Just when the little guy was getting some respect and understanding.
The Pentagon announced that a 2008 study found Russian President Vladimir Putin has Asperger’s syndrome.
Of all the people at this point in history to be found to have Asperger’s syndrome, this just takes the cake.
Poor little guy will have to go home and muster up more courage and respect.
Thanks to Matt Friedman and his book “Dude, I’m An Aspie!”. For more on Matt see
Enjoy!
Are you split over whether to use a CASE statement or CURSORS in your SQL code?
This article will help clarify your dilemma.
First of all let’s agree that both methodologies are useful for performing actions on a database table based on processing one SQL data row at a time.
Now let’s look at the main characteristics of each methodology.
CURSORS
Looks more complicated. Support costs are higher.
Best when working with multiple tables and complicated algorithms.
Here is an example of inserting into a second table using the first table.
This rudimentary example processed 25,000 rows in 45 seconds.
CASE STATEMENT
Looks simpler. Easier to maintain.
Best with select and where clauses used on a single table.
Here is an example of inserting into a second table using the first table.
This rudimentary example processed 25,000 rows in 137 seconds.
CONCLUSION
Each methodology has its advantages and each can help you get where you are going.
Good SQL, good night.
I am talking about the stock market year-to-date.
Every day since the year started, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the most widely watched American index, has swung up or down in the triple digits i.e. over 100 points.
In fact, the average swing each day since Jan 1, 2015 has been 268 points for the Dow.
What does this mean to the average Joe?
In a nutshell, volatility means worry for the future. And investors hate volatility.
The good news is there were four large changes of the DOW of more than 300 plus or minus points before a recession happened in 2008. So we can predict the next recession.
Here is an excellent detailed look at the current volatility by Forbes.
Now that is wild and crazy.
This old expression for something obvious being ignored has a new take away from Mad Magazine.
“The only reason a great many American families don’t own an elephant is that they have never been offered an elephant for a dollar down and easy weekly payments.”
That says something about debt in the US.
If you are in debt, there is plenty of advice out there. I like Dave Ramsey’s advice (DaveRamsey.com) which I have included in the following:
1. immediately save $1000 for emergencies even if you have to sell something,
2. pay the smallest debt balance first,
3. create a budget using your previous expenses,
4. create envelopes of cash and pay from them,
5. eliminate duplicate insurance policies,
6. immediately pay your credit card balance if possible,
7. cut the cable or satellite cord via Chromecast or Amazon Fire,
8. build up an emergency fund to last 6 months.
You too can tackle that elephant.
Best of luck!
While the East Coast is having lots of snow, the West Coast is having lots of wind.
If this dog’s ears were any bigger, it would be in the next county.
Thanks to our friend, Ann, for sharing.
Is this a good day for kite flying or would it collapse like a broken umbrella?
Enjoy!
Like Poltergeist II, prepare for CDOs II.
(Here is Poltergeist II trailer – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rH-B6A04iK0 )
Remember those financial instruments known as Collateralized Debt Obligations that caused the 2008 Great Recession? Well they never went away. In fact they are baaack.
The Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission concluded that CDOs were one of the major causes of the 2008 Great Recession as shown at this website.
http://fcic-static.law.stanford.edu/cdn_media/fcic-reports/fcic_final_report_conclusions.pdf
For 2014, global CDO Issuance is back to 2004 levels valued at about $135 billion.
Collateralized loan obligations (CLOs) are CDOs based on bank loans. Many of the subprime loans have been packaged and sold as CLOs.
The following chart shows that Collateralized Loan Obligations (CLOs) in 2014 have reached the same level as 2007 or $35 billion. Total outstanding CLOs in the US amount to $300 billion.
Though the large financial institutions have backed away from collateralizing mortgages, they are now doing it for commodities such as gold, silver and oil. Here is one example.
https://www.google.com/search?q=jpmorgan+precious+metals+as+collateral&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8
Another problem is not the collateral but the reselling of the same assets. In 2007 one financial firm sold 610 out of 3,400 CDOs more than once. That is nearly 18%. Let me repeat. More than once.
Because buyers are dealing with paper not physical assets, how do they know they are trading real, actual commodities? If the markets started to go down and everyone wanted their physical commodities such as gold, what if there was not enough gold to meet all the obligations? Would there be an international panic?
Update
Evidently CDOs were not selling as well as desired. So the banks have renamed them “bespoke tranche opportunities.”
BTOs are slightly different, as explained in this website.
Thanks
Here is the entry that I submitted to USA Today opinion caption contest.
Photo: Mike Smith, Las Vegas Sun, King Feature
Enjoy!
Our big dog likes the small bed. Our small dog likes the big bed.
Go figure.
That is the message 1 million people projected to terrorists while marching in Paris.
Demonstrators made their way along Boulevard Voltaire in Paris. An estimated 1 million people converged in Central Paris for the Unity March joining in solidarity with the 17 victims of this week’s terrorist attacks.
The victims and their families are in our prayers.
Crowdfunding is doing what banks used to do – care about you. How about a hug?
How would you like to get 6% guaranteed interest without risk for your hard-earned savings? Certificates of Deposits (CDs) are earning only about 1% at big banks. You could put it in the stock market and risk getting at most 4% to 10%. But right now the stock market is very volatile with triple digit drops and rises. You could lose all your money. That would be a -100% interest rate.
A safer arrangement is loaning your money to a crowdfunding company that in turn loans it to small businesses for a slightly higher interest rate. Each crowdfunding company is the middle man of a perfectly legitimate transaction that big banks used to do.
Big banks are too busy giving 1% or less on savings while charging 26% on credit cards. You do the math. Big banks do not care about you at all.
Crowdfunding and crowd sourcing are really taking off as a means to raise money or get loans. But most companies loan your deposits to small businesses. Here is one such company.
I am not the only one talking about this. Here is Clark Howard discussing crowdfunding.
Here are two popular peer-to-peer websites that also deals with loans.
https://www.prosper.com/invest/
https://www.lendingclub.com/public/steady-returns.action
With the stock market being very volatile, now is a great time to get 6% guaranteed.
Michael E Kelley 