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Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Make Making Money

Drought denial's tougher to pull off than climate denial.Photo: Luke RobinsonWhere and how will climate change first affect large numbers of American voters? Answering that question may be crucial to the global efforts to protect the Earth's climate. The tsunami of stupidity and science denial that has washed over Washington, D.C., won't be held back by earnest calculations of long-run risks, or by the potential inundation of remote island
nations, or by the news that polar bears and other iconic species are endangered.

While climate change may seem remote, the water crisis in the Southwest is all too immediate. Recent years of drought have reached critical levels, threatening to curtail agriculture and even the normal patterns of urban life throughout the region. Even if today's climate remained
unchanged, water use in Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah would more than double over the next century, just from population and income growth.

In a recent study, Elizabeth Stanton and I show that the changing climate will make a bad situation worse, increasing the Southwest's water consumption by an additional one-third of today's level of use. There is simply no way to get that much water; the region's rivers and rainfall aren't going to grow. Ocean desalination is expensive, energy-intensive, and environmentally controversial. Groundwater, which makes up the water deficit today, is bound to run out at some point; it is being used far beyond its recharge rates in California and Arizona, and probably elsewhere as well. There are two different estimates of California's current groundwater reserves; the state would need three times the more optimistic estimate in order to make it through the next century.

Solving the water crisis will require reductions in water use. Nevada and Utah are the top two states in per capita residential water use today. Extensive conservation and efficiency measures will be needed, reshaping urban water use, improving irrigation methods, and cutting back on the region's lowest-value crops, which are worth less than the water used to grow them.

It gets much harder to solve the water crisis when it gets hotter: We found that climate change could add as much as $1 trillion to the costs of water scarcity for the five Southwestern states over the next century. As Americans start to experience mounting costs of climate change in this and other areas, spending money to reduce carbon emissions will look like a bargain
by comparison.

So here's a message from planet Earth to our newly elected congressional "leaders." You've made it clear that you're not planning to protect the climate because of what's happening to polar bears, or the islands that are sinking beneath the waves, or even because you care about the lives of your great-grandchildren. But you've got to take action anyway; controlling climate
change is crucial if you want people to have reliable water supplies in the Southwest. This isn't the only way that you'll feel the impacts of climate change in years to come -- but it could be the first big one.

The biggest names in the tech industry seem to have collectively decided it's time to make the billions. Sure Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter have sold some ads and Foursquare brokered some promotional deals. But with the second wave of IPOs on the horizon and investors' eyeballs getting as round as the tech bubble, the time is nigh for tech demigods to show that they can make money off all those users they've spent years accumulating. And hopefully not alienate them in the process. Today, Mark Zuckerberg inched closer to that dream of a trillion dollars by offering streaming movies — and tanking Netflix's stock. Meanwhile, YouTube closed a deal on a production company presumably to make its very own content. Intel cast a wide net to examine tech companies' latest money-making ventures. Then we looked into our CrystalBall app to see what they might try next.

Facebook

Moneymaker: Warner Bros. just became the first Hollywood studio to stream movies directly on the social network. Facebook has been making a big move toward e-commerce lately, and the fact that you have to use Facebook Credits to buy movies and TV shows could be the tipping point to get users to hand their credit card info over to Mark Zuckerberg. Plus, studios looking for a way to stop Netflix's growth might not make Facebook suffer the same 28-day waiting period for new content.

Downside: At 30 credits (or $3) for a 48-hour rental for The Dark Knight, it will cost you. Plus, you have to "like" the movie or the director to get the privilege. Do you really want hundreds of your Facebook friends to see you "liked" and watched Valentine's Day on Valentine's Day?

What's next: Why should you use a credit card to buy Facebook Credits when you can use Zuckerbills (coming to a U.S. Treasury in 2020)?

Twitter

Moneymaker: In order to make money off its free iPhone app, this weekend Twitter introduced a number of new features, including Quickbar, a "forced trending topics bar" that includes promoted tweets — negating the idea of a service that quickly shows you what's actually trending.

Downside: Pundit John Gruber quickly dubbed the feature "Dickbar" after Twitter CEO Dick Costolo, but Gruber issued the unfortunate nickname on Twitter and it was widely retweeted. Advantage Costolo.

What's next: Can we pay someone to monitor our Twitter feed for us? It's getting overwhelming. Either that or design personalized lists of the best people to follow based on what's important to us, like updates on Libya and breaking bear-cub news.

Foursquare

Moneymaker: At SXSW this week, Foursquare is set to announce a partnership with American Express that will link users' credit cards with their Foursquare accounts. The incentive to consumers? Deals like "spend $5, save $5" at participating merchants. Although Foursquare said its motivation is to increase membership and loyalty and that it won't charge Amex for the privilege, it's hard to believe that will stay the case if it catches on.

Downside: We don't have an Amex card. And (confession) although we use the app for recommendations, we've never actually checked in anywhere. Sorry, Dennis and Naveen! But if they add other credit cards, we would.

What's next: How about a service that warns you beforehand if you're about to friend one of those compulsive people who check in with handfuls of people at name-dropping locales?

YouTube

Moneymaker: YouTube just closed a deal to buy Internet video company Next New Networks, the producers behind Auto-Tune the News, for less than $50 million. Although rumor had it that Google was trying to get into the video-production business, Business Insider reports that the move is actually designed to help existing YouTube partners make "more and better content." Which then leads to more users and, subsequently, more expensive ads.

Downside: Isn't YouTube's strength either grainy weird viral videos or pirated television, movie, and music content? The second could definitely use better quality, but does it even matter for the former?

What's next: How about veering into Hulu territory?

Skype

Moneymaker: Just regular old advertising on the Windows version of its paid video communications service.

Downside: Although Skype says it won't show ads during the video conferencing yet, this could devolve into a Minority Report-style advertising assault.

What's next: Would it be possible to embed microphone/receiver in our brain so we don't have to use the special headset? Just curious.

Update: TechCrunch makes an important clarification. Facebook hasn't announced its own streaming movie service. Rather the movie offering comes from Warner Brothers app that uses Facebook Credits' payment system. But if it proves successful and other studios follow suit, Zuckberg can still count on more personal credit card info coming his way. Someone better go tell Netflix's shareholders.

BenchCraft, LLC announced that it can debut its Concert Sequence, a fresh line of recliners with an integrated sound program, at Great Position Market place on October 17-22, 2009. Concert Series recliners function two built-in stereo speakers in addition to a subwoofer made especially to make a full collection of sound. It has tactile motors that can either vibrate together with the sound or be chosen independently as a massage method, and separate controls that make it easy for for person adjustments to get created to your volume, bass/treble, and then the tactile/massage feature. The system, that will have a beginning price point of $699, will also include things like a mini audio jack so consumers can connect to their various audio resources (i.e. iPods, MP3 players, cell phones, and so on.). To that conclude, Sinning mentioned that Berkline will even be introducing in choose movement
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furniture its new eCoupled solutions option--a wireless charging station for digital units which include cell phones, MP3 gamers, and laptops. Formulated by Fulton Innovation, it eliminates the will need for energy cords by building an electromagnetic conduit combined with an intelligent control product that frequently monitors power movement so different products from unique manufactures can cost at the same time. eCoupled technologies is also protected for electronic gadgets given that it can provide only the amount of power
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The Bench Craft Company gives you no excuses for that complicated effort and perseverance that they commit themselves to so as to keep on their own since the leader in nationwide onsite golf program home
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Monday, March 14, 2011

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Surface Encounters proudly ensures client satisfaction and selling price putting in granite assurance. “I’m usually skeptical going with new vendors, but your employees has crafted me a believer!” - Steve, Indianapolis

Surface Encounters is a fast-growing surface encounters organisation and, nonetheless they've stored speed with the many latest purchaser referrals. “This organisation has become the most reasonable, trustworthy and friendly companies while in the overall state. I would advise them to just about anyone.” - Mike R., South Bend

Lots of effort goes into making fabulous countertops from nature. The process features laser measurement artistic vein matching, precision diamond and water-jet cutting, edging and pro set up. One particular won't be able to simply simply call in their buy for any customized countertop and have it within every day or two. Excellent normally requires time.

Surface Encounters encourages persons to go to a showroom to learn extra about all-natural stone countertops. Other than the selection and fabrication course of action, yet another important portion of customer treatment is making certain a person is aware ways to care for their granite countertop to maintain it browsing new for years to come.

Granite is really a attractive pure stone item which can be a well-liked substance used for countertops and floor tiles in kitchens and bathrooms. Granite has surpassed marble in popularity as a result of is it even more resilient and much simpler to treatment for. Granite is unmatched by artificial merchandise for its strength and durability, tolerance to temperature changes and resistance to stains and scratches.

Granite is actually a naturally shaped stone that is definitely quarried from deep in the earth, harvested, cut, polished, sealed and set up in residences to add splendor, elegance and fashion. Due to the fact it is just a natural solution, no two slabs are exactly alike. Granite is obtainable in several colours through the a variety of minerals that happen to be determined with the rock. Because it arrives from all over the world, totally different regions and environmental factors allow it to be extraordinary.

Granite is mainly built up of quartz crystal, however it also comprises varied quantities of other metals this includes feldspar, mica, copper and iron. Some granite may very well contain bits of gold or silver. The amount of every single metal depends around the region it comes from. All granite is formed right into a really hard stone by heat and pressure. Rain adds other minerals as it is forming. It will be out there all over the world, in all country, and each region will deliver a surface encounters completely unique variety of granite.

Surface Encounters state-of-the-art machinery ensures the highest outstanding completed product or service because they style and design a number of the very best kitchens and bathrooms. Granite Countertops enhance the warmth and beauty of real estate even while raising their value and improving upon lifestyles.

Surface Encounters can be involved with worker morale; satisfied workers are additional very likely to lead on the achievement of the internet business. On top of that to currently being a successful provider and a single that is amazing to perform for, Surface Encounters does their portion to preserve our planet.

Surface Encounters does what is proper for his or her prospects, staff in addition to the surroundings. Surface Encounters utilizes superior h2o recycling capabilities to recycle approximately 43,000 gallons of water on a daily basis. Moreover, 100 % of the scrap produced in building tasteful kitchens and breathtaking baths is re-used as aggregate in road developing, surface preparations and concrete.

The Columbus, Ohio Grand Opening of Surface Encounters options an art gallery showroom of Granite, Marble, Quartz and Engineered Stone counter tops. Retailer Supervisor, Scott Donnelly unlocked the doors on the showroom at 4717 Roberts Road, just west on the I-270 Beltway. The Surface Encounters production plan uses precision, automated technological know-how all the way through the fabrication of your customer's custom-made counter best, these as: a laser measuring alignment that packages the diamond-tipped sculpturing blades. Surface Encounters' course of action consists of computer-driven program that perpetuates the stone's normal veins. Every last Surface Encounter retail store has at the very least one particular registered, interior designer to help you in producing the completed project you may be seeking for. The craftsmanship continues through the

House owners are deciding to remodel instead than market their real estate in today’s market place
Granite countertops have become a the best preference amongst Wixom individuals for kitchen remodeling tasks. Kitchen remodeling is often the primary undertaking tackled with households paying 3,000 hours or more annually in their kitchen. Granite countertops supply an setting that enhances the good quality time put in with household and good friends. Granite countertops previous a lifetime and boost the top notch of houses.

Surface Encounters Wixom retailer manager, Sal Dellacasa, says there are various causes shoppers are looking for granite for their countertop must have. “Granite countertops add magnificence and elegance to a kitchen. Granite is offered in a selection of vibrant colors and prosperous textures and its strength and durability is unmatched by every other normal stone or synthetic countertop material.”

Surface Encounters’ prospects take pleasure in expert services along with a pleasant, effective workers to tutorial them with the kitchen remodeling process. Numerous of Surface Encounters new customers are referred to them by prior clientele.
"This enterprise is just about the most cost effective, reputable, and pleasant corporations during the total state. I might advise them to people." Mike R. Clinton Twp., MI

"The corporation has usually been there to help me in whichever way achievable. Thank you so much!" David V. Lapeer, MI

Surface Encounters Macomb would be the family home of half-off granite for kitchen and bathroom countertops. Granite countertops by Surface Encounters have promptly come to be the leading alternative for Macomb residents who're remodeling their kitchens. Kitchen remodeling usually requires priority with families spending 3,000 hours or even more each year within their kitchen. Granite countertops supply an atmosphere that enhances the level of quality time put in with loved ones and associates and better the quality of homes.

Surface Encounters Macomb keep manager, Sal Dellacasa, says there are lots of good reasons people are opting for granite for his or her countertop demands. “Granite countertops add attractiveness and elegance to a kitchen. Granite is available in a selection of vibrant colors and rich textures and its strength and durability is unmatched by every other surface encounters organic stone or synthetic countertop material.”

Surface Encounters’ potential customers enjoy qualified service along with a friendly, practical employees to guidebook them with the kitchen remodeling process. A lot of of Surface Encounters new shoppers are referred to them by former customers.

Friday, March 11, 2011

Making Money Work

Founded in 2009 by Amanda Steinberg, DailyWorth can be a everyday e-mail newsletter that features info on fiscal literacy and capital management skewed towards a female audience. DailyWorth’s topics selection from how you can organize your finances to tax tips to conserving counsel. And DailyWorth has an outstanding editorial workers to make subject material. MP Dunleavey, earlier a own finance columnist along with the Ny Occasions and at present a contributor with Moolah magazine, is main DailyWorth’s editorial staff.

Despite unions’ long hatred of Scott Walker, the new governor is shifting to deal with each the symptoms on the condition along with the disease itself-the public-sector union scheme that has molested Wisconsin’s taxpayers and their youngsters by gaming the system. Unions like Wisconsin’s teachers’ union [WEAC] (which was Wisconsin’s biggest-spending lobby in 2009) happen to be extraordinarily adept at fixing the process via spending millions to elect politicians who, in turn, reward the unions in the expense of the taxpayers.

the Wisconsin fight, when compared to private-sector negotiations is about: one) the Scope of Bargaining, 2) Union “Income” Security [Right-to-Work vs. Forced Dues], 3) irrespective of whether Wisconsin should certainly be the unions’ dues collection agency [payroll deduction of dues], and 4) no matter whether public-sector unions need to be ‘recertified’ by holding elections any yr.

place the pictures over the internet to demonstrate our assignments crew at msnbc.com, and photographer Jim Seida reported, why really don't we just publish it like a slide exhibit? I used to be skeptical in the beginning - would that crimp the writing? - but while in the conclude I used to be advocating carrying out it by doing this when the photo team was skeptical. I assumed far more most people would study by means of it by doing this, and it could be well worth an experiment.”

commercial fishing boats based in Crescent Metropolis set to sea very last evening once the tsunami alert was 1st broadcast. It is really better to journey out huge waves at sea than with the dock. Now many of people boats are operating minimal on fuel, however they are unable to return to port even when the surges proceed, reported Chris Renner, owner of C. Renner Petroleum Co. in Crescent Metropolis, which serves the fleet

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Making Money Your

On Monday evening, I watched my initially, The Final Word host Lawrence O’Donnell.
Whereas O’Donnell laudably tried to target the audience’s consideration onand hopefully last, Charlie Sheen trainwreck interview, courtesy of the tragic undertow that threatens to pull Sheen underneath for wonderful, I used to be overtaken, not from the pulling about the thread, and the voracious audience he serves. It did not make me depressing, it made me angry.

In terms of celebrities, we will be a heartless nation, basking within their misfortunes like nude sunbathers at Schadenfreude Seashore. The impulse is understandable, to some degree. It might be grating to pay attention to complaints from people today who get pleasure from privileges that the majority of us can’t even imagine. Should you can’t muster up some compassion for Charlie Sheen, who can make extra cash for a day’s do the job than the majority of us will make within a decade’s time, I guess I cannot blame you.

Together with the speedy tempo of activities online in addition to the facts revolution sparked from the World wide web, it is rather straightforward for the technology community to imagine it is one of a kind: frequently breaking new ground and executing issues that no one has ever before finished earlier than.

But there can be other types of home business which have by now undergone several of the exact same radical shifts, and also have just as good a stake while in the long term.

Take healthcare, as an illustration.

We typically feel of it like a enormous, lumbering beast, but in truth, medicine has undergone a sequence of revolutions within the past 200 years which are at the very least equal to individuals we see in technological know-how and specifics.

Less understandable, but even now within the norms of human nature, may be the impulse to rubberneck, to slow down and consider the carnage of Charlie spectacle of Sheen’s unraveling, but for the blithe interviewer Sheen’s existence as we pass it inside the best suited lane of our everyday lives. To get sincere, it can be challenging for people to discern the distinction amongst a run-of-the-mill focus whore, and an honest-to-goodness, circling the drain tragedy-to-be. On its very own merits, a quote like “I Am On a Drug. It’s Termed Charlie Sheen” is sheer genius, and we can’t all be anticipated to take the full measure of someone’s life each and every time we listen to a little something amusing.

Extremely fast forward to 2011 and I am seeking to look into means of being a little more business-like about my hobbies (mainly new music). By the conclude of January I had manned up and started out to promote my blogs. I had established numerous completely different weblogs, which had been contributed to by friends and colleagues. I promoted these routines by means of Facebook and Twitter.

2nd: the little abomination the Gang of 5 about the Supream Court gave us a yr or so back (Citizens Inebriated) in reality includes a touch bouncing betty of its individual that could rather nicely go off inside faces of Govs Wanker, Sacitch, Krysty, and J.O. Daniels. Because this ruling prolonged the notion of “personhood” to both businesses and unions, to try out to deny them any most suitable to run in the legal framework that they were organized beneath deprives these “persons” of your freedoms of speech, association and motion. Which means (after once again, quoting law college trained household) that possibly the courts have to uphold these rights for the unions (as individual “persons” as guaranteed through the Federal (and most state) constitutions, or they've to declare that these attempts at stripping or limiting union rights really have to utilize to important businesses, also.

This was supposed to be an article about monetizing your life as an amateur musician. It’s become an opinion piece on my experience of Google AdSense.

Google Adsense allows you receive revenue through placing content-specific adverts on your website. The system makes Google around $8 Billion a year.

I signed up for Adsense several years ago. I had a travel blog which was general only for family and friends. If I remember correctly, my travel blog made me about £0.05 across 2 years or so.

Fast forward to 2011 and I am trying to investigate means of being a little more business-like about my hobbies (mostly music). By the end of January I had manned up and started to promote my blogs. I had created several different blogs, which were contributed to by friends and colleagues. I promoted these activities through Facebook and Twitter.

After a few weeks, I was looking at around 2,000 hits a month across all my content sources. I was feeling pretty proud of myself. My Google Adsense balance was approaching £10, and I hoped I could make around £50-100 a year. Google then disabled my account.

When your Adsense account is disabled you receive a standard email which tells you there has been "invalid activity". It directs you to a help URL. The only response you can take is to make an appeal.

Taking the matter particularly seriously, I spent some time writing the appeal which outlined my thoughts on the invalid activity. My guess is that I have violated their "don’t click on your own ads" policy when I’ve been proudly showing off my sites to friends and family. Since my IP address is logged on Blogger etc. and my clicks are less than 1% of the total hits received from countries far and wide, I assumed that they would realise my site was genuine.

Continued on the next page

Source: http://removeripoffreports.net/ online reputation management

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Saturday, March 5, 2011

Making Money on Line

What to do with those coupons that you impulsively bought off of Groupon, Living Social, Ideeli, or any of the many other discounted ‘deal of the day’ sites? Sell ‘em!

That’s right, there’s a site for everything these days, and selling coupons, while initially relegated to online bulletin board sites, such as Craig’s List, have established their own re-sale sites and are open for business.

In case you’re not in the know about these daily deal sites, they provide a great, affordable way to discover what a city has to offer by selling heavily discounted deals for services and products in your area or online - With deals like Living Social’s Amazon price buster, offering a $20 gift card for $10 and surpassing one million gift cards sold, there are sure to be some “miss-buys.” You thought you wanted, or needed it, but in the end it was something you were never going to use.

After doing a little investigation, I came up with several names of deal for “resale” businesses, with a few emerging as the leaders of the pack. DealsGoRound, CoupRecoup, and Lifesta are suddenly making an impact in the market.

Yael Gavish, co-founder of Lifesta, says she saw a need for a forum focused on the aftermarket. She had a friend visiting her in New York, who had purchased a Groupon certificate. Unfortunately, when the friend arrived, they discovered the restaurant was closed for renovations. Her friend was out the money, but the idea was created.

"People buy daily deals and they all work on the impulse buy," explains Yael Gavish of Lifesta.com. "So you think you're definitely going to this, but then, it turns out that 20-40 percent of these daily deals are never really used." Their site has seen a monthly growth of 50 percent, mainly through word of mouth.

A great solution for “buyers remorse” if I ever saw one!

“With just one impressive speech, Chris Christie put three full days of CPAC speakers to shame.

“That’s the bottom line from a bipartisan panel of experts, who watched the New Jersey governor’s address on Wednesday at the American Enterprise Institute for POLITICO – and drew a sharp contrast between Christie and the cattle call of potential GOP hopefuls at the just-concluded conservative gathering…

“‘He hit precisely the right notes people are looking for,’ Democratic strategist Jamal Simmons said of the Republican, citing the governor’s focus on getting the states and nation’s fiscal house in order…

“‘He looked presidential in the kind of Hollywood sense,’ Simmons said. ‘The Bulworth, straight-talking politician. John Goodman on The West Wing. Republican guy from the heartland. He looked that part but it’s a long way to go from there to the White House.’”

***

“The way to understand Christie, says Ben Dworkin, director of the Institute for New Jersey politics at Rider University, ‘is he has the leadership skills of a powerful prosecutor who happens to be governor. He argues his case in the press, and he stays on the attack constantly.’ As a federal prosecutor in New Jersey, Christie never lost a corruption case, and there were plenty in a state best known for The Sopranos. His favorite phrase: ‘Heads I win, tails you lose.’ Yet he’s declined to join other Republican governors and attorneys general in challenging Obama’s health care reform. He says he doesn’t have the money to fool around with that stuff right now, and if the law is found unconstitutional, New Jersey will benefit without having to kick in legal fees.

“His refusal to join in suggests a degree of pragmatism that is attractive to non-true believers. This is a guy who has focused his message of change, and is clear about what he stands for. This is distinct from Obama’s message of change, which meant different things to different people in 2008 and left almost everybody disappointed…

“Christie’s tough-guy approach is working, making him a national figure after just 13 months in office. ‘He commands the bully pulpit more effectively than any other governor we have seen in modern history,’ says Dworkin, who predicts Christie will deliver the keynote address at the GOP convention in 2012.”

***

DYLAN RATIGAN, HOST: Go ahead, Jonathan. Set all of that aside, just your evaluation of [New Jersey Governor Chris] Christie, period, as a politician and his rhetoric.

JONATHAN CAPEHART, WASHINGTON POST: I think Chris Christie is terrific. Here’s a guy whose tough talk is matched up by tough action. All those things he’s talking about, he talked about at AEI today, those are all things he’s done with the exception of dealing with entitlements and things like that which he doesn’t really have to deal with because he’s a governor. But because he’s a governor in a state with deep financial problems and is forced every day, day in and day out, to make decisions, you know, he’s, he’s making them and he’s not sugar-coating them. He’s not trying to be anybody’s friend. He, you know, President Obama talks about adult conversations. Speaker Boehner talks about adult conversations surrounding the big, tough issues that face the country. Chris Christie is the one who’s actually having the adult conversation and making the tough decisions. And when people get in his face and try to yell back at him, he yells back. He actually yells back, which is why I think is driving his popularity.

***

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

***

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I was surprised to learn, then, that someone even more anti-news than me got to present his arguments at TED. A few of his arguments are silly, and more are poorly documented. But the best parts of the paper that inspired the TED talk ...

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Whitewash” was the instant reaction from the forces arrayed against News Corp's purchase of the whole of BskyB following Jeremy Hunt's approval o...

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Will Wright working on new games News - Page 1 | Eurogamer.net

Read our news of Will Wright working on new games.

The Case Against News, Bryan Caplan | EconLog | Library of ...

Murdoch Sky News-BSkyB “whitewash” deal is the new Iraq Hutton ...

Whitewash” was the instant reaction from the forces arrayed against News Corp's purchase of the whole of BskyB following Jeremy Hunt's approval o...

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Will Wright working on new games News - Page 1 | Eurogamer.net

Read our news of Will Wright working on new games.

The Case Against News, Bryan Caplan | EconLog | Library of ...

Murdoch Sky News-BSkyB “whitewash” deal is the new Iraq Hutton ...

Whitewash” was the instant reaction from the forces arrayed against News Corp's purchase of the whole of BskyB following Jeremy Hunt's approval o...

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Will Wright working on new games News - Page 1 | Eurogamer.net

Read our news of Will Wright working on new games.

The Case Against News, Bryan Caplan | EconLog | Library of ...

Murdoch Sky News-BSkyB “whitewash” deal is the new Iraq Hutton ...

Whitewash” was the instant reaction from the forces arrayed against News Corp's purchase of the whole of BskyB following Jeremy Hunt's approval o...

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Will Wright working on new games News - Page 1 | Eurogamer.net

Read our news of Will Wright working on new games.

The Case Against News, Bryan Caplan | EconLog | Library of ...

Murdoch Sky News-BSkyB “whitewash” deal is the new Iraq Hutton ...

Whitewash” was the instant reaction from the forces arrayed against News Corp's purchase of the whole of BskyB following Jeremy Hunt's approval o...

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Will Wright working on new games News - Page 1 | Eurogamer.net

Read our news of Will Wright working on new games.

The Case Against News, Bryan Caplan | EconLog | Library of ...

Murdoch Sky News-BSkyB “whitewash” deal is the new Iraq Hutton ...

Whitewash” was the instant reaction from the forces arrayed against News Corp's purchase of the whole of BskyB following Jeremy Hunt's approval o...

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Will Wright working on new games News - Page 1 | Eurogamer.net

Read our news of Will Wright working on new games.

The Case Against News, Bryan Caplan | EconLog | Library of ...

Murdoch Sky News-BSkyB “whitewash” deal is the new Iraq Hutton ...

Whitewash” was the instant reaction from the forces arrayed against News Corp's purchase of the whole of BskyB following Jeremy Hunt's approval o...

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Will Wright working on new games News - Page 1 | Eurogamer.net

Read our news of Will Wright working on new games.

The Case Against News, Bryan Caplan | EconLog | Library of ...

Murdoch Sky News-BSkyB “whitewash” deal is the new Iraq Hutton ...

Whitewash” was the instant reaction from the forces arrayed against News Corp's purchase of the whole of BskyB following Jeremy Hunt's approval o...

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Will Wright working on new games News - Page 1 | Eurogamer.net

Read our news of Will Wright working on new games.

The Case Against News, Bryan Caplan | EconLog | Library of ...

Murdoch Sky News-BSkyB “whitewash” deal is the new Iraq Hutton ...

Whitewash” was the instant reaction from the forces arrayed against News Corp's purchase of the whole of BskyB following Jeremy Hunt's approval o...

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Will Wright working on new games News - Page 1 | Eurogamer.net

Read our news of Will Wright working on new games.

The Case Against News, Bryan Caplan | EconLog | Library of ...

Murdoch Sky News-BSkyB “whitewash” deal is the new Iraq Hutton ...

Whitewash” was the instant reaction from the forces arrayed against News Corp's purchase of the whole of BskyB following Jeremy Hunt's approval o...

Thursday, February 17, 2011

foreclosure law

A number of national consumer groups are organizing calls to state attorney generals to stiffen their collective spines. As you may recall, the 50 state attorney general investigation into mortgage and foreclosure abuses started with the usual fanfare and promises of tough action and has been trying to beat a quiet retreat since them.

The AG leading the probe, Tom Miller of Iowa, made a public promise in December to put bank

executives in jail for the crimes they’ve committed against the American people. Last week, he backtracked almost completely, and is now claiming the matter is inherently civil, not criminal. The laws certainly haven’t changed since last year, only the party line has.

Don’t let the AGs get away with it. Call and let them know that you are watching and are not about to be fooled by a bait and switch.

Go to CrimeShouldn’tPay and add your name to the petition now.

Join thousands of people this Thursday, February 3 by calling your state Attorney General and demanding a strong settlement against the big banks. The site provides the phone numbers and a possible script with two demands, deep principal mods and criminal prosecutions. I’d add one more: the right to a third party appeal over suspected servicer fee errors and abuses.

A few minutes of your time (http://bit.ly/callag) on Thursday will send a message to the Attorneys General that the public is hopping mad and won’t settle for anything less than serious penalties for the big banks and equal protection under the law for millions of homeowners.

Please spread the word. Email this post to your friends. Go to www.crimeshouldntpay.com and post the call-in day details on your Facebook page and announce it on Twitter. Thanks!

Via David Dayen, at least one federal regulator wants to do something about the foreclosure crisis. Federal Deposit Insurance Commission Chair Sheila Bear has proposed implementing rigid standards for mortgage services in the financial reform regulatory rulemaking. She's advocating the idea of a claims commission for homeowners.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Chairman Sheila Bair wants a foreclosure claims commission set up, similar to the one established during the oil spill crisis in the Gulf of Mexico last year, to help homeowners victimized by improper foreclosures....

Lenders and servicers have restarted foreclosures from the robo-signing scandal and have begun refiling thousands of affidavits. Chase said it would mail out $2 million in refunds to those families.

But Bair wants to consider more in compensation and in new regulation.

"The mortgage servicing industry is fundamentally flawed and in desperate need of reform. It does not provide significant incentives to provide borrowers enough loss mitigation needs," Bair said.

She added that some servicers have become too big to succeed. Since 2000, the five largest servicers grew their market share from 32% to more than 60% today, Bair said, adding that these companies were either incapable of or reluctant to commit the resources necessary to implement effective loss mitigation practices.

As the 50 state attorneys general continue their investigation into the servicing industry, Iowa AG Tom Miller has said a fund to compensate borrowers victimized by robo-signers is on the table, but not necessarily pending.

It's good as far as it goes for those who've already been victimized by the mortgage servicing industry, but there's an immediate need to stop these unwarranted foreclosures and prevent their being further victims. Dday:

A nationwide compensation fund is fine, but in the end it’ll probably end up as just a payoff, the cost of doing business for the banks. You have to add to that real modifications with principal reductions, to reset the entire housing market and stabilize it. And you have to provide consequences for illegal behavior, which is in the background of virtually every foreclosure action over the past several years. Judge Arthur Schack is taking on foreclosure lawyers because they are lying in his court and breaking the law. The remedy for that is to throw those people in jail, and that needs to go all the way to the top. “I’m not going after lawyers, I’m out to do justice,” Judge Schack said. “We have something called due process of the law.” And there’s no justice without actual sanctions for criminal behavior. “We’re not Animal House,” concluded Judge Schack. “Some animals, like banks, are not more equal than others, to bring George Orwell into this.” It was Animal Farm, but have I mentioned that I love Judge Schack?

It's a start, and a good thing that someone in the administration is talking about doing something, anything on this issue. But it is just a start.

bench craft company scam

Small Business News: SMBs and the Economy

Recently businesses have expressed concern over excessive regulations that have made conducting business ever more expensive, often with limited justification.

Fox News caught faking it - Boing Boing

When a liberal blogger asked Fox News reporter Jesse Watters for comment on recent claims from an insider that the network makes stuff up, Watters ignored the question and mocked the interviewer's cheap camera. After MSNBC ran the clip, ...

Probably Bad News: Drunk Dialing FAIL - Epic Fail Funny Videos and ...

epic fail photos - Probably Bad News: Drunk Dialing FAIL.

benchcraft company scam

Small Business News: SMBs and the Economy

Recently businesses have expressed concern over excessive regulations that have made conducting business ever more expensive, often with limited justification.

Fox News caught faking it - Boing Boing

Probably Bad News: Drunk Dialing FAIL - Epic Fail Funny Videos and ...

epic fail photos - Probably Bad News: Drunk Dialing FAIL.

bench craft company scam

Small Business News: SMBs and the Economy

Recently businesses have expressed concern over excessive regulations that have made conducting business ever more expensive, often with limited justification.

Fox News caught faking it - Boing Boing

Probably Bad News: Drunk Dialing FAIL - Epic Fail Funny Videos and ...

epic fail photos - Probably Bad News: Drunk Dialing FAIL.

bench craft company sales

Small Business News: SMBs and the Economy

Recently businesses have expressed concern over excessive regulations that have made conducting business ever more expensive, often with limited justification.

Fox News caught faking it - Boing Boing

Probably Bad News: Drunk Dialing FAIL - Epic Fail Funny Videos and ...

epic fail photos - Probably Bad News: Drunk Dialing FAIL.

bench craft company scam

Small Business News: SMBs and the Economy

Recently businesses have expressed concern over excessive regulations that have made conducting business ever more expensive, often with limited justification.

Fox News caught faking it - Boing Boing

Probably Bad News: Drunk Dialing FAIL - Epic Fail Funny Videos and ...

epic fail photos - Probably Bad News: Drunk Dialing FAIL.

benchcraft company scam

Small Business News: SMBs and the Economy

Recently businesses have expressed concern over excessive regulations that have made conducting business ever more expensive, often with limited justification.

Fox News caught faking it - Boing Boing

Probably Bad News: Drunk Dialing FAIL - Epic Fail Funny Videos and ...

epic fail photos - Probably Bad News: Drunk Dialing FAIL.

bench craft company scam

Small Business News: SMBs and the Economy

Recently businesses have expressed concern over excessive regulations that have made conducting business ever more expensive, often with limited justification.

Fox News caught faking it - Boing Boing

Probably Bad News: Drunk Dialing FAIL - Epic Fail Funny Videos and ...

epic fail photos - Probably Bad News: Drunk Dialing FAIL.

bench craft company sales

Small Business News: SMBs and the Economy

Recently businesses have expressed concern over excessive regulations that have made conducting business ever more expensive, often with limited justification.

Fox News caught faking it - Boing Boing

Probably Bad News: Drunk Dialing FAIL - Epic Fail Funny Videos and ...

epic fail photos - Probably Bad News: Drunk Dialing FAIL.

bench craft company sales

Small Business News: SMBs and the Economy

Recently businesses have expressed concern over excessive regulations that have made conducting business ever more expensive, often with limited justification.

Fox News caught faking it - Boing Boing

Probably Bad News: Drunk Dialing FAIL - Epic Fail Funny Videos and ...

epic fail photos - Probably Bad News: Drunk Dialing FAIL.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Business Making Money

..........and bullshit walks! Easy as that for start-ups when it comes to making up your mind about raising additional capital. Are we in a bubble? No idea but this question keeps creeping up. Those of us who went through the bubble at the turn of the century are secretly hoping we're not in another one. Those who don't remember the last one are also worried wondering whether all the old-timers are right. One way or another, it doesn't really matter.

You'll hear multiple opinions on whether to raise money at times like this. I have a very clear opinion on this. It's based on the fact that I believe the best venture backed businesses are in it for the long haul. These are companies with a real product that add value to their customers. These are businesses generating real cashflow intent on growing to significant scale. Finally, these are businesses which will use additional money to expand. Hence, here's my take on when to take money (with focus on EU based businesses):

1. Sequoia or Kleiner are on the phone. Start negotiating, get the best deal you can get and make sure to raise the money. Say what you will but Tier 1 VC's from the US will lead to a far larger exit. Specifically the top tier funds have access to management for your businesses, access to potential partners and are likely to sit on the boards of the companies that could buy you. You'd be dumb not to take money but do so wisely.

2. A tier 1 fund from Europe is interested. Find out whether there's a good fit with your businesses. I've often enough written about how to figure this out and I say to focus on the partner and not the fund when doing your due diligence. Negotiate a good deal and take the money. Tier 1 funds in Europe have learned to add value, have significantly better networks nowadays and will most likely get you bought by a US based business.

2.5. A tier 1 fund from your home country calls up. I've labeled this 2.5 because Tier 1 funds in Europe tend to only differentiate themselves based on where they are located. The rest is mostly the same. The benefit of a tier 1 locally invested in your business is the proximity. It's in your interest. You want them closer than further. If the terms are right and you have offers from abroad and locally, I'd sway towards local but the vibe has to be right. You won't be necessarily doing anything wrong taking money from a London VC verses a German VC when you are in Germany. The London VC may even be around more than the German VC. This all depends on the partner.

3. A tier 2 fund from the US calls up. Ask yourself first why they found you? Go ahead and ask. Further, research the fund and find out what they've done in the past. Have they invested in Europe before? Are they only looking to Europe because their dealflow in the US sucks? Think twice about whether they will invest the necessary time to be in Europe and invested in your business. If the deal terms are good and you are comfortable with the partner doing the deal, take the money. They can still be helpful in accessing US buyers. They are highly unlikely to open as many doors as Kleiner or Sequoia but they definitely know more people in the US than many European partners. Plus make sure you want to go to the US. They will probably eventually ask you to move the company there.

4. A tier 2 fund from outside your home region in the EU finds you. Ask yourself how the hell they found you. More importantly, if you found them, ask yourself why the Tier 1 funds from your local region aren't interested in what you are doing. Say what you will but a UK based fund prefers to invest first in the UK and then rest of Europe. A German fund in Germany and then rest of Europe, etc. Although valuations are good and the power is in your hands to some extent think twice. There are times when taking money could be detrimental to the health of your business (as well as to your equity stake). It's nice to get a higher valuation and some extra cash but make sure it doesn't ultimately cost you more than you think.

5. A tier 2 fund from your local region calls up. Again, ask yourself first why the tier 1 funds aren't interested. Don't underestimate the value of many tier 2 funds though. Maybe they aren't the best known name in the market. At the same time, maybe they are striving to become a better fund. Maybe the number two in the market will work harder than the number one for you. This may be in your interest. Maybe! Do your homework and if you are comfortable with terms, take the money. Be far more diligent in this case though. Think longer and harder about whether you really can do more with the money now or prefer to hold out a bit.

6. Some tier 3 fund you've never heard of and can't find out much about approaches you. Be really careful. There are lots of people in this business who sure won't be around in a couple years. Money from these guys can be a nightmare. At the same time, maybe your business is the nightmare and you couldn't raise money at any other time. One way or another, things aren't going right one way or another. If you need the money to survive and know you'll never get more down the road, do everything you can to raise cash now. Maybe you've just been approached by the future Kleiner or Sequoia of Europe. Maybe not.....but money talks and bullshit walks!

You'll notice a general trend from 1. through 6. above. Take the money! If you can get good terms, know how to put the money you raise to work for growth and like the partner from the funds approaching you, go for it. The getting is good right now. As a VC I'm worried about valuations and bursting bubbles, etc. but as an entrepreneur you should be optimizing for you business. Money is always good. Ignore all the crap about having too much money and being negatively swayed by this. In this post I am defaulting to the fact that I think you are a smart entrepreneur. You aren't going to raise money to get that Porsche as a company car. You're going to grow your business and become amazing. Some will say I am wrong but I'd prefer to have the cash in the bank and worry about being wrong later.

by Zoe Pollock

Felix Salmon predicts that the NYT will lose to sites like the Huffington Post:

One of the paradoxes of news media is that most of the time, the more you’re paying to use it, the harder it is to navigate. Sites like HuffPo make navigation effortless, while it can take weeks or months to learn how to properly use a Bloomberg or Westlaw terminal. Once the NYT implements its paywall, it’s locking itself into that broken system: it will be providing an expensive service to a self-selecting rich elite who are willing to put in the time to learn how to use it. Meanwhile, most Americans will happily get their news from friendlier and much more approachable free services like HuffPo.

Rather than learning from or trying to emulate HuffPo’s hugely valuable editorial technology, then, the NYT is sticking its head in the sand and retreating to a defensive stance of trying to make as much money as possible from its core loyal readers. There’s no growth in such a strategy. Indeed, the opposite is true: the NYT is making it both hard and expensive to become a core loyal reader. Meanwhile, the open web will become ever more accessible and social, with friends pointing friends to news in a site-agnostic manner. The NYT is distancing itself from that conversation, standing proud and aloof. It’s a strategy which is doomed to fail.

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