Monthly Archives: August 2013

On The Road Again: Customize Your Life with Location Independence

"Then there’s Life Remotely, which got me thinking about the topic. Basically, that site’s done by three people who have found gigs they could do on the road and then spent a decade doing them, mostly on the road. In the process, they’ve also developed a suite of skills and information that can bring this kind of life that much closer to other people. Theirs is also an entrepreneurial response in that it fits together needs, desires, and resources in a novel way that offers people a way to assemble their own happiness. It relies on the alertness to spot what can be made from things that haven’t been combined quite this way before." Continue reading →

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It is capitalism, not democracy, that the Arab world needs most

"Hernando de Soto, a Peruvian economist, travelled to Egypt to investigate the causes of the Arab Spring. His team of researchers found that Bouazizi had inspired 60 similar cases of self-immolation, including five in Egypt, almost all of which had been overlooked by the press. The narrative of a 1989-style revolution in hope of regime change seemed so compelling to foreigners that there was little appetite for further explanation. But de Soto’s team tracked down those who survived their suicide attempts, and the bereaved families. Time and again, they found the same story: this was a protest for the basic freedom to own and acquire ras el mel, or capital." Continue reading →

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Population trends cloud Europe’s post-recession outlook

"Slowly but unsurely, Europe is facing up to population trends that will sap long-run economic growth. Some countries are getting an early taste of difficulties that await Europe as the continent's baby boomers retire and, because of flagging fertility rates, the average age of those left in the labour force rises. Spain, Portugal and Ireland all lost about 2 percent of their working-age adults between 2010 and the first quarter of 2013, raising the question of who pays for pensions and age-related health care costs in countries that are educating their youngsters only to see many of them emigrate and pay taxes elsewhere." Continue reading →

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Doubt Grows in Reforms of Rajoy Government in Spain

"The reorganization of Spain's financial sector is seen as the most important part of the reforms introduced by conservative Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy to overcome his country's economic and debt crises. But whether the plan will succeed remains uncertain, as real estate prices continue to slide amid continued concerns over the country's financial institutions. A corruption scandal surrounding Luis Bárcenas, the former treasurer of the governing People's Party party, is a reminder to Spaniards of how a group of political and economic elites has taken the country to the brink of ruin." Continue reading →

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Spain Weighs Home Demolitions as Wrecking Crews on Alert

"Demolition man Daniel Anka had a staff of 450 in Spain preparing for new developments before the property crash. With about a 10th of that workforce left, he’s now waiting for a call from the country’s bad bank so his trimmed-down crew can start knocking down half-built homes that aren’t worth completing. Anka may not have long to wait as Sareb, the unit holding soured real estate assets from Spain’s nationalized banks, orders work to stop on about 160 of the 650 partially-completed building projects on its books and decides which ones are worth completing." Continue reading →

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How Bitcoin Works Under the Hood

"The goal of this video is to explain how Bitcoin works under the hood, to give a clearer idea of what it really means to own, send or 'mine' Bitcoins. First, a brief high-level overview of what Bitcoin is. At its core, Bitcoin is just a digital file that lists accounts and money like a ledger. A copy of this file is maintained on every computer in the Bitcoin network. The Bitcoin system is amazingly designed so that no trust is needed--special mathematical functions protect every aspect of the system. The rest of this entry will explain in detail how Bitcoin allows such a group of strangers to manage each other’s financial transactions." Continue reading →

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Sweet success for Bees Brothers, world’s youngest bitcoin entrepreneurs

"Most teenage boys are far too busy at school and interested in playing sports and computer games to set up a business on the side. But nestled between two mountain ranges in northern Utah, USA, there are three brothers who are possibly the youngest bitcoin entrepreneurs out there. At 14, 13 and 10-years old, Nate, Sam and Ben Huntzinger have their own successful honey business at home in the Cache Valley. It all began when they caught a swarm of bees as a bit of a fun experiment. Little did they know it would lead to a small business and an obsession with bitcoin." Continue reading →

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Shakil Khan: Bitcoin can be “money over IP”, but services must get more intuitive

"'Why is it in 2013 I can send you an email, a voicemail, or text message, but if someone says ‘you owe me $10 for my pizza last week’ and I try to send it, the bank wants to charge me $27?' he asked. 'You might get it next week but it isn’t guaranteed. We have a banking system that’s slower than it’s ever been.' Bitcoin has the potential to be 'an IP address for money,' he said, but bitcoin services must become more intuitive if mainstream adoption is to occur. 'Try to buy $10 in bitcoins. It’s easier to get on a plane and fly to Mt. Gox,' he joked." Continue reading →

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