Theymos. Didn't the bitcointalk server get hit by a DDOS attack a while back?
BlackLotus maybe you could offer some protection as a service to the community if it happens again.
I would be happy to do so if the appropriate person wishes to reach out to me.
Regarding keeping our own Bitcoin, the problem we run into is that banks and investors will not regard BTC as "real money," meaning revenue we earn by BTC that is not "repatriated" does not count as revenue, and impacts our perceived performance. In our current stage of growth this is a very real issue for us.