What We're Reading

Are Corporate taxes in the U.S. too high versus other developed nations? Corporate execs would have you believe so. CNBC takes a look at the facts. I seem to recall this chart from the Federal Reserve. Anyone surprised? lol

He made us laugh and forget our toils.  RIP Robin Williams, Mrs. Doubtfire, Mork, Patch Adams........What's your favorite?  Oh captain, my captain, the world is a little less bright with you not in it.

"If you hire people just because they can do a job, they’ll work for your money. But if you hire people who believe what you believe, they’ll work for you with blood and sweat and tears."  - Simon Sinek

When we, in the investment world, think of great innovators,it beckons thoughts of Alexander Graham Bell, the Wright brothers and modern day leaders such as Apple's Steve Jobs and possibly Amazon's Steve Bezos and Tesla's Elon Musk.

They've transformed or are currently transforming how we live each day.

Sadly Antonio Meucci doesn't come to mind, although the Italian inventor is best known for developing a voice-communication apparatus which several sources credit as the first telephone

Nor do they recall Smithsonian worker and inventor Samuel Pierpont Langley although he is considered a true pioneer of aviation.

The difference between them?  Why one is remembered throughout history (off the top of one's head) is possibly their ability to attract believers.  Coworkers who are passiona

omg if this isn't the truth! lol

Today during the Fed's testimony to the House Financial Services Committee, Liz Warren waited her turn patiently until the end of the day.  I just love Liz for saying it the way it is.  No holds barred.

After comparing Lehman at the time of it's collapse, LEH had $639 Billion in assets.  Today JPM has $2.5 Trillion (more than 4x LEH) in assets.  LEH had 209 subsidiaries.  Today JPM has.........are you ready for this...............3,391 subsidiaries!  Too big to fail?  Wowwww.

Then once done pointing out JPM's notably 15 times more subsidiaries than Lehman, Liz went on to question JPM's resolution plans to remain viable in case of a risk event.  Clearly determined to make one thing crystal clear to the Fed's Janice Yellen, she went on to say..............well, you watch the two minute clip.

As highlighted here previously, China is clearly not the only country exploring the wonderful world of 3D printing and it's application to housing.  Sadly the loser will be the average construction worker.

The Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia in Barcelona is working on a set of robots that will soon be able to build complex structures by extruding layers of concrete, a process that might be a bit slow but that will allow strange, unique shapes to be formed using concepts popularized by plastic 3D printers.

The team, led by Sasa Jokic and Petr Novikov, has created small robots, called Minibuilders that perform various tasks. The Foundation Robot lays down a structure base while the Grip Robot sits at the top of the foundation and runs around it, laying down a bead of cement and instantly curing it so it can maintain its upwards motion. Finally a Vacuum Robot clings to the side of the object and lays down perpendicular sw

Who better than NatGeo to remind us what an amazing, beautiful, wonderful planet we live on. Enjoy.

We tend to think of outsourcing as being overseas call centers and phone assembly in China however that's not necessarily the case anymore; especially when it comes to small business.  One has to wonder just how much small businesses think of outsourcing as a business advantage or requirement in order to grow.  This cute slideshare laid it out in simple, easy to understand terms and got my mind to thinking...........

At its E3 press conference, Sony just announced that the PlayStation TV game console (known as the PlayStation Vita TV abroad) is coming to the United States and Canada this fall.

The PlayStation TV will come by itself for $99 (you’ll have to bring your own controller) or in a $139 bundle that comes with a DualShock Controller, a memory card to store downloaded games on, and a copy of the Lego Movie video game.

The console will be compatible with many of the games currently available on the PlayStation Vita, Sony’s portable game console. Those will be for available for download on the PlayStation store.

PlayStation TV owners will also be able to log in to PlayStation Now, Sony’s upcoming Netflix-like service that lets people “stream” games from the cloud. The service will have approximately 100 PlayStation 3 titles available as well as more than 20 free games made specifically for PlayStation Now.

Gamers with a PlayStation 4 in their home will also have the ability to stream games fro

Moves today in AIG and MET to name a few may be based on speculation whether the Fed will move to regulate some insurers as "systemically important" which was previously discussed in this article on asset managers.  Under Dodd-Frank, the Financial Stability Oversight Council, a newly created super-regulator, can designate “systemically important financial institutions,” or SIFIs, and subject them to rules previously reserved for banks.  Steve Miller, AIG non-executive Chairman shares his view on CNBC.  Full disclosure StockBuz has previously recommended AIG long.

Bono joining the board of Fender and rumors that Dr. Dre will join the board at $AAPL. What do academics say about share prices and out performance when celebs take a seat at the board room table?  Increased exposure, higher consumer interest, improved sales.........or just a temporary blip on the chart?

Imagine the fight over Steven McQueen if he were alive today.  Ever car manufacturer, including TSLA, would go wild. 

Courtesy of FT

In Game of Thrones, one of my favorite shows today, you either win - or die.  Usually via beheading.

Such is the same with iron ore miners.

In a industry with heavy debt, production continues with smaller players possibly undercutting prices to gain or retain market share but can they continue against larger players such as BHP and RTP or is the Game of Thrones strategy to give big players an M&A opportunity?  ft.com takes a look.

Juuuuuust a bit outside

"The market is not cheap but it is not especially expensive either," writes Laszlo Birinyi, calling for the S&P 500 to take out 1,970 between now and the end of September.

Lackluster economic data, so-so corporate earnings, and blowups in many Internet, social media, and biotech names aren't a concern, but instead a positive.

"The overall market is shrugging off the tech and biotech problems, and that’s important ... [it's] “the last stage of a great bull market. It’s the exuberant phase.”

Ashraf says it's all about European CPI and GDP. 

There is a real threat of a credit boom and collapse, as the market enters a period of decreased macroeconomic volatility, former Pimco CEO Mohamed A. El-Erian told CNBC on Friday.  Separately, El-Erian said now is a good time to take profits considering the sluggish U.S. economy and geopolitical concerns around the world, including and especially surrounding Ukraine.

Fully story at CNBC