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Ten Years Since BoomBustBlog Was 1st Published & That Initial Research Still Relevant Today
We have looked into insurance companies' performance last month in regards to our bearish real estate thesis. A small comederie of companies are suffering losses and/or declining profits as we've exected. This is due primarily to increases in their expense and reduction in revenue.
Bitcoin (and Apple) Mythbusting 101
Yesterday, I did a radio interview with Benzinga. In it I busted myths about Apple, Bitcoin and Coins in general (ABCs). Listen to the interview below and the info sheets afterwards and let me know if you knew this stuff was possible with today's tech - and Apple!
As for Apple...
And more on http://Ultra-Coin.com...
Why am I so bullish on Bitcoin? Note: this is not an offer to buy or solicitation for securities and is presented for illustrative purposes only.
As we roll out Veritaseum's UltraCoin ZeroTrust Smart Contracts, I'll be posting much more on "the new way of doing business".
Media Exposure
- Reggie Middleton Intro
- How Reggie Middleton's Start-up Patented The Future of Global Finance!
- Reggie Middleton on Wikipedia
- Who is Reggie Middleton?
- Bitcoin is not just digital currency. It's Napster for finance.
- Reggie Middleton's UltraCoin @ NYC CryptoCurrency Convention
- Reggie Middleton Wins CNBC Stock Draft for the 2nd time in a row - with the same stock
Margin Compression Is Coming in the Payment Processing Space As $100 Million Pours Into Startups
After an interesting discussion with those in my laboratory, I've decided to apply the forensic analysis team from BoomBustBlog to the privately funded companies in the Bitcoin space. See my post from yesterday for much of the reason why.
As clearly predicted yesterday, the better funded of the payment processors will initiate a pricing blood bath they'd likely kill for...
From PayPal's subsite on Mass Payments:
As you can see, PayPal has already imbued its service with much of the attributes that are being offered by the Bitcoin payment processors. They also have a material advantage as of right now, a massive installed base.
I also cannot emphasize enough how damaging the all too necessary customer service option is to margins. You see, the problem is most service companies don't put enough into customer service and handholding of the customer. From an optimal perspective, this should actually be part of the marketing and sales process, but it's often either non-existent or implemented as an after thought after enough customers start bitching and complaining, or worse yet (and likely most often the case) leaving!
As a company with mature management, it appears as if PayPal is trying to head this off at the pass as it attempts to change consumer behavior and prod them into adopting its new electronic currency payment system...
Now, let's compare PayPal to the newly funded Bitcoin payment processors...
Funding Rounds (3) - $32.50M
- See more at: http://www.crunchbase.com/organization/bitpay#sthash.yvlqpNtr.dpuf
An interesting departure from the per transaction/fee model, Bitpay implemented a subscription system which benefits those customers who perform a large quantity of relatively small transactions moreso than those who process large orders.
I calculate Bitpay's most recent $30 million series A round to have been at around 9.2x sales, valuing the company at $160 million. This is a guestimate, of course, since I do not have access to internal numbers.
Next we have Coinbase...
Funding Rounds (3) - $31.70M
- See more at: http://www.crunchbase.com/organization/coinbase#sthash.CD8IPTp6.dpuf
There's also Circle, founded by Mr. Allaire of Coldfusion fame (sold to Adobe Systems).
Funding Rounds (2) - $26M
- See more at: http://www.crunchbase.com/organization/nfc-direct#sthash.dd0DaxHc.dpuf
Circle has not publicly launched yet but promises to bring a new level of simplicity and user-friendliness to the bitcoin payment ecosystem, concentrating more on a banking paradigm then the technical bent that bitcoin is known to represent. This is all you need ot know about the Circle business model as it relates to this discussion of impending margin compression...
Free=Margin Compression!
Let's see how this plays out for customers. The most lucrative segments for this industry is the SME (small and medium business enterprises) who process anywhere between 10 and 1,000 transactions per month. Why? Because there are simply more SMEs than they are big companies in the world. Let's see what the two biggest bitcoin processors look like when stacked up against PayPal's Mass Pay product for the SME market...
Of course, the Bitcoin transactions are likely a loss leader for additional, value added services for many companies in the not too distant future. As a matter of fact, I feel that the payment space will quickly become commoditized by Bitcoin technology - forcing these companies and many more (I'm talking about you Mastercard, Visa and Western Union) to innovate and offer significantly and materially better value for the buck.
Imagine what this competitive landscape will look like when Mastercard, Visa, American Express, Discover and Western Union jump into the fray. Of course, before that a much greater portion of the VC and private equity community will wake up and realize the opportunity in Bitcoin to pour more cash into it than sugar into a Bubble gum machine (emphasis on "Bubble"). The key is to get in early, and get in right. But how does one do that and where will this tale of uber margin compression end?
Well, the research report from which this info is being prepared will be offered to accredited and instituional investors starting next week, at least those who have an interest in UltraCoin.
My next article on this topic will explicitly illustrate how UltraCoin can assist ALL players (that's right, including PayPal, Bitpay, Circle, Coinbase, Mastercard, Visa, American Express, Discover and Western Union) as well as their direct customers, in climbing up both the food chain and the value proposition ladder - thus rapidly repairing the margin compression damage they are about to bring upon thier business models.
Did Money Center Bank Ignorance of CryptoCurrencies Allowed A Start-up To Patent The Future of Global Finance?
Bloomberg ran a story earlier this week illustrating the human capital flight out of the Wall Street machine and into tech:
At elite universities, fewer MBA and finance candidates are willing to even consider a life of missed weddings, busted romances and deep-into-the-night deal negotiations. The percentage of Harvard Business School graduates entering investment banking, sales or trading dropped to 5 percent last year from 12 percent in 2006, while those entering technology almost tripled to 18 percent during that period.
At the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, the percentage of MBAs entering investment banking dropped to 13.3 percent last year from 26 percent in 2006, while those entering tech more than doubled to 11.1 percent.
Those of you who have been following finance from the Wall Street/Bay Street/Canary Wharf perspective realize that this is a cyclical occurence. Basically, Wall Street falls out of favor with MBA whiz kids every ten years of so. But!!!! This time is different. This time around, Wall Street, et. al. is about to succumb to the destructive forces of technology that transformed, revolutionized, disintermediated, gutted and absolutely reinvigorated the media, news and retail industries.
That's right! The Internet Paradigm Shift has finally hit Global Finance... and it's going to hurt, and hurt a lot!
As many know, the I've poured my time and resources into a start-up by the name of UltraCoin. Many have been clamoring for white papers and details, and I have been purposely secretive about such. The reason? I needed to entrency protection from my competition - the money center banks. How did I do this? Well...
I patented the future of Global Finance!
This video illustrates my presentation to both the mainstream and alternative media as I start my capital raising rounds from venture capitalists and strategic investos alike. Check it out!
Must be willing to sign an NDA. You should be knowledgeable and competent, but we prefer grit to genius. Prima donnas need not apply.
T-Mobile Threatens Deadbeat Carriers With The Death Of The American Wireless Business Model
It started in 2012 wiith the article "Deadbeat Carrier Creative Destruction In The Ongoing Mobile Computing Wars". That's when I warned that margins in the carrier space will collapse - just as they did in the cellular handset space, as new business models and the effect if Android start to ripple and reverbrate. My latest article in the series, "The Smallest & Liveliest Of The DeadBeat Carriers Successfully Launched Wireless WMDs" detailed how T-Mobile will throw the gauntlet down and turn the wireless industry on its head - at great risk not just to margins but entire business models. To wit:
There are 4 major national carriers in the US, basically two big ones two smaller ones. The smallest of the 4, T-Mobile, consistently get beat up - losing out on the right to subsidize the iPhone at a loss (like AT&T used to and Sprint still does) and basically losing subscribers. Then they decided to do something about it. They said, "Hey, let's stop being deadbeats!". By changing their pricing plans and eliminating subsidies and instead selling pure access to their virtual pipes (like a carrier is supposed to) combined with actual "real" financing of the hardware (at competitive rates, nonetheless) they essentially committed DeadBeat Carrier Blashphemy. The only issue was, it worked, to the chagrin of the competition - reference:
Reggie Middleotns Carrier Cost Comparison
Reggie Middleotns Carrier Subsidy Cost Comparison
As a matter of fact, in Deadbeat Carriers Compete, aka #MarginCompression!!! (exactly ONE year ago), I prognosticated that T-Mobile will kick off a pricing war that will bring about the greatest savings to the wireless consumer it has seen since the birth of the industry. I even went so far as to include and online interactive spreadsheet for readers to analyze their own savings - or potential therefore.
Well, fast forward to today and we get to see if Reggie's thesis is still holding water. From the Street.com in How the Consumer Wins In the Wireless Wars:
Carriers are engaging in a price war in order to win market share, with T-Mobile's "uncarrier" plans really shaking things up. T-Mobile has been aggressively trying to grab market shares by eliminating consumer "pain points," specifically the issue of locking customers into two-year contracts. T-Mobile has been rolling out programs to entice customers to switch their carrier, with the latest three offerings announced in April, where the company under the "Simple Starter," "Tablet Freedom" and "Overage Freedom" - eliminated all domestic overage charges for consumers, even those on legacy plans. T-Mobile had announced in March 2013 its "Simple Choice" plan that offered no annual service contract and low out-of-pocket costs on smartphones.
The company must be doing something right, given its impressive first-quarter subscriber growth of 2.4 million total net customer additions for the three months, making it the "fastest growing wireless company in America," it said in its earnings release last week.
Both Verizon and AT&T are combating T-Mobile by touting payment agreements for customersthat require little to no down payment, more data, and fewer service charges when it comes to multiple phones or being able to pay for the device itself in installments as appealing features to switch over. (Check with your carrier to see the latest offers available.)
That said, it's easy for consumers to get confused by the growing array of options, but it's clear that for once, the consumer is winning since costs associated with smartphones are becoming more transparent and understandable. "This trend, combined with a wider selection of fully functional mid-range and low-end devices, should help win over the undecided consumers but also will shift the growth away from the high end," Kantar stated.
Between the first quarter of 2013 and the first quarter of this year, spending on smartphones on contracts dropped to $93 from $119, while pre-pay spending dropped to $148 from $187, Kantar said.
Now, the mainstream media and sell side analytical community is just a year (or two) late in realizing this, but better late then never, eh? Also from the Street.com we have Why T-Mobile Is Beating AT&T and Verizon:
T-Mobile US shares were surging 8.1% to $31.67 following news that larger rival Sprint was prepping plans to propose a buyout of the carrier as its impressive subscriber growth for the first-quarter shows that consumers are digging its offerings.
T-Mobile, known for its "Un-carrier" initiatives, has been aggressively trying to grab market share by eliminating consumer "pain points," specifically the issue of locking customers into two-year contracts like Verizon , Sprint and AT&T . T-Mobile has been rolling out programs to entice customers to switch their carrier, with the latest three offerings announced in April, where the company under the "Simple Starter," "Tablet Freedom" and "Overage Freedom" - eliminated all domestic overage charges for consumers, even those on legacy plans. T-Mobile had announced in March 2013 its "Simple Choice" plan that offered no annual service contract and low out-of-pocket costs on smartphones.
The company must be doing something right, given its impressive first-quarter subscriber growth.
T-Mobile reported first-quarter earnings results earlier this morning in which it boasted 2.4 million total net customer additions for the three months, which included more than 1.8 million branded net customer additions, making it the "fastest growing wireless company in America," it said in its earnings release. T-Mobile ended the quarter with 49.1 million customers, it said. On the other hand, the company experienced "record low" churn of 1.5%, down 20 basis points from the fourth quarter and down 40 basis points from the year-earlier period.
... T-Mobile actually posted a net loss of $151 million, or 19 cents a share, for the three months ending March 31, compared to a profit of $106 million, or 20 cents a share in the year-earlier quarter, according to its quarterly filing. However, revenue at the Bellevue, Wash.-based company rose 47% to $6.87 billion year over year.
... Adjusted EBITDA came in at $1.1 billion, down 12.2% sequentially, which it attributed to increased equipment sales due to the "significant acceleration in customer growth and the success of its Un-carrier 4.0 - Contract Freedom offer." Adjusted EBITDA margin was 20% compared to 24% in the fourth quarter of 2013.<story_page_break>
... T-Mobile expects branded postpaid net additions between 2.8 million and 3.3 million for the full year and adjusted EBITDA to be in the range of $5.6 to $5.8 billion, it said.
Althouth T-Mobile may be hard pressed to replicate that pop in revenues and subscribers, I expect the trend to continue until and unless the other carriers match it in both pricing model and marketing efforts. I doubt they will do this until it is too late. They should, but they won't. That is unfortunate for thier investors for, as T-Mobile is the smallest of the top 4 national carriers, this is Verizon/ATT/Sprint's (in that order) fight to lose!
In addition, as revenue and subscriber rate increases subside, EBITDA may level off as the switching incentive costs amortize. This is not even considering what may happen if an entrepenurial and disruptive force (ex. Google Loon offshoots) appears on the scene.
Facebook Takes Life Seriously and Moves To Create Its Own Virtual Currency, Increases UltraCoin Valuation Significantly
For those who didn't get the memo, I've been toiling away in my lab creating the world's first "investment bank, securities brokerage, asset manager, money transfer agent" in-a-box that allows users to perform all of theses functions themselves on a ZeroTrust (meaning you don't need to trust or even know the other side of the transaction), peer to peer basis.
Well, it appears as quite a few of the big boys and heavy weights have a similar idea and are in the market to make acquisitions. Wouldn't it be ironic if UltraCoin (my iconic venture) was acquired before it gets its seed round???!!!
[Facebook] The social network is only weeks away from obtaining regulatory approval in Ireland for a service that would allow its users to store money on Facebook and use it to pay and exchange money with others, according to several people involved in the process.
The authorisation from Ireland's central bank to become an "e-money" institution would allow Facebook to issue units of stored monetary value that represent a claim against the company. This e-money would be valid throughout Europe via a process known as "passporting".
Facebook has also discussed potential partnerships with at least three London start-ups that offer international money transfer services online and via smartphones: TransferWise, Moni Technologies and Azimo, according to three people involved in the discussions.
In the case of Azimo, Facebook offered to pay the company $10m to recruit one of its co-founders as a director of business development, according to people familiar with the situation.
Yes, this space is heating up. It makes me feel good! You see, the Visas, Mastercards, Western Unions and Paypals of the world make a lot of money selling a relatively cheap services for a relatively large amount. BUT!!!! The Goldmans and JP Morgans of the world make much more money by selling very deep margined products and services for a lot more while paying a lot less to create them. It is here where UltraCoin has staked its ground. As the competition amongst the big boys starts to heat up, they will want to crawl up the food chain and I already have the ladder built!
"Facebook wants to become a utility in the developing world, and remittances are a gateway drug to financial inclusion," said a person familiar with the company's strategy. Facebook recently passed 100m users in India, which is its largest national market outside the United States.
My last post on this topic illustrated how UltraCoin will operate in developing markets by allowing currency, stock and financial asset exposure trades of anywhere from $5 dollars to $5 million, as well as sending money to others for just a little more than nothing, as excerpted from "Hardware IS Dead" Thesis Has Now Torn Through All Handset Providers & Now Everyone Can Act On It:
I've created an infrastructure that significantly expands these investment markets by allowing anyone, anywhere with an Internet connection (of almost any speed) to participate in almost any of the world's public financial markets. Taking the subject matter of this article into consideration, we can short Samsung on its own home exchange of Korea for nearly any amount, from $10 million US down to $8 ...
These same young investors can even hedge thier currency translation risk with a Korean Won US dollar forex pair, for 55 basis points!
Armed with the information from simply reading my blog posts, your brothers from Haiti or Botstwana can now take short positions in these (margin)doomed hardware manufacturers - taking the other side of the trade from these big name financial institutions that don't seem to read my writings.
These are young brothers from Haiti who sat through an UltraCoin lesson...
Back to the FT article:
It also comes as other internet groups – in particular, China's Tencent and Alibaba – race to turn their sites into mobile payment platforms.
Google has reiterated its commitment to expanding its mobile payments and wallet products, which have yet to be widely adopted by consumers. It is registered in the UK to issue electronic money, in a process similar to the authorisation which Facebook is seeking in Ireland.
In 2013, the company [Facebook] facilitated $2.1bn worth of transactions, almost exclusively from games, according to documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Vodafone has acquired an e-money licence for the phone company to operate financial services in Europe.
"It's great news that non-banks are challenging the traditional banking monopoly," said Simon Deane-Johns, a UK-based lawyer and European payments expert at law firm Keystone Law.
It will be interesting to see how the potential bidding contest will form as these companies compete to build the next generation financial infrastructure. I believe that I am very well positioned, as excerpted from yesterday's missive:
These are interesting times indeed. For those who are not aware of how far I've come in transforming the way value is traded across geo-political and socio-economic lines, I urge you to view the following video and/or peruse the embedded presentation below it.
Related BoomBustBlog research
My "Hardware IS Dead" Thesis Has Now Torn Through Every Major Handset Provider
I called the Apple short before it became vogue! I called the Blackberry short beforethey became the industry whipping boy! I warned about Nokia and made clear that Samsung Will Be Ready To Do That Fruit Thing! How'd I know all of this? It's quite simple, I explained it all in 2012 - Smartphone Hardware Manufacturers Are Dead. Well, now the chickens continue to come home to roost, as per CNBC:
In order to deal with such pressures, Samsung appears to be pricing the Galaxy S5 lower than its predecessor S4, according to Kang, who has collected pre-order prices for the device from around the world.
"It reflects the trend of smart phone commoditization – Samsung will have to learn to create profits at a lower price point," Kang said.
Earlier this week, Samsung said it's on track to post its second straight quarter of profit decline, as slowing smartphone sales growth continued to weigh on earnings.
Samsung Electronics 1Q profit view just shy of estimates
The South Korean tech giant estimated that its January-March operating profit fell by 4.3 percent to 8.4 trillion won, slightly below an average forecast of 8.5 trillion won, according to Reuters.
I've created an infrastructure that significantly expands these investment markets by allowing anyone, anywhere with an Internet connection (of almost any speed) to participate in almost any of the world's public financial markets. Taking the subject matter of this article into consideration, we can short Samsung on its own home exchange of Korea for nearly any amount, from $10 million US down to $8 ...
These same young investors can even hedge thier currency translation risk with a Korean Won US dollar forex pair, for 55 basis points!
Armed with the information from simply reading my blog posts, your brothers from Haiti or Botstwana can now take short positions in these (margin)doomed hardware manufacturers - taking the other side of the trade from these big name financial institutions that don't seem to read my writings.
These are kids that I taught UltraCoin to during my trip to Haiti a couple of weeks ago. Before you assume, the kids are actually quite bright and adept at math, and yes - kdis can easily trade with UltraCoin. My kids have been doing it for months!
My UltraCoin project will nearly double the available potential investors able to profit from these markets. By making the ability to participate in multi-asset class prices moves bi-directionally (that's right, long and short) I will be increase the liquidity of said markets by almost 2 billion people, as per McKinsey:
- 2.5 billion adults, just over half of the world's adult population, do not use formal financial services to save or borrow.
- 2.2 billion of the unserved adults live in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East.
- Of the 1.2 billion adults who use formal financial services in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, at least two-thirds, a little more than 800 million, live on less than $5 per day (purchasing power parity adjusted).
- Regulatory and policy environments, as well as the actions of individual financial services providers, affect usage levels in a way that is, to a large extent, independent of countries' socioeconomic and demographic characteristics.
I just had the pleasure of meeting this young lady from Botswana who's trying to spearhead Bitcoin adoption in her country. I've made friends and I'm going to supply her with the means to have the whole country trading a whole variety (UltraCoin can trade more than 10,000 tickers - stocks, bonds, options, futures, indices) of financial assets very soon.
I'll leave it up to you to determine who'll win those trades. These are interesting times indeed. For those who are not aware of how far I've come in transforming the way value is traded across geo-political and socio-economic lines, I urge you to view the following video and/or peruse the embedded presentation below it.
Samsung Follows Footsteps Of Apple, HTC, Nokia - Wasn't ...
Sep 6, 2013 - Smartphone Hardware Manufacturers Are DeadNov 29, 2012 - Two and a ... BoomBustBlog Mar 7, 2013 - applecutsabreandriod3d Two and a ...
Sep 27, 2013 - Here I go again – Hardware is Dead & Samsung Agrees Featured ... raw fundamentals and margins, let's look at the newest crop of hardware.
Nov 29, 2012 - Two and a half years ago I declared in my mobile computing wars series that Google would commoditized the mobile computing space, thereby ...
Dec 10, 2012 - Last week I told the world that hardwarevendors are DEAD! At least the fat margin business modelhardware vendors (like those whose name rhymes with Snapple). ... Related BoomBustBlog Subscription-only Research:.
The Man Who Correctly Anticipated Facebook's IPO Value Knows Why Whatsapp Was Purchased
No, Facebook is not stupid for paying $19B for Whatsapp! If they didn't do it, Google would have!
No, contrary to popular pro-Facebook belief, Whatsapp is not a synergistic buy. Remember, Facebook already has a near identical application (Facebook Messenger) already used by probably hundreds of millions.
So, why did Facebook spend this money (stock)? It's quite simple and rather obvious, but my competitors in the sell side are remiss in not discussing it... Facebook is DYING as a GROWTH company! My analysis of Facebook's Q1-2013 results read much differently from all of sell side Wall Street's - The Truth About Facebook That No Media Outlet Or Analyst Has Bothered To Notice:
In my previous warnings of Facebook euphoria, I brought up the topic of growth many times, particularly active user growth. Reference The World's First Phenomenally Forensic Facebook Analysis - This Is What You Need Before You Invest, Pt 1, while remaining cognizant that this was written exactly 1 year ago:
Thus, it is highly unlikely one can legitimately factor in the type of growth needed to justify the current Goldman $50B valuation - particularly when you consider that Facebook's growth is already slowing!
Well, let's see if I had a valid point now that we have clear and convincing historical evidence from which to base our analysis... (click any of these graphics to enlarge to print quality size)c
Uh huh! Facebook is MOVING BACKWARDS! IT'S LOSING USERS! LOOK OUT BELOW!!!
At this point, I can't help myself. I MUST point out the literal rippoff that Goldman Sachs pushed as a once in a life time investment a year and a half ago. As excerpted from Facebook Registers The WHOLE WORLD! Or At Least They Would Have To In Order To Justify Goldman's Pricing: Here's What $2 Billion Or So Worth Of Goldman HNW Clients Probably Wish They Read This Time Last Week! while remaining cognizant that this was written exactly 1 year ago...
Just a day or two later I penned Facebook Is Now Relying on Developing Markets For Growth, Is It Working? Let's Delve Into The Numbers...
Facebook is a farce even with the froth taken off of the IPO price. Why? As gleaned fromInternet World Stats...
These stats are from the 2011-2012 YEAR! Growth has likely slowed more since then! Here's a tidbit for those who don't subscribe that clearly illustrates... When it sounds too good to be true, it's probably not true!
FB IPO Analysis Valuation Note Page 01FB IPO Analysis Valuation Note Page 02FB IPO Analysis Valuation Note Page 03FB IPO Analysis Valuation Note Page 04
In More Doubts About "Liking" Facebook, I referenced the following infographic from Finance Degree Center:
As luck would have it, Whatsapp is the fastest growing company (in terms of active users) in the history of technology. Whatsapp also is the messaging market leader in nearly all major developing nations.
So, what Facebook is doing is buying user growth. It's doing so because…
- Not only can it not generate said user growth organically anymore, but
- It is actually losing subscribers
How does Facebook remedy its growth problems? Well, it should be evident at this point, it's buying the growth! Of course, this begs the question, does a growth company really have to purchase growth? This is a rhetoric question, which leads to this rather painful discovery (posed as a question): If Facebook is no longer a growth company, why doesn't its valuation reflect that of a rollup instead of a growth company?
If Mr. or Mrs. Market Participant broaches this question, look out belowwwwwwwwww……
Dated Facebook analysis is available to download for all paying subscribers (FB Q4-2012 Analysis & Valuation Note - update with per share valuation). I'm available to discuss this with professional and institutional subscribers via phone or Google+. Click here to subscribe or upgrade.
Bitcoin & Crowdfunding - Booming, Busting, and Birthing
This is a very educational show put on by Kim Greenhouse of "It's Rainmaking Time". She is one of the very few who eschew the soundbite driven media economy and chooses the long format, deep dive approach. While it may be too long for ADD crowd, it digs deep into a not so simple subject to foster understanding and comprehension. This was a pretty good show with an interesting cast of guests:
- Reggie Middleton - brash blogger, entrepenurial investor and founder of UltraCoin ZeroTrust financial contracts
- RootEleven founder, visionary, and Bitcoin programmer Andreas Antonopolous, who will explain why Bitcoin is like "the internet for money".
- Bitcoin trader and programmer Dave Scotese will provide deep thinking about what makes Bitcoin so important, and why the public should be involved in its development.
- Sam Guzik, one of the most sophisticated and knowledgeable SEC lawyers regarding crowdfunding and investment, will cut through the hype, misinformation, and wrong perceptions surrounding equity crowdfunding to highlight current SEC conditions and real opportunities in the crowdfunding arena.
This show is over an hour and a half long and I don't want the contet to be avoided simply because of its length, so I have included a hyperlinked menu below to assist in navigating to the topcis of your individual interests.
- 3:59 - The discussion starts
- 11:20 - The future of Bitcoin
- 13:14 - The distributed blockchain
- 14:15 - Hacking Bitcoin, the $10 billion bounty!
- 16:15 - Reggie Middleton's ZeroTrust contracts
- 21:50 - Winkelvoss bros., Bitcoin ETFs, institutiona investor participation in cryptocurrencies24:13 - The SEC's potential perspective27:10 - Who is Satoshi Nakamoto and is he really DARPA in disquise?
- 28:45 - Arbitrage opportunities
- 30:39 - Does Moore's Law apply to cryptocurrencies?
- 31:59 - Privacy vs Anonymity in Bitcoin
- 36:29 Q&A - How do you get bitcoin and who get's paid?
- 39:30 More about ZeroTrust contracts, what happens when contractual conditions are not met?
- 42:17 - Is Bitcoin really unhackable?
- 46:33 - How to hack Bitcoin? Well, the US dollar has been hacked several times with bail-ins, QE that turns your money into worthless paper, etc.
- 48:35 Is Bitcoin a speculative bubble? And a direct challenge to Peter Schiff!!!
- 53:52 Crowdfunding for equity, how to, why and when?
My SEC Warning Regarding RBS Prescient As Biggest Loss Since Crisis on Mortgages Provision
Bloomberg reports Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc, Britain's biggest government-owned lender, is on track for its largest pretax loss since 2008 after setting aside 3.1 billion pounds more ($5.1 billion) for legal and compensation claims. We will delve into this report in detail, but first a little background so we're all viewing 20/20.
I've been spending a lot of time rebuilding the banking system as software over a cryptocurrency framework. Basically, I'm building a more efficient, more "Trustworthy" financial system. Many are doubtful of these endeavors. I say, don't underestimate the effort. For one, a more efficient, more trustworthy system is sorely needed. Here we are, 7 years after the start of the great financial trainwreck that I'm known for predicting, and I'm still at it doing the same thing to the same industry. This is only possible when there's a structural problem in the industry. A problem that rapid advancements in technology are ripe to solve.
On Thursday, 11 April 2013 I penned, I Illustrate How The Irish Banking Cancer Spreads To The UK Taxpayer And Metastasizes Through US Markets! wherein I clearly illustrated that RBS is materially understating its liabilities AND even went so far as to include links to the SEC and the UK banking regulator so that US/UK taxpayers and investors can notify our erstwhile regulator(s) to the potential of financial shenanigans. The root of the problem is that RBS has materially under-reported its liabilities (in my oh so humble opinion.) Those that stress tested RBS (the same erstwhile professionals that allowed the Irish banks to pass their stress tests 3 months before they started collapsing) apparently overlooked humongous swaths of liabilities.
The amount of evidence that I produced to back my claims was prodigous...
What happened behind closed doors?
Ulster Bank gave a first floating charge in favor of the Central Bank of Ireland (an arm of the European Central Bank) and the Financial Services Authority of Ireland. U.S. investors would have had to rely on the contents of The Royal Bank of Scotland's 2008 Annual Accounts which apparently (in my opinion) concealed the existence of the CRO registered charges to the Bank of Ireland.
Now, back to the Bloomberg article...
The provision includes 1.9 billion pounds for lawsuits and fines tied mostly to the sale of $91 billion of mortgage-backed securities from 2005 to 2007, the lender said yesterday. It follows agreements Deutsche Bank AG, JPMorgan Chase & Co. and UBS AG (UBSN) struck with U.S. regulators to settle claims they didn't provide adequate disclosure about mortgage-backed debt sold in the housing bubble that preceded the 2008 financial crisis.
Are they referring to claims similar to the ones I made that RBS bought Ulster Bank full of unrecognized mortgage crap, levered up off it and hid the debt? I strongly suggest my readers brush up on how The Irish Banking Cancer Spreads to the UK.
More than five years after giving RBS the biggest bank bailout in history, the government still hasn't been able to cut its 80 percent stake.
... "When the crisis broke, the bank was involved in a number of different businesses in multiple countries that have subsequently faced heavy scrutiny by customers and regulators," McEwan, 56, said in yesterday's statement. "The scale of the bad decisions during that period means that some problems are still just emerging."
... The charges led the bank to cut its forecast for its core Tier 1 capital ratio, a measure of financial strength. RBS expects the ratio will be about 11 percent at the end of 2013, or as much as 8.5 percent under the latest rules set by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision. That's down from the company's estimate of 11.6 percent and 9.1 percent in November.
"Fronting up to our past mistakes is very expensive, but RBS is a much stronger bank that can deal with these costs on its own while running a good capital position," McEwan said on the call. "Dealing with these litigation and conduct issues is essential if we are to move the bank forward."
Well, I still haven't noticed them come clean on the Ulster Bank charge issue. If they really are going to "Front[ing] up... past mistakes" then they really need to address this, no? If the Ulster Bank charges are included in the Basel capitalization guidelines, then RBS needs a bailout, and needs one Now! It doesn't end their though. On Monday, 20 May 2013 I queried Who is RBS? Royal BS... or the Royal Bank of Scotland, to wit:
"An independent Scotland would have an exceptionally large banking sector compared to the size of its economy - with banking assets of more than 1250 percent of Scottish [gross domestic product] - making it more vulnerable to financial shocks and the volatility of the sector," the Treasury report said on Monday.
The report pointed out Scotland's banking exposure would dwarf that of Iceland and Cyprus, two countries that faced severe banking collapses in recent years. Iceland's banks, for example, had assets equivalent to 880 per cent of GDP, while Cyprus, which faced a banking crisis in March, had total banking assets of around 700 per cent of GDP.
The report as cited by the article then goes on to make more direct comparisons to Cyprus, not unlike I did two months ago, but with Ireland (see As Forewarned, The Irish Savers Have Just Been "Cyprus'd", And There's MUCH MORE "Cyprusing" To Come).
"At the end of September 2012, the two largest banks – the Cyprus Popular Bank and Bank of Cyprus – had assets in the region of 210 per cent and 175 per cent of Cyprus's GDP respectively."
"It is worth noting that, if Scotland became independent, its banking sector would be similarly concentrated (with two large players, Bank of Scotland and Royal Bank of Scotland and a number of smaller firms), and that an independent Scotland's domestic banking sector would be likely to be significantly larger than that of Cyprus (assuming no change to firms' domicile arrangements)."
I penned, I Illustrate How The Irish Banking Cancer Spreads To The UK Taxpayer And Metastasizes Through US Markets! wherein I clearly illustrated that RBS is materially understating its liabilities AND even went so far as to include links to the SEC and the UK banking regulator so that US/UK taxpayers and investors can notify our erstwhile regulator(s) to the potential of financial shenanigans. The root of the problem is that RBS has materially under-reported its liabilities (in my oh so humble opinion.) Those that stress tested RBS (the same erstwhile professionals that allowed the Irish banks to pass their stress tests 3 months before they started collapsing) apparently overlooked humongous swaths of liabilities. The charge documents referred to in the aforelinked article are definitively not apparent in the recent bank stress testing' conducted by the European Banking Authority, at least not in the summary results that the EBA have made available. For those who are still skeptical, I beg thee reference the RBS Stress Test download.
To think, there are actually many who query as to why I seek to make a more efficient financial system...
With the latest advances in technology, I can literally replace large swaths of bank functions with software. Software that doesn't lie, cheat, steal, or screw you for a bonus! Zero Trust software...
If the RBS/Ulster Bank mortgage-backed secutities would have been traded through UltraCoin, rehyppthecation, double-spending, over-leverage, and thrice pledged assets would have been a thing of the past. These contracts are overollateralized (200%) and use no leverage, yet still hold the promise of significant return, not to mention a mere fraction of the cost of the big bank stuff. Will the dawn of this technology herald the end of fractional reserve banking as we know it?
Let it be known, Wall Street banks' profit margin IS my business model!!!


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In 1970, did John Lennon really throw a brick into Paul McCartney's home?
There is a scene in 1970 that I saw in "Lennon Naked" where John gets out of his limo, hops over the fence of Paul McCartney's house and throws a rock at a window of his home. John is pissed that Paul has left the Beatles. I saw this, also, in the "Linda McCartney Story." In that film, a bearded Lennon pulls up outside of Paul's home, hops the fence, yells out, "McCartney!!!" Then proceeds to pick up a rock and throws it at the front door window of McCartney's home. Since it has been portrayed in two films, now. Did this event really ever take place? And, if it did, was this at Macca's Cavendish Road home?


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Champion Facebook Initiative
March 3, 2008
Claire Edgar, Director of Marketing, Champion, Hanesbrands, Inc., and L. Lynnette Fuller-Andrews, Assistant General Counsel, Hanesbrands, Inc., discussed how Champion successfully employed Facebook to reengage college age consumers.
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text:
Thom Mellum
Thomas Ralph "Thom" Mellum, 52, lifelong Minot resident, died on Tuesday, March 12, 2013, in his home.
Thom was born March 12, 1961, in Minot, to Markus and Mona Lou (Miller) Mellum. He was reared in Minot and graduated from Bishop Ryan High School in 1979. Thom was employed by Bechtold Excavating, Ward County as a jailer and emergency management coordinator, Don Bessette Motors and CarQuest, all in Minot.
Thom, known as "Wildfire" by his friends, especially enjoyed softball with the McQuade Tournament being a highlight, tailgating at MSU football games, open microphones and was a closet comedian. He was always there to help and he took great pride in making people smile or laugh, and helping to establish the Minot Area Emergency Resource Council.
Thom is survived by his sister, Barb (Bryce) Leigh, of Colleyville, Texas, and several nieces, nephews and cousins.
Thom was preceded in death by his parents and brother, Steve Mellum.
Social Gathering: Today, Wednesday, March 20, starting at 6 p.m. in the Barley Pop, Minot.
Booksigning: Today, Wednesday, from 4 to 6 p.m., in Thomas Family Funeral Home, Minot.
Those wishing to sign the online memorial register or share memories and condolences are invited to use the expressions of sympathy section at (www.thomasfamilyfuneralhome.com).


text:
Topic: Storing 'gets' Input In An Array
Hi all,
Ruby noob here learning the ropes. I'm currently going through this tutorial;
And am working on this exercise;
Let's write a program which asks us to type in as many words as we want (one word per line, continuing until we just press Enter on an empty line), and which then repeats the words back to us in alphabetical order.
I'm ignoring the alphabetical order part, for now.
Here is my code;
puts 'Hi, do you need something sorted?'
yn = gets.chomp
while yn != 'no'
puts 'What else?'
array = [gets]
yn = gets.chomp
puts 'Here\'s what you told me: ' +array.to_s
I've tweaked this for a few hours. To prevent my laptop from breaking due to an act of frustration I'm taking a break. Can anybody with more experience, and possibly more patience, point out my errors?
Last edited by RubyStn (2011-03-07 14:16:24)


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Here's how RW members rated this race in the past (90 votes).
In short: stunning scenery!In full: Fabulous course with stunning views and mostly off road.Thanks to the great army cadets! Nice touch to give out gels on route but needed more water stations towards the end (sunny weather contributed to that!)Lovely finish in such a picturesque venue!Date of review: November 7, 2011
In short: Beautiful routeIn full: A stunning route with some great views. More hills than I expected. Nothing too steep or long but plenty of ups and downs. Not sure what was going on with the 24 mile marker. Would prefer regular mile markers but if that wasn't possible perhaps we could have them for the last six miles? Entry fee a bit steep.Date of review: November 7, 2011
In short: The Rutland rumbleIn full: 3rd marathon of the year and my 2nd time for this event - so I thought I knew what to expect...Excellent Marshalls & supporters throughout the course (Encouraging everyone that went past). BIG thanks to the Cadets on water stations / road crossings - very smooth and efficient. The run?...ah well, not as good as last year, those little hills on the double loop got the better of me and had to walk mid-race(!), gave me more time to enjoy the views! Will be back, with a little more hill-work (downs) under my belt.Date of review: November 7, 2011
In short: Very pretty location, good for a first off road marathonIn full: A fairly low key race in a very pretty location.Pros: Beautiful location, regular water stations, good marshalling + lots of local supportCons: too many stop starts with gates and cattle grids, a lack of anything going on at the end, lack of communication at the start.Overall a good race but the entry fee wwas too high for what we got for it.Date of review: November 7, 2011
In short: Beautiful scenery, challenging in a good way. Well worth itIn full: Definitely a bit of a challening one, certainly on the upper end of undulating to the point of being hilly (especially the middle double loop of the island bit). Was hard work but scored a PB by 4 minutes of which I am extremely proud. The support was great from the locals, runners were friendly, and showed off Rutland Water and surroundings in their full autumnal splendour. Definitely hilly, but in a good, challenging way that will make you proud to finish it. For a small, off the beaten track race it has friendly marshalls, locals and supporters in the right spots.Downsides, It is a bit of a pricy race for the organisation and goody bag. It's a good 20+ minute walk to the start line from the car park (surely a route reshuffle to iron that out is possible?). My deep antipathy to water cups at the drinks stations instead of bottles too. The distance markers every three miles were pretty far out if my garmin is to be believed. I was generally under for every marker up to 24 miles, where suddenly I was half a mile over, then finished with my garmin saying I was under again. These are little logistical issues though, all in all I would recommend this to anyone. Just be prepared for some testing 'undulation'Date of review: November 6, 2011
In short: Scenic course, friendly marshals, enthusiastic spectators, low key compared to big road races, but that's not always a bad thing!Date of review: November 6, 2011
In short: Lovely scenery and lots of friendly runnersIn full: Good course with lots of scenery. Very hilly but cant have been that bad as I beat my PB by 2 minutes. Very friendly atmosphere and a fantastic route.2 minor gripes - very expensive for a generic medal and cotton Tshirt. I did Kielder Marathon last month and they managed a Technical Tshirt and a bag bulging with goodies goodies at the end. Secondly was disappointed with the organisation at the end - none of the organisers knew where the bus back to the carpark was. After a hard 26 miles you could do without wandering around for ages looking for a lift back to your car.All in all though a good eventDate of review: November 6, 2011
In short: Hilly but spectacular scenery made up for itIn full: A tough race given the rolling hills but well worth the effort for the views in the woods and across the water. Personally I could have done with a few extra water stops but everything provided was as described and no complaints. A challenging course, but who wants another flat'n'fast marathon. Good to test yourself now and again!Date of review: November 6, 2011
In short: Beautiful Rutland WaterIn full: Costly mara given the perks, and organisation, but that's soon forgotten once you set off. Gorgeous route around the trails, peninsula and a few villages. I found it very tough due to poor training and on the day injuries, but the fellow runners, atmosphere and views kept me moving. Mile markers just every 3 miles, cadets handing out cups of water every couple of miles, and sporadic but great supporters. Would love to be able to return again, as my wife and I loved our weekend based in Normanton.Date of review: November 6, 2011
In short: Second year and will be back next yearIn full: The course is a tough one (for me anyway) and rarely stops going up and down but it is beautiful. Good T-shirt and medal and chip timed helps make the cost seem not so bad and it must take some organising.Date of review: November 6, 2011
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text:
Costa Del Mar Corbina 580 Polarized Sunglasses
Product Information:
Take on the sun in the sharp-looking Costa Del Mar® 580P sunglasses. With sharper angles and wider temples, these Costa Del Mar® sunglasses enhance your vision and keep you covered. No-slip Hydrolite construction keeps these Costa sunglasses secure regardless of what you're doing while a co-molded frame design adds durability. With an integral hinge, the Corbina keeps you cool under any sun in an eye-catching Costa eyewear style.
- Sharper angles, wider temples
- No-slip Hydrolite construction keeps the frame secure
- Co-molded frame design
- Integral hinge type for fit, comfort
- Lens Size: 62mm/38mm
- 125mm temple length
- Bridge/DBL: 19.5mm/18.5mm
- 8-Base curve provides fit and protection
- Nylon frame material
- 580P frame material
- Style: CB 18 OGP, CB 01 OGP
- Costa Del Mar
Country of Origin: ChinaWeb ID: 20622356
Customer Reviews:
Rated 5 out of 5�by 2 reviewers.
Rated 5 out of 5�by Moore great sunglasses Very nice pair a of sunglasses great quality for the money for 169.00 you get polarized lens and a lifetime warranty. If you fish Costa is the way to go. July 2, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5�by Vaughan Excellent!! I have owned just about every brand of sunglasses out there, these are by far the most comfortable and clear glasses I have ever had! Love them! September 10, 2013
1-2 of 2


text:
Event: Canoe Sprint, Canoe
Height: 5'3"
Birthdate: 6/2/1996
Hometown: Gig Harbor, Wash.
Club: Gig Harbor Canoe and Kayak Racing Team
High School: Gig Harbor High School
2015 U.S. World Championships Team Member
- 2015 ICF Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Championships:
- 6th in C2 Women 500m Final B with Rachel Marcuson
- 29th overall in C1 Women 200m
- 2013 Junior World Championships - 4th in Jr. C2 500m with Savannah Jones
- 2013 Pan American Championships - BRONZE in Jr. C1 200m, SILVER in Jr. C2 200m, SILVER in Jr. C2 500m
- 2013 Lake Placid International - 5th in Jr. C1 500m
At what age did you start paddling and how did you become involved in the sport?
When I was 7 or 8, my parents bought me a yellow sea kayak for Christmas because we had just moved to a house on the Puget Sound. I enjoyed it so much that when I was 9 my parents signed me up for the development team. That summer was so fun that I continued throughout the winter and wanted to paddle at Nationals at Green Lake, Seattle. However, there was no way I would do remotely well against girls way older than me, so my coach signed me up for the canoe races. Ever since then, I have been paddling my way down the course in a canoe, whether a single or team boat.
Where and when was your first competition, and how did you do?
My first regatta was in Ridge BC during Bantam Champs which is now called Pacific Cup. This is always the first race that our development team competes at, and it was mine also. I did okay in all my races because there are only so many Atoms that can stay in a boat and still finish the race. The one I do remember clear as day was my first 1000m race. I had no idea what I was doing but when people on your team are cheering as loud as possible for you, it gives you this adrenaline. Anything is possible with that feeling, and that is what made me win that race.
What has inspired you to train and compete at an International level?
All of the older girls that trained and competed would always return home with stories and pictures of the competition and people who they had met, which made me want to also be at that higher level. I heard stories of those Europeans that were so much better than the US, and that inspired me to try and catch up, and even to win at an international regatta.
What is your preference - individual or team boats, and why?
I prefer individual boats because the outcome depends solely on my performance.
What race distance do you prefer, and why?
I enjoy 200m's the most because you can't hold back and save for another part of the race but you have to give it your all.
What has been your biggest accomplishment(s) in the sport?
Probably racing at the Junior Worlds Regatta in Brandenburg, Germany in 2011, where our C2 placed 5th.
What is the best advice you have been given and who offered it to you?
I guess that the best advice given to me is the things I think about during a race that have been said earlier. So far the three main things are said by my parents. My dad always tells me to keep my arms straight and use my hip! (He is my coach, by the way) And my mom told me once in a race with two girls, "if your not first, your last!" Well, I guess that little advice will always be there.
Playing soccer, volleyball, and hanging out with people, and to relax I love reading books.
What would you like to do after your Canoe/Kayak career is over?
I am going to become a nurse and do missions in South or Central America.
What is your favorite thing about the sport of Canoe/Kayak? Do you have any special memory that you would like to share?
My favorite part about this sport is that off the water we are a huge family and everyone is friends with each other, but nobody lets it get in the way on the water.
What is your dream goal?
That Woman's Canoe would be added to the Olympics and that I could represent the first canoe woman team from the US in the Olympics.
USA Canoe/Kayak Announces Sr. and Jr. National Sprint Teams
April 24, 2014
USA Canoe/Kayak would like to congratulate the athletes who have met the selection criteria and will be representing Team USA this summer.
Year in Review: Flatwater Sprint
Dec. 04, 2013
In the first season since the retirement of three-time Olympian Carrie Johnson, the battle for women's kayak supremacy was wide open. Among a host of Oklahoma City-based paddlers, Kaitlyn McElroy (Oklahoma City, Okla.) emerged as a potent threat in both kayak singles and doubles.
RECAP: 2013 U.S. Sprint National Championships
Aug. 08, 2013
Based in Gig Harbor, Wash., GHCKRT won its second consecutive Sprint National Championship team title under Head Coach Alan Anderson. The club takes home the Yonkers Trophy with 28 athletes accumulating 473.5 points.
RECAP: 2013 Junior/Under-23 Sprint World Championships
July 30, 2013
Six US boats record Top 20 finishes Sunday, making nine total boats on the weekend. Ryan Dolan's 11th place finish in men's Under-23 K1 200m punctuated Sunday's performances.
RECAP: 2013 Lake Placid International
July 12, 2013
The 2013 Lake Placid International also served as the U.S. ParaCanoe Team Trials. Team USA will compete at the 2013 U.S. ParaCanoe World Championships Team, to be held as part of the 2013 Sprint World Championships in Duisburg Germany, Aug. 28-Sept. 1.
2013 Senior, Junior, U23 and OHR Teams Announced
April 28, 2013
Congratulations to the athletes selected to represent Team USA!
McElroy, Hornsby Shine at 2013 U.S. Sprint National Team Trials
April 24, 2013
The 2013 Team Trials marks the beginning of a new Olympic quadrennial, in which there will be some big shoes to fill. In senior women's kayak, Kaitlyn McElroy (Oklahoma City, Okla.) will get the first shot at replacing replace three-time Olympian Carrie Johnson (San Diego, Calif.), who retired after London to enter veterinary school. McElroy finished first in both the 200m and 500m finals before teaming up with her Oklahoma City Boathouse District training partner Maggie Hogan (San Diego, Calif.) to win the K2 500m distance.
Slalom, Women's Canoe added to 2015 Pan American Games
Feb. 12, 2013
The Pan American Sport Organization (PASO) made two major announcements on Feb. 8 regarding canoe/kayak and the competition program for the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games.


text:
Correction: This story has been updated to reflect that Sens. Landrieu and Baucus opposed extending the assault weapons ban in 2004.
President Obama admits he faces an uphill battle in getting his gun proposals through a wary Congress. The politics of the 2014 election partly explains why.
While much has been made about the GOP-controlled House being recalcitrant, the Democratic-controlled Senate isn't exactly a cakewalk. For starters, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada -- who would normally do the heavy lifting to get Obama's legislation through the chamber -- voted against the 1994 assault weapons ban.
STORY: Obama plan faces hurdles
STORY: Obama challenges Congress
Twenty Democratic Senate seats are up for grabs in 2014, many of them in states with high gun ownership. Some of those Democrats weren't effusive about Obama's proposals that were outlined Wednesday:
Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu said in a statement that she will be "reviewing the proposals put forth by the administration and will give them serious consideration as they are brought for debate in the Senate." She voted against extending the assault weapons ban in 2004.
Sen. Max Baucus of Montana wasn't an automatic "yes" vote, either. "Before passing new laws, we need a thoughtful debate that respects responsible, law-abiding gun owners in Montana instead of one-size-fits-all directives from Washington," Baucus is quoted as saying in Roll Call. He also voted against extending the weapons ban in 2004.
Minnesota Sen. Al Franken says he'll support tightening background checks and putting limits on ammunition magazines. As for the assault weapons ban, Franken on Thursday issued a statement after he said the Rochester Post-Bulletin "mischaracterized" his position in a newspaper story.
"I also support the principle that we should reinstate an assault weapons ban, and I will carefully review any proposal to do that," Franken said. "We need to make sure we don't really have weapons out there that are really designed for the battlefield, and not for hunting."
Add to these statements the fact that Sen. Mark Begich of Alaska, another Democrat up for re-election in 2014, already said he would not support reauthorizing the assault weapons ban and the precarious position for Obama in the Senate becomes clear.


text:
ESPN Preview
No "Big Fella"? MORE HOLLINS YES!
http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/74245 ... to-raptors
Let's see how the boys respond to the opening night humiliation at the hands of the "long" Raptors. A team that lost 3 straight, against much better competition, after playing the Cavaliers. The Raptors are coming off of beating the HORRIBLY COACHED Knicks.


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Wednesday 4 February 2009
Institutional Investor Profile: Richard Harris, Chief Executive, Port Shelter Investment Management
Richard Harris on the private equity scene in Asia, on the potential bubble in distressed debt funding, on private equity lock-ups and on the improper practices of some GPs.
The Business for Democracy Campaign, which the American Sustainable Business Council is spearheading in partnership with Free Speech for People is tackling the compelling issue of corporate contributions to political campaigns.
The U.S. Supreme Court's Citizens United v. FEC decision on January 21, 2010 allows corporations to spend unlimited funds to support or oppose candidates for political office, overturning campaign finance laws in place for decades. The Business for Democracy campaign is an initiative of business leaders and their companies who believe this ruling is in direct conflict with American democratic principles and a serious threat to good government. The campaign supports the four members of the Supreme Court and the 80 percent of Americans who disagree with the decision (Washington Post poll, Feb. 17, 2010).
If you'd like your business to join this effort, you can sign the statement of support here or here.
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Wednesday 4 February 2009
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text:
Sterling Silver, 18K Yellow Gold with Diamond Hook & Eye Bracelet
Item #: 473825 | Model #: SBBS112D |
We're sorry, this item is not available in your selected Club. Check another Club
About this itemA stunning sterling silver hook and eye bangle with 18K gold and diamond accents.
A classic hook and eye bangle bracelet specially created in sterling silver with brilliant round diamonds set near the top clasp (.03 total carat weight). This gorgeous handcrafted bracelet complements a variety of styles ranging from casual dress to more formal evening wear. Its high polished look coupled with a satin finish is simply perfect for any occasion.
Assembled Country
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USA And Imported
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Standard - 2 to 6 business days
Some items require customization Click here for estimated delivery.
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This product is covered by the Sam's Club Member Satisfaction Guarantee. Returns must include all original packaging, including the IGI certificate and certificate of authenticity (if applicable).


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text:
Since News seem to be so slow i thought id post a pic spam of Robsten Cuteness cuz lets face it who doesnt like i mean love Robsten
3 of my fav photoshoots. Look at the way they look at each other? How playful they are? I smile everytime i see one of this pics. It makes me HAPPY!!!
So did they or Didnt they? The whole kiss thing? Me thinks they did kiss. What do you think? all i know i was screaming like a little girl with excitment.
Can we say Cute?? we have this pic on our sidebar cuz its just so cute. Hmmm?? smitten you think? Look at her smile what does it tell you??
This looks like the one on top but if u look closely this one is
Million dollar smiles!!! They seemed so cute and happy at the premier. Did you guys catch the like little stomach poking from Rob to Kristen? That was so cute:)
- Hope you liked our little Robsten Cuteness post. Tell me what you think. Leave us some love on the comments. We promise we dont bite:) (LOL)~Alma


text:
Bunny on a Bike Ride
Posted by Jonathan Maus ( Publisher/Editor ) on April 3rd, 2007 at 12:46 pm
Posted by Jonathan Maus ( Publisher/Editor ) on April 3rd, 2007 at 12:46 pm
NOTE: We love your comments and work hard to ensure they are productive, considerate, and welcoming of all perspectives. Disagreements are encouraged, but only if done with tact and respect. If you see a mean or inappropriate comment, please contact us and we'll take a look at it right away. Thank you — Jonathan
Simply responding to demand.
Helmet-shmelmet says BikeSnob NYC.
I believe that in the resistance of the 21st century the bicycle will play a crucial role.
A positive step that came at too great a cost.
I watched 100 videos this week — here are the ones worth watching.
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BikePortland.org is a production of PedalTown Media Inc.
Original images and content owned by Pedaltown Media, Inc. Not to be used without permission. Photo Requests


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The Four Truths about Boomers and Media
December 15, 2010
Danny O'Toole, vice president of custom research, Nielsen Online, and Jenny Liu, industry marketing manager, Google Inc., teamed up to discuss why advertisers may be missing the mark on hitting America's largest and most wealthy demographic.
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text:
A collection of stories from individuals with disabilities, families, friends, and disability service providers in Tennessee
Showing stories 1 - 2 of 2
Results related to: 22 to 35 years / Down syndrome / Family
"Every father deserves to know what will become of his child once he is no longer able to provide for their needs anymore.
"If it doesn't seem right, I don't care who's telling you, if it's not right, you make it right. You have to make it work. You do whatever you need to do. You need to always understand what your rights are and what your child's rights are, or else you may
get short changed."


text:
Not as big of a PR move as killing UBL, but as far as the war on terror and mitigating threats to the US, this is at least as significant. This guy's group was responsible for the butt bomber on Christmas, the printer bombs that were intercepted last Halloween, and God knows how many other ongoing plots. USA! USA! USA!
Islamist cleric Anwar al-Awlaki 'killed in Yemen'
The US-born radical Islamist cleric and suspected al-Qaeda leader Anwar al-Awlaki has been killed in Yemen, the country's defence ministry has said.
A statement said only that he died "along with some of his companions".
Mr Awlaki, who is of Yemeni descent, has been on the run in Yemen since December 2007.
The US has named him a "specially designated global terrorist" for his alleged role in a number of attacks and he is said to be on a CIA hit list.
He is described by US officials as leader of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.
He has been implicated in the US army base killings in Fort Hood, Texas, the Christmas 2009 Detroit airline bomb attempt, and a failed bombing in New York's Times Square.
When he was imam of a San Diego mosque in the 1990s, his sermons were attended by two future 9/11 hijackers, Khalid al-Midhar and Nawaf al-Hazmi.
In a video posted in November last year he called for the killing of Americans, saying they were from the "party of devils".


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Qais Akbar Omar (GRS'16), a graduate student in the Creative Writing Program, has published a much-praised memoir, A Fort of Nine Towers: An Afghan Family Story. He recalls how the violence and tumult of civil war jolted his family, who, despite losing relatives, their home, and possessions, continued to nurture his wish to attend a university.
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The beginning of a new year, and particularly MLK Day, is a fitting time to reaffirm the importance of diversity in our intellectual community and to recommit ourselves to achieving it. Read More
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Vintage Goebel M I Hummel West Germany Strolling Along With Umbrella 1958 # 5
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- $90.00
- Or Best Offer
- Quantity Available: 1
Vintage Goebel M I Hummel West Germany Boy With Umbrella 1958 # 5 ( Strolling Along)
M I Hummel Goebel Figurine Collectible; Franz Goeble was a Porcelain sculpture started producing the first Hummel's in 1935; these are great collectibles especially the vintage pieces.
This is a vintage Goeble M I Hummel; it is hand painted with bright colors just adorable. This Hummel depicts a cute little boy with sweet face, brown hair, pants and boots wearing a black hat carrying an orange umbrella with a cute little dog walking along side. This is a signed piece incised with M I Hummel on the base and stamped with Bee hallmark and West Germany made in 1959. This Hummel figurine will create a nice display piece in a curio on a shelve, great addition to an existing collection or to start a new these make endearing gifts to last a lifetime.
Condition: Great, free of chips cracks or repairs.
See Our photos for enlarged Macro views and compete conditions
Measurements: 5" Tall x 3 ½" x 2 ½" Base
We make it our goal to portray our items as accurate as possible and look over our items as closely as we can to highlight not only the best features but anything that may require some attention. Since all our estate pieces are sold "as is" and non-refundable it is imperative you are completely satisfied and confident in this item's condition before buying or making an offer. Therefore, we request you examine the photos to see the color and conditions and if you have any questions contact us.
Please note that our pieces are Vintage and antiques. Therefore they may have small imperfections such as nicks, scratches that are consistent with use and age; they are not in perfect new condition. We have a passion for antiques and collectibles; but are not experts; we utilize many resources to obtain accurate knowledge on the items we sell and describe the best features and anything that may require some attention. We will include in our condition report any issues like chips, tears or missing parts. Please contact us if you have any questions regarding condition or for additional pictures.
ALL our pieces are professionally wrapped to insure proper procedures for the safest delivery possible. We sell vintage pieces so we go to great lengths to insure proper attention goes into each item. Shipping handling and insurance will be added to each order when you apply your zip code, any discounts will also be calculated at that time. Your item will automatically be insured for the total amount you paid. However in the event your item ever arrives damaged please email us within 2 days, keep all the packing material, boxes along with the item, we will file a claim for you ASAP. Hawaii, Alaska and Canada will go through USPS. All additional international Fees Customs, Worldwide Taxes are the buyer's responsibilities.
Thanks again, have a Great Day!
Memory Gallery
- Angola, Indiana
- Seller Since 2010
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Dealer Accepts:
Shipping:Free Shipping
Item Details:
- Reference #
- 1111111123
- Quantity
- 1
- Category
- Ceramics
- Department
- Antiques
- Maker
- Goebel M I Hummel
- Year
- 1958
- Country of Origin
- west Germany
- Shipping
- Free Shipping
- Dimensions
- Width: 6 inches
- Height: 8 inches
- Depth: 6 inches
- Weight: 2 pounds
- Condition
- Good


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A day of remembrance
By SAUNDRA AMRHEIN
Published May 5, 2007
BALM - Farmworker Lucina Lopez picked peppers early Friday morning. But then she took a break, for something quite important.
At the Good Samaritan Mission, her 5-year-old daughter, Jennifer Arredondo, wore the most beautiful white dress imaginable, a cascade of ruffles and lace.
Lopez watched as Jennifer beamed. The little girl's hands clutched the cloth skirt and fanned it as far as her arms could reach. Jennifer, her hair in a dainty bun, swayed to the left, to the right, leading with a fold of fabric, shuffling her feet to the trumpets of the jarabe music playing on the stereo.
Her smiling moon of a face crumpled for a split second as she looked over to make sure her mom was watching - and, of course, she was.
"Smile, " Lopez called out. "Smile."
Some people will celebrate Cinco de Mayo today with cervezas and two-for-one margaritas.
But in a quiet corner of Hillsborough County on Friday, others started with costumes and history. On a patch of land surrounded by farms and the concrete block homes of field workers, Jennifer joined three dozen other children from Good Samaritans day care and prekindergarten program for a morning of pageantry.
Teachers decorated the cafeteria with red, green and white streamers. They hung a poster board with pictures of the city of Puebla. There, on May 5, 1862, Mexican soldiers, outnumbered 2-to-1, defeated French troops. The victory likely headed off a showdown between the French and the United States, embroiled in the Civil War.
Outside, the children lined up behind a pickup truck decorated in a mission banner. The truck piped out brassy Mexican dance music.
The children squealed for mothers with cameras.
"Vamos! Empiezale!" one teacher shouted, to get the parade moving.
Someone put the truck in gear, and it inched forward.
Girls in satiny skirts followed, lifting their hems above the dirt. They held hands with boys in straw hats and red kerchiefs. The boys' tiny cowboy boots made triangles in the sand. One struggled to level a sombrero that seemed as wide as his arm span.
Moms, some still in work clothes, snapped pictures, flitting around the slow-moving cluster like fireflies.
"Viva Mexico!" yelled a teacher.
"Viva Mexico!" the children yelled.
"Viva America!" yelled the teacher.
"Viva America!" the children yelled.
They inched along the dirt driveway, then back along its other side, before going indoors to eat.
Lopez returned to the pepper field.
History had been remembered. It was time to go back to work.
Saundra Amrhein can be reached at 813 661-2441 or email@example.com.


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Embraceable Cool Nights
Notch Collar Pajama Top Big Dot Wishful
Style: 6570065115
Out of Stock
Dots in light new hues put you in the springtime mood. Notch-collar top has yellow satin piping on the collar, button placket, chest pocket and 3/4 sleeves. Pair with the Big Dot Wishful Crop and petal-appliqued PJ Cami in Yellow Cream.
- From the Embraceable™ collection of PJs. The softest, most luxurious in the world.
- Our exclusive Cool Nights® breathable knit keeps you cool and dry.
- Ribbon-covered neck seam.
- Non-cling stretch knit retains shape and silky drape, even after countless washings.
- Length: about 26.5" from shoulder.
- 93% Rayon, 7% Spandex. Machine wash, cold; tumble dry. Imported.
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