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Hi. I'm Rick. I write, advise, and invest.

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Archenemy Record Co. The Longbox Society ROck Tourist

With only 5% of its liquidity, Apple could spark a complete resurgence to American manufacturing, at least in one major city. Let’s say, for instance, that the company chooses to build a manufacturing facility in Detroit, Michigan. Detroit has been plagued with poverty and one of the highest unemployment rates in the US as it reels in agony from the collapse of the American automotive manufacturing boom. It’s almost certain that Detroit would make it well worth Apple’s time and money to invest into a plant within its borders.

Interesting take from Brad over at The Next Web. Click through for an attempt at breaking down the numbers. What are the odds of Apple actually considering this? 

MG?

How Apple Can Solve a PR Nightmare

(via david-noel)

It’s funny, Emma and I were JUST talking about this. But I do think a lot of people missed some key elements of that NY Times article - namely that Foxconn can rally some 8,000 hardware engineers at the drop of a hat. Apple would have to do more than open a plant in America and hire 700,000 unemployed people. They’d have to build their own universities, and offer some GI-Bill like education plan where you’d get a free education in hardware engineering if you agreed to work at Apple for X number of years. And then you’d have to convince some 10-20,000 people to do that, along with hiring some 700,000 more people. 

And on top of that, you’d still lose the geographic factory density that Shenzen has.

I still think it’s worth considering, though. Say it costs, what? Double what this article estimates. Say it costs $10 Billion. And, of course, it’d take 4 years to get the engineers through the schooling and at work. BUT STILL, it could be awesome. The NY Times article pointed out if would add $64 to the cost of a phone if it were made in America. Their recent financials mentioned something over a 40% margin on their products right now, right? Though they did caution that was probably temporarily high. Still, sounds like they could absorb it all. 

But how would the stockholders react? Is it really a $10Billion emergency? Is it really their job to start a university and pay for everyone’s college just so they can get the engineers they need in this country, when another country has plenty? It’s a tough argument.   

(via david-noel)

emmawelles:

“Less Talk More Rock”
Freezepop rip-off at Old Navy! 

This is a pretty crazy rip-off. I mean, they spelled it Rock, but not Rokk. They even stole the flying v guitar. 

emmawelles:

“Less Talk More Rock”

Freezepop rip-off at Old Navy! 

This is a pretty crazy rip-off. I mean, they spelled it Rock, but not Rokk. They even stole the flying v guitar. 

brit:

This is a fantastic infographic explaining how bad carbs can be for you. I’ve tried to explain this to many people in person, but a flowchart makes it so much easier. Thanks to Massive Health for designing it.

I wish someone had told me this when I was 18 years old. 

brit:

This is a fantastic infographic explaining how bad carbs can be for you. I’ve tried to explain this to many people in person, but a flowchart makes it so much easier. Thanks to Massive Health for designing it.

I wish someone had told me this when I was 18 years old. 

The Economists’ statement opposing the Bush tax cuts was a statement signed by roughly 450 economists, including ten of the twenty-four American Nobel Prize laureates alive at the time, in February 2003 who urged the U.S. President George W. Bush not to enact the 2003 tax cuts; seeking and sought to gather public support for the position. The statement was printed as a full-page ad in The New York Times and released to the public through the Economic Policy Institute. According to the statement, the 450 plus economists who signed the statement believe that the 2003 Bush tax cuts will increase inequality and the budget deficit, decreasing the ability of the U.S. government to fund essential services, while failing to produce economic growth.

In rebuttal, 250 plus economists who supported the tax plan wrote that the new plan would “create more employment, economic growth, and opportunities for all Americans.”

Economists’ statement opposing the Bush tax cuts - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Well, I guess we know who won that bet. 

cjchivers:

Somali pirate’s pistol. Knock-off of Russian TT-33. 7.62x25-millimeter. Semi-automatic. Stamped for export to (or via) the USA. Serial No. 900247. Attached to makeshift lanyard. Seized with pirates on the Gulf of Oman. Along with this, and a few other things that the pirates had not tossed overboard before being detained.
TT-33? Fedor V. Tokarev (the designer). Tula (a mammoth Russian arms-manufacturing center). 33? The year mass production began.
This particular descendant is Chinese. For someone inclined toward homework, it could contain a fascinating micro-history of modern small-arms development, and the international arms trade, and instability, and war. 
ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPH
By the author. On the wheelhouse roof of the fishing vessel Al Mulahi. Jan. 6, 2012.

CJ Chivers is so mindbogglingly bad-ass. 

cjchivers:

Somali pirate’s pistol. Knock-off of Russian TT-33. 7.62x25-millimeter. Semi-automatic. Stamped for export to (or via) the USA. Serial No. 900247. Attached to makeshift lanyard. Seized with pirates on the Gulf of Oman. Along with this, and a few other things that the pirates had not tossed overboard before being detained.

TT-33? Fedor V. Tokarev (the designer). Tula (a mammoth Russian arms-manufacturing center). 33? The year mass production began.

This particular descendant is Chinese. For someone inclined toward homework, it could contain a fascinating micro-history of modern small-arms development, and the international arms trade, and instability, and war. 

ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPH

By the author. On the wheelhouse roof of the fishing vessel Al Mulahi. Jan. 6, 2012.

CJ Chivers is so mindbogglingly bad-ass. 

Doug’s matches (Taken with instagram)

Doug’s matches (Taken with instagram)

The Margaritaville laid back state of mind is inherently social, and this game has captured the spirit of that lifestyle … With Margaritaville Online, fans across the globe can party together any time and any place.

Jimmy Buffett, so next gen (via brianfeldman)

well SHIT.  internet, your dream is manifest.  may as well take a nap now.

(via ashleylovespizza)

Oh man. In Key West last week we passed by Jimmy Buffet’s original recording studio where he recorded Cheeseburgers in Paradise and Margaritaville. It’s like right on the water on the north side of the island in the harbor. I was very, very envious. 

(via ashleylovespizza)

Beauty Bar X

thegreataustinmigration:

beautybarx

Tara Hunt of Buyosphere is sponsoring this cool beauty bar for women attending SXSW.  Check out BeautyBarX. I wanted to do something similar two years ago, so I am glad someone is doing it. 

Dates: March 10-12, 2012

Time: 9am-3pm daily

What: YOU getting pampered Want to attend?

They are looking for sponsors so if your target market is women, you should throw some bucks their way, but not in a douchey ‘make it rain’ manner.

Wait so which beauty bar? The new one? Is the old one still gonna be open in March? Isn’t it closing?

nycdigital:

Density of Foursquare Check-Ins in New York City
Source: Columbia University’s Spatial Information Lab

nycdigital:

Density of Foursquare Check-Ins in New York City

Source: Columbia University’s Spatial Information Lab

(via nycedc)

These fliers are all pretty great. 

These fliers are all pretty great. 

dougjaeger:

@rickwebb last day at Hotel de Webb. (Taken with Instagram at L’Hotel de Webb)

Doug Jaeger wins the honors as the last guest to L’Hotel de Webb. I left for the last time 20 minutes later. 

dougjaeger:

@rickwebb last day at Hotel de Webb. (Taken with Instagram at L’Hotel de Webb)

Doug Jaeger wins the honors as the last guest to L’Hotel de Webb. I left for the last time 20 minutes later. 

ashleylovespizza:

Brag on Obama’s Behalf!

so, I was watching this touching, beautifully scored video about how Obama is actually fairly awesome, and then realize that Dan made it.  man.  life’s funny.

and it’s BLOWIN UP !  CALL THE CRIB SAME NUMBER SAME HOOD, IT’S ALL GOOD

Man. Dan, I know you’re committed to avoiding a job, but I think you should go work for Obama. 

Nonetheless, to put Apple’s cash total in perspective, only 25 companies in the S&P 500—-not counting Apple itself—have higher market valuations than what Apple holds in cash.

Apple Shines In First Quarter Without Steve Jobs - WSJ.com

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