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11 Jul 2011 15:36

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Politics: What is the cost of hacking into a major politician’s voice mail?

  • This fire keeps burning: In the wake of the scandal and subsequent closure of News Of The World, British society has been thrust into a debate about journalistic ethics, and for former PM Gordon Brown the matter isn’t just academic; in addition to the scurrilous behavior we mentioned earlier, Brown specifically believes journalists tried to access his voice mails. We confess ignorance on British law, but this seems like the sort of thing that could easily be called a national security risk, which would be bad news for whoever was calling the shots. News International ended News Of The World altogether to try to nip this cell hacking story in the bud. Even if they had the zeal to shut down The Sun and the Sunday Times as well, it’s too late now. This story looks nowhere near finished. (Photo courtesy Remy Steinegger/World Economic Forum). source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

05 Jul 2010 09:20

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Biz, U.S.: BP’s oil spill bill keeps going up, and then some

  • $3.12 billion spent on cleanup and claims so far source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

17 Jun 2010 10:05

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Biz: Oil disaster: Stockholders really liked BP’s escrow account deal

  • 9.8% increase on the London stock exchange today source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

11 Jun 2010 20:42

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Biz: Own a home in the Gulf? To put it simply, you’re screwed. *sigh*

  • 10%
    decline     the amount the oil spill could depress home prices in the Gulf region
  • $4.3
    billion     the actual financial figure you could put on that total (holy crap) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

26 Apr 2010 23:05

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Biz: Craigslist’s “Adult Services” controversial, makes lots of money

  • $122
    million     expected revenues for the no-frills classified site in 2010 alone; at least 70 percent of that is pure profit (and mostly from employment ads)
  • $39
    million     in revenue will come from
    the controversial for-pay “Adult Services” section, made in the wake of the Craigslist Killer source
  • » Printing their own money: The site has a small staff for what it is, but despite that, it’s a total gold mine. For every employee Craigslist has (around 30), the company makes $4 million in revenue and at least $2.9 million in profit, a level so high you simply won’t find it anywhere else in the industry. We wish we made $3 million in profits per employee.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

22 Apr 2010 11:22

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Biz: Lehman Brothers hearing: Who is this bad@$$ at the podium?

  • William Black here just got his teeth out and threw some knowledge out on the SEC, Lehman Brothers, and the financial system in general. He calls the problems that caused Lehman’s decline a “self-fulfilling policy of regulatory failure.” Why isn’t this guy like, running an agency? This is seriously a star turn here. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

13 Apr 2010 20:29

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World: Microfinance: Once a charitable goal, now a big business

  • $60B the size of the microfinance industry, which offers small, easy-to-pay, loans to the third-world poor
  • 60% the percentage of the industry run by the banking industry, not non-profit charities (which run 35 percent)
  • $74M the amount CARE USA,
    an American charity, made when it sold its microfinance business to a bank source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

08 Mar 2010 11:09

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Politics: Is Timothy Geithner getting the credit he deserves?

  • Barring something unexpected, the bailout will end up costing taxpayers less than the savings-and-loan implosion of the early nineteen-nineties. The government could conceivably end up making money.
  • New Yorker writer John Cassidy • Regarding Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner’s much-maligned financial plan, which appears to be much less of a nightmare than it seemed a year ago. While many things are imperfect – the high unemployment rates and the bank’s seeming lack of desire to loan money to small business – it is looking like the government’s plan will likely put them in cash flow positive while helping to get the weakened economy out of its doldrums. Will Geithner get credit, though? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

26 Feb 2010 11:11

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Biz: AIG’s post-bailout earnings remain full of failure

  • $8.9
    billion     the size of AIG’s losses this quarter alone, which is laughable
  • $182.3
    billion     the size of the many bailouts the U.S. government has given it source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

08 Feb 2010 20:26

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Biz: Another dumpy day for the Dow: It FINISHED below 10,000 again

  • 9,908 the Dow’s closing level today, due to troubles abroad and possible regulation at home
  • 11/04/09 the last time the Dow closed this low, which was just a couple of months ago, by the way source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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