Argentina Sets Debt Buyback (1)
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3 weeks, 3 days
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Argentina said it will buy back some of the country's debt, sparking a rally in bonds after last week's selloff.
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John said:
I like this for the Argentinean economy. Less debt equals a stronger economy. However, while this will reduce inflation and increase the purchasing power of ordinary Argentinians, this may make it more difficult to sell Argentinean products abroad.
Manufacturers' costs begin to ease (1)
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3 weeks, 4 days
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Manufacturers' costs fell unexpectedly last month boosting hopes that inflationary pressures will eventually ease to reflect the recent drop in oil prices
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John said:
It sounds as though the facts are starting to support my hypothesis that the lack of available credit would help correct the inflationary trends. I even said that I believed 'the worst was over' regarding inflation, but this has yet to be proven definitively by the markets.
Private Lending Dries Up (1)
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3 weeks, 4 days
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A retreat by private-sector lenders from the market for education loans is threatening to keep thousands of students out of college in the coming academic year.
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John said:
Was this any surprise after the crack down on 'preferred lenders'?
Bernie Mac Is Dead, Publicist Says (2)
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NYT > NYTimes.com Home (148)
3 weeks, 6 days
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Mr. Mac, an actor and comedian, died early Saturday of complications due to pneumonia, his publicist said.
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John said:
I never met him, but Bernie Mac just seemed like a warm, genuine guy. I'm sorry to hear about his passing.
How To Demo Your Startup (163)
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Michael Arrington (1990)
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TechCrunch (5470)
3 weeks, 6 days
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Jason Calacanis’ most recent post to his email mailing list is particularly relevant to our audience. He’s spoken with 200 companies in ten minute increments as they give their pitch to be a part of the upcoming TechCrunch50 conference. I agree with all of his thoughts below based on my own experience getting pitched from thousands of startups over the last three years. If you are pitching a company to the press, a conference, a ...
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Haltse said:
i really hope that the same rules applied to HR slideshows and new info. Very tired of the approach that Hey we have over a million bucks of talent in this room BUT! we're going to read to you from the screen.
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colladude said:
demo startup
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Jonathan said:
Seems like a lot of good advice about pitching.
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Nick said:
Great article for web startups
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Paul S said:
All good points
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SD said:
Jason , please start blogging. Your emails are toooooooooooooo looooooooooooong to read.
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Chris J Guerra said:
very useful info
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Neil said:
Excellent advice for ALL kinds of tech presentations...not just startup stuff
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John said:
This is great advice for anyone who has to make presentations, whether in tech or not.
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Stewart Rogers said:
must read in more detail!
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Martin said:
Great info here for anyone demoing their hard work.
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JeeBs said:
Great advice on the finer points of doing a demo of your product. As clear and definitive as you can get.
I Want My iPhone TV (4)
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Steve Gillmor (88)
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TechCrunch (5470)
3 weeks, 6 days
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The dog days of August lend themselves to kicking back and letting the world slide by. Since the advent of the Web 2.0 ecosystem, they’ve also been the province of a tech company version of the summer shows the networks play off - failed pilots, reality programming being tried out for the Big Show or another writer’s strike, and ratings stinkers that can be buried outside of Sweeps months. But the DVR has changed everything, ...
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John said:
I have been very disappointed with the TV shows and movies I can get on iTunes. Hulu is better, but I've probably been spoiled by NetFlix, which has just about any program I could want.
I Want My iPhone TV (2)
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Steve Gillmor (88)
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TechCrunch (5470)
4 weeks
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The dog days of August lend themselves to kicking back and letting the world slide by. Since the advent of the Web 2.0 ecosystem, they’ve also been the province of a tech company version of the summer shows the networks play off - failed pilots, reality programming being tried out for the Big Show or another writer’s strike, and ratings stinkers that can be buried outside of Sweeps months. But the DVR has changed everything, ...
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John said:
I have been very disappointed with the TV shows and movies I can get on iTunes. Hulu is better, but I've probably been spoiled by NetFlix, which has just about any program I could want.
Yuan Gains in Hong Kong (1)
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1 month
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China's well telegraphed, gradual upward adjustment of the yuan against the dollar has made the Chinese currency seem one of the few sure bets in global financial markets and it isn't just Hong Kongers latching onto it.
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John said:
China seems to be on the path toward responding to market forces through incremental steps. This means that it had to take gradual steps to increase its valuation. However, the Chinese government can't control market forces and it's currency will respond accordingly regardless of it's "official" valuation. I wouldn't say that their currency is a "sure bet", however. They have started to make credit more liberal (though only 5% more accessible), which will none the less have an inflationary impact on their economy and create a somewhat devalued currency. That doesn't reverse the overriding trend, but it is something to consider as a source of possible instability in the currency.
Guantánamo Bay Judge Admits Possible Error (2)
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The judge in the war-crimes trial against the former driver for Osama bin Laden said he might have given the military panel incorrect instructions.
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John said:
I'm no lawyer and I don't want to get into a political discussion, but it seems like they're making a bigger deal of this than it actually is. That's expected from the defense; it's their job to vigorously defend their clients. However, to claim that someone involved with Al Queda is engaged in a random act of violence rather than being part of a coordinated effort is not taking this organization at its face value. An excellent book came out detailing their efforts before 9/11 called "In the Name of Osama bin Laden" by Roland Jacquard. It was originally scheduled to be released before 9/11 and is less politicized than later books.
Venezuela's President Makes New Power Grab (1)
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1 month
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Ch vez has enacted a slew of decrees, formalizing the creation of a popular militia and further consolidating state control over key areas of the economy such as agriculture and tourism.
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John said:
My big worry is his taking over banking. Honestly, there are few things more important to defending freedom than monetary policy and credit policies.
Wendy's Struggles Ahead of Buyout (1)
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1 month
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Wendy's profit fell 32% amid higher commodity costs and stagnant sales. The hamburger chain agreed in April to a $2.4 billion buyout by Arby's parent Triarc.
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John said:
Hard to believe Wendy's started as a way for Dave Thomas to provide jobs for his kids and led him to create the most innovative restaurant that I know of. We still haven't felt the full impact of the ideas he came up with. He was the first to come up with the concept of separating the order and pick up at the drive through window. He was also first with the salad bar and other healthy options. Too bad the franchise couldn't capitalize on these ideas after his passing.
City Room: Can the Egg Cream Make a Comeback? (1)
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1 month
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A Lower East Side chocolatier hopes to re-introduce the fizzy drink. Its origins -- and deceptive name -- remain a topic of debate.
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John said:
I hope so, I've always enjoyed this drink and the Lou Reed song.
Wheels: Tato Nano Could Be Too Cheap to Succeed (1)
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1 month
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The wonderful era of the ultra cheap car -- the People's Car! -- could be over before it's begun.
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John said:
These ideas never seem to work out. Ford tried it with the Model T only to be outpaced by GM. Hitler tried it with VolksWagon (literally the people's wagon), which only succeeded under other management. Can it work this time?
Yahoo Shareholder Questions Vote (1)
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Wall Street Journal (2)
1 month
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A large Yahoo investor asked for a review of the recent shareholder vote, under the belief that that there should have been a greater number of votes opposing CEO Jerry Yang.
Brown to rule out windfall energy tax (1)
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1 month
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Gordon Brown is working with energy companies on measures to protect poor families from rising fuel bills but is not expected to order a windfall tax on the sector
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John said:
Hopefully our politicians, most notably Obama, take note and follow Brown's example in this instance.
AOL Is Closer to Splitoff (1)
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Wall Street Journal (2)
1 month
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Time Warner has completed the internal work necessary to separate its AOL unit's dial-up-access business from its advertising and content business. Now it will get serious about plotting the Internet unit's next steps.
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn Is Dead at 89 (3)
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1 month
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The Nobel Prize-winning author whose books chronicled the horrors of the Soviet gulag system, has died of heart failure, his son said Monday.
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John said:
The world has lost a great man today.
FCC Votes 3-2 Against Comcast (1)
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1 month
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The FCC voted 3-2 to reprimand Comcast for deploying technology to throttle Internet traffic to consumers who use high-bandwidth file-sharing services.
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John said:
Looks like their trying to impose net neutrality through a side door. Not a big fan of government involvement in these issues.
Fannie, Freddie Books Under Scrutiny (1)
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1 month, 2 weeks
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Bank examiners from the Federal Reserve and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency are looking at the books of mortgage investors Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
