Archive for December 27th, 2009
Harvard Prof Takes Junket, Then Writes Wet-Kiss Column For NYT
Remember that NYT rule that recently cost freelance contributor Mike Albo his job, the one about not accepting free trips from current and potential news sources? Well, it got broken again today, this time by a Harvard Business School professor who writes a regular freelance NYT column. At least t…
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Amazon’s Sales Tax Dodge Costs Teachers And Firemen Their Jobs (AMZN)
BEFORE settling on Seattle as the home of Amazon.com, the founder, Jeff Bezos, considered placing the company on an Indian reservation near San Francisco. “This way, we could have access to talent without all the tax consequences,” he said in a 1996 interview with Fast Company.
The reservation couldn’t be used as a sales-tax haven, after all, Mr. Bezos said he learned, so he had to look elsewhere. Offering prices free of sales tax to customers in California, the most populous state, would be possible only if the company were placed elsewhere. “You have to charge sales tax to customers who live in any state where you have a business presence,” he said then.
Today, Amazon collects sales tax in only five states, which gives it a continuing advantage over companies who do collect them in all or most states. Competitors aren’t the only ones hurt by Amazon’s stance on sales taxes: it also means the loss of considerable revenue to states and localities that badly need it.
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Wen Jiabao: A Weak Yuan Is Awesome For the World
In a lengthy interview with Xinhua, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao made it pretty clear to the Chinese press that he wouldn’t yield to international pressure for a yuan revaluation.
China’s doing fine as is, and is actually helping pull the world economy out of its slump. Thus China will simply adjust the yuan when its ready.
FT: ”We will not yield to any pressure of any form forcing us to appreciate. As I have told my foreign friends, on one hand, you are asking for the renminbi to appreciate, and on the other hand, you are taking all kinds of protectionist measures,” he said.
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By keeping the Chinese renminbi stable against the US dollar, China was contributing to the recovery in the global economy, he said. ”The purpose [of these calls for appreciation] is to hold back China’s development,” he added.
Xinhua: “A stable Chinese currency is good for the international community,” Wen told Xinhua News Agency in an exclusive interview.
Keep in mind that Mr. Jiabao will probably be talking a little tougher against the international community when directly addressing the local press, just like any U.S. president would do. Read more about the Xinhua interview here.
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See Also:
- How China Might Buy More Gold Than America Owns
- China’s Multi-Decade Worker Shortage Starts Next Year
- I Was In The Room When China Purposely Ruined Copenhagen To Humiliate Obama
Freak Scare On Same Detroit-Bound Flight Turns Out To Be Nigerian Businessman Getting Sick In The Bathroom
Two days after a Detroit-bound Northwest airline flight came under an attempted terrorist attack, the exact same flight was disrupted by a Nigerian citizen who refused to come out of the bathroom after an hour.
This time, apparently, the passenger, though he was unruly and verbally disruptive was not a threat. According to officials, he was merely ill.
Upon landing, he was arrested and taken into custody (see below).
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See Also:
- Would-Be Terrorist Charged For Trying To Blow Up Flight
- "Attempted Act Of Terrorism" On Board Flight To Detroit
- New Plane Security Rules: No Electronics, No Getting Up Last Hour, 1 Bag
Nephew Of Opposition Leader Is Killed, Critic Predicts Regime Collapse, As Iran Descends Into Chaos Again
The first time was in the aftermath of the disputed elections this summer.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the nephew of chief opposition leader Mir Hossain Moussavi has been killed.
The protests — which coincide with the Iranian festival Ashura (celebrating martyrdom) — brings new uncertainty to the regime. In a timely, must-read regime critic and Duke professor Ayatollah Mohsen Kadivar predicts the current system is toast — and that it’s only a matter of time.
Meanwhile, wrenching images and videos are flowing out of the country once again. The LA Times has culled several interesting videos.
Now see the footage >>
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See Also:
- Battling Forces Dig In, As Iraq-Iran Oil Well Standoff Continues
- STRATFOR: The Iran Incursion Wasn’t Trivial, Was Meant As A Clear Message To Washington DC
- Neda And Iran’s YouTube Revolution