http://guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/feb/01/facebook-files-5bn-ipo

(Did I mention that Zuckerberg is a Giant Asshat? Sorry about the completely obvious post, it was really just an excuse to say that. I fucking hate the guy and all he represents. Asshat.)

“I could end the deficit in 5 minutes. You just pass a law that says that anytime there is a deficit of more than 3% of GDP all sitting members of congress are ineligible for reelection.”

via My Investing Notebook.

Long story short: Yay Charleton for deciding in favour of UPC. Boo Charleton for parroting makey-uppey numbers for “piracy”. Boo Charleton for essentially suggesting that Gov.ie enact legislation to allow the labels to skip proper due process. That’s two boos to one yay, you lose Charleton.

Now, lest you accuse me of negativity, and point out that it’s easy to criticise, let me give you my positive suggestion.

It isn’t based on marketing, positioning, flim-flammery, three-card-trickery or trying to persuade the world that we’re honest when the world knows full well what a bunch of gobshites we are. Â It isn’t based on wishful thinking, it doesn’t use the sort of nonsense phrases like world-beating that for years we relied on to delude ourselves.

It’s simple. Â I suggest investing in ethics.

I suggest re-educating our entire population, from the youngest pre-schooler to the grimmest old businessman, and including the public service and politicians, explaining precisely what integrity means. Â I suggest teaching our entire population that marketing, promotion, sales, PR and international glad-handing are of no use whatsoever if the thing you’re trying to sell has no substance.

If we don’t take this seriously, we’re doomed to repeat the current economic disaster over and over again, each generation with its own Bertie Ahern, its own Seanie Fitzpatrick, its own Fingers Fingleton, and all the other assorted, integrity-free panhandlers and parasites who have soiled the reputation of this country and sold us down the Swanee for their own, ignorant, self-serving enrichment.

Forget about Eamon Ryan’s smart economy.

Let’s put all our effort into creating the Honest Economy.

al.com: Alabama Attorney General Troy King said tonight that he has told representatives of BP Plc. that they should stop circulating settlement agreements among coastal Alabamians.

The agreements, King said, essentially require that people give up the right to sue in exchange for payment of up to $5,000.

Inc. Magazine has a nice profile of Tim O’Reilly. Tim’s business philosophy is refreshing.

O’Reilly says he sometimes wonders what would have happened if he had raised venture capital and given his company a chance to get really big. But he sounds more amused by this question than truly troubled by it. “Money is like gasoline during a road trip,” he says. “You don’t want to run out of gas on your trip, but you’re not doing a tour of gas stations. You have to pay attention to money, but it shouldn’t be about the money.”

Sounds like the opposite of an awful lot of companies these days, particularly the Web 2.0 climbers.

CC: Richie Boucher, CEO; Mark Cunningham, Business Banking; Tim O’Neill, Branch Network; Group Credit Operations; Douglas Branch; Customer Care

Dear Person That Wouldn’t Or Couldn’t Type Their Own Name,

With reference to the attached letter, I would like to confirm that I’ll be paying every cent of the direct debits Bank of Ireland erroneously withdrew from my account, despite clear instructions not to overdraw said account when I converted an overdraft to a term loan several years ago. Amusingly, this was at Bank of Ireland’s insistence, with numerous tiresome phone calls.

I had already made one payment before the “official” you “assigned” to continue harassing me, left a message on my answering machine. I rang him shortly afterwards to inform him of this, but his phone rang out. I tried again later but I was directed to voicemail, where I left a message with my name and phone number. He didn’t call me back.

This is a somewhat ironic example of why I left Bank of Ireland in the first place. My “Business Advisor” in your branch in Douglas rarely if ever returned phone calls, and when he did it was hard to get past excuses and attempts at distraction from his inaction almost embarrassing in their weakness and transparency. When he did finally complete requests, he invariably got them wrong.

The customer service staff in my branch almost equalled his levels of competence, particularly when it came to something as complex as updating an address. I moved several times while a customer at this branch, and they never – not once – got it right. Of course while going through the stress of moving, having your bank statements land in the hands of the next random tenant is just what you need.

Speaking of statements, I haven’t received one for the account now since the 1^st of March. I remember that one because at the end of another long-winded and ill-informed phone call from someone in BOI in mid-February, I was promised that a statement would be sent out immediately, so I could check the balance and clear what I actually owed Bank of Ireland. It wasn’t.

Until I receive an up to date statement, I’m afraid we’re at a bit of an impasse, since I don’t actually know what I owe you at this stage. I made a second payment of €100 a few days after the first, which leaves about €60, but I’m not paying a penny more until the overdraft charges have been removed from my account, what with the aforementioned instruction not to overdraw it and all.

I’m not sure I’ll fare much better at communicating with the written word, but I’ll stick this up on my website too, and perhaps it’ll get to you via word of mouth. Your bank is in good shape at the moment, and has the respect of the nation for the competence it and its well-trained, clever executives showed during the property boom, so I’m sure it’ll be a lovely bit of PR for you.

http://verbo.se/an-open-letter-to-boi

Yours in anticipation,
Adam Beecher

(See how easy it is to type your name! You should try it, it’s fun, and accountable too!)

BBC: The business networking website LinkedIn has said it will base its new international headquarters in Dublin.

The company has not yet said how many jobs will be created but they are expected to include positions in sales, finance and customer service.

LinkedIn will manage its international expansion from Dublin with overall headquarters remaining in California.