Alternative News

It’s Not Pretty: The EuroZone Economies

"The EuroZone is in the down phase of the business cycle and government regulations make it difficult for startups in most EZ countries to launch, regulations in most EZ countries also make it risky for established firms to hire. Further, unemployment packages make it attractive for most to stay unemployed once they are laid off. Thus you have economies that look like this. Unlike the European Central Bank, which has been doing only very modest money printing, the Fed has been flooding the markets, which has caused, yet another manipulated boom in the housing sector and stock market, that will, soon enough, experience another bust." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIt’s Not Pretty: The EuroZone Economies

The Top 3 Things I Learned at the Bitcoin Conference

"This past weekend I attended the Bitcoin 2013 conference in San Jose, where over one thousand enthusiasts, developers, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and, yes, lawyers gathered to chart the future of the virtual currency. Bitcoin to date has been the domain of geeks, gold bugs, and cypherpunks, but sensing its disruptive (and profitable) potential, entrepreneurs and venture capitalists are pouring into the space. This transition from ideological enclave to professionalized financial network was on display at the conference’s exhibit hall." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe Top 3 Things I Learned at the Bitcoin Conference

Canadian regulators welcome US Bitcoin refugees with open arms

"The Register has seen a letter from the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) which was sent to several prominent Bitcoin exchanges in the country, explaining they are exempt from strict money-laundering laws. US police used similar laws to freeze the accounts of Mt. Gox, the world's largest Bitcoin exchange, last week after claiming it was operating as an 'unlicensed money service business.' But in a letter to the Canadian exchanges, FINTRAC confirmed the exchanges were not actually money service businesses and were therefore exempt from laws governing this type of firm." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCanadian regulators welcome US Bitcoin refugees with open arms

In Argentina, there’s a gorgeous apartment for sale and it only costs 409 Bitcoins

"Argentina is dangerously nearing another economic collapse, and few have forgotten the country’s crippling default in 2001 that prompted a flash devaluation of the Argentine peso, which effectively halved the country’s wealth. If Argentina defaults on its debt again, which could happen very soon, no one wants to be caught off-guard. So, Argentines are scrambling to store their wealth in anything but the volatile Argentine peso. That’s where Bitcoin comes in." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIn Argentina, there’s a gorgeous apartment for sale and it only costs 409 Bitcoins

Synthetic Marijuana Turns People Into Zombies, Says Govt. Anti-Drug Propaganda

"The District of Columbia’s Department of Health seems to have a taken a page directly from Reefer Madness for its new advertising campaign, suggesting a synthetic form of marijuana known as 'K2' or 'Spice' will turn people who use it into 'zombies.' The ads recently made their debut on the DC Metro, and are wacky enough to look like a parody. Teenagers – presumably under the influence and grotesquely made up to look like 'Walking Dead' extras – pose in various stages of decay with captions like 'No One Wants to Take a Zombie to the Prom.' Seriously?" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSynthetic Marijuana Turns People Into Zombies, Says Govt. Anti-Drug Propaganda

Reefer Madness… by Executive Order

"In Meridian, Idaho, Mayor Tammy de Weerd has taken it upon herself to use tax dollars to spread Reefer Madness to her constituents. By Executive Order, Tammy established the Mayor’s Anti-Drug Coalition (MADC), which received $625,000 from a Drug-Free Community Grant through the federal government. Now a Meridian resident notes that the town has been distributing these anti-marijuana leaflets inserted in the water bill! The flyer is full of discredited nonsense, exaggeration, and misdirection. Remember, this is a city government, most likely using federal grant money, to send false information about a political issue in official communications to their citizens." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingReefer Madness… by Executive Order

Rupert Murdoch: Look Out Facebook!

"Rupert Murdoch, who famously bought MySpace for $580 million in 2005, and sold the company in 2011 for just $35 miilion, tweets that the same early problems that he saw develop at MySpace are now developing at Facebook, namely that Facebook users are spending less time at Facebook. 'Look out Facebook! Hours spent participating per member dropping seriously. First really bad sign as seen by crappy MySpace years ago. — Rupert Murdoch(@rupertmurdoch) May 17, 2013'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingRupert Murdoch: Look Out Facebook!

Fed: “Growing concern that college graduates are increasingly underemployed”

"This is not rocket science theory, but it is accurate. Coming out of the Fed, that in itself is unusual. But bottom line: If you are a college grad, who can't find a job, head to the big city. For those of you who haven't yet decided to go to college, it may make sense to take James Altucher's advice, skip college and just travel. Altucher's advice sure worked for David Karp. Forget skipping college, Karp dropped out of high school. At 17, Karp dropped out of Bronx High School of Science and decided to live in Japan. He eventually headed back to the US, founded Tumblr and just sold it to Yahoo for $1.1 billion." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFed: “Growing concern that college graduates are increasingly underemployed”

Florida parent says ‘religious zealots’ got teen daughter arrested for lesbian relationship

"An 18-year-old girl was arrested for statutory rape over a same-sex relationship in Florida because of bigoted parents, according to the mother of the arrested teen. Kaitlyn Ashley Hunt was arrested February 16 by the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office on two counts of lewd or lascivious battery on child. Her mother, Kelley Hunt Smith, explained on Facebook that Kaitlyn began a 'mutual consenting' relationship with a girl at Sebastian River High School who was about three years younger. The parents of the younger girl were upset by the situation and contacted police, she wrote." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFlorida parent says ‘religious zealots’ got teen daughter arrested for lesbian relationship

Julian Assange on Bitcoins and Gold

"Bitcoin actually has the balance and incentives right, and that is why it is starting to take off. No central nodes. It is all point to point. One does not need to trust any central mint. If we look at traditional currencies such as gold, we can see that they have sort of interesting properties that make them valuable as a medium of exchange. Of all metals it is the easiest to chop up into fine segments. You can test relatively easily whether it is true or whether it is fake. You can take chopped up segments and you can put them back together by melting the gold. You can take it and put it in the ground and it is not going to decay like apples or steaks." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingJulian Assange on Bitcoins and Gold