Seth Godin: How media changes politics

Mass media is dying, and it appears that mass politicians are endangered as well.

via sethgodin.typepad.com

Posted via email from Zoid's reading the Wide Web

Starbucks Unveils New Store Concept

A very different kind of Starbucks is on tap. It serves regional wine and beer. It offers an expansive plate of locally made cheeses -- served on china. The barista bar is rebuilt to seat customers up close to the coffee.

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Starbucks, which turns 40 next year, is entering middle age with a keen desire to improve the way that its customers -- and its stockholders -- respond to the brand. For customers, the company wants to make the stores seem friendlier and more a part of the neighborhood. For stockholders, the company wants stores to be more profitable by targeting greater evening use. 

(FloridaToday.com)

Portugal: Só 30% dos alunos portugueses conclui o 12º ano

Apenas 30% dos alunos portugueses concluem os 12 anos de escolaridade, segundo dados revelados hoje por Joaquim Azevedo, professor da Universidade Católica e membro do Conselho Nacional de Educação.

(...)

A cada 109 mil alunos que entram no primeiro ano de escolaridade em Portugal só 32 mil chegam ao 12.º ano.

via Diário Económico

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Google's Wind Farm

Google is investing in a wind power project:

When built out, the Atlantic Wind Connection (AWC) backbone will stretch 350 miles off the coast from New Jersey to Virginia and will be able to connect 6,000MW of offshore wind turbines. That’s equivalent to 60% of the wind energy that was installed in the entire country last year and enough to serve approximately 1.9 million households.

More at Google Official Blog

Soros Says Germany Threatens Europe With ‘Deflationary Spiral’

Germany’s push for European fiscal prudence amid tepid growth and sovereign-debt burdens is “liable to send the euro zone into a deflationary spiral,” billionaire investor George Soros said.

German leaders have insisted on fiscal austerity measures in the euro zone while continuing to cut their own deficits as exports have led to the fastest economic growth since reunification. German gross domestic product grew at 9 percent in the second quarter and unemployment has continued to fall.

Read at businessweek.com

Posted via email from Zoid's reading the Wide Web

Facebook Splits Stock 5-for-1

Privately held Facebook Inc. on Friday announced a 5-for-1 stock split, a move the social network giant said would enable it to make larger stock grants to employees.


Facebook has twice previously split its stock on a 4-for-1 basis, in July 2006 and October 2007, and has no plans for an initial public offering of the company's shares.

With users at half a billion and counting, Facebook is closely watched by investors hoping to one day buy public shares in the fast-growing company.

Recent bids for Facebook stock on Sharespost were at $85 a share and $80 a share, and contracts for Facebook shares at the end of August were made for $72 a share and $75 a share.

In June 2009, Reuters reported that shares of Facebook were being quoted on the secondary market for between $10 and $10.50 a share.

One person closely involved in the trading of private company shares said splitting the stock would allow Facebook to give employees and recruits a larger number of shares, even though the total value of the shares would not change.

Earlier this week, Facebook board member Peter Thiel told Reuters the company would probably sell shares to the public at some point, but not before late 2012.

WSJ.com
Reuters.com