KFRCanuk

I read today that in the UK, the VAT will rise to 20% from 17.5%. Which let me to the Wikipedia article. It seems that most euro countries have a rate arround 20% http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Value_added_tax#Tax_rates Wow people complain in Canada about the HST/GST/PST. I ain't complaining any more ::)

The price is going to go up after the TLC show.

Gruru Focus has a page(probably dynamicly generated) of the changes at http://www.gurufocus.com/news.php?id=94670 SuperMedia Inc., formerly Idearc Inc. is a yellow pages directory publisher in the United States. It provides media advertising programs to the clients and consumers, through the SuperYellowPages, Superpages.com and SuperpagesDirect, as well as services, such as the SuperGuarantee and SuperTradeExchange Programs. During the year ended December 31, 2009, the Company published more than 1,200 distinct directory titles, including more than 1,100 directory titles in the markets and more than 100 directory titles in the expansion markets. During 2009, it distributed about 121 million copies of these directories to businesses and residences in the United States. I find IAX more interesting International Absorbents Inc. (International Absorbents) is the holding company of its wholly owned subsidiary, Absorption Corp. (Absorption). Absorption accounts for almost all of the consolidated entity’s annual sales revenue. Absorption is engaged in developing, manufacturing and marketing a range of animal care and industrial absorbent products made from off-specification and reclaimed cellulose fibers. Absorption is a manufacturer and seller of small animal bedding in North America. The primary product that the Company sells in this market is small animal bedding sold under the brand name CareFRESH. It also expanded the animal care segment of its business by the addition of new sales channels and the introduction of animal food and cat litter into its product line.

Christine Lagarde, Finance Minister of France talks about Greece on Charlie Rose http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/10979

Former SUN Microsystems CEO Jonathan Schwartz explains how companies use patents to protect themselves http://jonathanischwartz.wordpress.com/2010/03/09/good-artists-copy-great-artists-steal/

kawikaho, this isn't necessarily directed at you but what happens if someone had deposits over the FDIC limit?

Ok Polish Re might have also fallen in the same boat. Also Northbridge and Odessy Re were re-purchases not new acquisitions. Previously, CRUM and TIG were attempts to turn around businesses that ended up take a lot of capital and energy out of FFH(run off). To me, it looks like the first LARGE high quality acquisition that they have done.

I watched a repeat of a nova documentary last week "Extreme Ice" http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/extremeice/ It freaked me out. I mean some scientists think it's possible that greenland's ice may no longer exist is frightening. Were I live in Canada, replacement furnaces with less than 92% efficiency are banned. I'm really wondering what kind of world my infants son's children will be born into.

I thought Bill's talk with Elizabeth Warren (Chair of the TARP Congressional Oversight Panel) was really interesting. It's pretty surprising that nothing has been done and that Elizabeth thinks that it can happen again. Episode 174 will replay at the following times on HBO Canada Feb. 22 - 4:30PM ET / MT Feb. 24 - 12:20PM ET / MT Feb. 24 - 6:00PM ET / MT Feb. 25 - 1:00AM ET / MT Feb. 26 - 2:25PM ET / MT

It was only 5% of all my portfolios... So i wasn't that smrt.

Can I swear? FFH puts sucked my thumb. ORH buy back sucked my thumb. Buying zenith (not sucking thumb) priceless! Ok Maybe not priceless but a kewl 25.7%

Watched the end of it yesterday. Seemed interesting. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/warning/view/

The purchase of NTE is interesting also... http://www.google.com/finance?q=NYSE%3ANTE Increasing their circle of competence? edit: whoops this was an existing purchase not new.

Where I work we use a lot of SUN technology. In fact, I help implement it ::) I'm wondering why they purchased java since the oracle take over offer was announced 10 months ago? Or did they happen to buy it before the April 20, 2009 take over announcement?

Westaim raised a nice chunk of change http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/February2010/09/c8076.html

http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/10842 I found him hard to understand and not very engaging. It might have been because I was doing something else at the time. What did you think of the interview.

Back in the 80's 60 Minutes ran a story about unintended acceleration in Audi 5000's. Sales of 5000's collapsed over night. It took audi 15 years to get back to the same sales levels. The 5000 name had to be abandoned. I think it's going to take a while. Not 15 years though. On the geekish side of things, the Woz seems to have found a bug with the cruise control on his prius http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-10445564-64.html

I wonder what will happen if a vaccine for TB or AIDS is found with the funds from this donation. Will the vaccines be patented? "There is no patent. Could you patent the sun?"--- Jonas Salk

I also got $10.475CDN in my CDN TD Waterhouse Account.

http://www.westaim.com I wonder how much pain they will have with the acquisition. If it's going to be their TIG/CRUM and bog them down for a couple of years.

Here is another article on the potential buyers. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/blogs/streetwise/canwests-woes-haunt-auction/article1432040/ No mention of FFH.

60 minutes http://www.cbs.com/primetime/60_minutes/video/?pid=60Xvrz7IZ83xKQO3ISlQawCKbdHt1504&vs=homepage&play=true

She passed away.... http://www.tmz.com/2010/01/04/johnson-and-jCasey Johnson, an heiress to the Johnson & Johnson fortune, has died .. TMZ has learned. She died in L.A. We're told the body was discovered this morning. She was 30 years old. Her father is Woody Johnson -- owner of the New York Jets. Johnson was arrested in November for grand theft -- the alleged victim was a former girlfriend. Johnson was reportedly engaged to Tila Tequila. We spoke with Tila a few minutes ago. She says they were fighting last week and that Casey stayed at Tila's house on the 28th. Tila tried contacting Casey on the 29th because Casey had left her dogs behind. Tila says Casey's phone has been shut off since the 29th and she was not able to make contact. Johnson -- who tweeted frequently -- last tweeted on December 29 at 1:13 AM. The cause of death is undetermined.

These were the dates and amounts of the dividend payouts in past years Jan 8, 2002 $1.00 Jan 9. 2003 $1.50 Jan 12, 2004 $1.40 Jan 12, 2005 $1.40 Jan 3, 2006 $1.40 Jan 23, 2007 $2.75 Jan 5, 2008 $5.00 Jan 16, 2009 $8.00

Anyone following Domino's Pizza? I find two things interesting in the recent past. 1) There was a youtube video of employees doing disgusting things to the ingredients. see http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/brandnewday/archives/2009/04/dominos_pizza_y.html for more info. The company dealt with the issue immediately and used social networking to get the word out. 2) They have overhauled their pizza recipe in all their locations in the USA. http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2009-12-16-dominos16_ST_N.htm It could be all marketing saying that their old product was crap but it will be interesting to see if there is a turn around story there. I can't remember if DPZ was discussed on the old board ir not.