Introducing Google Engage for Agencies in US and UK

[Cross-posted from the Agency Ad Solutions Blog]

Are you a US or UK based Webmaster? WebDesigner? SEO? Marketing Consultant? Freelancer? or offering web related services to Small Medium Businesses? then keep on reading...

At Google, we’re committed to the success of the digital economy and we believe that helping small business get online and thrive is fundamental to that success.

We recognize that many SMBs rely on freelancers and small agencies to create and manage their online presence as well as help them with their online marketing. To make the jobs of these agencies easier, we’ve launched a new training and incentives program called Google Engage for Agencies.



Google Engage participants will receive free access to educational resources dedicated for them and more incentives to grow their own and their clients’ businesses.

We hope Engage will help businesses that offer web services in attracting new clients and in adding value to existing clients. Check out Google Engage today and learn about the benefits the program can offer your business and the SMBs you support.

If you’re a webmaster, web-designer, digital agency, freelancer, SEO, IT consultant, or provide any other web services to US or UK based small businesses, you can apply to join the program starting today.

Please see links below for information on participation for US and UK-based agencies:
Google Engage for US Businesses
Google Engage for UK Businesses

Posted by: Alon Chen & Esra Guler, Product Marketing

A Plan for tanks.

The rocket equation has two parts structural efficiency and motor performance. Since the beginning of our project we have spent considerable effort thinking about structural efficency.

Clearly modern composite structures hold real promise for improving structural efficiency. I've dabbled in composite structures but I am very much a beginner. The tanks produced by professionals like Scorpius Launch Systems/Microcosm are both amazingly functional and beautiful. It would take me a decade to acquire that level of expertise. The recent composite coupons I tested for peroxide compatibility were fabricated by Microcosm/Scorpius. I'm currently riding home from a meeting at their facility where we finished the details of a joint development program to build peroxide compatible liner less tanks.

I think this is a win win for both parties Scorpius will get a new product line and we will gain access to world class tanks.

One Methodology, One Chart, Any Timeframe

Robustness of methodology is very critical to CP. If you can't rely on your methodology, then you will find it difficult to put the trade on. I use the same methodology on any market and on any time frame. That doesn't mean that you can just load any periodicity, but it means that within the periodicity range you want, you should be able to find a time frame that is in sync with the market's rhythm or fingerprint.

Robustness means that I don't want the methodology to "not work". "Not work" is a fairly subjective measurement. I'm OK with a losing day and a losing week and perhaps a borderline losing month if I can see why. These are things that need to be addressed in back testing. Getting the right mix of trade frequency, risk and reward is very important, taking into account your own inputs such as available capital, risk tolerance, hours available to trade, time required by you to make decisions and more.

I use the same methodology for longer term trading and short term trading, as I have said before, but I choose the best instrument to trade it: future, ETF or option, depending upon the context. I was always determined to be responsible for my own investments after seeing the mess that agents made of other people's. I remember the quote from Woody Allen in "Midsummer Sex Comedy" where he said he was an investment advisor: "

In actual life, I help people with their
investments until there's nothing left.

Sadly, the quote is often true. The problem with investments managed by others is that you really don't have a handle on the risk aspect a la the flash crash. I like risk as long as the reward is commensurate. Where people get unstuck is when they get, say, a 12% annual return and suddenly lose 50% or more of their capital. Hard to make that up. On the other hand, everyone can't be an expert at everything so most people find a half way plan. I get trading ideas from all sorts of people and then choose what I think suits me.

The Chart below of the daily Euro chart is a good example. Even the daily charts can be traded as HT or auto.

Today's trading was quiet in the London morning. One great trade and then a change of idea. I tweeted the Gap trade yet again. The Gap trade is one of my favourite trades, as you probably have gathered by now. For me, it's a really easy trade to put on and manage. It's also very easy to back test, so I can get it right. Look at the vid for today's action.

Expert Systems

It has long been known that well designed processes and procedures allow less experienced people to carry out more complex jobs.

Taking this into our world, using the computer in real time to instantly identify the possible setups to trade has merit for many traders. The concept of hybrid trading (HT) - auto entry with manual trade acceptance and management- in which the auto trader, such as my FloBot, automatically initiates trades certainly fits with this idea.

HT has benefits for both the expert and beginner trader. For the expert, it allows the trading of more markets simultaneously and requires a lower level of constant concentration - certainly something for those of us approaching old farthood should think about. For beginning traders it brings in even more benefits: having a trading plan built into the algo and its management policies, having a "mentor" looking over their shoulder identifying high percentage trading opportunities, an enforced discipline and several other pluses, all resulting in the beginner achieving consistent profitability more quickly.

I've got 5 markets under HT at the moment and the results are very promising. I'll share experiences in the blog of both the day trading as well as the longer term trades. They are all based on the same methodology you have seen in the blog for the last 15 months. That doesn't mean I trade them robotically.

Today at about 8.30am NY time  I tweeted the Gap trade with a reminder to watch the zipper: $ES_F Gap trade possible but beware MP zipper dn to 1257.75 You can see in the video how I traded it.

Measuring the Health of Your Business

The SBA says that in the last decade, the small businesses of America employ over half of all private-sector employees and created up to 80% of all new jobs annually.  Hats off to you, the small business owner for that accomplishment. We certainly need you in today's economy.But yet in the same breath, being a small business owner is very risky. In fact, government data says in recent years for

Diesel frustration...

I spent the day at FAR trying to get the diesel motor running.
I sent the following note and picture to the vendor I bough the generator from. Any ideas from the peanut gallery? I realize the text is kind of rough, but it is part of an ongoing conversation....



I've attached a picture with parts labeled.
I still don't have it running, so I'll explain.

Today:
First thing I did was fix the return plumbing on top of the injectors.
I did not end up replacing the injectors as when I got the new bolts it all sealed up.
The return line that goes from the right end of the injector string down to the filter was rubber and leaking so I replaced it with the new metal part
I got from you guys.

Between each step below I'm loosening the screws #B and pumping the little pump until I get clear fuel with no bubbles.
I'm treating screw B like one treats a brake bleed, you need to close it while clear fluid is coming out so it does not suck in air.

So after fixing that and priming and bleeding I try to run... nothing.

The I remove the left most injector line nut #A (shown removed in the picture)
when I crank no fuel comes out the empty fitting, nothing not even a drop.

Then I remove all four nuts, and nothing not even a drop from ANY of them.

I open cover #3 and lift up the plate and turn the motor over to make sure gear inside is turning. It is.

So one of the guys says diesel pumps have shear pins and that could be it.

So I remove panel #D and turn over the motor, you can see the plungers moving up and down so the shear pin is probably good.


At this point I text you.
So for the next step I remove the screws #2 and then unscrew the left most two fittings #1 and the one to the left of it.
Inside are little plungers and springs, the plungers may have been stuck but the are now free.

Then I reinstall the springs and plungers and turn the motor over (after bleeding) and noting comes out.

So I remove #1 again and manually operate the prime pump and fuel comes out.

If I only screw #1 in part way the prime pump can make fuel come out. IF I screw it in all the way the prime pump can't
make fuel come out. If I only put number 1 into the point that the prime pump can make fuel come out and crank the motor No fuel comes out.


A couple of comments
The Hose #10 is really stiff and too big for the nipple, I really can't keep it from leaking air.
All of the banjo fittings on the inlet side of the world seem to have non metalic seals that are dried out and leak.
These were some of the seals I asked you for, but I've removed #10 and the banjo fitting behind it and all the fittings going to the first fuel filter,
I've brought these home and I'm going to get new seals and new hose before I go back out.


Some questions:

So at this point I'm lost? The only thing I see that could be wrong is that the inlet check valve into the plunger pump assembly is stuck open?
At this point is seems like I'm down to a fairly simple concept" plunger pump and two check valves.
Where will I find the inlet check valves to unjam?
Can I remove the whole upper pump assembly #9, if so do I just remove the 4 nuts, or do I have to do something else?


#J is fixed and I'm guessing it should not be adjusted?

#H moves all the way counter clockwise when you try to start, I'm guessing that that is the ONLY shutoff the electronics has for the motor?

#C What is this and does it do anything?

It takes be 4 to 4 1/2 hours each way to go the the site.
I've now been to the site 4 times to work on the generator. not counting time on the phone at home or asking researching at home
I've spent close to 50 hours working on this what should I do next?

Did you guys actually run this motor at your office? (based on the way it was packed I'd guess no.)

So realize this motor has NEVER EVER EVER run, so what else could be wrong?

What Must I Risk To Find Out If I'm Right?

There's a great interview with Mark Douglas, here  that one of my students brought to my attention. It's really worth watching and thinking about. This blog entry is based on that video.

Once a trader has a methodology that gives a high win rate, the ONLY thing that he should do when he wants to put the trade on is ask WHAT DOES THE MARKET HAVE TO DO TO TELL ME I AM WRONG?

The one thing that he should not be thinking is WILL THIS TRADE BE ONE OF, say, the 70% WINNERS. There is no way that anyone can know how the sequence of 70% winners and 30% losers will unfold. Yes, we know that there will be 70% winning trades, but we cannot know whether the next trade will be one of those. THE TRADER SHOULD NOT EXPECT ANY PARTICULAR OUTCOME from any particular trade. All we must do is know how much we need to risk in order to find out whether the trade will be profitable or not. I teach my students not to try and cherry pick trades. If the picture fits my trade plan I must take it. Traders are not good cherry pickers. We tend to pick all the rotten cherries.

If you are unable to maintain your discipline in keeping to your trading plan then you must really be NOT ACCEPTING THE RISK. I teach my students to carry out a whole series of steps in order to achieve CP. All the steps are required in order for a trader to quantify, understand and accept the risk on every trade. Using dynamic trade and risk management based on a known trader's profile is, I believe, fundamental to achieving CP.

If you are not achieving your goals as a trader, look at this aspect of your learning. Once you can quantify, understand and accept the risk on every trade in accordance with a discovered trader's profile, the whole world changes.

Sad news from Bearded Ben Bernanke today: he doesn't expect the jobs situation in the U.S. to get back to normal for 4 or 5 years. I am holding my breath that the recovery continues without job recovery. More people are trying to become traders, especially those over 50, as a way of earning a good living.  As small traders, we wait for the "they" to move the market for us and we just grab their coat tails for the ride. Our job, as I have said many times, is to learn a methodology that enables us to see that activity.

Videos of part of my day are back starting on Monday unless something happens. They let me explain trades better than just a pic. They won't be every day, but as often as I have the puff.