Author: Vincent

By Lloyd Graff A popular sports talk show in Chicago has a feature that exposes hypocrisy. They call it “Who you crapping?” This crap goes out to Warren Buffett. After listening to Lloyd Blankfein, head of Goldman Sachs, tap dance in front of a Congressional inquiry about his company’s conduct during the subprime mortgage catastrophe, and reading Michael Lewis’s book, The Big Short, detailing the stupidity and duplicity of the ratings agencies, including the once venerated Moody’s during the same period, I was shocked to hear Saint Warren defend both at the annual Brookshire Hathaway pig roast in Omaha last…

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By Lloyd Graff Call it the frap flap but Starbucks is pulling the New Coke. Evidently the Buck is feeling the pain from McDonald’s competitive and cheaper McCafé, in tampering with one of its most successful products, the beloved Frappuccino. My wife Risa was addicted to the mocha, light, double blended Grande Frappuccino with easy whip. Along with the shortbread cookie it was the break in her rigorous workday that usually goes to 8 p.m. (The shortbread replaced her former staple, the Rice Krispy Treat, after Starbucks ruined that by taking out the Trans Fats a few years back). The…

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By Lloyd Graff Brian Capece has a five person shop in rural Maryland. He does wire EDM and precision machining for aerospace, satellite, medical and commercial clients, often working 65 to 70 hours a week. His wife runs his office now that his two children are in school. He’s been doing this for 10 years, since buying his first die sinker at an auction. It’s been a rough year for Brian. He says he used up his cushion of money to keep the business afloat while not letting any of his people go, because those core employees are the key…

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By Noah Graff For the May issue of Today’s Machining World, I interviewed Carl Hoffman, author of the new book, the Lunatic Express. The book chronicles Hoffman’s travels throughout Asia, Africa, South America and the U.S., during which he attempted to use the modes of transportation commonly used by natives, notorious for discomfort, tardiness and poor safety. One thing Hoffman described to me is how the concept of time in Third World countries differs from that in the First World. In countries like India, the Congo and Columbia, people generally have a different expectation of what it means for things…

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