Google to build robot surgeons with Johnson & Johnson

From Telegraph:



Google is to team up with healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson to build robotic surgeons in the Silicon Valley giant's latest foray into healthcare.

The tech giant will work with J&J medical device division Ethicon to develop new robotic technologies for surgeons performing keyhole operations. It is not the first time it has ventured into healthcare - it is already working with Swiss drugmaker Novartis to develop a "smart contact lens" that can monitor diabetes patients' sugar level through their tears.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/google/11499556/Google-to-build-robot-surgeons-with-Johnson-and-Johnson.html

Arduino Day: Massimo Announces Intelligent Module System

This could be a significant development for Arduino.

From Makezine:

Today at an Arduino Day celebration at MIT Massimo Banzi announced an upcoming initiative that will extend the Arduino platform to interconnected intelligent modules.

The project is code named “Eslov.” Banzi said it will be ready to demonstrate by this year’s Maker Faire Bay Area, which will take place May 16 and 17 in San Mateo, California.

“A creative person will be able to plug together these modules and have a device in no time,” Banzi said. “It could take just seconds.”

 

Essentially Arduino is trying to do for modular kits what it did for microprocessors. According to Banzi, the modules will have embedded intelligence that will allow them to interact in new ways.

At the MIT event Banzi briefly showed images of the modular system.

 

In a few months, Banzi predicted, there may be hundreds of Arduino modules that could be assembled into products.

“Arduino is no longer a tool for making prototypes,” he said. “It’s a tool for making products.”

 

http://makezine.com/2015/03/28/arduino-day-massimo-announces-intelligent-module-system/

Wages Around The World

From Zero Hedge:



But minimum wages around the world vary dramatically...



MIT professor Erik Brynjolfsson, author of Race Against the Machines and The Second Machine Age, argues that technology is fundamentally changing labor markets and increasingly displacing higher-skill, higher-wage workers. He is hopeful, however, that a new approach to education as well as entrepreneurship can result in new industries that “not only create value for consumers, but also leverage a lot of people and put them to work in new ways.”

"Median incomes are stagnating and have even fallen since the 1990s. And there is no doubt in my mind that technology is a big part of that." - Erik Brynolfson

Of course, for much of Europe, none of that matters as the worker is much more protcted than the average American...


Source: Goldman Sachs

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-03-29/wages-around-world

Korea's money printing continues: worse than the 1997 financial crisis (환란 때보다 돈 더 찍어)

We are afraid Korea is facing the looming crisis worse than the 1997 financial crisis.

한국일보로부터:
회사채 시장 정상화, 기술금융을 통한 중소기업 지원, 안심전환대출 출시 등 정부 정책마다 한국은행이 돈을 찍어 대출 및 출자에 나서면서 한은 고유권한인 발권력의 남용 여부를 둘러싼 논란이 뜨겁다. 성장잠재력을 높이고 경기 회복을 지원하는 것은 중앙은행의 책무라는 긍정론 한편으로, 재정활동 영역에 세금 대신 새로 찍은 돈을 투입하는 편법이라며 부작용을 우려하는 목소리도 만만치 않다.

환란 때를 능가하는 한은 발권력 동원

31일 공개된 한국은행의 2014년도 연차보고서에 따르면 지난해 말 한은 대출금 잔액은 전년말(9조1,837억원)보다 5조원 가까이 늘어난 14조1,624억원을 기록했다. 외환위기에 따른 부실기업 정리로 대규모 정책금융이 동원됐던 1998년(14조3,035억원) 이래 최대 수준. 별도로 집계되는 한은의 지난해 말 대정부 대출금 잔액 또한 전년보다 1조원 늘어난 4조1,172억원으로 역대 최대 규모를 보였다.
한은은 발권력을 동원한 대출 확대가 한은 고유임무에 부합한다는 입장이다. 이주열 총재는 30일 "발권력 남용은 피해야 하지만, 성장 모멘텀 확충이나 금융안정 도모 등 중앙은행 임무에 부합하는 자금지원을 하는 것이 합당하다"는 입장을 밝혔다. 또다른 한은 관계자는 "한은 업무가 모두 발권과 관련된 것인데, 여기에 '발권력 동원'이라는 표현을 붙여 부정적으로 보는 것은 부적절하다"고도 했다.http://media.daum.net/economic/others/newsview?newsid=20150401044608392

“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
John 8:32

Japanese start-up unveils a myoelectric 3D printed prosthetic hand

From 3ders:

From 3ders:

This team of graduates from Sony’s manufacturing industry – consisting of Gentu Kondo, Hiroshi Yamaura, Tetsuya Konishi and by Akira Morikawa – are now finally nearing production. Over the past two years they have developed a high quality bionic prosthetic that could cost as little as $300 and have won the first prize in Gugen hardware contest in Tokyo with their concept, as well as the second price in the 2013 James Dyson Award.

 

While most bionic prosthetics run on very expensive sensors, the Handiii Myoelectric hand cuts costs by incorporating app-based smartphone technology that collects signals from the muscles of the amputated arm. This data is then wirelessly sent to the myoelectric arm. However, much more money is saved by the clever design of the arm itself, which is constructed from 3D printed parts – for easy repair and customization – and features just a single motor per finger.

http://www.3ders.org//articles/20150322-japanese-start-up-unveils-handiii-a-myoelectric-3d-printed-hand-prosthetic.html

US Hegemony, Dollar Dominance Are Officially Dead As China Scores Overwhelming Victory In Bank Battle

Korea is reportedly going to join AIIB as a founding member.

From Zero Hedge:

The China-led development bank essentially marks an epochal shift away from traditionally US-dominated multinational institutions like the IMF and the ADB. Meanwhile, it also represents an implicit attempt by the Chinese to usher in a kind of sino-Monroe Doctrine. The more isolated the US becomes as it relates to the new venture, the more transparent its motives seem. This was never about “standards” (the original excuse for Washington’s opposition to the bank), but rather about stifling Chinese ambition. "America seems to be confirming China’s darkest fears: it has adopted a policy of containment that is wrong in principle and has failed in practice," notes The Economist.

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-03-25/us-hegemony-dollar-dominance-are-officially-dead-china-scores-overwhelming-victory-b

BOK: Soaring household debt (가계빚 고공행진)

According the data by BOK on Wednesday, Korea's household debt is soaring. 

As discussed, a rising household debt points to the looming crisis of Korea.

The pattern is clear.  Among other indicators, mounting household debts is a warning sign of the next Korea crisis.  Korea's 199701998 meltdown was foreseeable.  And yet, they ignored it.  At that time, corporate debt was a culprit.  Household debt would be a major culprit this time around.

The financialization of the economy has been going on since the Kim Dae-jung regime.

Korea must look out for the red flag of rapidly rising debt levels.  The interventions of the current Park administration such as QE and rate cuts are not on the right track.

세계일보로부터:

더구나 가계 빚이 가계 가처분소득보다 빠른 속도로 늘면서 가처분소득 대비 가계부채 비율은 사상 최고치를 기록했다.

25일 한국은행이 발표한 ‘2014년 국민계정(잠정)’에 따르면, 지난해 1인당 GNI는 2만8180달러(2968만원)로 전년(2만6179달러)보다 7.6% 늘었다. 이 같은 증가 폭은 원·달러 환율이 연평균 3.8% 떨어진 영향(원화가치 상승)이 크다. 물가 등을 감안한 국민소득의 실질 구매력을 나타내는 실질 GNI 증가율은 전년 대비 3.8% 증가하는 데 그쳤다. 그나마 지난해 교역조건이 나아져 실질 무역손실규모가 감소한 덕분에 국내총생산(GDP) 성장률(3.3%)을 넘어설 수 있었다.

클릭하 면 큰 그림을 볼 수 있습니다.

반면 가계부채는 가파르게 증가하면서 가처분소득 대비 가계부채 비율은 지난해 최고치를 기록했다.
작년 말 현재 가계부채(금융사 대출과 카드사 판매신용까지 포괄한 가계신용 기준)는 1089조원으로 개인 가처분소득(순처분가능소득·NDI 기준)의 138.0%에 달했다. 2005년 105.5% 이후 2006년 112.6%, 2008년 120.7%, 2011년 131.3% 등 10년째 상승세다. 특히 지난해 정부가 부동산 금융규제(LTV·DTI 비율)를 완화하고 한은이 기준금리를 두 차례 내리면서 지난해 상승 폭이 더 커졌다. 국가 비교를 할 수 있는 자금순환통계 기준으로 개인 부문(가계 및 비영리단체)의 금융 부채와 가처분소득을 비교한 비율 역시 164.2%로 사상 최고 수준으로 뛰어올랐다. 이미 지난해에도 가처분 소득 대비 가계부채 비율(자금순환 기준)은 한국이 미국(115.1%), 일본(133.5%)을 비롯해 OECD 회원국 평균(135.7%)보다 높은 수준이었다.

http://news.naver.com/main/read.nhn?mode=LSD&mid=shm&sid1=101&oid=022&aid=0002803340

This Is What The Global Economy Got For $11,000,000,000,000 In QE

The point of the following post applies to Korea as well.  QE and lowering interest rate have replaced the dwindling income, kicking the can down the road.  The authorities of Korea are aware of this.  The lack of accountability and moral obligation can bring another crisis down the line.  As this post points out, the cases of the U.S. and Japan show that QE has failed in boosting the real economy.

From Zero Hedge:

Eleven trillion dollars: that’s how much of so-called Quantitative Easing the world’s central banks have done since the 2008 crisis. To put that in perspective, with eleven trillion dollars you could pay off pretty much all U.S. household debt – all mortgages, all car and student loans, credit cards – you name it.

So what did the global economy get for $11,000,000,000,000 in QE?

Following a post-recession pop, we got collapsing world trade growth, and that’s even with prices falling over the past three to four years.

Why is this happening?

It’s not because this time around things are different. To the contrary, the song remains the same.

For a long time, nearly four decades, growth has been getting progressively weaker during each recovery from recession. Of course, the U.S. is a major contributor to world trade and QE, but its trend of weaker growth is present in all major developed economies.

Japan, with its “lost decades,” is at the leading edge of this long-term trend. But make no mistake, Europe, and as we see, even the U.S., are not far behind. Knowing this, will a trillion or so of more QE from the ECB make the trends in these charts turn and go the other way?

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-03-24/what-global-economy-got-11000000000000-qe

김인수: 축복을 함께 나누어야

예전에 올렸던 글인데 아직도 찾아와 읽어주는 분들이 계셔서 다시 올립니다.

이 글은 고 김인수교수님께서 젊은이들에게 "새 시대의 젊은이는 어떻게 살아야 할 것인가"란 제목으로 말씀하신 내용의 일부입니다.

잠언 10장4절에는 “손을 게으르게 놀리는 자는 가난하게 되고 손이 부지런한 자는 부하게 되느니라”고 말씀하고 있습니다. 그러나 우리가 열심히 얻은 것이라고 우리 마음대로 자기만을 위하여 사용하는 것은 그리스도인이 지켜야할 사랑의 생활이 아닙니다. 우리 주위에는 구조적 모순 때문에 가난에서 벗어나지 못하고 고생하는 사람들도 있고, 심신의 장애로 말미암아 노력을 제대로 할 수도 없는 사람들이 많습니다. 하나님의 사랑을 받은 그리스도인은 받은 바 축복을 이 사람들과 함께 나누는 삶을 살아야 합니다. 성경은 우리에게 고아와 과부를 불쌍히 여기라고 계속 강조하고 있고, 부익부 빈익빈에서 발생하는 영구적 빈곤을 퇴치하기 위해 희년 제도를 두어 모든 빗을 무조건 탕감해주고, 노예로부터 해방될 수 있는 길을 만들어 주었습니다. 또한 마태복음 25장에는 “여기 네 형제 중에 지극히 작은 자 하나에게 한 것이 내게 한 것이라”고 말씀하고 있습니다. 그리스도 예수가 평생 남을 위하여 살았듯이 우리도 그리스도 예수를 닮아 남을 위하여 살아야 하며 그렇게 할 때 가장 행복한 삶을 살게 됩니다.

찰스 웨슬리는 그리스도인이 지켜야할 경제생활 원칙을 다음과 같이 세 가지로 정리하고 있습니다. 첫째, 열심히 일하라, 둘째, 열심히 일하여 생긴 재물을 열심히 아껴 써라. 셋째, 열심히 아껴서 남는 것은 열심히 남과 나누어라. 참으로 좋은 원칙이라고 생각합니다. 저는 이 글에서 정직하게 최선을 다하여 사는 것을 강조하였습니다. 그러나 그렇게 살아서 우리에게 주어지는 축복을 우리가 독점한다면 그것은 하나님의 뜻이 아닙니다. 우리에게 주어지는 모든 것은 우리의 것이 아니라 하나님의 것이며, 단지 우리가 잠시 관리하는 청지기에 불과합니다. 그것을 소외된 이웃과 나누는 것은 하나님의 뜻입니다.

하나님은 이렇게 나누는 사람을 축복하십니다. 잠언11장24절에 보면 “흩어 구제하여도 더욱 부하게 되는 일이 있나니, 과도히 아껴도 가난하게 될 뿐이니라” 라는 말씀이 있습니다. 흩어 구제하면 하나님이 기쁘게 여기시고, 스스로의 마음이 풍족해지며, 주위사람들도 존경하게 되고, 그런 가정에서 자라는 자녀들이 사랑을 배우며 자라게 되어 좋은 신앙인격을 갖게 됩니다. 이런 것들이 바로 축복이 될 뿐 아니라 다른 사람들이 도와주고 싶어하는 사람이 되기 때문에 열심히 하는 일이 더 잘 되게 마련입니다. 또한 혹 어려움을 당하는 경우 많은 사람들이 기꺼이 도와주기 때문에 잘 될 수밖에 없습니다. 그러나 자기만을 위하여 제물을 쌓아두는 사람은 하나님이 기뻐하지 않으시며, 마음이 인색하여 평안을 잃게 되며, 자녀들도 이기적인 사람으로 성장하게 되고, 다른 사람들이 좋아하지 않는 사람이 되고 맙니다. 이런 사람이 어려움을 당하면 아무도 도와주려 하지 않을 것입니다.

우리가 받은 축복은 경제적인 것만은 아닙니다. 더 중요한 것은 영적 새 생명의 축복입니다. 우리가 하나님의 복음을 깨닫고 예수를 영접하여 새 사람이 된 이 기쁨을 다른 사람과 나누어야 합니다. 마가복음 1장을 보면 예수께서 가버나움에서 종일 병든 자와 귀신 들린자들을 치료하시다가 나중에는 그 일을 다 그만두고 전도를 하려 갈릴리로 몰래 도망가시는 것을 볼 수 있습니다. 38절에 보면 “이르시되 우리가 다른 가까운 마을들로 가자 거기서도 전도하리니 내가 이를 위하여 왔노라 하시고” 라고 말씀하고 있습니다. 겉 사람을 고치는 사랑의 생활을 하시던 예수께서 속 사람을 고치는 것이 더 중요하다고 말씀하시면서 많은 병자들을 뒤에 두고 갈릴리로 가십니다. 39절 말씀을 보면 “이에 온 갈릴리에 다니시며 저희 여러 회당에서 전도하시고 또 귀신들을 내어쫓으시더라”고 쓰여 있습니다. 속 사람을 고쳐주려고 가시다가 귀신들린 자들을 만나자 또 겉 사람을 고쳐주시는 것을 볼 수 있습니다. 예수께서는 사랑의 삶과 전도의 삶을 동시에 하시며 살아가셨습니다.

우리의 삶도 모두가 전도입니다. 정직하게 최선을 다 하여 사는 성실한 삶도 믿는 사람이 가진 온전한 모습을 다른 사람들에게 보이는 것이어서 하나님께 영광을 돌리게 됩니다. 또한 우리의 재물과 재능과 시간을 들여 불우한 이웃을 돕는 사랑의 생활도 바로 사랑이신 하나님을 보이는 삶입니다. 그러나 구체적으로 말씀을 준비하여 복음의 멧세지를 전하는 것도 반드시 있어야 합니다. 베드로전서3장15절에 보면 “너의 마음에 그리스도를 주로 삼아 거룩하게 하고, 너희 속에 있는 소망에 관한 이유를 묻는 자에게는 대답할 것을 항상 예비하되 온유와 두려움으로 하고” 라고 적혀있습니다. 우리의 삶을 거룩하게 하면 사람들이 그 비결을 물을 것입니다. 그 때 대답할 준비를 잘 해 두어야 합니다. 그 뿐 아니라 “때를 얻든지 못 얻든지 복음을 전하라”는 명령이 있습니다. 복음이 우리에게 큰 축복이 되듯이 그것이 우리의 이웃에게도 큰 축복이 되도록 나누어야 하겠습니다.

그 동안 많은 그리스도인들의 삶이 로마서 2장24절에서 보는 “하나님의 이름이 너희로 인하여 이방인 중에서 모독을 받게 되었도다” 라는 말씀에 해당하는 삶을 살았습니다. 그러나 앞으로는 로마서12정2절의 말씀 같이 “너희는 이 세대를 본 받지 말고 오직 마음을 새롭게 함으로 변화를 받아 하나님의 선하시고 기뻐하시고 온전하신 뜻이 무엇인지 분별하여” 마태복음5장16절 말씀 같이 “이 같이 너희 빛을 사람 앞에 비추게 하여 저희로 너희 착한 행실을 보고 하늘에 계신 너희 아버지께 영광을 돌리게 하는” 우리가 되어야 하겠습니다.

Tech's Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: Amazon, Facebook, Google, and Apple

From Naked Capitalism:

This is a great talk (hat tip Wolf Richter) on the outlook for the four dominant tech companies by Scott Galloway of L2, ” a think tank for digital innovation,” and Firebrand Partners, an activist fund. He’s also a professor of marketing at NYU, specializing in brand strategy and luxury marketing. There’s only one small bit of his presentation with which I take issue. He remarks in passing that the economy, based on the proliferation of Uber-based services, will be great for employment and terrible for wages. Those two can’t readily co-exist.

http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2015/03/techs-four-horsemen-of-the-apocalypse-amazon-facebook-google-apple.html

Hedge Funds Exploit Patent Laws To Push Down Biotechs

From Zero Hedge:

Thanks to changes in patent laws implemented in 2012, hedge funds can now challenge patents for the bargain price of just $23,000 in a process that is now far more efficient than it once was. Some funds may be employing the strategy to drive down the prices of biotech stocks they're short.

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-03-21/hedge-funds-exploit-patent-laws-push-down-biotechs

['블랙홀' 가계부채]가계빚 증가 속도, 경제성장의 2배.. 소비·저축 다 빨아들인다

The next crisis of Korea is forseeable.

경향신문으로부터:

▲ 온갖 경기부양책 꺼내도 가계는 돈 쓸 여력 없어
성장 한 축인 소비 꽁꽁… 액수보다 증가속도 더 문제
정부는 '빚 관리'에 손 놓아

가계빚이 소비도 저축도 빨아들이는 '블랙홀'이 된 지 오래다. 가계 저축은 바닥이고 부채는 임계점에 이르렀다. 정부는 경기부양을 위해 재정 확장, 민간 투자 유도, 소득주도 성장 등 모든 카드를 꺼내 들었다. 하지만 가계가 돈 쓸 여력이 없다 보니 성장의 한 축인 소비는 갈수록 위축되는 모양새다. 그런데도 정부는 가계빚 줄이기에는 손을 놓고 있다. 내년 총선을 앞두고 소비 대신 '부채에 의한 성장'이라도 하겠다는 심산이 엿보인다.

한국은행이 발표한 '2014년 말 가계신용 통계'에 따르면 지난해 12월 기준 가계부채는 1089조원으로 전년 대비 67조원이 늘었다. 문제는 액수보다 속도다. 정부는 2011년 6월 '가계부채 연착륙 종합대책'에서 가계대출 증가 속도를 경상성장률 수준으로 관리하겠다고 했다. 하지만 지난해 경상성장률은 3.6%인 데 비해 가계부채는 6.9%가 늘었다. 경제가 커지는 속도보다 빚이 2배 가까이 빠르게 증가한 것이다. 올 들어 지난달 말 예금은행의 가계대출 잔액은 한 달 전보다 3조7000억원 늘어 증가 규모가 예년의 3배로 커졌다. 부채 증가에 가속도가 붙고 있는 것이다. 가처분소득 대비 가계부채 비율은 160.7%로 경제협력개발기구(OECD) 평균(135.7%)보다 높다. 쓸 수 있는 돈보다 빚이 1.6배 더 많다는 얘기다.

글로벌 컨설팅 회사 맥킨지의 맥킨지글로벌연구소는 지난달 보고서에서 한국 등 7개국을 가계부채 취약국으로 분류했다. 박근혜 대통령의 후보 시절 싱크탱크 역할을 했던 국가미래연구원도 최근 보고서를 통해 가계부채가 임계치에 육박했다고 경고했다. 빚을 갚느라 소비가 줄면 내수 부진으로 성장이 둔화되고, 소득이 늘지 않아 빚 갚을 능력이 약화되는 악순환이 반복된다. 여기에 외부 충격이 가해질 경우 저소득층은 바로 무너질 수 있다.

최근 미 연방준비제도(연준)가 금리 인상을 다소 늦출 수 있음을 시사하긴 했지만 올해부터 금리 인상이 시작될 거라는 건 이미 예고돼 있다. 박종규 금융연구원 선임연구위원은 "연준 위원 전망에 따르면 2017년까지 적어도 금리가 4% 정도로 올라갈 텐데 가계가 지금의 2.5배가 늘어나는 이자부담을 감당할 수 있겠느냐"고 말했다.

임종룡 금융위원장은 취임 직후 기획재정부, 국토교통부 등 관계부처와 '가계부채 협의체'를 꾸렸지만 주택담보인정비율(LTV)·총부채상환비율(DTI) 등 핵심 규제수단에 대해서는 손대지 않겠다고 지난 17일 밝혔다. 경기부양에 '올인'한 정부 정책기조를 거스르지 않겠다는 뜻이다.

금융당국은 24일부터 안심전환대출을 출시하는 등 일단 가계부채의 구조 개선과 미시적 관리에만 집중하겠다는 방침이다. 그러나 정작 가계부채에 취약한 저소득층은 안심전환대출도 이용하기 쉽지 않다. 이자 내기도 빠듯한 저소득층이 원리금을 함께 갚을 여력이 없기 때문이다. 신동일 국민은행 대치PB센터 부센터장은 "급여로 월 500만원을 받는다 해도 학비, 생활자금을 고려하면 100만원이 넘는 원리금을 내기가 쉽지 않을 것"이라며 "안심전환대출의 주요 수혜 대상은 가구소득 최소 연 7000만~1억원 사이인 중산층이 될 것"이라고 내다봤다.
http://media.daum.net/issue/1009/newsview?issueId=1009&newsid=20150323060011193

The Korean version of QE (Quantitative Easing): 벼랑 끝 한국경제 위기감.. 5조 발표 하루 만에 10조 더

The cases of the U.S. and Japan have demonstrated that their QEs haven't worked, inducing detrimental effects on their economies.  Those who have read this blog know it well.  Korea is in serious trouble.

서울신문으로부터:

최경환 경제부총리 겸 기획재정부 장관이 지난해 7월 취임 이후 내놓은 각종 경제 활성화 대책들의 성과가 나타나지 않고 있다. 올 들어 생산, 소비, 투자, 일자리 등 주요 경제지표는 오히려 더 나빠졌다. 정부가 '제2의 중동 붐' 조성을 위해 중동 건설, 플랜트 프로젝트에 투자하는 기업에 5조원의 정책금융을 지원하겠다는 대책을 내놓은 지 하루 만인 20일 10조원의 추가 경기 부양 대책을 내놓은 이유다. 그만큼 경제 상황이 절박하다는 얘기다.

지난 9일 최 부총리가 경기 부양을 위해 꺼내든 '한국판 뉴딜 정책'도 강화한다. 기업의 민자사업 참여를 유도하기 위해 정부가 사회간접자본(SOC) 사업에서 나오는 이익뿐만 아니라 손실의 절반을 부담해 주는 '손익공유형'(BOA) 방식을 도입하기로 했다.

최경환 경제팀은 그동안 경제 활성화를 위해 '46조원+α' 정책 패키지, 두 차례의 투자 활성화 대책, 가계소득증대세제 3대 패키지, 4대 부문 구조개혁 등의 대책을 쏟아냈다. 하지만 부동산시장을 살린 것 외에는 특별한 효과가 나타나지 않았다.

●"디플레 우려 속 日 잃어버린 20년으로 가나"

올 1월 전(全) 산업 생산은 전월 대비 1.7%, 소비는 3.1%, 설비투자는 7.1%씩 줄었다. 지난달 소비자물가 상승률은 전년 동월 대비 0.5%지만 담뱃세 인상 효과를 빼면 마이너스다. 청년(15~29세) 실업률은 11.1%로 16년 만에 최고치다. 국가 부도 위기가 나오던 외환위기 수준이다. 디플레이션(장기 경기 침체 속 물가 하락) 우려와 함께 일본의 '잃어버린 20년'을 따라가고 있다는 지적이 나온다.

3월 경제지표도 좋지 않을 것으로 전망된다. 연말정산 결과 세금을 더 내야 하는 근로자는 분납이 가능하지만 그 결과는 이미 소비심리에 부정적인 영향을 미치고 있다. 최 부총리가 내수 경기 부진을 우려하는 까닭이다. 달러화 강세로 국제 유가는 더 떨어져 소비자물가 상승의 실마리를 찾기도 어렵다.

미 연방준비제도이사회(연준)가 금리를 서서히 올리겠다고 했지만 시장에서는 오는 9월쯤 금리 인상이 시작될 것이라고 보고 있다. 미국 금리가 인상되면 국제금융시장이 요동쳐 우리 경제 회복에 부정적인 영향을 미칠 가능성이 높다. 우리에게 시간이 많지 않다는 의미다.

●강달러·유가 하락으로 물가도 제자리

이날 발표된 10조원 규모의 추가 대책도 경기를 살리는 데 큰 효과를 거두기는 어렵다는 목소리가 높다. 이한영 중앙대 경제학과 교수는 "지난해 46조원의 정책패키지 중 31조원을 썼지만 경제는 살아나지 않았다"면서 "단순히 재정 지출을 늘려 경기를 부양하는 시대는 지났고, 정부가 쏟아붓는 나랏돈이 실제로 경기에 긍정적인 영향을 줄 수 있도록 지출의 효율성을 높여야 할 때"라고 조언했다.

전문가들은 올 1분기 경제성장률도 전기 대비 0%대에 그칠 것으로 전망한다. 이근태 LG경제연구원 수석연구위원은 "국제 유가 하락 때문에 수출이 줄고 물가도 크게 떨어져 한국 경제가 회복의 실마리를 찾지 못하고 있다"면서 "1분기 성장률이 지난해 4분기(0.4%)보다는 높아지더라도 0.8% 수준에 머물 것"이라고 분석했다.

지난해 하반기 나타난 재정절벽에 대한 우려도 없지 않다. 지난해 상반기에 재정 조기 집행을 했지만 경제는 살아나지 못했다. 하반기에 재정을 더 투입해야 했지만 그럴 여력이 없어 '상고하저'(상반기에 경제성장률이 높고 하반기에 낮은 현상)가 나타났다.

http://media.daum.net/issue/730/newsview?issueId=730&newsid=20150321021708231

Molecule Printing Technology Could Make Drug Printing a Reality

Fr;om Makezine:


Dr. Martin D. Burke and a team of chemists at the University of Illinois may have brought us one giant step closer to 3D printing on the molecular level. Small molecules are the low molecular weight organic compounds that make up such things as pharmaceuticals, agricultural chemicals, and electronic components like LEDs and photovoltaic solar cells. A paper on Burke and company’s printer, recently published in Science, explains the machine’s import:

The machine automatically synthesizes new small organic molecules by welding together premade building blocks that can be put together in any configuration. Two hundred such building blocks already exist. And thousands of other similar molecules can also be used in the process. As a result, the machine has the ability to make billions of different small organic compounds that can then be tested as new drugs or for other uses. If widely adopted, the synthesis machine could revolutionize organic chemistry, turning it from a slow, painstaking process to a made-for-order business.

As this article on 3D Print puts it: “The potential this machine could have for new rapid drug discovery as well as new chemically spawned technologies could be staggering. Imagine a website like Thingiverse, where instead of open sourcing 3D design files for printing, you could open source medications and other chemicals.”

 http://makezine.com/2015/03/18/molecular-manufacturing-draws-closer-breakthrough-small-molecule-printing/

More US Allies Join The Anti-Dollar Alliance

Korea is being pressed to join AIIB by China.

From Zero Hedge:

The United States government just went from “Please, baby, don’t leave me,” to frustrated threats and whining. After the UK announced it will join new China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) as a founding member late last week, Germany, France and Italy decided yesterday to follow Britain’s lead and join as well. Welcome to the beginning of the end of the US dollar’s domination. It’s happening.

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-03-18/its-happening-more-us-allies-join-anti-dollar-alliance

Options Market Signals 2007-Like Crash Risk, Goldman Warns

From Zero Hedge:

An epic decoupling in the cost of put protection and S&P earnings multiples may be a bad omen for stocks as Goldman suggests a "substantial market correction may be on the horizon."

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-03-17/options-market-signals-2007-crash-risk-goldman-warns

Japan Ties China As America's Largest Creditor As Foreigners Dump A Record Amount Of Treasurys

Why have Japan, Korea, and China purchased the U.S. treasury (i.e., debt) in the first place?  I have touched upon this issue several times.  Their economic miracle was the delusion in some sense.

From Zero Hedge:

Moments ago the January TIC data update was released, and while China continued selling US paper, liquidating another $5.2 billion in January and bringing its new total to the lowest since January 2013, Japan - yes that Japan whose central bank is now moentizing 100% of its own debt issuance because the country is now effectively insolvent and absent constant monetization of its debt it is finished - bought $8 billion in US debt, in the process trying China as America's largest foreign creditor for the first time in history, with both nations holdings $1.239 trillion in US TSYs.



http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-03-16/japan-ties-china-americas-largest-creditor-foreigners-dump-record-amount-treasurys

재벌그룹마저 고용절벽..낙수효과 기대마라

The youth unemployment rate of Korea is worrisome.

뉴스토마토로부터:

여력이 있는 재벌 대기업마저 청년들의 신규채용을 외면하고 있다. 대규모 신규채용을 계속했던 과거와는 달리 최근 경기침체가 장기화되면서 신규채용 규모를 큰 폭으로 줄이고 나섰다. 현실에 미칠 파장도 만만치 않을 전망이다.

전국경제인연합회가 16일 발표한 30대그룹의 2015년 투자·고용계획을 보면 30대 재벌그룹의 신규채용은 2013년 14만4501명에서 2014년 12만9989명으로, 다시 2015년에는 12만1801명으로 감소했다. 2014년에는 전년 대비 10% 줄었고, 올해는 다시 2014년 대비 6.3% 줄어들었다. 이마저도 계획일뿐, 계획대로 채용이 실현될 지는 미지수다.

'9988'(중소기업이 전체 기업에서 차지하는 비중, 수의 99%, 매출의 88%)이라는 말에서 알 수 있듯 대기업이 중소기업에 비해 상대적으로 고용 비중은 크지 않은 것이 사실이다. 그러나 청년들이 선호하는 일자리 1순위에 삼성전자 등 대기업이 나열되는 점을 감안하면, 이 같은 대기업들의 신규채용 감소는 심각성이 크다는 지적이다.

통계청에 따르면 지난해 청년실업률은 9%로 신용카드 대란이 일었던 2004년(8.3%)과, 글로벌 금융위기 직후인 2009년(8.1%)보다도 높다. 청년 실업자수는 2012년 31만3000명에서 2013년 33만1000명, 지난해 38만5000명으로 급증세다.

(자료=전경련)

대기업들은 정년연장과 통상임금 범위 확대 등 인건비 부담 때문에 신규채용 확대가 쉽지 않다고 항변한다.

그러나 이들 대기업의 투자방향이나 배당규모 등을 보면 인건비라는 비용부담을 순수하게 받아들이기는 어렵다.

재벌닷컴이 공개한 2015년 상장사의 배당부자 상위 30명은 이건희 삼성전자 회장 등 대기업 총수들로 채워졌다. 병상에 누워 있는 이건희 회장은 배당금만으로만 1758억원을 챙겼다.

기업들의 투자도 고용과 거리가 멀다. 현대차그룹은 한국전력 부지 땅값으로만 10조5500억원을 쏟아부었고, 이곳에 지을 글로벌비즈니스센터 건립에 10조5000억원을 추가로 지출한다.

게다가 대기업 사내유보금은 2012년 기준 460조원에 이른다.

http://finance.daum.net/news/news_content.daum?type=main&sub_type=&docid=MD20150316165714428&section=&limit=30

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of slights. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they cease; where there are tongues, they are stilled; and where there is learning, it passes away."
1 Corinthians  13:4-10

Cancel All Student Debt" - The Petitions Begin

Quite a few number of Korean college kids face the same conundrum as well.  The financialization of the economy continues in many parts of the world.

From Zero Hedge:

"Dear President Obama, Senators, and Members of Congress:
Americans now owe $1.3 trillion in student debt. Eighty-six percent of that money is owed to the United States government. This is a crushing burden for more than 40 million Americans and their families.
I urge you to take immediate action to forgive all student debt, public and private."

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-03-14/cancel-all-student-debt-petitions-begin

Daniel Hannan Explains How Democracy Died In Europe

From Zero Hedge:

With Greece on the edge of being kicked out of the Eurozone , either voluntarily or otherwise, with an anti-austerity party on the verge of taking over the reins of power in Spain, with Beppe Grillo waiting in the corridors for his chance to pounce in Italy and with Marine le Pen and her nationalist party on the verge of becoming the biggest shocker of Europe over the coming years, here, according to Daniel Hannan, is what killed democracy in Europe. Europe itself.

 

 http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-03-12/daniel-hannan-explains-how-euro-killed-democracy

Korean currency, bond markets suffer choppy trading on surprise rate cut

From Yonhap:

The South Korean won closed nearly flat against the U.S. dollar Thursday after a choppy session and state bonds erased much of their earlier gains after the country's central bank unexpectedly slashed its policy rate to an all-time low.
The local currency closed at 1,126.40 per dollar, down 0.1 won from the previous session, snapping a three-day losing streak. The won dipped to as low as 1,136.40 won at one point immediately after the rate cut, but pared earlier losses as recent declines were excessive.

Yields on state bonds tumbled right after the rate reduction but erased earlier gains to close mixed as market players raised doubt over an additional rate cut down the road.

The yield on benchmark three-year Treasurys stood at a record low of 1.896 percent, down 1.1 basis points, while that on five-year Treasurys rose 1.2 basis points to 2.021 percent.

The Bank of Korea (BOK) unexpectedly lowered its base rate by a quarter percentage point to an all-time low of 1.75 percent in an apparent move to prevent Asia's fourth-largest economy from falling into deflation and lend support to sagging growth momentum.

The central bank lowered the rate by a total of 50 basis points in two rounds in 2014.

http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/business/2015/03/12/90/0502000000AEN20150312003054320F.html

Plunge Protection Exposed: Bank Of Japan Stepped In A Stunning 143 Times To Buy Stocks, Prevent Drop

From Zero Hedge:

The BoJ has now gone full intervention-tard - buying Japanese stocks on 76% of the days when the market opened lower.

As The Wall Street Journal reports,

The Bank of Japan’s aggressive purchasing of stock funds has helped Japanese shares climb to multiyear highs in recent months. But some within the central bank are growing uncomfortable about the fast-paced rally and the bank’s own role in fueling it.

Since Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda took office in March 2013 and introduced monetary easing of what he called a “different dimension,” the central bank has sharply increased its buying of baskets of stocks known as exchange-traded funds. By directly underpinning the market, officials have tried to encourage private investors to follow suit and put more money in stocks in the hope of stimulating the economy and increasing inflation.

During the past two years, the central bank entered the stock market roughly once every three days, picking up a total of ¥2.8 trillion ($23 billion) of ETFs that track Japan’s major stock indexes, according to Bank of Japan records. That distinguishes it from the U.S. Federal Reserve and European Central Bank, both of which have bought bonds to pump up the economy but haven’t directly bought stocks.

Analysts say the bank’s action has been a significant driver of Japan’s stock-market rally in recent months, combined with hefty purchases by the $1.1 trillion Government Pension Investment Fund. Their buying has often countered selling pressure from individuals in the market and made up for a weaker appetite among foreign investors.

The central bank has stepped in mostly when market sentiment was weak. Three-quarters of the central bank’s buying occurred on days when the benchmark Topix index opened lower, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of BOJ data.

So much for independence...

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-03-11/how-boj-stepped-143-times-send-japanese-stocks-soaring

Why Does the New York Times Have an R&D Lab?

From Mzkezine:

Noah Feehan is in an office workroom that’s strewn with screwdrivers, a digital oscilloscope, and fume extractors. On a desk sits a half-finished circuit printer, filled with cartridges of nano silver particle ink and ascorbic acid. It prints circuits on paper. Feehan and his co-workers have been floating in and out of the room to work on it.
“I like to organize by project,” he says, gesturing to boxes filled with wires and scrap materials. Of the half-finished circuit printer: “I’d love to print an eight-and-a-half by eleven RF-harvesting antenna. Might be a good opportunity to experiment with algorithmic design.”
Feehan and his co-workers don’t work at a hardware store, electronics workshop, or tech startup. They’re standing on the 28th floor of 620 Eighth Avenue in Manhattan — the office of The New York Times.
Feehan — whose official, LinkedIn-approved, resume-topping title is “Maker” — isn’t the only tinkerer that works at the 163-year-old newspaper. Seven other makers populate the Times’ R&D Lab, which launched in 2006.
Their mission: To forecast game-changing technology trends that will unfold in the next three to five years. They then build prototypes to envision how these ideas will impact media’s future — and how these ideas upend our notion of the communicated word. How will content be delivered? What sort of devices will bridge information and audience? How will platforms change? The idea is not so much to create products based on these questions, but to discover what creative director Alexis Lloyd describes as “tangible artifacts of potential futures that have relevance to the Times.”

The lab is full of builders, coders, fixers, and the various things they’ve cooked up. “We all come from very different backgrounds, from video art to statistics,” says Lloyd. “We all have a background that sits at the intersection of art or design, technology and critical theory.”
Their latest invention, which they finished last September, is a four-foot-wide table, dotted with 14 capacitive strips, that sits in the middle of the lab, surrounded by stools. This is the “Listening Table”: part transcriptionist, part smart furniture, and part, well, table.
This puppy transcribes, in real time, what people say in meetings, using Android speech recognition. In the middle of the table is a microphone that captures every idea, pitch, suggestion, disagreement, digression, jabber, and joke. Around the edge are eight single-pixel thermal cameras that figure out who’s talking or gesticulating.
But the table’s a lot more than just a note-taker. On a flat-screen TV a couple feet away, the words appear on the screen nearly as they’re being spoken. Each word is a varying shade: Lighter, grayer words are deemed less relevant (“the,” “a,” and other articles), while key topics are solid black.
And if you touch one of those capacitive strips on the table, the system recognizes the 30 seconds prior to the tap and the 30 seconds after to be key moments in the meeting, making it easy to tease out important chunks in the transcript. The Listening Table is not just recording what’s being said — it’s recording why it’s being said, and what’s important about it.


http://makezine.com/2015/03/11/new-tech-times/

30 US Cities Will Test Self-Driving Cars By 2017; Who Want Driveless Cars and Trucks?

From International Business Times:

Self-driving vehicles will be on the road in as many as 30 U.S. cities by the end of 2016 as municipalities across the country prepare to roll out trial programs. That's according to a new report published on the same day as an unrelated study that found autonomous vehicles could generate billions of dollars from customers with more time to devote to online shopping.
Google Inc.'s plan to test driverless cars on the streets of California has been delayed by regulatory issues that areas elsewhere in the U.S. seem to have avoided. Pilot programs for self-driving vehicles are expected to be underway in the coming months in towns in Florida and North Carolina, and in Seattle -- where 70-person self-driving buses could take the roadways. The trials will be orchestrated by Comet, a consulting firm pushing for more autonomous vehicles.
“We're looking at college campuses, theme parks, airports, downtown areas -- places like that,” Comet's Corey Clothier told the New York Observer. “It's kind of like an elevator: You go in, put in your destination, the doors close, and you're off.”

http://www.ibtimes.com/30-us-cities-will-test-self-driving-cars-2017-florida-leading-way-1838608

From Mish's blog:

Like it or not, driverless vehicles are coming. And I expect people to embrace them even sooner than I said yesterday.

One look at the Mercedes Benz F015 has me convinced.



Who wouldn't want that?



Heck, I like to drive and I would appreciate the chance to play cards or work on my computer instead of driving.

Think this is years from the road? Think again. It is Cruising the Streets of San Francisco right now.



Zero Emissions - Range 684 Miles

"The electric hybrid system has a total range of 1,100 kilometres, including around 200 kilometres of battery-powered driving and around 900 kilometres on the electricity from the fuel cell. This enables the F 015 Luxury in Motion to cover distances similar to those of a comparable diesel-engined car, but purely on electric power with zero local emissions."

http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.kr/2015/03/driverless-cars-and-trucks-who-wants.html

Social, Health, Convenience on your Wrist: AppleWatch

Apple seems to know how to make products appealing to certain customers.  Yet, using Christy Turlington is reported to cost Apple $17 Billion.

From Adafruit blog:

Today’s Apple Watch launch was the most highly-anticipated wearable tech event of the last year. So what’s there to know?

The device is being offered in three “collections” — basic configurations and materials to start out: Apple Watch Sport (aluminum starting at $349), Apple Watch (stainless steel starting at $549), and Apple Watch Edition (gold starting at $10K).

You can use Apple Pay for cashless payment at any of the 700K retail stores that currently accept Apple Pay.
Health apps with Apple Watch guide your workout as well as remind you to stand if you’ve been sitting for too long.

Similar to Android Wear, you can take/dismiss calls, send voice-transcribed text messages, see notifications from apps like Uber and Instagram, and display your next boarding pass. Browse and install apps from the Apple Watch section of the iOS App Store.

https://blog.adafruit.com/2015/03/09/social-health-convenience-on-your-wrist-applewatch-applewatchevent-wearables/

Advice for college grads: 16 tips for whose who land a job, 8 tips for whose who don't

From Mish's blog:

16 Tips For Those Who Land a Job

1. Live below your means.
2. Pay down student debts as fast as you can.
3. Build a cash cushion in case you lose your job. Ideally, you need one full year's salary, in the bank, in cash, for emergencies, not for trips to Aruba. Six months is a minimum.
4. Think about bills before you move out on your own.
5. Consider sharing an apartment with someone to cut expenses.
6. Consider living with your parents for a while.
7. Don't buy a new car.
8. If you buy any car, make sure you understand what insurance, gas, and maintenance will cost
9. Don't have kids right away, if at all. If you have kids, then understand the commitment in time and money, and be prepared for both. If you have kids, that cash cushion mentioned in point three is even more important.
10. Don't purchase a house or condo even if your job pays well. Housing is back in a bubble in many areas. Condos are especially hard to sell. Besides, you may decide you do not like your first job and want to move. Take your time. It's easier to find a house you like than get rid of one you don't.
11. If your job has a company matching investment plan, take advantage, but keep the money in cash or guaranteed funds if offered. Assets are way over-priced here. Wait for a huge dip in the stock market to invest. Recent grads have plenty enough time to dollar cost average. Early mistakes will not cost much. However, it's important to think about valuations, safety, bubbles and other factors as a process now rather than taking the attitude it doesn't matter much now. It will matter eventually, and the quicker one starts thinking about such things, the better off they will be down the road.
12. Don't think you are special because you show up on time and put in eight hours. Those are a given. Depending on the company you work for, work-life balance may come later or perhaps not all. Few companies are remotely close to Google. Go above and beyond what's expected, every day, without complaint. A strong work ethic is one of the few ways one can stand out and get promotions and raises.
13. If you took a job you are not passionate about, be grateful you have a job. Keep looking, but don't quit. It's easier to find a job if you have a job.
14. If you are with a big company and don't like your initial assignment, opportunities can arise in other areas. Talk to personnel after you have been there a while. Give your first assignment a fair chance.
15. Evaluate your job four ways: Do you like what you are doing? Do you like who you work with? Do you like your boss? Are you happy with your pay?
16. If the answer to all four questions in point 13 are no, you are in the wrong place for sure. Sometimes one can be so bad you want out. If pay alone is the problem, then please self-assess your skills and what others in your field make. If your boss alone is the problem then talk to your boss or bring up the problem with personnel.

8 Tips For Those Who Don't Land a Job

1. Purchasing new cars, buying houses or condos, or starting a family are out of the question unless somehow you are independently wealthy or have a spouse that pick up the slack.
2. Don't go to grad school thinking it will help you land a good job. Most likely, and especially if you are in a low demand field, all you will do is pile on debt.
3. Be realistic about your job prospects. If you got a degree in history, art, English literature or any other low demand field, face the facts: your job prospects are not that good. You may have to take any job in retail (or elsewhere) that you can find. You may be passionate about art, but don't expect museums to come running to you.
4. Have a friend interview you and give you honest feedback. If your speech skills are not good, then you better improve them.
5. Have someone critique your resume. Don't ever lie about your skills, grades, experience, or anything else. The interviewer may figure it out. And if you are hired, it's grounds for immediate dismissal, even if they like you. I have seen it.
6. What about your appearance? Do you dress properly for interviews?
7. When you land an interview, find out everything you can about the company. It is imperative to not only understand what the company does, but to also formulate at least one intelligent question about their business that you don't know. Examples: Have you though about ....? Why do you ....? Why don't you ...? What areas do you seek to expand?
8. Self-assess. Do you have other issues? Employers are not supposed to take looks and health issues into consideration, but if you are extremely obese, your odds of landing a job are much worse than if you are physically fit.

http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.kr/2015/03/advice-for-college-grads-16-tips-for.html

. K. Michaelson: The American Economy - A Minority Report

From Jesse's cafe:

A Minority Report
by C. K. Michaelson

The jobs report is all about inflation and interest rates and only incidentally about workers and jobs. Economists claim, with little evidence, that mother nature or the universe or Keynes' ghost has an immutable law decreeing that a certain level of unemployment triggers a certain amount of inflation. Right now they pretend that 5.5% unemployment is the tipping point for this see-saw. If unemployment edges lower than that, inflation will pick up. In fact, hyperinflation may well appear, magically, overnight. It's called NAIRU – the Non-Accelerating Inflation Rate of Unemployment. The idea was first introduced as NIRU (non-inflationary rate of unemployment) in 1975. which was supposedly an improvement over the "natural rate" of unemployment made up Milton Friedman in 1968.

The idea is that as employers create more jobs, they have to compete for workers by offering higher wages, workers can demand higher wages for making the same number of widgets or threaten to go down the street and make widgets for the next guy. And to pay the higher wages, companies have to raise the price of widgets. The customers – who are the workers when they are not at work – will spend the extra wage income on the higher priced widgets and pretty soon they'll want more money for their labor. Round and round it goes and the first thing you know we're the Wiemar Republic.

Many things wrong with this idea, the biggest being the rather quaint pretense that today's American worker any clout when it comes to wages. First there's the huge number of workers who are AWOL from the labor pooI right now. And if the workers unite (ha)! to demand more wages, the companies will just move the jobs to Bangladesh or some other right-to-work place. Oh, wait, they already did, except for baristas, burger flippers and bedpan bangers.

If there is such a thing as NAIRU, it obviously isn't 5.5%, for wages went up a whopping 0.1% with the latest 0.2% fall in unemployment.

And then there's the definitional problem: What is unemployment? How big is the work force and who are all those guys sitting on the bench waiting to get into the game?

For that matter, what is employment? Is working 17 hours a week at Wally World or 22 hours a week at Macky D's 'employment'?

What would full employment look like, the kind that might, just might, lead to wage inflation? Would all workers who wanted a job have a job and would that job be commensurate with their skill and experience? Would that job provide the hours and wages they need to provide a decent life for themselves and their families – or would their kids still qualify for free breakfast and lunch at school and go to the emergency room for their healthcare?

Some data: There are 92,898,000 Americans currently not working. We have a 62.8% labor force participation rate, a 37 year low. Just last month another 390,000 Americans became invisible to the BLS. Officially, there are 8.7 million people who were actively searching for work last month, plus another 6.5 million people who didn’t look last month but who say they want a job. Plus another 6.6 million who want to work full-time but can only get a part-time job. That’s nearly 22 million people who are unemployed or underemployed.

The unemployment rate for blacks is nearly twice the national average.

American added 58,700 waiters and bartenders – pretty much earning minimum wage or less - as part of those 300,000 new jobs.

The unemployment rate would have been unchanged at 5.7% - safely out of the inflationary swamp – if the labor force participation rate had stayed steady. The big improvement didn't come from jobs, it came from despair of ever finding a job.

We're still about 1 million full-time jobs short of where we were pre-recession, and that's not even adjusting for population growth. All told, we're still about 4 million jobs away from the economy being okay;. At this rate we'll break even in September 2016.

Go Recovery!
http://jessescrossroadscafe.blogspot.kr/2015/03/c-k-michaelson-american-economy.html

The One Chart You Need To Predict The Future

From Of Two Minds:

We are witnessing a profound secular sea-change: the failure of expanding debt and leverage to lift the real economy of wages and household income.
When push comes to shove, you only need one chart to predict the future: debt and wages ( credit and compensation). This chart displays debt and wages as a ratio: debt/wages. What it reveals is the endgame of financialization: creating more debt no longer pushes wages higher.



http://charleshughsmith.blogspot.kr/2015/03/the-one-chart-you-need-to-predict-future.html

Arduino Wars: Group Splits

From Makezine:

There’s nothing worse than when a family starts fighting amongst itself. If only because, after years being cooped up for weeks at time during the Christmas vacations, you know exactly where to cause the maximum amount of damage.
Right now Arduino LLC—the company founded by Massimo Banzi, David Cuartielles, David Mellis, Tom Igoe and Gianluca Martino back in 2009—is suing Arduino Srl founded by Gianluca Martino.

The second Arduino, Arduino Srl that is, was originally named Smart Projects Srl and was responsible for manufacturing the Arduino boards in Italy. While the first Arduino, Arduino LLC, is the company we’re more familiar with, responsible for development of the boards, management of the open source projects surrounding it, and the community.
However disagreements last year about the direction of the Arduino brand between Martino and the other four other co-founders led to Martino taking on Federico Musto as the new CEO of Smart Projects and renaming the company Arduino Srl.
The Arduino board itself is open source—one of the earliest decisions made by the group behind the board was to release the design files. Anyone can make an Arduino compatible board, or even an exact copy of the board. However the Arduino name, logo and graphics are protected by trademark which, while it hasn’t stopped the flow of cheap counterfeit boards, has at least meant that if you saw a board with the Arduino logo on you could be fairly sure of its provenance.
Unfortunately, that’s no longer the case. It’s difficult to determine what actually happened or is still happening, but right now we have the arduino.cc site we’re familiar with, the home of Arduino LLC, alongside arduino.org, a site created by the new Arduino Srl. Both use the same trade dress, logo, names, fonts—they even (mostly) call their products the same thing. At least at the moment, and at least to outsiders, there are two companies claiming to be “Arduino” and it’s rather hard to tell the difference.
Talking to la Repubblica back in November last year—when Musto was hired to lead Arduino Srl—Massimo Banzi said “E’ surreale quel che sta accadendo…” which, at least as close as my rusty Italian can make out, means that he thinks the entire situation is surreal, and really, who can blame him?
Right now the whole problem is sitting before the First Circuit and a Massachusetts District Court where Arduino LLC is suing Arduino Srl and co-defendants for trademark infringement.
Against this background is the quiet release by Arduino Srl, rather than Arduino LLC, of the long awaited Arduino Zero.

http://makezine.com/2015/03/06/arduino-vs-arduino/

‘Bioprinting’ Officially Becomes a Word, Enters Oxford Dictionaries

From 3Dprint:

bioprinting’ is now recognized as an English word according to one of the leading online dictionaries, Oxford Dictionaries. According to the online reference, the definition is as follows:
“The use of 3D printing technology with materials that incorporate viable living cells, e.g. to produce tissue for reconstructive surgery.”

http://3dprint.com/47533/bioprinting-definition/

Japan Now Spends 43% Of Tax Revenue To Fund Interest On Debt

From Zero Hedge:

Throughout history governments have often overestimated how much their citizens are willing to accept. Japan has a beautiful stoic culture that has been able to endure tremendous suffering. That said, everyone has a breaking point. And that’s when you see that there’s a big difference between love of country and love of government. Bottom line - it’s already starting to unravel.

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-03-05/japan-now-spends-43-tax-revenue-fund-interest-debt

Financial Collapse Leads To War

From Zero Hedge:

Financial collapse is already baked in, and it's only a matter of time before it happens, and precipitates commercial collapse when global supply chains stop functioning. Political collapse will be resisted, and the way it will be resisted is by starting as many wars as possible, to produce a vast backdrop of failure to serve as a rationale for all sorts of “emergency measures,” all of which will have just one aim: to suppress rebellion and to keep the oligarchy in power.

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-03-03/financial-collapse-leads-war

수출·내수·생산지표 동반 추락

It has been a few years since I pointed out Korea is in the danger zone.  Fasten your seat belts.

머니투데이로부터:

지난해 12월 생산과 소비에서 모두 살아나며 커져가던 경기회복의 기대감은 다시 꺼져버렸다. 전산업생산, 소매판매, 설비투자 모두 부진하다. 무역수지는 37개월 연속 흑자행진과 함께 사상최대치를 기록했지만 실상을 들여다보면 수출보다 수입이 더 크게 줄어든 '불황형흑자'다. 제조업 평균가동률은 글로벌금융위기 이후 가장 낮은 수준을 기록했다. 한국경제에 또 다시 '경고등'이 켜진 것이다.

↑ 동행지수 순환변동치/자료=통계청

http://media.daum.net/issue/352/newsview?issueId=352&newsid=20150302144508082

"The Lord is my shepherd; I have what I need. He gives me rest in green meadows; he leads me by still waters. He renews my faith. His word guides me on straight paths. When I walk through the darkest valleys, I will not be afraid, for you are beside me. Your watchfulness comforts me. You console me before my enemies. You anoint my head with oil. My cup overflows with your blessings. Your love pursues me all the days of my life. And I will remain in the house of the Lord, forever."
Psalm 23

Return of the Hobbyist: New Boards, Power Electronics, and Software Tinkerers

From EE Journal:

This is not an exclusive listing; there are other boards, but these seem to be the leaders. When you look at the numbers, you can see a fantastic number of people getting themselves involved in hobbyist hacking (in the positive sense) of hardware and software. It is also clear that engineering professionals have embraced these boards, for fun at home (well, engineers are different), for use in skunk works projects, and as the basis for commercial production. The large communities that have developed around the boards provide both support and stimulation. Are we looking at the replacement to Radio Shack for the 21st century?

http://www.eejournal.com/archives/articles/20150226-hobbyist/

The Inspiration Drought: Why our science fiction needs new dreams.

From Slate:

Why are all our narratives about the future 50 years old? We seem to be recycling big ideas as if we live in an inspiration drought. We’ve retooled Star Trek so many times, it’s starting to look like one of those 1957 Chevrolets still cruising the streets of Havana.
One reason is that writing about the near future is hard to do convincingly. Imagining life 10 or 20 years down the road requires placing the same big bets that science fiction always makes (in the future, we will all wear matching leotards!) but provides an incredibly short runway to get from now to then.
Storytellers can play it safe by depending on tropes that we have already been trained to expect: In the future people will use phasers and doors will swish open with a satisfying noise. We make a comfortable nest of assumptions and “rules,” allowing everyone to get on with the tale of young love or the hero’s journey.
But the trouble with stories is that they don’t stay in their fictional boxes: A good science fiction narrative will change your thinking about the world. Isaac Asimov’s robot stories have come to shape the whole idea of the robot in important ways, and that means robotics researchers are grappling with Asimov’s Three Laws.

http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2014/09/project_hieroglyph_why_our_science_fiction_needs_new_dreams.html

Foxconn’s dough-slicing robot debuts at Taiyuan noodle shop

From China Times (via Adafruitblog):

Foxconn (Hon Hai), the Taiwan-headquartered consumer electronics manufacturer best known for assembling Apple’s iPhone and iPad at its plants in China, unveiled a dough-slicing machine in Taiyuan in northern China’s Shanxi province on Monday, marking the first time the manufacturing giant has tried its hand at anything to do with the restaurant industry.

https://blog.adafruit.com/2015/02/28/foxconns-dough-slicing-robot-debuts-at-taiyuan-noodle-shop/

David Stockman Warns "It's One Of The Scariest Moments In History"

From Zero Hedge:

"The Fed is out of control," exclaims David Stockman - perhaps best known for architecting Reagan's economic turnaround known as 'Morning in America' - adding that "people don't want to hear the reality and the truth that we're facing." Policymakers are "taking our economy in a direction that is dangerous, that is not sustainable, and is likely to fully undermine everything that's been built up and created by the American people over decades and decades." The Fed, Stockman concludes, "is a rogue institution," and their actions have led us to "one of the scariest moments in our history... it's a festering time-bomb and we're not sure when it will explode."

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-03-01/david-stockman-warns-its-one-scariest-moments-history