heads to discuss county finances. – 1:30 p.m. workshop: Courthouse Plaza Project. – 5:30 p.m. public hearing: consider resolution for supplemental budget.

Clark County Council, Public Service Center, sixth floor hearing room, 1300 Franklin St., Vancouver. – 10 a.m., council meeting: interim ordinance on development applications, travel expense and business reimbursement policies, resolution in support for Washington State Patrol Crime Laboratory state funding request, ordinance amending the comprehensive plan, interlocal agreement, park impact fees for trails.

Clark Regional Wastewater District Board of Commissioners, 8000 N.E. 52nd Court, Vancouver. – 4 p.m., regular meeting: North Junction Pump Station and Trunk Sewer Project Professional Engineering Services contract amendment with Murraysmith for consultant engineering and construction services, Ridgecrest PUD Offsite district laterals reimbursement, authorization to schedule Northeast 72nd Avenue PUD latecomer reimbursement hearing. – 5 p.m., hearings: Union Park Apartments latecomer reimbursement.

Washougal School District Board of Directors, Washougal High School Excelsior building, 1401 39th St., Washougal. – 5 p.m., work session: Washougal High School improvement plan. – 6:30 p.m., regular meeting: approval of property easement, declaration of surplus, approval of 2019-2020 district calendar, high school graduation requirements.

Vancouver Public Schools Board of Directors, Robert C. Bates Center for Educational Leadership, 2921 Falk Road, Vancouver. – 5:15 p.m., regular meeting: approval of the contract between the Vancouver Association of Educational Support Professionals and the district, and an update on potential budget cuts.

Evergreen Public Schools Board of Directors, Administrative Service Center, Evergreen Room, 13501 N.E. 28th St., Vancouver. – 5:30 p.m., regular meeting: approval of the Clark County Public Transportation Benefits Area Hop Fastpass contract. – executive session to discuss candidates for open board of directors seat to follow.

Wednesday

Clark County Council, Public Service Center, sixth floor meeting room, 1300 Franklin St., Vancouver. -n 12:30 p.m., council time.

Thursday

Ridgefield City Council, Ridgefield Administrative Civic Center, 510 Pioneer St., Ridgefield. – 6:30 p.m., regular meeting: residential fire sprinklers amendment, school impact fees amendment.

[Read More …]

Find out how to get the best Vancouver Washington plumber

[markettakers]

Market Outlook | May 15, 2017

“Life is the art of being well deceived; and in order that the deception may succeed it must be habitual and uninterrupted.” (William Hazlitt 1778-1830)

The Long Game

Amazingly, the market status-quo does not change much, as tame volatility and stable stock market prices continue to persist. Calls for bubbles, from high-profile and average investors since 2008, have proven to be loud screams without substance (at least in precision timing). Even after the Tech Boom, markets quickly recovered and rediscovered the next bubble, which was infested in the mortgage related areas. Since 2008, fears have accumulated at a rapid pace, from Brexit fears to the commodity correction to Eurozone instability to perceived risk of low interest rates. Yet, the stock markets keep going higher.  Taking a slight step back, it is not a shock for markets to go higher over an extended period. From mid-1990 to 2001, from 2003 to 2008 and from spring 2009 until today, the slow and steady upside move resumes in a familiar directional pattern. No wonder, from the incentives of large institutions to the taxation on profits to the ongoing collective, faith in the Federal Reserve and the concept of buy and hold is deeply ingrained in the mindset of American risk-takers.

Perception Wars

The slow and steady upside move is worth understanding beyond the week-to-week point of view. First, the influential financial players need to be identified and simply dissected. Most of the investor sentiment and dominant themes are driven by a few large financial institutions (the usual suspects, aka Wall Street Banks), which impact the mindset created by research and expressed in trading across the board.

For good or bad, the key originator of investor sentiment still is the Central Bank, which now has mastered the art of public relation, television and newspaper.  Not only is the Fed the well-crafted wordsmith, but also the Fed has transformed into a media genius that can manipulate realities and reshape collective perception of reality. Holding press conference often, dominating financial headlines and having market participants follow the desired script (by staying bullish and not causing major volatility) demonstrate the expansion of Fed’s influence on financial markets. No mater weak real economic data, brewing tensions of hostile global regimes, loss of jobs due to machines and lack of wealth creation, the stock market interrupted through the Federal Reserve in the US operates as an engine on its own. It is quite remarkable. Perhaps, the media-savvy US president can learn few things from the made-for-TV drama artist: the Fed.

Secondly, the Central banks can choose to emphasize one indicator over another and trick observers into thinking real economy weakness is immaterial for day-to-day activities. Yet, there is something truly stunning, Trump and Brexit did not break, shackle, or call out the trick-infested Federal Reserve and their like-minded colleagues.  Finally, the players that range from large financial institutions to political establishment, play a vital role, more on this below. The highly coordinated messaging between the Central Banks, big media, large financial companies and, ultimately, politicians that benefit from a “slow & steady” stock market rise is the machine that keeps on turning. This steady stock market appreciation seems to occur regardless of any visible economic weakness.  This is the trickery that’s misleading.  From the European Central Bank (ECB) to Bank of Japan (BOJ, the low interest rate polices of advanced countries, helps feed into the global message. As for small businesses or others, who don’t see the benefit of this coordination the uproar has been reflected in elections and political groups.

While, the outrage about savers being severely penalized due to low interest rates gets a lot of attention, the equity market has become a “quasi- income generator” and a dangerously  predictable tool to mildly grow one’s wealth. In other words, the appreciation in stock prices has create a notion that the run is steady and given the low volatility, turbulence has died out.

Inevitable Vulnerability

The retail and financial sectors seem to have shown weakness last week, which hints toward them being vulnerable areas in the public market. Retail is seeing an all-out blitz from Amazon and Walmart, where both companies offer quick delivery, robust logistical infrastructure and, of course, competitive prices.   “Already about 89,000 employees in general merchandise stores have been laid off since October, more than the entire number of people working in the coal industry….[Meanwhile] “The internet retail giant's stock [Amazon]  is up 32 percent over the year and it's devouring bricks and mortars while expanding its real-world experiments into bodegas, drone delivery, and airship warehouses.” (CNBC, May 12, 2017).

Financials continue to see migration to electronics and machine-learning. The regulatory climate enhances costs and limits the profitability for very few. Not to mention, low interest rates and low economic growth hurt the fundamentals of consumers.

In terms of the health of the economy versus the roaring stock market indexes, these questions remain:

If the US economy was so strong, then why is the US 10 Year Yield below 3%?

Retail and financial services seem vulnerable, isn’t that damaging for the real economy?

Given high healthcare and education costs, is there any noteworthy wealth that’s been created in the last 5 years?

The gridlock in Washington DC ultimately is the bottleneck to solving tangible issues. The record or near record high stock market movement is a clever attempt to mask some pain or unsolved issues by mainly establishment forces from the traditional left and right.  Therefore, financial analysts cannot ignore this factor when being too bullish or bearish. The ferocious civil-war like political rift is not comforting. Sadly, a major correction might be needed again to restore some sense and priority to real economy matters rather than the cheer-leading of share prices that go higher due to very low interest rates.

Article Quotes:

“Many of Europe’s largest investors are now turning their attention to another risk to their portfolios that is rapidly gaining momentum: the rise of Italy’s Five Star Movement, and its potential to upend the economic bloc. The concern is that Five Star, the anti-establishment party set up in 2009 by Beppe Grillo, the Italian comedian and blogger, could win the country’s next election, which is due to take place within 12 months. Mujtaba Rahman, managing director at Eurasia Group, a consultancy that advises large investors on political risks, says: “The biggest risk in Europe is Italy. The euro area is not working and as long as it fails to deliver growth, populism will continue to grow.” (Financial Times, May 15, 2016)

“China has emerged as a leading fintech player, with banks joined by huge internet players such as Alibaba and Tencent, pumping billions of dollars into areas such as mobile payments and online lending. The central bank says that this fintech revolution has "injected new vitality" into financial services but also throws up "challenges". In response, it is organising an idepth study on how financial and technological developments impact monetary policy, financial markets, financial stability and payments and settlement. In a separate move, the central bank is backing a venture capital firm called Silk Ventures that plans to invest up to $500 million in US and European tech startups, with a focus on fintech, AI and medical technologies.” (Finextra, May 15, 2017).

Key Levels: (Prices as of Close: May 12, 2017)

S&P 500 Index [2,390.90] – Another record high, yet again. The breakout above 2,100 marked a key trend of a bullish run.

Crude (Spot) [$47.84] – Recent months have showcased Crude’s inability to stay above $55. The supply-demand dynamics seem unclear for now.

Gold [$1231.25] –   Surpassing $1,250 in the near-term remains a challenge. Interestingly, the 50-day moving average is at $1,258.

DXY – US Dollar Index [99.25] – Peaked at 103.82 in early January and since then the Dollar strength has slowed down.

US 10 Year Treasury Yields [2.32%] – Yields remains low, but that’s all too familiar these days. March 17, 2017 highs of 2.62% may be the peak for the year but 3% again seems very illusive.

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