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Markets shot downward on Monday, but there’s reason NOT to be worried

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Via: Forbes

Within minutes of the market’s opening yesterday (Monday) morning, the Dow Jones plunged nearly 1000 points, creating the pained hashtags (#BlackMonday), and anguished GIFs that accompany a market slide in 2015. It was the type of correction that is usually seen anywhere from 1-3 times per year, and although it was indeed painful while it lasted, it was not necessarily outside of the norm. Markets are already back up today, negating all but about 195 points of that drop, and none of the usual indicators that would precede an imminent bear market seem to be in place.

And while single day shocks like that are exactly that; shocking, of course long term trends are really what supplies the fundamentals of both investing, and the stock market in general. Despite some criticisms that the past six years’ gains are more due to Fed policy than real economic strength, the market has gained substantially in value over that time, only a tiny fraction which was erased yesterday. The graph below does a good job of illustrating this point.

See? Not so bad in context. (Via Forbes, YCharts)

There is no shortage of sources of possible instability in the markets heading forward, including China, a possible interest rate hike in September (although that looks slightly less likely on the heels of this instability), and more; but for now at least, there seems to be at least a bit of hopeful optimism.

New fan theory video casts some serious doubts on The Karate Kid plot

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Balancing right on the edge of ‘things too obscure to blog about’ and ‘we used to love this movie, we can’t not talk about this’, comes a really interesting fan theory video on the legendary Karate Kid movie from the mid-80s. And perhaps even more interestingly, it’s a fan theory Barney Stinson stipulates in more than one episode of How I Met Your Mother.

The video, which convincingly incorporates footage from the 1984 classic (we can’t believe how old the movie is, either), states that in fact Daniel (the main character) was the bully, and not the generally despised zealots from down the road at the Cobra Kai Dojo, as is the usual interpretation of the iconic martial arts drama. And the argument it lays out really isn’t bad. It’s basically the following; it is ACTUALLY Daniel who initiates all of the violent fights in the movie! Now obviously, the whole thing is more than a bit tongue-in-cheek, the video is really well made, and honestly, kind of hard to argue against. It’s gone seriously viral the past day or so, and for good reason too. Check out the hilarious video, below.

Super exclusive Yeezy Boost drops on Saturday

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The third in an on-going edition of super limited edition footwear designed by none other than the man himself, Kanye West, the brand new Yeezy Boost finally drops on Saturday.

The first two shoes sold out day-of, and its anticipated this one will go even faster. Despite criticism that the shoes ‘look like Uggs’ from some members of the sneakerhead community, the shoes are still selling for far beyond their $200 retail price on the after market.

Seriously on-trend, and boasting unique materials and construction techniques, the Yeezy series may not be for everyone, but it has absolutely captured the collective imagine of the street-fashion forward set. Also, it’s not only sneakerheads that are hoping for some luck on Saturday, as Adidas itself has placed a ton of emphasis on this relationship with Kanye, and the Yeezy series he designed, to recapture some of the market share that Nike has been dominating for close to a decade now. More recently, even newer brands like Under Armour have emerged as competitors to the legendary 3 Stripes brand as well, so creative partnerships and promotions such as this one have become a go-to marketing strategy for Adidas. So for the new Yeezy Boost, a huge emphasis was placed on athletic capability, in addition to its uniquely streetwear-focused style. Check out the video below for more details.

Because the Yeezy shoes themselves are so limited, Adidas hopes that not only will they generate serious demand in the aftermarket, and thus, serious buzz for the brand in entirety; but they also hope that this will lead people to buy other Adidas footwear as well. And if this article that surfaced on SneakerNews today is any indication, that plan may already be working.

Banksy debuts incredible new ‘Dismaland’ art installation

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One of the most mysterious, politically-active, and prolific artists of our time, Banksy, has struck again.

The artist, who made a name for himself with some of the most progressive street art pieces the world has ever known, has now moved confidently into the world of sculpture and 3D art, retaining all of his signature snark, and intelligent political and social commentary.

The new art exhibit is entitled ‘Dismaland’, and the work is, as with all things with Banksy, thought-provoking, clever, darkly humorous, and overall, massively creative. While the artist himself does not give interviews, he has described the new art installation as ‘a festival of arts, amusement, and entry-level anarchism.’ He has also stated that he did not set out to ‘intentionally snub’ his more traditional medium of street art, but that other artistic endeavors just ‘seemed to interest him more at this time.’

Constructed in a space formerly occupied by a now-abandoned public swimming pool in Banksy’s native U.K. (in a town called Weston-super-Mare, to be specific), and the sinister, Disneyland-esque theme park opens to the public tomorrow.

*Insert search ranking joke here*; Google announces massive reorganization, new CEO

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Google dropped a massive bomb on the tech and business communities late Monday night, as they announced that they will be reorganizing their entire operation, bringing all of their subsidiary companies and side projects under one label, now known as Alphabet.

There are a number of rumors circulating around the web as to the timing of this move, namely that Twitter was preparing a CEO offer for newly-minted Google Chief Exec. Sundar Pichai. But no matter the motivations, or how long the move had been in the works at Google, it is a truly massive one.

Also, while the move is a surprising one, it is a logical one as well. Google, through acquisitions mainly, now owns or helps operate no less than seven separate ventures, not even including their core search, images, maps, etc. business. As previously noted, the company will retain Mr. Pichai as CEO of the core Google business, of which he was already second in command, and in charge of massive sections of the business like Android/mobile.

In terms of leadership of the new umbrella company, Alphabet, Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page will run as co-heads. This new organization will over not only the core Google business, but also Calico (health), Google Ventures, Google Capital, Nest (internet-connected home goods), Google X, and their Fiber business as well. In a blog post, it was noted that the purpose of this move was to make their separate businesses easier to organize and run independently. How this all evolves, will certainly be interesting to see.

Warren Buffett executes huge, cash deal for Precision Castparts

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Warren Buffett is known as a brilliant investor, not a flashy one. And his latest deal, the second largest in the history of Berkshire Hathaway, follows not only that one, but many of the legendary investors principles.

As first reported by Bloomberg, and other sources, the investment company, headed up by Buffett, will acquire a leading aerospace hardware supplier, Precision Castparts, for $37.2 billion; almost half of Berkshire Hathaway’s cash.

But although the investment is a substantial one, it appears to be a relatively safe one as well. Precision Castparts pulls in close to $3 billion in pre-tax profits per year, so from a cash flow perspective, this is right in line with where it should be. Furthermore, the company is in an industry with little competition, and has actually moved to successfully acquire many of the competitors they do have, so their marketshare is solid as well. They serve the biggest companies in the aerospace field, including Airbus and Boeing, and obviously, the aerospace hardware industry obviously has some pretty high barriers to entry. Analysts don’t expect Buffet to make many major changes to the operations of his newly acquired company, and his history would support those claims.

The move is indicative of a major change for Berkshire Hathaway though, as the company continues to pivot away from picking stocks, to fully acquiring entire companies. What do you think of the new move? Another savvy one by Buffett, it appears to be.

Philanthropic new start up model begins to take hold

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Via: Source

In recent years, start up companies like Tom’s Shoes and Warby Parker glasses have taken off, not only because they provide stylish goods at affordable price points, but also because they offer a unique bonus for each purchase their customers make.

Both companies have a huge charitable aspect to them; for each pair of shoes Tom’s sells, a child in need gets a pair as well. Same for Warby Parker, except with their glasses. Truly a win-win-win situation.

Now another company is joining the ranks of these philanthropically-minded start ups, a backpack company called Just Porter. Started in 2006 by Chris Bahr, the company was inspired by a humantarian trip Bahr took to the Philippines. While there, he had the idea one day to buy some school supplies for the local children.

(Via LinkedIn)

How happy the children were to receive his donations stuck with Bahr, and now 9 years later, whenever one of his backpacks is sold, the company donates one, filled with school supplies to a child in need. And, business is good.

As we said before, it truly is a win-win-win situation.

Bill Murray to release new book in the Fall

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As first reported by Supercompressor and other sources, a new book detailing the life, career, and exploits of none other than Bill Murray himself will be dropping in September. Excited? You should be.

The man has been a legendary actor for decades now, with a career spanning from the earliest years of Saturday Night Live, to Caddy Shack, Groundhog Day, then Ghost Busters, and all the way to, more recently, even dramatic roles like his award-winning turn in Lost in Translation.

“So I got that goin’ for me.” Classic.

But in recent years, he’s become almost as well known for his good natured, and spontaneous antics, documented in a myriad of internet stories. So the book, which is being touted as ‘part biography, part critical appreciation, part love letter, and all fun’, and which spans the entirety of Murray’s career, including every single theatrical performance, is sure to be a seriously entertaining read. We personally, can’t wait.

Don Rickles rips Jimmy Fallon and The Roots

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Don Rickles is an old school comedian who made a name for himself back in the days when Johnny Carson and David Letterman were the late night TV hosts du jour. He was known as an insult comedian of the finest order, who’s also had a number of dramatic roles over his career, and although he’s getting up a bit in the years now, an appearance he made the other night on Jimmy Fallon shows that the man has certainly still got it. He has some great stuff for Fallon, and even has some good lines for QuestLove as well. Check it out below.

1stDibs is a website with an awesome name; even cooler purpose

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Via: Source

Filling in a digital space unfulfilled by eBay, Amazon, or any other online marketplace, website 1stDibs was created all the way back in 2001 to serve a different purpose; replicate the finest art gallery or auction house experience all online. Connecting art dealers with clients seeking their wares all across the globe seemed like an obscure mission a decade ago, but now, 1stDibs is uniquely, and excellently positioned to almost exclusively serve a huge market. How exactly did they do it?

Via: Sparkcapital.com

Indeed, as was previously mentioned, the company started all the way back in 2001; and from the get-go, the site sought to replicate the legendary Parisian Marche aux Puces; open air markets filled with art of all kinds. And now, close to 15 years later, the company has evolved into the leading online market place for fine art, furniture, jewelry, and other treasures; all listed by some of the best-known, and most reputable dealers in the world.

The company, now guided by CEO David Rosenblatt, removed dozens of pain points that kept both art dealers and collectors from having access to collections around the world, whether they are on the buying, or selling side. It is an area with a lot of demand, and not a lot of direct competition for 1stDibs, making them an incredibly interesting company to keep an eye on.