peHUB First Read

* Bernie Madoff: Loathsome lothario? * Browser War Redux? Marc Andreessen's new fund backs RockMelt, a quasi-independent desktop client for Facebook. * Remember that story about the college grad suing her alma matter because she couldn't find work? And remember how you shook your head at what sounded like entitled litigiousness? Well, Mark Gimein has some details that might make you reconsider. * Morning Call: U.S. futures point to mixed open, London rises early on commodities, European shares climb as oil gains, the Nikkei hits 10-month closing high and China shares skid on IPO worries. * Siicon Valley Bank says startups are having an easier time paying their bills. * Benchmark invests in Facebook via the backdoor, taking "almost all equity" in its sale of FriendFeed. * Citidel plans to unload up to two-thirds of its stake in eTrade. Don't be surprised to see a certain tech-focused PE firm take a major piece.