Has Everyone Gone Mad!?

Bill Gates 'retires' from Microsoft
Seems Bill wants out of Microsoft and is putting a transition plan in place that will end with his departure in July 2008. Supposedly Bill will concentrate his time, efforts, and fortune supporting the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Interesting, but some question what will happen to Microsoft. In the past few years and especially in recent months, Microsoft has been the focus of deep questions about its lagging stock price, competition from Google and the Open Source community, and its bloated, ineffective organizational strategy. Some were and still are suggesting a massive layoff at Microsoft. An action that would make Microsoft lean and mean again.

Microsoft start layoffs
Seems Mini-Microsoft has been heard! It appears there are changes coming to the organization and some say it is nothing unusual. However, it is hard to ignore the exodus in recent months of Microsoft executives to Google and other fast-moving companies. Check out the stock (MSFT)

Has Warren Buffett Lost his Mind?
Yes, it seems that he may have. Well, maybe not. Almost a week after Bill Gate's announcement that Gates would retire from Microsoft to focus on philanthropy, Warren Buffett declares that the majority of his approximately $40 billion fortune will be donated to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Check out Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B)

Commentary: Granted, I think charity is great - and charity on this level is amazine. But does anyone else get the feeling that something else is happening? The two richest men in the world have just collapsed their wealth into a separate organization. I can't help but wonder if this has something to do with instabilities in the world markets or some questions about the stability of the dollar.

More Discussion of Buffett's Donation

Ah Yes, the Nazi Paranoia!
Seems some are comparing Gates' and Buffett's recent actions to that of the Nazis! I love how any and all actions somehow lead to a comparison to Nazis. What's up with that? Seems being in favor of population control means you are a Nazi. To me, it is simply common sense. If you have people who you cannot feed, quit having children! Sorry to be cold, but the problems of Subsaharan Africa seem quite simple to me. Stabilize the population, feed them, rebuild and grow a society which can support itself. Yes, I know about the rapes and forced sex in Africa, but this is exactly what is needed - money and attention. Worst case, the rich do nothing and everyone dies. That would be a Nazi solution...

Seems no good deed goes unpunished.

The Record Goes 'Round and 'Round

George Soros and his views
Coming from the standpoint of not supporting the war in Iraq, Soros discusses the decline in global liquidity, a correction in commodities and hedge funds, and a decline in the value of the dollar.

A World of Bubbles
With Bubbles in every market, where do we go and what do we do? This is a continuation of the themes Soros discusses in the article above.

How Capitalism Can Crush a Country
It used to be that citizens of a country invested inside the borders. Since World War II, that has changed dramatically. However, all is not rosy. With trade imbalances and the herd nature of investors, it has become easier than ever to 'pump and dump' an entire country's economy. Is this why emerging markets have been very hot and now appear icy?

Everything will be fine?
According to Louis Navellier, the answer is yes... and here's why.

The Parabolic Rise in Commodities Will See a Parabolic Decline
According to the herd mentality of investors, their goal is not to spot the top, but to get out as soon as things turn sour. Interestingly enough, this becomes a chicken-and-egg scenario since early panic selling can actually create a decline that spreads throughout the market. Damn herds...