Entrepreneurship

SpaceShipTwo edges closer to powered flight

"A long-awaited major milestone for a leading suborbital vehicle developer—the first powered flight of Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo—is a little bit closer to taking place after a test flight Wednesday. Virgin Galactic reported SpaceShipTwo flew its first glide flight in 'powered flight configuration', with its rocket motor system, including tanks and nozzle, installed. The flight also featured the first flight with thermal protection material installed on the vehicle’s leading edges, components needed for high-speed powered flight." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSpaceShipTwo edges closer to powered flight

Bitcoin’s Potential Impact on the Global Gaming Industry

"Among the discussions Ver and Voorhees conducted at the Social Gaming Asia Summit was with one of Macau’s leading junket operators. While declining to identify the operator by name, Ver told GamblingCompliance that he and Voorhees had 'spent the whole day' discussing Bitcoin’s potential with the company, which was 'in the early process of setting it up so that all their customers can exchange to and from Bitcoins with the local currency in nine of the major casinos in Macau, including the Wynn, the Venetian and the MGM Grand.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBitcoin’s Potential Impact on the Global Gaming Industry

How LA Regulated A Burger Stand Out of Existence

"Located on the corner of Figueroa and 101st Street in South Central Los Angeles, Tam's Burgers has been a part of the neighborhood for almost thirty years. Nick Benetatos took over the restaurant in the late '80s after his father retired. Tam's has withstood multiple recessions and even the 1992 LA riots. The city's zoning board has now ordered him to comply with 22 separate conditions, such as hiring a full-time security guard, fencing in the entire property and installing a security camera that links directly to LAPD's electronic surveillance system. Benetatos says that the cost of compliance would put him out of business." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingHow LA Regulated A Burger Stand Out of Existence

Government Stops Ebay Market in NotHaus Coins

"Mac Slavo has an article on this. See also his warnings 16 months ago. I've written here on the travesty of finding NotHaus guilty of counterfeiting and on the utterly false government arguments made in the case against him, which nevertheless found favor with a jury. Wikipedia provides an outline here. What do I think of this? I think that this entire government action against NotHaus is evil, by which I mean profoundly wicked, malevolent, and immoral. The government people doing this have labeled him a 'domestic terrorist', which is about as deep a lie and falsehood as can be concocted." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGovernment Stops Ebay Market in NotHaus Coins

U.S. Secret Service Bans Sale of Silver and Gold Liberty Dollars on Ebay

"The Secret Service has gotten involved in order to ensure buyers don’t get confused by thinking they are acquiring legal U.S. tender. Apparently they believe that someone who buys a silver coin for $35 may, in a state of confusion, then attempt to exchange it for a $1 soda pop in the open market. Today they are targeting the Liberty Dollar because it 'represents a clear and present danger to the economic stability' of the United States. It wouldn’t be that far a stretch of the imagination to suggest the government could make the same argument for any mechanism of exchange or store of value, especially those which contain gold and silver." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingU.S. Secret Service Bans Sale of Silver and Gold Liberty Dollars on Ebay

Washington bar opens its doors to pot smokers

"Frankie’s Sports Bar & Grill, owned by one Frank Schnarr, is thought to be the first of its kind anywhere in the U.S.: a bar that lets patrons toke up freely. Schnarr has set up the second floor of his bar as a private club called 'Friends of Frankies.' Interested patrons are charged a $10-a-year fee to access the lounge, where they can smoke marijuana freely. Schnarr was already in the headlines back in 2006, when he fought the state’s anti-smoking law and won. In the wake of Washington’s successful referendum to reform the state’s marijuana laws, he figured he would try to be the first again." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWashington bar opens its doors to pot smokers

Former Microsoft exec plans high-end marijuana business

"A former Microsoft executive and Washington state resident is planning to enter the upscale marijuana business, in the hopes that it will help bring some respectability to the industry, reported KiroTV. Jamen Shively plans to name his business after his grandfather, who supplied hemp rope to the Spanish Armada at the time of the Spanish-American War. 'By creating the category of premium marijuana, we want to position it similar to a fine cognac, a fine brandy, a fine cigar,' Shively told KiroTV." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFormer Microsoft exec plans high-end marijuana business

Spain’s Anti-Tax “Carrot Rebellion”

"If there was a prize for fighting back against tax authorities, the Italians would probably deserve first place. I’m not aware of any other country where tax offices get firebombed. The Italians also believe in passive forms of resistance, with tens of thousands of boat owners sailing away to protect themselves from the government. But the Spanish are beginning to get into the swing of things, perhaps because they are increasingly upset by the plethora of tax hikes imposed by the supposedly right-of-center government in Madrid." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSpain’s Anti-Tax “Carrot Rebellion”

Mexico’s Zetas drug cartel strikes gold in the coal business

"Mexican druglords have found an earthy new source of wealth: dirty old coal. They are mining it themselves in a coal-rich area along the US border or buying it from small mine operators, then reselling it to a state-owned company at fabulous margins that can see them make a profit 30 times greater than their initial investment. Reforma newspaper says the Zetas produce or buy 10,000 tonnes of coal a week. Selling it at their inflated prices, that means yearly revenue of $22 million to $25 million." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMexico’s Zetas drug cartel strikes gold in the coal business

Walmart Goodies: retail giant goes gourmet

"'For only $7 a month, including tax and shipping, subscribers receive a gift box at their doorstep filled with five to eight hand-picked taster samples ranging from healthy and organic to artisan and ethnic,' Walmart said in a statement Wednesday. 'The new Goodies Co. box underscores Walmart’s commitment to e-commerce and its use of social innovations to create new offerings for consumers.' Goodies has been in beta testing for a few months, and now has over 3,000 subscribers, according to the company. The more popular products have a good chance at eventually being offered in Walmart stores." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWalmart Goodies: retail giant goes gourmet