Henry Hazlitt at The New York Times

“Hazlitt was the top man in economics at the most influential newspaper in the world during the most important period of revolution in the history of the United States. This is not a story that the American Left is aware of. Hazlitt was the most prominent disciple of Ludwig von Mises in the United States during these years. He was by far the most effective voice of liberty in the country, both in his ability to write and the influence of his position. The American Right forgets this. In an era of neoconservative dominance, Hazlitt’s libertarianism is not part of an intellectual legacy that the leadership of the conservative political movement chooses to highlight.” Continue reading

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IMF’s Lagarde Pleads: Fed Tapering Will Be ‘Arduous’ on Global Economy

“The head of the International Monetary Fund cautioned the world’s major central banks Friday not to withdraw their unconventional support for weak economies too soon, according to numerous wire service reports. IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde said stimulative policies are still needed in key regions, especially Europe and Japan, which have struggled with prolonged weakness. ‘Even if managed well,’ Lagarde said of a central bank’s exit from easy-money policies, that could still present an ‘arduous obstacle course’ for other countries. Lagarde said what’s needed is greater policy coordination and cooperation for the sake of the entire globe.” Continue reading

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Gold’s rebound: Why it’s believable this time

“Kelly Teoh, market strategist at IG Markets who believes the upside in gold has legs, said investors are moving into the precious metal because Asian currencies are under tremendous pressure. ‘If you look at all the various asset classes, the U.S. equities are at all-time highs, Asian ex-Japan equities are lagging, commodities is the only asset class that’s underperformed so I see value in that,’ she added. Barclays’ chief technical strategist Dhiren Sarin says gold has either already formed, or is in the process, of establishing a ‘very strong base.'” Continue reading

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Tradehill Bitcoin Accounts Moving to Internet Archive Credit Union

“Tradehill Inc., an exchange for virtual currencies such as Bitcoin, is moving customer accounts to a U.S. credit union, a shift designed to make it easier for clients to complete transactions. Holdings with Tradehill will be transitioned to federally-insured accounts at the Internet Archive Federal Credit Union, according to an e-mail to clients obtained by Bloomberg News. Tradehill is moving accounts to the credit union to win more business from investors and financial institutions that trade in Bitcoins, according to a person with knowledge of the matter, who asked not to be identified because the plans aren’t public.” Continue reading

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The Top 5 Bitcoin Shops

“There are increasingly less limits to what you can buy using Bitcoin, especially if you’re lucky enough to live in Berlin’s Kreuzberg area. Here are our top current picks for spending those hard earned BTC online: 1. All4BTC allows you to buy almost anything online with Bitcoin, provided you would be able to get delivered using Fiat. 2. BtcTrip.com Buy flights, and soon, rent cars and book hotels using BTC. 3. Gyft allows you to buy gift cards from almost any store, and accepts Bitcoin. 4. BitMit – Bitcoin’s answer to eBay – you can buy and sell using BTC, eBay auction style. 5. BitPremier – where you can buy Ferraris, Yachts, luxury apartments, art and more.” Continue reading

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Scientists release test to combat counterfeiting of legendary ‘cat poop’ coffee

“The Asian palm civet eats coffee cherries, the fruit of the coffee plant. They digest the soft fruit and excrete the seeds in their feces, which, according to connoisseurs, gives the coffee a flavor unlike any other in the world. The fact that people will pay exorbitant amounts for real Kopi Luwak has led to a thriving black market in fake Kopi Luwak. Some people sell regular coffee beans and claim they are the famous civet coffee. Others adulterate Kopi Luwak beans with regular coffee beans, hoping drinkers won’t notice the inferior quality. Scientists have developed a test that checks for the unique chemical fingerprint on Kopi Luwak.” Continue reading

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Singapore firm launches in-flight Muslim prayer app

“A Singapore-based company has launched an iPhone app alerting Muslims when to pray and in which direction they should face even when they’re 35,000 feet in the air. Travellers input the flight details and are provided with prayer times during their journey, as well as the direction of the Muslim holy city of Mecca. Crescentrating, a firm that gives ‘halal’ or Islam-compliant ratings to hotels and other travel-related establishments, plans to make the free app, called Crescent Trips, available to Android smartphones within months. Spending by Muslim tourists is growing faster than the global rate and is forecast to reach $192 billion a year by 2020, up from $126 billion in 2011.” Continue reading

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Barnes & Noble Slides Toward Bankruptcy

“You may remember You’ve Got Mail (1998). It was a movie about a small bookstore that could not compete with a huge bookstore that was modeled after Barnes & Noble. Technology and capital wiped out the local bookstore. Now Amazon is wiping out Barnes & Noble. Same story: capital and technology. The free market benefits customers. Barnes & Noble is a dinosaur. It looked unstoppable to Hollywood 15 years ago. But the World Wide Web has brought it down. It will not recover. Its Nook reader is a bust. People prefer Kindle. My time is valuable. I don’t like driving. One click is all it takes to get me what I want.” Continue reading

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