All of us in the startup community have been debating whether the bubble is once again upon us. It is my strong opinion that indeed it has :)

Dmitry sent me this video when I told him I will be teaching Entrepreneurship next semester, check it out!

I really really hate math.. I don’t know if I’ve told this to anyone.

I HATE MATHEMATICS.

That is all. (Emo post of the month).

The Consumerist blog recently had an entry discussing the results of the 2007 J.D. Power and Associates 2007 Credit Card Satisfaction Survey. As expected, Capital One performed terribly, and American Express led the pack. What I don’t quite get is how the “Industry Average” beats so many banks. The only explanation I have is that there are a lot of small banks, all of which have very high satisfaction ratings. But then, shouldn’t J.D. Power at least make the bar graph more representative by showing the customer weighed average instead?

Consumerist also had another entry about Capital One.

Citing “Market Conditions” Capital One Raises Reader’s APR 4.99% to 13.5%.

I have had a Capital One Mastercard for about 10 years. My interest rate has been 4.99% for as long as I can remember. I received my statement for October to find that my interest rate had jumped from 4.99% to 13.5%.

I called Capital One to find out why. After a completely confusing phone tree and 10 minute wait, I got through to a real person who explained that the increase was not because of anything I did, but because Capital One made an “executive decision” to increase rates “for all cardholders” because of “recent market conditions.”

…

Now for anyone who has worked at Capital One M&A, I’m sure this entry is just hilarious. For that matter, I wouldn’t be surprised if I knew who was responsible for this decision =P

If you are in the tri-state area and are in anyway interested in startups, definitely drop by startup camp this Wednesday.

Wednesday, November 28, 2007
7:00 - 9:00 pm
For Your Imagination
22 West 27th Street
6th Floor

About This Event
MatchupCamp - matchmaking for startups - is all about startup networking, creating a place for ideas and talent to meet. There are many events matching professional services to startups - this one will focus on those looking to get their hands dirty and build something new. MatchupCamp has the sole objective of bringing together people looking to start, expend, or join a startup in New York (and the tri-state area).

Peerdecision will also be there looking for developers. Drop by and say hi if you plan to attend.

So once again I’ve vanished (even though I said I wouldn’t). Here is something amusing just to break the ice again. A few months ago I was leaving Columbia University’s iron gates when security handed me this flyer.

Larceny - Crime Prevention Tips

• Take extreme care of your personal property (e.g., backpacks, laptops, wallets, purses, etc.) while shopping and dining. Keep property in sight, and never leave it unattended, not even for a minute.
• Beware of any individual who attempts to distract you (e.g. asks you a simple question) because s/he or an accomplice may be looking to take your property.
• Don’t carry your purse loosely around your shoulder. Clutch it tightly under your arm or, better yet, avoid carrying a purse and keep a wallet (containing only items you need) in your pocket instead.
• Never leave valuable items unsecured at your work location. Secure them and immediately report any suspicious persons wandering about at your work place.
• The best and really the only way to prevent larcenies from motor vehicles is never to leave valuables in your car unattended (.e.g., electronic goods such as cellular phones, laptops computers as well as credit/debit cards).
• In addition to cash, thieves desire credit cards. Carry only credit/debit cards that you frequently use and properly safeguard them.

Now isn’t this advice just a bit extreme? Interestingly, the same advice was given to me when I was in Barcelona. In fact, every single time I asked for directions, the locals would always begin by warning me how dangerous parts of the city could be. Is crime really that rampant internationally?!