Tuesday, April 04, 2017

Big [Personal] Data

Check out this screen shot from a popular commercial financial news website.  This from MarketWatch but it doesn't matter you've seen similar click-bait everywhere.  you know they are teasers but hey, there might be something interesting. 

Just keep in mind unless you are very careful about anonymous surfing a single click makes your profile thicker.  The range of choices in this example is no accident.  Click "debt bomb" or click "stock surge."  and along with that click your IP address for location, the length of time you dwell, and probably an exit page. 

Surf wisely. 

120 comments:

Unknown said...

they probably have me pegged as an Alt-right Chinese woman (the gf likes to watch her Taiwanese talk shows & dramas)..

Rob Dawg said...

For fun use a browser you never use and pick a topic you don't like. Say golf or homebrew or gardening. Something that you can be sold on. Do a search on Bing and google and click a few top suggestions and a few links on those pages. then start normal browsing without ad-block of course. Watch how fast the algos start pegging you.

Unknown said...

it is kind of flattering to have all these companies knocking themselves out to get a piece of my $500 month discretionary expense budget.. ;<)

Lawyerliz said...

Hahaha. This makes me want to go hide under the bed. I never signed up for twitter or Facebook or any of the other social media but I guess that didn't protect me.

Lawyerliz said...

I do surf now and then.

Lawyerliz said...

Remember back at hcn we tried to see how many references it took to get a bra ad.

Unknown said...

ouch..JC Penney stock down to 5 and change..poor JCP

Cinco-X said...

Lol... My wife loves Chinese sword movies. They probably have her down as some fat white kid who's into cosplay

Rob Dawg said...

My favorite stereotypes were all featured in "Galaxy Quest."

Unknown said...

A few years back when Tivo started making program suggestions based on your viewing habits..a comedian did a funny bit about "My Tivo Thinks I'm gay" after he inadvertently recorded a Will & Grace episode..

Lawyerliz said...

Whilst chopping yesterday around the gardenia bush, I found a bird's nest. No eggs in it but still cool..

Unknown said...

alligator nest maybe??

Unknown said...

(slowly) working thru a biography on Andrew Jackson (Great 'Merikan!!). Got to the part where he's fighting the Seminoles, Spanish, British and other assortment of motley characters down in Florida (circa 1820 ish)..doesn't sound like a lot of fun slogging thru those swamps down there..

dodahman said...

There is a 'search all of craigslist' website. Like Rob said, search for something using that and pop ups for the next weeks on that subject. I always wondered what was 'in it' for the provider of the search site until recently.

Unknown said...

Amazon must have some sort of dynamic pricing algo built into it..because if I search for something...and then come back later and search for the same thing a second time..the price is often higher. So maybe they've figured out the second time people look at the same thing they often buy it??

Lawyerliz said...

Nope not 3 feet off the ground in a gardenia bush, silly.

Unknown said...

Gator penthouse suite..

Lawyerliz said...

Sneaky, very sneaky.

Lawyerliz said...

For a one pound gater.

Lawyerliz said...

Or a lizard.

Lawyerliz said...

Or a lizard.

Lawyerliz said...

I think they raise the prices on books, if you buy a lot of electronic ones.

Lawyerliz said...

He was a bad person

Rob Dawg said...

..and then come back later and search for the same thing a second time..the price is often higher.

Yes. And also selling your eyeballs to the highest predator.

Recent example. Needed some JB Weld. No hurry so looked online. Loctite equivalents aggressively promoted.

dodahman said...

Mike, on amazon, search what you want daily for a while, leave the window open for a while. Do this a couple of days, then quit. I have found sometimes, not always, I get an email for a discount on the product I have searched previously a few times. Not buying much lately so not sure how it goes now.

Has to be fast paced though...


Unknown said...

He was a bad person

great General though. US might not have been able to hold together if he doesn't defeat the British at New Orleans..

EngineerJim said...

They would be very confused by attempting to profile me.
I go to Drudge, CNN, Fox, WSJ, NYTImes, Salon, Slate, ZeroHedge, Infowars, ...
I don't know what they would determine from that.

Unknown said...

I get an email for a discount on the product I have searched previously a few times.

interesting..so if you come right back to the item..they jack the price up..then if you go away for a while they discount it again...

Rob Dawg said...

http://www.zdnet.com/article/amazon-changes-prices-millions-of-times-every-day/

Lawyerliz said...

I could sing.you a song about that!

Unknown said...

..and I don't know why we're so friendly with the British..they have an awful lot of American blood on their hands..

Lawyerliz said...

You know they did do stuff that did benefit the colonists. Who didn't want to pay for it. Well organized well educated and relatively prosperous colonists breaking away was sorta a new thing. Also King George really was crazy
Phosphor something. They had to appoint that wastrel regent.

Lawyerliz said...

Various writers are asserting the nuclear option is the end of the world. Bah.

Rob Dawg said...

I've said it before. The Republicans were wrong to deny Obama his nominee. They got away with it. Moving on. There is no point in this Democrat hissy fit. They were always going to lose this SCOTUS fight. Besides, the worst thing that could happen is them winning this fight because the replacement nominee would be a monster and would have been rammed through. There are no pending favorable 4-4 decisions so delay is not even a viable excuse. The worst part is that Judge G is not objectionable. That they've convinced themselves this is a fight worth taking on is a waste of political capital.

Unknown said...

You know they did do stuff that did benefit the colonists.

yeah..well i'm thinking more about the Ohio Valley massacres they coordinated/particpated in with the Creek Indians against American settlers (amongst other things)..

they've been complete arseholes whenever they've ventured from their shores..

Rob Dawg said...

All these "clubs" and "member" points are just more tracking. Can get creepy. true story follows.

As you all know, I am frugal. The local grocery had 1.75l bottles of no name gin for like $8.99 after sale and club discount. Perfect. I use it in spray bottles to clean electronics and screens and as a natural alternative to oils in garden sprays. No big deal, thought nothing of it. Then Mrs Dawg opens the club email offers of the week and there we see gin, tequila, rum ads based on a recent purchase. Had to explain.

Sure funny, cute. Next time you have an auto accident and the other insurance agency demands your purchase history? Not so funny.

Unknown said...

there we see gin, tequila, rum ads based on a recent purchase. Had to explain.

just tell her you had to restock the bar after the Cinco visit.. ;<)

Cinco-X said...

I grew up down there. It was fun as a kid

Cinco-X said...

... And their food sucks. At least they speak English

Cinco-X said...

But... But... Russians!!!!!1!!1!!!

Unknown said...

Russia and China are our enemies..

Britain, Germany and Japan are our friends..

go figure

Rob Dawg said...

just tell her you had to restock the bar after the Cinco visit.. ;<)

I was a piss poor host. There were a whole bunch of things going on that I didn't want to bother them with. The house was a mess so they didn't get a "tour." The yard was dessicated as the rains had not yet started. Wasn't really sure what they wanted to see/do. The beach and windsurfers were fun. The Institution Ale brewery was good. The harbor seafood was tasty. And of course the gateway addiction introduction to In-N-Out. Mrs X is a lovely lady.

Rob Dawg said...

China is and likely always will be our enemy. Just the way the world works.
Russia however. We won. We "brought them over." Now is the time to embrace not eschew.

Unknown said...

yeah...LA is actually quite boring to visit..assuming you don't want to do the usually tourist traps (D-Land, U Studios, etc)..

and traffic is so bad you just dread going anywhere anyways..

Rob Dawg said...

LA is actually quite boring to visit..assuming you don't want to do the usually tourist traps (D-Land, U Studios, etc)..

and traffic is so bad you just dread going anywhere anyways..


Insult! SoCal is NOT Los Angeles in the way Massachusetts is not Boston or Florida is not Miami.

I kinda dragged them around and told tall tales and fed them and watered them. Full disclosure; they treated me/us. I just chose the location.

"LA" Traffic is bad yet transit use is very high. What does that imply?

Unknown said...

just saying...when i lived in LA/OC..I always struggled for ideas on where to take visitors..that didn't involve sitting in a car for hours on end. I find Seattle much better in that regards..

Rob Dawg said...

when i lived in LA/OC..I always struggled for ideas on where to take visitors.

Got it. Everything was 15 mins away and took 40 mins to get there.

Lawyerliz said...

People on M I have a deadly fesr of traffic, and there isn't any except when there's a really bad accident

Lawyerliz said...

Now Miami, it's baaaddd.

Unknown said...

yeah..hosting up here is so easy (May-Sept)..

Day 1..Seattle waterfront, Pikes Market etc, water taxi over (and back) to West Seattle...dinner...Mariners game (optional)

Day 2/3: San Juan islands

Day 4: Cascade loop (by car)..driving up into the mountains..fun/interesting towns (old mining towns now catering to tourists), pristine mountain lakes, waterfalls etc

Alternative: hiking Mt Ranier (If the visitors are more athletically inclined)

Day 5: drop back at airport...they are typically blown away by how beautiful the PNW is..

Lawyerliz said...

Yummy strawberry shortcake for dessert.

Unknown said...

Mt "Rainier" (showing my non-local origins with that previous spelling)

Lawyerliz said...

When can I come?

Unknown said...

ha ha...anytime..but July/Aug/Sept are best bets weather-wise

and you don't even need me now..I gave you the blue print/schedule for a guaranteed great week!!

Lawyerliz said...

Of course I need you!!

Lawyerliz said...

Catholic University wants me to give them money! As an enticement there's a picture od the chartering pope on then envelope. Hahahahaha Snort hohohohoho.

Unknown said...

hee hee..

Rob Dawg said...

Last time I tried to hike Ranier adjacent even the parking lots were still not cleared. Vertical snow removal two lanes wide and 20 feet deep.

Unknown said...

wow..I've never seen it like that

Rob Dawg said...

Dammit. Ruined my joke. ;)

Rob Dawg said...

Better snow than lava.

Unknown said...

shhhhhoooooooo..

(sound of something going right over my head)

Unknown said...

oh..a volcano reference??

yup..not sure if I could live in one of those towns down below

LBD said...

Did you pay extra for American picked strawberries?

Unknown said...

American picked strawberries?

would you settle for "eligible to vote in California" picked strawberries??

LBD said...

I would settle for legally picked in Kali strawberries. Most of what hit our markets last year came form Ventura and surrounding areas.

Unknown said...

legally picked in Kali strawberries.

"Legally picked in xyz"...yeah good idea..we could get it certified like organics

Rob Dawg said...

We grow export berries and local berries. You don't want to know how much it would cost to get you local berries to a faraway place.

That said it is a total misdirection if someone tries to tell you that labor inputs are more than a tiny fraction of table costs.

Lawyerliz said...

Good morning east and west coast people. A lovely day today.

dodahman said...

Our local grower's strawberries are in and delicious. $2.50/pound, they pick. NICE.

dodahman said...

And yes, a good morning to all.

Rob Dawg said...

How about those payroll numbers? Last month was good but remember that monster number for February? Unsurprisingly revised way down to merely very good.

☕️ I have a feeling this will be a good day.

LBD said...

Good Morning!

Sadly hours worked still lagging and Leisure and hospitality dropped below 26hrs. Some good some not so good where it counts. IMO

Rob Dawg said...

Don't give up your night jobs?

LBD said...

UPRR here is starting to hire back after the big lay off last year. Still have one rental empty. Retail still failing.

Lawyerliz said...

Focus on the bad much LBD? The created jobs are relatively well paying, construction and manufacturing. Leas and hosp aren't. Also companies ate no longer allowed too in port Indians for beginner programming jobs to saveoney. I regard this as a very good thing. How can you be scarce of beginners?

Lawyerliz said...

Aside from the internet, the big chains don't know how to sell when it comes to the sales floor. Their sales people only know how to work a register. I have been looking of late for slightly more high quality and stylish clothing for a bit more money. HaRd to find and that's rediculous.

Lawyerliz said...

LBD, just what would make you happy? 4 months straight of over 300k job increases? U6 of 8.2? $ an hour increase in every body's pay next
Month? And all of this at the same time?

Lawyerliz said...

House went up 20 bucks. Hurrah!!

Lawyerliz said...

And if this wouldn't make you happy, what would we have to add?
I know! Mexicans in Mexico making an additional 2k a year, spread around more or less evenly!

LBD said...

Hours worked rise instead of falling. Peaked a couple of years ago. Mining and logging up but construction and manufacturing pretty much flat still. Overtime down a tic. Does any of this off set the gains you see?

Lawyerliz said...

If you hire more people overtime just might go down. This is ok I think. Since no houses were built for nearly 10 years I expect costruction will go up. I'm seeing some smallcoomercial costruction on Merritt Island, but that doesn't mean too much was a launch and landing recently and 2 more private laubches scheduled this week.

Lawyerliz said...

Hire more n people, and you need less over time. I expect house construction to increase, just wish. They would build more first time buyer type houses.

Unknown said...

G' Morning everyone...I see from the ADP numbers that America is great again!!

Lawyerliz said...

The first post didn't appear right away. So I summarized on a second.

Lawyerliz said...

And it's all due to . . No I can't say it, even in jest.

Unknown said...

just admit you were wrong Liz...it will feel great!! ;<)

Rob Dawg said...

Dawghaus still going up $500+/day. Funny thing. Their range is only plus/minus 4%. That's pretty damn arrogant of them.

Unknown said...

I think the algo goes something like..

Todays Zestimate = Yesterdays zestimate * (1 + number of times checked by homeowner/100)

Rob Dawg said...

Jest. Interesting choice of word.

Lawyerliz said...

Hahahaha.

I'm not wrong about this. Everything doesn't get better all at the same time.

Rob Dawg said...

If I gut my 80s kitchen past the studs and drop a Lexus on the remodel the z-guess wouldn't move a dime.

Lawyerliz said...

I think I will go chop some weeds.

LBD said...

Yes over time drops but most job categories don't even come close to over time. BLS Table B-2 average hours worked 34.4 still down a tic YOY. 6 out of 18 job sectors exceed 40hrs. To many part time jobs. Is 40 hrs full time or not? still a big problem IMO.

Lawyerliz said...

We plan a new roof sometime. In the next year. That you can actually see plus there will be a permit pulled. Plus outside painted and stuff inside done. Wonder if the algos.pick up permits?

Unknown said...

Is 40 hrs full time or not?

I won't be happy until everyone is working 60 hours per week... ;<)

Lawyerliz said...

I had a job of 47.5 hoursonce. I felt like I was full time.

Lawyerliz said...

Sorry, 37.5.

LBD said...

From a workaholics point of view anything less then 60hrs is a part time job. ;)
Enjoy the beautiful day!

Unknown said...

ahhh.the old 37.5 trick..helps employers avoid the accidental ot

Rob Dawg said...

I find it humorous that for a discussion about working hours my browser asks me to prove I am not a robot.

LBD said...

I still work at not having a job about 30hrs a week. So I guess I work full time. LOL!

sm_landlord said...

Can't be too careful. Those Russian BernieBroBots are everywhere!

Cinco-X said...

http://www.realclearscience.com/blog/2017/04/05/why_french_fries_are_more_of_a_superfood_than_kale.html

Clearly, someone could not subsist on the current conception of "superfoods," so how "super" are they really? A truer superfood, one which provides almost everything the body needs, is the humble potato. Packed with starch, fiber, and protein, as well as a plethora of vitamins and minerals, it may be the most complete food on the planet. Cut one up and lightly fry the slices with a little canola oil and a pinch of salt, and you've got yourself a healthful feast!

Lawyerliz said...

I signed myself out by mistake so
It sent me a number to log on With. But now my computer is broken in that it has lost my profile again.
It forets my profile but not the hub's.

Back to the shop we think.

Kale is not food.

Rob Dawg said...

Kale is what you put food on so that the rich meat juices don't soak into the plate.

Lawyerliz said...

What do you do lbd? Fix up your rentals?

Lawyerliz said...

The turtle came way out and was having lunch on my Blue Daze flowers. I told it what a nice turtle it was, etc etc my. No response. Then it saw me
And raced around the plants,not over them, back in the burrow. Do turtles have bad hearing?

Rob Dawg said...

Based on the last week my job description would be "sustainable garden installer." Discovered a patch of Osteospermum [south african daisy] on the middle hill and a really nice Santa Barbara geranium up top. Do we need pictures? I would think everyone is getting tired of them.

Lawyerliz said...

Yes. Not tired of them.
Why do I have to prove I'm not a robot every time?

LBD said...

What do I do? First I call myself a Hack of all trades, Master of none. This winter I did work on rentals. I also do heavy landscaping at home. Earth moving retaining walls made of 1 ton of concrete blocks. Plumbing, electrical framing and constructing a pool house and garden shed, Removing trees and placing large boulders I dug up. Bodywork and paint my truck while currently making a used not running jet ski (Tank 4'x 11') loading and launching system. Steel art, cut and stitch metal. Make anything I can and not have to buy it. Maintain the motor home, 5 years never been in a shop except for tires. I work at something everyday which makes money on the swing by not paying out already taxed dollars. Buy used or wholesale and refurbish. Then there is tracing investments. On and on. I have 20 years of work and projects ahead so I better stay alive for a long time. Frankly traditional retirement sucks. :) IMO

Lawyerliz said...

Gorsuch now accused of plagerism. A couple of scholarly articles so dense and boring, I can't imagine any body reading them the first time, let alone Gorsuch and then a human being reading everything he ever wrote vs every scholarly journal ever written??

Ummm. Maybe someone did this by computer using soft ware to compare similar words. Or, maybe an intern or student knew and turned him in? I find this accusation bizarre.

Did he do this so much it was easy to find?

LBD said...

Funny I was using "Reality what a Concept" for years and found out Robin Williams used it first. Plagerism!

Cinco-X said...

My wife couldn't stop talking about how nice it was for you to spend the whole day with us... And we were out until late in the evening. Terrific seafood in case I didn't say it before...

Cinco-X said...

That time was the mid-90s... They're pretty bitter by now

Cinco-X said...

I love the Seattle area... Lots of good music, at least back in the 90s, and lots of great food...

Cinco-X said...

If settle for not here illegally picked strawberries

Cinco-X said...

It's food for my food...

Cinco-X said...

Probably picked up by a computer algorithm, not a reader

Rob Dawg said...

Always hard to tell what people want/like. Especially on vacation when radically different might be the ticket. Glad to be a host albeit an awkward host. Next time we can step it up a notch. NE/NY doesn't look on the menu this summer but an Autumn tour might be in the offing. Mrs Dawg has never seen "the peak" as even when a teen and since she was always either a bit early or late.