The Sequoia Presentation.

Looks like 20 more years until I can retire.  VentureBeat has published a link to the Sequoia PowerPoint from the secret meeting it held for its portfolio companies.  As a precaution, you should probably play the Benny Hill Theme while reading it.  By itself, the presentation is dangerously depressing.

The Sequoia “RIP: Good Times” presentation: Here it is » VentureBeat

Silicon Valley has been trying to digest news of a secret meeting held by top venture firm Sequoia Capital earlier this week. At the meeting, top Sequoia partners laid out bleak short and long-term scenarios for the world economy — and strong medicine for the firm’s portfolio companies.

Memory – the Canary in the Coal Mine

This post is chock full of good references to financial information for memory chip companies.  A really good (if very depressing) summary.

Chip forecasts head south | Business Tech – CNET News

The memory chip industry is the canary in the coal mine. At least two memory chip manufacturers are on life support right now

       ….

And let’s not forget the Micron surprise on Thursday. The largest maker of memory chips in the U.S. said it would reduce its workforce 15 percent during the next two years. “Selling prices for NAND flash memory (are) significantly below manufacturing costs,” Micron said in a statement.

SanDisk–the largest supplier of retail flash memory products–has problems of its own. It has become a buyout target as its stock price has steadily declined over the last 12 months.

Sun Microsystems: no more JAVA?

Could be.  This article over at the NYT points out that Sun’s stock has fallen so far, they could go private and retire their ticker symbol (JAVA).  Right now its at around $4.80.  But we are reminded that this is following a 4-for-1 reverse split a year ago (so this isn’t the same $5 price you remember from last year).

Sun Microsystems: A Lesson in Failed Cosmetic Surgery – Bits Blog – NYTimes.com

Sun Microsystems, one of the world’s largest server and software makers, finds itself in an awkward position: It might soon have enough cash to buy all of its stock and go private.

Sun’s shares dropped close to 8 percent Thursday, closing at $5.21. The company now has a stock-market value of $3.9 billion and has close to $3.5 billion in cash, said chief executive Jonathan Schwartz in an interview Thursday after the market closed.