Facebook & WhatsApp

 

• Rags-To-Riches Tale Of How Jan Koum Built WhatsApp Into Facebook’s New $19B Baby http://t.co/bJs6kQrlMx Background on WhatsApp founders $$ Feb 22, 2014
• WhatsApp Shows How Phone Carriers Lost Out on $33B http://t.co/3gOutvRDzK Perhaps consortium of telephone companies should have bot them $$ Feb 22, 2014
• Whatsapp and $19B http://t.co/TWI44XfTOC Explains why $FB decided 2 get into mobile, & how WhatsApp may benefit their mobile push $$ $GOOG Feb 22, 2014
• Zuckerberg Bonded With WhatsApp CEO Over Coffee and Dinners http://t.co/EZAR7rFAsG Promise made to respect the unique culture of WhatsApp $$ Feb 22, 2014
• Facebook?s horrible, stroke-of-genius IPO @felixsalmon http://t.co/9HrdWMd0Fo Makes point that overvalued $FB stock can b currency 4deals $$ Feb 22, 2014
• How Much Sequoia Made On WhatsApp http://t.co/SzzdcObDXJ The funny part is how Zuckerberg pranked Sequoia 10 yrs ago, & regretted it $$ $FB Feb 22, 2014
• Facebook Investors Shrug Off Concerns About $19B Deal http://t.co/AwON4bV9tU also http://t.co/TItg9AIJfI & http://t.co/vgKAI4w1Ye $$ $FB Feb 21, 2014

 

US Politics & Policy

 

• Companies bracing for 1-2 retirement punch http://t.co/bVBBRV1ytu Unlikely that Obama’s proposals would b enacted; hurts powerful people $$ Feb 22, 2014
• White House to Propose New Limits on Overseas Corporate Tax Avoidance http://t.co/Me6p3WFG9U This will be difficult 2 enforce; complexity $$ Feb 22, 2014
• Gold Rush Ghost Town Bodes Ill for California Power Flow http://t.co/fpor2Toct2 Interesting article on how the drought is affecting CA $$ Feb 22, 2014
• Peggy Noonan: Whose Side Are We On? http://t.co/5l2dofDbpg We can have a “Cold War” vs those who hate democracy & human rights $$ $SPY $TLT Feb 22, 2014
• NSA Official Warned About Threat 17 Years Before Snowden http://t.co/8utCDM2eug Warned computer system administrators had too much power $$ Feb 22, 2014
• Fannie Mae Payments to US Will Exceed Bailout http://t.co/aT1Z8jlrW0 2 bad, b/c government owns $FNMA & will keep it as a piggy bank $$ Feb 22, 2014
• An anti-tech backlash in San Francisco http://t.co/NYsVvWZUu7 Note to politicians: don’t bite the hand that feeds u 2 support malcontents $$ Feb 21, 2014
• Good: Bumper profits threaten US ethanol support http://t.co/UVjiGT68Wr Time to free *all* energy sources from subsidies adj 4 pollution $$ Feb 21, 2014
• Bottlenecks along the Industrial Revolution http://t.co/pzxGIC8GjL There is $$ 2b made in expanding energy infrastructure in America $$ Feb 21, 2014
• CBO Is Right: Minimum Wage Hike Can Kill Jobs http://t.co/hKL64NzpJw Suggests raising the Earned Income Tax Credit, which would add jobs $$ Feb 21, 2014
• Obama Keystone Pipeline Review Roiled by Nebraska Judge http://t.co/PiF9q1F4nE Governor & Legislature bypassed Public Services Commission $$ Feb 21, 2014
• Obamacare’s Latest Surprise for Taxpayers? http://t.co/zirjEk1cP0 @Asymmetricinfo says Obama Admin may extend risk corridors past 3 years $$ Feb 19, 2014
• Detroiters Without Cars Seek Jobs in Vain as City Shrinks http://t.co/x76RJvkgza Cities r organic & they can die, like Detroit. Give up $$ Feb 19, 2014
• UAW’s Devastating Defeat at a Tennessee Volkswagen Plant: 4 Blunt Points http://t.co/ISoUdA2WBZ Give workers credit 4 rejecting bad deal $$ Feb 17, 2014

 

Market Impact

 

• Frontier-Market Funds Pour in Boosted by Fixed Currencies http://t.co/YwDTW6bccU 2 much $$ flowing into immature mkts via ETFs; avoid $$ Feb 22, 2014
• Learning From a Literary Legend: The Importance of History http://t.co/7QqQ9dkiZd Argues that 10-year stock returns will b below average $$ Feb 21, 2014
• Income As The Outcome: Reframing the 401(k) Plan http://t.co/bEWsAPSuiK Int rates fall, 401(k) bond values rise, but future income falls $$ Feb 21, 2014
• Wall Street Bond Dealers Renounce Treasuries That Lure Pimco http://t.co/uPxeIqN5uE This is a mess, &no one knows, but I remain long $TLT $$ Feb 19, 2014
• FX Traders Facing Extinction as Computers Replace Humans http://t.co/CDqoLCjqsn True if all u r doing is matching trades not if profiting $$ Feb 19, 2014
• Information asymmetry, bad incentives and Taibbi http://t.co/K9M8pI1vQR @izakaminska does an excellent takedown of Tabibi’s recent piece $$ Feb 15, 2014

 

Rest of the World

 

• Japan Record Trade Gap Shows Risk of Abenomics Losing Steam http://t.co/Lfqgvay6KL High debts, trade deficit due 2 low yen, disaster $$ $FXY Feb 22, 2014
• For Chinese, It’s Going to Cost More to Become Canadian http://t.co/OlBMh7ZpFv Pity those that want to escape China 2 Canada w/their loot $$ Feb 22, 2014
• Nigeria’s Delta Oil Thieves Scrape Out a Precarious Living http://t.co/VxknSU5t3Q Long piece shows a vignette of the troubles in Nigeria $$ Feb 21, 2014
• Foreign Investors Scoop Up New Treasuries Even as Fed Cuts Buying http://t.co/zgPmG1NIQu Weaken your currency. Help exporters. Buy US Tsys $$ Feb 21, 2014
• India Hedging at Two-Year High as Polls Shroud Outlook http://t.co/mBfYH1HNky Fears of a minority govt have hedgers buying puts on Nifty $$ Feb 21, 2014
• Samsung Investors May Discover World of Possibilities http://t.co/8DsBUYHKDu Pity about Sarbanes-Oxley. Samsung shares used 2 trade in US $$ Feb 21, 2014
• Emerging Stocks Rise to Three-Week High on Record China Lending http://t.co/bukIP0bFPA W/China overlending already a problem, not helpful $$ Feb 21, 2014
• Invading Switzerland? Try Before 8 or After 5 http://t.co/jgBHUG6m84 The Swiss Air Force likes to have the evenings off. War can wait $$ Feb 21, 2014
• UN warns North Korea’s Kim Jong-un w/a strongly worded letter http://t.co/AlwVjivIO4 Few things crueler than making a Mom kill own child $$ Feb 21, 2014
• Bank of Japan Surprises Markets http://t.co/BbVlwTMHVR Expands Loan Programs, Keeps Main Policy Unchanged, builds bigger debt bubble $$ $FXY Feb 21, 2014
• Japan?s GPIF Should Own $600B of Stocks, Ito Says http://t.co/YCfIvErZfb Angling 4a nomination 2 the coveted “Putting in the top” award $$ Feb 21, 2014
• As World’s Kids Get Fatter, Doctors Turn to the Knife http://t.co/VdTVjqXu0j Bariatric surgery on a 3-yo, as parents can’t say no re food $$ Feb 21, 2014
• China Fund Shifts Focus Away From Energy to US, European Recovery Plays http://t.co/h10gQrGrEs CIC shifts out of power & into real estate $$ Feb 21, 2014
• Japan Growth Figures Disappoint http://t.co/FsFtS5qaA5 GDP Increase Comes in Well Below Expectations, perhaps Abe will think twice $$ Feb 21, 2014
• China Overtakes India as Gold Consumer http://t.co/XV9WA5p8sT When your property can b confiscated by gov’t, helpful 2 have gold 2 carry $$ Feb 21, 2014
• US to Face G-20 Pressure Over Tapering http://t.co/dLYU5cbqKd If the emerging market nations are properly financed, US $$ policy won’t harm Feb 21, 2014
• At Asia Air Show, Plenty of Competition for Sales of Drones http://t.co/UCxNe9jQP9 Many uses 4 drones to monitor areas that r hard 2get2 $$ Feb 21, 2014
• Russians Return to Cyprus, a Favorite Tax Haven http://t.co/qxW0YkMqlK But they won’t put $$ is Cypriot banks after losing much of it b4 Feb 21, 2014
• Billionaire Niel Trains Geeks to Fix France?s Talent Mismatch http://t.co/3jSO5yXExl Sets up a school in France that teaches programming $$ Feb 21, 2014
• Elliott vs Argentina: 3 possible resolutions @felixsalmon http://t.co/LuxIKbslsj Sovereign immunity, pari passu & bondholders? ransom $$ Feb 20, 2014
• Europe Mending as Markets Signal Even Portuguese Get Work http://t.co/OwqyCMKeGh Less clear than it seems, but Europe is getting better $$ Feb 20, 2014
• Sochi Olympics: Vic Wild, American-Born Snowboarder Competing For Russia, Wins Gold http://t.co/uKlhwCdHP3 Far better he got a good wife $$ Feb 20, 2014
• What the Heck Is Going on in Venezuela? (Could the Maduro Regime Fall?) http://t.co/JknNNCQpm6 Yes, it could fall, but what will replace? $$ Feb 19, 2014
• China Digs Itself Deeper Into Dollar Trap http://t.co/VXRPJEt5o2 Buying Dollar assets supports the cronies of the party that export $$ $FXI Feb 19, 2014
• Asia Has Crisis to Thank for Gains in Emerging Rout http://t.co/JMyYasAild Emerging Asia, minus China, in better shape than 1997-8 $$ $FXI Feb 19, 2014
• Swiss Fault Lines Exposed as Villagers See Risk to Postcard Life http://t.co/55NLuUb7er Urban vs rural & the “last settler” syndrome $$ $FXF Feb 17, 2014
• Salmond Says Forcing Scotland to Drop Pound to Hurt UK http://t.co/bQEK4xwTfY Seriously doubt UK would giveup the seigniorage if Scots go $$ Feb 17, 2014
• A Rebuke to Japanese Nationalism http://t.co/iZfr1gfeYM Japan needs 2 give up any sense that what they did in WWII was honorable $$ Feb 17, 2014
• Indonesia Says Australian Defense of Spying Is ?Mind Boggling? http://t.co/ykT06aSaxe My, but Snowden opened many cans of worms w/leaks $$ Feb 17, 2014
• Saudis Agree to Provide Syrian Rebels With Mobile Antiaircraft Missiles http://t.co/vRawuKKAgj Proxy war between Wahabis & Shia continues $$ Feb 15, 2014

 

Financials & Personal Finance

 

• Wall Street Landlords Buy Bad Loans for Cheaper Homes http://t.co/hrf9Ph0RNq Color me skeptical; when investors own homes, mkt overvalued $$ Feb 22, 2014
• Energy Holdings Nears Bankruptcy After Creditor Talks Falter http://t.co/MXMolWYXSg They overpaid & the debt was huge, even Buffett lost $$ Feb 22, 2014
• Tender Offer for Insurer Divides a Boardroom http://t.co/uaNnWRYPfq $AFG ‘s offer for $NATL is more than generous, just tender yr shares $$ Feb 22, 2014
• Putting Your 401(k) on Autopilot http://t.co/Mby8Yf9iQe Would b better if we made plans where employees could buy defined benefit units $$ Feb 22, 2014
• The growing case against ETFs http://t.co/dV8fE2563o Makes same point that Jack Bogle & I make, ETFs get traded badly by most investors $$ Feb 22, 2014
• Americans Ramp Up Borrowing http://t.co/qApFJ0KESP US Household Debt Posts Largest Quarterly Increase Since Before Recession $$ #seenthisb4 Feb 21, 2014
• Has Small-Business Lending Really Improved? http://t.co/NujuTdfGtk Qty available may b high, but yields r steep @ nontraditional lenders $$ Feb 21, 2014
• The Current Opportunity Set http://t.co/k1i9NS5nsD Valuation-sensitive mgrs see fewer & fewer places 2 put $$ 2 work, so cash balances grow Feb 21, 2014
• These Wells Fargo robbers were also tellers http://t.co/ERo7JVe2X1 Comments, some think if banks r dishonest they should b stolen from $$ Feb 21, 2014
• I, Claudius, caller of bank bonds http://t.co/tlXoiypnQV Memo 2 bond investors: if you buy an odd bond, b sure 2 read the prospectus $$ $TLT Feb 15, 2014
• When One Spouse Saves and the Other Spends http://t.co/vtJfjX0W8P I do not get how this person can be a financial advice columnist $$ $TLT Feb 17, 2014
• Debt-Market Chill May Leave Banks Out in the Cold–Heard on the Street http://t.co/MdpS2KOwSv No January bounceback 2 make up 4 December $$ Feb 15, 2014

Companies & Industries

 

• 10-Gbit Google Fiber is already real, just not from $GOOG http://t.co/6d0nEU3ViN $VZ has tested it & others 2, coming 2 biz, not home $$ Feb 22, 2014
• Charter Seen Eyeing Cox After Time Warner Loss http://t.co/S2YpktEr5x Cox family is pretty cagey; $CHTR would have 2 pay through the nose $$ Feb 21, 2014
• ‘Candy Crush Saga’ Maker Files for an IPO http://t.co/TIUYMDKnIE Put King Digital in the “too hard” pile, hard to predict future success $$ Feb 21, 2014
• Google to Push Its Fiber Rollout on Comcast’s Turf http://t.co/qStVon4gvq $GOOG experiments, $CMCSA will have hard time competing w/fiber $$ Feb 21, 2014
• My Goldman Sachs Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (And Why I’m Grateful) http://t.co/1cJJpQzreu Toughened her up, made her more cynical $$ Feb 21, 2014
• Chevron’s Free Pizza Offer Only Feeds Public’s Distrust http://t.co/xXsFzIgqT4 It was a cheesy way 2 compensate people 4 their troubles $$ Feb 21, 2014
• The Coal Plant an Illinois Town Couldn’t Give Away http://t.co/7tMYEXqV8u $AEE pays $DYN to take over a coal plant. Now $DYN wants 2leave $$ Feb 21, 2014
• Rarest of Rare Iridium Gains as Growth Spurs Demand http://t.co/2X7P02FFBb Cheaper than gold, Iridium is used in industrial applications $$ Feb 21, 2014
• Buffett?s Coca-Cola Complacency Warning Foretells Troubled Year http://t.co/MaoyseiN8O Listen to Buffett, his intuition is sharp $$ Feb 20, 2014
• Steve Perlman’s Amazing Wireless Machine Is Finally Here http://t.co/BGpdOactlf If it works, it is a huge increase 4 mobile bandwidth $$ $T Feb 19, 2014
• Actavis Agrees to Buy Forest Labs for $25 Billion http://t.co/bv6o4VtRM8 Kudos 2 @Carl_C_Icahn Quite a string of victories $FRX $ACT $IEP $$ Feb 18, 2014

 

Fed Notes

• Fed Puts Rate Increase on the Radar http://t.co/IdvNVpEmDl Move Before 2015 Unlikely, but Minutes Suggest Some Inflation Hawks R Circling $$ Feb 21, 2014
• The Key Passages in the Federal Reserve’s Minutes http://t.co/xUpUwu9IZZ Hawks start discussion on when the Fed Funds rate should rise $$ Feb 21, 2014
• Yellen Leads Fed Damned Every Way by Emerging Market Angst http://t.co/TApq07VklJ Can’t win b/c developed mkt $$ policy swamps EM policies Feb 21, 2014

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US Economics

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• Worsening US Divorce Rate Points to Improving Economy http://t.co/f5He5DrfuY “We’re finally doing well, honey. Now we can afford2divorce” $$ Feb 21, 2014
• Citi’s Economic Surprise Index Hits Zero http://t.co/Z69Vy85Hfi As such, the economy is slowing & bond yields r falling. Who knew? $$ $TLT Feb 21, 2014

 

Other

 

• ‘Downton Abbey’ Is Downright Un-American http://t.co/zGCbFHWzfY If a servant wrote book about how nice her employer was it wouldn’t sell $$ Feb 21, 2014
• Go Ahead, Let Your Kids Fail http://t.co/kHSID4NgpT Fail & bounce back -> Kids gain skills & grit @asymmetricinfo is off on her book tour $$ Feb 21, 2014
• I Took the GMAT With No Preparation. Here’s What Happened http://t.co/hXwdxNJiub Journalist gets score good enough 2 go 2 biz school $$ Feb 20, 2014
• Friedman and Hanke on Bitcoin http://t.co/T4bK693dJ8 But what happens when 1 party gets cheated in a Bitcoin transaction? Caveat emptor? $$ Feb 20, 2014
• The Official Forecast of the US Government Never Saw This Winter Coming http://t.co/w3RS18QJJd We don’t understand climate well $$ $TLT $SPY Feb 19, 2014

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Wrong

• Wrong: In Buffett We Trust as Berkshire Annual Report Lacks Disclosure http://t.co/JP3U63bhnj There is more than adequate info in the 10K $$ Feb 21, 2014
• Wrong: Cut Off Harvard to Save America http://t.co/ro9cIOe2ok When u mess w/what is a nonprofit & not, u can’t tell what will b the result $$ Feb 21, 2014
• Wrong: Is China at Risk of a Debt Crisis? Not Really,Bank Says http://t.co/erURFnC3g1 China facing domestic banking crisis, like US 2008 $$ Feb 19, 2014

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Comments, Replies and Retweets

• “From what I glean, Zuckerberg romanced them & told them $FB wouldn’t touch their baby. We’ll see” ? David_Merkel http://t.co/X25hjO1Fxo $$ Feb 20, 2014
• “Well said. It is hard for China to give up forced investment and export promotion. It’s economic heroin” Merkel http://t.co/0eH1kgg0lo $$ Feb 19, 2014
• Commented on StockTwits: This: http://t.co/D0mIcnLtIP and if I knew Spanish, could have seen it earlier:… http://t.co/lPajNQAc4w Feb 18, 2014

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