atlasman

The Implications of Russia's Declining U.S. Debt Purchases

The problem of a few million uninsured citizens will be a drop in the bucket when this bomb goes off.
-AM

Palm Pre vs. iPhone: The Gmail Advantage

I do not get it as well. If I want email and it is not already loaded on my iphone, I hit a button and it shows up in a fews secs. If I do not want to do that, I just lower the amount of time between pulls. I have an iphone and honestly do not love it for the touch screen keyboard, but I would never trade it for osmething this trivial. Give me an iphone with some form of flip out real keyboard and I would trade it in in a heart beat.
-AM

Should Google Be Paying a Dividend?

The currernt market conditions are proving the maxim that cash is king. I would not bet on these guys parting with their hard earned money but instead using like Microsoft as a big insurance policy.

Maxe is correct that Google is one innovation (plus a ton of VC money and some good luck) from obsolescence. I would not bet on them going away, indeed they are one of the few tech companies well prepared to withstand a prolonged recession/depression. The one chink in their armor is that they rely completely on advertisements which we know will continue to decline with the economy. None of the stuff they have built or bought since they rolled out their search engine has contributed in any meaningful way to their bottom line. Keeping their cash is the best way to weather the coming storm.

Five Predictions for This Market

Kruser - Please check your math. The tax increase will be over 10%. Add to this all of the other unnecessary hurdles thrown in the way of entrepeneurs and it becomes the straw that breaks the camels back for some. You may not like it, but it is the reality.

If Obama really wanted to get out of this thing, he would hold an "entrepeneurs summit and poll the best and brightest for the top 10 reasons they are not starting businesses these days and undo them. I My list includes SOX, Options treatments, Overly burdensomeTax system, burdensome frivolous lawsuites. Sadly neither Obama nor any of his inner circle have run so much as Quickie Mart so I really expect no progress.

I will end my rant with this question, how has loading all of the tax load on the top earners worked for California?

Five Predictions for This Market

PG - I am sorry but your 3rd point is incorrect. I know too many entrepeneurs that are pulling back because of Obamanomics. There are few things harder and require more effort than starting and running a small business. The idea that they are going to be punished for the effort is more than some of them can stomach.