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02 Jun 2011 22:48

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Biz: Does Groupon’s IPO suggest a bubble ready to pop?

  • I think investors will go for this one. Whether or not it’s worth the valuation it comes at is still an open question.
  • Jacob Funds chairman Ryan Jacob • Asking a fair question about Groupon’s IPO, which the company expects to raise three quarters of a billion dollars, and could put the company’s valuation in the tens of billions. Are we in another tech bubble? Probably. If it pops, will it pop on the day Groupon hits the stock exchange? Probably not. Still though — Groupon has only been around for a little over two years (yet it feels like much longer), so they’re the ones who’ll probably get more scrutiny than anyone else here. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

02 Jun 2011 21:25

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U.S.: Sony hacked yet again, or LulzSec’s continually-growing rep

  • Not this $@(& again. Somehow, Sony managed to get itself hacked by another group of hackers who want to cause some drama and security issues for them, proving a couple of things: First, screwing with white-hat hackers, as Sony did, is a terrible idea, and they’ve been learning that lesson repeatedly for a solid month or two. Second, Lulzsec appears to be obsessed with drawing as much attention as humanly possible. In a month, they’ve hacked Fox, PBS, Sony and the contestant list to the upcoming “X Factor” show. Seriously? In it for the “Lulz”? These attacks are way too malicious and dangerous for something so innocuous. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

02 Jun 2011 20:07

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Politics: Chris Christie’s controversial chopper convoy costs Christie cash

  • $2,151.50 the out-of-pocket cost the New Jersey governor will pay for his helicopter flight to his son’s high school baseball game … which kinda looks sort of wrong
  • $1,232.29 the amount the state Republican party will pay for the leg of the journey from the game to a donor event, where Iowans tried to get him to run for president source
  • » But he says he doesn’t use it much! Since the governor took office in 2010, he says he’s only used the chopper 33 times — a level he describes as the “most judicious” of any recent governor. He was trying to also prevent state troopers from speeding down the highway. We have a suggestion for you, Chris Christie: You have three things on your schedule you need to be at. Instead of trying to cram so much in, pick two.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

02 Jun 2011 17:07

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World: Yemen’s Sanaa airport closed amidst chaotic violence

  • The scene in Yemen: The depressing, daily drumbeat of violence, upheaval and power struggle continues, and in this case, things are looking like they could get a lot worse before any better. The airport in Sanaa has closed, amidst some of the most sustained, violent clashing in Yemen since the initial protests against the Saleh government. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

02 Jun 2011 16:27

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U.S.: NH GOPers aren’t all keen on crushing union rights

  • 2 New Hampshire GOP leaders resign over anti-union legislative agenda source
  • » Protest through departure: Two prominent Republican legislators from the state of New Hampshire have decided to call it quits, resignations in protest of the hard-line, anti-union agenda of the state’s House Speaker, Bill O’Brien. They are House Deputy Majority Leader Mike Quandt (whose father, Rep. Marshall Quandt, was removed from a leadership position for failing to support a union-busting amendment), and House Whip Tim Copeland. Said Quandt the younger: “I cannot sit by and participate in a leadership team that is bent on destroying the strong labor force and good benefits that we have in our state. I cannot condone the incredible disrespect that Bill O’Brien has shown to other members of our caucus who are trying to represent their constituents.” (h/t ThinkProgress)
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

02 Jun 2011 15:45

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Biz, U.S.: Moody’s threatens U.S. credit rating downgrade over debt crisis

  • Full faith and credit: Moody’s Investors Service warns that a failure by the U.S. Congress to come to an agreement on raising the debt limit could imperil the country’s AAA credit rating: “The heightened polarization over the debt limit has increased the odds of a short-lived default. If this situation remains unchanged in coming weeks, Moody’s will place the rating under review.” You may remember a similar warning from Standard and Poor’s last April — it’s becoming increasingly clear that the debt limit struggle, in addition to the gaping chasm between what Democrats and Republicans would care to do on spending and deficit issues (such a chasm usually means gridlock), is causing angst for financial agencies. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

02 Jun 2011 15:08

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Politics: Piper Palin would prefer a media-free family vacation

  • Thanks for ruining our vacation.
  • Piper Palin (daughter of Sarah, age 9) • Making a comment to a photographer during Sarah Palin’s massive bus tour. This strikes a rather awkward contrast, because media attention is precisely the intended effect of this tour as far as Mama Palin is concerned. (Seriously, did she not tell her what was going on?!?) Though we hope it’s obvious, we’ll strenuously make it clear that this isn’t intended as yukking it up at the expense of a young, innocent girl — we frankly can’t imagine what it would be like growing up in such a publicly prominent family, and one that does have its share of disgusting things written about it on the internet. There is something very emotionally evocative, rather, at the thought that the media attention which is basically the lifeblood of Sarah Palin’s career, political or otherwise, seems to be rankling her daughter, who just wants a nice vacation. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

02 Jun 2011 14:59

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U.S.: FBI investigating China for hacking job

  • cause Hackers went after Gmail, but didn’t compromise many accounts. However, some of the hacked accounts belong to some pretty high-ranking officials here in the U.S. Google claims that the hack originated in China, and the accounts have since been secured.
  • effect The FBI is investigating the hacking, which the Chinese government is saying that they had nothing to do with. However, Google believes the attack originated from the same city as one that targeted U.S. companies last year, including Google. source
Posted by Justin Jones • 0 Comments • Permalink

02 Jun 2011 14:25

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U.S.: Romney announces candidacy, promises healthcare repeal

  • Mitt Romney officially announced his candidacy for 2012 today, shooting for his second run at the White House. He promised to repeal “Obamacare” (which he fathered, right?) and to make more jobs for Americans. His focus is to take power from the federal level and give it to the states, like a true Republican, and he talked extensively about his political credentials. But the important question is, does he really stand a chance against T-Paw and those ads? (photo via Gage Skidmore) source
Posted by Justin Jones • 0 Comments • Permalink

02 Jun 2011 14:21

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Politics: The San Francisco Giants say “It Gets Better”

  • A wonderful step: The San Francisco Giants have become the first professional sports team to join the “It Gets Better” campaign, with the release of this video. With this, the Giants are leading a charge in baseball similar to the Phoenix Suns in the NBA, meaning LGBT fans everywhere can now ask why their team hasn’t followed suit — likely the absolute best way to get more franchises on board with this message, and affect positive change. Incidentally, this isn’t the first time the Giants have set the example on a progressive social issue; back in 1993, they were the first team to give proceeds to AIDS research with “Until There’s a Cure” day. Enormous thanks to Barry Zito, Matt Cain, Sergio Romo, Andres Torres, and Hensley Meulens for doing this. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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